Things that I've learned about commuting to work by bicycle.

1)  I like it.  I like it a lot.  I can't believe I've gone this long without riding my bike to work.  I'm an idiot.

 

2)  My Road Bike "instincts" have come back very quickly.  I'm still working on the "eyes in the back of the head" thang, but stuff like where exactly the water bottle is the whole dynamics of riding a road bike in and around traffic are back in full strength.  I guess it's kind of like riding a bike. 

 

3)  My lights are dead.  My night rider system has finally gone around the bend.  Both the headlight and bar light have bad electrical connections in them and they shut off at the worst moments.  It could be that both batteries are dead.  I honestly don't know.  I'll do something about it before big bear.

 

4)  People who commute by bicycle are chatty.  There are people who will chew my ear off on the ride in.  That's fine with me.  I'm not awake enough to really contribute much.  On the way home I'm usually trying to work harder so I'm out of breath more and not chatty. 

 

5)  People who commute by bicycle are not chatty.  Many folks like me just want to ride and don't need any company for that to take place.

 

6)  My big pink Tesch is like an old friend.  Getting back on that bike reminds me why I got it in the first place and why I hope that bike lasts me a life time.  I've ridden MANY road bikes over the years.  I've owned some made by the most impressive and well-respected builders in the world -- Serotta, Masi, Colnago, Merlin, Paramount, etc -- and none of them fit me or my riding like this old pink hunk of steel.  It was built in an age when tig welded steel was frowned upon in road circles.  It was one of the first serious tig welded frames available.  I'm amazed every time I get on it. 

 

7)  A big pink bike is an invitation to talk.  This is closely related to #4.  Few people can resist commenting on how big and pink that thing between my legs is.  I think they've got big-pink-thing-between-the-legs envy.

 

8)  Don't draft off of anyone named Harry Cracker.  My buddy Pat wins the good friend of the year award.  Yesterday I got a tear in the back of an old pair of shorts right above my ass.  I knew it was there, but didn't have time to change shorts between getting home from my road ride and hitting the trails on the single speed.  I hoped in vain that my jersey would be long enough to cover it.  It wasn't.  Pat had a little portal just big enough to see my hairy backside.  He made a few jokes and then concentrated on riding.  Good man, Pat.   You're a trooper. 

 

9)  "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."  One of the big wigs at work walked in from the parking garage with me this morning.  He had a big meeting today and was decked out in his power suit with his power tie and a perfectly laundered shirt.  I was decked out in my Bike Doctor team kit, still wearing my helmet and a pair of flip flops while carrying my cycling shoes, messanger bag and my water bottle (with cartoons of bunnies humping on it).  Oddly enough he was impressed and asked me about what the commute was like, why I'm riding instead of driving and how it was working out for me.  Cool guy.  He's stopped by and talked twice today.  Glad I wasn't wearing the shorts referenced in #8. 

 

10)  I need new road pedals.  My 16 year old Time Magnesium comp pedals with matching Time Equipe shoes are getting really tired.  I don't think the cleats are available anymore for these things.  That means new shoes too since these are the 2nd generation Time shoes that are neither look nor shitmano compatable.  Any suggestions?  Right now I'm leaning towards Speedplays with Pearl Izumi shoes.  The Pearl's are my mountain shoe of choice.  I can't imagine their road shoes are horrible in any way.  What else is out there?  Time?  Look?  Shitmano?  Bebop?

 

11)  Did I mention that I like commuting by bicycle?

 

12)  I need new shorts.  I know that because my ass is chapped and the old ones are falling apart.  (see #8)  Time to go shopping.  Any suggestions?  Pearl Izumi are my favorites for price/quality.  Is it worth investing in Assos, Castelli or Campy shorts?  Quality is important to me.  If I get really good shorts, I'll get only 2 pairs and rotate them out.  If I get cheaper ones, I'll have to get 4 or 6 pairs in order to last like the good ones. 

 

13)  I get free cell phone service!!!!  Not really.  I did some calculations last night and found that by riding to work, I'll be saving between $85 and 90 per month.  That is about what the cell phone bill is. 

 

I'm sure that I'll be adding to this list over the next month or two. 

 

Love,

 

Pete

 

The dog ate my homework

Well not really.  Mao did eat my keyboard though! 

 

Well not really.  He chewed through the cord so the keyboard doesn't work anymore though. 

 

That part is true.

 

I was typing something Monday night and all of a sudden the keyboard goes dead.  No lights on the "num lock" and no keys are working.  Suspecting the worst, I call out "MAO!!!!" to which he responds "MAO" from underneath my desk.  That is a little human/cat schtick that we have.  I don't seem to mind it as long as it doesn't cost me too much to fix whatever he's chewed, or it is too hard to clean up whatever he's eaten after it shows up in the cat box a day later. 

 

Love,

 

Pete

 

I HIT THE JACKPOT!!!! (The jackpot for the infantile burp/fart humor set at least)

I'm easily entertained.  Anyone that knows me knows that is true.  I've had my own personal lottery going for years.  Unfortunately you don't win any prizes for hitting this lottery.  I just get a sense of personal pride and satisfaction from hitting it big.  

 

This is where most of you are saying, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???"  

 

My lottery tickets consist of any receipt or ticket that you get that has a number on it.  There's only one winning number.  That number is "69".  The rules are simple.  If I ever get any kind of ticket or receipt that has as its order number "69", I'm a winner!  If I get number 68, I can't order something else immediately after in order to get #69.  The number has to be arrived at by fair and legitimate means.   

 

This has been going on for YEARS!  In all my 42 years, I've successfully hit the jackpot three times.  The first was at the Heidelburg Bakery in Arlington, VA back in 1998.  They have a "Please take a number" machine and a counter on the wall.  When they're done serving #68, the lady behind the counter calls out "Number 69!  Can I help number 69 please?"  That is music to my Jr. High School brain.  I even wait as long as I possibly can before she goes on to #70 just to hear her call it out agian. 

