Wheel Dancer

Can't get enough

2012-02-09T23:15:00.000-06:00

I don't think it would be possible to get too much of this stuff:

Serious Mountain Biking Video

2011-12-29T11:57:00.000-06:00

I wonder how they learn to do this without dying?

Christmas Eve at 4,723,061.7 mph!

2011-12-26T21:49:00.000-06:00

We started our Christmas Eve on the bikes. No news there, just a leisurely ride to a lazy breakfast followed by some quality time at our LBS. It's happened before, in fact it's a good model for how to spend a Saturday morning as far as we are concerned.

This evening I uploaded the GPS tracks from my unit and noticed what could be a new land speed record:

I wasn't that tired but is is the first time I burned over 4000 calories in a 19 mile ride. I was curious as to where this amazing speed happened because I didn't really notice when it was happening. So looking at the map I had a couple clues looking at the overview:

It could have been the breakfast joint on the right:

Or the bike shop on the left:

While there was plenty of activity during breakfast, I suspect the speed surge happened at the bike shop, when the coffee really started to kick in. It's certainly a lot more frenetic, don't you think?

FatBack Haiku Too

2011-12-06T22:37:00.000-06:00

...nish, but now I'm done!

First semester is over

FatBack riding time

First snow on fat tires

Nine months of waiting. Worth it!

So let the snow fly

Fatback Haiku

2011-12-04T23:15:00.000-06:00

Snowbiking today!
Semester end overload
Struggling just to fin...

Blogger, say what?

2011-11-18T22:57:00.000-06:00

We're sorry, but we were unable to complete your request.

The following errors were found:
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Trying to post a comment on another blog...

Siri - What The???

2011-10-27T17:26:00.001-05:00

Siri actually seems to get most of what I say but today when asking to remind me to pick up my pants at the taylor on Wednesday afternoon, she(it?) came up with this:

OK, I may have had the music a bit too loud but for the record, I'll not be bobbing Lola for physical, logical or conceptual and need no reminder of what he do or don't do do do.

Little or no original content

2011-10-12T19:36:00.000-05:00

I'm a public radio kind of guy yet a few years back when faced with unplanned unemployment, I signed up for Google AdSense in hopes of generating a few nickels.

Then I sort of forgot about it.

Until, that is, Google sent a note explaining they had disabled my ad feed for policy violation #66361.

Turns out my crime was having "Little or no original content". It's a sad comment but true given the current fullness of my plate. Grad school takes a lot of time to do well and there's no point if you don't do well. I also still get in a fair amount of riding so the blog has suffered.

I'm OK with that.

So since I'm not living up to the incredibly low standards required to have ads anyway, I'm returning to my values and running an ad-free format.

Oh, I'll still feature little or no original content just a little less of it.

Go ride your friggin' bike.

Not so epic

2011-10-11T22:57:00.000-05:00

CAMBA's Namakagon Cluster - IMBA Epic

2011-10-09T22:16:00.001-05:00

It's the pinnacle

My mountain biking season

Now IMBA epic

Hard to find sometimes

Impossible not to love

Yes, that is the trail

Cars - Dramatically more deadly than war

2011-09-25T00:11:00.000-05:00

From an interview by NPR's Scott Simon of Mike Hawley, formerly of MIT's Media Lab and Principal Engineer on the NeXT computer with Steve Jobs:

Hawley: Well, let's just put a number on it, a sort of a glib number. The grand total of U.S. automotive fatalities from 1975 to the present, about one and a half million people. Now, the grand total of U.S. fatalities from 1775 to the present in every military conflict we've had is 1.3 million. So in other words, in the last roughly 35 years we've killed more people with cars than we have in more than 300 years of warfare.

Just in case the death toll from automobiles wasn't bad enough, we are at war to keep the things on the road with cheap gas. What are we thinking here?

I'm thinking we could do well to encourage more of these to hit the road and reduce the number of cars.

Gradual School

2011-09-06T22:40:00.000-05:00

Walt: Daddy what's gradual school?
T. S. Garp: What?
Walt: Gradual school. Mommy say's she teaches at gradual school.
T. S. Garp: Oh Gradual school is where you go to school and you gradually find out you don't want to go to school anymore.

Changes in the wind

2011-08-24T22:47:00.000-05:00

Changes in the wind
Education comes around
I'll be tardy here

FAA Shutdown

2011-08-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

From the New York Times:

The partial F.A.A. shutdown, which began July 23 and is likely to continue at least through Labor Day, has also idled tens of thousands of construction workers on airport projects around the country. Dozens of airport inspectors have been asked by the F.A.A. to work without pay and to charge their government travel expenses to their personal credit cards to keep airports operating safely.
Air traffic controllers, who are paid with separate funds, will continue to work. Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary, said he firmly believed that passenger safety was not at risk. “No safety issues will be compromised,” he told reporters on a conference call. “Flying is safe. Air traffic controllers are guiding airplanes. Safety inspectors are on duty and are doing their job. No one needs to worry about safety.”

So as long as the airport safety inspectors are willing to work for free and pay their own expenses, our airports remain safe. The TSA security will still be on duty checking grandma's diapers though so I guess we have nothing to worry about.

What in the hell is going on that we are running our country like this?

Fatback Upgrade

2011-07-30T12:17:00.001-05:00

Look for it...

There it is...

Hmmm...

Oh boy...

Ahhhh....

I ordered a couple of bottle opener spacers from Ahren's Bicycles but since they were back-ordered, they sent me this stainless steel prototype WiseCracker LITE (at no charge-Thanks!) to hold me over until my order could ship. It's thinner than the regular WiseCracker but works great.

An excellent addition to my ride; I can't wait to get the others so I can make certain not to be unprepared when riding my other bikes.

Reincarnated Frog?

2011-07-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

I believe I may have been a frog in a past life. The trouble with having been another species in a former life is that somehow certain behaviors leach over in to this life but often without the corresponding acumen that made them effective as that other species.

While that may not be an example of effectivity, it does underscore a certain skill. I too, it turns out, have great skill at catching insects on my tongue. I do it on the bike rather than a lily pad. I seem to be able to catch them much more frequently than anyone with whom I ride. However, just like the frog in the video, it doesn't work out that good for me. Oh sure, extra hands-free nutrition, blah, blah; still not working for me, but no big deal.

Until last Thursday.

After a week of hellacious heat and soggy humidity, Thursday was a delightful day with lower temp and lower dewpoint. I rode home gulping in the fresh crisp air as I warmed up and got ready for some good old hammer time knowing that I wouldn't be risking death by heatstroke. It just as I was soaking in the pleasure of the wind in my face and the tarmac shooting beneath my wheels that I made another fine catch.

Having considerable experience bug catching, I can tell in an instant what I've caught and how to process my bounty. A gnat might not even generate a spit since it's diminutive size makes it nearly impossible to find and so what anyway. A mosquito will generate an ejection spit, a fly a spit and a cough, etc. I have a protocol and I follow it automatically; pure motor response, no thought required.

It works best that way.

In this case I made the mistake of pausing just long enough for a 'what the?' thought as my catch was in a new class that seemed to fill my mouth and it had scored a bullseye on the back of my throat. Lovely. Action then followed using an enhanced fly protocol in hopes of hastening the ejection process but somehow it

Wasn't... going... anywhere...

About ten minutes later, or 1/4 high-cadence turn of the crank, I had successfully completed the maneuver, released my catch and entered the assessment phase. Assessment is optional and usually involves a bit of chuckling and banter with whomever witnessed my catch and release. As in the catch phase, I paused and pondered the pain in the back of my throat. I wasn't going that fast, 20mph (31kph for those so inclined) tops so I postulated that my catch must have had equal and opposite velocity and the impact had bruised my uvula.

I was thinking best case while thinking I was thinking worst case.

Though my mouth was now clear, I invollantarily entered another round of the enhanced fly protocol; spit, cough plus gag just to finish with panache. It was becoming clear that I was in new territory as the pain was ramping up just like when you smack your thumb with a hammer and in the slow motion raising of the hammer off your thumb, the pain wells up like a tsunami as your mind begins to assess what just happened.

My assessment was coming around to the fact that I had just been stung on my uvula by a bee, wasp or cruise missile and had a situation that required more than spitting, coughing and gagging. I know people who are so allergic to bee stings that they carry an epipen to prevent anaphylactic shock in the case of a sting, my sister being one of those people.

