Shaving, whether it be facial hair or leg hair, is not one of my favorite things to do.
If I am shaving my legs it means that I am feeling particularly good regarding my cycling abilities--or that I don't feel too much like a poseur. But not shaving my legs does not mean the opposite--that I am not confident in my current cycling prowess. It may just mean that I don't care about the leg hair or that it is too cold and rainy to care.
But with regard to facial hair, the amount of facial hair I have can definitely let one have some insight into my current disposition or what has been going on in my life.
Clean shaven face: I have either recently had a job interview or an important family event. I figure that being clean shaven makes me appear especially lawyerly when combined with the handmade custom tailored suit my Dad had made for me as a graduation gift from law school. Actually, I look damn good in that particular suit. There are sometimes circumstances for which I will remove all facial hair off when there is some event that we are going to--such as for an evening out at some uber-expensive restaurant or something else where it would be best for me to wear something more than a t-shirt and jeans. I do this to make my wife happy and to look like I actually might in some way deserve to be near my wife when she is dressed to the nines. It is a stretch, but I figure I should do what I can to mitigate the damage.
Goatee: I don't have any life altering functions near at hand and I am in a comfortable space at home and work. A goatee for me is the norm. If I am rocking one it means that 9 times out of 10 everything is fine, no major blips in my life. I like the way it looks on my face, it hides some pudge and elongates my face. My facial hair is thickest around this area and I like the look even if it is outdated, current, or fashion forward. Basically, I don't care if you like it, I do. Oh, and I always combine the goatee with a moustache. They go hand in hand on my face, never one without the other.
Full beard. Untrimmed. Watch out. I have occasionally tried to trim a beard so that there is an even line under my chin going from ear to ear, but usually this is not the case, and I haven't done that in years. I figure if I am going to grow a beard I am going all the way, otherwise I will just to a goatee. A full untrimmed beard usually starts because I am distracted by other things and just don't care to trim any facial hair. During law school a beard always seemed to start growing about the time I would be getting my outlines together and then would grow until finals ended about a month or more later. For some reason I felt more dedicated and singleminded with the beard. With the beard I was making a statement to myself and to others that went something like this: "Beware, if I don't give a crap about how I look, what makes you think I just won't slap you up side the head for interrupting my studying for the hell that is Securities Regulation." My grasp of going through a routine in preparation for finals improved during the second half of law school, but still I rocked the beard. It gave me an edge. I liked it. Even if it was freaking ugly. And it was ugly, very ugly.
A full beard may also mean that I am feeling like I just don't give a crap, or that I am feeling sorry for myself, down on my luck, or whatever you want to call it. I am currently in one such phase right now. I admit it, and don't like it. And yes, I am rocking the beard right now. I have thought that maybe all I need to do to change my mental disposition is to shave off the beard. I will look clean cut and so maybe the change in my external appearance will affect the inner outlook. Maybe.
But a full beard may also mean that it is cyclocross time. For some reason I feel like growing the full beard for cross is acceptable, even admirable. What could be cooler than frothy saliva/mucus/spittle hanging on to an unkempt beard during a cyclocross race? Not much really in my book. People just sort of stay out of the way of that guy. And if that guy is me, so much the better. So while I would like to experiment with shaving off the beard to see if a more clean cut appearance leads to a happier me, I would like to have it for the edge it gives me mentally out on the cyclocross course. Shaved legs and beard, yeah makes perfect sense to me for cross. So maybe I will wait on shaving, that is unless anyone wants to interview me for a job at a firm around town. I would shave whatever for a good gig right now...hmmm, maybe not whatever, but definitely my face.
Bottom line is, if I am sporting an untrimmed face full of hair and I am looking more ugly than usual, don't push your luck. I am focused or distracted on something or another, and whatever it is has me cranky.
P.S. and if for some reason I seemingly say simply "Beard" around you, it means that you are taking way too long doing whatever you are doing, as in I am growing a beard while I am waiting. Speed up, man, or get out of the way. I picked that up about 15 years ago, and I still say it occasionally. No one ever know what the heck I am talking about though, yet I persist.
Showing posts with label Randomness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Randomness. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Tour de France
I still have not watched one single second of this year's Tour. I have checked the results on most days, but I haven't been following it with any sort of zeal.
Basically, I don't really care.
My cycling enjoyment pretty much comes from me riding and from interaction with friends while riding or talking about bikes. Watching it on the tube--not so much.
It is not that I have an anti Tour stance or anything. I just don't really care to sit down and watch it. But this is coming from a guy that used to watch football every Saturday and Sunday that I could. Now I watch many 4 games a year. I just don't watch TV much anymore. I used to sit glued to the set a couple of years ago when it was tour time, not anymore.
I would rather mess around with the family, read news of various sorts on the computer, read books, or actually ride than watch other ride on TV. I watch maybe 2 to 3 hours of TV per week. 90 to 120 minutes of that is cartoons with the boys.
You all just let me know what happens OK? I will catch the clips on youtube or something.
Am I the only one? The guys at the shop seem to be back to watching it, even if they said they weren't. So is Fish. Maybe it is just me.
Basically, I don't really care.
My cycling enjoyment pretty much comes from me riding and from interaction with friends while riding or talking about bikes. Watching it on the tube--not so much.
It is not that I have an anti Tour stance or anything. I just don't really care to sit down and watch it. But this is coming from a guy that used to watch football every Saturday and Sunday that I could. Now I watch many 4 games a year. I just don't watch TV much anymore. I used to sit glued to the set a couple of years ago when it was tour time, not anymore.
I would rather mess around with the family, read news of various sorts on the computer, read books, or actually ride than watch other ride on TV. I watch maybe 2 to 3 hours of TV per week. 90 to 120 minutes of that is cartoons with the boys.
You all just let me know what happens OK? I will catch the clips on youtube or something.
Am I the only one? The guys at the shop seem to be back to watching it, even if they said they weren't. So is Fish. Maybe it is just me.
Monday, July 7, 2008
You'd think I have enough bikes to cover a simple road ride
But, I really don't. I don't have a good bike for long road rides currently.
Facts:
Fuji Aloha CF2 is set up as a time trial bike. With the aerobars set up it is not friendly to regular road rides in traffic. I am too lazy to swap the bar back to a regular road shifter/drop bar set up because I anticipate doing at least one more tri this summer.
Lapierre XLite is really a cyclocross racing machine. It currently has a side gig as my commuter and sub 2 hour road machine. The problem lies in its lack of any water bottle mounts whatsoever. Afterall, you don't need or want a water bottle during a cyclecross race. Its lack of water bottle mounts show that its rider is indeed a cyclocross junkie. It also makes it difficult to go on rides for much longer than 2 hours (less if it is a hot day) because the only water that I carry has to be in one water bottle that I stick in the back of my jersey. I can fit a 24 ouncer back there. I have gone on longer rides with the Lapierre, but it requires a route that has 7-11 or something similar along the route at an opportune time. This is not always possible when going with others.
Curtlo Singlespeed 29er. Well duh, one speed, fat tires, and again no water bottle mounts (I use a camelbak when mountain biking).
Curtlo S3 Cyclocross bike. Hmmm. Facially this seems like a bad match. It is built up as a 1x9 and the front ring is only a 39 tooth. Not big enough to maintain speed on the flats or on a slight descent. But the bike does have two water bottle mounts, because I forgot to tell Doug not to put them on. Maybe that is lucky for me. The rear cassette is currently a 12-25, or I also have a 12-27 and wait for it....an 11-34. Yes. Anyone thinking what I am thinking yet? Gear junkies out there, it is time to perk up.
Most standard sized cranksets with a 130 BCD (Shimano/Sram) or 135 BCD (Campy) come with a 39 tooth and a 53 tooth set of chainrings. On many bikes the cassette mated with this combo is either an 11/23 or 12/25. In fact that is the very set up that I have on my Fuji. Back when the Fuji was set up with road bars I rode this set up everywhere and did just fine for the most part. The lowest gear, 39 tooth front mated with the 25 tooth in the back gives a 41.0 gear inch measurement. The top end, the 53 mated with the 12 cog in the back comes to 116.1 gear inches.
Now, then here is my thought; swap the 39 tooth ring out for the 53 tooth. The bike would still be a 1x9. But the front ring would be the 53 tooth and I would run not the 12/25 or 12/27 cassette (I wish I could push this all the time going up and on to Skyline, but that aint gonna happen) but instead plop on the 11/34. Yeah. Check out the gear inches range now: Low end is the exact same 41.0 and the high is now 126.6. So my 9 gears in gear inches would be; 41.0, 46.4, 53.6 60.6, 69.6, 81.9, 92.9, 107.1 and 126.6. Or to convert that to what those of you running a standard BCD would be like having the following gear selection (approximately): 39/25, 39/22, 39/19, 53/23, 39/15, 53/17, 53/15, 53/13, and 53/11. Really this is not too bad. Sort of large steps in between at times but not too bad I don't think.
Guess what I am doing tomorrow, Daddy is getting his new road bike ready, the Curtlo S3 Cyclo-Road! I can't wait. I will probably try to mount the 53 tooth on the inside of the crankarm to get a better chainline. I need to find some spacers to put on the outside of the arm. Right now I have a chainguard on the outside, but I suspect that it will look a little goofy since it was only made to guard a 42 tooth ring at the most. But that should be small stuff. The crankarms are old style Campy Record--carbon arms with the square taper bottom bracket. The Campy style 135 BCD makes it hard to find rings in anything but 39 and 53.
Anyway, off to bed. I am excited to try this out and I am finally feeling well enough to do so.
Facts:
Fuji Aloha CF2 is set up as a time trial bike. With the aerobars set up it is not friendly to regular road rides in traffic. I am too lazy to swap the bar back to a regular road shifter/drop bar set up because I anticipate doing at least one more tri this summer.
Lapierre XLite is really a cyclocross racing machine. It currently has a side gig as my commuter and sub 2 hour road machine. The problem lies in its lack of any water bottle mounts whatsoever. Afterall, you don't need or want a water bottle during a cyclecross race. Its lack of water bottle mounts show that its rider is indeed a cyclocross junkie. It also makes it difficult to go on rides for much longer than 2 hours (less if it is a hot day) because the only water that I carry has to be in one water bottle that I stick in the back of my jersey. I can fit a 24 ouncer back there. I have gone on longer rides with the Lapierre, but it requires a route that has 7-11 or something similar along the route at an opportune time. This is not always possible when going with others.
Curtlo Singlespeed 29er. Well duh, one speed, fat tires, and again no water bottle mounts (I use a camelbak when mountain biking).
