You Tube Rocks

bicycle burn out

dc messenger

dalmation riding a bike

chip pausing to say hello

chip pauses between runs to say hello
while saying hello... I take a few pictures

the man with the wigs

Chef Tell used to wish to have the power of SMELL-E-VISION
if I remember correctly.... Chef Tell was on PM Magazine... a 70 Style news show if there ever was such a thing
while tangent jumping
I recall Jim Rapp and another messenger whose name slips me but his billy idol white spikey hair and his yellow cannondale sm600 still remain strong in my mind
both those guys were interviewed on PM Magazine
scanned the web for archives
came up empty
there were some cool overhead camera angles of these guys flowing through the city traffic

if I had the power of Smell-e-vision... this scratch and sniff photograph would cause you to rush out of the room and vomit
as clean as this man's assorted wigs may be
he carries a very powerful essence

mark.... head mechanic adams morgan shop

mark out on a ride
I tend to see mark out on a ride quite frequently
he was on his way for a swim at the pool after his post work ride

mark is a member of the city bikes staff

this guy is not watching the tour... and is getting paid to tell us such

MSNBC article about this guy not needing to watch le tour...

if MSNBC wants to pay people to talk about sporting events that they are not going to watch... then they should drop me a line

I decided many years ago that the weekend was short and that the work week was long
(at this point is was actually college.. but you get the idea)
to me it made far less sense to spend my Sundays watching people do stuff (ie. football) rather than me doing something myself
maybe mountain biking or maybe windsurfing...
maybe skateboarding or maybe frisbee golf...
maybe volleyball... or maybe ultimate
the other options were really just watching television
and all these mentioned options were part of my regular routine

too often I meet someone and they talk about sports
they tell me they are into sports
they get all excited to talk about the sports they are into
when really... they are into television

okay
not entirely... someone can be into music and not play music
but... I will not show this side of things when I write my articles
no I will just write on and on about the many golf matches I will not watch, the baseball games.... play offs or world series I will not watch... the basketball games.... college or pro that I will not watch... or the football competitons be they super bowls or just sugar bowls
there imay be march madness... but not for me
I have heard there is a final four... which may or may not be the end of march madness... I have not watched it ever so I would not every know
I am certain if I looked into the sports section of the Washington Post I would be able to list all sorts of sporting events that I have no concern for

just like the writer of this article about the sports he does not care to follow I do not watch American Idol

I will tell MSNBC where to send the check after they show me where to send my articles about the sporting events I have no care to watch

oh...
I love my television
and honestly...
I do enjoy some sport highlights from time to time
but I certainly do not feel the need to watch a full game... even if I get tickets and sit in the stands

Washington Post: quote... not plug and no maps online

in this morning's washington post there is a cover story about the closing of Rock Creek park's Beach Drive to car traffic was a hasssle to cars but a joy to runners, dog walkers, and cyclists
I was quoted
but there was no mention of the gwadzilla blog
that article in The Post

there were some fun maps in the paper but not online

also in The Post
there is a story about le Tour

and info on the fireworks
and the new installment ADRENALINE

tar

another shot of tar

some shots of mine at FLICKR
(and yes I need to add some images)

tar and the monster
tar black and white

wonder if I can find those sequence shots of tar launching some air on his track bike

Spokes article on 24 Hours of Big Bear

In this months issue of SPOKES magazine I have an article about the 24 Hours of Big Bear
there are a few photos to go along with my saga

there are a number of other articles that look of interest as well
stop by your local bike shop or gym in the mid atlantic region and grab a copy
it looks like the photos and the print are more sharp in this issue

tar... ran into him at lunch... was wanting to run into him at lunch

I burned a copy of some random images
there were a few of Tar and a number of others
up until this point Tar has never seen any of the photos I have taken and tossed on the Web

le tour

le tour... the list or racers
Ullrich appears to be on the list
was he cleared?
or
is this site not up to date?

