henry garfield

i saw black flag
i never saw soa
i just saw the henry rollins show

i also saw henry's spoken word at dc space

do tickets change behavior?

do traffic tickets change behavior?

outside my window this morning I have watched the flashing lights of a dc cruiser
all morning long cars have been pulled over for running the red light at the top of the hill
I like the fact that they are trying to slow traffic and curb the red light running behavior
but... I am not sure if writing tickets changes behavior
the threat of a ticket can change behavior
but issueing a ticket?

issueing a ticket just generates revenue and pisses someone off
not sure if people reflect on their action and change their behavior
I think they just complain about the ticket and the officer
never realizing it was a classic case of action and reaction

what changes behavior?
the presence of an officer
the never ending threat that a ticket will be issued if you break the law

gotta roll
lisa is back with brutus from a morning run
we missed our yoga sessions
now we are out of town for a trip to a beach on the bay and a water park
should be fun
if the rain holds out

code pink

terror level has moved to CODEPINK

another shot of a cyclist from down the block from me

here is another shot of a cyclist who lives around the corner from me
apparently she works around the corner from me as well

ran into her a peoples drug store... they call it CVS... but it is people's drug store

(tried to find the previous image postings of her)

backgammon

backgammon
I love backgammon

in my short life I have played a lot of backgammon
in college some people were playing Nintendo
while me and my friends were playing backgammon
we played rummy 500 for a while
but we really played backgammon

on that once in a lifetime right out of college trip to europe with my buddy rob and our bicycles trip
on that same trip
I spent some of my time in the south of france
nice, frejus, and agay
in agay I stayed with a best friend's girl friend's best friend's parents
parents of a college graduate I had never met before
but she was a friend of a friend of a friend

while relaxing poolside we chatted
the backgammon table was out
so as we met for the first time we got to know each other over backgammon
we would go to the beach, or around town, to lunch, to dinner, to a bar
then there was backgammon

short into the short stay at their summer house in the south of france I was playing backgammon with her father
he was a charming man with wonderful stories from an interesting life
we were talking over backgammon

as we played we talked about the game and the gambling
we talked about money
actually we did not talk about money
he had class
I wanted to talk about money
we talked about the doubling cube and the odds
we talked about the percentage of luck and the percentage of skill

we talked about backgammon

we never talked about cheating
but
I started to understand that people sometimes intentionally miscount in their own favor to aid in winning the game
yes
on purpose
if the error is in favor of your opponent it is an accident
otherwise it is intentional
the player knows going into the game that this is part of their strategy

I am not sure if I get it
leading and stealing in whiffle ball is different than intentionally miscounting in putt putt at the beach
what is the pleasure in taking a cab to win a marathon?

yet
there seem to be games where on the highest level cheating is built into the process

somebody explain this to me?

okay...
I live in Washington DC, home of Mayor Marion Barry
the world can be unbelievable some times

one last tangent
when I first met my wife we were out on outing with a group of friends
there were darts and backgammon as we waited for a pool table
while waiting for the table I lost thirty five dollars to her
later that week I showed up with a backgammon table as payment of the bet
she accepted the payment
when I got married... I got that backgammon table back

since the arrival of my two sons I do not think I have played backgammon once
there has been very little scrabble
and
almost not croquet or bocce

not just a pretty face... a bicycle person

bicycle advocate
bicycle racer (triathalons)
bicycle shop employee sometimes/part time

bicycle specific traveler
I mean
bicycle commuter
a bicycle person

(and a pretty face aw well)
(yes... she does have nice get away sticks)

XS Energy Drink

At each and every Wednesday at Wakefield Race this summer there has been a guy handing out free energy drinks and water
the product is XS Energy Drink

I need to read some reviews

from the standpoint of a regular Red Bull user this stuff is pretty good
still curious about the reviews

I will have to say on the short course this seems like the rocket fuel of choice but... just like NITROS in your Bad Boy Club Car
after you give it a burst of energy you need to give it more juice ater on

fueled up before the first race
then fueled up before the second race
was super thankful after the race was super thankful for the water afterwards too

at 2am that night was thinking I may have over done it
as fueling up may have meant more than one can before each race
there may have been other sources of caffiene in my afternoon pre-race prep

on a more postive note
my testosterone levels are normal
while my levels of XS Energy Drink in my urine are high

the SWAG at these events are actually good marketing efforts
I have been turned onto some really good stuff that I have continued to use over time
E-Caps
Honey Stinger
and I am sure that I will be more likely to grab an XS Energy Drink from the cooler at the gas station now that I know what it is

also....
it is nice to get good stuff for free!