Curtlo S3 Cyclocross bike. Hmmm. Facially this seems like a bad match. It is built up as a 1x9 and the front ring is only a 39 tooth. Not big enough to maintain speed on the flats or on a slight descent. But the bike does have two water bottle mounts, because I forgot to tell Doug not to put them on. Maybe that is lucky for me. The rear cassette is currently a 12-25, or I also have a 12-27 and wait for it....an 11-34. Yes. Anyone thinking what I am thinking yet? Gear junkies out there, it is time to perk up.
Most standard sized cranksets with a 130 BCD (Shimano/Sram) or 135 BCD (Campy) come with a 39 tooth and a 53 tooth set of chainrings. On many bikes the cassette mated with this combo is either an 11/23 or 12/25. In fact that is the very set up that I have on my Fuji. Back when the Fuji was set up with road bars I rode this set up everywhere and did just fine for the most part. The lowest gear, 39 tooth front mated with the 25 tooth in the back gives a 41.0 gear inch measurement. The top end, the 53 mated with the 12 cog in the back comes to 116.1 gear inches.
Now, then here is my thought; swap the 39 tooth ring out for the 53 tooth. The bike would still be a 1x9. But the front ring would be the 53 tooth and I would run not the 12/25 or 12/27 cassette (I wish I could push this all the time going up and on to Skyline, but that aint gonna happen) but instead plop on the 11/34. Yeah. Check out the gear inches range now: Low end is the exact same 41.0 and the high is now 126.6. So my 9 gears in gear inches would be; 41.0, 46.4, 53.6 60.6, 69.6, 81.9, 92.9, 107.1 and 126.6. Or to convert that to what those of you running a standard BCD would be like having the following gear selection (approximately): 39/25, 39/22, 39/19, 53/23, 39/15, 53/17, 53/15, 53/13, and 53/11. Really this is not too bad. Sort of large steps in between at times but not too bad I don't think.
Guess what I am doing tomorrow, Daddy is getting his new road bike ready, the Curtlo S3 Cyclo-Road! I can't wait. I will probably try to mount the 53 tooth on the inside of the crankarm to get a better chainline. I need to find some spacers to put on the outside of the arm. Right now I have a chainguard on the outside, but I suspect that it will look a little goofy since it was only made to guard a 42 tooth ring at the most. But that should be small stuff. The crankarms are old style Campy Record--carbon arms with the square taper bottom bracket. The Campy style 135 BCD makes it hard to find rings in anything but 39 and 53.
Anyway, off to bed. I am excited to try this out and I am finally feeling well enough to do so.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
blabber
I have been sick pretty much the entire week. No rides, runs, swims, or anything much. But I was able to somehow lose a 1/4 pound this week despite the lack of exercise and the lack of an especially good diet plan. I am grateful for this at least. The lungs full of goop--not so much.
I am not too into this years Tour de France. I just don't especially care right now. It is not a anti-doper thing, or an anti-French thing. It is more of an I just don't care for some reason thing. Can't explain, it just is.
Today I worked at the shop. All I did was build bikes in the back. I enjoyed it. The most expensive bike was one that we sell for about $800, most were around $300 to $400. And it was fun to sit on the rolling stool and just focus on making these bikes work well. I had a few interruptions with phone calls and miscellaneous things, but for the most part it was a non-customer day, which is a great thing. I have come to feel the anonymous customer that I am not familiar with is one with which I would rather not be bothered. For some reason if you got in before I soured on working retail recently--which was as of about a month or so ago--I am still happy to talk to you. Weird, but true. Someone came in for a tune up on a bike that I sold to her about 4 or 5 months ago and for some reason I stopped what I was doing to do it right there on the spot. I found that I was surprised at myself even. About halfway through, I realized that I wasn't even bitter about being interrupted. I was happy at that fact.
I also worked on DTP's Fisher 293. This is a very nice bike. Or rather it was. Everything had been upgraded to XTR (by me before I sold it to him a couple or three years ago) and it has a nice pair of wheels on it that makes it probably one of the lighter full suspension 29er out there. But what use is a nice bike when it is horribly maintained? Not much, as evidenced on our last ride. The cables and housing are in horrible shape. The shift housing's inner wires have worked their way past the housing caps in every instance which has caused the shifting to hardly work at all. The last ride we went on he only had two or three gears. The bike still has a handmade crappy foam watch mount for a Suunto GPS watch that he hasn't had for probably 2 years. The bike looks like hammered. Oh well, I don't have to ride it. And, even though I did start working on it near close I didn't finish it because there was more to do than he said. He thought I was only going to have to replace one piece of housing. He asked that I try to save the cables...freaking cheapskate. That ain't going to happen. Oh well, at least when it gets done he will have one less excuse for why he can't ride up a hill faster than some old guy can walk it.
Anyway, I am hoping that next week is a return to normality. Also, I hope that next week will be the end of my time in purgatory with the law firm downtown. It has been around a month since I interviewed and still no word, despite a couple of calls on my part for a status check. I know that hiring process at a firm can be lengthy, but when patience is not one of my virtue, it is taxing on me. And on my wife for that matter. She says it is even worse for her since she has absolutely no control and she is just the passenger here in this search. She can try to keep me positive, and she puts on a good front, but inside she is ready for this ordeal to end, and to end in a positive manner. She craves normality, a husband who has a normal job, and the funds to start doing normal things again. Being pregnant does not help matter either.
Well, back to bed.
I am not too into this years Tour de France. I just don't especially care right now. It is not a anti-doper thing, or an anti-French thing. It is more of an I just don't care for some reason thing. Can't explain, it just is.
Today I worked at the shop. All I did was build bikes in the back. I enjoyed it. The most expensive bike was one that we sell for about $800, most were around $300 to $400. And it was fun to sit on the rolling stool and just focus on making these bikes work well. I had a few interruptions with phone calls and miscellaneous things, but for the most part it was a non-customer day, which is a great thing. I have come to feel the anonymous customer that I am not familiar with is one with which I would rather not be bothered. For some reason if you got in before I soured on working retail recently--which was as of about a month or so ago--I am still happy to talk to you. Weird, but true. Someone came in for a tune up on a bike that I sold to her about 4 or 5 months ago and for some reason I stopped what I was doing to do it right there on the spot. I found that I was surprised at myself even. About halfway through, I realized that I wasn't even bitter about being interrupted. I was happy at that fact.
I also worked on DTP's Fisher 293. This is a very nice bike. Or rather it was. Everything had been upgraded to XTR (by me before I sold it to him a couple or three years ago) and it has a nice pair of wheels on it that makes it probably one of the lighter full suspension 29er out there. But what use is a nice bike when it is horribly maintained? Not much, as evidenced on our last ride. The cables and housing are in horrible shape. The shift housing's inner wires have worked their way past the housing caps in every instance which has caused the shifting to hardly work at all. The last ride we went on he only had two or three gears. The bike still has a handmade crappy foam watch mount for a Suunto GPS watch that he hasn't had for probably 2 years. The bike looks like hammered. Oh well, I don't have to ride it. And, even though I did start working on it near close I didn't finish it because there was more to do than he said. He thought I was only going to have to replace one piece of housing. He asked that I try to save the cables...freaking cheapskate. That ain't going to happen. Oh well, at least when it gets done he will have one less excuse for why he can't ride up a hill faster than some old guy can walk it.
Anyway, I am hoping that next week is a return to normality. Also, I hope that next week will be the end of my time in purgatory with the law firm downtown. It has been around a month since I interviewed and still no word, despite a couple of calls on my part for a status check. I know that hiring process at a firm can be lengthy, but when patience is not one of my virtue, it is taxing on me. And on my wife for that matter. She says it is even worse for her since she has absolutely no control and she is just the passenger here in this search. She can try to keep me positive, and she puts on a good front, but inside she is ready for this ordeal to end, and to end in a positive manner. She craves normality, a husband who has a normal job, and the funds to start doing normal things again. Being pregnant does not help matter either.
Well, back to bed.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Why Do Consumers Buy Bad Bikes?
Hybrids suck. No I write not the car of the future which has singlehandedly allowed many conspicuous consumers to feel good about themselves and superior to non-hybrid drivers while simultaneously ridding themselves of the guilt caused by fossil fuel burning, but of the do-it-all-but-do-none-of-it-well-bicycle (yeah, that was a run-on sentence, but so what--its a blog).
People often come in the shop and want a bike that can be ridden on fireroads or light trails; such as those that exist in Forest Park, near Portland. They also want to be able to use the same bike to commute to work. They want it to be quick on the road. They want it to be comfortable and not chafe their nether regions when riding in jeans, cut-off shorts, cargo shorts, sweatpants or any other garment that was not designed to be worn when sitting on the saddles that are typically on bikes. But they don't want to spend more than $300 dollars.
Yeah, this is where I mentally sigh and try to prepare myself to throw up a bit in my mouth when I have to sell something that I would never recommend to any of my friends and family. I have sold a couple of these bikes over the past two shifts at the shop and it irks me everytime.
I feel like I am selling a pile o' crap. Please notice that this bike comes with a suspension seatpost, a suspension fork and disc brakes! Wow! And the retail is just over $400 bucks. We sell it for around $350. Wow! With the suspension seatpost and the fork it is like getting a full suspension bike. Sweet! How could anyone go wrong?!?!
I could bag and bag on this bike. For instance, it is almost impossible to get the brakes properly adjusted. They constantly drag on the rotor on most of them. Also the fork barely works and has more slop in it than Old McDonald's pig pen. Basically, picking on this bike is sort of like picking on my friend DTP--it is really easy but not quite as fun.
I know that I am a bike snob, but I am not recommending that people spend thousands on a bike. With any budget, people should try and maximize those things that they really need. Do people really need disc brakes? No, not on a bike such as a hybrid/commuter/do-it-all bike. Do people really need a suspension seatpost? probably not. Do they really need a sloppy suspension fork for riding in their neighborhood or to the store? No. So maximize the stuff you do need--drivetrain parts, frame, wheels, etc. Stick to the basics!
Here is my favorite cheap bike and yes, the shop I work at sells them. Sorry to be a shill--believe me I have no desire to shill for Performance anymore than I have to.
The Fuji Saratoga is a great simple bike. This bike knocks off the Electra's bikes, but Fuji does it really well and for cheap. It looks like a cruiser, but it would be a good commuter or around the neighborhood bike, or whatever. Retail is just over $300, but it sells for less.
