The wind and rain

We've got some serious rain and wind this week in the SF Bay Area, but it doesn't stop Tricia from bike commuting. Wednesday is supposed to be the big day in the series of storms, and it sure is windy already. I'm glad she has lots of lights on her bike.

Almost New Years Day on Diablo

We missed our 1.1.10 ride to the summit of Mt. Diablo. We did manage to make it on the day after, so it still counts, right?

It was mighty foggy on the way up, but when we broke through the clouds it was like being on top of the world.

Even though there are bus loads of riders on the mountain, and many of them passing us at warp 9, I always feel like I've done something epic when I reach the summit. Maybe it's just that little kicker at the end, but merely making it to the top seems like a big deal, even though it's only about 13 miles from where we start. I guess it could be the 3770 feet of climbing...

2009 year end totals

7912 miles
For the record
Commuter bike starting odo: 5818, ending: 7815, total: 1997 commuter miles
Road bike starting odo: 8457, ending: 13791, total: 5334 roadie miles
Fixed gear bike 247 (normal ODO) 234 (garmin) 100 (est unrecorded commuting miles) 581 miles

Disclaimers:
I sometimes ride the commuter as a mountain bike, or on errands, so those miles are not strictly "going to work" miles.
I ride the fixed gear/single speed for fun, and commuting. The light I use interfeared with wireless odometer, so I guessed 100 miles unrecorded. I'm sure there were really more.

I'm a bit disappointed. Had I known I was so close to 8000 I could have made it by just adding a few a day, or taking one good ride. Of course, I find I'm also thinking "Perhaps I really did 180 unrecorded miles on the single speed." But that would be cheating, wouldn't it?

I want this... or this.

Specialized Roubaix Expert Triple 2009


Specialized Roubaix Expert Triple 2010

I know it isn't about the bike. I don't care. Bike lust has no rational component. So here, I publicly announce my bicycle desires. Ever since Tricia got her Ruby I have looked upon it with a greedy eye. It's light, it's pretty, and it seems to work really well. I have therefore determined that a Robaiux would work just fine for me.

Part of it is that, even though I like my Kestrel RT-700 a bunch, I am getting a might older. I'm starting to think a triple might be a good idea. I'm planning to attempt a few really long rides with a bunch of climbing and perhaps some really low gears will make it more likely that I finish.

The Specialized Roubaix Expert has an all-Ultegra drive train and seems like a reasonable level to shoot for. I'd take an 09 or 10, new or used. I'm picky about the color — black white or black gray, and I need a 52 cm version.

If you know of a great deal on this bike, new or used, please post a reply or email me!

Winter Solstice lights

Here on the west coast in California the 2009 Winter Solstice will occur at 9:47 a.m. on Monday, December 21, 2009. Even though that's the shortest day the sunrise will get later and later here until about Jan 7. The good news is that sunset is already getting later.

In any event, we are ready for Solstice with celebratory lights on the commuter bikes. Here's Tricia with hers.

Now famous in the USA too

Our Adventure Cycling 2010 tour catalog came in the mail. I knew they were using a couple of photos, but I didn't know exactly how. I was excited to see Tricia on the back cover, looking all tough and fine. The inside photo of me might not have the marketing appeal they were hoping for , but I'm still happy to have them use it.

Almost famous in Europe

I recently got email from the German "Endorphinum" magazine asking if they could use a photo they saw on my Flickr page. "Sure" I wrote back. It seems they actually did it! I'm on page 30 and 31 of the 9/12 issue (zipped PDF).

Velo Wonderland and Art Murmur

Velo Wonderland was a wonderful cycling event put on by EBBC at — of all places — the Uptown Body and Fender shop, that in addition to being a body shop is also a very nice art and preformance space. It was part of Oakland's Art Murmur first Friday art walk. I have no idea why it exists, or what it all means, but it is without doubt way cool. The Velo Wonderland part had handmade cycling clothes, bicycle arts and such, as well as indoor bike parking. The Art Murmur part included lots of open studio and gallery events complete with a blocked off street, wild projected videos, and all sorts of fun. We walked about and basked in the glow of creative people making fun stuff without boundaries. Coming from the distant burbs I was amazed to see so many bicycles. We kept thinking we must live in the wrong place.

