https://mikeplatania.com/resume/2022-02-21T03:47:54+00:00weekly0.6https://mikeplatania.com/2019/11/27/reflections-on-my-first-season-of-cyclocross/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_8688.jpgIMG_8688https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_8521.jpgIMG_8521https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/78085712_568944110575538_3784972386667855872_o.jpg78085712_568944110575538_3784972386667855872_oIt'd rained the whole day before the Charlottesville race, making for pretty muddy conditions. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/20190915-img_0958-copy.jpg20190915-IMG_0958 copyThis is decidedly not-catlike.2019-12-03T01:04:26+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2019/11/05/theres-no-hiding-in-cyclocross/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/img_8584.jpgIMG_8584https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/74419887_2551888538180789_609145724008923136_o.jpg74419887_2551888538180789_609145724008923136_oFeelin' a big ouchiehttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/73395306_2551888101514166_1812528640462684160_o.jpg73395306_2551888101514166_1812528640462684160_oMike Lipka, the kind soul who sold me his old cross bike, fighting up the hill ON A SINGLE-SPEED BIKE because he's a badass lunatic. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/73236822_2551890171513959_4977229100147015680_o.jpg73236822_2551890171513959_4977229100147015680_oMy teammates Neil Etheridge (left) and Ben Rasich (right) going into the red on the hillhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/img_8378.jpgIMG_8378Scenes from one of the Sorry Honey I've Gotta Work Late training series, held at Forest Hill Parkhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20190915-2r9a9225-copy.jpg20190915-2R9A9225 copy:D 2019-11-12T01:27:32+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/bio/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/10655226_10204996034837862_6402039725766449194_o.jpg10655226_10204996034837862_6402039725766449194_ohttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/open-uri20131105-2-mb9cbe_profile_large.jpg2019-10-27T16:17:50+00:00weekly0.6https://mikeplatania.com/2014/04/01/ode-to-sam-riley/2019-10-13T21:12:29+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2013/05/08/all-i-know-is-i-dont-know-nothin/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/3.jpg3https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2.jpg2https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/1.jpg12019-10-13T21:12:00+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/07/26/a-hell-of-a-place-to-lose-a-cow-adventures-in-utah-and-nevada/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4241.jpgIMG_4241Route leading is often draining, hectic, and challenging. But sometimes, it's awfully nice. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4238.jpgIMG_4238S'mores at camp in Ely, NV. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4232.jpgIMG_4232This is probably a solid 15 miles in sight. Nevada has been a game of going over summits, then descending into basins. Lather, rinse, repeat. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4198.jpgIMG_4198Capitol Reef National Park, considered one of the best places in the country to stargaze. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4166.jpgIMG_4166I felt like I was on Tattooine in a pod race. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4146.jpgIMG_4146Adam and Shanon ripping along some buttes. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4176.jpgIMG_4176https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4129.jpgIMG_41292019-08-06T01:29:53+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/10/21/mike-tries-cyclocross/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/screen-shot-2018-10-14-at-9-14-24-pm.pngScreen Shot 2018-10-14 at 9.14.24 PMNeil on the top step. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/44115380_323030381833580_2505559336370044928_o.jpg44115380_323030381833580_2505559336370044928_oThis bike is bitchin'. And not that great at cornering. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/44050920_323027541833864_3101688861340729344_o.jpg44050920_323027541833864_3101688861340729344_o2018-10-21T18:56:52+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/09/16/something-to-build-on/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/40748410_303075927162359_181021889295024128_o.jpg40748410_303075927162359_181021889295024128_o(Most of) The goon squad. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/nik_3846.jpgNIK_3846The early stages of going full gas. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/nik_3925.jpgNIK_39252018-09-19T02:03:43+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/07/18/let-it-fly/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/nik_8949-copy.jpgNIK_8949 copyhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/nik_8931.jpgNIK_8931Greg driving the breakhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/nik_8711-copy.jpgNIK_8711 copy2018-07-20T14:51:06+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/06/02/only-mostly-broken-learning-to-deal-with-it/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/img_2775.jpgIMG_27752018-06-05T16:55:30+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/05/28/another-crash-where-to-from-here/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/trophy1.jpgtrophy1https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/er2.jpger2https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/er1.jpger1https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/bike.jpgbikehttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/xray.jpgxrayOn