le tour

another shot of bruce

post work ride

today I was able to get out of work a few minutes early
my legs have been a little tired and my knee is feeling a tad worn
but I had a window of opportunity
not only did I have a gap of time to ride but the weather was summer cool with low humidity
not typical DC summer heat
so I had to ride

having time but not sure where I wanted to ride I instinctively rolled down to Georgetown
as I cross a the bridge over Rock Creek Parkway into Georgetown I rolled up on the sidewalk and glanced at the road below
there was no car traffic
still unsure of my destination
but confident that the wide open carless road of beach drive was a good place to start

the rain caused massive flooding earlier this week
with flooding come damage
the roads have been closed while repairs to the road and surrounding area occured
some of this work involved the removal of fallen trees while some of the work involve the pulling of cars from the creek
no matter the reason
the car free road was an amazing thing

the open road felt good yet creepy at the same time
there was a "something is wrong with this picture" sort of feeling
this caused a playful grin
not just in me
but in the few other people that were exploring the car free lanes of Rock Creek Parkway

the passage under the bridges felt most odd
usually I am in a car moving fast
the bridges felt larger and more solid as I moved underneith them on my bike
with no one in sight I felt an odd post apocalypse sort of feeling.... like the guy wandering the streets in 28 DAYS LATER

without cars following close behind I was able to take in my surroundings without fearing that I am going to get run down by some executive checking their blackberry, some sororiety girl putting on her make up, or some high school kid text messaging their friends
I rode no handed and took photos
focused more on the creek and its river size proportions
and the damage to the trees and the trails on the shore

so many beautiful old trees fallen over
another tree gone
sure it is the cycle of life
but the old trees seem to all be falling
old growth trees
the 100 foot oaks and elms
they just do not grow them like they used to

I day dreamed
I drempt about the replacement of soil
and the repair of trails
in my mind I saw a park better than it was before the flood
knowing that another flood could tear through the park again
but knowing that it is important to rebuild these wonderful resources

my car free pleasure ended as Beach Drive crossed from DC into Maryland
I continued on the road along side of the cars
the first few cars quickly reminded me of why the previous miles had been such a pleasure
passing too fast and too close
following close behind as if I am an old cow
and the bumper is a cow catcher
people passing within the lane... never breaking the yellow line
on coming cars breaking the double yellow line in the center of the road to avoid a cyclist on their side of the road or a pot home
not having the foresight to see that they are playing chicken with me

after the Mormon temple and a few more miles to Rockville I see that the road is under repair
these are not cones I can just split
they are laying fresh asphault
this causes me to turn around a few miles than I had intended
as I point for home revise my return route

after the mormon temple then a right on the Capitol Crescent Trail
a nice steady slow railroad grade which seems like it is rolling slightly downhill to georgetown

a few miles into this 8 mile path I see a cyclist on the side of the trail
I ask her if she is okay and if she needs any help
she is fine I resume speed
never stopped
only slowed
she must have mounted her bike a second after I passed as she was passing me in no time at all

I let her go
I let all the other cyclist that passed me on this day go
as I am trying to just maintain a steady pace
working more on duration than power
not a long ride
but a ride longer than two hours... which is long for me

I see ahead the woman cyclist and a young male cyclist... maybe a junior pulling ahead slowly
not too much faster
I resist picking up the pace to keep up with them
then I see an oncoming cyclist walking their bike
a teen age boy with a front flat

I roll past the kid without any offer or assistance
immediately I feel a little hypocrisy
I accelerate
and share my sociological observation with the woman cyclist
she was wondering if I was going to stop
I told her I thought about it
but thought that getting a flat may be a good lesson for the kid
the topic drifts to other things cycling

we finish our next few miles pacing down the path together
while we ride I quiz her on this and that
trying to piece together this other person on the trail

I learn that she is new to the area
she is trying to figure the best route from Rossylyn to Rockville
her new commute
I ask if they have showers... she does not know
I joke about the cute new girl at work that does not smell so nice
not sure if she gets my joke
I consider pulling the camera from my bag
taking a few moving shots
at this point we are at the roughly the same position where I took the photos of Mark from City Bikes just one day prior
but... I feel that this transplant from California has been accepting of me and very pleasant
no reason to pull out a camera and make her think that I am a total stalker

as we hit K Street in Georgetown under the Whitehurst Freeway I point her up towards the stairs... the quickest way to Key Bridge

then focus on Rock Creek Parkway
as I get closer I can not tell if the parkway is open to cars
I see one car come in the off ramp
then I see more
so I cut through the city rather than the bike path
riding or Rock Creek Parkway is still an option... but not a pleasure with cars moving as fast as they do at this time of day

