My Bleriot Build

Strap On, Ride On

2011-03-19T22:30:00.002-05:00

I see amazing pics of folks in third world countries 'strapping it on'. And get your mind out of the gutter...what I mean by strap on is how much crap can you actually load on your bike and actually still ride.

This was running through my mind Friday, as I was ready to leave the work fitness center for home. Here is how my commuting schedule works. Monday - drive to work and take all the clothes I think I'll need for the gym and changing after commute rides. The rest of the week is committed to figuring out which days would be the best for riding, and whether or not I took enough clothes for changing into once I get there. Along with this, I haul my normal daily Carradice kit and lunch bag. Friday - drive to work and haul all the gear I dragged in during the week back home. Sometimes, however, I decide to ride on Friday (especially on super nice days). So here I sat, wondering how I was going to get my pile of laundry back home. If we plan on being in the area during the weekend, say, at the grocery store we might drive in just to pick up my gym bag. Sometimes, that's just a pain in the arse.

So here I was on Friday afternoon wondering how I was going to get this big pile of clothes home. Hey, I've got a bike, a couple of bungee cords and a nice Tubus rack that should be able to handle a good sized load. I stuffed my gym bag completely full....when I mean completely I could not get another item in there without it bursting at the seams. Grabbed the Carradice bag, the lunch bag, and the massively stuffed gym bag and dragged it all to parking garage, commuter bike waiting.

It took me a couple of trial and error runs but I managed to figure out how to lash everything somewhat semi-securely to the rack. Was it a bit precarious? Was it a bit top heavy? Did I look like a third-world cycling pack mule commuter camping trip experiment? Yes, yes, and YES.

Actually as long as I kept moving carefully (no sudden turns, stops, or stiff breezes) it wasn't too bad. I just had to make sure when I stopped I didn't lean too far over. And I did have to stop twice and readjust my load as it tended to shift a bit. And I didn't really mind the extra 30 pounds or so of laundry hanging off the back of my bike. I just crossed my fingers and kept pedaling.

The picture (which I will attach soon...I haven't quite figured out how to do this on my iPad yet so I'll have to boot up the laptop) is worth a couple thousand words. Next time I'll tow a bob trailer :>)

Still snowing...

2011-02-26T11:50:00.001-06:00

Ok, I'm still trying to figure out this iPad thing.

I bought an iPad a month or so ago and I'm just now figuring out how to use it for blog editing. Mostly, I use it for Kindle book reading or game playing. That's not the reason why I haven't been posting lately...I'm just plain lazy. Excuses, excuses...

Anyhow, the snow and cold weather are pissing me off. I need some bike time, and the gym just ain't cutting it when it comes to cycling goodness. Since there's a bit of snow on the ground...again...I might just slap the Nokians back on the Quickie and terrorize the neighborhood. Why not? Spring just has to be around the corner, I'm ready to get back to a regular commuting schedule and prepare for RAGBRAI. The stopover towns were announced a couple of weeks ago.

Looking forward to celebrating my grandson's first birthday in a couple of weeks. How time flies! Oh yeah, I have a granddaughter on the way in June as well! ...D

Chestnuts Roasting, X-Mas Posting

2010-12-26T15:03:00.001-06:00

Hey!! Merry Friggin' Day after Christmas!!!

Christmas Vacation!

2010-12-20T22:28:00.001-06:00

Clark: Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.

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Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?
Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

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[Todd and Margo Chester, the Griswold's yuppie neighbors, appear]
Todd: Hey Griswold. Where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?
Clark: Bend over and I'll show you.
Todd: You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that Griswold.
Clark: I wasn't talking to you.

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Clark: Burn some dust here. Eat my rubber.
Rusty Griswold: Dad, I think you mean burn rubber and eat my dust.
Clark: Whatever, Russ. Whatever.

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Clark: Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?

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Clark: Well I'm gonna park the cars and get check the luggage, and well, I'll be outside for the season.

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Clark: Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?
Eddie: Naw, I'm doing just fine, Clark.

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Clark: 'Tis the season to be merry.
Mary: That's my name.
Clark: No shit.

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Uncle Lewis: Hey Grizz, Bethany and I figured out the perfect gift for you.
Clark: Aw, you didn't have to get me anything.
Uncle Lewis: Dammit, Bethany, he guessed it.

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[as an entourage of suits - lead by Clark's boss - passes by single file]
Clark: Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah.

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Ellen: What are you looking at?
Clark: Oh, the silent majesty of a winter's morn... the clean, cool chill of the holiday air... an asshole in his bathrobe, emptying a chemical toilet into my sewer...
[Eddie, in the driveway, is draining the RV's toilet]
Eddie: Shitter was full.
Clark: Ah, yeah. You checked our shitters, honey?
Ellen: Clark, please. He doesn't know any better.
Clark: He oughta know it's illegal. That's a storm sewer. If it fills with gas, I pity the person who lights a match within ten yards of it.

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Bethany: Don't throw me down, Clark.
Clark: I'll try not to, Aunt Bethany...

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Ruby Sue: Rocky bit my thumb. Him's nervous.
Clark: Nervous or excited?
Ruby Sue: Shittin' bricks.
Clark: You shouldn't use that word.
Ruby Sue: Sorry. Shittin' rocks

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Ellen: Clark, Audrey's frozen from the waist down.
Clark: That's all part of the experience, honey.

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Eddie: I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic.
Clark: Do you really think it matters, Eddie?

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Clark: We're kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.
Audrey: We're not coming all the way out here just to get one of those stupid ties with Santa Clauses on it are we?
Clark: No, I have one of those at home.

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Eddie: You surprised to see us, Clark?
Clark: Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

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[talking about Snot, Eddie's dog]
Eddie: If you scratch his belly, Clark, he will love you till the day you die.
Clark: I really shouldn't, Eddie. My hands are all chapped.

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Eddie: If that cat had nine lives it sure used 'em all.

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Ellen: I don't know what to say, except it's Christmas and we're all in misery.

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Todd: Well, something had to come through the window! Something had to break the stereo!
Margo: And why is the carpet all wet, *Todd*?
Todd: I don't *know*, Margo!

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Eddie: Every time Catherine revved up the microwave, I'd piss my pants and forget who I was for about half an hour or so.

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Audrey: Do you sleep with your brother? Do you know how sick and twisted that is?
Ellen: Well, I'm sleeping with your father. Don't be so dramatic.

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Audrey: I hope nobody I know drives by and sees me standing in the yard staring at the house in my pajamas.
Art: If they know your dad, they won't think anything of it.

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Ellen: Oh Aunt Bethany, you shouldn't have done that.
Aunt Bethany: Oh dear, did I break wind?
Uncle Lewis: Jesus, did the room clear out, Bethany? Hell no, she means presents. You shouldn't have brought presents.

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Art: You want to hurry this up, Clark? I'm freezing my baguettes off.

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Clark: Since this is Aunt Bethany's 80th Christmas, I think she should lead us in the saying of Grace.
Aunt Bethany: [turns to Lewis] What, dear?
Nora Griswold: Grace!
Aunt Bethany: Grace? She passed away thirty years ago.
Uncle Lewis: They want you to say Grace.
[Bethany shakes her head in confusion]
Uncle Lewis: The BLESSING!
Aunt Bethany: [they all pose for prayer] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands/ One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Clark: Amen.

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Ellen: Welcome to our home - what's left of it.

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[after reaching the Griswolds' house]
Aunt Bethany: Is this the airport, Clark?

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Aunt Bethany: Is Rusty still in the navy?

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Aunt Bethany: What's that sound? You hear it? It's a funny squeaky sound.
Uncle Lewis: You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant.

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[after Clark fails at lighting all the exterior Christmas lights at the "lighting ceremony" in front of the entire family]
Frances: Talk about pissing your money away. I hope you kids see what a silly waste of resources this was.
Audrey: He worked really hard, Grandma.
Art: So do washing machines.

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Clark: [a squirrel is loose in the house] Where is Eddie? He usually eats these goddam things.
Cousin Catherine Johnson: Not recently, Clark. He read that squirrels were high in cholesterol.

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Margo: You just march over there and slug that creep in the face.
Todd: I can't just attack someone.
Margo: Alright then, if you're not man enough to put an end to this shit, then I am.

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Uncle Lewis: Hey Gris, if you're not doing anything constructive, run into the living room and get my stogey.
Clark: Is there anything else I can do for you, Uncle Lewis?
Ellen: He's an old man. This may be his last Christmas.
Clark: If he keeps it up, it WILL be his last Christmas.

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Clark: Hey, Kids, I heard on the news that an airline pilot spotted Santa's sleigh on its way in from New York City.
Eddie: [after a pause] You serious, Clark?

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Clark: I simply solved the problem. We needed a coffin... Er, a tree. There are no lots open on Christmas Eve. Lewis burned down my tree so I replaced it as best I could. Voilà.
Ellen: Are you okay?

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Clark: [the newel post is wobbly so Clark cuts it off with a chain saw] Fixed the newel post.

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Clark: Russ, go get the hammer.
Ellen: Clark, what do you need a hammer for?
Clark: I'm gonna catch it in the coat... And smack it with the hammer.

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Clark: Russ, we checked every bulb, didn't we?
Rusty Griswold: Sure, Dad.
Clark: Hmm... Maybe we ought to just go up there and check...
Rusty Griswold: Oh, woo. Look at the time. I gotta get to bed. I still gotta brush my teeth, feed the hog, still got some homework to do, still got those bills to pay, wash the car...

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Mr. Frank Shirley: [picks up the phone receiver] Get me somebody. Anybody. And get me somebody while I'm waiting.

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Clark: Oh, I was just smelling - smiling. I was just blouse - browsing. I, uh, heh heh. Well, I guess it just wouldn't... Oh hee hee, it wouldn't be the Christmas shopping season if the stores were any less hooter than they - HOTTER than they are. Whew. It is warm in here, isn't it?
Mary: You have your coat on.
Clark: Yes, oh do I? Yeah, it is a bit nipply out. I mean nippy. What am I saying, nipple?

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Clark: Our holidays were always such a mess.
Clark Sr.: Oh, yeah.
Clark: How'd you get through it?
Clark Sr.: I had a lot of help from Jack Daniels.

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Ruby Sue: Uncle Clark, are you sure you ain't Santa Claus?
Clark: I'm sure... I can't even afford to be an elf.

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Clark Sr.: SQUIRREL!

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Ellen: Clark, I think it'd be best if everyone went home... before things get worse.
Clark: WORSE? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We're at the threshold of hell.

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Clark: The most enjoying traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin. Thith tree is a thymbol of the thpirit of the Griswold family Chrithmath.

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Ellen: You set standards that no family activity can live up to.
Clark: When have I ever done that?
Ellen: Parties, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, holidays, vacations, graduations...

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Clark: I dedicate this house to the Griswold Family Christmas.

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Audrey: Would it be indecent to ask the grandparents to stay at a hotel?

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[Todd Chester stares in horror at Eddie draining the RV toilet]
Eddie: Merry Christmas. Shitter was full.

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Eddie: [walks in with a bound and gagged Mr. Shirley tied with a big red ribbon] Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas, Clark.
[to Mr. Shirley]
Eddie: You about ready to do some kissing?

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Clark: My cousin in-law, whose heart is bigger than his brain...
Eddie: I appreciate that, Clark.
Clark: ...Is innocent.

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Mr. Frank Shirley: Remember how I was toying with the idea of suspending the Christmas bonuses?
Mrs. Helen Shirley: You *didn't*! Well, of all the cheap lousy ways to save a buck!
SWAT Commander: That's pretty low, mister! If I had a rubber hose, I would beat you into a...
Mr. Frank Shirley: I changed my mind. I'm reinstating all the bonuses.

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Clark: I think you've made a terrible mistake.
SWAT Commander: I told you to freeze, mister.
Clark: May we blink?

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Margo: I hope he falls and breaks his neck.
Todd: Oh, I'm sure he'll fall. But I don't think we're lucky enough for him to break his neck.

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Clark: Aunt Bethany, does your cat eat jello?

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Audrey: [Commenting on sleeping with her brother] I have nightmares about what he does when I'm NOT lying next to him.

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Clark: Later dudes! Let 'er rip, hang ten!

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Art: It was an ugly tree anyway.

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Rusty Griswold: Dad, this tree won't fit in our back yard.
Clark: It's not going in the yard, Russ. It's going in the living room.

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Clark: So, when did you get the tenament on wheels?
Eddie: Oh, that uh, that there's an RV. Yeah, yeah, I borrowed it off a buddy of mine. He took my house, I took the RV. It's a good looking vehicle, ain't it?
Clark: Yeah, it looks so nice parked in the driveway.
[Raises class to his mouth]
Eddie: Yeah, it sure does. But, don't you go falling in love with it now, because, we're taking it with us when we leave here next month.
[Clark nearly chokes on his drink]

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Art: The little lights... they aren't twinkling.
Clark: I know, Art. Thanks for noticing.

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Ellen: Clark! I don't want to spend the Holidays dead!

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Clark: Whew, it's warm in here.
Mary: Well you have your coat on.
Clark: Ah yes I do, why is that?
Mary: Because it's cold out.
Clark: Yes it is, it's a bit nipply out. I mean nippy out, what did I say, nipple? Huh, there is a nip in the air.

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Art: [a messenger delivers Clark's envelope with his "bonus", the family looks questioningly] What is it? A letter confirming your reservation at the nuthouse?

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Clark: [realizes his bonus is a jelly-club membership] If this isn't the biggest bag-over-the-head, punch-in-the-face I ever got, GOD DAMN IT!
[kicks widly at the presents under the tree]

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Clark: [Clark is about to cut the rope holding the branches of his huge Christmas tree] I give you the Griswold family Christmas tree.
[He cuts the rope, and the branches fly out, breaking windows and surrounding Clark]
Clark: Lotta sap in here! Mmmm... Looks great! Little full, lotta sap.

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Eddie: Don't forget the rubber sheets and gerbils.

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Eddie: [holding Aunt Bethany's present] This one here, is leaking.
[Ellend sticks her finger in it seeing that it's Jello, while Eddie licks it off her finger]
Eddie: It's lime.

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Clark: I can't believe you're standing here in my living room, Eddie. Never thought the day would come.
Eddie: Yeah I'm excited about it too.

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Art: [to Rocky] You got a kiss for me?
Eddie: Better take a rain check on that, Art - he's got a lip fungus they ain't identified yet!

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Todd: [trying to fix a busted stereo] Obviously something had to break the window, something had to break the stereo.
Margo: And why is the carpet all wet Todd?
Todd: I don't know Margo!

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Margo: [a knock on the door] Go away Todd.
[another knock]
Margo: If you want to come in you'll have to break down the goddamn door!
[Several SWAT officers bust down the door]

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Eddie: She falls down a well, her eyes go cross. She gets kicked by a mule. They go back. I don't know.

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Ellen: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. And forgive my husband. He knows not what he does.

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Clark: [Finally revealing his Christmas Bonus] It's a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.
Eddie: [Overwhelmed, almost choking on his eggnog] Clark, that's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.

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Mrs. Helen Shirley: Yes officer, it seems my husband's been abducted. The man was, was wearing a blue leisure suit. Plates were from Kansas. He was a huge, beastly, bulging man.

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Eddie: If only I had that money Catherine and I gave to that TV preacher who was screwin' that hockey player.
Clark: What about the kids?
Eddie: His kids can fend for themselves.

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Eddie: Your company kill all them people in India not too long ago?
Clark: No, we missed out on that one.

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Clark: We're gonna have the hap hap happiest christmas since Bing Crosby tapdanced with Danny fucking Kaye.

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Mr. Frank Shirley: I have never been treated like this in my life.
Ellen: I'm sorry. This is our family's first kidnapping.

AIRPLANE!

2010-11-07T18:03:00.001-06:00

First Jive Dude: Shiiiiit, maaaaan. That honky muf' be messin' mah old lady... got to be runnin' cold upside down his head, you know?
Second Jive Dude: Hey home', I can dig it. Know ain't gonna lay no mo' big rap up on you, man!
First Jive Dude: I say hey, sky... subba say I wan' see...
Second Jive Dude: Uh-huh.
First Jive Dude: ...pray to J I did the same ol' same ol'!
Second Jive Dude: Hey... knock a self a pro, Slick! That gray matter backlot perform us DOWN, I take TCB-in', man!
First Jive Dude: Hey, you know what they say: see a broad to get dat booty yak 'em...
First Jive Dude, Second Jive Dude: ...leg 'er down a smack 'em yak 'em!
First Jive Dude: COL' got to be! Y'know? Shiiiiit.

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Ted Striker: My orders came through. My squadron ships out tomorrow. We're bombing the storage depots at Daiquiri at 1800 hours. We're coming in from the north, below their radar.
Elaine Dickinson: When will you be back?
Ted Striker: I can't tell you that. It's classified.

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Striped controller: Bad news. The fog's getting thicker.
Johnny: [jumps to an overweight controller] And Leon is getting laaaaarrrrrger.

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Rumack: You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.
Elaine Dickinson: A hospital? What is it?
Rumack: It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.

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Captain Oveur: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?

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Ted Striker: Because of my mistake, six men didn't return from that raid.
Elaine Dickinson: Seven. Lieutenant Zip died this morning.

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Ted Striker: It's Lieutenant Hurwitz. Severe shell-shock. Thinks he's Ethel Merman.
Lieutenant Hurwitz: [singing] You'll be swell, you'll be great. Gonna have the whole world on a plate. Startin' here, startin' now. Honey, everything's comin' up roses...
Ted Striker: War is hell.

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Rumack: Elaine, you're a member of this crew. Can you face some unpleasant facts?
Elaine Dickinson: No.

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[Thinking to himself]
Ted Striker: I've got to concentrate...
[his thoughts echo]
Ted Striker: concentrate... concentrate... I've got to concentrate... concentrate... concentrate... Hello?... hello... hello... Echo... echo... echo... Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon... Manny Mota... Mota... Mota...

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Reporter: What kind of plane is it?
Johnny: Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol.

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Rex Kramer: Striker, listen, and you listen close: flying a plane is no different than riding a bicycle, just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes.

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Steve McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.

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Steve McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking.

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Steve McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

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Steve McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines

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[as the plane prepares to take off]
Hanging Lady: Nervous?
Ted Striker: Yes.
Hanging Lady: First time?
Ted Striker: No, I've been nervous lots of times.

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Roger Murdock: Flight 2-0-9'er, you are cleared for take-off.
Captain Oveur: Roger!
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Tower voice: L.A. departure frequency, 123 point 9'er.
Captain Oveur: Roger!
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Victor Basta: Request vector, over.
Captain Oveur: What?
Tower voice: Flight 2-0-9'er cleared for vector 324.
Roger Murdock: We have clearance, Clarence.
Captain Oveur: Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?
Tower voice: Tower's radio clearance, over!
Captain Oveur: That's Clarence Oveur. Over.
Tower voice: Over.
Captain Oveur: Roger.
Roger Murdock: Huh?
Tower voice: Roger, over!
Roger Murdock: What?
Captain Oveur: Huh?
Victor Basta: Who?

