Dream a little dream!

While I have not been an active blogger lately, It is not without reason.  First off, I have not been on the bike too much lately!  In early August, while on a ride with my two brothers and my nephew, my brother Nick had a pretty nasty spill resulting in my calling 911 from my cellphone while he lay unconcious in the street.  We were moving along pretty well (18 - 20 mph) in Rochester when I heard the carnage behind me.  Lo and behold, it was Nick who apparently went over the handlebars and landed on his head.  No doubt for the doctors in Boston that he would have been expired had he not had a helmet on.  Luckily, he was wearing a helmet and still experienced about 5 minutes of "lights out" before coming around.  At any rate, I have been running in preparation for the Newport Half Marathon since then and have not been focused on the bike.  The Rochester Time Trial series is over for the season, and while I did not get to participate as often as I would have liked, it's over and that is another reason I don't need to be training on the bike.

One thing is for sure and that is Fall is here!  My favorite time of year and when I seem to log the most miles commuting to work.  My trusty single speed is adorned with the necessary lights and bags, the mornings are crisp and cool, and my winter cycling clothes are out of the attic! So, in addition to training for the Newport half Marathon on October 17, I have to start riding.  While I didn't think that my brothers crash had any impact on my at first, it's not like me to stay off the bike for four weeks.  That's how I know it affected me. Either way, I have a complete SRAM Force group on its way to me which will no doubt stoke the fires of my enthusiasm!  Nothing like some shiny new cycling bits to get the motor running!  While the racing bike awaits its new bits, I will experience the simplistic joy of my home made single speed commuter bike.  Nothing brings me closer to childhood than humming along while enjoying the sights and sounds all around me.  It's a great departure from the racing bike where the focus revolves around average speed and heart rate! The single speed has gained a permanent sweet spot in my heart.


Wish me luck, I'll see you out on the road.

Tony Kornheiser is an Idiot

 Once in a while, someone comes along with comments that are so ignorant, so idiotic and so detrimental, that it is truly amazing.  Such is the case with ESPN's Tony Kornheiser recently.  After just coming off a suspension for moronic comments regarding his fellow ESPN anchor Hannah Storm, he decided that a good way to warm the hearts of listeners would be a 5 minute rant on cyclists.  This guy needs to be removed from the air.  I can only hope that Lance Armstrong makes this his focus for the next few weeks resulting in Tony not only being removed form the airwaves, but left discarded by the listening public.

Take a listen here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7wnBoWOfAU

Once you have been thoroughly disgusted and amazed, you can voice your opinion here:  http://www.espn980.com/info/contact_us.php

Dog Update

Is it too much to ask?  I just want to ride my bicycle to work without the underlying fear of having a dog chew through my calf before I get to my desk, which was almost the case yesterday morning. I rode to work solo yesterday which I don't mind aside from the fact that I know this dog is going to come charging out with full intentions of ruining my morning, and that is exactly what happened.  About a mile from my office and right on cue he came charging out, teeth bare, looking like he just spotted his breakfast.  I did have pepper spray, but as I was wearing mittens, lacked the dexterity to use it.  I outran him and made it to work where I promptly called animal control and left my 54th message on their machine.  A ritual I have gotten quite used to over the past 4 years.  I then spoke to a co-worker here that also moonlights as a cop in the town.  Apparently I am not the only one who has had problems with the this dog, and the story goes that the owner could care less.  I'm picturing a sterotypical episode of cops where the cops bang on the door of the trailer and the guy answers the door in a stained wife beater still smelling of last nights bourbon.
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, I'm riding home, pepper spray in hand, and I see the dog setting up for my arrival.  About 200 yards away I see him dash from the comfort of the double-wide, down to the street.  Hearing the old western gunfight whistling in my head I grasp my pepper spray and ride towards him.  Out he comes, I slow down and soak his face to the point where it reminds me of an old soupy sales comedy routine with a seltzer bottle!  His eyes close, he stops in his tracks, and runs off into the abyss.
Off I ride wondering if the owner would load up the gun rack in his 72 Ford pickup and come after me.  He didn't.
The Animal Control Officer called me back this morning and were very nice.  She is going to take a ride out to the house today and talk to the owner(s) which I hope does some good.  I just hope the guy doesn't invite the Officer in for a bourbon!
I'll let you know what happens.
Ride safe!

