still really icy

and no i haven't any studded tires yet, i would like to take the time to build up a set. currently i'm getting my alleycat bike set up and ready for action,.although it'll be the stupor bowl, and not the new years eve run.

we're gonna start slowly....

the re -designed, retro-fitted re-bicycler is here. coupla things

• the wife will not be getting a new bike i'm building a set of wheels for the vintage three speed. new basket , tweed skirt and i think the three speed tour around lake pepin is full, damn.... and if she doesn't like it..well, she can have anything she wants
  
• new years resolution: buy local despite the cost , demand and receive superior service- that's what you're paying for
• something else, oh i know......i cut my collaborators loose, feel free to weep for them
  

nerves of steel

went out for a ride despite the warnings, 9:45 pm. how many times in december do you get to ride in fog and 40 degrees. hard packed snow turning to slush, ice on the path and nobody to share the pain with. i figured i was gonna be holed up for a few days, so why not. i was doing fine until i hit the northside of lake harriet, glare ice on the path. only went down twice and nothing too hard. we'll see how it feels in the morning i have some aquavit to drink.

weather: 39 degrees, foggy but that cleared by the trip home
roads: better than the path, slush and clean/wet roadway

i'm considering

1. that the the chest congestion will get worse b4 it gets better
2. the real training plan begins on the new moon, out withe old excuses and in with the new,
3. enjoy a shot of aquavit on your dime.

wed or thursday

checking the weather, gotta run down the outlaws...
there will be aquavit in my pack, that's how lutefisk(RIP) would have wanted it

sorry, jiminy cricket..

moonshiner don't take his bike ride around the nieghborhood when it's below zero

on sabbaticcal until the next new moon

sorry folks, i'm in deep isolation for training purposes

mr. jimmy says....

out at 9:45 in time stop a the store for a little bit of straight kentucky bourbon whiskey. rode too fast to enjoy the soothing glow. same route as always, better dressed and it was warmer. didn't have a chance to put different tires on the jamis so i went with the meister... that pony needs a new bottom bracket. ride was nothing special, fast and light, i should do something to make the next one more painful.

weather: 20 degrees, cloudy
roads: good condition

not so cold

out at 9:45 back in an hour. cyclocross bike but no cyclocross hi-jinx. thinking about putting fatter tires on the jamis and going a little longer tomorrow. not really fat tires 35mm istead of 26 mm, which lead to a question, is lower pressure and a bigger footprint really that necessary? confidence is the answer, if i feel it'll hook up better i ride like it does.

back to the ride, fast and light, only stopped to get my water bottle extracted from it's warm home. first few minutes my hands were cold but that changed as I adjusted or got out the wind or worked harder. mittens and cycling gloves, might try light cotton gloves as well; 2nd good cold weather tip, sweater vest. that's all i'm saying.

weather: 15 degrees, hazy
road: excellent winter riding condition

just in case you missed it...

actual entry: name that blog's comment section, bonus points for the author's identity (it's not me)

you bet said...

"It's warming up but there's still a Spandex shortage in Minneapolis."

no doubt about that, Flanders and Smithers heisted 'em all for 'cross season.

oooh top 20?

December 18, 2008 1:10 PM

Jeg kan godt lide Lycra

wool is nice too,
mmmmm, microfiber

and for the 'nederlanders'
i like lycra

the cycle is broken

got out on my bike this am. grocery run 6 blocks, cold, not frigid.

weather: zero, dark
roads: beneath my wheels

novara transfer 2009

why minneapolis will not 'copenhagenize'

it's not that it's impossible, or that certain areas of the city can't be made bicycle friendly , but as a city mpls will remain tied to the automobile with a silver chain.

1. the distances are too great, thank you urban sprawl.
2. the funding is not available, hell, we can't levy taxes for education.
3. there is a bias against bicycle transportation, just read the yearly newspaper article on 'law breaker' bicyclists
4. we can't even agree on a senator, how are we going to agree on a citywide bicycle rental program
5. weather, winter is harsh, European cities are more temperate and US cities that are bicycle friendly are on the warmer west coast( i.e. sf, pdx)

Try as I might Minneapolis will be what it is. luckily there is a small but dedicated group that gave us the midtown greenway and other 'rails to trails' conversions and keeps up the pressure. Maybe i'm too impatient and the change is occurring before my eyes, just at an imperceptible rate.

re: winter 2008-09

University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley says we could set a record for the number of December days in which we receive snowfall.
........."All the signs are that this pattern will not change abruptly. So we may be having a taste in December of what we're going to have in January or February," Seeley said.

embrocation

http://madalchemy.com/

how you gonna get that home?

two of the main reasons i still remain tied to the car are; children and groceries/heavy cargo.
i have it on good authority that both these problems can be easily solved by an investment in a cargo bicycle. i recently divested myself of the second car in the family, but still have the mini-van.

my daughter is getting older, so exposing her to the elements for a longer period may not be as big a problem. my son is almost five and has grown up in these conditions, he dresses well, although he would prefer to be active rather than sedentary in a trailer.

i may not be as well informed as some other contributors to this blog. but this is what i know,
there will be information on the web and this is what i've found:

• http://bellabike.com/
• http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/06/ikea-idea-with-velorbis-bikes.html
• http://utilitariantransports.com/
• http://www.surlybikes.com/bigdummy.html
• http://www.velorbis.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=184

cold nights

haven't been on a bicycle since last Friday.
I had the urge to go out tonight, i had a cup of coffee and sat down and it went away

weather: zero degrees

www.cafepress.com/StopRacing

accurate analysis of the situation

from the comment section on bsnyc/rtms

aka "the" bikesnob/mothership

Anonymous said...