Race Report: Wednesday at Wakefield #3

a few days have passed
the wednesday night race is fading as a memory
this morning's ride and this sunday's race are more on my mind
yet, I want to try and sort out some ideas just the same


Race Report: wednesday at wakefield number three

this week there was the third race of the four race wednesdays at wakefield summer series
trying to mix things up a bit I decided to race with the single speeds at six
trying to get a little more of a workout I decided I would also race with the clydesdales at six fifty-five on the geared monkey

the finish time of the early race and the start time of the late race would be close
but the idea of doubling up the races is nothing new
the one race is twenty bucks
the second is ten bucks
as I am sure the first few that considered this argued that twenty and twenty was too much

doing the early race involves the getting to wakefield early
which means getting out of work early
not sure... but I think that the single speeds are unemployed
that is why the do not have gears
as they can not afford them
there is no other explaination how the class with the greatest numbers of entrants can start while most people are at work
silver spoons? guess that nulifies the notion of single speeders can not afford gears
any way...

got out of work early
loaded both the rigid skid mark brown single speed surly karate monkey
and the geared army green karate monkey with front shock
with both bikes riding high on the roof rack of the already tall and boxy honda element I took 14th Street out of town
it is painful for a bicycle commuter to rush head on into car commuter traffic
it is always a good reminder that I could not exist as a car commuter

the traffic was its northern virginia best
the dangerous mix of people moving aggressively fast
along with the people moving foolishly slow
my heart rate went up when the traffic slowed to a crawl
I got aggravated when I saw that traffic was slow and dangerous due to never ending cell phone conversations about nothing and blackberry emails from a job that they just left and will return to the next day
there was question if I would make it in time for the early race

in the end I got to wakefield pretty much within my forty five minute estimate
which was just enough time to change and run up to the registration
just enough time to arrive as scott scudamore announced that registration for the early races closed in forty five seconds
I paid my money and filled out my forms at the same time

arriving late did not offer for much socializing or much warming up

I gathered some gear and stowed it along side my geared monkey
the geared bike had a number for the clydesdale race
the single speed had its own number
normally I race against the clydesdales on the rigid monkey
on this day I was going to mix it up with the single speeders
so I brought the geared bike with shock so the beating would not be too brutal on the second set of laps that night

as I ran about getting ready slamming free energy drinks (XS calorie free energy drinks) I learned that the PVC promoters were mixing things up this week
they were going to run the course backwards
I chose to race a double on backwards day
ouch...
luckily they shortened the course... as common sense would say that a course that is all burmed out and flows so well one direction... this same course run very different if taken the opposite way around

arriving late I shamefully got myself into the second or third row of racers
the single speed is a big class
the hole shot is vital for top five
I was not shooting for top five, but
I was not looking for getting stuck behind a pile up fighting for the single track

so I lined up at the side of all the starters not far off from a few familiar faces

greetings and questions were shared with various people in the seconds before the start
there was no time for anything more than a smile and a hello
the air horn sounded and the gravel started to kick up
the racers mashed forward up the the course in the opposite direction
going up sections they usual go down
while going down sections they usually go up
in case you could not figure it out... that is what happens on backwards day at wakefield
or
when you run any course in the opposite direction

the race up the first hill in many ways decides the race
too far back...
you will never make it forward
the lead guys were burning up the riderless course in front of them
I accepted my position as I saw who was pacing right in front of me
familiar racers whose speeds and times are often similar to my own
chris redlack and jason stoner entered the second section of singletrack right before me

things seemed right

just a few yards into the woods and redlack dropped his chain
which scooted me up to stoner

there were times where I wanted to go faster but accepted that there was no place to pass and that the pace of stoner was more than likely a good pace for me

the course revealed to be quite a surprise
it was fun for the course to be switched around
it did seem like more work
lots of efforts to accelerate halted by sharp corners and hairpin turns
the familiarity was there
but it was more of a tip of the tongue phenomena than actually knowing what to expect
yes, it was familiar
but not familiar in this direction other than site
not by feel or anticipation

lap one went by quickly
the removal of some of the creek trail had a shorter course and sped up the times
then lap two began to flow as things got more familiar
managed to pass stoner and got passed by another
pretty much held that place
the third lap I was on the tail of another single speed
was waiting for an efficient place to catch his tail and make the pass in one move
but he pulled a tad ahead after a few passing opportunities
unfortunate inability to pass juniors and beginners let him sneak away
energy had to be conserved for the clydesdale race
having strength for the next three laps was more important that bursting myself for one or two more places