College Connections

Today I got an Alumni Update from Green Mountain College which I where I studied Fine Arts for 2 years.  This months Student Snapshot profiled a woman by the name of Ruth Larkin who is a student at Green Mountain.  Her blog details a recent project where she decided to give up the car for an entire semester.  If you have ever been to Poultney, VT, that's a pretty lofty goal!
Check out her blog here, it's a great read. 
Thanks Ruth, ride safe!

New llight and tires update

So the ride home last night was awesome.  A bit chilly yes, but it was so nice to be back on the bike.  I rode the singlespeed yesterday and tried out the new tires and rear light.  I have had a Princeton Tec Swerve for a while and it's a great light but the reliability has been questionable.  Roger still uses his and last night it cut out more than once after hitting a bump.  I don't want to question my tail light while I'm riding home on country roads in the dark. If your tail light goes out, chances are you won't realize it.  That's why light/reflective clothing and reflectors or very important!
My new light is a RadBot 1000 which I had never heard of until I saw it at the Cycle Center of Stamford in Stamford, CT which is where my nephew works.  WOW, is this thing bright.

Where as most bicycle tail lights have used a 1/2 watt LED, the Radbot 1000 uses a 1 watt Japanese LED which is the same bulb used in the tail lights of new cars.  Yes, it is that bright. A couple other selling factors for me: the price was about $29 which was comparable to most other lights, nice big reflector in case the light was to stop working (which has not been an issue), and the 3 mode button on the light is easy to use, has a solid feel, and provides three modes - slow flash - slow/fast flash - and steady.  It also comes with multiple mounting options.

On to my new tires!  I have had 700 x 23c tires on my singlespeed which are nice high pressure tires but not exactly appropriate for commuting in the off-season.  So, I ordered up a pair of Michelin Tracker hybrid tires:

I had been looking for a tire that met certain criteria including...
high pressure (80 psi or so), flat protection, reflective sidewall for commuting at night, and a comfortable tread that was aggressive enough to work well if I wanted to travel dirt roads/paths.
These met all my needs, and the 700 x 35c size fit comfortably in my Schwinn Le Tour frame with room to spare.
So far so good.  Nice comfortable and quiet tire that can handle changes in conditions.

And for what it's worth - I am still loving my ToPeak Bags, Rack and Trunk Rack.  There stuff is really well engineered, well made, and a pleasure to use.  I absolutely love it when stuff just works!

Ride safe!

Cold!

It was sometime last year when I rode my bicycle to work when the temperature was right around 15 degrees.  An adventure yes, but also very taxing on the body!
This morning it was in the mid to upper 20's and aside from an underlying fear (or call it a heightened awareness) of black ice, I was rather comfortable and ecstatic to be riding.  Roger and I met at my house and were bundled and pedaling by 7am.  It was my first ride on the new tires (Michelin travelers 27 x 35c) and my new tail light.  Reviews and photos to follow.
I have not been on any sort of regular cycling schedule for about 6 weeks and it felt great to be pedaling again, even if it was a bit cold.  My only missed call this morning was that my core started to get a little overheated while my face and fingers were still chilly.  The clothing is always a developing science.
Tonight should be fun, I'm looking forward to the ride home.
Check back soon for photos and reviews of the new tires and the new tail light. From the research I have done, it is the brightest tail light on the market.  Yes, even more so that the SuperFlash and Swerve.
Ride safe!

Making nice with drivers in Toronto

After tensions between cyclists and drivers grew over the summer, cyclists in Toronto took the initiative to improve relations on the road. After the tragic death of a bike messenger on Toronto streets over the summer, something needed to be done to calm fears, and work to ensure that cyclists are seen in a positive light. The Toronto Cyclists Union came up with the "Cyclists Paving the Way" campaign which has proved successful in calming increasingly volatile relationships between motorists and cyclists. Click here to check it out.

Ride safe!