Santa's Coming Tonight!

Slackin' off...

Yeah as the title says, I've been slackin' off in the riding dept. I guess I could give the usual reasons; It's been cold, rainy (true), I hurt my knee, I need to get another stem for the LeMond and a fit, I've had issues keeping the tubes airtight... All legit reasons mind you save for the fact that I own 4 bikes and if I can't ride outside I can hit the gym at work and spin (4 machines but only 1 works right). Bah!

What gives then?

Have I reached the plateau of challenging myself and now I'm using any reason to keep from riding? Or am I overwhelmed with other things that I need to tend to more so than riding? Or is it some of all of the aforementioned?

Me thinks that's the cause. After 5 months of steady riding, things have caught up and need attention around me including myself and the bikes. Time to refocus.

Full commute

OK this time it was for real, I rode the bike to work and from work. Getting there is easy as cake, one reason: Few cars to consider. The ride home however is fraught with cagers coming from all directions and all wanting the same thing, to be home themselves.

I did improve my lighting rig with higher lumen flashlight by Coleman and scoring a great mount from Todson. I also got some fleece lined gloves, which worked so well I needed to change to the normal pair halfway there.

More blinkies are desired for the rear of the bike to create greater visibility. Word has it the 99 cent stores may have a decent option for 99 cents...

Second commute...

Rode in today and being that it's a workday it counts more so than Sunday's ride. I did however drive home... in the Co-worker's truck. We borrowed it to move an entertainment center after work.

The ride was chilly and became foggy once I reached the first descent on Genesee. That cleared up on the other side but picked up when I got into the UCSD area. My hands got a bit too cold and I almost lost my light, it slipped out of it's mooring halfway along. And of course I forgot my ID badge... in my car! Had to get a temp from security.

I felt great afterwards and for most of the rest of the day, yay cycling!

I do think it's time to get a proper fit on the LeMond, I've been getting by on using the Kona as a template for adjustments, which may be an OK starting place but I feel I need to have a fine tuning.

First bike commute...

It came down to this: I had to work this weekend and I also wanted to ride more than a few miles on the new addition to the stable (tho I've been riding at lunch on it...). Saturday was a non starter there are too many other things to do and then try and fit those 1 or 2 extra things in so Sunday seemed the logical choice, only thing is Laurie works at 11:30 so I need to be back home before then. And the job I'm doing will take around 3-4 hours to complete.

So I leave at 5am because it'll take about an hour to get to Torrey Pines from home (1:06 including a victory lap around bldg 7).

My first stop was going to be the local 'Bux since on most days they open @5, not on Sundays, so I roll on. I stop at the Coffee Bean on my way, nope no sign of life there. Hmmmm think, think, think... Oh yeah there's one across from UTC mall. yeah it'll be open by the time I get there (5:45) nope, they open at 6. Dayum, next one is back down Nobel close to UCSD, they'll be open so I head that way. I remember the Peet's on the other side of the street from the 'Bux in the other shopping center and since it's on the side I'm riding on they will get my business, if they're open that is and they are, so excellent I caffeinate and move on and ride through UCSD and on to work.

So here are my observations:

1. I need to get a better headlight.

The Mini-Maglight I velcro'd to the stem is a good idea in theory but not so in practice. It was cheap (free save for the LED replacement I installed), but it's only attribute is that of providing me with visibility to others, it does little to give me much in the way of road illumination. Maybe mounting it lower onto the forks would be better, or just a higher lumen headlight.

2. The canyons get cold, real cold.

I knew this would happen so I wore a Merino wool sweater with a white tee shirt over it as well as a skull cap to keep me ears warm and I brought a backpack along with my street wear and so I could ditch the cold gear on the ride back, which will be blazing hot today... Oh and I'm sure the backpack will suck riding home in the heat, but oh well it's handy to carry stuff in for the ride. Oh and conversely office buildings tend to throw off some heat from the HVAC system. Nice...

3. Cars are your enemy, and they're your friend sometimes.

It's nice to have car headlights light up you ride at 5am.