For a long time I've thought originality to be a dead concept in creative ventures. First it was movie remakes, then 'ironic' cover songs by 'ironic' bands. Now it appears that every city in the US (and beyond, thanks interweb!) is likely going to have Bike Snob attached to its initials/name in bloggerville.
BSNYC, those better be some looooong coat tails trailing behind you.

December 16, 2008 1:37 PM

unfortunately the generator light such as the one pictured has gone the way of the bison, get a 'generator hub' if you need to be self sufficient, or just keep using batteries. poster can be found at http://readymade.com/article/poster_children/

bicycle commuters: gods among us

i will say this topic is not mine, i know a contributor to this blog who is better qualified to write this post. i'll put this out there anyway, commuters are the hard men/women among the bicycle sub-culture. the hardest part about racing/training is completing it everyday, no matter the weather, your fitness or stage of training.

here's the take on bicycle commuting from the MSM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28235890/

Gunga Din, a poem by Rudyard Kipling

You may talk o' gin and beer
When you're quartered safe out 'ere,
An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it;
But when it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.
Now in Injia's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend my time
A-servin' of 'Er Majesty the Queen,
Of all them blackfaced crew
The finest man I knew
Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din.
He was "Din! Din! Din!
You limpin' lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din!
Hi! slippery hitherao!
Water, get it! Panee lao!
You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din."

find the rest of the poem at http://www.love-poems.me.uk/kipling_gunga_din_w_insp.htm

weather report

8:30 pm
fell asleep in my chair in the front room woke up half hour hour later, my hot chocolate was frozen and i had icicles on my fingers. i'm thinking winter has come, the heat is set at 65 degrees, thermostat is 20 feet away, might be a little drafty in here.

cx free for all cancelled

the first of the sunday night at the park race series is

cancelled on account of treacherous travel conditions

i think the course conditions will be beautiful
i'm worried about transit to and from the venue
that's right i care about your survival ,
but only when you're not racing,
on the race track it's 'every man for his-self'

moonlight spin

out at 9:45 pm back By 11 pm. felt like it was too easy, 38x16 was real easy to wind out on tonight, climbs like a billy-goat though. took one run-up the stairs, no running hot into the corners on these roads though, wide and slow is the rule. save the juice for the paved flats, spent more time in the drops than i have in a few days. packed snow was sketchy, bumpy with too many footprints, hard to find a line. other than that it was a great ride and felt good and came home spent. weather very co-operative warmer at night than it was during the day, stormy weekend on tap.

weather: 20 degrees, clear full moon
roads: best they've been all week, packed snow and dry spots, corners still piled w/ snow

full moon tonight

no new batches of whiskey for a while, we'll get the last of this run out and start cooking in 2 weeks.

newsflash: really nasty weather may cancel race or make it better

what it will do is make it so nobody wants to show-up...and y'all know what a party is when nobody shows up....a drunken stupor for the host.
so i'll be drunk in the freezing cold and dark on sunday at 9 pm, alone in the park

bike culture... 'like in a petri dish'

that quote was given to me by a colleague when i am embarked upon blogging. Along with this one, 'there's another biker blog every minute, and most of them suck.'

It's been a year since i began blogging about biking, bike racing, politics and all the rest. it started simply enough, by commenting on a friends blog. After my comments became too verbose( read 'annoying') i decided to start my own blog. my first attempts have long since been deleted. in the last few day i deleted a blog that had 334 posts in 9 months. the blogging thing is easy, once you get over the fear of exposure it's liking walking the dog, everyday it's got to be done.

the blogosphere: no comment

the message boarders, i only engage in this sparingly, although i am a senior member in a board i frequent. being a senior member is a lot like getting your high school letter in band, just keep showing up and it's yours.

racers, get in as many fights as you can, even throw a punch or two and then get drunk.

finding 'your local bike shop' or LBS, is not always a question of vicinity to home. i have had a relationship with the same mechanic for 15 years, i maintain this relationship by never letting my best mechanic friend work on my bike. i am a hack mechanic/builder and re-bicycler. i am one of the ten worst kinds of customers, i ask hard questions, know enough to get me in trouble and i'm really cheap. i do appreciate a well built wheel, i can build my own but i'm not that good and i'm slow.

the biking community, i know a few.

local interest story

saturday december 13th
take back the greenway ride

4 pm at westerly entrance on dean parkway just behind calhoun beach club
finish at grumpy's downtown sometime later
maphttp://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=calhoun+beach+club&sll=44.977482,-93.264351&sspn=0.208861,0.617981&g=Minneapolis,+MN&ie=UTF8&ll=44.967348,-93.333664&spn=0.052224,0.154495&z=13&layer=t

'the public enemy' james cagney

back in the saddle

out at 9:15 back by 10:19 pm. same route but this time it was mostly plowed, faster but still a few hiccups. not much off trail, no bears out tonight.

