After a period of despair over the state of Swift's wheels, I realized that anyone who owns three or more 700c bikes has an easy fix on hand for wheel problems: all you have to do is steal the wheels from one bike and put them on another bike.
Obviously, stealing the Aksium Race wheels off Hg wasn't really an option, so yesterday I stole Quicksilver's wheels and popped them on Swift. Then I shot a whole bunch of grease into Swift's sticky head tube, adjusted his brakes, popped on a rack and rear basket, and -- voila! -- instant grocery bike. We then rolled on down to the grocery store, where groceries were fetched forthwith. Turns out a lot of Swift's weight came in the form of his ancient steel wheelset; he's actually a much lighter, nimbler bike now.
After Burning Man, I decided that Turtle isn't going to be an ideal grocery ride unless I make some major improvements -- and Swift is first on the list for major (though not enormous) improvements. Turtle is a bit on the heavy and sluggish side. When riding in traffic, I want the option (or at least the illusion) of speed, should I need it. Now that I've resolved his major problems, Swift is a better choice in that regard.
QS's rear wheel isn't in great shape, so I will probably snag Swift a new rear wheel. I also plan to (if possible) transfer QS's crankset and derailleurs to Swift, as well as (possibly) adding an inexpensive replacement fork and a set of North Road-stylie bars (yes, I'm still on about them, ever since that gravel ride). The last bit I'm doing partly to make a more comfortable ride for DD. You know, he'll already be sort of in that sit-up-and-beg/pray position, so it will be easier for him to whip out the Hail Marys when I make him climb big hills ;)
Oh, and of course, if I do get the North Road bars, I will also add a big, obnoxious front basket, because it will look awesome and be at least somewhat useful.
Meanwhile, Turtle and DD's Desert Bike (which I hereby arbitrarily dub Priscilla, since DD doesn't name his bikes) are due a good, thorough cleaning to get all the playa dust out of their various bits before they get hung up in the garage, to be used hereafter as guest bikes and playa bikes. Between still being surprisingly sleepy (mono is a drag), having a bunch of classwork to catch up on, and needing to prep for a weekend camping trip, I didn't get to do them last week.
Life is slowly returning to normal here at the Dawson-Taylor (Bicycle) Ranch. I am still not at my best, and I'm debating whether to try to race this fall at all or just concentrate on being well enough to race in the spring. At very least, I won't be racing 'til next month.
I still simply have less 'go' than I'm used to having. The house is now about halfway clean, however -- tolerable, by my standards -- and improving slowly but surely. I'm looking into acquiring a little bike trailer for grocery-gettage. I have not lost any more weight, but I haven't gained any, either, so that's good, too.
Life is generally good. I will probably be posting less throughout the semester, but I will be riding more as I build my endurance and so forth back up.
Hope to see y'all out there :)
Showing posts with label Swift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swift. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Bicycle Explosion
Last week, we bough two DesertBikes, bringing the total number of bikes in our garage up to 6.5 (I figure the tandem counts as 1.5 bikes).
Last night, I returned the beautiful silver Cannondale to its rightful owners, JL and KL. At the same time, Swift returned home from their place -- with the opening of the new restaurant, KL's been working a bazillion hours a week and hasn't felt up to riding. I can't say I blame her -- if I was working the hours she's working, on my feet all day, I probably wouldn't ride much, either. I would simply be too tired.
I'm actually delighted to have Swift home. As much as I like Turtle the SodaBike, Lord of the Desert, etc., I think Swift is a better grocery-getter, and it'll be nice to have a more comfortable machine around for DD -- one he can take on rides with me and Hg. Likewise, Swift may wind up going out to BurningMan, since his components and wheelset will eventually going to need replacing anyway. I'm not too worried about the alkaline dust messing up his frame, since I'm planning on stripping and repainting it at some point in the not-too-distant future, anyway.
At any rate, it now looks more or less like a bike factory blew up in our garage ... or maybe a bike museum, considering the diversity of makes and models in there.
I'm really struggling with the debate over purchasing a 'cross bike. I now definitely have more than enough money to cover the purchase, but with our still-unplanned wedding looming ever-nearer, I'm having serious pangs of doubt about spending my money on what essentially amounts to yet another essentially unnecessary, purpose-specific bike (especially since, with the return of Swift, I've lost my 'but Denis will be able to ride it' justification -- Denis likes Swift just fine).
For that matter, I'm having serious pangs of doubt about dropping $60 on a racing license and another however much on entry fees.
The alternative is to re-home Swift, thus creating a necessity for a 'DD bike/backup bike/guest bike.' I may yet do that. In fact, I might even know someone who would like to have a bike like Swift, so he can keep up with mewhen I force him to play bicycle death march when he visits on longer rides when he visits and so he can do more long-distance riding at home in Lexington. Or, for that matter, someone who would like a bike like Swift so he can ride at all (I actually have a non-bike riding friend who is interested in 'cross!!!). Before doing that, though, I would want to swap out some of Swift's components, and maybe his wheelset, to make sure I'm handing off a bike that's going to be really reliable and ride-able for someone who isn't an experienced wrench and rider.
Of course, at this point, I really have until the middle of October to make up my mind about 'cross season anyway, since AppleCross and the OVCX opener are both out.
I am feeling a billion times better, but still wary of potentially exploding my spleen, which limits my ability to both train and race right now. I'm back to riding on the road (a bit, anyway -- I think I knocked out a whopping 30 miles last week, if that, and I still get tired faster than is normal for me), but I do want to clear the 4 - 6 weeks from time of diagnosis before I seriously think about riding fast in a big, tight pack on the grass; hefting bikes over obstacles; and otherwise putting myself in situations where I'm more likely to fall and burst some important organ or another. I still have a bit of tenderness in the spleenal area, so I don't really want to take unnecessary risks (especially since I don't have health insurance).
