I am in the process of reviewing the changes that occurred resulting from the move. I will likely make some tweaks and such as I learn more about the new service. One thing I failed to do is move my media. There were a number of files, so pulling them from my computer and getting them on the new site will take a little time. Please accept my apologies for any interruption.

On a ride last year, a friend and I went for a 25-mile ride in the heat. It was just under 90 degrees Fahrenheit when we headed out. Although it was warm and humid, proper hydration seemed to help us from dying out there. I drank more water than usual to keep my hydration levels ready for the heat. I also took some CamelBak Elixir to provide additional electrolytes so that I could absorb the fluids better.

The Bike for Boys & Girls Club ride last year was another very hot event. Although the temps climbed into the upper 80′s, the heat index sweltered well into the mid-90′s. During my 50-mile ride, I ran through a ton of water and Elixir tablets as well as kept my diet to small chunks of banana and fruit so that my metabolism didn’t draw much from the energy I needed for cycling.

The rides a couple of weeks ago were commutes from work. I wore a backpack to and from work. The rides home involved heat in the low 90′s and strong headwinds. Again, I used CamelBak Elixir and added Endurolytes to keep the fluids in balance. And I kept the pedaling as easy as possible.

So I’ve learned that keeping hydrated even before you ride as well as on the bike is important. So is taking it easy. What other techniques have you used? Feel free to share your comments.

I used to review his videos to gain some insight on how to maintain my bike. I found his videos and accompanying transcripts very useful. He definitely seemed to know his stuff, since it also worked for me. However, some of the more advanced maintenance issues could be a little tough to follow.

I recently tried to return to his site to conduct some more involved maintenance on my bike. When I tried to click on a link from a search, I discovered that I had to pay for a subscription to watch any of the videos.

I then did a general search in Google and found what I needed on various other sites, including on YouTube.

Bottom line: You don’t have to pay to find information on cycling maintenance – at least, not today.

In the meantime, see the other cycling links I’ve added to the list in my sidebar, currently visible from my home page.

Click the following link to find it on YouTube by clicking here, or click on “Read the rest of this entry” below to find the video in the full post as well as to learn more about the video.

Here is the video:

The video was shot with a Canon PowerShot S5 IS still camera. The voiceover was done using a Shure SM-57 microphone and an Apogee One audio input. I shot all of the video earlier today and finished the editing in about an hour. Challenges included holding the camera and recording the voiceover so that it didn’t sound so garbled. Overall, this was a fun project, and I look forward to possibly doing more with video.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Packers offense early on to a 14-o lead in the first half, but was unable to get much going in the second half. Chicago, however, started scoring, earning its first seven points shortly after the start of the fourth quarter.

But an unlikely interception by Nose Tackle B. J. Raji, who returned it for an 18-yard touchdown, kept the Packers very much alive in the second half. Chicago again scored another touchdown, bringing the score to 21-14. The final death knell for Chicago, though, was when Cornerback Sam Shields intercepted the ball with only 46 seconds left in the game. One more knee by Rodgers and the Packers go home with the George Halas Trophy, the trophy awarded to the NFC Champion – and on to win the Super Bowl’s coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy.

As I finish writing this, I am also watching the start of the AFC Championship game to see if the Packers will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New York Jets. Either way, I am really excited for the Packers, the new NFC Champions. I look forward to seeing them play on February 6.

Being a Packers fan, I am obviously hoping they win and go on to win the Super Bowl. They have had some struggles, but the team has really gained momentum in the past few weeks. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has really grown as a top-tier professional in the three years since taking the starting position. Coach Mike McCarthy is making great calls and changing it up for his players. Linebacker Clay Matthews and Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams are disrupting the opposing teams’ offenses and causing turnovers. Wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are playing at the top of their games. Running back James Starks and Fullback John Kuhn have really taken the running game beyond outstanding. Overall, there are many great players on the team this year that have stepped up to make it a Super Bowl caliber team.

It will not be an easy battle. The Bears also have many great players and have just as good a chance of winning. The media is calling it epic, legendary, and whatever else they can think of. I personally think that it will be generally a great game to watch.