last night's recon on sunday's course was dimly lit, too cold to open it up or think much beyond barrier placement, and whether to include any snow jumps. will actually ride more in the snow tomorrow. over and out.

weather: 26 degrees, clear
roads: mostly plowed, heavier at the intersections, choose the path down the middle

FreeWillAstrology.com

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Novelists and actors make a living by using
their imaginations to create fictional stories. ..yadda,yadda,yadda... As soon as
you're finished reading this horoscope, start brainstorming about specific
things you could do to convert fantasies into real-world wealth.

it's hog slaughtering time

concerning clothing

i ride in the winter. i need to keep warm, i don't spend alot of cash on my outfit.

an example of my winter riding outfit;

• tights $60
• thin socks free
• thick socks(wool blend) $ 10
• boots $60
• schpants(recycled) $20
• long sleeve jersey $45
• turtleneck $20
• sweater $30
• shell $50
• balaclava $25
• cycling gloves $20
• mittens $10
• helmet $40
• total cost = $390

now, not all of this was bought at one time or is cycling specific. i could have paid more and just might replace some of these things. the point to this discussion is that it is possible to bike in the winter and not spend alot of money on clothing that can only be worn on a bicycle.

the rules state that to stay warm you need a 4 part layer system;

1. thin base layer,' wicking' so you stay dry
2. absorbent layer,
3. insulation and
4. a waterproof shell.

retailers;
swobo.com
rapha.com
rei.com
find some of it at other local non-cycling stores as well

reconnaissance

View Larger Map



visiting the course and going over possible layouts tonight. will be interesting with all the snow, i think one of the uphills is now a sledding hill. deep snow, cross country ski tracks expected.

little snow out there, eh

left late 10:15pm back by 11:30. could of turned around after the first two blocks of fishtailing. but i decided i needed to carry on. slow going on the roads, better on the sidewalks. for an hour before i went out i kept peeking out the window, hoping to see the plow on my street. no luck, tomorrow night will be easier going but i think it's supposed to be colder. i did endo once at a street corner when i mis-judged the curb, that was fun.

weather: 20 degrees, 2-3 inches of snow and more coming down
roads: shitty, nothing plowed or salted

hurl doesn't train

he is a train, coming at ya doing 100 mph

avoiding methanol(from yahoo)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081201194714AAmTCoo

Moonshine methanol and how to avoid?

Ok sounds sketchy yes but i was watching a movie on moonshine and always wondered "how do they know the moonshine doesn't have methanol in it?"
How do they prevent it in a legal still?

answer #1
The whole methanol thing was a big myth. Most people got sick from moonshine because old stills were built using old car parts that often had lead solder or other nasty stuff hanging around on them.
Yes, there is methanol produced in imperfect fermentation, but no more than you would make in home brew beer and wine. Distillation doesn't CREATE anything, it REMOVES stuff. Even if there is a little bit of methanol in the liquid before you put it in the still, a good still properly used will remove everything but 96% alcohol and 4% water.

moonshiner: just make sure you dump the first part of the 'run ' since methanol has a lower boiling point and will show up first

what i'm doing tonight: riding in the winter storm advisory

forecast courtesy of:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/wxstory.php?site=mpx

compare and contrast for 40 points

she wants this bike....

what i don't like about it;

• front rack mounted on cantilever studs
• why no internal 7 speed?
• drive train
• shifters
• seat
• no full-on chain guard, wrap the whole thing front to back
  

what's okay, i guess.

• 700 c tires
• fenders

nice day for it

rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated...

Tidings of Great Joy...

Hi I'm The Blogger's Widow......that's right, none of you have to be subjected to lutefisk's blog anymore.

Thank you and have a nice day :-)

bicycle poster found at http://www.adamturman.com

single cross loves the snow

45 minutes on the meister, one run-up and one crash. the word of the day is control. crashed on an off camber section i had cleaned on the first go around on the course, took it high side thinking i could just power thru, bike slipped out from underneath, big sitzmark, down to earth, no blood.

i knew there would be a little slipping when i hit the hill two blocks from my house and felt the rear go out when i stood up for a little more power, hence today's word 'control', not so much the speed. run-up on the stairs at penn was all a matter of control, when i remounted and saw the headlights on the road i knew couldn't tack wide on the turn to the path but had to stay slow and mapped out the turn instead of just gliding thru...

weather: 27 degrees, light snow, moon peaking thru the cloud cover.
roads: 1 inch of fluffy snow, not so much greasy/sloppy as slippery in spots

the legend of drunken master

Jackie Chan - The Legend Of The Drunken Master - The most amazing home videos are here

cyclocross video

getting ready for the real cold...

out at 9:30pm back by 10:45 pm. not all that unpleasant, it was cold. jamis on two lakes, rear derailleur could use an adjustment or or else the cable is sticking in the casing or i'm not completely making the full pull that it needs, i need friction shifting. half the fun of riding in the winter is getting dressed for it and realizing that it can be done without overheating or under dressing, no such thing as bad weather only improper clothing. keeping three water bottles in the first layer pockets and having to stop to extract them from the warm zone could get annoying on longer rides or more brisk conditions.

weather: 10 degrees, light clouds
roads: light dusting of snow, not too slick

morning after

got out the door during daylight. i couldn't sleep last night so i re-worked the drive train and lowered the seat and switched the front brake from the left to the right hand.
main annoyances: 1 or two sticky chain links and one la-ame singleator