came across the line
left the celebration to the others and headed for my other bike
while fueling up with more heavily caffinated drinks I went ahead and changed my shorts, gloves, and glasses
filled my tool-less mini-camelback
put my helmet back on and cautiously rolled down towards the start finish
fearing the whole time that the expert class would be released causing one ugly game of chicken

arrived thirty seconds before the expert release
just in time to finish my can of XS ENERGY drink
free energy drink that is calorie free
I love free!
with my drink finished it was time to go

the horn sounded and we were off
I had gears
and ya know what... I used them
the little roller climb that started things off
I switched gears and enjoyed it
hit the gravel road then into the woods again
felt a clydesdale racer right on my back

tapped my front brake
nothing!
had to grab my front brake
did a little polish wheelie but was able to correct and get back on trail
the following clydesdale was forced to do a little panic stop himself
the aggressive stop knocked something loose with his disc brakes
I could hear him on my tail through the woods

in no time at all we were catching the tail end of the sport class
one by one
group by group I tried to make a pass
some were good in granting me a path
others made me take it
there was the usual joker that raced me as I tried to pass along side off trail
that is to be expected

two laps through the race I was feeling pretty good
was getting a feel for riding with gears and shock
also getting a feel for my control with what seemed to be a slow leak in my rear time and my less that powerful braking in the front

not far into lap three I hit something
not sure where or how
could have been on an aggressive off the trail pass
it could have been just a standard hit with my fat ass on a tire that was quickly losing air
maybe it would not have happened with a fresher less worn tire
how or why?
who cares?
it happened
two weeks in a row I flatted out
again I was riding without tools, tube, or pump
so... like last week I tried to run it
just like last week I ran it for a hundred yards
only to remember that I am not a runner
I am a mountain biker

so, just like last week I mooched a twenty six inch tube for my twenty nich inch wheel
even borrowed some CO2 from a mechanic from the Pro Shop who had pulled off due to a mechanical
sure enough everyone passed
everyone passed
all the sports I had passed
all the clydesdales that had been behind me
and
all the women sport racers

with heavily sweaty hands I tried to finish the tube replacement with outside assistance
then put the wheel back on the bike
wrestled with the monkey nuts
only to feel the tire rubbing as I took off
dismounted and remounted the wheel straight... ignoring the one monkey nut that was not doing its job

with what little energy I had I tried to catch so many that had passed me
the course is not passer friendly
I passed what I could
and
I rode the pace of those that were before me
I pulled over for the leading experts
and I tailed them as best I could
made a number of passes
enjoyed the flow of some of the other racers
accepted that I was running out of course

finished pleased with my efforts
felt good about my energy levels
felt like a fool about my flat and my lack of concern for the performance of my bike

fell from first to fourth in the Clydesdales
managed to finish 12th in the Single Speed
would have liked top ten
but felt pretty okay with 12th

PVC WAW
WAW# 3 Photos by Gary
photos of #1 and #2 from Pete
waw#3 results

XS Energy Drink

support? trying to cash in?

found a link to this in my comments section
http://noroidsfloyd.clintonbegley.com/

not unlike... the notion of support our troops
there is an idea of support
and
there is an idea in a person's mind... maybe I will get rich

if the support our troops sticker and magnet people were interested in supporting troops
they would make their product without making a profit

go... go... gadget

the only thing more wild than the way this man dresses
is the way this man rides
every time I have seen this man on the bike he is moving as if he were racing in a time trial

adam has the wheelie gene

more from City Bikes

shoptricks

tried getting adam and hugo to do some tricks for me
they did not have the terrain that inspired them
and well
I am not so good with the action shots
practice... practice... practice...
and
take lots of shots
not just 20 shots in 5 minutes

a girl at the shop

excuse me
one of the women that works at the shop

Washcycle.... NEW AND IMPROVED!

.

WASHCYCLE
cycling advocacy and cycling information for DC and the surrounding area

good information can be found there

City Bikes Chevy Chase

rolled by the City Bikes shop in Chevy Chase Maryland on my way into work today
had the camera
so I stopped in to take a few shots
was reminded of a few things....

my camera works best outdoors
should use the flash when shooting indoors
and
I am not a very good photographer
I am especially poor at action shots...
those are soon to be assembled

FAQ

why is bega in the center of the action? just because!!
why is shawn so big? because he is so big
why are their two pictures of the women at the shop? cause she is a women

Chain Reaction in DC

Chain Reaction in Washington DC
the site is new and improved
I have yet to check out the new and improved shop space

check to see how you can help Chain Reaction
or maybe
check to see how Chain Reaction can help you

maybe they have all the parts to build that beater fixed gear you have been dreaming about
maybe?

shot these on the move

was walking and talking with a friend
just hit the button a few times as I passed

the word according to floyd

got to hear Floyd this am on CNN International
you can hear him on Larry King today
but
the floyd landis site is down
the Phonak Team site is down
SI

larry king

Friday's show

Floyd Landis

Primetime exclusive: The Tour de France racing champ, Floyd Landis speaks out about testing positive. Tune in Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

E-mail questions for Floyd Landis.

