Back With It

I think it has being a while since I last posted something and I have probably lost a few loyal readers due to it, so my apologies there. I thought I should get back with it since I've had a few people quietly mention my posting is lacking and since that 2011 is almost over I thought I should get one in before the year is out. So I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is enjoying their festive season, I'm certainly enjoying mine but I have sure kept busy this winter.

So why the long pause in posting? Well my last post was about my trip to Dubai, so that was May,"Gee, it has really being that long since I posted". Well after that came June and that month is always a busy race schedule in Norway with the Tour of Norway and the Nationals. July was some time off but most of that was spent at home. Lindsay and I bought a house around then so July and August was spent packing, moving and renovating. We did some quick reno work by stripping all the outdated wallpaper. Some of the plaster work was in bad condition but we did a quick patch up job and painted it so we could move in. In the months gone by we have totally stripped what appeared to be a lush garden but was indeed well over grown, we moved the fence back a meter and installed a gate and done some more painting inside the house. Now I am building a laundry in the garage, since we can't really fit the car in and is full with bikes anyway, may as well make a decent laundry. So the house has kept me very busy. Philippe helps me wash the bikes of the now current National champ Alexander Kristoff.


August was the teams last month of stage races with a tour in Spain in which the guys did really well with some podium results. The other tour was a 2.1 in Italy. September was the last month abroad with some single day races in Belgium before heading back to Norway for the final National Cup race at the begining of October. August and September were by far the busiest with me working 410 hours over that two month period, but in 42 days instead of 60. October was just a few days work with packing everything at Racing Depot and cleaning out the truck to finish the season up.

November was back to work on the house, but the weather was still quite warm so a morning ride was a must. It was the first time I could get out on the bike and explore our new area in which we now live, and I wasn't sure when the weather would turn really cold so I got out for a spin while the higher temps still lasted. I also purchased a cross bike back in April but only now really had the chance to spend a heap of time riding it, and there is some good forrest trails here compared to the other side of town where we used to live.
I also had a friend of mine, Matt, come visit from the UK so I could teach him some wheel building. Matt bought all the materials and I just showed him the technique and tricks to make a decent wheel. I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm a master wheelbuilder but I know my way around when it comes to the more traditional style wheels. It is the more classic style wheel that I really enjoy working with. After a week he had 2 sets of nice 32 spoke training wheels.

With December almost over I have spent most of it working around the house. I also did one bike service for the husband of a collegue of Lindsay. He was not so happy with his bike servicing from to his local bike shop, so hopefully I have sorted his troubles and it might just bring a few more clients my way come next winter.
We had friends from Dubai visit for Christmas before they headed to Amsterdam for their New Years, for Lindsay and I, it will be a traditional kind of New Years at home with a small group of friends and a show of backyard fireworks.

So have a great and safe New Year and I hope you keep reading next season.
Cheers