Solvang Double signup

Yep. I've done it. I'm all signed up for this monster, the Solvang Double Century. I know it's early, but I'm hoping that signing up, and knowing I've got to be ready, will provide me with even more motivation. There's a rough of the route on Bikley. I've at least got months to deciede the larger question: What jersey should I wear?

California Triple Crown 2010

I've envied my friend Ron's California Triple Crown jersey (awarded by the folks over at caltriplecrown.com) for a long time now. I want one, but apparently you have to actually ride the three double centuries in one year to get one.

I'm thinking about going for it in 2010. I guess I think posting the possibility may be a first step in making it a reality. I'm pretty much a non-athlete, and my biological clock it ticking loudly. If I'm going to ever do this stuff I better do it soon, as in next year.

I've done the Davis Double the last two years, which I'm proud of. Over 130 DNFed this year, so I'm not at complete bottom of the pack. Just close. I think if I focus maybe I can pull this off.

Here's what I'm looking at:
Solvang Double in March
Davis Double in May

After that I'm not sure. I don't want to drive to LA for the weekend, though there are rides that look do-able there. And I freely admit I'm trying to pick rides I might be able to actually finish. That leaves out the Devil Mountain Double, as well as many others.

So I'm thinking number 3 should be
Eastern Sierra (though this year the weather was brutal) in June
or
Bass Lake Power House, in October.
UPDATE 10.10.09:
I'm adding the possibility of Knoxville to the list. It seems like a lot of climbing, but you do get 19 hours to complete it. I do like that it's close to home. If the weather isn't a problem it sounds possible!

The questions at hand:
1: Good idea?
2. Right ride picks?
3: Any one else thinking doubles next year?
4. Any one else thinking Triple Crown?
5. Thoughts, snarky comments or cheap shots?

Kenitic Road Machine fluid trainer

Tricia had been talking about getting a trainer. I thought I'd get her one for Christmas and started researching them. I'd decieded on fluid rather than wind or magnetic, and the Kinetic got the the best reviews. It also appears to have earned the "least likely to leak" award.

Then I found an ad on Craigslist for this Road Machine at a reasonable price. Heck with waiting for Christmas. I bought it.

It set up easily, and we just finished installing Tricia's first road bike (her Trek 1500) on it.

I haven't tried it with my Kestrel yet. I don't know if I'll turn out to be much of an indoor cycling guy, but I'll give it a shot. Rumor has it that indoor riding can be good for short suffer-fests that result in increased strength on the road, so it may be worth it.

The geek in me is looking forward to trying out Coach Troy, Chris Carmichael and Graham Street DVDs.

Obsessive Compulsive Poseur

I know it's wrong, yet I couldn't stop myself. Let's be honest; I didn't even try to stop myself.

When I saw water bottles that matched my Kestrel RT700 I bought them. What color can you put on a copper-colored bike? Blue? Yellow? Green? Red? Nope. White is OK, but stands out too much. Black heats up the water, and is impossible to find anyway. Copper bottles are really the only option, so when I saw these I knew I would be buying them.

Polar has had orange bottles for a while, but they didn't really match. Then I saw these. They are just enough darker that they work.

Yes, I know they won't make me faster, or more cool. They won't make the water taste better. My old bottles were still functional. Still, I now have bottles that look better on my bike, and when I take a good long look at the crazy world I can't help but think it's a better place because I have copper-color water bottles on my copper-color bike.

Foxy's Fall Century

Foxy's Fall Century, put on by the Davis Bike Club, is a beautiful ride through Solano and Napa counties. Tricia and I joined a group form NorCal Bikeforums.net for the one hundred mile ride and had a ball.

The ride starts out meandering through the very very flat farmlands of California's Central Valley. Some find it dull, but I loved the early morning light and drafting behind Chris and Deborah's tandem.

