New Bike!! - Mini Kona

Daughter Amy scored the unexpected new bike today. Neighborhood friend has graduated to a 24" wheel bike, selling her 20" wheel Kona to Amy. This one an upgrade over her singlespeed Trek; the Kona with 7 speeds, V-Brakes and a suspension fork. Still a "kids" bike, but pretty decent. It should work out great, then with used purchased price - when resell time comes around for us - practically used it for free. The way to roll with growing kids.

She fits it well, we cruised around a bit today. Her skills have progressed enough for us to potentially try a little dirt action. Fantastic. Son Ian had a similar bike a few years ago - a Giant MTX 125. That bike kicked off his first dirt rides with me. If Amy is interested, hopefully the same story.

Earlier in the day, good clean fun with another edition of the "Old Guy Ride". Pretty big group today, including my neighbor Dave and work pal Brian, along for the first time. Pace was a little quicker the normal, thanks to ride leader Scott. Awesome way to spend a few hours in the woods. Son Ian sat out this ride with a bit of a cold and needed sleep.

Maybe in a few years, Amy will join the "Old Guys" for a spin on the singletrack. That would be damn cool.

MFG Cyclocross Series - Race #3

MFG series race number 3 today at Five Mile Lake Park in Federal Way. If 'cross was a school subject, we'd score a perfect attendance record from Mrs. Cowbell, since we've also hit race 1 and 2 in the series, so our report card is looking pretty good.

Today's race site is about an hour away for us, the old guy race (that be me), scheduled for 9:30 AM. With travel time, unload and warm up - pretty early morning - so I, uh, skipped it. Yeah, you can see how motivated I've been to race lately. We elected to just hit the kids races later in the afternoon.

Even if dad is lame (that be me), both kids raced today - and that was cool. We've also never been to this location, so that was cool also - something different. Nice site for a 'cross race, very compact for good spectator viewing. One uphill running section, a sand section, lots of grassy twists and turns. Parking was tight - really tight. We unbelievably scored a spot near the finish line and festivities - helpful with kids, wife, getting supplies, unloading/loading bikes, etc. Meanwhile, race announcer warning riders the sheriff was about to start towing cars illegally parked nearby. Ah, joy.

Ian once again did battle in the Junior Boys 10 - 12 class. He seemed to be doing okay at the beginning of the race, then I lost sight of him for awhile, only to be appear off the back at bit at the finish. Told me he lost the chain on the uphill running section, and it took awhile for him figure out remount it. He was mad that occurred, but I explained bad luck is part of racing - just got to continue - which he did with a nice sprint at the finish. I explained that getting mad was actually a good thing. Proves you care about how well you're doing and being a bit competitive. All races are a learning experience and you have many more to follow. I showed him a few times how to remount the chain afterwards, though we've gone over it before. Easy to forget, since during our usual rides, never been a problem. He was quietly hacked for a while after the race, but got over it and is ready to race again.

We left before the results were posted - it can sometimes take awhile - so we'll check online later. At race #2, he scored 15th place out of 26 kids - not bad at all - especially considering most kids are on race teams and sport full 'cross bikes, clipless pedals and the whole schtick. Ian is still racing a mountain bike with platform pedals and we just wing this for fun. He had similar results at race #1. Plan is to hit as many races of the series as possible and collect points via consistency. After two races, Ian was in 13th place overall - pretty cool. Still, the main intent is to just have fun and gain experience. If he continues to dig this, I'll set up him with a 'cross bike for next season. By then he'll also be 5+ feet tall and fit a 700c bike without a problem - plus probably kick my ass.

The start of the Juniors race - boys and girls. From really young kids up to age 12. Scored separately, but race together. Mixed in the crowd is Ian, racing Junior Boys 10 - 12. The older kids, up to age 17 or so, have already left the start line - so they're mixed in as well. I'm psyched to see a ton of kids racing 'cross this year. I've said it before, 'cross is perfect for kids - short, fast, not that technical, parents can watch almost the action. Perfect.

Amy raced the kiddie class today - first time ever on her own - without training wheels. Yes! Lots of little ones lined up for a go at it. The race was supposed to be super short, just a section on the grass. However, once they past the finish line - they all kept going - even through the sand section! The improvised finish line moved to the barrier section - hilarious. They probably would have tried lifting their bikes over the barriers if not stopped. Amy said it was the longest kiddie race she's ever done.

The kiddies take on the sand section. Awesome!

Go Amy go!!

MFG Cyclocross dudes - thanks! We're having a blast with the series.

After the race, stopped at Alki Beach in West Seattle to goof around a bit. Lunch at this Irish place - mmm,mmm good - Irish stew. Nice place with a water view.

View from Alki Beach - not too shabby. I tell you, living in the Pacific Northwest ain't too bad.

With that, I conclude this week's edition of the 'cross report. Stay tuned for future broadcasts. Adios.