I really do want to do Bloomingcross and Storm the Greens, and I'd love to do King's Cross again, even though it is now, insanely, in December. I figure racing on a a monstrous beast of a course like King's in December probably captures the spirit of the mad, bad ol' days of cyclocross...
...as well as anything in this modern day and age possibly could.
PS: Notice that the guys in the leftmost picture are wearing what more or less appear to be ladies' bathing suits. Back then, it was probably a rule: I am sure that they did this simply to make 'cross even more psychologically demanding, and to ensure that only the toughest racers -- those most secure in their own masculinity -- would dare to approach the course.
Last night, I returned the beautiful silver Cannondale to its rightful owners, JL and KL. At the same time, Swift returned home from their place -- with the opening of the new restaurant, KL's been working a bazillion hours a week and hasn't felt up to riding. I can't say I blame her -- if I was working the hours she's working, on my feet all day, I probably wouldn't ride much, either. I would simply be too tired.
I'm actually delighted to have Swift home. As much as I like Turtle the SodaBike, Lord of the Desert, etc., I think Swift is a better grocery-getter, and it'll be nice to have a more comfortable machine around for DD -- one he can take on rides with me and Hg. Likewise, Swift may wind up going out to BurningMan, since his components and wheelset will eventually going to need replacing anyway. I'm not too worried about the alkaline dust messing up his frame, since I'm planning on stripping and repainting it at some point in the not-too-distant future, anyway.
At any rate, it now looks more or less like a bike factory blew up in our garage ... or maybe a bike museum, considering the diversity of makes and models in there.
I'm really struggling with the debate over purchasing a 'cross bike. I now definitely have more than enough money to cover the purchase, but with our still-unplanned wedding looming ever-nearer, I'm having serious pangs of doubt about spending my money on what essentially amounts to yet another essentially unnecessary, purpose-specific bike (especially since, with the return of Swift, I've lost my 'but Denis will be able to ride it' justification -- Denis likes Swift just fine).
For that matter, I'm having serious pangs of doubt about dropping $60 on a racing license and another however much on entry fees.
The alternative is to re-home Swift, thus creating a necessity for a 'DD bike/backup bike/guest bike.' I may yet do that. In fact, I might even know someone who would like to have a bike like Swift, so he can keep up with me
Of course, at this point, I really have until the middle of October to make up my mind about 'cross season anyway, since AppleCross and the OVCX opener are both out.
I am feeling a billion times better, but still wary of potentially exploding my spleen, which limits my ability to both train and race right now. I'm back to riding on the road (a bit, anyway -- I think I knocked out a whopping 30 miles last week, if that, and I still get tired faster than is normal for me), but I do want to clear the 4 - 6 weeks from time of diagnosis before I seriously think about riding fast in a big, tight pack on the grass; hefting bikes over obstacles; and otherwise putting myself in situations where I'm more likely to fall and burst some important organ or another. I still have a bit of tenderness in the spleenal area, so I don't really want to take unnecessary risks (especially since I don't have health insurance).
I really do want to do Bloomingcross and Storm the Greens, and I'd love to do King's Cross again, even though it is now, insanely, in December. I figure racing on a a monstrous beast of a course like King's in December probably captures the spirit of the mad, bad ol' days of cyclocross...
...as well as anything in this modern day and age possibly could.
PS: Notice that the guys in the leftmost picture are wearing what more or less appear to be ladies' bathing suits. Back then, it was probably a rule: I am sure that they did this simply to make 'cross even more psychologically demanding, and to ensure that only the toughest racers -- those most secure in their own masculinity -- would dare to approach the course.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Time to Build!
I brought the new frame into the shop to get the party started on the build. With the fork and headset, it weighs in at 4.09 lbs (around 1.86 kilos). Looks like a good starting point for a light, fast road bike. I've decided to name it 'Mercury.'
After a brief conference, Billy and I decided to build it up as a 9-speed touring bike, with a slightly more relaxed geometry than Quicksilver's and (OMG) bar-end shifters (they're a little less expensive than brifters, but won't look as wonky on the rather-more-modern-than-is-usually-my-style frame).
Billy is providing a pair of Mavic Aksium Race clinchers and an FSA carbon crankset, so the remaining parts for the build will probably run me around $300 - $400. That's a hair more than I was originally planning to spend (I was going to go with just the Mavic wheelset), but a really solid higher-end-than-I-was-expecting road machine for a total of about $500 - $600 (including the around $100 DD paid for the frame, after shipping) is actually a really good deal anyway. Next year, I'll probably stick some brifters on it and use it as my race bike.
We were planning to put a pair of older Shimano brifters (I forget the model number) on the new road bike, but scrapped that idea in favor of putting them on my old green GT, Swift -- which is becoming, in Billy's words, 'A legit 'cross bike.' I removed the old flat bar and the cables today, and Billy swapped in the drops and brifters from our spare parts bin. We'll need to order a crankset, since I'm planning on a 1x7 or 1x8 setup. The current crankset is a heavy -- and crappy -- triple.
As for wheels, I'll probably just roll with Swift's current wheelset for now. Lighter wheels wouldn't kill me, but the ones I've got aren't anchors, either. They're also bomb-proof, which is a good quality in a 'cross bike.
This process should significantly trim Swift's weight. I was amazed how much the flat bar alone weighed -- it was actually significantly heavier than the drops we've got on there now. The seatpost was also heavy. You could have used either to knock someone out (in fact, the flat bar was disturbingly well-balanced for use as a weapon -- eek!). I'm keeping the grips -- they might fit DD's mountain bike.
