Hermann, Mo and Octoberfest

My best friend and I took a long weekend and went to Hermann, Mo for Octoberfest. It was a bit chilly so we didn't ride nearly as much as we had planned. We did manage to hit the trees just right. They were beautiful. The opening pic is along the Katy Trail near Rocheport, Mo.


Lyceum Theater in Arrow Rock, Mo at night. Neat little historic town - where the Sante Fe Trail crossed the Missouri river.


The old bank building in Arrow Rock had a permanent display of westward expansion - period guns. Neat!


In Hermann Linda suggested we check out an "antique tool" place within walking distance of our B&B. It was quiet when we got there and the owner was working at his forge. Lots of rusty metal and he was more than happy to talk about it with us. Got a bit crowded later.


I've seen antique tools for sale before but gee whiz! One whole wall of this shop was full of them.


I found an old Maytag twin and some other older Briggs motors under a shelf. Linda thought my excitement was worth a photo. We left with two of them.

In Hermann, we ended up at a "work in progress" B&B (house from the 1880s) with a rather stressed and very vocal inkeeper where our room had a clawfoot tub and no shower! We had a great time but learned Octoberfest is NOT when you want to visit the German area of Missouri. The lodging is pricey and difficult to find last minute, things are a bit more rushed, and locals say overall prices are much higher.



We felt maybe there were too many party types in town for our taste. September would be our suggestion.

Done! What's next?

Three years of work but finally done. I learned a ton about machining and fabrication and am rather proud of it but, with winter approaching, I'm ready for another one!

Boardtracker Project Update

Second Century of the year

I was off on a Sunday night (due to a trade) so Linda and I decided to do the Cider Mill Century that day. For those who don't know, a century is a 100 mile ride. These are not races but there will always be enough testosterone present to spread the group out. Most of these rides are well sponsored with food/drink/ help stations every 10 mi or so. These stations are called SAG (Support And Gear) stations. If needed, you can always call it quits and take a "SAG" back to the start/end line. Most of these well organized rides are therefore just called "SAG rides". If you ever want to test your limits but are afraid of being out alone, this is your event. Most, if not all, offer shorter courses - as short as 25mi and as long as 75mi. SAG rides cost between $10 and $30 and you really can get your money's worth if you stop at every station. We typically skip a few stations as the goal of riding 100 mi is not to gain weight! Just about every SAG ride has a charity component - to which part of the entry fees go. Probably the most well-known SAG ride is the MS 150 - an annual two-day charity ride for Muscular Dystrophy located in major cities all across the US.


You can see from these pics that it was foggy on the way to the ride and plenty cool at 7am - 59 degrees or so. I put on some arm warmers and Linda brought a light jacket. It warmed up quickly and we shed these by the second SAG stop. The last century we did was with a heat index of 107. This one had temps topping in the high 80s.



Since this was a non-competitive ride, I decided to take out a vintage steel bike - a 1977 Peugeot PX-10. These were popular race bikes of their day and are becoming quite collectible. They are still a quick and smooth ride.



Linda rode her triathlon bike. She had raced the day before and has another next weekend so she wanted to stay familiar with this bike. You can see her jacket and my arm warmers strapped to her aero bars. Velcro straps(available in rolls) are great for long rides. We took some to Italy and learned we would never leave them behind again.


At about mile 15 I stopped to help a guy with a flat tire. Linda rode on with a couple we had started talking to. After the repair I rode with the two guys I'd helped until about the 30 mi. I was telling them of our Italy trip when ahead I saw a cyclist wearing a jersey I had seen in a small shop in a little town in Tuscany. Small world! I raced ahead and struck up a conversation. The female rider had received the jersey as a gift from here sister who lives in Tuscany - she had yet to ride there. Too bad, I could have talked about it forever. After our chat, I accelerated back up to my two friends who had gone ahead. At about the 25 mi stop, I found Linda. It was there she got her tattoo!

In this picture you can see the other tattoo she frequently wears - a "chainring tattoo." She somehow gets these about every time we ride.

We would ride with the "Tuscany" girl and her friends until the Century cutoff where I would have to go a separate way while they completed the 70 mi route. I would see my two "flat tire" friends several more times but eventually went ahead. The little Peugeot passed a lot of newer carbon bikes on the century route and even managed 19.4mph over the last 54 mi.




