Riding with the kids.

The beautiful weather was certainly not the reason for my commuting by bicycle three times this week. Tuesdays ride home was wet, Thursday was nice but the morning ride was cool and damp. This morning was pretty nice I must say, but not a week that makes one think that bicycling to work is the most appealing alternative to driving.
At any rate, I rode to work on Tuesday, Thursday (by myself) and again today. It's nice to come home at the end of the day and walk into the house with my bike gear on. I like to think that I'm creating a positive influence for the kids to see me riding the bike to work.
My 10 year old had been bugging me to ride with him so on Saturday I am taking him to the Cape Cod canal for a 14 mile ride. I'm looking forward to it and I think we will have a great time. He loves to ride and I know that he would ride more if I made the effort to ride with him so that's my goal. I'm not one for New Years resolutions - but riding more with my kids would be a good one! In this months bicycling magazine there is a great article by Joe Kurmaskie (sp?) who wrote Momentum is your friend which is a fantastic book I read a couple years ago. In this months Bicycling article, Joe talks about riding 3000 miles with his wife and 3 kids. A great read that I found to be just the motivation I needed to get out with my kids on the bikes.
Not that I'm going to pack up the kids and head up to Canada but I can certainly get them over to the Cape Cod Canal for 15 miles or so.

Quick little addition to this post - make sure you check out this 84 year old woman that does the MS ride on her singlespeed. Don't miss the fact that she wears a dress and heels!
See ya

This week in commuting!

Again this morning I crept around in the dark of my bedroom trying to properly dress for a cool/damp commute without waking up my sleeping wife. The right cycling clothing can truly make or break my time in the saddle, and when it's cool and wet (or even raining) the clothing is even more important. My ride home on Tuesday was certainly wet, but I was warm and comfortable none the less.
I am still riding my road bike while my singlespeed sits unassembled and un-painted in my cellar. The singlespeed will be my dedicated commuting bike throughout the winter but until it's done I migrated my headlight, tail light and seat bag on to my LOOK.
As I rode this morning the roads were still a bit damp and covered in leaves and pine needles. My thoughts bounced between pure appreciation that I can ride my bicycle to work on a fall morning, and sheer terror that my skinny 700x 23c tires would betray me on the wet leaves. I have been on the lookout for some good all-weather 700c tires that I can use on my singlespeed - let me know if you have any recommendations!
There is certainly something about riding in less than ideal conditions that appeals to the true cyclist in me. Heading out into cold wet darkness on a bicycle is one of those rites of passage for a cyclist. It also adds many dimensions to an otherwise generic ride - such as having to be more alert of traffic and weather conditions, dressing properly, and the overall feeling of taking pleasure in something that most folks would think entirely miserable. Of course, they probably haven't tried it!
Ride safe!
Patrick

A little online shopping

While I greatly respect and enjoy the relationship that I enjoy with my local shop (Tri Town Cycling in Wareham, MA), there are times when I come across a deal on the web that is just too good to pass up. Usually something that I may not need, but will certainly use and would not otherwise buy.
With that in mind, there are certain sites on the web that are based solely on blowout pricing. While you will not get the advice, expertise, and comraderie that you enjoy at your local LBS, you can wind up with some pretty sweet stuff without killing your budget.
One of my favorites is www.bonktown.com. Bonktown is part of larger operation that runs similar sites for skiing, skateboarding, mountain biking, etc.
I have installed the bonktown deal tracker on my machine that pops up every now and then with the most recent deals. This page also shows some deals from those other partner sites which is pretty cool.
Again, certainly you wont enjoy the benefits of your local shop, but if you see something cool and want to save a few bucks, go for it!

Peace!

Patrick

And now for something completely different!

In addition to all the sexy race bikes, mountain bikes, and latest trends in commuter bikes, I love to see folks who write their own rules when it comes to their bicycle. I came across this blog posting recently and thought it worth sharing. As I post this my singlespeed sits recently stripped and naked in my basement. The possibility of that bicycle being covered in fur or being attached to a manikin just went up.
Check it out here

While you're at it, check this out. I have always been a car lover and this is just amazing!

Enjoy!

Patrick

Google Trike

Now this is pretty cool! Google now has a "street view" camera on a bicycle that will be used to film street views on Google Maps for bicycle trails, bike paths, etc.
Check out the article and make sure to cast your vote for your local trail!

Rites of Passage

Here is a link to a fantastic article on bicycling.com which looks at 109 of the things that make us cyclists. I got a kick out of #81 in particular!

81. Explicating your training in exquisite detail on a blog, then realizing nobody cares.

If you can think of anything creative they may have missed, post it here - we'd love to read them.

