So my favorite fluff reading ... seems to suggest that a Coach should have a Coach.

i should go off on how it parallels music, hell any learned activity... (there is always someone with a different knowledge set that you can learn from - in every discipline)

It begs the question... Who coaches Nega-Coach? And the horrid thought being, what if Nega-coach DOESN'T have a coach... is he still a good coach?

(just messin - everyone needs a good stick in the ribs... as long as its not a stick in the spokes)

I'm off to do the pick up rounds... fortunately no more updates today!

G

ahhhh....

there's an upside and downside to trouble-shooting to the point of success...

its exhausting...

that and the temp went up 10 degrees and the sun got brighter between riding down and riding back...

swung through the Hub... said hey - they were reeling(sic) in the aftermath of a bit of a crazy rush... and that shop can take about 5 or 6 customers at a time and feel crowded - and with only three staff- which isn't bad, but the shop area is more or less the sales floor and there's a ton of old furniture (zoo side of things) and space? doesn't exist... after complementing them on the new web page i booked it... thirsty and hot... i'm now back at the BMC (I'm glad ya figured all that out now Suds... -see the Gmail chat notifier was confusing him)... downing water... and generally catching up. A sweet new book showed up. Confocal Microscopy for Biologists. Written by Alan Hibbs. Its a bit long for a general use text but i'm hoping its all its cracked up to be once i crack open the spine...

That and i wonder... my grand mother taught me *the* way to break in new books. Is that still required? You know. Put it on the spine... fold the covers down... then slowly fold equal sides down until you reach the middle...

anyway - at first cursory glance its not terribly different than his Course book, but hopefully he dumped much of the archaic Bio-Rad data.

oh and since i'm just remembering and i'll forget, someone on the ride was talking about Bruce's little story about some dutch guy going into a bike shop... and anyway - Bruce... if ya got a link to it- i'd love to read it... sounds like it'd be good alternated with this microscopy book.

Oh and what the heck.... SB has BEEN to a NASCAR race? OMG NFW... my mini-confession, i like it, to a degree. I hate most of the drivers... and as typical like Dale E Jr... liked his dad... and love to hate that putz Gordon... (jeff that is).... but the only cash i've spent was on a #18 Interstate Battery hat... My dad's a redskins fan and i've been one too - well a Joe Gibbs fan... when he left for Nascar, i naturally kept a keen eye on his team... that and i dunno Bobby L is cool... its the mechanic in me mostly... the competition that hinges on a properly built/tuned machine... The TT last week was a reminder... the guys setting 16 minute times had bikes that didn't shift quite right, didn't sound quite right... but that aside their engine was good...

my engine sucks right now... but at least the bike is moderatly functional... that Union somthing i linked was suggesting that commuting miles are junk... super... i've got just junk miles in the legs... oh well - but in his POV defense... his ride IS flat... and those would be junk miles... maybe...

that and if il brucey starts posting more in his web log thingy i'll have to add yet another to the open all....

well...

yall stay cool...

i'm burnt out like a match!
G

well - waiting for a delievery i start readin the article over at NG about the Gore Film...

speciation is ecosystem related... and just cause something is the way it is now doesn't mean it will be that way... forcing stasis is bad.

Remember:

There is no such thing as environment /ecosystem health. it is what it is. extinction being good or bad is a judgement call... in that the ecosystem will eventually fill the void to restore a balance... sure sure sure there are exceptions, there always are. However with ecosystem, that, is one case exceptions do not exist. Sure a toxic waste dump may be 'unhealthy' for us or other animal/plant species... but who's to say that a bacteria won't thrive, or other organisms can't survive just fine there?

sorry - its just something that bugs me... conservation biology... an interesting field... one where you are pitted against the earth itself and evolution... that or you just study the end product or middle product...

Like nearly all trends... there are backlashes, hiccups and changes... which may or may not be in our 'advantage' in clinging to this environment we 'think' is *normal*

(makin it short - unlike ol' sailor boy and his diatribe against home birth evangelists lately)

I'm back... mostly for #1 tab (KL) and almost last (MB). Ms. Twain Canadian... not to mention that, um, Country is rather popular in canada. On the funny, positive side... when the big fat guy from michigan who makes movies did that F 911 thing... well the COUNTRY stations were all lit up talking about how powerful the movie was, how good it was... this was a COUNTRY station... hell i thought it was NPR from the commentary. If ya know USA country stations you'll get the oddity of the phenom...

