The Lone Roller

Contour GPS HD Camera

2012-02-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

I bit the bullet yesterday and purchased the Countour GPS HD video camera. In the coming days, assuming I keep the camera, I will post some video and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the camera and related software and accessories.

Why do I say, "assuming I keep the camera"? My first impression is less than stellar. Not from the actual design and functionality of the camera itself, but from the related software. Both the desktop version of the StoryTeller software as well the online StotyTeller browser based tools at a glance appear to be rudimentary, clunky, buggy and poorly conceived.

My biggest disappointment with these tools thus far has been the performance. I shot a ten second video of my dog, resulting in an 11MB .mov file. I connected the camera to my MacBook Pro and launched the desktop StoryTeller software. Downloading the video to my local hard drive was quick, intuitive and painless.

I then tried to look at the mapping information and with much disappointment found that this functionality was not available in the desktop software. Bummed. I noticed a 'Share" button on the interface so I clicked that assuming it would upload the video to my account in the Contour community. Well that is what it is intended to do however, after watching the interface sit idle with a "starting" dialogue, a failure notice finally appeared along with a retry selection. Many attempts, all failed, and I was never able to upload a video from the desktop software to the online community.

I then logged in to upload the video, apply the GPS info and to just check out the experience and functionality of the online StoryTeller tools. The interface prompts you to create a story. This offers you a button to choose your file to upload, name your story, tag your story and write some other info about the story. I selected my 11MB file, named the story and added a tag and clicked upload. The actual upload did not take too long, however, then a dialogue appears and says something to the affect that the file is being converted to play in the player. Fine. I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally I saw a save button and thought, "maybe I have to click that".

I clicked save and was presented with another message. We will notify you via e-mail when your video is ready. Hmm. After several minutes I thought, wow, no e-mail yet. I logged back in to look at my account and confirm I set up the e-mail settings properly. I had. I looked at my recent activities and found that blank, still no video. I immediately assumed I had done something wrong so I tried again. Same experience. At this point I am rather disgruntled, almost to the point where I am packing the thing back up to return it. I talk myself down and decided to at least try it on a bike ride so I wait. And wait.

About an hour later I get notified that the video is ready. I log back on and sure enough, there it is. The data guy and math guy in me have me immediately asking myself, if a ten second video is 11MB and takes an hour to upload and view, how long is a one minute video going to take? Six hours? What about a 30 minute video? 180 hours, does it work that way? If so, this baby is going back.

I look to see what kind of editing tools are available. There really aren't any. I have no way to add a sound track to the movie. Nothing. Hmm. And what value does the GPS really add? I am having a hard time recognizing that. I can't view the map data along with the video through any other mechanism other than the online Story Teller software. Well there is a 3rd party offering called Dashboard for $49.95 but I am not interested in spending more on this thing.

Further exploration of the online tools reveal they too may suck and do not let you do any sort of production such as setting slow mo sections or adding music. So it is raw video with map info, or you can use iMovie or Final Cut to do some production but then you lose the mapping functionality.

The jury is still out. Maybe I am missing the boat. I will shoot some video this afternoon on my bike ride and return to try this whole thing again. I hope the experience gets better. At this point I am rather disenchanted and seriously considering the return of the camera. The question then becomes do I trade it in on the Contour Roam and save $100 and dump the less than useful GPS data or do I go with the GoPro which my son has and is not that happy with. Stay tuned.

I Have Hit the Wall

2012-02-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Yep. Completely devoid of anything that resembles energy or a desire to ride a bike. I am on day three of a new streak. This streak unfortunately is one that is counting days SINCE I last rode a bike.

The lack of motivation is probably no surprise. Deb's surgery has left me as the sole household member capable of doing anything. I have taken on literally all household responsibilities including; cooking, cleaning(however I don't do toilets, they'll have to wait), dishes, shopping, driving, taking care of the dog, etc etc. This all has me drained. I am going to have to bounce back and log some serious miles over the weekend. My 25 days of riding in February is also at risk. I have already exhausted the four days off that I allowed myself for the month. Ride everyday from here on out or I miss that goal.

566

2012-02-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

The number of days from Alberto Contador's positive test results to the day a verdict is reached. Adding to that frustration, Contador has been racing the entire time. And the kicker? The ban will end this August. The suspension is retroactive. Sure he forfeits all of his results since the positive, but he will only be banned from competition for six months. How can this be fair? Is that the new precedent?

The amount of time that has lapsed since the case was opened against also puts at risk the UCI license of Saxo Sungard. Alberto Contador accounted for a full 68% of all points earned by that team in 2011. With the two year ban, and those results stricken from his palmares and the team palmares, Saxo now stands to lose its license with the UCI. It no longer meets the qualification criteria.

Who is the winner in all of this? It isn't Saxo for the aforementioned reason. It isn't cycling as it receives yet another black eye for harbouring a deep quiver full of cheaters. It isn't the Tour de France for having yet again to re-write its record books with a new "winner" if you want to refer to them that way. Today is February 6, 2012 and the "winner" of the 2010 Tour is only made clear today? Today is February 6, 2012 and the "winner" of the Giro d'Italia is only made clear today? It isn't these new "winners" of record for these events. I certainly don't recognize the likes of an Oscar Pierero as a former Tour winner. He's not. He is just the "winner" of record. It isn't the governing bodies of the sport, they couldn't look more ridiculous. And it certainly isn't the courts who were left to try and decide this thing.

The closest thing to a winner that I can see here is sadly enough Alberto Contador. He was guilty of doping 566 days ago. Has continued to compete and be compensated for competing while this travisty played out. While he loses his results over those 566 days, his effective ban from competition will only amount to six months. And without a clear decision and announcement of the source of the Clenbuterol, that many experts allege is from a poorly executed blood doping and transfusion regimen, he maintains his innocence and will come back to ride in this years Vuelta. He certainly will not face the difficulty that others such as David Millar have faced trying to regain a competitive level of ability after two years away from the sport and being to rebuild a tarnished image of a former doper.

It is sad day for cycling that is for sure.

The Streak
The Streak came to an end on Friday. The weather, my wife's surgery and subsequent recovery were the primary factors in the Streak coming to an end. But strangely enough there was little sense of disappointment from this streak coming to an end given the amount of effort that had went into getting to 33 consecutive days on the bike.

I resumed riding Saturday, however my ride was once again cut short by these damn "tubeless" tires on my single speed. Couple this with having a defective inflator along preventing me from topping off the tire enough to get home, I found myself a little frustrated. I managed a meager 9 miles about half of which was spent standing up trying to keep weight off of the back wheel so I could get home. Recall my wife's surgery? She is unable to drive leaving me with two options, ride on a mostly flat tire or walk. Fortunately the tire did not go completely flat or blow the bead altogether and I was able to get home without walking.

Saturday afternoon the sun returned following the snow storm, the roads dried out and Sunday's weather was much the same. It was still rather cold with a high of 28°F but the sun was bright and the landscape was beautiful covered in piles of fresh snow. For the sake of reliability and a desire to ride further, longer and at a higher intensity, I opted to ride the cross bike and ride some dirt roads.

The higher intensity statement comes from my intent to post more days in February with Strava Suffer Scores over 100. In January, the day to grind of riding everyday, may have found me just riding and not really riding with any purpose. Sunday I set out with a goal of my first February 100+ Suffer Score ride. I was successful. I also succeeded in recognizing the importance of some rest. Friday off, light day Saturday led to an inspired and intense ride Sunday. Perhaps this whole streak thing is over rated?

We are now thirty seven days into 2012 and I have missed just the one day.

Sunday's Ride

The Case Against Armstrong

2012-02-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

On the record I will state that I have long been a supporter and fan of Lance Armstrong. That being said, I must also disclose that I too have my reservations on whether or not he competed clean as he so diligently proclaims he did.

The recent announcement that the federal government has dropped its case against him came from seemingly nowhere and with surprise to many. During the early phases of the investigation it seemed there were near daily leaks on details of the investigation, however the case fell eerily silent for several months leading up to Friday's announcement. Perhaps from the motion filed by Armstrong attorneys to cease the media leaks, perhaps due to the uphill public relations the investigation faced or both.

In the end, it is important to understand that this announcement does not mean that Armstrong raced clean nor does it indicate that Lance's doping related battles are behind him. This investigation brought by the feds was focused on determining whether or not he defrauded the government by using tax payer money to support and illegally fund doping practices for himself and potentially the US Postal team. Proving and successfully prosecuting for fraud is a tall order, one that the feds obviously felt they would be hard pressed to succeed at given the power of the man they were trying to prosecute.

Many people testified during this investigation and USADA almost immediately reacted to the federal investigation announcement by stating they will continue to pursue Armstrong for doping and that they will seek to use the Fed's leg work in their quest. The evidence and testimony that has been gathered, if the media reports are accurate, will certainly be more damning in the context of the conversation of did he dope.

I have mixed feelings about the topic given the damage that this could do to Livestrong and the positive things that the Foundation has done and is doing for the cancer community. I would however like to once and for all have this endless witch hunt laid to rest. On the other hand however given the positive tests and doping admissions of Armstrong's primary competition during his reign over the Tour, what does it prove?

Contador
A topic where my feelings are less ambiguous is the handling of Alberto Contador, his tainted career and the most recent positive test for the banned substance Clenbuterol. Here is an individual who unlike Armstrong, has tested positive. He announced his latest positive test in September 2010 months after winning the 2010 Tour de France that featured his 'panache-less' attack on Andy Schleck that has become known as "chain gate".

It was no surprise when the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation(RFEC) cleared Contador of wrong doing. Consistent with its own questionable past, the RFEC once again seemingly turned a blind eye to the cheating of their countrymen. An appeal brought to the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been ongoing ever since. A handful of of dates for hearings and announcement of its decision have come and gone while Contador continues to race.

The original hearing and a decision were promised prior to the start of the 2011 Tour. That decision was delayed and re-scheduled for early August. Again, the hearing date decision date came and went. Another date was set for November and it too passed. Again an announcement date was established by end of January 2012 and it has passed now as well.

It is now said that the decision will be shared tomorrow. We shall see. In the meantime, Contador is racing his 2012 season in preparation for another Tour de France. My hope is that the questionable handling of this case does not affect a just outcome. Anything but a guilty verdict and a two year ban will leave a veil of suspicion over the case, its arbiters, Contador and cycling as a whole.

The Snow has Settled

2012-02-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

The snow storm has finally lifted and moved off to the east, but not before leaving it's mark as one of Denver's top ten biggest snow events of all time. Our community officially measured 18.5" of snow while others in the foothills measured 50+ inches. Impressive totals for a thirty six hour period.

The Streak
It is official, the streak came to an end yesterday, more as a result of the snow storm than anything else. It just would not have been prudent or safe to be out on the roads on a bike yesterday. Mega snow cover, poor visibility, motorists sliding all over the place. I decided to let it go.

Today marks a new day and the prospects for bigger and better things. The plan was to get back in the saddle and see where the single speed could take me in this winter wonderland. I wasn't planning to go far but had hoped to at least put in 90 minutes or so. But as luck would have it, the old tubeless tires failed me yet again.

Stan's No Tubes
These are the Stan's Tubeless conversions, ya know, not a "real" tubeless set-up. I probably would never have chosen a set up like this but they came with the single speed when I bought it so I have them. I am on the verge of putting tubes in them. For whatever reason they lose their seal and develop a slow leak during rides. Today the rear tire became so soft that I had to stand up for the last four miles of the ride to keep weight off of it. It never went completely flat and when I got home I pumped it up and it is holding air. Perhaps I am doing something wrong but even if that is the case, these things are just too finicky for me. Not a fan at all. Two thumbs down.

Snow-pocalypse

2012-02-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

As forecast, the biggest winter storm we have experienced since arriving in Colorado nearly two years ago has begun to set in. We received a good 8"-10" overnight and it is still coming down hard. Another 10"-15" is expected by noon on Saturday.

I have always enjoyed a good snow storm and this would typically be no exception. My wife however is having surgery to reconstruct her ankle this morning. We were forced out of bed at five this morning to brave the elements and trek south into the wintery abyss. Scheduling forced us to head to the surgery center on the south side of Denver rather than the one just a few miles from our home.

The drive down wasn't too bad. There were few people out at that time of day so all we had to deal with were the unplowed roads, the occasional bus and a few other cars that were easily avoided or over taken with the Jeep that just eats these conditions up.

As I sit here in the waiting room staring out the window, the snow continues to come down hard. I can't help but think how different the drive home will be. Deb will be liquored up on anesthesia and pain meds and the roads will likely be clogged with people out trying to get where they need to go. The other motorists are the part of the equation that will make this journey more demanding, more mentally taxing than anything.

The Streak
Where does this weather event and Deb's surgery leave the streak? I would have to say it is in jeopardy. This is not the end of the world and I must admit, a day off may be welcome after a full December and January of riding. I have only had six days off of the bike since Thanksgiving. There are many days remaining in the year to make another run at a streak that could equal this one.

Rolling on into February

2012-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Two days in to February and the Quest remains intact. The Quest however is probably not the appropriate tag/terminology anymore. My Quest was to ride everyday in the month of January. That has been accomplished.

At this point I would say referring to it as a "streak" would be more appropriate as I have not set a goal to continue to ride everyday for any period of time. Referring to it as a streak will simply denote the number of consecutive days I have ridden. As of today, that streak stands at 33 days.

I suspect tomorrow could well bring to an end this newly defined "streak". My wife is having surgery in the morning and I will be responsible for her transportation to and from the surgery center as well as for her care during her recovery. This may pose some logistical problems in getting out to ride tomorrow. We will have to see how things are going.

Adding an additional element to the logistics, we are expecting 12" to 24" of snow over night and into the day tomorrow. Accompanied by very high winds, up to 50-60 miles per hour. Yet another, we'll have to see how that plays out to the equation. It will be a pity if a ride isn't feasible, but I have endured much worse.

January - The Final Numbers

2012-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

The January Quest is complete. Before conceiving of this "Quest" to ride everyday in January, I set some modest cycling goals for the month of January. Ride at least 24 days, ride more than 25 hours and ride more than 400 miles. With January 2012 now in the books I can report my final numbers against those original goals:

amassed 32 rides(33 activities including a day at Keystone skiing), or 137% of the days goal.
42 hours and 10 minutes ridden. 176% of the goal.
624.18 miles ridden. 156% of the goal.

January Ride Calendar. Hard to read but the red bars are the rides.

Additional statistics from the January Quest:

Average speed 14.8mph.
Elevation gain of 39,384 feet. (18,000 were from skiing)
Average cadence of 89 RPM.
Average heart rate of 144 bpm.
Calories expended 27,353.
37-20 ounce water bottles consumed

At a glance I would immediately say, wow, what a terrible average speed. In retrospect, I see a number of factors that led to this slow pace. Nine of the thirty two rides were spent on my single speed riding on dirt roads and two track or single track. Eleven of the thirty two rides were spent on my cross bike riding on dirt roads. Leaving twelve rides spent on pavement on the road bike.

I tend to use a couple of general rules of thumb for each of my bikes. While riding the single speed I like to stay at 4 minute mile pace, or 15 miles per hour. The cross bike I shoot for 17.5 miles an hour, or 3 minutes and 30 seconds per mile. And finally in the road bike I like to shoot for 3 minute miles or 20 miles an hour.

This begs the question, "then why did I only average 14.8 for the month?" Great question. My immediate answer would be, those average pace per bike type rules of thumb are a few goals that I failed to meet in January. Taking a closer look at the data I can see that of the 42 plus hours tracked, almost 4 of them were spent skiing at an average speed of 9 miles per hour. This certainly dragged the overall average down a few points.

I also see a couple of mountain bike rides that only averaged 10 miles per hour, and I notice that my road bike is only going about 17 rather than the desired 20. The average speed is also total elapsed time divided by miles ridden. The result is it is calculating average while I am stopped at a light, changing a flat, snapping some pictures, taking a leak etc. My actual moving average speed is therefore higher but why split hairs right?

The other notable factor of significance has been the wind. The last two weeks or more of January have been extremely windy. When I say extremely windy we are talking about winds over 20 miles per hour with gusts over 30 and 40 miles per hour. One prior post even notes 30 to 60 mile per hour wind with gusts of 90 miles per hour. And yes, I rode in that and yes it was miserable.

Lessons from the Quest?

The most significant lesson I would say is the reinforcement I received from having clear and distinct goals. The objective to ride everyday and accomplish some basic mileage goals and hours goals kept me focused and even very driven to get out each and everyday. I can say with 100% honesty that there was not a day where I dreaded having to get dressed and go ride. In fact, as the month wore on, I became more and more driven to get out and ride.

January and February are generally just months that I like to use to maintain fitness and weight heading into spring. From that perspective I succeeded. I feel fit and can still throw down when necessary and I lost five pounds. I established a couple of new Strava KOM's to boot, however I must admit that at least one of them was wind aided.

Going back to the average speed number for the month however, I feel as though I may not have ridden at the intensity I could have. This may be a result of the grind of riding everyday without rest. Was I simply going out for the sake of logging a ride? In February I will start to focus on picking up the intensity and improving the quality of my rides. More intervals and I will look to the Strava Suffer Score as a measuring stick(even though it fails to consider some intangibles like the wind). I have to get the suffer score over 100 more often.

The importance of bike choices is also evident. Having three bikes to choose from based on weather, road conditions or just plain variety strikes me as a factor that may be over looked. Without the three options it would have been more difficult not only logistically but also mentally. High winds? Grab the single speed and hit the trails. Sloppy roads? Hop on the Cross bike and slice through it. Weather is mild...road bike. Need a change of pace? Eeny, meeny, mini mo? Pick one and go.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt the responsibility to balance riding with the rest of my life. Most notably, there were a couple of occasions where this compulsion caused some frustration to my wife. This generally occurred on the weekends and I addressed it by getting up and going for a ride early in the morning while she slept. Perhaps another excuse for the slow speed? If this quest is to continue, I will have to continue to make sacrifices like this to make it possible.

There is the work balance as well. Fortunately I work out of my home office. This makes it easier to find a block of time to call a lunch hour and get out for a brief ride. Flexibility and planning...very important components of making this work.

Will I set out to do this again? I might. I am planning to get the single speed out tomorrow as there appears to be another change in the weather on the way. We'll see where it goes from there.

Today's Ride

The Quest - How Insignificant It Is

2012-01-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

While uploading ride data to Strava over the weekend I noticed a gimmick they were pedaling(no pun intended), The Base Mile Blast, a sort of mileage challenge for the month of January. I thought to myself, "ha, I ride everyday, I should sign up for this".

How naive of me. There are 6,900 people participating and they have ridden over 2.3 million miles. While that is only an average of 333 miles per person, and I passed 600 miles today, I started browsing through the leader board and my efforts don't even get me in the top 100 or the top 1000.

Matt Carnal leads the charge with 23 rides and 3,147 miles. If I am to believe him, that is an average ride distance of 136 miles. I fall in at place 2062, although for what ever reason it isn't showing all of my mileage. It has me with 430 miles and I have logged over 570 if I remove the 32 miles that I skied last Monday.

I can say one thing for sure, there is no one on this list that has ridden more days than I have in the month of January. I have ridden everyday and with just one day remaining in the month, I will ride 31 days in the month of January 2012. Rest assured no one has ridden 32 days in January, so I find myself at the top of that leader board! A proud accomplishment regardless of the achievements of the rest of the OCD mileage whores in the cycling population.

Clenbuterol
Another delay in the announcement of the results of the finger banger's cheating trial. Pathetic. How many times will CAS delay this decision? It has to be a half dozen or so already, with their first announcement promised to come before the start of the 2011 Tour.

The announcement says they will announce on February 6th, then it goes on to say actual dates and times of the announcement will follow. So is it going to be next Monday or isn't it? My guess is it won't be.

February
Tomorrow will bring to a close what has been a great January. From a cycling perspective, I set out to ride everyday and have been fortunate enough to pull it off. While considering my goals for February, I did not establish an objective to ride everyday. I followed a similar approach to February that I originally set for January. I set a days goal of 25 and again a mileage goal of 400 miles.

Perhaps this seems like a low bar after January. I have however recognized some spousal frustrations with the January quest and I need to allow some flexibility to make sure we don't run into any issues on the marital front. This isn't to say that I will take a day off February 1.

Today's Ride

Why is it always about the weather?

2012-01-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

The temperatures continue to bounce around with day to day high temperature fluctuations of twenty to thirty degrees. Fortunately, it appears as though we are heading into a stretch of five or six days of relative stability with moderate temperatures in the mid fifties and lower sixties.

The warmer weather and light and variable winds will be a welcome change following yesterday's dismal ride. I can't remember a day that I suffered so much on a bike just to find my way home. A block headwind of 15-25 heading north for the first eleven miles of the ride and a seemingly dead calm as I turned south to what I thought would be a great tailwind to head for home. A whopping 14mph average speed taking me nearly two hours to go 23 miles. Absolute misery.

My ride today was slightly different. I started out riding with a wind I didn't really know was there. I rolled along feeling good, pushing hard and took some pics along the way. I don't really know what this was. A pagoda? A trellis? Don't know, but interesting photo none the less.

And the Dacono City Limits sign is a gas.

There is no freaking city? What you see is what you get. Not a house, a building to be seen let alone a city. Careful out there if you intend to use your engine brakes.

At any rate I was fast going out but coming back found me once again jamming into a head wind. I literally rode for 45 minutes at like 8 mph. Brutal. Finally, in the last six miles of the ride I found some chum and buried myself chasing them down. First a solo rider, then another solo rider then two guys riding together. By the time I finished I was able to log several minutes at a respectable wattage. At days end I was trashed. Race cough, bad legs etc even though the ride doesn't really appear that difficult.....it was.

Today's Ride

The Home Stretch

2012-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Quest to ride every day in January is on track and the finish line is in sight. Five days remain in the month and I see nothing in the way of reaching the line and accomplishing the goal. The next question becomes, do I try to continue The Quest through February? It would be a pity at this stage to just skip a day when I am feeling great and still look very forward to getting out each and every day.

Back to the Eggbeaters
I went on a bit of a rant a yesterday about the Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedal and the experiences I have had with bearing failure. My rant went on to criticize the re-build kit as a solution to the problem and concluded that the re-build kit was actually part of the problem.

The rational for this conclusion was that it seems to be the easy way out. Take the the appropriate parts of the shelf, throw them in a package and send them out as a fix. Problem solved. In my opinion a more appropriate approach would be to manufacture a pedal that was less likely to fail. Or at least, had a longer mean time before failure.

That being said, I have to disclose that I opted for the re-build kit so I can put my pedal back together. For $24 including shipping I will repair my pedal, re-pack the pedal that is still functioning and see if I can milk a couple more seasons out of these.