the left, you can see the break2018-05-28T17:05:20+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/05/11/requiem-for-a-frame-wrecked-at-ride-sally-ride/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/rsr.pngRSRhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/31947873_10156331108004655_4513054632800419840_o.jpg31947873_10156331108004655_4513054632800419840_ohttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/resized952018050695101729.jpgResized9520180506951017292018-05-11T02:36:02+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/04/20/jefferson-cup-a-trip-deep-into-the-pain-cave/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_9239.jpgIMG_9239https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_2307.jpgIMG_2307https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1690x2250-jpeg-1fec2201144b469380d181321a7fe64f.jpg1690x2250.jpeg.1fec2201144b469380d181321a7fe64fThe cramping continued on the ride home, much to Will's amusement. 2018-05-05T01:23:26+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/03/12/shamrock-crit-is-this-what-the-classics-feel-like/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-89.jpg-89https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-61.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-190.jpgShamrockCritMarch2018ForPrint-190My face depicts how I felt about the day's weather. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-184.jpgShamrockCritMarch2018ForPrint-184https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-180.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-48.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/shamrockcritmarch2018forprint-129.jpgShamrockCritMarch2018ForPrint-129Jason, Taylor and myself. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_8363.jpgIMG_8363Taylor warming uphttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/img_1774.jpgIMG_1774Tall dudes, little cars. 2018-03-12T16:40:18+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/03/05/opening-weekend-tidewater-classic-cavalier-crit/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/28336187_163973934405893_853218288263372220_o.jpg28336187_163973934405893_853218288263372220_o2018-03-05T23:38:44+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2018/02/11/hello-again-2018-prologue/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_6011.jpgIMG_6011The Studio is dead. Long live the Studio. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_3906.jpgIMG_3906https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/img_0187.jpgIMG_0187Gonna be lots of pictures of butts herehttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/27173203_2067767793498875_841206481078277461_o.jpg27173203_2067767793498875_841206481078277461_oFrom left; myself, Will, Mike, Neil, Andrew. 2018-02-17T21:25:23+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/05/27/california-here-we-come/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/images.jpgimages2016-12-27T17:26:27+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/07/20/rip-anne-davis/2016-12-26T22:04:40+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/08/10/it-goes-on/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4391.jpgIMG_4391https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4382.jpgIMG_4382https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4373.jpgIMG_4373https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4370.jpgIMG_4370https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4272.jpgIMG_4272https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4247.jpgIMG_4247https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4308.jpgIMG_4308Riding down bike paths through Sacramento, Davis, and Folsom. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4297.jpgIMG_4297Visiting UC Davis' campus. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4280.jpgIMG_4280Swimming in Silver Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4341.jpgIMG_43412016-08-10T17:43:40+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/07/13/runnin-on-through-the-rockies/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4037.jpgIMG_4037The Pueblo Riverwalk. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4097.jpgIMG_4097View of Telluride from a gondola which runs up and over the mountain. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4077.jpgIMG_4077"Wait, where are we?"https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4076.jpgIMG_4076The Rockieshttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4022.jpgIMG_4022Haswell, CO: population 58, no café/market/anything, and home to The Nation's Smallest Jailhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4017.jpgIMG_4017https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4006.jpgIMG_4006An abandoned amusement park in western Kansas. 2016-07-13T19:15:55+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/07/03/missouri-kansas-rhymes-with-misery-a-lot-of-nothing/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3996.jpgIMG_3996https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3995.jpgIMG_3995Shanon and I on the Kansas flats. It's pretty shocking just how little is out here. For as far as you can see, it's just nothing. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3991.jpgIMG_3991I've broken up with Clif Bars and moved onto Larabars. Sorry, Clif Bars, I would say it's not you, it's me, but I'd be lying. Larabars are just way tastier. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3890.jpgIMG_3890A really good dog I met in Carbondale. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_4003.jpgIMG_4003The hotel from which I'm writing this. I've never seen a motel with an indoor atrium/pool/jacuzzi, but I really dig it. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3986.jpgIMG_3986This is Mike Risisca, who's become a bit of a legend along the TransAm. He's been a few days ahead of us all summer, and his signature robot sticker is everywhere: on street signs, in bathrooms, in bike shops. I finally found and met him in Larned, KS and he's as nice as his little robot logo is awesome. We're hoping to tag up with him again in Pueblo, CO in a few days. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3975.jpgIMG_3975https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3939.jpgIMG_3939This is Tommy Johns, holding his self-published book of life stories, some related to living with MS, others not so much. He's a Missouri native who's been a friend of the organization for years and he met us along the way on three separate days: just before his hometown, in his hometown, and then in Pittsburg, KS on our rest day. And I don't think I didn't see him once when he wasn't smiling ear to ear.https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3904.jpgIMG_3904A cyclists' hostel in Farmington, MO complete with air conditioning, laundry, and beds. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/img_3900.jpgIMG_3900MIssouri! Rhymes with misery!2016-07-03T19:18:26+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/06/20/my-continued-adoration-of-the-bike-the-us-for-ms-alumni-family/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3884.jpgIMG_3884https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3865.jpgIMG_3865Jeff and a feral kittenhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3878.jpgIMG_3878The aforementioned cave in a rock in Cave In Rock. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3855.jpgIMG_3855There's an amazing passive-aggressive battle amongst Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and probably a few other states about what Abe Lincoln's hometown is. Illinois state signs declare the state is "Lincoln's Boyhood Home" yet Kentucky's LaRue County proudly announce it's where he was born. Everybody's trying to get a slice of old Abe, apparently. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3849.jpgIMG_3849Sitting on behind Mike & Shanon in central Kentucky. 2016-06-22T16:44:29+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2016/06/11/a-waitress-called-me-babydoll-and-other-things-from-kentucky/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3806.jpgIMG_3806The Blue Ridge Mountains living up to their name.https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3789.jpgIMG_3789Troutville, VAhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/img_3773.jpgIMG_3773Zach cruising down the Capital City trail on day 1 on his freeeesh new Vaya2016-06-12T17:07:12+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/08/09/the-cadence-halts/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_3123.jpgIMG_3123https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_3136.jpgGas Works Park https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/img_3145.jpgIMG_3145The mighty Pacific!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/11058194_10155952698435128_8208076536252176429_n.jpg11058194_10155952698435128_8208076536252176429_n2016-05-14T18:50:51+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/07/06/au-revoir-midwest/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11215872_10102414977178249_3566358948699224391_n.jpg11215872_10102414977178249_3566358948699224391_nhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/photo-jun-29-10-44-22-pm.jpgPhoto Jun 29, 10 44 22 PMA beautifully lit bridge in MInneapolis. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/gopr0194.jpgDCIM100GOPROCelebrating the Fourth on one of Minnesota's bike paths!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/gopr0108.jpgDCIM100GOPRODCIM100GOPROhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/screen-shot-2015-07-06-at-3-53-21-pm.pngScreen Shot 2015-07-06 at 3.53.21 PMhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11428070_10203056398810127_13148399180491473_n.jpg11428070_10203056398810127_13148399180491473_nI am so lucky to call them my coworkers. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/10384934_2702807407098_3986575893360049394_n.jpg10384934_2702807407098_3986575893360049394_nSomewhere under there is the road we were supposed to take. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/gopr0051.jpgDCIM100GOPRO https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11403386_2698658103368_8360211021759166739_n.jpg11403386_2698658103368_8360211021759166739_n2016-03-03T19:26:51+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/06/11/just-what-i-needed/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/screen-shot-2015-06-10-at-10-21-02-pm.pngWatching the sun set over Lake Ontariohttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/photo-jun-06-1-46-39-pm.jpgProcessed with VSCOcam with g3 presetA typical rest day in Osceola, NY2015-10-30T14:43:25+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/06/16/birthdays-bicycles-and-waterfalls/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1933.jpgFirst glimpses of Lake Erie on my birthdayhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1957.jpgMitchell's Ice Cream in Cleveland. Their shop looks like if a craft brewery and Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory got tossed in a blenderhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1956.jpgMore intimate look at where the ice cream gets made. It was absolutely dynamite.https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1953.jpgA shot of the whole Northern Tier team at our event where we ate lunch with MS patients and also dropped off a $10,000 check to Cleveland's MS Society. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1952.jpg( )https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1949.jpg( )https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1931.jpg( )https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1942.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1920.jpg( )2015-10-23T17:08:34+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/07/23/mending-my-relationship-with-montana/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/screen-shot-2015-07-22-at-10-04-27-pm.pngWe are the worst thing that can happen to a small town. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3062.jpgCity Beach on Whitefish Lakehttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3051.jpgTo get a feel for just how big it all is, look to the cars in the left third. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3047.jpg"Smile if you just climbed a mountain on your bike!"https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3036.jpgGlacier reminds you that you are constantly at nature's mercy, and that it is all so, so much bigger than you. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3024.jpgThe Many Glacier Hotel, which is a little too The Shining-esque for my comfort. FUN FACT: the opening scene to The Shining was shot in Glacier!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_2942.jpgVery typcial scenery in central Montana. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_2915.jpgTurns out there are bodies of water in North Dakota, you just gotta look for em!2015-09-04T01:51:35+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/07/30/an-immolation-in-idaho-mike-goes-to-the-e-r/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3092.jpgIMG_3092Tall trees in Newport, WA. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3059.jpgIMG_3059https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_3065.jpgLake Koocanusa2015-08-15T22:09:52+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/06/05/and-away-we-go/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/screen-shot-2015-06-05-at-2-25-33-pm.pngA van on a boat next to some bikes ferrying over to New Yorkhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/screen-shot-2015-06-05-at-2-41-16-pm.pngMeg accepting the award. She has MS herself and still goes all out to take care of us each year. She's an inspiration!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/screen-shot-2015-06-05-at-2-25-09-pm.pngSomewhere behind the sideways rain and fog is a stunningly beautiful view. Instead we got borderline hypothermic conditions. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/screen-shot-2015-06-05-at-2-24-26-pm.pngThe ceremonious tire-dip in the Atlantic. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/screen-shot-2015-06-05-at-2-24-01-pm.pngTurns out Bar Harbor is sunny sometimes!2015-06-05T19:03:57+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2015/05/12/we-go-again/2015-05-12T17:45:58+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/08/14/champagne-salt-water/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2383.jpgThe first time we knew we had made it!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2381.jpgWe were welcomed into town by Peddler Brewery, a bike-themed spot in the heart of town!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2396.jpgFound a sleeping giant at CenturyLink Field https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2395.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2394.jpgThe world famous Pike Place Market. We went back the next morning and it was as hectic as advertised https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2340.jpgOne of the final, restless nights we spent together playing cards, goofing around and dreaming of Seattlehttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2324.jpgAmidst one of the final climbs through the North Cascadeshttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2361.jpgIMG_2361https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2360.jpgIMG_2360https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/img_2356.jpg2014-08-14T20:04:53+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/30/scorching-in-washington/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/gopr0877.jpgPaddle-boarding back in Sandpoint!2014-07-30T22:52:52+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/27/the-beginning-of-the-end/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2277.jpgDrew found a hole-in-the-wall type Thai restaurant which wears its visibility issues on its sleeve. Dynamite food though!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2275.jpgBruce getting some sun https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2272.jpgRacquetball court turned bike garagehttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2271.jpgCommon area of the Athletic Centerhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2270.jpgCoastline of City Beach, where I spent most of the day hanging outhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2269.jpgBright and sunny skies in Sandpoint!