Burrito Cart on 15th and K Street

think Soup Nazi Mexican Style...
then you have Pedro and Vinny's Burrito Cart at 15th and K Street
not since the first time at the Market Lunch at the Eastern Market on Capitol Hill have I been so nervous about to being prompt and correct in placing my food order

no time to stutter
no time to make small talk
no exchange of pleasantries
just place your order or step aside

the menu selection is within view as the line moves quickly forward
at the cart itself there is an assortment of hot sauces
too many to choose from
there are chips for sampling the various sauces
more choices
more pressure
greater risk of fumbling the verbal exchange

then once the burrito is assembled and passed off
no money changes hands
there is a box of money
the customer takes it upon themselves to make their own change

great burrito
vegan
sure I am a major carnivore
but... that is one darn good burrito
worth the walk
the wait was not long enough to really call it a wait... just a fast moving line

mine was a standard tortilla, with cheese, guac, black beans and spicy pinto (what he called black and tan) and a basil hot sauce the john picked out
good stuff
pretty darn cheap too
with soda 7 bucks!

www.pedroandvinnys.com

less than two blocks from there is a chinese buffet for 6.25
I got it to go for 6.25
with small soup and fountain soda
pretty darn good
fresh
lots of turn over
and
well.... quantity
I like quantity

Beach Drive in Rock Creek... a few days of carless paradise

the rain has stopped
the flooding and the clean up continues
this week during the rain and during the clean up Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park was closed to cars
with the bike paths burried in sand, mud, and debris... the walkers, dog, walkers, bikers, and curious explorers took to the street
those lucky enough to split the cones and ride down the parkway got to experience a perspective that is usually seen as a blur in a car

it was awesome taking a ride with all the tunnels and the bridges and no cars
well... other than the 15 cars that were pulled from Rock Creek proper
I only saw one car stuck in the creek, but I was not out looking for cars in the creek

three days in a row I had the pleasure getting to sample this rare treat
sure I split the cones like a young fool on my motorcycle one
and sure
during that same era I remeber riding with the traffic in rush hour on my road bike
but now I tend to stay on the bike path for the multi-lane sections of Beach Drive
when it shifts to two lanes after the zoo...
normally Pierce Mill...
then I am usually back to the road
but the last few days I rode through the tunnel on the road
not on the thin sidewalk in the tunnel
not on the road in the tunnel gritting my teeth and wishing for the best while a tailgating car leans on the horn causing an ear drum busting noise as it echos in the tunnel
as if my speed hinders their progress
as I take the Zoo ramp exit into Adams Morgan and then Mount Pleasant they will in no time be back on the same bumper of the car that was previously in front of them

it was good...
on today's ride I went out to Rockville on Beach Drive then back the same way I came only to turn down the Capitol Crescent Trail into Georgetown
only to be a little let down to see that traffic had retaken the Parkway
so I cut through Georgetown to Dupont and then home
good day on the bike
legs are tired

the black and white makes it look like the 1920's

had lunch with a cycling buddy of mine Wonderbread, aka John Whittington
we had a good walk
we caught up
we ran into some people
we got some good grub even if John did get some black bean sauce on his pants

in our talks John brought up names I not heard in forever
Major Lawrence was one of those names
then John sent me this link
this is the same resource that the image of Jim Rapp came from

more on this later

beautiful bikes from biomega

biomega bikes in denmark
beautiful bikes....
may be more form than function

fixed gear rookies

fixed gear rookie

fight like girls...

you tube video "fight like girls"

stole this from moveitfred.blogspot.com

well worth a look

Monkey at Career Builder.com

this is fun

messages via Monk-e-mail

my message for you

from careerbulider.com
(hint... punctuation slows his speech... just as punctuation slows my blogging)

Don't be Duped by Dopers

velo news: basso and ulrich busted

velo news: list of cheaters

euro sport: riders banned from tour

and of course

DOPERS SUCK!

mark.... or is it marc?

yesterday after work I did a quick up and back on the Capitol Crescent Trail
on my route back into DC from Maryland I rolled up on City Bikes Adams Morgan mechanic, Mark
as we caught up and shot the shit I figured I might as well snap a few shots
so I pulled off the backpack
dug through my bag
tried to be sure not to crash, cause an accident, or drop my walled
then did what digital does best
I took some random photographs

bruce

this is fun for me...
taking this picture of bruce gave me an excuse to introduce myself to a friend of a friend
a face and a bicycle I have seen rolling around the city streets for well over a decade
it amuses me to get a chance to fill in the blank...
to learn what the voice sounds like...
to learn some of how this person thinks...
to learn a little of what their life is like outside of the work day...
hey bruce... pleased to meet ya

those shots taken in the rain

short ride in...

