Spring Break

Last week was spring break for Madison schools so I got out and rode a lot, worked a few days at Planet Bike, and headed up to Green Bay for some family time over the weekend. It was one of those weeks where I was reminded how much I love riding and how fortunate I am to work for such an incredible company.

I commuted to PB every day I worked there and each morning the sun was out and the air was crisp. Arriving at work after riding in always feels so much better than driving. I love my route too which is mostly on bike path with a few jaunts through some neighborhoods.
Riding by the lake and getting a view of the downtown is nice too. It's always great to see so many other commuters out there. It's pretty amazing and cool how many people use their bikes to get to work in Madison.



At PB this week we had a big meeting planned and it began with all 8 of us riding down to the UW Memorial Union and finding a lake side picnic table in the sun. Here's our pile of bikes.


It was an insightful and inspiring time spent amongst my coworkers. Planet Bike is a unique company that has been an innovator in the bicycle industry. Their responsible, passionate, and committed approach to increasing the usage of bicycles and reducing environmental impact is awesome. From the solar panels on the roof to the minimal packaging of our products and countless other measures we take - it feels good to be a part of something that is making a difference. And donating 25% of all profits (over $600,000 at this point) to advocacy has been a pledge that other companies in the industry are starting to mimic. This socially responsible attitude is allowing organizations to work with various levels of the government and is helping to make it easier for people to ride their bikes. Buying Planet Bike products is a simple way to be a part of improving conditions for cyclists - and you get a quality bike accessory as a bonus.

So I of course spent many hours of break riding my bike. Several days riding out west of town and I rediscovered how beautiful the terrain is. Lots of climbing and unfortunately lots of cold north crosswinds - but great riding nonetheless. Just under 300 miles in this week and it felt good to get some long rides in. I'm itching to race more though and am looking forward to some good local races the next few weekends and a trip to Arkansas for Joe Martin in May.

I also made it home to visit with my family over Easter weekend. Always good to spend some time with them and my dad and I got out for a nice ride too. As we were riding we see this huge old boat of a car with a guy in a bunny suit sticking out of the sun roof waving. It was pretty random and quite funny - I wish I had my camera.

We also thought it might be fun to do a little Easter candy experiment.


One innocent yellow peep


a little bloated after some time in the microwave


ready to burst after a little more time

poor little melted peep

I know, I'm a horrible person - but who really wants to eat those things anyway?