There and back again: a Token joke for a Bike blog

Crazy talk

2011-04-03T22:31:00.004-05:00

So we're thinking about some bike camping in the mountains of Montana, and I'm thinking about putting racks on the Instigator. "Wait what," you say. "that has no braze ons for racks" you say.

yes. The Instigator has no handy braze ons for racks or fenders (yes there is an eyelet where nothing can reach, for all the good it is).

The instigator may not be the first bike a person thinks of when it comes to camping. But it takes everything in stride when it comes to rocks and bumps. Last summer I took it camping successfully in Wisconsin. So there.

So now I need to figure out a way to pack my half of the gear on a bike without any way to bolt in.

I'm riding rigid, and have the beasty Instigator fork. Today I happened to be perusing the Salsa website, and noticed that the Enabler fork is less than an inch taller and only 2mm more rake. And so I says to myself: "AHA!"

I'll use the conduit clamps to attach a rear rack, but now I'll be able to switch the bike to disc brakes, carry my portion and maybe not go broke...

and then its party time

2010-10-22T21:59:00.000-05:00

BYOP!

morning of the pub crawl

2010-01-10T00:12:00.001-06:00

12pm at Galactic Pizza.

I'm expecting modest turnout on account of the recent cold weather, but a good time should be had by all.

Some pictures from MT

2010-01-07T22:53:00.005-06:00

In no particular order:

Here we are waiting for security to open 1 hour before our flight home in the Helena airport.

Shannon's brother's Bianchi mountain mountain biike as we put new cables, grips, seat and tires on.

Us waiting in Salt lake to catch our flight to Helena (like I said no particular order)
Some excitement on the tarmac in Salt Lake
Phredde, the hunting dog, hunting for treats.
Honey found them.
It was a good trip. more on that later.

two bikes out to stud

2010-01-06T01:40:00.005-06:00

Last night I put the schwalbes on the Instigator and Edward. In the back of my mind the front wheel might be enough, but I want to have a spare bike in case someone needs a ride for the pub crawl on Sunday.

Holy crap I never posted about Edward!

Guy Woodhouse has been redubbed Edward after the painting this fall. I think I am going to repaint again in the summer though. I didn't like the way the paint came out and I suspect it had something to do with the cold weather we had the weekend I painted it.

also I am concerned the bike looks too good, and someone might steal it...

Year briefly in review

2009-12-31T11:07:00.002-06:00

I said at the beginning of the year I would try to keep better track of my biking milage. This never happened. II put more miles onto more bikes in this year than any year before, but I know I didn't break 3k, I figure something just over 2k. Whatever, I had fun.

In the early summer I bought a Surly Instigator off of craigslist and rode it for a month getting ready for our trip to Montana where we were going to and did ride our bikes in the Gravely mountain range. Flirting with 10,000 feet the riding was more strenuous than I expected but we had a great time. When we got back to Butte, our tent tried to fly away while we were aiiring it out (it rained on us while we camped in the mountaiins) but obsessive staking saved the day.

We saw a lot of family on the trip to and from Montana, and I am glad we went.

When we got back to Minnesota I kept riding the instigator and eventually needed new tires. Forsaking the mountain tread for Shwalbe Big Apples. A kickass tire I say. not much good in snow though.

Except for a few rides I really haven't been riding Frenchie at all this year. The instigator and the wiinter beater ride better on the city streets with the pot holes and cracked road surface. I like having a faster bike around, but I am really liking the feeling in my hands.

Shannon was sent overseas for work and I went to visit her there. and that was an awesome trip too. We went to Hong Kong, hung out in Manila, ate some fantastic foods for half a pittance. When we went to Hong Kong the first night we ordered small beers and they returned with gigantic beers to our figuring.

After I got home I went to plays and movies and camping with my friends. I look back and see all the things that didn't go well in 2009; the car accidents, and lost loved ones and I think: this was a pretty good year.

If we can't look at what goes right in a year I don't know what to do. Here's to a pretty good year and many to come.

coil on plug

2009-06-18T22:19:00.003-05:00

Apparently the VW 1.8T engine has a bit of a design flaw.

as we have been having problems with rough idles and stalling. Having checked the engine over with diagnostic equipment and listening to the motor the coils on cylinders 1 and 3 were found to be the culprits. two coils replaced and everything is peachy.

cars are annoying.

All you haters...

2009-06-13T00:59:00.004-05:00

I have managed to sell the Murray. Slightly below asking, but not so I was hurting.

You'll notice that like all my bikes, I expect the instigator to carry its weight in luggage.

Today I discovered the importance of deflation. I rode home with the tires partially deflated and though there was increased drag, when I got going I didn't feel the bumps.

Last fall at work we got an engraving machine. basically if I can connect two points on an object it can be engraved. So my "new" bash guard tells haters what they can do in their free time.

a recap of recent happenings

2009-06-01T00:31:00.003-05:00

So the last post was about replacing the oil breather hose on our 2001 VW jetta 1.8T. The very next morning after fixing this hose I had the car in the shop for 1. oil change 2. tires. My brother had been over seas studyign and having just returned home to the states I was going to take him out to lunch. So we piled into the Jetta and I took him into the city.

In the middle lane on Marion on a sunny day at 11:30am, an early 2000s silverado pickup heading the opposite direction cut in front of us to enter I94 East bound. Thus clipping the corner of the jetta, and continuing onto the Highway.

So the police come by and we fill out a report, and we tried to match the plate I read to the truck that hit us. Not so much luck.

So we took the car to Superior Collision in Eagan and they did a great job replacing the fender, the hood, bumper, and rehanging the passenger door. The paint is perfect.

And then AAA sent the check to the wrong address. dammit.

Memorial day weekend was a blast, as we went out to Maryland to see the new nephew and my sister's other kids (and obviously my sister and her husband), and some old friends that live outside Charlotte who drove all the way up so we could hang out.

We went to Annapolis, we went into DC, we drank in a micro brewery. We had an awesome time. pictures to follow.

Then this past Saturday we went to see Gogol Bordello at the Cabooze. Which was awesome. And then we played Settlers of Catan till 1am. And when we got home finally, I hopped onto Craigslist. And some guy was listing his Surly Instigator for less than the cost of buying the frame.

So, after sleeping on it, today I bought another bike.

Anyone want to buy a Murray three speed?

random sequence on the pictures of the oil breather hose for a 1.8t Jetta 2001

2009-05-12T23:42:00.004-05:00

Which is why you never fix two things in a weekend

2009-05-11T18:18:00.003-05:00

So my super awesome plan for the weekend was to fix the oil breather hose on the car. Hoses are pretty low key as repairs go.

The car had been have some weird idle issues but no error code, so something was wrong someplace without a sensor. But that hardly narrows the field. But Chester found a hole in the oil breather hose last weekend.

The dealerships wanted 73-88 dollars for the hose, Metric Auto Parts on Smith Ave in St Paul had the best price and with tax the hose ran 71.xx.

Then this morning I had scheduled an oil change and to get two tires put on the car because the Sam's Club specials that it had were quickly balding (I didn't buy the tires). So the car has a new hose, fresh oil, and brand spankign new tires,

Heading North on Marion have just left Kellog in St Paul, were in the middle lane And this guy heading South on Marion wanting to enter I94 East cuts in front of us.

Busted the headlight, crimped the hood something awful, busted the bumper, and caved in the fender. The Passenger front door doesn't open now because the fender is pressing against it.

pictures to follow.

crowd serfing

2009-05-04T14:23:00.004-05:00

it was a nice weekend though.

We went to see Flight of the Conchords and it was an awesome show.

somebody pulled the fire alarm just as the last people were filing in to find their seats, so everyone had to evacuate the building. but of course, since it was just before the concert the "be-yooup" sound was largely mistaken for part of the opening act. further delaying the evacuation.

The stage performance was even better than the tv show, and they heckled the hecklers. he he he madam.

today I picked up tickets to see Gogol Bordello at the Cabooze. I'm excited for some wild crowd surfing.

Last night we were talking about the amazing capital that parking garages are. and how owning rights to bands and the venue and the parking lot across the street would make for some wicked bank roll.

epic failure

2009-05-04T14:20:00.002-05:00

So I tried to make hashbrowns this morning.

boy did it go wrong. I didn't use enough oil or heat, and then I worried them to death.

What I did produce was something crispy on the outside, resembling library paste on the inside. Which since breakfast has turned my stomach like a cement mixer.

yay.

Lunds screwed the pooch

2009-04-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

if you send a pooch grocery shopping that is.

We were on our way home from the Big Bang Bookclub and decided to pick up some stuff to make lunches.

One jar of Sunbutter (Sungold foods) $4.79

Two russet potatoes (99c/#) $1.40

One loaf of "a toast to bread" wheat sandwich bread $5.99

We spent $12.18 on four things. And there was more expensive bread.

Every single one of these items is available cheaper at the co-op, and loaves from a toast to bread were $6 for three last summer at the farmer's market.

where is a salve my ass hurts

Last Chance Harvey

2009-04-27T18:32:00.002-05:00

Netflix just suggested I get Last Chance Harvey. Not an awful movie, but awfully predictable. The tone was similar to Rachel Getting Married, where a family member is on a different wavelength. I think Last Chance Harvey was better than RGM but I still didn't really enjoy seeing either. I thought Dustin Hoffman was much better in I (heart) Huckabee's, and other than that I can't say anything, because I am one of the only people I know who liked that movie.

I don't get what is up with these redemption movies. It reminds me of the morality movies like Days of Wine and Roses without the consequences.

crash!

2009-04-23T00:48:00.002-05:00

the neighbors are fighting again.

overheard:

"Don't you dare throw plates at me!"