Sunday's show

Floyd Landis

The Tour de France racing champ, Floyd Landis speaks out about testing positive. Tune in Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

Monday's show

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow in her first prime-time interview since her breast cancer diagnosis. She opens up about that and her breakup with Lance Armstrong. Tune in Monday at 9 p.m. ET.

testosterone

velo news tries to explain testosterone to people like me
don't read much
it hurts my brain

love the randomness

out trolling the Internet
looking for landis stuff
just looking around

went to myspace for a bit
went to the lance site
saw a stolen underground posting on the lance site
http://www.stolenunderground.com/

ironically
I opened up a few windows
one of the windows played a social distortion tune
social distortion has always made me think needles

what have you heard?

taking down your site
having your sponsor take down your team site
deciding not to go to your appearance on the tonight show

well... it does not look so good

what have you heard?
wonder what people are thinking?
what is the truth?

should we ask for the short list?
that list would be the list of clean pros

need to get deeper into the functions

some black and white on the digital

mail order wife

.

I saw a little of this last night
not a must see
but it amused me
partially because I am attracted to the premise

mail order wife

not just an album by the police

.





synchronicity

playstation etc....

when I was a kid I would go to my neighbor's house
we would each get a large empty glass
then head out to their porch
that is where they kept their water cooler

we would take turns filling our glasses and chugging the water
all for the glory of seeing and hearing those large bubbles rise to the top within the jug

then came pong
now they have playstation and all sorts of things I have never encountered
or
at least I have not encountered the game boxes in the last 5+ years

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAMERA

KEVIN DILLARD OF DEMONCATS PREFERS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAMERA
TRIED TO TELL HIM THE PHOTOS WERE FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND TYRA BANKS
THEN I LEARNED THAT KEVIN AND TYRA ARE ON THE ROCKS
APPARENTLY SHE HEARD ABOUT KEVIN AND NAOMI CAMPBELL
http://demoncats.com/

FATMARC gives up BLOGGING

FATMARC has given up BLOGGING and has gone into advertising
check out his INFO-MERCIAL

(just busting his balls... his stuff is good... buy his product... not since Dick Gregory's Bohamian Diet have I seen anything as good in a can!)

what does this mean?

News Story Jul 27 2006, 10:08 AM EDT

Doping-Tour de France winner Landis gives positive drugs test LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has given a positive drugs test for the male sex hormone testosterone, his Phonak team said on Thursday. "The Phonak Cycling Team was notified yesterday by the UCI of an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France," Phonak said in a team statement. ((Editing by Bill Barclay, London Sports Desk; Reuters Messaging: bill.barclay.reuters.com@reuters.net; +44 207 542 7933)) Keywords: SPORT DOPING LANDIS

velonews.com
dopers suck

dc pedi cab....

www.dcpedicab.com

no celebration on the podium last night

here is a photo from pete from last week's WAW#2
that is my clydesdale buddy Don Watkins
Don is just coming back from an injury
he is back on the road
soon to be back on dirt

Don will be lining up with the Clydesdales soon enough!
last night I flatted again
old worn tires....
totally my bad for not replacing that stuff
paid for it at Big Bear
paid for it at Greenbriar
paid for it at WAW last week
paid for it again at WAW last night

got to get some fresh tires on the bike
have to swap out the gear sooner
no need to get that last mile out of a chain or cassette
either willl have to clean some stuff up on the geared bike so my tail end of the season is not tainted with more mechanicals
mechanicals happen
but mechanicals can be avoided

((don is a fireman... although that is not the standard fireman's carry... I do not think he was straining to carry someone tipping the scales around the same point as himself))

WAW#3 Results
(I raced in the single speed and the clydesdales this week)
((the times are faster this week as it was not only backwards loop day... but they cut out the creek section for the reverse loop))

too many people after the race said tubeless... maybe you should try tubeless
sure... tubeless... who is buying?
http://www.notubes.com/

family vacation

pretty soon we will take a major family vacation
but
maybe in the fall we should take a minor vacation
cedar point and famous ray's?