So now I am thinking I have escaped heatstroke only to die from a uvular bee sting as I feel my throat start to swell. Though I commute across a major metropolitan area, this part of my commute is pretty isolated and it could be many minutes until someone comes along by which time I will just be a corpse at the side of the road. Oddly enough, this section of road along the river bluff is where the local municipality dumps dead deer carcasses so the stench of my decay won't even stand out.

Knowing outside help is unlikely, I decide it's time to really hammer and start thinking about where the nearest location where I can get some Benadryl. As I ride I realize that the swelling isn't really increasing although the pain most certainly is and that I will likely survive the ordeal.

So it's all turned out OK but I have a deep empathy for Babs and will think about looking up a uvula specialist as mine is still at least twice it's normal size and not at all happy.

Can't tell...

2011-07-17T16:05:00.000-05:00

...if there's a sign here or not:

Please sort yourselves

2011-07-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

Screaming Fast Fatback Ride!

2011-05-31T21:23:00.000-05:00

I picked up a Garmin unit to track my rides. I've had several bike computers but they all give spurious results and messed up my totals. Not a big deal as I don't really keep that close track on things anyway but figured that the Garmin would nail things down without any room for errors.

So when TOB and I did a little neighborhood spin tonight, I was a little surprised at the miles we had racked up but it did explain why she was so hungry and I was so tired.

Next time we ride to the Bay of Bengal, I'd like to take it a little slower because, to be honest, I don't remember a single thing about the trip.

Now Serving ... Fatback

2011-04-24T20:50:00.000-05:00

The good folks at One On One Bike managed to get the stars aligned in the Fatback constellation to produce this amazing ride:

It's still a work in progress but rides like a dream. You might notice the SRAM Air front derailleur, a zero gram offering that sets a new standard for weight savings but has no performance either. I'll be replacing that with SRAM X9 to match the rear derailleur. Also looking at options for handlebar/stem combinations which is why I left so much extra length in the cables.

Had it out for a spin on the Bike Highway and nearby rogue hiking paths today and it proved itself as more than just a snow bike. It doesn't make sense, given how heavy the wheels are, but this bike loves to climb. Zips up hills like it's got a motor.

This is going to be one hell of a fun bike!

It Just Doesn't

2011-04-22T21:59:00.002-05:00

get any better than this.

Kodiak Alaska Snowbiking from Philip Tschersich on Vimeo.

Fatback Snowbike Riding in Alaska from Philip Tschersich on Vimeo.

Slowly going mad over the glacial delivery pace of my very own Fatback but this keeps my hopes up.

Upgrade

2011-04-14T20:06:00.000-05:00

Should be here just about the time the local single track dries out.

Timing is everything.

Tired

2011-04-13T20:29:00.002-05:00

...

Maybe...

2011-03-19T11:13:00.000-05:00

I should pick up one of these while I'm waiting to get fat:

Pivot MACH 429

Fatback Soup

2011-03-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

The recipe is starting to come together but the pantry isn't yet fully stocked.

This will be the first ingredient into the soup pot, blue anodized aluminum goodness. Seems a Fatback frame would be nicely complimented with Hadley-built, Fatback hubs, paired with Uma II 70mm rims to get just the right amount of fat into the pot. Of course being a carbon based life form myself, I figure a Fatback carbon fork will make this recipe feel like a family feast.

SRAM X0 should add some good flavor,

Then toss in some Chris King, season to taste, and it will probably look something like this:

Speedway did a good thing when they hired this photographer to show off their stuff, plenty of fat goodness on display.

As for me, I'm getting hungry and can hardly wait for the soup to be ready!

Beer Friday

2011-02-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Oh and that rock floating in the beer? My iPhone has just started added that to all my photos. I guess it's time for a new phone...

Fatback Fever

2011-02-13T21:24:00.000-06:00

I know it's nearing the end of the snow biking season but I've started the wheels in motion to join the fat bike club. It turns out there is a local shop that carries the Fatback and when I stopped in yesterday to chat them up, I left with a demo bike to try out. I had been surveying the fat bike landscape, asking questions of one of Alaska's hard core snow bikers and the trail was leading to the Fatback offered by Speedway Cycles in Anchorage Alaska.

It's one thing to have people rave about a particular bike but quite another to get out on it and see for yourself. I was expecting a nice bike and wasn't at all disappointed but didn't quite understand how nice this bike really is. After easily rolling over a bunch of (presumably unridable) snow piles at the local school and some impromptu singletrack where dog walkers had beat a path through a little wooded chunk of no man's land, I decided to head for home. There aren't a lot of hills in my neighborhood but there are a few short ones and heading up one I was mentally preparing for the slog up it. The bike didn't have clip less pedals and I had been too lazy to swap them out so I was expecting hill would be even more challenging with half my pedal stroke unavailable to me.

Turns out the bike is quite the snappy climber and I was cresting the hill still waiting for the hard part to start.

With the fever raging there was only one thing to do: take action to get my own Fatback. It will take a while to pull all the pieces together and I may end up missing this snow biking season but boy will I be ready next year!

Obligatory New Years Post

2010-12-31T10:46:00.000-06:00

Great Year blah, blah
Personal best blah, blah
Making New Year's resolutions blah, blah

Happy New Year anyway!

SnowDancer

2010-12-11T14:49:00.000-06:00

I get tired shoveling snow but my pooch really gets exhausted.

Here's why:

Ain't that a hoot?

Local Bike Shop Needs Help

2010-12-06T19:15:00.000-06:00

Tonka Cycle & Ski in Minnetonka MN has just lost their lease with very short notice. They had just received their full winter inventory and agreed to take their spring bike inventory early when they got the news that their lease won't be renewed.

It's a great shop (it's where we bought our tandem) and they are looking for a new location but with only a couple months to get out of their current location, inventory reduction is their primary motivation. This means there are deals to be had for us which also help them.

Hopefully they will be back in business soon but in the mean time, stop on by for some great christmas shopping if you are in the Twin Cities.

Early Days

2010-11-28T20:26:00.000-06:00

Rummaging around this weekend and I came across this old gem of me with my first road bike back in'72 or '73. I rode this bike on many self-supported tours and in this photo I was showing off the newly repainted frame as I had worn off a great deal of the factory black paint that it had.

I still have this bike though it's in rough shape now. I fantasize about rebuilding it to it's former glory. Campy frame marketed as Prima and mostly Campy parts; it was a sweet ride. It's been almost 40 years but it could be a sweet ride once again.

He's just not normal

2010-11-17T19:14:00.000-06:00

But I like it!

Bring it, I'm ready

2010-11-12T21:55:00.000-06:00

Winter Storm Warning
Hazardous Weather Outlook

Tonight: A chance of rain and snow before midnight, then snow. Low around 33. Northeast wind between 8 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Saturday: Snow. High near 34. North northeast wind around 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Snow likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 34. North northwest wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Satisfaction

2010-10-23T23:17:00.000-05:00

IMBA Alert, your call to Action!

2010-09-17T07:15:00.002-05:00

CAMBA Urging Mountain Bikers to Comment on Trail Plans

Wisconsin's Bayfield County Forest is seeking input on the Access Management Plan for the forest. Several questions have extremely important and pertinent implications to CAMBA-built mountain bike trails and other non-motorized trails in the Cable Block of the County Forest. This block includes all County Forest south of Cable from west of Randysek Road all the way east to the National Forest in Namakagon. This includes perhaps the most important collection of non-motorized trails in the state and includes the CAMBA bike trails, the North End Trail Head and ski and snowshoe trails, some Telemark ski trails and the Birkie and Birkie Classic trails.

If you ride these trails, get involved and fill in the survey. The continued preservation of non-motorized trails is important for personal safety, trail maintenance and enjoying the wilderness experience. Motorized trails are little affected by non-motorized use but the opposite is true when motorized access is mixed in with non-motorized use.

If you don't ride these trails, you should as they are as good as it gets!

The more numerous our voices, the more likely we can preserve this wilderness experience. Take action, get involved and join with the other voices trying to protect this wilderness area.

Thanks!