I think I'll see about a carbon seatpost and maybe -- if I stumble into some money, somehow -- a carbon fork (for now, I'm just sticking with the existing steel fork).
All of this couldn't be timelier, as we're seriously kicking around the idea of putting together a shop team (probably 'cross-oriented). Everyone actually seems pretty excited about it, which is awesome. The challenge, of course, will be organizing training rides, since most of the messengers (myself included) are also students -- but I'm sure we can figure something out. If nothing else, we can probably do 'cross practice on Friday after work. Fortunately, work just about two miles from the local 'cross course -- which happens to be where the 2013 Worlds will be happening, so we're all pretty excited about getting our wheels into it.
I'm pretty happy with how my life is kind of falling together right now, and pretty excited about getting more involved with 'cross racing. This means getting more serious about training, but I'm game for it.
Thus, I'm adding to my goals:
Drop 25 - 30 pounds by September (very doable)
Get the CBD Race Team rolling
Set up a weekly 'cross practice day (Friday?)
I'm thinking the 'cross practice should be combined with some kind of group outing involving significant others and beer afterwards, so nobody feels left out.
After a brief conference, Billy and I decided to build it up as a 9-speed touring bike, with a slightly more relaxed geometry than Quicksilver's and (OMG) bar-end shifters (they're a little less expensive than brifters, but won't look as wonky on the rather-more-modern-than-is-usually-my-style frame).
Billy is providing a pair of Mavic Aksium Race clinchers and an FSA carbon crankset, so the remaining parts for the build will probably run me around $300 - $400. That's a hair more than I was originally planning to spend (I was going to go with just the Mavic wheelset), but a really solid higher-end-than-I-was-expecting road machine for a total of about $500 - $600 (including the around $100 DD paid for the frame, after shipping) is actually a really good deal anyway. Next year, I'll probably stick some brifters on it and use it as my race bike.
We were planning to put a pair of older Shimano brifters (I forget the model number) on the new road bike, but scrapped that idea in favor of putting them on my old green GT, Swift -- which is becoming, in Billy's words, 'A legit 'cross bike.' I removed the old flat bar and the cables today, and Billy swapped in the drops and brifters from our spare parts bin. We'll need to order a crankset, since I'm planning on a 1x7 or 1x8 setup. The current crankset is a heavy -- and crappy -- triple.
As for wheels, I'll probably just roll with Swift's current wheelset for now. Lighter wheels wouldn't kill me, but the ones I've got aren't anchors, either. They're also bomb-proof, which is a good quality in a 'cross bike.
This process should significantly trim Swift's weight. I was amazed how much the flat bar alone weighed -- it was actually significantly heavier than the drops we've got on there now. The seatpost was also heavy. You could have used either to knock someone out (in fact, the flat bar was disturbingly well-balanced for use as a weapon -- eek!). I'm keeping the grips -- they might fit DD's mountain bike.
I think I'll see about a carbon seatpost and maybe -- if I stumble into some money, somehow -- a carbon fork (for now, I'm just sticking with the existing steel fork).
All of this couldn't be timelier, as we're seriously kicking around the idea of putting together a shop team (probably 'cross-oriented). Everyone actually seems pretty excited about it, which is awesome. The challenge, of course, will be organizing training rides, since most of the messengers (myself included) are also students -- but I'm sure we can figure something out. If nothing else, we can probably do 'cross practice on Friday after work. Fortunately, work just about two miles from the local 'cross course -- which happens to be where the 2013 Worlds will be happening, so we're all pretty excited about getting our wheels into it.
I'm pretty happy with how my life is kind of falling together right now, and pretty excited about getting more involved with 'cross racing. This means getting more serious about training, but I'm game for it.
Thus, I'm adding to my goals:
Drop 25 - 30 pounds by September (very doable)
Get the CBD Race Team rolling
Set up a weekly 'cross practice day (Friday?)
I'm thinking the 'cross practice should be combined with some kind of group outing involving significant others and beer afterwards, so nobody feels left out.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
It's SCIENCE!!!
First, I haven't been on a bicycle in like SIX WHOLE DAYS. I am pretty sure that at any moment I am going to A) burst out of my pants, having gained 286 pounds (even though they seem to fit exactly as they did before I went to the doctor way back on Tuesday) and B) die. Of lack of exercise and/or bicycle withdrawal syndrome. Etc.
Hm.
The following may be kind of gross. I invite those who would rather not read an in-depth exploration of the current state of the inside of my mouth to visit Cake Wrecks instead.
...
It's okay, I won't be offended.
...
No, really, you can go. We're good.
...
Still here? Okay, well, don't say I didn't warn you.
So, here goes.
I am mostly over my bronchitis/sinus-infection thingy — and that in and of itself is actually a good thing.
However, I had conveniently forgotten that the medication I normally wind up taking for these things because I'm allergic to penicillin, amoxycillin, and erythromycin — co-trimoxazole, a combination of sulfa drugs sold under the name 'Bactrim,' if you actually feel like paying a brand-name price for a medication that's been around since the 1960s — has one very unpleasant side effect: oral thrush.
So now I no longer have bacterial squatters livin' it up in my sinuses and bronchii, but I do have flesh-eating fungi going to town in my mouth. Jeez.
I guess I'm actually kind of happy that the thrush isn't terribly bad. The last time I had this, it was violently unpleasant, and I couldn't eat for a week. Switching to another antibiotic and direct treatment with liquid Nystatin saved my bacon that time; this time, I don't think I'll need to go that far.
Rather oddly, it appears that artificial sweeteners help keep this stuff in check. I got a bunch of those sugar-free flavoring tubes to put in my water, since my sense of taste had gone all screwy and I couldn't bring myself to drink plain water, and it seems that whenever I drink some of the stuff from the little tubes, my mouth feels a little better.