• slow bike
  
• understanding the danes
  
• selection of local biker's blogs
• bike love
• bikes nob
• copenhagen cycle chic
• cozy biker
• cultural icon
• darkness
• lol meow
• mcf calendar
• ooobs
• pinchie's news
• reverend reach-around
• skinny ski
• smithers
• song of hiawatha
• stevil kinevil
• amsterdamize.com
• almonzo 100
• bicycle hellfire machine
• grant of walnut creek
• H.T.A.T.B.L
• moonshine cyclocross
• ragnarok 105
• Randonneurs USA
• rough riders
• ultracycling
• evil cycling

gilian welch and david rawlins

new build blues

45 minutes in a too low saddle with a set-up i tolerated seven years ago but not today. ride was cold but not too bad. boots and mittens, rolled schpantz for knee protection, glad i didn't see any any hard men cause the drivetrain was too noisy for company....sticky chain link through a first generation singleator is bullshit. enough about the bike, gonna put in a few more miles tomorrow on the jamis, maybe while the sun is still out.

weather: 20 degrees and clear,
the roads: light coating of snow with a few slick spots

moonshiner road

[insert photo]
sorry camera broken and it's not that pretty

[read about it]
the le toure` is back in action
single speed for now, til i gets a wheel built, then it's 7 speed

52X16
165 mm 'maxxy' crankset
rear wheel; flip/flop hub on campagnolo moskva '80 rim
front wheel; suzue solid body high flange hub on wiennemann double channel rim
38 cm track type bar(you gotta see it)
keirin grips
cane creek crosstop brake lever

update: after two rides i realized 'nye ikke likke'(norsk) this build
switched out bars for mustache
shimano 600 levers
rear brake
different crankset, 170 mm
48x16
still single speed... but,
i'll be getting a wheel built soon as i find $100 laying around

san marco rolls

just getting on with me/myself and i

late departure, 45 minute ride, meister style, harriet way, no stops, no run-ups. little snow not much drifting, no dumping. poetry in motion.

weather; 30 degrees and snow falling gently and sporadically

gonna be a cx race in my neighborhood in 12 days, see it live not via satellite, talk to moonshiner.
http://moonshinercx.blogspot.com/

'the meister', she takes a licking ....

bought the frame for 20 bucks.
rear wheel from hollywood
mafac 'racer' brakes
modolo levers
38x16
ritchey cyclocross tires

upsdate: she's so fine i'm giving her a new bottom bracket this winter after the next race

training plan

with the failure of my 8 week plan for cyclocross i am re-evaluating the ramp up for ragnarok.

i've decided that intensity will not replace serious base mileage. i'm not expecting anymore than a monthly ride of 75 miles for the top end. my time management does not allow for anything other than late night rides of at most two hours during the week. saturday/sunday mornings will be the time for long rides.

i would like to increase my mileage on wednesday nights, have a beer or two and enjoy a nice group ride. or maybe even mix it up and ride on a tuesday mornings@ 10 am meer at ooobs this year, hurl?

planned obsolescents

or planned adolescents. my wife thinks bicycling is for the younger men. i should shock her and get a job as amessenger again. i love getting up early making one delivery and then hanging out downtown until i either freeze to death get way too jacked up on coffee or another run. aahh; the good times.....

pooh bear

three trips to the hardware store

hurl, i'll be back for another left crank arm, seems i got's a 107mm spindle and asymmetrical offset on my chainstay.

update:later that day upon securing the drive side crank i noticed a little play in the bottom bracket. we'll be thinking about a new bottom bracket then i guess. why do i even touch this shit, it was just sitting there and now it's a money pit. once i get an idea in my head i guess i need to follow it through...

update 2.0: 4 december went with a 165 crank i had lying around, maiden voyage tonight, exact bicycle specs found at moonshinercx.blogspot.com

i reckon i coulda made one, but hell this one she's purty
http://www.walnutcreekmetamora.com/Stills.htm

is it any wonder these folks is located in the same neck o' woods as the rivendell boys?

one day

single speed cyclo-cross-pursuit
indoors on astroturf in january

jamie bestwick bmx vertical

newly fallen snow

gonna try this again....
cyclocross bike - snow
single speed - snow,snow
45 minutes around the lake of harriet - snow, snow ,snow
let it snow

november 30

new fallen snow
nasty old toe... fuck it i can't wright poetry any-more or any less

Schwinn letour ii will be working soon enough
only one shift at the gulag next week
oh, butt i knead to find a job
sling hash somewhere i 'spose
i kept thinking if i just sat down and wrote, a descent post wood be bjorn but no...

we are all of us in the gutter..

the slow creep

if i don't get on my bicycle tonight i'm fucked..... may as well throw away the spring campaign. making thanksgiving dinner and housecleaning. how late is too late. 7am ride at minnehaha depot on turkey day beckons. maybe i can get swanson to autograph my helmet.

