Ok. first off. I don't like golf, never have, probably never will, too boring and the thought of watching it on TV is mind-numbing.
Well, I've found something even more boring... watching people doing trackstands. Youtube is filled with video's of people doing trackstands. There's even a trackstand contest that goes on for about 8 minutes. Boring! Watching grass grow is more exciting.
Sure, a trackstand is a slightly nifty trick and it impresses non-bicyclists for about one minute, but c'mon... really.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
don't believe the widget
Since the Northeast is experiencing an arctic cold blast, I havent been bike commuting much lately. I've been opting to work from home instead.
This morning though, I check my Dashboard Weather Widget and it says it's currently 40 degrees in Providence. Sweet!
I dress for an above-freezing commute and head out the door.
Within 2 minutes I'm thinking "This sure doesn't feel like 40" so, I stop and put on my vest. By the time I'm halfway to work it's obvious I've made a mistake... my hands, feet and face are frozen and the wind is whipping through my wool sweater, making my arms cold.
I get to work, go to weather.com and check the current conditions for Providence, RI... 21 degrees, with windchill it feels like 10 degrees. Nice. I make a mental note to never use the weather widget again.
At lunchtime I walk over to the Walmart (*blech*) they just built near my office and I buy a pair of thin dress socks to wear under my regular socks, and some glove liners to augment the thin knit gloves I wore today. I'll also wear my work shirt under my sweater for the ride home, that should help block some wind.
The ride home was not so bad. The temperature was actually a little colder than my morning commute but the wind had stopped so I was able to cruise a little faster and, just having warmer hands and feet made everything ok.
This morning though, I check my Dashboard Weather Widget and it says it's currently 40 degrees in Providence. Sweet!
I dress for an above-freezing commute and head out the door.
Within 2 minutes I'm thinking "This sure doesn't feel like 40" so, I stop and put on my vest. By the time I'm halfway to work it's obvious I've made a mistake... my hands, feet and face are frozen and the wind is whipping through my wool sweater, making my arms cold.
I get to work, go to weather.com and check the current conditions for Providence, RI... 21 degrees, with windchill it feels like 10 degrees. Nice. I make a mental note to never use the weather widget again.
At lunchtime I walk over to the Walmart (*blech*) they just built near my office and I buy a pair of thin dress socks to wear under my regular socks, and some glove liners to augment the thin knit gloves I wore today. I'll also wear my work shirt under my sweater for the ride home, that should help block some wind.
The ride home was not so bad. The temperature was actually a little colder than my morning commute but the wind had stopped so I was able to cruise a little faster and, just having warmer hands and feet made everything ok.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
new blinkies
I was at the local bike shop tonight and I saw they had these tiny little blinkie lights, the Sigma Micro's.
I picked up the white one to keep in my messenger bag as an emergency front light.
Holy crap is this little sucker bright!
It certainly isnt as bright as my Princeton-Tec EOS, but on a dark country road a motorist will still see this blinkie from a mile away!
It has one terrible flaw though. Due to the way the top part of the light's lens is scooped out, the person riding the bicycle can also see the blinking LED. This was so distracting I wanted to turn it off after only 1 mile. I got home and put a small piece of black tape over the top part of the lens... that helped. Putting it under the bars might also help hide the blink from the rider. This design is great for a rear blinkie but, someone should have thought it through a little better on the front version.
Still, these little lights are so small and lightweight that they're worth the $12 even if you just carry them in your saddle bag in case you end up riding home in the dark when you weren't planning to.
Friday, January 19, 2007
fixed ride
A good friend of mine used to call me 'iconoclastic' because I was always bashing on anything popular or trendy. I feel that the more popular something is, the more you should be wary of it.
I guess I have officially lost the title of iconoclast now that I have built a fixed-gear bicycle.
In case you havent been paying attention to the bicycle world lately, fixed-gear bikes are all the rage with the urban hipster crowd. Apparently they have been led to think that fixed-gear bikes are cooler than regular bikes, and riding one gives you punk rock street cred.
So, what on earth would possess me to follow the crowd and build a fixed gear bicycle? Well, I have always loved the stripped down look of a track bike. I want the extra leg workout that a fixed gear will impose and, lastly, I like challenging myself to master things that are difficult. I like challenges.
