wuss

nice t-shirt wuss

in front of People's Drug

i mean cvs

wakefield sponsor and

wakefield sponsor... the bike lane... and jay

sport women at wakefield

these three woman battled it out each week for top sport woman racer
if I recall correctly... illana the iguana won the series
they were really jamming

an email has sent me dreaming

nasty habit

a friend has me jonzin

bikes are expensive
it is that simple
i have an expensive habit
I am addicted to bikes

got an email from san francisco
a friend who has been riding for a long time just got a new bike
he has ridden lost of different bikes
over this long time of riding bikes
but I think his world is going to change
and I am jealous

moving to the 29er is a whole new experience
call me a convert
i believe
well, maybe it is as much about fit as anything else
but... it is different
and i like it

so... this guy has bought this beautiful full suspension 29er
man... he loves to ride
man... he is going to love to ride more
man... i would love one of those fisher full suspension 29ers

heck, I think I would be willing to try a fisher single speed 29er
as much as I love the karate monkey
the weight
starting to feel the weight
and well
the rigid single speed may not be rigid much longer
I am tired of getting beaten up
and an after market rigid fork does not make sense to me

although I am not ready to buy a new bike
no real need
and well
no money
but... this email has me thinking
not only am I jealous
but
I would love a new bike
a lighter bike would be awesome at the shenadoah mountain 100

like their music... like their taste in bikes

i got the cd MOON OVER THE FREEWAY

i must say...
i like the Ditty Bops
(i still think that the FISH TO FRY has me hooked)

also like their taste in bikes
surly

and
that whole cross country on bike thing
it is on my life list
with support
or self contained
would both be awesome
yet modertately different experience

goran kopp
(I blogged about him on this gwadzilla archive)
goran kopp wrote MY EVEREST and took self contained without assistance to a whole new level
although the use of the ladders.....
okay... I am no position to talk about the ladders
I think that goran kopp died on one of his adventures

dedicated to larry, tyrone, janet, and brother joseph curtain

a few shots of the Women of Wakefield...
I can not wait till the 2007 calendar

HOLD ON!
those are not women
those are single speeders!
male single speeders.

WAW SERIES STANDINGS
gwadzilla first in clydesdale
gwadzilla DFL in single speed

all sorts of approaches to humor...

for all time there have been all sorts of approaches to humor...

teasing/heckling/cat-calls
writing on bathroom walls
crank calls
there used to be clowns in chatrooms
now there are comments on blogs

there were many forms of this low brow humor in the past
new forms of low brow humor will develop in the future

there will be low brow humor from all kinds

I am also a creator of low brow humor

I am at times a button pusher
one that jokes
one that teases

there are all kinds of approaches to humor from all kinds of people
it is important to be willing to take as much as we dish out

while reading the commets over the last week I was suspect
as with any electronic communication there is the effort to create the person on the other side
with that effort to create that person there is always a level of suspicion
is that person who they claim to be
we try to give the person the benefit of the doubt
other bloggers have their blogs and their blog profiles that aid in creation of an identy or maybe an online persona
but the anonymous commentor on the blog can be ambigious

there were clues that aided to my suspicion but I was gullible I got played

I can not say I know who it was.....
but
it does remind me of a few people

the four personas was a great touch

gwadzilla got played

this week the electronic world got the best of me

tyrone
janet
and
brother joseph

I think they are all one in the same

or at least equally annoying

Racing at Wakefield 2006

Wednesday At Wakefield #4 is now behind me
the race passed without any technical difficulty
I chose to race with a camelback containing tools, tube, and pump
Murphy's Law... if I have it I will not need it... while... if I leave without it... I will certainly need it

the Clydesdale Class was giving me a run for my money
WAW#3 I flatted and suffered a fourth place finish
sure, I doubled up and raced the Single Speed Class earlier on the afternoon of WAW3
but, that was not the issue
it was an issue of time lost due to a flat tire

this week there was no doubling up
and there was no getting caught in the woods without a spare tube
three flats in three weeks would be beyond embaressment

at the line I knew I had some Clydesdales banging at my door
there was a pleasant exchange at the line
but when Scott Scudamore released us at the start the nicities were left in the dust
it was all about racing
I was all about winning that race and winning the Clydesdale Class Wakefield Series

the course was run backwards on this night just as it was the week prior
in hindsight I am figuring that the shorter backwards loop was run due to the shorter days
even with the shorter laps it was starting to get dark in the woods later in the race

just after the start
up the hill and into the singletrack I could feel a racer right on my rear wheel
after looking at the results I now know that it was Keith on his single speed
he had chased me into the woods in the same fashion the week prior