It also seems to kill off some of the fungi, though not all of them. At least, however, I don't have furry white plaques all over the inside of my mouth. It just kind of looks like I got punched in corner of my lip right now, which is okay. It's also nowhere near as painful as previous episodes I've had.
Now, I suppose I could see this as solid evidence that the little drink tubes are, you know, basically poisonous (and, in fact, since they contain aspartame — whose metabolites contain formaldehyde, among other things — I would have to agree that's true). However, the same argument can be made in favor of most medications. Sulfa drugs will kill you if you take too much (and not just because you will slowly be turned into a giant yeast mold); even caffeine will kill you if you ingest too much.
I, for one, think it's fascinating, and once I figure out how to plan a formal experiment that does not involve my mouth or anyone else's (petri dishes and agar jelly should work, right?), I think I would like to conduct a study to see which substances other than Nystatin actually do help control this stuff (because my connection could be erroneous, and it could just be that my immune system is working better than before, largely thanks, I would hazard, to all the time I spend on the bike).
Thus far, artificial sweeteners look promising (sorbitol-sweetened mints also seem to help, which doesn't surprise me, since both sorbitol and xylitol have antiseptic qualities), and I suspect honey may help as well (honey is semi-famous for its anti-whatever properties).
In other news, I'm planning on starting a big ol' retrofit on the Swift some time soon, and as of the 23rd DD and I will have been seeing each-other for six months officially. Huzzah!
P.S. If I was Jens Voigt, candida spores would fear me too much to try to infest my mouth.
Sadly, I'm not.
Hm.
The following may be kind of gross. I invite those who would rather not read an in-depth exploration of the current state of the inside of my mouth to visit Cake Wrecks instead.
...
It's okay, I won't be offended.
...
No, really, you can go. We're good.
...
Still here? Okay, well, don't say I didn't warn you.
So, here goes.
I am mostly over my bronchitis/sinus-infection thingy — and that in and of itself is actually a good thing.
However, I had conveniently forgotten that the medication I normally wind up taking for these things because I'm allergic to penicillin, amoxycillin, and erythromycin — co-trimoxazole, a combination of sulfa drugs sold under the name 'Bactrim,' if you actually feel like paying a brand-name price for a medication that's been around since the 1960s — has one very unpleasant side effect: oral thrush.
So now I no longer have bacterial squatters livin' it up in my sinuses and bronchii, but I do have flesh-eating fungi going to town in my mouth. Jeez.
I guess I'm actually kind of happy that the thrush isn't terribly bad. The last time I had this, it was violently unpleasant, and I couldn't eat for a week. Switching to another antibiotic and direct treatment with liquid Nystatin saved my bacon that time; this time, I don't think I'll need to go that far.
Rather oddly, it appears that artificial sweeteners help keep this stuff in check. I got a bunch of those sugar-free flavoring tubes to put in my water, since my sense of taste had gone all screwy and I couldn't bring myself to drink plain water, and it seems that whenever I drink some of the stuff from the little tubes, my mouth feels a little better.
It also seems to kill off some of the fungi, though not all of them. At least, however, I don't have furry white plaques all over the inside of my mouth. It just kind of looks like I got punched in corner of my lip right now, which is okay. It's also nowhere near as painful as previous episodes I've had.
Now, I suppose I could see this as solid evidence that the little drink tubes are, you know, basically poisonous (and, in fact, since they contain aspartame — whose metabolites contain formaldehyde, among other things — I would have to agree that's true). However, the same argument can be made in favor of most medications. Sulfa drugs will kill you if you take too much (and not just because you will slowly be turned into a giant yeast mold); even caffeine will kill you if you ingest too much.
I, for one, think it's fascinating, and once I figure out how to plan a formal experiment that does not involve my mouth or anyone else's (petri dishes and agar jelly should work, right?), I think I would like to conduct a study to see which substances other than Nystatin actually do help control this stuff (because my connection could be erroneous, and it could just be that my immune system is working better than before, largely thanks, I would hazard, to all the time I spend on the bike).
Thus far, artificial sweeteners look promising (sorbitol-sweetened mints also seem to help, which doesn't surprise me, since both sorbitol and xylitol have antiseptic qualities), and I suspect honey may help as well (honey is semi-famous for its anti-whatever properties).
In other news, I'm planning on starting a big ol' retrofit on the Swift some time soon, and as of the 23rd DD and I will have been seeing each-other for six months officially. Huzzah!
P.S. If I was Jens Voigt, candida spores would fear me too much to try to infest my mouth.
Sadly, I'm not.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Oh, Right.
One more thing 'Fall' means:
FENDERS.
Yes, it's time again for 'filth prophylactics,' mudguards, fred blades, whatever you want to call them. The humid but rainless summer is over at last, and the Season of the Rooster Tail is upon us (Alleluia!).
Fortunately, I already have fenders for Swift. Quicksilver could probably wear a set of SKS Raceblades but, even with a potential shop discount (I'm not sure we carry them, so it's hard to say), the cost of the Raceblades would still be prohibitive right now, because I am borked (which is also why I'm probably not racing any more this year, unless a miracle occurs).
So it looks like Swift will be doing the honors, which is fine, because Swift will also be doing the (God help us) Winter Bike honors this year, unless I can convince my Mom that an aluminum 'cross frame would be the perfect early Christmas present. The only problem is that after several months pretty much riding Quicksilver all the time, riding Swift feels ... um ... weird.
Like, 'epic stem' weird, actually. I have grown rather unused to sitting up straight while riding a bike. It doesn't mean Swift handles badly or anything — just that I feel really strange.