Overall, we got a little salty, met some really nice "bike" people, got some good exercise, had a nice pasta lunch, and made some good memories.

Man, It Was Hot!

We love cycling. We both enjoy riding and I like collecting and building bikes as well - go figure.
Last weekend we were invited by Linda's father to Springfield, Mo. to participate in a group ride of 100mi. We have ridden as far before but it was almost 100 degrees that day putting the heat index about 106 - and not a dry heat at all!
As an aside, my last ride in this type heat was my first long solo venture in Italy last year. After days of 80s it hit nearly 100 degrees for one day and I didn't even know it. Soaking in the experience and challenge I became dehydrated and, badly cramping, pulled off the road, sitting on a pile of dirt, out of water on a lonely Tuscan pass. I was demoralized, tingling from head to toe, and angry at myself. I finally limped(make that rode - I NEVER walked!) into a familiar town for water and some gelatto and eventually made it home having enjoyed the opportunity. I restored my pride a few days later with a 67 mi route to Volterra climbing nearly 10,000 ft for the day!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Springbike is my father in law's local riding club and they do a good job on these events. It was set up like the MS150 with frequent stops for water and snacks.
There were about 320 riders that day, most of which decided the 75 mile course would be enough. On a bike, I tend to be a bit masochistic. Voluntary pain and endurance through what makes other quit is what it's all about. If it was easy, everyone would do it!
Basically, the route took us in a counter-clockwise rural loop around Springfield.


I started a little frustrated as I had wanted to ride to the start and, even after driving, we were there at the last minute. Some cheaters had left starting as early as 6am to usurp the heat putting to rest any hopes of us staying with a group - much less the lead group. Linda stopped for last minute instructions but I took off to hang in with a group of about 10 just pulling out. Hey wait, it's a ride - not a race!
There was good company, great support - with plenty of carbs, good route markings, and excellent roads with lots of rolling hills. That northern tip of the Ozarks has great riding IMO and I would do such a ride each weekend if I had the chance.

We finished 15 minutes apart and here's how we looked afterward at the pizza tent.

















Linda did the 75mi as planned and I was one of the few idiots to do the full century. Sushi later that eve made it all worthwhile!

The Inaugural ride!

Took it on it's first spin. Or as Linda put it, "Now officially the most annoying neighbor on the block."

65 Years Ago Today

June 6. A holiday for me and always a day I get up early and have a cup of coffee on the porch - this is the day the allies landed on Nazi-occupied Europe.

The following letter was read over the BBC and was issued to each member of the invasion force.



.... and finally, Here's why I'll always respect Eisenhower. In a show of character seldom seen today, he scribbled a private note and put it in his pocket. While it is dated July 5th, it is well established that this was penned BEFORE the invasion. I believe he might have predated it for exactly one month from the eve of the invasion when the outcome would be known. Also, there were multiple but limited options for a "go" date based on the tide, weather, and possible intelligence leaks. Here is what he wrote:


It says,
"Our landings in the
Cherbourg - however
have failed to gain a
satisfactory foothold and
I have withdrawn the troops.
My decision to attack at this time and place
was found on the best
information available.
The troops, the air and the
navy did all that
bravery and devotion to duty
could do. If any blame
or fault attaches to the attempt
it is mine alone."

Rabbits Beware!

I am into anything vintage or military. Give me something that's vintage military and I'm happy. You have seen that I collect WWII aviation gear but I have been interested in guns for about 20 years. They are of limited use to me as I have never been hunting in my life but they are marvels of technology, craftsmanship, and, if vintage, a true part of history. They are also quite expensive. Even if one has a Class 3 license own a full auto gun, you have to buy it($3000-5000 and up), find a place to shoot it, and justify $.50 - $1.00 a shot at 15 rounds a second! Several hundred bucks at each shooting session would discourage anyone. And for precision target guns? Okay I just sat down and put three shots through the same hole at 100 yds. Now what? Let's go eat! Still, they are awesome and I celebrate the right to own firearms daily!