In a perfect world I would buy a different set of pedals of another brand. That however would mean a new pair of shoes or two sets of pedals. My cross bike and my mountain bike currently have eggbeaters on them so I use the same shoe for both bikes. Switching pedals right now just isn't in my budget.

Today's Ride

Eggbeaters

2012-01-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I briefly commented on the most recent problems I have had with equipment, more specifically, my mountain bike pedals. Crank Brothers Eggbeaters are a great design. All the way from their elegant and simplistic appearance to their extraordinary ease of use.

The problem I encountered yesterday is not a unique problem. In fact this marks the third such problem I have had with this pedal in as many years. For whatever reason, the bearing and related internal parts on the Eggbeaters have a tendency to disintegrate and fall apart.

This same phenomena occurred to me again while riding yesterday. I initially felt slop or play in the pedal followed by some noise and finally the sounds of bearing falling to the ground. Having experienced this on three separate occasions with less than 5,000 miles on the pedals, it is no wonder that Crank offers rebuild kits for a mere 15 bucks.

Compare this with the fact that I have been riding my current set of Campagnolo Record ProFit pedals since 2003, having logged over 30,000 miles with them and I have yet to touch them with anything other than my cleats.

You will not find a rebuild kit for the Record ProFit pedal. What you will find are numerous reviews using words like "indestructible", "bullet proof", "reliability" among others. Crank, I can only recommend that you strive to create a product worthy of the kind of reviews that Campy elicits from it's users.

I am sorry to say, but as long as you offer a cheap rebuild kit for your users to leverage to fix a poorly functioning and ill executed design, you will not become a leader in this space or any other bike part manufacturing space for that matter. Do us all a favor and fix the product and stop band-aiding it with the re-build kit that only prolongs our frustration with your product.

Today's Ride

The Waiver, Pedals and Layer upon Layer

2012-01-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

The day 24 ride is in the books and The Quest rages on. And all of the goals I have established for January have been reached.

My son Max and I hit Keystone yesterday as planned. A great day on the slopes with mild temps and clear blue skies.

When I put this play date on the calendar a week or so ago, I decided I would try to get home and do a ride rather than take a ski day waiver. I am proud to proclaim that I was able to get out, however short the ride ended up.

About two miles into a planned fourteen mile single speed ride, a bothersome but familiar noise eminated from under foot. The bearings were falling out of my right pedal. When I say familiar I have to clarify that I have Crank Brothers Eggbeaters on my mountain bike and I must say, I do not like them. This will be the third time this has happened to these pedals in that last two years. The result is a ride that fell short of the intended fourteen miles, returning home having logged just four miles...but a ride nonetheless.

Having spent a great day on the mountain skiing and not having to use a waiver, made this small pedal setback easier to deal with. I can still report that I have still ridden everyday of the new year. And another pedal rebuild kit is ordered.

Layers
In typical 2012 fashion, the weather has again turned from yesterday's sunny and mid-fifties into today's mid-thirties and rain, sleet and snow. As I gazed out my office window watching the snow fall and the pavement and ground get wet, my motivation to get out and ride began to grow.

While prepping to go, I found myself rifling through every cycling garment bin that I own. I layered up and set out to do a brief ride to try and spin some of the soreness out of my legs from the previous days' skiing activities.

During my ride I decided today's post should detail the layering process I undertake to go on a cold weather wet ride as well as the expense of the required attire. The photo below shows my base layer for the ride today.

The Base Layer

Heart Rate Monitor sensor - Garmin 500 - $289(complete GPS solution)
Under Armor Long Sleeve Base Layer - $40
Smartwool PhD Cycling Light Mini - $16
Castelli Bib Tights - $190
Pearl Izumi Skull Cap - $15
Road ID - $20
North Face Liner Glove* - Price included with Shell Glove.

Total Base Layer - $570

Following the base layer comes what I will call the intermediate layer. It is a bit more modest.

The Intermediate Layer

Canari Waffle Knit Thremal - $75
Smartwool Adventurer Crew - $21
Campagnolo Full Zip Long Sleeve Jersey - $110
Ziploc Bag for phone protection - NA

Total Intermediate Layer - $206

And finally the Outer Layer

The Outer Layer

Pearl Izumi Wool Tight - $175
Smartwool Neck Gaitor - $25
Specialized Road Shoe - $200
Castelli Shoe Cover - $50
Smith Sunglasses - $90
Northface Jacket - $175
Giro Helmet - $150
Northface Hy-Vent Gloves - $100

Total Outer Layer - $965

As you can see the layering process is an arduous one, made up today of eighteen total components. A fact that I was not consciously aware of is the sheer expense of the layering components. $1,741 worth of items outlined here. Shocking. I guess you can't put a price on safety and comfort.

If I had to pick one product out of all of these layers that is exceptional it would be difficult in that there are many great products represented here. I am an absolute fanatic over all things Smartwool. The same can be said for Northface and Campagnolo. There is one product here that stands above all others in terms of performance and longevity.

The Pearl Izumi Wool Tight has been one of my all time favorite cycling related products. Not only are they good ole fashioned wool which brings the ultimate in warmth, moisture wicking etc. But what is most notable is the durability. I literally purchased these tights while I lived in Jenison Michigan and bought them to commute to my job on the other side of town. I would guess that these tights are 23 years old and I have been wearing them for winter riding all winter every winter for all but the last two years of living in Colorado when I only need them a couple of times per season. IF they still made these, I would buy them immediately and recommend them to anyone.

The weather forecast tomorrow is back to mid-fifties again. I will relish the opportunity to don fewer layers in the days ahead. I have to increase my mileage and time in the saddle in the final days of January. The weather and my work schedule have prevented me from riding more than an hour at a time during the week so mileage, hours and fitness have been falling. What will tomorrow bring?

Wrapping up a Windy Week

2012-01-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

When I said in an earlier post that I had settled into the realization "that the wind will be a frequent opponent from now through the remaining winter months and likely well into spring". I had no idea what lie ahead of me in the days that followed that statement.

Six of the last eight days I have been relegated to riding my single speed because the 30+ mph winds that have gusted over 60 mph, have been too strong to ride the roads safely. Any chance of enjoying it? Forget about it.

Going into the weekend the temperatures were forecast for the mid fifties each day. High wind warnings were also part of the forecast. Met with an anxious wife looking to get out and do something Saturday, and the prospect of high winds, I decided to get out early and get the ride out of the way. I set out around 9AM in 38 degree weather with moderate winds around 10-15.

My original plan was to do 30 on the road bike, I managed 11 on the single speed. When I returned home, the temp had actually fallen and I made the statement that there was "no way it would be 58 degrees today", and the "80 mph wind forecast for the foothills in Boulder" would prevent us from doing anything in the outdoors.

As the day wore on I couldn't have been more wrong...and neither could the weather people. The wind was nearly calm in and around Boulder and the temps were well into the upper sixties. Sixty nine in fact. We decided to take advantage and took a walk around Boulder Reservoir and Coot Lake.

Sunday brought the wind that was originally forecast for Saturday. Again, I would ply the strategy to get out early and hopefully beat the wind. I managed to ride for a little over an hour and logged 16 miles. Nothing earth shattering but another day in the books. Twenty Two days and going strong. Ski day tomorrow, hope to get the ride in as well when I get back down from the mountains.

Day 20

2012-01-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Despite the high winds that have been blowing through for the last few days, I managed to check off one of my originally stated January goals. Prior to deciding to ride everyday, I set three goals for January; ride at least 24 days, ride at least 400 miles and ride for at least twenty four total hours. My ride yesterday allowed me to accomplish the total hours goal which now stands at 24 hours and 22 minutes and counting.

The day 20 ride today checks was off the hook with wind. What was planned as a 28 mile ride ended up being cut short due to the wind, something I rarely do. The wind out of the west was so strong and gusty that I was blown off the pavement twice. After the second time I figured it just wasn't safe out there and I truncated the route.

Keystone
Heading into the weekend I am looking forward to Monday. On Monday I am heading up to the mountains to do some skiing with my son and his girlfriend at Keystone. I haven't been skiing since last April, so I am very stoked. And as I type, I am looking at the Vail Pass traffic cam and it is snowing heavily with another big round of snow planned for the weekend and bluebird skies and mild temps forecast for Monday.

This ski day poses the possibility that the quest could be interrupted and that I may have to claim one of my previously outlined exception waivers. As it stands right now, I am planning to come home Monday night and have the bike waiting with my lighting system attached and I will hop on and take a ride to avoid having to use a waiver. That is if the old body endures a day of extreme skiing trying to keep up with a twenty year old snowboarder that lives on the mountain.

Going back to the power of goal setting, I now find myself so deeply committed to this quest that I do not want anything to stop the streak, which despite the waiver a missed day of riding would be a missed day of riding.

Today's Ride

Aweful!

Spot and Gates Carbon Belt Drive

2012-01-19T16:33:00.000-08:00

My first introduction to belt drive was the Trek District released in 2008 I believe. I instantly fell in love with the idea of a drive system that didn't include a chain. The District was based on the Gates Carbon Belt Drive system. Gates is a company headquartered in Denver Colorado that manufactures carbon based belt drive systems for the automotive, marine, agriculture and heavy equipment among other industries. They came into the bike industry in 2007(I think), but have been in business producing a variety of products since 1911.

When I first discovered the Trek District I wanted one badly. Problem is, I didn't live in a place that was conducive to such a ride. Living on a four acre parcel deep in the woods of Michigan. It just was not practical. I could think of a dozen other bikes I could put a thousand bucks toward so I did not pursue purchasing one. Then I discovered the Spot Brand Longboard. The Longboard was a belt drive single speed 29'er manufactured by Spot Brand, a small company in Golden Colorado.

The Longboard was the perfect answer to a belt driven bike that would fit in my stable as a practical and useable bike that I really needed to have. After all I was lacking a single speed, I had the terrain to ride it on and the concept of belt drive was irresistable. I immediately placed the Longboard on my wish list and proclaimed that I would one day own one.

The day this commitment came to fruition was in November 2011. While it wasn't a Longboard as that model had been replaced by the Rocker SS, it was a Spot Brand Single speed 29'er with a Gates Carbon Belt Drive system. Pay dirt!

Since November, I have ridden the Rocker 22 time and over 300 miles in a variety of weather and trail conditions. The beauty of the bike is the silence of the drive system and the ease of maintaining it. Ride it, spray it off if necessary and hang it up for another day. No rigorous cleaning and lubing of chains with oh so many moving parts. Clean and simple and always silent.

The Magic!

I have biker friends, not familiar with belt drive ask, "well how is it" or "what do the racer's say about it"? I reply, to the latter with "I have no idea other than they may be missing the boat." To the former I say, "it Rocks!" Hence the name, Rocker. I see no reason for anyone to ever want to ride a chain driven single speed, and when internal geared hubs progress to the next level, that statement may be true for geared bikes as well. See you on the trails.....when I look over my shoulder. Just kidding.

Today's Ride

And damn close to a Strava KOM on a much sought after segment.

30 to 60, Gusting to 90

2012-01-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Not ideal conditions for riding. In fact, I am not sure I have ever ridden in wind like we have today. The video below will give you an idea of the amount of wind we are talking about.

I really considered throwing the whole notion of riding everyday to the curb today. It's been a tough week, mostly weather wise. Now that it is done I am glad I didn't succumb to those thoughts. It would have been a real let down.

Mileage is way down this week compared to previous weeks as are hours spent riding. There is good weather on the horizon for the latter part of the week and I have some catching up to do. The plan is to start building back up tomorrow, perhaps on the cross bike and increase through the weekend. This should have me well over my January mileage and hours goals. I may try to get over to the foothills and do a little climbing....or perhaps hit the trails. And so the quest continues.

Today's Feeble Attempt at a Ride

Weathering

2012-01-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

I wake to a thermometer that is showing eight degrees Fahrenheit. High temps are forecast to hit mid thirties, however once again it will be very windy. I managed a ride yesterday, albeit a rather short ride at just over fourteen miles. The quest remains intact but I am starting to feel the first signs of fatigue from this venture. A quick look back at my riding log not only shows a ride on each of the seventeen days of January, it also reveals rides on thirty of the last thirty three days.

While I have a few physical signs that I am wearing down, like the hip pain I was having over the weekend and the leg burn I feel every time I walk up the stairs, I think it is primarily the aforementioned weather that is dragging on me.

As a native and lifelong resident of the state of Michigan, I have grown accustom to freezing temperatures and gray skies. The cold and gray generally sets in some time around Thanksgiving and doesn't break until late March or early April. You simply grow into an acceptance of that and hunker down.

The last several weeks in Colorado have seen temperatures ranging from seventy degrees down into the single figures and back up again. These wild swings in temperatures make it hard to get into that cold weather hunkered down state of mind that came so naturally in the winter months in Michigan. One day you roll out in shorts and a jersey and the next you are piling on the layers again. Am I turning soft since moving to the milder climate? I sure hope not.

The Mountain Wave

2012-01-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

As I rolled out for my morning ride, I immediately noticed yet another mountain wave had formed just east of the foothills, indicating a high probability for another day of battling the wind. Exiting the seclusion of our cul-de-sac I am hit with it head on and I begin to settle into the realization that the wind will be a frequent opponent from now through the remaining winter months and likely well into spring. And so it becomes just another factor in the formula of resistance and momentum.

A few miles into yesterday's ride, the pain in my left hip returned. It was tolerable while riding, but caused significant discomfort last night. Setting out this morning I decided to just ride easy and try and loosen it up without irritating it too much. Slow and easy, the phrase of the day.

Today's Ride

Slow and easy if only it could be. Slow yes, but easy? Not so much. There were times when I would look down to find myself going eight miles an hour. I can't say I can blame the wind entirely. Just one of those days. Sore hip, wind, maybe more wine than was necessary last night. All of the above. Very glad to have this one in the books. Looking forward to getting the single speed out tomorrow in the predicted foul weather. Always refreshing to be out riding when most people wouldn't consider it.

Some Preliminary January Stats

2012-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

Two weeks into the quest we are still going strong. Before conceiving of this "Quest" to ride everyday, I set some modest cycling goals for the month of January. Ride 24 days, ride more than 25 hours and ride more than 400 miles. Two weeks in with 17 days remaining I can report that I have:

amassed 14 rides to date, or 57% of the days goal. Not much I can do to accelerate this. When day 24 passes, I will have ridden 24 days.
ridden 19 hours and 25 minutes. 81% of the goal.
ridden 306 miles. 77% of the goal.

Some additional stats of interest:

Average speed-16.8mph. Yes, this seems low, but let's not forget the weather, the amount of clothes being worn and the fact that I have ridden many miles on a single speed mountain bike and many miles on dirt roads on a cross bike. As well as miles on my road bike. I am not at all ashamed of this average.
Elevation gain of 10,142 feet.
Average cadence of 91 RPM.
Average heart rate of 151 bpm.
Calories expended 13,909.
17.5 20 ounce water bottles consumed

Funny enough, you would think I would be a fat burning inferno at this point. I look at my weight however and I have only managed to drop about three pounds over this time period. Oh well, that isn't a goal, so no worries. I am looking very forward to seeing these same measuring sticks come January 31.

Today's Ride

Can you put a price on it?

2012-01-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

*******WARNING*******

The following content is not be suitable for female, non-cyclists in a relationship with a male cyclist.

Has anyone ever asked you how much your bike costs? Do you answer with a sense of pride? Do you answer and immediately feel the need to try to justify it? Do you avoid the answer entirely by answering the question with another question, you know, you flip it on 'em?

I can say that I have used all of the above. The approach one takes when faced with this question must depend on who is asking and in what context it is being asked. Careful consideration and thoughtful preparation should be given to this long before the question arises. If you have not already done this, it should become your highest priority in this new year. The well prepared will immediately recognize the context of the question, will be able to identify the intention of the 'asker', and will wisely apply the appropriate and well crafted response.

For example, when the 'asker' is a potential buyer of the bike being questioned, one would naturally apply the first alternative which would be to answer with a sense of pride. And perhaps that even gets followed up with the upgrades and additional detail regarding the care that has been given the bike.

The second alternative, the answer with the need to justify approach, can be applied when your non-cycling friends ask 'how much you got into that thing'. Rather than full disclosure, I prefer the 'break it down to a cost per mile' approach in this scenario. For example you can say 'well you have about $100 into that Huffy in your garage and I bet it doesn't have ten miles on it. That translates to a cost of about $10 a mile for you to ride that thing.' And of course you follow it with 'I figure my ride costs me maybe 10 cents a mile.'

I reserve the final alternative for questions that may come from the spouse or significant other. The one who you take great care to remain incognito when buying new bike related accouterments. You know the drill, buy it and use it, and hope that it has some wear or appearance of age before she notices and asks the question 'when did you get that'. You can then casually and honestly reply, 'oh, I've had this'.

The 'answer a question with a question approach', or the 'The Flip It' can be used when pressed on ones investment in cycling and its associated expenses. The 'asker' in this case asks; 'so how much did you spend on that?' A well prepared cyclist can respond for instance with; 'can you really put a price on my health?' Or even better 'do you know how much cheaper this is than golf?' The golf answer can be followed with the ever innocent 'and if I were golfing I would be gone all day drinking with the guys!, be thankful you married a biker.' Ah, yes, a perfectly crafted 'flip'.

The idea here is to make sure you are well equipped to deal with the variety of circumstances that may bring the expense of your addiction under closer scrutiny. The take away is simple; prepare, prepare, prepare. Be proactive and identify possible angles that you may encounter, carefully consider and premeditate your response and maybe even go the extra mile and rehearse your answers in the mirror to insure your delivery is smooth and believable. Now go grasshopper.

Today's Ride

Another cold day out on the road but at least the sun has returned and the temps are moving back above freezing. Twelve days in and going strong.

Just Another Tuesday

2012-01-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

Junk Mail Tuesday
A lot has been said about the potential for the reduction of delivery days for the United States Post Office. I vote to eliminate Tuesday's. Every Tuesday I go to the mailbox and every Tuesday I return from the mailbox with a fist full of garbage. Flyers. circulars, ads etc. And every time I ask myself, "why bother, shoulda just waited 'til tomorrow". Ban Tuesday's and instead of loading that Tuesday mail onto a postal truck for delivery, load it onto a recycling truck and make some fresh pulp of it. It'll make a lot of people happier people ... or at least me.

On to the Quest
Another glorious day today and another glorious ride in the books, err, in the online activity tracking database. Ten days into my initial quest to ride every day of January(and maybe more) and I feel great. It's funny how a goal like riding everyday of some period of time motivates you. Every day that passes and the goal remains intact, the more motivation you feel to keep the goal going. I am only ten days in and I am already starting to feel this obsessive side affect. I cannot imagine what this obsession will feel like after a month, two months, six months etc. Can't wait to find out...but I can bet it'll make my wife nuts.

Today's Ride

Temps are predicted to plummet again tomorrow so back on the mountain bike. Perhaps I'll hit Big Dry Creek to mix it up a bit.

Revisions on the Rules

As you ride, you have time to think and as I ride I have been doing just that. The result is a few caveats or potential obstacles to this quest. I need to outline those items here as well as the 'rules' that I will apply to these circumstances.

First and foremost, I have a job that sometimes requires me to travel. In these cases where I am forced to travel and do not have access to bike outdoors, I shall permit myself a waiver to use an indoor stationary trainer and count it as a ride. Pretty reasonable.

I also have a few other outdoor activities that my family and I enjoy together. Most notably skiing and hiking/backpacking. These are also activities that I will grant myself a waiver on and count them as days in the quest. In these circumstances I will use the Garmin to track the activities so there is record of it. If feasible, I will ride on these days as well but this may not always be possible.

Pressing On

2012-01-09T08:27:00.001-08:00

I am feeling remarkably fresh both mentally and physically after having not only ridden each of the first nine days of 2012, but also 26 out of 31 days in December. Not a lot of days off in the last six weeks. Such a schedule would normally find me either dragging myself out to ride or skipping a day or two altogether. Now I find myself struggling with harnessing the current swell of good feelings to avoid hammering out as many intense miles as I can before those feelings subside. Instead I am trying to maintain the balance and keep it going, staying fresh and motivated. The former I am afraid will eventually find me dead on the couch. I will be upping the intensity to start getting stronger and faster but I will try to remain disciplined to avoid burnout. As my fitness builds I will be targeting at least a couple of Strava segments that I want to earn KOM on.

After a very cold morning ride yesterday morning, great weather has returned and my ride today was splendid. I rode the cross bike and did some dirt roads and two tracks and pushed the tempo on a couple of occasions.

I had to stop and take this photo. On Christmas Eve, I stopped at this same spot and took the photo below. Oh, what a difference a couple of weeks make. At that time we had just received fifteen inches of fresh snow. Snow from here to the Front Range. Today, warm dry and snow free. The real reason we moved to Colorado.

The highlight of the ride today has to be the construction workers. I am riding past a construction site where they are building a new school. Out of the corner of my eye I see something that catches my attention. I turn to look and low and behold two construction workers are breaking out into a full blown fist of cuffs! Sha! I stopped to watch as other workers hustled over to break them up where they continued to try to get at each other. Cussing, swinging etc. Classic! Oh the things you get to see when out on the road.

Today's Ride Details

2012-01-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

Cold Morning Ride and a Loftier Goal

We are eight days into the new year and I am pressing on toward my January goals. Better still, I have decided to take a swing at riding everyday of January. Who knows, if that goes well, I may decide to try and take it further. Into February....Q1...who knows.

I will be adding another motivation strategy to help keep me focused. I will use this blog to track progress and keep myself honest. There is a week end summary at the end of this post and one will appear at the end of each week until this quest comes to an end.

The weather thus far in 2012 has been all over the map. Thursday morning it was a balmy 70 degrees and this morning when I rolled out it was just 12 degrees. A mere 58 degree temperature swing in three days. Pretty remarkable how much clothing can slow you down. I do have to say though, that the sunrise was magnificent and I can't wait to get out and do another early morning ride. The Front Range bathed in the pinkish morning light and the golden grasses glistening with frost and the same pinkish hue.

I managed just sixteen miles this morning but that is what I set out to do so I feel good about it. The feet so cold they feel on fire and when you get into the shower afterwards the sharp feeling of pins and needles and the itching that follows is just another rite of passage. I think I'll try my shoe covers next time, they're just so damn hard to get on and off.

2012-01-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Bring on 2012

As theNew Year approached I found myself establishing some goals and objectives forthe upcoming year. Personal, Professional and of course cycling related goalswere all given consideration. I looked back on 2011 and recognized someaccomplishments that gave me some personal satisfaction. On a personal level I(we) celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary, saw my daughter graduate fromhigh school and begin college, was able to fund that first year of collegewithout going into debt and managed to remain employed despite very difficulteconomic times.

