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
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
There are no words...
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
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
Friday, March 27, 2009
Dropped like a Leadville balloon
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
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A quick inventory
Someone asked me how many bikes I had the other day, and I had to pause a second.
When you don't remember how many bikes you have stuffed in your garage or rec room, it's time to take a quick inventory. My lovely wife says this means it's time to quit buying bikes.
NOOOOO!!!
Silly wife. So here goes the inventory:
Three Schwinns (lugged steel frame, lugged steel frame, and yes, lugged steel frame):
1 - 62 cm blue fixed gear, or the Quickie Blue Fixie. Late 70's frame, bullhorn bars, zip-tied clip on fenders, fake Pletscher rack, MKS touring pedals, German mirror, dirty, mud splattered beater. Just bought a bright new rechargeable light for commuting, and it's installed on this bike.
1-62 cm champagne colored (beige-ish) 1988 LeTour, which I call Pepe LeTour. 52-42 Biopace chainrings, wider range 6 speed cassette, downtube shifters, Suntour Blaze drivetrain components, Araya rims, Ruffy Tuffy 700x28 tires with barely enough clearance.
1 - 62 cm turquoise and white Tempo, late 80's or early 90's vintage, 52-42 Biopace chainrings, 7 speed 12 - 23 cassette, downtube shifters, Shimano 105 drivetrain components, mixed bag of hubs (Joytech in the front, not sure about the rear), different rims front and rear. 700 x 25 Conti Gatorskins for the tires, no room for fenders, a road bike fer sure.
Two Rivendells (all lugged steel, always will be):
1- 62 cm Rivendell Quickbeam, orange. Flip flip rear hub, currently set up for fixed gear. 40-32 Sugino double crank (yes, it could be considered a four-speed!), Nitto Noodle bars and stem, Brooks Honey Champion saddle, Nitto rear rack, fancy Soma taillight. Sugino hubs, Mavic Open Sport rims with 700 x 35 Panaracer Pasela Speedblend tires.
1-62 cm Rivendell Rambouillet, blue with white headtube. Bought the frame used and built this one up with Shimano Ultegra hubs, Sun CR18 36 spoke rims shorn with 700 x 28 Schwalbe Marathons. Sugino 50 x 39 crank, Shimano 12 - 27 rear cassette. Dura Ace front and rear derailers (Sheldon sp.) Silver downtube shifters, Shimano sidepull brakes. Nitto bars and stem, Ultegra headset. No fenders. No computer. No rack. Honey Champion Brooks saddle. Ugly blue bar tape which did not match the bike so I shellacked it amber, so now it's kind of a funky greenish-blue. Works for now.
Two Somas (both tigged steel)
1 - Soma Double Cross, 62 cm. Used to have a Giant OCR road bike, and had all the components stripped from it and installed on this frame. Went a bit wacky and had a Chris King headset and Phil Wood bottom bracket installed. All the road bike pieces, including STI shifters, bars, brakes, wheels, crank, cassette, etc were installed on this frame. Then I installed a Tubus Cargo Rack, Big Ass German-Made Taillight, and Soma fenders. It's kind of a bastard. I need to press it into multi-geared commuter service, once I get a battery mount for my new headlight.
1-Soma Juice MTB, 29'er. Built this bike from the frame up, and built the wheels from scratch. WTB LazerDisc rims, Shimano XT hubs, DT Swiss double-butted spokes (32 per). SRAM x7 drivetrain, trigger shifters. FSA Hollowtech crank. WTB seat, Easton seatpost and hi-rise Easton Monkey Bars. Two sets of tires...I started out with Panaracer All-Terrain MTB and recently switched to some nice smooth Schwalbe Big Apples for the pavement. Boing! Boing!
And One Bakfietsen... (not steel, aluminum)
Actually, this is my old Diamondback 26" wheeled mountain bike. I bought a Wald Wire basket for my wife's bike and she said it rattled too much, so I stuck it on this wretched, tortured piece. I use it for trips to the store for milk, eggs, and barley pops. I have beaten this thing to death.
That brings the total to eight, which doesn't include my lovely wife's Giant Hybrid. This bike is only ridden when the temps are between 75 - 80 degrees, no wind, flat short route. Maybe once or twice a year, usually on the Wabash, usually to the Mineola Steakhouse and back.
Don't forget a Giant OCR frame (also aluminum) hanging in the garage. I consider that maybe 1/2 bike, at most.
-Dwight
When you don't remember how many bikes you have stuffed in your garage or rec room, it's time to take a quick inventory. My lovely wife says this means it's time to quit buying bikes.
NOOOOO!!!