this morning there was no time for a pre-work ride
there is seldom time for a pre-work ride
at the time I am a little early I like to extend the dogs walk in the woods
but... normally I am struggling to get to work on time

this morning was no different

this mornning I gathered my tools of technology (cell, blackberry, and digital camera)
as well as my clothing for work
as a commuter even on my short ride I break a sweat
so I leave shoes/assorted pants/some shirts
which leaves me traveling with nothing more than clean socks, underwear, and a t-shirt
no need to throw out my back traveling around town like a bag lady
with my gear in my bag I pointed towards work

the most immediate route was bumper to bumper
so I opted for a slightly less direct route.... that is also bumper to bumper
but more friendly for splitting lanes

on my short ride into work I think it would be safe to say that there was not one city block where a car driver did something that put my life in jeporardy
well... if I did not anticipate their actions before they executed them

there were speeding cars not yeilding to oncoming bicycle traffic
there was oncoming traffic playing chicken with me
there were metro buses rolling through stop signs
there were all sorts of cars rolling through stop signs
agressive lane switches
erratic panicked U-Turns
left hand turns from right hand lanes
and you guessed it
right hand turns from left hand lanes

it was the standard morning chaos
nothing to get my heart rate up
nothing out of the ordinary... just another morning in the city dealing with the idiots and assholes on the road

sure I slowed and stopped and tried to explain to the asshole that looked like tom ridge as he nearly flattened me just two blocks from my work
as he moved from the center lane to the space in the left lane that I was occupying
he never rolled his window down
his dumbfounded expression showed lack of understanding for my pandemonium

well.... he may have understood my last set of gestures as I motioned with a point to him
then the action of masturbation
trying to let him know that he is a jerk off
but.... he should already know that
I am certain someone has told him before

the main message of this morning's rant is that it is vital for the bicycle to look out for themselves
no one is concerned about the cyclist's safety but the cyclist themselves
and those that are concerned
well, honestly... it is hard for a car driver to anticipate the cyclist
that bicycle approaches fast
appears out of no where
does not take up enough room in the rear view mirror to gather the attention that a Mack truck does
so even those that are looking for cyclists seldom see them

so the cyclist that opts to ride in the lane obeying the law is often less safe than the cyclist that zigs and zags through the lanes
as I move through the city streets I always work to put myself in the safest place on the street
that spot changes
splitting lanes/taking the whole lane/a few feet on the sidewalk
there is a method to the madness

when moving on a one way street I that street intersects alternating one way streets
that is how things work in this town
when rolling down these streets I move in a fashion where I avoid the line of left turning traffic on one block
then move to avoid right turning traffic on the next block
I know trouble points where to expect cars stopping for passanger pickup and where tourists may stall to gape and take a photo
to some non-cyclist on looker my actions may seem erratic
but these actions and these movements are well thought out
these actions are thought out in advance
and
these actions are up for modification at the moment of execution
there is no cruise control
this is a situation of focus and control

I have been the victim of the driver with the braille dashboard before
ridden on their hood
kissed their windshield
trying to keep future contact from happening again

that is enough now
I am tired of typing

Pedestrians in THE DISTRICT

The Washington Post: The District
steps to a pedestrian friendly city

dangerous intersections
try not to contribute to the danger
not just at these locations
when ever you drive

one more image from the winter...

no time to log off
I bet this lady is out on some adventure
I seem to recall her saying something about outdoor education or maybe it was Costa Rica
I forget
just know I have not seen her around
maybe she took a desk job
no... I am thinking Costa Rica
the desk job may happen later
betting on Costa Rica now...

some shots from winter

scanning my hard drive... trying to get some idea what I have and where as far as images go
I want to put a cd together for Jim Rapp
and want to get some images together for a slide show on the computer for a friend's party

cross town push

today I worked the late shift
working late means I get to go in late
going in late frees up my morning for a few things out of my standard routine...