 

The second time I hit the jackpot was November 14, 2002 at 8:12am.  I know this because it is printed on the receipt.  I got a flavored and plain crioissant and a large Cafe au lait from Gelatissimo, the local Italian bakery and ice cream place near the office.  I go there a lot for breakfast. 

 

When number 69 comes up is completely dependant on how many customers have been through the place in the morning.  I try and schedule my visits there to get as close to 69 as possible.  You'd think that I'd be there around 8:12am every day, but it doesn't work like that.  During tourist season, 69 can come up much earlier.  When congress is in session, it can be much earlier.  There are times in the slow season when it can happen as late as 10 or 10:30.  That is a rarity. 

 

A year ago, Gelatissimo opened an Italian deli next door to their pastry/ice cream shop.  That is my new favorite breakfast place. Their bagels are great and cheap.  That is where I hit the jackpot this morning at 8:41am.  I got a whole wheat bagel with raisin cream chease on it.  That is what I almost always order, but today it tasted so much better.  It tasted better because not only did I get to hear the cute Latina woman behind the counter call out "NUMBER 69!  Who's got number 69?" (I hesitated to raise my hand so I'd hear her say it again), I got to walk back to the office with a bit of spring in my step that comes from knowing that I am truly number 69 and I've got the receipt to prove it. 

 

My three winning jackpot tickets are now proudly displayed in my cube at work.  A few people notice them and ask what I'm doing with two breakfast receipts and a "take a number" ticket.  I weave the tale as though these were my most treasured possessions.  Is it any wonder why I'm not in management? ;)

 

Love,

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

 

I thought they only did this stuff in France...

No offense inteded to my good friend SuperFrenchie, but I've had a chip on my shoulder about road cycling for the last 15 years.  I was an avid road cyclist for YEARS.  When I lived in Colorado, I loved riding the road bike so much that I rarely hit the trails in the area.  Quite honestly, the road riding is so amazing out there that I'd find myself tempted by the roads out there even today. 

 

I won't go into my whole chip on the shoulder thing about riding the road bike in Virginia.  I will say this...  I've had two really awesome road rides in the last 2 days and I'm feeling pretty damn good about riding the skinny-tired thing.  Though I'll still make fun of anyone who rides on skinny tires (myself included), I'll do so with a bit more sarcasm. :)

 

I'm now psyched to build a bad weather commuting bike for the days that I don't want to take my road bike out.  That is where my old Karate Monkey is going. :) I still need to invest in a few parts for it, but it'll get there pretty soon. 

 

Happy Trails.

 

PEte

 

Keep that up and you're gonna go blind...

Those of you who know me know my affinity for weird herbal remedies.  The weirder the better.  I was catching up on some work this afternoon and had the TV turned on to OLN to watch the Paris/Roubaix replay.  They had an ad for a new herbal remedy that I hadn’t seen before.  It supposedly improves your eyesight and ability to focus quickly. (Sorry.  I forgot the name of the stuff.)

 

That struck me as kind of funny.  Remember what “they” used to say?  “If you keep that up, you’re going to go blind.”  I guess they have an answer for that now.  So when you overdose on horny goat weed and enzyte, you can just take some of this new herbal remedy and you’ll be just fine.   You’ll have hairy palms.  But you’ll at least still be able to see. :D 

 

Have a nice day, dammit!

 

Pete

Ready for my over-stereotyped alternative lifestyle...

Those of you who know me are familiar with the problems I've had with my wrist over the last few years.  Basically it was badly abused in my youth and has in recent years caused me a lot of pain.  I've been working on making it better for a while.  I've been told by those much smarter than I that at some point it will probably just pop and I'll either get more or less mobility. 

 

That happened yesterday during the ride at EF.  I was jingling through a big rock garden when I heard my wrist pop.  It hurt like hell for a moment, but by the time I got through the rock garden, it was back to feeling normal.... better than normal, in fact.  I now can move my wrist in a direction that it hasn't gone in years.  Read into that what you like. ;)

 

Pete

 

 

 

Bruise Therapy...

My buddy Grumpy J and I have had some time over the last 6 months or so to deal with bruises of many sizes, shapes and forms.  Ice works well for both of us, but is sometimes inconvenient sue to bruise placement and the need to wear clothes at work.  (Damn that conservative corporate world!!!)

 

After my golf ball incident last week (read The Curse of Wakefield post), I had the opportunity to explore some different solutions to many new bruises.  I iced the deep ones when they were fresh.  That helps the pain and the initial swelling.  I've learned that once that initial stage is gone, increasing blood flow can be a good thing.  I switched over to heat after a while and that helped significantly.  I also started using some Tiger Balm and Tiger Balm patches.  There are many different variations on this stuff.  Ben Gay is mostly Menthol.  Tiger Balm is a mixture of Camfor, menthol and something else.  I ended up using a patch that had Camfor, menthol and eucaliptus.  It worked great.  I wore it around for a day and the bruise felt MUCH better. It wasn't painful for me to really use my quad muslce at all.  It was still tender to the touch, but I could crank up a hill without feeling the bruise with every downstroke of the pedals. 

 

Let me know what works for you. 

 

Pete

 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly... Part 69.

You know when I use this subject that I’m gonna talk about a bike ride.  It was a weird one too.  We’d set up for riding EF today.  My goal was 2 laps.  It didn’t quite happen as I envisioned. 

 

The Good:  The ride up the doubletrack was awesome.  My goal was to peg the heart rate and keep it there.  I kept it in zone 5 pretty much all the way up.   This was the first time in over 2 years that I’d ridden EF with gears and a suspension fork.  I wanted to ride a bunch of the hike-a-bike section…. Even if I had to rest up between riding stints.  That went great!  I rode more of the Hike-a-bike than I think I ever have.  It was definitely more riding than walking by a long shot.  I wasn’t fast at all.  Guys who walked most of it got to the top before me.  That’s cool.  I just stayed loose and rode the rocks.  It was a blast.  The new bike LOVES the rough stuff.  The downhill from the ridge was fantastic.  I pinch flatted on a square edge rock, but that was because I was pushing it pretty hard. 