Let them eat pie

2009-04-20T13:35:00.004-05:00

Guy Woodhouse, my single speed mountain bike, has been taken apart for a few weeks now. And this next two weeks will involve repainting and reassembling the little demon.

I'm gathering the new components and tidying up the old ones I'll carry over. Some of the parts were pretty rugged when I bought the bike.

I've been on the lookout for Phil Wood hubs for about a year. Every morning running the familiar search on Craigslist. I even asked how much a new one would cost. I already have mentioned the one I found. And Shannon is going to lace a new wheel around that. So today we stopped by the shop to get a rim and spokes. And Jim had just put a slice of delicious looking pizza on a paper plate.

Which brings us to the equation for retail business:

pie=r(squared)

if you buy a pizza business will come in the door, preventing you from eating the pizza.

the dirty old man

2009-04-18T20:32:00.006-05:00

The oldest bike we own is also the most belligerent.

A couple weeks ago I changed the tires on Frenchie. Since Sir Walter died this spring the SBR has been swollen with new components. Not that most the parts were brand new, it's that the parts were new to the reserve. Including a pair of brand new Panaracer tires, I've been putting the same Continental Ultra Sports on the bike since 1999 (a tire I don't think they even make anymore...) and have worn quite thin.

So I put the new tires on, and they are awesome, except that they are slightly wider than the continentals. So I rode home from work the first day with a millimeter of fender clearance. It was like riding with a break on every time I needed to push it. When I got home, two seconds with a vise grip fixed a problem I have been too lazy to fix for three years.

Then last Monday we went to Redwing and biked to Cannon Falls.

reviewing the list of original parts on the 1972 Peugeot UO8 I ride:

-frame

-fork

-threaded headset

-quill stem

-bottom bracket cups

-seat post

-brake cable guide

-seat post bolt and nut

I still have the original rear wheel, but in storage. Nothing too impressive and I don't much care for the wavy lines.

The seat post bolt is breaking I think. I could not get the seat to stay. Every mile or so it would sink about a quarter inch. But I had already used my spare seat bolt on another bike, and had not replaced the one I keep ziptied to my rack! damn and blast!

For Your Consideration, Kill!

2009-04-04T23:38:00.004-05:00

Sword of Doom has more plok points, but this is an entertaining movie for different reasons.

The netflix synopsis was clearly written by someone who never watched the movie. I think the tone and character are closer to The Big Sleep than the Seven Samurai. The movie was so noir Bogart or Robinson should have shown up.

The treatment of evil is better than Pulp Fiction. The premise of Jules' argument was a fallacy and it has always grated on my nerves. The message here was similar but much more successful. The multiple narratives and perspectives on purpose is a theme I like though. Shorter and faster paced than most of Kurosawa's movies, Okamoto's movie Kill! has a nice variety of dialogue and violence.

Given the choice between watching For your Consideration and stabbing myself in the arm with a fork though; tines aren't that painful, I suggest a salad fork. Best In Show and A Mighty Wind were better, and they weren't great. The trailer had been so promising but the actual film was so tedious we almost turned it off half-way through. I don't think I have a single nice thing to say about it.

apart!

2009-04-03T14:21:00.001-05:00

pounding on the headset with a hammer during lunch I finally got the bike dismantled.

bwahahahahaha

The sneaky plan part 1

2009-04-02T20:26:00.003-05:00

A while back I bought an early ninties Miyata mountain bike and almost immediately put studded tires on it. I bought it second hand and slightly rusty. I wanted a single speed bike for the winter becasue I didn't want any messy mechanical snafu on my commutes home.

So now the weather is getting springier, so it is time to give Guy Woodhouse a makeover.

trouble is, getting the rusty bits to budge.

It took 45 minutes just to knock the cranks off and remove one cup from the bottom bracket.

tomorrow morning: drive side cup, and everything else

2009-03-30T12:41:00.004-05:00

in no particular order here are some of the pictures that did not appear in the previous post.

this post is broken

2009-03-30T10:33:00.008-05:00

So on sunday we took to the streets and started biking for Minnehaha Park. The falls were going great guns but the Army Corps of Engineers had everything blocked off. So we took pictures through the trees. We met up with our friends Chester and April, and April's brother David. And we rode out from there to The Triple Rock for breakfast. I had french toast and we split an order of the diced potatoes with the cheese ad such.

When we were leaving I noticed a cool looking rack.

We went back to the river but continued north to Gold Medal Park, stopping to snap a picture of the museum. I was taking it into the sun so it in general sucked.

April and David wouldn't ride to the top of the hill, but Shannon and Chester did. The weather was so nice and clear, we could see downtown.

From Gold Medal we went the little bit further to the Stone Arch Bridge.

The water wasn't actually this green but playing with curves in Photoshop gave it such a color I couldn't help but save it.

St Anthony falls made Minnehaha look like a drippy faucet

From there we headed up to an eccentric island with chickens and purple houses and almost took this trail.

there is an old bridge with no cautionary signs, or railings (ha ha), so we walked out on it.

The gaps were just the right size for a bike wheel.

or a bike.

by the time we were at Boom Island we were gettin

g silly and rode in the river a bit.

I decided that before I strip Guy down I should get a picture of the Offenders 2.0.

We took the west bank back to Gold medal park, discussing the lack of cedar lake trail on the kiosk sign when the blaze was not thirty feet away. We met a nice prancing New Foundland

about the same.

I heard a disturbing sound!

2009-03-18T22:40:00.007-05:00

My boss has been in a weird mood far the last week or so.

We've all done our best to keep our heads low and stay out of trouble, but eventually we found out what the anxiety was about. Our insurance, Health and Dental, was going up by 18% for the third consecutive year.

SPEAKING OF A RACKET!

So we've been driving with a valet key. You buy a used car you buy other people's problems ya ya ya. We finally bit the bullet and took the car in for a second key.

and because, you see, car manufacturers in their infinite wisdom have decided that keys aren't good enough: they need computer chips! So you have to buy the fucking key from the dealership for 50 dollars, and then it needs to be programmed so that the car will start for 60 dollars plus taxes.

But when you bring a car to the dealership and say "I have an appointment to have a key made for my '01 Jetta," service department man says "That's funny, your appointment doesn't seem to be in the computer." And then after fifteen minutes of tedious data entry, we stroll around the car counting the tires. And then instead of making the key as per our request they take the god damned wheels off.

I know the car has mismatched tires in the back. This pains me but I deal with it. Not a word. The prognosis is that the Timing belt is 15,000 miles past scheduled replacement, my spark plugs need replacement same with a tie rod and both tie rod ends.

But dammit the car has brand spanking new iridium plugs in it already. And our belts were checked by our regular mechanic just 1,000 miles ago. And 400 dollars for tie rod ends seemed a lot excessive. And we should replace the perfectly functional waterpump.

This is not the kicker though.

Matters of money service man spoke to me, mentions of safety to my wife. We stopped going to Eriks because of shit like that, why would it be tolerated now. Finally after an hour and a half Schmelz Volkswagen returned our car to us and asked for some money in exchange for the now two keys. What a waste of an otherwise nice morning.

On a more positive note: we drove 150 miles on a quarter tank of gas during the weekend.

Poison

2009-03-18T22:34:00.004-05:00

I think I might have tried to poison myself.

It's okay, I got rid of it. But this is the second time something like this has happened.

This time I made oatmeal and put it in a travel mug and didn't clean it out for a "while."

Last time I left coffee and grounds in a percolator for three months.

Both times it was ol' weazy my gas mask that saved me. [pictures to follow, damn battery died]

I really need to be more careful.

Phil the gap

2009-03-09T09:24:00.007-05:00

A while back my boss had a new wheelchair made with Phil Wood hubs. And they are amazing. I've never seen him so happy with a set of wheels.

And I was poking around on craigslist, and found a tandem hub from Phil Wood for 45 dollars...

So now I have a hub without a bike. I'm not even sure if this counts as strategic reserve since it has no rim... to say this was bought half cocked is only the beginning. Who the hell puts drum brakes on bike anyway? I don't even need another hub right now, I've already got a spare wheel running around that doesn't fit any tire I own let alone a bike.

What I am currently lusting after is the 48 hole tandem rear hub with a disk brake attachment. I think the combination of drum and disk is sufficiently bizarre. Then again the hub did not come with the brake, so I might not pursue the drum. It might just be too weird.

I need to learn how to lace wheels.

2009-02-24T22:02:00.002-06:00

The enchiladas I was eating that Jim mentioned were fantastic, but too little too late.

I am pretty sure I hit a wall because 1. I was underdressed for the weather 2. caloric intake was completely eclipsed by hours on the trail.

Breakfast was 1 1/2 scrambled eggs with 1/2 oz feta cheese melted into it, a small muffin and 4 shots of espresso with 4 oz soy milk.

What I wore was the medium weight long underwear and a pair of knee high smartwool socks, a wicking shirt a long sleeve wicking shirt and a rain coat. for gloves I wore a pair of synthetic gloves I got from Team Ortho.

I should have worn the heavier long underwear. I should have had a larger breakfast or mid morning snack before heading out. I should have worn the wool shirt and mittens I was carrying in the pannier sooner.

We had a great ride though. I think Jim liked that I had a map of Scandinavia, and I liked that his phone told us where we were.

I think I need to work on taking longer rides. Depending on the weather I might ride Frenchie next Monday and try to pull another 44 miles.

This post is particularly whiny. I blame it on The Biggest Loser. They rode a stationary bike tonight and keep bitching about how hard the seat is etc.

not quite enough for a century

2009-02-23T21:14:00.003-06:00

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2583448

Today I got in my longest single day of riding of the year. Jim and I left from HC and tried to make it to Carver. It was my whimpy legs that made us turn around. The trail got less and less plowed the further we went and my excuse is the single speed lacked the gear ratio necessary for the slipping.

