SingleTrack Freedom

TdF time

2009-07-04T20:26:00.001-04:00

good times

2009-06-29T19:14:00.005-04:00

To define the term "screwing off" you should have been with us ALL DAY Saturday, taking notes armed with a pad and pen. Thom P, Jeff W and myself held class on blowing off steam, taking no prisoners, riding lots, staying out way late, eating red meat and not flossing. Well, maybe the flossing part was just me. Happy (almost) bygone-bachelorhood to my friend Thom P.
After an epic mid-day ride, in deep blue sky with warm sunshine. And after CVS Pharmacy saved our (my) tired and cramped legs with a red bull and can of pringel's, we met up with an enthusiastic crew at Red Bones. Led by (non other than) the man with a plan to visit every bar in Boston, Mr. Greg the leg. A brief conversation with Skip Brown over Alabama hot ribs got me fired up. Man I am now thinking my mountain bike racing life was far too short. I digress...Thanks for a great weekend. It's doubtful that any of us will ever grow up...and why should we?

Oslo, Norway

2009-06-14T10:56:00.007-04:00

One O’clock on Tuesday. A quick trip home to gather an over night pack, snatch my passport, forgot my razor, a stop at Boarders for a lonely Planet guide to Oslo. The seven hour envoy flight was more like dinner and a movie at a four star bistro. I had the salmon, best meal I’ve had aboard a plane yet. The three drinks, Clint Eastwoods's "Gran Torino" and four hours of shut eye. This impromptu trip, resulting from a one line email from my director; need help in OSL…you game? A one word answer; YES.
Now sitting aboard an 8:21 train, but we are still in the station at 8:44. Heading back to OSL Gardermoen Airport for my first day of work in Norway. I’ve been dispatched to relocate two offices for the company. I feel it’s a reward for 8 months of work, really. But wasn’t I rewarded two weeks ago as Lesli and I lounged on the beaches of Kaua’I Hawaii for ten days. Man, when it rains it pours I guess.
This was my first trip to Europe. My first experience of the attitudes, broad mindedness, foreign customs, excessive cigarette smoke, Norwegian food, Viking architecture, hundreds of nude sculpture, ridiculous prices, apparent wealth, exceptional public transportation, impeccably dressed individuals, wide range of language spoken, day light until eleven pm and dawn at 4am. Who ever said that NYC was the city that never sleeps hasn’t been to Oslo in the summer..

But, be forewarned for pick-pockets on the streets at night. Grab them by the shirt collar and give them the crazy eye, they'll drop your shit if your lucky.

Thanks to Ray and he extensive knowledge of Oslo, among every other city in Europe. I didn't use my Lonely Planet once! And to Mui Mui, see you in Munich for Oct'Fest 2009!

Picture Show

2009-02-28T23:11:00.028-05:00

Just some of my favorites from
Belinky's divorced recumbent up high,
Naked goes for the popular vote again
A frame that doubles as a canvas

Calfee's interpretation of a mangrove
Belinky's whole lotta work

Black Sheep's 36'er

complete with a sheep in wolf's clothing

guitar hero

old school

Peacock Groove honors "Kill Bill".

Check out 156 pictures of NAHBS here.

And check out Igleheart news on his Blog.

What would Michael Stipe do?

2009-02-22T07:52:00.007-05:00

Choosing a super power is tough... I mean, IF you could choose one that is. When I was a kid with a paper route I wished daily for the ability to bounce with a twenty foot stride from house to house to deliver papers. Not because I wanted to deliver great service, I just wanted to be done so I could go play. Omni-linguism would be a good and responsible adult type superpower. The ability to understand any form of language. How great would that be! Would that include computer language? Animal language? French?? Yesterday I wished for a super power. The ability to transform my early season fitness (or lack there of) to a much less painful level. My lungs are working and my legs feel good, it's just the extra 15 pounds of spare tire I'm hauling around is weighing me down (quite literally). Time to skip the deserts and pass on the french fries. - That would require another super power for me. I need to get back to where climbing hills on a single speed feels good. "Are you supposed to taste blood during a ride?" Hey, at least I can still jump off rocks.

Nahbs closing in

2009-02-19T15:05:00.015-05:00

Large wet flakes covered my head as I stepped the short distance from my car to Chris' shop door. My head white with snowflakes and my boots brown and sinking in deep mud. I round the back corner and duck as I open the shop door. This winter can't end soon enough. The shop is small, warm, and lit, a sharp contrast to what is outside. Stuffed with milling machines, a lathe, welders, tables, vices, jigs, tool boxes, and Igleheart's precious bridgeport machine. An eclectic folksy tune on the radio and the smell - part pine tar, part burned metal, part machine oil.
The first time I'd entered one of Christopher's shops I thought he was in the midst of reorganizing. But, the longer I know Chris the more I come to realize he is a systematic person caught in a whirlwind of current projects and others on the horizon. I just accept the piles of supplies and mountains of machinery as a shop in constant transition. My trained eye can now identify progression amidst jumbled confusion.
Igleheart has put many hours and weeks into this years' pilgrimage to NAHBS and last night it became evident.
Chris' friend Jim came up from Chinatown to assemble show bikes as Chris welded forks on the other side of the small shop. Jim's attention to detail and his knowledge of bikes surpasses mine by far, I was there to watch and drink beer.
As I enter the shop and shake off the snow Igle is lathing down shims for an odd-sized brakelever. "Everyone should have a lathe!" - I tend to agree with Chris. Jim's laugh is contagious as he proclaims "good job on the custom hinged shims!"
I crack a beer and inspect a showbike carefully clenched in the stand. John the painter rolls in and parks on the snow covered driveway. Jim and I go out to grab the freshly painted bikes, I hustle to the rear of Jon's truck and see how gently he is handling the candy-coated frames and forks. I pause and carefully pluck two forks from John's grasp, he gives a sobering look while hesitantly giving them over, one fire red and one lotus green. I hold them far apart, not to clang them together and carefully trudge through the mud back to warmth of the shop.
After a few trips three freshly painted frames and forks hung securely from the shop ceiling. We admired Johns handy work and complimented on precise masking and just the right amount of metallic dust. The bikes look da bomb.
Jim and Igle worked well into the night. I'll stop back by to see what they put together.

Someone had alot of time...

2009-02-18T06:41:00.001-05:00

97% of the machines components came from Deere Industries and
Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft,
Iowa , yes farm equipment!

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment,
calibration, and tuning before filming this
video but as you can see it was well worth the effort.

It is now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the
University and is already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

Otis

2009-02-15T11:04:00.012-05:00

The plan was made to hoof it to the cape for a long awaited first ride on actual dirt. It's been a long winter with loads of snow and too many road riding miles. We landed at our destination an hour delayed due to a closed highway. A three hour one-way drive in order to ride for 90 minutes, you know we were desperate for dirt. Actually it was a 2.5 hour ride but we had to stop at every intersection to read the trail map.
Even if the drive down was four hours it's worth the trip. Matt and I on single speeds and both Jims' and Al on full suspensions. The trails are comprised much of winding single track with small climbs and banked corners. 19.1 mph was top speed on the chute trail. major fun.
We need another try at finding all the trails, we covered only half of what Otis has to offer...we just needed a trail guide but Tom and Reenie were soaking up the rays in Florida with Harvey.
Next week we may take another journey down over the Borne bridge and check out the Trail of tears.

baseline

2009-02-07T16:46:00.009-05:00

So today the best possible thing happened; I got my ass kicked. But not just kicked. That's putting it lightly...I got destroyed. It was pretty intense. I did survive. Barely. A smile on my face as I spun slowly home post destruction (the smile detectable somewhere under all the salt and road grime).
Skip and I originally threw together a casual plan to pedal west out toward Boxford... that's where the plan was abandon.
We saw a group of three riders 3 minutes into our ride. "Hey..ah, you.. ah.. wanna catch those guys?" They were moving quick and it took a mile to catch'em. The only road rig I have running is my fixie and I am questioning my rational as we TT up to the trio of guys moving at 24 mph. Having zero time to warm up -my legs are sending messages to the control room.. The conversation goes some'tin like, "hey whats going on on the bridge? - the turbines are billowing, slow the F down!!" The control room ignored the legs pleas, "ah did somebody say something?" "We're too busy being macho and trying to stay out of the wheel in front of us...(make that wheels - plural)- cause now I'm seeing double!" The throttle was firmly pegged like it was July already. That's pretty much how the two hour high interval ride went. I swallowed my pride when forced to walk up the big hill on little neck but whatevea.
Our five man peloton was comprised of Brian Wilichoski, His two buddies Iron-man Dave and Parker, Skip and me. First beat-down of '09.
You just never know what's going to happen - but can only wish for days like this.
Now at least a baseline has been established...no where but up from here.

"hey what's taking you guys just spin faster"

A big shout-out to Harvey Peeet'rsiel. He's my friend and neighbor with a huge passion for cycling. He broke his hip last Sunday While riding. Luckily he had some solid people on site to call for medical aid and help with the transport of his gear.

Five shiny new screws now hold his pelvis together.

- Hey, is a pelvis and a hip the same?

The surgery seemed to be a success...here's to a speedy recovery Harv'e.

Crrrrrrrap

2009-02-01T11:17:00.004-05:00

Caption Contest

2009-01-30T07:08:00.002-05:00

Benign as it may look, the results captured in this picture was a big deal yesterday in the lives of hundreds of employees at my company and thousands of air travelers on the (Major) airline for which I work. I'll set the stage and let you'all come to the conclusion (which I really don't know the full out come yet).
Somewhere in Arizona, some one gets back from lunch, climbs into his small excavator and resumes digging in front of a non-descript building on the out skirts of Phoenix. He's contracted to drill post-holes to provide shade for the desert dwelling people living and using the parking lot. When he unearths a long pink snake, and it aint organic. It's the worst case scenario for communications between EVERY system we have.
Re-routs were orchestrated, a sys priority plan scrambled, fines averted, and a guy in a hole in the desert till late last night with a flashlight clenched in his teeth and the mother of all fibre splices in his two hands. Who thinks that strand will every work correctly again?

the past couple few

2009-01-24T17:13:00.014-05:00

It's been a good beginning to a new year. A little busier than I'd like with work but better than the alternative. On the horizon looms a road race somewhere in upstate NY, and is the catalyst for getting my ass in gear. Averaging just a ride a week presently has me concerned that I will be in for a long day come April 18th or 20th. I don't even know when that Battenkill race is. Note to self - step it up!

Skipolini and I had a good ride today. A couple hours on the road. Talking, panting, sweating below three plus layers of wool. It was the longest ride of the year for me. The weather has not cooperated for this weekend warrior. Boston has already received it's annual snowfall plus 3 inches. I've made plans with Thom P no less than three times now for a road fixie ride, and every time it's snowed. Tomorrow temps fore casted for 12 degrees Fahrenheit, no snow, I'll be there in seven layers and a face mask Thom P. Just wait every now and then, or draw arrows in the snow at intersections for us slow guys ;-0
So I've decided to buy a new road bike this year. I'm a little hesitant to jump on the carbon bandwagon but from looking around carbon fibre is about the only thing road bikes are made of now a days. Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Seven? I'm going to NAHBS next month. Maybe I'll be coming home from Indy with a new toy from Calfee, Bilenky or Parlee.
Last weekend Big Pete (dad) and I went to DC for a pre-inauguration visit. The both of us have never been to our nation's capitol, and what better time to visit with two million people to trip over. We got familiar with D.C.'s public transportation system, visited five or six Smithsonian museums (rocked!) and froze our asses off walking around each night with temps near zero.

So, it was Saturday. Cold and windy. We decided to walk the national mall from the Capitol Building earlier in the day after hitting up the Native American Museum, Air and Space Museum and the American History Museum. We were beat, thinking of food, beer, warmth. Passing the Washington Monument and slowly progressing to the Lincoln Memorial...and with the inauguration planned for Tuesday the national Mall was set up for two million spectators, meaning one million pot-o-johns lining the 1.8 mile long grassy field from the Capitol Bldg to the Lincoln Memorial. Strolling Within the WWII memorial and looking at the glowing spire of the Washington Memorial, listening to James Taylor via tall loud speakers that were setup every one hundred yards. The acoustics were amazing. I estimate no less than fifty individual twenty-five foot tower of speakers with their own individual diesel generator every one hundred yards, on both sides of the national mall. The music bouncing off tall marble walls of the many adjacent government buildings. The Lyrics as clear and crisp as your living room. The traffic noise from Constitution Ave was no match for this pre-inauguration soiree'. Every now and then, just for good measure, a tractor trailer truck set-up with a jumbo-tron brightly-lit that would soon show the image of our forty-fourth president with a single hand on Abraham Lincoln's Bible.

Being there was special. Being there BEFORE the crowds more special. But the cold temps keeping people away that night.

Now nearing the tall white columns of the Lincoln Memorial. We could see in the distance that a stage was set in front of the giant statesman for which the memorial stands. The James Taylor song "Carolina in my mind" fades out. A guitar slowly tuning up, and I think, hey that sounds like U2. We look to the stage. 50 or 60 spectators gather as close as we could get to the Lincoln Memorial. Puzzled looks on our faces. Is that Bono? Springsteen and Stevie Wonder on stage talking to each other?

Then confirmation via the Jumbo-Tron. Up came the volume and a small number of us were witness to a private three song concert. Bono is a tough guy wearing no stocking hat despite the frigid temperatures. One thousand seats set up in front of the stage stood empty and were patrolled by security. Our small group grew to about one hundred and ten.

I held the camera on record, out stretched over my head for as long as my freezing hand could stand. I only made half of the song.

early ride '09

2009-01-05T06:18:00.007-05:00

base

1 [beys] Show IPA Pronunciation
noun, adjective, verb, based, bas⋅ing. –noun
1. the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.
2. that from which a commencement, as of action or reckoning, is made; a starting point or point of departure.
3. a fun ride in early season with friend(s) while making motorcycle noises, skidding around snowy corners, enjoying the moment, and building some lungs back for a new season.