So much so, in fact, that I'm partway inclined to cannibalize some poor old road bike from the garage and steal its stem, bars, and other such bits.
Of course, then I'll have to get one of those fancy dooflitchets that let you use road levers with v-brakes (sidebar:does anyone know why they're called v-brakes? ...because mine are distinctly square, not v-shaped at all, when seen from the front never mind; I have apparently lost my mind; I was thinking of the brakes on my black Schwinn, not Swift's brakes, which do definitely resemble Vs). Dooflitchets cost money, however, and money is the one thing I don't have right now, so I may just have to suck it up and get used to riding 'upright' again.
Basically, I had no idea how enormous Swift's stem was. The thing is like half a foot tall (Quicksilver's has that whole 'negative rise' thing going on). Not that this is a big problem, but some part of me feels really weird all dolled up in my 'I'm a Real Cyclist' togs while rolling around on a bike with a stem that makes me sit up like a Puritan on Sunday morning (or afternoon ... or evening).
Speaking of which, a couple of weeks ago, I was chatting outside a CVS with a fellow who rides a nice Schwinn Traveler, and he referred to me as a 'real cyclist' (apparently, putting in a lot of miles on an old Allez is a good way to convince others that you're one of those).
That both made me smile and struck me as funny — it wasn't so long ago that I thought of 'those people' with the lycra and the road bikes and the hair (okay, some of them are bald) as 'Real Cyclists (TM),' and myself as just some kind of half-ASPed dweeb on a bike.
Not to say I think I'm all that with extra 'All That' sauce now — but I no longer think of the roadies and 'cross racers and people-who-actually-ride-mountain-bikes-off-road of the world as 'Them' (as in the 'Us and Them' dichotomy).
These days, I think of cyclists in general as 'Us,' excepting perhaps those who insist on operating bicycles in the roadways at 2.3 MPH against the flow of traffic. Those chucklebunnies, I think of as 'bike salmon,' as BikesnobNYC has so aptly defined them.
This transition seems to have happened slowly and gently enough that I never even really noticed it was happening. At some point, without realizing it, I started thinking of myself as a 'Real Cyclist.' Not that I think I know everything — heck, there are days I'm pretty sure I know absolutely nothing — and not that I think I'm hot stuff (okay, sometimes I do), because I can think of at least a hundred people in the city of Louisville alone who could drop me like a bad habit under just about any conditions, and most of them are like twice my age or more.
Sure, I do have my cocky moments (more than I care to admit) and occasionally even stupid moments (I AM SPRINTING THIS YELLOW LIGHT IF IT KILLS ME — HOLY CARP IT TURNED RED AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO STOP! — I GUESS I'M SPRINTING THIS RED LIGHT IF IT KILLS ME...), though I try to keep those to a bare minimum.
Speaking of cocky, stupid moments, since I don't have to bring *anything* to class tonight except for myself, I think I'm going to be both cocky and stupid and ride the whole distance from here to school. It has been a couple of weeks since I rode more than eleven miles in one stretch, so it's about time. Now that I'm finally on top of the housework again (I let it slide while I was looking after DD following his surgery), I think I'm going to try to start getting out and doing long rides on class days, since I do nothing but housework and school on those days. As such, I plan to take Quicksilver (the roads should be dry, or at least, dry enough) and head out around two-thirty or three o'clock, ride north-west to the MUP, then ride the MUP to the bridge, where I'll invade Indiana.
Oh, right. Assuming my clothes are dry by three.
See what I mean? Stupid and cocky, heh.
FENDERS.
Yes, it's time again for 'filth prophylactics,' mudguards, fred blades, whatever you want to call them. The humid but rainless summer is over at last, and the Season of the Rooster Tail is upon us (Alleluia!).
Fortunately, I already have fenders for Swift. Quicksilver could probably wear a set of SKS Raceblades but, even with a potential shop discount (I'm not sure we carry them, so it's hard to say), the cost of the Raceblades would still be prohibitive right now, because I am borked (which is also why I'm probably not racing any more this year, unless a miracle occurs).
So it looks like Swift will be doing the honors, which is fine, because Swift will also be doing the (God help us) Winter Bike honors this year, unless I can convince my Mom that an aluminum 'cross frame would be the perfect early Christmas present. The only problem is that after several months pretty much riding Quicksilver all the time, riding Swift feels ... um ... weird.
Like, 'epic stem' weird, actually. I have grown rather unused to sitting up straight while riding a bike. It doesn't mean Swift handles badly or anything — just that I feel really strange.
So much so, in fact, that I'm partway inclined to cannibalize some poor old road bike from the garage and steal its stem, bars, and other such bits.
Of course, then I'll have to get one of those fancy dooflitchets that let you use road levers with v-brakes (sidebar:
Basically, I had no idea how enormous Swift's stem was. The thing is like half a foot tall (Quicksilver's has that whole 'negative rise' thing going on). Not that this is a big problem, but some part of me feels really weird all dolled up in my 'I'm a Real Cyclist' togs while rolling around on a bike with a stem that makes me sit up like a Puritan on Sunday morning (or afternoon ... or evening).
Speaking of which, a couple of weeks ago, I was chatting outside a CVS with a fellow who rides a nice Schwinn Traveler, and he referred to me as a 'real cyclist' (apparently, putting in a lot of miles on an old Allez is a good way to convince others that you're one of those).
That both made me smile and struck me as funny — it wasn't so long ago that I thought of 'those people' with the lycra and the road bikes and the hair (okay, some of them are bald) as 'Real Cyclists (TM),' and myself as just some kind of half-ASPed dweeb on a bike.