mission accomplished

these guys can say it
mission accomplished
soldier ride has arrived in california

gwadzilla archive

this gwadzilla archive search was inspired by introspection section

backwards day at wakefield tonight

tonight was race three of wednesday at wakefield
my third race of three races at wakefield
tonight was backwards night at wakefield
that is the night when the run the race in the opposite direction

ah.... backwards day
they choose to make backwards day the same night as I decided to try and double things up
by doubling up I was going to try and race early at 6PM with the single speeds
then line up on my geared bike with front shock with the Clydesdales at 6:55

by running things backwards it is more than just so confusing that it almost like riding a totally different course
well, it is a totally different course
sort of like the down hill way versus the upwards way
the backwards way is also the upwards way
although it is a roller coaster so it is not that much up or that much down

the drive out was not a pleasure
even getting out early had me in traffic
getting there in time for the single speed race was not a comfortable experience
not quite rush hour traffic, but basic commuter traffic bullshit just the same
slow and stupid
or fast and foolish
tough mix out there.... especially for the sections that the cars slow to a parking lot for some unknown reason
had me watching the clock

got there just in time to register
scott scudamore called thirty seconds when I was still filling out the forms

no time to really warm up
needed to fuel up
and lay out my bike for the second race
the finish and start of the races would be close
had different gloves, glasses, and shorts... just in case

like a fool I decided to ride bareback again
sure I had thought about bringing stuff
actually had a packed camel back
but work a tool-less mini camelback instead
so.... not entirely bareback
but rode like just the same

had I not learned my lesson the week prior?

raced the single speed with no mechanical issues
the new tire and new tube in the front rolled nicely
my guesswork with the front tire pressure felt good
my body got worked... but felt good enough for the second race
not sure of my final placing in the class
opted to mellow on the last lap
conserved energy for the laps to come in the next race

rolled across the finish and tried to fuel up with some more of the free energy drinks and free water provided by... (will find that name and link! as I dig them and their product)
switched shorts, gloves, went with clear glasses.... stuck with sweat soaked shirt and sweat soaked socks
rolled down to the start line as the pre-race meeting was still on its way
a minute later I would have been playing chicken with the whole expert class

there were 5 or six clydesdale
the backwards course did not give me any advantages of familiarity
well... I had the three previous laps of familiarity
but not the familiarity I have with the course run in the standard direction
the gradual climb at the start also seemed like less of an advantage

the fog horn start with the megaphone sent us sprinting forward
gears are different
gears give options
I was using those options
the pack fought forward and thinned out as we got into the first hundred yards of uphill singletrack
there was another clydesdale right on my tail
I could hear him
I could feel him

out of one section of wooded singletrack past a few sport racers
then back into the woods again
rolling fast into the woods I learn that the set up of my geared bike is not so dialed in wiht the whole braking idea

almost went over the handlebars
well.... started a polish wheelie then recovered
the brakes did not slow me down so I had to slam on them to stop me from hitting a few trees
the closely tailing clydesdale slammed on things hard
we managed to return to the trail without a full stop and without making contact
no trees and no polish wheelies
I try to factor in the quality of my braking with each future turn

the first lap went by well considering that my rear wheel felt a little squishy
felt good at the start
felt like it was getting more squishy
again more to focus on when trying to corner fast
not sure how close the trailing clydesdale was
the legs and heart were pumping along using any lungs that would be needed for talking
the body was feeling good
the shock felt good as well
the shock felt super good on the man made boardwalk sections

halfway through lap two the slow leak becomes a flat
not sure where or when
but the combination of my rough riding style and my old and worn tires allowed a snake bite ontop of a slow leak
thought I could race the clock
beat the slow leak to the finish
instead I was running
then stopping
a few minutes of conversation took me to deja vue

another flat
just like last week
people pass
lots of people pass
all the people I worked so hard to pass get to pass me back
then a familiar face
not a friend but a familiar face on the trailside offers me a pump
that was when I learned that my slow leak was a pinch flat
I was going to just inflated it and try to finish it out
or at least ride to the next pump

just like last wednesday I am bumming a 26 inch tube and pump from outside help
not exactly norba rules
but.... this is not norba
and it is a 26 inch tube in a 29 inch wheel

with outside assistance from some cat that works at the pro shop in georgetown my flat is replaced and filled

back on the bike
lots of people to pass
not so much trail to try and pass them back