When I looked backat 2011 in terms of cycling accomplishments I see two rather significantmilestones. I set an all time one year personal mileage total with just over4800 miles ridden and I surpassed the 30,000 mile mark since I began maintainingsuch records back in 2005. I imagine I have 50,000 miles logged this centuryand would guesstimate a lifetime total of around 85,000-90,000 miles. Inaddition, I hammered the Mead-Roubaix race in April while fighting off aninfection from a crash the week before and I completed my first ever, organizedcentury.

Looking into 2012 I figured I have to shoot for my first ever 5,000+ mile year, so that is a goal right out of the box. Another goal I was able to accomplish in 2011 was that I rode more miles each month than in that same month the previous year. January 2010-219 miles, January 2011-387 miles, February 2010 -275 miles, February 2011-362 miles etc for each month of 2011. This then becomes a natural goal for 2012 as well.

Last year I took a new approach to winter motivation. Rather than setting goals simply based on mileage, I established goals for each month based on number of days and number of hours ridden. There are times in the winter months when the cold, the weather and all of the clothing just make riding slower. This can make mileage goals difficult to achieve, very time consuming and maybe even demoralizing. I have followed this strategy this year for January, looking to ride 24 days and 25 hours minimum. This should get me well on my way to surpassing last January's 387 miles. Time will tell.

January 1 ride looked something like this.

Summer of 2011 Retrospective - July

2011-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Lake Dorothy
The month of July would start off with a few excursions into the wild on the Fourth of July holiday weekend, then we would experience a bit of a lull, or a calm before the storm if you will. I'll explain the storm later. We were entertaining one of my daughters friends who was visiting from Michigan. We ran them around to a few of the local light hike/site seeing spots in the immediate Boulder area. We hit Boulder Falls, Caribou and we took them down to the back waters of Boulder Falls via Lost Angel. The real excitement of the weekend however was our hike to Lake Dorothy. The girls would not join us on this outing and that is too bad for them as this was a great hike.

Lake Dorothy lies in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and is the highest named lake within this area resting at 12,061' The round trip hike we would take was an out and back hike starting from the Fourth of July Trailhead.

The Fourth of July Trailhead is named so because the Fourth of July marks what is normally the height of the wildflower season and hiking the trails in the area this time of year is spectacular. There was the threat of severe weather later in the day so we set out early with hopes of getting back to the trailhead by early afternoon. As you approach the lake your exposure is significant and the ridge we planned to traverse faces the direction that storms generally approach from. Not a place you want to find yourself in an electrical storm or a significant wind event.

The trailhead sits at about 9,600' and the trail leading up to the fork where you opt to go to either Lake Dorothy and Arapahoe Glacier or to Diamond Lake leads through alpine forest along ridges flanked by steep slopes. A greater than average snowfall this year created dramatic water features along this section of the trail. We hiked portions of this trail last summer around the same time and while there were water falls and run-off trickles, the quantity of falls and the amount of water in the falls this year were significantly greater than last.

Soon after you hit the fork in the trail you break out of the alpine forest and into sub-apline terrain. One of the highlights on the way up to the lake was an alpine bog that hung on the edge of a steep ridge. The bog was alive with water running beneath it and was soft and spongy when walking on it. The rich and fertile soils combined with the fresh glacial run-off provided an ideal environment for many varieties of wildflowers that were in full bloom all over the bog. We spent some time here admiring the landscape and the second of three unique eco-systems we would pass through on the way to Lake Dorothy.

We encountered several remnant snow fields along the trail and the final push across the ridge to the lake was a little sketchy. There were very few people on the trail while we were hiking up which was a bit of a surprise for a holiday weekend during prime wildflower season. We were not complaining and as we would see later in the day, on our way down, that most hikers were getting a much later start.

We pushed through the alpine forest, the sub alpine terrain and now found ourselves in the alpine tundra. Each layer of biological community we passed through presented new and increasingly magnificent surroundings. We could see where the lake was from here and were anxious to get there. We were now at an elevation around 12,000' and the ridge we were traversing lie just beneath the continental divide.

There they are, right there.

We had hoped that the early start would allow us to see more wildlife. As it were we only ran into the occasional Marmot and a pair of nesting Ptarmigan. The Ptarmigan were of particular interest due their camouflage and ability to disappear into the tundra. These things were fifteen feet from us and we could see them, then if you looked away or tried to train the camera on them, you couldn't find them again. After several attempts I was able to get a few pictures of them.

A Closer Look

Reaching the Continental Divide and approaching the lake was breathtaking, almost surreal. You typically encounter winds at this elevation but today was near dead calm. Temperatures were in the mid to upper fifties, sun was out for now and we were in complete solitude. Where we found ourselves at this point in time was worth every step and more. The wildflowers, the snow covered peaks, the bright blue skies all combined to make this one of our more memorable hikes.

We took our time gawking at the vast landscape that fell away from us in every direction. The path leading to the lake was littered with a wide variety of flowers almost as if placed there by a professional. The lake itself was actually a bit of a disappointment. That may however be due to the amount of snow and ice that remained on it. We will likely return here in the future to do the Arapahoe Glacier Trail so we will check in on the lake to see if that were indeed the case.

Lake Dorothy

We were able to settle in for a few minutes and pop open a bottle of wine to enjoy on the beach. Savoring the wine and orienting ourselves on the map to identify the surrounding peaks was like being a kid lost in time. Lake Dorothy rests immediately north of Mount Neva and just south of Santana peak both of which are prominent as you face the lake from the east shore. Looking further south you see Mount Jasper and if you turn back to the east you can see both the North and South Arapahoe peaks.

The skies were starting to show the tell tale signs of an impending change of weather so we packed up and decided to head back down the mountain. We were reluctant to leave this place so soon after arriving, but the winds were starting to pick up strength and the sky was now becoming dark and threatening. We hastened our pace back across the ridge toward the Fourth of July mine and the soon to follow tree line. As we came off the ridge we were surprised to see hikers pressing on up the mountain. On a couple of occasions we reminded those that appeared less prepared of the potential for severe weather. Most acknowledged our concerns but pressed on anyway.

We made it back to the trailhead and safety of our car just before the skies opened up with thunder, lightning, hail and a torrential rain. I have no idea the fate of those we passed continuing up the mountain, I assume they all returned safe, but I am glad we were prudent and got off to an early start to avoid all of that.

I still find myself looking back at all of the photos I shot that day. This was truly one of the best hikes we have done to date. If I were to rate this on a scale of one to ten I would have to give it a solid nine. Strongly recommended hike for anyone that will be around this area in late June and or July.

The Apple Store - Making Your Next Visit More Satisfying and Efficient

2011-10-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Apple Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple, Inc, dealing in computers and consumer electronics. I recently recounted my experiences while trying to give my hard earned money to the Apple Store in exchange for products that they maintain in their store inventories. I understand that this exchange of currency for products or services of similar value may seem a bit unconventional but all indications were that this establishment had participated in similar amicable exchanges in the past.

The free and consultative recommendations I am about to offer are based upon a few fundamental customer service flaws that I recognized while visiting two Apple Stores during my quest to become a Mac user. My first visit found me being asked to stand in a line outside the building and wait for a period of time before being allowed to give them my money. This particular store would allow people who were there only to loiter and play with display products with no intention of buying to come into the store. Those who expressed explicit interest in buying something were asked to stand outside. My only assumption is that the store management did not want to crowd or interfere with those non-paying loiterers as they fondled the display products. This seemed fair, I mean why should I interfere with their use of the Apple products that they themselves cannot own and take home to play with today? They deserve a chance to use the Apple products today and we should wait until they are finished. After all, within a few hours we could actually own these ourselves and play with them at will.

The second store I visited that very same day had a slightly different approach for customers who were trying to give them money. In this case they had established a high tech iPad deployment associated with each product that was displayed. The powerful technology allowed you to press a button on the iPad user interface to request that an associate meet you at that product display to discuss your wishes and desires to be a more sleek and technological individual. I was able to grasp the concept readily and follow the prompts and the device soon confirmed that an associate would meet me at the display I was at. I immediately felt both sleek and sophisticated.

While I waited, I stared in wonderment at how all of the patrons in the store also appeared to have an aura of sophistication and hipness about them. Several minutes passed and my previously arranged meeting with an Apple associate at the 13" MacBook display had yet to materialize. This prompted me to inquire with an Apple associate carrying her very own iPad, using it feverishly as if producing something of great significance. This may have even been the new Apple associate, Siri that we have all been hearing so much about, but I cannot confirm that. She would inform me after consulting with her iPad that there was in fact an hour wait for an associate. She requested that I remain patient and continue waiting by the display that I had agreed to meet at.

While all of this is very understandable, it actually reminded how important Apple is and how badly I need their products. I almost felt helpless and inadequate without them. To help others avoid this helplessness and to help Apple avoid subjecting their prospective customers of such feelings of inadequacy and envy, I offer the following suggestions to help manage these people who want to give Apple their money in exchange for an aura of hipness.

What's in a Line?
My approach simply revolves around organizing customers by type. Rather than having two types, as Apple currently has, The Payer and the Loiterer, I suggest expanding on the Payer with some sub-types. The first sub-type of customer that wants to give their money to Apple will be called "The Dumb Ass". The Dumb Ass will be any customer who openly admits they have no idea what they are specifically looking for but they know they ultimately seek the aforementioned hipness. The Dumb Ass will have their own line in which to wait. It will be the existing line outside the store. They will have no problem waiting outside because they know no different. They are after all a dumb ass.

The second sub-type of customer that wants to give their money to Apple will be "The Douche Bag". The Douche Bag will have their own line as well. This line will be a special line with mirrors. The mirrors will allow the Douche Bag to view themselves and admire their already well established hipness. The Douche Bags are easily identified by their know it all attitude and their open willingness to make sure everyone knows they are an Apple subject matter expert. The Douche Bag line will purposely be delayed regardless of the number of people in the store or the number of available associates. Not only will the Douche Bag not have a problem waiting, they will brag to their douche bag friends how long they had to wait to give Apple their money. Within this circle this wait time adds to the mystique and hipness of the Douche Bag. There will be additional training required to properly identify the Douche Bag. In most instances it will be obvious, however the Loiterer can easily be mistaken for the Douche Bag and vice versa.

The final sub-type of customer that wants to give their money to Apple will be the "just get me the fuck outta here" customer. The just get me the fuck outta here customer will not have to wait in line at all. Instead they will be offered an option to use a less conventional, not at all revolutionary and for the most part obsolete as far as Apple is concerned shopping method known as pick what you want from the shelf and pay for it without any additional hassles or senseless human interaction. I know this sounds crazy but this customer sub-type requires immediate gratification. The just get me the fuck outta here customer has little or no patience whatsoever, they lack consideration for all other people who want to give their money to Apple and will not fall for the marketing ploy of making them wait for their aura of hipness and mystique.

The fourth sub-type is the "Loiterer". This is the person who DOES NOT want to give their money to Apple, yet is enamored with the items in the Apple Store. Apple currently caters to these loiterers by giving them VIP treatment and allowing them into their stores instead of those people who DO want to give their money to Apple. Moving forward the Loiterer will be given their own special displays concealed behind glass. Yes, the products will be prominently displayed where they can be seen(but not touched) from the outside of the store. We will allow the loiterer to "window shop" as we will call it. To maintain the aura of mystique and hipness that surrounds the Apple Store we will offer an hourly loiterer lottery. This hourly drawing will grant the loiterer lottery winner a token shaped like the Apple logo allowing the loiterer into the store for fifteen minutes. Without a token, all loiterers will be required to remain outside and must only window shop.

I am offering these recommendations for all of the dumb asses, douche bags and get me the fuck outta here customer types free of charge so you can have a more pleasurable experience trying to give Apple your money.

Summer of 2011 Retrospective - June Concludes

2011-10-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Mount Evans

The highest paved road in North America culminates near the summit of Mount Evans, another of Colorado's fourteeners. Mount Evans is 14,265' and resides in Clear Creek County in the Front Range. The road ends at an elevation of around 14,130' as evidenced in the sign with Deb. Reaching the summit requires a short hike and with this being the nearest fourteener to Denver it is a popular tourist attraction and thus can be rather crowded.

The drive up was enjoyable. What was particularly interesting was the amount of snow that remained in mid June. The road had only just opened a week prior due to the amount of snow that had to be cleared from the road. In many places the carved away snow was higher than our Jeep. We also encountered a group of snowboarders who were hitching rides up with tourists cars and snowboarding down the face of the mountain.

Upon arriving at the top, we found it difficult to locate a place to park. Too many people. We also found it to be cold, something we hadn't considered and didn't dress for. The temperature in Idaho Springs was 85 while the temp on the mountain was only 42. Compounding the lower temps were the strong winds. Having not prepared for these conditions we decided not to walk up to the summit. What newb's!

If we are to make this trip again, I think we will do it very late in the season before the road closes for winter to avoid the crowds. And of course we will prepare better by bringing appropriate clothing. We will also plan a hike from Summit Lake to take in more of the surrounding scenery.

The Dentist

2011-10-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I made the always dreaded visit to the dentist for the bi-annual teeth cleaning. And in the interest of full disclosure I had missed my previous two visits. This would be the first visit to my new dentist here in Colorado. I arrived fifteen minutes early in order to complete the obligatory paperwork, and because that's just the way I roll.

I was greeted by Mina, the hygienist who escorted me back to the rack. Mina was very friendly and had a sense of humor that I could appreciate. Turns out she is also a biker. She is new to cycling and as she sat next to me with a sharpening stone in one hand and the metal dental scaler in the other, literally sharpening the instrument she was about to assault my mouth with, she shared with me her progress in coming up to speed with her cycling abilities. She also paid me the ultimate biker compliment. I told her I also bike and she replied, "I know, I can tell by looking at you". For a brief moment I thought to myself "Mina, you and I are going to get along just fine."

Then I snapped back to reality and the sound of the instrument scraping back and forth on the stone. I had to inquire. "Are you sharpening that". Mina responded with an innocent yet sinister giggle and said, "yeah, I know, I probably shouldn't be doing this in front of you" followed by another less sincere giggle. From that moment forward the two distinct personalities of Mina became more and more contradictory. She remained very charming and engaging as she chatted away, all the while digging trenches in my gums and jawbone with an aggression and fervor never before seen by man. Perhaps her charm and bubbly personality are being fed by the enjoyment she gains from inflicting this torture on me? Possible I suppose.

Ninety minutes later I am done. Relief! Mina cautions that my mouth is likely to be sore the next day or so. I am thinking "understatement". She was right, my mouth was sore. And one tooth in particular is now all flared up with what feels like an infection. Now I am on an antibiotic to reel that in before I have to go back next week so the dentist can take a look. I can only hope that Mina is only tasked with handing the doc instruments this time. Looking beyond that I have my next cleaning on the calendar for April. Let's hope that the post traumatic stress subsides enough before then.

The Apple Store

2011-10-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

With great anticipation I set out Sunday to buy myself a MacBook Pro. I had Deb and Mad Dog in tow for support and rolled on down to the Boulder 29th Street Mall location as they had told me what a great store it was. Upon arrival I immediately experienced that sinking feeling in my stomach when I first saw the line of people outside the store and two associates standing in the entry. A quick mental inventory of recent events brought forth the realization that not only had Steve Jobs just passed, but the day prior to his death a new iPhone was announced and is now available in stores.

I ignored the line and attempted to enter the store and was met by the two gate keepers, "may we help you?" My response was immediate and perhaps a bit curt, "I would like to buy a computer." "Well sir you will have to wait in the line for an available associate." As this was being conveyed, another customer walked up and they too were met with the same inquiry. This visitor however responded with "oh, I am just looking around." The gate keeper acknowledged the answer and allowed the person to enter the store.

Overhearing this exchange I paused and said, "okay, just so I have a clear understanding. If I am here to go into the store and loiter with no intention of buying anything, I am welcome to go inside. If I am here to buy a computer and spend money in your store, I have to remain outside?" "Yes, you will have to wait outside sir." Frustrated and offended by this ridiculous and counter intuitive approach to customer service, I told Deb and Maddie that I wasn't about to wait. Both tried to tell me I was silly and as I walked off Deb conveyed to the gate keepers that they just lost a sale, and she was right.

As we drove away to return Mad Dog to campus, we discussed the possible rationale for the line outside the door and I posed the question, WWJD or What Would Jobs Do? Not being that familiar with the Apple Store and its rumored revolutionary approach to retail I had to assume that not even a week after Jobs death, the company was already being mis-guided. Upon further consideration this didn't seem plausible. Not only would implementation of new process in Stores around the globe in such a short period of time not be realistic, but it would also probably show a complete lack of respect for Jobs and his leadership.

I ranted as we drove, the wife and daughter just rolled their eyes and tried to encourage me to try another store. They knew full well that if I did not make this purchase today while my frame of mind was right, I probably wouldn't be revisiting it again for a while, if ever. They finally succeeded just before we were leaving Mad's dorm. We would head to the Apple Store in the Flatiron's Mall and try our luck there. Perhaps the Boulder store was a fluke?

Approaching the mall based Apple Store I noticed two things. First, the same nylon seatbelt type 'ropes' intended to manage lines outside the store. Very disheartening, however the next thing I noticed was there were no people standing in it and there were no "gate keepers!" A ray of hope?

The store was crowded, very crowded, but we were able to walk up to the MacBook Pro display and use the iPad to request assistance. It confirmed our request saying, "okay, let's meet here then!" Cool. This'll be easy from here. I know exactly what I want, send someone to grab it out of the back and I'll pay and be gone. Not so fast!

We stood there for a few minutes before noticing that people were stopping and 'registering' with this lady holding an iPad. I inquired:

Me: "do we have to check in as well? I just requested help from the display."
Apple lady with iPad: "oh, well there is about an hour wait so sit tight."
Me: "well I know exactly what I am after so I really just need to pay for it and leave?"
Apple lady with iPad: "Sir, we are in the middle of a major new iPhone launch, there will be a wait of about an hour."
Me: " I am buying a MacBook, I don't need help with the new iPhone."
Apple lady with iPad: "I am sorry"

With that we walked out in utter disbelief. Is the guy from What Would You Do going to ambush us on the way out? Candid Camera maybe? This cannot be real. It was real. I was numb with disbelief.

As I type this blog entry, I have to disclose that I am typing it on my new MacBook Pro. No, I did not tolerate the deplorable customer service that I experienced at both Apple Stores that I visited. But did I "win" the stand off? I don't know, I suspect not. I know the Apple Stores did not gain my business and I know that I am very unlikely to enter their stores in the future. But Apple DID get my dollars, testament to what Steve Jobs has brought this company since it's inception. He has known all along and has not been afraid to thumb his nose with arrogance at everyone as he knew he had products that people wanted and that people would buy and go to great lengths to own. And this is just another example.

Despite all of this, I am willing to help. How you may ask? I have devised a customer service model that I think Apple Stores could benefit from. In fact, I believe this is the next revolutionary idea in retail and all stores far and wide could benefit. Stay tuned. I will outline my plan in a future post. Yes, I am willing to offer this plan for free. It is my way of giving something back.

Summer of 2011 Retrospective - June continued

2011-10-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

Boulder Sunrise Century
I have a buddy that lives down in Colorado Springs. He is relatively new to cycling and when I moved to Colorado we got together for a few rides. Tim is a bit older and has far fewer miles in his legs than I do but he has been bitten by the bug that is cycling addiction and he has built a pretty respectable level of fitness in a short period of time.

While I generally focus most of my riding on intensity and race preparations, Tim enjoys knocking out centuries. He has done Elephant Rock twice, the Copper Triangle twice, the Boulder Sunrise he did the Pikes Peak Assault all since I have been here. While riding together one day he proposed the idea of doing the Boulder Sunrise Century together. Compelling idea I thought to myself. First, some reservation. I had not previously done an organized century. While I have ridden a hundred miles in a day on a few of occasions I had never done it at altitude nor with any amount of climbing resembling that which the Sunrise offers. Then finally, resolve, what the heck, a century is one of those things that most any biker has on their things to do before death lists.With that quick mental self evaluation of the idea I committed to doing it and signed up as soon as registration opened.

Tim and I would meet at the Boulder Marriott, where he and his family put up the night before. Bright and earlier we would aim for a seven AM start. We rode from the Marriott to the start on the northeast end of town. From there we would set out immediately. The course rolled us out North on 36 to Nebo, east to 75th then north to 66 then east to Lyons where the flat roads would come to end for the day.

The Boulder Sunrise boasted over 7000 feet of climbing on this years route. The first climb of the day was essentially a twenty one mile incline up St Vrain Canyon finally culminating in Ward and a well stocked aid station. We established a fairly decent pace and while I could have attacked this more aggressively, I still had that apprehension in the back of my head that this point would only mark the half way point. In other words I had no problem taking a slower pace to accommodate Tim and to preserve my own survival not knowing full well what was ahead of us.

From Ward we continued on Peak to Peak south to Nederland and yet another aid station. I believe there were seven in all and we used four of them along the way. One thing I learned from this first organized century is it is a lot easier to stay well fed and hydrated through the use of organized aid stations than it is when just riding a hundred miles on your own. I have hit the wall on a couple of occasions while doing the latter, hence the earlier reference to apprehension.

We survived the final ascent of the day riding back north on the the Peak to Peak to Ward where we would plunge down Lefthand Canyon and back into Boulder via 63rd Street. While bombing down Lefthand at around 35 miles per hour a dog ran into the street within inches of taking Tim out, narrowly avoiding disaster. That provided the one instance of real drama for the day. Once back to start finish we enjoyed a picnic. Our registration touted two free beer tickets upon completion, however when they published that little diddy, they failed to consider that the church that was allowing us to use their grounds for the picnic did NOT allow alcohol on the premise. THAT provided the other instance of drama. A man could really use a beer upon completion of such a ride. Had I known that up front I may have been a no show.

We rounded out the day with dinner at the Med with our families and celebrated Tim's 50th birthday.

Next up our brief encounter with Mount Evans before rolling into July with upcoming posts.

Michigan v. Michigan State

2011-10-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

It was a very frustrating day for Michigan fans. It would be another day, as in recent and disappointing Rich Rodriguez years, where Michigan would go into the Michigan State game undefeated with Michigan trying to re-establish itself as the states perennial football powerhouse. And as in the last couple of years, Michigan would not come out the victor.

Michigan, under new head coach Brady Hoke had built an impressive 6-0 record coming in and was boasting a ranking in the top ten. The Michigan football faithful have rightfully so been sky high as everything Coach Hoke has done has resonated Michigan football loud and clear. Unfortunately we came in sky high, yet ill prepared to face what I had thought was a Spartans team that had actually become respectable under head coach Mark Dantonio. All of that would change today within a span of about three hours.