Now meg's comment about the PI stuff... Great article and not suprising. CO2 levels tend to increase respiration rates in plants assuming there is adequate water and sunlight. The did address the partial issue of PI taking over, although i'd say it will still need to compete with other vines and plants. The higher CO2 levels make sense with the increase toxicity, probably because, like most plant/natural systems, it is designed to be imperfect, and no, i'm not going to bore anyone or myself or more dangerously get my facts wrong about why system imperfection/inefficiency is a good thing in the natural systems.

BUT combine that Snow debris article with the PI one and hey... lets plant PI or other woody vines over the dust fields to keep the snow from melting! just a thought...

Oh and Damn freaking straight. The Streets freaking KICK ASS... And have for a couple years now... a big props to BBC radio 1 for air time... back in the day... they still rock.. nice read there a the Racing Union... damn have to add yet another to the list...

anyway - today i get to do the run home, grab the trailer... head to daycare... hoping she makes it to the end of the day... debating maybe picking her up a bit early if i can get out of here in time... maybe get some heavy laps in to build a bit on last night.

The cops sitting there at the base of the BLVD were a riot... every lap almost they had two more cars pulled over... and when they wrapped up they rode up along side and chatted up a couple of the cuties on the ride... i believe i heard "Do you guys want an escort next week?" i chuckled... that'd be killer... a nice Police escort... they have some major traffic issues on that road... mostly speed... its posted 25 but rarely do folks go much slower than 35 - often people are blasting along at 45... and the bikes just mess is all up... its great...

okay - till i find something else i just can't keep quiet about...

peace out..

Inside the office. Fingers crossed the color laser survives... kinda messed up the whole start of the day.

car is happily hangin out with the autoshop... i hope... its really rather minor, but we'll see what they say.

Got in a decent 1:40 on the bike lastnight, i had a constant urge to get some intervals in, but i felt that the best thing would be just keep it steady state. Probably a good thing... Saw Kipp B, still all bandaged up from the crash a month ago... who'd a thought a crash in a 30+ masters field full of mostly 1s and 2s (according to kipp)... i dunna remember which race... but well... He's finally back on the bike... and that's a good thing.

Sittin here waiting for a next day package so i can head down with it (its only 11 pounds) to the other facility and try and solve the issue with that damn system... hopin they get the ice jam in the air-handler fixed... i thought it was feeling a bit warm in there... its a freaking mess.

last night was insane... flat out-insane... not even worth going over... it was fine leading up to and after the ride... but i guess i pulled off a lap too soon, cause when i got home the girls were walking the BLVD... here i thought i should head home cause it was late... and it didn't get any better after that... the littlest has lost most of the cute little budda belly, but then that's why they have em... she'll bulk back up in a few days i'm guessin... hopin she can kick this bug she's got to make it all easier for everyone...

I'm tired... flat out cooked... coffee isn't even doing it yet... I've yet to open tabs if that give you an indication of the level of crazyness... not to mention i started this thing when? and its now much later... barely can get a thought down without interuption. Although, that's a good thing right?

coffee time...

nah its not a word - but i'm FRIED... talk about a day... here's to hoping i can make it to the BLVD without melting...

first its home to hitch the trailer up... then back over the spine of the hill to day care - back over the spine to home, change, wait around for backup/relief to arrive... then fingers crossed head out for a much needed spin... No way in hell can i subject these powerless bags of flesh (legs) to a TT tonight... no way... sure, its 82 degrees out... little to no wind... conditions should be perfect for setting a new PR... conditions all except for the engine... the Italian tune up coming back up College was a nice help and not a bad measure, but being on the phone for three solid hours doesn't seem to help the hydration much... and yeah... i'm bringing bottles on the ride this time... as in plural... downside... i STUPIDLY put the spinaci's on yesterday thinking i'd do the TT (the whole weekend i was hoping the rain and foul weather potentially forcasted for today wouldn't materialize)... weather's perfect, 'aero bars' are installed... but... well ya know the rest of the story...

old slow guy with kids = slow ass mo-fo...

at least my daughter and I had a nice talk about going all over new england watching me race (or try to)... see seemed reasonably excited even... so i've got that jem tucked in my pocket as motivation... which makes not getting out hurt that much more...

car's gettin dropped off tomorrow... and... i got a call... a reprieve... sortof... it also takes the thunder out of my beefing about the weather... and the back and forth to daycare thing... more leisurely attempt at the BLVD gang meet up...

