New years eve

So this doesn't really apply to cycling, but I am going to post it anyways. Jenn and I are going camping tonight. Her family has some land in La Grange so we are going out there to camp, drink and have a huge bonfire. We both have done this since we have been dating. It is always a good time. It is going to suck that I don't get to play any games out there, I mean I can't really play a game were you need to be ultra quit and run fast if I am still on crutches.

I hope everyone has a great new years and I'll be seeing you next year.

til next time

OLC

STUPOR BOWL!!!!!

a>
Some of you may know....some may not....but it is happening again, the 11th annual STUPOR BOWL!!!!!!!




This is straight from their myspace,


Once again, the Minneapolis Bicycle Messengers are at it again, organizing the 11th Annual Stupor Bowl alleycat to be held in our fair city on the 1st and 2nd of February, 2008. Last year, depite the starting temprature -2 F, over 300 people braved the cold to race in what has turned into one of North America's biggest and longest running alleycat races.

Sponsored by: Seagull Bags, Freight Bags, Under the Weather, One on One, Swobo, Behind Bars, Crank Bros, Jonny Cycles, Twin Six, Cars R Coffins, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and more!

THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE SUCKS: http://www.stuporbowlmpls.com all info will be listed here too.

email: stuporbowl11@gmail.com if you are coming from out of town and need accomodations!

Schedule

Friday Feb 1st-- welcome to town! 5pm-8pm Pre-REGISTRATION and Texas Twins @ Cars R Coffins 3346 Lyndale Ave

9pm meet at Grumpy's DT 1111 Washington AVE S for 1st annual Stuporbowlopoly: "Cash is King" Monopoly-Style Alleycat Race

1 1/2 race time from start. rules when you register (6 stops, DWNTWN MPLS, CA$H MONEY PAYOUT) - post race, dwntwn bar party.

Saturday Feb 2nd- 10am-1:00pm Registration @ One on One, 117 Washington Ave N 2:00pm Stupor Bowl XI, start your engines. post-race-- track stand comp, skidzzzz, awards, and, big time, for real stupor bowl XI sized party, location and beer SECURED. it is going to be awesome. y'all gonna have to race to find out, though. be prepared.

I really wish I was going to be riding again by this, I swear to God, nothing is going to keep me away from it next year. I have a friend up there so I can crash at his place and fucking race. Man, fuck having a broken leg!!!


til next time


OLC

10 Tips to Avoid Looking Like a Cycling Rookie

I saw this and thought it was funny as shit.....




With the recent explosion in cycling popularity through the dominance of Lance Armstrong, the United States is experiencing record growth in the sport of cycling. This is a particularly encouraging development in a country which has largely associated cyclists with automotive target practice using projectiles like Gatorade bottles and 7-11 Big Gulps.
Each day a new cyclist dons his or her two wheeled steed for the first time is a day where more people learn to tolerate the sport. However, if you go out on the road and look like the quintessential cycling geek who clearly doesn’t know what they’re doing, you will only hurt the cyclist’s cause for social acceptance.
We all have to start somewhere, and I was definitely not immune to being a neophyte. I had all the rookie characteristics: the obscenely large helmet, haggard looking shorts, baggy jersey, hairy legs, greasy chain marks on my calves, bobbing posture on the bike – oh yes, I was indeed a tool.
However, not all rookies have to be subject to ridicule. There is a way to look experienced without having thousands of miles under your legs; you just have to pay attention to the details. This article is targeted towards folks who are new to the sport of cycling and wish to avoid the potential embarrassment I was put through as a rookie.
Tip 1: No Pro Kits
The cardinal violation in trying to be a cool cyclist is when you buy a full professional team kit (jersey, shorts, socks, etc.) of a team you do not ride for. Nothing screams ROOKIE louder than a full Discovery Channel uniform on a non-payroll cyclist. Steer clear of these overpriced kits. The only time these types of jerseys are acceptable is when they are vintage. General rule of thumb is 10 years after a team’s disbanding. For instance, if you hit the road in a vintage Motorola or Coors Light jersey, you get big style points. Just make sure you know a few of the cyclists who rode for those teams so that when approached by other cyclists, you can sound knowledgeable.
Tip 2: Buy the coolest helmet you can afford
When it comes to helmets, don’t skimp. You are going to be wearing this piece of equipment all the time (hopefully), and you want to be motivated to put it on. If you have some cheapo brain bucket or a nicer one that is two sizes too small, you’ll never want to wear it. Back in the day when I was young and stupid, I thought riding around with no helmet and gel that made my hair glisten was cool - well, it wasn’t. My Giro Pneumo helmet looks far cooler than my bare cranium, especially when it’s hemorrhaging blood after a head-over-shammy 30 mile per hour crash.