for the start of my day
well.... after the often frustrating efforts to dress 2 year old grant and now 5 year old dean I got to drive dean to camp.... day camp not a sleep over
grant came along for the ride
as per usual it was a bit of a shell game
arriving to the car seeing I have one car seat... not the needed two
back to the house
then back to the car
basic disney movie dad with the kids confusion

the drive is not so far but the drive is altered and congested due to all the flooding in Rock Creek Park
these morning drives just act to confirm so many of my opinions of the standard driver and their idiotic behavior

the inefficency
the selfishness
the down right obnoxiousness of it all
they are not just behaving in this fashion towards cyclists
the drives are behaving this way to other drivers and pedestrians as well
but this is no new news
currently I am trying to get some help from the city on slowing traffic on my street
a street which is a major commuter through route

the short sightedness... literal and figuratively
the blindness to the moment and the worst case scenario
no thought about what if

when I drive I fight the impulse to go fast
I fight the impulse to drive like all the fools around me
sure I am trying to make the light
I may bust a move.... I may even sneak up and take someone at the line using a half step behind pole position
but I stay at a rational speed
exceeding the speed limit to a rational extended parameter
never greater than 40 in a 25
usually 35... which in certain areas can insite road rage

my most basic intention is to drive safely with common sense and common courtesy
the law is obvious and easy to follow
the law is to guide safety and to offer common sense and the path to common courtesy for those that are too dim to figure it out on their own

the city has been bumper to bumper at rush hour each morning and each evening for the last few days
just as the car driver thinks that the high gas prices will pass
the delayed slow traffic will pass
and
ya know what
they are right
gas prices will go down
and
traffic will get back to normal
but
gas prices will certainly go up again and traffic will be stuck and slow again
one would think that this would be a good chance for some people to evolve

more images from M Street

Obesity Epidemic? Fuel Crisis?

as I move about the city on my bicycle so often I am amazed at how many fat people are stuck behind the wheel...
and I mean... stuck behind the wheel
actually pinned between the seat and the steering wheel

sometimes when a car driven by an excessively fat individual fails to give me my basic right to my space and my safety, I wonder if they are spiteful of my being on a bike... spiteful that they are fat... and I am well... in comparision to them I am not fat... perhaps they are spiteful of my freedom
we all know that we love freedom
and that is no joke
I do love freedom
and
the bicycle grants me a certain sense of freedom and an awesome sense of freedom

perhaps I am giving car drivers too much credit for being that thoughtful in their actions
not just the fat drivers but all drivers
the are stuck in an idiotic autopilot where the default setting is set to dumbass 1.0
which often sets off ANGER 4.o, which I have effectively REMOVED... well... with a few remaining bugs here and there

when I think of this "obesity epidemic" and the "fuel crisis" I can not help but think that it is well over due that we take blame for our own behavior
people eat too much
people eat all the wrong things
and
people refuse to exercise
that is why people are fat!
I like to eat as much as the next guy.... I tend to eat more then the next guy
I too am not as thin as I should be due to my lack of self control and my love for endulgence

as far as the fuel crisis goes...
yes... it is a finite resource
but... people are not treating it like that
people continue to purchase ineffiencent irrational vehicles.... and not just the H2
people refuse to monitor their own driving habits... maybe they could being more concious of their actions
walking the short distances
shopping less frequently rather than everyday or several times a day
multi-tasking... doing an all in one swoop... dry cleaner... kids... grocery store.... park... then home

and maybe...
just maybe....
people could carpool
the math is simple on that one
if there were two people in each car instead of one
well.... we would cut our fuel consumption in half!
(roughly in half.... there would be a discrepancy caused by pick up and drop off of the passanger)

if the rising cost at the pump can not curb our addiction to the car.... I am not sure what will
guess living off credit
living above our means
these things make cost less of an issue
we bitch about cost... but we refuse to respond to it

while riding my bike today I had some observations floating about my head about fat people

you know you are fat when....
-your hands get chubby and you get celulite on your forearm
-when your socks are so tight that they cut off circulation to your feet and the fat rolls over the top of the sock
-your ability to walk has been down graded to a waddle
-your arms rest at an angle rather than at your side
-you are so large you can not squeeze between the arm rests at the movie theater
being fat happens before these points
when does it become too late?
is there a point of no return?
at what point does someone accept this as their reality?
I like my reality... and not through rationalization... through actual experience

okay.... here are a few more.... but more on the level of
your momma is so fat that...
-she has her own zip code
-she has been banned from the "all you can eat" restaurants in her neighborhood
-she can dress up as jabba the hutt simply by undressing
-she can lose her car keys for a week in between the rolls of fat
-when she sees her shadow she thinks it is the silouette of the michelin man

okay....
that is enough
I have so much respect for those that have gained too much weight and then lost it
I know people like this
I have read about people like this
these people always get my respect
especially since I know how hard it is to fight our nature
my nature being lazy and self endulgent