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Elaine Dickinson: There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?

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Rumack: Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack: I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.

Lazy, but I got a 'NEW' RIDE

2010-11-01T22:03:00.004-05:00

I should post something!

Jeez, I haven't October posted AT ALL! I attribute this to malaise, sluggishness, and just general all-around sloth and laziness. I have stuff to write about, just don't wanna. Hey, it's MY blog. And since I only have two readers (one being myself), guess it just don't matter much neither.

I bought a new ride. Whilst I was in Parkville, MO a couple of months ago, I ran across a very nice '70s vintage Schwinn Collegiate, 5 speed stem mounted shifter...a swift and speedy fella. Included was a nice bottle generator, chrome headlight and taillight. And they all work quite nicely, at least as well as one would hope a nearly 40 year old bottle generator, headlight and taillight would work.

It's brown, not too exciting for color. My first real bike, 70's Schwinn (surprise) was Campus Green, and had a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed. This one was close enough to my size to be rideable, at least casually. So I got it home, tweaked on it a bit and took it out for a spin of course. And proceeded to break the handlebar stem in half! Lucky for me at the time I was going uphill, moving very slowly. I pushed the bike home.

Did you know it's a bit difficult to find a vintage Schwinn stem replacement? I wanted to use a Nitto stem, standard diameter 22.2 mm. Unbeknownst to me, Vintage Schwinns used a 21.1 mm diameter stem. Since it was either go used, NOS, or find someone who manufactured a modern replacement...I went with modern replacement. Harris Cyclery to the rescue!

I've puttered around on it a few times since the repair. Just like I remember. -D

P.S. Pics will be posted. When I feel like it.
P.S.S. Daaaammnn...almost forgot. Here's a link for RAGBRAI 2010 Pics! So some pics will be posted after all!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35636425@N04/sets/72157624769235017/

Travelin' Man (and Wife)

2010-09-09T19:25:00.002-05:00

We are off again! First Vegas, now Washington D.C.

Since we both had a few days of vacation to burn, we decided to visit our nations' capital. Is that the correct use of the apostrophe? Although the wife has been there, I've never been. We are staying close to the capitol as possible (without breaking the bank), basically just a hop, skip, and jump away from the White House.

Pretty excited about seeing all the major monuments, and I'm definitely planning on visiting the Smithsonian Air & Space museum. Lodging and flights have already been arranged, and Jenny and I are definitely looking forward to the trip.

Cycling update: this Labor Day weekend I did a half-century on Saturday. Again, I ran into the Panama Young Mothers ride from Neola to Panama. I was amazed by the number of people participating, and it was nice to see some other riders on one of my regular routes...usually I don't see another soul on a bike. One issue, something that bothered me and hopefully folks will be more careful in the future. Besides seeing riders without helmets, I also saw support vehicles driving alongside riders. This could be disastrous in several ways...a rider could lose control and easily go underneath a moving support vehicle. Also, the support vehicle is driving on the wrong side of the road. There wasn't a great deal of traffic but what happens when you are meeting a support vehicle in your lane? The support vehicle can't move into the opposite lane, there are cyclists there. The only option is the shoulder. I should know, I was riding in the opposite lane towards one of these support vehicles on the way home. Who moves? Either the support vehicle takes the shoulder or I do. And what happens if we both move at the same time?

I was headed towards a white pickup, and held my position because I had the right-of-way (I was going the right direction in the proper lane), and the truck eventually took the shoulder. As we passed, I heard a shouted "Look out for cars!" I shrugged and continued on my way.

Amazingly, I soon met a larger school bus/van heading in the same direction, in the wrong lane, heading for me. I was weary of playing chicken with 4 ton vehicles, so I took the shoulder and as we passed was unceremoniously honked at. I wasn't sure if that was a friendly thanks for yielding honk, or a 'get the hell out of the way' honk. In any case, I was still in the proper lane.

Next Labor Day weekend, I'll ride on Sunday :>) -D

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-08-25T19:50:00.004-05:00

Headed to Vegas Friday morning! Occasion? Daughter's wedding!

Her future father-in-law is a minister working in Las Vegas. How convenient is that? Bonus, Las Vegas bling and fun! We were married there in 1994 and we haven't been back since...I'm certain things have changed a little :>)

We aren't much for gambling. Might drop a coin or two in the slots but that's about it. The kids are getting married at the Stratosphere, on the balcony, about 100 stories up. I'm okay with heights, as long as I don't have to look over the edge. And I'm not doing the bungee jump!

Formal dress. Pants are required, and I may have to wear one of my Hawaiian shirts. I think I have a nice pair of flip-flops somewhere, that aren't cracked, torn, sandy, mud-caked, or paint spattered.

Bike riding update...not much lately. Short story long, I had a great time on RAGBRAI! Slept in a tent for 6 nights, then I went to sleep in my own bed. Woke up the next morning, my hand an fingers were numb. I figured I slept on it funny and this would go away. Much to my chagrin, it stuck around. I consulted my sister the nurse, who thought it was probably a pinched nerve (and I was hoping it was NOT carpal tunnel!). Eschewing 'conventional Western' medicine (MD's, surgery, pill pushing and such), I went to a licensed massage therapist for a therapeutic massage hoping it would loosen things up a bit. As she was working on me, she mentioned the fact that out of all the massage clients she'd seen that day, I was the one who most needed a chiropractic adjustment. Of course, she made a recommendation and I figured why not? I'll try it, if it doesn't work no harm, no foul, make a doctor's appointment.

As of this posting, I've probably had about a half-dozen chiropractic 'adjustments'. I can say the first time he adjusted I had this great sense of relief and relaxation throughout my entire body. And, the numbness has subsided greatly to the point of feeling almost normal (no numb feeling in my left hand or arm) this morning. Although I'm not really sure whether this is actually due to the adjustments or staying off the bike awhile...I've ridden only once or twice since RAGBRAI. I'm going to take it easy for the next week or so and then back on the bike commuting. By that time, the hot summer afternoons should be subsiding and I'll be riding in nice crisp fall weather!

-D

P.S. However, our Corporate Cup run is coming up in late September, so I have started running. Hopefully, the running exercise makes up for the temporary bicycle hiatus. See ya later!

We tried!

2010-08-15T19:06:00.002-05:00

I just saw a comment on my earlier 'Vote 4 Go Kup' post. Seems Gravelo added a tagline to his 'Go Kup' idea and got hosed out of the prize money. I agree with Gravelo...shop Casey's!

What about the 3 or 4 others that entered the 'Go Kup' idea? How does Kum and Go decide who gets the cash?

Here's my thought...the Kum and Go corporation declares the contest 'null and void', keeps the cash and uses the slogan anyway. Pretty shrewd, but extremely unfair. Maybe I'm wrong, they might throw the names in a hat and do a drawing. However, that shouldn't disqualify someone just because they put a tagline on their idea. Give a guy a break, fer chrissake!

I've been pretty lazy regarding my blog lately. Lots of stuff going on right now and my blog isn't the highest priority. Since I was sitting here watching Star Wars Return of the Jedi on Spike TV (probably the hundredth time I've seen it) , I figured this would be a great time for a post.

Still don't have RAGBRAI pics downloaded to Flickr. We will get to this eventually, though. -D

Long Time No Blog

2010-08-06T21:50:00.002-05:00

Got back from RAGBRAI last Saturday, rode the entire 7 days!

It was quite an adventure, we tented...the wife did the entire 7 with me driving our sag wagon! What a woman she is! I do have pictures, which I'll eventually post along with more verbiage.

I haven't been on the bike since then, but plan on riding the Bleriot tomorrow morning, during the cool of the day. Looks like it's going to heat up next week.

VOTE 4 GRAVELO! Visit your local Kum and Go

2010-07-04T12:43:00.002-05:00

I just found out my blogging buddy Gravelo might have an opportunity to win $10,000!

The details are on his blog post:

http://gravelo.blogspot.com/2010/07/help-brother-out.html

Basically, if you have a Kum and Go in your town go buy something, grab a receipt, then go to www.nameyourcup.com. Enter your receipt code and vote for "Go Kup".

I'll be looking forward to the big payoff, along with my cut :>))

GOOD LUCK!

Keepin' it fresh, unintentionally OR My Adventure!

2010-06-25T21:31:00.003-05:00

We've had quite a bit of rain lately.

So much so, the Missouri river has been pushing outside its banks, especially on the Iowa side. Needless to say, this had an effect on my regular, tried, and true commuting route.

It was a beautiful day yesterday, one of the first nice days after a string of thunderstorms and rain. Low wind, blue skies, sun shining. The bike glided almost effortlessly along the trail. There were a few puddles and some standing water, but nothing the super Soma Double Cross couldn't handle. My go to commuter, takes punishing miles and comes back for more. I made the loop around Lake Manawa, no sweat.

When I reached Riverfront Park, it was a different story. As I descended down into the park, I rounded the first curve...and slammed on the brakes. The trail disappeared into a great swamp, definitely not some little puddle or simple standing water. No way would I be able to splash through this mess!

What to do? Here I was, only 3 miles or so from work and I was stopped cold. The first thing crossing my mind was riding all the way back to my truck, load it up and drive into work. Crap. My next thought considered any possible alternate route. Of course I had no contingency, no alternate routes mapped out or any other kind of alternate plan in mind. Jeez.

So, I did the only thing that made sense at the time...at least to me. First, I accepted the fact that I was probably going to be late to work. Now, it was time for an adventure! The only route that I could think of to get me across the river would the South Omaha Bridge road. I turned around hoping a route would magically materialize.

I backtracked to South Omaha Bridge road and started heading west. There is a trail adjacent to the road so I didn't have to ride in traffic. I was wondering what would happen when I arrived at the bridge. I knew they were renovating, so I was hoping there would be a way to cross without having to ride in rush hour.

I shouldn't have worried. The recently and very nicely renovated bridge (I stopped and took pictures btw, subject of a later post) had an excellent pedestrian path. Made it across, no problems.

Next issue...where do I go from here? I was on 13th street in Omaha, south of the Zoo and Rosenblatt stadium. 13th Street was not an option, too much high speed traffic and the College World Series was in town. The bike path terminated once I hit the street. But, I noticed a path on the river levee below the bridge. Now I had to figure how to get under the bridge and onto the levee path, running North towards my intended destination. I found a cross street (and pedestrian path!) running down under the bridge to river level. Great! I was able to find the entrance to the river levee path. I hit the path and started cranking, making great progress...until...

The levee path abruptly ended after about 2 miles. I ran into a gate across the path, and the path behind the gate was no longer paved. This was a dead end. Fortunately if there's a will, there's a way. At the gated point, another path lead down hill to the Burlington Northern railway, which runs parallel to the levee. I could only think "This is where they hide the bodies." but I soldiered on :>)

There was a gravelled right-of-way along the tracks, the only way to go, so I took it. After a couple of hundred yards there was a railroad crossing that led to a gravel 'street'. 3rd and Hickory. A light at the end of the tunnel! There was no place to go but up, and the street numbers were increasing.

I knew where I was, and once I got to 10th street it was North to Dodge and west to 16th and work. I rode through 'Little Italy' on the way, a nice diversion. Past the Durham museum and into downtown, lickety split. Without the backtracking, it's only two miles more than my regular route! -D

Keepin' it fresh

2010-06-16T21:44:00.002-05:00

Google blogger has come out with a new template feature so I decided to try it. How does it look?

It's good to change things up to keep things fresh. I haven't tried all the new templates but the bookshelf background caught my eye.

I've added a new link to my blog list...John Gough's spoke calculator. I've used this application to build wheels, and I can say it hasn't yet miscalculated a spoke length. Thinking about building a new rear wheel for the Double Cross, so I put this here just to make it convenient for me. It might prove to be convenient for someone else should they decide to build their own wheels.

I'm pushing hard to get in 4 days of commuting this week to get the miles up. Need to get the miles in for RAGBRAI. The MS15o Omaha to Lincoln (and back) ride is also coming up mid-July, and is a good yardstick for determining RAGBRAI fitness. Other things I need to do: buy the wife a new sleeping bag and camping bag, get the truck serviced, pull out the RAGBRAI camping list, etc, etc. It'll be here before you know it! -D

Wear and tear

2010-06-13T11:04:00.003-05:00

It's been rainy. I rode one commuting ride last week, and my little tater has been here to visit for our family reunion this weekend. Not much bike riding occurring, which I hope to remedy next week.

RAGBRAI is fast approaching, and I need to think about preparing. Besides getting some cycling miles in, the camping equipment needs to be checked and we need to buy my wife a sleeping bag and a camping pad. She is driving our truck, and we are going to rent a U-Haul trailer to haul gear for the remainder of our group.

The Double Cross has been doing a great job on commuting duty. I didn't realize exactly how many miles I've been putting on this bike until I noticed I just wasn't getting the rear wheel braking power I used to. I pulled the rear wheel off and removed the rear brake pads...they were worn down to nearly nothing. The wheel rims also have a wear indicator stamping on the braking surface, and that's now rear wheel history as well. I also noticed the rear wheel is getting a bit out of true as well, and I'm not surprised given the amount of weight and wear put on the rear end of my bike. Of course, my rear tire is nearly shot as well!

The wheels and drivetrain came off my old Giant road sport bike. That bike had at least 4000 miles on it before I made the swap, so all those parts might now have over 10,000 miles on them. The big chain ring is shark-toothing and the cassette is getting worn down as well. This makes me think it's time for a new wheel build, cassette and chain and chain ring swap out.

I like bike projects! -D

WHAT THE F...?!?!? or get out of the freaking tornado doofus!

2010-06-04T21:50:00.008-05:00

I hate it when that happens.

I was in the middle of my great story when I accidentally and completely deleted my post. Dammit.

So I'll start over again. My wife says it will even be better this time...but it's still a pain in the ass. My 'new' post starts now.

I wasn't really surprised, but I should have known better. Gravelo was smart enough to call his wife to come and pick him up.

I'm a doofus cycling dog. Let me explain. Most dogs will chase anything right? When another cyclist passes me, I instinctively speed up and try to stay on his wheel. Even if it's an ultra-light crabon roadie racer wearing a jersey proclaiming "Ultra Marathon, Triathlon and Cycling Racing Training Inc." or "53 x 11 or Bust", I'll try to chase it. Definitely if it's a recumbent rider. When I'm in the lead, if a cyclist tries to close the gap behind me, yeah, I'll crank harder. If his goal is to catch and pass me, then he'll have to work a bit harder at it.

So when I see storm clouds over my shoulder coming up fast what do you think I'll do? Will I stop and seek shelter? Ask for a ride? Call the wife to come and pick me up? Of course not! I CAN BEAT THIS.

I commuted to work Tuesday. According to the weather reports, it was going to be a rainy day. However, it was a beautiful morning and when I got to the parking garage there were at least four other bikes in the rack. As the day progressed, I was fairly busy and although I tried to keep an eye on the weather work drama kept me occupied and I stayed longer than I would have liked.

I should have clued in when got to the bike racks and all the bikes were gone. The afternoon was bit gray but as I moved Southeast the sky was clear. But...as I looked over my shoulder I saw some very dark clouds moving in from the Northwest. They looked a long way off and I knew I could make it back to the trail head and my truck before they rolled in.

As I moved past Metro Crossing and rode through the adjacent trailer park, I saw a large group of people standing near the entrances to their newly constructed storm shelter. The dim bulb began to light and maybe I should stop and take shelter here. But noooo....I CAN BEAT THIS.

I turned South on the Lake Manawa bridge and headed toward the levee bridge. The wind direction changed 180 degrees from South to North, and at that point I knew I was screwed. I took advantage of the tailwind and pushed my bike past 20 mph. The low-hanging black and green ominous clouds encircled me like a pair of arms. Then all hell broke loose. I began screaming out loud "I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!!"

With the wind on full boil and huge raindrops pelting me, I managed to make it across the bridge without blowing away. I threw the bike down the slope and dived under the bridge, cowering as the horizontal rain hammered me, stinging my skin. The bridge shook as the wind gusted, and I was wondering if the bridge would disappear or simply just collapse on top of me. Adding injury to insult some hail fell. Great. At least the bridge was overhead (for the time being), keeping the worst of it off me. After about 15 minutes of this mayhem and soaked to the bone, the wind subsided enough so I could get back on my bike and get on my way. Mind you, it was still pouring and gusting a fair amount.

There is a railroad spur that runs east-west toward the end of my commute. The trail runs underneath the track at one point, encircled with a stout concrete tunnel. I managed to make it there choking on the gallons of rain I swallowed, and tried to call my wife. I felt like a drowned rat. Of course, I was in a tunnel, so cell phone reception was almost zero. I found a spot near the end of the tunnel out of the rain where I could get enough signal to make a call. The wife was understandably concerned, but I let her know I was alive and would be continuing on once the weather subsided a bit more. I noticed I had multiple weather alerts !!! on my smart phone.

I got home and got the requisite concern, scorn, then ridicule from my wife. I don't blame her. We watched the weather alerts on TV, hail, high winds (over 70 m.p.h) and tornado warnings.

Lesson: You can't beat Mother Nature. And don't be a dumb ass on your bike. -D

Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge

2010-05-17T21:53:00.003-05:00

This week, the Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge begins. The goal is to ride as many commuter miles as possible between May 14 and Aug 20. No cheating!

A fitting week to start, since the weather will be great this week. I commuted today, and the ride home was great...virtually no wind, low 70's. Haven't yet seen weather this nice for the year.

Last year, I racked up around 800 miles.. enough for second place in our company. However, our total company miles fell way short, and I believe we were ranked toward the bottom in our division. Jeez, I can't do it ALL myself :>)

Heck, it's all just numbers anyway. I think I'm just going to log miles and enjoy riding!
-D

P.S. Get out there!

The Crud is craptastic!

2010-05-09T19:28:00.003-05:00

What is this stuff?

I was feeling pretty draggy and congested a couple of weeks ago, so I went to the doctor. Doctor 1 says, "You have an infection" and prescribed antibiotics. After a weeks worth of antibiotic treatment, I felt marginally better. So I figured this stuff had run it's course.

Thursday night, after my commute ride home I decided to do the infamous Taco Ride. Wife is out of town, why not. Plus, I hadn't been on the Wabash all year. Bought my season pass and hit the trail on my good ol' trusty Quickie Blue Fixie.

I bombed it, man. No one would pass me. I hammered all the way, chugged a smoothie drink, and hammered back. Felt pretty good.

Friday morning. I get up hacking and coughing...what the hell? So I call the doctor's office and get a 9 a.m. appointment. Doctor #2 says "Allergies, go take some Claritin". OK then. I stop by the Walgreens, pick up the Claritin and go to work. We had a team outing that day so we went to an afternoon ball game at Rosenblatt Stadium. Had a couple of beers, enjoyed the Creighton - Wichita State game (Creighton got blasted 8 - 0).