I ride a bicycle trainer in the winter to keep my cycling fitness up. This ingenious device keeps me pedaling my bike in the winter without worrying about slipping and sliding on icy roads (or watching other vehicles potentially slip and slide into me on those same roads). Just to be clear, though, I am not condemning riding in snow, it’s just not my thing (yet). Let’s face it, though, riding on the trainer can seem more like a chore.

So what keeps me motivated to ride in my basement all winter long? Simply put, when I get back on the road in spring, I’m ready. Even more, I want to keep getting stronger so I can keep up with the stronger riders on group rides.

I’ve been riding on a trainer since the winter after I got my first hybrid bike a few years ago. In that time, I’ve played around with things that do and don’t work for me.

Before you hop on the trainer, though, there are a number of things you need to make the ride bearable. As I stated, riding a trainer alone is very boring. But there are tools that make it more bearable. In addition to a bike and a trainer, here is my list of things that will enhance the experience of riding on the trainer and why they work for me.

Fan

When you work out, you get really warm and start sweating. It’s no different on the bike. But when you’re riding outside, the movement on your bike helps keep you cool. You don’t have that movement when the bike is stationary, though. A fan cools you down, making it much more comfortable on the bike.

Towel

As I mentioned, riding on the trainer gets you sweating. A towel is useful for wiping sweat from your face, especially when it can drip into your eyes.

Sweat catcher

If you’re working especially hard on the bike, a towel is often not enough to keep sweat off the bike. A sweat catcher, like the CycleOps Bike Thong, is very effective at keeping the sweat off, which can be corrosive to the bike (remember that sweat includes salt).

Trainer skewer (axle)

This comes with your trainer. Using this skewer prevents damage to your bike’s regular skewer, which could be damaged from being clamped down in a trainer. Swapping them is easy, so take the extra 10 seconds to do it.

Climbing block

The big advantage of using a climbing block is to stabilize the front wheel and put it close to the same level as the rear wheel. As an added bonus, climbing blocks can help elevate the front of your bike to allow you to work different muscles, similar to how different portions of your body are engaged when climbing. I once tried a phone book in place of a climbing block; my front wheel slipped way too much, so I consider it dangerous and would never recommend it.

Trainer mat

These rubberized mats serve two purposes. The first is that it keeps sweat and other items (as one friend admitted, sports drinks) from ruining your floor. Second, it dampens the noise from your bike and trainer. There is a third advantage as well: when riding on a higher pile carpet, it helps keep your bike stable.

Cycling computer with rear-wheel sensor

This one is optional, but a cycling computer is really useful if you’re trying to maintain a certain cadence or are working towards a speed-specific goal. I especially prefer ones that include heart rate. Some people even use power; I don’t, yet.

Water

Any time you work out, you should always have water available. You will get thirsty on the trainer, so replacing fluids is absolutely critical. One good option is to include an electrolyte drink, especially if you’re riding longer than an hour.

Trainer-specific tire

Tires wear out after normal use. They also wear out on a trainer. A trainer-specific tire is really useful because it lasts much longer when pressed against the trainer’s roller. Also, they are much quieter than regular road tires. If you are changing the tire yourself, invest in a really good tire jack.

Cycling (padded) shorts

If you’re going to spend any amount of time on the trainer, you’re going to want to wear cycling shorts. When riding a trainer, you probably will spend less time out of the saddle, so the padding makes it that much more comfortable.

Cycling cap

I prefer wearing a cycling cap because it captures more of my sweat, meaning I reach less for the towel. A sweatband also works.

Music or DVDs

These really help take the edge off. I used to ride only to music, but I found it didn’t push me enough. Lately, I started using the RealRides DVDs with Robbie Ventura. The Power DVD truly motivates me and keeps me pushing hard when I need it, with the proper structure for effective intervals and really ramping up the intensity. If you’re starting off on the bike, you may find the Ride 101 especially useful, which has a lot more information about riding safely and effectively. There are other options out there as well, so the trick is to find what works to keep you motivated.