They've started drilling again (for those vicariously waiting for the construction report). Still plastic over the windows so i can't see outside... hopefully that'll all end soon...

ride safe
g

hopefully I can get that long ride in

Fuzuck, how about that... i say that and what happens? NO FREAKING RIDE...

part of it was my own damn fault... other parts, out of my control.

#1 problem. The B-Day party was NOT on Saturday like we had thought. So instead of hitting the 9am BBW/BTH ride, i posted, i read, i got the girls ready. Then we loaded the car up and headed out to drop off the two oldest (wife and daughter) the littlest was asleep in the car and we head over to the house my bro is working on... get a call "party's tomorrow" DOH! Swing by my bro's work site, chat for a second, head out through the back country to the farm for a minute or two. And of course the day is not shot but close to it. So we get back home eventually, and i decide finally that i need to get the back bumper off the car and see what's hiding under the plastic... leads to

#2 FUZUCK! Well i eventually get it off (actually not a big deal - 20 minutes or less and the bumper cover is off). And what do i see? The passenger side impact absorber is collapsed, the rear bumper/beam is twisted and jammed into the body, there's some sheet metal damage to just below the hatch... i've essentially lost all impact resistance on the passenger side rear. And i'm just completely enraged all over again at that woman who ran into us... Well on the good side the insurance places are saying no more than a week turn around likely. And that's good. I think. At least i'm not depending on the second car to get around. Down side, the list of stuff i've been putting off fixin is getting a bit longer. There's a vibration in the right front brake rotor (warped) from a sticking caliper that's not going away (duh). So i need new rotors, pads (why re-use the cheapest part of the deal, pads) and i need to rebuild the calipers. Sucky, but simple and do able in an afternoon. The clunk is still there, i'm back to thinking its the lower pendulum mount even though when i had it off it felt fine... the thunking sound is definately seeming to eminate behind the pedal 'box' where the mount hooks in the frame. I may have the wheel bearing i replaced a year or two ago going bad, so i need to check the play in that, or it could just be the brakes making the odd noise. The upper strut bearings have pooped again. The driver's side parking brake cable is locking up (i replaced the pass side a long time ago) and usually requires that to release the brake i kneel down by the rear wheel and reach back up and fiddle the lever, fine for me, not what my wife probably wants to be doing in her work clothes. This car stuff is fun isn't it. Also the rear hatch lid mechanism is sticking, totally un-related to the impact, but... i gotta get that apart and fixed. All just fun fun stuff. Not to mention i need to get the front bits all fixed up too from that impact. So by the end of the day saturday i was too pooped/bummed to get out, not to mention my wife headed out for a run. If i got the amount of specific duration she did it'd be great. On the other hand i get close to it by riding to work... so i should be content and happy.

Okay Sunday Fuzuck was not good, sort of. Same thing, i was actually wiped out and managed to sleep in a touch in the am... sleep was more important at that time than getting out for a ride. Because at that point i thought - there's always monday. DOH, Birthday party ensued, took sleeping baby out to the farm (damn nice and cool out there), she didn't sleep long, we played for 1.5 hours went back, collected the others, went to the BBQ afterparty thing, played there for a while, ate food (only one Ipswitch IPA - after food) until the older daughter got a massive splinter in her foot from the wood deck and was a screaming fit (almost 6 year old + tired + pain = not good). instead of heading right to the farm for sunday supper... its back to the city - play doctor/nurse, clean out the foot... re-load... and then have dinner. Simple no?

Well it was... until sunday... wait - no, i mean monday. Beach. Its decided that we head to a beach on Long Island Sound. Horseneck. Okay. Well... we went.. the youngest was a bit tired, lethargic and hot. DOH fever. But if she's gonna be sleeping in our arms anyway, lets do it at the beach. Sooo we're there. and playing for a couple hours... and zap it suddenly gets about 10 degrees cooler, slightly overcast... and this massive expanse of humanity behind us (we staked out a bit right on the edge of the 'dirty' sand (high water mark) to build castles and play) starts the exodus... course, we didn't bring lunch, were starting to get hungry. All this and i've had two donuts from Butlers all day. And the parking lot (which was nearly at capacity when we arrived) is trying to empty all at once. Its worse than a game, cause the cars are full of sweaty, sandy, sunburnt, Massholes and Rhode Islanders... and if ya hadn't noticed... the second year in a row its confirmed... people don't know how to drive around here. That sucked... Only took 45 miuntes to get out of the lot. So we get back, and the girls grab some McDs... i balk and refuse... and as such - energy levels stink, and me no feel the energy to go out and ride in the 85 degree weather in the city... Total suckfest. not to mention little one was not feeling great... she's at daycare and should be fine, no worries... but still... the potential for the weekend and the riding was great... and it was just that... potential... as such i may just bag the TT and do the BLVD ride... no point going out on an almost empty tank... might as well just cruise...