Ride on

Patrick

Building a Bicycle Friendly Community

A great piece by Bikes Belong on how Boulder, CO worked to become a truly Bike Friendly community.
Click here to watch

When Worlds Collide

Here is yet another article By Bob Mionske telling of another unfortunate incident between a cyclist and an automobile. This one unfortunately ends in a most tragic and senseless loss of life. Read the article and try to remain objective. Then, head on over to YouTube and watch the videos including actual video of the incident as well as interviews with some witnesses. I find it ironic that Michael Bryant (the driver), a rather high ranking Canadian politician was the one involved. Why?
Among his targets as the provinces top law enforcement official, were street-racing motorists. In 2007 he gave the police the power to seize and destroy cars modified for racing even if no charges were lodged against their owners.
After describing such cars as being as dangerous as explosives, he said, “We will crush your car, we will crush the parts.” So this is a guy who admittedly finds cars to be as dangerous as explosives.

Read on and ride safe, I'd love to hear your opinions.

Click here for the Bicycling article

Click here for one of the YouTube Videos. There are several!

Fall

While Fall is no doubt my favorite time of year, it unfortunately signals the end of summer which I also like! So, to somewhat ease the transition into the colder months (which really don't start until December) I start to fill my calendar with things I can look forward to.
This past weekend, I grabbed my Cannondale commuter off the rack and started the lengthy process of getting it ready for the fall and winter commutes. I don't know how much longer I can safely keep that bike on the road before I either dump money into it, retire it, or just continue to ride it with a sense of foreboding doom in the back of my head at all times. The front headshock is blown out, the brakes are dicey and the rear suspension feels somewhat less than perfect.
At any rate, I cleaned it up, lubed it, replaced some reflective tape, made sure the lights work, and cleaned all the old power bar and Jelly Belly wrappers out of my ToPeak trunk bag. She is ready to roll!
Tomorrow, I'll be riding in with Roger and Bill - perhaps I'll take the old girl for a spin to reacquaint ourselves?
Another item on my Fall to-do list is the Manchester, VT half marathon on Spet. 12th. I did the Providence, RI half marathon in May which was great! I trained diligently for that one and my body thanked my by allowing me to walk normally the day after the race. I apparently inspired some friends who invited my to do this race in VT so I agreed. Like I said, I love to have things on the schedule that I can look forward to. I have hardly trained like I did for the race in May, but I did get 9 miles in this past weekend and felt good. Saturday night, there was talk about training for a marathon in 2010 which I would love to do, but my conclusion is always the same. Training for a marathon is going to require a serious commitment that will no doubt cut deeply into my time on the bike. So much for the marathon. Maybe I need to put a double century on the calendar. Any takers?

C.I.C.L.E.'s Bicycle Lifestyle Guide

Bike's Belong posted this link to C.I.C.L.E.'s Bicycle Lifestyle Guide which I found pretty cool. I'm always interest in what people and organizations are doing to help make bicycles more a part of our every day routine, as well as inform and educate non-cyclists on how to help make us all safer on the roads!
Check it out here.

Connecticut Challenge

In 2002 I rode my first Pan Mass Challenge, an event which I rode faithfully for 6 straight years. During those 6 years I raised over $15000 for the Dana Farber Cancer hospital - the very hospital where my mother received treatment for non-hodgkins lymphoma a few years ago. I gave up the PMC in 2008 when I no longer felt comfortable trying to raise the $4000 fund raising minimum. Although, I still have my kids involved in the local PMC for kids events.
Fast forward to this past February when my 16 year old nephew asked if I would like to ride in the Connecticut Challenge with him. He has been at the first day finish line in Bourne each year I rode the PMC and always wanted to ride. So, given that the CT Challenge only involved a $750 fund raising minimum, I signed up to ride.
The CT Challenge was this past July 25th and while it is a smaller scale than the PMC, it is no less effective, heart warming, fun and certainly no less challenging! My nephew had never done a century so our plan was to sign up for the century and bail to the 75 mile route if necessary. Well... at the 35 mile split, it was clear we were only riding 75 that day. The 100 mile route involves nearly 10,000 feet of climbing. We had a blast and my nephew Patrick was a trooper. The course was challenging, it was hot and humid, but we still had a blast. Like the PMC, the riders, volunteers and organizers were all great. Everyone coming together for a cause while having a great time in the process. All aspects of the day from parking, registration, route marking, rest stops, they were all well run. Especially when you consider that this event is only 5 years old. There were 29 cancer survivors that took part in the event, and the morning started with all of them being led by 11 year old boy.
Together, my nephew and I raised about $2000 which supports cancer survivorship programs.
I'm already thinking I will do it again next year, it was a great day and the massage at the end of the ride didn't hurt either!
Click here for more information on the CT Challenge