4. Descents...

With regards to item #1, since I couldn't really get a good idea of what lay ahead, I took it real easy down all the hills, Genesee from Clairemont Mesa Bl through the 52 interchange is a bit long and steep, with most of the speed picking up towards the end due to an increase in slope, so ass back, easy on the grip and mind those binders.

So I lit out of work @ 10:30 and take a different route home. It's flatter and has less cross traffic (read lights) and not that much more distance wise. It was hot... H... O... T... hot! But oh well I can't dwell on that minor issue, just make sure I'm hydrated and I carry on.

I would have taken more pics but I was under a time crunch and couldn't fit that in along the way. I did stop for one shot though...





All in all, not a bad commute, more cars than I thought for a early Sunday morning.

Idyllwild

This past weekend the Mrs. and I drove up to the loverly mountain community of Idyllwild for a romantic anniversary getaway. We stayed at the Creekstone Inn - a rustic, yet swank structure with nice views of Tahquitz peak -







We had great weather on Saturday as we strolled (hiked...) around town and visited a few of the nature spots in the area like the petroglyphs just a stone's throw (groan...) from our room.



Sunday was hit with fog, rain and then hail as we sat and ate at the Red Kettle.



It was 38º with a nice wind to blow the chill right through you, I didn't bring much in the way of cold weather gear, so I suffered a bit waiting outside for a table, Laurie OTOH had the brains to buy a nice Pea coat from Penny's and brought that along. We ran into a co-worker of mine there and chatted a bit, we had also run into a customer of Laurie's from the restaurant the night before at dinner. Strange meeting people you know in far flung places...

New steed in the barn...

Well I sprung for a geared bike... I decided it was time and since I had some dosh scraped together hidden under a mattress for the job I looked around and decided on a older LeMond Zurich.

It's more than my abilities in a way, but it spoke to me and screamed my name. I only wish it would have told me that the headset needed work before I exchanged cash with the previous owner, but after a $115 repair bill it's lesson learned to scrutinize things to a much higher degree than I'm used to doing and adjust the offer to suit the situation with this in mind. Oh well so it goes...

I've got some Crank Bros Quattros on it that I found used and I'm rocking some nice Cannondale shoes I got for 50% off, now I need some spandex to complete my kit... lol!

The Zurich is a different ride than the Kona for sure, it's twitchier and also gives one the feeling of speed. Being a steel frame it rolls pretty smooth and has a nice overall feel to it, I just need to spend some time in the saddle to really get to know it better, kind of like a women...

Mt Soledad

So on Sunday, I thought I'd climb Mount Soledad. On the bike that is... It's a nice ride but a bit of a climb for a newbie on a singlespeed but I had nothing to lose, so I went for it and 12 or so miles later here I was:


It's about 25 miles round trip and took me 2 hours or so counting the stops I made along the way, one of which was a bike swap meet at Hi-Tech bikes. Who could resist? I had to stop on the way back, just in case I missed anything of course...

My fav part was eyeing the architecture in La Jolla on Soledad. It's all mid century rambling California ranch designs save the occasional oddball box that shoots up out of nowhere looking like the Metabalife corporate HQ or some bad refurb from 1989, or worse the late 90's early 00's when the granite countertop/stainless mentality flooded the rehab scene and everyone decided to obliterate the old with a coat of bland stucco and new double-paned windows...

Some good climbs and descents kept me tight in the saddle and today my gams are letting me know my age just a bit more than usual.

Anyhow, I'll have to include the route on longer trips, especially if I spring for a geared bike.

Tour De Poway...

So on October 5th, 2008 I struck out on the road and headed north by northeast to Poway (about 15 miles...) to ride in the 23rd annual Tour De Poway. There were 5 options in total, 18, 26, 50, 67 and 100 miles and since I'm a relative newbie when it comes to biking and all things velo, I opted for the 26 mile course. The 67 is called a metric century (100km is about 67 miles) and the 100 mile is well a century, it is akin to running a 26 mile marathon I guess. I wasn't ready to ride the longer routes mainly due to the Poway grade that heads into Ramona. It's about 8 to 10% over 3 or so miles and with just one gear to take me where I want to go, I wasn't ready for the workout. Hopefully next year...