This bike is very comfortable bike. The forward pedalling position allows those who are not too sure of themselves on a bike to shed there fear of falling. The position of the bottom bracket allows one to have the proper seat post extension while allowing the rider to easily put both feet on the ground while on the saddle. Simply put, try this bike--you'll appreciate it even if you don't fall in love with it. And it doesn't have the crappy extra stuff that will cause issues further down the road.
Please, please stop your friends from buying crap bikes. Don't buy them at departments stores. Don't buy the bike the has the most bells and whistles for the lowest price. Get the simple bike done well. The above Fuji is just one example, there are others out there. The bike that is good quality parts and doesn't try to be everything to everybody. Take the advice of a humble grunt at a bike shop who sees what these bikes are like a couple of years down the road. Unless the bike is just one of those that just sits in the garage for 363 days a year, in which case by the one that looks coolest collecting dust.
People often come in the shop and want a bike that can be ridden on fireroads or light trails; such as those that exist in Forest Park, near Portland. They also want to be able to use the same bike to commute to work. They want it to be quick on the road. They want it to be comfortable and not chafe their nether regions when riding in jeans, cut-off shorts, cargo shorts, sweatpants or any other garment that was not designed to be worn when sitting on the saddles that are typically on bikes. But they don't want to spend more than $300 dollars.
Yeah, this is where I mentally sigh and try to prepare myself to throw up a bit in my mouth when I have to sell something that I would never recommend to any of my friends and family. I have sold a couple of these bikes over the past two shifts at the shop and it irks me everytime.
I feel like I am selling a pile o' crap. Please notice that this bike comes with a suspension seatpost, a suspension fork and disc brakes! Wow! And the retail is just over $400 bucks. We sell it for around $350. Wow! With the suspension seatpost and the fork it is like getting a full suspension bike. Sweet! How could anyone go wrong?!?!
I could bag and bag on this bike. For instance, it is almost impossible to get the brakes properly adjusted. They constantly drag on the rotor on most of them. Also the fork barely works and has more slop in it than Old McDonald's pig pen. Basically, picking on this bike is sort of like picking on my friend DTP--it is really easy but not quite as fun.
I know that I am a bike snob, but I am not recommending that people spend thousands on a bike. With any budget, people should try and maximize those things that they really need. Do people really need disc brakes? No, not on a bike such as a hybrid/commuter/do-it-all bike. Do people really need a suspension seatpost? probably not. Do they really need a sloppy suspension fork for riding in their neighborhood or to the store? No. So maximize the stuff you do need--drivetrain parts, frame, wheels, etc. Stick to the basics!
Here is my favorite cheap bike and yes, the shop I work at sells them. Sorry to be a shill--believe me I have no desire to shill for Performance anymore than I have to.
The Fuji Saratoga is a great simple bike. This bike knocks off the Electra's bikes, but Fuji does it really well and for cheap. It looks like a cruiser, but it would be a good commuter or around the neighborhood bike, or whatever. Retail is just over $300, but it sells for less.
This bike is very comfortable bike. The forward pedalling position allows those who are not too sure of themselves on a bike to shed there fear of falling. The position of the bottom bracket allows one to have the proper seat post extension while allowing the rider to easily put both feet on the ground while on the saddle. Simply put, try this bike--you'll appreciate it even if you don't fall in love with it. And it doesn't have the crappy extra stuff that will cause issues further down the road.
Please, please stop your friends from buying crap bikes. Don't buy them at departments stores. Don't buy the bike the has the most bells and whistles for the lowest price. Get the simple bike done well. The above Fuji is just one example, there are others out there. The bike that is good quality parts and doesn't try to be everything to everybody. Take the advice of a humble grunt at a bike shop who sees what these bikes are like a couple of years down the road. Unless the bike is just one of those that just sits in the garage for 363 days a year, in which case by the one that looks coolest collecting dust.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Sarcasm is the Lowest Form of Humor
I don't know who wrote or said that, but I can see why sarcasm bugs some people. That being said, I have found that I have been using it more lately, it bugs me a little. At work I seem to be more sarcastic than I normally am by a large margin. Maybe it is time to get a new job. Well, actually it is long past time--we need more money than what I can make as a shop monkey. I mean I like the shop, but I can tell I spend too much time there and that my heart is less in it than it should be. I still try and give just about everyone my best effort but there are little things that make me kind of make me realize that my attitude is changing for the worse.
Tonight was an example. A nice fellow came up to me and asked "How do I tell what size stem I need without my bike here?" He wasn't sure if his handlebar was oversized or not nor did he know what size steerer tube he had. It seems silly to have come in with no idea about what his bike had on it, but nevertheless, rather than ask a question about how old the bike was, the make and model, I just spouted off this totally lame remark, "Tarot Cards." Yeah, kind of immature and stupid. I did in a totally deadpan manner and he just stared at me for a second before I said I started asking the sort of questions I should have been asking without the sarcastic comment. I did try to go the extra mile with him from there because I felt a little ashamed that I would say something like that--it wasn't really even funny. Well maybe a little, but not much. I figured it out and he bought a stem and a bunch of other stuff that I tempted him with.
This sort of sarcastic/lame remark seems to happen about once per shift. Sometimes to employees and increasingly to customers. Sometimes it sort of surprises me. Usually the comment is the result of something odd or silly that the customer brings up.
Yesterday a totally whacky guy comes in needing advice. He finished an olympic distance triathlon last Sunday with a road bike that cost him less than $200 bucks, and it was even new when he bought it. Yeah, the bike is horrible, I actually can't believe they sell this crap at any department store even. He is proud that he has spent so little money on it. However, he wants some tools, Slime tubes, a seat pack, and some other stuff and is about ready to drop $130. Good for him, seriously. I respect him despite his whackiness, because the guy knows it is crap, but wants to ride it anyway and figures he will lose some more weight before buying something newer/better. Then as we head to the check out stand something odd happens. The guy is nearing 50 years old by the look of it, he is white and fairly clean-cut and wearing average joe type cloths. Other than the fact that he talks in a somewhat effiminate way he seems like an average guy for that age. But then he wants to fist bump with me like Howie Mandel on "Deal or No Deal" because he is "stoked" about the service I gave him. Yeah, he raised his fist in my direction wanting me to connect my fist with his fist. Yeah, I should have given him a fist somewhere and not where he wanted it either. But I was so taken off guard that I just went ahead and bumped fists with him. It made me uncomfortable. I am a guy that does not like physical contact with others that I don't know. Close talkers make me nervous, so actually skin to skin contact is a no-no. Shaking hands is fine, but for some reason a fist bump was too random to do with a stranger. It bugged.
As I am ringing him up, I ask him if he is a Team Performance member. "No" he says, but he "hopes that we consider him a part of the family, even though he is not on the 'Team'." I said "Sure, consider yourself the family bastard--we are glad to help you, just keep it to yourself." Yeah, I said that. Do you know what he did? He laughed loud enough that it startled the mechanics in the back. He thought it was great. This statement may seem like a risk when reading it here, but for some reason I knew he would roll with it. It was also my way of getting back at him for making me fist bump with him a couple of minutes earlier. Still a month or two ago I would not have said that statement. Maybe I am just feeling too comfortable with the job, but more likely I am bored.
I talked to the guy I interviewed with at a firm downtown this morning. A very nice phone call where I simply was pumping him for info on when I would hear back from them regarding possible employment. Next week the partners of the firm will meet and discuss this employment possibility. Please, please let me get this job before I go crazy working retail.
Tonight was an example. A nice fellow came up to me and asked "How do I tell what size stem I need without my bike here?" He wasn't sure if his handlebar was oversized or not nor did he know what size steerer tube he had. It seems silly to have come in with no idea about what his bike had on it, but nevertheless, rather than ask a question about how old the bike was, the make and model, I just spouted off this totally lame remark, "Tarot Cards." Yeah, kind of immature and stupid. I did in a totally deadpan manner and he just stared at me for a second before I said I started asking the sort of questions I should have been asking without the sarcastic comment. I did try to go the extra mile with him from there because I felt a little ashamed that I would say something like that--it wasn't really even funny. Well maybe a little, but not much. I figured it out and he bought a stem and a bunch of other stuff that I tempted him with.
This sort of sarcastic/lame remark seems to happen about once per shift. Sometimes to employees and increasingly to customers. Sometimes it sort of surprises me. Usually the comment is the result of something odd or silly that the customer brings up.
Yesterday a totally whacky guy comes in needing advice. He finished an olympic distance triathlon last Sunday with a road bike that cost him less than $200 bucks, and it was even new when he bought it. Yeah, the bike is horrible, I actually can't believe they sell this crap at any department store even. He is proud that he has spent so little money on it. However, he wants some tools, Slime tubes, a seat pack, and some other stuff and is about ready to drop $130. Good for him, seriously. I respect him despite his whackiness, because the guy knows it is crap, but wants to ride it anyway and figures he will lose some more weight before buying something newer/better. Then as we head to the check out stand something odd happens. The guy is nearing 50 years old by the look of it, he is white and fairly clean-cut and wearing average joe type cloths. Other than the fact that he talks in a somewhat effiminate way he seems like an average guy for that age. But then he wants to fist bump with me like Howie Mandel on "Deal or No Deal" because he is "stoked" about the service I gave him. Yeah, he raised his fist in my direction wanting me to connect my fist with his fist. Yeah, I should have given him a fist somewhere and not where he wanted it either. But I was so taken off guard that I just went ahead and bumped fists with him. It made me uncomfortable. I am a guy that does not like physical contact with others that I don't know. Close talkers make me nervous, so actually skin to skin contact is a no-no. Shaking hands is fine, but for some reason a fist bump was too random to do with a stranger. It bugged.
As I am ringing him up, I ask him if he is a Team Performance member. "No" he says, but he "hopes that we consider him a part of the family, even though he is not on the 'Team'." I said "Sure, consider yourself the family bastard--we are glad to help you, just keep it to yourself." Yeah, I said that. Do you know what he did? He laughed loud enough that it startled the mechanics in the back. He thought it was great. This statement may seem like a risk when reading it here, but for some reason I knew he would roll with it. It was also my way of getting back at him for making me fist bump with him a couple of minutes earlier. Still a month or two ago I would not have said that statement. Maybe I am just feeling too comfortable with the job, but more likely I am bored.
I talked to the guy I interviewed with at a firm downtown this morning. A very nice phone call where I simply was pumping him for info on when I would hear back from them regarding possible employment. Next week the partners of the firm will meet and discuss this employment possibility. Please, please let me get this job before I go crazy working retail.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
"Pawn of the Mountain" Jersey
In honor of those of us who are slow up any incline can someone please make this jersey. Basically a Tour de France King of the Mountain jersey with a black line going diagonally through the normal dot pattern. Sorry for the poor quality, but you get the point.