Randonneuring:

from http://www.rusa.org/

Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

the most famous randonnee` is paris-brest-paris which was First run in 1891, although this may be the goal of some randonneurs, i is not the only brevet available to individual wishing to 'compete'/complete longer rides. locally there are a few brevets that run out of the rochester area. look it up, there are rides scheduled for this spring and summer.

here's a couple of links i found on the RUSA site for randonneuring in MN

http://rasc.multisportsystems.com/page/show/7540

http://biketcbc.org/randonneur/index.htm

1 week off

that's all and that's too much.... but the last two-three days are excused. saturday night i awoke and yacked my brains out. long story, no alcohol involved. whole family has been sick since last friday, i think the culprit is a norovirus, google it, it's what they used to call the 'stomach flu', and it's spread where people congregate, schools, nursing homes, shopping centers, the only cure is staying home and that's boring...

too much time off the bike!

i'm getting that fucked up feeling. i raced saturday, took sunday off, rode monday and tuesday haven't been on a bike since tuesday night. so i guess i'm hooked again. i'll most likely be calling in sick tonight since the boy has diarrhea and i'm not feeling so hot either. should i go out riding once things get settled.... only time will tell when i can get my next fix.

pj harvey

six day racing

my info is sketchy; this i know, it is totally European, the riders aren't truly cycling for that long, i have heard that the events last 6 hours each night, 2 riders per team. it's been around forever, i heard there were 6 day races at the old auditorium in Minneapolis. sounds like the atmosphere at the track is similar to keiren racing in japan. when i make a trip to belgium i'll fill you in on the details

here's some reference material
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=6479

http://www.cyclingnews.com/track/?id=sixdayintro00

bootleg cross racing

moonshine cyclocross: winter cyclocross racing

pj harvey-50 foot queenie

not so cold

out at 9:30 in at 10:30. too short, i know, intensive training starts november 27th. working my way back into road biking, fit may need some adjustment. overall a good ride

heavier mittens and water bottles next to the body. i get the feeling that dehydration in 'wintery' weather may be more of a factor, had bad cottonmouth by the end. little wind on a few sections, need to reconsider routes, into the wind going out and tailwind coming back in is the key to staying warm i think. all this will become second nature by december. do i re-post the countdown to event? probably not.

weather: 33 cloudy sse wind 10-15mph

ms. Northrup's schwinn 3 speed

the day she bought she was out on a ride with friend. some shop out on hiawatha ave(i don't advertise for free), it starts with a C. nicely restored, all the parts work. more about the day she bought it, riding one bicycle and she buys another. when she gets home tells me,

'we're going out to pick-up my cruiser later, take a look at my new bike'

yellow is a nice color. i would like to build a set of alloy wheels to replace the steel wheels, the chrome is nice, but heavy. need a floor pump for schrader tubes and the shop would be complete.

snot rocket

it's cold out there, out at 9:30 back by 10:48. boring ride made exciting by the weather. the route, lakes harriet and calhoun, the bike, jamis with rack and pannier.

couple a things i forget about winter riding. halfway through the ride reached for my second water bottle and it was frozen, or at least frozen enough so i couldn't get any water out. shifter problems, ended up running as a three speed, rear derailleur/shifter acting up, luckily i was in a middle cog so i could use the front derailleur. never really got warm and lite gloves are not enough, the feet also were cold. and i was blowing snot like like it was really cold, the snot rocket was in full effect.

so, for tomorrow night: water bottles next to body, mittens and boots. and maybe check out the rear shifter.

weather: 22 degrees, cold and clear

longer distances on the road past dark

if i'm going to put in a few 50 milers after dark i will need;

• headlight, white (blinky or more)
• food and water back-up
• extra clothes

i guess i'll re-mount the rack and panniers, roadside repair could be tricky if i do anything other than fix a flat, even then i'll need to be well out the vehicle right of way and carry sufficient light for the repair

T.S. Eliot (1888–1965). The Waste Land. 1922.

The Waste Land

I. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering	5
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,	10
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm' aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the archduke's,
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,	15
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,	20
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,	25
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.	30
Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu.
Mein Irisch Kind,
Wo weilest du?
'You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;	35
'They called me the hyacinth girl.'
—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,
Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,	40
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.
Od' und leer das Meer.
Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,	45
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks,
The lady of situations.	50
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.	55
I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring.
Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone,
Tell her I bring the horoscope myself:
One must be so careful these days.
...the rest can be found at http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html

bike build-up

for the sport-touring single speed;

• one left crank arm,
• chainring bolt spacers,
• build rear wheel on 8 speed hub(to be re-dished when i decide to add gearing)

racing?

i entered the race with 1.5 hrs of sleep the night/morning before, practice lap was long, drank enough water had enough coffee pre-race... midway through first lap stopped to take a pee by the lake securing my position as dfl. rode in shorts and jersey according to UCI rules. 1st lap couldn't drink beer cause i thought i was going to vomit. 2nd lap dollar from the forester, poured beer in my pie hole still ready to yack. 3rd lap got a pair of sox. more about the 3rd lap.... wait for it.....received encouragement from several riders lapping me, several even knew my name.

passing by the announcer, s-r in full heckle mode, hollywood decides it would be fun to toss a water bottle at my front wheel, it connects, i dismount and lunge, like a true roadie he dodges the punch, i don't have enough legs to chase him... we examine my bike, re-adjust the brakes/bars and i trundle into the finish. i return to scene of the crime and make-up but i'm still not satisfied. more later

preparation for ragnorak 105

time/speed (from last years results)
1st finisher at 3 hours 41 minutes ~28 mph
last finishers at 7 hours 9 minutes ~15 mph


http://www.ultracycling.com/training/preparing_for_12_24s_part1.html

raced today

and i finished and i drank beer, sound good to me. don't believe the hype..