So my legs cramped at mile thirty or so, and by mile 40 I was aching, by the time we got to Humboldt I needed to sit down.

A damn fine ride though.

Shannon got to be the knight in shining Jetta and save my sorry ass at Uncommon Grounds.

The things they left behind

2009-02-22T11:20:00.004-06:00

So I hadn't thought to much of the stuff in the shoulder bag. Dirty lunch carton, old newspaper, etc.

There was also this water bottle.

For all the rooting around, the person missed a pair of Grobet pliers I had in the bag that cost me a small fortune. Also a 9 dollar three sided ruler. But, I am glad to still have these things.

I imagine the person standing at the Jetta finding an Eagan police water bottle and leaving. I imagine the person power walking away.

I was helping a repeat customer the other day and her Cannondale had been stolen. The suburban police had made an honest effort trying to track the ten year old bike down, but some things are hard to find.

Tomorrow I'm thinking I'll bike to the Depot in Hopkins, and I'll use the new chains to secure my ride home.

getting busy

2009-02-21T22:32:00.001-06:00

So work has gotten franticly busy. More and more of our competition is closing their doors, so their customers become our customers.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

is this rain, sleet or snow?

2009-02-17T20:02:00.003-06:00

The correct answer is D. all of the above.

The ride home was quite pleasant. I wasn't over or under dressed, the trails were clear of rutted ice.

time riding home: 40 minutes.

I mentioned before that I can't really go faster. The bike is geared pretty low so I can get up to around 20, but faster than 16 is uncomfortable. Where I improve is in improving the average speed by not going as slowly on the climbs. I'll keep piling on weight to keep my time around 45 minutes though. I am thinking it might be fun to try some of these local races, and I think of this as casual training.

Linked together

2009-02-12T09:08:00.004-06:00

Since the car was broken into I've been thinking about things being stolen. And since Menards was selling their Kryptonite chains for next to nothing (apparently they weren't good sellers???) I have two of them now.

The added 16 pounds of chain didn't slow me down too much though. I made it home in 57 minutes compared to 45 minutes from the night before.

My co-workers think I'm crazy and that I have perpetrated an act of major overkill, but I like my bikes dammit.

Also, the added weight improved traction and momentum riding. Braking suffered on downhills, but when rolling the tires cut right through rotten ice.

The golf club

2009-02-04T21:28:00.005-06:00

So I've been having a recurring dream since Saturday.

It has me riding my bike south along the River road towards Lock and Dam #1, which is weird because I work in the southern suburbs, and I see the person bust out our window. Suddenly I have a golf club in my hand and bellow "pedestrian polo!" the phrase "now I'm gonna take $250 out of your body" creeps in as I break the hand that busted the window.

a disturbing dream made worse by putting it in text...

What irks me is that we had better plans for that money which is now going to replace our window. The glass is on order, I expected to hear from the Volkswagen dealer that it came in today, but predicting shipping apparently sucks in more than one industry.

Schadenfruede

2009-02-02T11:16:00.004-06:00

Because I am the angel of death when it comes to cars.

Saturday I biked most of the way home from work. But I knew the better half was also out biking so I went through Minnehaha Park to see if I could catch up. I was about t get onto Ford when I saw our Jetta parked at Lock and Damn 1. And some people staring at it.

Well this actually:

The ass hole who busted out the window didn't have the courtesy to steal anything. They pulled my messenger bag out of the trunk and rooted through it...

BUT EVERYTHING WAS STILL THERE!

So now we have to replace the window. GAAAAAH!

pub crawl

2009-01-25T22:36:00.002-06:00

SO we went on the HC pub crawl. And there was a high degree of awesome.

not a high degree of warm, but people were interesting and the food and drink were excellent.

I strongly suggest the tulburg. Some wicked awseome dutch beer.

more as I am sober

shod in shoes for shlumping through the shnow

2009-01-19T22:58:00.002-06:00

So I "accidentally" didn't use all of my vacation time last year (I had reasons for saving a day but that's another story), and took a Saturday off to balance the time out.

Saturday Chester and I went to bike around Lake Harriet. And I went to the wrong lake. There wasn't too much confusion since we were car pooling, but we did lunch at Isles Buns and Coffee. The wind was wicked on the south end of the lake. And the snow drifts on the lake made it almost completely impassable. We walked much of the way across.

The folks at Isles make wicked good espresso. I place the Mocha between Brewberry's and Black Dog.

Saturday night we went to Let the Right One In. I don't remember the last movie we liked enough to see 4 times in the theatre. This one was totally worth seeing four times.

Yesterday we biked to the Town Hall Brewery.

And today we went snowshoeing in Eagan.

Breaking Point

2009-01-06T22:04:00.004-06:00

To whom it may concern:

In the Gold Buick Century LEGxxx, White Toyota Highlander UAVxxx, and the White Jeep Liberty and all the other folks out there to kill me recently, I'm done putting up with your shit.

From this point on every attempted vehicular manslaughter will be reported directly to the police.

You have been warned.

Even Murdoch's minions cannot deny it

2009-01-05T17:54:00.005-06:00

So a friend posted an article from the other New York paper.

Seems basic accounting is coming in vogue again. Buckets with holes in the bottom are bad vessels. Having spent an unholy amount of money on cars this past year I strongly agree: cars are a drain on resources.

Honestly. As durable goods go, cars suck. In a year we've dealt with a transmission, bearings, brakes and head gaskets. We had one car die and another have a heart attack.

If only it were easier to get across the river.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:03:00.004-06:00

I've never been hugely into resolutions. I've never worried too much about my weight. I've never been too heavy into vices. So my resolution is to keep better track.

Track of what?

Everything.

Today we did a shake down ride on Shannon's winter bike. Seems the rear brake needs "adjustment." or a whole new unit. The left caliper has no springiness. So far this year my milage on the bike: > 1 mile.

Unofficial Goal: 2,009 miles

Reflecting on reflection

2008-12-31T09:51:00.004-06:00

So last night we took two pictures. One of me on the bike with no flash and one with the flash to see what I look like when highlights hit the reflectors. Since I never see the bike save from one perspective I wonder whether I have been wasting my time with an exacto knife.

I feel better now.

It was a bit chilly

2008-12-31T09:17:00.004-06:00

Apparently the air temp got a bit low last night on my way home. I froze to my Balaclava. Well, my beard did. No frostbite that I am aware of yet (nothing is purple). I didn't get home till a few minutes after 8 so my commute took an hour and a half again. But the trails through Eagan were complete shite. After 4 miles of zigzagging through muck I took to the streets and the going improved.

I wasn't surprised to see snow on the Mendota bridge... I was surprised by the ice on the Bloomington side. Twice.

I would like to say the teenage drivers on Highland Parkway are much more polite than the old fogies in their minivans. Do they feel threatened by a cyclist? Do they think following closer will make me move over into the mushy snow? I know my rights. [/rant]

I need to get Shannon grips for her bike. I don't know how we forgot to get them before... I don't know what I'm going to do, usually when I get to Hiawatha it is just moments before close... I'll have time to...browse...dun Dun DUUN

Joe Soucheray can eat my socks

2008-12-31T09:09:00.002-06:00

Up yours ass hole.

(I will provide no context for this outburst. I don't want anyone to send him letters. I don't want anyone to look up his article in the tuesday paper. I don't want him to profit from increased exposure from excited readers, regardless of their opinion.)

Guy Woodhouse

2008-12-29T10:48:00.004-06:00

Some folks are curious what Guy Woodhouse looks like. I'd say: the ugliest bike in our stable, Shannon says the greater metro.

I think it's worth five dollars.

The handsome Cannondale in the background is Shannon's winter bike.

What I like about Guy is the simplicity of his parts. There is very little that can go wrong mechanically. With the cube prism reflective tape on the fork and rack it glows like a christmas tree. And with the patches of dirt and rust and overall crappy appearance an otherwise sound bike will never ever be stolen. I hope.

and then I found five dollars

2008-12-16T06:33:00.002-06:00

Back in college this was the classic end too a lame story that took too long to tell and the audience became bored from.

Last week, I was going to bike home and Shannon called me to say it was too cold. So we agreed to meet at a nearby Starbucks. But I got there first, so I rode up and down the street and through a bunch of fresh snow.

So I'm riding around in circles having a ball. Light snow is flying all over, the bike felt like it was floating. And then the wind went right through me. So I decided to stand next to the building out of the wind. Crossing the powdery snow, aiming for the parking lot, imagining exploding out onto the pavement.

Whump

I got stuck in the compressed snow from the plow. As I haul the bike out of the snow an SUV stopped and the people inside insisted I take five dollars.

With a high degree of awesome.

2008-12-07T15:30:00.003-06:00

Biking in the winter has always been fun. But having better traction has vastly improved the comfort over distances.

But then last night I found myself stuck on the Mendota bridge. Eagan seems to have forgotten to plow their sidewalks. And then Mendota stopped too.

So I called for backup and did power slides in the church parking lot till Shannon picked me up.

To all those who thought the price of beer in Canada meant nothing.

2008-12-04T00:01:00.002-06:00

Because with enough funding, research can be found for damned near anything.

Guy Woodhouse

2008-12-01T13:54:00.002-06:00

So after this morning's ride I think I've dubbed the Miyata.

Guy Woodhouse.

because that traction was something

Finally some god damned snow

2008-12-01T07:37:00.002-06:00

Since I put the studded tires on the Miyata a few weeks ago, the weather has been mind bogglingly nice. So this morning, since it has finally snowed an inch, I tested out the studly tires on ice for the first time.

It was like I'd made a pact with the devil. When the bike should have flipped out from under me it was sure footed (can a bike that has no feet have footing?).

Anyway, it was awesome. I rode down the river road and back without loosing control, even when the back wheel tried to escape in a frozen rut.