Sometimes Haiku

2010-08-20T23:47:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I just live

Sometimes I think about how

Just now, I'm thinking

1000 miles

2010-08-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Last month I got in 1000 miles which explains why the blog has been hanging on the hooks in the garage. I've had bigger months but not for quite a while and this is the first time a wheel decided I was riding it too hard.

So much for putting my old road wheels on my commuter to lighten it up a bit but then again I didn't like these wheels much anyway.

Tandem Silhouette

2010-07-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

Warm sun,

Good friends,

Does it get any better?

Physician Heal Thy Self

2010-06-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

I love what can be found out there on the interwebs.

Take this sign posted in a BP station:

Thanks for the find BlueNoser!

I drive a car so I take

my share of responsibility for

our societies oil lust

but I am averaging around

6,000 miles a year or

less than I put on my bikes.

Minneapolis Bicycling Rocks!

2010-05-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

Here's one reason why:

Here we see public bike racks, not unique to just this street, so you know when you ride downtown on one of the many trails or bike lanes that lead into downtown, you will have a place to lock up.

Making a city bicycle-friendly isn't just about bike lanes or bike paths, it's putting together the whole picture.

It really helps, as shown in this bicycle view in Google (which also rocks!), that the bike lane saturation just in the downtown Minneapolis area looks like this:

The bright green lines are dedicated bike trails, the rest of the green lines are bike lanes on streets. I don't know what other cities are like but I think that's a lot of green.

New Glasses!

2010-05-11T19:56:00.000-05:00

As I age my eyes are changing and I have been outfitting myself with an increasingly large collection of glasses. I think these new ones just might be my favorites so far...

Satisfaction

2010-04-27T19:56:00.000-05:00

She said, go read this

You just might like it. I did

I've said enough is

Bikepooling in Minneapolis

2010-04-25T21:44:00.000-05:00

Last weekend

we went to see

the Twins play

in their new stadium

It's a cool stadium

(outdoors, I might add)

with some awesome

transportation options

Light rail on one side,

Parking ramps on another.

My favorite part though is the

Cedar Lake Trail (America's first bike highway!)

Comes in on another side

with plenty of on-site bike parking.

Bikepooling just got

easier in Minneapolis!

Bit by the security dog

2010-04-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Funny isn't it that the guard dog that's supposed to protect the corporate computers brought them down. I'm guessing this will be a bit bigger than Mcafee is letting on at this point.

Is this a good time to say that I love my Mac?

Beercation in 5/4 time

2010-04-09T01:33:00.000-05:00

Betty and the Giant

2010-03-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

In The Church of the Big Ring there are few holidays as important or joyous as the Road Bike Season opener. It often comes up suddenly with little warning as it did today. I started the day on the commuter running errands and while there was no question that there would be riding today, I didn't realize the high holiday was upon us and figured there would still be the CostCo run, perhaps another spin up to see George.

I assumed it would be more miles on lumbering steel and touring tires.
Noodling through Saturday chores while the temp rose and the threatened rain sulked away without accomplishing a single patch of drizzle. I've had Saturdays like that so I understood as the skies lighted and the wind dropped. I've been screwing around with my road shoes, another story for another day, and thought I may have come up with a configuration that I had not yet tried.

I should have seen it as the harbinger of the high holiday but I missed it. TOB has a new horse in the barn and had spent the morning putting on svelte new shoes, bars and grooming it so her ride choice was clear. So off we go down the street each marveling at our handiwork but we don't make it past the end of the block before Betty's mournful wailing fills the neighborhood.

Even when we don't detect the opening rituals of the high holiday, the bikes know and won't risk missing out on the festivities. So it's a quick U turn, shoe swap and Betty is right side up for the first time in months.

And that's how it came to be that Betty and the Giant spent the day frolicking on the tarmac, celebrating the return of skinny tire days.

Stud-less in Minneapolis

2010-03-25T17:47:00.000-05:00

I'm usually the last guy to remove the studded tires but I took them off a few weeks back and am happy I did.

Feels like I'm riding around nekkid but without the blushing...

Turbo Tax HSA Miscalculation

2010-03-20T09:45:00.002-05:00

So like many folks I'm diving into my tax preparations and as I have done in the past am was using Turbo Tax from Intuit. It's all going along swimmingly until I enter my HSA information at which time it tells me I have over-contributed and tells me I will be paying a penalty for my transgression thereby reducing my refund by more than $300.

What?

The IRS clearly states I can contribute $3000 as an individual:

Limit on Contributions

The amount you or any other person can contribute to your HSA depends on the type of HDHP coverage you have, your age, the date you become an eligible individual, and the date you cease to be an eligible individual. For 2009, if you have self-only HDHP coverage, you can contribute up to $3,000. If you have family HDHP coverage, you can contribute up to $5,950.

The Turbo Tax online support forum is full of complaints (for example) on this issue going back to last year with transcripts from support chats showing Intuit (maker of Turbo Tax and Quicken) agrees this is a problem and will fix it. There is no solution available and lots of ranting on the Turbo Tax site's own support forum.

A search of the interwebs did uncover a potential solution where you have to go under the covers and delete some form to get it to work correctly but really, should I have to go under the covers to mess around with something to get it to work correctly? If this is a reliable solution then why doesn't Intuit have it available in its support forum?

It's a matter of trust

I found this error because I know what the right answer is and the software got it wrong. How am I supposed to trust this software to make the calculations where I don't know the right answer? Isn't the point of this type of application to correctly make the calculations so you don't risk making your own stupid mistakes? How many other calculations need me to find some obscure form and delete it in order for it to make the right calculations?

If I don't already know the right answer and detect that it's wrong in the software, how would I know to go looking for the right answer. If I do already know the right answer, why do I need software to "help" me out with my tax filing?

Trust is a delicate flower; does it ever really come back once it has been stepped on?

My First Bike Mentor

2010-03-04T03:45:00.003-06:00

My brother Dan introduced me to the bicycle as something that was more than just a toy. He was my first bike mentor and helped me purchase my first serious bike, the only one I have put more than ten thousand miles on in a single year.

Today he would have been 56.

Two years ago I visited Hatcher Pass in Alaska where his ashes were spread many years ago.

When I lived with him up there we went camping up on the pass and spent some good hang-out time. When I returned to the pass I knew there would be memories but it turned out to be a pretty spiritual experience. I remember scribbling the following in a notebook while at the top of the pass but forgot about it until I tripped on it a few days ago.

As I walked

There lay Dano

Quiet, at rest

Surrounded by beauty

Life beyond death

On a mountain side

Warm sun

Gentle breeze

I've come full circle

To say goodbye to his life

To say hello to mine

He found this place of beauty

Now it's mine

Remember when...

2010-02-28T20:17:00.000-06:00

...this was mostly a bike blog?...

Life has been, well, very interesting lately and my two wheeled miles have been greatly reduced.

Sometimes there are things that have to be taken care of that preclude time on the bike.

I did, however, get out for a great ride in this afternoon's spectacular weather.

It's amazing how studded tires can soothe the soul.

Homecoming

2010-02-23T21:04:00.000-06:00

My aging father

Lost his wife and his dog too

Melancholy times

He understands some

Does he know how life has changed?

Welcome home daddy

Weak End

2010-02-14T23:09:00.002-06:00

A record snowfall

Out of place beauty down south

It wasn't enough

Beauty and sadness

Journeys long and too complex

The natural order

It would typically

Be a bright spot, lovely snow

Shadows are too long

Life changes, evolves

Choices following their course

Should we check progress?

Pathways are to choose

But in certain cases we

Can only observe

With this in your glass

Pleasure should be real easy

This time? whatever...

Finish line sprinting

Doesn't apply for this one

It's crossed anyway

Better days lie past

This trial, however, is harsh

Spattered observer

Too Much

2010-02-11T21:42:00.000-06:00

I like winter and all but down here in Dallas for a quick trip and they have an all time record snow fall. I thought I would be leaving all our wonderful snow behind but here it is.

I have pictures but can't figure out to post them here with my iPhone...

Staying Warm While Biking in the Cold

2010-02-05T23:22:00.000-06:00

I started a series of posts last year tagged with the label Chilly Dress Code in which I detailed what I wore for a given ride at a given temp. I did it mostly to help me remember what I wore at what temps and how it worked for me. I also thought that some folks might find it useful and I do try to light the way for others to consider the bicycle a viable means of year-around transportation. You know, to help the environment, increase personal fitness, save money, blah blah blah. For me it really comes down to being a heck of a lot of fun that I can incorporate into my daily routine. Due to bad choices I made earlier in life, I may never be able to retire so I need to make sure I am having as good a time right now as I possibly can.