Step into my time machine

2009-01-04T11:42:00.002-05:00

But, some things have not, and will never change.
Although, I don't plan on racing again in a Cotton T-shirt.
Thanks for the article Mom.

putting the FU in foot

2008-12-29T06:24:00.012-05:00

I don't know what it was, just caught in the moment I guess. Feeling a rush of adrenaline as we carved through piles of fresh powder on opening day. Each run better than the first. Faster and more aggressive. This was to be a magical day on the board with my best compadre' Jeff...
"Hang on man, I have a cramp in my foot." Looking down at Jeff as I pause at the top of Exterminator Woods. My body giving signs that things aren't as hunky-dory as a moment ago. My foot is cramped like never before and I'm laughing thinking that it's just my body's way of telling me it's early season.
Jeff is looking up at me, "you're taking off your boot? I continue to laugh. Jeff takes out a camera and snaps this photo. For forty minutes I had overlooked the fact that my front binding was so tight it was cutting much needed circulation to my foot.
So, if this happens to you don't just take your foot out of the boot. It will blow up to the size of a beach ball and as purple as barney the dinosaur.
Being human is the best, and the worst sometimes. I turn 35 next week. When will I learn to slow down... My body might be trying to tell me something.
Now a week later. Ample rest? No not really. The swelling and shades of purple were subsiding. But the 60 degree temps were too much of a temptation. Christopher and I spun an easy pace on the back roads of Manchester. Once again caught in the moment, this time with the correct tension on my shoe straps. But my foot gave me a big 'ol FU at the top of Jersey street hill.
Last week's epic 20 inch snowfall melts just as quick as it fell overnight a week ago. Things could not have been mellower on this fixie cruise. Damn I wish we had not gone up Jersey hill. The top of my foot swelling up once again and I feel the now familiar pressure of my gimpy foot.
I had neglected to tell Christopher (Nice new website BTW!...and he updated his blog..holy cow!) about my injury but now came out with the news as I sat sidelined atop the back country road.
Maybe this time I'll let it heal completely before I turn up the fun meter.
How can't you turn up the fun meter? On December 28th and we're out riding glove less in Massachusetts. Two weeks of rest and then we'll see. Undoubtedly a month before I can attempt to snap off that fun meter.
...and probably two months before I can attempt this stretch. But thanks for the tip Lesli.

Energy

2008-11-21T06:13:00.002-05:00

Feel the energy of a night ride on a cold, cold night.
A double layer of gloves and neoprene boots.
I dug for my balaclava but came up short.
Move too fast and freeze in your sweat,
Move too slow and have your light die.
Move just right and bring a tripod next time.

How relevant.

2008-11-16T08:07:00.005-05:00

Will work for Karma

2008-11-13T12:04:00.004-05:00

So, this is what it's like to be part of the nine to five club? Holy smokes. It's a good thing I like this new gig and extremely glad I waited till the ripe age of 34 to put my nose to the grind stone and earn an honest buck. Now, when can I retire again?
Free time has been restricted to the weekend so I'm even thinking of joining a gym to be sure my muscles don't whither any further, or I don't grow any fatter! Maybe just for the winter.
I'll stop my rant now regarding employment, and will leave you with a little story of good karma and stupid stupidity - yeah that's what I said...

Last week I found a guys wallet so I do what any other honest guy would do, I took all the cash and threw the rest away....NOT! I sent the wallet back to his home address with a note for him to call and tell me if he got it back.
So he did. And I felt like I helped a guy down on his luck.... NOPE!
Turns out the same guy just got arrested for throwing bombs in front of his house!! unreal.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO94787/ check it out.

winning view

2008-10-20T06:25:00.017-04:00

Sunday Gusty Sunday on a simple fixed gear cruiser around Cape Ann. Stopping at Stage fort park to give the hammies a ten second stretch. The ground displaying evidence of last weeks epic battle between Trebone and Johnson.
And I am thinking...So, what exactly is a battle ship doing in Gloucester Harbor? This cannot be good.
Kudos to Mark Babineau for cutting in the run-up on day two. You can't see it but the racers had to jump up a two foot wall and then climb a 30 foot (45% slope) comprised of potting soil.
AP and I watched and drank beer - 'Cross is so much more enjoyable as a spectator.

Gloucester Cyclocross Seat Cam from colin reuter on Vimeo.

Gee, why do they call him tree farm again?

Tim Johnson, home town hero, finishing up with style.
I arrived too late for the B-men's battle. From what little I did catch, Jeremy Dunn had things under control on the last lap. Looking strong, sizing up his competition with a focused glance. A powerful lunge in to the back field and kept us guessing. Some bad luck getting jammed up with another rider and eventually crossing for fifth. He got third on Saturday. He'll be on the top of the podium soon.

Erkle Bike

2008-10-17T18:50:00.028-04:00

Function over fashion. That's my favorite saying. Mainly because my choices in life are seldom fashionable. And this is all about function. The folding Dahon mu xl sport is fashionable however, and well engineered. It also provides a swift and fun cruise to work from the train. Thumbs up for geometry, I find it to be a comfortable ride.
Fresh air and a bit of stress relief at the end of the day are an added bonus.
Folding bikes are the only legal way to board a rush hour mbta train with a bike. Therefore not get stuck in traffic jams. I get my (short) ride in in the morning and the afternoon - and totally veg-out on a north bound train after work.
Though, people along my route from the train to work have offered their unsolicited thoughts on what they obviously consider an odd looking bike for an adult to be riding. I had an apple thrown at me last week! First time fruit was tossed my way. I turned and asked the two Hispanic men why it was they were wasting food. They laughed, so I got out of there before anything else was hurled at me.
So, of the half dozen 20 inch midget bikes I was looking at, I picked the Dahon mu xl Sport. Jamie at Western Cycle ordered her up and she arrived in a week. No assembly required. Out of the box and on to the road.
Some features include, a shimano nexus 8 speed internal hub (works sweet), ergon grips; (very nice addition b/c the smaller wheels ride a little harsh, good to have the wide palm platform the ergons provide). Quick disconnect pedals, (the left one has popped off accidentally three times, I think that I'll be slapping on a regular set of peds soon). Other features include; A kick stand! Kore i-beam saddle, sks fenders, stainless steel chain, an integrated brake handle/bell, and ability to fold in 10 seconds with out tools.
Almost went with a Strida - But the smaller wheels and the ball joint link had me worried. Also, I needed the freedom to jump a curb to get the heck out of the way of a Boston Cabbie. The single speed design and belt drive almost won me over.

whip it good

2008-10-10T18:57:00.013-04:00

She's a beauty ain't she? Salvaged from the scrap heap and on loan to serve as my morning whip to the train. The most exposure I've had to a sweet classic Brooks saddle, it's thirty year old leather is just now broken in and the main reason for locking her up.
Gliding out my driveway to meet the 7:19 and sipping on some java. I could use one of these but it's only a half mile, I can ride one handed. The three speed hub has a smooth faint click, she doesn't shift but least it's stuck in the easiest gear. Her mission is to get me there faster than walking, after all, walking sucks. The beauty of this ride is that she's still rolling despite her apparent lack of maintenance. I'm hesitant to inspect the tires, for fear that the tubes are both blowing out dry-rotted sidewalls. If she breaks down plan B will be to lock her to the nearest available tree and beat feet.
I hear the train's whistle at the end of Asbury street and build a head of steam. I've got her at top speed in short order, she's got a wobble and both wheels are hitting the fenders and brakes. Whack Whack Whack. She's making all kinds of rattles and bangs but the chain is holding fast and now time to slow her down. Securing the lid on my travel mug I tuck it in my armpit and grab for the raliegh's available brake power, which I am finding out rather quickly she has none. Needing now both hands and one foot, I've gone to the Fred Flinstone method. I am a total projectile, and on coarse to being someone hood ordainment on route 1A.
Her brakes burn through the first half inch of hardened rubber and finally grab hold, just had to burn off the ten years of dust since they were last used.
Upon my return trip on the 5:48, my neighbor Russell pauses a moment and with a squint and scratch to his head gives a shout , "hey...what'chya down grade'in?" "Naw, she's a workhorse!"

Kahuna

2008-10-05T14:37:00.010-04:00

A gaggle of mtb enthusiasts instinctively flocking from points near and far. The weather triggering the response to gather for a last hoo-ha before fitness fades with the season. The instinctual call from the wild, not unlike the way migratory birds meet in the sky to fly south for the winter. But we aren't that smart. Instead programmed to stay up all night drinking like fools and then attempting to ride seven or eight hours while on a network of the most technical trails on the north shore. Thankfully, the ride typically takes place on the first Saturday in October. That gives us Sunday to recover.

Vermont 50

2008-09-29T21:16:00.005-04:00

At 4:15 on Saturday morning I was laying comfortably on a double layer of fleece and therm-a-rest, wrapped in a zero degree mummy bag. Listening to large rain drops beat like a drum on my rain fly. I take a moment to ask my self why I get myself into these situations.
My cell phone alarm had gone off twice, and twice I had put it to snooze. Hell no I didn't want to get out and race my bike in pouring conditions. Luckily I have good friends that just wouldn't allow me to lay there, all comfortable, warm, dry, dreaming about warm buttery pancakes and maple syrup. It was time to earn my flap jacks.
My friend Matt was racing his first VT50, as was Mr Christopher Igleheart. Those guys put in a solid effort, climbing to their limits and likely beyond. That's what racing is all about.
Fun to hear Matt's stories of moments of trouble and pure elation through the near six hours he turned the screw.
I'm particularly proud of Christopher. He is no spring chicken ya know. He's an inspiration, and he crushed the fifty.
I was fortunate enough to mostly survive, happy to ride a bit with Kurt Schmitt while trying to catch Monty. That didn't happen, (the catching monty part) but Montello was just the carrot I needed to find my personal edge of uncomfortable/uncontrollable quad cramps.
Looking off "pain precipice" I backed it off and went into survival mode. Kurt and Monty slipped away. Fun while it lasted.
Constant thoughts while spinning alone on hard packed back country roads, who was winning this thing? Was Thom Parsons laying waste on his SS? and what exactly was happening up in the lead group. Curiosity was intense. I made eye contact with Mirirm (Thom's GF) at the 30 mile aid station. She smiled but shook her head saying no about something. Was Thom out of the race? Not knowing kept me pegged.
After crossing the line and walking my bike out the chute. Twenty or so guys gathered, dried mud encrusted their smiles, sounds of celebration and back slapping. It was over.
I scanned the crowd trying to guess who had won. Jeff with the biggest smile.
No shit.

Tim and Jeff look as Igle releases a sigh,
first words from Igleheart, "do they have beer"

A Bistro is Born!

2008-09-25T18:27:00.009-04:00

"A restaurant renaissance in the square"

Bravo to my brother Matt as he and his wife Jeanie enjoyed a successful opening night with their Casual Fine Dining restaurant in Danvers square, Nine Elm American Bistro.
Some of you know Danvers square, a typical small town center with a bank, a bike shop, (Western Cycle of course) a cpl pizza shops and a pharmacy. Downtown now offers a selection of up scale eateries, described as our local paper as a restaurant revival!
My Advice; next time your stepping out, pahk the cah near Danvers (pronounced Dan'v-ahz) square, walk around to work up your apatite, then go to my brothers new Bistro, Nine Elm.
Finish the night off with a stroll down the street to Cody's brew house.
The only thing missing? an Italian bakery; a cannoli and cappuccino would hit the spot.

fresh start

2008-09-16T21:38:00.001-04:00

The left crank has a dead spot
At the top of the revolution and it flops from eleven o'clock to two. Faintly reminding me of many square taper bb's in the 90's and their loose 14mm bolts resulting in rounded out cranks. Oh, the number of cranks that died a premature death under my foot and under the feet of many of my friends. Thank you to the inovative splined bb makers everywhere!
Alas, that was then, this is now. Then was me bashing the cranks off baby heads in Lynn woods. Now is me sitting on an electric exercise bike with incredibly awful geometry with an uncomfortable oversized seat in a fitness room at the Pitsburgh Airport Holiday Inn.
I'm sweating perfusely and occationally grunting, "there's no fan in here"?? But I'm greatful to get some pain. The tv is on loud and I'm laughing at the political fools, I mean commentators on CNN. A guy just walked in and quickly left... Wonder if it was me? Nah. Must have been the noise comming from my electric fitness bike.. The wooble has my sneaker contacting the plastic housing with every go round. I mop splashing sweat from the console with a towel as it flashes like a Christmas tree. Is 300 watts good? I can't trust this stupid machine. How can I possibly have a revolution of 110 and a heart rate of 88 and be sweating like it's 100 degrees? They need a fan in here. Level 9 for the past twenty two minutes has me wincing a bit and I'm loving it.
The machine now barking like a yippy dog with every revolution, the wooble is much worse and my mission is to see if the crank will fall off.
I cry uncle at 30 minutes, the crank may have won. That was fun. Time for the stair climber!
Any way... I repeated the same routine tonight, no the crank didn't fall off yet.. But I'm here for another night.
Having fun here in the iron city. I am confident that I will be working with a quality team, I enjoy them all, learning a lot about a new side of a familiar buisness, enjoying my new job. I hope this lasts a long time.
Tomorrow I will try to break that bike again.

July '09!

2008-09-10T07:23:00.000-04:00

My Question; Can Floyd come out to play too??

AUSTIN, Texas – September 9, 2008 – Today, Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and cycling champion, released the following statement regarding his return to professional sports:

“I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma. After the passage of Proposition 15 in Texas, a $3 billion investment in the fight against cancer which is helping to make this disease part of the national dialogue in America, it’s now time to address cancer on a global level.”

Mr. Armstrong will discuss his cycling program and an international LIVESTRONG strategy on September 24th in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative.