Michigan State would amass 13 penalties for 124 yards with more than half of those being personal fouls, some of which were outright dirty actions with an intent to injure. Case in point, the following post game quote from the Michigan State defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi, "It was 60 minutes of unnecessary roughness and that what we tried to achieve." A real pity that what I had thought were a couple of undisciplined players doing stupid things on a stage too big for them to handle, turns out to be impressionable college students doing what they had been instructed to do by an irresponsible and desperate coaching staff willing to cheat to win.

Before today I was encouraged to see a Michigan State football program that was becoming more disciplined and more successful than teams of the past. Michigan has historically owned this "rivalry" and the field was starting to level and actually make the games interesting. With what I witnessed today, I have to say this is the same old State. Cheap, dirty, classless and I am afraid for them that the type of coach they have will not find them the real success they are after. In short, I would much rather lose than resort to the tactics employed by the Michigan State coaching staff in order to win. To make matters worse, if you review the game you will find that had MSU not resorted to this personal foul 'strategy and game plan', they would likely have shut Michigan out and won by a much larger margin. Pretty pathetic when you stop to consider that the coaching staff is boasting about their cheap and dirty game plan as being successful. Go Blue!

General Motors and Their Ill Conceived Approach to Marketing

2011-10-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

I recently read a post on the League of American Bicyclists website regarding a new ad campaign that General Motors is running targeting college students with incentives to buy a new truck or SUV. I know, repulsive enough in and of itself. What made the ad even more offensive was the slight it made on cyclists or more specifically on students who use a bike, or rely on a bike for transportation.

Notice of this ridiculous and ill conceived campaign quickly made its way through the cycling community via Facebook, Twitter and other social media. I lodged my opposition via the link to GM's website offered in the League of American Bicyclists post referenced above. I sent a very direct statement to GM stating my displeasure with not only their irresponsible and predatory practice of targeting already financially burdened youth, but also the fact that they are disparaging the use of a bike as a form of practical transportation. I look at the ad and I see the guy on the bike as the smart one, the wiser one in many ways. At any rate, I closed my statement saying I would not consider GM in future car buying decisions. I received an auto response via e-mail saying someone would address my concerns. Yesterday, I received this:

Are you kidding? This ad and this response will serve as a permanent reminder why I will never own a GM product or promote the GM brand. I will admit I have never been a big fan anyway. From the over-priced low quality products they produce, to the stodgy, smug, elitist approach that led to their bankruptcy and the subsequent federal bailout. This is just another in a series of events that erodes any respect that I could ever offer them.

In the end the voice of the cycling community was heard and GM pulled the ads and publicly stated so on Twitter. A small kudo's to them for at least recognizing the err in their ways after being beaten over the head with it.

Another Senseless Tragedy

2011-10-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

A bank robbery in West Michigan followed by a high speed pursuit has resulted in the death of a police officer. Officer Trevor Slot, the brother in law of a friend of mine and the partner of my sister in law, was killed when he was struck by the car of the robbery suspects while setting spike strips. Officer Trevor Slot was 41 years old with two children.

Trevor Slot

Police shot and killed both suspects at the culmination of the chase.

Summer of 2011 Retrospective - June continued

2011-10-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Switzerland Trail

"The Switzerland Trail is an historic narrow-gauge railroad line that was operated at different times by the Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific Railway, the Colorado and Northwestern Railroad, and the Denver, Boulder, and Western Railroad around the turn of the 20th century in the Colorado front range mining area near Nederland, Gold Hill, and Ward. The earliest segment dates to 1859, with continual track growth until 1891 by the GSL&P, when a large flood destroyed many tracks and bankrupted the company."

The Switzerland Trail remains a popular trail for biking, hiking and four wheel drive activities and provided an appropriate off-road experience for the 'first use' of our Rubicon. We would travel a section of the trail that covered about seven and a half miles between Sugarloaf Road Trailhead and Gold Hill. Gold Hill has become one of our favorite small towns that we have discovered. It maintains its old mining days charm and can be accessed via Lick Skillet Road, which is the steepest county road in the United States. This provides a great workout on the fall Cyclocross bike rides around the foothills.

A photo from high above the previously traversed trail provides a sense of the typical terrain and scenery we encountered. You can see the trail as it winds its way around the valley below.

With no restrictions on this trail we ran into several other off-road vehicles, some going in opposite directions. This became a bit of an inconvenience on a couple of occasions where the trail offered no opportunity to pass. Being an average of only eight to ten feet wide one party would have to succumb to the other and back out along sometimes very narrow and steep ridges adding some drama to the day.

Our expedition would end with a cappuccino and a slice of homemade berry pie from the one and only Gold Hill General Store.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rank this rather low as an off-road vehicle experience. The terrain was not challenging enough to qualify as a true four wheeling experience. I do however see myself returning to the trail to do some mountain biking this fall. It is well suited for that and is likely mellow enough even for Deb to tackle.

Up next, The Boulder Sunrise Century.

And finally, today's ride...unfortunately, there was no ride today.

References: WikiPedia

Summer of 2011 Retrospective - June

2011-10-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

Lost Lake - Nederland Colorado
In June we set out for a couple of adventures in and around the Front Range, the first of which finds us at the Hessie Trailhead outside of Eldora. Eldora is just west southwest of Nederland. The destination this day would be another alpine/sub-alpine lake. Lost Lake sits at 9800' and it feeds the South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek. Yeah, that is a mouthful and I am still trying to come to terms with why every creek in Boulder County is called some iteration of Boulder Creek. Freaking nepotists I guess.

Like most alpine lakes, Lost Lake too is surrounded by several prominent peaks whose run-off provides the source of its existence. The hike is relatively short at just over two miles in each direction, however the significant snow pack from the record snowfall we experienced over the winter made the trek a little more difficult than the hike is advertised.

The massive run-off resulted in spectacular waterfalls all along the trail as well as very wet trail conditions. There were areas on the trail where we were walking on a good six to seven feet of snow pack. Despite the trail conditions the sights and sounds of the day were well worth it. Deb, still nursing an ouchy ankle, had some issues and concerns walking on the slippery snowpack but fortunately we were able to reach the lake and all of her reservations were relieved.

As we soaked in the 70 degree sunshine surrounded by the snow and the crystal clear lake we revisited the decision to make the move to Colorado. And once again we each came to the same conclusion. No regrets!

If I were to rank this on a scale of one to ten against the other hikes I have done I would put it at around a six. Coming up next we will revisit the Switzerland Trail, Boulder Sunrise Century and Mount Evans.

And finally, today's ride

Summer of 2011 Retrospective - May

2011-10-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

My post about Torrey's Peak the other day prompted me to pop open Picasa and browse through the more recent photos I have taken. In doing so I quickly recalled what an action packed summer it has been. From my wonderful daughters high school graduation in May, to sending her off to college in August, the just gone by parents weekend at CU and everything in between.

Over the coming days I will string together a retrospective chronicling this past summer. I will start and end this series with those milestone events mentioned above. So we start in May, we'll wrap in October and then look forward to what lies ahead this fall and start fleshing out the plan for next year.

May 21st, 2011 was not only the day that marked Mad Dog's graduation from high school, it was also my twenty third wedding anniversary. Hard to believe. My dad came into town on Thursday the 19th to see the graduation ceremony and to spend a few days in Colorado, one of his favorite places. During his stay we would do some sight seeing and some hiking. We would hit Pearl Street, Boulder Falls, Nederland and a few other local hot spots. On Sunday May 22nd we decided to hike at Walker Ranch.

Walker Ranch - Boulder Colorado
The day after graduation we set out to do a little hiking. We stayed low(below 8,000') and low key and wandered around the eight mile path at Walker Ranch. We encountered some wildlife. We saw this guy strutting his stuff.

I think this is a Sharp Tailed Grouse

We also believe we were stalked by or we startled either a black bear or a mountain lion. We all heard the same very disturbing grunting or snorting sound above us on the rocks but never seen anything. On the way out we also encountered a rather large herd of elk, about sixty animals strong.

Along the path we took a few minutes to chill and enjoy the day....and a bottle of wine.

Right to Left - Deb, dad and Roller

But the funniest thing of the day was my dad's continued insistence that this stuff is called chlamydia.

He's been calling it that for as long as I can remember and no one has had the heart to let him know that chlamydia is an STD. The flower is called Clematis!

All in all a great day. Walker Ranch is a fairly dull and boring walk if you ask me. There are a few highlights, one about one mile into the hike if going clockwise from the main parking area. This is a chute in the stream that results in an impressive water feature in the spring. The other about one mile from getting back to the main parking area. This too is an impressive walk along the same stream. The six miles in between was rather hum drum. If I were to rank this on a scale of one to ten against the other hikes I have done I would put it at around a three.

Hiking Walker Ranch in May offers a couple of good examples of the powerful spring surge in Boulder Creek from the winter snow pack melting, however it was too early to enjoy many wildflowers. It did offer us a chance to get a fairly long hike in early in the season. I was rather impressed with my dad's stamina at age 67. He breezed around the hike with little difficulty.

Stay tuned for June where we four wheel the Switzerland Trail, hike to Lost Lake, drive up Mount Evans and I knock out the Boulder Sunrise Centruy.

2012 Adventure Planning

2011-10-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook earlier this week of himself standing on the summit of Torrey's Peak.

Torrey's Peak is one of Colorado's 54 "14er's". For those unfamiliar with the term 14er, it is a mountain peak whose summit is above 14,000 feet. Torrey's Peak is in Colorado's Front Range and its summit is 14,267 feet above sea level. Sure looks awesome doesn't it? This has me thinking about making this trek myself.as we have yet to tackle a 14er. Reviewing the hike online I find that it isn't too bad of a climb. It is published as a seven and a half mile trail and ranks as a class 1 and class 2 hike. It is rated an easy fourteener.

360 degree view from the summit of Torrey's Peak

Or better yet. Check out this Flash based interactive panorama on 14ers.com.

Interactive 360 Degree Summit view.

I don't believe we have the equipment required to do this in the winter, nor do I believe my wife is ready for such an adventure. The weather is showing lows in the upper teens, winds and with the shorter days and my wife's bad ankle I just don't think we can knock this one out yet this year. Therefore, I am adding it to the list of hikes to do in 2012. I suspect it will be ready for us by mid June or so depending on the extent of the seasonal snowfall in the high country.

And finally, today's ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/120477604

Jon Muller - RIP

2011-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Rest in Peace Jon Muller. Jon was an acquaintance I met through cycling. We raced in the same class and often finished within close proximity to one another. He died this past weekend of an apparent heart attack while out riding. He has a wife and three young children including twin daughters. And I am sure a lot of people who relied on him as a son, brother, uncle or friend. This really puts things in perspective and makes one realize how you have to live everyday like its your last. Leave no regrets, remind those you love that you love them and let the little things go. As the saying goes, life is too short. Do not carry around hatred and extra baggage. And Jon, at least you died doing what you love.

Cross Bike & Dirt Roads in the Fall

2011-10-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Nice crisp fall day. I love riding the dirt roads on a cross bike in the fall. Riding out in the plains today I was able to string together 12 miles of uninterrupted gravel roads and didn't see a single car.

I've Been Away for a While

2011-10-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

So I've been busy. I have moved across the country with my family and since arriving in Colorado have essentially been on an 18 month vacation. We are taking in all that Colorado has to offer. Outdoor activities abound. Hiking. Biking, all kinds; cross, mountain and road. Skiing. And just checking out the mountains any way we can. In short, looking back to the decision to make this move...no regrets!

In the coming months I am going to make an effort to revive my blogging effort. The hope is that I can attract some followers and gain a little street cred as an active blogger who has something to say that others may find entertaining. If I succeed, great. If not, no big deal. I just read some of my older posts and having that journal available for my own consumption is satisfaction enough. With that, I'll leave you with a photo from a recent hike to Blue Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.

Mitchell Lake

Zuni-CR7-CR5-Sheridan Pkwy by thofert at Garmin Connect - Details

2010-06-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Zuni-CR7-CR5-Sheridan Pkwy by thofert at Garmin Connect - Details

Tour Preparations are in Full Swing

2010-02-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this. Talk about sending a message to the little finger banger. Gotta love it. Contador is making his 2010 season debut in Portugal at the Volta ao Algarve, February 17-21. He will be represented by his Astana 'boys' as follows:

Alberto Contador, David de la Fuente, Maxim Gourov, Andriy Grivko, Jesus Hernandez, Daniel Navarro, Daniel Noval, and Sergey Renev.

Team Radio Shack coincidently enough will also be there. Who are they sending you ask?

Andreas Klöden, Levi Leipheimer, Tiago Machado, Sergio Paulinho, Gregroy Rast, Sebastien Rosseler, Gert Steegmans, and Thomas Vaitkus.

Pretty much the squad that will contest this years Tour. Short of Armstrong and probably Chris Horner these are many of the guys who will prove to be the thorn in AC's side and it looks like LA and JB are looking to send him an early season message. If you don't recognize the mental message being delivered to fingerbang boy you are drunk. He is officially under the gun and the 2010 Tour de France assault is officially on.

With any luck Kloden and Leipheimer will have their way on the mountainous stage and in the time trial just well enough to start raising the question marks in the young spaniards head. I love this strategy. They know he is mentally and tactically weak and they seek to exploit his weaknesses. All season long.

20100215.29F.C.5-10W.16.25.XB.WTG

Turnin' up the Heat

2010-02-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

We had another house showing yesterday. So the drill becomes prep the house, swap out all the everyday use items for the staging items to give it the look. Clean up the dog crap in the yard, make sure there is no ice on the walk, then you grab the dog and the family and you leave for whatever length of time they ask you to.

I have followed this sequence of instruction on a few occasions now and on Saturday it prevented me from getting some exercise. No time to bike. Well Sunday I decided you know what, I am going riding during the showing. Wife and kids can deal with the dog etc. The plan was to put in a couple of hours with The Geez anyway, why not do it during the showing to ease the inconvenience a bit.

Last weekend I rode the dirt roads solo and was surprised how good the conditions were. During a ride earlier in the week I suggested to The Geez that we knock out a long ride out on the dirt after all, rolling up the rail trail gets a little stale and it is hard to extend (or even tolerate) that for more than an hour or so. And so it would be.

We did receive a significant snow event mid week last week and as a result we were not sure what we would find. With Barry-Roubaix rapidly approaching we decided it didn't matter we have to ride them regardless of the conditions. The roads were generally in great shape. Hard pack snow, some loose 'sugary' snow, some ice and some hard pack dirt. Definitely ridable and conducive to high speed.

And with Barry-Roubaix somewhere in our subconscious, the pace would be hard and fast. We pushed quick tempo up all of the climbs around the route, and there are some good climbs, as there will be at BR. We haven't been riding with a ton of intensity the last couple of months but for some reason the heat was turned up without any suggestion to do so. It just happened and as long as the other guy wasn't objecting it just continued to escalate. By the time I returned home nearly three hours later I was out of fluids and was spent. A great ride.

I spent the evening sipping some wine and relishing the pain in my legs and the 'race cough' whenever I would breath too deep. After months of riding 'just to get some fresh air' it was a pleasant surprise to find such a high level of fitness remained in my legs and lungs. I have posted previously about maintain a good body weight through the winter but I had no idea I had done such a great job maintaining fitness.

Today I will ride with the burn still obvious but it will be with great satisfaction knowing that I am in good form, I will be prepared for Barry-Roubaix and when the road bike finally comes out of the stable I will be able to enjoy getting on down the road and not have to suffer through the spring trying to regain fitness.

20100214.31F.C.15W.42.7M.XB.WTG

Colorado Here We Come!

2010-02-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

Finally. House is for sale, gettin' some traffic, and my travel is officially booked to visit Boulder CO for a little house prospecting of my own. Damn Straight! Two weeks out but hopin' for an offer on my house between now and then so I can write an offer of my own yet this month. Sounding a little optimistic but that is just the way I am and the way I am going to go about this.

I wrote the first paragraph a couple of days ago. Now the reality is setting in. Like what a pain in the ass it is to have to pick up and leave at a moments notice so people can come invade your space. This wouldn't be too bad, but our dog has to accompany us when we leave so it relegates us to walking him or sitting in the car with him. Can't just go to the mall or go out to eat or something like that. Ouy vay. I knew we never should have got another dog when the last one died. What a hassle.

As you can see I am way behind on posting ride summaries. I have been riding more than that....really.

02112010.27F.C.11W.24.5M.XB.WTG

The Badder the Weather the Better the Ridin'

2010-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, when summer turns to fall and fall to winter, the desire to ride turns from one of fare weather to one that is driven by a need to get outside and ride, and the worser the weather the better.

The AM call between the Geez and I is generally cordial and straight forward as we plan for the days ride. No nonsense. When the weather turns particularly ugly, like the system that has delivered 8-12 inches of snow over night, the call is different. The attitude is different. The conversation rarely even recognizes the less than ideal conditions, rather only addresses what time do we meet. There is an unwritten rule to not even ask the question, "are we riding", while completely avoiding the topic of the weather. Today's call for example:

Me: What's Up?
The Geez: Nuthin'. What's the Plan
Me: I have an 11 & and a 12:30. 12:30 should be less that 30 minutes.
The Geez: 1:15?
Me: yep. I'll ping you if call runs longer.
The Geez: later.

No mention of "are you going to ride in this?" "Is it even safe out there?" Nothing. Just a full on expectation by each of us that the other will be out there regardless of the conditions.

I remember a storm we had last year. We were riding in the midst of it. Many inches of snow had already piled up. As we turned over each pedal stroke our feet would go through the snow leaving 'foot prints' along with our bike tracks. A route that would take 40 minutes in the summer required a strenuous 2 hour effort that day. Closest thing to a conversation regarding the weather was, its nice to be out getting some fresh air.

Today would be similar. We generally tend to ride the local rail trail in the winter. It keeps us off the roads and provides some safety. It is maintained fairly well and with the recent dry and warm temps it had cleared to almost bare pavement. That is until this snow system rolled through. What it left was a nice virgin riding surface, with only some spotty ice patches here and there. All of course, 'invisible' under the fresh snow.

We plowed our way north, working up a good heart rate and sweat despite the low temps and stiff wind. About twenty minutes in we ran across the plow truck, heading towards us maintaining the trail. Once we passed him, we had a nice clear path to ride. Our tempo picked up as did our average speed.

This was all short lived however. As we hit town we discovered that was where the plow truck had started plowing. As we continued north, we again found ourselves on the virgin snow covered path, muscling our way along. It was notably peaceful.

We rode north for about 50 minutes and made our turn to head back the way we came. Again, we encountered the plow, now heading toward us once again. Having passed him we found ourselves on a clear path again. The effort became easier, the tempo lifted and we rolled along.

About half way back to town we heard the plow following us. He was a few hundred meters behind us so we figure "lets kick it down and try to hold him off back to town". Time trial mode, on a cross bike, on a slippery trail being chased by a plow in a snow storm. What a riot. We managed to hold him off and ended up logging a rather strenuous mid February ride. The Badder the Weather the Better the Ridin'.

02102010.26F.PC.10-15NNW.24.5M.XB.WTG

The Price to Ride, Part V - The Overall Damage

2010-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Alright, so all of this nonsense is now out of the way. And yes, in retrospect what started off as a seemingly brilliant and well conceived avenue of thought has turned out to be a complete train wreck of a waste of time and effort.

In summary my math comes out something like this. I spend what amounts to $2275/year $190/month and .455 cents per mile given a 5000 mile per year season on biking. Just like owning a damn car.

I am going to opt to capitalize my bike purchases from now on. Buy 'em and own 'em, screw this amortization BS. For that matter I am buying a new single speed. It's called obsession for a reason. This exercise is complete.

House For Sale

2010-02-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

My house is officially on the market. I am using the term 'market' loosely as I don't believe there is much of a housing market out there. I am hopeful that I am blessed with just the right buyer in a short amount of time and that they have no house of their own to sell. What are the chances?

My initial guess at number of days to sell is going to be 189 days. Not sounding too optimistic am I? I initially said eighteen months to a friend of mine and he thought THAT seemed optimistic. I dialed it back some, hoping that I can get out of here and go west sooner rather than later. The ideal scenario has me settled into a new home in Colorado in time to go to the Leadville 100 which is on August 14th this year. Hence the 189 days.

The Price to Ride, Part IV - Accessories and Nutrition

2010-02-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

I am really ready to wrap this exercise up. For one thing it is becoming very tedious. For another, I am starting to feel guilty about the amount of money I am apparently pouring into this activity. This will be the final post. Well other than the summary post that will add everything up and give me an overall picture on my on going investment. It is starting to look like I spend more money on this than I do on my automobiles.

I buy a new helmet and new shoes very infrequently. I think I have been riding in my current road shoes for 6 years. They will suffice for a couple more I suspect. Prior to that I think I have owned just two other pair of road shoes. I have one pair of off-road/cross shoes and they are the only pair I have ever owned. I would say I have $300 into the two pair and I will put a seven year life expectancy on each. $42/year or $3.60/month.

As for helmets, they too are pretty utilitarian to me and often taken for granted. I know you should replace them every couple of years and I should start to do that. Until I do I am simply figuring this to be $200 every four years. $50/year or just over 4 bucks per month.

Due to the tedium I am lumping gloves and booties into one category. I will go through a couple of pair of $40 'summer' gloves per season. I have been using the same two pair of winter gloves(layered) for ever. As for booties, I have a light weight pair of Pearl Izumi's that I have to use hockey tape to tape on because the zippers broke like the first time I put them on. And when it is real cold I have a pair of wetsuit boots that I retro fitted for cycling. Been using them for 20 years and they will likely out live me. therefore this category is getting a price tag of $80 per year and $6.65 / year.

You always have to buy new computers for the bikes. I generally buy a new one for one bike or another like every other year. They range any where from 30 bucks up to whatever. I have been looking at the Garmin that is like $500. I will stick a cost of $2.50/month on computers.

And then there is nutrition. I don't do a lot with cycling specific nutrition in the winter months. During the spring summer and fall however I do spend considerable amounts of money on Hammer Nutrition products. I like Heed, Perpetuem, Hammer Bars and Hammer Gel. This stuff ain't cheap. I go through a couple of big jugs of Heed ($47.00 ea) and Perpetuem ($45.00 ea) each season, probably three jugs of Hammer Gel ($17.00/12 pk) and a couple of 12 packs of Hammer Bars ($28.50). Again, as I add this up I am shocked. $300 bucks a year! $25 / month. Wow.