Not to say I think I'm all that with extra 'All That' sauce now — but I no longer think of the roadies and 'cross racers and people-who-actually-ride-mountain-bikes-off-road of the world as 'Them' (as in the 'Us and Them' dichotomy).
These days, I think of cyclists in general as 'Us,' excepting perhaps those who insist on operating bicycles in the roadways at 2.3 MPH against the flow of traffic. Those chucklebunnies, I think of as 'bike salmon,' as BikesnobNYC has so aptly defined them.
This transition seems to have happened slowly and gently enough that I never even really noticed it was happening. At some point, without realizing it, I started thinking of myself as a 'Real Cyclist.' Not that I think I know everything — heck, there are days I'm pretty sure I know absolutely nothing — and not that I think I'm hot stuff (okay, sometimes I do), because I can think of at least a hundred people in the city of Louisville alone who could drop me like a bad habit under just about any conditions, and most of them are like twice my age or more.
Sure, I do have my cocky moments (more than I care to admit) and occasionally even stupid moments (I AM SPRINTING THIS YELLOW LIGHT IF IT KILLS ME — HOLY CARP IT TURNED RED AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO STOP! — I GUESS I'M SPRINTING THIS RED LIGHT IF IT KILLS ME...), though I try to keep those to a bare minimum.
Speaking of cocky, stupid moments, since I don't have to bring *anything* to class tonight except for myself, I think I'm going to be both cocky and stupid and ride the whole distance from here to school. It has been a couple of weeks since I rode more than eleven miles in one stretch, so it's about time. Now that I'm finally on top of the housework again (I let it slide while I was looking after DD following his surgery), I think I'm going to try to start getting out and doing long rides on class days, since I do nothing but housework and school on those days. As such, I plan to take Quicksilver (the roads should be dry, or at least, dry enough) and head out around two-thirty or three o'clock, ride north-west to the MUP, then ride the MUP to the bridge, where I'll invade Indiana.
Oh, right. Assuming my clothes are dry by three.
See what I mean? Stupid and cocky, heh.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Je suis le cowbell rouge ... I think.
So!
Today's race was my best race ever!
...And I could have said that no matter what happened, because it was also my first real, official race (with a number and everything) ever.
In fact, regardless of what this shot may imply...
I didn't even crash into any other racers.
Sometimes I even looked like I knew what I was doing:
Though once I also dropped my bike in the middle of the barriers:
Um, oops.
I love the way I'm looking at my bike in this picture. You can almost see me saying, "Crap, where's my downtube?"
At least once, I looked pretty awesome:
...Even though I was the only crazy dude on a flat bar bike with toe clips:
Swift, it turns out, is not as effective an off-road machine as Quicksilver. I've ridden swift on trails and over grass before, but not really at speed. At speed, that is one rough ride.
I had some issues with my grip shifters — there was one big, steep climb, and whenever I tried to use my bars for leverage, I would trigger the grip-shift, throwing Swift into a bigger gear. Not what I needed, considering that I'd accidentally disabled my granny gear (yes, I really could've used it this morning, I admit it). I put up with that for one lap before realizing that I would not die in shame if I just ran that climb — half the field was running it, anyway.
The most important part is that I had a blast. Well, okay, the most important parts, in order, are that I did not die, my shorts did not split, I did not cause any disasters, and I had a blast :) In fact, I'm pretty sure that my race had only one spill — a fast fellow came around a sharp turn and wiped out. He was back on his bike before three of us could say, "Are you okay, man?"
The best moment, I think, was when another Rogue racer shouted out as he passed me something like, "Good job, Rogue! Stay strong!" That was awesome. It was near the end of the race, and I needed it. I found him and thanked him after I finished. Then I found DD and sucked down about two litres of water.
I haven't seen the results sheet, so I don't know if I was really DFL. Even if I was, I don't care. I had a great time, and I finished. There were four Rogues total in my race, and I think one of us did pretty well indeed. More will be out tomorrow, but I had to get back for church.
There is definitely more 'cross in my future. I may or may not do Shawnee Park on the 25th or 26th — it depends on the race details (time, entry fees, etc). If I do, and it's not soggy out, I think I'll ride Quicksilver.
Anyway, that's it for now. As you can probably tell, I am still somewhat addle-pated, and I will probably retire at some point in the not-too-distant-future and sleep like a log and dream about riding my bike.
Thanks to DD for all the pictures, and also for being the best soigneur/team car driver/boyfriend a fellow could ask for. DD, one of these days, I am going to win one for you!
Today's race was my best race ever!
...And I could have said that no matter what happened, because it was also my first real, official race (with a number and everything) ever.
In fact, regardless of what this shot may imply...
 |
| From OVCX Kings Cross 2010 |
Sometimes I even looked like I knew what I was doing:
 |
| From OVCX Kings Cross 2010 |
Though once I also dropped my bike in the middle of the barriers:
 |
| From OVCX Kings Cross 2010 |
I love the way I'm looking at my bike in this picture. You can almost see me saying, "Crap, where's my downtube?"
At least once, I looked pretty awesome:
 |
| From OVCX Kings Cross 2010 |
...Even though I was the only crazy dude on a flat bar bike with toe clips:
 |
| From OVCX Kings Cross 2010 |
Swift, it turns out, is not as effective an off-road machine as Quicksilver. I've ridden swift on trails and over grass before, but not really at speed. At speed, that is one rough ride.
I had some issues with my grip shifters — there was one big, steep climb, and whenever I tried to use my bars for leverage, I would trigger the grip-shift, throwing Swift into a bigger gear. Not what I needed, considering that I'd accidentally disabled my granny gear (yes, I really could've used it this morning, I admit it). I put up with that for one lap before realizing that I would not die in shame if I just ran that climb — half the field was running it, anyway.