More than a race

2008-09-02T13:14:00.014-04:00

Shen was awesome once again. Glad to see everyone. And yes, we rode our bikes ALL DAY!
For those in attendance -you know what I mean.
Thanks to the guys that kicked my ass, I needed that. I could have dealt with less than three flat tires but what eva'. Props to Elk for kicking me down his pump when mine didn't feel like working and to Tomi for putting up with my constant babble up Shenandoah.
Was fun rolling through Dowell's Draft in the midst of the women's race with Betsy, Trish and Cheryl. They were laying it down!
Enjoy the movie, though many pictures came out blurry... hard to operate the digi cam while gasping for air and eating bananas.
Check out Tom's blog for better photography. Gwadz also has some good stuff on Shen.
See ya's next time around.

Capoeira Fighter

2008-08-27T08:11:00.002-04:00

into the dark

2008-08-26T09:34:00.011-04:00

A cool August sky over North Conway NH
A first ride into complete darkness for the season,
A first night cold enough to wear a sweater,
A first realization summer is nearing the end

Molly; ice kite surfing and dh. way cool. oh and a plumber!

Our reward, redneck rock. The climb so steep we had to walk. Pointed it down and cycled the shock. Railing corners, squeeze but don't lock. An enjoyable eve Daren and Ken.
But darkness my friend, not you again.
Like having an overbearing mother hen.
You call too early and will only worsen when,
you force us to mount lights
or just ride zen.

Riding with a mission, ice cream.

2008-08-24T07:02:00.012-04:00

One of these days I will own a work stand. There's gotta be a better way to assemble a bike while not precariously leaning on a folding table.

"yeah Greg, now pull a wheelie". - So he shows me up and does an endo.

I have developed a new training regiment, it involves riding bikes everyday followed by ice cream and raspberry floats. Wonder how that's going to play out at S100 next week? Chris, can we have ice cream at aid #5 instead of pizza this year?Through the woods I heard the conversation between Harry and Skip.
"Oh...is that a? no, it is! crap.. Can we fix it? (Skip) - got any duct tape?
Puzzled why HP's bike wasn't staying in gear. had something to do with a clean break through the center of the down tube. Shards of scandium waiting to tear through a calf under the bowing pressure if the top tube were to let loose. Nine months of R+D proves un-Harry proof.
In Salsa's defense, Harry is an animal.

Skip offers up a loaner to replaced el-cracko. Harry stating the obvious, "umm...Skip, i think you need a new big ring". Was all in the plan to slow the kid down so we could ride with him.

That's gonna leave a mark. hey looks exactly like the bolt from under my sram shifter. Stupid gears.

Now Dita, it's time to dance!

Found Mo-Jo

2008-08-14T08:06:00.004-04:00

It was hiding behind the clouds!

Man, just the other day I started to draft a post describing my lack of excitement for the ride and lamenting for my misplaced mo-jo. What a difference a couple of days under sunny skies can make.
Last night was also good for the soul - The Witch'es Cup Crit in Salem. No, I didn't race... but was re-energized by contact from nor'shore personalities who came out to watch and drink beer in public places.
Good luck this weekend to Racing Rick, Jeff Whittingham and Harry Precourt at the Hampshire 100k!! Should be a battle. Can't wait to hear how the dust settles. That was a super fast pace last year... don't think anybody told all the efta guys that 60 miles is marathon racing. Red lined from the start-finish.
The Shenandoah 100 is right around the corner... hummm... Wonder if anybody wants to roll?

To the moon and back

2008-08-01T09:05:00.055-04:00

By the third day I was acclimating to the altitude. My head only slightly pounding, and the climbs were getting easier, or maybe I was getting used to tugging around 25 pounds of clothes, camp gear, water and food. My legs strong but lungs working overtime to compensate for the lack of O2 at eleven thousand feet above sea level. Much like breathing through a soda straw. I break to huff and puff and work the camera as Jeff climbs out of sight. I try and capture his deep blue shirt against a carpet of lush green grass speckled with a rainbow of wild flowers but his whirling has propelled him out of sight.

That brutha's on fire! I thought. My attempts to capture his deep blue shirt were all for not as he climbs to a new level on the swicthbacks on his way to 12,200 feet. Glenn throws him self at Kokamo pass in an attempt to catch the Gazelle. (Jeff's - new nick name is The Gazelle). Glenn is having an exceptional day in the climber's seat. He and Jeff are far above Tim and myself as we use our cameras for an excuse to stop every five minutes for a photo op. With every pedal stroke the view becomes more like a painting. We break for lunch, peanut butter on a bagel on top of Kokomo Pass. The view is beyond spectacular. The reward we sought after full filled; an eye full as far as the naked eye can possibly see. The long trip from Friso, up and over Copper Mountain and through the flowered valley was worth every minute.

I ask Tim, "what are the reddish deposits in the snow?" The Geologist replies "bacteria, I think..." As we stand atop Elk Ridge we see in the distance Jeff near the snow melt, capturing the icy cold runoff and chugging it down. We close in, and I'm out of water so I ask Jeff, "how's the bacteria?" He looks confused and then realizes what I might be referring to. He hands me the bottle and I fill up. Lucky for us, no side affects.

The seven days on the trail were simply about enjoying our unfamiliar surroundings and marveling at the mountainous landscape. Waking early to ride 10 hours a day on trails and through the western towns and of course to take advantage of every hamburger joint they had to offer.

It's 75 degrees on top and I hit the front brake hard in an attempt to intentionally dump my ride. Is this snow real? One way to find out... I layed in the soft snow for an extra moment letting the cold sink in to my leg. Topping out for the second time on the Continental Divide, we would cross it for a total of three times during our seven days.

Struggling seven miles up a highway to the Monarch Crest Trail was a detour we choose from segment 14 to end our trip on the C.T. The Crest trail was a blast. Winding around the tall dome shaped mountains, the trail's momentum was a relief to tired legs having little uphill climbing and mostly bombing descents. Dipping into small valleys in the early morning before the sun warmed the heavy clouds, we scared up a slumbering pack of elk. They leaped to their feet and dashed down the mountain with little regard for their safety. Lunging down steep drops and spanning craggy gaps, in seconds they were a quarter mile from where they were bedded down. Sorry guys.

At the bottom of the Monarch Crest Trail were two options, a single track named the Rainbow trail or an eighteen mile decent to the town of Poncho Springs, or more accuratly the down hill road to food and beer. We chose food and beer.

Colorado Trail

2008-07-20T07:57:00.004-04:00

Home for two days and packing for the next adventure. This trip will not include diving to the bottom of the ocean but we will be climbing to the top of the Rocky Mountains. I think of it as an experiment; see what happens to four mountain bike guys that live at sea level when they travel to Colorado, bike 500 miles and climb 60,000 vertical feet in eight days. Who's idea was this again??
MTB Tom set up a data base for us to post progress when cell coverage is available. We will be traveling through Frisco, Leadville, Buena Vista, (near) Salida and through Silverton and on to Durango from July 22 - July 30.
Follow our Journey here. http://cruz.media.mit.edu/ctr.nsf/ctr

The 'Brac

2008-07-19T11:12:00.021-04:00

Some weeks are better than others, and some weeks are remembered for a life time.
Of the 17 dives Lesli and I logged last week, the sunken remains of the Russian frigate #356 was my favorite. Ship wrecks hold an eerie silence that cannot be ignored. The dark shadows cast from the jagged and twisted war ship provoked feelings of haunt and mystery.
Moving slowly in a neutrally buoyant world, shallow breaths as I penetrated the wheelhouse and swim inside the ghost ship. Down a short dark hall absent of light, only glimmers of hanging shards of metal every few feet as I swim forward. I reach the end of the hall and am forced to turn 90 degrees to the right. My arms outstretched and eyes wide open looking to catch any available light but there is none. I swim into a large open room, perhaps a mess hall once occupied by Russian sailors.
I feel relieved to have light streaming in from above, but slowly increasing panic elevates my heart rate as I look upon the steel bars on the ceiling with no apparent way out. In just seconds an escape route comes into view as I move around the room but I continue breathing as if I am ascending Shenandoah. The thought of 2000 psi of air on my back works to calm my panting. Slowly and surely I left the watery grave. The seas have taken over. Coral and barrel sponges are starting to blanket the aluminium vessel that was purposely sunk in 1996. A flaming scallop now lives in the 50mm cannon.Another dive comes to mind, and is a close second to the ship wreck. It was a drift dive (actually two drift dives) off the airport wall on the northwest corner of Cayman Brac.
We jumped in and were pulled by mother ocean on a sight seeing tour in 60-80 feet in swift moving current. Like we were on a conveyor belt, eight of us drifted and flew, hovered and kicked, along the ocean floor and along the wall.Passing a turtle I moved in for a closer look. Kicking against the current I'd like a better shot. My legs feel strong. This is about the most physical activity I'd had in a week. (Other than racing to the all you can eat gourmet buffet every few hours).
I throw a huge effort down and am able to fight back the wall of water, The persistent 7 knot current won eventually but I get the shot of the turtle. I spent the next five minutes trying to catch my breath through the regulator.Lesli got this shot of cow fish mating in the swift current.
A fun-loving bunch. Pete, Matt, Joe, BJ, Gilles, Phil, Me, Susan, Lesli, Michele, James and guy (sorry I cant remember his name). We had fun, ate lots of food, played bingo and drank a few beers. Hope we can do it again soon.

Freedom

2008-07-06T09:37:00.008-04:00

Ripple and snap, crack crack and clak clak clak. The aluminum flag pole leaned, and drivers took note as this rider throttled his proud Mary near 70 mph. Cracks like fireworks, as he ripped south'bound rt 1. Oh yeah, it's the forth of July!

wiffle ball, why not! It's been a good ten years since the last time, maybe fifteen! Man my neck and lats hurt today....now two days later. Why is it two days later? it's always two days.
Got my ride set up, now to wittle down my gear a little more, or less, my toiltry bag is entirely too heavy. I've got the rebuild kit for my reba, could take the abuse. Lets see if enduro seals can handle. Going rigid would be interesting, but if my fork seals can't withstand the pressures...how are my arms going to feel?

what to bring;

2008-07-01T16:09:00.012-04:00

I received similar advice from two close friends,
both of these friends are experienced adventurers, and both said;
"Pack what you need, then unpack and leave half behind".
Words of wisdom, words to live by.
Thanks Barry and Christopher. <- he's updating his blog again! But what to leave behind? Question; Rain fly vs: bug proof tent? rain fly is waaaayy lighter. The underlying Question; bugs or no bugs? There are always bugs! Tent it is! Front rack or screw the front rack. where will I stack the pizzas? Answer; On the rear rack! screw the front rack? definite maybe. Another friend, (Harry P) had good advice- "stuff on the bike will probably fall off". yeah, that was true Sunday. For the first half hour with Glenn, Brad, Skip and Matt I had to stop and go back to fetch gear that slid off even the most firmly and carefully perched and lashed locations. I still like the panniers, water proof and expandable. Although they fell off too! But after using a large 48" strap wrapped around the entire bag and rack it stayed put. My main focus is to carry enough water, food, rain jacket, two sets of riding clothes, three gallons of chamois butter, 100 percocet, comfortable sleeping gear, and a partridge in a pear tree. no problem. Glenn was on fire on Sunday. Custom made Carousel bags by Jeff Boatman performed rather flawlessly. I dubbed his setup "easy rider". Looked like we were both lost in the woods looking for the laundry mat :).

I was just checking out Jeff's blog. That bruth'a has got one fine set-up for our adventure. Not quite racked out yet, he's just getting use to the ride charictaristics of the 29'er before he weighs his new ride down with 20 pounds of gear. Twenty days and counting!

I also hear that there is a new sofa king in the hills of Sunday River. Wow, love it! Don't remember how the heck to ride one but wow man! Nice color too. That chain device is wicked. This new build makes me want to go and run over something...

Shake it like a polaroid picture

2008-06-23T07:02:00.012-04:00

Hands downs,

it's total geek town,
was a shake down
that got totally shook down.

Shake-down Sunday with Reenie, Kerry, MTBTom and Christopher. A new build and a whole lot of geeky stuff bolted to my now geared and freshly painted Igleheart 29'er. The new paint color is called persimmon, in the root beer family, darker than the previous (known to Reenie as baby poop). I call the new build "Bring it on!"

The ability to carry loads of unnecessary gear 500 miles through the Colorado wilderness. I'll try to limit myself to the bare essentials on our Colorado Trail excursion. Yeah, right!

Riding the decked out tour bike was quite fun, she handles like a wonky mac truck with the back-heavy panniers loaded with camping gear. The equipment stayed in place through out the shake down, weaving and bobbing single track, rumbling over root bands and couldn't help but to air it out a couple times. (Photo, MtbTom)

The Stans Tubeless wheels were a big part of the shake down. I wasn't sure if the tubeless tires would burp under the added pressure, But had no problem taking the abuse.
My 70mm stem did pose an issue and needs to be swapped out for something a little longer. I spent an hour icing my knee last night after squarely smashing it into the left shifter. douh!

Thanks to Channing at Old Man Mountain for the racks, They are awesome. I spent an hour on the phone with Channing a few weeks ago. At the time, I was on the fence about going with front and rear racks and panniers, but after viewing the videos on his web site it all just looked like way too much fun to pass up. The models are Sherpa (front) and red rock (rear) and should provide a stable platform to carry and hang plenty of gear (and ample cookie stowage). Thanks Channing.

And the Panniers are Jandd, Fredrick hurricane series water proof roll top bags. The attachment system is pretty slick. Just a couple of clicks and the are attached/detached. And yes, it rained during our three hour cruiser, and yes they are indeed water proof.

As always, Thanks to Christopher Igleheart. With out you sir, none of this would be possible...or not nearly as much fun.

Milestone

2008-06-20T08:40:00.002-04:00

Started out as base miles but quickly turned into a favorite part of my day. Yesterday I surpassed 2000 commuter miles on a fixed gear. In all, two flat tires, many times getting caught in the rain, couple close calls, watched a building get built, got some strong legs and loads of fresh air. Obsessed? ... probably.

Lumberjack

2008-06-16T07:57:00.003-04:00

"Lumberjack 100 saw 11 inches of rain and 80 mph winds the night before the race in the worst storm the area had seen in 30 years" -Harlan Price writes for Cycling news after beating up on people all day.
Where's Floyd? How'd Eddie 'O do in Single Speed? Way to go Karen Potter! Many Questions... Harlan, we need answers!