Rosenberg on his way to greatness

punishment day

It’s Punishment Day at
the Orphanage,
It’s Punishment Day today!
A score or more of the juvenile poor
Have been “booked” for breaking Orphanage law,
Each tick of the clock, as the hands creep round
Brings nearer the hour when trousers come down
When frocks will be raised, and petticoats too
(It’s rumoured her Ladyship’s coming to view)
Twenty-three doomed little waifs and strays
Enduring the shame of a Punishment Day.

a comprehensive collection of disciplinary poetry includes two of the most famous ever composed; The Rodiad, written in the late Victorian era, and the extremely lengthy; Squire Hardman. Both were attributed to George Coleman the Younger, but he was not the author of either, the latter having been written in the early 1950s and passed off as a much earlier work.

available at http://www.aks-books.co.uk/titles/punitivepoetry.htm

the rest of the story

off to work at 9 pm until 6:30 am
race tomorrow at 11:45 am
maybe 2 hours of sleep between now and race time..... i napped this afternoon and i will be eating and hydrated in the morning, something i can't say about every other morning

max schreck as nosferatu

Marco Pantani (January 13, 1970–February 14, 2004)

kool stop eagle 2 brake pads

did i tell you how much i liked my new brake pads?

• Extended pad length and off center post design provides even wear for longer life
• Water groove is located below post for optimal water removal
• Angled plow tip for rain and mud removal. This also provides correct toe-in

bella luna

out at 9:50 pm back at 10:40 pm. something nice about riding in a moonshine so bright that it casts a shadow. easy ride, last one before i see action at basset creek. new brake pads, kool-stop salmon, nice and silent. course will be good and weather should be dandy. over and out

weather: 40 degrees, clear, full moon
time: 40 minutes of peak performance

state cx course

there will be sand
and blood
free riding friday afternoon, i'm getting a baby sitter

Bukowski

race preparation

gonna do a little cleaning before saturday and replace the brake pads. if the freewheel goes during the race, i'll just go fixed. and i need to find that sticky link in my chain.

i will neither confirm nor deny...

the existence of the 'hard man of harriet spring'. out at 9:15 back by 10:45 pm. same grocery run, you've read it before. tomorrow night is an easy ride. nothing strange to report about tonight. little cold in the toes but i felt fresh and the bike will hold up for competition saturday morning.

weather: 36 and cloudy, no snow, soft turf/sand
time: does not matter

swedish bikes i don't own

somehow i'll get one for my wife. the scandinavian style of riding does not involve spandex.
she's been there and done that, riding from mpls to chicago with the gay parade(aids ride'97) cured her of any desire to ride a road bicycle anymore. was it the 2nd degree sunburn or the dehydration or the cramping muscles, whatever it was road bikes make her shudder.

anyways here's the link: http://www.skeppshult.se/

last communique from OC to BSNYC

i can't embed the video due to The OC's quirks, intellectual property rules so here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLnRQU34ZMY

norwegian black metal

lord byron(1788-1824)

But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think;
'Tis strange, the shortest letter which man uses
Instead of speech, may form a lasting link
Of ages; to what straits old Time reduces
Frail man, when paper - even a rag like this - ,
Survives himself, his tomb, and all that's his.
from Don Juan

just another day at the office

i go to work at 9:15 home by 10:15. a little wet and cold and snowy. warm-up portion went well, didn't crash and didn't feel cold. last chance to leave it all on the road/path/turf, went well. tried all the course challenges; stairs at penn with an uphill re-mount to a descent to a 180 degree turn, run up at beard's plaisance, and the rose garden hill run-up after 300 yards on turf. this is as ready as i'll ever be.
maybe i haven't done the group rides or the throw-away race but i believe i am prepared to....

weather: 32 degrees, snow, misty sleet
time: 1 hour full exertion

portland is not the kingdom of singlespeed cyclocross

if a title where to be given it would be 'fabulous'....that's not a compliment

follow the story here, in 3 parts no less
http://cxmagazine.com/sscxwc-08-singlespeed-worlds-photo-gallery

frozen grass is like pavement

out at 9 back by 10pm. good ride,fast and hard. couple of run-ups to keep the blood flowing to my feet. i re-discovered that frozen ground is hard. perhaps my emphasis on pavement(by default) will not be detrimental, longer grass is little slower but not appreciably so. looking forward to seeing a large turn-out at the wednesday night ride, maybe i'll even see the 'orange crusher'.

weather: 28 degrees, clear and windless
time: 60 minutes in the saddle, 35 minutes peak performance

next month or january

drive to rochester to check out almonzo course
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/mn/rochester/787536990903

no such thing as bad weather...

you know the rest...
long range forecast for saturday, 30 degrees and weather

sizing up the competition....

i have no competition
please support this assessment in the comments section

15 november, 2008
Minnesota state cyclocross championships
11:45 am

race 2
45+
55+
single speed

where my head is ....