So, how do I dress for winter bike riding? I don't have to think about it that much any more so I didn't carry through documenting my gear this year even though I have have been riding more and in more varied conditions. I guess when you have it down you just do it and it becomes the natural way of things that don't require planning. For example I don't have a list of instructions for brushing my teeth, I just do it. I don't have a guide for taking a shower, I just do it. So it is with getting ready for my commute, I just do it. I do have a strategy for showering and brushing my teeth but don't worry I'll spare you the details since if you don't have those down yet, this blog might not be what you need to focus on.

Here's my general strategy for staying warm when cold weather riding.

As the temp drops below shorts and jersey weather, I switch to wool cycling shorts and a wool jersey (if I'm not already wearing them…) and then add a wool T-shirt under the jersey.

This is very important: I add knee warmers around 65 degrees.

The reason this is important is that the ligaments in the knees don't have much in the way of blood supply and are easily stressed by the cold. Some folks apply embrocation, others like me just put on knee warmers. It's not that my knees feel too cold, they are in fact just fine but this is important to keep them in good shape to keep riding without having knee problems. Since I want to continue riding, I don't want to make choices now that will restrict my riding in the future. Folks have different opinions on the critical temp but the bottom line is that you need to protect your knees before they feel cold.

Anyway, I add arm warmers when it drops into the 50's and long finger gloves as the temp descends towards the 40's. I also tape the vents on my shoes with Gaffer's Tape, a removable version of duct tape that was developed for the theater. Sometime as it is nearing the 40's I will switch over to a soft-shell jacket with just a wool tank top under it or maybe a wool T-shirt. I should mention that when I say 'wool' what I really mean is 'Merino Wool'. Merino wool is offered by lots of companies but mine is mostly Icebreaker and Ibex with a little Patagonia and SmartWool mixed in for good measure. I can't say enough good about merino wool but I could in this post so I'll leave it with the fact my opinion that it is the best performing fabric out there and not just because it NEVER gets stinky.

My soft-shell also has some features that are exceedingly important for ride comfort. My commute is currently 16+ miles each way so I am on the road for an hour, an hour and a half or more when the temp drops and I have to battle snow and ice. For a ride of this length you will sweat and venting is the key to comfort (and safety when it's really cold). I generally wear my Gore Bikewear Tool Jacket soft-shell which has both pit vents and a small zippered pocket over my heart that also acts as a very effective vent. When I start out I am a bit chilly but within a couple miles I am comfortable; a few more miles and I start to get hot.

Another important point: The importance of venting before I get overly sweaty.

I will sweat some in almost all temps but the trick is to vent before I get too wet; once I'm wet, finding the balance between comfort and chills is very difficult if not impossible. It took a while to get tuned in to when I needed to start venting or removing layers for my gear that doesn't have venting built in. My key for when it's time to vent is just when I'm get to my temperature comfort zone, which can be anytime from 5 to 20 minutes depending how hard I am riding and how cold it is. When I reach that point, and not a moment later, it's time to introduce some more cold air to prevent sweating from really getting started.

My last few jobs were closer to home than my current position, around twenty to thirty minutes riding, so I didn't have to pay quite as much attention to what I was wearing or how sweaty I got since I would be at work before anything bad could happen. Now that my commute takes nearly an hour and half as I battle the rough snow and ice conditions with my studded tires I could injure myself if I didn't get it right. You may not be facing risk of a freezing injury but you may find that you can ride in similar comfort as you do in summer if you pay attention to the right things and preventing your clothes from getting wet from over sweating is one of them.

By the time it's dropped into the 30's I have on tights over my knee warmers, or have on my Craft Windtex bib tights. These tights have a considerable wind stopping front along with insolation so the knee warmers aren't required. They can carry me in comfort into the upper 20's but then it's time for my cross country ski pants to come on the scene. Mine are Ibex with their Climawool fabric that has wind protection but I still wear my knee warmers underneath. I will also have switched from my taped up cycling shoes to my Lake Winter Boots. Mine are the mountain version but the road version may work just as well for warmth though not so much when you have to hike a bike through a snow drift. When the temps drop into the teens, I add wool tights between the knee warmers and the ski pants and drop a chemical warmer into the boots.

Yet another important point: As the temp drops there are two variables; the number of layers you wear and the thickness of those layers.

Perhaps you aren't convinced that wool is the way to go and prefer the various technical fabrics. Fact is they also work very well and will keep you warm (and also capture much of your body odor…) but you will still need to add layers as the temp drops and/or increase the thickness of each layer. I find that three layers is suitable for almost any conditions though as it drops well below zero and/or the wind really kicks up, I have added a forth layer. Wind protection also needs to be considered and this applies to your entire body. When it gets into the single digits or perhaps below zero, I add Neoprene boot covers over my Lake boots and will also have chemical heaters in the boots to make sure I keep warm.

Note; I have Raynauds syndrome so I need to take more precautions than the average person to keep my fingers and toes from freezing but most folks don't have this and don't need to take the same precautions as I do; knowing yourself will always be the key to success in cold weather activities.

I haven't discussed my hands much yet but I add layers there too. Wind protection starts in the 50's, then wool liners in the gloves in the 40's. I carry WindStopper lobster shells as a backup though I don't have to use them much unless it's quite windy. In the 20's I replace the fleece gloves and their wool liners with cross-country lobster ski gloves and then add the wool liners back in as the temp drops. I may add heater packs to my gloves and at around zero I generally replace the ski gloves with mittens but it depends on how much effort I am putting out and how much wind factors into the ride.

For my feet, it's pretty simple. In addition to switching to the Lake boots, I add liner socks under the regular socks and this is one area where it seems the polypropylene liners work a bit better than the wool. My boots are a size bigger than I would normally buy so I have extra room for thicker socks but still never more than two pairs. When the temp drops into the single digits and below, I also put on some neoprene boot covers and maybe a second chemical warmer in the boot; one on top of my toes and one underneath.

Last up is my weather protection from the neck up. Having a beard, even my wimpy beard, helps a lot with protecting my face from the elements but I do add a balaclava somewhere in the 30's though I don't pull it up to cover my mouth until it's well down into the 20's or even the teens if there isn't much wind. I DO, however, start with it over my mouth for the first ten minutes or so until the furnace kicks in. I have found that toughing it out at the beginning of a ride only makes it take longer for me to find my comfort zone so I start with more knowing I will remove it pretty quickly. I don't mind being a wimp and driving for comfort on my commute; I'm not a masochist, just a commuter.

I wear my regular cycling glasses down into the single digits, perhaps even below zero but at some point I will switch over to ski goggles which along with the now pulled up (and thicker) balaclava will cover all my exposed skin. I also have switched over to my downhill ski helmet in the 20's because it has built-in ear flaps and really keeps my whole head comfortable. Mine has venting that I can open as I warm up (remember; venting is your friend!) and sometimes open and close the venting over the course of a ride.

So there it is, my approach to comfortable bike commuting through the Minnesota winter. Did I forget anything? Oh, yes I did!

Final important point (ladies can skip this part or just giggle your way though it): I depend on wind protection for my manly parts; wind briefs become essential as the temp drops. Men's parts are designed for cooling but that doesn't work out so well when cycling (or skiing for that matter) so you really need to have extra wind protection over the family jewels. Wind briefs tend to be on the expensive side but are worth every penny and then some.

Your results will vary and you will need to do your own fine tuning but I think this should be a pretty good guide for what you need to consider as the temps drop. The two main things to remember are managing your layers and making sure you vent before you get overly sweaty. It is possible, in fact it's exceedingly enjoyable, to ride in colder weather and by taking the right precautions it can be every bit as comfortable as riding in the summer. It might even be more fun since it sort of feels like you are getting away with something and when doesn't being a little bit naughty enhance your pleasure?

Root Canal Fashionista

2010-02-04T17:50:00.000-06:00

When you don't feel good

You can, at least, still look good

Jealous aren't you?

Six below and falling

2010-01-28T23:12:00.001-06:00

It's now six below

By morning that will seem warm

Why do I live here?