Thanks Matt, good advice..

2008-06-13T20:31:00.003-04:00

A man after my own heart,
speaking about the Colorado trail
and the need to soak it all in.
"no lights! "
Meaning, ride hard all day and sleep.

I like that concept.

Fight the good Fight

2008-06-12T19:00:00.009-04:00

Meet Scott. My Cousin's oldest.
Thirteen years young and fighting to see fourteen.
Way to go.

Essex County Century

2008-06-02T07:09:00.008-04:00

On par with Kahuna, yesterday was my first Essex County Century. North Shore riders came out in droves to form a 70+ person peloton to loop 100 miles of back roads, stopping at each of the four sponsoring bike shops for water and refreshments. Organized by the guys and gals from ECV, thanks for the ride. It was the best group road ride I've ever experienced.The A group was comprised of mainly mountain bikers, Jon "tri guy" Greeley, Skippy "long legs"Johnson, "La Ruta" Roger, ED "the linebacker", Aaron "I'm old school, but schoolin you", and who could forget the big engine of Pete "sooo pro" Smith. Some great training miles, I haven't opened it up like that in a long time.Here, a short break while Armando assesses damage done after he took a header on the corkscrew corner of Cherry Street, Gloucester. We ride 90 miles and Armando crashes five blocks from his house. Hope you are feeling well today Armando.Jon has got the ride details via his gps watch. The triathlon guys have all the toys ya know. Hoping he emails the route and way points this way. But in all ride total was 100+ miles at an average moving pace of 20+ mph, that's why my legs feel like jello today...but I cant wipe the smile from my face.My favorite part of the ride...we are on the home stretch back to the hosting shop of Seaside Cycles -Manchester, and a rouge roadie jumps into our group and whips up the pace creating a dash for the final 5 miles. precious.

Going on Tour

2008-05-27T13:26:00.006-04:00

It was Glenn that first put this idea into motion, now it has evolved into a plan. The plan still has details to be worked out and plane tickets to be purchased, and equipment to be selected, and credit cards to be charged..BTW where the hell is my Bush economic stimulus check? I need to be stimulated here GW..
The plan to race the Colorado trail has been modified, (quite correctly I might add) to a tour of the CTR. It'd be different if the four of us, Glenn, Tim, and now Jeff W, were familiar with all 28 segments of the 535 mile Colorado trail, (but we will be by July 30th) that would almost justify racing the whole trail. So, a tour it will be!

Anybody have panniers I can borrow? will trade for beer.

my Commute

2008-05-24T06:38:00.005-04:00

The fastest way from point A to point B in my commute just happens to Cross this Rotary in Revere named Bell Circle. I thought the name referred to it's shape or historic land mark near by. But now I think it's named Bell because that's what you'll get rung. Fooling around on Wednesday's commute I shot this vid from my phone..Yesterday I came close to being run over, so I think I'll avoid getting my bell rung in the circle by extending my commute through Saugus instead.

need frame?

2008-05-19T19:39:00.003-04:00

Tal is cleaning out his basement.
This early Merlin 56cm could be yours.
http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/bik/687271170.html
lemmeno

school is in session

2008-05-19T06:50:00.011-04:00

A proper trail tour of the College town of Amherst Ma

yesterday. Professor Tim Cook led Glenn and I on a gnarly

7 hour adventure that redefined the meaning of rocky switch-back.

The view from atop a radio tower

precisely the time we called it quits

and ran for warm dry clothes, and burgers and fries.

We were riding the newest fad in mountain bikes,

mini bikes...

not 29'ers but 2.9"ers

or at least that what it looks like from forty feet up.

10th aniversary

2008-05-12T15:47:00.005-04:00

'98 Mt Washington Auto Road.
I wasn't there - but we are now.
reflect with spontaneous laughter,
respect some hard efforts,
the camera captures the reward.
Feel the rivalry and friendship,
yup, those were Glory Days.

dents be gone

2008-05-06T16:04:00.006-04:00

Two things I hate in life; Running out of coffee beans and bad haircuts. I am in both positions currently. The lack of coffee being more problematic presently.
Anyway, Igleheart showed me a secret way to pull dents out of top tubes yesterday...and whaddaya know...it worked!

See dent

Grease dent

Squeeze dent, (with two blocks with the correct radius...)
Bye Bye dent.

I should have taken another picture of the end result but the dent was 90% gone. So I tried it on my 29'er's top tube (yeah, seems I dent everything). That worked too, leaving just a ripple where there was once a big'ol dent.

Number 8

2008-04-30T17:02:00.006-04:00

From my peer group of 13;
I am known as juror number 8.
It's day 2 of what is expected to be a lengthy trial.
"Will empanelment cause you considerable hardship sir?"
Four lawyers surround me in sidebar,
with perky ears and encouraging smiles.
The judge, hovers from his high bench,
He emphasizes the word considerable
and waits for my answer with eyebrows raised.
"no?"
"Please take seat number eight" and announces my new identity.

It's day 2 and this morning
I am known as bike commuting juror number 8.
Jurors 1 and 7 noticed my geek suit
as they passed me on the steps of the local shop.
I was enjoying breakfast and waiting for the doors to open
while drying out in the warm early morning sun.

Waiting to ask perfect strangers
to watch my bike
and it occurs to me,
Local Bike Shops
are like a brotherhood.

Not unlike the Freemasons.
What we lack is secret handshakes
and phrases with double meanings,
but make up for
with information revealing locations of
new connector trails
and, for the most part
are a bunch of honest folk.

I thanked them this afternoon upon my return and bought a U lock.
Lets see how honest the rest of Salem is.

rates are up. $50 a new baseline.

2008-04-22T06:27:00.007-04:00

Massachusetts has a proprietary holiday in April called Patriots day. Most business is halted and the city is paralyzed due to 25,000 runners and 100 thousand spectators lining the streets from Hopkinton to Copley square. My friend A.P. and I added to the crowds yesterday to cheer for his dad and try to catch up to him while running the Boston Marathon. We didn't see Lance but we did catch Billy.
So we're standing on top of heartbreak hill, near Brookline. Scanning the masses of runners flowing by, looking for familiar faces, I hear someone ask if we've got a bike pump. So I respond, yeah. This guy is frantic and asks if he can buy it off me for $50. So (like a fool) I say No. (I'm thinking) I paid $9.00 for it, but it's the best damn mini pump I've ever owned.Now the guy reaches into his pocket and takes out cash and is waiving it in front of me, I'm thinking this is some kind of joke. At the same time thinking this could be really BAD karma if I take the guys loot. He takes the $50 and stuffs it in my pocket. "I don't want to miss my brother, he is running it!" So, I say that I'll fix his flat and hand him back the money, minus $20 for my time. (5 minutes of time and a $2.90 tube, = 60/5=12*20-2.90= $237.10 per hour is my new rate to fix flats, two hour minimum) So, the frantic guys comes back after 5 minutes, his flat is fixed and he insists that I take the $50 for my "trouble". Who am I to argue?So, thanks for dinner, pizza and beer AND the train fare home. Anybody else have a flat? I gotta a really nice pump.

watching from a distance

2008-04-20T20:41:00.005-04:00

Some brief results up from the Cohutta 100
Still waiting to see how the SS race unfolded
Elite men + women top ten are up on cycling news
my prediction for ss podium;
TimmyD, MattF,TopherV,
but, The Elk or TomG could slip in there.
New catagory this year;
Fixed SS!
RichD, Tomi,
found some more info on Mark D's photo stream
Harlan and Floyd are still buds
looks like DJ + Timmy are on the box
but who is on top?
Da Ladies

nice rack

2008-04-16T07:55:00.003-04:00

A new addition to the bike stable, a dedicated commuter fixie, complete with bags and rear rack. I know, kind'a geeky. I insist this bike found me.. years ago this bike appeared in my local bike shop, and I made fun of it's name at first sight and apparent soullessness. A mix of no name parts and ultegra shifters, made to look flashy but the wheels and drivetrain were knock-offs.
Of course my neighbor bought it. Then after a some not-so great luck with the sport of road cycling she asked me to sell it. It sat in my basement for a couple months...then I noticed the frame had rack eyelets and room for a 32mm rear tire. Blam! A 5 mm wrench and 5 minutes later the Veloz was stripped of it's cables and gears and ready to accept a single speed, fixed rear wheel.

oh god, what's next

1.21 jiggawatts

2008-04-14T08:14:00.011-04:00

evidence that mother nature owns
one bad ass circular saw,

with a really long extension cord

master craftsman

2008-04-12T12:27:00.009-04:00

In a quiet town,

along a wooded street,

in a quaint garage,

Mr. Igleheart has been a busy man.

I'm lucky guy to ride his bikes and luckier still to have witnessed many an art form born from steel tubing in Christopher's shop. I've known him just a few years, his work has never looked so good. Chris' excitement and energy level is at an all time high, as is the detail he pours into his craft.

Dropping by to see what the mad scientist has created this week. Bike shops, or Shops in general, are some of my favorite places.

A Stainless rear triangle from a Pista break-away is out of the jig and now amusingly posed on display near a small window on the garage door. There are more squirrels than pedestrians here on the back road to admire the handmade subtle perfection of imperfection. The squirrels may appreciate it.

how long could it take?

2008-04-08T10:45:00.004-04:00

This question was answered on Sunday. The question, "How long does it take to ride from Andover to Hamilton with a group of eleven riders?" Many ways to get from Andover to Hamilton.. Many ways to the center of a tootsie pop. Like the tootsie pop commercial from twenty years ago, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?" The owl, perched on the limb of a tree counts the licks. "One, Two, Three. Crunch".
Well, our answer was a surprising 9 hours and 9 minutes. Quite a bit longer than three licks. But just as tasty. The road ride to fetch the cars on Monday took considerably less time and was more direct.
Hoot Hoot.

Adventure Sunday

2008-04-02T09:04:00.003-04:00

Last weekend at Harold Parker a hasty plan was born trailside and details quickly thrown together and almost executed in the moment...Tom paused early in our ride and said, "Hey, lets ride to Hamilton!"...and we almost did, then the five of us thought deeper into a plan to ride the north segment of the Bay Circuit Trail, (would have been totally feasible in about 4-5 hours), approximately 40 miles with a couple stops along the way to refuel....we thought it'd be wise to wait until this weekend and plan more extensively than the 15 seconds we had invested.
We've got a good crew, a plan for base miles, all we need is good weather...and cold beer after.

thanks Lesli

2008-03-22T18:59:00.000-04:00

it's a small world after all

2008-03-17T07:40:00.010-04:00

I am a firm believer that people only change when forced to change. The "super-size me" mentality compelled to "miniaturize me". We traded our gas hogging four runner for a roller skate and golf cart last week...but I don't golf.
Skating into the muddy lot where Glenn and I were to meet the crew for yesterday's beat-down, (I mean ride) - my golf cart was dwarfed by Jeff and Matt's construction vehicles, yeah I felt a little dumb looking back at my car-t, but hey it is fun to drive.

the prius doesn't look like much from the outside, but the instruction lesson to learn to operate the hybrid went over an hour.

Gus did not agree with our choice of hatchback.

...and of course I had to rip right into the wiring harness of my finely engineered Honda to install some needed gadgetry.

There is however a limit to Miniaturize me...Ride a bike.

yup, they're out there

2008-03-12T12:46:00.007-04:00

simply ginormous. biggest week since November. legs are alive. Mojo is with in sight.
Some great rides lately, I'm feeling like myself again. Gettin fired up to get back down to fighting weight.
Otis Last week. Dog town Sunday with the crew. Monday, Geenwood w JW. Commuted, to & fro work Tues. I do believe I'm coming out of hibernation!
I was so fired up on my commute I didn't get worked up about receiving the middle fing'a from a guy in an F250. Par for the course.

Below is a letter to the editor of my local paper, please read some of it...
The article is about my neighbor, an avid cyclist, runner and swimmer.
I thought it was a joke at first, but turns out this guy is serious.
-A serious moron.
His name is attached. Wonder if he drives an F250?
hey when typing F250...if you leave the shift down it spells F@%)

Hamilton - To the Editor:

This will be my last attempt to express my concerns regarding jogging,
biking and walking on our small roads, especially under adverse winter

conditions. Once again I happened upon the Walnut Jogger, only this
time it was on Linden Street, another fairly heavily traveled side
road in Hamilton.
It appeared as though she was coming off of Bay Road and heading down
Linden. It was Saturday morning during a snow/rain/ice storm. The
conditions were slippery and once again the white safety line was gone. I was driving up Linden and recognized Mrs. Robinson.
She was running toward me, hopping over ice patches and puddles with
great agility I must admit. As we got closer I wondered what she would
do as she was at minimum two feet on the road side of the line. I only
had two choices, either stay my course in which case she would have
been hit or swerve at least two feet over the double yellow line into
the oncoming lane. I naturally chose the latter and fortunately there
was not a vehicle approaching or a serious accident would have
occurred. (Humm, uh...what about applying some brake??)
I think you may feel like I am singling you out, Mrs. Robinson, but I
assure you this is directed at all joggers, bikers, etc. who would
indulge in similar carelessness. You obviously missed the point of my
last article with your references to my lack of respect for dreamers
like Sir Edmund Hillary, Amelia Erhardt, the woman who swam the
English Channel and others.
I admire them as well and doubt that their goals posed a safety threat
to others. I point you out because it was clear to me that your tunnel
vision quest to stand on an Olympic podium has blinded your concern
for drivers who have no other alternative regarding transportation.
You also made reference to your contribution to the cause of global
warming. You can run across America with Al Gore as far as I'm
concerned, just don't choose the Mass Pike as your route.
"So here's to you Mrs. Robinson, the podium holds a place for you I
pray." I'm simply trying to make a point. You may be right in being
allowed to run on public roads, but I'd truly hate to see you end up
dead right or cause a serious accident involving drivers who may not
be capable of maneuvering their way around you. I too am a dreamer and
I have a dream. "I've been to the mountain top and have seen a land of
promise. Unfortunately it has a long way to go regarding common
sense."
I end my appeal with three promises. The first is that this will be my
last letter regarding this subject. Hopefully others will speak out,
especially joggers or others who share similar or opposing opinions.
As someone close to me often says, "everyone is entitled to their own
stupid opinion," including myself. The second promise is that I will
always make an effort to avoid hitting a jogger, walker, biker, etc.
Finally, although we do not agree on this issue, Mrs. Robinson, I
really do wish you well in reaching your commendable goal, just be
careful.