Tip 3: Buy cycling clothes that fit
Okay, if you are new to cycling, and you’re a bit uncomfortable about the whole lycra thing, then you’d better suck it up. Don’t go out and buy clothing two sizes larger than what you wear on the street. Cycling is about aerodynamics. You need tight fitting clothes. If you wear a large t-shirt, get a medium jersey. Sometimes the fit is a bit different between brands, so try them on first. Riding down the road with a jersey as aero as a parachute will make any seasoned cyclist holler “tenderfoot ahoy!” In addition, as far as jackets, no, the orange rain poncho which you wore to the Steeler game last week is not appropriate rain gear attire. Get a clear cycling rain jacket. It is far more aero and far less ridicule inducing. Also, if you have a loose fitting jersey, don’t go making matters worse by tucking it into your bib shorts. This isn’t wrestling.

These guys look confused…and ridonkulous.
Tip 4: Shave the legs
Obviously this tip is targeted for the guys, however, if you are a girl, and haven’t heeded this tip yet in your life, then maybe cycling is a great excuse and a God-send for your spouse. I know it sounds crazy, but if you are a cyclist with hairy legs, people will ride ten feet away from you and avoid conversation. It may sound shallow, but it’s the truth. Nobody should judge a book by its cover, or a cyclist by their leg hair, but it happens.
On a related note, I am often asked why cyclists shave their legs. Contrary to rumor, it is NOT for added aerodynamics – although it might play a miniscule factor. The real reason is avoiding the “Velcro effect” on your legs during a pavement slide and for ease of cleanup after experiencing an eventual fall.
Tip 5: Avoid “rookie marks”
Nothing gives away newbie status more than someone with “rookie marks” – greasy chain marks on your inner calf muscles. This often happens when someone doesn’t keep their chain clean and has an inefficient cycling posture, spin, or tries to clip out of the pedal towards the inside. To avoid rookie marks, keep your chain clean. Wipe it down often and use clear chain wax products like White Lightning which don’t turn your chain into a black grimy mess. Also make sure that you are cleaning the cogset and chainrings also to avoid getting cogset grime on your nice clean chain.
Tip 6: Pick the right accessories
Some accessories make a cyclist look cool, while others make them look tool. For instance, any saddle bag that you can actually fit your saddle into is way too big. Any more than two water bottle cages on a bike is overkill (unless you are a triathlete in training). Any cyclo-computer with more wires on it than your home PC is verboten. Pro cyclists go wireless, make sure you do too. Polar makes a heart rate monitor and wireless cyclo-computer with a cadence meter all in one device; that’s pro. Avoid all rear-view mirror related devices regardless of whether they mount on your helmet or handlebar – it’s a major nicht-nicht. Besides, do you really want to see yourself getting hit by a car? I’d rather not know.