Nokian Extremes Rock

2010-01-07T21:37:00.001-06:00

Bright snow all day long

A lovely evening to ride

My secret pleasure

Partly Cloudy

6 °F
(-14 °C)

Humidity:	73 %
Wind Speed:	NW 18 MPH
Barometer:	30.36" (1030.2 mb)
Dewpoint:	-1 °F (-18 °C)
Wind Chill:	-13 °F (-25 °C)
Visibility:	10.00 mi.

Utah Beer

2010-01-05T21:27:00.000-06:00

Snowy Splendor

2009-12-25T19:59:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve in the backyard

Fat, happy snowflakes on the local rinks

Fat tires carry me through the dark

The way is clear, my heart joyful

I hope your wheels carry you

Joyfully through the season

Merry Christmas!

Warm Feet With Lake Winter MTB Boots

2009-12-22T21:47:00.002-06:00

I've got several seasons in with my Lake Winter MTB Boots and they have to rank near the top of my favorite equipment of all time list. I've once again been wearing them on my commutes and find them to be as comfortable as they are warm. Temps have dropped into the single digits Fahrenheit (a dozen or so below Celsius) and I have been plenty warm every day. My commute is currently just over 16 miles or 26 kilometers for those using the more rational measuring system, which takes me just over an hour with the extra gear and studded tires. These boots also have reflective markings front and rear so they also help me show up in traffic.

Now as good as the boots are, I do use chemical heater for longer rides when the temps are 30 degrees (f) or lower. I also put on neoprene shoe covers for zero and below but they keep my toes warm. Warm toes are good for everyone but for someone like me that experiences Raynaud's Phenomenon,

warmth is both difficult and critical to maintain. My toes can go numb sitting around the house in the summer if the air conditioning is set a bit too high. OK, the Wikipedia pictures are overly dramatic (where did they find orange and bright red people?) for how it affects me mostly due to my aerobic fitness level as that helps greatly.

The bottom line, however, is that even though I have had some issues with them, the Lake Winter Boots have opened the winter season to me for riding and I can't imagine winter riding without them. Oh and they are clipless so along with the warmth I can still maintain my full power-stroke which is sometimes all that keeps me upright in the deeper snow.

I don't Get It

2009-12-20T10:29:00.000-06:00

We got a dusting of snow

less than an inch

and as I sit here

I hear the sound

of a snowblower

clearing the top 1/4 inch

followed by the

sound of a shovel

getting the last 1/2 inch.

Petroleum independence might be further away than I think...

This is Winter!

2009-12-15T20:59:00.000-06:00

When I leave the house I see this

I look up the alley

and down the alley

and I saddle up and head out

with a big smile on my face.

In the middle of my commute

I hop the train for a while.

This is my commuter hanging

in the commuter train,

a convenient option

that splits my riding into

two six mile legs

which is great.

However

This isn't so great

see the footsteps

next to the bike track?

It's the Mendota Bridge

The bike path is filled

with what was plowed

off

the road and

onto

the bike path,

frosted with several

inches of fresh powder.

Without snow it looks like this.

Notice how far the

highway sign is

from where I stand

in each of the pictures.

It's a looooooooooong bridge.

The good thing is that it overlooks

the Minnesota River Valley

I just missed two

Eagles cavorting in

the chilly air in this shot.

Nearly a mile of hike-a-bike

made me a little slow

pulling out the camera.

Now I just have to figure out

how to determine when

the bike path on the bridge

gets cleared

so that I can ride

rather than trudge.

After all, I can drive some days...

Winter's here!

2009-12-10T20:23:00.000-06:00

My commute's not gonna look like this again for a long time

Let's hear it for the winter commute!

Missing, presumed having a good time...

2009-12-01T23:06:00.000-06:00

Having too much fun to post.

Hoped to put up some pics from the muddy mountain biking last weekend but I managed to shoot all my photos in macro mode. It makes them look like this:

Which is its' own flavor of cool but doesn't show the massive mud spattering on everyone.

Equal Time!

2009-11-13T23:13:00.000-06:00

It was a cold wet commute coming home tonight. The sun had long set so it was night-dark even though it was still in the thick of rush hour. I take to the left lane to make a left turn, lit up like a christmas tree as I always am for my darkness commutes. Traffic is slow so I just merge into the left lane but I miss the light so I am stopped waiting in the rain for the light to change when a guy in a pick up rolls his window down and and says, "Be safe!" while giving me a thumbs up.

(thanks PhotoBucket!)

There are two sides to every coin and this guy totally made my Friday commute and restored my faith in human kindness and set my weekend off on a pretty good note. I had almost ten miles yet to go in the steadily increasing rain but I smiled with every turn of the cranks. It's easy to whine about the morons but isn't it really the random acts of kindness that keep the whole thing stitched together?

Bucolic Parkway

2009-11-10T22:01:00.000-06:00

I have, as part of my commute, a bucolic little parkway that many moron drivers use as a high speed shortcut from the Hiawatha corridor.

I've

screamed and been screamed at,

flipped off and been flipped off,

banged on windows,

doors,

fenders

(and anything else I could reach)

been driven off the road by

people passing way too close,

people driving up onto the grass

(one guy telling me he won't be that nice next time)

people swerving over at me from the oncoming lane

(generally telling me to get the $%^&* off the road)

After too many morons drivers have put my life at risk, I have surrendered to the bike path for this section.

It has a 10 mph speed limit and during warmer weather is filled with

dogs stretching their leashes across the bike path,

meandering baby stroller pushers,

squeaky cruisers wobbling from side to side,

occasional punk clusters practicing their rudeness skills

(they're already rude enough and don't need more practice)

As annoying as these all are, none of them are as likely to kill me as the pea-brained cagers who seem confused between the terms Parkway and Raceway.

The good part is that all the fair-weather path users have abandoned the path so I generally have it to myself except for the occasional fellow commuter refugees who all nod knowingly.

Who has time for this?

2009-11-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

I face this sign every day in the locker room at work.

I don't leave things in the locker room but damn if you've gotta spend two whole weeks contacting Facilities to get your stuff back.

Tomorrow will be a good day

2009-10-29T23:12:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure about it since all the suckageness that I can imagine landed on today. It started with forgetting my badge and having the regular security guard out and his replacement didn't quite get the routine so I spent ten minutes just trying to start on what would be 11 hours of contorted effort into which I needed to pack about 40 hours of productive time. Needless to say, I left some work undone and will have to get in early tomorrow to have any hope of not repeating todays carnage.

When I get home I can count on some serious quality time since I have the honor of living with the sweetest lady on the face of the earth. I contemplated, fantasized about the relaxing evening waiting for me. Cocktail in one hand and nothing to do but kick back until sleep overwhelmed me, something I suspected wouldn't take long.

However...I have this wonderful dog.

Really, he's a great pooch. Well trained, sensible, predicable and pretty much lives his life with the most optimism of any creature I have ever known. Lovely to come home to after fighting the corporate fight since every day for him is a great day. But he is still a dog and today he demonstrated in exemplary style what the statement 'sicker than a dog' really means.

I used to train dogs with the same vigor I turn the cranks and had a house full of them. I know what can go wrong and what a sick dog is like to come home to but today that was totally redefined even though he is the only dog in the house. I'll spare you the details but let's just say that if I had hired a painter to paint the basement floor, I would have been quite please with how thoroughly he had covered the floor down to every single nook and cranny. Places, in fact, that I didn't know existed.

I just wanted to come home to my nothing box. Instead, it was several hours of something I never want to do.

SO, with all the action packed into today, I just know tomorrow will be a good day.

Single track repose

2009-10-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

Still basking in the glow of three days riding some of the finest single-track courtesy of CAMBA and their work in the Chequamegon National Forest.

The temps were chilly but the friendship was warm and I know how to dress so the cold doesn't set me back even when my toes get a little cold.

Back to regular programming...

2009-10-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, I was bored and thought it might be fun to crank up my stats like someone once said they accidently did with a similar post title. My faith in the on-line search world was somewhat restored as my hit count actually went down with that last post.

There was of course no sex graphic or otherwise in that post. I don't care what folks do with their on-line time but I do think that porn shouldn't come to you in your daily travels unless you travel the porn circuit in which case you would likely not be here reading this. Anyway, it was a cheap ploy for traffic that failed so perhaps not only is the internet here to stay, but there might be less porn surfing than I heard talking heads declare.