After we'd ridden under the just-launched hot air balloons and past a large whimsical bicycle sculpture we finely got to some hills, though nothing too hard. We rode through the aromas of California Laurel, sage and tar weed.

After lunch there's a bit of a climb near Lake Berryessa. It's called "The Wall," but mostly it's an optical illusion. It looked intimidatingly steep, but when we rode up it, it wasn't nearly as tough as it looked from a distance. From there it's a long, ever so slight downhill back to Davis. There's nothing like an invisible downhill and a drafting a tandem to make you feel really fast. A grand time was had by all. Here's a short Flickr slideshow. I had a reasonably good day with my point & shoot.

By the way, I'm very happy with the photo at the top of this story. I'm thinking of making a poster from it. Click it to see the large version.

Smack! New helmet time

I was actually looking forward to my first rain commute of the season. Despite dire warnings from the fear-mongering weather folks I started out with a wet but delightful tail wind, and was feeling pretty good in my rain clothes.

Then, riding through an area I ride every day, I caught my front wheel on a cement lip running parallel to my path. I'm guessing that because it was so wet, and it was the first rain of the season, the road was extra slippery. I didn't do a slow fall like in the movies, I just went boom. i smacked right into the pavement and whipped my head onto the ground.

As crashes go, it wasn't that bad. I got a bloody elbow, a big headache, and I'm sure I'll have impressive bruises. But nothing on the bike broke.

When I got to work I ordered a new helmet. I'm upgrading my Bell Sweep to a Bell Volt. The Sweep isn't cracked or anything, but I'm being a proper cyclist and replacing it anyway.

UPDATE: The Volt is here, and I like it even more than the Sweep! It has a nice adjustment for the back that let's me dial in the fit better than any helmet I've ever had.

Official: I am old

I am old. It's been coming for a while, but on this day it is official. I have a compact crankset. I have a gray goatee and wrinkles. But the thing that makes it official: I now have a Grateful Dead inspired jersey, like the ones that all those beer-belly riders have. I worry I am but one step away from a recumbent. Heck, I've seriously contemplated a triple, even though I know it's just a gateway drug toward becoming a 'bent rider. I know there is no reprieve from the steady tick of the clock and turn of the calendar page. But I hope I won't sink further.
If I start talking hybrid, recumbent, or breakfast cereal jersey please come and stop me.

WTF Cyclists?

Indeed, WTF cyclists?
I thought we were better than this. After all, we enjoy being outside, and I thought we all had some common understanding that trashing the environment is a bad thing. We rail enough about broken glass that we should be able to make the leap and realize that we shouldn't be contributing to road side garbage piles.

But I guess not.

I ride Empire Mine Road as part of my short local loop. It's a sweet road that's closed to automobiles that runs through some ranch land. Lots of cyclists use it, either as an out and back, or a back road between Antioch and Brentwood.

Last week I picked up two 700c inner tubes and two C02 cartridges. (I guess the mountain bikers are off the hook on this.) This week there were several gel packs at the top of the hill. Yech.

Just as a side note: If you need to stop at this little rise to power gel up, you are too much of a wimp and poseur to be out in the world on a bike without training wheels.

I don't think those litter-cyclists will read this because I don't think they know how to read. But if you see those jerk wads littering, feel free to stick a frame pump in their spokes, or snap a quick photo of them for me to post.

If, by some chance I'm writing about you, cut it out. Put that stuff in your pocket and stop being such a wiener.

Castelli, where for art thou?

I sent a letter to Castilli on April 12, 2009 . I never heard back. I'm still disappointed. Perhaps the mighty power of my the internet and my magic blog (read by millions) will prod them into acknowledging my letter.

Greetings,
Please listen to my sad tale, for as sad as it may by, it is filled with Castelli love.
I purchased a pair of your Dome Due Bibshorts and it was love at first ride. They became my new favorites. As you might imagine, I wanted another pair. But I made an error. Perhaps I made two errors.

You may not realize this, but Ergo Due Bibshort reads a lot like Dome Due Bibshort. When I saw “Ergo Due Bibshort” on ebay, new with tags, I was a happy cyclist. It seemed like a good deal, and I ordered them.