The most important part is that I had a blast. Well, okay, the most important parts, in order, are that I did not die, my shorts did not split, I did not cause any disasters, and I had a blast :) In fact, I'm pretty sure that my race had only one spill — a fast fellow came around a sharp turn and wiped out. He was back on his bike before three of us could say, "Are you okay, man?"
The best moment, I think, was when another Rogue racer shouted out as he passed me something like, "Good job, Rogue! Stay strong!" That was awesome. It was near the end of the race, and I needed it. I found him and thanked him after I finished. Then I found DD and sucked down about two litres of water.
I haven't seen the results sheet, so I don't know if I was really DFL. Even if I was, I don't care. I had a great time, and I finished. There were four Rogues total in my race, and I think one of us did pretty well indeed. More will be out tomorrow, but I had to get back for church.
There is definitely more 'cross in my future. I may or may not do Shawnee Park on the 25th or 26th — it depends on the race details (time, entry fees, etc). If I do, and it's not soggy out, I think I'll ride Quicksilver.
Anyway, that's it for now. As you can probably tell, I am still somewhat addle-pated, and I will probably retire at some point in the not-too-distant-future and sleep like a log and dream about riding my bike.
Thanks to DD for all the pictures, and also for being the best soigneur/team car driver/boyfriend a fellow could ask for. DD, one of these days, I am going to win one for you!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Cognitive Dissonance
I'm racing on Saturday, so I picked up my team kit today. Of course, I had to try it on. Right away. While waiting for my dental appointment to begin (nothing takes the sting out of an enormous drill-and-fill job like new team kit*, I guess?).
Here's what I look like, all dressed up and ready to rock (or at least to go find my helmet and gloves, once I get done squinting at my phone):
Here's what I think I look like in my team kit:
Here's what my legs look like in cycling shorts:
Here's what I think my legs look like in cycling shorts:
As you can see, my perceptions might be a little skewed.
In the picture, I think I actually look pretty good in my awesome 2010-special-edition-Rogue Racing Project jersey. In real life, I'm like, "Does anyone have a bathrobe handy that I could put on over this thing? ...Because I totally feel like I'm naked." (But naked with three awesome pockets in back!)
This is what Bruce thinks of the whole matter:
...So. I'm way behind on logging my mileage, though not behind at all on the mileage itself (in fact, I'm ahead).
This is because I decided to bite the bullet and take a really cool job that I was offered, which has meant re-organizing my life quite a bit. The pay is less than my old job (a lot less), but the work is more interesting and the hours are much more compatible with school, which means I can keep this new job next semester.
Moreover, I've been out playing on the 'cross course this week (yeay!) and had an exam tonight (took all of about 20 minutes, so I either aced it or bombed it). This morning I spent half an hour cleaning sand out of Quicksilver's drivetrain. Tomorrow I have work and then choir.
Life is going to be calmer, but I'm still settling into the new routine.
This weekend is Kings Cross, and the following weekend, we're installing a new Bishop (not sure whether that requires flat or Phillips...), so I'll be singing on Saturday and Sunday. The following weekend, I hope to sit on my duff and do basically nothing.
I'm going to take it easy on the bike tomorrow and basically not ride at all on Friday, so my legs will be fresh on Saturday. They've combined the Cat 4 and Cat 3 races (edit: it turns out they combined the Cat 4 Open and Masters' 35+ and 45+ divisions — much less intimidating), so I will cop to being a little intimidated — but I think I'll have fun, regardless. I'm still trying to figure out whether to ride Quicksilver or the somewhat-improved Swift (now with real 'cross tires!). I doubt I'll figure it out 'til I get there. I'm planning to bring both bikes.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'm going to try to get caught up on my mileage log, but I'm not sure I'll swing it before Monday.
Monday I have absolutely nothing going on except class, so I'm looking forward to just chillaxin' before I roll up to school.
*Except having the world's best dentist — which I do.
Here's what I look like, all dressed up and ready to rock (or at least to go find my helmet and gloves, once I get done squinting at my phone):
 |
| From CyclingStuff |
Here's what I think I look like in my team kit:
 |
| From No, I'm not sure what the cat is doing in the background, either. Epic backpack battle, maybe? |
Here's what my legs look like in cycling shorts:
 |
| From Yes, really. That's about the size of it. |
Here's what I think my legs look like in cycling shorts:
 |
| Just imagine these in cycling shorts. I'm afraid that my computer will crash if I launch Photoshop right now :D |
As you can see, my perceptions might be a little skewed.
In the picture, I think I actually look pretty good in my awesome 2010-special-edition-Rogue Racing Project jersey. In real life, I'm like, "Does anyone have a bathrobe handy that I could put on over this thing? ...Because I totally feel like I'm naked." (But naked with three awesome pockets in back!)
This is what Bruce thinks of the whole matter:
 |
| a'Oh, Please.' |
...So. I'm way behind on logging my mileage, though not behind at all on the mileage itself (in fact, I'm ahead).
This is because I decided to bite the bullet and take a really cool job that I was offered, which has meant re-organizing my life quite a bit. The pay is less than my old job (a lot less), but the work is more interesting and the hours are much more compatible with school, which means I can keep this new job next semester.
Moreover, I've been out playing on the 'cross course this week (yeay!) and had an exam tonight (took all of about 20 minutes, so I either aced it or bombed it). This morning I spent half an hour cleaning sand out of Quicksilver's drivetrain. Tomorrow I have work and then choir.
Life is going to be calmer, but I'm still settling into the new routine.
This weekend is Kings Cross, and the following weekend, we're installing a new Bishop (not sure whether that requires flat or Phillips...), so I'll be singing on Saturday and Sunday. The following weekend, I hope to sit on my duff and do basically nothing.