This post makes a lot of sense to me.

Graphic Pictorial Bicycle Sex

2009-10-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

Was it good for you?

Random Thoughts

2009-09-25T21:14:00.009-05:00

It's the weekend in a long week of short goals. Long stretches of limited production followed by multiple deadlines collapsing on a single day. Not all deadlines met but those that were exceeded expectation and the Arkel pannier carries the laptop to and from quite well so no worries.

I started running a few weeks ago, a fall tradition as I attempt to get in shape for the cross country ski season. It starts with a week of great soreness from short runs followed by a week of seeming invincibility. No more agonizing pain in legs that can turn the cranks seemingly indefinitely but are turned to masses of screaming flesh by a short, brisk run towed by the pooch in my own canicross competition. The week of invincible exercise turns into overwhelming exhaustion as my body adapts to the new regimen.

I started thinking a few months back, an employment tradition as I attempt to get into shape for the next level in my career. It starts with great confusion from simple thoughts followed by months of apparently flawless thinking. No more awkward thought gathering from a brain that can seemingly crank out analytical models indefinitely but is turned to a quivering mass of sparking synapses by a situation infected with contradictory truths. The months of of flawless execution turn into overwhelming exhaustion as my brain adapts to the new regimen.

I started feeling a few decades back, a life tradition as I attempt to get in shape for experiencing the world around me. It starts with an introspection on the unchangeable past followed by the realization that I can respond as I choose to the life events that cross my path. No more second guessing choices from a diverse emotional base that can rise to the most dire life situation but turns to a whimpering soul by a lost opportunity. The years of satisfied conscience turn into overwhelming exhaustion as my emotions adapt to the new regimen.

It's the weekend in a short life of long goals. Long stretches of seeking followed by a dizzying array of life choices, realized in a single life. Not all ambitions took root but the wealth of life lived so far has exceeded expectations and my satchel of life carries boundless dreams with no room for worries.

Busy

2009-09-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

What was I saying?...

It's Time for Health Care Reform

2009-09-02T21:31:00.004-05:00

The government is run by those who show up. It's time the real cross section of America shows up to be counted and dispel the twisted image being crafted by the Republicans and Fox News (oops, that's redundant...).

Please Donate

Wanna be's

2009-08-30T21:08:00.002-05:00

A few weeks back I passed a couple of shaved-leg racer-wanna-be's at the beginning (meaning before I was even warmed up) of my commute. Now I know that racers aren't always going to blow my doors off, they're likely working their training plan and I'm not relevant. What I do know is that they are easy to spot at any speed because they are smooth and steady. These guys were neither.

They pulled onto the road about a quarter mile ahead of me and I rolled up onto the second one's wheel for a moment waiting for traffic to clear enough to pass them. When I did the second one made some snotty comment about stealing their draft.

I like encountering racers on my commute. I observe them and sometimes learn something. They are nearly always examples of road courtesy; racers know that they only get down the road by protecting their riding mates and receiving protection in return.

After passing them, the first one sort of freaked out and jumped up on his pedals and tore out down the road like he had big money on a sprint finish. It wasn't a bad effort but he looked pretty goofy when he ended up missing the turn onto the bridge. He didn't touch the floor, he just was going too fast for the U turn and rolled past it as his buddy started shouting at him to turn.

I wasn't racing them, I wasn't even warmed up but this hairy legged, oversized backpack carrying commuter passing them without even breaking a sweat must have just been too much. I had to laugh since if I had been warmed up and interested I could have given Mr. stomp-on-the-pedals a run for his money without a problem even with my loaded pack.

I just turned and proceeded over the bridge but I glanced over my shoulder several times just to watch them huffing along trying to catch me. The bridge is a little over a mile long and when I made the turn at the end I never saw them again. Now I'm not complaining about them, I just find it a bit entertaining that they made it so clear that it wasn't OK for me to pass them but then couldn't catch up to me when I wasn't even trying to out run them.

Wanna be's; gotta love 'em. At least they are out there riding...

Friday!

2009-08-27T21:43:00.002-05:00

It's nearly Friday

Won't that be nice, really nice?

It's still Thursday now.

Thinking...

2009-08-21T20:49:00.004-05:00

Life is full of surprises,

I always try to smile

Through the fireworks

I know it can be done

Crabby

2009-08-11T21:31:00.002-05:00

Been off the bike for a week.

Bike trouble first,

Then some nasty upper respiratory crud

Now the work schedule won't allow it to happen until Friday.

200 miles a week to zero.

Bah.

Fight like Susan

2009-08-05T21:59:00.002-05:00

Take a moment to send some love and support to Fatty who now has only the memory of Susan to drive one of the greatest fights against cancer ever mounted. Here's a man who whipped up a massive drive to support the fight against cancer at the same time the love of his life was slipping, inexorably into it's deadly grip. Mere mortals would have wrapped themselves in a blanket of pain and sorrow but Fatty took up what is already a record-setting fund raising effort in the fight against cancer.

Please think about joining in the fight by donating to Team Fat Cyclist.

Iliicit Sextet

2009-08-01T18:23:00.002-05:00

We have the good fortune of a couple great jazz clubs where our fantastic local talent are showcased. The Illicit Sextet is but one example of our very deep local jazz pool and have just gotten back together after a 15 year hiatus where they all seem to have honed their skills considerably, quite amazing since they won the Minnesota Jazz Awards, Best Jazz Group in 1993.

If you are any kind of jazz fan, do yourself a favor and check them out!

I wonder...

2009-07-29T20:42:00.003-05:00

...how many of the jerks who try to run me off the road as I ride to and from work every day are aware of the important role bicyclists played in getting them their paved roads they now feel bicycles don't belong on.

I have a close call several times a week. This morning's moron brushed my arm as he drove past 3 miles an hour faster than me rather than pull out a bit since there was no oncoming traffic. Nearly every day someone hollers at me to get onto the sidewalk or trail. Last week some jerk crossed the center line coming at me from the other direction to try to run me off the road while giving me the finger. For what purpose I wondered since he was traveling on the other side of the road.

Anyway, perhaps they should read this:

The League began as the League of American Wheelmen (LAW) in 1880, and was responsible for defending the rights of cyclists from its start. The League of American Wheelmen is credited with getting paved roads in this country before the reign of the automobile.

There, I feel better even though I know not one of the mouth-breathers who should read it will have...

Priorities

2009-07-25T18:31:00.004-05:00

Last week my mountain bike developed an issue with the hydraulic brakes, an issue for which I don't have the tools to address though that may change soon. So what did I do? I took it to the best shop in town, you know, the one that has all the high end bikes, sponsors a race team and has some of the best mechanics. Nothing but the best for one of my bikes, it just goes without saying, no questions asked. It's a little different story for The Beater I drive on those rare occasions I'm not on the bike. It's a single-owner car, maintained well and still very reliable but as will happen, The Beater has this, um, little problem: I can generally just push it back together and it's good to go for a month or two but inevitably it pops out again. When something goes wrong with one of my bikes, the fix is generally in place within hours and usually with the best parts available. This problem, however, came with The Beater when I took possession several years ago. I could repair it myself, it's just a broken lens that I could pick up for half what I just spent on my mountain bike's brakes. But I'm so tight with my money, yes I do squeak when I walk, that just don't want to spend any money on The Beater so it just keeps getting worse and pops out more frequently. While it's true The Beater is worth less than any of my bikes, it still didn't seem quite right. I started feeling sorry for this reliable, taken for granted, transportation alternative not getting the attention it deserved so I pulled out my beater repair manual and fixed it: I decided to go with the upgraded clear tape rather than the duct tape the manual recommended for this type of repair. You know, to show it a little respect...

I'm a fly!?!

2009-07-23T21:46:00.003-05:00

I've been taking some pictures on my commute. Many of them haven't turned out but enough have that in a post real soon I'll be documenting my ride in to work every morning. This one, typically too blurry to post, really caught my attention however, since with my commuting pack on my back I have become a fly. No wonder so many cars seem to be trying to squish me in their grills!