I took every pass I could
I tried to gap him on the straight aways
I tried to race fast and smart
tried not to burn out by racing too fast
tried not to crash by racing too fast
just tried to stay ahead of him

my effort was to get ahead of him fast
let him get stuck behind everyone I passed
for me to get far enough ahead so he just forgets about me and settles in to a slower pace

but
just as Keith had to pass people
I had to slow to pass people
gaps were gained
gaps were lost
such is racing on singletrack

at the tail end of lap two I was feeling pretty alright
was about to end up my lap when I caught out of the corner of my eye a Pedal Shop jersey
took a closer look at the racer a switch back behind me
sure enough... it was big old keith
so I put the hammer down

there was no way that I was going to just give him the race
if keith wanted it
he had to take it

so I accerated into lap three
when I really wanted to cruise

got squirrelly a few times on some loose trail
but tried to stay smart
tried to expend energy where it would benefit me
while conserving energy when I could

even being hot and tired I managed to make my last lap my fastest

that was the sixth time I had raced at Wakefield Park in just over a month
WOW!
I bet I will not ride at Wakefield another six times before the year is up
but
I do know that I will certainly try to be racing at Wakefield next summer
as well as looking for Keith at future events

Keith was solid competition and a really nice guy
it was good racing with him
I look forward to lining up with him at future events

more on wakefield later

images from W@W#4

larry and max in sundresses
joeyp in a jog bra
and rickyd... well... some sort of slutty dress
it is all here on gary ryan's photo page

I admit... I just do not have the body to race in that sort of gear
where was DT and his velvet prom dress?

four wheels good?

two wheels good
four wheels bad....

okay
that is not entirely true
skateboards are cool...
and
I do love the luxury/convenience that my car brings

the thought of trips home from Costco or Home Depot on the bicycle bring up comedic imagry

here is a shot of my friend Tyson in a local skate competition
tyson is also a cyclist
who comutes via bicycle to work

more images from the contest here

the full monte

the full monte
an old friend from grade school is having a films, stories, and disccusion night
the topic: Afghanistan
one of the films "Glimpse of Marla" is about a Human Rights Activist who lost her life in her effort to help others

check out the full monte
this may be a night of films and ideas that interest you

a photographer's fishing spot

this is a shot of larry camp from WAW#2
seems that this photographer found a photographer's version of a secret fishing spot
not that there are so many fish to be caught
but
when a fish is caught
it is a good one

this log is above and beyond my abilities
there is a girl scout route that the majorities of the racers take

here are some shots by gary of a number of WAW#4 trying to clear this log in a variety of styles
on all three laps tonight I went the other way around
on all 18 opportunities to try this log in the waw and cranky monkey races I have done in the past many weeks
I opted for the less than direct girl scout route

larry is wearing a sundress tonight
not sure who else is wearing what
best you go straight for the source

WHERE WAS MY CAMERA?

oh... I may want to get on my soap box
I just love my soap box
I think that the sundress was one hundred percent fashion
I do not believe that a sundress aids a single speeder to move more fast or more fluid
infact... I question if the seat catching the sundress prevented larry from trying to lauch the log
just a theory
as I was not there

I think I am going to go see what Rickyd was wearing... he can wear some freaky stuff on any given day
OMG!
I would post it... but I will leave that for the Drunk Cyclist

gary's wakefield shots

max racing the final race of the series in style
more photos at gary's blog

will ramos photography

will ramos put together a little video from the cranky monkey

another collection of Dillard images from the Cranky Monkey

photos by kevin dillard
www.velophotos.net

this is the thanks he gets...