 

The Bad:  I’m cursed.  It seems like every time I post up a ride, I always get someone coming along that probably should be on a more casual ride.  Today there were two guys who joined in that I think probably shouldn’t have been with this group.  They told us at the top of the first climb that we should leave them to find their way back.  NOPE.  Not gonna happen.  Instead of doing 2 laps, we did one lap in the time it would have taken us to do two.  The guys were great.  They really impressed me with how well they did.  There were much better places for them to have practiced their skills.  Oh well.  There’s always next week…  or not. 

 

The Ugly:  The calorie burn for me was really ugly.  How the hell do you do an EF ride… especially one where you ride most of the hike a bike and hammer the doubletrack climb and burn FEWER than 700 calories?  GRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrr.  Almost no time was spent in zones 3 and 4.  I was in zone 1 or 2 for most of the ride and in zone 5 for the first climb.  I guess that answers my question.  I burn more calories than that at Wakefield. 

 

Oh well.  It was fun.  Technically it was an AWESOME ride!  The bad parts were not really that bad.  It was a cool bunch to ride with. I just didn’t get to ride as much as I would have liked to.

 

Take care. 

 

Pete

The Curse of Wakefield Strikes Again!!!

I'm particularly fond of Grumpy J's theory of The Curse of Wakefield. Basically Jason is convinced that the rock around Wakefield contains some kind of kryptonite. People who don't normally crash or get injured have the strangest wrecks at Wakefield. They can pound the rocks at Gambrill or EF with no problem, but put them on the XC trails at Wakefield and something happens. Maybe they're pushing to go faster than they should. Maybe they're just letting their guard down because they can... It is, after all, only Wakefield.

My similarities to Superman can be counted on one hand with three fingers left over. I love being seen in public wearing tights and a cape (that's another story) and I am succeptable to kryptonite.

I was chasing Larry and Punga around Phase 2 in the reverse direction last night. We'd just come down the two switchbacks at the very north end of the park. I looked away long enough to launch a snot rocket. When I turned back, I had a split second to see a golf ball in the middle of the trail. I'd love to say that I had plenty of time to say to myself, "Self. What is a golf ball doing in the middle of the trail?". No such luck. My brain doesn't work that fast. I just hit the thing with the middle of the front tire. The front wheel jumped to the right about 4" and that was just enough so that my attempt to recover ran me into the bench cut and I pile drived into the side of the hill.

No damage done. My personal habbit of just laying there for a moment and letting my body relax after a crash probably scared Scott a little bit. I purposefully don't move around much in an attempt to just let the incident pass and that must have looked strange. When I opened my eyes, I noticed that the golf ball had come to rest about 6" from my face.

I eventually got up, dusted off, straightened the saddle on my bike and rode on. That was by far the most tame of my run-ins with the Curse of Wakefield. Hopefully it will be my last for the season.

Happy Trails.

Pete

It's been one of THOSE weeks.

Uggghhhh!  What a week.  Two really good friends have had a rough time.  When a friend was taking his wife in for a physical, he collapsed with chest pains.  As it turns out they both were admitted to the hospital and both are now in serious condition.  Another friend at work went to the emergency room because he’s got blood clots in his lungs.  I’m going to be spending some quality time helping friends at the hospital this month.  GRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrr.  I hate this!  I’m glad that we’ve got a good support group.

 

Sorry to be a downer.

 

Pete

Quick update...

I got my heart rate monitor hooked up to the computer properly.  I downloaded last night's workout.  When I was on my own pre-ride, I stayed between mid zone 3 and mid zone 4 for almost the whole time.  Once I started riding with the fast group, I was firmly in zone 4 with almost 15 minutes spent in zone 5. 

 

The heart rate monitor adjusts my zones as it gets more data.  That makes it a little more accurate than setting my maximum heart rate using my age. 

 

Yup.  I'm a geek. :D

 

Pete

 

Getting stomped and loving it. :D

As I think I've said before, my new goal in life is to get faster.  I'm pretty sure that I'm never really going to be fast and that is fine with me.  I would like to increase the pace of my mountain biking a bit and generally increase my fitness.  Fast is fun and I like fun. :D

 

Part of the way that I'm achieving this goal is to ride with the fast groups on the Tuesday and Thursday night rides.  Now when I say ride with, I really mean start riding with and then fall off the back pretty quickly.  The first night I did this, I did a pre-ride with some folks that was blistering, then when the main ride started, the ride got even faster.  They were super cool about letting me catch back on.  I tend to recover pretty quickly from hard efforts.  That is a byproduct of doing so much running this winter I guess. 

 

Thursday I rode with Larry's group.  I did okay with them at the beginning, but as the pace steadily picked up, I kept dropping off the back on the climbs.  Again, they were amazingly cool about waiting for me.  I'm really having to fight the feeling that I'm holding them up or ruining their ride.  As a ride leader, I always hated it when people apologized too much for being slow. "Hated it" is not the right term... I wished they wouldn't apologize.   I'm going to shut up and just ride as hard as I can to stay on.  Larry and the Thursday group were awesome and it inspired me to keep this going.

 

Nothing in those first two rides with faster groups could prepare me for the ass kicking I got last night.  The casual group was a pretty fast one.  The faster group was REALLY fast.  It was Ricky and Stoner leading.   I asked if it was okay if I rode with them and warned them that I might drop off if I couldn't keep up.  That didn't take long at all.  I always knew those guys were fast.  They've lapped me at the races many times and I was always impressed with their speed and skills.  Last night was great evidence that we're not even in the same universe in terms of fitness level.  I fought the whole ride to keep from saying "sorry" every time they waited for me.  I did a few times.  I think I only suggested that we part ways 3 or 4 times.  They were as kind to me as I try to be with the casual groups that I ride with from time to time.  I eventually just said "thanks" when they'd wait for me. 

 

I still feel badly that I'm slowing people up.  Like a friend of mine says, "I hate being 'that guy' on a ride." I'm going to keep doing it though.  I'll try and rotate groups so that I don't slow anyone up too often.  We'll see how it goes. 