Saturday morning: the MS Spring Ride. Started from Iowa Western CC, through Underwood, Minden, Bentley, back to Underwood and IWCC. Yeah, I did the half-century. The idea though, I was going to get up early, ride to the event, then ride back home to Minden. Done by noon.

However, I got up at 6:30 a.m. and no energy...plus it was thirty freaking five degrees out. Almost the middle of May and we're wearing winter gear? Nope, I decided I'd drive there later and went back to sleep.

Got up about 8:30 and dragged my ass out of bed...just didn't feel all that motivated and a little run down. I figured it was just a bit of weekend pokiness and willed myself into my bike clothes, loaded up the Bleriot, and made it to the 10 a.m. start with no time to spare.

The bike felt like it weighed like a ton...well, it does weigh a ton. I added a kick stand and taillight Friday night. Okay, I'll make it to Minden, rest a bit, change bikes and finish the ride. Which I did, courtesy of my Rambouillet (pretty cool to be able to change mid-ride). But man, I was having a hard time pulling the hills outside of Minden and headed towards Bentley. I felt spent but hammered away anyway and managed to make the finish line. Felt like the hardest half-century I'd ever done.

That night, my eyes were burning and I felt a bit flushed. Took my temperature...101.6 :>( Damn, no wonder I was pooped. So I've spent the remainder of my weekend recovering, hoping I can get rid of this crud soon. The wife has banned me from the bike for the duration until I get back up to speed, hopefully soon -D

MB Time!

2010-05-02T21:14:00.002-05:00

Got back from a trip to KC today, saw my little tater.

After my lawn mowing chore, there was still plenty of light left...plus mid 60's and beautiful outside. Of course, being late afternoon it was a bit late for an epic road bike adventure.

Time to get the mountain bikes out!

It's been a long time since I bombed the backyard with the mountain bikes. It just kind of hit me. I parked the lawn mower and happened to glance at my old Diamondback. It looked pretty forlorn and neglected sitting leaning against the garage wall, so I grabbed the tire pump and gave the tires a quick inflate. I thought maybe I'd just run up and down the street once or twice. I bombed the backyard a few times, then I headed back and grabbed my 29'er. I buzzed the town awhile, hit a few back alleys, the ball field, the community hall parking lot, the park, the basketball court, my niece's steep driveway (left a long black skidmark on the way out...gotta love those disc brakes), jumped a few curbs, hit the town triangle (Minden isn't big enough for a square), zipped down the big town hill, basically just pedaled my ass off.

Felt good :>) -D

She's so heavy

2010-04-24T20:18:00.004-05:00

I like ordering bike parts!

I picked up a few more parts for the Bleriot. I wasn't quite finished yet.

I'm still leaving the bars bare...I like the 'clean', polished look. However, I did pick up a few pieces from VO. I really didn't want to keep leaning the bike against something when I parked so I picked up a Pletscher double-legged stand. I'm also adding a Spanninga fender tail light and picked up a new headlight bracket. This bike's plenty porky, and I keep adding stuff to it. Still a small percentage of total weight when including the fat-assed rider :>)

Yeah, I need to ride more. I'm still getting over this crud I picked up last week and haven't done any riding this week...well, except for a quick trip to the barber shop here in town. The barber was closed, but I did get to run the QBF for a bit. Pulled the Nokians off (about time!) and put the Pasela Tour Guards back on. I went about eight blocks and when I got back I was sweating my butt off. I think it's a combo of the crud, winter chub, and lack of muscle tone which makes me more determined to get on the bike and ride until my legs fall off. Rode the MNUB last weekend (Minden, Neola, Underwood, Bentley) on the QB, the 9 hills between Bentley and Minden on a fixie definitely give you a good workout. I'd like to be doing that one at least twice a week, or a half-century in its place.

Ride plans: Maybe get the heck outta Dodge. I'd like to get back on the Wabash trail and head all the way down to Coin and back. I've signed up for the Omaha MS ride, and RAGBRAI is in 91 days. Go Go Go!

Sickness sucks

2010-04-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

Man, I hate spring colds.

I caught a whopper this weekend. I did manage to get my Sunday Quickbeam ride in, and it was a very nice day. But that night, I noticed I had a sore throat. Little did I know, it was just the beginning.

Woke up Monday morning with my sinuses stuffed to the rafters, barely able to breathe. I decided it was just a spring cold and I'd shake it off quickly. So I stayed home from work and rested, expecting to be ready to go the next day. Tuesday rolled around and I felt even worse, fever, coughing, vile excretions, the whole bit. I was absolutely certain I'd feel better after a good nights sleep, and be ready for work today.

No dice. This time, I called the doctor and got an appointment. Several hours and two prescriptions later, I seem to be feeling a bit better. Maybe I'll make it into work tomorrow...not that I'm that excited about getting back to work but I still have to support my bicycling and eating habit :>) -D

A few pics and getting into hot water, thankfully!

2010-04-17T23:04:00.003-05:00

Told ya I'd finally get around to it. Not much cycling here, but we did enjoy ourselves in Key West. Check 'em out...

Key West Pics

Had to work today (Saturday). Not all day, but I did take the Double Cross to work. It was cold this morning! I thought I wouldn't need winter gear, but I ended up in full dress this morning (36 degrees!). The afternoon was in the mid sixties and it was a real nice ride home.

We finally got the water heater fixed today so there is hot water in the Dau household! I thought I had it fixed Wednesday because the pilot lit, but the wife worked from home Thursday and said she still had no hot water. I replaced the thermocouple AGAIN, which proceeded to not work at all. Crrrrap, time to call in the experts. So I called the plumber, who suggested I call the manufacturer since the water heater was still under warranty. The manufacturer ended up sending us a new gas control valve FedEx next day air, which arrived today. And yes, this was definitely job for the experts. Our plumber even interrupted a job he was working on today so he could install same day. Sure is nice to take hot showers again :>)

Tomorrow looks like another great cycling day. Think I'll take the Quickbeam out for a spin.

-D

Catching up...

2010-04-14T22:36:00.004-05:00

Just got back Saturday from a week in Key West, and we had a great time! Pics will eventually be posted on Flickr, just haven't gotten to it yet. I did get out for a half-century on Sunday, and planning to do a commute run tomorrow, if I can get my gear together. I was reminded earlier this week RAGBRAI is 102 days away, so get those miles in.

Getting back into the swing of work, slowly. Had to replace a thermocouple gone bad in the water heater so no hot water this morning. Along with other honeydew chores, not much time to post.

I'm ready to get back on the bike, and the weekend sounds good for some long rides. Must burn off winter fatness :>) -D

Little Peanut

2010-04-03T22:01:00.002-05:00

The kids were up from KC for Easter, and of course I got to see my grandson!

He's my little peanut, and I love him! I'm starting to realize that grandkids are fun! Check out some pics:

Ayden Scott McDowell

Spotted! Broken Crabon in the Wild!

2010-03-25T21:10:00.002-05:00

Since the weather has made a turn for the better, I've managed to start a semi-regular bike commuting schedule. Two days this week!

As I was pedaling home today, I notice a lime-green clad rider ahead walking his bike. Initially, I thought maybe he had a flat. No problem...I carry patches and a mini pump, along with CO2 cartridges if necessary. If the tube was fixable, we could have him up and running no problem.

However, as I drew closer I saw something else was amiss. The seat was bent over backwards at a weird angle. That's not right...an expensive-looking carbon road bike with the seat flopped over like that. As I pulled beside him, I soon saw why. The seat post was neatly snapped off between the seat mount and the tube, the seat twisting in the wind. I looked over at the poor guy and about the only thing I could say was "Ouch!". He looked totally dejected, walking with head down and didn't acknowledge my presence. Physically, he looked fine. After several seconds of silence, I pressed on. I would have tried to help him somehow but it seemed he didn't want any assistance. Unfortunately, I usually don't carry spare seat posts. :>)

After seeing gobs of busted seat posts, handlebars, etc., on Busted Carbon.com (and an example at Acme Cycle in KC), I actually saw one on the road. Remember, kids...steel is real and crabon is crap! - D

Finally, the first commute of this year!

2010-03-21T19:47:00.002-05:00

Not much riding this weekend...we took a little trip to KC to see Ayden!

I did finally get one day of commuting in last week, on Tuesday. I believe it's the first day of commuting this year!

Yeah, it was cold in the morning. I really expected snow on the trail, but it was nearly all melted and no ice, either. It was windy, but that's no surprise this time of year. I geared up and layered up, 'cause that ol' wind just cuts right through you if you aren't prepared.

Of course, the Double Cross got the nod for the trip. Same setup, full fenders, Tubus rear rack with Carradice Nelson Longflap. I strap my my lunch bag on the back with a bungee cord, attach my reflecto-triangle, turn on my tailight and hit the road. It was pretty dark, so I was happy to have my Nite Flux headlight as well. This bike just racks up the miles, when I have the opportunity. And it seems like it's been forever since I've rolled into work geared up from biking.

Checked the weather and it seems like we'll be in the lower 50's for the rest of the week. I anticipate two or three days of commutes this week! Gotta get that mileage up in preparation for an entire week of RAGBRAI - D

Getting my ass out there

2010-03-13T22:43:00.003-06:00

It's been a gray, windy few days. The wife has gone to the South by Southwest film festival in Austin and to visit her friend Penny, so I've been left to fend for myself. I stayed up late, poking at the Bleriot. I trued and tuned up the front wheel, and replaced a tire. I think the original was defective, I could never seem to get it to mount properly. The new tire seems rounder, and less lumpy.

So I slept in this morning. There was an Ice Road Truckers marathon on the History channel. I catnapped on the couch. I drank a beer. I pondered riding, but every time I looked out the window I saw a gray windy day. The couch called to me. "Sit on your ass", it beckoned.

Man, I sure did want to sit on my ass. I stuck my head outside and gauged the weather. Cold and windy. I wanted another beer, but I drank the last one. I was getting tired of watching Ice Road Truckers.

So I started to gear up. Slowly and deliberately. I still wasn't sure I wanted to go outside. Eventually, I was all ready to go, finally about 2:30. That would limit me to a shorter ride, probably the 'shed and back' 20 mile run. I dragged my lazy ass and the Bleriot outside, heading south, 20 mph wind at my back.

I zipped along, retuned and retired front wheel running smoothly. I was in top gear running the flats, spinning away. No computer on this bike, but I imagined I was running in the mid 20's since I didn't feel any wind. I knew I was going to pay on the return trip, and I did. Head down, cold wind in my face, crawling up hills. I didn't care. My ass was out there :>)

-D

Happy Birthday, Ayden!

2010-03-10T19:38:00.008-06:00

It is with great joy I announce the birth of Ayden Scott McDowell. He was born yesterday at 1:42 p.m., 7 lbs 3 oz, 20 inches in length.

Did I mention he is my grandson? Grandchild #1 and he is beautiful.

Jenny and I hopped in the car after work yesterday and drove to KC to visit.

I'm the one with the goofy grin on my face

Snoozing. Grandpa doesn't mind :>)

RAGBRAI overnight towns

2010-02-21T15:31:00.005-06:00

I thought I might be able to sneak in a ride today. But with below freezing temps, coupled with 15+ mph winds, I decided it would be better to hang out at home with my lovely wife...watching murder mystery shows. Ack! Oh well, she works hard and she deserves it.

Rather than lament my non-riding status, I thought I'd take a look at the RAGBRAI overnight towns and speculate on the route. The information at this point:

Day 1: Sioux City to Storm Lake. Distance: 68.5 miles. Climb: 3,689 feet.
Day 2: Storm Lake to Algona. Distance: 79.0 miles. Climb: 1,145 feet.
Day 3: Algona to Clear Lake. Distance: 51.3 miles. Climb: 1,036 feet.
Day 4: Clear Lake to Charles City. Distance: 51.7 miles. Climb: 1,066 feet.
Day 5: Charles City to Waterloo. Distance: 82.7 miles. Climb: 2,712 feet.
Day 6: Waterloo to Manchester. Distance: 62.0 miles. Climb: 2,313 feet.
Day 7: Manchester to Dubuque. Distance: 46.9 miles. Climb: 2,566 feet.

The first day will the the big climbing day. Next three days will be easy spins (depending on hangover severity) :>), then a bit more climbing for the final three days. I'm not sure where the century loop will end up...possibly Day 2 or Day 5?

I played around with Google Maps and tried to figure out the route for the first day. Every route I tried ended up being longer than 68.5 miles...which seems to be most direct route to Storm Lake. However, the most direct route takes you down Hwy 20 and Hwy 31...state highways and unlikely RAGBRAI routes. Most likely, RAGBRAI planners will take us down county roads passing through a few towns along the way. Kingsley, Pierson, Washta, Moville, Correctionville, Quimby, Hanover, Alta...any of these towns could be on the route.

Regardless, it will be a great ride this year! The final route, and our first team meeting, should be announced soon. I'm hoping to get out on the road soon so I can get started on getting some serious miles in. -D

Sneaking them in

2010-02-15T19:06:00.002-06:00

Damn, it's still snowing.

Damn, I still want to ride. So I rode. I've been able to sneak in a couple of weekend rides. I managed a 25 miler two weekends ago, and a 2o miler last weekend. I got snowed on last weekend, but I didn't care. I geared up, bit the icy bullet, and got out there. The roads I've ridden have been relatively clear, so I didn't take the QBF with the snow tires. I hit the road with the old reliable Double Cross, a fine all-weather machine.

By the way, the RAGBRAI route was announced a couple of weeks ago. It'll be a northern route, one of the shortest and flattest ever. Yes, I'm doing the entire week this year, and it'll be awesome.

Waiting for my grandson to come visit - D

Video Torture

2010-01-31T21:09:00.002-06:00

Due to the impending arrival of my grandson Ayden, the wife and I decided to buy a video camera.

Of course, I had to test it. Not only that, but I had to attempt putting the horrendous results of my test on YouTube. Eek. After at least a dozen failed attempts, I finally figured out how to get my video in the right format and actually have YouTube accept it...the original video was 17 minutes. Much to my chagrin, YouTube "Regular" only accepts 10 minute videos, so my 3 1/2 hour download was rejected. This edited version (courtesy of iMovie) is much shorter. Thankfully.

So here it is, a tour of my combination bike shop and laundry room, and a tour of the 'bike basement'. Enjoy, or run away screaming.

Ice, Ice Baby

2010-01-20T20:35:00.002-06:00

Adding insult to injury, an ice storm hit here last night. Didn't we have enough precipitation?

Anyways, no driving to work today. Ironically, they had zero ice in Omaha last night, but once the storm passed over the river it froze like crazy. Must be all that husker hot air :>) Some places east of here got over an inch of ice accumulation.

I did not ride a bike today. The wife and I hunkered down here in the Dau compound, warm and toasty. Maybe I'll try tomorrow.

Several years ago, I purchased an Adidas cold weather cycling outfit, jacket and bibs. One of the best gear purchases I've made, and I wear the heck out of it during fall and winter. It still looks pretty decent, though the jacket is starting to show signs of wear. Works great, though. I bought the jacket a bit oversized so I can layer underneath. Usually, this consists of a base layer of a technical, long-sleeve mock tee neck then an Ibex wool top over that. It breathes, yet is plenty warm enough for most freezing and above cycling excursions. On my head, a Rivendell wool cap and wool balaclava. The pants have enough room to accomodate a base layer as well. Smartwool hunting socks and winter cycling shoes finish my winter gear-up.

Since this is the only set of winter cycling gear I have, I decided to supplement. I wandered into our local Trek store and discovered some nice Bontrager brand winter cycling bibs on deep discount. I tried on size L, a bit tight. The store owner explained most cycling clothing lines are designed for 'skinny Euro types', of which I am definitely not :>) It always seems that a good rule of thumb for cycling clothes is go up at least one size from what you would normally wear unless you want them to be form fitting. I also ordered a new jacket online...a Gore Tool. Since I couldn't try before buying, I had the wife measure me and it seems that the go up one size rule applies there as well. I liked the Gore Tool because it has a zip open underarm vent similar to my Adidas, a feature that has proved to be very handy. It was discounted as well, another great feature!

Looking forward to trying out the new gear, not looking forward to any more snow or ice!

-D

A foghorn would have made it perfect

2010-01-16T21:09:00.003-06:00

After many weeks of non-biking, the drought has been broken.

Since the mercury climbed above freezing, and the QBF with Nokians was just itching to be ridden, I donned the gear and headed out into the fog. Pretty darn thick, too.

I lit up the QBF and attempted to make myself as visible as possible. I layered up and hit the road! How did they fare? Positives: they stick like glue in hard snowpack and even on ice. I rode around town up and down a few snowpacked streets and had no problems maintaining control. I even forced a couple of skid stops (at slow speed, of course) on some ice and even though the wheel skidded it was quite controllable. Very happy with winter performance.
Negatives? Well, I decided to ride out to my folks, about 10 miles. The county road out to their house is paved until the last mile or so, and was completely clear. Riding studded Nokians on pavement is like, well, riding in snow. The studs seem to stick to the pavement as well as snow and ice, to the detriment of rolling resistance. Riding up paved hills with fixed gear and heavy studded tires? Let's just say 20 miles today felt like a half-century in good weather.

I was sure happy to have them once I hit the gravel, though. The roads out in the country aren't well plowed, so I rode intermittently through snowpack, ice, gravel, and mud. The Nokians were in their element there. Turning into and riding up my folks snowpacked driveway should have been drama filled and nerve racking...instead it was no sweat at all.

My overall impression? Excellent winter tires...they weren't inexpensive but definitely worth not falling on my arse in the snow. I sure don't want to ride them any long distance on pavement, though...what a workout! Maybe I just need to get into better shape. The humming noise as I rode reminded me of driving with studded snow tires, for those of you who remember studded auto tires (they're illegal in Iowa).

The fog...the fog was giving me fits. I decided to wear my glasses today, a mistake. They immediately fogged up and stayed fogged during the entire ride, totally covered with moisture. I ended up riding with them on my nose, looking over the tops. Yes, that gray blur in front of me must have been the road :>) Just keep it between the ditches. Every time I heard a car behind me, I pulled off the road and waited for it to pass. Most cars on that road were driving without lights on and I didn't want to risk getting rear ended. I did have my reflective vest on and a taillight. Unfortunately, the battery in my taillight was draining and it was getting pretty dim, so I was afraid vehicles would have a hard time seeing it especially in the fog. I should have taken my Planet Bike strobe taillight with me..that thing is impossibly bright for a battery powered light and I'm sure it would have been visible.

With all that, I still made it home in one piece which made it a GREAT ride anyway. Nothing more invigorating than a nice, chilly winter ride!

-D

Cabin Fever

2010-01-15T22:39:00.003-06:00

It's been weeks since I've been on a bike.

I've been running on the treadmill and using the weight machines at the employer's fitness center to keep myself in some semblance of fitness and relatively sane. But it's just been way too long, I don't own a trainer and I need to get a bike out. I'm hoping this weekend, since the weather may get up to a balmy 37 degrees.