A visit from Entourage

So, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara of HBO’s Entourage stopped by the Putter Studio recently so we posted about their visit on scottycameronblog.com. The reason for my re-post is that they took an apparent interest in Scotty's collection of old Schwinn Krate bicycles. When I first met Scotty in 2001, I didn't know much about golf, but we did connect on bicycles! Scotty is a collector of many things and classic bikes is just one of his passions. I thought this photo was worth sharing - something about an old Krate with a banana seat never fails to bring us back!
Enjoy!

Madsen Cycles

I'm not exactly sure what I would do with one of the MADSEN Cargo Bikes, but I find something about them very appealing! The thought of riding around on a bicycle with that much cargo capacity intrigues me and makes me want to go buy groceries, pick up some mulch, and then pick up the kids before heading home. I certainly don't need one any more than I need some of the 7 bicycles I already have, but somehow I always find a reason to ride them all!
Check them out, maybe you need one too!
PO

Kancamagus Highway

There are certainly times on a ride like we did yesterday when everything comes into question. Why am I doing this by choice? Why do my knees hurt, they don't usually? Am I drinking/eating enough? Is this almost over?
Monday night after work we headed for the Mt. Coolidge Motel in Lincoln, NH which is amazing if you need a place to crash in Lincoln. It is right off the highway, and may be the cleanest motel I have ever stayed in - seriously! Dennis, who owns the place, couldn't have been nicer and even let us keep the cars at the motel while we rode, as well as use the showers when we returned. (Thanks Dennis!)
Roger and I got to Lincoln around 9:30, checked in, and headed over to the Woodstock Inn and brewery in Woodstock, about 3 miles down Route 3. We met up with Kent and Matt, two of the guys we were riding with the next day. We all had a beer waiting for the rest of our 8 guys to show up. The beer menu at the Inn is great, and the menu has a little something for everyone. We hung out until about 11 and headed back to the motel.
Our plan was to be on the road by 8, which we were. We got up at 7, packed the cars, ate, and made all the last minute decisions about what we "need" to bring based on the forecast, etc. I tend to be on the safe side and wore a long sleeve base layer under my jersey while stuffing a vest and arm warmers in my pocket. The vest came in very handy on the 45 mph descents!
The 78 mile loop we did is a great way to do the ride. Roger and I had done it last fall and we knew what to expect. There was some discussion as to what direction we should do the loop and we decided on the same way we did it last time. We did the Kancamagus climb to start the day. It is the hardest climb of the day (not the steepest) so we got it out of the way early. We also figured if the weather got worse, we would rather not be on the pass in the rain.
We rode up Kancamagus Highway and over the pass. Turned left onto Bear Notch road, left on 302 which is where the steepest climbs are (although they apparently only 9% grade that was enough for me!). We then turned left onto Route 3 which is a long, gradual climb that eventually leads to the bike path. The ride pretty much ends on the bike path which is the best way to end this ride. It is a few miles of a winding path through the woods which I find to be more like a video game than a bike ride. It is very fast, very twisty, and VERY FUN!
The ride itself went great. There are some times when it's challenging and personally tests my will, but overall it is a great ride and a real test. We were lucky enough to have no (serious) mechanicals, no flats, no crashes, and no health issues!
Our final high-speed descent led up right into the parking lot of the Coolidge Motel where we took showers, changed, and then back to the Woodstock Inn for lunch.
Overall it was 77.62 miles, we had about 4:40 of riding time, 5,500 feet of climbing, averaged about 16 mph, and I hit a max speed of about 45 mph on the last descent coming back into Lincoln.
Details of the ride here (from Matt's Garmin)
All in all a great ride with a great group of guys.

Tri Town Time Trial

The Tri-Town Cycling Time Trial is gaining a tremendous amount of popularity of late. Every Tuesday at 6:00 PM, we gather to ride the 14.08 mile course. Every rider type from casual riders on hybrids to full-blown TT machines averaging 27 mph show up to work towards beating their personal best. Last night, I did NOT beat my personal best, but always have a great time showing up, hanging out with a great group of riders, and getting in a great workout. I am back on my LOOK as the Specialized Transition I had picked up in hopes of a miracle proved to be a fantasy after all. I never felt entirely comfortable on that bike out on the course and feel that I will be better served by again adding aero bars onto my LOOK for when I ride the TT.
So, if you should be so inclined, head over to Rochester on a Tuesday night and come ride with us. Click here for a map of the course. The start is at the ball fields at the intersection of Mary's Pond road and Route 105 in Rochester. If you have questions you can call Tri Town Cycling in Wareham at (508) 295-1123.
And as always, thanks to the guys at Tri Town for helping out every week with the timing, wrenching, etc!