 

Purchase of a heartrate monitor this week is another tool that will help.  That'll give me an idea of how well I'm doing and where I am in my training.  I've wanted one for ages, but there just hasn't been the money for it.  A combination of my REI dividend and someone paying me for bike repair services with an REI gift card made the total expenditure about $11.  On my solo pre-ride, I kept my heart rate between 145 and 150 for most of the ride.  When I was chasing Stoner and Ricky I was in the 155-160 range, with a few bumps up into the mid 160s.  I can't really analyze that yet since the software isn't working on either of my computers yet.  I'm going to contact Garmin when I finish typing this and get them to help me figure it out. 

 

Sorry for being boring.  I tend to write what is in my brain and this was something that had me pondering this morning.

 

Pete

 

Destiny dressed you this morning and now fear is trying to pull you pants down.. The Tick

Today's Political Rant

A lot has been written and said about the contract that was set up for a company from United Arab Emarates to conduct port secruity for major cities in the US.  I honestly don't have any information about the reputation or reliability of this company for providing this security.  UAE has been a great ally in the past and I'm not aware of any situation that would make me doubt them as a location for a company that provides this security.  This rant has NOTHING to do with the company that was chosen.  I don' t know enough of the facts to really make a judgement on that. 

 

I have no problem with a foreign country providing security for our ports.  If the due dilligence is done and the best company for the job comes from Dubai, then so be it! 

 

If that is the case, what the hell am I ranting about?  George W. Bush, of course!!! This could have been a win/win situation for all involved.  Had Mr. Bush been honest and forthcoming when this deal was in the works, an effort could have been made to educate people and congress as to how the choice was made to pick Dubai Ports for the job.  The transition could have been smooth and we could get on with more pressing issues regarding port security (like why only 5% of all containers are scanned before entering the country). 

 

Instead of doing this, the Bush administration decided to try and sneak this deal through while no-one was looking.  That instantly raised the curiosity of the Democrats in Congress as well as the Republicans and the American people. We're instantly concerned about the deal that seems to have been done behind closed doors and Congress (especially the Republicans) do all they can do to investigate the deal. 

 

Instead of being open and forthright at this point, the Bush administration tried to push this through and make like it is no problem for a foreign country to take over our port security.  That may be the case, but since the process started with concealment and deceit, no-one believes him.  People want to dig more.  A huge effort is mounted to stop the sale.  Dubai Ports finally pulls out of the deal and is PISSED OFF at the US.  I don't blame them.

 

Is the problem solved?  Nope!  Our ports are no better off now than they were a week ago.  We still seem to have inadequate security at our major ports.  The vast majority of containers still make it into the US without being adequately inspected. 

 

What's worse is that we've now agrivated a valuable ally and trading partner.  The US needs foreign investment in order to offset our trade and federal deficits.  We REALLY need foreign investment.  We just got rid of a great source of investment and may have put an end to future investment from Dubai. 

 

Everyone has lost as a result.  We've got decreased security, decreased foreign investment and we come off looking like assholes. 

 

Thanks President Bush.  It looks like you're really earning those approval ratings.

 

Rant over.

 

Pete

Quote for the day...

I'm going to recycle one from one of my favorite car commercials....

 

Automotive Engineer: "Actually, that color is called Desert Sand Micah."

Kid standing next to him: "Whatever. Just crash it!!!"

 

Have a nice day.

 

Pete

 

PS:  Awesome ride at Wakefield last night.  My buddy David came down from the great white north (aka Maryland) to ride.  We did a nice pre-ride at Accotink with some faster guys.  That was perfect for me.  I felt a little bad that we were slowing them down a bit.  That's what I've got to do in order to ride faster though.  Hopefully before long they'll stop being nice and dump me earlier in the ride.  ;)  For the main ride I hung with Larry's group.  That worked out well since all of them were not feeling their best.  That made it possible for me to hang on and not suck too badly.  Yesterday ended up being pretty long.  I did 22 pretty fast miles when it all came down to it.  I dropped on a few of the climbs, but that's what I do.  Other than that I managed to not embarass myself too badly.  The bike was flawless. 

 

Running today followed by a rest day tomorrow.  I'll be riding with Grumpy J and the gang at Gambrill on Sunday.  :D

 

Take care.

Avid Brake Nightmare.

In the immortal words of Mona Lisa Vito, "What a F***ing nightmare!"

 

I really dislike Avid brakes.  All I needed to do was put a longer hose on the back brake.  Avid doesn’t make one long enough.  Mike and Shawn hooked me up with some stuff from Jagwire. 

 

I finally got the hose replaced and everything bled.  I have to say that Hopes are looking better and better all the time. 

 

Okay.  Got that out of my system.  Now I can talk intelligently about tonight's process. 

 

The replacement hose made by Jagwire is a hair thicker than that made by avid.  The hardware for the caliper did not fit properly.  I managed to wiggle the locking sleeve over the hose in just the right position so that everything would go together. 

 

The locking sleeve wouldn't screw into the lever.  It felt like the threads were the wrong pitch.  I took the original locking sleeve and it threaded right in.  These are supposed to be one-time-use, so I didn't want to use the old one.  I tried one locking sleeve without the hose in it and it didn't want to screw in.  These are spare parts MADE BY AVID for AVID Juicy 7 brakes.  It ended up that the locking sleeves are not machined or cast accurately enough to match the threads on the caliper. 

 

Out comes Mr. Dremmel.  With a wire brush attachment, I cleaned the threads on the locking sleeve.  I even buffed them a little to make sure they were smooth.  The threaded right in.  I used a claw foot wrench that SRAM includes with the bleed kit to attach the locking sleeve.  The clawfoot wrench strips.  Luckily the sleeve is okay.  I finish tightening with my snap-on clawfoot wrench.  On the very last turn, the locking sleeve starts to strip.  I figure it is tight enough.  It has taken me an hour to get to this point.  I sure as hell am not going to take this out and start all over again.

 

I attached the rest of the hose and the Jagwire banjo fitting went perfectly into place on the brake caliper. 