I see my blogging buddy Gravelo has been out and about...and that's a good indication that it may be time to get some good winter riding in. I may even get a chance to try out my Nokians.

-D

Frozen Tires

2010-01-04T21:49:00.002-06:00

You know it's cold when your car is frozen to the garage floor.

I'm not kidding. I went to take the car out the garage after it sat for a week (while we were in Tempe), and it was literally frozen to the floor.

Opened the garage door, got in it, started and put in reverse. No go. Pushed on the gas a bit. It wouldn't move. Checked the parking brake, it wasn't set. Hit the gas again...engine strains, grunts. Still stuck...what the heck?? Now I punch it. Engine revs, car doesn't move. Remember when you were a teenager and you power braked Dad's car? It was exactly like my foot was mashed down on the brakes and I was smashing the gas to the floor simultaneously. One more time. I mashed the gas and the car popped loose, lurching backward. Success!

And it was 21 below zero this morning! Are you freaking kidding me?

-D

Warmer Climes are My-T-Fine, Go Cyclones, and Happy New Year...not in any particular order

2010-01-02T19:39:00.002-06:00

First things first! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone! My best wishes for a joyous and most prosperous 201o.

A brief note about the current weather in Minden, Iowa...right now according to my somewhat questionable Accurite weather station it is 10.6 degrees, which seems absolutely balmy compared to this morning as it was -7 when we traveled to Council Bluffs to meet a friend for lunch and buy groceries. My trusty Droid phone and the Weather Channel tell me it's -1, which seems more believable.

We've just returned from a trip to Tempe, Arizona. It averaged mid sixties there, and sunny most of the trip. It was not all pleasure...our business was to cheer the Cyclones on to victory in the Insight Bowl :>) ISU - 14, Minnesota - 13. The win was the frosting on the sweet cake of an extremely enjoyable trip. We had a great time at the Arizona Grand Resort! Spent some time in the hot tub, pool, and the bar (0f course), explored the hills and trails adjacent to the golf course, and spent time celebrating with our fellow Cyclone fans. ISU played a great game and although the score was a bit closer than I would care for the Clones held strong and capitalized on a late Minnesota turnover to secure the win. Great times!

The shocker was stepping off the plane in Des Moines to single-digit weather and huge piles of snow. Brrr. Dreams of Phoenix condos and 'snowbirding' are dancing through my head right now. I would certainly be putting in more cycling miles if I could spend the winters in Phoenix. As I walked/jogged the hills, surrounded by rocks, cacti, and the occasional Palo Verde tree, I jealously watched several mountain bikers bombing down the trails. I really wished I had my 29'er and cycling gear in Phoenix ...the Quickie Blue Fixie is shod with the appropriate tires for Iowa winter trips but I'm not super motivated to take it out in sub-zero weather. I want to keep my fingers, toes, nose, ears, and other appendages intact and frostbite-free! Think I'll hang out in my living room, watch bowl games, and dread going back to work on Monday :>)

Bicycle Repairman!

2009-12-19T17:35:00.001-06:00

Brrrrrrrrr!

2009-12-14T21:44:00.002-06:00

Going Bowling!

2009-12-12T20:12:00.003-06:00

We'll be on our way.

The Cyclones are playing Minnesota at the Insight Bowl this year, which happens to be in Tempe, Arizona. I kept mentioning to Jenny we were going to a bowl game, and she pretty much ignored me until the announcement was made. The Cyclones were expected to travel to either the Texas Bowl in Houston or the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA. Apparently, the Insight Bowl committee really wanted Cyclone fans at their bowl and passed on Missouri, just like the Independence Bowl committee did. Understandably, the Mizzou fans on the way to Houston are pissed.

But good news for us! The wife spent a good portion of her youth growing up in Tuscon and really, really would enjoy traveling there. Let's see...5 degrees in Minden, Iowa and 65 in Tempe? Do the math.

So we bit the bullet and jumped on the Cyclone bandwagon, as it were. We put in an application for the Alumni tour to the bowl game the very same day the bowl was announced. The tour spots filled very quickly and we waited in anticipation for our confirmation. Today, the confirmation arrived and yes, we WILL be traveling to Tempe for our Dec 31st bowl game!

It'll be a great time. No need to worry about flight, rental car, hotel reservations...it's all been taken care of. Just show up and get on the plane. Margaritas, anyone? :>))

Piles and Piles and Piles

2009-12-11T22:11:00.002-06:00

The snow started Tuesday morning.

And it snowed, and it snowed, and it snowed. Then it snowed some more.

Both Jenny and I stayed home on Wednesday, attempting to dial into work. She was more successful than I, but I eventually managed to get in. Too many folks at home, not enough VPN licenses. I did get some work done, eventually. We managed to get up enough courage to shovel snow in the afternoon, after the wind and snow abated. We managed to get the sidewalk done and the large pile left by the snowplow behind my truck in the driveway. It made me wish for warmer days.

Yesterday, I braved the elements (<5 degrees, not including wind chill), loaded up the truck and went to work. Four wheel drive all the way, not even considering the possibility of dragging a bike out of the basement. Frostbite City! Vehicles littered the interstate median or off the shoulder, stalled or stuck in snowdrifts.

It actually got up into the lower 20's today. Maybe warm enough to try out my Nokians? :>)

-D

RIDE REPORT: Taking advantage of the weather

2009-11-28T22:37:00.003-06:00

The weather has been extremely nice for late November. Mid 40's to Mid 50's, low wind, sunny. Perfect for a couple of extended Thanksgiving weekend rides. Yesterday, I took the Quickbeam out for a nice half-century spin through the Iowa countryside. Today, I pulled the Le Tour off the rack and with a bit of tuning, had it ready for another 35 today.

The Bleriot has been getting a lot of attention lately, so I decided to pull a couple of other bikes out for my rides this weekend. The Quickbeam was as smooth as ever, still one of my favorite rides. My favorite thing about it is how smooth it is...no derailer (Sheldon sp) no shifting, fixed gear, easy to ride, floats down the road. I did have to do a bit of tuning before I took off. I noticed the left hand BB cup was unscrewing to I pulled the crank to tighten it up a bit. It's one of the cheaper Shimano BB's so the cup is plastic. Unfortunately, I discovered the cup was cracked, probably from the huge torque generated by my massive quads :>). I dug the defective VO bottom bracket out of my tool box and extracted its BB cup. Lo and and behold, it fit perfectly! Plus, it's made of some alloy so I probably won't have to worry about it cracking. I could have thrown the VO bracket in the trash, but now I'm glad I kept it around. You never know when some component might come in handy in a pinch. Anyway, it was a great ride that day!

Today, I pulled the Le Tour off the rack, since it hadn't been ridden for awhile. I decided it needed some attention so put it up on the bike stand for a quick tune-up. Lubed the chain, adjusted the rear derailer so I could use the Suntour downtube shifter in index mode (shifting was a bit off), pumped up the tires and took off. It was another beautiful day, even nicer than yesterday.

As I was pulling a hill, I shifted into the small chainring. I'd been running in the big ring for the most part and hadn't really noticed, but when it tried to upshift in the small chainring the derailer just would not move. No problems in the big ring whatsoever, just the small ring. What the heck? Anyway, I shifted back into the big ring and had no problems getting back home, and the issue certainly didn't detract from my ride enjoyment.

I had to put the bike back up on the stand to try and figure out what was wrong. Why wouldn't the rear derailer shift in the small ring, but work just fine in the big ring? I noticed while in the small ring the derailer cage was pushed up against the cassette when I was in the largest cassette cog...once it was in that gear it was just jammed there and the cage spring would not pull it back out. As I looked closer, I could see the problem. There was no B-adjustment at all because there was no spring tension to hold the derailer cage away from the cassette. The tab on the derailer fits into a notch on the dropout, and the tab was not in its right place. That means the guy that pulled the derailer off last to clean it (ahem!), didn't replace the tab in the right orientation, thus no B-spring tension. It was easy enough to loosen the derailer, rotate the tab back into the dropout notch, and retighten. After a bit a of adjustment everything was hunky-dory.

I really have to think about getting a new bike mechanic. Unfortunately, the one I have works for peanuts! :>)

-D

Turkey, turkey, turkey...

2009-11-26T11:16:00.002-06:00

Ah, Thanksgiving!

That turkey cooking in the oven smells really great. Thanks for turkey!
Thanks for my wife cooking the turkey. Thanks for my wife, in general and in everything.

Thanks for my daughter. Thanks for my grandson, who I'll be meeting for the first time sometime in March.

Thanks for my parents, grandparents, in-laws, brothers and sister, nieces and nephews, friends, good co-workers, friendly strangers, nice cyclists, and goofy comedy.

Last but not least, thanks for my bikes and the ability to ride them all on a regular basis.

THANKS!

-Dwight

Why I Don't Ride Carbon

2009-11-21T18:52:00.003-06:00

Check it out:

Click Here to Check out all the Busted Carbon

"Crabon" is bad for your health, and steel is real! - D

Bowling for Eligibility

2009-11-14T20:38:00.004-06:00

Clones beat the Buffs today. That means 6 wins, and BOWL ELIGIBILITY.

Yeah, baby!! Someone in the state of Iowa needs to celebrate, 'cause I don't think the Hawkeye fans are...

GO CYCLONES!!!

P.S. I like the classic, strutting CY

Cycling In Omaha

2009-11-13T20:20:00.003-06:00

This article showed up in the Omaha World Herald today. Good reading.

Click Here to Read This Article

Understanding the bike obsession

2009-11-09T20:16:00.006-06:00

A coworker asked me about RAGBRAI today.

Of course, he started it casually. Hey, I hear you ride RAGBRAI. Sure! I've ridden it the past couple of years. Haven't ever ridden the whole thing, but I plan on doing that sometime in the near future, maybe next year. He seemed to be focusing more on the party aspect...partying all night, got up at noon, saw all kinds of weird stuff...etc. Nothing wrong with that, it's all part of the experience. Us old guys partied pretty hard, too. Went to bed at 10, got up at 6 and hit the road at 7. Rode our asses off and done by early afternoon. Who hoo!

He asked me how I trained. "Trained?", I said. "Heck, I ride all year!"

A funny look crossed his face. That's when I knew I'd lost him.

I crossed over. Before the 'training' comment, I was just a casual pedaler out looking for fun. Now, I turned into some mega-miling, tree-hugging, environmentalist rhetoric-spewing, lycra-wearing, critical-mass riding anti-car owning cycling nutjob trying to save the world from Big Oil. Yeek. I started to tell him about my commute but by that time he was already headed back to his cube. I'm glad I didn't get started on my laundry room bike shop, my Rivendells, or my six other bikes. Yeah sure, this guy's out of of his freakin' mind! -D :>))

The Hundred Mile Bottom Bracket

2009-11-08T20:54:00.003-06:00

I just can't leave well enough alone. Or maybe it's just not well enough.

It was a beautiful fall day yesterday. I took the Bleriot out for a nice half-century run and it ran wonderfully...except...

Remember when I wrote about the squeaky bottom bracket. It has now become a clunky bottom bracket. On starting my non-drive side power stroke there's a definite 'clunk'. And I don't believe it's because the BB cups are loose. There's definite sideplay in the shaft now, after something slightly more than 100 miles of riding. I don't usually call people out in my blog, but I'm disappointed in the quality of this particular Velo Orange branded component.

I'm sure they will make it good if I bring the problem to their attention. They do sell some nice hard to find parts. Since I was ordering a Brooks saddle and Honjo Fenders from them I though I might try the bottom bracket as well. What I really should have done is included the Phil Wood BB in my Rivendell order. Yeah, it's expensive. But I'm 99.999999999999 percent certain a Phil Wood BB isn't going to crap out on me at 100 miles. I have one in my Soma Double Cross commuter and it is smooth as silk, making nary a peep. I'm pretty sure I could put 20,000 miles on it without a hitch.

It goes almost without saying that a Phil Wood unit is on its way. In fact, as time and finance allow I'd like to replace the Ramby and the Quickbeam bottom brackets as well...someday. Let's just call it insurance :>) -D

Fall Riding

2009-11-07T08:33:00.002-06:00

The rain we've had for the past week or so has abated, and the sun is out! I managed to get commuter rides in Thursday and Friday.

Time for some cool fall riding. The temps will be in 60's, the wind is low, the sun is shining, the Bleriot is waiting. No time to waste, because the snow will be flying soon. Maybe we'll have a mild winter -D

ExCYted!

2009-10-24T17:42:00.004-05:00

Oct 24, 2009 will go down in history.

That was the day the Iowa State Cyclones beat Nebraska at home. In Lincoln.

The last time this happened was in 1977, under Coach Earle Bruce. I was a freshman in high school at the time. Yes, I'm old.

It wasn't pretty. I had all my rally hats on. I've watched so many Cyclones games where they'd take a lead into the fourth quarter and blow it. A missed field goal. Stopped short of the goal line. Turnovers. Yet another heartbreak.

Not today.

My wife said I had this incredulous look on my face when it happened. I looked over at her and asked "Did we win this game?? Did we REALLY win this game??" The celebration began.

I work in Omaha, Nebraska so of course I work with a majority of Husker fans. One particular Husker fan told me we 'would have trouble' with the Huskers. I calmly informed him they'd need to play 60 minutes of football to win this game. I should have kept my mouth shut, since this comment unleashed a firestorm. They predicted victory by a wide margin. Another Husker fan interrupted a conference call to ask for my cell phone number so he could call me during the game.

The call never came.

The Nebraska defense played a great game. Ndamukong Suh was everywhere making plays, definitely one of the top players in the country. And playing at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is never easy. We knew it would be tough going in, especially with our starting quarterback and running back (leading rusher in the Big-12) out of the game.

It was an ugly game. Nebraska turned over the ball eight times. The Cyclones hung in there, played tough, ground it out and left with a win. A wacky game for sure, but a WIN for the Cyclones!

GO ISU!!!

Wicked Blue Fixie or how I plan not to fall on my arse this winter...

2009-10-20T20:44:00.011-05:00

The Nokian tires I've been patiently waiting for have arrived.

I took these things out of the box, and they looked wicked. No kidding, aggressive tread and carbide spikes? Wicked. Wicked lugged sharp spiked Finlandian tires. Yes, from Finland. Experts on what works and doesn't work in the snow and ice.

160 carbide ice spikes buried in deep lugged tires. They smelled awesomely rubbery when they came out of the box. The rubber seems nice and soft, and I assume softer rubber gives better traction in the snow and ice. We'll find out!

The QBF was all ready for tire and tube installation. The wheels were badly out of true, loose spokes and all! An afternoon session of cleaning up and truing fixed that. Before...

And after!

Snow and Ice?? Bring it on!!! -D

Salted Nut Rolls and Roasted Rubber

2009-10-17T23:07:00.008-05:00

Took the Ramby out for a couple of hours today. I had to work, so I took the bike with me and rode after work. Not too many folks out.

Last Saturday I was riding through Underwood and stopped at the Mini Mart for a soda and a salted nut roll. Salted nut roll, breakfast of champions!

Anyway, I saw this black Buick Grand National puttering around. He was on a side street adjacent to the Mini mart...he'd creep forward a few inches, stop, creep forward, stop....it just generally looked suspicious. I guessed what he was up to. He slowly turned around in the intersection and stopped, right in the middle of the highway. If I was thinking, I would have had my cell out recording this in video mode.

I heard the engine rev, and the rear tires started spinning. I saw one hell of a burnout, smoke rolling off the rear tires, engine bellowing (as much as a turbocharged Buick V6 can bellow). It was a good one. The tire smoke cloud hung there for at least two or three minutes, since there wasn't much wind. When I resumed my ride, I stopped and looked at the nice melted pile of rubber he left on the road. Sweet! Glad it wasn't my car, or my tires. It would have been more entertaining if he would have broken or blown something, or a cop would have come around the corner mid-burnout. I saw the same car later, pulled off the side of the road...then pulling back on slowly puttering down the highway. I lost sight of him and I didn't see it, but I swear I heard him doing another burnout, and I know I smelled more tire smoke.

Can't do that on my Ramby! :>) -D

Chopped, flopped, and single-speeded Nishiki

2009-10-15T21:09:00.004-05:00

Patrick sent me a pic of his Nishiki single-speed upgrade. Now that's postable material!

Patrick says:

Check out the Nishiki!!! I spent 20 bucks on this bike. The rest of it was elbow.

-stole what looks like a SS from crankset (but is really a double with a guard) from my wife's bike and put the original from the nishiki on hers. She's actually getting the better end of the deal, but it's a win/win because her crank looks better on the NIshiki and give a better chainline.

-Old brown b17 I've owned for a while. Giving it to my friend on "permanent loan". -brooks tape from the bomba. Looks great on this bike.

-I chopped and flipped the original drop bars that came with the Nishiki and dumped the cheesy dirty white brake levers for some old shimano aero's I've had laying around. Looks clean, don't you think?

-dumped the 6 speed freewheel and put on a 17t freewheel in the back. -big time clean up, repacked the bearings on both wheels and headset. steel wool to corrosion on brakes, etc.

Great job, Patrick! :>) -Dwight

Rain, Rain, Rain, no Ride!

2009-10-13T21:22:00.002-05:00

I'm wanting to ride, but it's going to be raining and cold most of the week. Cold, ok. Rain I can deal with. Cold and rain? Nah. The weekend looks to be nice, though. Looks like a half-century Bleriot run, at least :>)

BTW, I've ordered some Nokian Hakkepellitta W106 studded bicycle tires. Now say that three times fast! :>) They're going on the QBF, my dedicated winter bike. Now I won't be falling on my ass behind buses full of school kids. More on the tires, later -D

On the Road!

2009-10-11T19:22:00.010-05:00

The inaugural Bleriot ride has come and gone! Note the expression on my face, a.k.a. 'shit eating grin' :>)

It's a great ride! I got it to this riding state (no rack, fenders, other accessories) just to give it a try. I spent all of last Saturday, and a decent chunk of last Sunday getting the remainder of the parts hung on the bike. I've done three shakedown rides so far, 10 miles, 20 miles, and 25. I think I've worked most of the kinks out. Several minor issues:

There was a light (but noticeable) high pitched squeal coming from the bottom bracket area from the first ride. It sounded like a rubber seal contacting metal. I think that's worked itself out... so I'll chalk that up to new component 'break in'. There was also an old rocking chair creak coming from the stem area whenever I stood to crank myself up some of the bigger hills around here. That was solved by pulling the stem out and giving it a nice coat of Phil grease.

Also, note this bike has vertical drop outs. Of course, the chain was almost one link off, meaning that I was just a couple of thousandths of an inch too short to make the chain fit without adding a half link, graciously provided by my LBS. Of course, this made the chain too long and necessitated the addition of a chain tensioner. I chose the Surly Singleator.

