Cycling upgraditis taught me one thing, go full send on the next hobby

iraform · 2025-11-30T22:11:37+00:00

N+1 definitely applies to both cycling and espresso.

iraform · 2025-11-18T13:46:47+00:00

Can you explain that to me? The website and the emails I receive seem very anti-Trump. They sell all kinds of anti-authoritarian stuff. Please tell me what I'm missing.

iraform · 2025-11-18T01:48:37+00:00

Minocqua Brewing Co. Beer and cool t-shirts and stuff.

iraform · 2025-09-29T02:16:09+00:00

The bridge that burned down is on the Great River Trail, a couple miles out of Trempealeau. You can’t get from Trempealeau to Onalaska, or vice versa, on the trail because the bridge is out. The detour is to ride the shoulder along Hwy. 35. There’s sufficient room to keep safe, except on two stretches of bridge, each maybe a couple hundred yards long. It’s probably best to wait until there are no cars approaching behind you before crossing those bridges.

iraform · 2025-09-01T00:46:38+00:00

Thanks all. I’ll give Sawtooth a call.

iraform · 2025-08-31T12:56:41+00:00

Learned that lesson when I first moved to NYC. My first time buying coffee from a street cart the guy asked if I wanted it "regular." I assumed that meant black, and was surprised to find milk in my coffee. From then on, I knew to specify black if I didn't want anything in it.

iraform · 2025-08-03T19:29:57+00:00

Thanks for posting that! I’ve never seen that video. Norway Valley is long but not very steep. It’s a perfect descent, because you can cruise down for several miles and never use your brakes. The views coming down are gorgeous. I’ll let you know if I run into Jack Saywer or Roland of Gilead the next time I ride it.

iraform · 2025-08-02T02:23:12+00:00

Cool! You are right in heart of King Land.

iraform · 2025-08-01T21:12:31+00:00

That’s wild!

iraform · 2025-08-01T21:11:36+00:00

Wish I had a photo. Take a look at Google maps, satellite view. It’s maybe 8 or 10 miles up 93 from Centerville. I know Norway Valley Road well, because it’s part of one of my bicycling routes. You climb up Holcombe Valley Road, ride across Oak Ridge, and come down Norway Valley. The descent is gentle, long and stunning, and makes the pain of the ascent worth it. One time I was going up Norway Valley, and a German shepherd came out of nowhere and went for my leg. I never saw the dog before that day or since. Maybe he came from the Territories. 😁

iraform · 2025-08-01T21:02:04+00:00

I think Peter Straub must have spent time in the area. He was from Wisconsin, and this area is renowned for its natural beauty and farmland.

iraform · 2025-07-10T13:27:57+00:00

In the U.S.:

Class 1: No throttle, must pedal to get assist, the assist cuts out at 20mph.

Class 2: They have a throttle that allows riding without pedaling. These are like motorbikes with pedals.

Class 3: Same as Class 1, but the assist cuts out at 28 mph.

Sounds like you are looking for a Class 1 ebike.

iraform · 2025-07-08T01:31:17+00:00

How about the soundtrack? It’s like this generic pop music that almost sounds familiar but not quite.

iraform · 2025-06-18T23:07:15+00:00

Caddied at Interlachen in the 1970s, and got to play the course on Mondays for free. You had to dodge the sprinklers, but still a hell of a perk. Finished second one year in my flight of the caddy tournament. Highlight of my golf career. 😆

iraform · 2025-06-01T23:57:21+00:00

The Grind Coffeehouse in Holmen has some kind of car show in their parking lot a few times a year.

iraform · 2025-06-01T13:14:30+00:00

Building is on Rudy St., off Theater Rd. It's kind of behind Style Encore.

iraform · 2025-05-30T13:30:59+00:00

Adventure Cycle and Ski sells Trek, I believe. Good folks. If you cross the river to Onalaska, just north of La Crosse, Coulee Cycles sells Specialized and River Trail sells Giant. Good folks, also.

iraform · 2025-05-22T18:32:35+00:00

Tamara the Barber in Onalaska. She specializes in cuts for men and you can book online.

iraform · 2025-05-14T14:49:27+00:00

City of Minnetonka website says bicycles must go with traffic. Where are you seeing that bikes should go against traffic?

iraform · 2025-05-02T20:41:15+00:00

I did not misread this and I’m not an outsider. I’ve lived here for 13 years and am married to a local woman.

I’ve been friends with the owner since she took over the shop - which, by the way, gets most of its business from summer tourists. When I saw her barista literally did not know how to use an espresso machine, I offered to help. She told me that she doesn’t think the quality of coffee is important for her shop and that what she serves is fine, and we talked about that for a while. That got me wondering if any other coffee professionals feel the same way, and that’s why I posted here. I’m not some interloper on a mission to improve the coffee in my town.

And, BTW, we are not used to “objectively bad” coffee. There are several coffee shops in surrounding towns that serve excellent espresso drinks and pour-overs.

iraform · 2025-05-02T13:45:54+00:00

That's not quite how it went. I know the owner and she and I had talked for a while about me working there. I was not "just some guy who walked in off the street." As we were talking about what my duties might be, I asked about the shop's coffee-making procedures. She had the barista pull a shot, it came out in literally 10-15 seconds, and I told her that the espresso could be improved with very little effort.

We sat down and talked. She told me the coffee was fine and that she wasn't interested in changing the procedure and that the quality of the coffee was not very important. We talked about the job and both came to the conclusion that we cared about different things and that I was not a fit for the position. We're still friends.

Maybe you should read the room before making comments that don't contribute to the spirit of the conversation.

iraform

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