I work my way through the course
psyched to be back on the bike
feeling like a total joker for flatting out again
just one week later
not bad karma... bad tire pressure and worn tires

bad to my bicycle
bad to myself

this week I was not as fortunate as last
the course is too tight and too short for me to reel in all that passed me
a slow tire exchange did not help
maybe I need a better pit crew
just kidding.... I learned that lesson when i saw Cars with my son the other day

finished the race
rolled into the finish fourth in my class but satisfied just the same

the night was a great night of riding and racing
the back to back races did not effect the outcome nearly as much as the flat
the flat which was an ignorant error dictated my fate
time to race smarter
even for the short, local, fun races... I still want to race and I still want to finish

it is vital that I approach the events with my bicycle properly prepped
and
I need to ride with everything that I may need
even if it is a small seat pouch mounted on each bike so there is no debate on to carry it or not to carry it

great night even with my flat and less than stellar finish

it was great to be out racing
it was great to step it up and try to double up with the two events

it was fun racing with the single speeders
that class really flies
there is a different feel racing in that pack
although the pack dropped me pretty fast and there I was riding on my own

it blew my mind seeing some stylee riders busting a move over that log like that image of camps
I am sure that there will be some great gary shots tomorrow
along with the results

the night migrated from the race, to the gravel road, to the local watering hole
had the steak and cheese
the halapenos really made it for me

good times

cranky monkey on sunday
one more wakefield next week

best just publish and post
bedtime
kids get up early
it is idiotic for me to stay up late
it is already late

guess I had one too many of those free energy drinks

karaoke

tonight after the wednesday night race at wakefield I joined some people at a local bar
it is an interesting subculture in there
a culture that is very different than the culture I am most familiar with
in addition to a handful of mountain bikers that show up as a group for four wednesday nights each summer
there are people who have been playing softball once a week for who knows how long for a much longer season
and people who are there just for the karaoke

I feel like jane goodall
only I am the big hairy one

like a stranger in a strange camp I try to enjoy myself and just pass through

as much as I hate karaoke
I will have to tell you
the people there are not all bad
usually there are people singing songs I definitely do not want to hear
while on top of that they are singing them poorly
bad songs done badly
it is a train wreck... I want to look away
but... I think they have some sort of magic mic
the singers all do a pretty solid job
well... almost all of them
but as much as I want to make fun of the ones who are really bad
I need to respect them for trying
and the others
I need to respect them for getting up there and having a good time
even if I do not get it

it is not up to me to "get" karaoke
as I do not expect them to get my mountain bike racing or riding



it is not the gong show
well, had I been twenty I may have thought it was the gong show
but now I see it otherwise

http://www.yourmtb.com/

also from Walker T. in CO
http://www.yourmtb.com/

FEAR

hate when the images do not load
hate when I blogger gives me a wrestling match

wanted to just toss a few things up real fast
a two step process has turned into a major affair

fear
a blog in colorado by walker thompson wrote about fear
pointed to an article in The New York Times: Mountain Biking Without Fear

although I do not ride my bike with headphones
interesting gwadzilla archive
I can see how riding with FEAR would be a good thing

still no luck with the image
which leaves the pun upon the word FEAR a little vague

alleycat team time trial

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demoncats has their images from last weekend's
team time trial

majority of the images contributed by Kevin Dillard

squirrel collects bicycle tattoo images

squirrel's flickr page

squirrel's blog

flying squirrels

dave rolls on by

that is a big ring

that is a big ring
on an old frame

music

I need to get a little in touch with the technology

there is pandora

there is the hype machine

and of course there are countless podcasts
but
lets just start with those two links

mac vs. pc

I am a mac guy living in a pc world

it has gotten to the point that I spend far more time looking at xp than osx

it has gotten to the point that I know more about xp than I know about osx

it has gotten to the point where I am starting to like that little quirks of the pc
even the BSOD looks good to me

(that is Blue Screen Of Death... you have seen it)

mention of the mountain bike side of landis

mention of floyd at canaan and floyd's wheelies

love the look on lance's face
those guys are really having fun

chris gives me the bird...