I will try to direct my life in a way that I never have to concern myself with anything more than just trying to keep my gut to a minimum
yes I would like to be more thin
but I am not obesse.... unless you believe the measures of BMI
I believe that I am healthy and that at this stage of my life my BMI has not measure of my level of health

as far as my kids go....
I will have to be concious of the direction of their bodies in the future
what they eat and how much they exercise...
currently they do as they see...
which means they are walking in the woods with their dogs, riding their bike around the neighborhood, and walking to the store or neighborhood restaurant rather than driving

it blows my mind that healthy and fit parents have fat kids
to see famous people with all the resources in the world having fat kids
with more fat parents... I fear that there will be more fat kids
man... what a sad way to go through life
waddling along
breathing heavy
unable to really enjoy some of the simply pleasures in life
seems like we could be able to control this "epidemic"

all the time I read bicycle blogs
so often I find that these guys are riding and racing when not long ago these people were sedintary lives
too much food
not enough exercise
these folks win my respect
I know with myself... I can not lose my unwanted pounds
I do not want to eat less
I do not have the time to exercise more
but I still want to lose this weight... but not willing to take the steps to make it happen

sorry if I pissed anyone off
oh
I hate when I am on the plane next to some fat ass
and they try to take the armrest
I feel that they have less right
as their gerth is caused by their own actions
while my size is my height and shoulder width
fat hobits... keep off the arm rest
I will share it
but do not hog it
you hog it
and you risk losing it
sweating along side of me
knowing that the touch of their moist clamy skin will cause me to retract my arm

Public Service Announcements

Iron Eye Cody....
from that famous PSA

Crying Indian PSA

found this at RETRO JUNK

I often question the impact of public service announcements and advertising... although I do enjoy good commericals

I have often thought that we as cyclists could use some Public Service Announcements
something to educate the people
something to tell the people that cyclists are people

there was a time where I had a few ideas sketched out

it is obvious that there needs to be some change in how the the car driver views the cyclist
right now.... the car driver fails to put the human element onto the bicyclist
that bicyclist is nothing more than an obstacle

in addition to a set of PSAs to educate the people
there also needs to be an education to the professionals on the road
the cab drivers, the bus drivers, those with CDLs
these alledged professionals need to get a better understanding of not just a cyclists right
but also to the fragility of a human body on the bicycle
that should be part of their getting a license

rico

Wakefield Trail Repair!

Due to unprecedented rain the past few days Mike Pattisall and Larry Cautilli will be hosting two workdays to try and put some order back into the Trail system at Wakefield. It has been hit with over 12 inches of rain and flood levels never experienced in the history of MORE.

Thursday June 29th Wakefield Emergency Trail Maintenance

The trails are trashed and it's too wet to ride!!

So, what's a mountain biker to do??

Trail Maintenance!!!!!

Come on out to Wakefield for an official Evening Trail Maintenance.

HELP RESTORE THE TRAILS!!!!

Meet at the recycle bins at 6:00 PM. We'll wrap things up by 8:30 PM and head over to Kilroy's for some fuel. (Rumor is - that cold beverages are served at previously mentioned establishment).

Sunday July 2nd Wakefield Emergency Trail Maintenance

The trails are trashed and it's too wet to ride!!

So, what's a mountain biker to do??

Trail Maintenance!!!!!

Come on out to Wakefield for an official Morning Trail Maintenance.

HELP RESTORE THE TRAILS!!!!

Meet at the recycle bins at 9:30 AM. We'll wrap things up by 1:30 PM

__________________
You have to grow older you do not have to grow up

MORE: Mid-atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts

wrong way on M Street

New Dominion School

.


never heard of this
new dominion corrective school


.

1200 block of 19th

nice boots...

Jim Rapp aka Featherhead

Jim Rapp aka Featherhead
decades ago this man was a fixture in the DC cycling community
Jim is alive and not as well as he was before he started living with MS (multiple sclerosis)
I had heard a rumor that Jim had passed away
today I called and learned that this rumor was nothing more than that... a rumor
Jim is alive living in up state New York
and
Jim is alive in many people's hearts and many people's memories

city paper article about jim rapp by jim rapp
also
a thread/forum/discussion on ifbma.ca for people to share tales or information on Jim Rapp

WAW# 2 Postponed Due to Rain!