My Holodeck

2009-07-11T10:10:00.010-05:00

Touching life,
Dotting the I's of other's lives as they
Cross the t's of my transformations.
There are many times I look out my digital window and find a richness for which I could never have been prepared. Friends I have never known reaching into places my closest confidants rarely see and doing so with the casual flare of a "How are you?" flung down an office hallway by a stride unbroken.

I decorate my emotional lawn with these holodecks created by distant minds and walk through their familiarly foreign landscapes, pleased to find my old slippers waiting by a door I hadn't thought to open. There are some who speak of the human spirit's strength and many who ponder out loud the vistas through which they pass. Sometimes with humor, sometimes to pick up their own thoughts and hold them in a different light, sometimes just the random glance of a lightning strike. Yet others set them on the table near the door as they head in or out to their next experience on the chance that someone will pick them up and find a place for them. I often do.

I wonder, today aloud, about sprinkling my lexical regurgitations about the cyber garden. I think I am all of the above in my motives and beyond the wonder of the wheels, don't know that I can detect a theme in my missives. I do know that as life unfolds before me, kicking as I do at the dirt clods of possibility, I mostly just enjoy the diversity taking root before me.

It's Saturday and while the possibilities are endless the weekend is not. I'll toss this post into the digital winds knowing it's as likely to never germinate as it is to become a flower. It doesn't matter though since I only sow seeds here, I harvest the plots of others.

Franken In, Palin Out

2009-07-04T20:49:00.007-05:00

Al heads for Washington

Sarah returns to oblivion

It's all good.

Tires in Three Parts - Part Three

2009-06-29T04:30:00.001-05:00

MTB tires

I'm sure I should pay attention to my MTB tires but the simple fact is that I just don't. When I purchased my current mountain bike it came with tires that seem to work just fine so I just ride them. When it comes to mountain biking, I'm a fan of swoopy single track with a tacky dirt ribbon of rolling pleasure punctuated with some technical spots but I'm not out there to prove anything or risk life and limb. I've done enough of that already in this life. I have run the Schwalbe Big Apples over some single track and they are OK but are pretty close to being slicks so if any kind of bite is needed they just wash out. For the record, I am riding Jones XR-B 29 x 2.25 on the front and WTB Nano Raptor 29 x 2.1 on the rear. It's possible that these are simply the perfect tires for the type of riding I do as they do serve me very well but until I do more experimenting I won't know. So there it is, more than anyone likely cared to hear from me on bike tires but I feel better for it.

Walk Softly Carrying a Big Stick

2009-06-28T19:34:00.007-05:00

No biking this weekend

Had a great walk instead

In the park

With the pooch.

He ate sticks,

Bugs ate us &

We ate up the

Peace of the woods.

Tires in Three Parts - Part Two

2009-06-28T14:22:00.002-05:00

I don't know how you've all been sleeping waiting for this but, finally, here's...

Commuter tires

I started out with the factory tires on my commuter and have changed both the bike and the tires over the last four years. I started on on a Trek 'Police Bike' that was the first bike I put studded tires on which is the only reason I mention this bike. Those tires were Nokian Mount & Ground and I liked them a lot. They had a nice ride and were very stable over everything a Minnesota winter could throw at them but when I retired this bike, I sent them on their way. The new commuter is a Surley Karate Monkey and is a very nearly bomb-proof bike that wears the jewelry from the Trek but has new wheels since this frame is a 29er. I had some custom wheels built that could accommodate either rim or disc brakes and started out with rim brakes. I put on Schwalbe Big Apples, 29er big and 60mm fat. These tires are so big that it borders on looking like a clown bike. However, it rides like a Cadillac with these super cushy tires and the rolling resistance isn't nearly as bad as you might think. When the temp drops below freezing it's time for the studded tires and I have tried two flavors on the the Monkey. A couple years back I picked up some Schwalbe Snow Studs and they were OK but were a bit narrow for deep snow and have pretty big tread blocks so they are pretty squirmy on pavement. They didn't ride as well as the Nokians I had on the Ice Bike but Nokian didn't seem to have anything comparable in a 29er tire. The Nokians are also notoriously hard to get your hands on as they become available late, for a MN rider, and sell out quickly. I rode the Snow Studs for a season but decided that I needed something else for the next season. That's when I picked up the Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires which is a studded version of their excellent touring tire. I love these tires and you can see with them side by side how different the tread and stud patterns are. This tire turns out to be as close to perfect as a studded tire can get. They roll very smoothly, in fact the first few rides I kept stopping to see if I had flatted as the ride was disconcertingly smooth but in fact they really do ride that smoothly and I have yet to flat them. As commuters they roll well on pavement and are just enough wider than the Snow Studs to do pretty well in several inches of snow. I took them on some pretty deep single track and with lowered pressure they did pretty darn well though I did develop a healthy lust for a Pugsley and their ability to just float across the snow in a way that a 'normal' bike never could. The only improvement I could imagine would be if Schwalbe added a studded version of their Big Apple tires as they would have sufficient float to attack some pretty serious snow and still be prepared for underlying ice.

Is It Friday Yet?

2009-06-25T21:49:00.004-05:00

I'm sure

I'll figure out this

Full time (plus!) job thing

And

Still find time to post

but in the mean time...

What Do They Mean By That?

2009-06-20T09:15:00.004-05:00

I'm just sayin'

PS. Parts two and three of Tires are caught up in the regulatory approval process but should be released from quarantine soon...

Hi

2009-06-18T22:04:00.003-05:00

I can't even believe how short these long days have become. I'll be right back after life station identification.

Are You Listening?

2009-06-14T22:13:00.006-05:00

It's a peace that comes over me

A wave of quiet

Crashing around me

Sucking out the noise

Everyday noise

Long times longing

Belonging within

A circle spun out

Long before me

It's where I come from

Aging relative brings contact

Reaffirms what

I already knew

Solace in knowledge

Questing, caring, asking

Am I taking care?

Am I paying attention?

The waves crash around me

173 years of peace and wisdom

Am I fine? Not the stock answer,

Really asking, listening

Offering sage wisdom

Not forced, just set on the table

For the taking or leaving

My father's brother sharing

Concerns I've had,

Patience, waiting for the crisis

Yet to come, a stroke or perhaps

Wandering off the edge

Existence ever fragile,

A keen eye on the maybe

A tear on the likely

Watching all your friends

And family die, isn't lonely

It's life, better for the acceptance

Worse for the resigning to it.

Chances are there for the taking

Not by him or her, but each

Of their own, for their own

Fruit we pick is the feast

We have bounty or rot

As by our own hand and not

Calling as it is the scenes

On the stage that is our life

Curtain calls by our performance or

Curtains, sewn by our own hand

Connections to the possible

Dreams of what could be

Woven from the same cloth as

You owe me and I never

How fickle the current

How strong the paddle

How mysterious the strokes never taken

Tires in Three Parts - Part One

2009-06-09T21:07:00.007-05:00

I'm so late answering Fat Lad on this one I don't suppose anyone even recalls that the topic was my suggestion in the first place. No matter, it's finally ready for posting so here it is in three parts.

Road tires

When I got my road bike, I ran the tires it came with and didn't think too much about them. I was returning to cycling after too long a hiatus and just relishing being back on two wheels kept my mind occupied. It had seemed like I was flatting more than most but so often the flats were discovered when I went to get the bike for a ride so a quick change and I was on my way without the embarrassment of continually holding up the group. Well one day I figured out I had purchased more than twenty tubes that spring and I started thinking about new tires.

I do have to thank those tires since it was a result of one of those flats that I met The Sweetie but other than that one time, the flats were getting on my nerves. I hit the wall the day both tires were flat when I came out of work and the next day picked up some Specialized Armadillo tires. Kevlar is the magic ingredient though from the weight of them it might as well have been steel belts. I didn't really mind too much though since I rode my first pair of them better than 3000 (4000?) miles and don't recall a single flat. I replaced them with the next version of the tire that now comes with a reflective sidewall, a great feature for commuting since it's often dusk when I'm riding to or from work.

I now have several wheel sets (they're like potato chips; you can't just have one...) and keep the Armadillo tires on the bike's original wheels and run Michelin Pro Race on a much lighter set of wheels borrowed from The Sweetie since she upgraded to a wheel set that seems to have negative weight. It might be the helium she puts in the tires. I put a set on last fall towards the end of the road biking season and have been riding them all spring. They are smooth, supple and amazingly puncture resistant. Just this spring I have put over 2000 miles on them running over quite of bit of left over winter road crud and they just keep rolling.