Yeah, this is a jersey I could feel good wearing. It would warn those around me that once I start heading up Cornell Road to Skyline that I will be dropping down to the small ring (at least it the small ring on a double and not a triple). It might protect me from being rearended by more fit riders that can just dance up the climbs in the West Hills area. Yeah, I would buy this jersey, so someone please make it. I only want a small cut of the profit--just enough to buy an extra Western Bacon Cheese Burger after a ride.
Thanks.
Yeah, this is a jersey I could feel good wearing. It would warn those around me that once I start heading up Cornell Road to Skyline that I will be dropping down to the small ring (at least it the small ring on a double and not a triple). It might protect me from being rearended by more fit riders that can just dance up the climbs in the West Hills area. Yeah, I would buy this jersey, so someone please make it. I only want a small cut of the profit--just enough to buy an extra Western Bacon Cheese Burger after a ride.
Thanks.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Regarding the Previous Post
I neglected to write what prompted the thoughts about my Vikingman time in the previous post. Just days prior I was really mainly worried about finishing. Then I talked to Mr. Jerk Triathlete last Saturday.
I was at the shop and this yahoo, who looks like he is in his late 40's and is in pretty good shape, comes in and asks about changing his gearing so that he can climb better. I ask what gearing he currently has and he shrugs his shoulders and says, "It is a Cannondale System Six." He had no idea, but he thought that the mention of the bike would automatically clue me in to what his exact set up was. No, that info doesn't help, and he just dropped a notch in my eyes. I don't memorize bike specs and also each model comes with different parts spec's so who knows what he has, I sure didn't. But underlying that was this notion that because he has a Cannondale System Six, he had the best out there, because of the way he said it. Anyway, I got past that and gave him some options in case his bike was spec'd with a standard crankset with a 130 BCD or a compact crankset with a 110 BCD. If you don't know the difference, don't worry about it as it is not important in the story. And I also explained the differences in cassettes and why he couldn't use a mountain cassette on his road bike unless he also went with a mountain rear derailleur. Whatever, like I said, it doesn't really matter in this story except that the guy is not a cycling expert, definitely not a PRO sort of guy at all, at least not in the realm of cycling.
But apparently he knows all about triathlons. He purposely let it slip that he was going to do a full Ironman and that it was his second one. He has also done about a dozen half-ironman distance tri's. I told him that my first half ironman distance was going to be this Saturday. He got all excited suddenly. He started asking if I knew about tactics, hydration, nutrition, salt tablets, etc. Then I made the mistake of telling him that I was mainly worried about the swim. I told him about the training I had been doing for the swim and he said I would be fine, but gave me 5 minutes worth of advice anyway. Then he asked about the bike, and I said I wasn't worried about that. Then he said, "What about the run? You look kinda chunky for the run."
.
.
.
.
.
Huh?
What did you just say?
I am sorry, but I don't even know your name and you are already busting on me for being overweight?
Yeah, but he was oblivious to the diss. To him it was just a fact and not a diss. I am fat and I should therefore be worried about the run. Then he just kept going on and on about tri's and his strategies. He then went on to state that sprint and olympic distance tri's were NOT real tri's at all. They were too easy and didn't really push a person.
I asked him what his times were for the Ironman he did and the half ironman events he had done previously. He said he usually finished around 5:45 for the half and he said 13:30 for the full ironman. This just sort of slipped by me until later when I was relating this story to Fish. When I told Fish the story and then related the guy's times he just started laughing. He stated that the guy was slow for a real "triathlete" or pretty average overall. Fish then explained that it was guys like this that give him reason to only say that he does triathlons, instead of saying that he is a triathlete. "Triathletes", he says, tend to be pompous idiots like this guy. That is when I started to wonder if I could beat any of these "triathletes."
Don't know if I can, but that guy lit a fire under my butt. And thus yesterday's post.
To clarify the obvious, I don't have a triathlete's build. I am 6'1" and about 200 lbs. I don't look fat, but I need to lose 20 lbs to get to where I would like to be. But at the same time, I obviously am not dedicated enough to lose it fast because I am not losing very much weight lately, if at all (working at Performance has reawakened my love of fatty hamburgers and french fries with 3 burger place within a 1/4 mile of the shop)
However, if you want to see chubby, look below. This was about 5 years ago soon after the birth of Number One Son. I was almost 40 lbs heavier than I am now
This is a pic from a couple of months ago. I haven't gained or lost much since this pic. Behind me is my younger brother and Number One Son and Number Two Son are also pictured.
Frankly, compared to 5 years ago, I look stellar. It has been a fairly gradual weight loss too, which I feel pretty good about. I would like to get near 180, but for now, I am feeling pretty good. I want to lose more weight and I would definitely feel better if I did. But regardless, the Jerk Triathlete can get bent.
I was at the shop and this yahoo, who looks like he is in his late 40's and is in pretty good shape, comes in and asks about changing his gearing so that he can climb better. I ask what gearing he currently has and he shrugs his shoulders and says, "It is a Cannondale System Six." He had no idea, but he thought that the mention of the bike would automatically clue me in to what his exact set up was. No, that info doesn't help, and he just dropped a notch in my eyes. I don't memorize bike specs and also each model comes with different parts spec's so who knows what he has, I sure didn't. But underlying that was this notion that because he has a Cannondale System Six, he had the best out there, because of the way he said it. Anyway, I got past that and gave him some options in case his bike was spec'd with a standard crankset with a 130 BCD or a compact crankset with a 110 BCD. If you don't know the difference, don't worry about it as it is not important in the story. And I also explained the differences in cassettes and why he couldn't use a mountain cassette on his road bike unless he also went with a mountain rear derailleur. Whatever, like I said, it doesn't really matter in this story except that the guy is not a cycling expert, definitely not a PRO sort of guy at all, at least not in the realm of cycling.
But apparently he knows all about triathlons. He purposely let it slip that he was going to do a full Ironman and that it was his second one. He has also done about a dozen half-ironman distance tri's. I told him that my first half ironman distance was going to be this Saturday. He got all excited suddenly. He started asking if I knew about tactics, hydration, nutrition, salt tablets, etc. Then I made the mistake of telling him that I was mainly worried about the swim. I told him about the training I had been doing for the swim and he said I would be fine, but gave me 5 minutes worth of advice anyway. Then he asked about the bike, and I said I wasn't worried about that. Then he said, "What about the run? You look kinda chunky for the run."
.
.
.
.
.
Huh?
What did you just say?
I am sorry, but I don't even know your name and you are already busting on me for being overweight?
Yeah, but he was oblivious to the diss. To him it was just a fact and not a diss. I am fat and I should therefore be worried about the run. Then he just kept going on and on about tri's and his strategies. He then went on to state that sprint and olympic distance tri's were NOT real tri's at all. They were too easy and didn't really push a person.
I asked him what his times were for the Ironman he did and the half ironman events he had done previously. He said he usually finished around 5:45 for the half and he said 13:30 for the full ironman. This just sort of slipped by me until later when I was relating this story to Fish. When I told Fish the story and then related the guy's times he just started laughing. He stated that the guy was slow for a real "triathlete" or pretty average overall. Fish then explained that it was guys like this that give him reason to only say that he does triathlons, instead of saying that he is a triathlete. "Triathletes", he says, tend to be pompous idiots like this guy. That is when I started to wonder if I could beat any of these "triathletes."
Don't know if I can, but that guy lit a fire under my butt. And thus yesterday's post.
To clarify the obvious, I don't have a triathlete's build. I am 6'1" and about 200 lbs. I don't look fat, but I need to lose 20 lbs to get to where I would like to be. But at the same time, I obviously am not dedicated enough to lose it fast because I am not losing very much weight lately, if at all (working at Performance has reawakened my love of fatty hamburgers and french fries with 3 burger place within a 1/4 mile of the shop)
However, if you want to see chubby, look below. This was about 5 years ago soon after the birth of Number One Son. I was almost 40 lbs heavier than I am now
This is a pic from a couple of months ago. I haven't gained or lost much since this pic. Behind me is my younger brother and Number One Son and Number Two Son are also pictured.
Frankly, compared to 5 years ago, I look stellar. It has been a fairly gradual weight loss too, which I feel pretty good about. I would like to get near 180, but for now, I am feeling pretty good. I want to lose more weight and I would definitely feel better if I did. But regardless, the Jerk Triathlete can get bent.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Bike Toss
Mr. Millar, if you don't want your bike, can I have it? I will even pay for the new chain, since you broke the old one.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Dudes
For some reason I use the word "dude" quite a bit. I think it comes as a result of growing up in Southern California during the 80's. My oldest son, who is 5, has picked this up and uses often as well. In honor of our frequent usage of this word I am going to focus on some "dudes" that amused or annoyed me from this past week.
Bad-Luck-Dude
We all have some streaks of bad luck but how about this in one day for my buddy Fish: Break a chain while riding. Go to shop and buy new chain. Notice that carbon aerobars had a little crack perhaps from overtightening. Ride anyway. Cross railroad at 25 mph and aerobar fails and the $300 dollar Garmin falls to the ground and shatters as a result. Bummer man. That is enough to pack it in for the day. At least you were OK. Better now than at the Vikingman. Despite all of that you still rode 60+ miles, nice work.
Snooty-Lawyer-Dude
Today at church we were having a discussion. Everything was fine and dandy except about halfway this guy decides to drop into the adversarial mode for some reason. He just moved into the area from London and he works at the snootiest law firm in town. Admittedly I have sort of a bias against him for a couple of reasons, he has a job at any law firm and he sometimes breaks out a hint of an English accent. He only lived there for a short time, there is no need to have acquired any accent. I don't know why this accent bit bugs me but it does. It is like he is showing off that he is cool or something. Anyway, I don't mind the adversarial mode at all, but church is not law school and while playing the Devil's Advocate is cool, it should not be used to show your supposed uber-intellectual-ness. And please, to everyone that wanted to argue with him, when it is time to go let's just go and let it be. I am hungry and just want to go home and get some food by the time church is over . At this point I don't care who is wrong or right. I stopped caring (and I was one of the ones engaged in the debate) at about 1:55 PM and church is over at 2PM. Lets wrap it up so I can feed the beast within.