bicycle messenger
bicycle racer
(mountain, road, and cross)
NCVC team member
photographer
web master

kevin dillard

previously posted image of kevin dillard
http://www.velophotos.net/
http://demoncats.com/

Cranky Monkey Image: Kevin Dilard

kevin dillard
www.velophotos.net

slow down.... a car accident takes a life of a friend's son

we all need to slow down

the kids need to slow down
the parents need to set the example and slow down
put down the cell phone
check your text messages later

off the soap box
a moment of silence for Michael Peterson
I know his brothers
I will never get to know him
as a father
as a friend of the father
this senseless death pains me deeply

be the master of your destiny
control your fate in ways you can

days are getting shorter...

the days are getting shorter
slowly shorter
there may be days where you work late
there may be days where you head to the pub after work

get a light
put it on your helmet
store it in your bag

don't get caught out there without a light
cruising the path at top speed like one of the LOST BOYS may be cool
if you are a vampire
but, if you are a regular cyclist... get a light

nite rider
princeton tech

now that you have the sense to have a light
keep the HID for the dirt rides
and
keep the light pointed at the earth
not at the on coming cyclists face
it is nice you want to make eye contact
but... blinding your fellow cyclist is as obnoxious as riding with no light at all

ouch... but hopefully no more than ouch

my friend and DCMTB cycling team team-mate joe foley had and encounter with a car

joe foley photos
that is a joe foley photo...
at the time I am sure they hated it
right now it is pretty darn hot

joe is just back from a broken clavicle
just getting back on dirt
just getting back his groove
hope this crash does not break his rhythm very much

I was excited to see how he is going to attack the Shenadoah Mountain 100
no he will not make top ten
but his saga of personal best is well worth respecting

from what it sounds he may just be a little beaten up
he was strong at the Cranky Monkey on Sunday in a fast Sport Class of 80 people

well thought out perspective on the recent cycling scandals

martin dugard

waw

wednesday at wakefield number four is tomorrow
tossed some stuff in a bag
the wheels are spinning fine from sunday
will race the geared monkey

should be a blast!

best I get to bed

mega chic flick.... or so it seems they are selling it as such

chic flick
or is that
chick flick
?

tonight grant climbed on the counter
well, that is not so unusual
tonight grant climbed on the counter and knocked the glass pot to the coffee maker off counter
glass everywhere

the missing coffee maker would need to be replaced
we will want coffee in the morning
so, a trip to target in the suburbs was called upon

drove out to target
sure I should have ridden
but I am not so dialed into the world of loading up the trailer without the kids
it could be done
but it just is not part of my routine

so I drove out to target and followed my cart down the isles
there were so many temptations
I tried to stay focused
to my self I chanted
coffee maker
coffee maker
coffee maker

it was vital that I left with a coffee maker
I knew that I would be distracted by dvds, hot wheel tracks, febreeze, and all sorts of things that would seem to improve my life if I just tossed them in the cart and paid for them with my credit card

rather than risking things I got the coffee maker before anything else
to be safe I got the new and improved version of the mr coffee machine
that is what we had before
do not want to risk a jack and the beanstalk situation so I tried to be less than creative

with the coffee maker selected and in the cart I looped back
weaved my way around
fought temptation
felt weak so I rushed away from so many things that do not need to be in my cart

the power tools were the most tempting
the only thing that this purchase would fix would be my mood
I have tools
they may not be new
but they work just fine
or at least they are doing just fine
as I certainly do not use any tools other than bike tools very often

while in the dvd section I try to find something new that I had wanted to see in the theater but missed
there had to be something that I had wanted to see
there was nothing that was catching my eye
until I see THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS
I pick up the package and read over things
the packaging was standard
I read the cover
a film to entertain women of all ages
or something to that effect
that did not make the sale

but I had heard that a friend from high school
who I had not heard from since shortly after college had been involved in producing this film
flipped the box
the design was pretty
but the font was difficult to read
which well... is a mistake I would make if I were a designer
with a scan for a familiar name or a somewhat familiar company name
there it was
only different
LESLIE MORGANSTEIN
I knew him as les
wonder if he goes by leslie
or if he just used leslie so that it would sound like they had a woman in the task of executive producer
as it is a chic flick