May is Bike Month

The League of American Bicyclists is promoting May as National Bike Month with May 11 - 15th as National Bike to Work week. Not really sure who designates these months to begin with, but I'll play along. Click here for more info on Bike Month

Another great initiative for bike commuting is Team Wonderbike which is a great initiative from New Belgium Brewing (brewers of Fat Tire). SmartWool is another supporter of the Team Wonderbike initiative. Click here for more info in Team Wonderbike. Make sure to watch the cool video on that page!

Enjoy!
PO

Great Article by Bill Strickland

Whether you shave your legs or not, Bill Strickland from Bicycling magazine has some great insight into the subject. Click here to read on...

Oakley Stroller

As the father of three young kids, I have done my fair share of shopping for baby "stuff" over the past ten years. Once in a while, something comes along the truly breaks the mold and strikes me just plain cool. While looking for some new Oakley glasses, a Google search brought up this bad boy.

My youngest being five, it's not really something that I would invest in at the moment, but I figured you guys would all appreciate seeing it. Whether or not you like it, you have to admit, it's different!
I did look on the Oakley website and apparently is is just a prototype. Not sure whether or not Oakley even had a hand in it, but I thought it cool none the less.
Click here for some more photos.

Bring on the riding weather

Let me start this by stating that I spent 4 days last week in Scottsdale, AZ where I was spoiled by hot sunny days followed by warm nights spent on the patio enjoying family and good beer. Upon my arrival back in Providence, RI on Monday night, we were welcomed by high winds and rain that made our entry into Providence airport a similar experience to the tilt-a-whirl at the county fair. I went from warm happy and relaxed, to cold damp and pissed off in the same time it took me to get the car out of the parking garage. It has been cold, damp, rainy and windy for far too long!
While in AZ, I went for a hike with the wife and kids, swam 3 out of 4 days, and went for 2 great runs. I would have loved to bring the bike but it wasn't in the cards this trip. While running, I did see about 50 people out for their Sunday ride and found myself rather jealous of every one of them.
Fast forward to this morning where I had plans to ride in to the office with two friends of mine. I woke up on time, had my clothes all laid out to save time, and the forecast was desirable. I was actually pretty excited! That was until I went downstairs and looked at the thermometer - 38 degrees. Damn it!! Back upstairs, break out the leg warmers, the long gloves, to warmers, hat, jacket, etc. It is supposedly improving outside at the moment, and I am anticipating a warmer ride home than I had this morning.
Where am I going with all this? I'm not sure really. I guess seeing that it has been 220 days since it was 80 degrees was an eye opener for me. I like to be outside! I like to ride my bike, run, hike, sit outside, etc. I grew up here and I most definitely have New England in my blood, but at the same time I find it hard to be inside 6 months out of the year.
Anyone else share my frustration to the extent that I do? I mean, I really don't see myself staying here if my outlook doesn't improve. The crappy weather takes a larger toll on my mood each year and it's only getting worse.
Is riding my bike in shorts and a short sleeve jersey really a privilege reserved for 3 months out of the year? I like to think not?
Either way, I'm looking forward to my ride home on the single speed!

Single Speed Debut

This morning at 7:00 am, was the maiden voyage (of any significance) on my Single Speed Project. Last night I gave it a quick once over, attached the Topeak rack and trunk bag, and picked out some clothes that would make the 30 degree commute somewhat comfortable.
After spending a good deal of time stripping down this bike, painting and rebuilding it, I constantly questioned what I would be left with when all was said and done. Well, I couldn't be happier! The bike itself is an early to mid 80's Schwinn LeTour with nice steel tubing. It rides like a dream! A few miles into the ride I let Roger take it for a bit and he agreed. Something about the steel frame, the absence of any gears, and not having a computer to answer to made the ride a very enjoyable experience.
I'm hooked. Roger mentioned converting his steel Bianchi into a single speed, which I thought was a great idea! I imagine I will spend quite a bit of time on this bike, and commuting seems to be the perfect fit for it. Not once did I long for a gear change, although our commute is pretty flat. FYI, the gear ratio is 39/16 which seems perfect to me, I have no plans or reason to experiment.
So, all in all a great first ride and a new love in my stable of bicycles. If you have the means, I highly suggest picking one up!
Ride safe,
Patrick