high fidelity... solid book... solid movie

high fidelity...
a solid book and a solid movie

high fidelity on the wiki page

watching the movie right now

amusing
very amusing
it is all very amusing
it amuses me very much

getting back to it right now

reflections

fuzzy john has nothing on this guy...

fuzzy john has nothing on this guy...
well... okay... fuzzy john is faster and his beard is longer
this guy
fuzzy john

that image is from 2005
years away
seems like a lifetime
snagged that off sigsegv's flickr page
a great shot of DT in a velvet dress on a fixed gear

the results are up from the grass roots summer mountain bike training series Wednesday at Wakefield

more bikes passing in front of my camera

bicycle safety in the news

Concern growing over bike accidents

A bicyclist shares the road with motorists on Whitehall Road near Route 50 East. Thursday, a cyclist was airlifted to Maryland Shock Trauma Center after being hit from behind by an van on Route 2 in Annapolis, raising concerns about the safety of biking in the county.

-www.hometownannapolis.com

don juans

don juans... don juans in mount pleasant

sunset in the summer is a busy time for dupont

sunset in the summer is a busy time for dupont circle

lots of activity
lots of lives intersecting
lots of lives interacting

so much traffic passes around and under the park without felling the energy of the park

passing through the park on foot or on bike offers a different spontaneity than traveling past the park in a car or in a bus
dupont circle is the convergence of may paths
may people pass through this park at all times of the day
just as traffic revolves around this park all day

at rush hour in the evening more people pass through the park than at any other time of the day

people passing through
people headed home
people hanging out
people cutting through to get to the metro
people stuck in traffic on the streets surrounding dupont circle
people waiting to meet people
people wanting to meet people
people meeting people

people alone

some people alone by choice
other people alone not by choice

the grassy areas involve picnics and ball playing
bodies relaxed and tangled in a fashion of comfort more common on the living room couch than in shared public space
a mother chases her toddler age daughter
dogs passing through... I hope the walkers and owners pick up after their pets
the park benches are not crowded but the benches are full
not a vacant chess table
some of the games are drawing a crowd

there is energy at some of those tables from sunrise to sunset
the chess culture is a closed culture I know little about


a woman dangles her feet in the murky water of the fountain
parents trying to keep their small children from playing in the fountain
people reading books
couples kissing

summer in all of its splendor
sunset in all of its splendor
dupont in all of its splendor
dupont in the summertime at sunset is splendid

harper...

classic bicycle films....

the SF GATE has a list of classic bicycle films...
www.sfgate.com

I scanned the list
more focused on other things

their list may contain You Me and Dupree
but more than likely does not include 24 Solo or Off Road to Athens
my guess.... they have never heard of Klunkerz... which is a shame

I guess there are still subcultures and there still is an underground

I may try to compile a list
I am certain I have tried
an easy effort would be to glance at my DVD collection

off the top of my head...
A Sunday in Hell/Le Course en Tete/Breaking Away/The Bicycle Thief/slipping... slipping... slipping... I am certain that I can get ten off the top of my head/Triplets of Belleville/
I own a number of cycling theme movies... but that is not the list I am trying to create
trying to compile a list of the top ten cycling theme movies ever

I glanced at the list on SF Gate again...
breaking away was on the list was and so was the bicycle thief
the author has never seen the bicycle thief yet he/she gave it an 8 out of ten
I own pee wees big adventure and et
pee wees big adventure may go on my list

this list is titled classic bicycle moments in film
which has me creating a list of top ten cycling theme movies of all time
two slightly different lists

this writer must still be fairly young
there is no Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid... that involved a hot chic and a fixie
I think that maybe this person should research the topic a little further
watch a few more movies
then write another article
it would make for a cool sequel!
and they would have something to approach their editor with

