bikes are all over dc

headed home from work...

age limits are arbitrary...

age limits are arbitrary...

how old is too old to drive?
how old is too old to be president?

in the local news today
man hits person in sidewalk

kim novak was hot for a long time
THE HUNGER
robert novak is ugly

just got this pearl from chris

stole the diamondback rider images from here
team-bi-atch.blogspot.com

just got this pearl from chris mcgill
cadel evans did not come from no where
cadel evans came from mountain biking

that is cadel evans riding for team diamondback
below is an image of gunnar shogren wearing the same kit as his then team mate

I still have not seen the documentary
scars don't sweat
but I do get a glimpse of the sequel at some races as gunnar blows by
gunnar is still rocking it!
racing is in his blood!

if I could clone him I would have an army of gunnars
some for racing mountain bikes, some for racing road, and a few to help out around the house

riding around town gives me a connection to the city I call home

this came out a few years ago... the Capital of Punk

this came out a few years ago...
I posted this then
I am posting it now

capitol of punk
worth a look
some cool stuff

perhaps the biggest piece of marion barry propaganda I have ever witnessed

thou shall not covet thy neighbor's extra-cycle

thou shall not covet thy neighbor's extra-cycle

very nice customizations

my kid's want an extra cycle
I want an extra cycle
everyone wants an extra cycle

apparently extra cycles have a little back order going on

in wired

(and yes I know it is Xtracycle... I just can not spell)

google was made for this type of thing...

google was made for this type of thing

this is why the Internet is dangerous
the tangents can take you places you had not intended to go

but honestly sir... she is a cyclist!
I am reading about cycling

oh... no... it is not work
I will get back to work now

malohalo has a full bio and an assortment of links
www.mahalo.com

LIZ HATCH HAS MOVED!
liz has moved to missing saddle
www.missingsaddle.com
liz hatch @ missing saddle dot com

a post work ride.... more messing with the camera than riding

I am enjoying the tour

I am enjoying the tour

www.letour.fr

dc a beautiful city

bike racing again?

dad? bike racing again?

the kids do not watch that much television
more movies
movies and other dvds
it is cool to watch a series like avatar without the idiotic commercials

that saab commercial is annoying
my kids wanted to know why they kept repeating themselves

the vw commercials are cool
three different drivers so far
it only gets better

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/

sue haywood retires... now she can focus on tele turns

sue haywood retires
now she can focus on her tele turns

but first she needs to let her ankle heal
then she needs to either let it snow or go find it

sue haywood broke her ankle last weekend at the mountain bike nationals in mount snow

if sue was looking for an excuse to dodge all the attention about announcing that she was retiring from pro mountain biking
well... I think she found it

sorry your last race will be remembered for something other than what you had envisioned
but you have a whole career of memories
and you can have the pleasure of racing and riding and creating new memories

my guess... the shenandoah mountain 100 is out for you this year
but you can set a new course record next year
and maybe on a single speed

in her own words about the injury and the surgery
susanhaywood.blogspot.com

sue's bio
www.usacycling.org

does he take requests?

does he take requests?
I would like to hear.... the gypsy kings

can you blog about how white people like the gypsy kings?

I am white
I like the gypsy kings
I think white people like the gypsy kings

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/

is it possible that I have extra-cycle envy?

is it possible that I have extra-cycle envy?
www.xtracycle.com

I dig it
but not sure if I would go this route
the extra-cycle seems to have frankenbike as part of its nature

how rational is the utilitarian bicycle?

www.yehudamoon.com

how rational is the utilitarian bicycle?
with soring gas prices there is a mad rush to move from the car to the bicycle
but how rational is the utilitarian bicycle?

the short trips in the neighborhood; to the park with the kids, to the neighborhood library, to the neighborhood pool... but what about the grocery store?
how much can a bicycle carry?
does everyone need to buy another bicycle? or can they just use the bicycle that they already have?

maybe the solution is being more responsible with the car
doing fewer shopping trips
coming home with more groceries instead of shopping for the day

WHAT A JOY!