What I will need to do is add a layer of sock; my toes were freeezing.

Rubbing compound

2008-11-18T22:50:00.003-06:00

When I put the knobbies on Frenchie I didn't tighten the quick release sufficiently. And biking to work got louder and louder.

Eventually I had to stop because the dragging felt like a leaden weight.

But I hauled ass on the ten speed.

Studded tires

2008-11-17T11:22:00.008-06:00

So last weekend I put the sexy new studded tires on the Miyata. Thinking that the weather folks weren't lying and snow and ice was coming. I was helped to this conclusion by icy walking in Minneapolis when we went to Harold and Maude. But ice has not appeared and there is no snow.

And there is now visible wear on my brand spanking new tires from riding on bare pavement.

But I still have the 1 1/4 in. knobby tires for the Peugeot. So today the slick 8 year old Continentals come off, and the Kendas go back on.

After a few months on a single speed Frenchie is going to be an exciting ride.

Politicians that fend for me

2008-11-07T06:10:00.003-06:00

I'll start off by saying, I know who Lynn Warlow is (I had him as a math teacher twice) he was a wrestling coach and math teacher, reserve Marine, and all around a pretty good man. But his constituents are lazy and didn't take his campaign signs down fast enough for them to not see recycling.

I don't know Chuck Baldwin from Adam, but the same goes.

The cross wind on the mendota bridge made the new fenders whistle like some '80s horror movie sound track.

Merde

2008-11-03T19:43:00.006-06:00

So the Jetta went in for new bearings today. Dammit.

We decided to take an emergency bike ride. And that really helped. We went up Minnehaha to Cedar and picked up a few things from Midwest Mountaineering. Which was pretty cool, we ran into Kevin.

Shannon found a nice hat and I found some gloves that will be nice when it gets colder out. Since the car just needed further repairs, I passed on the gloves for now.

But after perusing the sporting goods store, we went to the Town Hall brewery for lunch. I had two and a half pints of the house stout, and Shannon had the triple and a stout. To eat, I had the 7 corners burger since we had just been to 7 corners hardware this morning. We went there looking for locktite which we found, but I also showed Shannon which drills I liked there. There are two Mikita and one Milwaukee drills I think would be nice. One of the Mikita drills is pretty small, and only 2 amps, but it also weighs damn near nothing. And the other two were much much larger, with the second handle and everything. The burger though, was awesome. Shannon had the pumpkin soup and brat special which rivaled the burger.

The stout was smooth without being sweet or heavy. We'll have to go back.

On our way home, we needed to rest a bit. Mostly, I was having trouble going in a straight line. But as we were sitting next to someone's bronzed work boots a couple came pushing their bikes by asking for directions to the Hub. But what they clearly needed was a patch and a pump.

I had a pump but sadly couldn't find my patch kit anywhere. So another rider gave us a glueless patch and we put everything back together. And I told them where they should be going for their bicycle needs.

Nite Rider

2008-11-02T08:36:00.005-06:00

So the whole bike commuting thing is easy during the summer. The days are long, the trails are clear of most debris, for the most part the biggest worry is rain.

But then fall and winter arrive and a new obstacle shows up. It's dark. What I used to use as a light is the Cat Eye light you see on the right. It runs on three AAA batteries, and is a fine being seen light. As far as being able to see though, even the freshest batteries give a dim patch 5 feet away to work with.

A little more than a week ago we picked up the Nite Rider light you see on the left. It has a USB cable for the rechargable battery pack and it ran a whole week's commuting without significant dimming. On Saturday I went on the Night Ride with the folks from Hiawatha Cyclery, and with just an hour's charging it went the whole trip. The Nite Rider light casts a beam about 12 or 15 feet wide and about 20-30 feet down the trail depending on how it is aimed.

I still carry both because the Nite Rider light does not have a blinking function, but for seeing I recommend the Nite Rider. Also, I think having a backup is always a good idea.

I hope there are more night rides or rides on Sundays because it is a fun group to ride with, and Saturday mornings line up tragically with my work schedule.

yeah, I know, what the hell. The ISO was set to 200 and I didn't feel like fussing. this is from the spiral thingy by the Gutherie.

Let the Right One In

2008-10-30T22:12:00.004-05:00

So when it comes to tragedy, the Scandinavians corner the market. Now I don't mean like the 9 o'clock news "Raging drunk driver obliterates family of four, and their dog" tragic, but the Greek tragic. By this I mean people do the best they can with sub-optimal results opposite of the intent.

Let the Right One In is a vampire movie that explores evil. Eli, Conny, his friends, and Conny's older brother offer a few options.

Without giving spoilers, what I liked about the movie was 1. The use of shallow depth of field 2. off screen violence (not because I'm squeamish, but because it was more in keeping with the Greek) 3. the use of shame.

Changing the water pump on '91 Prelude

2008-10-27T12:08:00.005-05:00

Who designs these things?

The advantage of the Honda over a Ford is the commitment to metric. With 4 sockets it would be pretty straight forward to get through all of the engine. On the Taurus especially every other bolt was metric or standard.

Now I have changed a few water pumps on Gimpy the Wonder Taurus, but this Honda made the Taurus look easy. The head cover had to come off, and the accessory belts. And the timing belt. And the crankshaft pulley. And the left engine mount.

Otherwise it was pretty easy to wiggle the pump up in between stuff and onto the block.

BUT we did it. In one night. With no injuries past cut knuckles. And actually, doing work with friends in good spirits is always a pleasure.

The trick is in lowering the engine by about an inch. The pullies, dust covers and pump all fit past the fender much easier. also a 1 1/2 inch extension might be nice. I picked one up at 7 corners after the fact because it was so dearly missed. Tools you want to have also: 10mm socket, 10mm box end wrench, 12mm socket, 17mm deep socket, 19mm socket, razor blade, hydraulic jack, blocks, 12in extension, 1 1/2in extension, universal joint, a stout breaker bar, a torque wrench, oven, and a better or at least less cryptic shop manual than the Chilton's because damn. The oven is to bake pizza, you'll get hungry. I would strongly suggest buying belts to replace all the belts and radiator hoses, since almost everything needs to come apart anyway.

Triple Rock and Midwest Mountaineering.

2008-10-20T07:26:00.003-05:00

So yesterday we biked to the Triple Rock Social Club with our friend April. I had Bertha's Big Ass Breakfast Burrito with sausage, April had a huge pancake and a plate of cheesy potatoes, and Shannon had the Rock Star Eggs and Toast. I would like to go there after a night of hard drinking, the breakfast menu and the drinks it offers looks like a great way to fight a hangover. I hear they make a wicked Bloody Mary, but a dog has to bite me first.

We were looking for fall and winter weather gear. I was looking for a balaclava and Shannon is in the market for a new winter coat. April had never been to Midwest Mountaineering. We looked at everything. We combed through Thrifty Outfitters, tried on half the coats, and didn't get followed around like a bunch of shoplifters.

Shannon found a long sleeve shirt and I found a silk balaclava, and I had a crazy awesome idea for how to deter people from stealing bike seats. If anyone is looking to spend pile more than necessary on a Big Dummy, the Hub had one for just over two grand with a separate price tag for the basic basic kick stand holding it up. Shannon's theory is: "Maybe it was put together with wuv, and that's what made it so expensive."

Studly

2008-10-18T21:05:00.004-05:00

In preparation for the winter we picked up a pair of the Schwalbe Winter Marathon studded tires. I've never had studded tires, so I am excited to try them on ice. A few years back I wiped out pretty hard on Frenchie riding over ice. I was sort of asking for it though. I had ridden across the ice at Harriet Island once and then doubled back because I liked the cracking sound the frozen puddle made. Take two... not so smooth.

What is funny is that suddenly I have amassed 3 sets of spare tires, for 26 inch tires.

I'm sipping on Rogue Mocha Porter. A dark beer with a slightly bitter chocolate aftertaste. I wonder about aftertaste. Our beer had a definite appley flavor.

In for an oil change

2008-10-17T20:26:00.004-05:00

So we dropped the car off for an oil change. With a turbo charger those are supposed to have that changed fairly regularly... more like clock work. And it was due.

The Tow truck set it down in the parking lot, and we waited to hear what they had to say.

While they forgot to change the oil, in three days they were able to diagnose and repair the singular whump sound the car had made.

I don't like feeling vulnerable. I do what I can to prevent the feeling and since we just bought the car, and since we had problems within a month of the van having the head gasket go, I'm feeling a bit vulnerable. What is frustrating is that I like driving. It's the rest of the costs and headache I hate. I like riding my bike, and I like fixing it too. Which makes me even more frustrated when I lack the wherewithal to fix the car.

ARUGH.

The impossible has happened

2008-10-17T19:56:00.004-05:00

Tuesday night I received a distress signal from Shannon.

What happened never happens.

by some evil miracle either:

A.) All six torx bolts holding the cv shaft to the differential loosened and fell out simultaneously

B.) Scotty put all power to the transporters and beamed them to hell.

which then allowed the shaft, which was still spinning with the wheel, to grind two holes in the side of our aluminum transmission.

100 posts!

2008-10-13T22:38:00.003-05:00

Well, here it is: The middle of October and I'm still biking to work.

There isn't any snow on the ground yet but I'll be trying out the Miyata to see if I can make it home without falling over dead. If anyone is wondering: 27 pounds without panniers.

Riding around St Paul so far it has been okay, so I don't expect any surprises.

Getting Flicked Off

2008-10-13T06:16:00.003-05:00

So the story behind the bumper picture:

we were driving to Lake of the Clouds. One of the more popular and accessible trails in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. When out of the brush at the side of the road a bird flushes out. WHUMP.

I look in the rear view mirror...

no bird

and it was a big one.

The Common Flicker stands 12 inches with a 20 inch wingspan. Somehow it managed to get into the bumper. And survive.