Two springs come with the Singleator, a 'push up' and a 'push down'. Push up is prefereable since it gives more chain wrap, and less of chance for chain skip when you are really cranking hard. Push up was not an option here...the chain was just too long, even with the chain as short as possible using the half-link setup. As I was riding my second shakedown, I experienced the grind-thunk-crunch-jerk while cranking hard which I could either attribute to chain skip or shifter adjustment. I adjusted my shifter cable to allow for settling in/new cable stretch and cranked up the spring tension on the Singleator. This seems to have fixed the issue, and I had no problems on my today's 25 mile ride.

More pics!

How do I shift this beast? With the Jtek Nexus/Alfine bar end shifter of course! Since this particular frame came with downtube cable stops, this was a no brainer. It made cable routing extra smooth, and with brifter cable adjusters on the stops it made it extra easy to dial in the shift cable adjustment. And it works slick...click 'n go. No pedaling necessary to shift with the Nexus hub, either. You can be sitting still, just click to the desired ratio and crank away.

I haven't yet wrapped the bars. For now, I think the bike looks great without bar wrap. In any case, I needed to plug the left end of my dirt drops :>). This was easily accomplished with a handy wine cork...courtesy of my lovely wife. I helped empty the bottle!

Here's the bike finished, with all the good stuff attached. Mark's rack on the front, with Lumotec light attached. Hammered Honjo fenders, Rivendell Sackville seat bag.

My impressions? This sucker is heavy, but not in a bad way. The generator hub and Nexus shifting system aren't lightweights. It's not meant to be a fast road bike, and doesn't feel that way either. I rode one of my hillier rides with it today and didn't drop under 3rd gear, and 8th gear is sufficiently high enough not to spin out on the downhills. Shifting the Nexus hub is dreamy, just click and go. Most times, changing ratios is virtually immediate, no clunking, no grinding, no muss, no fuss.

I know Patrick is interested in the generator lighting. I currently own a rechargeable battery lighting system, a 4w Nite Flux LED I transfter from bike to bike. It is bright, focused with a bluish beam. In high mode, it is plenty bright and reaches out a long way. I took the Bleriot out a couple of nights ago, taking the battery powered light with me. I ran both lights side by side, LED Nite Flux on the left and generator hub halogen Lumotec on the right.

The LED light is definitely brighter in high beam mode. The halogen light projects a yellowish beam, and the pattern is more dispersed. This light is quite sufficient at speed, but you need to be moving a bit faster than walking pace to generate enough current for a decent steady light. My Lumotec is 'Mit Standlicht' (yes, that means 'With Standlight'). It has a small LED below the halogen bulb which stays on for approximately 10 minutes, charged by a capacitor while riding. So when you stop, you're not left completely in the dark. It's enough for a decent night light, but not much else. While the light is on, you will feel some resistance and a low frequency vibration from the generator hub. It's nothing like the whine from a rear wheel bottle generator, for sure...and it won't eat up your tire sidewall. If you're going to do lots of night riding, go for it! You won't need to worry about batteries, and the standlight is definitely a nice touch when you are standing still. However, if I were going on a multi-day ride I'd take a battery powered light with me, just in case. It was nice to have it mounted when I wanted some extra lighting power, especially at low speeds or when I was standing still.

These are my initial impressions so far. I'm sure I'll have more insights as I continue riding it but now so far, so great! -D :>))

Shakin' all over

2009-09-27T18:27:00.003-05:00

I was gyrating like Vince Taylor

Riding the QBF last week, I noticed a low speed shimmy in the front wheel. I really hadn't ever noticed it before, but it was pronounced enough that I began to take notice. I actually stopped on the homeward leg of my commute and took a very close look at my frame and fork, because I thought something might be fractured. Nope. And the front wheel seemed to be decently true.

However, when I spun the rear wheel...yowza. It was as crooked as a dog's hind leg. I'd like to say because of the massive torque generated by my T-Rex sized quads, the hub twisted the spokes and pulled the rim into the shape of a wobbly potato chip. Most likely, it was the weight of my massive ass and loads of crap I lug to work during the week.

The wheels on the QBF probably aren't the highest quality, and they may be machine-built. In any case, I think I might take a shot at tweaking them back into shape. -D

Fixie Season

2009-09-23T18:54:00.003-05:00

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are beginning to turn...

Yup. Time to break out the Quickie Blue Fixie...my 'Winter training bike'. The last couple of commutes have been on the QBF. It had been sitting for a while, since I was busy riding the Double Cross, my 29'er, and the other two Schwinns to work. It looked a bit forlorn and neglected sitting there, and since the mercury was dipping into the low 50's morning wise, thought I should at least give it a spin.

QBF Maintenance: put up on bike stand, notice chain is a bit slack. Loosen rear wheel nuts and take out slack. Dribble wax based lube on chain. Squeeze front brake handle, it works. Pump up tires. Done.

And just like that, we're off. Occasionally, I have to remember that this bike does not freewheel, and you can't just decide to stop pedaling to coast. I relax, but the pedal comes back around and that darn bike just won't let me. Pedal faster, dammit!

I'm not as fast on my fixie. I notice this since I leave the parking lot about the same time each day no matter which bike I'm riding. I always seem to arrive 10 minutes or so later on my fixie, which means I'M JUST NOT PEDALING FAST ENOUGH. Maybe I'm a little more relaxed on this bike, but it seems like I'm always working harder to achieve that relaxed riding state.

Last year whilst winter riding, I wiped out on some black ice behind a busload of school kids. They didn't seem to notice, but I never noticed anything when I rode the school bus in the morning either...I was too groggy and bleary eyed to care or my eyes were just closed. I'm wondering about a nice pair of studded Nokians on the QBF...yeah...then it'd be a true winter bike. Does that seem a bit wacky? Nah.

I grabbed a couple of more components for the Bleriot. I picked up the J-Tek Nexus bar-end shifter and some pedals from Harris Cyclery. I was going to order the shifter directly from the J-Tek website, and was quite surprised to see a notice posted stating that J-Tek Engineering was suspending operations. The owner has some health problems and has decided to shut down for a while until things improve. I hope he gets better soon...first things first and take care of yourself! -D

Corporate Cup Run 2009

2009-09-20T21:05:00.002-05:00

Did it again. I ran the Omaha Corporate Cup Run.

It's the only organized run I do anymore. When I lived in Kansas City, I was running at least a 5K nearly every weekend. After I moved to Omaha, I ran a few other runs but the frequency dropped dramatically because, well, there just weren't as many. I believe I started running the Corporate Cup in 1996, and I've done it every year since then without fail. Here's how it usually works.

About a month or so before, I think about running to get my muscles in some kind of running shape. I know through experience that biking doesn't cut it...it's a different set of muscles altogether. I've biked pretty regularly before runs thinking it would get me in shape for the run, and I'd be so sore after I could hardly walk for several days. The last few years, I've always tried to run a few times just to make sure the old running muscles still kinda sorta worked. Stretching always seems to help as well.

I've really improved my times over the last couple of years (under an hour), not just because of training and stretching...but making sure I thoroughly hit the john before I take off. That porta potty stop halfway through the race always seems to kill off my times, a bit. One year I was standing in line - I was next and a fellow that was in dire straits asked me if he could cut in front of me. I told him sure, but it'd cost him. He handed me a $5 bill! I certainly didn't turn it down, and I figured I could pinch up another minute or two. Easy money.

The run usually starts around 8 am or so, on a Sunday morning. Who in their right mind gets up early to run on a Sunday? At least 10,000 corporate Stooges, nyuk nyuk nyuk :>) I usually try to time it so I don't have to stand around too long, a few minutes of stretching, yawning, and farting. My lovely wife has always driven me and dropped me off so it's easy. What a woman!

They have a seeded runner section which always goes first. I've never been seeded, although I am getting a bit seedy. Then the rest of the 10K runners go (including my fat, slow ass), followed by the 2 mile walkers, strollers, kids, dogs and other assorted farm animals. I usually start out with a slow, loping limp and end up with a somewhat faster, hopping, pigeon toed hobble. People are weaving, jumping, dodging, tripping. You try to avoid ramming into the walkers that inevitable get mixed into the runner's start, and try to avoid tripping from the faster runners who step on the backs of your shoes. I always stop and get a cup of water at the 2 mile and 4 mile marks, and have always choked it down without puking. I try to keep a steady pace to keep ahead of the 80 year old runner who always inevitably passes me and makes me feel like a lumbering hippopotamus.

As I get toward the end I always try to focus on someone that's slower than I. Maybe that mom pushing that stroller with twins, or the octogenarian with the lower-leg prosthesis. It makes me feel great when I blaze past them, spitting and wheezing, one shoe untied. As I round the corner for that last sprint towards the finish, some flaxen haired youth usually flies past me no matter how hard I think I'm sprinting...I do it just to impress my wife who's standing on the sidelines, phone at the ready to call 911. Medic! I stumble and trip across the finish line, nearly taking out several race volunteers.

About a half-hour later, after I catch my breath my wife finds me and we go get our free breakfast of bananas, bagels, and donuts washed down with a gallon or so of water. Since my employer is right there downtown I hit the fitness center showers and we head for shopping, or home depending on whether I'm still ambulatory.

I get up the next morning, sore as all hell and hardly able to walk. I curse myself for not training enough for the run, and always question why I still do this every year.

Then next September rolls around, and there I am, standing at the start line. Glutton for punishment! -D

Romulus for Sale (no, it's not mine)

2009-09-17T23:31:00.003-05:00

I e-mailed Patrick today. I had to tell him about the 61cm Romulus for sale on the Riv website. I'm sure it won't stay there for long, but man...if only I had unlimited funds and unlimited space. Another bike? I'd be sleeping in the yard for sure!

On with the Bleriot Build! I rec'd an order from Velo Orange including a nice Brooks flyer special seat, crank, chain, bottom bracket, and other assorted bits. I installed the seat so I could sit on Bleriot for the first time, and notice I was reaching a bit farther than I'd expect. Come to find out, I'd ordered a 12cm stem, while my other two Rivs have 11cm stem. And yes, that centimeter makes a difference! Think I'll either sell or exchange the stem for a shorter one. In the meantime, I stopped at the LBS to order some chain half-links and a Surly Singleator for chain tensioning. Things are starting to shape up! -D

Some Days

2009-09-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

All I wanna do is sing and dance. -D

FOOTBALL, Bleriot, Winter Biking and Singletrack

2009-09-14T19:43:00.004-05:00

Yes, football season is upon us!

Right now, I'm watching the first of a doubleheader on MNF. Patriots and Bills. Not that I care much about how pro football comes out, the wife and I are big college football fans. Great games on Saturday, especially Notre Dame/Michigan.

The Cyclones didn't fare so well...it's hard to lose to Iowa at home. OU, however beat another ISU 64-0, so the weekend games weren't a total loss. Looking forward to most of the Big 12 games.

The build progresses. I put in an order with Velo Orange for most of the remainder of the parts I need (saddle, cranks, chain, brake levers, etc.) Still need to order the J-Tek shifter, but that's coming. I patiently wait for components to arrive.

Patrick sent me an e-mail saying he was getting his bike 'winterized'. He's setting up his Bomba for off-road action, and asked me if mustache bars were good for singletrack. I've never had mustache bars on any of my bikes, but I understand they're good for general on/some light off-road use. If anyone reading this blog has used or is currently using mustache bars let me know what you think.

-D

It appears to be rideable!

2009-09-08T20:02:00.005-05:00

I felt it coming on last week.

Sore throat, I knew there was a cold on the way. Sure enough, on a holiday weekend to boot. Plus, the weather was way nice for biking. But I made the best of it by loading up on cold medicine (the non-drowsy kind), and starting my rear wheel build.

No problems...in fact, this one really went together better than the front wheel. There was some tweaking but the wheel came out nice, round, and true in short order. There was also resting and consumption of fluids throughout the process...I didn't want to overdo. I also installed the Dia-Compe centerpulls, and checked out the cable routing for the Nexus shifter. I debated using the supplied twist shifter, attaching with a Hub-bub bar end extension, but most of the builds I saw using that solution zip tied the cable housing to the frame...not an elegant solution.

J-Tek engineering to the rescue! They make a Nexus bar end shifter...check it out here

You know you want one

I can route a shifter cable through one of the existing downtube shifter bosses using an STI cable stop, and I can cover the other one up. Problem solvers makes a screw on cover just for that purpose. Not inexpensive for sure, but certainly cleaner than zip-tying a cable to my frame.

Next...brake levers, crankset, bottom bracket, chain, pedals, and seat. Stay tuned! -D

P.S. Fortunately, I was well enough on Monday to ride Ramby a half-century :>)

Hey Patrick...

2009-08-29T22:21:00.005-05:00

...those Nitto Dirt Drop bars look really good on that Bleriot frame, don't they?? :>)

The rare and elusive bars made it, along with the headset, stem, and a few other assorted parts. Of course, I had to install them ASAP just to check them out. The headset installation was a bit more difficult than I'd imagined. The crown race would not install onto the steerer tube, no matter how hard I pounded. Usually, all it takes is a screwdriver and a few taps. Not this time. I ended up using some PVC tubing I'd used for shooting 4th of July bottle rockets a few years ago attempting to drive it on. My lovely wife was freaked out by the pounding and cursing noises emanating from the basement. "What the hell are you doing down there?"

Sweating my ass off.

I took some drywall sandpaper and tried to sand the mounting ring down on the steerer tube. Sand, sand, sand, sand, blister. Pound, pound, pound, pound, curse. Sweat some more. Pound some more. Sand, sand, sand, sand, bleed. $#%%^&&@@!!

It just wouldn't slip down over that last half inch of steerer tube.

Finally, I got out the heavy artillery. Yes, I pulled out the Dremel tool and stuck on a sanding drum. After about a minute of sanding around the circumference of the tube I tried again.

Pound. Whack! Pound. Pound. Hey! It looks like it's slipping on. Pound. Ouch! Pound. Pound. Success!

After a quick shower, I assembled the fork and stem to the headset tube and slipped the bar in place. Boy, those bars look nice!

BTW, I just recently placed another order with Riv for a few other 'hardware' items, including brake hangers, cables, a Mark's Rack, and a SaddleSack XS Special. It'll be great!

One last thing...ya gotta look at Patrick's kick ass Bombadil, loaded for bear...

-D

More Bumper Sticker Fun

2009-08-29T00:25:00.005-05:00

Inspired by my blogging buddy Gravelo, I found some bumper sticker wisdom...

Caution: I drive like you do!

Strangers have the best candy

Save the Earth, it's the only planet with Chocolate

No, I don't have PMS. I just really hate you.

My mind works like lightning, one brilliant flash and it's gone

I didn't ask to be a princess but if the crown fits...

I'm a cruel and heartless bitch but I’m damn good at it

I brake for scholars, priests, and no apparent reason

Stupidity is not a crime so you’re free to go

" I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth!"
" Watch out for the idiot behind me!"
Buckle up... it makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car
Learn from your parent’s mistakes use birth control.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
All men are idiots, and I married their king.
Friends help you move; real friends help you move the body.
Very funny Scotty; now beam down my clothes
Saw it, wanted it, threw a fit, Got It!!
Want to get laid? Crawl up a chicken's ass and wait!
Mothers with teenagers know why animals eat their young
We're not old people we're recycled teenagers!
IF THIS STICKER IS GETTING SMALLER, THE LIGHT IS PROBABLY GREEN
Eternity: Smoking or Non-Smoking?
I wasn't born a bitch; men like you made me that way.
I love to give homemade gifts, which one of my kids do you want
They didn't let me out, they just gave me a day pass!
(Front Bumper) If you can read this, I didn't hit you hard enough.
0-60 in 15 minutes!
100% Irony Free
100,000 Sperm And You Were The Fastest?
186,000 Miles/Second: It’s Not Just A Good Idea, It’s The Law!
3 kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can't.

A Day Without Sunshine Is Like, You Know, Night
A fool and his money are a girl's best friend.

A Waist Is A Terrible Thing To Mind
Abandon the search for Truth; settle for a good fantasy.
According to my best recollection, I don't remember.

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...
Beer: It’s Not Just For Breakfast Anymore.
Beer: The Reason I Get Up Each Afternoon

Conserve toilet paper - use both sides.
Conserve water - Shower with a friend
Constipated People Don't Give A Shit.

Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult
Clones are people 2

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
Do not play a leap frog with a unicorn.
Do not put a question mark where God put a period.
Do they ever shut up on your planet?

Don't Be Sexist - Bitches Hate That
Don't believe everything you hear or anything you say.
Don't believe everything you think.
Don't drink and park - accidents cause people.

Elvis Is Dead And I’m Not Feeling Too Good Myself
Energizer Bunny Arrested; Charged With Battery
Enjoy life it's not a dress rehearsal.
Entropy Isn’t What It Used To Be
Eschew Obfuscation
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
Every silver lining has a cloud.

Follow your dreams, except the one where you’re at school in your underwear.
For a small town, this one sure has a lot of assholes!
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
Forget World Peace. Visualize Using Your Turn Signal!
Friends don't let friends drive naked!!
Friends Help You Move. Real Friends Help You Move Bodies.

Give your child mental blocks for Christmas.
Go Braless! It will pull the wrinkles from your face.

Graduate Soon! Millions On Welfare Depend On You

God gave man a brain and a penis and only enough blood to operate one at a time.

Gravity- It’s not just a good idea, it's the LAW!
Grow Your Own Dope, Plant A Man
Growing old is inevitable...Growing up is optional.
Gun control is a steady hand.

Help Stamp Out And Eradicate Superfluous Redundancy
Help starve a feeding bureaucrat.
HELP, I AM LOST AND CANNOT FIND MY BEER!
Hey idiot- You're driving a car, not a phone booth
Hey man, you live in America now... speak Spanish!

Honk If You Love Peace And Quiet
Honk If You Want To See My Finger
Honk If You've Never Seen An Uzi Fired From A Car Window

I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To
I do work for food.
I Don’t Have To Be Dead To Donate My Organ
I Don’t Suffer From Insanity, I Enjoy Every Minute Of It

I DON'T DRINK IT DULLS THE DRUGS.
I don't drive fast I fly low.
I don't find it hard to meet expenses. They're everywhere.

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not too sure.

Kids in the backseat cause accidents.... accidents in the backseat cause kids.

Life is not a garden, so quit being a hoe!

Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
Love is grand. Divorce is a hundred grand.
LSD melts in your mind, not in your hands.

Microbiology Lab: Staph Only!
Minds are like parachutes--they only function when open.
Mirrors can't talk. Luckily for you they can't laugh either.
Mistakes are proof that you are trying.
Money Isn't Everything, But It Sure Keeps The Kids In Touch

My Kid Got Your Honor Roll Student Pregnant.
My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch.
My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I am right.
My other auto is a 9MM.
My other car is a piece of shit.
My other car sticker is funny.

Nothing Is Foolproof To A Sufficiently-Talented Fool
Nothing is illegal until you get caught.
Nothing is impossible to the person that doesn't have to do it.

Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check?
On The Other Hand, You Have Different Fingers
One more repo and I’ll be debt free!