So the update is long in coming today... sorry. but i got curious, and checked... i'm a skinny mo-fo, but after a number tossed out by mr solobreak, and me being a guy... i had to measure up... no i'm not talking about draining without taking bibs off... but i've had no issues with the PI and they are cut higher than the Verge :-P i'm talkin quads... 24 inches... And people call me freakin skinny... i guess if you stretch it all out... yeah... that or take two inches off my bones and i'd look like abdujaparov... (damn i love how i can spell Dj's last name right but screw up stuff like dummest or other simple words). I should be bigger... and maybe i'll get a touch bigger... i know i'm not using them (quads) as efficiently as i should... but I am glad i got the XL bibs... but the verge large jersey is the freaking funkiest fitting garb i've tried on...

Now if the insurance gal would just call back and give me the go-ahead i might get started towards making the car "safe" to replace the volvo gasser as the daily driver... Right now the Golf has about B70 in the tank... and man is it smooth, quiet, nearly smoke free... mmm bio kicks ass...

not nearly as much as a biodiesel powered hybrid would... but i think i need to keep dreaming...

Oh and some old economist guy said something that i liked... about the trend and china... in that they'll hit a bump in the road soon and well won't dominate the world... Kinda like Japan from the 80s... hell we all thought we'd be speaking japanese by now at the rate they were sucking down america...

Oh and one more thing... shuffling the cars (Golf was blocking the volvo... ) i caught the tail end of a kick ass peice of reporting on NPR... it was the snow and airborne dust bit... almost enough to get me to get it into my head somehow in the morning... now where to fit it, between waking up at 5:30-5:45 and getting to work at 8-8:30... hmmmm

peace out... congrats on those who competed... shame on the couchbufoons like me... that and i missed (for the first time ever) the Michigan TDI Memorial day GTG... :( so sad... my car coulda used the attention of a MI gtg...

time for lunch (after some laser trouble shooting)

There were some publishing issues with Blogger at the end of the day. And no bootleg network to pirate a signal off of. So I guess there is no sucking free bandwidth from the living room this morning.

Before I forget, there was this movie on TV lastnight, Mona Lisa Smiles… I dunno, but the stereo typing and the ‘defined’ place for a woman just gets me pissed off. I can understand it in a historical piece, but when I run across it in real live I’m flabbergasted. Often its “What? Your wife doesn’t have dinner ready for you when you get home?” That was the big one when I was the only one working. Even still now, it’s a challenging stereotype. Its like ‘men’ think it is impossible to cook, that or its just beneath them? I dunno, I just don’t get it. I don’t want to go over it all again, but I think maybe there’s some destiny that I have girls. I just hope I can help them be what ever they want to be.

Going through the memos in the phone – most of them are all short hand notes to include here… strange to go back through, but the emotion difference between when I wrote them and now reading them back after I’ve purged from here is dramatic. When I read them as I got ready to write here the catalytic affect was strong, now its less of an issue. Very thearaputic.

Although I will say the running form (the first memo) conundrum still exists. There are the shufflers, the people who lead with their feet and drag the body behind… then there are those who never bend their knees… or the one guy with the flailing arm… But I don’t get those who choose to run on the concrete/asphalt instead of the unpaved path. I guess they like the extra shock. Maybe they are too scared to run on something that isn’t smooth and hard. Although the roads around here are anything but smooth.

I wonder how the Montreal race is going. Assuming it has started. That’s a damn hilly city. But one hell of a cool town. (oooooh there’s the unsecured network open now) And it looks like the (blogger) publisher actually came through for me… coooooool

Well I’m done for this morning, hopefully I can get that long ride in… at anyrate…

ciao

yeah... i wonder if i'm getting too many updates up or not, but it is a VERY laid back week this week... students seem to be in short supply, and those that are around are not the kind who need help...

anyway - i feel some what placated that gwadzilly double or tripples my entry numbers... heck even SB came out of hiding and got an entry up... i should applogize or explain - i'm not trying to one up ya about the swimming... i just suck at it too and avoid it at all costs... i like bein on the water - in a boat what not... just not swimming... unless its to get to a rock out in the sun in a nice quiet lake in Maine in the heat of the summer... and i'm not alone...