 

Now its time to bleeeed. 

 

Avid's instructions seem okay, though I think they're out of order if you're replacing the hose.  I figured you'd have to bleed the hose first if you had no fluid in it.  I went with Avid's instructions.  I figure they know what they are doing.  They say to bleed the caliper first, then the hose, then the lever.  That would probably work correctly if the hose had fluid in it.  It didn't.  Bleeding the caliper just sucked air out of the hose. 

 

Soooo.  I bleed the hose first, then I bleed the caliper.  I then bleed the hose again. Finally I bleed the lever.  There is no freaking air in the system anywhere.  I move everything back where it should be and HOSANA!  I have achieved brakes again.  The hose is even the right length. 

 

There's still a major design flaw with these brakes.  The way the bleeding is set up, there is no way to easily flush the fluid from the whole system.  Bleeding the caliper requires a suck/push/suck/push method that just wiggles the bubbles out the top. 

 

DOT brake fluid absorbs water.  When it absorbs enough, it breaks down and won't compress properly.  It boils easily and introduces bubbles into the system.  No braking system I'm aware of is immune to this. Car brakes are much more robust than mounain bike brakes and they require flushing the fluid every other year (though few people do this). 

 

From what I can tell, flusing the fluid in the caliper requires dismantling the caliper and breaking it open to dump out the fluid.  While you're in there, you might as well replace the seals.  You then put it all back together with no fluid in it.  Hook up the bleeding syrenge and suck/squirt/suck/squirt until you suck all the bubbles out and squirt all new fluid in. 

 

No thanks.  I'll run them for a while then sell them to someone who loves Juicy 7s.  Once I can afford Hope MX4s, that's what I'm getting. 

 

Sorry for the rant. 

 

Pete.

I wanna be fast when I grow up. ;)

Greetings earthlings. 

 

Last night started my quest to get a little more speed in my mountain bike riding.  For the last year or two, my endurance has been good and steadily getting better.  My speed has gone up a little... I guess that comes with endurance.  I'd love to get faster though.  The only way to do that is to find some folks that are faster than you, and chase after them.  With mountain bikes, that means that you're doing some pretty serious interval training. 

 

Last night I got my ass handed to me.  It was the Tuesday night ride and there were plenty of people out.  I picked a group that I thought would be on the fast side of moderate.  They were making noises about keeping it in Zone 3 for fat burning.  If that was their zone three fat burning ride, I'd hate to see their speed workouts!!!  I had a blast holding on for dear life.  I did pretty well for the first 9 miles... I only really dropped back on the steep climb.  Between miles 9 and 14 I dropped back a bit more. They were kind enough to wait for me even though I urged them not to.  I'm glad they did.  All the running this winter seems to have paid off nicely.  My recovery times were remarkably quick.  I was ready to go in less than 30 seconds after catching them.  I may have to keep a running workout in my regimen over the summer just for fun.

 

Sorry to be boring.

 

Pete

Next Year's mountain biking trip....

Okay.  Einstein is already working on next year's trip... 

 

The San Juan Hut System supports a 210 mile trip in the back country between Durango and Moab.  It is a 6-day tour on mountain bikes.  The huts are fully stocked with food, sleeping bags and everything you need.  When we get to Moab, we take the knobbies off, put slicks on and ride the 160 miles back to Durango by road.  Split the trip back into 3 days and stop at Mesa Verde national park for a bit of site seeing. 

 

Who's in???? ;)

 

http://www.sanjuanhuts.com

 

Pete

The first of many annual rants on professional cycling... maybe with a new twist. :D

A good friend of mine runs a cycling forum for Central Virginia.  You can find it HERE.  The topic of the Paris-Nice race came up because one of the coolest guys in the Peloton (Bobby Julich) won the prologue.  I made the comment that I think Mr. Julich is a great guy and I wish him the best, but that I no longer watch or follow professional cycling.  When asked why, the following rant came out. 

 

I understand why professional cyclists dope.  If you look at what is asked of them during the season, it is no suprise to me at all that they turn to chemical assistance.  The guys at the top of the sport are trying to compete with each other, so they pretty much have to in order to succeed.  I'm sure there are some that don't dope and they're amazing.  For those who do use performance enhancing drugs, I don't blame them!

 

For the rank and file of the peloton, their job is often harder than that of the big names.  They've got to dope just to make it out there day after day after day.  How can I blame them either.  They're the grunts that are just out there making a living and trying to live the dream.  They didn't make the system in which they work.

 

I gave up on having favorites years ago.  Every time I found a cyclist that I liked and felt good about, they tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.  I tried to just enjoy the competition and team tactics.  That didn't really work for me. 

 

Finally I came to the conclusion that I was the problem.  I wanted to see heroic feats of strength by these guys.  Possibly my favorite cycling event ever was when Andy Hampsten broke away on Gavia pass in the Giro to take the pink jersey.  He and his breakaway partner were FLYING up and then down this pass in a freaking blizzard with snow, slush and ice on the road.  How do you top that?  Watching Lance pull away from the lead group on a climb in the Alps or Pyranese was pretty amazing... especially when i've driven or ridden some of those roads and know how steep they are.  Watching Tom Boonen or Cippo come from NOWHERE on a pack sprint to pull out a win is awe-inspiring.

 

Professional cycling promoters try to emphasize those aspects in order to get a viewing crowd.  Teams and cyclists rise to the occassion week after week throughout the whole season.  We expect that kind of heroics in every race.  The only sports season that is longer than cyclings' is NASCAR.  At least those guys have motors in the cars that do a lot of the work. 

 

Why does that make me the problem?  I was watching it on TV.  I enjoyed the coverage.  I liked what the sponsors were selling.  I bought the magazines that promote professional cycling.  I paid money to go to France, Georgia or Sonoma to watch the races.  I worked for two years for a company that promoted pro races in the 1980s.  I own a Festina watch, a Sean Kelly era green sprinter's jersey and a polka dot jersey autographed by Gert Jan Thunisse.  I religiously followed the tour back in the 1970s when the only way you could get information about the tour was by having friends in France mail you newspaper and magazine clippings.  My grandmother taught me how to read French so I could read those articles. 