(here is a good resource for a crib sheet!)
www.massbike.org

Klunkerz is a fantastic film
not sure if it makes my top ten cycling films of all time
it may be one of my top ten cycling documentaries of all time
just not sure it qualifies for my cycling top ten
www.klunkerz.com

some would lean to Quicksilver... but I never really gave it a chance so I will not rate it
and it has been years for American Flyers... it is MUST SEE CYCLING CLASSIC... but maybe not A TOP TEN CYCLING THEME FILM

funny... YOU ME AND DUPREE does not qualify as one of the TOP TEN CYCLING FILMS of ALL TIME
but... it does contain perhaps one of the most classic cycling moments of in film
it is YOU ME AND DUPREE that gave me the respect I have for Lance today

the bridge

listening to the who... watching a cool old video

listening to the who
watching a cool old video
going back and forth between watching and blogging
song end on YOUTUBE and I go to another youtubetangent

I Can't Explain

these guys did not grow up with MTV

that video was shot on film
because there was not such thing as digital

crazy
I want to do the math on how old Roger Daultry was when IT'S HARD came out
cause I was a kid and I thought they were a bunch of old me
watching them in that black and white video
well... at that point in history they were some bad ass kids
the who rocked!
I put them aside and moved onto other things by the time I in 10th grade
but the three years of buying records before that earned me over thirty records by the who
a number of which are solo albums
of which only pete townsends were listenable
butt... Keith Moon's The Two Sides of the Moon was considered collectible then
I wonder what it is worth now?

1944
which means that he was roughly my age
and when I thought he was too old to rock
kids...

some stuff in front me so I pointed the camera

james.

sting.
madonna.
cher.

and
james.

attention to details...

attention to details...

in East Potomac Park some of the Park Service workers were painting the railings and touching up these little ornate fountains

some images/posts on The Awakening
and some stuff about Haines Point

I wonder... I often wonder

I wonder...
I often wonder

DCMTB acquired a new sponsor this year Merkle Inc
Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary
I wonder if there is any association with the two

DCMTB Sponsors
Merkle Inc.
Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary

the world of YOUTUBE

the world of YOUTUBE

you can really get lost in it
started here
knew better than to go here... at work

always trying to send people here
this sort of stuff is freaky

take it from there

paul and his bike sharing blog

paul and his bike sharing blog
bike-sharing.blogspot.com

so paul... how is the blog going?

Pumping Iron

Pumping Iron
a fantastic docu-drama

Pumping Iron on youtube
Pumping Iron on the Wiki Page

I was trying to center in on the scenes where Arnold meets with Lou
two very different sides of the coin

arrogant arnold living the high life... beaches... beautiful women... what appears to be a life of leisure

while lou is shy and humble
no fancy gyms... no personal trainers
just him and his dad with some simple old free weights in a small ny apartment

arnold fears that he may lose to lou
so he visits him and plays with his head
it is interesting this whole sport of weight lifting
this film explains what the sport means to them
the effort to achieve immortality through striking the perfect pose with a massive development of the human body

bikes.... bikes... bikes... bikes... bikes...

another shot of that women with her Classic 3-Speed

another shot of that women with her Classic AMF Sturmey Archer 3-Speed
www.sturmey-archer.com

no photos at WAW#4 by me...

no photos at Wednesday at Wakefield #4 (WAW4) by me...

it is an interesting thing this love of the camera
the pleasure is bitter sweet
it is a joy to capture the shot
while it is also a good feeling to experience something without a camera between me and the action

on Wednesday I brought my seven year old son Dean to the race with me
we watched the races at 5:55 for a bit then we rode the creek trail
both of us on our single speed bicycles
it was fun to yell, scream, clap, and cheer without a camera in my hand
it was fun to focus on the moment
instead of auto focusing on the moment

anthony baris has some shots
and nothing by gary ryan... shish!
no PROM SHOTS of RICKYD?
anyone else take some shots out there?

that shot snagged from sigsegv is a few years old
that beard is hilarious!
all those shots are hilarious!

Fat Tire in a Can

Fat Tire in a Can

New Belgium Brewing Company is a company with a fantastic approach to business

green and sustainable

www.newbelgium.com

I learned how fold a paper fortune teller this week...

I never knew how to fold a paper fortune teller
in third grade the paper fortune teller was all the rage
everyone had them
not sure if I ever learned to fold one
paper airplanes sure
I can still fold just about any paper airplane I ever learned to fold
I think if I ever folded a paper fortune teller I would remember learning to fold it

had to google how to fold a paper crane to get a lesson off youtube
I learned it then I taught Dean
more than likely I will have to show Dean again
there is a good chance I will have to view the video again
okay... maybe not
which makes me think if I ever learned it I would still know it now

maybe next I will learn to create a paper crane
I hope I never have to make a thousand paper cranes

SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES

that is what they all say...