Enough of this exercise. I have accounted for probably 90% + of what I spend money on that is directly related to cycling. I have left out a few things like entry fees, travel expenses, magazines etc. But who cares. I think we all have a better feeling for the financial commitment involved in this damn sport. Knowing this you can see why the previous post 'Buy It, Use It' is so necessary. It has put that exercise into a whole new perspective for me at least.

I will wrap this up in the coming days with a final Part V - the summary edition to add all of this up into a single per year, per month and per mile expense. I have yet to do the math myself but I am already almost afraid to publish it.

Superbowl Week

2010-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Being Superbowl week I thought I would post this article I read a few weeks ago. In summary the article states that the average NFL football broadcast takes 174 minutes to air and of that 176 minutes, only 11 minutes are actually of the game being played.

The NFL is clearly the most popular sport in America with a following and fan base unmatched by any other sport. The fact that the actual game only accounts for a fraction of the entertainment value perplexes me. What is it that attracts fans at the rate it does? It isn't the cheerleaders, which sort of surprised me. I would have guessed that they would provide more entertainment value to the male audience than the three seconds of air time they generally are allowed in the typical broadcast. Commercials make up a full 60% of the broadcast at 75 minutes of commercial air time. The only other aspect of the broadcast that is even remotely close to the time spent airing commercials is the 67 minutes of time spent showing players standing around. Yes, standing around. The only thing more puzzling to me is how NASCAR attracts fans. A 'sport', I would rather refer to it as a form of entertainment, because I cannot buy into calling it sport, that consists of guys driving cars around and around in circles for hours.

Is this a testament to our society and its intelligence? Is it a product of our shortening attention spans as we evolve into these beings that consume information in very small bits that are streamed in at a near constant rate? I don't quite know what it is but it is baffling.

I am taking the Colts and giving the points and I will be late for work Monday as I am sure I will be up late watching this thing.

The Price to Ride, Part III - The Apparel(Upper Body Wear)

2010-02-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Jerseys. Base Layers. Coats. Jackets. That is what we are considering here. I live in Michigan and I ride outside year round. I just lack the discipline to sit inside on a trainer and get any value from it. In fact I just sold a pair of Kreitler Rollers on Craigslist last week. They had been hanging in my garage for a couple of years and I literally used them like twice. Some dude got a great deal on some great rollers.

Given the fact that I ride outdoors year round in Michigan I place a lot of stock in layering. Long sleeve layering and that translates to expensive. I have several Under Armour long sleeve tops at about $50 a pop. They do last almost forever though. I could reasonably say this is an annual expense of $25. On top of that, no pun intended, I add on an appropriate number of long sleeve jersey layers depending on the temp.

I have some wool jerseys and some synthetic jerseys. Again,like the base layers, these things seems to last forever. They really server little purpose other than an additional layer of warmth. I can get away with wearing the same layers day after day. I am going to stick a cost of $50 a year.

As for coats, I have three. Two are identical and I have owned them and worn them for 20 years. They are a lighter fall or spring layer and are Gortex so they are also water proof for the most part. My winter coat is a North Face Apex. I bought this with points from my AMEX account. It too will last forever. I am going to leave my cost for coats and jackets at $0.

As for summer/short sleeve jerseys, I have dozens of them. Oddly enough however I have only purchased about half of them. Some I get as gifts, some from events. The others I have purchased and I would estimate that I spend money on maybe two per year. Call it $150/year on jerseys or $12.50/month.

I am going to add another post for accessories to account for everything else. Th e shoes, the gloves, the helmets etc. That will follow in the coming days. Upper Body wear therefore shapes up like $225/ year or $18.75 a month.

100th Post

2010-01-29T06:22:00.000-08:00

With this post I am reaching a minor milestone in my life as a blogger. This marks my 100th post. While exciting on one level it is also very anti-climactic. The biggest problem I have is that I have yet to attract even one follower.

I do have to admit that this is entirely my fault. You see, I am an introvert. I do not like attention. I am a very personal person and as a result I have not told anyone that I have a blog. I have not advertised it at any level other than to include my link in my comments that I leave on other blogs. I am hopeful that one day someone will be curious and click it and discover this blog and perhaps even enjoy what they find enough to return and maybe even follow it. I did receive one comment a few months ago so I know someone has seen the blog. I am guessing they haven't returned.

As I review some of the things I have posted over the past four months I see some good things, things that I would think would be entertaining for others, but I see a lot of mediocre or just down right not interesting content as well. Part of what I think causes this variation in content quality is obviously time. I am consciously aware of those times when I just feel like I need to post something and when I am posting I know I haven't taken that extra effort that would turn a mediocre post into a good post. I am going to have to work on that over the next hundred posts. I hope all of the readers that I do not even have, can tolerate the possibility of having to wait a little longer between posts in favor of finding something with more substance when the higher quality post finally arrives.

The other thing I am going to do over the next hundred posts is focus on finding some readers. As I become more satisfied with the quality of my posts, I will feel more comfortable getting readers. I don't know if I will ever be comfortable enough to tell my friends and family about my blog. I mean, that is how much of a private person I am. I just won't feel open enough if my initial readers as friends and family. If there were a way I could be good enough to attract hundreds of followers, then I may have the confidence to disclose this to my inner circle. Until then I doubt I will and as a result it may become difficult to get readers. Time will tell.

OMG!

2010-01-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

I bitched about the weather yesterday and stated how dismayed I am with people who habitually bitch about the weather. Well today I am going to bitch about the weather again. It is freaking cold out again. MUCH colder than yesterday...but we rode anyway.

Given the bitterness of yesterday and the bitternesser of today, I figured I better add another layer to the ensemble today to be on the safe side. I have always marveled at how long it takes to get dressed for a ride in the winter and I have always looked forward to the gradual reduction of layers as winter turns to spring and spring to summer. Today however I decided to take stock in just what level of layering I have going on.

Today's garb went on like this: I started butt naked and added my heart rate monitor strap. That of course is followed by a pair of Smartwool socks, M's Roundabout Crew was the sock of choice today. I then don my first base layer which happens to be a team issue Rabobank, long sleeve time trial onesie. On top of the onesie I put on a long sleeve Under Armor base layer. This is followed by a performance long sleeve knit jersey. Once the knit jersey is on I put on the Pearl Izumi wool tights. I don't normally wear these unless it is real cold, and I think I have already established that today was real cold. I place a pair of wool blend Campy bib tights over this.

This leaves me ready to put my shoes on but I should say that if I have to pee at this point there are two choices. Either hold it, or disrobe and just skip the ride. Make sure to pee before the Rabobank onesie and the layers that follow it.

Now I put my shoes on. These of course need to be covered with shoe covers. For real cold days like today, I go with the Body Glove wetsuit bootie. Not intended as a cycling shoe cover, but a little handy work with a razor blade and some scissors and you will not find a warmer shoe cover. I tape the top of the bootie. That completes my bottom half.

I now throw a long sleeve Campy jersey over top of this. I leave it open so I can add my balaclava when ready and zip it under this layer. Today I wore a skull cap, then pulled my balaclava over that and zipped up the Campy jersey. Finally I throw on my coat, glasses, helmet and two pair of gloves. If you are counting the number of items I just put on, you will find that I have put on 22 items.

For kicks I hopped on the scale when I got home.

198.2

I stripped down to go in the shower and got back on the scale. 186. 12.2 pounds of cycling apparel required to ride in January in Michigan! Fourteen additional items of clothing required vs. what I would put on in say July.

As for the ride itself? Well we got some miles in. About 20 minutes in the Geez had a mechanical failure. He was on his single speed and his freewheel broke. He would just spin the cranks and would go no where. Not a great day for a mechanical. If he kept spinning long enough, it would eventually catch and he could ride again but only until he stopped pedaling. Each time he stopped pedaling it took longer to spin to get it to work again. He was relegated to treating it as if it were a fixie.

We decided we needed to find a route home that had the least amount of downhill. He had to avoid spinning out or coasting. We managed to get him home. I had to push him a little ways on occasion but we made it. In the end we laughed a lot and were generally glad we got out today.

It is supposed to be colder tomorrow. But a weekend warm up is coming. Supposed to be 21 on Saturday and 23 on Sunday!

01282010.9F.C.20-30NNW.13.5M.XB.WTG

The Price to Ride, Part III - The Apparel(Lower Body Wear)

2010-01-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

Apparel is a tough topic. Some may consider it a necessity, others may not. Some may be obsessed with gear, others not so much. Some may have unlimited resources to commit to gear, others may not. I would assess myself as probably down the middle on this one. I am not flush with resources that allow me to buy whatever I want, whenever I want, but at the same time if there is something I feel I need I will buy it.

I take a utilitarian view of my cycling apparel. I am not obsessed with buying and owning a crap load of cycling clothes. I buy what I need to be comfortable on the bike. That is pretty much it for me. That will be the angle I approach this analysis from, my own point of view, pretty much like the other pieces of this analysis.

We are basically talking about jerseys and shorts here but this extends to things like tights, knickers, leg warmers, arm warmers, base layers, coats, head wear including helmets, socks, gloves, shoes etc. I am going to throw in glasses here as well.

Shorts
I like to have three good pair of shorts to rely on at any given time. I will no longer wear anything but bibs. Whether it is shorts, knickers or tights, all are bib style for me. For this reason I may be spending a little more on shorts than those who prefer non bib style shorts. I generally only buy about one pair of shorts per season, so regardless of the number of pairs I maintain in the closet, I am going to go with a $100 per year on shorts. Why so cheap? I look for bargains. For example, while on vacation last spring I found myself in a bike shop in Laguna CA. They had Assos Team shorts from their club team that were last years model. They were selling them for $25 a pair. I bought two pair. Great shorts at a rock bottom price.

I have a few pair of tights, some lycra, some wool, some synthetic. These generally last me several years. In fact I have a pair of Pearl Izumi wool tights that I bought in the 80's and I still use them regularly. I use them as long underwear as well. Pretty impressive product. I'll lay aside $50 per year for tight replenishment.

I do not own any leg or knee warmers however I may get into that market this spring. I am not going to include them as an expense here but I will stick them on my actual expense spreadsheet if I get around to buying some.

That'll wrap up the shorts aspect of apparel. I am giving them a cost of $150 per year, or $12.50 per month. My next apparel related post will discuss jerseys and other upper body coverings. Damn we spend a lot of money on this sport!

Surly Mood This Morning

2010-01-22T06:28:00.000-08:00

I am in a pretty surly mood this morning. Reading about our Supreme Court being bought by corporate america. This is freaking ludicrous, now all three branches of government have effectively been bought out and turned over to the big corporations of this country. And yes, I am using a lower case 'a' on the word america on purpose. This disgusts me to the point where I believe we have reached an all new low.

Now not only are big corporations being considered individuals with rights granted to the 'people' of our once great country, these corporations may not even be controlled by american citizens. Why does that matter? Because they are now able to have a very loud and very significant voice in our election process. No I am not naive. I am not of the belief that their influence hasn't been there prior, but why is our greedy government so unscrupulous to just turn the country over to these greedy bastards?

I find it funny how one year ago, Obama and others responded with disbelief and disgust at the big banks and the bonuses they doled out during the biggest financial crisis, largely brought on by these very institutions. Big words, big threats blah, blah, blah. Now one year later the exact same scenario is playing out. Again, the disbelief and disgust being shouted by Obama but yet nothing is being done about it. Just a bunch of talk as he and others take the money under the table and laugh at the rest of us.

What chance do we really have as americans with these money grubbing, greedy scheisters in office? Let me answer that. Not a chance in hell. I cracked a bottle of Wingnut Zin last night and on the cork it reads "If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to." Well said Dorothy Parker.

I am going out riding today and I am going to mash the pedals with disdain.

The Price to Ride, Part II - Maintaining the Iron

2010-01-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

We looked at and have been shocked by the cost of what sits out in the garage. Now we must turn our attention to what is required to keeping that iron rolling. We should now have an even greater appreciation of the importance of taking care of these bikes to extend their life and to get the full value out of them on each and every ride.

I put together a list of things that I find myself buying or replacing as the season progresses. This list includes items such as tires, tubes, chain, cassette, bar tape, brake pads, cleats etc. I broke these items down across all of my bikes as their needs are distinct. Similar to the overall cost of the road bike vs. the cross bike, the cost to maintain ratio is about the same at a two to one. I literally don't spend any money on my mountain bike. That may change when I get the Longboard but for now I left it out of the mix.

I must once again say I am a little shocked. I am conservatively guessing my annual maintenance expense to be about $600 or roughly $50 per month. I did not figure in the cost of replacing seats. Not sure what made me leave that off the list as I just went through a painful two year process finding the right saddle for my road bike. I bought five different saddles and was only able to return two of them. That was an expensive venture. I left it out and left saddles out all together. Why you may ask? I have no idea. All told, I estimate that adding another 12 cents per mile for maintenance.

The iron is now pretty well accounted for. In summary my road bike costs me about $1,000 per year to own and operate, my cross bike costs me about $400 per year to own and operate and my mountain bike will cost about $300 per year to own and operate. Just about $150 per month to ride my bikes, excluding apparel and supplements which I will review in the coming days before finally putting all of this together into a complete summary.

The Price To Ride, Part I - The Iron (continued)

2010-01-18T07:09:00.000-08:00

And so we shall begin with putting some numbers on these fine bikes. I will look at my road bike as the primary bike in my stable, it is the one that I am most likely to wear out based on manufacturer ratings and the amount of time I spend on it. The other two bikes will have to have some other formula applied to them as they see far less saddle time and as a result are likely to be replaced for aged and obsolete technology rather than needing to be replaced due to wear.

I bought my Fondriest in the fall of 2003. It was an end of season special and I was able to get the frame and fork for half price. I then added a Campy Record kit and some Ksyrium Elite wheels and all told ended up with about $3,000 into it.

Fondriest documentation states wear out to be at about 15,000 miles. I don't have the cabbage to be replacing my road bike every three years so I will extend that some. I have six full season on it now and it feels fine to me. Maybe it is softer but I can't tell. I will spread this cost out over five seasons or 25,000 miles instead. I'll consider that to be $600/year, $50/month or 12 cents / mile. The $50/month figure is a little surprising to me. I would never have guessed that to be so high.

The next pride of my litter is the Ridley X-Fire. I bought this bike from the LBS and spent $3,400 on it. It is a seasonal bike and sees fewer miles and hours than my road bike does. I rode this bike just under 2,000 miles in 2009. At 2,000 miles a year I will not likely wear this bike out. I will spread this cost out over ten years. So $200/year, $16.66/month and 17 cents / mile.

And finally, I am going to make some liberal assumptions for my mountain bike. You saw how antiquated it is. Rather than apply any formula to this I am going to base my MTB assumptions on the soon to be purchased Longboard. $2,000 and I will assume it to also be a ten year bike. I currently am not riding many mountain bike miles but that may change when I finally move to Colorado later this year. I will apply the same numbers as the cross bike, but will triple the cost per mile as a rough guesstimate. So $200/year, $16.66/month and 51 cents / mile.

Wrapping up the bike analysis, again, this is just for the initial cost of the bikes and how I am going to spread that cost out over the life of the bikes. The numbers are a bit freightening to me.

$1,000.00 per year to own my bikes.
$83.32 per month.
And a combined 80 cents per mile.

Given all of this I am starting to question the logic and my implication that golf is more expensive. I haven't even got into maintenance, parts or apparel yet. Oh boy. My wife CANNOT see any of this! And we may have to re-visit the 'Buy it, Use it' strategy or at least reconsider our preparations. This is a great example of WHY you have to do your preparation. Next up on our docket will be the maintenance costs.

Movin' On

2010-01-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

I am getting much closer to uprooting the family and moving half way across the country. Away from the town that has been my home since I was a child, away from the town that has been my wife's home since she was a child and away from the only town that my children have ever called home.

As this reality sets in I have started to ponder the things you take for granted. I first recognized this upon driving home from an appointment with my gastroenterologist, yes, my ass doctor. Now I want to keep this in context, there is nothing going on between he and I! Although he does have a particularly soft touch and he always has warm hands. OK, I am kidding already.

I have been seeing this doctor for about twenty years now and as I was driving home I was thinking about the what I will do for a doctor when I leave the area.

Anyway, this led me to come to the conclusion that when I move I will have to find a different doctor. This is so frightening to me that my first reaction was that I will just fly back here when I need to see him. That's goes to show you how good this guy is. This is the current plan and solution to this, I will schedule my appointments around my return trips to this area.

Then yesterday I was going to Bill's Sharpening to have some chisels and some chainsaw chains sharpened. Bill is THE absolute KING of sharpening. He can sharpen anything, better than anyone. What will I do when I move I asked myself? I assume I will still have to have things sharpened. After all its not like I am going somewhere that precludes your things from becoming not sharp.

I can't really justify flying back here for sharpening? Could I plan my sharpening to coincide with my doctors appointments? Probably not practical. In this situation, I figure I have a couple of options. Ship my stuff that needs sharpening to Bill or forget sharpening altogether and buy new, replacement sharp things.

Judging by Bill and Bill's style and his technology-less approach to all things including sharpening, I conclude that Bill probably doesn't go for the shipping solution to this dilemma. While I don't think he would have a problem per se with receiving my unsharp things that require his service, he may take exception to the concept of having to send them back.

That leaves me with the latter, buy new sharp things. I don't like the thought of that. Bill sharpens things well beyond the sharpness of sharp new things. I would much prefer old things sharpened by Bill over new things that are only new sharp. This may be an instance where I have to seek out a new sharpener. Maybe a referral? Perhaps Bill has a relative in the Boulder area! This sharpening mastery most certainly has to be a genetic gift that his relatives must also possess?

Another seemingly insurmountable hurdle may be my coffee shop of preference. Very dear to my heart. This place and all that it is, has been woven into me like the hair extensions of an NFL DB (and I don't mean defensive back). The first thing is that it has really great coffee. No other coffee like it, at least none that I have tasted.

The second thing is we rely heavily on many of their other unique offerings. Truly awesome and all natural turkey, smoked right there on site. Pulled Pork slow roasted in their big green egg right out front of the store, chili fashioned from this very same pulled pork. Awesome selection of cheese. I can go on. The other fascinating aspect of this place are the prices. One quick example, 20oz coffee, $1.25, bring the cup back in for a refill for 50 cents. They give shit away.

On the upside, I do know that these guys will ship to me. Worst case scenario is that I will have my coffee and tea shipped to me. I am however remaining very open minded on this one as I am moving to Boulder CO and I suspect that town may have alternatives that may prove to be an adequate substitute. Will there be? And will it be as conveniently located for me? Time will tell.

Obstacle four, my meat store. I have been frequenting this country farm for all natural beef for years. Their cows are right their in front of you. They graze on grass in large and luscious open fields with rolling hills that surround the farm. No corn, no artificial feed, all are free to roam. They also co-op with other farmers in the area who share the same principles. The other farmers contribute chicken, turkey, pork, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables etc. Again all natural foods, all local. These guys will ship to me as well, so again, worst case scenario has me buying online and having it shipped to me.

As the days pass and I recognize additional instances where my routine may be interrupted to a point where a contingency must be considered I will outline them and talk through possible solutions. I am sure there are many that just haven't presented themselves yet. Some may realistically not present themselves until after I move. My goal will be to identify as many as possible ahead of time.

The Price To Ride, Part I - The Iron

2010-01-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

As we begin to try to understand our 'price to ride', the natural place to start has to be the big ticket items. The hard goods or the 'iron', you know, the bikes.

As we will start with the iron, it then only seems appropriate to include pictures of what will be our study group.

The Road Bike...

2003 Fondriest Carb Level

Campy Record

The Cross Bike....

2008 Ridley X-Fire

Campy Chorus

The Mountain Bike...

We are talking heavy iron here. Trek 930. Deore XT

Coming Soon!

Single Speed 29er

The Belt Drive Longboard by Spot Brand

You can see I have a few bikes and I suppose it requires that all be accounted for which leads me to the first diversion of the previously outlined approach to this project. I had originally intended to include the cost of all of my bikes in this analysis, but I guess I assumed I would be looking at them collectively. As I start this paragraph, it becomes obvious to me that we must first consider them as the individuals that they are before rolling them into the collective bigger picture.

This new layer now then must include breaking bike specific expenses down to the bike for which the items are purchased. This will expand the scope of this project a bit. But as a result we will start to see that some of our 'other' bikes that serve a particular or very specific purpose, and are not our primary ride, may appear to be more expensive than the primary bike. This may cause one to question the 'value' of owning that bike.

It is here that I have to remind everyone we need to maintain focus on our objective. We have to remain vigilant and avoid rationalizing and asking ourselves why we own these bikes. We know why we own them, (or at least we knew when we acquired them) which is really all that matters. Resist the urge to start thinking eBay during this exercise. Unless of course you have a clear and concise plan to upgrade your stable. That can be considered in a future post.

That being said we must remain dedicated to understanding how we continue to own these bikes and even when we might procure additional bikes in the future. This exercise is NOT intended for one to analyze whether or not it makes sense to own these utilitarian forms of climate friendly, ecologically responsible modes of transportation. I am sure there are other blogs that can help you with that. We will not be going down that path.

There are a couple of ways we can look at these bikes. We could look at their purchase price and divide that by the expected life of the bike and use that to arrive at a cost per year, per month or per mile. Another option would be to capitalize the cost. You bought it and you own it therefore it is not costing you anything. While the capitalization method would show a lower cost in our analysis it would leave no understanding of the implications of having to replace that bike. I am going with the former method. I am going to include their cost with a formula applied to spread that cost across the life of the bike.

Our foundation is now laid for the 'iron analysis'. We can now begin to lay some numbers on these things. Until then.

The Price to Ride - Intro

2010-01-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

The last few days I have been discussing some of the financial implications of our wonderful obsession with cycling. This has prompted me to actually try to assign a number to this 'hobby'.

The first part of this exercise is going to be a review of what I think I invest in a given year. This will include an amortization of the big ticket items that will last several years as well as all of the miscellaneous items purchased regularly throughout the year. The second part of the exercise will be tracking my actual expenditures for the entirety of 010. And finally, I will bring the numbers together next January to see where I came out with my prediction.

I have started to jot down a few thoughts on what sort of items I spend money on and as I do that it becomes obvious that I am going to have to break this down into several segments. The tack I am leaning toward at the moment is to first break purchases down into categories. Things like the 'Real Iron', or the bikes themselves, the real hard goods. Then I am thinking there has to be a category for Apparel, replacement parts, and finally nutrition, supplements etc. Of course as I dig in a little deeper this may all change. Stay tuned.