Ferrari-Dude
You really need to stop trying to see how quickly you can go in your Ferrari from 0 to 30 mph in the 24Hour Fitness/Performance Bike parking lot. How many times do you have to do this? I keep waiting for you to plow into some pedestrian/bike rider. You are an idiot. I don't know how you got your money, but seriously are you this immature that you must continually show off whenever you come to workout? Does your music have to be 120 db while doing these repetitious loser parking lot drag races? Geesh. I know that the fitness club can be a place to pick up chicks, but you are ridiculous.
Butt-Sweat-Dude
There is a guy at work who seems to only sweat from his butt crack. He went to lunch via his bike and when he arrived back at the shop he was only sweaty on his back side. Not even his T-shirt was damp, but his shorts had sweat mark the shape of an hourglass. Gross. And Hilarious! We were all utterly amazed. He said that it had been always been that way, mostly just sweating out his back side. Nevertheless, I am glad he doesn't sit on my furniture. It was a great laugh and we all enjoy having him around despite the butt sweat.
ESPN Commentator-cum-Cyclist-Dude
Tonight was fun. A lawyer-friend I know from church, Stuart, has a brother that does color commentator stuff for ESPN's college football coverage. He is in town to buy a boat which he will be driving back to his place in Utah. Stuart has gotten into road biking and for some reason he thinks of me as an expert, which is sort of fun. I can spout out my biases and someone actually pays attention for once. It is nice that Stuart bugs me about cycling questions so I don't feel too bad about bugging him for job info regarding my attempts to get on with a Portland law firm.
Stuart rode over to our place and had his brother, Mr. ESPN, in tow. Mr. ESPN was pretty funny. He had bought a Trek 5500 used from some older guy in Utah. It is in good shape, but it is really too big for him. At the very least he needs a shorter stem and perhaps a non-offset seatpost. The dude is way stretched out, it is to the point where is arms are close to being locked while he is on the hoods. He also has no idea how to shift. He doesn't seem to quite get the trim feature of the left shifter. Yet, when I or Stuart get on it everything is fine. He also revealed that his junk falls asleep after less than an hour of riding. That always makes for humorous conversations especially when the brothers start making fun of each other. Anyway, Mr. ESPN-cum-Cyclist-Dude is a cycling neophyte, but he knows it and revels in it, if that is possible. And he has a great since of humor about this. I like talking bikes to anyone, but it was fun to talk to these guys about biking and other related topics. For a TV guy, he was really down to earth. Fun stuff, it made an otherwise boring evening pretty enjoyable.
Bad-Luck-Dude
We all have some streaks of bad luck but how about this in one day for my buddy Fish: Break a chain while riding. Go to shop and buy new chain. Notice that carbon aerobars had a little crack perhaps from overtightening. Ride anyway. Cross railroad at 25 mph and aerobar fails and the $300 dollar Garmin falls to the ground and shatters as a result. Bummer man. That is enough to pack it in for the day. At least you were OK. Better now than at the Vikingman. Despite all of that you still rode 60+ miles, nice work.
Snooty-Lawyer-Dude
Today at church we were having a discussion. Everything was fine and dandy except about halfway this guy decides to drop into the adversarial mode for some reason. He just moved into the area from London and he works at the snootiest law firm in town. Admittedly I have sort of a bias against him for a couple of reasons, he has a job at any law firm and he sometimes breaks out a hint of an English accent. He only lived there for a short time, there is no need to have acquired any accent. I don't know why this accent bit bugs me but it does. It is like he is showing off that he is cool or something. Anyway, I don't mind the adversarial mode at all, but church is not law school and while playing the Devil's Advocate is cool, it should not be used to show your supposed uber-intellectual-ness. And please, to everyone that wanted to argue with him, when it is time to go let's just go and let it be. I am hungry and just want to go home and get some food by the time church is over . At this point I don't care who is wrong or right. I stopped caring (and I was one of the ones engaged in the debate) at about 1:55 PM and church is over at 2PM. Lets wrap it up so I can feed the beast within.
Ferrari-Dude
You really need to stop trying to see how quickly you can go in your Ferrari from 0 to 30 mph in the 24Hour Fitness/Performance Bike parking lot. How many times do you have to do this? I keep waiting for you to plow into some pedestrian/bike rider. You are an idiot. I don't know how you got your money, but seriously are you this immature that you must continually show off whenever you come to workout? Does your music have to be 120 db while doing these repetitious loser parking lot drag races? Geesh. I know that the fitness club can be a place to pick up chicks, but you are ridiculous.
Butt-Sweat-Dude
There is a guy at work who seems to only sweat from his butt crack. He went to lunch via his bike and when he arrived back at the shop he was only sweaty on his back side. Not even his T-shirt was damp, but his shorts had sweat mark the shape of an hourglass. Gross. And Hilarious! We were all utterly amazed. He said that it had been always been that way, mostly just sweating out his back side. Nevertheless, I am glad he doesn't sit on my furniture. It was a great laugh and we all enjoy having him around despite the butt sweat.
ESPN Commentator-cum-Cyclist-Dude
Tonight was fun. A lawyer-friend I know from church, Stuart, has a brother that does color commentator stuff for ESPN's college football coverage. He is in town to buy a boat which he will be driving back to his place in Utah. Stuart has gotten into road biking and for some reason he thinks of me as an expert, which is sort of fun. I can spout out my biases and someone actually pays attention for once. It is nice that Stuart bugs me about cycling questions so I don't feel too bad about bugging him for job info regarding my attempts to get on with a Portland law firm.
Stuart rode over to our place and had his brother, Mr. ESPN, in tow. Mr. ESPN was pretty funny. He had bought a Trek 5500 used from some older guy in Utah. It is in good shape, but it is really too big for him. At the very least he needs a shorter stem and perhaps a non-offset seatpost. The dude is way stretched out, it is to the point where is arms are close to being locked while he is on the hoods. He also has no idea how to shift. He doesn't seem to quite get the trim feature of the left shifter. Yet, when I or Stuart get on it everything is fine. He also revealed that his junk falls asleep after less than an hour of riding. That always makes for humorous conversations especially when the brothers start making fun of each other. Anyway, Mr. ESPN-cum-Cyclist-Dude is a cycling neophyte, but he knows it and revels in it, if that is possible. And he has a great since of humor about this. I like talking bikes to anyone, but it was fun to talk to these guys about biking and other related topics. For a TV guy, he was really down to earth. Fun stuff, it made an otherwise boring evening pretty enjoyable.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Shaving the Legs
I struggle a bit with this.
Smooth legs are PRO, but is it warranted all the time? And particularly, is it at all warranted by me?
So far this year I have shaved the legs once, about 6 weeks ago. I think I decided to do so in order to put me in a better mental mindset for training. You sometimes if you don't feel like are the part, by faking it you actually come to a point when the faking it transitions to a time when you are what you were faking is real--that probably makes little sense, but hey this is a blog and the standards are low for publication.
Anyhow, I shaved the legs and they were lily-white a while back. They are still sort of white, but they are definitely darker on the tops of my knees and the backs of my calves from riding. Sunlight seems to be spotty lately so getting a tan has been difficult. I have not reshaved my legs because for some reason I started feeling like a poser. I don't know why, but I thought that shaving my legs when I still have a bit of a gut is silly. A gut is not PRO so why try to maintain an image of PRO-ness when I am not really feeling it nor do I feel I look the part. I mean I have been riding and running more miles than ever in my life but I don't really feel PRO. I feel...ho hum.
What is PRO? Belgium Knee Warmers blog is all about PRO and HERE is what they say about PRO. There definition of PRO is more inclusive than what mine has been. Maybe I am at least "pro" if not "PRO." Maybe it is time to get the razor out again. Maybe.
Should I do it when I start competing in road races? Never done a road race before. Should I do for the Vikingman? Should I do it after I complete my first century? Should I do it so that everyone thinks I am a PRO sort of guy? meh.
I think I will do it so that my increasingly defined legs look sexy. Yeah. Nothing better than shaved legs with long baggy shorts and black wool ankle socks and checkered vans. Is it PRO? I don't know. Am I PRO or even "pro"? Am I a goof-ball cyclist? You bet. Maybe that is enough.
Smooth legs are PRO, but is it warranted all the time? And particularly, is it at all warranted by me?
So far this year I have shaved the legs once, about 6 weeks ago. I think I decided to do so in order to put me in a better mental mindset for training. You sometimes if you don't feel like are the part, by faking it you actually come to a point when the faking it transitions to a time when you are what you were faking is real--that probably makes little sense, but hey this is a blog and the standards are low for publication.
Anyhow, I shaved the legs and they were lily-white a while back. They are still sort of white, but they are definitely darker on the tops of my knees and the backs of my calves from riding. Sunlight seems to be spotty lately so getting a tan has been difficult. I have not reshaved my legs because for some reason I started feeling like a poser. I don't know why, but I thought that shaving my legs when I still have a bit of a gut is silly. A gut is not PRO so why try to maintain an image of PRO-ness when I am not really feeling it nor do I feel I look the part. I mean I have been riding and running more miles than ever in my life but I don't really feel PRO. I feel...ho hum.
What is PRO? Belgium Knee Warmers blog is all about PRO and HERE is what they say about PRO. There definition of PRO is more inclusive than what mine has been. Maybe I am at least "pro" if not "PRO." Maybe it is time to get the razor out again. Maybe.
Should I do it when I start competing in road races? Never done a road race before. Should I do for the Vikingman? Should I do it after I complete my first century? Should I do it so that everyone thinks I am a PRO sort of guy? meh.
I think I will do it so that my increasingly defined legs look sexy. Yeah. Nothing better than shaved legs with long baggy shorts and black wool ankle socks and checkered vans. Is it PRO? I don't know. Am I PRO or even "pro"? Am I a goof-ball cyclist? You bet. Maybe that is enough.
Monday, May 19, 2008
I Bought a Fat Cyclist Jersey
Go Here NOW to buy your 2008 Fat Cyclist Jersey. I picked up a pink one, but they also have some sweet orange ones. Seriously, buy one now. They profit from them goes to help Fatty's wife and her battle with cancer.
I also want this jersey from Twin Six. Go HERE
Category 6...yeah that sounds perfect for me. Seriously, I need one of those.
I also want this jersey from Twin Six. Go HERE
Category 6...yeah that sounds perfect for me. Seriously, I need one of those.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Riding buddies
Sorry for this long rambling and disorganized post. But what else are blogs for but to lower the standard of what is publishable and the english language as a whole.
I have long realized that I am a solitary sort of fellow. Big parties aren't my thing unless I know most of the people there. I don't mind going to movies by myself, although I never do so anymore since I have a spouse. I ride a bunch by myself. I run by myself. I actually do occasionally ride with DTP, which this year means that I am riding by myself even if he started with me (Sorry, man sometimes kicking the dead horse can be fun).