Old school or complete tool? Its hard to tell. Nice ski goggles.
Tip 7: Dump the reflectors and “plastic ring”
If you just bought a brand new bicycle, congratulations! The first thing you must do once the bike arrives home is to remove all reflectors from the bike as well as the plastic ring which protects the top cog from the spokes in your rear wheel. If the bike is properly maintained and dialed-in, the ring is unnecessary, and it looks silly. Failure to comply with this advice will result in excessive finger pointing, hand-covered giggling, and cruel people shining flashlights at your bike. If you do heed this warning just be responsible enough to not sue anyone if you are riding at night like a numbskull with no lights and get hit by a car. Yes, that actually happened once, and the plaintiff won a multi-million dollar suit against a major bike manufacturer for making “faulty reflectors”.
Tip 8: Practice with your clipless pedals
Before going out on the road, if you have clipless pedals and are using them for the first time, practice in your driveway or backyard for a few hours beforehand. There is nothing more embarrassing than flopping over like a beached whale at an intersection for hundreds of people to see. Trust me, it’s ego crushing. It happens to almost everyone at least once, but by practicing, you are lowering the risk of this total rookie blunder.
Tip 9: Unless you’re riding a mountain bike, no hydration systems!
There is this guy who frequently rides, no, speeds around my neighborhood, and he makes me break into hysterics every time I see him. It isn’t the fact that he wears the exact same cycling clothes every day, or the fact that he appears to be time trialing always, or the fact that when he is time trialing, he even does it on a crowded paved trail with pedestrians and slow cyclists, or the ridiculous yellow spoke Spinergy Spox wheels that he has; no, those reasons are not the source of my laughter. The primary thing about this guy which makes me guffaw is that he rides with a Camelbak, and the nozzle is perpetually hanging from his bearded mouth like those guitar voice box tubes that Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh used to rock in the seventies. It isn’t like this guy is on a ten hour ride where he needs tons of hydration; he rides to the neighboring town and back, albeit probably at breakneck pace, but still, it is ridiculous looking. Unless you are mountain biking, leave the hydration system at home.
Tip 10: Know the cycling etiquette
If you are planning on doing a group ride, make sure you know common cycling etiquette. There are a lot of little things you pick up over the years, but the most important ones are:
pointing out potholes and other objects in the road for the person behind (don’t ever bunnyhop potholes without forewarning those behind you – I was guilty of that behavior)
indicate with your hand to people behind when the group ahead is slowing
do not make abrupt and unannounced speed or direction changes
never overlap wheels unless your handlebars are even with their thigh and they can see you
if you get a flat in the middle of the pack, raise your hand, yell out “flat”, and hold your line until everyone has passed
when standing out of the saddle, always pedal while simultaneously standing up to avoid a lag in momentum which can lead to the rider behind crashing into you.
if you are in a fast group and don’t have the energy to pull the other riders, stay at the back out of the rotation. Nothing irritates experienced riders more than some yo-yo infiltrating their paceline.

Outlandish grimaces and other facial expressions are a must in pack riding.
Got all of that? Good. Now that you’re done with the article, go back and take detailed notes. There are more tips I could share, but the ones highlighted above will get you off to a respectable start and prevent you from being labeled as a greenhorn. So get out there and ride with people, because ultimately, observing the behavior of others is what’s most valuable in learning the ropes of cycling. Most importantly, get fit, have fun, and good luck!

Love Stinks

So it is a little early, but I pulled this off of the ATXfixed blog. Chris Lee is at it again, this time all proceeds go to Austin Food Bank and YBP.



Looks like this is going to be a blast! Check back at the ATXfixed blog, or here for updates later on.


til next time

OLC

59th and 60th Japanese championship keirin final

Watch at the end. The dude in the white would piss me off, enjoy.

59th


60th


til next time

OLC

Watch for car doors

Car door, bus kill cyclist.


A 38-year-old man fell off his bicycle after hitting a car door that was opened suddenly and was mowed down by a bus on Prince Anwar Shah Road.

Suman Ghosh, an employee of a bookstore at South City Mall, was taken to MR Bangur Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police said the Behala resident was on his way to work on Tuesday afternoon when the mishap occurred.

Witnesses said Ghosh was cycling at a moderate speed. While he was crossing a stationary WagonR from the right side, the driver suddenly opened the door.

Ghosh rammed into the door and was flung off the cycle. “He fell in front of a speeding Calcutta State Transport Corporation bus on route S-31 (WB04A 5068). The driver slammed the brakes but the front wheels had crushed the man’s head by then,” said Ajay Karmakar, who runs a food kiosk at the Lords Bakery crossing.

“The driver of the bus has been arrested and charged with causing death due to negligence,” said an officer of Lake police station. The car driver fled leaving behind the vehicle, which was damaged by a mob.

Ghosh’s family was shattered by the death of its main earning member. “I do not know how I will break the news to my mother and sister-in-law,” cried Ghosh’s younger brother Sudipto.

The cops cordoned off the accident spot leading to traffic snarls in the area.