Lou DiSanto

dawg town

2008-03-10T20:45:00.003-04:00

Otis, my new friend

2008-03-03T08:43:00.013-05:00

Christpher opened the door and climbed into the shotgun position of my Subaru wagon. Looking at me a little bewildered he mutters "I can't believe we're going to drive 85 miles to ride our bikes." Hind sight is twenty twenty because I would have driven farther. I still have a smile on my face after yesterday's re-acquaintance with dirt. The sole reason for the trip to Otis, and the subject line of a string of emails all last week was simply "dirt". For Dirt isn't taken for granted in early March, not this year. We purposely drove south for two hours, to the dirt, and yes it was worth the trip.
We picked up Kerry next with her new shiny custom built IF 29'er. A feeling of great responsibility as I am given the task of securing her new ride to my creaky old roof rack, thinking, god I hope this thing doesn't fly off my roof.
Chris relinquishes the shotgun position, and we were on our way, southbound, soon piercing the beautiful 14.8 billion dollar big dig tunnel, our passage to the magic rain/snow line of Massachusetts. Somewhere around Stoughton the landscape turned from frozen tundra to an unfamiliar bare brown and wilted yellow. We were elated.
Glen met us in the Parking lot, he was gearing up along side Reenie and MTB Tom and their friends Michele, Kieth and JRA Brian. The crew was already assembled, and ready to go as we pulled up. Kerry, Chris and myself now scurrying to gear-up, we were delayed from a dunkin doughnuts stop.
5 minutes later we roll from the lot and my first reaction to Otis was "who put the highway in the middle of the action?" Waiting to cross five lanes of busy traffic immediately after disembarking the hardware store parking lot. I was a little bewildered. But what lay on the other side of the steaming expressway of route 24 was a consistent ribbon of unfamiliar flowing singletrack that simply rocked for twenty one miles.
MTB Tom was en fuego. Tearing up hills and laying into the corners with reckless abandon. Clearly, Otis was familiar haven for Tom as he used the wheels of his IF singlespeed to carom his way threw rock gardens and around blind corners.
In an airborne moment, hot on Tom's tail, flying on the dirt ribbon, we launch over a double track as if were four cross racing on a dual slalom course. I hear Glen's wheels bearing down for the catch. Then I think he loses it, Glen is off trail barreling down the fall line of the hill, I follow the switchback and I am suddenly heading straight for him and somehow we don't collide but instead laugh at the near miss.
Three of us, out ahead, rail off chamber switchbacks, the chase was on for two hours until the twinge of early season legs have their say and I am forced to slow on an extended climb. Tom's pistons continue to pump and he is out of sight.
JRA Brian, whom I did not previously know what a hoot. Aboard a demo jamis 29'er, his attitude was right-on. Pulling an old trick at just the right time; we stop for a break, our posse assembles, silence as we all pant like dogs. At the right moment he sings aloud, "turn around bright eyes" from the bubbly romantic 80's tune Total eclipse of the heart. I don't think much of it but minutes later the tune is stuck deep in my head and I find myself involuntarily singing "every now and then I fall apart". Bastard.
The ride, a four and a half hour success for all. I am now aware that I have lost a shit ton of fitness. This trip has only strengthen my will to find my misplaced mo-jo. But first to IHOP to eat our weight in eggs, bacon and pancakes.
Maybe one of us took some better pictures than me?

Igleheart's out numbered IF's by four to two!
two Jamis, and Michelle's '95 Merlin Ti

back to reality today
a road/recovery
one day closer to finding mo-jo

midnight decisions

2008-02-22T11:35:00.008-05:00

"what was I thinking?" I rolled along on my skinny road tires en rout to work, the streets growing increasingly slick and snow accumulating by the minute. My treadless road tires, all of 23mm wide, caked with snow and I am afraid to brake because there is no good reason that I have not fallen yet. Tangling with plow trucks buzzing one foot to my left with sanders spreading coarse salt that bounces from the truck and clinks loudly off my bike frame. I ride with my mouth closed, afraid I might loose a tooth.
I should have known this would be a bad idea but decided to leave my car at work after the show last night. "It's not going to snow till mid-day." Damn New England forecasters. I shouldn't blame them. It was my drunken Bravado.
Last night a cross section of Boston's most devoted bike population gathered at the Somerville theater to watch 'Klunkers' and listen to guest speaker Gary Fisher talk about "this thing" he and his friends started doing in Marin County in the 1970's.
The movie was well done and funny. It covered the west coast history of off road riding and how Gary and hid friends accidentally invented something that grew to what mountain biking is today.
I enjoyed a brief conversation with Gary in the beer line before the show. The man is a functional fashion plate with a light hearted humor, he clearly enjoys himself where ever he goes. His tight black Japanese courier pants with the handle on the back "so she can hold-on for hills" was a crack-up as he demonstrated the functionality of a sewn-on handle on the ass of his jeans just in case riding companions need a little rest on the upside.
Thanks for a good time all...and redbones was fun too. man my head hurts.

ninja training

2008-02-16T19:01:00.007-05:00

On a sickness scale of 1 - 10, (1 being "wow, I might be getting sick" and 10, "I cannot imagine ever getting well again") I was a solid 7.5 in the range of, "holy shit, this sucks".

Mostly repertory distress with gravity aiding in the evacuation of slime through orifices in my head at night. It is annoying to be sick, at least it rained most of the time so I had that going for me. Loads of TV time on the couch, the couch that must now be disinfected. I was somewhat aware of a marathon run of mythbusters on presidents day while coming in and out of consciousness. I also found my new favorite show, although it was exhausting to watch at the time.

I heart bike porn

2008-02-11T17:30:00.001-05:00

I felt like I was in Portland!
All pictures from Alex Wetmore's blog
Indy next year...hey that's not east coast??

oh well, closer than San Jose' or Portland..
Here are some that caught my imagination.
I'd love one of these Ant Commuters

custom bikes = beautiful handmade racks
and carefully positioned bells.

I'm on the fence with the position of this dinger...
I'd like the actuator to be pointed at the sky
cause if I needed to warn people of my presence
I could ding it with a downward slap
like I was calling the front desk clerk at a hotel.
check out Ant Bike Mike

Bilenky made the mother of all tandems
with csc couplings, cause if your rich enough to own this
your gonna want to disconnect the frame and
fit it in your leer jet when you go to France.
looking at Calfee's booth,
Grab the bull by the horns!
Bamboo and bone are
the new Ti and carbon
didn't ya know?

Engin 29er/offroad Randoneeur

Two of my favorites are from sycip

including this fixey with a disc brake.

Sheldon was everywhere this week,
even in Portland.
I never met Sheldon Brown,
but like a huge portion of
the bike community,
every time again-
I bumped into his writings online
and gained some knowledge.
r.i.p. Sheldon Brown

check out the winner (best in show)

Naked a-hole
more Naked pics here
no!! not that kind of naked...
it's a company's name.

Alex Wetmore's gallery is a must see for
more pictures from nahbs '08

Nahbs comming east for 2009

2008-02-08T07:41:00.000-05:00

The North American Hand Made Bicycle Show is again underway out west but looks like the show is coming east for 2009! Some chatter online about the '09 show presented in one of the countries friendliest cities...you know Boston and NY are out. Is Philly a friendly city, I know some friendly guys from the Philly area. ..can I stay on your couch next year?? Guess we'll have to wait till the closing bell tomorrow and big Don Walker will announce.The venue for the '09 show will be a closely-kept secret until the awards ceremony in the show hall at 3 p.m. Sunday 10th February.

Apart from having the requisite convention center, here are a few features of the new venue:
The governor of the state concerned wrote to express his desire to host the show
The host city is within one day's drive of approximately 100 million people
The state concerned is adding $20 million a year to build, expand and link the state's trail systems, and sees bicycling as a major part of that
Three micro-breweries are situated within two blocks of the expo hall, and the host hotel is right across the road
The city is regarded as one of the most hospitable in the USAHighlights from what little I have seen....Chris King making frames? and intergrating a brazed 1 inch steel set.
Pereira developed his version of an old rod-actuated front derailleur for those of us that like to step backwards with technology.
Igleheart has got a limited supply of TomiCogs for sale at the show
Jeremy Dunn and others will be debuting their artsy high zoot 'cross mag Embrocation
and 650b wheels are the new '29ers. But, do we really need another size?

primary today

2008-02-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

"yes we can, heal this nation, yes we can repair this world".
an enormous task. I just liked the video.

All in

2008-02-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Winter, also known as off-season.

Pronunciation:\ˈȯf-ˌsē-z^ən\Function:noun Date:1848

: a time of suspended or reduced activity; especially : the time during which an athlete is not training or competing.

:(Andy's meaning) a time to drink beer, eat lots of food, get fat, and plan for next year.

The past couple of summers have been a blast. Taking time to travel the east coast of the United States to attend endurance races has been 100% worth the time, money and trouble. Racing has expanded my lifestyle and simplified it at the same time by providing a focus and a way to use the fitness and strength that cycling lends to the people that love the benefits of this lifestyle. It's also given me an opportunity to meet some gifted athletes and outstanding personalities, some of which I link to this blog. In short, I love this shit and will continue.
Now is the time to come up with a race calendar for the coming season...but which "races" to pick? Like many endurance junkies I scrolled down the calendar on ride424.com listing the ones I want to return to (W101 and S100), the ones I haven't gotten to yet, (Breckenridge and Lumberjack, Fools Gold)...and I started to research events I had not previously heard of and then tripped across the Colorado Trail "race".
I am currently in the research stage of this event and I am reading about the trail. Conversing with Matt McFee who has experienced self supported bicycle races (to say the least) and watching from a far Alex's adventures while crossing Chile via bicycle.
Multi-day back country/hiking experience via bicycle. The strategy involved, what to carry, separating what luxury items to pack and what are required to survive? Mapping the trail, it's natural food and water sources and the towns along the way to re-stock food and supplies. Loads of planning needed to accomplish such a trip, unlike my biggest undertaking to date, my decision to do La Ruta last year was decided rather quickly knowing that it was a stage race with world class support. CTR is basically a double self supported La Ruta.
At this time I don't consider this a race and don't want to compete with anyone. Rather to appreciate the trail, respect the danger and play by the self-support rules. The prospect that a clearer view of the bigger picture may come more in to focus and an additional folder added to my personal collection of memories, but I'll be sure to pack a water proof camera for when my memories fade.
My friend Glenn and one other ride Junkie are also equally interested in this journey.

sail round the cape

2008-02-04T08:23:00.001-05:00

The main ingredients were present for an epic ride; lots of time and lots of energy, clear weather didn't hurt either. We made the long haul from our meeting spot in Beverly on a four hour- figure eight loop 'round Cape Ann. Fixed, 70 gear inches for me. Single and free, 71 gear inch for Glenn. Thom P had ambitions of joining us but it didn't work out for that guy this weekend. Rest up tom"e"p and join us next time.
Enjoying the hell out of fixed training...haven't tried off road. Hell, it's been so long since riding trails I've forgotten what it's like.

these guys followed us around all afternoon

nature break
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ma/beverly/1161576215"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02.03.2008&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/ma/beverly"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Beverly, Massachusetts&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

We set a foot trap for Barry and left a note on his car to say hi.

Brady - Moss 08

2008-01-29T18:44:00.000-05:00

If you are not from Boston, here is what it's all about...If people aren't crazy about da Sox, they're talk'in smack about who the Pats are gonna kill Sunday. I just hope it's a close game, the only way I stay awake in the fourth quarter is if it's a nail biter. Go Pats! Thanks for sharing Haa'vee! Massachusetts is a pretty small state..I probably know this guy somehow.

1/2 day at Cannon

2008-01-28T18:20:00.000-05:00

Fortunate to see the forest thru the trees.
On a glorious day with a moderate breeze.
Conditions loose granular like frozen peas.
Ipod singing mellow tunes from the English band Squeeze.
Whacking 'dem bumps and bending 'dem knees.
Screwing off mid week? or preventing cardiovascular disease!

Not Dead Yet!

2008-01-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

Battling back the mounting stress of the work week, found some ways to take a break to find personal relief. Rode the 25 miles to work in 21 degree weather on my fixie yesterday- Wrapped with wool and windproof atire. Evaded frostbite on the climbs while core temps were up and hiding my cheeks on the downside. Man I needed that.
Last night, foolishness abound on stage while Lesli and I stepped back in time to 932ad, the middle ages, with Monty python's Spamalot.
Go see this, don't look to tear it apart, that'd be too easy.
John Cleese would approve.
If I were to give it a review, the funniest scene was one of the first in act 1. with the Finland Sch lapping Dance. After this ridiculous song and dance complete with slapping fish, one cannot resist temptation to forget the days troubles and slip into a Monty mood and search for the holy Grail.

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

I feel like Andy Rooney

2008-01-21T13:29:00.000-05:00

What's up with people taking their dogs for a ride in baskets? I was surfing on ebay and tripped across this phenomenon. It seems a little crazy...wouldn't the dogs be better off walking and getting exercise while you have them outside? Here check this one out. It has pictures of Huskies and dalmatians on the advertisement...like your going to get a 90 pound dog into a basket? Good luck.

These ones are nice and thoughtful, got a bit of shade to keep ren and stimpy comfy and cool on the hot days

...and a dog trailer? Maybe it's just the dogs I've owned but I don't see any dog staying confined too long...maybe that's why the dude in the picture is holding on to Fido?? One glimpse of a cat or squirrel and you'll be glad your on the bike..cause that's the only way your going to ever catch Sparky on his rampage around the neighborhood.

ok, this is the answer to confinement..hell, maybe Dominic's answer to getting back on the trails..(Dom is my 13 yr old retired mountain bike dog). From the makers of Track'r Pet Bicycle Trailer - Our Track'r Bicycle Trailer is a great way to maintain an active lifestyle with your pet. If you want to get in a bike ride, but your pet isn’t up to it, you can still take them along. Going to the park to give your pet a little fun and exercise? Why not get some exercise yourself on the trip their and back, without tiring them out along the way?