Silly wife. So here goes the inventory:
Three Schwinns (lugged steel frame, lugged steel frame, and yes, lugged steel frame):
1 - 62 cm blue fixed gear, or the Quickie Blue Fixie. Late 70's frame, bullhorn bars, zip-tied clip on fenders, fake Pletscher rack, MKS touring pedals, German mirror, dirty, mud splattered beater. Just bought a bright new rechargeable light for commuting, and it's installed on this bike.
1-62 cm champagne colored (beige-ish) 1988 LeTour, which I call Pepe LeTour. 52-42 Biopace chainrings, wider range 6 speed cassette, downtube shifters, Suntour Blaze drivetrain components, Araya rims, Ruffy Tuffy 700x28 tires with barely enough clearance.
1 - 62 cm turquoise and white Tempo, late 80's or early 90's vintage, 52-42 Biopace chainrings, 7 speed 12 - 23 cassette, downtube shifters, Shimano 105 drivetrain components, mixed bag of hubs (Joytech in the front, not sure about the rear), different rims front and rear. 700 x 25 Conti Gatorskins for the tires, no room for fenders, a road bike fer sure.
Two Rivendells (all lugged steel, always will be):
1- 62 cm Rivendell Quickbeam, orange. Flip flip rear hub, currently set up for fixed gear. 40-32 Sugino double crank (yes, it could be considered a four-speed!), Nitto Noodle bars and stem, Brooks Honey Champion saddle, Nitto rear rack, fancy Soma taillight. Sugino hubs, Mavic Open Sport rims with 700 x 35 Panaracer Pasela Speedblend tires.
1-62 cm Rivendell Rambouillet, blue with white headtube. Bought the frame used and built this one up with Shimano Ultegra hubs, Sun CR18 36 spoke rims shorn with 700 x 28 Schwalbe Marathons. Sugino 50 x 39 crank, Shimano 12 - 27 rear cassette. Dura Ace front and rear derailers (Sheldon sp.) Silver downtube shifters, Shimano sidepull brakes. Nitto bars and stem, Ultegra headset. No fenders. No computer. No rack. Honey Champion Brooks saddle. Ugly blue bar tape which did not match the bike so I shellacked it amber, so now it's kind of a funky greenish-blue. Works for now.
Two Somas (both tigged steel)
1 - Soma Double Cross, 62 cm. Used to have a Giant OCR road bike, and had all the components stripped from it and installed on this frame. Went a bit wacky and had a Chris King headset and Phil Wood bottom bracket installed. All the road bike pieces, including STI shifters, bars, brakes, wheels, crank, cassette, etc were installed on this frame. Then I installed a Tubus Cargo Rack, Big Ass German-Made Taillight, and Soma fenders. It's kind of a bastard. I need to press it into multi-geared commuter service, once I get a battery mount for my new headlight.
1-Soma Juice MTB, 29'er. Built this bike from the frame up, and built the wheels from scratch. WTB LazerDisc rims, Shimano XT hubs, DT Swiss double-butted spokes (32 per). SRAM x7 drivetrain, trigger shifters. FSA Hollowtech crank. WTB seat, Easton seatpost and hi-rise Easton Monkey Bars. Two sets of tires...I started out with Panaracer All-Terrain MTB and recently switched to some nice smooth Schwalbe Big Apples for the pavement. Boing! Boing!
And One Bakfietsen... (not steel, aluminum)
Actually, this is my old Diamondback 26" wheeled mountain bike. I bought a Wald Wire basket for my wife's bike and she said it rattled too much, so I stuck it on this wretched, tortured piece. I use it for trips to the store for milk, eggs, and barley pops. I have beaten this thing to death.
That brings the total to eight, which doesn't include my lovely wife's Giant Hybrid. This bike is only ridden when the temps are between 75 - 80 degrees, no wind, flat short route. Maybe once or twice a year, usually on the Wabash, usually to the Mineola Steakhouse and back.
Don't forget a Giant OCR frame (also aluminum) hanging in the garage. I consider that maybe 1/2 bike, at most.
-Dwight
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Turquoise Tempo
Yesterday was beautiful, so I pulled the Turquoise Tempo out of the stable and ran it through Persia, Portsmouth, Tennant, Shelby, then back to Minden.
One of my 'detours' on this trip is the Rock Island Old Stone Arch Nature Trail (that's a mouthful). See the link here: http://www.shelbyia.com/attractions.asp
At the end of the 4-ish mile trail is a bridge over a small creek, leading into a wooded area. There's a clearing with a picnic table including a 1/2 mile walking trail through the woods. I stopped here to take a few pics of yet another Schwinn in my stable.
Got some 700x25 Gatorskins on this bike. Not super-skinny, but for my fat arse they're the minimum width I'd want to ride. I'm thinking about hub, wheel and drivetrain upgrades but everything works so well as is I've left it alone. The only concern I have is I've broken a spoke nipple on the rear (which I replaced, including the spoke), but the nipples appear to be aluminum. As I was truing the wheel I broke two others, which leads me to believe they're all brittle. So far, so good but I might need to replace rims, spokes, and upgrade to brass spoke nipples. The front and rear hubs appear to be in good shape.
