Escape from boredom

Collected thumbnails from http://www.finndittbilde.no/, me and Espen from Ultrabirken earlier this year.

Last Friday I had my 100’th time using my bike to work this year, which gives me about 3600 kilometers just commuting. What better way to celebrate that than having several large pieces of Vidars 50’th birthday cake, made all out of white chocolate, it was delicious!!!

Vidar starting the celebration having the first piece

Two days ago, after about one and a half week without rain Espen and I decided to introduce Anders for Terrengsykkelrittet. He will participate next year, so he had to get to know the trail. We started out at five o’clock and was out for about three hours. I did bring along the video camera as well and compiled a short movie from our nice ride.

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Direct link to movie

Had a puncture yesterday on my way to work, just to realize that the tool I needed to loosen the back wheel was at home. So I had to take the subway home in order to fix it. After I had fixed the puncture I then as always had to fasten the tension seeker. Realized then that the chain now is almost totally worn out, as you can see on the picture there is almost no more possibility to create tension to the chain. All this in just about 5 months of use, that includes paternity leave and holiday. Might need to buy better quality?

To see the history of my chain, from when I mounted it and maintenance during the summer, click here

Yesterday Espen, I and about 470 others participated in Ultrabirken, 112 kilometers on gravel and tracks and at the end 10 kilometers on tarmac. We spent nine hours riding, pushing and carrying our bikes, had one puncture and one chain break – both off course less than 30 minutes before finish when we both were very cold, so we lost a great amount of time, but hey, we had no plans on winning, we did it for fun 🙂 And you can view the fun at Sportstracker

From Rena the night before, where we slept, together with a bunch of others

Espen five minutes after we had passed the finishing line

Our bikes after the race

We got an offer we could not refuse, car and bikewash

“…it never gets easier, it only gets faster…”

A short video clip from yesterdays challenge

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Yesterday I participated in Mjølkerampa Open, just as last year. Quite sure I had a better run this year, but still, my time was exactly one minute more. The reason for this being that on the first kilometers of the 10k’s we where just two guys speeding together, whereas last year we where at least five keeping up the pace. Sad to know that I was one kilo more this year. The order you start is based on how much, or less, you weigh. The list starts at 130 kilos, and for each kilo down to 75 you weigh less, you get 10 seconds added to your starting time. So if Contador had been 130 kilo and still as good on his bike, he would have won for sure.

Also from Rye: Espen, Jan Henrik and Leif Ivar. No pictures taken by me this year, but someone else has done their share of work and published pictures here /picasaweb.google.no/TeddyTrb/

My GPS tracking at Sports Tracker

With wife and kids away I was free yesterday to spend some hours on my bike after work. Started out from work at half past five, went home and changed from my commuter to my Kona-bike. Then head off to Østmarksetra to meet Rune and Egil. Together we did Trulsrunden. A nice trail, a bit wet yesterday, but no big issue, but combined with moderate pace we had plenty of time to share or bike knowledge with each other. See my GPS-tracking at Sportstracker

Did not have time to mount my neoguard when changing bikes, but when at home I did. Plan to use the neoguard combined with a small mudguard next Friday.

Yesterday Elin and the boys where still at Vestreng so I enjoyed my dinner in the canteen watching Tour De France on the big screen. Stayed there an extra hour since Hushovd did a brilliant stage winning back the green jersey.

So when heading back home I decided to do a few extra kilometers. Headed towards Jar, here down by Lysakerelva realizing that this was a dead end

Then up to Tryvann, and also passing Skjennungen where I stopped to take this picture.

Then passing Ullevålseter down to Hammeren, and home via Kjelsås. All in all 41 kilometers on my single speed, nice! See the route at Sportstracker

Two days ago I had almost the whole day alone, no kids to take care of, and with the sun shining from a clear blue sky what better thing to do than spend the day on my bike. Elin and Iver went with the car to Vestreng and I followed them on my bike. Started out towards Romsås and Romsåstoppen, the highest point of the day 448 meters above sea level. Had fun down the trail towards Nittedal, had one fall on a very slippery rock, but managed to jump of the bike and avoided falling with my head first down a small cliff. Then towards Leirsund and over the hill and down to Fetsund. Ice break there before trying to go around Varsjøen. Spent some time there due to the fact that there where no trail. Had to carry the bike for almost half an hour, but got a bonus: The trail down from Brattåsen, much fun. But when out on the road towards Aurskog I was all out of something to drink, and with the warm weather that was no good. So when at Aurskog I visited Hanne and had about an hour break getting plenty to drink and eat. Then the last 20k was just a walk in the park. See the whole route here at Sportstracker

Went to visit Kåre yesterday, and since I could leave Anders behind at my fathers place I used my bike. Thanks to Facebook connecting people, I got company at Sjonfjellet. My classmate from the three last years of primary school, Torfinn, took his bike out for a ride and met me there, so Facebook is not always a waste of time. High quality time I must say, got to catch up the last twenty years on our bikes, as good as it gets! Had a short stop at another classmate from primary school, Magne, as well.

When riding back today the weather was as nice as it can get, sun from a clear blue sky. Had a very nice ride, stopped to talk with tourists, tried an alternative route outside the tunnel at Sjonfjellet, stopped to take pictures. All in all, just enjoyed myself.

Just before Utskarpen, Ranfjorden, and at the far end Valbogen, my destination today.

View towards Strandtindan, hope to go there next year with my bike. It should be possible to ride the bike almost all the way to the top without stepping out of your pedals.

Going up Sjonfjellet I wanted to avoid the tunnel. After a bit of searching I found the old road outside. About 1 kilometer of nice gravel road.

On the top of Sjonfjellet, the view towards Træna.