It screamed, we heard inside the car. It waved talons at me when I got out to see what happened to the borrowed car (remember this was just after our van crapped out).

Luckily the bird lived and crawled out on its own, and nothing but some feathers stuck to the car. Also world hunger ended and I found five dollars.

gearing up for winter

2008-10-12T22:00:00.002-05:00

Well, actually... it ... only has one.

The Miyata is a wicked ride. Simple and rugged.

2008-10-12T21:34:00.006-05:00

I notice I haven't posted those pictures from our northern vacation I promised.

Notice something strange about the bumper on the 98 Taurus?

Maybe a Flicker?

My favorite hiking trail in the Porkies.

And Shannon at the Ontonogon County Park.

It was a good vacation

spend Spend SPEND!

2008-10-08T19:18:00.004-05:00

The days are getting shorter.

And I think something needs to be done for light.

I've got a cat eye head light for Frenchie, but it never seems to be very bright. I can kinda see about 15 feet in front of me, but the light is more for being seen than for seeing.

This new bailout package intrigues me. The idea of getting money from the government for biking to work is exciting. I'm kinda thinking about getting a cross-check built up and if I can get some of the money reimbursed...

So far what I am thinking I want from the bike is a dynamo hub in front so i can have reliable light. And a crank geared something like 48/38/__. right now Frenchie is 54/48 and a bitch on hills. I want wider tires, and studded tires. And a pony.

I don't think I can walk away with this under a grand. and the idea of a travelers check is intoxicating.

which puts everything closer to 1700.

and next summer since we bought a car.

It would be really easy to put something like this on the credit card and pay it off over the course of months. But with the interest rate on the card at 12% that makes an expensive bike way more than it would need to be.

What we as a country seem to have gotten used to is having things right now and buying on borrowed money. Look at the commercial paper debacle. Companies being lent money on the very short term, rather than having the cash flow. What pisses em off is that executives are being paid in bags of money, when the company is having trouble making payroll. Now that is fiscal irresponsibility of the worst sort.

I have said since I graduated that I would never know the retirement my Grandparents enjoy. But if these companies don't quit dicking around, no one else will either, even the folks who have been frugal and saved all their lives.

I would like to buy a new bike, but I would also like to stay out of hock. I keep a nutella jar with money in it. just a matter of time.

Safety Dance!

2008-09-29T22:18:00.004-05:00

So I don't like the politicking lately has been "we need a democrat/republican in office." it reminds me of the Futurama episode with That 80s Guy.

Here's a funny comic from John Campbell and his comic Pictures for Sad Children:

Wolfninja!

2008-09-29T15:58:00.003-05:00

So word has it we bought a new car.

And it is a newer car than the van, but not exactly "new." Not that I wouldn't think of it as being new. Since it is new to us.

Many things about it are new to us about the car.

like the size. compact.

Wicked cool how much space is left in the parking space with a compact car.

And then there is the driving experience...

The Gimpy the Wonder Taurus always had a smooth ride. The van also. But neither gripped the road like this car does. On curves the van tried to pass itself, and Gimpy couldn't get up to a dangerous speed.

What I would like to tell the car salesmen we didn't buy cars from is this: consistency. We dragged everything over a couple days and every one of them changed their stories in some horrible inconsistent way. Like the guy in the Honda dealership. His wife went from staying home with year and a half old baby and their single car, to 15 months ago he bought an Avalanche for a second vehicle because he just "needed a truck." Now he might have shared the stories in a way that was confusing. Perhaps when the baby was born they only had one car and now they have two, but he didn't say that.

I have a few stories that I share with customers, and what I try to do is keep the important details always the same. Maybe I am more accustomed to seeing a customer more than once?

Learning to drive a stick has been getting easier as I deconstructed the way I was used to driving and inserted my control of the shifting. I'm still rough; I dumped the clutch with my Grandmother riding shotgun. But really like driving the car. Did I mention Frenchie still fits in the trunk of the compact car?

BWAHAHAHAHA

Yooper Weekend

2008-09-23T23:49:00.005-05:00

So Friday we drove up north.

Not to Brainerd or Fargo or Ely, but to Upper Michigan. My Grandma's cabin is over on Lake Gogebic and we enjoyed a nice quiet weekend of Saunas, hiking, and biking.

On our way to Duluth we drove through the campgrounds in Banning State park to scope out choice camp sites there. If we aren't going to hike into the woods, I like to have sites on the inside of curves so that as people drive around we don't have to look at their headlights. Then we stopped at Fitgers and refilled our growler. The Blueberry Wheat lacks the gentle subtlety of the Apricot and the rich mouth feel of the stout. Though we haven't tried everything, I think the Apricot Wheat is the best followed by the stout.

Orchard's in Iron River sold us lunch of burgers and pie. The wild blueberry pie is very good, and the cherry pie is also very good.

We stopped quite a bit driving up. More than usual and it took nearly 6 hours becasue of that. But it was nice easy driving, compared to trips that have been in snow or rain especially.

The Porcupine Mountain State Park is one of my favorite state parks. One of the more easily accessible trails, the Escarpment Trail, seems to have seen more traffic since I frequented the park and for a ways has lots of fencing to keep people onto the trail. But my favorite trail, The Little Carp River Trail, is just as I remembered it.

One awesome thing about the LCRT is its annoying distance from civilization. From Wakefield or Ontonogon it is roughly a million miles driving on a two lane road. And then a ways down an old dirt road. But unlike the Escarpment Trail's rocky path, the LCRT is all soft pine needles. Excellent for hiking and tenting. Here's a nice map.

I'm saving some significant stories for the next post about the wildlife.

there is something terribly broken about that last sentence. lets take a moment.

whew.

Rar is Toyota and the Honda didn't leave us feeling civil

2008-09-18T23:46:00.003-05:00

So the salesman at the toyota dealer was nicer than the guy at the Nissan dealer. And the guy at the Honda dealership had conflicting stories (which is it: did you buy an Avalanche as a second car or do you only have one car?!?!?). Interesting how when a sale is drawn out over a few days how a story can change.

The Toyota was very nice. But it didn't have the tachometer, and only had the 4 speed transmission. And we really were looking for 5 speeds.

We test drove an '06 Civic which was awesome. accept for a few things

1. why was the car in every 6k miles according to Carfax. but didn't mention the sale to a dealership?

2. why was the battery replaced at 50k miles? Why was the entire right tail lamp replaced when it was traded in?

3. why was there a tic-tac-toe game scratched into the hood?!?

But this is not what killed the sale.

First off, the sticker price on this Civic was a little high. Not by too much, but enough to give pause. Second, why didn't the salesman change the pitch when we mentioned that the price was a bit high.

So why not a jetta.

We know the current owner. We know the quality of maintenance it has received. And the price is well below what the car is actually worth to a dealership.

All I have to do is be a quick study for a standard transmission.

How Yar is Toyota

2008-09-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

To quote Kathrine Hepburn “Oh she certainly was yar.”

We sat in a sedan of the Yaris, and it was spacious. But not exactly what we were looking for. But then we sat in the three door hatchback.

I don’t want to rave about features...

well...

sorta...

the back seat moved forward, back, and folded up flat. perfect for a French bike to ride on.

Something else that the Yaris had that I have never seen in a car is bolts holding the cover for the spare in place. Maybe to keep the road noise down? Something certainly did.

The car was pretty nimble, more so than the Versa. It accelerated a lot better, and gets better gas milage.

The salesman was also much nicer.

Zoidberg

2008-09-15T10:08:00.004-05:00

To be clear, we really liked the Versa. But something that really seems to have pissed off the guy at the dealership is this:

We don't rush decisions.

The car did most of what we want in a car, however, we haven't test driven any other cars yet. How could we tell if we like chocolate more than vanilla if we never tried the vanilla. What about Neapolitan?

So it was the end of the day. So we drove two cars and seemed to like on more than the other.

But what really killed the sale was when he said "So you like the car and the price, why am I not filling out the paperwork."

wa wah.

Clearly we wanted to think about the decision. The car is going to cost almost as much as a year of college and he wanted us to buy without thinking.

Even if the car was a steal there needs to be some time to think. The sandwich heavy portfolio doesn't always win.

First Impressions

2008-09-15T06:25:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we made our first steps onto the dealerships.

It was pretty much what was expected. For one, it was pouring down rain intermittently. I can only imagine that people at dealerships in the rain are serious about buying a car.

The Toyotas we saw didn't excite us.

We haven't made it to a Honda one yet.

At Brother Yam's suggestion we test drove a Versa. It was pretty nice. The S model was missing an arm rest. Which threw me off. I like to rest my elbow on an armrest while driving. The 1.8V4 was quiet and sitting idling eerily quiet. Entering 35 though I had to stomp on the gas to get up to 75mph, but the tach never past 5000. rpm at speed was between 2500-3000 which is what we were used to in the van, keep in mind the van had a 3.4v6. The 5 speed automatic seemed to run pretty much in the 2000s even on side roads.

Something that impressed me was the turning radius: 8 parking spaces. roughly a circle twenty some feet on the outside. I think it was Volvo that introduced the idea in a concept car during the late 90s but they put triangular windows in the A column. Which the Versa had at the base of the A column. not a lot of added visibility but something a little different.

We also test drove a used Versa. Still had the 1.8 liter engine, but a different transmission. The CVT was weird because it just kept going. No hesitation as the gears changed because there wasn't a gear to change. Pickup was much better in the used SL than the brand spanking new S. I liked the feel of the leather steering wheel, the armrest in the front and back seat. The leg room in the back seat was comparable to AirMalta. The ride in the back seat was pretty nice overall. The salesman didn't know if the glass was UV or not, but since it wasn't mentioned on the DOT label in the corner: I don't think it was. What I didn't like, and this is a big issue for me was the lack of key for the SL. Instead it is a prox card. So by approaching the car and touching the handle the doors unlock.