A freaky link popped up... and in light of the fact that my car has been violated both in front and back by drivers since getting out here... its rather not suprising to read this from CNN:
dumb_driver_states

I can't get the idea of Chocolate milk outa my head... as a recovery drink. Its no secret, part of my Quality Dairy or Scott Stop (michigan) was getting Choc Milk, donuts or little debbies... its a strange miracle/testament to my metabolism that i only topped out at 235 pounds... and not something like 280 like i should have eating that junk... but chocolate milk... there's good stuff and not so good stuff. I'm itch'n to try the stuff in the returnable glass bottle at the Tiffany of grocery stores (wholefoods)... looks like it would taste good...

It is one area i need to focus on if i am to take this training bit more seriously - the carb/calorie intake post effort. E.Marro is right... i do need to go back to putting something more than water in my bottles... not sure if chocolate milk is the best, however... one chocolate milk, on water... might not be so bad... esp since baby cows live on milk... and cows have lots of muscles...

So i had grabbed some lunch at Antonios on Thayer street.... pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen... and started scribbling (writing):

Thayer Street
My little bro is right, Antonios is the best for people watching. So i sit here making unintelligable scribbles on a peice of paper, stuffing slices in my face watching the crziness cruise past. Some dude with a 'quickpad' on the right - very curious why the hell would anyone purposefully drive down Thayer? I can't understand, sure drop/off pick/up. The craziness low # of ipods is intersting, not many more than those on phones and that's not that many today, but the flat out hotties is crazy. lots of parents here for graduation and what. so many unfit though. flabby saggy frumpy suprisingly almost no fake boobs - the preppy boys are the funniest. Enduring the ridicule of movie makers. The number of stripped polo shirts and quaffed hair and looks of utter distain on their face (two lines of undeciferable scribble). Only in an ivy campus will that strange breed survive - and that ain't a good thing... or is it

Okay - that folded scrap of paper is headed to the recycle bin - at least it was a re-used bit of scrap...

it is a curious phenomenon how crazy kept poppin up in my head writing that. And from the looks of it re-reading it back i KNOW there were 10x more bits i wanted to add... the punk chicks walking back and forth, that and the caste system is alive and well, at least on Thayer street. The haves and the have not as much are glaringly obvious... Time to que up Working Man on the iTunes... the live recording from All the World's a Stage album... I meant to bring my nearly complete collection of Mighty Mighty Bostones in and get em ripped onto the computer... Among the shops upstairs from the bike shop in lansing was Flat Black and Circular, a used music store... it was NOT a good place with cash in pocket... and over the years is a big reason i have nearly every album from certain bands (Pouges, MMB, Black 47...) up until say 1999. Unfortunately the Pogues won't be makin any more it looks like, and to think i had the opportunity to get to one of their last concerts in the US, in boston no less... but i passed... how STUPID?????

We'll see if i manage a post in the next few days... doubtful, but ya never know... be safe where ever your travels take ya this weekend...

peace
G

Oh i'm dying with laughter and shame...

KL called me out... and heck i haven't even read em yet! Kerry's opens first in the 'open in tabs' maybe cause i think its the first bookmarked one in the set... the other few i'd read longer (DC for example, were added later, post, "open in tabs").

That and i mean to share my own freaky psyco-episode (clairvoyant is too hard to spell)... ya know that list i was talking about... that WBRU was playing... i had randomly turned the radio on to it the night before... paying no attention to the time... other than it was me and the oldest while the rest of the fam were out running the BLVD... Last night i was thinking: "Crap i probably missed it." Turned on the radio anyway... listened through the commercials and well whadda ya know... THE LIST... and i caught the last 5 songs... spooky? or not?

And man i hope someone has a camera to capture what KL will look like with bottles stuffed everywhere... Its one thing to see those guys in the tour with 10 waterbottles in their jersey... but they've got a small edge on size... hmm.. road trip to Montreal? maybe next year...
(damn i've got that kerry blue screen to my white screen optical burn in my retinas again) but don't you dare change... the pain is refreshing... just kidding it ain't painful...