Stay tuned for part two!

Why I Was Scared

2009-06-02T21:08:00.004-05:00

I drove to work yesterday. I'm not proud of it but it happened and there's nothing to be done about it now. My commute is about an hour on the bike and around 45 minutes in the car due to massive construction on the two arteries between me and where I work.

Driving in rush hour traffic underscores how much I hate being in a car stuck in traffic but looking in my rear view mirror I get a little scared and decide to snap some pictures of this moron behind me so that when he rear ends me, I have photo evidence of his driving style.

It's a little hard to see in this first pic but he kept coming real close when the traffic stopped so I could see what he was doing. You can see in the second picture just a little better. Notice that his head is turned towards the passenger side of his multi-ton rolling weapon. No big deal I suppose since lots of folks don't keep their eyes on the road every second but for the several miles he was behind me I didn't once see him look at the road.No, looking at the road would have been too much of a distraction for the email he was writing. Perhaps he was just putting the finishing touches on his epic novel that would free him from driving this commercial pickup truck through rush-hour traffic every day. Of course I didn't watch him every second either since I was also driving and prefer to keep my eyes on the road which I did even when holding my phone over my shoulder to capture the evidence.

It was scary enough having this moron behind me when I was in the car but I couldn't help but wonder if he drove this way off the freeway as well and how long it would take until he "accidently" took out a cyclist or even a pedestrian due to his lack of attention. I had been hoping to get a picture of the side of his truck and send the whole collection to the company but I was driving and thought that was more important...

Bike Friendly

2009-05-26T20:33:00.003-05:00

You know you live in a bike friendly city when

the trail gets a bypass built

for construction that disrupts the trial:

And the most empty bike rack looks like this:

Props to Minneapolis!

Miles, Schmiles and a Question

2009-05-22T23:25:00.005-05:00

I stopped keeping track of my miles a while ago. When I was just riding one bike, the computer knew the whole story but then I was introduced to mountain biking and never put a computer on that bike. Of course in the winter you need a beater and for a while I dutifully transfered the computer back and forth between the road bike and the commuter. Then I seemed to lose interest in keeping on top of it.

I asked myself why I cared about the miles and didn't really have an answer. I'm a data geek by trade and know there's no point collecting data you don't intend to use.

Short term mileage tracking makes sense to understand how my training is progressing and when I need a recovery day or to make sure I am getting enough protein and liquids for the effort I am putting out. I occasionally wear the heart monitor, partly because I am still trying to figure out what my max is. I've seen a 184 multiple times but haven't been able to check it when I really feel like I am really pushing the limit. I have noticed that my heart rate when keeping pace is dropping down into the low 140's when it used to be in the mid to upper 150's.

So what's the point? I seem to be having many weeks in a row where I ride more than 200 miles and it's got me a bit curious as to where my odometer is/would be if I were actually keeping track. I've got a new gig and the commute will put me around 170 miles a week without any social rides.

And there will be social rides...

Back in the early 70's there were some years that I figured I put in somewhere around ten thousand miles. Back then computers barely fit in a semi truck(!) so the mileage was a guesstimate but 10K seems like some sort of milestone I should be aware of if I am approaching it. If a cyclist pedals ten thousand miles (through the forest) does anybody care?

I know some folks publish their mileage on their blogs and I'm curious what the motivation is to keep track of the mileage in the first place whether you publish the numbers or not. Perhaps I'm just lazy but it seems like a lot of work but since lots of folks do it, there must be a reward to them.

So here's the question:

What motivates you to track your mileage?

What prevents you from tracking your mileage?

For me it seems that by the time I finish the 'recovery' beer, it's just not important enough to manage the record keeping but perhaps I'm missing something...

Joy of Lfe

2009-05-19T10:41:00.004-05:00

A Baiku

Being born is good

Still being alive is great

Not everyone is

Attitude by choice

Choosing chipper just makes sense

Rising investment

Tragedy and joy

Tough fabric for a good life

A complete package

Spin the wheel of life

Make mine 700c

Perhaps dirt knobbies

Keep it spinning true

Tarmac or dirt, it's all good

Breath in saddle life

Cheerios - Doping at Giro d'Italia

2009-05-13T23:19:00.005-05:00

On May 5, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to General Mills indicating they are marketing Cheerios as a drug.

Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios® Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease...

In other news, Lance Armstrong tested positive for whole grain oats and is out of the Giro d'Italia tour and will be suspended by Team Astana. Armstrong protested and in an interview with Veloats News commented "It's not like I had Boonen putting the sugar on them, it was just straight Cheerios. It seems as though the Italians are taking lessons from the French on this one."

Recovery Granola

2009-05-10T20:50:00.005-05:00

I've been getting in a lot of riding lately. Last week I got in 240 miles, up from the 200 the week before. I've tried various recovery drinks, fancy powdered drinks with fancy price tags and they may or may not work but this is turning out to be a pretty reliable option that is very tasty, doesn't come in a mysterious powder and has great nutritional balance. Seems to me we might be missing the simplicity of real food with our fancy store-bought options.

Wash it down with a glass of milk and you're good to go!

Mix together:

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

Variation Ingredients (at least one cup, our favorite shown)

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of sesame seeds

1 cup slivered or chopped almonds

1 cup broken or chopped pecans

Preheat oven:

275 degrees

Update:

Coat two 9 x 13 pans with cooking spray (because it's a double recipe...)

Heat to a slow boil in microwave:

1/2 cup maple syrup

-1/3 cup (just a little less than 1/3 cup) flavorless oil, such as vegetable or canola

2 Tbs. water

Flavorings (optional)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Drizzle liquid into dry ingredients:

Make sure it's all mixed together by adding the liquid slowly while stirring the dry stuff.

If you have too much time on your hands:

Squeeze cereal together into clumps with your hands.

Otherwise:

Put prepared cereal into the 9 x 13 pan

Level it out so it bakes evenly

Bake at 275 for 30 minutes

If you are adding dried fruit:

Add it to the mixture at this point

Finally:

Stir the mixture mostly to make sure it's not stuck to the pan.

Level it out again

Bake for another 15 minutes or so until golden brown

Variations:

Nuts you might use; not all together but 1-3 cups total:

almonds
pecans
peanuts -unsalted
walnuts
cashews -unsalted
roasted pistachios
chopped hazelnuts

Fruits you might use; not all together but 1/2 - 1 cup total:

sweetened flake coconut
chopped dried pineapple
dried cherries
dark or golden raisins
dried cranberries
dried blueberries
chopped dried pears
chopped dates
chopped mangos

Keeps in a sealed container for a couple weeks!

Based on Great Granola by Pam Anderson

Friday's Random Boxes

2009-05-08T22:20:00.005-05:00

Here's a box full of fresh groceries for July into September.

That box is going into one of these boxes: Saving all that gardening space fits in with clearing space inside the house as well. I continue to solve my storage problems but as I put things into boxes I wonder why I didn't think of storing things on eBay before. It's this great storage system that pays you to store things. And to think I used to have a storage locker that I paid someone for. Materialism turns out to be expensive! This week has been another week of great riding with a couple hundred miles in the saddle and a Saturday ride still on the schedule. Retirement is suiting me just fine even though I know it will end at some point and I will once again be a working stiff. Oh and thinking of being stiff, no not that, I'm talking about the stiff you are when they lower you into the dirt in a box. Does it seem to anyone else that cars are becoming more aggressive towards cyclists? I had more close calls this week including some moron intentionally swerving into me while I was pedaling along just under 20 mph. I started screaming at him and he screamed back that I wasn't on a bike path. I was behind him at this point and he pulled over again but of course this time I was ready and just cut over on his left but he had started to get out of his car so I was able to make my escape before he could get back behind the wheel. I wanted to box his ears. If I wasn't so terrified I would have laughed as he accidently took an exit from the parkway that he hadn't planned on. Then last night someone in the group was buzzed by some young punk who just had to get past and couldn't wait ten seconds for the oncoming traffic (one car...) to clear. Oh yeah, I was talking about boxes... So am I putting the driving public in a box of crappy, rude drivers or am I observing the box they are entering on their own?

Anyway, be safe out there. Perhaps life is just a box of chocolates...