This project will of course have to wait another day. I searched madly through my sock drawer this morning trying to find a PAIR of socks and failed miserably. I am wearing the dirty pair that I wore yesterday as I compose this. I am heading right now, to the Smartwool web site and I am going to buy like ten pair of socks, maybe even a baker's dozen. While I am throwing out plugs I might as well go a step further and say how cool their website is. Not only do their socks rule all of sockdom, their website rocks too. I will add those which qualify as cycling apparel to my 2010 Actual cost spreadsheet.

010 as I like to call it

2010-01-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

I am dubbing the new year 010 and I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks about it. One of the things I have found myself doing this new year, through no fault of a resolution or any other conscious effort, is taking more pictures.

I have been taking snapshots all along, most things I have posted here have been simple snapshots taken most often with my Blackberry. A few weeks back I purchased a new lens for my real camera and all of a sudden I find myself capturing some imagery that is actually a little interesting. I posted a couple a few days ago, here and these and a few more on my Facebook and I have received quite a response. Ranging from nice to beautiful to can I buy them.

So its got me thinking, maybe these things have some value and maybe it is worth trying to peddle them. I am now digging through a bunch of my old digital photos and I must say I have been over looking what some might consider to be some real talent. I have about half a dozen pics that may be worthy of trying to sell in one of our local stores.

Now I have raised my interest in this old hobby I am seriously considering pursuing the sale of these and other images as a goal for 2010. So it will be.

Legalized Doping

2010-01-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

I say why not? Who are we kidding anyway? Despite what the UCI and WADA and others are saying that there is progress being made in the fight against doping in cycling, it still seems there are new allegations each week. It is also safe to assume that there are that set of elite riders with deep pockets who are getting away with it.

In the last couple of weeks we have had the new Spanish investigation dubbed Operacion Grail, that if dealt with on par with its predecessor, Operacion Puerto, it will prove to be a cover up and another waste of time and money. We have Tom Zirbel going public with his positive A sample from the US Nationals. Today we have the self proclaimed anti doping team Amore & Vita signing a rider that is currently suspended in Italy for doping. He is free to race in any country other than Italy and I suspect they will suit him up to do so. Hypocrits. And finally we have the Astana investigation into blood doping supplies found in their medical waste from the Tour de France this year.

That to me doesn't sound like examples of progress. More money is being spent on testing and the passport program than ever before. I am sure more money is also being spent on development of strategies to outwit that system. We have doctors who serve for UCI accredited testing labs and facilities providing doping advice to athletes. We have labs providing advice on how and when results can beat the testing system and from watching the sport with a close eye it seems apparent to me that these guys must be doped to the gills to go uphill like that day after day after day without ever cracking.

It is still compelling to spectators. Why not just cut to the chase. Removing the doping limitations and may the best doctor win. Save the money on both sides, save the disgrace of the cheaters being exposed then lying to proclaim their innocence. It may be hard for some to swallow initially but time will heal. I think there is already an attitude of acceptance among many cycling fans. Take it for what it is and enjoy the drama of the competition.

Consider the possibilities if the riders could utilize any program they like without having to try to hide it? How fast could fingerbanger ride up Alpe d' Huez? Asterisk all of these new accomplishments so they are properly documented as medically enhanced results...or maybe not, as who knows what results that are already in the books shouldn't be asterisked as well?

Maybe this is a little tongue in cheek, but then again maybe it is not too radical to lend some consideration to.

You know why its called dope right?

2009-12-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

I wake this morning to find a tweet from Cycling News noting a positive drug test for Tom Zirbel. I know of Tom as he has raced with the local Priority Health team, with the locally sponsored Bissell squad and has participated in local races, time trials and group rides. It was quite exciting to see him have such great success this past fall. A seemingly meteoric rise to an elite level and a contract with a Pro Tour team, Garmin-Transitions.

Well that is all over now. A little surprising but if I rely on hind sight it all falls into place. More over what is surprising is how Tom is taking the plea of ignorance angle on this. I find it very hard to believe he is not aware of what he is ingesting. He has proclaimed himself as having a chemistry background and he has risen from a mediocre pro rider to a superstar in the time trial in a very short period of time. To what does he attribute his instant success?

The only ignorance I recognize would be an ignorance to believe that we will believe this, or an ignorance to not be informed of and abide by the rules. In either case a two year suspension is in order and is just and if that spells the end of his career he has no one to blame other than himself.

Remembering Bo

2009-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Goosebumps....

Astana, the French and Doping

2009-12-23T10:42:00.001-08:00

Let the games begin.

Far out Picture

2009-12-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

Ran across this photo. Take a minute to absorb and understand it.

Far Out Concept

Wrapping Up - The Year in Review - April 2009

2009-12-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Only three short days to recover from the big race and I am on a plane with my wife, my 15 year old daughter and her best friend, bound for sunny Southern California. A one week spring break trip to Laguna Beach. Yep, me and three chicks. I have no idea what I was thinking when we put this together.

It would prove to be a great trip. I served as the events planner, the tour guide, the chauffeur, and oh yeah, the wallet. This trip was all about the girls. They had a blast and I enjoyed helping them have a blast.

We would do Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Long Beach, Huntington, Newport Beach, Laguna of course, among many other things.This was certainly the highlight of April.

Wrapping Up - The Year in Review - March 2009

2009-12-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

March was a big month for me both personally and professionally. From a professional stand point, I would be promoted to a new management role. Our product clearly on the ropes following the latest failure, changes needed to be made to try and salvage our existence. This task would now fall on my shoulders. Exciting news received with great confidence in my ability to succeed.

From a personal perspective I would compete in my first 'cross' race ever and my first race since the nineties. As I review my training log it is evident that I was preparing for something. Many rides hitting the Chauncey Hill Climb in preparation for the steep dirt climbs I would face in Roubaix as well as some long efforts in excess of three hours, a rarity for me in a typical March.

In the lead up to the race I felt as though I was well prepared and in good fitness. I tried to consider how to establish attainable goals for the event but really didn't know what to expect. I had done some reconnaissance so I knew what the course looked like. Some variables to consider included the conditions, dirt roads in Michigan in March could be rock hard and frozen like pavement, they could be a complete muddy mess, they could be covered with ice or literally any combination of the all of these things. The same range of variability can be applied to the temperature and weather. It could be 5 degrees or it could be 70 degrees. Could rain, could snow, could sleet. You get the point.

Another consideration thrown out there would be the possibility of the Elite road racing crowd using it as an early season hard training ride which could find them in the Expert class rather than in the class they belong in. I personally prefer to ride in the class I feel I belong in even if it means mediocre results. Some of the roadie ego's around here however have them riding down to make sure they can protect their ego from a mediocre result or worse, a DNF.

I decided I would shoot for the following three goals; show up at the start on race day, finish the race and do it in two hours fifteen minutes or less and a top twenty would be icing on the cake.

Race day conditions were quite nice. Sunny and rather cold at about 25 degrees when I arrived at 9 for the 10AM start. The temp was around 30 at the start and probably mid 40's by the time I finished. The roads were in near perfect condition.

Sixty five riders took the start for the Expert 40-49 race. The pace out of the gate shattered my confidence. I was fighting for my life to stay in the pack. It felt as though I was in last place by the time we reached the two track section through the forest about two miles in. This section of the race was about a mile and a half long and was straight but was very technical and very difficult. Fortunately I was able to pick clean lines (off the beaten path blazing my own trail) and picked my way through the crowd of people struggling just to stay upright. Emerging from the forest I may have brought myself back to the middle of the pack.

By this time I was on the red line and trying to figure out I was going to get through the race. I was forced to let off the gas for the time being. I would be passed by people. Men, women and children alike. I had no real feel for where I was at in my race. I pressed on.

About midway a group of six came upon me to over take me. I had been riding with a couple other guys who were riding together and I was starting to feel a little better. As the group of six rode by I decided to accelerate and try to ride with them. Best strategy of the day. We formed an aggressive group of seven and we worked well together for most of the remainder of the race. We would all 'attack' one another now and again just to see where each of us were at. We whittled the group down to 5 and on a very difficult climb I decided to give it a dig. I can't say I gave an all out attack effort, but more of a lift the pace and see who hangs and who doesn't. The move didn't have a whole lot of affect, in fact it pissed one guy off and he launched a big move and left us all. We would not see him again.

With about 5 miles remaining we came upon another steep climb. Very steep, not too long, very narrow road and of course dirt. Half way up, our group now just 3 riders, the race really taking shape, and out of nowhere my quads cramp. Both legs, rock hard stiff as a board. I cannot even bend them. I am forced off the bike in agony, my group rides off without me.

I find myself trying to walk up the hill. Trying to walk off the cramps. I have no fluids or food left. A million thoughts go through my mind. By the time I get to the top of the hill the cramps have subsided. I mount my bike albeit with great care. I now find myself having to race without fluids and scared to death that the cramps will come back. I start off gingerly and steadily increase my effort to the point where I can race and hopefully hold off the cramps. Three of the last five miles will be uphill. I find myself and am now passing people again. Still cautious, but rolling. I am trying to pass as many people as I can as I approach the line. Really hoping for top twenty.

I make the turn onto the finishing straight and it is shear chaos. People everywhere. The finish line was a mass of humanity, standing all over the place. I roll through the finish line and add myself to that mass of humanity. I stand and take in the scene, proud of what I had just completed. I look at my clock and guess that I have a chance to break the two hour mark. My goals are all but accomplished.

As I stand there I see a guy I know rolling into the finish area. I feel good that I beat him, and now I know I didn't finish last in my category. But then I see him stop and I watch a lady remove his ankle bracelet for timing. It is only then that I realize I didn't roll through the finish! Fuck! I quickly scurry over and pass through the finish where my ankle bracelet is also removed.

What an IDIOT! I missed the finish! I stood there for five minutes watching the people I had suffered so much to catch and pass roll in.....ahead of me!

I end up with an official time of 2:06 and place of 23rd. Without this enormous mental mistake I am certain I am at 2 hours and in the top twenty. Oh well, part of racing is mental and I didn't perform well mentally. 23rd it is, no way around it. Off to the tent for my free beer. All is not lost.

So that is March. April brings spring break, warm weather and more riding.

The Great Fatty Job Hunt - Final

2009-12-18T11:17:00.001-08:00

This is actually the final post by Johan. I am certain Fatty will roll out his own series of posts. I will continue to follow them here.

Wrapping Up - The Year in Review - February 2009

2009-12-18T06:08:00.000-08:00

The first thing I am recognizing while trying to write a year in review is that my memory ain't what it used to be. I don't have a clue what I was doing back in February. I can see what I was doing related to work by referencing my work calendar and I can see what I was doing from a training perspective by referencing my training journal but aside from that I require major events to act as way points in this process. Without those way points I am, well, lost.

I know I spent a week in Brainerd Minnesota for work. I was summoned to perform a post-mortem on a failed project. The thing to note here is Brainerd. I was there for a week and the temperature never rose above 0 and the lowest temp was -36. A cold week. This post-mortem would be the start of changes at work and a period of uncertainty that remains even today as I write this.

In reviewing my training journal I would have expected cold streak similar to that encountered in Minnesota here in Michigan but not really. In fact there was a warm stretch in the 40's later in the month. It appears that I had a decent month of training.

Again, without proper notes I can't say I can go much deeper than that. 2010 will be the year that The Lone Roller keeps a journal to refer to. Like this blog or something else that can serve as a quick reference for a year in review segment.

The Great Fatty Job Hunt - Part III

2009-12-18T05:29:00.001-08:00

Wrapping Up - The Year in Review - January 2009

2009-12-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

This would be the year of a couple of life's milestones. May would bring the high school graduation of my eldest child followed in September by this same eldest child heading off to college. Major milestones; first to get him through high school with a reasonable GPA and an ACT score high enough to gain him acceptance into a state university. And second, having planned well enough to foot the bill for it. More on those accomplishments later.

A new local race was added to the early spring calendar and it catches the attention of the Geez and I. Barry-Roubaix. Yes, a play on words stolen from the spring classic by a similar name. This is the Killer Gravel Road Race staged in Barry County Michigan, hence Barry-Roubaix. You can find it on Facebook if you are so inclined.

The Geez and I decided to participate in this the inaugural running of the race and so began our preparation.

The race was scheduled for March 28 and consisted of a 31 mile loop comprised of 80% gravel roads and a LOT of short and very steep hills. Elite riders would complete 2 laps of the course, less elite riders just one. I would fall into the latter group. Preparations would have to be focused on maintaining a race level fitness and on climbing short intense efforts in whatever conditions the winter threw at us. And so we would start the new year with a short term goal.

Of course all of this would be interrupted by a rigorous travel schedule for work in January. This relegated me to hotel fitness centers and very small pools where I would swim many laps each morning before hitting the road. I only managed to get out on the bike eight times in January. Not off to a great start. Thankfully I managed to avoid packing on any extra weight over the holidays so I didn't have to deal with losing weight. January was pretty uneventful. Worked and worked more.

The Great Fatty Job Hunt - Part II

2009-12-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

The Great Fatty Job Hunt - Part 1

2009-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Day one at training camp for Fatty. A brief overview of events. This is such a great story. I can recall how some fatalists predicted that the Internet would result in people being less social and would drive people apart. This is evidence of the exact opposite. The power of the Internet to bring people together.

Awesome.

Part II is now posted at the Fat Cyclist but I am getting an internal error when trying to view. I will re-post it here as soon as I can get to it.

Lashing Out at the Haters

2009-12-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

I bounce around the Internet like most others reading a variety of content based partly on mood and partly on repetition and habit. In other words I have my favorite sites that I hit everyday, I have a layer of favorites I read frequently but not religiously, I have the stuff where those normal sources lead me, then I have the off the wall browsing that you do out of necessity or boredom.

Over the weekend I found myself at one of the sites I hit every now and again. An article about 'fingerbang boy' and Armstrong caught my attention so I read it and found it not compelling. Not compelling in that the 'fingerbang boy' just isn't intersesting. No charisma, no personality, just somewhat boring.

What was compelling were the comments about the article. I understand the love/hate relationship that exists with Lance Armstrong. I get that there are many people, particularly in Europe, that do not care for Armstrong. Whether due to the doping rumors or the fact that he dominated the biggest event that 'their' sport has to offer, so thoroughly for so long or whatever. What I don't understand is the down right mean spirited disdain they have for him. Vehement exclamations of hatred.

These comments have of course now been moderated and removed so I cannot reference them directly. What I can reference directly are the great things that LA is doing everyday. His fight against cancer and what he is doing in general to benefit others. The money he is raising to fight cancer, examples of great inspiration to encourage others to be involved like the Fat Cyclist and his recent fund raising efforts spurred on by Lance and Johan, Lances' Tweet over the weekend about the 'Bikes for Kids' bike handout taking place this week at Mellow Johnny's where over 800 bikes will be given out to needy children. These are things that have taken place in the last week, there are so many more examples of good things he is doing. How can anyone be critical of such acts of generousity?

Does he have a big ego? I have no idea. I assume ego always plays a role in uber-success and it is generally a trait found at some level in successful people. It can be called ego and arrogance, it can also be called confidence. I don't know him so I have to withhold an opinion.

I do see a lot of things that he does to be 'normal guyish'. Inviting people to his ranch for a mountain bike race, inviting people out for a bike ride, reading to the kids in his childrens classroom, hanging out with the other 'moms' on his childrens sports teams. Helping out and giving back. Not bad qualities if you ask me.

Winter Storm Warning 2.0

2009-12-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

To follow up on the Blizzard of 2009. I posted on the impending Winter Storm Warning 2.0 on Tuesday as the local media doned their weather johnson and began hyping the 'storm' that was to wreak havoc upon us. I may have eluded to the possibility of mass power outages and other disasterous consequences from this storm but those are not what have kept me from posting since then.

They amped up the hype of this 'storm' to biblical proportion preempting all regularly scheduled programming all day and scared everyone into beliveing the apocalypse was upon us. I must admit I gave into the hype but only to the extent that I ran out to fill my gas cans so I had enough gas to use my snow blower.

Early Tuesday afternoon you started to see the cancellation of events start to scroll across the bottom of your TV screen. Businesses closing early, high school athletic events canceled, even school closing for Wednesday. Good 'ole fashioned snow storm. It was on!

The only element missing from this whole hysteria was the storm. What was up? You could see it being reported on every station. You could see it marching across the nation like a battalion of infantry. Yet a look outside, a wet finger in the wind, nothing. No storm, how can this be?

Prior to going to bed I part the drapes and peer outside. Nothing. With great enthusiasm I awake Wednesday morning and look outside. About an inch of snow. Impressive storm.

Disgruntled and confused I turn on the TV and what do I find? I find the local weather guys doing a bit of a back pedal. Now they are warning us of 'phase 2' of the storm. They are not admitting to missing the forecast over night, but they continue to build the storm hype. Now they have moved to a Blizzard theme. With rich graphics showing Blizzard 2009 on every screen and a Blizzard Warning in effect starting at 1PM.

Again, I must admit I buy into it. I don't know what it is, my childhood fascination with winter storms and snow days. I don't get it. But at 1, I am in my office hunkered down and it is still dry. Not a flake of snow to be found. The Gale force winds? Not here. The day wears on. Same scene as yesterday. I see the ticker displaying school closings, event cancellations, business closing early, yet oddly enough it is evening now and there is still no storm. A couple inches of snow, some wind but basically if you were to ask 100 people to classify the weather, 100 would probably say a typical December day in Michigan.

I am sick of it. I write the head weather man an e-mail and gracefully tell him that his station and weather forecast is over zealous, over reacting and, well, inaccurate. Low and behold a short time later I receive his response...blaming the national weather service!

this charade continues for another day. Finally Thursday night we get a couple more inches of snow and this morning the roads are finally bad enough to close some schools. I still however am waiting for a weather event that could be classified as a storm or a blizzard. I may have demonstrated some cynicism in my pre-storm post and now you can understand why.

Operation Puerto
All credibility of the Spanish Anti Doping effort is officially lost. Preposterous. I hope the races ban Valverde from entering their events. Take action into their own hands.

X-Games

2009-12-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

I want to see this in the X-Games....on open roads as demonstrated here.

Winter Storm Warning 2.0
We are in for a doosy, or so they say. You know these freakish weather guys that sport wood at the thought of a potential disaster. They completely over react and over dramatize, interuppting normal programming indefinatley so they can show off their weather forecasting technology that is generally wrong.

Winter Storm Warning 1.0, in fact was predicted to result in 2-5 inches of snow. When I woke up I had 15 inches of snow from the system. Just one example of their inability to get it right despite their fervor.

Double digit snow fall accumulations, gale force winds and the weather guy is telling me right now to gather three days of food and water among other things. I am going to refer to my avian bird flu/H1N1 Swine Flu quarantine kit as a starting point for my storm preparations.

Food, water, beer, batteries, a crank style radio with weather band and emergency channels, my first aid kit, my SureFire flash light(yyyyessss!!!!, I love my SureFire and now I may actually have a need for it!) plastic sheeting and duct tape(I have these on hand and always wanted to implement a bacteria free room that is impenetrable from outside contaminated air but haven't had a reason to)blankets, extra clothing. This should get me through the next couple of days I hope.

Looking at the radar, without the luxury of the Storm tracker technology, I would say this does look like a real storm and we will likely get a fair amount of snow and inconvenience from it. I will post pictures and follow up information if the local infrastructure will support such activity.

End of the Road

2009-12-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

As I sit here trying to come up with some inspiration for a post today I look outside to the sight of falling snow. Yep, the first snowfall of the season. It is light at the moment but we are expecting accumulating snow over the next several days.

We have had magnificent weather for months on end so I cannot complain. This snowfall does however represent what is ahead for those of us who choose to ride our bike year round regardless of living near the 45th parallel in the northern hemisphere.

The pre-ride preparation ritual will change and become a bit more cumbersome. The amount of clothing required to maintain comfort will become a bit more cumbersome. The process of getting people to ride with will become a bit more cumbersome. Schlepping the bike through the snow, slush and rutted ice will become a bit more cumbersome and of course proper bike maintenance will become a bit more cumbersome. All in all though I have to say I am looking quite forward to it.

I gain a certain macabre satisfaction from dragging myself out for a bike ride when most sane people would elect to stay inside and enjoy their sedentary lifestyle. I actually thrive on the notion of going out when the weather gets bad. The worse the weather, the more excited I get about going out and bustin' out a ride. This becomes sort of therapy and once spring arrives in about four short months I will feel a renewed appreciation for riding a road bike on a dry smooth paved surface and the speed that accompanies it. Bring on the foul weather.

Pandora Radio

2009-12-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Where in the hell have I been? I used to always be way ahead in the discovery of the latest technology and the subsequent dissemination of that knowledge to others in my circles. Particularly dissemination through my kids. I was constantly introducing them to new useful and often times not so useful stuff on the Internet or elsewhere.

I suppose my new gig has me too focused to be exploring or even paying attention anymore. I made what I thought to be a major discovery over the weekend. Pandora Radio. Come to find out my daughter has been using it for over a year now. Wow, crawl out of the cave dude! That's what she said as a matter of fact.

At any rate, I stumbled upon Pandora while researching BluRay players. I was looking for a BluRay player that supported streaming NetFlix and I noticed that some also supported Pandora. Curious, I checked out Pandora and much to my liking I discovered Pandora. Now I am hooked.

If you have any interest at all in music, and you live in a vacuum as I must, then you must check it out.

December 1
I have spoken here on a few occasions about the stretch of unusually warm and dry weather we have been having here in the great state of Michigan. Since September we have enjoyed a stretch of mild weather unlike any I can ever remember. Above normal temperatures, above normal sunshine and way below normal amounts of precipitation. This string of weather may even have softened me up a bit as I sometimes have to force myself out onto the bike when it is below 50. Pathetic.

Well it looks like that all comes to an end tonight and tomorrow. Snow is forecast to fly for the next several days. Temps fall, clouds roll in and the ground soon to be covered with snow. I do have some new tires on the Cross bike and I also have a new snow blower. So I do have a couple of things to look forward to. That and April is the other thing to start looking forward to.

Why are Roadies such D-Bags?

2009-11-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

I was out riding my cross bike over the long and glorious holiday weekend, Saturday in fact. Weather was spectacular, legs felt great, what more can you ask for? As I approached my next turn, I see a biker ride by on the road I was about to turn on heading in the direction I was about to head. He had what I would guess to be about a 200 meter gap on me. I decided to chase him down and see what he was up to.

A moderate effort brought me up to his wheel. Dressed head to toe in his full Priority Health kit, riding a Pinarello Prince, this guy was dialed up. I roll along side him and I say 'hello'. The ensuing conversation went something like this...no wait, it went exactly like this:

Me: "How's it going"
D-Bag: [peering down his nose looking at my cross bike] "good"
Me: "Pretty hard to beat this weather in late November hey?"
D-Bag: [trying hard to pretend I don't exist as it would be very hard on his ego to recognize that I had caught him on my cross bike] "yep"

A solid 90 revs of the pedals pass before I muster the moxy to try one more time to drag some conversation out this a-hole.