 

If I'm not the reason that cycling has come to this, then who is?  I know I'm not the only reason.  I'm an idiot, but I'm not so much of an idiot that I think that anyone gives a rat's ass about how much I used to love pro cycling or that I can sway anyone to do anything. 

 

I am, however, the only person for which I can change the buying and watching habits.  My habits have changed.  I found it very easy last year to resist the pull of the tour.  It has been a long road to give it up.  Now whenever I get the urge to sit down and watch cycling coverage, I go for a ride or work on my bike.  Either works fine for me. 

 

Look at that last paragraph.  I talk about my habits like they're addictions.  I'm even replacing one habit with another.  Sounds like I need a 12 step program, eh?  Imagine an entire continent of fans 100 times more rabbid and addicted than me (Europe).  Can you blame the racers for using performance enhancing drugs?  Sounds like all of us fans have a problem... not just the cyclists. :D

 

I'll be in France during the tour this year.  I don't care a bit.  I've got a friend there who will loan me a bike that fits.  I'm going riding. :D

 

Happy Happy Joy Joy Joy....

 

Pete

New Niner. :D

You can see photos of the new bike HERE.

 

Pete

Meet Mr. Niner

Okay, this is freakish.  Not just a little freakish, REALLY freakish. 

 

I’m taking my new bike out on a shake down ride at Accotink.  It isn’t shifting well.  The housing loop by the rear derailleur is too short.  I hate that about Shitmano stuff.  I like SRAM’s approach much better.  (Dammit I’m already off topic). 

 

Anyways I’m riding along and I see a guy up in front of me.  I accelerate a little to catch up and be semi-social.  This bike really accelerates too.  It has a real lively feel to it.  I’m still getting used to the suspension forks though.  (There I go again.) ;)  I introduce myself and learn that his name is Jeff. 

 

Anyways… I start chatting with Jeff and he asks about the bike and the handlebars.  I comment that it is new and this is really the first ride I’ve done on it.  We finally stop for a breather because I’m about fed up with the shifting and contemplating turning back to fix the damn thing.  (Don’t worry, I’m getting back on topic).  Jeff gets a really good look at my bike and says he REALLY likes it.  He’s going to have to get one for himself.  I’m a little weirded out by this.  I asked him if he’s ever seen a Niner before (Niner is the company that makes the frame I bought.)  He said he hadn’t, but that his last name is Niner. 

 

I thought that was pretty cool.  My first ride on the Niner and I met Jeff Niner on the same ride. 

 

I guess my life is now complete.  I can die a happy man. 

 

Have a nice day.

 

Pete

 

My ramblings on the topic of Mountain Bike History

Oy oy. 

 

Please forgive my ramblings this morning.  I'm in a rambling mood and I'm never able to just get to the point.  It isn't in my nature. :D

 

I hate sick days.  I'm not hyperactive.  I NEVER get bored.  There's just something about taking a day off from work that I don't like.  I want to feel like I'm doing something useful to someone... even if that someone is just myself.  So when the alarm went off at 4:45 this morning and I had obviously contracted some unknown plague, I wrote my boss an e-mail and slept a little longer.... but not much longer. 

 

By 7:30am I was up and doing stuff.  My King hub has been making distinctly un-king-like noises on the last two rides.  Last summer I'd done a ghetto overhaul job since I didn't have the right grease and it wasn't holding up.  I tore it down, cleaned it all out, realized that I'll need to replace the internal bearings soon and then rebuilt it with the right grease.  It is smooth and making noises more fitting of its royal status. 

 

I put new derailleur cables on the bike to get it shifting right.  It is perfect now. That was silly since I'm going to tear the whole thing down in a few days when the new frame arrives.  Go figure. 

 

After breakfast, I sat down at the computer to do some "Odd Thomas" web surfing.  That consists of letting the psychic powers that be guide my wanderings through the miracle that Al Gore benevolently bestowed upon us all. 

 

That's when I found First Flight Bikes.   This is not only my kind of web site, but also my kind of bike shop.  Sure they sell all the latest and greatest stuff there, but they also have one foot firmly planted in history.  The shop was opened in the historic town of Statesville, NC in 1988 and has evolved since then. 

 

The shop and web site are both museums.  They’ve got wonderful vintage bikes all around the shop.  The web site is an amazing resource for the history of bicycles in general and mountain bikes in specific.  I had a blast going through the web site and remembering all the bikes and parts that I’d had over the years (some of which are still alive and kicking in the basement). 

 

The shop plays host to the annual Crossroads Bike Festival… a weekend get-together for people who love retro mountain bikes.  It includes a swap meet and many rides. 

 

I had seen posts by the shop’s owner, Jeff, on MTBR in the 29er forum.  Reading his blog (Goat Droppings) was fabulous.  It chronicles the evolution of his latest project.  He’s obviously heavily into retro stuff.  In preparation for last year’s Crossroads Bike Festival, Jeff got bit by the idea of bringing back an old bicycle brand and updating it with modern technology.  While this is not an entirely original idea, (Ibis beat him to it) his take on it is wonderful and refreshing.  Read the blog from bottom to top.  It the ongoing story of how Mountain Goat Cycles has come back to life by his hand.  The story is fascinating.

 

I guess I’ve said enough.  Go and read.  I think you’ll enjoy it.  I’ve sat still for long enough.  I’ve got to clean house a little before the box of parts that I ordered arrives with the mail today.

 

Love,

 

Pete

 

A new kind of organ donor.

Uhhhmmmmm....  Just read THIS and make offensive comments.

 

Pete

Thought for the day...

Today's thought for the day comes from Odd Thomas. 

 

"A drunk that has rammed his car into a telephone pole is a self-educated physicist."

 

Hugs and Kisses,

 

Pete

You thought the ski jumping mini was amazing?

 

No words can describe this.  Take 15 minutes and watch the whole thing.  Better take half an hour because you won’t be able to just watch it once. 