If you watch Top Gear perhaps you remember when Jeremy bought the Ford GT. It had a similar system of keyless operation. And was plagued with bugs.

Now imagine a car for less than 10% the cost of his car with a key fob that will not let you lock the doors and walk away if a key fob is still in the car. Say we are going some place and want to leave Shannon's purse in the car. ah Ah AHH. Car unlocks itself. And since a key fob it in the car, all a thief has to do is turn a knob on the dash.

The SL is not for us. Maybe they have an S with an armrest somewhere.

Today we storm the Fords on Robert.

Will a Honda Fit?

2008-09-10T22:41:00.003-05:00

We don't want a new minivan. Too big, too bad of fuel economy.

This past week gas has dropped like crazy but I don't see it sticking. Remember from Econ 101, short run competitive equilibrium. Since our "free" economy is quickly becoming a sham as yet another industry gets bailed out, I don't see any significant companies leaving the marketplace. For the moment prices are low, but next week as consumer confidence is restored when Freddie and Franny come out of bankruptcy prices will rise.

But the Honda Fit might fit bikes the way we are used to cramming them in. Which would be awesome. If we could have all the characteristics of the van that we liked, without driving 18 feet of boat, or dragging around 3800 pounds; that would be the best.

In the mean time, we have my parents '98 Taurus. The car burns gas like there is no tomorrow but it runs. So we are happy for the opportunity to shop around without renting.

We have managed to be a single car family and plan to keep it this way. But we did explore the logistics of being a zero car family. We would save a few thousand dollars a year in gas and maintenance, unless we get sick or something comes up. It would also make it more awkward to get to some of the campgrounds we want to.

I do plan to bike to work for as long as I can this year. I just need snow tires.

Where are the rest of your pants?

2008-09-09T23:49:00.008-05:00

It's Frenchie and Sir Walter relaxing by the Wisconsin boarder!

Shannon put the fire wood on her bike and we rode around the park laden thus.

God dammit.

It has been a while since I updated.

The last time I posted the van was running perfectly. Since then we went to St Croix State Park. Which was awesome! We went fishing. We went biking. We went hiking. We played Frisbee.

here are some pictures

The tent worked perfectly. The old Boy Scout favorite proved easier to break down than I even remembered. Which made the nieghbors jealous—with their raspberry shaped dome tent and a dozen different sizes of poles.

What we aren’t prepared to go without is esspresso. If I haven’t mentioned how awesome the 9 cup Bialetti mocca pot is, here I am saying an aluminum espresso pot that works on a camp stove or the kitchen burner has infinte utility. Every camping trip we’ve been on has had espresso. Which boggles other’s.

Frenchie didn’t like the washboard of the gravel roads in the park. My teeth didn’t fall out but my steel waterbottle did cartwheels. In fact, the water bottle worked pretty badly.

maybe...just maybe...old french road bikes are not mountain bikes. I know, it’s hard to believe but perhaps there is a difference.

So, as the weekend wrapped up it also got toasty out. We tried some of the Munger trail on our way out of Hinkley but Shannon’s tire started to seriously bulge. The three year old tires started to come apart in the middle of the tread. By the time we got back to the van the rubber was rubbing on the fender.

We were able to dodge a lot of traffic by taking 35w to the Cleveland exit and sneaking into St Paul through the U of M campus. We did stop at Fleet Farm in Blaine and finally picked up an axe. So we'll be able to chop our own tinder, which is awesome.

On our way back, the van was running a little hot, but, I figured that 90 degree heat would explain that away. It had been running a bit rough but I just figured that I was needing a bottle of seafoam.

Shannon had me pick up a kettle for canning. It sorta fit on the rack...

This past Saturday the engin temperature skyrocketed. So Shannon took it into the shop only to get bad news. antifreeze in the oil from the headgaskets. Crap.

what did the van get us at Upull?

300 bucks.

Monday I test rode a Crosscheck. On smooth surface it felt sorta like Frenchie, but without low speed squirrliness. On bumps it was a dream. Tonight I test rode a Big Dummy on my way home from work, which was also smooth on bumps, but the Crosscheck had more electricity.

Did I mention we are looking at buying a car?

The question they asked at work was :

"John, where are the rest of your pants???"

Math is delicious!

2008-08-25T23:23:00.005-05:00

The next meeting needs to be better attended by cyclists. The word comes straight from the councilman’s aide.

Highland gets the lowest traffic, is the most direct from the Ford Bridge, and actually services the Highland Village; but without some support from the cycling community the community is not going to get the boulevard.

I don’t know why this is getting me so worked up. I just realized that the only people who will notice a difference will be the people getting sidewalks without being assessed for them. The laws related to biking are the same. The Parkway will still be on the Twin City bike map.

The folks from Public Works said there are 3 ways to improve traffic conditions
1. Enforcement
2. Education
3. Engineering

It is clear that enforcement is expensive, as it is not a sunk cost.

Education will inform people, but is not an active solution. People know that speeding is illegal, but how many cars are going the speed limit anywhere in this state.

Which leaves engineering. Engineering works well in conjunction with education. Engineering like putting more bikes on a road.

aw crap

The folks on Highland Parkway want slower traffic. We want slower traffic to bike with.

Kevin Krizek of the University of Minnesota established a way to quantify value in bike lanes. His paper on the matter published in the Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol 72, No 3, Summer 2006. His findings “indicate that bicycle commuters in Minneapolis and St Paul prefer bicycle lanes on existing streets over off street bicycle trails.”

Which means that while the bridle path down summit is very genteel, it will be much less effective. Especially since Summit already is marked with bike lanes.

Since apparently Highland Parkway is also plagued by speeding traffic, traffic calming would be a nice addition.

In the journal Injury Prevention back in 2003 had an interesting piece “Safety in Numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling” by Peter Jacobson. The piece is a historical study of accidents in 47 Danish cities, the UK and California (the author works for the Department of Public Health in California). The article’s references make for interesting reading as well. In the discussion of the findings, motorist behavior defines the number and severity of accidents. With more bikes and pedestrians, across the board at a constant rate of N^0.4 accidents occur. If there are twice as many cyclists there are only 32% more accidents not twice as many. By diverting bike and pedestrian traffic from multiple streets to one street traffic accidents overall will decrease.

If traffic calming is changing driver behavior to prevent accidents, bikes and pedestrians are an effective means to reducing accidents. Without expensive enforcement. And 50 years of research in three countries agrees. Bike routes on streets are most effective and 30 years worth of numbers agree for our metro area.

These are not anecdotes but quantitative science. By the numbers Highland Parkway would be the best place. The community wants calmed traffic, but the city lacks the resources for increased enforcement, education has thus far been ineffective, leaving engineering. This is the best engineering option as:
1. it does not assess the community directly for improvements
2. it improves the safety of the community

We want similar things right? Safe streets and no out of pocket expenses.

Well maybe not the same things as bridle path guy. He wants a pony.

Image copyright Jeff Jaques via www.Questionablecontent.net

Highland Parkway Bike Blvd Meeting

2008-08-22T09:37:00.004-05:00

We plan on attending the meeting at the community center this Monday at 6:30. Same bat place, new bat time!

Since the first meeting we went to, I've been using the parkway in stead of James. I have to say, the parkway is much nicer to ride down.

Also, I set a new record for biking home: 34 minutes. woot

Elegy; with Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper, and Penelope Cruz

2008-08-20T23:20:00.002-05:00

I would like to start off by saying: The Edina Landmark Theatre makes me feel young. Why does the cinema make me feel young? Because Shannon and I are usually half the age of the rest of the audience. And that’s weird.

The movie seemed aimed at the aging crowd. Without doing a study in gerontology the average population of the US is aging. And these people like to see movies. And apparently Penelope Cruz’ breasts. This summer has had a lot of movies about people getting old and struggling with the new identity (Actually the movie reads much like the Passenger for the Jack Nicholson fans) but I think Elegy is much better than say The Bucket List.

I liked the movie, not only because of breasts, but because of how Kingsley and Hopper get along in the movie. It reminds me of Wolfy and me.

What sent us driving into the particular part of town we hate driving to? Free tickets. Seriously, taking 62 past 35w we almost got sideswiped and we had our own lane. It’s like people are on crazy pills around there. Absolute white knuckle driving because no-one drives predictably. But this might have something to do with the way the road work there is being done. While excellent work is being done on the new road bed, the redirected traffic has terrible surface to drive on. The pavement is patch worked together, the banking is opposite for all the turns. So of course there are accidents because nothing is smooth or made with the physics of driving in mind.

SO, maybe when we get more time to travel the distance, we will bike there. 50th and France is not that far really.

Would I suggest people see the movie? yes. Would I recommend driving to Edina to see it? no.

A bit cagy

2008-08-18T11:30:00.004-05:00

And finally there is water on Frenchie.

Saturday, after work, we went over to Hiawatha Cyclery and picked up water bottle cages and mounting hardware. For Frenchie we got a bracket that attaches right onto the handlebars, for Si Walter one that attaches where ever you want it. Shannon now has a cage on the down tube.

So yesterday when we biked the greenway, water was available without stopping.

Also yesterday we set up the tent.

A week ago we bought our first tent. Till now we have borrowed my sister's dome tent, but it was kinda small. And a trick to set up in the dark. So we had been in Thrifty Outfitters and saw a Eureka a frame tent like we had in the boy scouts.

Now back then we all tried to get into the sunrise dome tents because they were bigger and easier to dry out in the morning. But the Timberline was the fastest set up, and lighter.

I figure a tent that can withstand a troop of boy scouts can withstand us. And it is huge. When we set it up behind the apartment it took up a significant corner of the patch of green we have. Labor day, we will be camping.