Oh - how retarded/frustrating is it to walkin into a shop... see a sweet tall ass bike (one i could ride) and then find out its some Cat 5 racing for a team, and he got the bike from the team for free... full DuraAce carbon/al frame... WTF? I mean, its wicked cool when someone like KL gets a full ride equipment wise... she's done the time... or SB, or Geo... folks who've ridden and won and competed with the best... but a cat 5? with a free ride? i dunno... maybe he's a Norba pro or something... that's more likely... i guess he rides a 29er - so now i've just talked myself out of being an idiot... now i feel like an idiot. That and now as i'm scrolling through the rest of the daily reading... I believe sailorboy deleted one of my comments... how damn rude... just cause he's arguing with some holy rollin homebirth hippies and has an image to keep... shoot... it was a good comment too... if he was gonna delete it i woulda saved a copy...

anyway - fortuantely few of the open in tabs had new writing... KL, 32sixteen, gwadzilla, CTodd, Fraz, and DC... fortunately in that i don't have time to read everything if everything's new... and i have to say the ones i really enjoy reading are new... and i can read em down at the other place - if i can make it there... Give CTodd's MP3 a listen... LMFAO

Ah i'm in a brighter mood already...

Thank you...

time to become the road warrior! (have i mentioned Mad Max is my idol)

Okay - i just got an hour reprieve... and this has been bugging me for a LONG time... well since i first saw it... and yeah, i know, there is a hard core set of riders who do NOT ever wear helments... a couple of the Caster's boys showed up at the TT sans helment... i mean... cool... but no helment? Maybe i'm old... but even when i wasn't (last year) i still was all helment, always have been... its like a seatbelt... the arguments against are like trying to argue smoking 3 packs a day won't adversely affect your health... I can't argue against their premise and drive but that t-shirt just rubs me wrong...

Just doesn't make sense... and is frustrating... sort of like those T-shirts for girls that got all the anti-press recently...

and don't forget: Doper's Suck... still...

Oh and joel (gwadzilla) needs to start hyperlinkin his damn images... i clicked on cycling cog image and get a bigger version of the image... instead of the link to it... I ain't a damn good programmer, but... its the little details... (as in my Laek house image) ...and those guys are freaking FLYING downhill right now...
EDIT: see comment but i'm a freaking retard... i thought i had linked back to LAEK HOUSE not the image hosted by LAEK HOUSE... thanks for the HU gwadzilla! (but ya still gotta be more of the first than the second - and yeah these are both google hosted now...)

I got in a bit of a dissagreement about the awarding of belgian points... my contention is that you cannot/ever get them for riding in Italy. Even looking at Andy's example from his Giro Win... Partly because in my book you can't get belgian points from a race that you are paid to race. sure as an amateur, showing up say for Sterling and gettin hypo, that's some point qual. But the Giro? No freaking way.

First, italy is too damn beautiful to garner any points anytime of the year.

Second... i dunno - part of the other explain...

Ya get belgian points for starting a ride when its cold and rainy, not for getting caught out in the rain. Ya get points when few others head out on the road... Dry and cold? Nah - no points. Dry is dry and you can always layer to stay warm... cold and wet? that's different...

Cyclocross belgian points? No way. You get negative points for every race done in beautiful dry weather... so many points that it takes race after race in shitty cold weather to recover from one. The only good thing is that only the organizers get negative points. Not the riders... unless the riders dont' show for the crappy weather races.

Too many rules? Yeah, well, i live by definitions, or defining that which hasn't been. But with that same token, they ain't really 'rules' they can be changed, broken, abandoned... with justification... part of that scientist thing that sailorboy has been blathering about lately...

okay - ooh one of the lampre boys got a flat... just as the hill goes up... sucks to be him... oooh another one... (mechanical)... DOH... oh my favorite part... mechanic leaning out the car window doing a brake adjustment on the bike as the car rolls through the caravan... They are back doing it again... Nice Skoda Wagon. (now its his radio they are working on).

Well... yall have fun... Its a good day... i think... better than yesterday... these Mazda commercials are funny... two guys riding flat bar road bikes chatting about a car... damn freaking cool...