bike snob mpls: mental preparation

cyclocross as meditation

Meditation can be practiced while walking or doing simple repetitive tasks. Walking meditation helps to break down habitual automatic mental categories, "thus regaining the primary nature of perceptions and events, focusing attention on the process while disregarding its purpose or final outcome...... This type of active meditation is a type of vipassana meditation

references for the curious:

http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sunrise/53-03-4/as-rooke.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation

http://800000nails.blogspot.com/2008/07/effects-of-repetitive-motion.html

http://www.dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml

mental preparation

racing philosophy

'i am not a racist, racism is bad',... sov.
"something, something ...it's what in your heart...bullshit", ....sob story
'silly rabbit, trix are for kids'.....kids

state cx champs

http://www.silvercycling.org/cyclo_cross/State%20CX%20Flyer%202008%20II.pdf

15 november, 2008
the brawl to settle it all

race 2
11:45 am
basset creek,
crystal, minnesota

excerpt from FLOATER (Too Much To Ask) Words and Music by Bob Dylan 2001 Special Rider Music

One of the boss' hangers-on
Comes to call at times you least expect
Try to bully ya - strong arm you - inspire you with fear
It has the opposite effect

is it even worth a reply?

i was messing with the commenters on bsnyc.com(look it up), this is what came my way...

leroy said...

Bloodline --

BSNYC bigoted?

Hmmm. I think the answer to that question is an obvious "no."

But a more interesting question is: If you think BSNYC is a bigot, why would you try to free ride on his notoriety by calling your blog "Bike Snob MPLS"?

In my experience, it's the folks who put a little too much stock into the importance of bloodlines whom you have to watch in the bigotry department.

November 6, 2008 5:23 PM

Emily Dickinson December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886

A little Snow was here and there

A little Snow was here and there
Disseminated in her Hair --
Since she and I had met and played
Decade had gathered to Decade --

But Time had added not obtained
Impregnable the Rose
For summer too indelible
Too obdurate for Snows --

and now a 2nd poem by emily dickinson

Snow flakes.

I counted till they danced so
Their slippers leaped the town,
And then I took a pencil
To note the rebels down.
And then they grew so jolly
I did resign the prig,
And ten of my once stately toes
Are marshalled for a jig!

race to place

out at 8:50 back by 10 pm. a few extra things tonight, old favorites i won't bore you with the details. good weather, good ride, first time this week i felt like i could turn it on. fartlek ride, enough said... no near misses, brakes a little squeaky, i'll get new pads and toe the calipers before next weekend.

weather: 44 degrees, wet but no rain cloudy
time: full hour in the saddle

peugeot UX-10

not a px-10 but the same frame with downgraded parts. my brother in law gave it to me to fix up. all original parts and a little bit abused. the imitation brooks leather saddle was shot, it was nice once i bet. it had the 'sipped' chrome rims, indents so the brakes would work in the rain. i've got it broken down and i poached a few parts for other projects. most notable, the mafac 'racer' brakes are on my cyclocross bike. we'll get this restored sometime in the next 5 years.

near miss report

almost got t-boned last night. i saw my life flash b4 mine eyes. yellow light with left turning 'trans am at penn and 62nd...... i was going straight across in car lane due to construction zone. i normally am on the other side of the road.

homie fall fest 2008 video

Kenwood Racing Ink: ride to the dark side

restoration or re-fit

i have bicycles frames old enough to still use 27" wheels. i swore i would never build a 27 inch wheel again. i still like 36 holes in hubs, but i don't like the selection of tires available in 27" diameter. still the question remains, do i build 27 in. wheels or do i build 700 c wheels.

27" tires have an internal bead diameter of 630 mm while a 700C tire has an internal measurement of 622 mm.

the Schwinn le tour II may require a 27 in. rim with a short reach caliper brake and low profile tire. that is sport touring light and fast, but i like to think i'm a randonneur.

update: got the original specs from bikepedia
if this is a '95 then it gets 700c wheels,

will it be totally wrong to have a 27" on a chrome fork up front and a 700c in the rear?, there was a problem with the original fork and headset stack height, newer vs. older styles of headsets, and i have a nice 27" hand built wheel that i like.

timing is everything...

or nothing. out at 9:30 back at 10:30. didn't have much lung capacity, but i pushed it when i could. stairs, hills and a little grass. i'm sure i'm spending to much time on the pavement to really be ready for a wet course. theres always tomorrow night. too damn hot out for any real enjoyment, but a cold rolling rock is always appreciated.

weather: 64 and moist but not raining
time: 45 minutes in the saddle

wednesday night

should be ideal cyclocross weather. we'll see how i feel , still coughing up chunks, but the worst is over.

The Riots-Charles Bukowski

the riots

I've watched this city burn twice
in my lifetime
and the most notable thing
was the arrival of the
politicians in the
aftermath
proclaiming the wrongs of
the system
and demanding new
policies toward and for the
poor.

nothing was corrected last
time.
nothing will be corrected this
time.

the poor will remain poor.
the unemployed will remain
so.
the homeless will remain
homeless

and the politicians,
fat upon the land, will live
very well.

john greenleaf whittier(1852)

The proudest now is but my peer,
The highest not more high;
To-day, of all the weary year,
A king of men am I.
To-day alike are great and small,
The nameless and the known
My palace is the people’s hall,
The ballot-box my throne!

Who serves to-day upon the list
Beside the served shall stand;
Alike the brown and wrinkled fist,
The gloved and dainty hand!
The rich is level with the poor,
The weak is strong to-day;
And sleekest broadcloth counts no more
Than homespun frock of gray.