This is a great ride, for nice sunny dry days. It's fun to get it out and zip along!
-Dwight
One of my 'detours' on this trip is the Rock Island Old Stone Arch Nature Trail (that's a mouthful). See the link here: http://www.shelbyia.com/attractions.asp
At the end of the 4-ish mile trail is a bridge over a small creek, leading into a wooded area. There's a clearing with a picnic table including a 1/2 mile walking trail through the woods. I stopped here to take a few pics of yet another Schwinn in my stable.
Late 80's - early 90's vintage, 62 cm lugged steel frame, Shimano components (except for the Campy headset), 52-42 Biopace double chainrings, 7 speed 12 - 23 cassette, no clearance for fenders, arse punishing seat. This is definitely a road bike.
Got some 700x25 Gatorskins on this bike. Not super-skinny, but for my fat arse they're the minimum width I'd want to ride. I'm thinking about hub, wheel and drivetrain upgrades but everything works so well as is I've left it alone. The only concern I have is I've broken a spoke nipple on the rear (which I replaced, including the spoke), but the nipples appear to be aluminum. As I was truing the wheel I broke two others, which leads me to believe they're all brittle. So far, so good but I might need to replace rims, spokes, and upgrade to brass spoke nipples. The front and rear hubs appear to be in good shape.
This is a great ride, for nice sunny dry days. It's fun to get it out and zip along!
-Dwight
Friday, March 20, 2009
A Shameless Plug
Spring has sprung, along with numerous bike tours, rides, cruises, trips, commutes, shuttles, jumps, and stunts.
One of the rides I participate in each year is the Nebraska MS 150. It's a great ride, and it benefits a great cause.
So to all my reader(s) out there, I'd be happier than a pig in slop if you'd be interested in throwing a few bucks my way. How many bikes can I ride in two days?
Just click on this link, it's a piece o'cake:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NENBikeEvents?px=5017039&pg=personal&fr_id=10931
Gotta credit card? Whip it out! Whip it out!
-Dwight
One of the rides I participate in each year is the Nebraska MS 150. It's a great ride, and it benefits a great cause.
So to all my reader(s) out there, I'd be happier than a pig in slop if you'd be interested in throwing a few bucks my way. How many bikes can I ride in two days?
Just click on this link, it's a piece o'cake:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NENBikeEvents?px=5017039&pg=personal&fr_id=10931
Gotta credit card? Whip it out! Whip it out!
-Dwight
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Inflated, but limp?
Put some new tires, tubes and rim tape on the QBF last night, and it was about time. Tires and tubes were old, crusty, and generally worn out. Rim tape was, well, electrical tape on the rear and recycled inner tube in the front. I'm surprised I got by this far with no flats at all.
As I was ordering the tires (Panaracer Pasela TourGuard 700x32), I found some QBike 'thorn resistant' tubes. According to the description, the tubes were slightly thicker in the tread area for enhanced puncture resistance.
When I first saw the boxes the tubes were packaged in, I thought there were two tubes in the box...this box was long and at least twice as large as I would normally expect. Maybe they sent me two extra tubes, a bonus!
Come to find out, there was actually only one tube in the box...a fat, thick one. The tube was so thick you couldn't roll it up, it had to be folded over and stuffed in. I picked up a tube and a tire and I'm almost certain the tube weighs more! I think I could actually inflate the tube, glue it to the rim (like a tubular tire), and ride on it.
Since I haven't yet ridden on them, I'm wondering how these stiff, thick tubes will affect the ride. Coupled with the hard, vintage, non-ergonomic Bontrager seat makes me think numbnuts!
-Dwight
As I was ordering the tires (Panaracer Pasela TourGuard 700x32), I found some QBike 'thorn resistant' tubes. According to the description, the tubes were slightly thicker in the tread area for enhanced puncture resistance.
When I first saw the boxes the tubes were packaged in, I thought there were two tubes in the box...this box was long and at least twice as large as I would normally expect. Maybe they sent me two extra tubes, a bonus!
Come to find out, there was actually only one tube in the box...a fat, thick one. The tube was so thick you couldn't roll it up, it had to be folded over and stuffed in. I picked up a tube and a tire and I'm almost certain the tube weighs more! I think I could actually inflate the tube, glue it to the rim (like a tubular tire), and ride on it.
Since I haven't yet ridden on them, I'm wondering how these stiff, thick tubes will affect the ride. Coupled with the hard, vintage, non-ergonomic Bontrager seat makes me think numbnuts!
-Dwight
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