I carried the blahs over to this morning on the bike... Last night was an example of a night when i'd have cruised through 3-4 beers while my wife was out running the BLVD with the jogger... the energy boost, and caloric satisfaction were key crutches to the afterwork exhaustion... instead i had a big bowl (4+ servings) of grapenuts with some rasins and that helped a bit but only a bit... still was tired. That and its Fucking HOT in here today... well over 75 degrees in the office... closer to 78-80... great for the fish (the zebrafish)... not for me... But even with 1/2 bottle of wine sitting there with the vacuum seal i managed to get through an AFD. Now why's that a big deal? Well... its a big deal in that its a definate marked change... don't get me wrong, i ain't gone soft or totally dry... but, even this recent shift, two beers have the same affect as 6 now... its saves a fair bit of cash too... sort of... although prefab breakfast cereals ain't exactly the best calorie value for the dollar.... I guess i just kinda needed a 'role' model, in a way... that and a goal, peer pressure and the like... I knew it would be better for my girls if i wasn't consuming as much, a better role model, hoping that the oldest will forget the quantity of consumption. Just wanted to get serious and thank two people... two cyclists i haven't actually met in person but feel somewhat connected to from this whole web logging spill your soul to yourself and hope no-one reads it. I'm not sure how to explain why its the way it is, or how the level of connectedness developed or what not... hell its strange... like talking to bruce at the Bike to work day and realizing: doh what else can i say, esp since the guy's been reading this blabber... Its sort of the dichotomy of me. I'll talk and talk and talk and talk, sometimes. And others, feel fine not saying anything. I'm figuring if i make this paragraph super long with not hard returns people might skip over it and miss that other dichotomy in my personality. One my wife alludes to as being rather attractive, usually only after being around guys who are *way* too soft and nice. You know the womanish guys who have kids, who are always nice and calm, quiet, and really i guess soft. No man card in their wallet. No edge, no passion... its amazing that they have kids sometimes... This is again kinda me thinking, should i really be putting this down? laying it all out, baring my guts for anyone who happens to click past? Even after all i've mentioned about it, time and time again, yeah... like me in person, watch out, i may tell the same story again and again... just tell me to my face, yeah G ya told us before... I am feeling better. Hopefully the jaunt down to the other facility will enliven me... wake me up a touch... get me off to a rarin start. to the middle afternoon. with hopes that it doesn't rain...

I think i finally have my race blade re-shaped to work, after it was demolished by the stick in the spokes... Suprisingly the spokes are fine... can't find any evidence in the spokes of damage... just the crazy looking front fender... the one i actually needed... well hopefully it works... i've got the "rain" gear in the bag incase it dumps while i'm down at the other place... may just have to swing through The Hub and bug em again.

The necyclocross list has started to wonder about the Liberty title sponsorship for the cross race... and right now i realized, maybe well L.Seguros is a road cycling sponsor in Spain... what the hell does that specific sponsor ship have to do with cyclocross? *shrug* i hope they don't reconsider...

I was gonna put this in tomorrow's stuff - but ah'feckitall... here it is... today has really been blahblahblahblah - little to no motivation... suckin it... just one of those days

anyway... this is what percolated through my seive-like melon today

Chocolate Milk as a recovery drink? SWEET

Dirt Rag... instant news

off the dirt rag:

President of Fuji Bikes Races Car and Train to Work
By: Ryan LaBar

As you may know this week is "Bike-to-Work Week" and Friday is "Bike-to-Work Day". So you may be wondering what the time difference between biking, driving or taking the train would be?

On Monday the president of Fuji Bicycles, Patrick Cunnane, "raced" a car and a train to work for Philadelphia's Bike to Work Challenge, which is organized by the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition. Dressed in a tie, a collared shirt, and khakis (plus a safety yellow vest), he raced from the corner of 15th Street and JFK Blvd. to the corner of 46th Street and Chestnut during rush hour. Cunnane won the Challenge, edging out the train by two and a half minutes and the car by over twelve. The only thing he didn't beat to work was the weather, which ended up catching him at the finish in the form of rain.

How can you argue against those stats... so he got wet... the exercise over the train is key... and 12 minutes faster than a car? Say it aint so joe!

Best Beers? Worst Beers? (i think i found it at Big Jonny's)
beer = easy to give up or just have one
wine... not as easy - how can ya have a big heaping bowl of pomodoro based sauce and not add some nice red wine in it and in your belly...

Speaking of Red sauce... my secret and the girls are diggin it - is to put some cinnamon in with the basil, bay leaf, oregano and other secret flavor enhancers... (shhh don't tell anyone)

That Street Smarts is avail as a PDF...

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/pamanual.pdf
a whole bunch of PA legal blah blah blah pre-amble but, there manual is there...

Hockey...

Stupid OLN... no - i am not dissing them for their cycling(lack) coverage... its that they have all the good games... or i should say they have ALL the games... if the stanley cup only goes 4 games the general 'public' (hockey fans without cable/satTV) won't get to see the games... and that SUCKs.....but then the question begs to be asked: WHO CARES? Well i sort of do. but on the other hand i don't. I see the TV media as a big frat boy circle jerk... as the inexperienced ones blow and bow out the circle gets smaller and smaller... to the point where its just one massive media mogul wacking off and everyone watching... no variety, no choice... just what ever that one wacko has... Yeah its a crude metaphor, but not inapropriate to parallel the Television media with a circle jerk... It almost seems that the top rated shows are being coordinated so everyone can watch the best shows and not miss anything. Like the networks are all in cahoots (frat boy circle jerk)... I really do hate the TV... i'll watch... but... i tell ya, it feels like i'm pissing time down the sink when i'm sitting there...