I did not buy the film
although I am curious
the selling line makes it sound like a feminine hygiene product
and well
unless my wife gave me a list with specific instructions
I am not buying any feminine hygiene products

tar rolling down M Street

Legal Council for Cyclist

SC Bike Law.com

years ago Washington DC had Ed Kearny
but
who does the DC cyclist turn to now when they fear that the law is on their back
and that the man is trying to keep them down?

bike hugger

bike hugger

pointed me towards a ruling in Portland about a fixed gear rider getting a ticket for riding a brakeless bike
that story is covered at bikeportland.org

honestly...
if the man wants to stick it to the cyclist...
they can get us on all sorts of laws
registration
bell or whistle
a light 15 minutes after dusk
and I am sure that there are others
BWI is an issue as well....
we have all been guilty of Biking While Intoxicated once or twice or every night

this brake on the fixed gear is not entirely dissimilar to the thought that a snowboard needs to have a leash...
but that is a story for another culture and another blog

another shot from lunch

The Ditty Bops... Exploit or Exploited

the ditty bops at rapsody
the ditty bops at myspace
(i like FISH TO FRY)

a press release at Adventure Cycling Association

an interview at CICLE.org
(home of MALCOM BMX)

these ladies are cute
and they work it
they are talented, sure...
but we could ask the record executives at Warner Brothers why they bet on this horse....

cute would file up there with talented
quirky is part of the mix... but cute falls below cute

I do not make the rules
I do not even like the rules
it bothers me that Ella Fitzgerald would sit in the waiting room as the Britney Spears and Christina Aguilara's of the world would pass her by

singers should be judged by how beautiful they voices are and not how beautiful their body is or is not
but
with the now 25 year old MTV
how someone looks is as valuable an asset as how they sound
unfortunate and stupid
maybe we will out grow that superficiality
but
I doubt it

they are both riding Surly bikes...
wonder if that is a sponsorship thing?

small wheels keep on turning...

The Ditty Bops (at the risk of degrading women)

The Ditty Bops....

my friend dave has hipped me to the hype about these hipster ladies

touring as a band across the country on their bicycles

Awesome!

Ditty Bops tour site
Ditty Bops calendar
Ditty Bops at Myspace
Ditty Bops Blog
and
a Blogger that rode with the Ditty Bops then crashed on his way home

The Ditty Bops web presence is amazing
go to the MYSPACE site for some music samples
they do not mind playing up that they are cute

I like it

Tour de Fat

.tour de fat

at WAW
there are the Pedal Shop Boys
(not to be confused with the Pet Shop Boys... although they are equally as pretty)
with their cooler of Old Dominion

waiting for the truth

in cycling people have been using patches for years
but
this is the first I have heard of the testosterone patch

WOW!
I had no idea that landis was a woman trying to boost his libido

a news story

personally I feel...
landis is just another athlete in the tour
if found guilt it will be a serious let down
will that destroy the tour's credibility?
I think not
sports are dirty across the board
cycling has been dirty for years
cycling is trying to come clean
this sort of cheating is nothing new
we see it in baseball and football
in the Olympics as well as the professional level
there needs to be a spring cleaning...

yes... I hope that landis is squeaky clean... but... it does not look good

as far as honesty goes
the presidents of this country have set certain standards of honesty
this is not the age of "yes, I chopped down the cherry tree"
no, this is the era of "talk to my lawyer"
"what tree?"
"prove it"
whether being accused about indecent behavior or stretching the facts on WMD...
no one is telling the truth

maybe it is not just sports that needs a little Spring Cleaning....
maybe our society needs to put its moral fiber through the wash

landis blog

morning paper and coffee

scanning the morning paper....
skipping the middle east and all that is messed up about that part of the world
going for more light stuff to start my day
crocs squishy shoes get a good review in the health section
as MTV turns 25, it is explained to me that it is normal for me to hate the music free music channel
and
a friend of a friend from growing up makes a documentary, Jesus Camp

now
time to dress the boys
fill up another cup of coffee
and
walk the dog
singular
dog

