Marin Museum of Bicycling Part 1, Fairfax, CA

What an excellent and quaint museum of bikes, in a wonderful little Marin town, Fairfax. I liked seeing all the bike history, the "new" MTB history, Kate Courtney's WC bike, and even their small MTB Hall Of Fame display.

If you like bikes, old or new, I would head up to Fairfax. I was pretty taken aback at how much history of US bikes comes from the city of Chicago and even the state of WI.

This is in the parking lot, about 12-feet tall too.

Your own RD mod... yes!

Monocoque AL at its finest!

Check out that seatpost!

Don't forget to come back for Part 2 as well - all Cranks.

China Fishing Camp, San Rafael, CA

This story pretty much tells itself, thanks to the outdoor museum they have set-up here. I'll let these folks tell the story...

Who knew this was happening so long ago - not me. Great little stop, IMO.

Above Category, Sausalito, CA

If you make it north of the Gate above, and you'd like to check out a small seaside town AND a sweet bike shop, definitely stop in Sausalito and Above Category. You can easily make a day (or more) out of this town... touristing, shopping, etc. I don't think you'll be bored.

I really only stopped here for the bike shop, and it did not disappoint. It's really well done. Merchandise, selection, staff, etc. If you like bikes, this is a place to visit.

I was impressed and humbled by the amount of Dario Pegoretti bikes on display (RIP). Gorgeous stuff.

2018/19 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup (Lee Valley VeloPark), London, UK

What do you do in London? Well, there are TONS of things to do, but as a cycling fan, when you stumble onto the UCI Track World Cup ticket page, you do anything you can to attend.

While they'd sold out the "more prestigious" evening program, we were able to hit the afternoon session and see what it's all about, up close. This is a very well-run event, and very interesting and fun to be a spectator - Loved it. 

For the London Olympic Games the city created a "velopark", which held a number of cycling events during the games, including; BMX, MTB, and Track, plus a Cyclocross course is also on the grounds. It's a very well-done venue, inside & outside.

This infield is where all the country teams set-up their "camps" for the length of the weekend event. They prepare, rest, warm-up, cool-down, and have their bikes inspected in this large area during the weekend. Each country has their own little "paddock".

The track's turns are banked at 45-degrees, so speed keeps you glued to the "floor". Speaking of the floor, the track is made of Siberian Pine, brought in special just to make the track's surface. It's rumored to be faster than any other woods that could have been chosen. You still want to avoid crashing on it. Owwwwiiieeee.

This is the view from the tickets we bought. Not amazing, but for the price, I thought it was well worth it, and really not that far from the track either.

Farmer's Fridge (ORD), Chicago, IL

When you're in ORD (O'Hare Airport) and have some time to kill before your flight, you might find yourself wandering the terminals, just to get a walk in. I found myself in this situation recently and happened to notice signs up for this company. As luck would have it, as I kept walking, I also stumbled upon this humble vending machine in Terminal B (I believe). It looked delicious and fresh from the outside, so I decided to give it a go.

And I'm glad I did. They seem to have all the small things figured out (silverware on the side of machine)... and the prices are, IMO, much cheaper than the crummy food court places in most airports. Plus, it's fresh!

I had the Almond Butter Oats for a breakfast that cost $6. I should have used the microwave I presume is also nearby, but wound up eating these cold. It was still tasty, fresh, and a good value. I would happily try Farmer's Fridge again when I'm in ORD or CHI. I kind of can't wait.