There are a lot of things to consider when starting to ride on a trainer. All of the things listed above make it so much more worthwhile, though. After riding for three years on the trainer, I’ve found what works well for me. I’m curious to hear what works for you. Or feel free to ask questions. Happy riding, and I’ll see you on the roads in spring.

Rod’s vision for agriculture in Wisconsin was to preserve that which we take for granted nowadays: the importance of us working the land to help it work for us. How often do we think about the farmers that grow the ingredients and produce that we buy at the supermarket, the milk that comes in a bottle, or the meat that we find in the butcher shop? But it’s not just the importance of agriculture, but making it matter to Wisconsin. Today, Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland because we produce the most artisan cheeses in the country (perhaps even the world). We had the first mandatory livestock premises registration law to protect animal health. It recently passed working lands initiatives to help preserve agricultural acreage. And we have some of the strongest consumer protection laws. All of these occurred under Rod’s leadership as the Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. I was happy to be a part of it.

So here is my personal story about Rod and me. I drove him to Kenosha once for an event with the Governor and cabinet secretaries. This event included visiting various businesses related to each agency’s functions. We visited bottling plant, a horse farm, a tree nursery, a grocery store headquarters, and a meat packing facility. Rod had me take notes, although those notes are now with the agency that I left last year. On the return to Madison, we encountered heavy rain starting in Milwaukee. I was driving as slow as 30 miles per hour at times. Rod turned on the radio to hear what the weather was going to be like on the way back. We hit a detour about 35 miles from Madison, which diverted us from the Interstate to the City of Lake Mills. As we drove along, the reporter on the radio mentioned that a tornado was spotted north of Madison, near DeForest. Rod lived in DeForest, so he was pretty concerned. He called home to let his wife know that he was heading home and that he would be there soon. We managed to make it back to the office without any serious incident (no getting swept off the roadway or getting spun by a funnel cloud). Ironically, although I spent the entire day with him, it was five minutes to the office when he said, “Okay, Brian, you have five minutes to tell me how to improve DATCP.” I don’t think I offered anything, but I told him that I appreciated his leadership of the department.

His untimely passing is a reminder to us all that our work is never done, but we should continue to work for what is most important to us. Kristen (who still works at DATCP) and I attended his memorial service yesterday. During the ceremony, I heard about how he was a visionary and a true leader, and that he was always thinking of how to improve agriculture in the state. He was truly an intelligent person, putting many plans onto paper, and he was also pragmatic in making those plans come to fruition. And he loved to poke fun at himself, just to lighten up the crowd with humor. But the one thing that I also believe was that Rod had integrity: he held to his beliefs and always put the farmer and the citizens of the state first. In fact, on the evening he drowned, he was in Superior working on a Habitat for Humanity project.

After the memorial service, I rode my bike with a group I normally ride with on Tuesdays. I chose to dedicate my ride to him, and I donned my Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board “Wisconsin Cheese” cycling jersey to commemorate Wisconsin’s agriculture in his name. Problem was my legs weren’t feeling it on such a hot and muggy day, and I was still feeling emotionally drained from the memorial. I told myself, “I’m riding for Rod. He died doing something he enjoyed: swimming. I’m riding because that’s what he would’ve wanted me to do.” I felt a bit stronger after telling myself that. When I encountered a tough climb or difficult wind, instead of backing off I told myself, “this is for Rod.” Admittedly, I’m not a very spiritual person, but I can’t help but wonder if he somehow managed to help me complete the ride at a really good pace. After the ride, I had a couple of people comment on how they thought I had a cool jersey; I told them I was wearing it on today’s ride for Rod.

I dedicate this entry to Rod, his family, and all of the lives that he touched, either directly or indirectly.

Bloomberg Businessweek, “Wis. ag secretary’s death leaves ‘glaring void’” http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9H4AVB00.htm

Statement from the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/press_release/result.jsp?prid=2535

Governor Doyle statement regarding Rod Nilsestuen http://thewheelerreport.com/releases/July10/July22/0722doylenilsustuen.pdf