"my other motorcycle is a ducati"

that is what they all say
but in this case... it is true

I know his other motorcycle is a ducati as he is a friend of a friend
he plays music with my friend rob meyers in international velvet

international velvet at myspace

miss yasmin

miss yasmin
one of the highlights of the Thievery show at Merriweather a few weekends back

miss yasmin @ myspace

I wonder about belly dancing
I should WIKI it
what are the origins... was it done for an all male audience?
there is definitely something to it

a classic AMF three speed

a classic AMF three speed

RACE REPORT: Wednesday at Wakefield #4 (WAW4)

RACE REPORT: Wednesday at Wakefield #4 (WAW4)
got psyched out cause I did not want to get let down

it is important to get psyched up for a ride or a race
it is also important not to be too let down if a ride or a race can not happen due to other responsibilities
such as the responsibilities of adult life

the threat of having to work late and the reality of having a kid home from school sick had me thinking that racing the last Wednesday at Wakefield would not be an option for me
as it turns out I was able to get out of work a few minutes early as previously planned and lisa did not mind watching the boys while I dashed out to Northern Virginia for some fun on the bike
I had toyed with the idea of having the family come out for the event
when the notion of working late approached I never introduced the idea
since Grant was home sick it did not seem like a good idea to drag him into hot summer evening while he was running a fever
but bringing Dean along was an option

Dean had his apprehensions...
Dean wanted to go but he was not so sure what he would do while I raced
I assured him that there would be other children there and that one of my friends would hang out with him while I raced
while lisa took brutus for a hike I loaded up the Element with bike gear for father and son

I had it in the back of my mind that I would not race if the suitable situation did not present itself
hanging out would be enough
as we battled traffic on the Interstate Dean and I fueled up
we discussed the traffic patterns as Dean ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an orange capri sun while I ate a banana, drank a healthy dose of water and gatorade while eating everything else I had stuffed in my bag

we arrived at Wakefield early enough to attempt the back to back...
but the back to back was not part of the plan
instead I had to focus on registering and figure out the child care situation

what would dean be doing as I raced with the clydesdales?

hmmm... what other parents had brought there children? were libbey and chris here? did larry camp bring ollie? who would be willing and able to hang with dean while I raced?

before I even got to the registration table I saw my old buddy tom
I have known tom since punk shows in high school...
we became better friends long after college when he lived in mount pleasant and we would hike the dogs together in the mornings before work
tom was off the bike... tom has been having a recurring issue with the pivot point of his GT double banger
the bike broke again... THAT BIKE IS A LEMON!
the bolt that holds the machine together snapped before he could finish his second lap
I asked Tom if he was hanging out and watch the next races... he was
I then asked if he would be willing to hang with Dean... he was

I registered...dean, tom, and I caught up as I geared up and finished fueling up

before racing rather than pre-riding or warming up I headed down to the creek trail with Dean
being bike-less Tom hung near the finish
I rode at a seven year old boy's pace with a smile as wide as the montana sky
seeing dean zigging and zagging through the woods makes me proud
attempting stream crossings, choosing the right lines, and getting back on the bike after crashing
it was a vision that would make any father proud

as the race start time approached dean and I headed back to the finish area to try and find tom
on the way up a gravel climb through the woods we ran into Cargo Mike
cargo mike was in the trade mark single speeder's fourth race sun dress
Mike checked out Dean's new ride as we talked about many things bike
Dean was very impressed with Cargo Mike's winning the Single Speed race and the series
Cargo Mike was very impressed with Dean's GT BMX bike on loan from the Merriam-Sheldon family
Mike joined us at the top of the hill as we looked for Tom
unable to find Tom with the race start approaching I asked if Mike was available to hang with Dean
it eased my stress filled mind that Mike was excited to hang with Dean while I raced