I hit the road at 8:10 after fueling up at Starbucks. My route was to take me past Miramar Naval Air Station along Kearney Villa Rd and I noticed some signs indicating that it would be closed to traffic from 1 to 5 because of the airshow. I thought this over and kept on going, because I had made the commitment to commute to the event regardless. This will come into play later... Then I ran into some light rain, so I just forged ahead what has rain ever hurt? It stopped before too long and I dried off quickly. So up Pomerado and over and into Poway I rode, seemed easy enough but the downside of Pomerado looked a bit long and tough for the ride back.



I rolled into the staging area, Old Poway Park around 9:15 or so, checked in and hung out waiting for the start time at 10. A friend (yes you Karen...) joked that she didn't think they'd let any Townies into the ride but I saw some, not the exact make or model but the style nonetheless. So 10 o'clock rolled around and it was go time. I started out somewhere in the middle of the crush I think and felt the need to gain some lead on the others. No it's not a race, but the competitive spirit is always hovering above these kinds of events so a little friendly challenge is present regardless of skill or training. I made my way toward the front and did fairly well considering until the first incline and I fell back some, but did my best to keep up with the pack.



All in all it was a very nice day, not too hot or too windy and I completed the course in about 1:45. Lunch was served, and well received...

After lunch and lounging around a bit and winning a Beatles name that tune contest, I decided to roll on towards home. Now I remembered what lay ahead both on Pomerado and at Kearney Villa. The first just required my resolve and energy, so I drank a Coke before I left. The second required detente, so I thought about what I might say and how I said it. With all that in mind I struck out homeward bound. Pomerado presented itself as I had thought, as bad or worse than Torrey Pines probably worse at the time as I was past my zenith by then. Fortunately the downside was a breeze and I coasted a good bit of the way before my second reckoning.

I came up to the intersection and saw a agent of some description manning his or her post on the other side. I motioned to them to find out if I could get passage but was summarily ignored, so I crossed the street (after waiting forever on the light) and asked them directly. A solid "No" was the answer, no amount of pleading or negotiating made any difference. One gal informed that there was a 15 mile detour, "Yeah I know" was my sarcastic reply. So off I went. I really didn't want to have to ride the extra miles but I had zero choice since I was the one who opted to commute. Miramar was slow going due to a nice headwind and I still had the hills of Genesee to tackle late in the day, but I continued and made it home in one piece, without incident (unlike the last ride lol!). My final mileage? 67...

Adios, Paul...

I guess it's marathon time, with lots of popcorn and salad. Thanks for giving of yourself and letting us enjoy the fruits of your labor. I bet it was a grand ride, I'll take the advice on the planning and I'll knock back a few beers in your honor later. Cheers!

Speaking of milestones...

It's been 3 years since my tumor resection. And I'm cancer free yet again. Hoo Ha!

I get a bi-annual cystoscopy now instead of every 3 months, and before long it'll be an annual thing until I slough off this mortal coil (in the grand style I might add!). For those of you dear readers (all -5 of you...), cystoscopy is the frontal version of a colonoscopy, mmmm fun! I'm kinda glad the last few times the tech has been a woman, because somehow I feel that a woman's touch is well less invasive than a man's, though one of the male techs I was ok with during the procedure, and the doc is a guy so I'm not sure what my deal there is... And who cares really, they see this stuff all the time.

How this all came about was a because of a kidney stone, and in deciding on a proper route to treat the thing, a stent was to be placed in a ureter to let the thing pass. In order to do this, they needed to do a... cystoscopy, and in doing that a bladder tumor was found. Well that had to come out for sure. Thank God for the stone I guess, as bloody painful as it was...

Which reminds me I need to get a blood draw for a PSA test...

Summer's spell will continue...