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2252.jpg2014-07-27T04:28:57+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/22/great-views-bad-news/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2240.jpgMy love affair with rooftop bars continues!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2198.jpgThe better part of Montana in a nutshell. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2233.jpgValley along the way. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2237.jpgWholly unedited shot from the Apgar Village in Glacier. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2232.jpgMy bike (who goes by Bruce) enjoying the view. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2215.jpgAbout halfway up the climb to Logan's Pass. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2212.jpgThe view Going-to-the-Sun Road welcomes you with. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2210.jpgThere are few greater views to wake up to than this. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/rudi2.jpg2014-07-22T20:31:19+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/11/the-most-pleasant-surprise-in-hebron/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2141.jpgRiding out of Bismarck, waiting for the sun to come out.https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2147.jpgResting up in...uhhh...somewhere in North Dakota!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2152.jpgCourtesy of our friends in Richmond! Joe, Drew and I miss all of you so much!2014-07-22T18:18:32+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/14/winds-in-the-wild-west/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2175.jpgThe 'RVA' on the sleeve cuffs is definitely my favorite feature. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2170.jpgWe hit the scenery jackpot in Makoshika, as the same night we were there, there was a full (or really close to full) moon!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2169.jpgApproximate representation of what was going on in Makoshika 65 million years ago. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2161.jpgDowntown Medora, a touristy, bizarro-1860's town tucked away adjacent to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2160.jpgWhich is more beautiful: the brand-new Hardywood jersey, or the Badlands?https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2155.jpgThis is the type of landscape I had only ever seen in pictures.2014-07-14T23:08:25+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/08/into-the-land-of-the-bison/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2113.jpgWithout my US soccer jersey on hand, I had to celebrate the Fourth with a tiny flag off of my bike rack!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2108.jpgMinnesota truly was the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and this one hosted us in Fergus Falls. The catch to having so many beautiful lakes is that it was also the land of ~20,000,000 snakes. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2131.jpgThe home of the bisonhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2130.jpgJL Beers offered free postcards and postage for those sitting at the bar. If you've given me your address, you have a postcard coming. Possibly two. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2127.jpgFargo is decorated with multicolored bison much like how Blacksburg is decorated with Hokie birds.2014-07-08T01:32:19+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/04/falling-upward-into-north-dakota/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2107.jpgThe daily essentialshttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2106.jpg2014-07-04T03:34:34+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/02/central-minnesotas-congenial-secret/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2097.jpgThe Northern Tier team with the Olsen's!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2094.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2091.jpgSome of us are camping out in a silo adjacent to the bunk!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2087.jpgWhat it's like inside. 2014-07-02T03:28:02+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/07/01/leaving-part-of-my-heart-in-minneapolis/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2079.jpgThe central hub of the Mall of Americahttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2069.jpgJohn in all of his glory. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2067.jpgMeeting with the members as we rolled in!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2071.jpgIMG_2071https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2070.jpgI wandered off to the Golden Gophers' stadium, but couldn't sneak my way inside. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2074.jpgA block open to only cyclists and the city light rail. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2061.jpgJanet admiring her refurbished yard right as we were finishing up. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_2060.jpgThe city skyline from a bridge on campus. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2057.jpgFarmers Markethttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2052.jpgLeaving our mark in Minneapolis' Chipotle. 2014-07-01T21:04:02+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/06/28/descending-route-7-in-minnesota-aka-controlled-fall-down-a-mountain/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/screen-shot-2014-06-28-at-5-56-01-pm.png2014-06-28T22:55:21+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/06/28/iowa-minnesota-more-than-just-crops/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2046.jpgFrom a bridge in Saint Paul. Underneath it was a public park totally flooded. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2051.jpgA wall of boots in the shop. It's been so long since I've worn clothes I actually covet, and seeing this many beautiful boots made me miss dressing well and not in spandex dearly. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2050.jpgThe Red Wing boot HQ in (you guessed it) Red Wing, Minnesota! This right here is the world's largest boot, which I think embodies "mildly interesting" perfectly. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2036.jpgA view over the mighty Mississippi in Minnesota. The horizon line you see is Wisconsin!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2031.jpgAn American flag flying over the Mississippi in Lansing, Iowa. I'll never take a picture dripping with this much patriotism. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2018.jpgThe Iowa sky evolved through so many deep shades of blue as the sun set each night. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_2003.jpgOne of the last shots of 2014-06-28T16:17:44+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/06/22/what-biking-across-the-country-feels-like/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1994.jpgJoe admiring the Illinois River next to the trailer. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1992.jpgJoe, Jen and Kristen kicking it under a tree at a rest stop. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1988.jpgSetting up camp our first night in Illinois under a pavilion!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1989.jpgA massive wind farm in Illinois. This was the most exciting scenery of our ride that day. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1967.jpgWhat we look like in action!2014-06-22T00:24:27+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/06/09/in-new-york-returned-to-sender/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1896.jpgThe tent village in Sodus Point. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1905.jpgGenesee Brew House was right next to (what I'm assuming are) the High Falls. Rochester was really cool and really rough on a block-by-block basis. Some parts were beautiful and full of culture, and others were pretty rough around the edges. I have insufficient info to say whether I like downtown Rochester or not. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1914.jpgFrom left: Honey Brown Lager, Cream Ale, Blonde Ale, and Dundee Stout. I'm not sure you can get most of these outside of western NY, but the stout was dynamite. Would beer again..https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/screen-shot-2014-06-08-at-10-16-57-pm.pngScreen Shot 2014-06-08 at 10.16.57 PMhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1907.jpgProcessed with VSCOcam with f2 presethttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1906.jpgFairport held their festival right on the canal. Party boats, food stands, and dads-in-socks-and-sandals galore. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1882.jpgIMG_1882Complete with green roofing!https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1890.jpg2014-06-14T22:32:03+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/06/03/relaxing-in-a-maple-syrup-wonderland/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1859.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1858.jpgPart of downtown Middleburyhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1856.jpgWhere the resting's been going on in Middleburyhttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1839.jpgIMG_1839An awesome river & covered bridge near White Mountain National Park, also in New Hampshire. Wading in this was a very pleasant surprise at the end of the day. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_1846.jpgMt. Kancamagus, also in New Hampshire. A really long climb but it never got too steep, which I now know is the preferred way to climb. https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/img_18531.jpgAt the bottom of a mountain in New Hampshire. 2014-06-04T11:05:13+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/05/31/we-are-underway/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_1833.jpgIMG_1833https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_1829.jpgIMG_1829https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_1821.jpgIMG_1821https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_1820.jpgProcessed with VSCOcam with c1 presethttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/img_1832.jpgIMG_18322014-05-31T01:07:10+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2014/05/01/the-sun-is-rising-over-a-sea-of-love-and-waffles-and-possibility/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/img_3445.jpgIMG_3445https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/screen-shot-2014-04-21-at-9-38-34-pm.pnghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/bcc02wviqae0txb.jpg2014-05-22T00:19:11+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.com/2013/12/09/so-here-we-are/https://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/524285_10151383772113776_178140550_n.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/332246_2759013655001_844453287_o.jpghttps://mikeplatania.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/12437_1294216472789_8150799_n.jpg2013-12-11T22:49:51+00:00monthlyhttps://mikeplatania.comdaily1.02022-02-21T03:47:54+00:00