Now I know this is in India, and the streets are probably pretty narrow, but this is fucking tragic. I can't tell you how many times I have pictured that riding through downtown or any other part of the city and having this happen. People in there cars don't pay attention when they are opening there doors when getting out of their cars. I mean most of us have cars as well and I am sure there are door dings from people not paying attention. I would hope that the city officials track down the guy who fled from the scene. This whole situation could have been avoided, if the fucker would have just looked and been paying attention. I'm glad the mob destroyed his car. I hope they find where he is. I am a firm believer in eye for an eye. I know he may not of done it intentionally, but it happened because of him and he should be punished in some way fitting.


So be careful out there, we all know about dooring, but just be aware of the vehicles behind you as well. I would hate to hear about this happening in our own city.


til next time

OLC

Some hip shit for ya

Track Bike Times Edit #2 from Matthew Rice on Vimeo.


I personally like the bombing of the hill and the smoke that follows.

Enjoy


til next time


OLC

Ahhh Sometimes I love CL. Worst of craigslist # 10

So I am at work be bored, and started looking at CL. This is just a little bit of stuff I thought was funny. We'll start with some ranting and raving.

I used to ride a bike when I was 15 and couldn't drive a damn car. (jhmember)

Reply to: pers-925079727@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-18, 10:59PM CST

"People who ride bikes are pussies.Lance Armstrong has won the Tour de France 7 times.The only reason Lance has won this race so many times, is because anyone who is badass enough LIKE ME !!! wouldn't ride a bike. so basically he is racing against a bunch of tools who couldn't play any other sport. If I wasn't lazy I could ride a bike around too. The fact is, that is stupid. When I drive by bike riders I always beep my horn then swerve in an attempt to scare the shit out of them. Just so I can watch in my rear view mirror as they flip over the top of their bike . Then I laugh and laugh"./span>

So I seem to start hating people more and more each day, but it was met with this response. I thought that it was very fitting.


re: I used to ride a bike when I was 15 and couldn't drive a damn car.

Reply to: pers-925100893@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-18, 11:32PM CST


Yeah, backass, meth-making, truck driving, Pabst Blue Ribbon drinking, wife beating, 8th-grade-educated, trailer-park-living, KKK rally attending, assjack, tardmonkey, cock knob, fuckrags like you love to watch NASCAR. Sure, NASCAR's got big-ass engines, noise, and lots o’ car crashes and flames and shit, which is manly. But they also got names of dishwashing soap on their cars. I’m surprised they don’t advertise feminine hygiene products on their racing uniforms. Besides, sitting on your ass all afternoon warchin’ cars drive by ain’t a sport. That’s called being a parking lot attendant.

You call Lance Armstrong a pussy, but at least he busted half a nut in Sheryl Crow's shapely ass.

So, hop back into your oversized small-penis overcompensating giant truck equipped with Gun Rack, 4-Wheel Drive, Confederate Flag, Toothpick Holder, 8-Track, Load of Wood, Hijacker Shocks, Mud-grip Tires, Racoon Hide seats, Dual CB Antenna, Fuzz Buster, Spitoon, Camper Top, Mag Wheels, Air Horns, Mud Flaps w/women on them, and Curb Feelers, and mosey on back to your double-wide Jethro.

Now onto some pictures....YAY!!!

Tour de France Race Bike!!! - $200 (S. Austin)

Reply to: sale-960262999@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-12-16, 12:44PM CST



This is a sweet vintage road bike. It is a Cierra - from what I know the frames were manufactured in Korea for a company in Wisconsin - The bike has the bigger 27" wheels, but has spacing that would accomodate 700c rims. Frame is free of dents but there are several scratches. I just put new tires on it and it is ready to ride. Rides smooth and shifts well. Excellent starter road bike or commuter. Please call Jody, 903-253-****.






I love how this bike is called a "Tour de France" bike. Maybe if it was 1972. I mean don't get me wrong, looks like it "might" be a decent bike, but then again..... it was made in Korea. I love that people try and take advantage of people. Love it.


grey fixed gear - $250 (central)

Reply to: sale-959605553@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-12-15, 9:34PM CST

like new condition fixed gear bike...
i believe its 52cm...im 5'6" and it was perfect.
has a front brake, bullhorn handlebars, no flip flop hub.
no major scratches or dents.
very lightweight.

photo is a stock photo...my camera is broken :(




My biggest issue with this bike is that you can go to bikesdirect.com and purchase your exact size and get it shipped for free. Now if that is your size good deal for you, but just do a little research. I have said that time and time again. Just FYI, if you are new into the "fixie" scene, this might be a "alright" bike, but if you want a solid bike, look into something else.