Cargo Mike and Dean enjoyed some free watermelon courtesy of Potomac Velo while rushed down to the start line
at the line there were the usual suspects along with some familiar faces
just like old times I was lining up with Chris Redlack and Bill Davis
I will admit... I had kinda hoped that Chris would not show...
I was not looking for the challenge which is redlack
and well... I was afraid Bill Davis was going to humble me

I was plenty fueled up with caffeine but I think my legs were feeling some of the effects of Tuesday's ride
I had ridden faster and harder than people normally ride the day before a race as I had not anticipated racing on Wednesday
my legs were feeling it up the gravel hill
into the singletrack first I eased off when got onto the course trying not to over cook things
trying to conserve energy and trying to race smart
I did not feel as if I had the ambition or the power to sprint ahead
the passing game started early so did the game of cat and mouse

chris redlack was hot on my tail
through the woods I could see chris was no more than a turn or two behind
I made a mental note of his red and black jersey and grew familiar with those colors

the three laps involved a never ending effort for me to sprint ahead only to get reeled back in
I passed other racers when I could
of course got stuck in the singletrack caterpillar and had to roll at other racer's paces but so did the fast following chris redlack
it was hectic... wakefield is known for being a tough course for passing
the races at wakefield are a lesson in passing

I would sprint ahead on the climbs and the again on the straight aways
always gaining a little ground
but redlack would be back on my tail by the end of the next twisting and turning singletrack
there was no shaking this guy
it was as if he was my shadow
I would try to pass as many people as possible
redlack would pass them right behind me

nothing would create a substantial gap
the effort was not so much about lap times it was a game of cat and mouse
similar to the race the week prior with redlack this week's race was about finishing in the front

to finish in front it was not so much about speed but smart racing
smart racing... yes... it was about smart racing
crashing was not an option
neither was a flat tire nor a mechanical failure
it was just important for me to stay ahead of redlack for the duration of the race
I had to roll across the line in front of chris
distance... duration... gap... lap times
none of this was important
it was all about position trying to finish first not second

the laps passed without any drama
there was little fear of cramping but there was always the threat of crashing
we raced the loops fast and fluid not a hypoxic race effort but a solid effort
just the same on each lap I was fueled by the cheers of the familiar voices of friends
although I did not see Dean's face I knew where he was at various points on the course
Cargo Mike and Tom were sharing the duties of watching Dean
they traversed the course catching the action from various perspectives
when I crossed the line with Chris Redlack just behind me I finished with a sign of relief

at the finish line Dean came up and gave me a high five and a hug
he was beaming ear to ear
not sure if he was proud of himself or proud of me
maybe he was proud of his battle scars
maybe he was proud of his dad's efforts on the trail

as it turns out Dean did more crashing on the trail while I was racing
Tom took him over to Phase Three for the BMX style berms he took a few spills forgetting that this new loaner rig lacks a coaster brake
then there were a few spills caused by the thin tires and the loose earth on the turns
when loading the car I grabbed for Dean's Redline Raid with wider more knobby tires
but the front tire was flat from the riding in the alley the night prior

after the race Dean and I hung out and waited for the awards
Dean got to tell his tales...
I got to tell mine...
we were enjoying the moment

I introduced Dean to various people...
it made me proud to get to show off my son

on the drive back we shared the excitement
we each had just had an epic summer experience\
we enjoyed reliving the moment

PVC RESULTS
scroll down for clydesdale results

photo thanks to Jay of The Bike Lane
also... thanks Jay for showing Dean how to do a wheelie and a manual
maybe your words and example will show that it is not about THE WHEELIE GENE
but about practice

tiny and a friend

tiny and a friend take a break on an afternoon ride in the summer heat

ergon...

Ergon... cool products
some stuff on the Ergon page
www.ergon-bike.com

GOOD LUCK AT MOUNT SNOW!

GOOD LUCK AT MOUNT SNOW!

www.mountsnow.com

I guess they grew up with a different set of heros...

I guess they grew up with a different set of heros...

Rosie Ruiz is no hero of mine
but somewhere in Europe a few decades ago mothers and fathers were raising little cyclists to grow up and be just like Rosie
it is sad
I do not wish to mock Rosie Ruiz as her case is sad
it is the DOPERS in the tour de france who I am looking to attack

how many dopers does it take to ruin the tour de france?

one

we have already found three... how many others are there?