I picked up this pink 1986 Bridgestone 550 for $100 a few months ago. It fits great and it's in almost new condition but it's been sitting in the basement collecting dust. Now it's a fixed gear!
I guess I have officially lost the title of iconoclast now that I have built a fixed-gear bicycle.
In case you havent been paying attention to the bicycle world lately, fixed-gear bikes are all the rage with the urban hipster crowd. Apparently they have been led to think that fixed-gear bikes are cooler than regular bikes, and riding one gives you punk rock street cred.
So, what on earth would possess me to follow the crowd and build a fixed gear bicycle? Well, I have always loved the stripped down look of a track bike. I want the extra leg workout that a fixed gear will impose and, lastly, I like challenging myself to master things that are difficult. I like challenges.
I picked up this pink 1986 Bridgestone 550 for $100 a few months ago. It fits great and it's in almost new condition but it's been sitting in the basement collecting dust. Now it's a fixed gear!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
dog stories
This happened a long, long time ago...
About 9 or 10 of us were out on an early sunday morning ride. The pace was pretty leisurely and we all talking while riding three abreast down the quiet country roads. Tim, one of the groups strongest riders, was in more of a 'training' mode than we were and he was cruising about 75 yards ahead of the rest of us.
Suddenly, from out of a backyard on the left, came running one of the biggest Rottweiller's on the planet. The dog was moving insanely fast and heading straight for Tim. Tim's head was down and he didn't look up or show any sign of alarm. He must have been mesmerized from watching his front wheel because he didn't know the dog was coming.
I stood up and started sprinting... I don't really know why. In a flash I was right on top of the dog, my front wheel almost hitting his back legs. The dog was so focused on Tim that it didn't know there were other cyclists behind him.
A few more strong pedal strokes and I starting passing the dog on it's right. I leaned down towards the animal and yelled at the top of my lungs.
The dog simultaneously dodged left, away from the terrible noise that just assaulted his right ear, and spun it's head to look in my direction. The animal lost it's footing, tripped and tumbled. With it's legs splayed out like a deer on ice the dog skidded to a stop in the dirt on the side of the road.
Behind me, the rest of the cyclists rode past the dog laughing and swearing at it while it just sat there looking very confused and frightened.
We had to fill Tim in on the story because he was oblivious to the whole thing. By the time he turned around after hearing me yell, he had missed everything.
Everyone chuckled for the rest of the ride and had fun making up new nicknames for me, like; "Jeff, the dog conquerer", "dogslayer" etc, etc...
Good times.
About 9 or 10 of us were out on an early sunday morning ride. The pace was pretty leisurely and we all talking while riding three abreast down the quiet country roads. Tim, one of the groups strongest riders, was in more of a 'training' mode than we were and he was cruising about 75 yards ahead of the rest of us.
Suddenly, from out of a backyard on the left, came running one of the biggest Rottweiller's on the planet. The dog was moving insanely fast and heading straight for Tim. Tim's head was down and he didn't look up or show any sign of alarm. He must have been mesmerized from watching his front wheel because he didn't know the dog was coming.
I stood up and started sprinting... I don't really know why. In a flash I was right on top of the dog, my front wheel almost hitting his back legs. The dog was so focused on Tim that it didn't know there were other cyclists behind him.
A few more strong pedal strokes and I starting passing the dog on it's right. I leaned down towards the animal and yelled at the top of my lungs.
The dog simultaneously dodged left, away from the terrible noise that just assaulted his right ear, and spun it's head to look in my direction. The animal lost it's footing, tripped and tumbled. With it's legs splayed out like a deer on ice the dog skidded to a stop in the dirt on the side of the road.
Behind me, the rest of the cyclists rode past the dog laughing and swearing at it while it just sat there looking very confused and frightened.
We had to fill Tim in on the story because he was oblivious to the whole thing. By the time he turned around after hearing me yell, he had missed everything.
Everyone chuckled for the rest of the ride and had fun making up new nicknames for me, like; "Jeff, the dog conquerer", "dogslayer" etc, etc...
Good times.
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