Amy Rides On

Daughter Amy, all of 6 years old, is getting more interested in riding her bike. She graduated to removing the training wheels a few months ago, but only occasionally asked to ride her bike since. Over the last week or so, she's been dragging out her incredibly small pink Specialized and riding up and down our quiet street, lap after lap. Bike is too small now, but she rides it anyway. The old school Schwinn we uncrated a few weeks ago is too big and heavy for her at the moment.

Today, our neighbor loaned us a bike that fits her perfect - a 16" wheel Trek Jet. It's actually my son Ian's first bike that he learned to ride on. I gave the bike to my neighbor a few years ago, for their son to ride. He's since outgrown it, so now Amy is riding it. Very cool to see kid number 3 on the little Trek now. That will eventually turn into kid number 4 when the neighbor's youngest son grows into it. Thanks Trek for providing a quality kids bike.

Amy is now asking to ride on the Burke-Gilman Trail with me and I think she's ready to roll on a real ride. That'll happen soon and if she's interested, maybe she'll follow in Ian's footsteps (pedal strokes?) and hit some singletrack with us one day. That would be amazing.

Above, official blurry cell phone shot of Amy peeling into a corner like a pro. Go Amy go.

Up on Two Wheels - Success !!

After many on/off attempts at learning to ride, six year old daughter Amy is up on two wheels - unassisted. We dragged the very pink little Specialized out today, after she asked to try once again. Me running along side, holding her up, she was starting to get it. I could let go for a few seconds at a time, until she veered off into the bushes or started to fall.

She asked me to "pull the pedals off", like we did a few weeks ago - where I removed the pedals, crank and chain to create a coaster bike. Instead, I just removed the pedals, leaving everything in place. Quick and easy.

After a few coasting feet up runs on her own, the balance was there. Reinstalled the pedals and we gave it another go. Finally, she started pedaling on her own. Awesome to see. Watching and helping with this process is pretty amazing. As soon as they "get it", its there for life - you can't forget how to ride a bike. It becomes ingrained into your brain forever.

She can now ride up and down our street, but is still working on turning around to continue each lap. I bet she gets that down tomorrow. Just one fall during today's festivities. I'll break out the knee and elbow pads for the next event.

It's very cool to see your kids ride a bike on their own for the first time. In a way, it symbolizes what's coming down the road a few years from now, when they leave to live on their own. You teach them, run along side a bit, cover any wobbles - then watch 'em cruise off into the sunset.

Now that she's finally riding on her own, the very pink little Specialized is approaching the end of use for us - being a bit too small. I'll let her ride it for a few weeks to get more comfortable, then start Project Schwinn - a '70s Sting Ray bike my wife rode as a child - and has been sitting in a box for decades now. I'll remove it from it's cardboard cocoon and see what kind of shape it's in.

Pictures and posts to follow....

Up On Two Wheels - Almost

Few days off for Christmas, busy with family and other related festivities - so I've officially started my winter riding slump - though I continue to stuff my face as if putting the miles in. Thanks to all the holiday cookies, brownies and other goodies - I'll be fully carbo-loaded when I get back on the saddle (burp).

While off, we did attempt to get daughter Amy, now 6 years old, up on two wheels. The incredibly pink little Specialized was purchased over a year ago, that she occasionally rides with training wheels. Over the past year, we've made a few attempts to ride without training wheels - no way, not even close to balancing on her own. As an experiment, I removed the crank, pedals, chain and chain guard, to simulate one of those balance bikes I've seen. Intent is to have the child paddle around, then start coasting feet up, learning to balance along the way.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of paddling around, she was coasting down the slight incline in front of the house - feet up and balancing like a pro. With each attempt, picking up a little speed and veering off into the lawn to slow down - much to her excitement (and mine). We should have tried this months ago!

After 10 runs or so, sans pedals, she begged me to reinstall everything. I thought it was a little too soon, but hey - we're talking about a cute 6 year old here - so I reinstalled all the missing parts. With the simple one piece crank and singlespeed, not really a big deal and just takes a few minutes.

Now outfitted with Barbie knee and elbow pads, we attempted an actual pedal powered ride. I'd love to say she rode off into the sunset with a big smile on her face, but that was not to be. She did balance for a few seconds at a time with me running behind her - but she's not there yet.

No rush, we'll go for another attempt tomorrow. If I need to, will remove the pedal power parts once again, and let her paddle and coast around a bit more. No pressure, she'll get it eventually and this should all be for fun.

Sooner or later, maybe she'll join me on a few rides - something I'm looking forward to.

Dance Recitals and Campy Delta Brakes

I've been swamped at work and home, meaning the blog has been idle for a week now.  That's not good, need to do my part in filling up the Internet.  Remember - it's only a exhibition, not a competition - please, no wagering.

I took today off from riding - woke up late, a little hammered from the last two days of riding, plus my back is tweaked out a bit.  Riding home on Monday, I felt pretty good and cruised at 20-22 mph for quite awhile.  For me (Al Franken), that's fast.  Also spotted, then rode with some kid on a cool vintage Pinarello, complete with Campy Record Delta brakes.  You don't see those often.  I thought about asking the kid to stop, so I could snap some pictures - but felt kind of goofy about it and didn't.  That's rare for me - goofy is usually not a problem.