Despite my comfort with solitude, I really like being around friends and family. I just usually find that my life doesn't work with riding with others around here lately. Sunday is church day for me and the family, so I don't get out unless it is cross season. I get about 6 or 7 Sundays a year where I can pull the cycling card out and I won't push my luck with the wife to miss church just to go on a group ride or to some road or mtb race. Cross rocks too much to lose any good will built up during the year on these other activities.
I also feel self-conscious about sucking or being an idiot. I have never ridden on a group road ride of more than 3 or 4 people. Usually it is just two of us. I wouldn't know what to do in a large group. If there is anything that will keep me out of an activity it is when I don't know what I am doing in front of strangers. Occasionally, with friends I don't mind acting like an idiot for some reason. Last year's Rick James Super Freak Karaoke solo at a party with some good friends out here is a good example of that. Sorry, it is legendary and those lucky enough to have been there know this to be true. Well there was also a Bee Gee's lip sync last year that I led that sort of rocked too. Anyway, such things rarely ever happen with me. I am way too anxious to do such things normally. And since I don't drink, I have a hard time breaking down my walls to act out my inner idiot freely in front of strangers.
Anyway, back to the subject of cycling.
I really wish I had some more good buddies to ride with here in Oregon. In Utah, Fish was my gateway to a great bunch of guys. Before Fish, there was Rob Pyne and Craig Nebeker who were not only fun to hang with but great to ride with. And with all these people, my wife got along them and their spouses equally well too, bonus. Here, I ride with DTP. And once I went on a ride with guys from the Beaverton Performance at Brown's Camp. I get along with everyone great that I meet at the shop, but the bond is not really deep. But I don't hang with any of them after hours. I miss that sort of stuff. The people I do hang with don't bike. This sucks.
I still cling to Fish a bit in Utah, because I think I get what makes him tick and I think he gets me too. Riding is important and so are friends that you can share experiences with. Riding an epic ride is great when there are people who were right there with you sharing the same hell. Reading his blog brought to a head some of what I have been thinking about for months. This year more than any other has been devoid of this comraderie. Which is probably one reason why this blog exists, it is an attempt to share some of my love for the sport. I miss sharing experiences with friends regarding cycling. My wife is pregnant, DTP has gone off the wagon, and others who I could ride with that I know have totally different schedules than I. Plus this whole half ironman triathlon traing thing means I have to be somewhat rigid in my training/riding compared to what I prefer. I can ride long on Friday and that is about it. Mornings are usually good too, at least until 11AM because I have to get ready to work Tuesday - Thursday and then Saturday. Monday, I watch our kids and I have already written about my Sunday issues.
I mean I have time to ride, I just get to go alone becuase most of the guys I know have real jobs and work during the day. This is usually OK--riding alone. But reading blogs like Fish's and some others make me realize I am missing out on the fraternity of cycling.
I need to find a group to train with occasionally. A group that won't require a huge amount of time becuase of family, church and job responsibilities, but with whom I can feel I have a common bond with. That last part takes time to develop.
In law school there were a group of guys that rode together, a couple are on the Gentle Lovers team. I never rode with them because I felt slow, some what like a poser, and fat. Also, I often felt like with my family, I was being selfish if I did much more than ride to school. My kids and wife hardly saw me during long stretches of time. It was hard on them, so why make it harder by being selfish? Hanging with those guys seemed like the wrong thing to do, too much like playing while my family suffered. Summers have been golden for riding except for this last one when I was studying for the Oregon Bar Exam.
This is not the case now--feeling guilty about riding. I see my family lots and I just need to find time to ride with others that have a weird schedule too. This is why DTP was good to ride with. He has his own company and he can get away pretty much anytime he is motivated to do so. But his refusal to suck it up and do the Vikingman means that we are not on the same page anymore. At least not until after June 7th when I can devote more time to mtb and Brown's Camp. I still like riding with him because his constant bitching is sort of entertaining for some reason. Not sure why this is so, but there it is.
I have some prospects for riding partners. My friend Marcus is buying a singlespeed 29er this week and if he can get his asthma under control it won't be long until he is passing me up. That would be cool. There are a few guys at my shop and at one of the other Performance shops that I would like to ride with again. I get along well with another nice fellow, Mr. Spears, and since I helped him get his latest cross machine, I think he might slum it with me sometime on a ride. I don't mind riding with faster people as long as they don't mind riding with someone a bit slower than they are. I don't mind suffering.
The key is that I need to put myself out there. It is sort of like dating or something. Trying to find people to ride with that I can relate to and wouldn't mind doing things with other than cycling. Yeah, that would be cool. I would love return to the days when friends come over and we have some thick meats grillin' in the backyard as we joke about some ride or another. Yep, good times await, I just gotta integrate.
I have long realized that I am a solitary sort of fellow. Big parties aren't my thing unless I know most of the people there. I don't mind going to movies by myself, although I never do so anymore since I have a spouse. I ride a bunch by myself. I run by myself. I actually do occasionally ride with DTP, which this year means that I am riding by myself even if he started with me (Sorry, man sometimes kicking the dead horse can be fun).
Despite my comfort with solitude, I really like being around friends and family. I just usually find that my life doesn't work with riding with others around here lately. Sunday is church day for me and the family, so I don't get out unless it is cross season. I get about 6 or 7 Sundays a year where I can pull the cycling card out and I won't push my luck with the wife to miss church just to go on a group ride or to some road or mtb race. Cross rocks too much to lose any good will built up during the year on these other activities.
I also feel self-conscious about sucking or being an idiot. I have never ridden on a group road ride of more than 3 or 4 people. Usually it is just two of us. I wouldn't know what to do in a large group. If there is anything that will keep me out of an activity it is when I don't know what I am doing in front of strangers. Occasionally, with friends I don't mind acting like an idiot for some reason. Last year's Rick James Super Freak Karaoke solo at a party with some good friends out here is a good example of that. Sorry, it is legendary and those lucky enough to have been there know this to be true. Well there was also a Bee Gee's lip sync last year that I led that sort of rocked too. Anyway, such things rarely ever happen with me. I am way too anxious to do such things normally. And since I don't drink, I have a hard time breaking down my walls to act out my inner idiot freely in front of strangers.
Anyway, back to the subject of cycling.
I really wish I had some more good buddies to ride with here in Oregon. In Utah, Fish was my gateway to a great bunch of guys. Before Fish, there was Rob Pyne and Craig Nebeker who were not only fun to hang with but great to ride with. And with all these people, my wife got along them and their spouses equally well too, bonus. Here, I ride with DTP. And once I went on a ride with guys from the Beaverton Performance at Brown's Camp. I get along with everyone great that I meet at the shop, but the bond is not really deep. But I don't hang with any of them after hours. I miss that sort of stuff. The people I do hang with don't bike. This sucks.
I still cling to Fish a bit in Utah, because I think I get what makes him tick and I think he gets me too. Riding is important and so are friends that you can share experiences with. Riding an epic ride is great when there are people who were right there with you sharing the same hell. Reading his blog brought to a head some of what I have been thinking about for months. This year more than any other has been devoid of this comraderie. Which is probably one reason why this blog exists, it is an attempt to share some of my love for the sport. I miss sharing experiences with friends regarding cycling. My wife is pregnant, DTP has gone off the wagon, and others who I could ride with that I know have totally different schedules than I. Plus this whole half ironman triathlon traing thing means I have to be somewhat rigid in my training/riding compared to what I prefer. I can ride long on Friday and that is about it. Mornings are usually good too, at least until 11AM because I have to get ready to work Tuesday - Thursday and then Saturday. Monday, I watch our kids and I have already written about my Sunday issues.
I mean I have time to ride, I just get to go alone becuase most of the guys I know have real jobs and work during the day. This is usually OK--riding alone. But reading blogs like Fish's and some others make me realize I am missing out on the fraternity of cycling.
I need to find a group to train with occasionally. A group that won't require a huge amount of time becuase of family, church and job responsibilities, but with whom I can feel I have a common bond with. That last part takes time to develop.
In law school there were a group of guys that rode together, a couple are on the Gentle Lovers team. I never rode with them because I felt slow, some what like a poser, and fat. Also, I often felt like with my family, I was being selfish if I did much more than ride to school. My kids and wife hardly saw me during long stretches of time. It was hard on them, so why make it harder by being selfish? Hanging with those guys seemed like the wrong thing to do, too much like playing while my family suffered. Summers have been golden for riding except for this last one when I was studying for the Oregon Bar Exam.
This is not the case now--feeling guilty about riding. I see my family lots and I just need to find time to ride with others that have a weird schedule too. This is why DTP was good to ride with. He has his own company and he can get away pretty much anytime he is motivated to do so. But his refusal to suck it up and do the Vikingman means that we are not on the same page anymore. At least not until after June 7th when I can devote more time to mtb and Brown's Camp. I still like riding with him because his constant bitching is sort of entertaining for some reason. Not sure why this is so, but there it is.
I have some prospects for riding partners. My friend Marcus is buying a singlespeed 29er this week and if he can get his asthma under control it won't be long until he is passing me up. That would be cool. There are a few guys at my shop and at one of the other Performance shops that I would like to ride with again. I get along well with another nice fellow, Mr. Spears, and since I helped him get his latest cross machine, I think he might slum it with me sometime on a ride. I don't mind riding with faster people as long as they don't mind riding with someone a bit slower than they are. I don't mind suffering.
The key is that I need to put myself out there. It is sort of like dating or something. Trying to find people to ride with that I can relate to and wouldn't mind doing things with other than cycling. Yeah, that would be cool. I would love return to the days when friends come over and we have some thick meats grillin' in the backyard as we joke about some ride or another. Yep, good times await, I just gotta integrate.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
I Have Hit the Big Time
I am on the blog roll at K-Man's blog. Whoo-hoo! Someone that is not an immediate family relation has linked to RCMT! Amazing! Maybe I should quit now, I no longer have any goals for this blog. It has been noticed, so I'm out. GOODNIGHT NOW!
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OK, OK, OK,...I will keep it going for all the little people out there. It is a difficult burden to carry, but somehow I will find a way to go on...
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OK, OK, OK,...I will keep it going for all the little people out there. It is a difficult burden to carry, but somehow I will find a way to go on...
Monday, April 28, 2008
RAWROD
Yes, I like misery, but I prefer it involve some rubber, metal, dirt and other people along side me to share the joy.