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living in the city

last night after work I was riding home
the phone rang
hate when that happens... but it happens
like a hypocrite I pulled my backpack off and dug through my pack for the phone
answered the call and kept pedaling along at a slow pace
my wife had just arrived at the elementary school by our house
so rather than riding home
I rode to the playground at this nearby school

kids...

boys will be boys
kids will be kids

I did stupid stuff growing up
and growing up did not stop when I turned six
no... the stupid stuff and the growing up continued for years after college
I did things in my twenties that were beyond immature... things that were just plain stupid
I am still growing
I am still doing stupid stuff

so, when I am in the park with my family I try to be patient with the older children around my kids
but, it is hurtful to watch my sons get entranced by the activity of the older boys
for my two and five year old to learn from these obnoxious adolescents scares me

it was a standard summer day
the kids in the park have nothing to do... or at least they are doing nothing
so... they tease each other... they pick fights with each other
there is spitting
there is pushing
there is cussing
lots of cussing
very little is said other than cussing

my two boys sat longer then they can normally sit
they sat and watched
it was quite a show
a show that made me want to change the channel

eventually I was able to get my boys to put on their helmets then mount up on their bikes and ride home
they enjoyed the novelty of me riding along side of them
five year old dean has a strong advantage over two year old grant
it is frustrating as I can not move along with both of them
so we tried to ride around the block to give us a chance interact with grant twice

on our second pass grant was off the bike
mommy was walking brutus and carrying the bike
so I put grant on the top tube and told him to hold on
he loved this
with caution I finished the final blocks for home
dean speeding right behind me
as I worked the moving pick

it was good to be on the bike with the kids
it was good to be away from the urban element

I am sure that suburban kid cuss and tease as much as urban kids
but... most suburban kids may curb their behavior around smaller children
or at least tone things down when a few parental figures are in the area
not these kids...
not sure if the presence of their own parents would stop them from tossing their trash on the ground or drawing on the slide with their sharpie magic marker
somehow I think that the parents of these kids are no closer to roll models for my kids

what is a parent to do?
avoid that park?
approach the kids and ask them to behave?
I at least try to explain to my children after we left that the behavior of those boys was inappropriate
that the teasing and spitting was mean
that such behavior is unacceptable
the trash on the ground.... that is a given
my two year old knows that is wrong
do those kid's parent's know that it is wrong to litter?
more than likely not... as they anticipate that someone will pick it up
they are right... my wife picked up the soda bottles and empty bags of chips before they got carried into the woods of Rock Creek Park

there were other kids in the park
there were the kids sitting on the jungle gym
there were kids playing basketball
the kids playing basketball were all very involved in their game
it is not like all the kids in the park should not be there
the park is there for them to play
this is their neighborhood park
but...
it you just going to urinate on the slide...
enough said

honking makes me go slower as well

honking makes me go slower as well
that woman does not slow for anything...
not for cyclists
not for cameras

female messengers

back in the 80's the messenger feared the fax machine
well, the messengers feared the fax machine and the obnoxious cab drivers

there was no anticipation of the power of the computer

the messenger industry has shrunk
over all there are far fewer bicycle messengers than there ever where
but the ratio of men to woman may have stayed the same
there are not many female messengers
they are out there

I wonder what the tally of female messengers is
I wonder what the tally of female messengers was at its peak
I wonder
but I do not wonder any further than typing these words

honking makes me go slower

monday morning

who is the asshole?

am I the asshole?

a car runs the red light
comes speeding around the blind curve
I stand in the middle of the street in their path with my dog close to myside
unable to walk forward not feeling safe to walk back
cars coming up hill pass
I finish crossing the street
the car which has just run the red light rolls a few feet forward and makes a comment

not knowing what he said I respond
the light was red
the speed limit is twenty-five miles an hour
to which he should be humble and keep his metrosexual kissing stick covered lips to himself
yet he continues...
again...
I can not hear him
so I repeat my point
there there is something about having a nice day....
sarcasm
a language I understand
what he does not understand... I would have a nice day if I did not need to encounter him or others like him
my day gets ruined by aggressive drivers threatening my life and the lives of those that I love
who is the asshole?
the guy in the car
or me
the guy giving the car driver lip

action versus reaction
without their first action
I would not have the need for my often over reaction

who is the asshole?
I am rolling down the road to the right side of the lane
a car passes fast and close
just ahead is a red light
after they make the pass they pull all the way over
blocking my path on the right hand side of the lane
I move to the double yellow line passing the car that just passed me and a few other cars that had passed me moments earlier
the light turns green I roll forward
I take the whole lane
with traffic in the oncoming lane there is no room for the cars to pass
share the road does not mean share the lane

rather than have these cars try and squeeze in the lane with me I make the decision for them
I take the center of the lane so that they are forced to move at my pace behind me
by the time that there are no cars in the oncoming lane I am taking a left
no reason for me to move to the right for them to pass

who is the asshole?
the person in the car that does not care about my lack of airbags or my lack of crumple resistent side panels
or me... the guy on the bicycle who knows that it is unsafe for the bike and the car to reside in the same lane at the same time

who is the asshole?

