Lafayette Coney Island

On the way home from PA, we stopped for the night at my parents house.
Not before stopping off at the best coney island in the greater Detroit area.

One with everything, boys.

New Bike Day: 2013 Trek CrossRip

I had the distinct pleasure of designing Trek's first disc commute CX bike.
It was a rushed production timeline to get it ready for the Trek World
product show. I have been riding this bike for a few months now and
the Pittsburgh trip was its big official unveiling to the world. It also
gave me a chance to shake it down on some real gravel trails, hills
and city streets. The bike has performed admirably and is one of my
favorite new bikes for riding around town. I may even race it once or
twice in this years CX race season (should my MBA program allow it).

If you are in need of a solid "do everything" bike that is up for all weather
commuting, rough urban streets and the occasional off road shred fest, consider
the CrossRip. It can support some meaty tires, racks, fenders and is a dead sexy
bike regardless of how you customize it.

Pittsburgh: Falling Water

Not much I have to say about this other than it is one of the most
beautiful places in America that I have experienced.

Also, it is a straight 4 mile climb out of the city of Ohiopyle to
the grounds. On the ride up the hills, a snap thunderstorm came
down on us and we scrambled to the side of the road under some
trees where I covered my cameras in my rain jacket. Then we
soldiered on up the hill to the house.

The journey getting there made the architecture that much better.

And the descent back down those hills was one of the most exciting
things i've ever done on a bicycle.

Pittsburgh: ATA Trail

The Allegheny Trail is a massive rail/trail that stretches from Pittsburgh
all the way to Washington D.C. At 360ish miles long it is no small feet
to traverse the path, but the beautiful scenery and lack of hills make it
enjoyable at any level of fitness.

Pittsburgh: CMU Create Labs

The Create Lab is a crazy idea incubator. They take ideas for
empowering people and creating Citizen Scientists, then take
those ideas to the point of productions/profitability. At that point,
they sell the ideas to a company and simply support them as R&D
or support.

Pittsburgh: CMU ETC

We visited CMU's Entertainment Technology Center where students
from varying disciplines come together to create some really amazing
things from scratch in short 2 week bursts.

Pittsburgh: Primanti Brothers

A sandwich shop where everything ordered comes on the sandwich.

Fries.

Coleslaw.

You name it.

Pittsburgh: Park Racing

We managed to find a park with a circular grassy area surrounded
by sidewalk. So, naturally, we decided to have a one lap criterium.

Stork won with Jess a very close second. Travis finished last and
appeared to have the best time out of all racers.

Pittsburgh: City Ride

Travis "Stork" Saler took us on a ride around the city with several
of his buddies he has met through the Trek Store of Pittsburgh.
We rode over an endless series of bridges and up some of the
steepest climbs i've encountered all year. It was a hot one, but
    we managed to stay cool through most of it.

Pittsburgh: Dirt Rag

While staying in Pittsburgh, the Trek Research team made
its home at the headquarters of Dirt Rag and Bicycle Times
Magazines. It was a completely awesome (and free) space that
they lent us and we could not have been more pleased to camp
in their back yard. The whole house was a little on the "Dirty
bike shop" side for some of the team, but I am not that far
removed from college.

Great little place to stay.