St Paul bike boulevard meeting

2008-08-11T23:12:00.004-05:00

The people of Highland Parkway have completely broken my brain. The federal government has issued the city of Saint Paul a grant for $250,000 to complete the sidewalks along the parkway, and the only stipulation is that pedestrians and cyclists get right of way.

wait a moment.

lets review the Minnesota Statute on the matter.

Minnesota Statute 169.222 available on the web at:
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=169.222

and it reads:

"169.222 OPERATION OF BICYCLE.
Subdivision 1. Traffic laws apply. Every person operating a bicycle shall have all of the
rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle by this chapter, except in respect to those provisions in this chapter relating expressly to bicycles and in respect to those provisions of this chapter which by their nature cannot reasonably be applied to bicycles.
Subd. 2. Manner and number riding. No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped, except (1) on a baby seat attached to the bicycle, provided that the baby seat is equipped with a harness to hold the child securely in the seat and that protection is provided against the child's feet hitting the spokes of the wheel or (2) in a seat attached to the bicycle operator.
Subd. 3. Clinging to vehicle. Persons riding upon any bicycle, coaster, roller skates,
toboggan, sled, skateboard, or toy vehicle shall not attach the same or themselves to any street car or vehicle upon a roadway.
Subd. 4. Riding on roadway or shoulder. (a) Every person operating a bicycle upon a
roadway shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except
under any of the following situations:
(1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;
(2) when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;
(3) when reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including fixed or moving objects,
vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or narrow width lanes, that make it unsafe to
continue along the right-hand curb or edge.
(b) If a bicycle is traveling on a shoulder of a roadway, the bicycle shall travel in the same
direction as adjacent vehicular traffic.
(c) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway or shoulder shall not ride more than two abreast
and shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned roadway,
shall ride within a single lane.
(d) A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, or across a roadway or shoulder on a
crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal when
necessary before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a
sidewalk within a business district unless permitted by local authorities. Local authorities may
prohibit the operation of bicycles on any sidewalk or crosswalk under their jurisdiction.
(e) An individual operating a bicycle or other vehicle on a bikeway shall leave a safe distance
when overtaking a bicycle or individual proceeding in the same direction on the bikeway, and
shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle or individual.
(f) A person lawfully operating a bicycle on a sidewalk, or across a roadway or shoulder
on a crosswalk, shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same
circumstances.
Subd. 5. Carrying articles. No person operating a bicycle shall carry any package, bundle,
or article which prevents the driver from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars or from properly operating the brakes of the bicycle.
Subd. 6. Bicycle equipment. (a) No person shall operate a bicycle at nighttime unless
the bicycle or its operator is equipped with a lamp which shall emit a white light visible from
a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector of a type approved by the
Department of Public Safety which is visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet to
the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. No
person may operate a bicycle at any time when there is not sufficient light to render persons and vehicles on the highway clearly discernible at a distance of 500 feet ahead unless the bicycle or its operator is equipped with reflective surfaces that shall be visible during the hours of darkness from 600 feet when viewed in front of lawful lower beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle. The reflective surfaces shall include reflective materials on each side of each pedal to indicate their presence from the front or the rear and with a minimum of 20 square inches of reflective material on each side of the bicycle or its operator. Any bicycle equipped with side reflectors as required by regulations for new bicycles prescribed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission shall be considered to meet the requirements for side reflectorization contained in this subdivision. A bicycle may be equipped with a rear lamp that emits a red flashing signal.
(b) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the
operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(c) No person shall operate upon a highway any bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised
that the operator must elevate the hands above the level of the shoulders in order to grasp the
normal steering grip area.
(d) No person shall operate upon a highway any bicycle which is of such a size as to prevent
the operator from stopping the bicycle, supporting it with at least one foot on the highway surface and restarting in a safe manner.
Subd. 7. Sale with reflectors and other equipment. No person shall sell or offer for
sale any new bicycle unless it is equipped with reflectors and other equipment as required by
subdivision 6, clauses (a) and (b) and by the regulations for new bicycles prescribed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Subd. 8. Turning, lane change. An arm signal to turn right or left shall be given continuously during the last 100 feet traveled by the bicycle before turning, unless the arm is needed to control the bicycle, and shall be given while the bicycle is stopped waiting to turn.
Subd. 9. Bicycle parking. (a) A person may park a bicycle on a sidewalk unless prohibited
or restricted by local authorities. A bicycle parked on a sidewalk shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic.
(b) A bicycle may be parked on a roadway at any location where parking is allowed if it is
parked in such a manner that it does not obstruct the movement of a legally parked motor vehicle.
Subd. 10. Bicycle events. (a) Bicycle events, parades, contests, or racing on a highway
shall not be unlawful when approved by state or local authorities having jurisdiction over that
highway. Approval shall be granted only under conditions which assure reasonable safety for all
participants, spectators and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference
with traffic flow which would seriously inconvenience other highway users.
(b) By agreement with the approving authority, participants in an approved bicycle highway
event may be exempted from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable thereto,
provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users.
Subd. 11. Peace officer operating bicycle. The provisions of this section governing operation
of bicycles do not apply to bicycles operated by peace officers while performing their duties.
History: 1978 c 739 s 12; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 255 s 14; 1993 c 326 art 4 s 2; art 7 s
2; 1995 c 72 s 2"

So there are no legal changes. The bikes that had right of way...have right of way...in exchange, the street gets free sidewalks. I think it is awfully clever way that the city found to offset the cost of the sidewalks.

I don’t know about how the rest of the community feels but I think this is a no brainer. And they are convinced that there will suddenly be drifters and assholes wandering around prying at their windows.

Does anyone out there know what sidewalks cost? anyone been recently assessed for new sidewalks? I think this is one hell of a deal.

Also, it would be wicked cool to have a street dedicated to making motorists aware of the rights of cyclists and the fact that their piloting a large piece of tin does not exempt them from observing those rights. I would change my route if there was a safer way.

I am a Caucasian male

2008-08-05T23:47:00.003-05:00

More Scandinavian than from the Caucus mountains. In fact, I lack as much Caucasian blood as someone 3/4 Finn could.

But on Saturday we went to The Big Libowski, and it really made me want a White Russian.

So here is to the Dude.

Bracing

2008-08-04T22:35:00.002-05:00

The rear fender doesn't rattle any more!

I made the braces from copper plated plumbing braces, which were not solid copper like the nice people at the hardware store told me they were. Which made them harder than advertised to drill holes in.

tomorrow will be a quieter ride

Bwahahahahaha

Drills

2008-08-04T14:21:00.002-05:00

I hate cordless drills. I have never used one that I was happy with. My Dad has a few of them from various manufacturers and the drill I use when he isn't looking is corded. It just works better. Something about getting the same torque from beginning to end.

I'm suspicious of chuckless systems too, but that is a different matter.

I mention this because I am finally replacing the crappy old brake calipers on the Peugeot. The new ones have better reach I should keep catching the tires and smooth release so I wont bike around with the brakes gripped.

The back fender has been held steady by a zip tie and I figure this would be a perfect opportunity to brace the fender so it doesn't wiggle and clatter so much. But my drill is cordless, so I have to wait another four hours for the fucking battery to recharge.

RAAAR!

IPA

2008-07-31T23:25:00.002-05:00

Indian Pale Ale. I can't stand the stuff. It just tastes sour to me.

But we just slow-cooked some chicken in an IPA based marinade and it was awesome. For the record IPA was not in the recipe, but the Horn Dog we have in the fridge wouldn't exactly have worked with the spices. So we cracked the last bottle of IPA we keep in reserve for folks that like really hoppy beer, and tada!

On today's ride home from work there was one of the speed signs with the radar gun, and it clocked me at 19.

I was pretty excited.

Solving the world's problems

2008-07-30T22:14:00.003-05:00

Today’s ride home had its high points and its low points.

The first low was when I couldn’t keep up with two guys crossing the Mendota Bridge. I usually pride myself on being able to keep up with others, and I just couldn’t do it. My excuse is that when I started riding home I pedaled really hard and my thighs were not warmed up yet, and hurt the whole trip after. Weak excuse but that is how I perceived it. As one of my friends named Jim says: “the problem young people have is they don’t know how to pace themselves.”

my bad.

The second low came just as I was coming up along the exit from 55 to Hiawatha. I was being passed by a polite guy on a red lugged Trek and a small sparrow flushed out of the shadows missed him and hit my front spokes with a “BONG!”

I think I killed it....

I don’t know....

So I entered Minnehaha Park not feeling so good. I felt slow, dehydrated, and like I had just run over a song bird.

But then a chance to redeem myself!

A person in distress! Pushing her rusting yellow Schwinn Collegiate with a flat rear tire.

“Do you need a pump, patch, or a tire?” I ask pulling up. She wasn’t sure. So I triied putting air in. No good. So I call Shannon’s phone tell it I’ll be 15-20 minutes late. The nice thing about dealing with older bikes regularly is that you come prepared for working on older bikes. The back wheel was held in place by a 17mm bolt. I happen to carry a 17mm socket. It took but a moment to pull the wheel and then the tire off, and another to find the tear. Less than 15 minutes to patch and reassemble the wheel. The tire was old and the rubber was starting to crack apart so I pumped the tire up to 60 psi not the 90 it prescribed.

We hopped onto our bikes and headed our separate ways. I had new energy, becasue I had been of some use.

If you are reading this, your bike needs new tires. they can be had cheaply, two for as little as 20 bucks or so, but you’ll be happier for it. Patch kits are nice and also cheap. And a crescent wrench can solve a lot of the world’s problems.

I finished off the evening with a nice Barley Wine style ale with some delicious chicken tacos Shannon made. I’m feeling pretty good about the day as a whole.