Over the weekend, my 5 year old daughter Amy had a dance recital. A very big deal for her and mom - lots of practice, special dress, flowers, pictures, dance on a real stage - the whole shindig. 

Friday was a full dress dry run, then the real deal on Saturday to a packed house.  Loads of insanely cute little girls involved with the program.  Of course Ian whined and complained about the whole thing, but I guess that's normal for a 9 year old brother.  By coincidence, coworker of mine - his daughter is in the same class as Amy and they danced together - that was great.  On top of that, one of Amy's little friends recently joined the class and danced also.  A fun time for all.

After the recital, a celebration at Ruby's Dinner - Amy's choice.  It's fun having a girly-girl daughter to balance out the activities we enjoy with Ian - very different worlds.

We're very fortunate parents to have such cool kids.

Chess Whiz

Ian entered a chess tournament on Saturday. It's been awhile since the last tournament, since his interest in chess has dropped off the map recently - kids change as they grow - and they pick up and drop various interests. For a few years, chess was the thing and he was pretty good at it.

When Ian was around five years old - maybe even four - he asked me how to play chess. I don't know where this came from, since we didn't have a chess board at home. At this point, he doesn't remember where the fascination originally came from either - maybe from a book or something on TV. In any case, that Christmas Santa dropped off a chess set. Chess expert I'm not, but I did remember the basic moves from my childhood. I grew up in the no Internet, no computers, no cable TV, no video game era. We played lots of board games - including chess. I showed Ian how to play and he quickly picked it up.

After a short amount of time, he could beat me if I wasn't really tuned into the game. Ian learned to read at an early age, trips to library now included chess books - which he read and studied. Ian being our first child, we didn't know if it was normal for a kid to read at four years old and study chess books at five. He also was a little geography expert and could find all 50 states on a unmarked map or quickly find almost any country on a globe. Pretty amazing.

Having a July birthday, we waited until Ian was six years old before starting Kindergarten - where we discovered the school chess club. From the club we learned about local chess tournaments for kids, so we checked one out. That was it - Ian dug the whole thing. We had no idea this whole scene even existed. Hundreds of kids playing chess against each other at each event. Everyone plays five games against kids matched together by grade level and ranking.

Each game can last up to one hour (though they rarely do), so it's a long day. It's amazing these young kids are tuned into each game for that amount of time. In between games, they run around playing soccer, basketball, play practice chess games, and act like usual rambunctious kids. The chess season runs from September and pretty much ends with the state championship event in April.

We started hitting chess tournaments regularly and Ian did well, including qualifying for the Washington State Elementary Championship. He continued to improve and his interest continued from Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Lots of tournaments and he qualified for state every year. By this point, he could easily beat me - no problem. I occasionally catch him off guard and win, though that's rare. He beats me 99.9% of the time and I'm actually trying.

Ian did well by just by winging it, we took all this pretty casually. At the level he was playing at, many other kids belonged to a serious chess club and/or had a coach. Most write down every move of their games to study later. I asked Ian if he wanted to record his games. Nope - no thanks. His chess club at school was also more fun oriented with no official coaching and only ran for a few weeks each year. Tournaments are usually held at schools and I could see some schools were more serious about chess then others. Still, Ian's trophy collection grew and he scored some overall wins for his grade. Not too shabby. A big confidence booster and fun for him.

When Ian hit 3rd grade this year, I could tell his interest in chess had almost disappeared. We didn't play chess at home all summer. We did a tournament a few months ago and he took his first real beating - since his ranking is high enough now to play the more serious kids. This further killed the "chess thing" for him. I didn't push it - should all be for fun and a learning experience. I thought maybe the chess phase was over. He did sign up for the school chess club though and enjoyed that. Most of the kids are beginners and he's sort of the little expert and helps some of the other kids learn. I think he gets a kick out of that aspect.

Back to this weekend. Since this tournament was promoted at Ian's school, he elected to sign up and join some of his classmates. At most tournaments, Ian is the only one there from his school - so it was cool to have some other kids attend. We all sat together, talked and played basketball between games. Nice change from Ian being the lone chess wolf representing his school.

Ian wound up doing really well and tied for 1st place in his 3rd grade group. Due to tie breaker rules, he officially came in 2nd place. He was psyched. With this result, he qualifies once again for the state championship in April, this year to be held in Spokane. Overall, his school came in 7th for the team trophy - a nice result.

Today, Ian bugged me a few times to play chess and dragged out his book used to record moves - previously unused. Looks like we'll be making a trip to Spokane next month. Pretty cool really.

Picture posted is from this weekend. For a peek into the chess world for kids, check out the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. It's worth checking out, even without the chess.

This whole crazy chess deal has been awesome for Ian and introduced the family to something new. Daughter Amy is now playing and attends Ian's chess club, even though she doesn't start school until September. My wife Lori assists to help supervise the kids. I've volunteered at times and designed some shirts for the club. From what I've seen - all of this is a great experience for everyone involved.

Checkmate and out.....