Without getting tired along the way?

isn't that the point?

This one has a "dog roll-cage"

wow, the deeper I dig into this the weirder it gets...this company make dog helmets??

with no ear holes??

yeah, and this isn't the strangest thing EVER??

ah ! This one's got style..

where do I order?

Heading to a soldier near you

2008-01-21T07:44:00.000-05:00

Big props to Igle and Monague fur getting this bike together to send to Baghdad. The frame reads X Military technology, nice touch Monty. Christopher added the pink king head set for a little comic relief - for a place that could use MORE than a little. Hope the 972nd MP Company can get out and ride...if not,... use it for target practice. :)

Frankenbike lives !

2008-01-16T07:33:00.001-05:00

It's a one of a kind alright.
Installed a pair of studded snow tires
and a Tomi Cog.

ready for winter base...

I learned a few more lessons about fixed gear riding..

Tried my first skid yesterday, did not go well.. On an icy road I leaned forward and locked them up..The chain fell off the front ring and wrapped around the rear cog. Luckily didn't break the chain. I'm running more tension now...but now with no rear brake thanks to Tomi.
This should be interesting.

Fixed? Didn't know I was Broken...

2008-01-14T07:52:00.000-05:00

I'd always looked to new technology and innovation to make the experience better. So why was yesterday's ride so damn fun?
I turned my Igleheart single speed mountain bike into a fixed gear to help achieve base fitness. I chose a gear pretty much at random (46 x 20)... and rode it for the first time (on a long-ass ride) with my friend Tal. Three and a half hours and I don't know how many miles...maybe 60? It was the first beat down of 2008!
On our tour around Cape Ann we ran into three other people on fixed gears, all of which Tal knew...all the cool kids are doing it I guess...and all of these fixie aficionados were on beautiful rigs. Rich on a glossy black ANT, Laurie on a plum Gunnar and Gary on his battle ship gray Surly.
I learned a few things about fixed gear bikes;
#1 my gearing was a little light
#2 wind it up coming down a hill the bike owns you till you can slow it back down.
#3 don't stop pedaling to reach in your pocket or you'll be reminded quickly that there's no freewheel to go 'click click click'.
#4 it hurts really bad to keep up with people on fixed gear road bikes when your on a mountain fixie
#5 Maybe I'm just addicted to gear...Maybe I need a third Igleheart.

looks like a screaming good time

stir it up

2008-01-12T07:44:00.000-05:00

Please don't a rock'a my boat, cause I don't want'a my boat to be rocked anyhow. It's been 10 long years with out a big stir up at work but the Airport is a'stir, and heads were chopped, and people displaced to new positions and others layed off. I've got a new home and a new client base and a new work schedule that could work for a while. Working Saturdays will certainly bite into my amateur racing career but It's the workin skills that pay the bills.

time to regroup

2008-01-06T18:20:00.000-05:00

I "Sat in" for 42 miles today with no regret and enjoyed my laziness to the fullest extent. A guest appearance from an unlikely roadie...When Skip heard Barry was coming out for a group road ride his response.."is he gonna wear his full face helmet?" Only thing that could top this is to some-how con George to road-ride with us!
Barry was the phantom anchor of the group. Where else in the world does wearing a cloak of black spandex make you stand out, but among a bunch of guys in pink and blue?

questions for 2008

2008-01-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

So I have to ask..was that "it"?
Not that it was NOT the shit.
Every year is what you make of it.
Was THAT the very best it will ever be?
Was THAT the very best of me?
Will I have another chance to try harder?
Will I have the TIME or WILL to go farther?
Is it possible to make the friends that I have made...
Will this passion ever fade?
2007 was an amazing year, was it merely the frontier?

ice cream head ache

2007-12-27T14:56:00.000-05:00

The amount of cheese cake I devoured over Christmas warranted this ride. Outside my window freezing rain. Inside, not even the dogs would rise from their dog dreams or their comfortable beds. When the phone rang I could only hope to hear a fellow rider on the other end...Was it the motivation I needed or someone to share in the winter suffering? The caller was my die hard friend Skip and he felt the same way. "I need a clp hours on the road". Sweet.
Beggars for a ride, soon to be beggars for warmth and hot cocoa. We lasted two hours and got soaked to the bone. Skip beat me up good. A month off hurts real bad.
A less-traveled road heavily frost-heaved and covered with slush served as the turn toward home. 23mm road tires were not going to cut the mustard, or the slush. At an exact moment the road turned to glaze ice and Skip demonstrated his ability to fall and tumble with the best of them. Me being the good friend, held my line and politely asked if he could get out of my trajectory as I couldn't stop and was heading right at his left arm. That's compassion huh? Thanks for the ride Skip, u da man.

snow rake

2007-12-23T07:16:00.001-05:00

I found a great upper body workout that can be done around the house...literally. All you need is a sh*t ton of snow on your roof and a snow rake. Cranking the tunes also helps.
I was going to go for an xc ski or road ride but my house was letting out alarmingly loud cracking noises that I needed to investigate. Maybe the old saying "they don't build'em like they use to" applies in our case. We love our ranch house but it maybe a tad under built by today's standards.
Heavey rains coming later today it was probably a good thing to scrape off a ton of snow and get rid of the ice damns that were forming.
Does a person own the house or does the house own the person.. hey at least I got a workout!

snow roomba!

2007-12-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

As a life long New Englander this doesn't happen every year...we're getting walloped with snow so far this winter...14 inches and mounting, and that is just counting what is presently in my front yard. Hope it keeps up. Skiing is going well. I've adapted my nite rider HID to work with out a helmet and have been blazing through the darkness regularly in a near by patch of woods after work. Not nearly as fun as biking in the same woods but hey what can you do... enjoy the off season right!

I would like Santa to bring me a hybrid form of snow blower if it's not too much trouble. Can your elves combine the Roomba robot vaccuum and a snow blower? This way I can be out skiing or down at the local pub and not have to worry about cleaning out a space to park. Thanks soo much.+

I'd ask for a pair of 29 inch Gazzi extreme studded tires for my single speed but see that they are still on back order... oh well. The snow-roomba will do.

It is bitter sweet having all this damn snow in the woods. great snow sports but zero biking. I am anxious to try out my new fixed gear set up on the SS...can't even get out on the road, there's so much powder on top of ice the sidewalks haven't been cleared in a week.

As soon as the trails are passable I'd like to organize a BCT (bay circuit trails) ride from Ipswich to Andover and back for anyone who'd like to go. Taking in to consideration that this may not be until April by the rate the snow is falling here.

Merry Christmas

where the lyrics live

2007-12-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

Boston was blanketed with six to ten inches of white fluffy snow. the kind you don't mind shoveling, it's not the usual back-breaking experience. Light and fluffy. Not the snow balls kind, and you couldn't make a snowman with the stuff if your life depended on it. Just good dry powder. No base. You'll cut right thru to dirt on the local ski hills so bring your early season board if staying local...but why would you do that.
Christopher called and asked if I knew how to ski...cross country. And I don't, but should, I replied.
Five years ago when Lesli and I bought our house from an elderly couple moving in with their son, they left behind many things they would never again use, like a snow blower and a set of cross country skis. My one attempt to use the skis two years ago didn't go well. Now it was time to try again and learn something new.
"It's like shuffling your feet down the school hall" Chris said. So we shuffled and I moved awkwardly for an hour and that led to another hour of less awkward movement. Then Les and I went out again yesterday, she on her snow shoes and I on Ben's skis. The waxless skis with the price tag still on them. $99 at MVP...almost like he was going to bring them back after the season for his money back. That was Ben. Thank you Ben. He was the elderly man I bought my house from.
So yesterday's less-awkward movement will lead into today's shuffling around the halls of the woods in perfect powder. I've now made a track in the woods and my technique is coming along. It's funny when learning a new sport or learning anything... Learning is a matter of a style, balance and effortless motion that needs to be learned, then honed to look as if it were instinctual.
When I learned to snowboard a long time ago, I took a flogging of epic proportions. The act of directing a plank of wood to the bottom of a hill with grace was painful. And also frustrating. A few friends were learning at the same time, back in 93 or 94. Brad and Allyson on Wha, o-Wachusett mountain on New Years Eve. They could go top to bottom, and top again and also lap me. This was my fourth attempt in two years at snowboarding, and then I got it. I felt like I was granted a super power. I could link three turns while strapped to a plank of wood! I earned my super power with many a bruised hip and swelled elbow and this technique was now mine. I owned it. To be permanently stored in my memory banks next to an untold number of song lyrics that I never wanted to learn in the first place. Funny how that works.

Weekend warrior land

2007-12-09T17:17:00.000-05:00

A big shout out to dear old Dad for the video cam. I break them as fast as I fill the memory with images of debauchery. I'll try to take care of this one :) Thanks.

sidelined

2007-12-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

enjoy the time off?

but already miss it.
beat up and sick,
Costa Rica you bitch.
So, begins the off season I guess.
Enter weekend warrior land.
I like weekend warrior land.
Away from the daily commute,
Away from the head wind on marsh road.
Away is a way to make a will stronger.
But the legs don't agree.

My back in Lynn

2007-12-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

Met George and Jambalaya at the ball field lot early Saturday to visit Lynn woods and some old school trails, and a few new ones, for a mini-epic tour of George's manicured stash. I had built my dually back for the occasion remembering the beating I got here with my hard tail.. With the aggressive rock and boulder strewn lines of Lynn you're better off with as much travel as you can bring...unless of course you're a super skilled trials rider..
Cold and super windy, I had a large backpack with extra clothes and lots of food for myself and Gus. Knowing George's style of packing everything one could possibly need I didn't want to forget anything, so my pack was pretty heavy, as was George's.
We started out on the Hike, a few changes have been made to the trail since the old school days of DM, KD,JH,GA,MD,BB,AG,AP and others. My gears were totally sucking my will to try anything that required stomping force. I had mistakenly installed a used cassette and a new chain, George quickly nicknamed me "skip". Otherwise I was enjoying the cheat factor of six inches of travel front and rear.
We banged and smashed our way over to Balanced Boulder and I needed to stretch my back...but it didn't help. Call me a nancy boy (thanks for that one Barry) but I couldn't handle 4 hours in Lynn with out getting beat down. Yeah, I can cross Costa Rica on a single speed but I couldn't pedal 10 miles in four hours (in four hours...you do the math) with out sheer agony.
I think because I haven't done a single sit up or stretched my back or legs in two solid weeks, but now feel like some has inserted thumb tacks in my lower back.
Might have to see a professional for repair. Four hot baths and lots of vitamin I, nor beer therapy have helped.
Thanks for the ride G. Gus really enjoyed himself.

trail trip

2007-12-03T12:53:00.000-05:00

Bust out the balaclava, winter shoes and tights

cover that skin cause the arctic wind bytes.

Weekend rides start early, as do the nights.
It's fun to ride with folks who aren't afraid of heights.
Hide in the comfort of familiar beaten tracks,
carpeted with camouflage, but you can't hold back!
these are your friends but you start an attack,
flying up leaf covered hills in a blistering pack.
Adrenalin levels heightened in an oxygen deprived head,
whirling the pedals, wide open, full speed ahead!
On a blistering pace my chassis glows infrared.
flames now lap my heels, the steel radiating a deep cherry red.
Grab a hand full of brake but the pads dissolve to a gas,
hot embers streak from my hurtling mass,
I try to avoid hitting trees and the tall grass
and my bike now ablaze like liquefied natural gas.
I reach for my camel back hose and can only hope that it isn't froze.
I extend, aim, and pinch and alas it isn't froze and it goes and flows,
and the red red glows of my incredibly weird woes
have spared my life but burned my toes.

La Ruta Pictures

2007-11-28T07:58:00.001-05:00

Day 1 "yeah La Ruta!"
(When I still thought this was a good idea)

Day 2
(4 hours to go, then I can have beer)

"This mud isn't too bad"

Willy Wonka's chocolate waterfall
and the Costa Rican hulk

Morning of Day 3 with Reenie and Tom

It seems Heart Akerson needed to be free of at least one artical of clothing the entire race.

Read more about this truly original human here.