I'm going to take it easy on the bike tomorrow and basically not ride at all on Friday, so my legs will be fresh on Saturday. They've combined the Cat 4 and Cat 3 races (edit: it turns out they combined the Cat 4 Open and Masters' 35+ and 45+ divisions — much less intimidating), so I will cop to being a little intimidated — but I think I'll have fun, regardless. I'm still trying to figure out whether to ride Quicksilver or the somewhat-improved Swift (now with real 'cross tires!). I doubt I'll figure it out 'til I get there. I'm planning to bring both bikes.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'm going to try to get caught up on my mileage log, but I'm not sure I'll swing it before Monday.
Monday I have absolutely nothing going on except class, so I'm looking forward to just chillaxin' before I roll up to school.
*Except having the world's best dentist — which I do.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Obligatory Photo Post (Belated)
I don't think I've included a picture of Quicksilver or Swift in here.
Here's Swift:
I like this shot. He looks like he's cavorting, or something.
...And here's Quicksilver:
...as you can see, I haven't yet swapped out the random aftermarket suspension post. I plan to do that soon. I'm also going to invest (a whole $25 or so) in a new saddle — I hated the one that came with QS (also aftermarket), so I ganked Swift's. The new saddle will go on Swift for 'cross season, though.
Here I am:
OMG, I'm not on my bike! Let me fix that:
I'm the fatty in the burgundy shirt on the left. The focus of the photo, however, is Murphy, who looks in this particular shot as if he's rapping (or casting a spell — you decide!). This shot was from A Good First (For Me, Metric) Century
Here's Swift:
 |
| From CyclingStuff |
I like this shot. He looks like he's cavorting, or something.
...And here's Quicksilver:
 |
| From MyLife |
...as you can see, I haven't yet swapped out the random aftermarket suspension post. I plan to do that soon. I'm also going to invest (a whole $25 or so) in a new saddle — I hated the one that came with QS (also aftermarket), so I ganked Swift's. The new saddle will go on Swift for 'cross season, though.
Here I am:
 |
| From MyLife |
OMG, I'm not on my bike! Let me fix that:
 |
| From CyclingStuff |
I'm the fatty in the burgundy shirt on the left. The focus of the photo, however, is Murphy, who looks in this particular shot as if he's rapping (or casting a spell — you decide!). This shot was from A Good First (For Me, Metric) Century
New Month, New Route?
...Or perhaps not.
I tried a different route to work today, hoping to snag a little extra distance. It actually turned out to be shorter than my usual route from Willow Ave. Oops!
I'm debating whether going whole-hog and swapping the flat bars on Swift for drops within a span of 2 weeks is possible (if I can get the parts locally, I'm sure it is; if I can't ... ummm...). If not, I might just toss on a pair of Origin8's drop bar ends, wrap 'em, and call it done. It depends whether or not they're illegal under USAC and UCI regulations — bar ends in general are banned, but I think it's due to the 'no pointy bits' clause for mass-start races, so these might be okay. I've queried the Rogue peeps to find out what they think.
(Sidebar: the concept of rogue peeps is kind of funny. Makes me picture those little marshmallow chicks with ... like ... pirate gear, or something.)
I've decided to go with a single 48t chainring in a 1x7 configuration coupled with a 12-32 cluster (I was going to do 11 - 34, but I think 12 - 32 will do fine and is easier to find, apparently). This combo should give me enough speed for my Cat4 'cross ambitions without making the bike too mashy for less experienced folks who might right it from time to time.
I plan to replace the gripshift system with something less likely to invite disaster, and the RD with ... well, something decent. Fortunately, RDs aren't insanely expensive.
I'm guessing I'll probably have the build done at Bike Couriers', since they got to answer all my, "It this totally insane?" questions — but I think I'm going to stop by parkside and see if they have a reasonbly good-quality crankset and 48t or 50t chainring they'd be willing to sell me. Quicksilver is due for a tuneup, anyway.
Class tonight. I'm behind on my homework, so no 'cross practice for me tonight — probably Friday instead.
I tried a different route to work today, hoping to snag a little extra distance. It actually turned out to be shorter than my usual route from Willow Ave. Oops!
I'm debating whether going whole-hog and swapping the flat bars on Swift for drops within a span of 2 weeks is possible (if I can get the parts locally, I'm sure it is; if I can't ... ummm...). If not, I might just toss on a pair of Origin8's drop bar ends, wrap 'em, and call it done. It depends whether or not they're illegal under USAC and UCI regulations — bar ends in general are banned, but I think it's due to the 'no pointy bits' clause for mass-start races, so these might be okay. I've queried the Rogue peeps to find out what they think.
(Sidebar: the concept of rogue peeps is kind of funny. Makes me picture those little marshmallow chicks with ... like ... pirate gear, or something.)
I've decided to go with a single 48t chainring in a 1x7 configuration coupled with a 12-32 cluster (I was going to do 11 - 34, but I think 12 - 32 will do fine and is easier to find, apparently). This combo should give me enough speed for my Cat4 'cross ambitions without making the bike too mashy for less experienced folks who might right it from time to time.
I plan to replace the gripshift system with something less likely to invite disaster, and the RD with ... well, something decent. Fortunately, RDs aren't insanely expensive.
I'm guessing I'll probably have the build done at Bike Couriers', since they got to answer all my, "It this totally insane?" questions — but I think I'm going to stop by parkside and see if they have a reasonbly good-quality crankset and 48t or 50t chainring they'd be willing to sell me. Quicksilver is due for a tuneup, anyway.
Class tonight. I'm behind on my homework, so no 'cross practice for me tonight — probably Friday instead.
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