it always boggles my mind that people go to Walmart for a few things rather than showing up with a list and getting what they need for the week
the notion of driving across town, finding a space, shopping, waiting in line, then driving home... well that is precious time lost

the bikes by christiana and the extra-cycle are super cool!
but how rational are these as shopping options?
www.christianiabikes.com
www.xtracycle.com
as cool as the extra cycle may be
it converts the bicycle into something different
which means that you need to accept the permanent transition into the long wheel base bike


the bob trailer may be a more rational purchase
www.bobgear.com
but honestly... we could more than likely do just fine with a box store version of the burley trailer
www.burley.com
my kids have outgrown the burley trailer they are onto their own bikes or the trail-a-bike (www.trail-a-bike.com)
the recently retired burley trailer could more than likely suit my around the corner shopping needs
at target

Chip on the Langster

chip on the langster

are more people riding their bicycles?

Courteous Mass! (the veggie cousin of Critical Mass)

Courteous Mass Tips:
1. Ride no more than two abreast on 4 - 5 lane roads, taking up the right lane.
2. Ride single file on 2-3 lane roads so as not to interfere with traffic flow.
3. Please allow faster cyclists ahead of you so they are not
stuck behind slower cyclists during single-file stretches.
4. And as always, be courteous!

austin
bicycleaustin.info
atlanta
atlantabike2.org
athens
bikeathens.blogspot.com

you would not need the magic eight ball to predict this

you would not need the magic eight ball to predict this...

www.ajc.com
an article from atlanta about newbies taking to the street
and well... increased accidents
there will also be increase fatalities

there needs to be an education
the cars and the bicyclist need an education

control the chaos
the car chaos dictates the tone

speed limits.... or at least rational speed
complete stops at stop lines
and giving pedestrians and cyclists a little space
that would be a start
it should be the basics
now it is a dream

abalone... like connect four only more

abalone....
like connect four
only more

played a few games with dean tonight
an amazing game
takes minutes to learn
a lifetime to master

my skill shine when I play an seven year old who has never seen the game before

abaalone on the wiki page

this story is too common

this story is too common

child hit on bicycle

I want to create an image
but need to walk the dog

slower speeds increase a driver's chance to react
it is that simple
and as far as the story of what happened
it is that sort of information that has some believing that there are unicorns

again I hate how the story is told
www.detnews.com
the description of the bicycle accidents always follow that great american logic
"she was dressed like whore... she deserved it"
I hate that

comic: yehuda moon

the beaver dam swimming club

lisa snapped a shot of us on the low rock
we went to the low rock when the higher rock had a line

the beaver dam swimming club
www.beaverdamswimmingclub.com

it is true... we saw this place mentioned in the Weekend Section of the Washington Post
and then we went there

it is true...
I will read the daily candy, the weekend section of the washington post, or the washington city paper and then I will try to experience what they have written about
it always pisses me off when they write an article about a some cool tiki bar where nixon used to blow off some steam
only to read the that the article to learn that this cool hip joint of an era past is now closed and no longer available to experience

so... lisa and I saw this article in the weekend section of the washington post weekend section then we did a little check on the web
there had been an article... maybe in Washingtonian Magazine
not sure... but it listed swimming holes in the area
we had been wanting to go to an area swimming hole with the boys

saturday involved a family trip to The Upsher Pool after the trail-a-bike ride
it was a decent pool culture experience
similar but different from the merrimack pool last weekend
on this day our summer swimming experience would be taken to a higher level

the trip to the Beaver Dam Swim Club involved a drive... only an hour or so
but a drive just the same
a drive that involved some child to parent conflicts
not the best way to start the day
grant and I had a father son feud
I had to withhold that parental threat that my dad used to use... it is not too late to turn this car around!
then after the thousandth are we there yet? we pulled into the Beaver Dam Swim Club parking lot

we were not let down

it was the swimming hole that we had expected.... and maybe more
we arrived early enough to get the last vacant picnic table then headed to the water