I head down the bike path...
ahead three women are running
three abreast.... I am approaching from behind
but it looks like three abreast
as I approach fast I give an audible
a loud and polite... rider up... on your left
there is no movement
I make the pass just the same

who is the asshole?
the three women running at a walking pace taking up the whole trail
or me
the guy trying to get to work
forced to buzz past them with the little space on the path that remains


just a mile or two ahead
some women with strollers
I love kids
I love my kids

the strollers and the nannies block the path
I give an audible
they look up
I give another audible
the women step to the side
there is plenty of space between the strollers for me to split through

who is the asshole?
the woman stopping in the center of the trail to chat about American Idol
or me
the cyclist on the bike path trying to get to work

the question?
who is the asshole?
well, there are some of these people on the other end who would answer that it is me on the bike who is the asshole
while... I would answer differently

it is their action that causes my reaction
it is their behavior that causes the level of our interaction

these are everyday encounters
these same exchanges occurred several times again this morning on the road and on the bike path
these are the interactions of everyday
I am confident that some of these people on the other end of the encounter went on with their day and thought to themselves... that guy on the bike... that guy was an asshole
when me....
I see them
and I think
man.... those people are such assholes

we all pause on the path
we all stop, double park, and pick up a friend
we all drive past cyclists, runners, and pedestrians
but
we do not have to be assholes when we do these things

we can pause on the path over to the side, not blocking the movement of traffice
we can double park if and only if there are no spaces available and our actions will be swift
we can go around cyclist on the road in our cars without buzzing them and then cutting off their path
we can interact with each other without being selfish assholes
we do not need to smile and wave and each encounter
but
we can guide these encounters in such a way that one one leaves feeling as if they should give the other the finger

I dream of having a ray gun
not set to kill
not set to stun
set to disappear
if I had this gun I would make people disappear

in a weeks time I could put a major dent in the asshole population of washington dc

bike voice

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liz at bikevoice

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more maggie... actually waba maggie

waba
more
maggie
bicycle earrings

lights... and a lot of things

three things on lights before I go to bed....

-it makes me proud to see five year old dean digging under the couch with a headlamp on his head as he tries to get that toy that is just out of reach

-felt like a fool riding in the dark the other night
felt like an extra fool the next morning when I ran around late looking for my light knowing that I should have it "just in case" only to find that the light was in my back pack
which means i had it the night prior when I had ridden through rock creek with my light in my backpack when it should have been on my head

-and lastly
I just realized
I think more time has passed without a night hike than usual
need to take brutus out on a night hike
I think that...
well.... I am thinking lots of things
the most simple thing to say is that I need to take brutus out for a night hike one night this week
yes, he has gotten to step into the alley when I take out the trash
and
there have been a few steps arcoss the street into the woods
but he has not had a full fledged night hike since his brother roscoe died

time for bed
well
will finish this drink and watch a few seconds of the tour coverage
sure I saw it already... but I can still catch things I had not focused on prior

roscoe died on a full moon on July 10th

full suspension or hard tail?

late night
a tough bike-less weekend

will try to make up for the time off the bike this week
need to get some longer rides in

the shenandoah mountain 100 is such an awesome event
have always wanted to be strong enough to enjoy it

best I get to sleep
but this afternoon nap is toying with my energy levels

girls and bikes

there are girls
there are bikes
there are girls on bikes
and
there are pictures of girls that are just hot and have some sort of cycling association within arm's reach

girl d italia babes
podium girls... why are they so awesome?
if I saw a moderately attractive woman dressed in all yellow walking around downtown at lunch... well... she would not get any points... have her step on a podium... MEOW!

the tour is over... now back to a rational bedtime...

floyd landis rocks
a very exciting tour this year
a very exciting tour with an outcome that pleased me
it was a beautiful battle I enjoyed watching it all unfold
never in my life will I be able to do more than imagine what landis feels like today
now I can go to bed at a decent time
as even fast forwarding through the commercials on the Tivo there were still many hours late into the night watching cycling

I may not know how landis feels riding in the clouds right now
but I do have a little insight into a situation that tyler hamilton went through a few years ago
hamilton's dog had died and he dropped out of the tour or something to that effect
having my dog die a few weeks ago
well, the week that followed I was completely useless
was unable to perform at work
unable to focus on anything
so as much as I may not care for tyler hamilton
I feel bad that I may have ever even thought about joking about his inability to race because of the passing of his dog

I like the thought that this was a cleaner than usual tour
but
lets not forget that so many racers in the field got to that point in an unclean manner
that said...
it will be a long time before there is a clean tour

hamilton keeps gold
that doper's suck site

I still want to know the landis mountain bike history