Corporal Punishment's blog

Sarge and I recently attended the IPMBA conference and we had a great time. Although we didn’t get to ride (Sarge wouldn’t let us take bikes because it was our first time at the conference), we enjoyed watching other agencies showing off bike skills. On the last day, there was a timed bike obstacle course that was quite challenging. I shot some pics of police and EMS competing and it was pretty exciting.

The best thing about the conference was that I received great training on how to set-up and host a Bike Rodeo. We actually got to run a rodeo for a local elementary school. The “worst” school in our area was a palace compared to this school. It was explained to me that Louisiana is a poor state and that this is how a lot of the schools are in the area. The kids seemed to have a great time, and we were able to give away about 75 brand new helmets to children who really needed them. I’m anxious to set up and start running our own bike rodeos to teach our kids safe practices.

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Before you read this, make sure you check out Sarge’s post of ‘Happy Dad’. That was our Sunday together. For Sarge and I it was pretty much the first day of spring riding. For his daughter, it was the first day out after a couple of months without riding as well as her first time up on the Ashland trails. If you haven’t been to Ashland Oregon for Mountain Biking you’re missing out. You can ride all week long and never hit the same trail. The weather was great this weekend.

A soft breeze blew sending the pleasant smell of Manzanita, Pine and fresh spring water from Lithia Creek all over the mountain side. It was a pleasant 65 degrees, blue skies and just a hint of billowy white clouds caressing the horizon.

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This weekend I got to get out and get a good ride in with Sarge and his daughter. We had a great ride up at Ashland up and around the park. Just about everybody we ran into were very friendly and for the most part, the dogs off their leashes stayed away from us. It was Sarge’s daughter’s first ride after a couple of months as well as her first ride up Ashland. It was clear, beautiful and about 70 degrees.

I heard a lot of squeaking, grinding and dragging of various components on my bike. Unlike Sarge, who is very meticulous / anal about bike cleanliness, I tend to wipe it off and throw the bike in the garage during the winter months. I just really don’t feel like washing during the cold. Well, I put the Prophet on the bike stand and went to town on it. I took a brass brush to the chain to clean off some spot rust that developed. I ran a brush around the rear derailleur and through all of the different cogs and grooves. My ride seemed to breathe a fresh sigh of relief.

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After getting the honor of Post of the Week, I couldn't wait to spend my Evomo gift card. My mom used to say "that money is burning a hole in your pocket." Well, I didn't need any holes in my computer so I thought I'd better hurry up and spend it. I picked out my Hurl shirt and my wife said I was a sick man. But I loved the selection and the styles that they had available.

I ran into a small problem attempting to complete my online order. I believe it was Bryon who I spoke with on the phone who was able to check into the problem and later ship my shirt to me. If you haven't gone to Evomo to check out their products, you need to do so. These guys have the hottest and coolest gear for both men and women. And if you have any problems, they're happy to work with you to fix whatever issue you have.

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Have you ever meant to do something good, but just never found the time to do it? That's the way I've always felt about trailbuilding and repairs. Well, this last weekend, Sarge and I went up with two guys from SOMBA to get some first hand training about trail maintanence. Let me tell you if you haven't been out working on the trails, you are actually missing out on a big part of mountain biking.

We worked hard, got alot acomplished, and had some good times as well. It is truly an experience that, quite frankly, you have to experience yourself. We shared some good stories, traded secret trailrides, and spoke of grand adventures both past and future. We ran into a group of other trailbuilders that were just as excited as we were. In total, we cleared up about five miles worth of trail. We started about 11:00 and finished up about 4:00. Then the fun we had of riding the trail back that we just repaired.

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Sarge and I took off to Applegate for a nice Sunday ride. The day started out wet, cold and nasty... but that was here in the valley. Once we reached Applegate, it turned into paradise. Although it was still cold, it was sunny and clear. The good Lord blessed our trip with excellent weather. We discovered a new trail and rode our epic speed trail as the finishing touch. Applegate is a great ride for both novice and expert riders. It's kind of our 'reward' ride for getting out and having fun. No serious wrecks, but the trail was blocked on two seperate locations. All in all, it was a great ride.

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Well, Sarge, Lil' Fella and I took a trip up to Ashland to have a ride down Hitt road. Of course the snow was so deep up near the top, we finally had to turn back. It was Lil' Fella's first time riding with us and hopefully not the last. We're gonna shoot for another ride this Sunday, hopefully at a lower elevation so the snow doesn't interfere.