Ah yes it's been now 3 months since getting the Kona (not officially, that was 4 days ago, I'm just now getting around to posting...), and do I feel the difference. I have more energy, strength and less of a gut. Not that I really had much of one to begin with, but I fit in pants I didn't wear 3 months ago but I bought at some time in the past. I'll have to try the suit I was married in, it stopped fitting right not long after Weston was born.

I think I'll keep this up for the long term.

I have now a something I can do without a problem, save for the fact I want more bikes. And that's a big problem, not only is it a money thing but more so a storage thing. With 4 bikes of various sizes in the house at any given time, the wife is scheming to make them invisible or at least least obtrusive. Adding one or 2 more would send her over the top I think, rather I know... But I really want another road bike... Hmmmm what to do, want to do...

Aftermath...

A quick pic of the leg and hand for your viewing pleasure...




















The swelling has gone down and I think I'll live lol...

Bike the Bay

So it's been awhile since the last post and I must say that my body is responding to the challenge I set forth almost 3 months ago. I see progress, real progress. Granted it's not earth shaking or such, but I see and feel it and that's all that matters. I'm not ever gonna race a bike, but I am going to kick what ass I can and have fun and regain some youthful edge while I'm at it.

So... I decided to sign up for a sponsored bike ride. Woot! Look out here I come folks... But wait we go across the Coronado Bay bridge:


Well I'm just a little afraid of the damn things now aren't I, so I signed up for this and forgot that little bit of my self? Hmmm I'll have to tough it out I guess, I'm sure there will be others in the same boat so get with it man. It's a flat run and the bridge is the only real terrain and obstacle I'd see so I focused on overcoming any issues with the bridge and let the rest be.

Ah yes the rest...

As in hordes of people, of varying ability and gear. Most were roadies in spandex I'd say and many of them weekend warriors (I probably fall into that category sans lycra...). I stood in the staging line chatting with a couple of older guys and had some good laughs with them, then after about 30 minutes of this it was my time to fly...


Although it isn't a race, they are some who feel the need to compete, and that's perfectly natural and sometimes dangerous as we shall see...

The bridge transit was perfectly fine, my efforts at minimizing my phobia had paid off, I only felt a small twinge of fear as I rode over. I maintained focus on my task, I did not look over to the left and kept an eye out for potential wrecks. All was well until mile 8.5...





The problem with large bike rides is the sheer amount of people all going in the same direction on a standard bike path, now if all were of the same or similar mind fine, but this ride had as I mentioned many different riding abilities (mine included...), so the propensity for some to want to break away from the pack(s) is increased. I was in this mindset as well, and it worked... for a while.

I came up upon a small group as I was trailing an older gent on a newish Schwinn road bike that had a squeaky pedal and I was doing a fairly fast clip. I had let him get ahead of me because of the varied clumps of other riders here and there. In front of me was a gal who had someone in front of her. So in perfect form we both decided to pass our obstacles together. I was left with little room save for the rough shoulder to my left. I had just used it before and it was perfect. This looked a bit less so, but I had no choice so I went for it. The problem was I had too much berm to get back up on, and this was my undoing.

I flipped and rolled.

The gal who had been in front of me watched me go down and did say that I had perfect form in doing so, so I am good at something...



That 'gal' turned out to be a real sweetheart and has a name too! Lonna felt terrible feeling she had caused the problem, but I told her otherwise that it was my own poor judgment in speed and conditions that was to blame, not her. She did help me out and sacrificed a bandanna and some water to soothe my wounds. Having no ill will and seeing that her and her friend, Karen were genuinely good folk and avid cyclists, I rode with them both on and off the rest of the way. Karen kicked both our butts on her Electra Townie, a bike of modest design and such but a good inspiration to any and all who just want to ride. Karen is also an evangelist for the bike, she does her best to sell them at any turn regardless of the fact she has no connection to Electra other than product ownership.