Plagiarism is copying from one source; research is copying from two or more.

Practice safe government. Use kingdoms.
Pride is what we have. Vanity is what others have.
Proud mother of a delinquent child!
Pull my finger.

Reality is a figment of your imagination.
Reality is a nice place, but I wouldn't want to live there.
RECYCLE YOUR ANIMALS
Rehab is for quitters.
RELISH TODAY...KETCHUP TOMORROW

Santa’s Elves Are Just A Bunch Of Subordinate Clauses
Sarcasm helps keep you from telling people what you really think of them.
Save a tree, eat a beaver.
Save on gas, go fart in a jar.
Save the planet recycle an environmentalist.
Save the whales! Trade them for valuable prize

Smile and the world smiles with you, Fart and you stand alone.

Someday your prince will come. Mine got lost took a wrong turn and is too stubborn to ask for directions.

Sometimes I wake up grumpy; Other times I let her sleep!!

Squirrel...it's what's for dinner.

The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of the oncoming train.

The sky is always bluer at the top of the windshield.
The solution to a problem changes the nature of the problem.
The squeaky wheel is often replaced.
The world is coming to an end. Please log off.

This car is constipated: hasn't passed a thing all day!
This car is designed by computer, built by a robot, driven by a moron.
This car is protected by an anti-theft sticker!
This is not an abandoned car.
This is the rebel base.
This truck has been in 15 accidents...and hasn't lost one yet..
This vehicle insured by Smith and Wesson.

Unless You're A Hemorrhoid, STAY OFF MY ASS!

Was today really necessary?
WATCH OUT! COMING THROUGH!
We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.
We are having EVER so much fun!
We are Microsoft. Resistance Is Futile. You Will Be Assimilated.

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
What if the Hokey Pokey really is what its all about?
What If There Were No Hypothetical Questions?

WHAT WOULD SCOOBY DOO?

Where There’s A Will, I’m In The Way.
Where there's a will there's a BEER!
Where there's a will, I want to be in it!

Who died and made YOU Darth Vader?.
Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk?

Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
Why do they call it a bumper if you're not going to use it?

YES this is my truck, NO I won't help you move!.
Yes, As A Matter Of Fact, I Do Own The Whole Damn Road!

You Are Depriving Some Village Of Its Idiot
You are driving to close I can see your bald spot.

You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.
You are right where you belong, behind me!

YOU!! OUT OF THE GENE POOL!!

You’re Just Jealous Because The Voices Only Speak To Me
Your Child May Be An Honor Student, But You’re Still An Asshole
Your honor student deals the best drugs.

-D

Random Thoughts

2009-08-21T17:17:00.004-05:00

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can

think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can

tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly

involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you

realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to

have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and

sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're

going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to

be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the

direction from which you came, you have to first do something like

check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to

yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're

crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was

younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This

recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never

be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't

work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically

fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all

know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards

or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and

suddenly realize I had no idea what the f*** was going on when I

first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much; it actually

becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting

90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's

laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little

bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the

only one who really, really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than

take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear

your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to

finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the

spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else

to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and

hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron

test is absolutely petrifying.

My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads.

Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I

inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate

us." Classy, bro.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all

I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod

and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up

to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong,

brothers!

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and

instinctively swerved to avoid it....thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I

know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the

person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the

shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,

and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their

profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got

the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind

if I do!

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring

would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go

around and say their name and where they are from, I get so

incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this

shouldn't be a problem...

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work

when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything

productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't

want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are

going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me

if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I

swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this

ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people

watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will

they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't

watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and

leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China

and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain

that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?

Darnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and

goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the

phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not

seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she

hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light

internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle,

then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising

speed for pedophiles...

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still

not know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to

answer when they call.

I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I

find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from

the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do

to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car

keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on

the Donkey - but I'd bet my a$$ everyone can find and push the Snooze

button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first

time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would

happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the h*ll do I respond to that?

It really pi$$es me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and

the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pi$$ed off at the fact that everyone they

drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or

Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw

they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words,

someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think

about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people

eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating

by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat b@st@rd

before dinner.

Morning post-commute note to wife

2009-08-20T19:45:00.002-05:00

I'm having a heck of a time this morning...

I forgot my bike helmet, had to turn around to come back and get it. I wasn't too far away from home, at the top of the hill going towards the winery.
Lost a bungee cord, and my lunch sack fell off my bike. Luckily, the lunch sack fell off while I was going up the ramp into the parking garage, I heard it fall and immediately stopped to pick it up. The bungee was nowhere to be found, of course.
Went to eat my cereal this morning, got the milk out of the vending machine. Poured the milk on the cereal took a bite and yeeeesh! Sour milk.
We missed the Powerball. Someone in South Carolina won it.

By the way, it's my wife's birthday today. Happy Birthday! LLVE! -D

Front wheel, Dirt Drops, and crossed fingers

2009-08-17T17:55:00.004-05:00

It was a dark and stormy night. Most epic novels start like that :>)

Really, it was just a rainy Saturday. Actually, not all that rainy but I was planning on riding the Corporate Cycling Challenge on Sunday, so I took a rest day. What a great opportunity to start bringing a few bike parts together into meaningful assemblies. Since I very recently received a shipment of spokes and spoke nipples, wheels of course came naturally to mind.

The front wheel came together first. No big drama here, everything came together quite nicely. A bit of tweaking, and everything came into true...no muss, no fuss.

I didn't mislace or forget any spokes on this one. I've been known to do that from time to time. I double checked, just to be sure. Honest. I wasn't motivated enough to start the rear wheel, there's plenty of time for that.

However, some things just couldn't wait. I stumbled onto the Rivendell site Saturday and happened to notice a notice posted...someone found 50 Nitto DirtDrop handlebars sitting in a box hidden in a dusty warehouse corner. Nitto stopped producing these in 2004. I immediately placed an order for one of those bad boys along with some tires, tubes, headset and stem. As far as I know, I got the order in on time. I rec'd the order confirmation via e-mail, and when I checked today all 50 DirtDrop handlebars were sold out. I'm not at all surprised, and I won't be absolutely certain I have these bars until I'm holding them in my hot little hands. I'm sure Riv's shipping department will be more than busy packing and shipping them in the next few days.

They're gonna look really nice on the Bleriot. My fingers are crossed. :>)

-D

I'm not at the Movies

2009-08-15T08:44:00.001-05:00

Why don't I go to movies as often as I used to? I was looking at some local movie showtimes and this is all I came up with...

• Bandslam NEW! Some kind a band contest. I've been to high school band contests. Not exciting.
• 1 hr. 51 min.
1:20
4:20
7:05
9:35

· District 9 NEW! Sci Fi, aliens, that kinda stuff. Aliens come to Earth and get stuck here. I think their GPS quit working. We are tired of them hanging around because they ate all our potato chips. R • 1 hr. 53 min.
12:30
1:15
3:30
4:15
6:30
7:10
9:05
9:50

· The Time Traveler's Wife NEW! Chick Flick Alert! She's a wife. Of a Time Traveler. Who has a time machine, and uses it to travel through time. He didn't help do the dishes or the laundry before he left and boy is she pissed! PG-13 • 1 hr. 48 min.
1:25
4:00
7:00
9:30

· G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra NEW! I dig a real American hero...G.I. JOE!!! but the movie sounds like a pile of crap to me. Maybe would go IF they were handing out free Joe action figures. It'd give me something to when I got bored watching the film. PG-13 • 1 hr. 58 min.
12:30
1:30
3:15
4:15
6:30
7:15
9:05
9:55

·Julie & Julia NEW! Chick Flick 2 Alert! Alert! Woman obsesses over Julia Child, tries to cook all 10 million of her recipes. Husband/boyfriend/Lesbian lover has to eat them. Might be funny, though.PG-13 • 2 hr. 3 min.
12:35
1:30
3:15
4:10
6:00
7:15
8:45
9:55

· A Perfect Getaway NEW! Horror/Thriller set in Maui. I wanna have fun in Maui, not get dismembered there. NOT! R • 1 hr. 38 min.
12:40
2:55
5:15
7:45
9:55

· Aliens in the Attic Is this animated? Sci fi? Kid stuff? If they're living in the attic, where do they go to the bathroom? Nuh-uh PG • 1 hr. 26 min.
1:00
3:00
5:00
7:00

· Funny People Has Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan. Rogan farts and Sandler recites fart jokes. Could be really stupid funny, or just stupid. R • 2 hr. 16 min.
12:35
3:30
6:30
9:30

· G-Force in Disney Digital 3D Animated story about armed rodents. Huh?? PG • 1 hr. 30 min.
1:30
3:30
5:30
7:30
9:30

· The Ugly Truth Chick Flick 3 Alert! Alert! Alert! Woman, brain and heart. Man, pee-pee and balls. Everyone knows this. R • 1 hr. 35 min.
1:00
3:15
5:25
7:35
9:45

· Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry graduates from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Gets a job, gets hitched, buys a house in the 'burbs, has a couple of kids. Worries about his golf game and his receding hairline. Wait for the DVD. PG • 2 hr. 33 min.
12:35
3:35
6:40
9:45

· Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen I am Optimus Prime. I am a big ass robot. I am here to save you, while spewing really corny dialogue. PG-13 • 2 hr. 30 min.
9:00

· The Proposal Chick Flick FOUR ALERT x 4!!! Guy hates girl. Girl hates guy, but in the end they are naked and get stuck together anyway. Formulaic. PG-13 • 1 hr. 47 min.
1:30
4:45
7:10
10:00

· The Hangover Funny as hell, but we already saw it. R • 1 hr. 40 min.

-D

Chasing Tandems

2009-08-12T20:35:00.004-05:00

I shouldn't ride bikes with rear-view mirrors.

Tuesday, I pulled the Quickie Blue Fixie out of the mix. Yeah, it's my 'winter' bike but it looked so lonely leaning up against the wall, well, I just thought it needed a bit of bike love.

While heading down the Lake Manawa trail commuting home from work, I met a tandem at the South Omaha bridge road trail. A fit woman and man stoker, experienced-looking cyclists. I passed them as they were merging onto the Lake Manawa trail.

I just had a feeling. Nice flat trail, zero headwind. I figured they'd be closing the gap quickly once they gained momentum. Sure enough, I saw them in the rear view, coming up on my left.

I felt that old Neanderthal eyebrow growing across my forehead. Me not let you pass caveman Grok! I jumped on the pedals and surged ahead. Of course, it was a short-lived victory. It took them a short time to gain speed and momentum, and soon they coasted past me on my left. Did he say 'on your left?' or 'you are left behind, loser?'. Nuh-uh!

I wasn't gonna be dropped. No way. I furiously pedaled away, and managed to maintain a steady gap between myself and the tandem. It was going to be difficult...no hills where I might be able to gain an advantage. They had to slow to turn for a bridge and I managed to gain a bit there, but they sped away as they circled around the lake. I mashed the pedals and spun furiously, legs and lungs burning.

As I was going into the home stretch, I seemed to be gaining. I kept at it, and since there are a few sharp turns and rolling hills in that final part of the run they lost some of their momentum. I pulled closer, closer, until I was closing on their back tire...still pumping away furiously, sweating, panting, cursing (quietly, inside).

I never did pass them...I really didn't intend to. I really wasn't interested in being first, I just didn't want to be left in the dust. I imagine these people were thinking 'what the heck is up with that ding-dong?' I don't know. The thrill of the chase? Competition? Maybe I just don't like to be passed. Old man can still pedal a bike. -D

Progress Report

2009-08-09T16:33:00.003-05:00

Since I'm calling the blog "My Bleriot Build", I suppose I should write a bit about that particular subject.

As I've mentioned, this one is going to progress slowly. There are just too many nice bike riding days and too much going on during the weekends, to find much time to spend on bike tinkering. I'm afraid if I get started, I'll get focused on bike building and miss out on some good riding and other fun stuff.

I finally received the Shimano Nexus hub from Bikeman. I had to wait a while for that one, because they were out of stock and I had to order a substitute. I ended up with the higher quality 'Redband' hub, though it cost me about $30 more. Since the Bleriot has vertical dropouts I got the special vertical anti-rotation washers, and I'll also have to order a chain tensioner. I'm considering the Surly Singleator.

I've had the generator hub for some time. I ordered that from Harris Cyclery, along with the headlight and a few other related bits. A couple of weeks ago, I pulled out my trusty calipers and made the measurements necessary to make the calculations for spoke length. I calculated the spoke lengths for the Nexus hub some time ago, since Sheldon's website contained a complete dimensional layout. The order went in to Lickbike, and I received the spokes just two days ago. Does this mean I can actually start building my wheels? Yes!

-D

My Fellow Iowans

2009-08-08T20:38:00.005-05:00

Interesting August 6 Dave Moulton post:

http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/blog/2009/8/6/guns-are-not-a-safety-issue-bikes-are.html

And yes, I commented. I will be riding farm to market roads until my legs fall off, and I don't care how many signatures the 'Citizens for Safety Coalition' put on their petition.

Petitioners: Please let me know which roads you live on, so my cyclist friends and I can exercise our rights to utilize the public roads by riding them. We'll figure out who you are. Most likely, it will be the drivers that honk and/or yell and/or flip us off. Go ahead. We'll do what we normally do to rude drivers: smile and politely wave back!

-D

RAGBRAI 2009 Photos

2009-07-31T09:04:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd get these out here for your perusal. I have a few more stored on my cell phone that aren't yet here...so more to follow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35636425@N04/

Enjoy! - D

Where the heck am I?

2009-07-27T21:43:00.002-05:00

Jeez. Been so busy I forgot to write.

Well, this will be a quick update. I swear, I'll write more later. There are so many things I want to put in my blog, and so little time lately. I feel I've been neglecting my reader(s), and I feel a bit bad. No worries, though.

RAGBRAI was great, and a good time was had by all. I rode Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. My wife surprised me by offering (tentatively) to sag next year. It would be great! She even offered to sag all week (yowza!) but I'm not sure how we'd hold up camping for six days. Maybe we start out slow, hm?

I'm still working on the Bleriot, ever so slowly. I finally got around to ordering the Shimano Nexus hub from Bikeman, come to find out they are out of stock. They have the premium hub for another thirty bucks, so I figured why the hell not. Hopefully they'll get my e-mail, since it's been messed up for the past few weeks. They have been having technical problems, but folks have been getting messages returned with 'recipient e-mail full'. I've been doing some electronic purging, hopefully that will get the message flowing again.

I've been swamped at work, which is a double-edged sword. Swamped, bad...job security, good. I'll just roll with it for now.

Still trying to sell my house in Minden. We dropped the price, and got zero response. I feel like we're trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos here. I'm sure if my house was a foreclosure (read: significantly under the fair market value), it'd be gone in a week. Vultures.

I have RAGBRAI pics and stories, I swear they will come later. Even though I look calm on the surface, I'm paddling like mad! -D

RAGBRAI 'round the corner!

2009-07-17T20:33:00.002-05:00

Sunday marks the first day of RAGBRAI!

I'll be riding Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. We will be starting at the Gene Leahy Mall in downtown Omaha, riding over the pedestrian bridge around Lake Manawa to the trailhead. Since this is my commute route, it's somewhat familar to me.

I made a list last year of the stuff I should be taking along. It may be somewhat informative, or amusing depending on your point of view.

flashlight lightsticks batteries koozie band-aids ibuprofen towel bike shorts bike shirts handkerchiefs headwraps gloves butt cream sunscreen trash bags TP ziplock bags bug stuff chair bars CASH +$150 shorts sleep wear t-shirts hat keens underwear tubes CO2 patch kit minitools multitool jacket rain jacket cell phone charger cell phone RAGBRAI wristbands water bottles pillow eyedrops toiletries moist wipes contact solution extra contacts glasses prescription sunglasses bike shoes socks IBU profen cream RAGBRAI materials and maps store list D-cell batteries Cash/ID ice food (bars, jerky,etc) flip-flops earplugs bike light plastic tarp bungee cords

It's a wonder there will be room enough in the RV to haul all this stuff. I have to explain a few of these items. Some are no-brainers...yes, definitely bring TP, along with moist wipes. Butt cream, necessary. Last year, rider Fred wore boxer shorts under his bike shorts and severely chapped his ass. We spent at least an hour looking for chamois cream so he could continue the ride. Store list? I have no idea. Earplugs, well...you never know when the couple in the tent next door will decide to fornicate, loudly. Note I've mentioned CASH several times. It's amazing how fast it disappears on RAGBRAI (so much pie, so little time). Painkillers and food? Necessary. Lightsticks? Well, they're just so fun to play with. Beer isn't on the list, but it certainly is implied. I didn't break anything last year, but I'm bringing a full complement of tools, patch kit, and tubes and inflation devices. You just never know.

This trip we are tenting it. Although we have an RV hauling the gear, we are sleeping outside. I pulled the ole 'Ozark Trail' Walmart special last week and the wife and I set it up to seam seal it and just generally check it out. It's one of those family size tents with the external tent poles. Both of us struggled with it and finally managed to get the damn thing up. It's a few years old, last time I had it out it leaked, and it just generally looked (and smelled) rough. My lovely wife, whom is also quite wise, casually mentioned that it might be a good idea to procure a new tent. After much deliberation, I decided to pick up a 3-man lightweight Eureka dome tent. Set up is a snap, and it fits into a nice compact package. It should do the trick, and quite nicely.

Did I forget anything? Guess I'll find out Sunday night :>) -D

Death Ride 2009

2009-07-09T21:43:00.004-05:00

http://www.gtdri.blogspot.com/

Oh yeah, this is definitely under consideration for next year. The 29'er would be great for this. I learnt of this from my old blogging buddy Gravelo, who unfortunately can't make it for RAGBRAI this year. He happened to mention something about doing Guitar Ted's Death Ride, and I immediately imagined the Motor City Madman astride some kind of flamed-out, super-macho, super-lugged monster tired mountain bike with antler handlebars, guns a-blazin', Gibson Byrdland a-wailin' I got you in a stranglehold bay bayyyy....

Rides down loose gravel and B-level minimum maintenance roads? Yeah, that's an adventure ride in itself. And any page that links to Guns America, the NRA, and SPAM?? KICK - ASS.

Now this looks like a good time!

-D

Random acts of volunteerism

2009-07-09T14:42:00.002-05:00

I got asked to volunteer again. While I was locking my bike up in the parking garage. Really.

So there I was, locking my bike to the bike rack in the parking garage and this lady walks up to me. Introduces herself as 'Susie' and hands me this postcard. It's for the Omaha Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 10K, September 27, 2009.

Jeez, I'm too big and fat for a marathon runner.

Turns out they need volunteers, and they want bike riders to ride along and escort the runners. Since Susie saw me dressed in bike clothes, with a bike helmet locking a bike in a bike rack, she assumed correctly :>). Susie asked me to go out to the website and drop her a line if I was interested.