I'm sure Brian's shirt made a few people hungry day 3

Jon Nutbrown was just Hoping Sue Haywood would come and buckle his helmet on day 3

Climbing up front out of the coffee plantation, day 4

Climbing out back, from the coffee plantation, day 4

day 4, the laundry list is long

2007-11-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

It was the night post stage 3 and we'd been driven to a far off resort 1.5 hours into the Costa Rican rain forest. This resort was ridiculously lavish. A private fenced in community of perfectly landscaped white stucco buildings hidden deep in forest, private restaurant, pool & spa. Hell our bus driver had to stop twice to get directions it was so far off the beat in path.
We arrived at 7pm and needed to be back on the bus at 3:30 am. Simply not enough time to enjoy our surroundings.
Barbra, whom organizes the Cohutta race in Tennessee was there with husband Perry. Perry had just received a dozen stitches in the forearm late in stage 3 on Jeremiah Bishop's hill. I'm sure that Perry would have preferred to remain at the River of Pearls Resort and recuperate for a day or two, I know I wanted too.
One final early wake up call, one final early morning breakfast, one final early morning bus ride to one final early morning race start. Ahhghh CRAP! I forgot my wallet at the fancy resort! I exclaimed, more like I freaked out. Standing in the rain near the start line of day four, I had no idea what to do. All my money and credit card was in that wallet 1.5 hours away at the River of Pearls resort. What a boob! Tim D stood next to me.. He saw me freaking out. I respect Tim for what he said next.."don't worry man, I've got money to loan you, just get through today and things will work out." I also had Roger to help my dumb ass. Post race I realized that it was just a jacket that I forgot and I actually had my wallet buried deep in my yellow race bag. Thanks anyway Tim.
I had taken my congestion pill and a celebrex that Andrew Caputo had so graciously kicked down to me. Enjoying the medication's effects in this photo, still worried about my forgotten wallet. I had plenty of clothes on today and would not be caught out with a chill in the rain again. Rich Dillon stood near me with quite the fashion statement. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, arm warmers and a black trash bag for a rain coat. I complimented Rich on his kit and wished he was in this picture, it was just the humor I needed to smile on the miserable morning.
The first 5K was a gravel climb to start out. Tim D went with a big gear 32x18 mashing the pedals and turning his 29 inch wheels up the slope. I rolled with a 32x20 and concentrated my way up the hill. I think Rich was using a 32x18 for stage 4.
Before long we were enjoying extended downhill sections on gravel with wide swooping corners that begged for as much speed as we could provide. I was playing leapfrog with a cannondale support truck on some of these slopes. The spare Cannondale on the roof of the Chevy Blazer swayed wildly like a broken keel on an out of control ship as the blazer bounced down the rough gravel road. I thought something was going to snap, the bike, the rack, or the truck.
Speed obtained on the extended downhill was in the ball park of 50 mph and the hill went on for 10 miles . We definitely deserved this after three days of climbing hills. I was in the bomber position, sitting on my top tube with the bat wings out enjoying every second. On paved roads now with police stopping traffic at the intersections.
The episode I am going to describe next may just go down as the funniest 10 seconds in my life. I was on a residential dirt road moving slowly as I approached three young Costa Rican children in the road. They were staggered in line with their arms outreached and seemed to be marshaling me into a left hand corner. I thought, "wow, these three young kids are course marshals?" So I stopped and looked down the path they were sending me and said.."left here?" They looked at me blindly not understanding English tho to say.."yeah stupid down there." I raced down the path scanning the dirt for tire marks in the mud but saw none, and as I sped along, looking down at the ground my front tire came upon a rug, a green braided rug??...and I looked up to find my self IN SOME ONE'S HOUSE! The path had ended and I had ridden directly into some one's house! There was no door to the laundry room and I had fully ridden into someone's freekin house! Clean laundry hanging to my left and a teen aged boy watching television on a couch to my right. I looked at him with dismay and exclaimed, "LA RUTA?? He slowly moved off the couch and with a puzzled look said, "no, no La Ruta" He started to laugh, I started to laugh and he motioned me to the path that I had entered his house on.
His mother looking wildly out the window, she wasn't laughing. I turned my dripping bicycle around within the laundry room and in the process took all of the clean white clothes off the line with my handlebar. I bent over trying to pickup the clothes but my mud soaked gloves were making matters worse. I apologized profusely and the teen aged boy just laughed and motioned me to the street. I looked at the kids that had directed me down the path and they were now in a straight line formation with their hands skyward wanting only a high five...and not directing racers down into the laundry room at all. For the next mile I died laughing.
The guy bent over on the far right across the river is me. The spring on my front brake had broken and needed to be fixed. I had my tools out and spare brake parts were on the ground but I could not for the life of me get the pads re-installed. I didn't want to force the pads on and snap the piston nub so I tried to reason with the cylinder and sweet talk them on...nope no dice. I was there for four or five minutes until Doug and Roger appeared on the river bank. Roger said, "hey let me try" I asked.."do you know how to install the pads?" He quickly said no...but with in five seconds had them back in the piston.
The three of us rolled together along with a few friends that Roger had made through out the trip. Good to see he was really enjoying him self and pushing a fast pace on this dirt road riddled with pot holes. Poor Doug was getting his wrists shattered on this section, riding a rigid fork in the train of riders as we snaked around and smashed into deep pot holes.
The three of us were together for about an hour. Moving quickly on roads and sharing pulls within a large group on paved sections.
The day was flying by for me. At one point a woman we were riding near said that we were at 103 kilometer with about 17k to go. Wow this day was flying! I had just consumed a red bull and was feeling pretty high so I left the group and entered the final section of railroad beds alone.The rail bridges were interesting. This one pictured had a 1x8 piece of lumber nailed down for quicker passage. Some bridges did not have the safety of the 1x8. Most were suspend high above rushing white water and the act of stepping rail to rail had a dizzying effect. I think the bridges claimed the adventure aspect of the entire trip.
The first bridge I came upon I was with a group of four or five other guys. Looking across the 200ft span there was a train on the other side. People warned that it was moving, we waited but it did not show signs of movement. The guys in front went for it. My plan was that if the train was coming they would jump first..so I just looked down at the rails and step one tie at a time until we were across. The train was indeed running and after we made it across the conductor went ahead and put the train in motion.The remainder of the rail bed wasn't as bad as I expected. Thankful I had my 29inch wheels on the bumpy sections and just sped along comfortably high on red bull. The beach appeared on my left and I knew the finish line was near. I felt a little bad that I'd ditched Doug and Roger but wanted to stay ahead of Rich in the off chance that I could beat him in GC.
Later, after it was all done and people were celebrating the brutality of crossing Costa Rica via mountain bike Rich said to me, " I officially hate you, you beat me by 7 minutes in GC"

Singing Songs and suffering emmensely

2007-11-23T08:12:00.001-05:00

Day three had me fooled for a while, but it became apparent halfway up this volcano that I was feeling beat up and becoming sick. Energy levels on a new low for the trip. I had enjoyed two days of really strong racing but today I was to pay the piper.
I was able to get through the initial jeep roads to the long paved section but that's where I hit a wall and started to pedal backwards. People I'd never seen started to pass me, my head pounded, I made involuntary groaning noises. I was trying to eat and drink my way back but food didn't help. So I just sat aboard thinking the downhill would save my day. A Costa Rican with plastic flat pedals and Nike sneakers spun by with ease, I knew I was beyond a spot of bother. "Screwed!" I screamed. Pineapple Bob came by me with a giant smile and words of encouragement. I smiled back and wanted that downhill now!Be careful what you wish for right? For the downhill I had conceived in my delirious thoughts was nothing like what layed on the back side of Irazu volcano. Dirt and gravel roads pointed up and down, then back up. I walked a bunch. But now it was cold and raining. My involuntary groaning noises now evolved into shivering motorcycle-like noises to aid in keeping some warmth but didn't help. I was foolish not to bring along a full rain coat, relaying on a simple vest and long sleeve wool shirt.
Doug Jenne rolled into view through the thick white fog and rain. He didn't recognize me stumbling along the rocky, riverbed like road. I was now walking the down hill portions too. Doug stopped for a moment, he sounded quite concerned realizing that my day had unraveled but there was nothing to do but keep on keep'in on I told my self.
I rode when I could, and walked when I couldn't. Singing songs and suffering immensely. "Up on cripple creek" was quite appropriate.When the downhill finally reared it's gnarly self I had crumbled like a skyscraper being demolished with dynamite. Even Roger had passed me not recognizing his travel mate somewhere on the side of the trail. My rockshox Reba pop lock had malfunctioned and was stuck in the locked position and my front brake pads were roasted down to thin steel slivers of the backing material producing high pitched screeching noises and very little brake action.At the end awaited a cold shower in a cement shed and some hot food. I was now aware that I was ill. Some sort of head cold thing. As luck would have it a Doctor from New England named Andrew Caputo saw that I was badly ailing with a flu and he volunteered some medication that I quickly accepted. A hand full of pills allowed me to start day 4 and feel a shit ton better. Thanks Andy.

Dia Dos

2007-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful day fit for an epic ride in Costa Rica with 400 other adventure seeking people. The Machine was on auto pilot, big smiles, tight leg muscles and blue skies. We got to "sleep in" for an extra hour this morning. 4:00am wake up and breakfast then to the start for a 6:30 take off. This would be another great day of Single speeding over some challenging terrain. I bumped my gear down to 32x22..a ridiculously small gear for an all day adventure but the steepness of the initial red slopes demanded extreme stupidity. :-\
Race organizers thought it would be funny to funnel 400 racers through a deep mud puddle to start things out. It served to lessen the tension and spread things out on the road I guess, just hard to find humor in it at the time. I was with Doug Jenne trying to catch Rich Dillon on the initial road stretch. I enjoyed Doug's company through out the trip, on course and off. Super chatty and so am I.We caught Rich on the first gravel climb/hike. My focus was once again to stay on the bike at all cost and attempt to dock up to Tim D but I don't think I ever saw Tim on day 2. Rocket ship Dougherty was again on course to crush dia dos like he did dia uno. (That's almost the extent of my Spanish).

So once again the day was going well, plenty of energy, the correct gear in motion and some breath taking views. Thanks to Keven for more pictures. I should also mention that while Tim D was kicking the hell out of the un-official SS race he was also stopping to take photos with a camera he had aboard. Brilliant Tim! Way to make it look like child's play man.
On the road climb to the high point I was passed by an ambulance with the loudest siren I'd ever been deafened by..When it stopped up the road from me it was apparent that someone had mis-negotiated a fast corner and flown off a cliff. Ambulance crews along with two motorcyclist officials were scaling down a mud cliff to apparently reach the victim.
On the road peaks we passed through small town centers where the towns people came out in droves to cheer on the racers. School children lined the pavement with their arms out stretched, bubbling to receive a high five from our filthy mud soaked gloves. The kids let out shrieks of joy with every sopping wet high five that I planted on their skyward hands, spackling their light green school uniform in the process. Day 2 ended with a funny hike-a-bike ascent up what I call "Willy Wonka's chocolate waterfall". I was pretty hungry at this point and almost tasted the chocolate river it look so real. The bike was covered and weighted at least 70 pounds with a thick coat of chocolate. There was no way around it as we ascended to the top of the hike, trudging calf deep in thick brown mud. At the very top a burly Costa Rican gent was grabbing each racer's 70 pound bike and hauling it up as the final 10 feet was a hand over hand climb. He then lowered a stick for each competitor to latch on to and pulled each of us up that 10 foot section. With a big smile I said, "Si! Moy Bueno!!" "Gracias Senior Hulk".
Again, thanks to Kevin for all the photos to refresh my memories of dia dos. The day ended at a mall parking lot where the La Ruta Machine was set up to once again clean mud covered bikes and rub down sore muscles and feed 400 hungry racers. I should also mention that I was riding a broken front axle for day one and two. Just one of those parts of the bike that are not inspected that often and you just hope that are in one piece. Assembling the bike for day one I noticed movement where there should not have been and got this sinking feeling that I was screwed. The skewer was holding the axle together and the hub was riding on a very small shoulder of aluminum that was not exactly designed for abuse. I rolled the dice and came up aces, the angels of fate on my side for two days. Cicloquilly found me a 29 inch front wheel for day 3 and day 4. I was very relieved.

we survived

2007-11-20T12:15:00.000-05:00

La Ruta is a dangerous behemoth of a machine. Once this monster is set into motion the momentum is impossible to slow or change direction, just hold on, stay healthy, and don't stop. La Ruta's Ignition was switched on in Jako on Nov 14th and there was no way to stop it until it snaked it's way over the middle of Costa Rica and buried it's head deep into Caribbean waters near Limon. It seemed to have an insatiable appetite that gathered energy from it's participants, leaving destruction in it's wake for some. Moving swiftly over tall emerald mountains and blazing it's way down red rivers of mud. Not only a challenge to stay healthy and out of harms way, but also a challenge to keep all the possessions you required in a big yellow bag and not lost or forgotten along it's path.
The La Ruta machine's arms were in the form of buses that transported racers to far off villages for a quick nap and a refreshment before delivering it's next challenging stage. Logistically La Ruta was a colossal nightmare that required an army of yellow shirted workers to labor around the clock to keep the muddy wheels lubricated and spinning free. In my opinion they did a great job. But there were many stories of lost or stolen bikes, incorrect course markers, broken buses, broken spirits, broken bones, broken bikes, crashes galore, injuries, sickness, general despair, but also many satisfied ride junkies that wanted a beat down and got just that.
This monster machine did not sleep and never ran out of gas, and only hoped you would give up, run out, get sick, get lost, grow delirious, or fall through a train bridge. Roger and I emerged on the beach four days later, a few pounds lighter with allot of memories to share. Here is how I recall the trip...

Day 1; big fun

Racers converged in Jako, Costa Rica. A small, dirty surf town on a strip of beach on the Pacific side of the Country. I was glad to say goodbye to Jako. Moving inland away from the warm, sunny surf & blue skies the landscape changed dramatically as we moved east. Mud slopes shot up hundreds of meters, an introduction to racers what we were to endure for the next four days.
SS'ers united in the start gate at the Best Western Hotel early that morning. Vicious Doug, Tim D, Dicky, Vassago Kevin, Sean, MTBTom, 2:1 Deven, Pineapple Bob, and my self. ( I think I'm forgetting 1 ss'er?) oh duh, how could I forget Tom Greene!
Roger was making friends fast with his positive attitude and big smile that lasted till the end of the event and all the way home. I was fortunate to be Roger, attitude is everything when it comes to making the best of what could be a really bad time. Harry P possessed that same attitude and it was a pleasure to ride with HP on Day 2.
So day 1 was long, 7 hours and 20 minutes for me. Loads of climbing, extremely hot and humid. no crashing, but saw a guy fall into a ditch at 30 mph early in the first day of riding.
Tim D had a flat tire on top of the second mud hill. He'd pass me back an hour later on a super techy mud downhill single track with his bell ringing, he was the only person I saw ride it. I walked. Later I learned that a fellow Bostonian named Rich Blair with the MTB Mind team fell and tore up his knee so bad it needed 60 stitches. Rest up man, sorry to hear that.
The crux of day 1 was a 20k road climb that soared to a height of 1200 meters. I found my gear selection was right on. 32x20 was working out very nicely. I was able to keep with geared riders on the downs and climb out of the saddle for the ascents. Wish we had monstrous climbs like this one at home.