I am announcing that I am politicking for an invite to next year's RAWROD; a private event down around Moab, Utah. 100 miles in the desert around White Rim. In one day. Thus, Ride Around White Rim in One Day--RAWROD. I have heard about this for the past 3 years and I am sick of it. I want in. What do I have to do here--grease some palms for an invite or what? Unlike in politics, here it would not be any sort of ethical violation--so if that is what I gotta do, well OK then.
I am announcing that I am politicking for an invite to next year's RAWROD; a private event down around Moab, Utah. 100 miles in the desert around White Rim. In one day. Thus, Ride Around White Rim in One Day--RAWROD. I have heard about this for the past 3 years and I am sick of it. I want in. What do I have to do here--grease some palms for an invite or what? Unlike in politics, here it would not be any sort of ethical violation--so if that is what I gotta do, well OK then.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Music
Thanks to Fish's wife Cindy and her blog, I am putting some music on this blog. Why? I dunno, why not?
The songs are all currently on my iPod. Enjoy.
The songs are all currently on my iPod. Enjoy.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Off Topic: Linking etiquette
So there are some blogs that I like generally, even though I don't know the people writing them personally. I don't necessarily like everything on them, nor do I read them religiously. But I hesitate to link to them out of making my loyal readers think there is a some sort of total endorsement of the blog, or that I know the person that writes the blog. Not a big deal, but so far I have only linked to blogs of people that I know well and my family (who I sometimes wonder if I know at all).
On the otherhand, there is a friend from law school that has a blog. It is often funny and sometimes crude. I hesitate to link becuase frankly, I don't want to link to anything that I would be afraid to put on my own blog. And about 20% of it would be too foul for me to put here so it stays off. I have thought about posting a link with a content warning on it, but that seems cheesy.
But then, why bother putting up links to these other blogs anyway. Well, the main reason is it is a convenient platform for me personally to jump to the blogs that I like. So what if the rest of you don't like them, I do. Am I cooler for having a huge list of blogs on my own blog? Does it imply that I have lots of friends with cool things to say? Meh.
I admit I like having my blog link to, although it has only happened, well, never for this one. Our family's blog, which I am pretty much the sole author, has been linked by my family and a couple of friends. This blog is the black sheep I guess. However, I admit that I like writing this one more, becuase I can sort of say what I want about a subject that I often obsess over. I let this one be a bit more PG or PG-13 than the family blog which I try to keep G-rated.
I am not sure how many people read this blog. I know my wife does occassionally, and probably some of my siblings, Fish and Brian seem to be regulars as well. I think that is about it. So I guess the fact that I don't have any links is fine. I have an occasional comment from folks that must come upon it after a Google search for something that I have written about. I was glad that someone found my review about the Fuji Aloha CF2 and swapping it over from tri to road (here and here) and also to those I don't know that have written comments of support a couple of times. I like that sort of thing. Anyway, I welcome comments always as well as links to my little corner of the internet. I don't care if you know me or not.
On the otherhand, there is a friend from law school that has a blog. It is often funny and sometimes crude. I hesitate to link becuase frankly, I don't want to link to anything that I would be afraid to put on my own blog. And about 20% of it would be too foul for me to put here so it stays off. I have thought about posting a link with a content warning on it, but that seems cheesy.
But then, why bother putting up links to these other blogs anyway. Well, the main reason is it is a convenient platform for me personally to jump to the blogs that I like. So what if the rest of you don't like them, I do. Am I cooler for having a huge list of blogs on my own blog? Does it imply that I have lots of friends with cool things to say? Meh.
I admit I like having my blog link to, although it has only happened, well, never for this one. Our family's blog, which I am pretty much the sole author, has been linked by my family and a couple of friends. This blog is the black sheep I guess. However, I admit that I like writing this one more, becuase I can sort of say what I want about a subject that I often obsess over. I let this one be a bit more PG or PG-13 than the family blog which I try to keep G-rated.
I am not sure how many people read this blog. I know my wife does occassionally, and probably some of my siblings, Fish and Brian seem to be regulars as well. I think that is about it. So I guess the fact that I don't have any links is fine. I have an occasional comment from folks that must come upon it after a Google search for something that I have written about. I was glad that someone found my review about the Fuji Aloha CF2 and swapping it over from tri to road (here and here) and also to those I don't know that have written comments of support a couple of times. I like that sort of thing. Anyway, I welcome comments always as well as links to my little corner of the internet. I don't care if you know me or not.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Health Update and Triple Triangles
I am getting better. I still cough quite a bit, but it is a drier cough. I am getting more energy, however at work I wasn't feeling too peppy. I just sort of tried to stay out of the way. I did sell a nice full carbon Fuji though, so I wasn't useless.
I ran a bit. I didn't want to over do it though. I start coughing when my heart rate gets in the 150's. Also, my heart rate elevated more easily when I was running up the hills. So if my heart rate got to 160 I just shut it down and walked until it went back down. My purpose was just to get out of the house and do something productive. I will go out again tomorrow for a similar time--maybe a bit longer.
Friday the weather is supposed to turn nice finally so I am going on a longer ride. I plan on going out to Hagg Lake and doing some laps there. The goal is a nice 40 mile ride. DTP is coming and so he will be the one that keeps me from going too fast and pushing it too much. I will still be recovering from this illness then I am sure, but I gotta get some time on the saddle.
The shop is going to start carrying Kestrel. I am not sure what to think of them. Fuji is now doing the manufacturing which means that they should be more dependable. But, I think they are sort of ugly. But the EP deal would be good. The fuji fits ok, but not perfect. It rides really nice though and I have almost fixed the fit issue. But if I replaced the Fuji, I would only do so with another carbon bike. I am sold on have a carbon bike for road. The ride is so nice. Not as good as steel maybe, but then the carbon is lighter and the tube shapes are better for aerodynamics during tri's.
GT Zaskar
Also, will someone please let GT know that the Triple Triangle is stupid, useless, outdated, outmoded, and out of style. It is at this point form over function. A fellow bought a carbon GT Zaskar today from us. Very nice except for the extra material in it used to make that little triangle at the seattube/seatstay/top tube juction. It is just stupid. It is as if they think no one will buy a GT without it. Hell, I won't buy one because of it at this point. Especially on a flipping carbon frame. The designers of a carbon frame have so many options on tube shapes and frame design shapes that they are somewhat freed from the conventional wisdom of frame design. Here they are doing the triple triangle when it makes absolutely no functional sense. It is purely a fashion statement or something used to make sure that people know it is a GT without even looking at the label, since GT is the only one inane enough to do it these days. The thing is, the bike was very smartly spec'd and will surely be a sweet ride. But I am hung up on this one aspect and it ruins it for me. That and the fact that it is a 26er instead of a 29er.
I mean, it certainly can't be for strength that they do it. The frame would be plenty strong with out it I am sure. And since it is a monocoque frame, there aren't the same benefits that come from have those longer seatstay tubes. I am not an engineer, but I just can't see any reason to continue this holdover from the 1980's. Will someone please convince me otherwise?
Another thing about the guy that bought it--he had no idea what he was getting. He just wanted a nice bike. He just put some silly flat pedals on the thing. He said that he didn't go for these "clipless pedals thingys", he couldn't see why they have caught on...yeah really he said that. He didn't know XTR from Deore. No wonder he bought a bike that still uses the stupid bike with the triple triangle.
Feedback from Sentamentality Post
Some folks were surprised and slightly sickened about the number of bikes I have had.
Yes, it is true I am the Shawn Kemp of bike owners, but in my case it has been a good thing. I mean just about all of those bikes were purchased at wholesale or EP pricing so I didn't lose much on them. And think of the joy those who bought my discarded bikes have had. They usually all got great deals and got a well cared for bike. It is like I have been performing a great service if you think about it. It is not as crazy as one might think.
I thought of a couple of more bikes that I left out, by the way.
1992 Schwinn High Plains
2004 Trek 4600 (commuter bike)
2007 Fisher Rig (how bad is it that I forgot a bike I had just last year)
I ran a bit. I didn't want to over do it though. I start coughing when my heart rate gets in the 150's. Also, my heart rate elevated more easily when I was running up the hills. So if my heart rate got to 160 I just shut it down and walked until it went back down. My purpose was just to get out of the house and do something productive. I will go out again tomorrow for a similar time--maybe a bit longer.
Friday the weather is supposed to turn nice finally so I am going on a longer ride. I plan on going out to Hagg Lake and doing some laps there. The goal is a nice 40 mile ride. DTP is coming and so he will be the one that keeps me from going too fast and pushing it too much. I will still be recovering from this illness then I am sure, but I gotta get some time on the saddle.
The shop is going to start carrying Kestrel. I am not sure what to think of them. Fuji is now doing the manufacturing which means that they should be more dependable. But, I think they are sort of ugly. But the EP deal would be good. The fuji fits ok, but not perfect. It rides really nice though and I have almost fixed the fit issue. But if I replaced the Fuji, I would only do so with another carbon bike. I am sold on have a carbon bike for road. The ride is so nice. Not as good as steel maybe, but then the carbon is lighter and the tube shapes are better for aerodynamics during tri's.
GT Zaskar
Also, will someone please let GT know that the Triple Triangle is stupid, useless, outdated, outmoded, and out of style. It is at this point form over function. A fellow bought a carbon GT Zaskar today from us. Very nice except for the extra material in it used to make that little triangle at the seattube/seatstay/top tube juction. It is just stupid. It is as if they think no one will buy a GT without it. Hell, I won't buy one because of it at this point. Especially on a flipping carbon frame. The designers of a carbon frame have so many options on tube shapes and frame design shapes that they are somewhat freed from the conventional wisdom of frame design. Here they are doing the triple triangle when it makes absolutely no functional sense. It is purely a fashion statement or something used to make sure that people know it is a GT without even looking at the label, since GT is the only one inane enough to do it these days. The thing is, the bike was very smartly spec'd and will surely be a sweet ride. But I am hung up on this one aspect and it ruins it for me. That and the fact that it is a 26er instead of a 29er.
I mean, it certainly can't be for strength that they do it. The frame would be plenty strong with out it I am sure. And since it is a monocoque frame, there aren't the same benefits that come from have those longer seatstay tubes. I am not an engineer, but I just can't see any reason to continue this holdover from the 1980's. Will someone please convince me otherwise?
Another thing about the guy that bought it--he had no idea what he was getting. He just wanted a nice bike. He just put some silly flat pedals on the thing. He said that he didn't go for these "clipless pedals thingys", he couldn't see why they have caught on...yeah really he said that. He didn't know XTR from Deore. No wonder he bought a bike that still uses the stupid bike with the triple triangle.
