Cool Cat

This is Houston. It's always good to see him patrolling the Eisenbahn State Trail. There is a section of roughly 300 linear feet that Houston keeps free of chipmunks and squirrels, and that's a valuable service to cyclists. Of course, Houston can be an obstacle himself. Occasionally you will see him lying in the middle of the trail, and he can't be bothered to get out of your way. You can pet him ... sometimes. And you probably won't miss the signs when he doesn't want to interact. So, be kind to him. He is the lord of his domain; you're just passing through it.

A Word About Retail

Pedal Moraine, Mountain Outfitters, and Expedition Supply keep rolling along, year after year, and Washington County is lucky to have them. Other bike shops in our area have come and gone, some after only a brief time in business. The Bicycle Shop in Hartford appeared in 2013 and disappeared under suspicious circumstances in 2014. Neighboring Ozaukee County has lost at least four shops since 2013: Local Motion Outfitters in Cedarburg, Belgianwerkx in Mequon, ZuZu Pedals in Port Washington, and now Cedar Creek Outdoors in Cedarburg. We might count Grafton Ski & Cyclery among the fallen too. Erik’s, the Minnesota-based chain, acquired Grafton’s location and its remaining inventory in 2013.

Erik’s moved into Grafton during an aggressive expansion that also brought it to Milwaukee County, Dane County, and northern Illinois. The chain now has more than 30 locations across the Midwest. It continues to dominate the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. Its presence in our area, I think, is somewhat overshadowed by Wheel & Sprocket, the chain Chris Kegel started in 1973. Wheel & Sprocket has built a lot of goodwill and a lot of loyalty with the Wisconsin cycling community. Erik’s is still the new player and the outsider after more than a decade.

Erik’s acquired Grafton Ski & Cyclery before shop consolidation really became a trend. Since 2013, a lot of formerly independent shops have sold out not only to chains like Erik’s, but also to bicycle manufacturers like Specialized. If that’s not already a problem, then at least it has the potential to become one. It’s easy to imagine a future in which small-town customers will have just a single shop selling a single brand. A customer who wants more choices will have to visit the big city or, more likely, the websites of direct-to-consumer brands.

I visit the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News website almost daily. Reading the articles and the comments would convince almost anyone not to own or to work in a bike shop. It is a tough way to make a living. But I’m glad somebody does it. Pedal Moraine, Mountain Outfitters, and Expedition Supply—our locally-owned and independent shops—continue to prosper by understanding the communities they serve.

Feeling So Inclined

Three weeks ago, my employer announced a strict No Overtime policy. A typical work week for me is 43 hours. Because I work alone on Saturdays and Sundays, I can’t take breaks on those shifts. To comply with the new policy, I’m now taking a 1-hour break every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I eat “lunch” at my desk—in the middle of the night, I don’t have a lot of restaurant options—so, what should I do with these mandatory breaks? Exercise, of course!

One hour is long enough to squeeze in a treadmill walk and a quick shower. My typical treadmill walk is 3.5 mph with a 1% incline for 60 minutes. I’m going to do something different with these new workouts: 3.0 mph with a 10-15% incline for 45 minutes. That’s slower but harder because it’s all uphill. These workouts will supplement, not replace, what I’m already doing. They will hit the muscles in a slightly different way and burn a bunch of extra calories. At this time of year, my cycling mileage drops dramatically. Bonus time on the treadmill should help to keep my weight in check.

For The Record, I’m Back In Wisconsin

Late yesterday afternoon I returned to West Bend after 25 days in Pennsylvania. As I mentioned in my last post, rain from Hurricane Helene robbed me of several opportunities to ride. Nevertheless, I racked up 343 miles of cycling during the trip. I also did 42 miles of walking for fitness. I even managed to lose 2 pounds, though there were many rich meals and treats at Mom’s house.

I briefly was tempted to hop on the bike when I got back, but I really needed to unpack, get organized, and stock up on groceries. My house is shut down while I am away. I turn off the water at the main valve, unplug almost everything electrical, clear the kitchen of perishable food, and empty the trash cans. I come home to a house that isn’t flooded, didn’t catch fire, doesn’t stink, and has added almost nothing to my next utility bill. After restarting the house yesterday I had just enough time to watch some hockey on TV, do an easy 20-minute treadmill walk, and gape at the aurora borealis as it flickered above my roof for the third time this year.

I did a 2-mile walk today, bringing my 2024 total to 464 miles, a personal record that beats the 463 miles I walked for fitness in 2021. I also got back on the bike today for 32 miles. How could I not ride today? West Bend hit 80° for the first time since September 21 and perhaps for the last time this year. The current forecast says we won’t reach 60° tomorrow afternoon, and by next Tuesday our daytime high may be only 50° or even colder. We’re expecting overnight temperatures in the 20s and 30s early next week. My cycling season could be coming to an abrupt end. I certainly won’t be doing the cyclocross race in Richfield tomorrow, but that’s not a weather thing. I have to work tonight. My Fridays are usually free, but not this one, and it’s just too hard to work all night and then perform well in a morning race.

My form isn’t too bad right now. Whether I am objectively fitter than I was before my trip is unclear, but I don’t think I did anything to hurt myself. I managed to do something for fitness every day, even on the days that required long hours in the car, and even when I had only enough time for a short walk. I have a nice streak going: today is my 45th consecutive day with a ride, a walk, or both. If my cycling season is almost over, then at least I have my treadmill and my strength training options in the home gym, plus miles of hiking trails nearby.

And then there’s that To Do list, which includes a bunch of household projects to complete before winter arrives. To whatever extent my time in Pennsylvania could be considered a vacation—and it should be remembered that I continued to work remotely for my employer—then playtime is emphatically over. I expect to be very busy until at least mid-December.