broke a spoke

so, I broke a spoke... no big deal
the wheel is still straight... well sorta straight

the issue is not so much the broken spoke
the issue has more to do with my slacking on replacing the spoke
the issue has more to do with my forgetfulness and riding a bike that is broken when I have other cycling options

okay, I need to cut myself some slack
the spoke broke on thirty year old Colnago set up as a fixie Friday morning on my way into work
while, Friday night was spent prepping my geared Surly Karate Monkey for Sunday's Karate Monkey race at Wakefield Park in NOVA
then Saturday night was spent double checking my gear for the next day that was approaching fast
so... it was not so much my failure to replace a broken spoke
it was my absent mindedness that allowed me to ride a bike that was in need of some TLC
sure there was Sunday night
but, Sunday night was spent resting after a morning at work, an afternoon of racing my mountain bike in the hot sun, and an evening of swimming with my two boys

the broken spoke was realized early into the morning ride
which altered my path from pre-work ride to a straight to work ride
maybe I was looking for an excuse not to ride the day after a race
the excuse not to ride in the morning extended to be an acceptable excuse not to ride in the afternoon
honestly... my idea of a ride is little less than an average racer's day off
so missing my little work out can be a big deal
especially with the Shenandoah Mountain 100 in my sites

now it is important for me to manage two ideas
fixing that rear wheel
and
remembering not to ride my fixed gear until the wheels are straight

hmmmm.....
this as me thinking about the bike
the front wheel although has no broken spokes was starting to look like something from the travels of Lewis and Clark

this is all good
this is the perfect opportunity to give this bike a make-over
I have a set of mustache bars that my friend dave gave me
as well as wanting to swap the tires out for some cross tires
the cross tires are well worn with no real knobbies
it is not the knobbies I am seeking
it is the wider tire
a little more cush to my ride

the mustache bars are not as wide as I would buy
but... will put the bars on and give them a try
the fixie is just a giggle and a scream
not my main thing
not my tribe
a fun way to get around town
but
the fixie is far from my second nature

spiderman

uncle ben said to peter parker
(and I paraphrase)

"with great power comes great responsibility"



stan lee on wikipedia

explain this...

explain this...
how does this happen?
how is a 12 year old back stage a the Palladium with The Clash?

found this on Harley Flannagan's myspace place

although I am bald
I have never cared much for the skinhead thing

I am certain that this guy could write a tell all book that could be the basis of a dozen hollywood movies
from what it sounds
he has not slowed down a bit!

Harley... Keep Up the Intensity!
and
I will have to check out the links on your MYSPACE site to find out why you were in all those places at such a young age
guess all that history will give me an understanding of how you got to where you are now

Landis at the 24 Hours of Canaan

HAH!
I was out searching the world for a little information on Floyd Landis and his humble beginnings as a mountain bike racer on the east coast
and where do I find it?

right here in the AUGUST ISSUE OF SPOKES magazine!

seek it out!
should be in your local mid-atlantic bike store or your local mid-atlantic gym
if they do not have it
have them request it
it is free
and
it is informative!

DC Bike Shop Survey

a local news show is having a survey of the viewer's favorite bike shop in the area

Cast Your Vote!
Check it out!


.

WAW#3 Pics by Gary Ryan

Gary's WAW#3 Photos
Gary's Blog
WAW Results

custom paint job

just one of larry's bikes with a special larry paint job

Cranky Monkey #1: Wakefield Park

the results are out for the Cranky Monkey #1
photos should be on Will Ramos' site in the next few days

I should have report in the next day or so

in short... it was hot

then... I learned the value of the hole shot
well... so many times I have gotten burned and learned the value of the hole shot
from the "I missed the hole shot" perspective
this weekend I got up in the front did not win the hole shot but was up in the front managed to ride pretty much the whole race with my brother
then got passed on the last lap by a racer from NCVC
was edged out by 10 seconds

did I mention that it was hot?

