Short, sweet solo ride to Palmyra Church

If you read this blog regularly, you know that my favorite way to ride is gather some friends and take off for an interesting Iowa destination, find some new curvy roads or a good local diner, or – when the stars align – all three! Sometimes though there’s not time, or I just want to simplify, so it might just be me an’ hubby Steve. Then other times, he’s working on a project or otherwise occupado, so I go by myself.

So today I took off by myself for awhile – did less than 50 miles, took 90 minutes doing it, and came back feeling quite refreshed! I headed south on my trusty county road R63 which goes south out of Des Moines down to Highway 92 at Indianola. I was going to ride west to Winterset then do the St. Charles & Truro loop that my gal pals and I missed last year, but I left home later than I intended (and needed gas anyway) so instead of going west on 92 I went east into Indianola.

Once through town I turned north on S23, the “Palmyra Road.” Stopped to snap a couple roadside pictures (much easier to do when riding alone – no group to worry about!), then continued north. As I was passing through the tiny town of Palmyra, I noticed the neat old church that we always see when we are headed to Bike Night, and as I passed it I thought I should stop and take some pictures. So just because I was alone and could do so easily, I slowed and did a U-turn and went back to the church.

I am a huge fan of peeling, chippy paint and old buildings, and the Palmyra Church is a neat little gem in a town of about 500 people. Built in 1870 (1870, people!), the church had its heyday through the 1940′s and went into decline, and around 1979 was on the “short list” for demolition. Thank goodness the descendents of the original builders were still in the area and got wind of the plan, because they got together and the church now rests on its laurels upon the National Register of Historic Places. A bit of restoration occurred, and a bit more is planned. Although the church doesn’t have a congregation, it is available for special events and hopefully one day the bell will be restored to the bell tower. (Read a bit more in this neat article from the Mason City Globe Gazette.)

Cute little gothic country church…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The NRHP agrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another view:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just look at that chippy goodness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These windows are completely awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy to have found the place – neat little ride!

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BikerChickNews/~3/NUqrcJnz10Y/

Zach Osborne Trampas Parker Travis Pastrana Gautier Paulin David Philippaerts

RJ Says - Off Road Truck Racing video of TORC

I thought you might want to know a little bit more about what many of of current and former supercross / motocross are into these days - off-road truck racing. This video below is a highlight package of the 2011 TORC series, which features a little bit of a rivalry between me and Johnny Greaves. Hope the video gives you a little insight into off-road truck racing, and that you enjoy it. It's a very well produced video.

Source: http://www.supercross.com/rj-says/rj-says-off-road-truck-racing-video-of-torc

Christian Beggi Mike Bell John van den Berk Marnicq Bervoets Fritz Betzlbacher

Event news: Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally gains music headliners, community support

This article is adapted from a news release I received this week from the Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally, to be held July 25-28 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. I’ve done a little editing, but even the full version did not include the full slate of activities that will take place at the rally. See the end of this article for links to the Rally website and supporting pages. 

Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally July 25-28, 2012

NEWTON, IA - The Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally at the Iowa Speedway July 25 – 28th has announced headlining acts and the substantial support of both state and county wide officials.

Kicking off Wednesday night are Black Oak Arkansas and Head East, with Lynard Skynard tribute band Edge of Forever opening. Pyrotechnics ‘80s sensation Hairball lights up the rally on Thursday, and country star Joe Diffie and rock band Rev Theory make for a high octane Friday. Blue Oyster Cult and Eddie Money tip the scales of awesome nostalgia rock for Saturday. Comedian Gallagher was to perform but due to health reasons was forced to cancel his appearance and the rally production team wishes the legend a speedy recovery.

Daily doses of super charged Sturgis and Daytona bands include Jasmine Cain, Ryan Rolando and Farrell Webber Band. Celebrity meet and greets include FX Networks “Sons of Anarchy” stars Katey Sagal (“Gemma”) and Charlie Hunnam (“Jax”),  along with The History Channel’s “American Pickers” star, Danielle Colby Cushman. Hosted by Jay Allen, Iowa Grand events including tribute rides, bike rodeo, swap meet, sportbike track days, vintage and custom bike shows and much more can be found at iowagrandrally.com.