Lonna and Karen





So I rode on, what could I do right? Some pain, some gain, why not. Later after a quick sprint to pass a group, I met up with Gary, who was glad that I had just done so as he needed it and was feeling a tad winded because he was on my left the whole time. We chatted about various biking subjects and parted just before the finish line promising to keep an eye out for one another. Which is what these events are about it seems; Camaraderie.

I had one younger gent tell me later I was his hero, because I had only one gear and his 27 couldn't keep him from feeling the pain. To him I say: "In time, my son, in time. Work on it and don't let up. In no time you'll be fit and fine."

As for single gear folk, I saw a handful of fixed gears, one nice chrome Bianchi track bike and no other freewheel single speeds such as I was running. It doesn't surprise me, SS is not hipster and no one thinks of the value of being able to coast on one gear.

Well I do, and it's helped me immensely.

Breaking Away...

Ah yes, I'm sure we all once had dreams of doing something big only to have life bust in and shake us back down to reality. Some never seemed to have that problem and what ever challenged them, they took it on and beat it's ass to a pulp. I once had some kind of dream, I'm not sure what it was anymore but I had one nonetheless.

It didn't have anything to do with biking, but I have always like to ride, and in high school it was the best form of escape for a transplanted Minnesotan during the day. I had the good fortune to have an elective cycling class for PE. So not only could I bike in to school (which had it's own problems...) but then I got to forgo having to play soccer or baseball or run a mile or more, all of which I sucked at doing or plain hated altogether.

I recall a few years later when living in LA riding to visit my girlfriend, because well I didn't drive. I rode from Culver City up and over to Century City. I guess it wasn't enough to save our relationship from the scrapheap of romance though but it was a good effort I think. I stopped riding at that point because I moved to the high desert and riding a bike there made little sense to me at the time.

I eventually moved to the south, was given a beater 10 speed which got stolen , then finally got a car and then a few motorcycles. After I moved back to So Cal and I started working with an avid cyclist did I get a bike and get into it. This lasted until my son was born and then I got rid of the bike and my thighs languished. After a job change and an influx of disposable income did I buy a another bike, but it is a cruiser though and as cool and fun as it is, for what it is it's limited in ability and scope. I also bought it because it looked really cool...

Recently during a doctor visit the nurse found my blood pressure to be a bit high for me (131 over 85 or some such) I also thought that to be a bit high as I thought it used to be more like 115 over 70 or so. So hmmmm I thought I need to take care of that. After thinking about it some and a few people I kind of knew were getting into cycling, I figured I should get a bike and today I did just that since it's Father's Day tomorrow and the wife asked me what I wanted and I told her I wanted a bike. I preempted her of course because I had a good idea of what I wanted. I thought I'd start doing some limited commuting and I bought something suggested for the task. And in total Popeye style, it's a bit on the hipster/rebel side if you would:

It's a singlespeed/fixed gear and it's a work in progress, or should I say that I'm a work in progress... Time will tell and from my short ride today, it'll be a fun challenge.

Currently here at the distillery...

Another one of those "been some time since...' posts. Well I've nothing to say for myself, save the usual indulgent crap littering most blogs and mine as well though I've cleared out the past detritus somewhat so I'll leave that nonsense out today...

Took a look at some property the other day, and my god what is the world thinking with this shit? Overpriced crap even still, it'll be some time before prices adjust to reality and we can take the plunge.

Question of the day: What are you going to do with your tax rebate check?

Me? I'm putting it back in the spot that was dug out after paying taxes.

Good day, carry on...

"You are HEALED!"

Since my last post on the matter, I finally went to a physical therapist to get the elbow sorted out and well, got it all sorted out.

Thank god. Now I can take up fencing or tennis and really give it a proper workout... Yeah right lol

I do need to remember to exercise it though from time to time, like in between masturbation maybe?

Wadda, wadda, wadda whoo...

Been a while since having last posted anything, so here's a bit of nothing to kick the tail end of St Paddy's Day back into Lent.

Jury Duty

So far I've been on for 3 days, tomorrow to be (hopefully) the last, then I can post my thoughts and feelings of the trial, the legal system and jury duty itself.