Me: "Where you headed?"
D-Bag: "Ada"

Again total silence...uncomfortable silence as he once again tries not to acknowledge my presence. Then alas I see four bikers headed our way on the other side of the road. As they approach I notice they are on mountain bikes. My brain tells me to say "hey, some mountain bikers, I am sure they will be friendly and will have no problem with a greeting", but I resist and roll on....silent, waiting for his attempt to break the uncomfortable silence with some friendly conversation.

As the mountain bikers arrive upon us, sure enough, there it is a wave and a hi from every one of them. I return the gesture. My riding 'companion'? Nothing. D-Bag. About a minute later we come upon a dirt road on the left. This is my exit. Time to leave this jack ass to himself to ride along impressing himself with his attitude and elitism. As I ride off I have to ask myself why.

I have to clarify that I am first and foremost a roadie. I raced for several years back in the late eighties and early nineties and it was this sort of attitude demonstrated by this dick that caused me to walk away from racing. Every where you went there was this dick head "I am better than you" attitude and aloofness. I didn't understand it then and I don't understand it now.

Today, I go for another ride. An easy spin up the local bike trail. As I am spinning along I see a couple of bikers coming down the trail toward me. As they approach, I nod, wave and say hello. As the two of them pass, they say nothing. In unison, they turn their head toward me, peer down their nose and look at me from head to toe, almost with a sneer in their lips and they ride past without a word or a wave or a nod. D-Bags.

What the hell is it that causes this phenomena? What makes these guys feel they are so much cooler than the remaining lot of us? I checked my bike and it seems adequate. In fact, it is nicer than a lot of bikes I come across including the two guys I just mentioned. I check my clothing. It seems to be up to snuff. My tights do have some holes in the ass but they could not possibly see them when going the other direction. They can't be judging me based on that? I can ride pretty fast and maybe that is threatening but in this case, these guys are going the opposite way. They have no way to gauge the speed I am traveling nor do they have a reason to care.

A Thanksgiving Enigma

2009-11-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

I found my way through another Thanksgiving. And while I am generally a very health conscious eater, I typically do not hesitate to strap on the feedbag for whatever reason there may be to do so.

Initially I would have thought that this Thanksgiving would be no different. I would eat too much, would pay little attention to the nutritional value of what I would shovel into my pie hole, and I would likely consume a few alcoholic beverages along the way. All of this would result a Black Friday bike ride that would feel as though I was towing a trailer (or a spouse on a tandem).

Through no effort of my own however, this year would be different. I managed to travel to Thanksgiving festivities at three homes around the area. This excursion began at noon and I arrived back home around 9PM. And I was starving when I got there.

Our first stop of the day was at my Brother-In-Laws house. This was to be the primary meal of the day. It was here however that I fell victim not only to my own neurosis but also to an enigma that had previously remained outside of my awareness.

My neurosis, is one of being a bit of a germ-o-phoebe. I generally grow a bit uncomfortable when others touch my stuff. This is not because I am adverse to sharing but borne more out of a fear of the personal hygiene, or lack there of, of others. I make every attempt to mask this idiosyncrasy from others and have become quite crafty developing new and innovative ways to remain polite and subtle in this internal battle of mine. No other object brings this behavior out more than my dinner setting. Don't put something on or take something from my plate, don't offer me a sip of your drink or ask for a sip of mine and don't borrow my utensils. Abide by these three simple and respectful concepts and we will be OK.

Here is where the enigma comes in. The in laws come from a wide range of social and economic diversity. Their numbers are many. So we find ourselves at a rather long dining table for our Thanksgiving feast. After words were said and prayers were read, the meal begins.

What I would recognize as normal protocol in this setting would be to grab some food off of the dish nearest you and pass that dish on to the next person. Each person at the table does the same, a common direction of passing is soon evident, often without even a spoken word. This just happens as if ingrained in our human DNA.

This meal however would be wildly different and I remain more perplexed than ever. Rather than passing the serving dishes in a civil and organized fashion as noted above, this family would pass their plate to the person nearest the food that they wanted. The plate would pass from person to person, it would arrive at the destination of the individual nearest the serving dish where one would hold the plate and another would dish until the plate owner would indicate through head nod, hand gesture or some other audible grunt that the amount being levied was significant enough for this helping. The plate would then be passed back to the plate owner. This process continued for the entire meal.

This left me with limited options and as a result I was afforded a single helping of turkey and a dollop of mashed potato's. I would leave both hungry and absolutely perplexed by this extremely unorthodox mannerism that appeared so natural to this clan.

Our second stop of the day was at my step family's home. This is a different crowd and one that typically consumes a frightening amount of alcohol. We knew we would arrive after dinner and even late in the day so we were a bit afraid of what we would walk into. Well we walked into a den of lethargy like none other. A mass of people coming down from their triptophan laced drunkeness, barely coherent enough to recognize our presence. This is normally a place where I would enjoy high quality dessert. This year there would be nothing. A serious of more grunts, although these were less audible than those at our previous stop, sandwiched between a hello, and a goodbye.

We would conclude our 2009 Thanksgiving with a visit to our dear friends home. There we would laugh at each others family stories that had been etched in lore that day. I would consume fewer than 1000 calories all day, I would have no beer, no wine and no dessert. This goes down as one of the epic Thanksgivings of all my time.

Drexting and Drawking

2009-11-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Driving while Texting...or as I a going to call it here, DREXTING, for lack of even an ounce of creativity in my pathetic self. The next time you are in your car, preferably as a passenger, as what I am about to discuss would be counter to my suggesting you perform this exercise while driving.

Notice the number of people that are either texting or talking on their phone while driving. Rather disturbing. As is the heightened awareness I now have for the number of deaths and accidents that are being caused by this senseless practice.

More disturbing is the heightened awareness I am feeling while out biking. I am becoming more aware of the cars that are approaching from behind. Are they paying attention? Are they engaged in the activity of driving or are they immersed in some other distraction? Just yesterday Drunk Cyclist posted a biker down post that detailing a biker who was hit from behind by a driver who was texting about a drug deal no less. The biker was airlifted to a hospital. No update on her condition.

I don't want to be that girl. Nor does that girl want to be that girl but it is too late as far as she is concerned. Wake up out there and put your freaking phone away until you get where you are going. Your next DREXT could kill you or someone else. It is not that important. Don't ruin your life or the lives of others with your selfish obsession with your phone.

Tribute to 'The Game'

2009-11-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

This week, each year in the fall, holds such a special place in my heart, that despite all of the mediocrity surrounding this Michigan team, I cannot help but get completely immersed in the tradition of this rivalry and once again have been completed drawn in to the excitement.

Bo with special guest Michigan Alum, All American Center and US President, Gerald R. Ford

Bo and Woody. What more needs to be said.

The National Championship year.

Desmond Howard - The Pose - 1991

Woodson returns punt for 6 - 1997

And one of the greatest of them all. No one understood the tradition of Michigan athletics in general and Michigan Football in particular better than the late great Bob Ufer.

It is safe to say there has never been and never will be a greater fan of anything on this planet, than the fan that Bob Ufer was to the University of Michigan. To this day I revel in the recordings of Ufer calling games or speaking at pep rallies. You cannot help but get so jacked listening to this guy if you like Michigan. Truly inspirational. Here is a poem he shared on what Saturday November 22nd 1969 following Michigan's defeat of the #1 Ohio State. OSU was billed as the greatest college team ever. Some felt they would beat most pro teams. They came to Ann Arbor riding a 22 game win streak. Well that came to an end and this is how Ufer etched it in the anals of Michigan Hostory.

Oh, and for good measure, some Ohio State jokes:

Q: What do you get when you drive through Columbus too slowly?
A: A degree from OSU

A Buckeye football player was almost killed today in a tragic horseback
riding accident. He fell from the horse and was nearly trampled to death.
Luckily, the manager of the Wal-Mart came out an unplugged the horse just in
time.

Q: How do you get an Ohio Graduate off your front porch?
A: Pay him for the pizza.

Q: How many Ohio State football players does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Only 1 but he gets 3 credits and a $1000 for doing it.

GO BLUE!

Very disturbing trend.
The newest far-right craze is an anti-Obama slogan that is making its way onto t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and even teddy bears: “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8,” which reads

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

I don't care what political party you side with this is despicable. Any human with a soul and a conscience would recognize this as being wrong, very wrong.

'High' Country

2009-11-16T05:14:00.000-08:00

The debate started as a discussion whether or not medical marijuana should be legalized at a statutory level. California was the first to pass such a law and many other states have followed. All with a degree of controversy. There are currently thirteen states that have medical marijuana laws.

So this morning I wake and follow the usual ritual of reading through the various news sites I have book marked. Headline news on the first site I visit is a New York Times article on Breckenridge passing an ordinance that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana. Basically paving the way for visitors to get stoned in the open and not have to worry about getting arrested for it.

I guess I get it. It is for all intents and purposes already widely accepted and un-policed anyway. What I don't get is what does it say to family vacationers, and what does it say to resort and town employees?

Some further reading and I discover that the decriminalization of marijuana possession is already quite common. Last fall Massachusetts became the twelfth state to pass a law that decriminalizes marijuana possession. And a recent survey indicates that almost half of adults polled are open to legalizing pot.

Estimates from Harvard economist contend that we spend almost $8 billion annually policing marijuana use and distribution. Legalization could eliminate that expense and turn it into a tax revenue stream in excess of $6 billion. I just doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia

2009-11-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

You affected?

Carry Prejean

Ms. Prejean recently used the Today Show to claim she had been "Palinized", referring to what she referred to as the same unfair scrutiny that conservative women such as Sarah Palin have fallen under. I must say that I agree 100%. Carry Prejean has transformed into someone that just doesn't know when to shut up. Just like Sarah. Uninformed, unintelligent, uninspiring, finger pointing, story telling, fact twisting whiner. How long before she is in Playboy or some other form of porn? Hey maybe her and Levi can hook up?

Google OS?

Sounds like there is a release around the corner. Man I hope like crazy that this thing is real and that it is good. Cannot wait to see it and try it out.

Useful Internet Utilities Reviewed - Installment One

2009-11-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

Booze Death Calculator
You might want to bookmark this and dial it up prior to your next bender. I should however disclaim my skepticism on the overall reliability of this particular calculator.

While I agree it could be an interesting finger in the wind generalization of ones likelihood of succumbing to an alcohol induced stupor, I also recognize a few points that may require clarification, as well as some very significant factors that are being left out of the formula.

Clarification is necessary to understand whether the Booze Death Calculator is calculating a death as a direct result of pure alcohol poisoning or is it taking into consideration the litany of poor choices and subsequent consequences that may result from the gross consumption of ones drink of choice.

For example, does the calculator take into account the person that may hop behind the wheel in this inebriated state? Does it consider the affects of a late night visit to the White Castle drive thru and the impending bowel eruption that will undoubtedly follow perhaps even putting the lives of your family and immediate neighbors at risk? Or as recently seen around the world, does it consider the possibility that you may stumble into the path of an oncoming train?

I also have to call into question the formula variables. The calculator prompts you for your drink of choice, your weight and your gender. I selected White Russian, 185 and Male and the result is 19 White Russians would kill me. I do not dispute that, in fact I would hazard to guess that far fewer than 19 White Russians would likely kill me. If nothing else the shear amount of half and half required to craft 19 White Russians would alone stop my heart.

And we cannot forget the tolerance variable. While 19 White Russians is certain to kill me, I find it very hard to believe that 19 White Russians would even solicit a burp from someone like say... Jeffery Lebowski. I can say with reasonable certainty that The Dude could reasonably ingest this amount of Vodka, Kahlua and Cream before noon and still have the where with all to roll a few frames with Walter and Donnie.

Until these items can be adequately addressed in the calculator I am going to have refrain from relying on this tool to protect me from meeting my demise from a night out drinking. You are free to reach your own conclusion.

And this one is hard to argue with....
Mad Magazine, still knocks it out of the park.

Friday the 13th tomorrow if you're keepin' track.

Michigan Football Saturday @ Wisconsin. There are not many things more difficult to live with than losing to Wisconsin. I am having a hard time believing this train wreck of a football team can beat anyone at this point though so I guess I have to buck up and deal with it.

Michigan Hockey needs to get back on track with a win or two this weekend as well. Been a tough start to a season with high expectations. Coming off two losses to Miami last weekend. We have a home and home with the Sparty's this weekend. Go Blue!

11122009.50F.S.SE5-10.23.95M.RB.TLR

WTF-What would you do?

2009-11-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

What has this Internet connected world come to? I have long felt that the Internet has propelled and propagated child predators to new heights. I recently expressed my disbelief that there were 150 registered sex offenders within a five mile radius of where Sommer Thompson was abducted. That number only represents the sex offenders that have been caught and convicted. I have to assume there are more in that area that still remain free and unidentified. Astonishing.

Now I read this article which in summary says that there are pigs out there that create, use and distribute child pornography. The article doesn't actually refer to them as pigs, that is my para phrasing. At any rate these people are using viruses to infect the computers of innocent people which turns that innocent persons computer into a host for an image database of child porn. This allows the consumers of this crap to view the content on that host computer from any computer without leaving a trace of evidence on their own PC.

Consider the possible ramifications of this in today's media crazed world. Cops/Feds/law enforcement agency learns that your PC is hosting child porn. They show up at your house and take you into custody and seize whatever evidence they deem necessary. The child porn IS on your PC despite the fact that you have no clue it is there. Local news gets a hold of it and you are vilified. There is little chance that anyone would believe you that it was put there by a hacker. Your life is essentially ruined at that moment.

The article eludes to a guy that fell victim to this. He eventually exonerated himself but spent over a year of his life and $250,000 in the process and still contends that the ordeal has ruined him. These rotten bastards. Comes full circle to a previous rant that I posted stating we need the twig and berries remedy to quell this problem. Yep, get caught and convicted and lop 'em off.

On the surface it sounds like a good solution. But what happens if you are the poor innocent victim in this case and you get wrongfully convicted? Heavy price to pay. I am sure there are ways to avoid that. Certainly worth considering given the epidemic levels this perversion has gone to.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
Glorious weather for a ride today. Blue skies, light winds. Don't have a ton of time so I plan to hit the hills and get a short yet intense workout. Looks like it will be a solo effort.

11112009.53F.S.5W.24.7M.XB.TLR

Indian Summer

2009-11-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

I am not sure what the origin of the saying "Indian Summer" is, but given the current stretch of November weather we are having here in Michigan I could care less. Keep it coming. Glorious weekend with plenty of sunshine, mild temps in the mid 60's, the perfect recipe for finishing up the winterization process around the house and for a couple of long bike rides.

I did hit Wikipedia briefly to understand the origin of this saying but it is not conclusive so not worth mentioning here. The point to be taken from this is that it is pretty freaking nice riding weather and I am taking advantage of it.

Iceman Cometh
A brief follow up on Iceman Results. The Geez took seventh in the singlespeed division of Iceman. He was not particularly happy but all in all I would say 7 out of 81 is a pretty good effort.

Friends Need to Eat Crow....minus the ketchup
Being a bit of a germ-o-phobe, I face constant ridicule from my friends regarding some of the bizarre habits that have formed around my neurosis. One such habit is my insistence on wrapping a napkin around any condiment that I may use in a restaurant. I become the subject of intense mockery each and every time I do this, however my deep seeded need to avoid touching that container far outweighs the need to protect my self esteem.

This morning I am watching Hoda and Kathy Lee and low and behold they have a segment about where the dirtiest places are in public places. They covered fast food restaurants, grocery stores and diners/restaurants to name a few. Well wouldn't you know, the single most dirty item in any restaurant....the ketchup bottle!

Chocolate Milk
I am watching the doctors right now and they are saying that chocolate milk is a great post exercise recovery drink. Chocolate milk contains, calcium, protein vitamin D etc and is much cheaper than sports drinks. In fact they are actually pointing to elite cyclists who spend more than a couple of hours on the bike as a great example of athletes that can benefit from a post ride chocolate milk. I am going to give it a try. Never in a million years would I have thought so, but having seen this, I kind of even crave an ice cold glass right now.

11092009.63F.PC.5-10W.23.7M.XB.TLR
11082009.65F.PC.5-15SE.33.5M.RB.TLR
11072009.58F.PC.15-25SW.27.65M.RB.TLR

Iceman Cometh

2009-11-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

We are a little more than an hour away from the start of the 20th annual Iceman Cometh. This years field is a bit larger than the normal 2500 field limit due to the races failed attempt at using Internet Registration for the first time.

Their registration site was actually hacked, well maybe not hacked. Due to the enormous popularity of the event and the competitive process of gaining entry to the racet some nut wrote a program that would auto register him when registration began. Given the rogue nature of what he was attempting he was not able to test his code ahead of time. The result? He registered himself over 100,000 times and crashed the site. A couple more Internet based registration attempts in the days that followed failed as well and in the end they accepted just about every entry method known to man. The field has grown to 4000.

My point? The race will be different this year. The veterans who know this race and have their strategic approach may be frustrated by the 60% increase in field size which will undoubtedly slow some folks down. I have heard a few say they are glad they are not going this year, but my hopes are that the race will return to the limited field next year and retain its legendary status.

I believe I have mentioned previously that The Geez is riding the 40+ singlespeed division and I can attest to his level of preparedness. I may even take responsibility for having him in such great race condition going in. I was actually able to push him to the point last week where he said he "can't wait to put this damn thing away" referring to his singlespeed bike. A truly precious moment.

Good luck Geez, rock on! Can't wait to hear your result.

Kindle

A few years ago I purchased what was at the time an Amazon self proclaimed reading revolution called the Kindle. It was expensive and when my wife first looked at it she was curious however very skeptical that she could ever use it let alone enjoy reading with it.

It did not take long for her to recognize the practicality of this utilitarian device. It has become something that I wouldn't even be able to pry from her dead hands.

But had it not been for my background in technology she would never even have considered a device such as an e-reader. Unfortunately I assume that is the case for many people who read. If they only had an opportunity to demo one of these things I think this market would launch to the stratosphere and potentially spell the end for traditional paper books as we know them.

But then I realize that in a world without books we would lose such iconic books stores such as this.

Michigan Oh Michigan

2009-11-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

Well I have officially wasted yet another Saturday afternoon sitting through the horror and embarrassment that has become Michigan Football. I can no longer be patient with this new coach who I will no longer refer to by name from this day forward.

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
Not anything real unusual about today's ride to report. The Geez and I rolled out for a brief couple hours on dirt roads. He on his single speed and I on my cross bike. He is in his finally prep for the Iceman coming up this Saturday.

We rode the usual lunchtime route, we did not make an assault on the hill climb record rather we just rode up it. I didn't feel particularly well and I tried to hide it by just gritting my teeth and trying to keep up even though the pace wasn't all that high.

Near the end of the ride we encounter another rider up the road turning onto the road we are on and going the same direction. This brings me to describe this inexplicable behavior that the Geez escape. He calls it chummin'. Yep, like you do to attract sharks....blood in the water.

He considers other bikers to be the blood in the water and he is unable to refrain from running them down no matter the circumstance. So off we went. This guy was a roadie and had a pretty good lead. Today's chase, with he on his single speed and I on my cross bike, would require a solid five mile effort to close the gap. Full gas for several minutes, but ahh the joy to see the look on his face when he realized he'd been caught by a single speed mountain bike.

11022009.48F.C.5-10WSW.25.1M.XB.WTG

AC/AV

2009-11-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Great article on Cycling News on the prospect of Contador joining Caisse d’Epargne next season. The story is based on comments by Alejandro Valverde stating that he would welcome Contador to the team.

While the title of the story reads " Valverde Would Welcome Contador at Caisse", if you read the article it is laced with contradiction. Valverde first says:

“As I have said in the past, it would really be great if Alberto could join the team. There is a place for him, and I’ve no problem with that,”

OK - sounds fair enough, but one could read this as a little less than sincere. If it is indeed sincere, it ends right there. The article goes on to read:

Last month, Valverde won his first Grand Tour when he triumphed in the Vuelta a España. He made it clear then that the Tour de France is his next objective. Having Contador on the team would undoubtedly complicate that aim but, even so, he underlines that he’d be glad to see him in Caisse d’Epargne colours.

“Before talking about that [leadership in the Tour] we have to wait and see how things unfold,” he said. “But anyway. I believe his presence in the team would be great. I respect him a lot. He has already won two Tours de France, and I still have to win my first one.”

It sounds much like the same situation AC found himself in with LA. "Wait and see how things unfold", "Tour his next objective", "I still have to win my first one". These don't sound like the things AC wants to hear. Contador will not go to Caisse. These statements are pretty much Valverde telling Contador to look elsewhere. Poor AC so much talent, so little personality and panache.

Bulldog Blow Dry - featuring Chuck Wagon

2009-10-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

I have posted Chuck Wagon in the past. Lately I have been thinking about capturing some of his idiosyncrasies on video to share here and on YouTube. The first chapter of this series will be his fetish for the blow dryer. A morning ritual for he and my wife. This video doesn't capture the entire routine, where the final YouTube cut will.

The routine starts when my wife needs to blow dry her hair. She say "Chuck, ready for the blow dryer?" and Chuck sprints to my daughters room where the blow dryer gets left each morning as she primps for school. They then race back to the bathroom. Chucks sits patiently in the same spot until my wife says are you ready. Chuck then raises his front leg so she can blow dry his arm pits.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
We couldn't make the trip to the Barry-Roubaix course today so we will ride locally instead. There are a few of us planning to ride. Should be a fun one. Great weather. Finally dry out!

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
Whew. Good hard ride. A little of everything, some all out hill climbing and sprinting competition, some broken equipment and a crash. Unfortunately it was me that hit the deck, and quite hard I might add.

The hill sprint update, there is a new record established yesterday by the Geez. If you recall the standing record held by the Geez was 3:24 and I had posted a personal best 3:30. Both times set on cross bikes. Yesterday the Geez set a new bar at 3:09. Just when I had the record in reach he set a better time. Today we went after it again. The Geez got up first in 3:20 and I followed at a new personal best of 3:28. The real slap in the face was that the Geez was on his single speed riding his Iceman gearing, 34-17. Freak.

We rode hard, we rode long until the Geez had some bottom bracket problems. We rode in hard but changed up the route a bit so he didn't have to put a ton of presure on his pedals.

We dropped him off and Rick and I headed for home. I rounded a corner in front of a car waiting to make a left and there was a huge pile of stones in the corner, boom, I was down. I hit hard and took a lot of skin off. Its been a while since I had road rash.