Work crews were paving the mountain road half way up and had allowed riders to pass on the left. The asphalt had recently been steamrolled and was sticky for 5k after the work site. The pungent smell of petroleum in the air and constant sound of my bike tires tearing away from the hot asphalt sounded like a 5 kilometer piece of Velcro tearing in two. I bet the race organizers arraigned for the road work for day 1 to add to the difficulty. I enjoyed it.

The final 20k of day 1 was tough but I stayed on course somehow. Gravel road climbs. Lots of folks got directed off-course by incorrect markers and people sending them on last years hike-a-bike hell. They were not pleased after day 1 on the bus ride home.
I didn't have a camera for the ride so I've been stealing some pictures from the web, Sean's blog, Jason Sager, and Canadian cyclist
Now I need to go rest and take another antibiotic pill. More to come on day 2, 3, and 4 when I wake up.

going up?

2007-11-11T08:01:00.001-05:00

I've been telling people at work that I'm off to Costa Rica for a vacation. I forgot to tell them that this is what vacation looks like. Thanks to Jason Sager for the photos, now I've got something to think about tonight on the flight down...like bypassing the race and bringing my scuba gear!Where did I put those cleats again?
On the bright side, who needs gears in a congo line!

Kill'a Kit

2007-11-09T16:01:00.001-05:00

Huge thanks to the guys and girls at Cambridge Cycle and Chris Igleheart for these spiffy race duds that I'll be wearing for La Ruta next week. Love the design. I feel faster already!
What a strange power there is in clothing.

how to get CO2 to Costa Rica?

2007-11-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

La Ruta is FINALLY right around the corner and almost time to get this show on the road. Hallelujah! I can (almost) stop waking up from nightmares about trying to push a 36x 16 over the Irazu volcano..or worse..dreams of being severely under-geared, spinning at 180rpm all day and night, finishing dead last, organizers rolled up the finish line, food all gone, missing the last bus to the hotel, sleeping in mud, then to be wakened the next morning and forced to do it again in the same chamois. NO, really..those thoughts never entered my head.
I'm excited to be in this situation and looking forward to riding my bike for four days across a mountainous landscape and through dense rain forest of Costa Rica. It will be something to remember, glad there are so many friends and acquaintances in the race. Wish there were a few more. Lets get this party started already! Give me another week and I'll be crying for it to end.

This week has been very layed back. Very few rides. No commuting days. :( Just tapering for a race , a loooong race. Just hanging in and trying not to eat all of the left over Halloween candy. I had a nice ride last weekend with Tal and Jess over in Willowdale and BP for a few hours. We cheated the rain a bit as hurricane Hugo held out till 10:30am. Got some quality hours and more importantly had fun.

The rest of the weekend is a blur. Lesli decided that it had been way too long since having a bash so we invited some people over for an international food party with a emphasis on Ethiopian food. I took care of the international beer selection.

If you are not familiar with Ethiopian food - you should be, cause your missing out. Lots of tasty vegetable dishes, exotic spices, eat with your hands, no forks, using torn pieces of enjira to pick up and eat the food like a burrito. Just watch out cause enjira (a flat bread) expands and will put the hurt on if you don't take your time. Similar to Indian food witch happens to be among my favorite food on the planet.
Now more about the beer..two notable beverages come to mind. Hakim Stout is an Ethiopian dark beer, flavorful, hard to find, if the opportunity presents it self..go with it. One of the best stouts I've ever had. Another notable beverage is a German Wheat that has been brewed for the better part of millennium,(since 1040) but was new to me. Weihenstephaner Festbier . Tastes like a strong unfiltered pilsner. Next time you want something lighter than a lager or ale but with a distinctive taste try one...or just buy it cause the label has a picture of buzzed German nuns on the label ...good conversation piece at a party. Can't go wrong there.
And just in case you haven't heard...
Not like Whittingham and I didn't figure that one out long ago :) but thanks for that news Kerry.

and finally, the simple life of Gus.

we over-paid Saturday, got change.

2007-10-29T19:30:00.001-04:00

3 riders is the way to roll when you want to keep away from unnecessary stopping for anything but taking in the view. We covered dirt roads that rolled like ribbon candy and climbed switchbacks that were layed out by a maestro.

Nature's sag. mother prepared syrup.

"that's where you guys were yesterday when it was pouring and visibility was 100 feet".
These cows didn't mind the first snow squall of the year. We enjoyed it too. simplicity is a beautiful thing.Comfort brought to you by YKK zippers. Never have I used a zipper so many times in one ride. I thought it might melt into a ribbon of plastic by the days end.

Dreadful wind and rain

2007-10-29T08:12:00.000-04:00

Meet my partner in adventure, Roger.

If you can't tell through the rain drops and fogged camera lens that's a smile on Roger's face. He's smiling because we're on top of Brandon Gap with two gaps to go. When a ride is planned weeks in advance the weather is a big variable, but that's why we own rain gear! One thought in my mind while sitting atop Brandon Gap were; 1 gap down, two to go. But found my thoughts wandering from the task at hand and began thinking about the warm radiant heat of Jeff's wood burning stove, along with thoughts of Jeff's comfortable couch and wide screen tv back in Waitsfield.Fenders rock.

We flew down the paved back side of Brandon gap to a quite forest road. Once on the rolling gravel we spun side by side eating and talking for an hour before our next challenge, Lincoln gap. A 20-24% grade with 1843 vertical feet of rise in 12.1 miles. Perfect venue to test out a volcano-worthy gear ratio, and it was indeed a worthy gear.

I was familiar with the climb from two previous visits here earlier in the year. One ended in a emergency room visit to sew up a friend's hip. Undoubtedly I'd be heeding on the side of caution on the decent but need to get to the top before worrying about the descent.

Here we go! The climb was on, passed the snow-cat and the end of pavement. Zippers wide open in the cold pouring rain, pink skin getting pinker, rain pouring harder, steam now pouring out of me creating my own localized weather system to keep me comfortable. Hammering the climb while trickle charging a cache of deep storage for the arrow-straight final 1 mile, 24% pitch of pain and pavement to the summit. No pictures from atop Lincoln as the skies were pelting Roger and I with a torrential soaking. We stayed for a moment on the summit, ate a cliff bar and then batten down all available hatches to cut through the wind like cruise missiles programed on a heading to Rt 100.
We made a brief stop at a truck stop/gas station two miles from the start of our next challenge, Appalachian Gap. Hot chili and coffee never tasted so good. People entering the restaurant shook their heads and looked at us with a puzzled crooked stare as our saturated clothing deposited gallons of water, forming big puddles at our feet. I asked the attendant for a mop I felt so bad about our mess. The guy was super cool, saying "mopping will give me something to do when you leave".
Roger and I could have bailed out of App Gap at this point. Jeff's house a few miles to our right, Summit of Appalachian Gap 10 miles to our left. We made the right choice and climbed the gap, which turned out to be my favorite of the day. The rain subsided for the climb and we were rewarded with views of the red and yellow dotted ridges from 1777 feet above. On the summit the rain was coming at us sideways. A woman approached us and rolled down the fogged window of her Saab '93, defroster on high and windshield wipers splashing water on my legs. "are you guys alright?" Roger's reply.."why, do we not look alright?" She seemed offended at Roger's reply as a scowl came over her face. I thanked her for her concern and she drove on her way. Roger and I got a laugh at the expense of our good Samaritan.

Jeff had to bow out of our soaking gaps adventure on Saturday to do some dad stuff with Seneca, reading books, playing hide and seek, and some general QT with the cutie. He cooked us a protein-rich stew post ride which served for a perfect recovery meal and we watched the Red Sox in the World Series on that big screen tv from the warm and dry living room that had motivated us for 5 hours.

Sunday the three of us got out in perfect conditions as Jeff led us on a day's worth of dirt road gaps and a secret stash of back country single track.

with a little help from my friends...

2007-10-26T13:02:00.000-04:00

Didn't the Beatles have a song that went something like that?

This WAS plan A, my geared 26 Igleheart outfitted with some custom fenders for a back to back gaps attack. Even the best plans go to waste and the bicycle destroyer strikes again! - the way I should title this post. Another title to this post could be "switch to plan B".
After spending some hours prepping my geared 26'er for a wet trip to hill country, other wise known as Whittingham's turf in northern VT, plans to take the geared 26 are in the circular file. Hours of tweaking on my geared bike were all for nothing...or almost nothing. The geared bike is officially out of commission and I'm afraid it's structural and you guessed it...the bike destroyer strikes again.. I dented the top tube on THAT bike months ago with a wipe out at Hampshire 100k so bad that a crack developed and now grew to a couple inches and upon inspection last night that bike is unride-able. If I took it up north it would surely break on top of App or Lincoln..or worse, break while descending down App or Lincoln..

Christopher cleared out his schedule this morning and was going to perform an emergency tube-ectomy to save the ride. But that would have been plan C. Currently I'm simultaneously creating plan B and switching to a plan B at the same time.

Plan B involves my single speed 29'er and a front derailleur, a chain tensioner and some honk'in fenders. It's going to pour all weekend so Bill set me up with the perfect pair of mud flaps. The front derailleur will help me keep up with Roger and Jeff on fast rolling roads. The freak dual speed is born, well almost born..will be born, with a little help from my friends at Western Cycle, KC and Igleheart. Kerry loaned me just the right freewheel for the weekend, and I hope it to be the correct gear for La Ruta. Many thanks to Christopher for quickly fabricating the sliding rear hangar this morning and thanks to Kerry for the White clicker. you rock. Pictures of the freak dual speed next week.

Words of wisdom from vet racer Kerry Combs, told to her from Lloyd Graves many years ago..
(about staying on the bike on tough climbs) - "The rubb'a on yur wheels is faster then the rubb'a on yur Heels!" I think that will come in handy this weekend.

-Peace out

fun with science

2007-10-24T08:12:00.000-04:00

I held out a small amount of hope that dry ice was going to be a clean and quick way of magically pulling a dent out of my beautiful steel Igleheart frame. The instructions we found said 'best results attempt on a sunny day'...so we heated the toptube with a hairdryer, then applied the dry ice.

We also mis-used a can of dust-off,...(no we didn't huff it) in the upside down position to freeze the area around the dent. We repeated the process a few times hoping to see the dent pop back straight. I starred at it so long that I thought I saw it move.. and was ready to be startled as the ding snapped back into alignment...but that didn't happen. This trick may work on thin sheet metal but unfortunately didn't work on Columbus Life tubing.

So we resorted to playing with the extra dry ice and had a couple beers.

And filling Kerry's kitchen with Carbon Dioxide

one dent, one dislocation, a few PBR's

2007-10-22T13:06:00.000-04:00

I hopped on my bike this morning and was quickly reminded of an on-trail mishap from Saturday. Ouch. A small section on the Red Dot trail from here on out will be known as "top tube alley". My bruised undercarrige will fade in a couple of days...the dent in my bike however will not. Glenn quickly reminded me his nickname for me is "the bike destroyer".

I had been out riding since 10am and eaten all the food in my pockets, almost out of water, and was heading home when I passed Jess and Tal on their way meet Glenn and his friend Dave for a spin through red dot and Gordon. Sure why not. I've only been out for 6 hours..what's a couple more.

We were moving through red dot quickly, staying together pretty well. It's a technical single track with small climbs..you can get pretty beat up if your thinking about something other than riding. Well..maybe I was thinking about the choirs I should be doing at home when both feet popped out of the peds on a slippery rocky down hill section. Ended up riding it out on my top tube. Applied some brake, took hold of the reigns and got back in control. "Whew that was fun". With Tal right behind he saw me flailing around like I was riding a bull. Funny till I noticed that I had come down on my top tube so hard my freekin pelvic bone put a sizable dent in my shiny new bike? Sort of crazy. My bruise will heal..the bike..probably not. I should look into a tool to roll dents out.
Shortly after my tt ride, Dave (who is a doctor) dislocated his ankle while falling backwards off his bike. Jess witnessed the injury and the unnatural position of Dave's foot. Thankfully Dave was ok after the shock of popping his foot back into the correct place...I didn't feel so bad about my little dent. Dave made it out safe, ice and a prescription of PBR while playing flip it was the therapy. Good going Dr Dave.

Just found this about using dry ice to pull out dents on cars...now just need some dry ice. I'll let you know how it goes.

Remove Car Dents With A Dry Ice Block Www.mastrik.com - video powered by Metacafe

Turns out it was my Ischial Tuberosity (#3 on the photo) that made contact.
I'll take the dent over breaking that part of my body...doesnt look like an easy fix.
Tomorrow I'll try the dry ice trick on the dent...

pain or more pain?...more pain please.

2007-10-19T10:35:00.001-04:00

Ever so firmly I sit perched on the fence of indecisiveness, dramatically wavering from one side to the other. On one side we have gears, and for a moment that sounds like a great idea. That (in theory) allow swift and smooth ascents possible, expediting movement across flat sections, (not that there are very many flat sections in Costa Rica)...Foolishly I'm prematurely thinking about the final and cruel 25k of rail bed I guess and how I'd wish for a swift end at that point. Can't put the cart before the horse here Andy.
Gears will undoubtedly complicate matters while also making the race more bearable and some climbs possible where a single gear is useless at times. But do gears make me faster? is the real question. I switched over to a single gear a couple months ago and the simplicity actually made me faster on climbs but I've never been faced with a 10 or 20 mile hill climb before...Roger and I need to go to Mt Washington and see if the Auto road is passable via 32x20. Do they allow bikes on the auto road to train? prolly not...hmmm I wonder. Harvey would know that...
The simple question is can my knees take the abuse of four days and 30,000 ft of climbing on a single gear or should I sign up for a double knee replacement surgery now.
I certainly don't want the aggravation of skipping, crunching, unneeded stress and maintenance post race that gears will bring to the equation. Costa Rica mud = non fuctional gears. Hell, Tim Dougherty tore that race apart last year, and Dicky keeps coming back for another helping of abuse. I think I heard Topher is going south to Costa Rica again this November...and from what I've read he hasn't had a double knee replacement yet, now I wonder if he's riding a rigid fork again this time?. Doug's is going down with his SS. My friend and fellow Bostonian Tom is feeling the same way I am...or I was.
OK. Single speed it is. The fence has been removed.