 

Toyota Hilux Truck Test.

 

Pete

 

 

Thanks Drew!!!

My friend Drew the lesbian sent me this.  I love him for it.

 

Life as a Guy.

 

Love,

Pete

In honor of the winter olympics...

Car guys really love the olympics. 

 

The Ski Jump Challenge.

 

Love,

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

Free Bike Doctor Advertising (Sorry Jason)

Disclaimer!  I haven't been spending too much time with my buddy Jason lately.  We're riding buddies and since I've spent very little time on the bike lately, I haven't seen him very often.  Jason is a great guy, but we often have some awkward conversations where my sense of humor goes somewhere that gives Grumpy J. the heebie jeebies.  I give him tons of credit because his resiliance and his ability to be a good and accepting friend is unbounded.  /Disclaimer

 

This month's dirt rag magazine published a photo of mine (issue 119, page 99).  It isn't a big deal... nothing to write home about.. but of the photos they could have published, they picked one that makes me laugh. 

 

This photo was taken from the top of Joe's Ridge in Fruita, Colorado.  The Joe's Ridge trail is aptly named.  It follows along the edge of Joe's Ridge.   (I'll bet you figured that out before I did.).  Joe's ridge is narrow and tall, which makes the hillside drop off very steeply on either side of the trail.  Additionally, the ridge runs out after about 1/2 mile which makes the trail drop down very steeply into the valley.  The cool thing about the photo is that I'm standing at the very top of the ridge looking down.  Jason is poised on the edge, just getting ready to go off a very steep drop, and you can see the trail snaking off into the distance WAY down in the valley.  You can see over a mile of trail as it snakes off into the lower regions of the 18 road. 

 

That's nice, but what the hell is it doing in my blog?  Why does Bike Doctor care?  Jason was wearing his full Bike Doctor race kit that day.  The shorts happen to have a HUGE bike doctor emblem plastered across the butt.  Wouldn't you know it, that is exactly the view I've got of Jason as he's heading down the steep drop.  So Jason got into Dirt Rag Magazine.. or at least his ass did.

 

End of the funny... now on to the more serious side of the photo...

 

The story that this photo doesn't tell is how he was feeling and what an amazing guy he is.  (He's blogged about this a bit over the last year.  There's a link to his blog on the right side of this screen.  Look at the entries from late April of 2005).  The trails in this part of the 18 road get a bit of much deserved hype.  They're steep and narrow.  These trails have what some riders call "pucker power".  Lets just say that it isn't your lips that are puckering. ;)  The first time you ride them, it takes a lot of nerve to ride up to that first lip and keep going.  As you approach the edge of the drop you keep expecting to see the trail... but it doesn't show up until your front wheel is already over the edge. 

 

Now the skills that it takes to ride most of these trails isn't anything too amazing.  All of them have a long run out and few have turns of any kind on the steep part.  That doesn't diminish the trail at all.  It is a gut check to ride up and over that edge.  You've got to be back on your bike and ready for anything.  Jason's form was perfect and I was the only one that crashed on that day.  He did a masterful job to avoid running me over as we rode down the lower part of Zippidy Doodah. 

 

I think this photo was published at the perfect time.  We're heading back to Fruita in a few months and I think we're all hungry for some riding time on those trails.  It should be a great group too. 

 

Thanks for reading.  Sorry for babbling.

 

Pete

 

I'm not a man anymore...

I have to hang my head in shame.  I've completely let down my gender and no longer have the right to consider myself a man.  Laura had Back To School Night last night and so I had an evening to myself.  I failed miserably at any and all manly things that I might have done. 

 

Failure 1:  I went shopping.  How girlie can you get?  It wasn't even manly shopping (though I was shopping for camera gear).  I didn't go in, find exactly what I wanted, pay for it, scratch my crotch and then leave.  I walked around and browsed, looking at this and that.  I finally decided on one or two things and purchased them.  I didn't realize what I'd done till I got to the car.  I even comparison shopped.  Before going into the camera store, I went to Comp-USA across the parking lot from Penn Camera.  They had what I was looking for, but it was $50 more expensive. 

 

Failure 2:  I went shopping again.  I needed a hat for running.  At night it is hard to run on the sidewalk because the lights from oncoming cars blind you.  A hat with a brim makes it so you can block them out.  Normal baseball hats aren't good because they don't react well to the volume of sweat I put out.  I found a hat that I liked, but it didn't fit.  I asked the sales person if they had any bigger sizes.  She kindly (and with much pity for this obviously confused girly-man) informed me that that was the largest size they have in the WOMEN'S hats.  Feeling my testicles shrink, I tried to mumble something manly and left the store.... checking out of the corner of my eye to see if anyone else was in the store to witness my embarrassment. 

 

Failure 3:  I figured I'd redeem myself by going next door and buying some beer.  What could be more manly than buying some brewskis and drinking them while watching sports.  I went in and grabbed some beer. I tried to resist the temptation to browse, but couldn't.  I did manage to limit my foraging to getting 3 or 4 other things besides my manly redemption.  I noticed that they had one of my favorite beers, so I was happy and got a six pack.  It was only when I got to the checkout that my humiliation continued. 

The lady checking me out grabbed my manly beer and looked at it.  "Seasonal brew... Isn't that short for 'beer with fruit in it?'" she asked with a questioning look in her eye.  What she really meant was "Isn't that beer a little effeminate for a big strong man like you?". 

I looked at my shoes and mumbled that it was for my wife in the closest thing to a deep, manly voice as I could muster. 

Her response, "Oh.  So this wine is for you?" .... again mocking my masculinity. 

I cleared my throat, and grunted that it was also for my wife. 

Smelling blood, she went for the kill.  "I'm guessing this Italian Grapefruit Soda is for her too?  She must really be thirsty!" 

"I don't know how that got in my basket. (realizing at that point that no self respecting man grabs the little basket things.  Men like carts.  Carts have wheels.  Wheels are manly.  If you can't carry it all in your hands, then you get a manly cart.)