Rosie Ruis on the Wiki Page
Tour De Dopers in the news on CNN

DOPERS SUCK

the Olympics have volunteered testing and something called PROJECT BELIEVE
maybe le tour could do something similar

it is not okay... but it may need to be weighed differently

it is not okay...
but it may need to be weighed differently

generation kill on hbo

watch the news
it seems like there are a great deal of service men as suspects in the murder of their girlfriends/spouses

this is messed up... really messed up!

but
understand this
people are raised to believe that killing is wrong
then when someone enters the military they are taught to kill and taught to justify it
then when they enter civilian life they still have this re-programing as part of their system

our military creates these killing machines
their actions are not justifiable
but there must be an alternate measure of their actions

now that this is understood I think that our military needs to work on deprogramming the killing machines
it is what is best for them
it is what is best for society as a whole

maybe it would be more simple to just stop the war
and stop producing these killing machine

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

put it back in the routine...

I need to put it back in the routine...

I need to weigh myself in the morning
I need to watch what I eat

would like to lose a few more pounds
it would be good to lose a few pounds

calculate your BMI
www.nhlbisupport.com

yes... I do like to spice it up

http://www.myspace.com/speedyshotsauce

http://www.myspace.com/noheadwinds

I know... I know... myspace is for cheese... not for spice
but cheese has its purpose
without cheese... pizza just is not quite the same

I do not want to get my heart rate up

I do not want to get my heart rate up...
actually...
I already had my heart rate up
and well... my heart rate is still up
I like to get my heart rate up
but I do not want to get my heart rate up over this
especially now... it is bedtime now

this happens sometimes

raced at wakefield tonight
will expand on this later
like I said... I raced at wakefield tonight
to race at wakefield I needed to fuel up
racing or riding hard after work can be improved by waking up the mind and the body
part of the fueling up process the afternoon involved green tea
that was just as I rolled out of work
as I drove out I ate a banana, drank lots of water, and then some other stuff I can not recall
all on top of a carbo load of pad thai noodle from mai wah at lunch
there was some free Honest Tea... a selection with caffeine for the start
and maybe the gel I ate had some caffeine in it as well... not sure... it all happens so fast

so my heart rate is already up
ramped up for the ride
ramped up from the ride
it is past my bedtime... and I am not ready to go to bed
although I may have tried to leave it on the trail
I did not quite leave it all on the trail

lots of caffeine and a propensity to excitability has me up a tad past my bedtime

here is a conversation on the topic of The Speed Limit on the Capital Crescent Trail
the discussion should not be about speed limit signs or no speed limit signs
the conversation should be about behavior
behavior and misbehavior
there is a big misunderstanding
it is about appropriate behavior

there are speed limit signs on the road
the presence of those SPEED RECOMMENDATION signs do little about behavior
there needs to be an conversation about behavior and misbehavior as well
there is clearly a big misunderstanding there as well
there needs to be a discussion about appropriate behavior

it is good the conversations are being opened
I will have to read through this tomorrow when I find a chance

some conversations are started with a definition
this definition points out the weakness of the wiki page
the weakness of the wiki page... it is only as credible as the wiki page

the wiki page on SPEED LIMIT
"A road speed limit is the maximum speed as allowed by law for road vehicles"
false on the first line

allowed?

changing with the times

the bike lane
the bike lane is changing with the times

the bike lane just opened a second store in Reston Virginia
the bike lane is changing with the times

the bike lane opened a GREEN minded store
very cool bike lane

green minded efforts and actions are cool
the bike lane is cool

the bike lane also updated their logo
I bet the new bike lane race kits will look sweet with the new logo

that is the old logo
the bike lane is cool with any logo

the bike lane
http://thebikelane.com/

the bike lane blog
http://thebikelane.wordpress.com/

tonight at wakefield the bike lane was their with jay offering neutral support, anne leaping between racing and parenting, and all sorts of bike lane sponsored racers volunteering at the event
the bike lane is cool
I scored a shirt with the new logo