Electric Bike - CHARGER - $800 (West Austin)

Reply to: sale-958919628@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-12-15, 1:05PM CST




The Charger is perhaps the most advanced vehicle ever designed for personal use! Both the electronic and mechanical control you have, make this bike the greatest!

The Shimano 7 speed internal hub transmission, activated by the Revo twist shifter...gives you a wide range of gears, to further let you choose how much (or little) you wish to struggle! Try down-shifting at a stop sign on any other e-bike...or pedaling in any gear with no motor drag whatsoever!

This bike is a collectors item aswell, only 1000 or so were made. This bike has been sitting in the crate in my garage for years and just now assembled. Brand new batteries were installed. This bike is a blast to ride . To charge you just plug it in the wall. You can also use the bike without the battery pack. The frame is made by GT bikes.

http://www.electric-bikes.com/bikes/charger.html



AWESOME!!! I thought the point in riding around on a bicycle is to actually ride and get some what of a work out. If you want a motorized bike, get a fucking scooter.


fixed gear - $400 (south austin)

Reply to: sale-958681891@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-12-15, 10:47AM CST

my fixie from the good old days. i'm a little more into brakes thies days, cant tell you frame size i'm 5'11 though. 48:16, shogun frame. this is an old bike. come ride you'll like it.
winston
297-****





YES!!!! Shitty fixed gear conversion for only 400 bucks!!! AWESOME!!

Alright, I am already tired of looking at shitastic bikes and need to get back to work.


til next time


OLC

ggrrr on you, asshole in the white car who almost hit me...

I told this to Les yesterday when I picked him up from work, but didn't mention it in the blog. My blog was happy news, and this pissed me off, so I didn't say anything about it, but of course I'm going to today.

Yesterday, when I was on my way home from my ride. I stopped by Seatlle's Best (well, now Texenza Coffee) to rest, drink some water, and talk to my friends. After I left, I was heading east on 5th street, just riding to get home.. not going especially fast or slow, but apparently slow enough for this car behind me. This dude had a stick up his ass. At 5th and some street (the street where the fire station is).. I was already a quarter of the way across the intersection, this guy speeds up from behind me, goes around me and makes a left hand turn in front of me. By doing this, and having little room to do such a move, he came about an inch from hitting me. I started yelling at him.

***It's times like this that I want an air horn for my bike.. If I had my bell on my bike, it would be a nice *ding ding* for me screaming "What the fuck are you doing?!!" as opposed to a nice *roaring squeal* for the same statement.

Anywho, I looked to the left to get this guys' license plate number.. all I could read were the first 3 letters.. so after passing through the intersection, I was pissed. stopped, got off my bike, and ran back to the intersection to see if the guy was still stopped at the light at 6th street. He wasn't, and I saw him driving away, and I was just mad... So I tried and tried to remember his license plate number. As I'm turning around (looking at the fire station), who else do I see than the people who should be looking out for this. A cop. Sitting in his car, facing the intersection where I was nearly mauled down. I just sat there and stared at him for a minute, just trying to understand.

Did he see that car pull from behind and around me to turn across my path? If so, why the fuck didn't he do anything about it? If a car had done the same thing, and they had seen it, I'm sure a ticket would have been issued.

I understand if the cop didn't see it, but c'mon now. You're sitting, facing the intersection. I suppose you're there to catch people who run red lights or are speeding. You're eyes are obviously on the intersection at all times, so what stopped him from seeing this?

Either way, I was going to go up to him and ask if he saw the car, but then where would I go from there? I only remembered it was white, headed north, I had the first three numbers of the license, and it was a dick driver... needless to say, I was pissed and discouraged. So i just rode home thinking about all the asshole drivers in the world that have turned in front of me and in front of other people... notably, Les.. I know he's been cut off more than twice in his life by a car, but the past 2 times have turned out to be rather serious injuries..