To-day let pomp and vain pretence
My stubborn right abide;
I set a plain man’s common sense
Against the pedant’s pride.
To-day shall simple manhood try
The strength of gold and land
The wide world has not wealth to buy
The power in my right hand!

While there’s a grief to seek redress,
Or balance to adjust,
Where weighs our living manhood less
Than Mammon’s vilest dust, --
While there’s a right to need my vote
A wrong to sweep away,
Up! clouted knee and ragged coat!
A man’s a man to-day!

why have fever when you can have fever and chills

went on a bike ride despite cold virus. nothing hard, but it wasn't easy. same route

weather: 69 degrees, windy, clear
time 45 minutes or an hour

The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus by Ogden Nash(August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971)

In Baltimore there lived a boy. He wasn't anybody's joy. Although his name was Jabez Dawes, His character was full of flaws. In school he never led his classes, He hid old ladies' reading glasses, His mouth was open when he chewed, And elbows to the table glued. He stole the milk of hungry kittens, And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE. He said he acted thus because There wasn't any Santa Claus. Another trick that tickled Jabez Was crying 'Boo' at little babies. He brushed his teeth, they said in town, Sideways instead of up and down. Yet people pardoned every sin, And viewed his antics with a grin, Till they were told by Jabez Dawes, 'There isn't any Santa Claus!' Deploring how he did behave, His parents swiftly sought their grave. They hurried through the portals pearly, And Jabez left the funeral early. Like whooping cough, from child to child, He sped to spread the rumor wild: 'Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes There isn't any Santa Claus!' Slunk like a weasel of a marten Through nursery and kindergarten, Whispering low to every tot, 'There isn't any, no there's not!' The children wept all Christmas eve And Jabez chortled up his sleeve. No infant dared hang up his stocking For fear of Jabez' ribald mocking. He sprawled on his untidy bed, Fresh malice dancing in his head, When presently with scalp-a-tingling, Jabez heard a distant jingling; He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof Crisply alighting on the roof. What good to rise and bar the door? A shower of soot was on the floor. What was beheld by Jabez Dawes? The fireplace full of Santa Claus! Then Jabez fell upon his knees With cries of 'Don't,' and 'Pretty Please.' He howled, 'I don't know where you read it, But anyhow, I never said it!' 'Jabez' replied the angry saint, 'It isn't I, it's you that ain't. Although there is a Santa Claus, There isn't any Jabez Dawes!' Said Jabez then with impudent vim, 'Oh, yes there is, and I am him! Your magic don't scare me, it doesn't' And suddenly he found he wasn't! From grimy feet to grimy locks, Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box, An ugly toy with springs unsprung, Forever sticking out his tongue. The neighbors heard his mournful squeal; They searched for him, but not with zeal. No trace was found of Jabez Dawes, Which led to thunderous applause, And people drank a loving cup And went and hung their stockings up. All you who sneer at Santa Claus, Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes, The saucy boy who mocked the saint. Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.

Go buy a lime green bike

I've been riding my Rollo to work quite a bit lately. My Rollo is a 7 speed internal. The single speeds with the bigger gears are hard on my knee. Mark at Hiawatha Cyclery gave me a set of Kenda mountain bike tires that still have a lot of life left in them. This baby is a commuting monster.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963)

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

shifters

i understand the reasoning behind 'brifters' or brake lever shifter integration. but, was there really anything wrong with downtube shifting? if one would prefer to keep hands on the bars there are always 'bar-cons' or some other bar shifters.

now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

head to head

in a death match who would win?

sting vs iggy pop

we already know who is the toughest and rocks harder but who wins the thunderdome challenge.

45 + begins now...

thought i had another year before i started breaking age group records.... oh, well no time like the present. what is the USACX standard for 45+ men on a single speed bicycle?

bicycling been belly, belly good to me.....

my pursuit of flexibility remains intact and i am not riding a 'comfort bike'. i haven't been riding flat out on a mountain bike in a while, but when i do it will be un-suspended. not even gonna ride a mountain bike, i'll be building up the bridgestone xo-2 soon.

but back to bike fit and flexibility. the most indicative observation is lever position on drop bars. i've always set up my levers a little low, basically put a straight edge on the lower flat position and even the bottom of the brake lever w/ that. a colleague of mine suggests that raising the levers is warranted. of course nothing is really wrong with that, if you are old and inflexible. if you are young at heart and ready to break some records use a lower position for the levers.

to be continued.....

update: 2 pm local time;
after further consultation with an expert mechanic, i have been informed that the 'brifter' combinanation may require a higher brake lever position, due to it 'unique design'

The Men That Don't Fit In by: Robert Service

There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin, And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove the flood, And they climb the mountain's crest; Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood, And they don't know how to rest. If they just went straight they might go far; They are strong and brave and true; But they're always tired of the things that are, And they want the strange and new. They say: "Could I find my proper groove, What a deep mark I would make!" So they chop and change, and each fresh move Is only a fresh mistake. And each forgets, as he strips and runs With a brilliant, fitful pace, It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones Who win in the lifelong race. And each forgets that his youth has fled, Forgets that his prime is past, Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead, In the glare of the truth at last. He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance; He has just done things by half. Life's been a jolly good joke on him, And now is the time to laugh. Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost; He was never meant to win; He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone; He's a man who won't fit in.