Wednesday at Wakefield #2 has been POSTPONED! WAW# 2 is set for July 12th!

as the trails have been hit pretty bad by the recent flooding
there is also a request for some emergency trail maintenance
contact the folks at PVC: Potomac Velo Club to see when you can lend a hand!
your assistance is needed!

WAW

becak?

actually got the washington monument behind the becak

pedicabs in dc

these guys were just passing through
down from nyc for a convention
not sure of the specifics
almost fell off my bicycle to get my camera and get the shot
tough shooting in the rain after a 45 minute ride
I was soaked
got my camera soaked in the process

good time for my trail efforts

years ago I was out in that wild and wonderful state of colorado
a state that is a very similar to that wild and wonderful state of west virginia
similar yet different

while out in colorado working several jobs and snowboarding nearly everyday I used to watch the ski patrollers while I was on the chair lift
I would watch them and their daily duties

the ski patroller is like a fireman...
when they are not saving lifes there are other tasks to fulfill
the patrollers are bombing avalanches
they are testing the snow stabilty to decide what areas are remain open and what areas of the mountain they close
they also work to improve the quality of the skiing on the mountain

one way that the ski patrollers improved the quality of the mountain was the use of snow fences
the same type of fences used to preserve sand dunes would be used to create drifts of snow
the drifts would develop in front of and behind the snow fences
the patrollers would return each day to pad the collected snow down only to let more snow to collect to be padded down
then the fence moved slightly or entirely

I mimic this process to a certain degree on the trails of rock creek park
I try to improve the hiking paths by terracing the steeper sections
as well as the rapidly eroding paths many of the paths are the routes of water headed down the valley into the creek on rainy days some of these paths can look like water falls or rivers
on days with rain of great volume my favorite time to put a few logs perpendicular to the trail
in one of these paths is on a night before a big rain the logs collect all of the furtile top soil and sand terracing
the trail creating steps slowing the erosion holding onto furtile soil aiding in growth slowing decline
after the sand and soil collects I often try to pad this soil and sand down in the hope that the step will build up and hold strong enough to make the trail a more pleasant hiking experience

over the years I have installed many of these
some have lasted months
some have lasted years
some logs never caught any soil and never built up to a stair
but most of my efforts have worked for some time to make the trail more enjoyable

well... except some of the paths are no longer as fun to sled down
but... there are still trails to sled on other than the ones I have terraced

last night... and the night prior

this is a good time for me to put things in perspective...

the last few nights we have had volumes of rain
yes, definitely volumes

the volumes are so great that the drains behind my house could not take away the water fast enough
well... the clogging added to the volume
perhaps the clogging created the collection of the volume
I bailed out the basement the last two nights
naked in the rain
trying to unclog my drains
trying to mop away my basement
soaking wet
lots of clean up
a little damage

perspective...
it sucks to have your house flood
yet... there are those that do not even have a house to flood
I think I can deal with my flooded basement

jose improvising in the rain

right on the money
a better photographer would have gotten the old Riggs building, the department of treasury, or at least a bit of the white house in the background
oh well
I was too busy trying to get the last bit of juice out of a failing battery

wayfaring

need to check out some of this point to point mapping stuff
looks like it could be fun to create city rides to share with others
especially out of towners looking to see DC by bike
a great town to visit and rent a bike
whether you want to rent the bike for exercise, transport, or tourism
dc can be great by bike
wayfaring

what is funny....
I found this link at annabananasplit
as this blog is in Portuguese
I went to babelfish to translate the page
maybe I should have gone to britannica.com to spell

I think I am going to get a drink and chill...
well.. chill and play with some images
got some good images in the rain on my way home
not often I get to photo cyclists in the rain

strealing material again...

excuse me
not stealing material... sharing information
this information on loan from commutebybike

rolling down 18th Street

dirt rag article on dnf

here is an article in DIRT RAG about DNF
I DNF this article

not sure
it may have been a "Rider Write"
which is a cool thing about Dirt Rag
as the title says "Mountain Bike Forum"
the readers are often the writers
maybe I will try to submit some art
I always wanted to design a Dirt Rag cover
but... that is not such an easy task
as the reader submitted cover art is always really cool

bicycling magazine has a mountainbike section

has bicycling magazine always had a mountain bike section?

not as scary as he looks... I think

mass. ave.

stole this from WASH CYCLE

stole this from WASH CYCLE

Richmond Xterra Event

Xterra Event
I never got around to posting a report about the Xterra event that took place in Richmond, VA a few saturdays ago, so here I go...