Feedback from Sentamentality Post
Some folks were surprised and slightly sickened about the number of bikes I have had.
Yes, it is true I am the Shawn Kemp of bike owners, but in my case it has been a good thing. I mean just about all of those bikes were purchased at wholesale or EP pricing so I didn't lose much on them. And think of the joy those who bought my discarded bikes have had. They usually all got great deals and got a well cared for bike. It is like I have been performing a great service if you think about it. It is not as crazy as one might think.
I thought of a couple of more bikes that I left out, by the way.
1992 Schwinn High Plains
2004 Trek 4600 (commuter bike)
2007 Fisher Rig (how bad is it that I forgot a bike I had just last year)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
By Request: Sentamentality
OK, here's a topic for the blog and general consideration. Sentimentality. How to part with a fine, beautiful, functional bike? Some have no issue. Others, like me, have a terrible time. Tonight the rag moves slowly downward and a step back is taken, "oh." More Simple Green is applied and the rag is busier. "Gracious. This is bike is really nice, why do I feel compelled to sell her?" My cold hearted friends feel no such remorse, but I know there are others out there who cling lovingly and tenderly attend to the steed that has delivered so much, yet asked so little.
-bs
I have friends that get very sentimental about their bikes. I guess, Brian who sent me the above email is in that bunch. I have largely escaped this condition. Only on rare occasions has it become an issue. I felt sad selling my First Curtlo road bike. It was my first nice road bike. And being steel it road so well. It was replaced by my Fuji Aloha CF2 which is sort of a do it all bike; I switch the bars out for either dropbars with regular road shifters or for a full aero set up with bar end shifters depending on the season and if there is a triathlon coming up. Still, I got over selling the Curtlo pretty easily. The Fuji holds no particular feelings for me. It is soulless. It does ride well though. It is sort of a mercenary bike I suppose, easily interchanged for the next good deal.
My first cyclocross bike was a 1999 Reparto Corse Bianchi that I picked up as a used frameset. It rode so nice, but it didn't fit quite perfectly and I wanted something that did. Plus, Doug at Curtlo was willing to build me a cross bike out of S3 tubes. That frameset holds more feelings for me. It will be going on its 3rd season this year and it is a killer bike. This year it will share cross duties with the Lapierre. The Lapierre will be the bike for nicer conditions, and the Curtlo will be there for rainy/muddy stuff. Not because it is less special, but because I trust it more. That means that the Lapierre will be the bike for the first couple of races and then it will be a pit bike after that most likely. I really like the set up of my Curtlo. It has soul. The Lapierre has some soul, but it the soul of a small Taiwanese man that likes to eat crepes. Weird.
I also have a Curtlo Singlespeed. This bike replaced a Dean Ti Colonel 29er. The Dean was a great bike, but it was built sloppily. Not enough tire clearance and seatstays didn't really meet up perfectly. And it suffered from chainsuck for some reason. Never had an issue with any other bike with that. Basically, I feel that Dean was jinxed, and it needed to go. I was sad to see it go even still. I tried to work it out and I bought a new crankset for it, and tried lots of tires, but in the end it went on ebay. It was a marriage doomed from the start. So sexy with its ti tubing and buttery ride, but it had this dark side. I could only take it for so long.
Back to the Curtlo. It rides like a dream. Not tons of time on it yet but enough to know that it won't be going anywhere. DTP got on it and didn't really like the feel. Probably because the bike didn't like DTP so it would perform for him like she does for me. Or maybe it is just that the bike is made for a guy my height and not for his. Nah, it just didn't like DTP.
Some people name their bikes. I only named one bike, the Bianchi. It doesn't come natural to me to name a bike. Fish names his bikes, at least the ones that become part of the family. And he has a large family--I think two road bikes, three cross bikes, one singlespeed 29er, one geared 29er, a TT bike, and then there may be others too. It is hard to remember them all, but there are certain ones that are unforgettable. I really don't know how to name a bike. I have a difficult time coming up with names for my kids, and bikes seem even harder to name for me. Maybe, I don't keep them long enough to develop a friendship with them. Nah, I keep them generally for a couple of years usually. That is long enough for a name to come up. I am a sentimental guy, I cry while watch movies like Field of Dreams and Terminator 2 (OK, not really that one), but I rarely get sentimental about my bikes. I sort of feel bad about it--until the replacement comes.
Anyway, these are the bikes I have owned during my adult life in chronological order. May those that are gone rest in peace.
1992 Haro Extreme (hit by a car)
Trek 950
Reflex Professional
Caloi aluminum mtb (can't remember frame model)
Santa Cruz Heckler (green coil shock)
Santa Crus Heckler (polished with air shock)
Ellsworth Truth
Titus Quasimodo
Bontrager Race Lite
Cannondale R400
CPC Euphoria XC (no longer in existance, it was a company that only made a few bikes)
Rocky Mountain Edge
Breezer steel road bike
Ellsworth Id
Fisher Sugar
K2 Razorback
Curtlo 29er 24hr
Trek 1200
Curtlo softtail
Cannondale 1FG
Niner One 9
Dean Ti Colonel 29er
Curtlo Road OX Platinum
Fuji Cross Pro
Bianchi Reparto Corse
Curtlo Cross S3
Cannondale Caad 9 (wife's bike, but I rode it nearly as often as she)
Fuji Aloha CF2
Curtlo Singlespeed 29er full rigid
Lapierre XLite Cross
I think I got them all, but it is possible I missed one or two.
When I look at that list I can see why none really made me sad to sell, well most of them. That Bontrager Race Lite was awfully hard to part with. They were all pretty cool but none had a timeless sort of cool except for my curtlos, which were made specifically for me and the Dean. Now, if I had a bunch of custom made steel and Ti bikes I could see that they would be more likely to remain with me because they are inherently more personal and costly.
To Brian who started me thinking about this subject, thanks for helping me waste the morning.
-bs
I have friends that get very sentimental about their bikes. I guess, Brian who sent me the above email is in that bunch. I have largely escaped this condition. Only on rare occasions has it become an issue. I felt sad selling my First Curtlo road bike. It was my first nice road bike. And being steel it road so well. It was replaced by my Fuji Aloha CF2 which is sort of a do it all bike; I switch the bars out for either dropbars with regular road shifters or for a full aero set up with bar end shifters depending on the season and if there is a triathlon coming up. Still, I got over selling the Curtlo pretty easily. The Fuji holds no particular feelings for me. It is soulless. It does ride well though. It is sort of a mercenary bike I suppose, easily interchanged for the next good deal.
My first cyclocross bike was a 1999 Reparto Corse Bianchi that I picked up as a used frameset. It rode so nice, but it didn't fit quite perfectly and I wanted something that did. Plus, Doug at Curtlo was willing to build me a cross bike out of S3 tubes. That frameset holds more feelings for me. It will be going on its 3rd season this year and it is a killer bike. This year it will share cross duties with the Lapierre. The Lapierre will be the bike for nicer conditions, and the Curtlo will be there for rainy/muddy stuff. Not because it is less special, but because I trust it more. That means that the Lapierre will be the bike for the first couple of races and then it will be a pit bike after that most likely. I really like the set up of my Curtlo. It has soul. The Lapierre has some soul, but it the soul of a small Taiwanese man that likes to eat crepes. Weird.
I also have a Curtlo Singlespeed. This bike replaced a Dean Ti Colonel 29er. The Dean was a great bike, but it was built sloppily. Not enough tire clearance and seatstays didn't really meet up perfectly. And it suffered from chainsuck for some reason. Never had an issue with any other bike with that. Basically, I feel that Dean was jinxed, and it needed to go. I was sad to see it go even still. I tried to work it out and I bought a new crankset for it, and tried lots of tires, but in the end it went on ebay. It was a marriage doomed from the start. So sexy with its ti tubing and buttery ride, but it had this dark side. I could only take it for so long.
Back to the Curtlo. It rides like a dream. Not tons of time on it yet but enough to know that it won't be going anywhere. DTP got on it and didn't really like the feel. Probably because the bike didn't like DTP so it would perform for him like she does for me. Or maybe it is just that the bike is made for a guy my height and not for his. Nah, it just didn't like DTP.
Some people name their bikes. I only named one bike, the Bianchi. It doesn't come natural to me to name a bike. Fish names his bikes, at least the ones that become part of the family. And he has a large family--I think two road bikes, three cross bikes, one singlespeed 29er, one geared 29er, a TT bike, and then there may be others too. It is hard to remember them all, but there are certain ones that are unforgettable. I really don't know how to name a bike. I have a difficult time coming up with names for my kids, and bikes seem even harder to name for me. Maybe, I don't keep them long enough to develop a friendship with them. Nah, I keep them generally for a couple of years usually. That is long enough for a name to come up. I am a sentimental guy, I cry while watch movies like Field of Dreams and Terminator 2 (OK, not really that one), but I rarely get sentimental about my bikes. I sort of feel bad about it--until the replacement comes.
Anyway, these are the bikes I have owned during my adult life in chronological order. May those that are gone rest in peace.
1992 Haro Extreme (hit by a car)
Trek 950
Reflex Professional
Caloi aluminum mtb (can't remember frame model)
Santa Cruz Heckler (green coil shock)
Santa Crus Heckler (polished with air shock)
Ellsworth Truth
Titus Quasimodo
Bontrager Race Lite
Cannondale R400
CPC Euphoria XC (no longer in existance, it was a company that only made a few bikes)
Rocky Mountain Edge
Breezer steel road bike
Ellsworth Id
Fisher Sugar
K2 Razorback
Curtlo 29er 24hr
Trek 1200
Curtlo softtail
Cannondale 1FG
Niner One 9
Dean Ti Colonel 29er
Curtlo Road OX Platinum
Fuji Cross Pro
Bianchi Reparto Corse
Curtlo Cross S3
Cannondale Caad 9 (wife's bike, but I rode it nearly as often as she)
Fuji Aloha CF2
Curtlo Singlespeed 29er full rigid
Lapierre XLite Cross
I think I got them all, but it is possible I missed one or two.
When I look at that list I can see why none really made me sad to sell, well most of them. That Bontrager Race Lite was awfully hard to part with. They were all pretty cool but none had a timeless sort of cool except for my curtlos, which were made specifically for me and the Dean. Now, if I had a bunch of custom made steel and Ti bikes I could see that they would be more likely to remain with me because they are inherently more personal and costly.
To Brian who started me thinking about this subject, thanks for helping me waste the morning.
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