okiesurveyor

This September, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer! My goal is to pedal 300 miles miles throughout the month.  Why am I doing this? Because cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in the United States - 38 children die of cancer every week. It's awful to think so many young lives are lost to this terrible disease. Kids should be living life, NOT fighting for it. To show my support, I am taking on this 30-day challenge to support cancer research and give these kids the brighter futures they deserve. It will be tough, but it's nothing compared to what these brave kids face every day as they battle this disease and fight for their lives. So today, I'm asking for your support. Please make a donation through my fundraising page to support my challenge and join me in the fight to save little lives. https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/BurkCornelius/ All funds raised will support Children's Cancer Research Fund to continue t...

What is a saddle bag? Also called a seat bag. It fits under the saddle and typically connects via some kind of strap to the rails of the saddle. Some better than others. My biggest pet peeve is a saddle bag that bounces around while you are riding. Velcro straps work but can get clogged up with mud and fail at the worst time. Plastic buckles, some good, most not.  The seat bag is used for a variety of items but most people use them for the stuff they don't need to access very often. Tubes, multi-tool, tire levers, Co2 cartridges, extra small parts. The stuff  you need when you are having a bad day on the bike.  I am a gravel rider. Nothing I have on my bike is minimalist or lightweight. Like the saddle bag on my adventure bike. A Jandd Mini Mountain Wedge seat bag. Not small. Not aero. But very rugged, and indestructible. So when I started looking for a seat bag for my other gravel bike ( Salsa Vaya ), I was just going to get another Jandd. Of course I had to browse arou...

Sound kind of harsh? Well it isn't.   Let me begin by saying I HATE POLITICS AND MOST POLITICIANS!  Some of the best advice I ever got was from a person whom I have the utmost respect for. Truthfully, I don't even remember what question I asked him or what advice I sought from him. But his answer still resounds to this day, "Don't be a Dumb Ass" The other day my wife was talking to someone about politics (a frequent topic around our house) and she asked the person if they voted. Their response blew me away. The person said “I didn't know who to vote for so I didn't vote. I didn't want to anyone to blame me”. I am continually amazed at the number of people who don’t vote. My personal political beliefs aside, I believe that one of the most powerful rights we have in this country is the right to vote. Look at Colorado in 2013. When the public got fed up with the way things were going they voted to remove two State Senators from office. Y...