the day prior to the race I decided that my desire to ride could be satisfied by racing this event in Richmond
tried getting the word from my buddy Redlack about the need for gear and shock for this event
did not get the word in time so I packed up the geared Karate Monkey with front shock
arrived in Richmond, Virginia to the madness of many Xterra events being run from the same central location
there was a tri-athalon, a running event, skateboarding, and much much more
with no trouble I found the registration for the Xterra Mountain Bike Event
I sucked it up and paid my late registration fee... it hurt... but I had the option not to race or to register in advance

it was just a week since the 24 Hours of Big Bear so I was still feeling a little tired
the choice of the geared bike started to make more and more sense as the start time approached
the lay out of the course and the other events was nothing short of unusual
more unusual to me since I am not at all familiar with Richmond or it surrounding area
the course started on one island on the James River then onto another.... then across to the other shore... it was really a great race design on a network of trails that are clearly made by mountain bikers for mountain bikers
well, mountain bikers that do not mind running up and down multipole stair case

I lined up with the Expert Vet 35+ for a Lemanns Style Start with the other Experts
the run was short, but it allowed for those who were more hungry to really make their move for their bikes
I moved forward fast... but I had no intention of trying to win it all.... so I let the more assertive racers move ahead, until we moved into the singletrack
at that point we were in a bit of a queue whick could be settled out in on the fireroads
there were those that were hungry to pass
there was no where to pass
they should have run faster knowing that the line of people arriving to their bikes would be the order in the singletrack

the course moved from a short section of singletrack
to a long stretch of doubletrack fireroad
then off the bike and up a few flights of stairs to a bridge that took the racers to the first set of urban singletrack
the trails were awesome
the trails were awesome and it may have been more than a few flights of stairs

I had no idea where I was or how long I was riding... but I knew I was having a darn good time
people were all racing hard and having a splendid day sweating on the bike in the Richmond heat
the singletrack looped around and back and back again taking the racers across a different bridge, down some stairs then back onto the same fire road, up the same stairs, across the same bridge then turning onto a different set of urban singletrack trails

the trail was well marked
but perhaps not well marked enough
I took one turn which I feared was wrong.... then backtracked
then realized it was the correct turn.... only lost one space
then later in the race I took a very wrong turn down a hill
enjoyed the long speedy descent
only to find myself dead end at the James River.... had I been planning for fishing for carp I would have been fine but I was trying to race bikes
so I had to hike it back up the hill and back onto the course

lost a few spaces there
in reality the drop from maybe 4th to 7th or 8th is really not an issue
I was there to race and ride my bike
winning it all was never anything that I thought was a realistic goal

there was one more bridge crossing then some road sections through some neighborhoods
then more singletrack
maybe more singletrack than I was looking for
well more climbing on the singletrack than I was looking for
even as short as this race was my body was wishing that it were shorter
my endurance is not here
especially at high speed
okay maybe endurance at high speed is something I have never had
I had burst myself and was just hanging on to what remained
which is usually my style

the course ended and everyone was smiling
it was a sick course
RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF RICHMOND!
imagine having those trails right there for riding during lunch at work?
awesome!
glad I raced there
glad I experienced that
would be psyched to race or even just ride there again
it was a super fun event
the Xterra Event would have been good entertainment for the whole day
my kids would have loved to see me race
and would have loved even more to see the people at the skate jam

Malcom BMX

Malcom BMX
read all the tales of the legendary Malcom BMX

need to drop more images in FLICKR

an old image of Tar
funny seeing him standing still
as that cat is always on the move

my photos at flickr
need to drop some more images in there

I Love 80's Music Videos

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80's Music Videos!

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start of another week...

DC got flooded last night...
traffic this am was insane
cars were swarming around like drunken hornets
not sure why the hornets were drunk

rock creek looks like it hit some serious high water marks last night
the damage was pretty clear in the small sections I walked this am with the dogs

the bummer about the damage is that this damage just adds to the years and years of damage that has never seen repairs
the walls along side of the creek have been eaten away
the remaining trees that stand on these walls are at risk
the park needs to start focusing on putting a bandaid on its wounded sections of the park
a bandaid now would help in preventing an inevitable death of sections of the park

so much of the park is becoming barren
so much of the top soil has washed away

who is in charge of this?
are people sleeping on the job?
I know that there is a great deal of land to cover
but
I am certain that if they provided soil
volunteers would take care of the rest with wheel barrows and shovels