It also happens that Susie is the marathon race director, and works for UP. So I went ahead and sent her an e-mail, asking for more info.

I figure if she's the Race Director of the Omaha Marathon, she might also be fairly high up at UP as well. Doesn't hurt to make contacts :>)

Commuter Challenge

2009-06-29T19:25:00.003-05:00

So far, so good with the Activate Omaha Bicycle Commuter Challenge.

Since May 16th I have 15 trips logged, for a total of 405 miles. I've been trying to get at least two days a week in, three when I can squeeze it in.

An advantage to signing up for this program: my employer provides 'full size' lockers in our fitness center for commuter challenge participants. I can load up with clothes for the week, drive in on Monday to swap dirty for clean, and I'm ready for the remainder of the week. I don't have to haul clothes in the Carradice bag, which means I can ride other bikes not set up with my bag mount. The Schwinns have been getting a good workout lately...I've been riding the Tempo and the LeTour into work. I think I even rode Juicy in one day.

Riding in warmer weather has other advantages besides not freezing your hands, face, feet, and nuts off. No layers of clothes to wear, just put on the cycling shorts and a t-shirt. Less to wear, carry, or pack, thus less to hassle with. No ice or snow to slip, slide, and crash on. The trips seem to go faster. Fewer strange looks and comments from fellow employees: "You rode your bike today? It's February and it's below freezing!" More comments like "It's 90 degrees out and you rode your bike?" So I drink extra water on those days. And we have a fitness center with showers! :>)

Yeah, you don't know what you're missing.

-D

Squeaks and Creaks

2009-06-26T23:27:00.003-05:00

Rode the LeTour to work this morning.

As I was tooling down the Lake Manawa trail, I noticed a squeak while I was pedaling. When I stopped pedaling, the squeak went away.

Of course, when you hear a noise while biking, you immediately begin to diagnose the problem. Where the heck is that noise coming from? Seat? Handlebars? Bottom bracket? Hitchhiker mouse?

On the ride home, the noise seemed even louder. Okay, now I'm going to have to figure this out. I threw the bike up on the stand and started cranking. I immediately ruled out the bottom bracket, the sound definitely wasn't coming from that area. It sounded like it was coming from the rear derailleur, so I immediately assumed jockey wheels.

So the derailleur came off, the jockey wheels came apart. Into the sink they went, with a bit of degreaser to clean them up. I greased the bushings and shafts, smeared a bit of grease around the perimeter of the wheel and put the whole mess back together. During this process I noticed the cable ferrule into the derailleur was broken and I just happened to have one in my random pile of bike parts. Replaced, cleaned up, reassembled and back on the bike. I cranked the pedals.

Squeak squeak damn! (Bike, Bike, me)

Okay, where is this noise coming from? I spent the last hour or so fiddling with this thing, and I was sure it was coming from the rear derailleur. I know I lubed the freewheel, but it only squeaked when I pedaled, not during coasting. I grabbed the chain and flexed it.

Squeak! Drier than a popcorn fart.

I lubed the chain thoroughly. After two good squirts of Pedro's Dry Lube, the squeaking magically disappeared.

Note to self: check the most obvious stuff first. D'oh!

-D

I see hits...

2009-06-24T23:01:00.003-05:00

Hey!

I see more hits on my site...now I'm not sure if it's humans or search engines, but if you happen to stumble in don't be afraid to drop a quick, friendly word or two in the comment box, even if it's just to say hello. Hi neighbor!

-D

A few good parts

2009-06-23T22:13:00.002-05:00

Found a box on my doorstep today!

A few components from my Rivendell partners in crime :>). Two nice Velocity 650B rims, a Nitto seat post, and some Dia Compe centerpull brakes. The seat post went into the seat tube right away. I was somewhat paranoid about leaving the seat lug unprotected...I was either going to accidentally bend the seat lug point or drive it into my palm. This way, I'll feel a bit more secure handling my frame.

Next on the agenda, I need to get my Nexus 8 hub for the rear wheel and calculate some spoke lengths. Lickton's will probably be my spoke source, as they sell spokes in bundles of 36. I'd like to have a few extra though, just in case. My LBS might be able to help me out there, or maybe I can order the spokes directly from them if the price is reasonable.

As I said, I'm in no great hurry. Lots of great bikes for me to ride this summer! The wheels will be the first major component I assemble and the rest will fall into place naturally.

My wife went for a ride with me last Saturday! Hurrah! The Giant Hybrid doesn't get out much, and she mentioned something about 'possibly thinking about going for a ride'. That was my cue. The bike came down from the rack, chain cleaning, lubing, tire inflation, and various and sundry adjustments occurred. Saturday morning I loaded the bikes into the truck and we headed for the trailhead and the pedestrian bridge.

Jenny has usually ridden the Wabash with me to Mineola. This was a different experience for her, the route here is relatively flat and paved. It was easier for her to pedal and there were no big hills for her to climb. Dodge Park Golf Course and the clubhouse (Riverside Grill) is close to the pedestrian bridge and directly adjacent to the Lake Manawa trail. We had a very nice lunch, headed to the ped bridge and then went back. She told me she had a great time, and she liked this ride much better than our Wabash trips. I take that as 'I want to ride my bike more with you' and I'm glad! I'm definitely going to try to make leisurely rides with the wife a more frequent occurrence.

-D

Just enough is almost just enough

2009-06-21T00:54:00.002-05:00

Took the QB out for a spin today.

A quick 40-miler :>). I run a bit longer on this usual route but unfortunately...I flatted.

This happens. You just have to take it in stride. Last year, the QB flatted on the MS150 ride but I managed to finally get the tube changed and back on the road. The QB is fully fendered, and with horizontal dropouts I ended up removing the entire rear fender, fixed the tire, then replaced the entire fender. Yeek.

This time I flatted on the rear, again, just about halfway through the ride. It was a slow leak, because I noticed the bike gradually getting squirrelly. I wasn't looking forward having to remove the entire rear fender but I resigned myself to this arduous task.

I pulled off the road into a field driveway (we callem 'gateholes' here in Ioway), flipped the bike upside down and commenced to loosen the rear wheel and remove the chain. As I pulled the rear wheel back in the dropouts, of course the wheel stopped just maddeningly a half inch or so before the dropout opening...pushed up against the fender of course.

Wait a minute. SKS fender mounts are basically stainless steel wires passing through a piece of hardware consisting of a nut threaded to a small shaft with a hole drilled perpendicular to the shaft. Loosening the nut allows one to position the fender closer or farther away from the wheel. Maaaybe if I loosed the mounting nuts and moved the fender out, I could get enough room to get the axle to fall out of the dropouts.

Eureka! Pushing the fender out that extra half-inch or so did the trick. I got the wheel off, tube out and began to inspect the tire. What the heck poked a hole in my tire?

Since my Speedblends are tan on the inside, it was easy to see a small black mark near the centerline of the tire. Running my finger over it revealed a small, sharp object. It didn't seem like a nail, just a small diameter sharp piece of wire. This might be a challenge to remove. However, one thing I always carry in my repair kit is a Leatherman tool. This tool includes a needlenose pliers, and every farm boy knows you can repair almost anything with a good pair of pliers. It was just good enough to grab the end of the wire and pull it free.

The tube I carry with me was a bit small (700c 20-28) and I was running 700c-35 tires, but it was just good enough to work. Oh crap, no compact pump. I left it in my Carradice bag. However, in my small kit I carry a CO2 inflator and two 16 g CO2 cartidges. It was just enough to air up the fatter 35mm tire and get me on my way.

On the road again. I got about 3 miles from home when I noticed the bike getting squirrelly again. Damn! I pulled out the CO2 inflator and pumped what was left of the last cartridge into my sagging tire. Maybe it would get me home, maybe not. Not!

Only a couple of miles from home, flat rear tire and no air. I pulled my last resort tool from my bag of tricks.

The cell phone.

Yeah, it was time to bite the bullet, swallow my pride and call the wife. Yes, she was home and it only took her a few minutes to run out and pick me up.

Okay, so what about the tire? I pulled the tire apart after I got the bike home, but didn't find anything else sticking out from the inside of the tire. I stuck the tire in my sink to find the source of the leak, and found it was coming from the same area I pulled the wire from. But there was no wire...but there was a slightly elongated hole. I theorized as I rolled down the road the hole expanded as the tire rolled over the ground and closed as it passed, opening and closing the small hole and pinching the tube. My solution? Use my small patch kit which contained a patch 'just large enough' to cover the hole left by the wire.

We'll see if it works. -D

Gone over to the other side

2009-06-15T22:31:00.003-05:00

The posts have been a bit scarce, as of late.

I have a lot to blog about, but time has been short. Lots going on at work, great weather for biking, and so on. I like to get as much time in the saddle as I can. RAGBRAI is coming up, and I'm trying to ride to work as much as possible for our Commuter Challenge at work.

Oh, and I've gone over to the other side. Let me explain this statement.

For years and years and years, I've been a PC guy. Since the budding days of DOS, 8 inch floppy drives, 5.25" 256K floppies (dual sided!) the magical IBM PC with the 10mb hard drive, the Intel 286, 386, 486 processor series, I could go on but I'd sound extra nerdy.

My gosh, I've even programmed Fortran with 80 column punch cards! Punched on an NCR machine!

You know where I'm going with this, don't you? Yes, I purchased a Mac Mini and I'm writing this blog post on it. I've owned several iPods, and I've always liked them. And my slow, aging, leftover, patched together, homebuilt (yes, I put this stuff together myself!) archaic PC equipment just wasn't cutting it anymore.

I've just powered up this evening, and I was up and running in no time. So far, so good. I still have three PC's at home, one desktop running XP (the one I'm replacing), one desktop running Windows 98 (once I get my data off this one it's retired), and an old boat anchor Toshiba Satellite laptop. The laptop will be next to go, if it doesn't crap out first. I'm waiting to see what Windows 7 has to offer...maybe I'll go PC with a laptop 'cause it's gobs cheaper.

Definitely doing the dual OS on this machine. I purchased VM Ware so I can run Windows XP concurrently with Mac OS X. Should be xtra cool!

-Mac D :>)

MS150 Ride - Nebraska

2009-06-03T21:28:00.003-05:00

Rode the MS150 from Omaha to Lincoln and back last weekend. I did the century ride on the first day, and rode the 66 mile route back on the second.

I rode the Ramby on this trip. Needless to say, the bike ran perfectly.

I've been riding the MS150 for the past three or four years, and I'd have to say it's one of the best supported organized rides I've been on. Water and food stops every 10 miles or so, police and volunteer escorts, bike shop and sag service. Besides that, it supports a great cause!

The weather was great in the morning both Saturday and Sunday, though the wind picked up in the afternoon. We managed to make it back on Sunday before a storm front blew through. I was a bit tired the next day, but I think my commute schedule has helped maintain my general level of bike fitness.

RAGBRAI is in six or seven weeks. Our RAGBRAI team, aptly named 'Lost In Iowa' has been meeting and we are putting together logistics. As it stands, we won't be renting an RV for our group so we will put our gear on a SAG (an acquaintance taking an RV with no extra beds but extra storage space), and we'll be tenting it. We have a southern route this year and it looks to be hilly, but our group will only be riding the first three days.

Looking forward to new bike adventures! - D

Juicy Singletrack

2009-05-24T21:11:00.009-05:00

Taking advantage of the decent weather and Memorial Day weekend, I took the Juice out for a ride on the Wabash trail.

Of course, being a 29'er mountain bike, it immediately gravitated to the singletrack horse trails paralleling the main trail. Since I'd never been on these trails (they're just a bit too technical for the Quickbeam), I took it easy...for a while.

The Wabash initially starts out flat and fast, for the first mile or two. The single track is also fairly flat and more easily navigable on that portion of the trail. I cranked my speed up a couple of notches and had a big bunch of fun bombing down those portions of the trail. I had no idea what was coming next.

However, after the first mile or two the grade increases, along with the technical trail difficulty. Did I mention I had my Schwalbe Big Apples mounted? Great for the rail trail, not so good on the the steeper portions of the singletrack. I'd get up a good head of steam, then hit a decently steep hill and spin out. I ended up walking the bike up a good portion of hills I might have been able to climb if I had my Panaracer all terrains mounted.

There were several areas where I'd have a narrow trail, a steep drop off immediately to one side, and a barbed wire fence on the other. Throw a few loose rocks, stumps, low hanging branches, roots, bark and adjacent trees in there and things begin to get a bit challenging. There are several bridges over creeks where the trail would actually take me down under the bridge and over a narrow footbridge. Some of the approaches were, say, closer to the vertical than the horizontal...if you catch my drift. I ended up getting off the bike and walking one or two of these, and felt fortunate I didn't end up on my ass in the creek. No way I was going to even attempt to ride through, especially with smooth tires.

I ended up riding a pretty good portion of the Lewis Central trailhead to Mineola run on the singletrack, hopped back onto the rail trail for the rest, and rode the rail trail all the way back to the trailhead. I didn't want to be out there until midnight!

These pics don't do the more technical parts of the singletrack justice, but it'll give you some idea. I took a shot of Juicy prior to walking it up the hill behind...you had to be there to appreciate the steepness.

Great ride, but not set up for serious climbing or descending.

To the left of the bike and the trees is the rail trail, a nice steep 20ft drop down. Track straight!

To the left, down...

To the right, barbed wire fence...

Under one of the rail trail bridges

One of the wider footbridges I had to cross...several were just a couple of planks laying across the creek

-Dwight

A bit here, a piece there...

2009-05-21T20:40:00.002-05:00

Put in an order with Harris Cyclery for a few parts:

1- Shimano 3N72 dynamo hub 36 hole
1-Busch & Müller Lumotec 170NDi Headlight with Standlight for Hub Generators
1-Busch & Müller Lumotec Handlebar clamp -Long
2-Paul Components Gino Light Mount
1-Lumotec Replacement bulbs, 2.4 w
1-Busch & Müller Lumotec 3 W Replacement Bulb

Can you kinda sorta see where this build is going?

I looked at Schmidt SON dynohubs, but one hub would have cost more than this entire pile of parts. The only disadvantage is that I can't run two headlights with the Shimano hub. And the SON hub is sure nice and shiny...I'm sure it's the bees knees of dynohubs but for nearly 3 times the price of the Shimano? I'm a bit more pragmatic than flashy.

I'm certainly looking forward to the long weekend, and a couple of nice rides on several nice bikes. :>)

-Dwight

Hello Bleriot!

2009-05-18T20:39:00.010-05:00

After a bit of drama (FedEx, again!), the Bleriot frame has arrived. Apparently, FedEx doesn't understand the meaning of 'hold package'. However, an understanding wife and a bit of patience managed to save the day!

Basically, I camped out in the FedEx terminal until the truck returned from its run. Apparently, even though I'd called to place a hold on my package so I could pick it up after work, FedEx decided to leave it on the truck and ship it anyway. So when I got to the terminal for pickup, the truck was still out. If you've been reading my blog, you'll remember the exact same thing happened with my Ramby. My lovely wife suggested going out to dinner and returning later, and when we returned an hour later the truck was still out. I decided to wait in the terminal, the package finally arriving after a half-hour wait.

Did I mind waiting? Check this out...

Nice, huh? This might look a bit more like a bike frame...

A bit fuzzy, but this next pic is more in focus

Oh yeah, now that's the ticket! A nice silver, pewterish color. Beautiful frame!

A headbadge and a foot. That's not my foot by the way...the toes are too pretty

The downtube decal

And the seat tube decal!

-Dwight

The Bleriot is close...

2009-05-17T09:02:00.002-05:00

Just looked at FedEx tracking and saw my Bleriot frame is in Council Bluffs! I called FedEx to have them hold it at the terminal so I can pick the frame up tomorrow.

I've decided to go with an internal gear hub on this build. Since this frame has vertical drop outs I'll have to use a chain tensioner, but it's no big deal. Being a randonneur style build I'm going to use a dynamo hub in front as well, and a front rack with mounted headlight. Fenders for sure, and I've been lusting over hammered Honjos. I know they're not cheap, but they're beautiful and I can't resist bike jewelry!

I've joined our Corporate Commuter Challenge at work. So far this week, I've put in 81 commute miles (3 trips). The challenge ends mid-August, and my personal goal is 1000 total miles of riding. I figured that equates to about 2.5 trips per week between now and then...doable. I had to work yesterday :>( but it gave me a chance to ride :>) and since I hadn't ridden the Double Cross in some time I took it out. Nothing against the Quickie Blue Fixie, but I should remember to use this bike on commutes more often!

- D

Fenders Required!

2009-05-12T20:45:00.003-05:00

Why am I posting twice in one day?

I saw this on BikeSnob NYC's blog and shamelssly ripped it off...

My sentiments exactly!

-D

Bike to Work Week and adding to the stable..!

2009-05-12T17:52:00.003-05:00

My blogging buddy Gravelo has been riding multiple bikes to work!

I'm not nearly that ambitious, but I did ride the Quickie Blue Fixie to work Monday. Unfortunately, the rain put the kibosh on my ride today. I know, I know...but I'm not THAT hardcore. Hopefully, I can pull off a ride tomorrow and maybe Thursday.

BTW, I picked up a pristine custom 61cm Bleriot frame on E-bay Sunday night :>) Oh, happy happy joy joy! Pretty excited because I've always wanted to do a 650B bike and here's my chance. I bought my Schwinns with the idea of converting one of them but they worked so well the way they were I just couldn't bring myself to tear them apart.

This will be Rivendell #3. Yesssss! (virtual fist pump)

This bike will be different, and I'm already formulating ideas on components and what I want to do with it. Definitely a randonneur style build, for sure. And I'll be taking my time, since it's not a winter project and I have plenty of other bikes to ride. Expect fat tires, and fenders :>)

So, at least temporarily, I'll be calling this blog "My Bleriot Build"

-Dwight

The power of approximation

2009-05-06T19:03:00.003-05:00

It's funny how you can make something mundane sound impressive by simply stretching the truth a bit. Not really a lie, but an exaggeration. And maybe not really an exaggeration at all, but simply a rounding or approximation.

As an example, I'll pass on a recent work 'watercooler' conversation I overheard.

Man1: So, did you bike to work this morning?
Man2: (Dressed in cycling gear) Ummmm, yeah...
Man1: Do you bike to work much?
Man2: Only on Friday, sometimes when the weather's nice.
Man1: So how far do you commute?
Man2: 20 miles, one way
Man1: Does it take long?
Man2: Oh, takes me about an hour.

This made me think about my commute. Total distance from the trailhead to my work is about 13.5 miles. I usually get to the trailhead a bit after 6 a.m., by the time I get the bike unloaded, bags on bike, and geared up I'm probably off by 6:10 or so. I crank out my ride, get to the parking garage, lock up the bike, unload my stuff and carry it to the gym. It's around 7:30 at that point. So taking into account gearing up, loading, unloading, and walking to the fitness center I'd say actual riding time takes 'about an hour'.