as strangers in a strange camp we approached slowly

our approach started on the diving board
this is no backyard pool
I was not sure what to expect from the kids
but... I think that the approach without a ladder aided in the removal of fear
while actually this place was all about people approaching their fears
like an amusement park... except unlike the amusement park... the dangers in this park are real

the boys jumped off the diving board without any drama
there was some guidance on appropriate behavior
one person on the diving board at a time... walk straight... focus on the jump... wait for the area to be clear before jumping... go straight off... no diving... NO DIVING!... swim back to the side after you jump
all spat out each time without my taking a breath

the fresh water spring water that filled the old quarry was cool and crisp
not cold... but refreshing
the water was also clean
no need for goggles here
we started with goggles... but ditched them because there was no need

we each took a few turns on the diving board then swam across to the rocks on the other side
we quickly discovered that the rocks were pretty slick
the boys explored shallow rock shelf and were overjoyed at the slipping
I was overjoyed that they did not crack their skulls when they slipped
grant was curious about a water beetle

I gave the boys some space as they explored
then we moved to the rock
I had the boys start with the lower level rock
but we moved quickly to the higher rock
then we moved to which ever rock had less of a line

dean and grant made me so proud
the were in control and they were good listeners
they were not wild and dangerous
they were acting without fear and steering clear of danger

it was amazing
there were requests to try some diving but I asked them to stick to the jumps
nothing crazy... no spinning... no twisting... no flipping... no diving... and no belly flops (intentional or unintentional)

grant at four was doing the unthinkable
parents of four year olds are proud of their children for dipping their head in the water and blowing bubbles
there was no jump that grant did not attempt
grant was inspiring adults to shed their fears

dean at seven also made me proud
he refrained from trying anything wild or crazy
his actions were contained and in control
other than four year old grant dean was the youngest child to be jumping off the high rocks or swinging on the rope swing

lisa was the first of the family drawn to the rope swing
grant and I watched from the rocks on the other side of the quarry
her first approach was not exactly successful
it was without catastrophe, but it was not pretty
it all happened without the kids seeing or lisa getting hurt so we headed to the rope swing as a family

lisa got the same instructions as the children

I had my hesitations with four year old grant doing the rope swing
but lisa was confident that he could handle it
so I started in on the rules
the first rule was LISTEN
dean and grant listened as I instructed
we had watched the people on the swing and had observed their behavior
we had lisa show us what not to do
so we approached with a tactic

lisa went first in our four person pack
she landed with a splash out in the center of the quarry just as she should
with lisa on the water level I prepped the boys for the approach
dean went next
I caught the anchor hold and set him up
dean held the bar in pull up position
then I let him go
he understood to hang out and release on its apex

don't release too soon
don't release too late
relax and ride the rope out
it is just like the swing set
when it gets to the point of weightlessness is when you let yourself drop
if you find that you are starting to swing back release

nothing crazy... no flips... no dives... just let go and splash

dean got some cheers from some onlookers as he made a clean landing in the water
grant was up next
no more coaching
he knew the deal

I aided his start
I held him just as I had held dean
both the boys were too short to do this on their own
I held grant in one arm and handed him the anchor hold with the other
raising him and telling him to pull the bar in tight I lowered him to see that he was in a monkey bar/pull up position
then I gave him a push
I waited for grant to release and was relived that he let go early

there are no photos of the action on the rope swing
we were too involved in the action to slow for a photo shoot
we should have taken a shot of a stranger just to document the actual dimensions of this swing
an underwater camera would have done us well

just as we went back to back on the rides at Kennywood
the boys went back to back on each jumping spot at the Beaver Dam Swim Club
just as we stayed at Kennywood to a near level of exhaustion we stayed at the Beaver Dam Swim Club fo a healthy stint
but... we left without that one last jump
I could tell that everyone was tired
better to leave early than to leave hurt

it is an amazing summer culture at the Beaver Dam Swim Club
a bit like a trip to Ocean City Maryland
lots of Maryland people
an interesting mix of beach body fit and american obesity epidemic
oh... and tattoos... lots of very bad tattoos

the people were all very cool
the employees and the visitors
friendly small talk was shared in the lines
the absence of alcohol in the park is genius
as there is a bit of chaos swirling around
alcohol would just make thing dangerous

definitely one of the highlights of the summer
but our family spoils itself by giving a long list of highlights

washington post article on an issue with lance's ranch polluting a local watering hole
in the washington post

swimmingholes.org

in momentum magazine

in momentum magazine

bike rage

some electronic TLC

can you send Anna Kelso some electronic TLC?