So, my purpose of this is to make aware drivers who turn in front of cyclists and to all you who decide to read this. Just please be cautious around cyclists (I know I'm preaching to the choir here).

Pretty soon, my bike is going to be loaded up with 50 air horns and a mega phone.. to let all those, who piss me off on my bicycle, know that they suck ass!!

Oh, Les, the air horn is what I remembered I want for Christmas :) hey, at least I remembered it.

so I finally relieved some stress!!!

some things have gone sour at work, so I took today and tomorrow off. I need to use up some vacation days before the end of the year, and since I now have to work on my birthday (thats what went sour), what better days to take off than the middle of the week?

I decided to ride my bike (since I haven't ridden my new geared bike any reasonable distance since I've had it - and I have the day off), so I rode up to Les' work. He works off 183 near Oak Knoll, and I live relatively central Austin. Needless to say, my route was 18 miles to his work, and 18 miles back... =) I did some extra riding around (to Chik-fil-A and whatnot to get us lunch) and all in all, my ride ended up to be just under 40 miles.

I'm very very very excited that I had the day off to ride my bike, and even more excited because so much of my stress from not riding my bike has drifted away.


lovelovelove my bike and my boyfriend.

good luck on your exam today!

at least he is honest

this is a long time coming

I started this blog last week sometime, possibly two weeks ago when I had Friday off, but alas, my computer was going too slow so I gave up.

Well, here it is... some pictures I want to share with everyone.

This first picture is a view of Austin from my work's balcony...

Me, stuck in traffic on 360 the first day I took Les to work. There was a wreck, so traffic was horrible. Usually, it's not this bad, but its so iffy. I'm jealous of all of the cyclists I see passing me while I'm stuck in traffic. boo. **Note: Don't let the length between my car and the car in front of me fool you into thinking cars were moving at a steady pace. I assure you, we were moving slower than molasses, and I never once pressed the gas pedal in this traffic, only my brake. Double boo..

This is from a foggy foggy day. I'm a horrible estimator of distance, but you can tell I was basically about to cross the bridge when I took this picture. SO so foggy!! I couldn't even see the lake beneath the bridge. It was great. I was again stuck in traffic but the fog seemed to keep me a bit more sane as I could not tell exactly how much traffic I was in.

This is my kitty, Little Jackie Blackie. His name started out as Jack (my mom named him this when he was tiny, but I'm not a fan of the name), so I added to his name. He then became "Little Jack Black Tail." Part of this comes from Seinfeld and the rooster named Little Jerry Seinfeld, and the other part comes from his coat color. He is obviously an orange tabby, but his back half looks dirty, like he was dipped in oil, although he was not and is clean.. hence, the "black tail" part.. Then, his name morphed into Jackie Blackie because he cries alot. If he gets in trouble, his eyes start watering and he cries. NO JOKE! It happens all the time.

Well, the picture isn't about his name, but rather his love for sitting on my cruiser's seat. Isn't he so cute .. little jackie blackie!!

And finally, my new new bicycle!!! I haven't gotten the chance to ride it to work yet, but soon enough my friends!!! Whatever the Friday after December 13th is, that will be its first day on a journey to work with me. I'm stoked!! I hope its not too terribly cold that day, so cross your fingers.

That's all for now, I've got to go to work again...

word.

December 1st

So we are in December now. I have been looking forward to the cooler weather, but it seems now my knee will start acting up because of the plate and screws that I have in it. So I am going to be one of those old men that can tell when bad weather is a brewing, because I am going to feel it, before it hits.

So just to give you another update, the Snot and Tears alleycat is still going down. It sounds fun as shit. I hope I don't have to work. I'd like to just hang out and see what goes down.







"10 dollar race entry fee
lots of prizes
wheelset,frame,bars,grips,bag,pads etc.etc..
food and beer
after race party/jam/competition/debauchery
all for ten bucks !
first 10 racers signed up get free "KNOG" lights
its gonna be dark so bring lights,and youll need a camera, any bike will work
and there will be a magical floating bonus checkpoint worth 50 bucks"


I'll also keep you up to date on the cross alleycat's the Mr. Skwidvicious is putting on. They sound like a fucking blast! I am going to try and be one of the checkpoints next race, so I'll post something as soon as I find out when it is.

gotta get back to work,


til next time


OLC