If I round mileage up, I could say my ride is 14 or even 15 miles. Or I could round time down and say my ride takes 50 minutes or so. Even then, I'm still only riding a 15 m.p.h. pace at best, fully loaded. So when I hear 'Man 2' telling his pal about his 20 m.p.h commuting pace it makes me wonder:

-Which direction was he coming from?
-Did he have a tailwind?
-Is his work commute all downhill?
-Are there no stop lights or stop signs? No crosswalks? No traffic?
-Was he towed? Did he hitch a ride part of the way?
-Does he have an electric motor assist on his bike? Gasoline engine? His 'bike' is really a Moped?
-Huge thighs and quads? Massive 53 x 11 gear? Low rolling resistance tires? Aero bars?

I mean, it's not inconceivable a casual cyclist could run a 20 m.p.h average into work. Let's see, yeeeah, I ride all the way from my house to Omaha every day. Yeeeaah, that's about 35 miles or so and yeeeeah, I can do this all in about an hour and a half..including my shower. Yeeeah, that's the ticket!

Sounds impressive, doesn't it? All it takes is a bit of approximation :>)

-D

Ride Report: Just toolin' around

2009-05-02T21:15:00.004-05:00

Jeez, I think I've blogged about nearly every route I've ridden around here.

It was a super nice day today. Sunny, 60's, low wind. The Quickie Blue Fixie has been getting the vast majority of ride time, since I nearly exclusively use it for my 'partial' commute, and early spring weather here has been cold, wet and generally crappy for the most part.

Time to break out the Quickbeam. It's been still for quite some time, since I didn't want to drag it out into the weather and I'm certainly not ready to use it for commuter trips. Pumped up the tires, and out the door!

Today it was North through Persia (gateway to the Loess Hills) and Porstmouth, east on 44 towards Harlan, turn South on county road through Tennant (favorite wide spot in the road), Shelby, then back West towards Minden. The run is flat through Portsmouth, the rest is rolling hills. Of course I detour on the Old Stone Arch Trail through Shelby, which is a nice diversion and I always stop at the end where I cross over a trestle bridge into a picnic area...good place to stop, rest, water up, and water the grass :>)

I did take a couple of pics of the Quickbeam, the bridge, etc. It's not like you haven't seen them before, plus I'm feeling a bit lazy and I haven't downloaded them off my phone. I did send them via airwaves and cell phone tower to my wife and daughter...hey guys, wish you were here. My kid always tells me "Nice bike, Dad!"

A few more horns than usual. Probably because it was a nice day, busier Saturday traffic as opposed to Sunday, and maybe I was moving a bit slower than usual. Most times, I do a pretty good job of pacing the traffic at highway speeds :>) I always give honking drivers a big wave, and yes, I use all my fingers. Hah!

Got a bit of sun today, on my face and legs. Starting to work on that biker tan. You know, face, neck, arms from the wrists (riding gloves, you know) up to the sleeve, legs below the shorts and above the socks.

I've been trying to commute at least a couple of times a week. I'm usually on the trail all by myself in the morning. I've seen maybe one or two other bikes on the trail, more runners in the morning than bikers and usually across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Me and QBF are really familar now, still a great commuter bike...reliable, steady, no surprises.

Best to take advantage of the weather whilst it's nice. Get out and ride!

And now, for a brief musical interlude...

http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?&next_url=/watch%3Fv%3D68Ze1ZcqnO0

-D

Spock Sings!

2009-04-30T19:16:00.002-05:00

I am not a Trekkie!

OK, so I own the original Star Trek boxed DVD set, and I've watched all those original episodes at least 100 times. There's just something about the 'campyness' of that entire series that intrigues me.

A couple of years ago, I was listening to online radio... icebergradio.com to be precise. They had a novelty genre, a.k.a. extremely bad music. I listened to stuff like 'MacArthur Park' and Dolly Parton singing 'Stairway To Heaven', various William Shatner songs and recitations...and Leonard Nimoy singing 'Proud Mary'. It was gawd awful.

It's funny how these random bits pop into your head. Some bitter, bitter dregs of work sparked memories of a Spock ballad which was belted out in an early Star Trek episode (Plato's Stepchildren).

Here are the lyrics for "Maiden Wine"

Take care, young ladies, and value your wine.
Be watchful of young men in their velvet prime.
Deeply they'll swallow from your finest kegs,
Then swiftly be gone, leaving bitter dregs.
Ahh-ah-ah-ah, bitter dregs.
With smiling words and tender touch,
Man offers little and asks for so much.
He loves in the breathless excitement of night,
Then leaves with your treasure in cold morning light.
Ahh-ah-ah-ah, in cold morning light.

While this ditty was playing in my head, I stumbled upon this website:
http://www.maidenwine.com/home.html

Yes, the musical touch of Leonard Nimoy. This provided hours of entertainment, especially viewing what must be the world's worst video...the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins. Amazingly awful.

Live long and prosper, Spock...but please forget the music :>)

-D

George Carlinisms, just for fun

2009-04-24T19:28:00.002-05:00

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman,"Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

If a deaf person swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

If a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him... is he still wrong?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

Is there another word for synonym?

Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?

If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?

How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.

How is it possible to have a civil war?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown, too?

If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have a "S" in it?

Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff?

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

If you spin an oriental man in a circle three times, does he become disoriented?

Old Ten(ish) speeds are x-tra cool!

2009-04-22T20:15:00.003-05:00

The Turquoise Tempo made OTSG (Old Ten Speed Gallery). How 'bout that? :>)

http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/owner-submitted/dwight-ds-1989ish-schwinn-tempo/

Go ahead and submit your favorite old bike! It's easy-schmeezy!

-Dwight

Spam Slam

2009-04-21T20:53:00.005-05:00

I don't like spam!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

Not that kind! My lovely wife and I enjoy our Sunday morning Spam Lite and egg sandwiches.

It's that damn e-mail spam. I swear, my quarantine box fills up with cheap Rolex watch knock off offers, Buy-A-Diploma, Get-A-Hard-On, please your lover, re:your website, Acai berry weight-loss offer, sexy underwear, make big bucks working from home, Canadian Pharmacy Viagra, Nigerian money laundering schemes, buy foreclosed homes for $1, buy gold jewelry cheap, sell Grandma's gold jewelry for extra $, female companionship, male companionship, naked supermodel videos, fully dressed supermodel videos, credit card offers, part time jobs for $, full time jobs for $, sell your organs for extra $, yada, yada, yada, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaada....

Note to e-mail spammers. Screw you. I will not read, open, peruse, scan, look at, eyeball, focus on, pay attention to, study, glance at, ogle, watch, record, view, investigate, stare at, click on, select, care or give a crap about the junk that shows up in my quarantine box.

I will delete, purge, wipe out, erase, waste, throw away, toss, chuck, heave, trash, boot, rub out, terminate with extreme prejudice, and hurl into the great dark void of nothingness your vile, irritating, space-robbing garbage.

Argh!

Gravelo Inspired

2009-04-17T21:06:00.002-05:00

Thanks man, now I can't get the Who out of my head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmowtt9vhLY

Okay, but check out Pete Townshend windmilling his Rickenbacker, plus the kids on bikes at around the 2:00 mark. Now we're jammin!

-Pinball Wizard

What Sheldon taught me

2009-04-15T21:24:00.002-05:00

I was looking at my Cyclofiend calendar, and noticed that April 1st was "Sheldon Brown Memorial Ride Day".

For those of you who don't know, the late great Sheldon Brown was an expert on everything bicycle. He was quite active on the Harris Cyclery website and published tons of useful and helpful information. I built my first set of wheels using that website information. I never knew Sheldon personally, but he gave me some very good advice via a mailing list. I had just purchased my Quickbeam and was riding fixed gear for the very first time. It was great, except I had some issues keeping my feet on the pedals. Sheldon 'SPD' Brown suggested clipping in, and it was exactly the right thing to do.

If you notice, I have Sheldon's website bookmarked on this blog and I continue to utilize it regularly. His teachings, and his legacy, live on.

Thanks Sheldon! :>)

-D

Accessorization, Frustration, and Bike Lust, er..love

2009-04-04T22:10:00.022-05:00

The internet is dangerous.

It enables me, makes my wallet lighter, and fuels my bike lust.

Of course I was looking at bikes and/or bike parts, and happened upon the Epicurian Cyclist Blog, where I happened upon some interesting bike accesorization.

These are Velo Orange retro bottle cages, holding stainless steel water bottles. The leather sewed to the cages are VO leather toe clip covers. Epicurian cyclist Russ claims they keep the bottles secure and rattle-free. Besides that, they look really good!

So good in fact, that I hit Velo Orange and ordered a pair of cages, 24 0z. stainless water bottles, and four toe clip leathers. While I was there, I saw some really cool looking Elkhide sewn-on bar covers, so I grabbed those too. Here's what they are supposed to look like:

I ordered these parts last week and they rapidly showed up at my door on Thursday. Of course, the weather being as crappy as it has been (wind, rain, and snow ....yes snow) forecast this weekend it was a good time for bike tinkering. Well, it's always good time for bike tinkering! :>)

First, sewing the toe clip leathers to the cages and cage installation. This really was a snap. And the stainless water bottles look really great, and no nasty plastic aftertaste!

My next project was getting rid of the shellacked blue cork bar tape and installing the new Elkhide bar covers. I couldn't wait! It was easy enough removing the old bar tape, and I read through the installation instructions several times before I started.

This was definitely tougher and certainly more labor intensive than wrapping bars. The kit includes two blunt harness needles, a length of heavy waxed string, and two die cut pieces of elk hide. The sewing pattern is like a baseball, with alternating crossing threads. The trick is using one piece of string and two needles on each end, knotting the string in the middle and passing it through the first die cut hole putting the knot towards the inside of the wrap to start, then crossing the threads over each other and passing back through the holes to secure the end. To sew, the needles are alternately passed over one another through the die cut holes along the edge of the leather forming a crossing pattern (think baseball again). This is harder to do than it is to explain.

After a couple of false starts I managed to semi-sort-of get the hang of it. As I stitched, I also had to pull a piece of double-sided sticky tape lengthwise from the inside of the bar tape. This was put there to hold the sewed up cover securely and prevent twisting.

The really tricky part was passing it over the brake bosses on the handlebar. Of course, I had to remove the brake cable and lever, but leave the brake boss on the handlebar in the desired position. I taped it in place to ensure it wouldn't move. Once my wrapping got to the brake boss, I was supposed to cut a hole in the leather to allow the brake boss to pass through.

And this is where I ran into trouble.

The picture on the instructions showed a large rectangular hole over the brake boss at the brake handle mounting point. This is supposed to allow ample clearance for the brake lever housing to securely make contact with the handlebar, with no leather interfering with the fit. Sure, no problem...I whipped out my X-ACTO knife and started hacking.

What I failed to understand at the time is that hide s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s. Yeah, when I stretched the cover over the brake boss I saw the hole was crooked, off-center, and too large...much too large.

Two hours of wasted time sewing, and one wrecked bar cover. I was cursing. I was frustrated. I sat down on the toilet in my combination laundry/shower/bike tinkering room, head in hands. My lovely and highly intelligent wife, hearing my grumbling and cursing noises, wandered downstairs and saw me in this state, disappointed, pissed, fuming. Cooler heads prevailed, and together we attempted to solve the problem to no avail. Dejected, we clipped the stitching and removed the wasted bar cover.

Don't do this:

Do this instead:

Since I now had a 'spare' piece of hide to practice on, I found that cutting a vertical slit directly and CAREFULLY down the center lengthwise, and stretching to fit worked much better than attempting to cut a hole. So, I got to start all over again with the remaining piece of hide.

Starting the process from the stem end:

Vertical slit over brake boss. Again, CAREFULLY lengthen until proper fit is achieved.

Stitching down the back side:

Trimmed, bar end plugs in, brake lever installed, done.

I smeared some Obenauf's on it to sweatproof and weatherproof it. It looks and smells great.

Unfortunately, I'm short one piece of hide. So of course, I had to go back to Velo Orange and order some more. Furthermore, I thought these cages would look good on the Quickbeam as well, along with toe-clip leathers, a VO leather saddle (replacing the hard plastic ass-buster on the Turquoise Tempo), a new and a real Pletscher Master Commuter rear rack, on sale of course, for the Quickie Blue Fixie. My shrinking bank account!

And, as I was surfing I happened into Travel Gravel's blog, who's listed all 44 (no, it's not a typo) bicycles he owns. Included in this melange of metal is a Bridgestone RB-3 that's too big for him. Of course I had to ask...bike lust getting the better of me again.

Bike accesorization. Bike love. Bike tinkering. Bar wrapping. Sewing. Blogging. Internet surfing.

Anger. Frustration. Redemption. Satisfaction. Shopping. Lust.

I'd say even with the crappy weather and no riding it was a full day.

-Dwight

Take a load off

2009-04-01T19:35:00.005-05:00

Whilst I was happily riding my Ramby, a super-fast roadie type on a super-lite tri-atheleete carbon rig stopped to admire my bike. "Man, that's a classic", he leered with a superior sneer on his face. Then he plunged in the knife. "That's a nice ride...if you like trucks." Then like a ghostly spectre, he rapidly faded off into the mist.

Not to be intimidated, I've decided to put the Ramby on a diet. Fat pig, you say? By integrating the latest technology into the tried and true Rivendell design, my newly trim Ramby will be laterally stiff, yet vertically compliant...able to challenge all carbon comers.

Lets start here:
http://www.carbonfibergear.com/speedplay-19-gram-carbon-fiber-water-bottle-cage/

Yes, it's the 19 gram Speedplay carbon fiber water bottle cage. From the website: They call it the Nanogram Ultra Light cage, and it only weighs in at 19 grams. Even with its light weight, it’s very strong because of its unique design. It’s made from unidirectional carbon fiber, and positions the water bottle stop at the top of the case rather than near the mount where it’s most vulnerable. It’s designed specifically for a road bike, and can absorb the repetitive impacts of rough roads with ease. Hell yeah, gotta have that! Only $65 each!

http://www.bustersdirtshop.com/product.php?productid=5526

Next, some Driven Meteor Carbon Fiber Handlebars, including cranial crash pad. These will significantly reduce weight, improve high-impact strength and promote safe riding, whilst retaining the standard Rivendell upright riding posture.

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/road-bikes/product-components/2009-deda-elementi-superzero-carbon-fiber-seat-post-5547.34.1.html

Of course, toss that nasty Nitto seat post and replace with a $250 Deda Elementi Superzero Crabon (sp) Fiber Seatpost. Just because I dig the Italian sounding name, meaning it must be extra-super tissue-paper butterfly wing light.

http://www.zipp.com/wheels/detail.php?ID=33

Ohhhh yeah. Wheels are incredibly important in the quest for ultra-liteness. Propulsion IS possible with Sub9 tubular disc wheels from Zipp Speed Weaponry. The patented toroidal ring profile controlling airflow at the leading and trailing edges will trounce the competition! Who cares if I don't know how to mount a tubular tire? If I flat, I'll just have my LBS on cell phone speed dial.

http://sheldonbrown.com/lirpa.html

And of course, I should replace all friction-bearing surfaces with Sheldon's patented hollow Superleggero bearing balls...less than half the weight of old-fashioned solid ball bearings!

I figure with all these improvements, I should be able to reduce unsprung weight by at least 15 lbs, cost be damned. I should also be able to improve thrust by at least 87.4% because of the extra aerodynamic 'push' the disc wheels will provide. My ride will also be laterally compliant, yet vertically stiff.

Suckers!
-Super D.

Two Thousand Hits

2009-03-30T20:12:00.006-05:00

The hit counter today is at 2008.

2008 hits since last August. That equates to 251 hits per month, 57 hits per week, 8 hits per day...yeah, about 1 hit every 3 hours.

That seems alright. I mean, I never expected a huge readership (Hi Patrick! Hey, Gravel Dude :>)) but it's nice to see someone (or some search engine) is hitting my blog. I'm not super-intellectual, deep, controversial, funny, or even very interesting at times. I do try to be relevant and stay true to the subject at hand (bikes), but sometimes I tend to stray (The Gene Chizik debacle). That's fine, the occasional rant is expected. And I tend to use parenthesis, emoticons and ellipsis...(to an extreme) :>)

I suppose I could drop some key words into my blog so I could get more search engine hits. I figure "Rambouillet" would be a good one, at least for all the Rivendell fans out there. Maybe if I started dropping words and phrases like "American Idol", "Twitter", "Aristotlean foundations of left-Rastafarianism" ,"Obama", "bailout", "Madonna adoption", "recession", or "huge jugs" maybe I'd get more hits or at least a few lewd comments. Might spice things up a bit.

Right now, the bike thing is good enough. Plus, I've met several interesting folks through my blogging and posting and there's nothing wrong with that either.

Weather permitting, we should all get out and ride!

-Thanks! - D

There are no words...

2009-03-28T08:18:00.002-05:00

I listened to the radio 'skit' MP3 link on this blog...totally flabbergasted. The station is WJJO 94.1 FM, Madison Wisconsin

http://www.madvelocity.com/article.php/Don-t-Hate-Me-Because-I-m-a-Bicyclist

If you want to write or e-mail the station, here's a link to their website:

http://www.wjjo.com/

Here's a link to another blog with more contact information, including specific people and specific sponsors.

http://cstrout.blogspot.com/2009/03/wjjo-madison.html

-D

Dropped like a Leadville balloon

2009-03-27T21:16:00.003-05:00

I received a letter from the nice folks who organize the Leadville 100. You know about the Leadville 100, right? Killer MTB race, Rocky Mountains, Leadville Colorado. The highest incorporated city in the U.S., somewhere around 10,000 or so feet in elevation. If you remember, I attempted to join in this insanity by putting in my application. Here's the reply:

It's a bit difficult to read here (my old flatbed scanner doesn't have the highest resolution), but when a letter starts out with "We sincerely apologize and deeply regret we were unable to accept your application..." then it's not too promising.

I didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved.

After I sent in my application, I continued to do research on the race. Various blogs talked about altitude sickness, Diamox medication, month-long acclimation periods, not even being able to walk very far at that altitude without being winded, special diets, grueling training, extreme pain, rapidly changing weather, rotten terrain, rutted roads, rain, hypothermia, broken equipment, broken bones, blood...

Had I bitten off more than I could chew? Pedaling my wheezing, fat old ass 100 miles up the side of a mountain over 10,000 feet? And the weather here hasn't yet been conducive to a lot of training. Here we are at the end of March and it's still below freezing. Yeek.

Just as I had written this one off as a 'good try', I read the third paragraph:

We hope you will consider entering the awesome 50 mile "Silver Rush" on July 25. It's a tough, demanding and incredibly beautiful ride in Leadville's historic east side mining district. A silver bracelet awaits all finishers and will forever serve as proof of your athletic skill and testimony to your grit, guts, and determination that day.

50 miles, huh? That doesn't sound quite as daunting. Plus, they'll take entries up until the day before the race.

Welllll........maybe I oughta sleep on this one a bit.

-Dwight