"Oh.  I'll put that back on the shelf then."  She's just playing with me now... openly smiling and laughing at me. 

"No, that's okay.  I'm sure my wife will like it."

Holding up the baguette of French bread, "Your wife is hungry?"

"No.  That's mine."  finally cluing in that I'm not fooling anyone. 

Then she laughed out loud at me.  I laughed too.  I deserved it. My manly trip to the grocery was a complete failure.  She did have to get one last dig in.  "Do you need any help carrying those bags to your car, sir?" 

By this time, we're both cracking up laughing.  "Very funny.  Now I know why I shop here all the time.  I'm glad you don't charge extra for the sass."

 

Failure 4:  Having completely failed at being manly all night.  I went home, sat on the couch, played with the cats, drank my fruity beer and watched the least manly sport around... figure skating. 

 

Girlishly yours,

 

Pete

 

 

For people who love movies, but don't have time to watch them....

My friend Gary posted this on a web forum recently and I thought it might be of public service to y'all. 

 

Someone kindly took 17 popular movies from the last 40 years and condensed them down to 30 seconds each.  Oh yeah... they're all re-enacted by bunnies. 

 

http://www.angryalien.com/

 

I could spend HOURS on this site... I've found though that spending 8 and a half minutes (give and take a few minutes for downloading) is plenty.  :D

 

Have a nice day.

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

 

Hallmark Card... Take II

As you might expect, the late night TV hosts had a field day with the story about Dick Chaney shooting his friend while hunting.  The two best responses I saw today were not done by comedians.

 

"The orange that they're wearing is not because they're concerned that the vice president may be there.  That's why I'm wearing it."

Whitehouse spokesman Scott McClellan while addressing University of Texas Football team members who were all clad in orange (the school colors).

 

And also…

 

The president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, took a similar jab after slapping an orange sticker on his chest from the Florida Farm Bureau that read, "No Farmers, No Food."

"I'm a little concerned that Dick Cheney is going to walk in," the governor cracked during an appearance in Tampa Monday.

 

I particularly like that both of those statements were being made at about the same time that the guy who was shot was having a mild heart attack as a result of a small piece of bird shot that was lodged near his heart.  Truly tasteful.

 

Pete

 

What a Contrast.

The Olympics are a mixed bag for me.  I love the quirky little sports that aren't all glamour and glitz.  I hate that bigtime professional athletes have taken over a lot of the sports.  Men's hockey lost all its appeal to me when it became the place where NHL "Dream Teamers" get to play.  Women's hocky, on the other hand is cool.  These chicks have to work their asses off to get to the Olympics and it shows in their play.  Interesting contrast, eh?

 

My second contrast has to do with the Chinese pairs figure skaters.  Go back 25 years ago to the first time China sent anyone to compete in figure skating.  They sent the team of Yao Bin and Luan Bo to the world championships when they had never seen figure skating before.  They'd only seen pictures of the moves they were to perform.  They travelled alone because they didn't have the budget for a coach.  They placed last.  Yao later recalled how people in the crowd laughed at them and the way they skated.  That experience, along with placing last at the World Championships in '81 and '82 and the Olympics in 1984, gave Yao the determination to make China a powerful force in figure skating. 

 

Now jump forward 25 years.  Yao Bin is the coach of the Chinese pairs figure skaters.  His teams took Silver, Bronze and 4th place in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.  What a wonderful contrast.

 

My last contrast has to do with two American Athletes... Bode Miller and Joey Cheek.  Miller is the alpine skiing super star who was on the cover of so many magazines and lead guest on so many talk shows because he was primed to take home gold medals in his prestigious events.  He made brash comments about how he liked to party and drink.  He was bigger than life.  He was a total flop when it came time to race.  After dominating the sport for the last few years, he didn't get close to the podium.  He made a few terse remarks to the press and then skulked off.  One comentator suggested that he might have skied better if he was drunk. 

 

Joey Cheek is the anti-Bode.  He comes from a modest background and competes in the less glamorous sport of speed skating.  You don't often see speed skating televised outside the olympics.  He was inspired by his mentor to not only skate well, but also to give of his heart to people in need.  He planned a speach in case he won, worrying that he was going to jynx his chances at winning a gold medal in the 500 meter race.  He won anyways and his speach turned the Olympic press corps on its ear.  Instead of whooping it up and trying to get product placement for his sponsors like Bode would have done had he won, he talked about the hardship faced by families and children in Africa.  He donated the $25,000 that the Olympic Committee will give to him for winning a gold medal to a charity that helps children in need in the country of Chad.  He challenged his sponsors to match his donation.  (Nike did..  kind-of.  They donated $30,000 of "product".  The kids will still be starving and sick, but at least they'll have nice shoes.   Sorry.  I had to say that.) 

 

What is the difference?  In my eyes Joey Cheek is a winner, and Bode Miller is a loser.... and that has NOTHING to do with which one of them won a medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.  Why is it so normal for an athlete to be brash and egotistical and why is it so unusual for one to be humble and giving?  That's the $25,000 question (+ $30,000 of product on the side). ;)

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Pete

 

 

 

Does Hallmark make a card for this????

Please pardon my sarcasm.  Behind the story at which I’m poking fun, someone is in the hospital tonight and in a lot of pain. I honestly and sincerely hope for a good resolution for this guy.  My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family tonight.  Best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery. 

 

Enough with the Mr. Nice Guy stuff.  Here’s a clip of the story from the Associated Press:

 

WASHINGTON - Vice President

Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets.

 

The full story can be found HERE.

 

In what section would you find the “I’m sorry I shot you in the face and chest with bird shot” card? 

 

Do you think Mr. Whittington (the shootee) is in favor of gun control? …  If not in general, maybe in the case of his good friend V.P. Cheney? 

 

A good friend of mine once said, “I’m all in favor of gun control…. As long as I’m the one controlling the gun.” 

 

Sorry.  I’m sure many smarter people than me will come up with more obnoxious things to say on the topic. 

 

Have a nice day.

 

Pete