Enter AirSoft guns. AirSoft was started in America about 30 years ago but didn't catch on. Paintball followed, did catch on, and became all but an Olympic sport. Now, however, AirSoft, using guns which shoot a .23(6mm) cal hard plastic BB by air power, is seeing a big comeback. As in paintball, games such as Capture the Flag are ways for mature adults *strike that* grown adults to play cowboys and indians. Law enforcement and even the military are now beginning to use AirSoft in tactical training.

I was never intrigued as I thought AirSoft was small rubber balls shot from lightweight toy spring guns with orange painted muzzles. I was wrong. The guns, unlike those used in paintball, are often made in 1:1 scale to their "real steel" counterparts and often feel similar. Sure the hobby is full of high school nerds with cheap plastic M4s but the official game rules limit players to 18 yrs and older and many of the weapons are impressively made. The new thing is a full metal gun that even accepts some real gun parts. Another cool thing? Many are select fire and thus can fire in full auto. AirSoft guns are built to intentionally limit velocity to about 400 fps(feet per second) as a .23 BB at greater than 500 or 600 FPS could kill small game - and in the pellet gun world, does. As a comparison, a standard .22 long cartridge shoots at about 1100fps at the muzzle. .22 cal pellet guns are not far behind, reliably shooting a pellet at 1000 fps now. The main safety feature with AS is that the precision hard plastic BB weighs 1/200 that of a lead .22 bullet. It loses velocity quickly and can't travel nearly as far. Even so, they can leave a nasty welt and could certainly damage your eyes and teeth - especially up close. From 100ft or more, wearing military clothing, one is likely to feel it hit them like a pebble. In AirSoft gaming, eye protection is mandated, tooth protection is encouraged, many opting for full face paintball masks, and strict gun safety rules apply including those to limit close range shots(calling a "safety kill"). Now if police show up near a gaming site, one had best obey these rules. So real looking are the guns that people have been shot by police while using AS guns in a crime. I say treat them as real firearms. Warnings aside, it has been proven over the past 10 yrs or so to be quite safe. As with most hobbies, it's those that are not safety minded that bring a bad name to that particular hobby.

Effective range of AirSoft is limited to 200-300 ft as the velocity drops quickly. A player operates on the honor system and must call being hit. Some games in Europe are so involved that they last for a week and use actual military vehicles. Of special interest are the WWII games. Some organizations are very picky and you must pass strict authenticity checks related to weapons and uniforms.

Okay the purpose of my post. Above is an AirSoft Thompson M1A1. It certainly isn't a dead ringer but it sure is close from 10ft. I found it as a store return "not working" for $69. I took it apart - like I wouldn't have done that anyway - and found that the electric trigger contacts were not touching. About an hour after I got it, it was working like new. There are guys making AS guns from real gun kits and doing some very elaborate AirSoft-smithing. Tightbore barrels, real wood kits, battery, motor, and gearing mods make it a DIY friendly sport. Some have them shooting at over 700fps but this is rare - not because it it difficult, but because it defeats the purpose. remember they are designed to safely shoot another player.
Here it is shooting in the back yard.

Remember Those Days?

This came in the mail today. My wife has heard me talk about this series as our only regular WWII documentary in the 70's. At the time, some WWII vets had still not reached the age of 50 years, yet, from my child's perspective, WWII was always fought in actual black and white. Color footage, still sparse today, had yet to be unearthed.

In today's age of revisionist CGI History Channel specials, I don't know if I'm watching the Disney Channel or History. In this new, often silly-looking, media - obviously designed to appeal to today's generation - it becomes ever more apparent, "Only the winners write the history." WaW, in contrast, was produced when the war was still fresh in the minds of Americans, Vietnam was still going on and the Second World War was not yet romanticized as it is today. Vets were still struggling with their inner demons and few shared their stories. WaW was raw and emotionless which let you take away from it what you would - often a dark feeling. Despite that, I look forward to watching all 34 hours - my wife ordered the entire series for me!

World at War was on Thursday nights at 8pm on PBS - back when there were only five stations. I remember being fixed to the screen and disappointed when I would turn it on and it was partially over. My only other WWII info came from weekly trips to the library. I still don't know what my mother and sis were doing but I could always be found on the floor in the "war section".

Almost Done!

After three years the 1915 Cyclone replica is almost done. And, yes, it's every bit as uncomfortable as it looks.