a good number of racers from DCMTB/City Bikes at this event

salvadorean pride

Cranky Monkey #1

Yesterday EX2 Adventures had their first race in their Cranky Monkey Series
amusingly enough... the race was at Wakefield Park
seems WAW means Weeks And Weeks (of Wakefield)

it was hot
it was darn hot
did I mention it was hot
it went well

the race was interesting
the tale of the tape to come

there were two local events
Cranky Monkey at Wakefield
and
RFK Crit

CITY BIKES CHEVY CHASE

some of the faces from the City Bikes Chevy Chase Store
there are more to the equation than what is seen here
these folks just happened to be there when I passed through the other day
city bikes

by your request

got some email requests for a close up of the ink
remember to see a larger image...
right click... OPEN IN NEW WINDOW

bike or suv?

if jesus were alive today would he ride a bicycle or would he drive an SUV?

do you think jesus would support the war in Iraq?

what do you think jesus' feelings on George Bush would be?

do you think jesus would treat issues as Black or White?
or would jesus approach things with thought and understanding?

have a nice Sunday!

the right thing to do

bikes are not toys...

bikes are not toys
cars are not toys either
life is nothing to be played with

it amuses me
people put all these stickers on their cars
stickers making some sort of claim that they are concerned about life

there are the support our troops stickers
there are the fish stickers
there are the anti-abortion stickers

when I am on my bicycle and a car passes me fast and close
I always find these stickers a tad ironic
ironic in an Allonis Morrissette sort of way
I find it ironic that they make this global claim of care and concern
yet they can not respect the life of the person right in front of them
that person on the bicycle deseserves their safety, their healthy, and their life

the annoying sticker paradox continues
the car drivers with roof racks and athletic stickers really piss me off
the car driver headed to the gym
the car driver with their kayak on top of the car
the car driver rushing to their ultimate game
(or maybe it is kickball or flag football)
the car driver headed to watch the game at the local pub
the car driver with their DIVER BELOW sticker
the car driver that passes the cyclist with total disregard for the safety of the cyclist
the car driver is devoid of empathy for what it would be like for someone to buzz past them while they are trying to enjoy their sport

the human powered boaters know how they feel about a jet skier buzzing past them and creating a wake disrupting their flat water canoe or their crew work out
yet... they do not realize that they are leaving the same wake as they buzz by the bikers

the diver sticker I spoke about...
just as the diver does not want the speed boat speeding overhead risking their life and safety
the cyclist craves the same respect for space and safety

the list goes on
respect
there needs to be some basic respect
but... that is too much to ask
so... if we could get human power to respect human power
that would be a start
if all people who are fit and active would spread the word about responsible driving
that would be our start

while driving
runners should yeild to all runner's in the crosswalk and on the road
then...
these same runners should extend their courtesy beyond other runners
they should respect all walkers and cyclists as well

the boaters....
the boaters rushing to the water
especially the local ones here in DC headed to the boat houses on K Street
the boaters should expand their empathy
just as the canoers, rowers, and kayakers have distain for jet skiers and power boaters
they should realize that their action behind the wheel is just as hazardous to those on the road
speeding past runners and bikers is no different than a power boat zipping past a human powered boat

to all the jesus people
take the stickers off your car
get off your soap box
take the day off from going to church
remove that cross from around your neck
put the bible on the shelf and away from the table by your bed...
none of that stuff measures up against anything other than how you live your life
if on your way to and from church you are an asshole in traffic...
you are just an asshole
the same as the asshole headed to starbucks
less church... better living... please
it always amuses me to have a car speed past me fast and close and see that little fish on the bumper
going to church does not balance off the life of tony soprano
no does going to church balance off your everyday selfish and obnoxious behavior

here it is Sunday
no... I am not going to go to church
but... I will try not to be an asshole to each and every person I encounter

(dc has a church population that has a history of double parking on church day
can you imagine thinking that you can block the roadway because you are going to church?
give me a break.... roads are congested by church traffic... that is another rant for another day
there is talk of legalizing the double parking.... THAT IS ABSURD!)

slow down

SLOW DOWN!
we have all got to... SLOW DOWN!

this morning I heard some sad news

a man I work with lost one of his sons
not sure of the specifics
he was the passanger in a car that was wrapped around a tree

this news
this incident
this loss
it all saddens me very much