When they came, they weren’t the same as my favorites, but I thought, what the heck, they are, after all, Castelli. Though I didn’t love the elastic leg grippers, they worked well holding up my knee warmers. I was OK with them.

Alas, and here is where the sad part starts, I hadn’t had them but a couple of weeks when the shorts developed a problem. The elastic leg band just sort of exploded. Now, I am absolutely a fanatic when I was my cycling clothes. I use gentle powder soap and hand them dry. I didn’t wreck them in the washer, or snag them on something.

I realize you’d like me to go through the dealer, but the dealer is long gone. That isn’t a option for me.
Here’s what I think it would be really swell, and enlarge my already passionate Castelli love:

You should consider giving me some Castelli credit. I would like to return these problem bibs for credit toward my true love bibs, the Dome Due. Or, if that just seems like way too much, you might at least replace them with your Ergo Due Bibshort.
In any event, I shall continue my affair with my Dome Due bibs, and continue to buy my wife more Castelli than even I have.

Thanks for thinking about it.

Benicia Bridge Pedestrian/Bicycle Path

Tricia and I joined hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians (and her fellow teacher and Kestrel rider, Lars) for the opening of the Benicia Bridge Pedestrian/Bicycle Path. It's about time. And it only cost $50 million! There were festivities that we skipped, but we did score a 15% Sports Basement coupon and a very nice commemorative water bottle.

The bridge path is wonderful. It's plenty wide, and will be fun to ride on normal days when it's less crowded. It does, however, dump you into a rather ugly industrial area of Martinez, but it doesn't take long to get out of the refinery zone and into the hills near Martinez. The Benicia side can take you into Benicia, or into another industrial zone with signs that say "Danger. Remote control rail cars." Still, I'll be riding it, and trying to find a loop that will take me to the Carquinez bridge into Crockett and back to Martinez. (Click the map to see a large readable version)

Bike forum Nor Cal gang

I love Bikeforums.net. Not only have a learned a lot about parts and pieces, but I've made some nice real-world friends. Though the forum is an online community, the people in the NorCal section, being local, regularly organize rides. I've been pleased and amazed to discover that my favorite folks to cycle with are my friends from the virtual world of BF. The only problem I have is that we all get two names, our real names, and our online names. When you are as name challenged as I am, that can be rather rough.

I've been on BigBossMan's "Slowpoke" ride, Beaker's 1st BF NorCal Diablo KOM Challenge, Joel's NorCal Century, and rides in the Delta, around Diablo, through Marin, and along the coast that were just a delight.

Sunday was no exception. Tricia and I met Pete (Taxi777) for an excursion from SF, across the Golden Gate, out to Tiburon and back. It was a blast. We enjoyed the ride and fine company of Spingineer, Kontty and Ramon. It was grand. Thanks Bikeforums!

Maybe this internet thing will catch on.

Mid year stats

Our friends on Bikeforums.net keep mileage and climbing stats, but really, what the heck kinda stats are those?
Tricia and keep I stats, but we keep team stats for the two of us (because we're a team, darnit) and we only keep stats on important things, not the junk reported on BF.
Here are our totals for the year:

• Flats per 100 miles (CA only) 2.5
• Flats per 100 miles (not CA) 0
• Caffeine consumption: 1 mg per 10 feet of climbing
• Suicide squirrels: 10 squirrels per 7 miles (rural road only stat)
• Liquid disposal stops per mile: .05
• Hammer and Cliff products used: $.39 per flat tire
• Floor pump strokes per month: 1376
• Sunscreen: $2.32 per appendage per month
• Glass shards sparkling like diamonds, per meter (Antioch): 1,765
• Glass shards sparkling like broken crack pipes, per meter (Pittsburg): 1,764
• Distance sprinting from dogs: .23 furlongs per fortnight
• Ratio of money spent on commuter bikes and accessories vs money saved on gasoline: 8:1
• Percent of in focus photos taken on bike: 21
• Time spent riding vs time spent on BF (daylight only): 12.4:1
• Chamois butter per mile: Ewwwwh. That's just gross