10292009.55F.PC.C.35.6M.XB.WTG&0

Happy Birthday Guinness

2009-10-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Guinness recognized its 250 birthday, to celebrate Guinness is throwing a global shindig to commemorate Arthur’s Day -- named after Arthur Guinness, the founder of Guinness, who signed a 9,000 year lease on Dublin’s St James's Gate Brewery 250 years ago. Cheers!

Halloween Costume or Creepy Fetish?

The ad reads:

So this may seem strange and really offensive to some but hopefully someone will reply. I have always loved the scene in Empire Strikes Back where Chewbacca has to carry around a half reconstructed C3P0 in a back pack because he hasn't reattached his lower body yet. For Halloween I would love to dress up like this. I am big enough and strong enough to both pull off the Chewbacca look and to carry around a lot of weight for the night. So basically I am looking for a double amputee(Someone missing both legs, preferably at the hip) to accompany me as C3P0 for the evening. We should meet ahead of time so we can work out the backpack/harness system. There are a few parties that I want to hit and I think we will be a hit at any event we attend. Anyone up for this?

Strange and offensive? Word of simple advice, if you have to preface what you are about to say with "So this may seem strange and really offensive", it probably goes without saying. I do however suppose that is is refreshing to see that this individual actually recognize the nature of their request.

I can also say with reasonable certainty that one who has lost both of their lower extremities, might be aware that this condition is most commonly referred to as double amputee. Perhaps this clarification serves two purposes, first and most importantly to clarify that it is preferred that the ideal candidate has been stricken with the ultimate misfortune of having lost both of their legs completely. Knee down just isn't the ideal candidate. But second, perhaps the ad could encourage someone who has both legs, or maybe has one that only lost a single leg to recommend a friend who is better suited to the requirements.

And hey, rest assured we are sure to be a hit at these parties we attend because my friends have this same morbid distaste as I do. That is the closer. I was on the fence and a little reluctant, but now that you say we will be the hit I am in.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
No chance to write before our ride today.

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
The Geez and I set out to do a couple of hours today. His plan in preparation for the Iceman, no less than two weeks away, was to do two hours with me on cross bikes in the morning, grab some lunch, then do a couple hours of single track in the afternoon.

We set out to do the usual set of dirt roads which included the timed hill climb. I posted a new personal best 3:30 right on his wheel. The record remains at 3:24 and is now within my reach even though I was pretty much at my limit today. I will find a way to trim seven seconds off this thing in the next week or so.

It is confirmed, Thursday we will venture south to ride the Barry-Roubaix course. Should be fun, pre and post ride commentary will most certainly come out of that epic event.

10262009.50F.R.10WSW.0.0M
10272009.50F.MC.C.28.43M.XB.WTG

I'm Done Flyin'

2009-10-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Been considering this for a while. Flu, Fees, tarmac horror stories and now this. How the hell does one pilot, let alone two pilots over shoot the airport by 150 miles? Freaks me out. They missed fifteen attempts by various air traffic controllers to contact them. NORAD was minutes away from scrambling Armed Naval aircraft to intercept the plane.

How can you explain it? How the hell are they going to explain it? Can't wait to hear the results of this investigation. What ever the reason I hope like hell these guys are never allowed back in the cockpit of an airliner.

Fat Cyclist
Finally got around to wrestling the week or so worth of mail out of my mailbox. Literally an arm load of papers with but two pieces worth looking at. The Hammer Nutrition Newsletter and the December issue of Bicycling. The former, some good reading on health, performance and nutrition and the latter a great short article on the Fat Cyclist.

I started following the Fat Cyclist after his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. I was riveted for a time reading his account of his wife's battle, the struggles of his and those of his family. I can relate to what his family has went through, particularly from the perspective of his children. I lost my father to colon cancer when I was seven and lost my mother to multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood, when I was sixteen.

I would often ask myself why I had this morbid interest in sharing in the plight of this woman and what was drawing me to read it so religiously. The only reasonable answer I have been able to give myself is that perhaps I was trying to understand what this fight and struggle is from an adult perspective, or that somehow I had such a clear understanding of how his children felt that I just read because I have been through it. Maybe wanting to reaffirm that the way I handled it was justifiable.

Whatever the case, I read the Bicycling article with interest and I continue to read the blog as well. I have been getting involved in the LAF fund raising efforts sponsored on the Fat Cyclist blog as well. So perhaps, in the long run, this has found me with a renewed appreciation for the fight against cancer and how important it is to get involved and help the cause. For that I say, thanks Eldon.

Pick up the Bicycling and give it a read. Point your browser to the Fat Cyclist blog and give it a read. And most importantly involve yourself in the fight.Do it through Team Fatty or through any other mechanism that you deem appropriate, just do it.

Lucy
Can never get enough of this age old trick.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
I am trying to round up a guy or two to join me for a ride this afternoon. No success yet, but I will give them a bit to respond to my voice-mails. I'll give 'em another hour. Weather is better than yesterday, it is dryer and not as cold. Really near perfect cyclo-cross bike, fall riding conditions. I love this time of year. Check this out from yesterday's ride.

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
Was not successful in getting anyone to go riding. One unanswered voice-mail, two Facebook Chats loaded with weak excuses and one dude at work for the afternoon. In the end though all is well. You see this day would offer some non-typical interactions along the way.

I set out to do an hour and a half ride or so. My inital thought was that I would do a short section of two track and then hop on the local rail trail and set a pace that would be strenuous but sustainable. Nothing too crazy hard, just trying to get the heart rate up.

I hit the two track section and to my surprise I ran across another biker. As I approached from behind I could see the bike had an old school fender on it. As I got closer I could see what appeared to be a vintage bike and I was so focused on checking out the bike, I had yet to notice the rider. As I passed I had verification that it was an old school fender on an old vintage bike. The bike was mounted by what appeared to be a middle aged woman. I waved going by and said hello.

As I made it past the two track and onto the rail trail I saw what appeared to be my neighbor up the trail. He is an older guy that I often see riding the trail with his Trail Patrol vest on. I have always thought I should stop and chat with him but it seems he is always heading the opposite direction and I had yet to take the time to do that. Today would be different.

As I caught him I slowed and said hi and introduced myself as his neighbor. We had met a couple times at our neighborhood Christmas parties but that is about it. His name is Butch. As it turns out Butch is 65 years old and his goal is to ride 900 miles each 'summer'. Today he proudly disclosed while glancing at his computer, that he was at 898 miles right now. He said when I get back to our road I will be over 900 miles and I am hanging my bike up for the year. Very impressive. We rode together for about five miles at a slow pace and we talked about nothing in particular. As we hit our road, we said goodbye and I followed that with "I'll see you at the Christmas party."

I popped it up a couple of cogs and settled back into the rhythm I had initially intended to sustain. A few minutes later I approached a trio of people walking and spread across the entire width of trail. One of the individuals was an old lady with a walker so I slowed to a near stand staill as I prepared to over take them. In doing so I recognized one of the people to be Kelly, aka The Wedge.

The Wedge was my neighbor growing up. He lived up the street and garnered his nickname from the way he wore his pants...high and tight. The Wedge was as we would call it back then, retarded. Most people in the hood made fun of him but in a loving sort of a way. Nothing malicious and certainly nothing he ever recognized as being malicious.

I was probably 10 when The Wedge was like 16 or 17 and we hung out on occassion. I was a huge Michigan football fan as he was. What was compelling about The Wedge was his memory. This dude knew literally every statistic and every detail of all of Michigan Football history. He would recall specific and seemingly meaningless plays and events from games 20 years earlier. It was uncanny.

So the shared interest in Michigan Football and a love for playing wiffle ball found us to be pretty good friends. Having not seen The Wedge in many, many years, I stopped to say hello. Turns out he is married and was walking with his wife and his mother in law. Good stuff, I am happy for The Wedge.

I pressed on. Back up to a cadence and tempo intended to get the heart rate up. After an hour or so, I turn to head back down the same way I had come. Low and behold as I ride down the trail I see what appears to be the same vintage bike with old school fenders. As I get closer, sure enough, same lady has stopped at a scenic overlook. I cannot help myself so I stopped.

It would turn out that Mary, is an 84 year old woman, had reached her half way point and had stopped to rest. Yes, she was riding her vintage bike on what was pretty much single track. And she was still riding that bike an hour later when I approached her in dis-belief. We chatted for a few minutes, mostly me offering her encouragement to keep on riding and sharing my hopes that I can still ride when I am 84. We parted ways with a word or two about how beautiful the weather was for a bike ride.

A very non-typical bike ride for me. While I have learned to absorb a little more of my surroundings along the way, I rarely slow down enough to engage others unless they too are hammering away toward similar goals as mine. This would turn out to be one of the most rewarding rides of the season. In retrospect, I have one major regret. I didn't take any photos. I had my phone, but only after riding away from Mary did I consider how awesome it would have been to take a photo of her for the blog.

Idiot!

Oh well, now I know. If I am fortunate enough to experience another ride like this I will be reaching for my camera straight away.

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Sex Offenders

2009-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have been following Somer Thompson disappearance and murder and I am appalled by the notion that there are 150 registered sex offenders living within a five mile radius of where this child was last seen. 150!

Poland recently passed a national law that requires the mandatory castration of sex offenders before they can be released back into the public. Many might find this extreme but IMHO it isn't enough. I say lop it all off, TWIG AND BERRIES. Leave them with nothing. It is hard to imagine the horror that this poor child, and others who have met this same despicable fate, experienced.

Net Neutrality
the PC World Headline reads: McCain Moves to Block FCC Net Neutrality
Wonder where the lobby money is coming from that is driving this. These frickin' politicians may be the single biggest lot of hypocrites any world, society or civilization has ever known.

He names his bill with a misleading name, the Internet Freedom Act, while in fact it is a veiled attempt to regulate Internet traffic and bandwidth. Where is the freedom in that? During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, McCain admitted having little or no knowledge or interest in modern technologies like email or the Internet. So where is the motivation here? I bet his constituents are all writing him via snail mail (since he isn't interested in e-mail) and asking him to get involved and make sure that the media monopolies maintain their stranglehold on the marketplace and allow them to throttle down anyone's bandwidth without notice.

The PC World article states that "Net neutrality opponents claim that the free market can police itself and that any net neutrality restrictions will stifle innovation and competition. However, Comcast tried to throttle peer-to-peer networking traffic and only changed policy after the threat of FCC net neutrality rules. AT&T sought to block customers from using VoIP services from its wireless network, but changed policy out of fear of the net neutrality rules. The trend seems to be that these providers only do the ‘right thing' when the net neutrality gun is pointing at their head."

McCain. Butt out and get back to healthcare.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
Checking out the weather for the day trying to decide when to ride. Here are the key considerations:

Temps - doesn't seem to matter.

Precipitation - doesn't seem to matter.

Wind - doesn't seem to matter.

Conclusion - I will be cold and wet and will have a stiff head wind to deal with. Looking forward to it.

Rumor has it there was a group night ride last night. The assumption therefore is that I will have to go it alone. For those who are not familiar with the Night Ride concept, it starts out as nothing more than another group ride. You gather your posse, you don your lighting systems and instead of just rolling out you roll out into the evening sunset.

From there it becomes a pub jump, a general beer fest and a group of men teetering on two wheels in a drunken state. We all know you can get a DWI for driving a motorized lazyboy while intoxicated, is it then safe to assume that one may be vulnerable to that same fate when operating a bike while intoxicated? I am afraid that may be so.

But legality aside, it generally leaves those involved in one of three classifications for post nite ride, day ride participation. Classification one, hung over and out of commission, i.e. won't be riding today. Classification two, hung over and willing to ride if for no other reason than to flush the toxins from their liver. And finally classification three, hung over and at the full mercy of their pissed off spouse and unable to ride or do anything that is not strictly dictated by said spouse.

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
I am as prophetic as any prophet we have known. It was in fact cold, wet and I did have a head wind the entire ride(or so it always seems). As for the night ride crew...spot on. There was a night ride and not a one of 'em were man enough to go today. And so alone again I would ride.

Despite the 30% chance of precipitation as displayed in the graph above, it managed to rain 100% of the time I was out on the bike. As for the other fella's being in the spousal dog house, I may find myself there when my wife sees the mess I made in the washing machine.

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Nothing in Particular

2009-10-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

DWI

Great story, dude uses this chair(motorized Lazy Boy) to transport himself to and from the local tavern. Got wasted and drove it into a car on the way home. DWI. Thought he had found a loophole. Not these days pal.

The Rapture Cash Capture

There are entrepreneurs everywhere. Seems this atheist has set up a business to contractually commit to the care of the pets of Catholics who leave this earth as part of Rapture when it occurs. Brilliant. For $110, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets offers a 10-year contract guaranteeing that an atheist will adopt the pet that's left behind by its raptured owner. Additional pets can be covered for $15. Here's the link if you think you might be needing this service. Eternal-Earthbound-Pets

Today's Weather

Going to be hard to get out riding in this. 48 degrees F, rain, 22MPH E wind gusting to 28. I could be lazy and do nothing, or maybe the mood will strike me to do some rollers and jump rope or something.

Michigan Hockey got the 3-2 win last night in their home opener vs. Niagra. Big game at the Big House tomorrow. Penn State Nittany Lions and Joe Pa come to town. High hopes, low expectations.

Sad News

I should be on a plane to Leadville CO as I write this. No, unfortunately its not the gusty wind, noted above, that has grounded these plans. It is our lovely economy and the prospect that I may lose my job any day now. Decided the responsible thing to do was to skip this trip and the expense that would have come along with it. I officially have to leave this bucket list ride unchecked. I was amped to do this trip and to do this ride. I will have to re-schedule when I gain some stability in my employment...hopefully soon.

WADA Substances and Methods List

2009-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

WADA has published their 2010 substances and methods list for the 2010 cycling season effective January 1, 2010. The List, updated and published annually by WADA, is central to the harmonized, global anti-doping effort and includes input and consultation from anti-doping and scientific experts around the world.

But if you read the list it becomes apparent why they continue to struggle with the fight against doping and an effective testing program. For instance:

"The intramuscular injection of Platelet-Derived Preparations is prohibited, and therefore requires a Therapeutic Use Exemption. Platelet–derived preparations by other routes of administration (such as local injection into a joint, tendon, or ligament) will require only a USADA Website Declaration of Use."

Platelet-Derived Preparations is essentially blood doping. And it is listed as OK as long as you have a declaration of use. You take out your own blood, you separate the platelets and you re-inject it. It is said to be an effective way to speed the healing process for joint injuries. Sounds like a great excuse to explain away doping paraphernalia, an elevated blood count and an open door.

Singulair - I can speak to this first hand. I have had a legitimate prescription for Singulair and I can say with absolute honesty and a hundred percent certainty that I could ride a bike significantly faster when taking it. OK to use it in cycling according to WADA. Got a doctor who'll say you need it and you are clear to use it. Hell, you may not even need the doctor who says you need it, you just need to get it.

These are a couple of examples that jumped out at me, I am sure there are more. Do these not present potential loop holes that may cloud what is legal and what is not or to offer scapegoats for suspicion? Add to this the recent statements coming from the Tour this year that ASO provides the teams with receptacles for the proper disposal of their medical waste and it is no surprise that the current system doesn't work and is so exploitable.

Why in the hell do these guys produce medical waste during an event? I don't get it. Is it because many techniques are deemed acceptable? Injecting whatever to me is inappropriate. I have raced, obviously not at the Pro Tour or TdF level, but I have never felt the need to inject ANYTHING into my body. If my state of health is such that it requires the administration of anything via a needle, I am probably not racing. I am going to do everything I can to avoid the doping topic the remainder of the week. We'll see what other outrageous news comes out that tips be off on another tangent.

Tour of California Route
On a more positive note, The TOC route has been announced and with the unique Twitter based announcements, Lance and Levi have also committed to do the TOC next spring. Great news for this race. It will be interesting to see what other Pro Tour teams follow suit. I hope this race succeeds but have expressed skepticism with it lining up against the Giro moving forward. Time will tell.

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Un-Freaking Believable!

2009-10-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Don't even know what to say. Just watch it.

May the Best Doctor Win
I am to the point in the anti-doping fight in cycling to just say, may the best doctor win. Every damn day there are new doping stories. Whether it be the anti-doping agencies feuding with one another, new positive test results, or national agency cover ups, there is something to be said everyday.

This is a fight that may never be won and certainly will not succeed with the current flock of flawed processes, crooked and self serving 'leaders' of these agencies and the simple fact that where there are gross amounts of money to be made, there will be cheaters willing to gain an edge in any inscrutable way they can. And there will be a doctor right there showing them the way.

It is also worth mentioning that to a certain degree, I think doping is accepted among cycling fans. I have friends who cycle and a few continue to consider the likes of Basso, Landis, Hamilton their favorite riders. I have family in the Netherlands who will follow nearly every doping related conversation I have with them with (that I should add that I always have to initiate), "but I still love the sport of cycling none the less." This translates to it makes for compelling drama, but more from the races perspective. The favorite rider of one of the men making these proclamations is Alejandro Valverde. Nuf said.

I guess watching Contador fly up a mountain without even breaking a sweat or losing his breath is entertaining. To a certain degree I suppose it is. Everyone loves the massive attack. But these massive attacks can occur without dope can't they? It is all relative. I can put a group of six year olds on a criterium circuit and one or two of them will ride away from the rest. What is the difference if this is a group of elite cyclists on a mountain side riding without the aid of dope? None.

It may however be an idealistic and unattainable goal. Therefore, my new motto may just become May the best doctor win. Lets pit the very doctors that are fueling the current system of cheating against one another. Who can come up with the best performance cocktail for their rider. They can be compensated. They can join their drone on the podium and share a kiss from the podium girls. We can award them the yellow lab coat for the overall best doctor. The white lab coat for the best young doctor. A polka dot lab coat for the rider whose hematocrit climbs the highest.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
A window to ride just opened up. No time for this, gotta go.

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
As promised, I made it back to the forest to day with camera in jersey pocket. Nice day, with warm temps and some sunshine. Rode the cross bike today. Not sure why but the ride yesterday, on the 29er, found me with a hole worn through my bib tights, through the bib shorts I was wearing under them and partially through my ass. I have to get back on that bike and figure out just what in the hell that is about.

The trail was a little muddy from the night before. I guess it must have rained. These conditions resulted in the inevitable, at least when you are talking about a rider with my skills...man down.

My mission today was to get in a ride and to get back and capture some of the surreal images that are out there right now and may not be there tomorrow. The change of season can happen quick depending upon how well the weather cooperates. Forecast for tomorrow and the days that follow are abysmal. Assuming that happens, here are a few images from today.

Pretty dog gone nice. Tough to capture with a Blackberry for a camera, but pretty dog gone nice!

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Nothing To Say

2009-10-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I am having a difficult time coming up with subject matter the last couple of days. There is just a lot of negative crap happening around me that quite frankly has started to drag me down. Drag me down in my normal level of function. Drag me down in that I am finding it hard to get motivated to get on my bike. This has happened on occassion and when it does I know its bad because the bike is normally the one thing I know I can rely on to get me through a funk. I generally ride more when shit is bugging me. Not riding means the shit is at a new level. Fight on.

Today's Pre-Ride Commentary
Not much to say today. Hittin' the trails with the Geez. Weather is fair, mood sucks but will get better with a little cycle-therapy. Sure to get my ass whooped on the trail but at least it will hurt and feel good eventually. It is crazy how I can hang with this guy on the road, but put us on single track and he is gone. Ridiculous.

Today's Ride Post-Mortem
Well as expected I had some serious hurt bestowed upon me today. There are a few realizations I made along the way. First, I am a roadie who has found Cyclocross to be a great way to maintain fitness in the winter months, and to supplement that with mountain biking. The Geez is a mountain biker who tends to road bike with me in the summer as I provide him with an adequate training partner. Why do I bring this up, well, the realization I made was that my technical skills may be a bit a lacking.

Second, when I mountain bike I tend to settle for filling my bottles with water. Today I realized that this may be a significant tactical error. Given the limited opportunity you have to drink when plowing down the trail, it would seem to make more sense to load those bottles up with some serious energy concoction. Drinking less, so make sure you take in more.

Third, where above I complain how I have been lacking ideas for content and was bitching about negative crap going on, while blazing through this beautiful trail in this Michigan forest in October, leaves bright yellow, red orange etc, I had a thousand thoughts and content considerations. "Why do I submit myself to this pain and torture?", "when will this be over?", the other 998 ideas have slipped my mind.

Not true, it was pretty incredible. Some of the stretches of the trail were almost surreal. Unfortunately I made the very poor choice to leave my phone(camera) in the car so I have no visual representation of what I am talking about. I may go back tomorrow so I can share some of the sights. It was inspiring. I am feeling a little better now. And since returning home a few positive events are starting to occur.

Can we draw the assumption that a couple hours in the woods gettin' my ass whooped has reversed karma? I think so. Happy Trails!

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This Week in History

2009-10-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

The post for the weekend is a sampling of some of the great moments that occurred around this time in history
.

The London Beer Flood - October 16, 1814
Meux Brewery Co Ltd was a London Brewery owned by Sir Henry Meux. Established in 1764 the company was a major supplier of Porter in the area. The company owned several breweries in and around London, one of which was The Horseshoe Brewery.

The horseshoe became part of the Meux identity and was incorporated into the company logo.

An Ale Label

The Horseshoe Brewery featured a giant porter vat measuring 22 feet high and containing 3555 barrels of porter. In October 1814 the giant vat burst open when the securing hoops of the vat failed. An estimate 610,000 liters of beer spilled from the vat causing a domino affect knocking over other vats whose contents were also spilled. The result was more than 1,470,000 liters of beer cascading from the brewery.

The contents rushed out of the vat into the streets and surrounding buildings. At the time the brewery was surrounded by small housing owned by the poorer classes of London; some of the buildings could not withstand the force of the flowing beer and collapsed. Eight people are known to have died either from falling debris, drowning, poisoning by the porter fumes, or from inebriation.

Most notable was the death of the bar maid at the Tavistock Arms Pub, next door to the brewery. She was buried beneath the rubble and perished in a sticky mess of porter.

Thomas Edison - Optical Phongraph Patent - 1888

Edison was one of the great American inventors, responsible for inventions such as the motion picture camera, the light bulb, the phonograph and the Optical Phonograph. The optical phonograph is of course the movie camera. Edison filed a patent for the Optical Phonograph on this day in 1888. I certainly hope he is able to use YouTube wherever he may be these days. He had imagination but I am thinking he could never possibly have conceived of where this invention has taken mankind.

Guillatine
And finally October 16 1793 heads roll. Marie Antoinette was executed for treason at the height of the French Revolution.

What is up with Twitter?
Hard to believe that Twitter has been down all morning. Must be another denial of service attack.

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