anna crashed while pre-riding at the Nationals at Mount Snow
injured... but nothing she will not rebound from over time

anna kelso blog

some electronic TLC

also at The Nationals at Mount Snow...
www.bikeradar.com
www.velonews.com

and...
in other injury news
Sue Haywood injured her ankle at the Nationals in Mount Snow
which may have put a damper on the plans for a celebration at the announcement of her retirement

the journey is the destination

the journey is the destination

grant had been asking to ride the trail-a-bike

the day offered a window of opportunity to go man to man
dean was hanging with a friend from down the block
lisa was out running with the dog
I presented the notion of a bike ride to grant
it was offered to ride the trail-a-bike
grant leaped on the opportunity to ride what he calls the trailer bike

the activity was part of the sale
but once things begin
the bicycle is really part of the background
the journey is the destination

the options were to ride the bike path through the tunnels or the bike path to the airport
grant selected the bike path to the airport
but only after a discussion of duration
I think he wanted to take the long way... but nothing too long
yet nothing that ended too quickly


the airport is not a far ride and can be traveled almost entirely on the bike paths

we started our ride on the neighborhood streets of mount pleasant
than onto the bike path along side of Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park that passes around the tunnel by cutting through the National Zoo
there was some pedaling on the road along the Potomac River in East Potomac Park
games of softball and cricket on the grassy fields to the left
various boat activity to the right
and the landing planes begin appearing above us
the planes got special notice

we chased the planes towards the airport

questions were asked
but conversation is difficult
so I try to keep it simple and not make any promises to a premise I can not even hear


as we crossed the 14th Street Bride I was lucky enough to time things such that we go under the passing plane
the massive shadow of this fast flying metal bird engulfed us for a second
but not enough to cool us on this hot summer day

out of Washington and into Virginia
onto the Mount Vernon Trail

the frequency of the planes flows in a steady pattern
starting off as small specs working roughly the same trajectory as they grow bigger and bigger on their approach
then the massive planes fly so low that you can feel them
it is awesome!

our drinks were still cool in my hot and sweaty backpack
rather than rest we chased the planes
and of course... I snapped some pictures

a few more planes with the camera back in the bag than back on the bike
crossed the bridge by Roosevelt Island and came out near The Kennedy Center
rather than take the bike path back we cut through the city
across town and through Dupont and then to Malcom X Park
taking to the sidewalk in places where it was most safe
I ride differently with my son behind me
I hope that cars behave different around me with my son behind me

we slowed long enough at Dupont to finish the bottle of gatorade
we passed through Malcom X Park just long enough take in the glory of the cascading fountains and then a short bounce down a set of shallow stairs

up 16th Street on the sidwalk where we cross at Lamont Street
back on the street when back in our neighborhood of Mount Pleasant
straight home as there had been mention of the need to use the bathroom

home now

we each have a bike to work day water bottle filled with ice and water
grant is watching finding nemo
I think I may try to take a nap

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

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

high fidelity on the wiki page

watching the movie right now

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

getting back to it right now

reflections

fuzzy john has nothing on this guy...

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

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

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

more bikes passing in front of my camera

bicycle safety in the news

Concern growing over bike accidents

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

-www.hometownannapolis.com

don juans

don juans... don juans in mount pleasant

sunset in the summer is a busy time for dupont

sunset in the summer is a busy time for dupont circle

lots of activity
lots of lives intersecting
lots of lives interacting

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

passing through the park on foot or on bike offers a different spontaneity than traveling past the park in a car or in a bus
dupont circle is the convergence of may paths
may people pass through this