The significant planning and hard work of the Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally team has been impressive to the community at large. Governor Terry Branstad expressed the state’s support of the rally by signing new legislation which allows the sale of new and used motorcycles at events off dealer property.”

Big Barn Harley-Davidson of Des Moines is the official Harley-Davidson dealership of the rally. Customers will be able to see “…new and used Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and take demo rides on new bikes through the rolling hills surrounding Newton,” said Big Barn co-owner Dan Moeller.  Big Barn is also providing a 2012 Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be raffled off for charity.

The City of Newton is creating a weekly bike night called Thunder Nights during the summer months to support the Inaugural Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally. “Our community is really looking forward to all the bikes and people coming to Newton for the first ever Iowa Grand Motorcycle Rally,” said Newton Mayor Chaz Allen. “(And), several members of our community have banded together to create Thunder Nights in Newton. The big rally at the speedway in July and Thunder Nights throughout the summer will create a lot of excitement in Newton.”

The City of Newton committee is also planning a welcome pig roast to all rally attendees which will be held in the city square on Thursday, July 26th.

Go to www.iowagrandrally.com and www.facebook.com/iowagrandmotorcyclerally for more information and to buy tickets on sale now! Early bird special pricing: $75 for 4-day pass includes free tent camping. Offer ends May 31st. Self-contained RV camping is an additional $50. Day passes are also available. Call 866-787-8946 for complete information.

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BikerChickNews/~3/hh49iTG4hOk/

Eric Geboers Sylvain Geboers Broc Glover Rui Goncalves Josh Grant

Long Ruts on Straights

Nothing reminds me of motocross more than a rutted up, fast, flowing track.  This is the pinnacle obstacle that separates the men from the boys.  If you watched Southwick this past weekend, then you saw the insane ruts in the moist New England sand.  Most beginners find themselves nervous approaching long ruts and often end up on the ground.  It doesn’t matter if a rut is in a corner, on a straight or on the face of a jump, you will encounter one sooner or later.  Some look at this as a burden, but you can actually use these to your advantage.

A lot of people can go fast on a straightaway.  It’s pretty simple; open the throttle as far as possible.  That’s generally how ruts get formed on straights.  People actually use the power of their bikes and it trenches out the soil.  Obviously, the main line will get dug the deepest.  In the beginning of the day, this won’t be a bad choice to use.  It just depends on how it sets you up for the next section.  However, a majority of the time, the main line usually gets too deep and ends up slowing you down.

When the whole straight gets rutted out, things start to get a little tricky.  The middle of the track is going to have deeper ruts than the edges of the track.  So, by taking the edges of the track, you can avoid the choppy mess made by the slower riders and you can save your energy for more important times in the moto.

As with any rut, approaching it with both wheels in line is very important.  You want to keep both wheels in the rut, preventing you from getting cross rutted.  You also maintain your momentum and forward drive, as well.  Once, you have both wheels lined up, keeping your head up and vision ahead is very important.  Staring at the ground right in front of you will only send you one place, the dirt.  That is not where you want to be.  A good guide is to keep your vision a few bike lengths ahead of you.  The faster you go, the further you want to look.

Depending on how deep the ruts are, a good idea is to ride on the balls of your feet (and point your toes in, gripping the cases).  This prevents your feet from getting caught in the rut and ripping your leg off the peg.  As always, you want to be gripping the bike with your knees and applying steady, consistent throttle.  As you get to the end of the straight, there are more than likely going to be braking bumps.  This is where you want to start shifting your weight back slightly to keep you from going over the bars.

Like I said, if you can conquer ruts, you can conquer anything.  It is mind over matter and just keeping good form and looking ahead.  Stay loose and relax; you’ll get through them sooner than you think.

Source: http://www.mxtrainingblog.com/riding-techniques/long-ruts-on-straights/

Claudio Federici Tim Ferry Ashley Fiolek Ernesto Fonseca Lauris Freibergs

Metal Mulisha Star Valli Race Report Hangtown

Kyle Cunningham Star Valli Rockstar Yamaha Metal Mulisha

The Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Metal Mulisha team took on the opening round of the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship series at Hangtown over the weekend. Kyle Cunningham was the top finisher in the super-competitive 250 class. Cunningham turned in a strong performance, notching two top-10 moto results – a ninth and an eighth – to finish the day in seventh overall.