The taste of metal

2008-07-29T23:55:00.003-05:00

Actually a pretty good short story if you are in the market for one.

This is not the material of a good short story, but me thinking about how long I've been doing the same thing. A lot has changed in the last 4 years. But I am starting to notice a different something about things. And it makes my ears prick...

I like my job most days, but... I don't know what.

mostly I lack a unified theory of beer. I really just cannot stand IPAs. They taste metallic to me. maybe I've just had a bad run of IPAs. But I love a good dark ale or a stout. Like a thick oatmeal stout served in a large snifter...

I used to believe in the opacity test, but that really lacks causation. Mostly I really like stouts which are opaque, but there are some belgian beers that are quite translucent and 11.3%. There was this Roquefort I tried that was very distinctive, and knocked me on my ass. I'll have to keep an eye out for it again.

Run Away!

2008-07-28T18:22:00.005-05:00

We didn't make it to Elysian. A thunderstorm chased us back to the car. But we did get twenty miles in on the Sakatah trail before fleeing.

Shannon has a really good post about our adventures.
http://adventuresinordinary.blogspot.com/

Things that we figured out on this ride were:
1. Weather.com cannot be trusted
2. Food is heavy
3. The thunderstorm is never going the other way

It was a beautiful day though thirty miles east. And we still had a nice day of riding though it was divided between trails.

Frenchie did just get out of the shop again. The new wheel works so much better than the old one it is like comparing apples to hermaphroditic sloths.

Also, our new camera can attach directly onto the handlebars, which is wicked cool. No having to dig out the Ammo box right now.

Here is us in Cannon Falls after our ride.

As the wheel turns

2008-07-26T23:45:00.003-05:00

So the old rim and spokes were pretty well shot. What was suggested was that a new rim get laced onto the old hub and we start fresh. Shannon picked Frenchie up from the shop today, and I think it looks pretty good.

So tomorrow we will bike from Faribault to however far we feel like. If we make it to Mankato perhaps we'll terrorize the folks we know in Upper North. We'll at least go as far as Elysian, cuz I mean really. It begs for slap styx comedy.

pictures to follow.

Bloody hell

2008-07-22T09:30:00.004-05:00

I'm glad it waited for a work day and didn't break a couple miles outside Haistings. God that would have been terrible if the spoke broke coming down that hill...

So yeah, another spoke broke. I am now inclined to start thinking about having the wheel rebuilt. And then I think... I wonder how smaller wheels might feel... would certainly be easier to get the back wheel out of the frame.

IN THE MEAN TIME

maybe what I'll do is put a rack on the three-speed and pump the tires up.

Longest day of the year

2008-07-21T11:18:00.006-05:00

No, I did not mean the Summer Solstice. That party has been and gone.I mean the longest day of riding I have had yet this year. It was a store ride from Hiawatha Cyclery. We went around Lake Pepin, clocking 72.37 miles. Longer than my previous longest day by almost a factor of 2. I would have needed another 8 miles. I set a new top speed on Frenchie at 38.6 miles per hour. It was a nice sized group of 11 people. I was happy to be able to keep up with everyone else.

The morning started off humid and cool. But as the clouds and fog burned off it turned into a beautiful sunny day.

We stopped at the Smiling Pelican. The Cherry Popper I had was about five minutes from the oven. A buttery sweetbread with cherries in the middle.

We stopped in Wabasha for lunch at the Eagle's Nest. I thought we were heading to Austria, but appreciated not have to ride through the Alps.

It's Jim!

the refuge

Frenchie being a good bike.

Everyone in Lake City cooling off in the shade. I'm pretty sure the population is more than 11. It was all of our group hanging out at this time.

I think it is time to figure out the water problem.

maybe if they had some lava

2008-07-14T11:09:00.005-05:00

I'm not a big fan Pulp Fiction, but John Travolta's line from the bathroom just keeps popping in there. Just look out for Marshmallow men.

Here is one of my favorite of the volcano pictures. I think Shannon took it.

on this screen it looks a little yellowish, but it should be reddish. at least it was in Photoshop...

And those damn CR2 formats. errgh. I had to open the picture in Preview and save it as a TIFF just to have the privilege of opening it in photoshop.

The website is down

2008-07-14T09:45:00.003-05:00

I saw this on Blood Sweat and Gears.

I laughed so hard I got a bloody nose.

Airport security

2008-07-14T08:41:00.002-05:00

I don't dress up to travel. Some people are in the security line looking like they just stepped out of Tiffany's. I look like I am about to go hiking. I like loose fitting clothes, zip-off pant legs in case I get cold or warm. But I also get searched a lot going through security.

Some people suggest it is the Mamiya that causes the trouble. Not a lot of people travel with large cameras like that. And I usually travel with it. I like the 6x4.5cm format. I like the way the math changes on exposures. Through an x-ray machine it prolly looks like something gruesome. I don't know, they never let me look.

But I was searched at the airport going from Hawaii to Oahu and leaving Oahu heading for home. And they were the most pleasant airport security people I have ever been searched by. They were just as thorough as the grumbling people at MSP, they opened all my camera bags and swabbed everything down, but they smiled and made small talk about our stay in Hawaii. I actually enjoyed being searched. I felt like I had taken part in some sort of happy exit poll.

clarification

2008-07-14T08:38:00.004-05:00

I don't mean that those guide books were wrong about much else at all. The restaurants they suggest were excellent. And the beaches where they said turtles could be found had turtles.

I am just saying: there is biking on those islands.

The place we stopped for shaved ice was just down the street from that other place, and the nice people behind the counter were precisely that.

The Big Island Revealed and Oahu Revealed were wrong about something

2008-07-13T08:53:00.004-05:00

Biking specifically.

The only roads that did not have bike lanes, or share the road signs that I noticed were H1 and H3.

I would venture that the islands are very bike friendly. But then, were are getting used to more urban biking and the authors prolly expected people looking for island biking to have off road mountain biking in mind.

But all day and on every road we saw cyclists.

We watched a guy bike up to the Pali lookout on the old highway (which is now a paved trail for pedestrians since the road goes through the mountain now rather than over it) and then go screaming back down. Not Tarzan screaming, but his knobby tires made that TIE fighter "CHWHAAAAAAAAAA" sound.

So don't forget to bring your Travelers Checks with you. There is beautiful biking in Hawaii, though most of it is going to be on a bike lane.

wool socks

2008-07-13T08:45:00.003-05:00

yes I when I was wearing socks in Hawaii they were wool.

Nice light Smartwool socks. Awesome.

In that picture of me: woolens

Signs of Hawaii

2008-07-13T08:34:00.006-05:00

I think this sign is trying to tell us not to drive down the dirt road to the southernmost point in the United States.

Specifically not to offroad, but since the road more or less ends a couple hundred yards from there and what continues are two tracks in the grass what are we to do?

As a side note: Kapu used to be punishable by death in Hawaii.

This next sign was at the ranger station by an old lava flow in Volcanos National Park.

And the seals are also out to get you

And so is the lava.

The first of many vacation posts

2008-07-09T06:44:00.002-05:00

It's early, but not early enough for a long post.

We've been home from vaca for a couple days now and I've been building up to the first post about what and where we've been up to.

Just before leaving I had a discussion of bike helmets with an RN. And she made some compelling arguments for me to wear a helmet. But that just wasn't enough.

I saw on a friend's Facebook page pictures of him getting stitches and his busted helmet. And that scared me a bit.

But the second day we were in Hawaii, I was riding shotgun and looking to the left when the motorcycle next to us got taken out.

caveat: The motorcycle did pull in front of the other car.

But watching the guy roll over the windshield shook me.

We're ready to party We're ready

2008-06-28T23:41:00.002-05:00

We hope you bring lots of spaghetti.

Shannon and I are heading out for vacation, so don't expect posts.

Fencing is not relaxing work.

a response to the rebuttal

2008-06-26T22:04:00.005-05:00

It wasn't until the last few weeks that the serious thought of a new bike even entered my head. I've talked about it a lot, probably driving everyone crazy with my demented parrot chatter about various bikes, but the idea of buying a new thing usually froze my brain.

I have owned 1 new bike ever. and I gave it away.

I have owned many used bikes, most of which have been given away. Eight of them if I am not mistaken (in fact only three are retained). But I haven't close attention to how they rode.

Sir Walter rides completely differently from Frenchie. In fact, riding Sir Walter like Frenchie is terribly uncomfortable.

For one thing, going over hard bumps on Frenchie I have to lift off the seat and bring my weight forward slightly. The same maneuver on Sir Walter makes for wobbling and mwa-ja-ja-ja *waving arms.* By lifting and shifting back over the rear wheel though, the bump is smooth.

Also Sir Walter tracks nicely. But steering is more in the leaning than turning the handle bars. I think those handle bars are just something to cling to. But I've only ridden it for 26 miles, so what the hell do I know.

http://adventuresinordinary.blogspot.com/2008/06/maligned.html

the Other

2008-06-25T23:41:00.002-05:00

Shannon picked up Frenchie, and dropped him off at Hiawatha Cyclery to be reshod.

But she left Sir Walter with me so I could still bike home. Which was awesome.

that bike feels WEIRD.

obviously, someone else's bike is going to be set up the way they are going to want it (And my preference in Frenchie is rather bizarre). But the bike felt completely different.

I think Shannon should get a new bike first. Handsome as Sir Walter might be...WEIRD!

mwa-ja-ja-ja *waves arms*

BAM!

2008-06-25T08:52:00.005-05:00

So I'm riding over to work, and I hear a terrible noise. It sounded like a valve stem blasting off. And then wah-wah-wah-wah-waaaaaaaaaah

But the tire pressure is there.

*snarl*

busted spoke.

Jim I wish I'd bought that temporary spoke wire thingy you showed me last summer.