The Bauer Family

The weekend is over and we had a lot fun celebrating birthdays.  We went to church on Sunday and then I went and got mom.  We had a late lunch at Backwood's.  It was excellent.  We then came back to the house for cake and ice cream  Michelle made an awesome cake and ice cream cake.     Cake! Ice Cream Cake!  Birthday Fun.   We had a great time with the family.  Hard to believe I am 51.   I picked up a chain yesterday and put it on the fat bike.  JJ and I went out for a ride.  It was very humid.  The bike worked well.  I also ordered shifters for Michelle's bike yesterday.  A lot of work to do on bikes.   We also want to prepare for a garage sale.  See ya soon! 

Yesterday was the kickoff of the birthday weekend.  We went to Genji's, it was a lot of fun.  We had a full table.  The cook was great!   This morning I woke up and started working on laundry and then headed for the bike shop.  My goal was to finish the Fat Bike.   The Green Machine was pretty much stripped down.   Donor bike! Which will be JJ's.   I moved over the 1x10 and the brakes from the Access.  I got everything together only to find the chain was not long enough.  So I will have to pick up a new chain for the bike.   Finished product with short chain.   I will take better pictures when I get the new chain on.  Will give full details on the build at that time also.  Next week will get the bike out on the road when I have the new chain.   Tonight Michelle and I are going to a wedding.  We gave JJ a UNO gift card and some cash so he can take Kayla on a date....

During our vacation I had to partially disassemble Brendan's bike and put it in the van so that we could take five bikes with us.  Putting it back together and setting it back up I discovered that his seat post was already at its highest position.  Last year Michelle thought the bike was to big and this year it appears that he is outgrowing it.  He would really like a Fat Bike.  However, it does not make sense to get him one till his growth slows down.  What will we do.   Since I got my Fat Bike I have not rode my mountain bike.  JJ has started his training for the Soft Rock and I believe he will do it.  So I am going to give him my carbon bike and Michelle will get his 29er.  So the other day I sold my old NRS frame that Michelle had been riding.  This was the bike that I did my racing on in 2006 and ended up 3rd in the MMBA points series.  The bike served us well.   I have already started moving parts from the carbon...

We made our journey home again in one day and it was a long one.  We did no side trips this year on the way home.  It was also the best I ever felt on the drive home.  We arrived home around 10pm and just took the things out of the van that we absolutely needed.  Michelle and I both had to be to work in the morning.  Although we had a great vacation it was good to be home.  We are already planning next years vacation.  We would like to spend a week in Marquette next year and we are looking at renting a home for that time.  We are praying that this works out.   JJ really wants to do the Soft Rock next year.  So we have started training for that.  I hope he stays motivated?  This has led to some changes here with our bikes as well as Brendan outgrowing his.  There will be more on this in my next post.   Fat Bikes were on display at the arena for the Expo during packet pick up.  They were also raf...

Time just flew by on race day and on Sunday.  We are now home and I am doing some catch up to write this.   We woke up to a very beautiful morning on race day.  It was sunny and hardly any clouds.  We all had a good breakfast and headed for the Lakeview Arena and the start line.  We unloaded and prepped the bikes for the race.  I got to the start line a little later than I wanted to and was about in the middle of the pack.   When the race started a I tried to move up as quickly as possible.  I started to make some passes on the first grassy section and then again on the first dirt section.  Things spread out quickly as we moved into the first section of single track.  Once we crossed the railroad tracks and hit the first climbs I started to pass a few more people.  I felt really good and was cleaning all the climbs.  This was the first time that I did not have to get off the bike on any climb.  After crossi...

We started out the day with breakfast in the hotel.  It was very good!  Spent a little time in the room and then went out for a partial pre ride of the course.  We got to the trailhead and got the bikes ready.  Then we were off.   The Dead River.   We rode out to the big sand hill.  JJ, Brendan and I climbed to the top and rode down.   At the top.   Brendan crashed on the way down.  I did not think he was going to want to ride anymore.  He recovered quick and rode all the way back to the arena with JJ and I.  We loaded the bikes up and went back to the hotel to shower and eat lunch.   We then set off for: Sugarloaf Mountain.   View from the top.   After Sugarloaf we went to the Lakeview Arena for packet pick up and the spaghetti feed.  The pick up was quick and the food was good.  Then it was back to the room to get ready for race day.   

Thursday was our travel day from Mackinaw City to Marquette.  We were loaded up and out of the cabin at 11am.    After dropping off trash and checking out we crossed the Mighty Mac.  After landing in St. Ignace we went to BC Pizza and all had the pizza buffet.  Great pizza and a nice salad bar, drinks included!  Our cheapest meal of the trip.  From there we did our annual hike up Castle Rock.   My beautiful wife! They are confused. Dad would have liked this one. Now they got it! Bull Tongue!   We departed Castle Rock, fueled up and headed for Manistique.  We were in search of the Palms Book State Park and the Big Spring or Kitch-iti-kipi!  After some road construction and a closed road we managed to find our destination.  It was worth the hassle!   Amazing trout.   Your transportation over the spring.   This is a natural spring that is 40 feet deep and you ta...

We decided on Tuesday evening that Wednesday would be a rest day and take it easy.  We did a bike ride around lunch time.  Brendan and Michelle did around 4 miles, JJ and Kayla did 6 and I did over 12.  I explored a couple side roads along the rail trail. I felt really good.  Hope I feel that good on Saturday.   We had sandwiches at the cabin for lunch and then went to the pool for a while.  After the pool I took Michelle and Brendan down to the beach by the bridge.  I went and did some laundry.          We came back to the cabin and I started our last campfire.  We made hot dogs and smore's and ate as many left overs as possible to clean out the refrigerator.   Michelle and I started to do some packing to ready for our departure.  We then set out at the campfire till it went out.     Now it is time to pack up and head for the U.P. 

Setting out at the camp fire and want to reflect on today.  This was the best day we have had since we left on Saturday.  There was one little bump which was handled by Michelle's parents at home. God Bless them for stopping in and seeing Mom!   We made our trip to Mackinaw Island today.  We were on the 12pm Star Line ferry and headed to the island.   Our ride to the Island.    Jet Roost!   It was also Kayla's 18th Birthday today.  Happy Birthday Kayla!  Very nice to be able to spend this special day with you! JJ and the Birthday Girl. Enjoying the worlds longest porch! Incredible view!  We stopped at the Butterfly House. This is the prettiest one! Michelle took this one.  Leaving the island we had a couple of very special treats!   Tall Ship coming into the harbor at the island.   Ferry heading under the Mighty Mac!       It was a...

Day 3 is almost done and we had another good day.  JJ and I started out with an 11 mile ride on the North Central State Trail.  We followed that up with lunch and then headed out to the Mill Creek Discovery Park.  There we did a little tour and some activities.   The Bridge. Michelle on the Zip Line!   Kayla coming in for a landing.   Ready for take-off!   Critter under attack.   We headed back to camp and made hobo dinners on the campfire and called it a night.  Tuesday we will be celebrating Kayla's 18th birthday and going to Mackinaw Island!