Kyle Cunningham Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Metal Mulisha

I didn’t get a good start in the first moto, but I rode a decent race. In the second moto, I was feeling good, but I caught my foot in a rut and I struggled through the last half of the race. We got two top-10 finishes and we’re still in the hunt with a lot of races to go. Now we go to Texas, which is where I live, and it’s going to be a hot one. The track is pretty difficult too, so it should make for some good racing.” – Cunningham.

Metal Mulisha Rider SWANEPOEL Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Metal Mulisha

Star Valli Yamaha teammate Gareth Swanepoel returned to racing this weekend after missing the final few rounds of Supercross due to illness. Trying to get back into his groove, Swanepoel struggled but then rallied; the South African finished 12th and 15th in his motos to take 14th overall.

Metal Mulisha Rider SWANEPOEL Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Metal Mulisha

Today was OK but I kept crashing in practice. In the first moto, my start was decent and I managed to hang on for 12th. In the second moto, my start was not so good and I was 15th. It was disappointing, but I’ve only been back on the bike for two weeks, so I can’t expect too much. I just tried to limit the damage and will build from this for Texas.” – Swanepoel

Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Metal Mulisha

Finally, Star Valli Yamaha’s Kyle Peters started out strong in the first moto and was dicing with the frontrunners. Within a few laps, however, the rookie lost several spots but still held on for 11th. In the second moto, he had some issues and finished 30th. Overall, Peters finished 17th.

Metal Mulisha Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Nico Izzi

In the premier 450 class, Star Valli Yamaha’s Nico Izzi enjoyed a noteworthy debut, capturing an impressive 10th-place finish overall, thanks to well-earned 11th- and 10th-place moto results.

Nico Izzi Metal Mulisha Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Yamaha

Hangtown was a little rough on me. I rode well, but I went down in both motos. In the first, I went down on the first lap but I rode hard and came back to 11th. In the second moto, I was in seventh but I went off the track and got T-boned trying to come back and went down again. But I ended up 10th, so I know I’ve got the speed. I just need to be a little smarter. Texas is going to be tough, we’ll have to prepare ourselves and come out with our guns loaded and hope for the best. That’s all you can do.” – Izzi

Bobby Kiniry Metal Mulisha Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar

Star Valli Yamaha teammate Bobby Kiniry put in a solid performance in the 450 class, turning in consistent laps on the daunting Hangtown track. Kiniry finished 12th in the first moto and 13th in the second to take 12th overall for the day.

Bobby Kiniry Metal Mulisha Star Valli Yamaha Metal Mulisha

I’ve never really had a good result at Hangtown. But the Rockstar Yamaha got me through the day. I got terrible starts, but I worked my way up, and stayed strong and put myself in contention for top-10 points. I got out safe and learned some things about my bike and about myself. I know I’m strong and I’m looking forward to Texas. I believe I can be in the top five and that’s what we’re shooting for. The hotter and rougher and gnarlier it is, the better I do. I’ve shown that throughout the years, and I’ve got the results to back that up.” – Kiniry

Metal Mulisha Star Valli Yamaha Ryan Sipes

Star Valli Yamaha’s Ryan Sipes moved up to the 450 class at Hangtown, and realized he needed to lift his game to be competitive. Sipes had some issues in the first moto and finished 25th, but he redoubled his efforts in the second moto to finish 15th. Combined, these results were good for 18th overall.

Hangtown was a rough weekend for me. Practice didn’t go well and I just couldn’t get going, so that gave me a bad gate pick. In the first moto, I kind of hit a wall, mentally. I just couldn’t get going. In the second moto, I rode pretty well, and I came through the pack after a terrible start. I’ve definitely got a few things to work on. Texas will be hot but I’ll be ready for it, it’ll be good.” – Sipes

Ryan Sipes Star Valli Yamaha Rockstar Metal Mulisha

Source: http://www.metalmulisha.com/blog/2012/05/metal-mulisha-star-valli-race-report-hangtown/

Wyman Priddy Alessandro Puzar Gaston Rahier Steve Ramon Tyla Rattray