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