Everest pioneer blasts climbers who left dying man

Totally freaking wrong...

If you are a group of climbers heading down... splitting the resources between the climbing group to keep someone alive? Makes sense...

That and climbing up? Hmm lets climb this rock that we paid $50,000 or more to attempt and ignore that guy who's dying...

Completely fucked up...

Here's another beef...
I just listened to the Cannondale story from the Missing Saddle Audio Blog...
I wonder, Could Chris Zimmerman (i assume who was doing the 'interview') stick his tounge further up the ass of cannondale? I mean brand preference is one thing, but that just struck me as freaking wrong... The bike's great, don't take my dissin as against C-Dales... i've owned em, sold em, wrenched them... might even race em one day. But that audio report, major techincal issues aside got me all outa shape. Not to mention, maybe he can work on some skills for taping recording audio... like using a microphone foam windscreen... Sure it was probably a spur of the moment recording at a race (it sounds like) but still... sheesh.

I'm on the fence about bitching directly - i think i'll let my beef simmer here for a day before heading over there with a the flame thrower and my nomex suit...

Not much to say today... but the email through the NECyclocross list popped a rider i'd known sort of about but not one specific endearing factor... The dude's as tall as i am and he's freaking world class....

not that i'm world class... but he's freaking tall... like me... and his name is Petr Dlask...

That and they actually have a production Empella that would fit me... AND they are on sale at Cyclocross world... but they are outa stock in the freak sizes (smallest and tallest).

On the other side there's a chance to get a pro/bro deal with C-dale for a cross frame/bike. I may think long and hard about that. on the other side, i do have a cross bike and need to actually race to justify even thinkin about a second bike... much less a lighter faster better bike...

Heck i'm gonna be a Phred out there running clinchers instead of Tubulars... freaking crazy. Maybe i can get some fancy wheels down the road. And to think i had a gorgeous set of MACH2CD2 tubulars built up with a Mavic front hub and an Ultegra rear hub that i sold cause i didn't feel like riding bubulars on the road! STUPID ME... DOH. But that was a while ago... and those are old, heavy, (But strong) rims... i can prolly do a bit better down the road... maybe next year... The only downside to the C-dale is that the biggest is a 60, but it has a 60 top tube... the Empella is a 63 (59c-c) with a 61 top tube... much more to my liking, much closer to the klein.... But HOLY crap... the C-dale in the 60 is reporting an 87cm standover... and the Empella is claming only an 84.... crazy! that's a fair bit different... prolly BB height... which is crazy? Why do i need a wicked high BB in a Cross bike? Crit bike i can understand, cross bike? Ya gonna get off for the barriers and well i dunno i suppose pedlin through corners isn't a bad thing but its about the speed you are carrying in... often its more important/faster to focus on the proper line and traction than to worry about pedaling...

Breaking NEWS... on the Damn but not unexpected:

Liberty Seguros terminate contract

By Anthony Tan in Gemona Del Friuli, Italy

In the wake of Manolo Saiz's recent detention for his alleged involvement in a blood doping program along with four other people, Spanish news agency EFE has just released a newsflash, announcing primary sponsor Liberty Seguros have chosen to cancel their cycling sponsorship from the Liberty Seguros-Würth team, effective immediately. The team's press officer, Jacinto Vidarte, has confirmed the annoucement with Cyclingnews.

No doubt, a clause exists in Liberty Seguros' contract with Active Bay SL, the team's holding company, enabling the former to annul their sponsorship contract if a widespread doping situation arises. How this will affect the six riders currently racing the Giro d'Italia or the future of the team is not yet known.

Crap that sucks for those guys... unless the whole Team's Juiced... then they get what they deserve... Cheating Suns of Bitches....

Oh i tried a touch of wasabi in the coffee... but not enough... i chickened out and wanted to beable to drink it... so tomorrow i'll try it with a bit more powder. The stuff i've got uses Spirulina and Tumeric for coloring intead of FDC Blue and Yellow... nice...

WBRU has a crazy flashbacking nostalgic thing... they are counting down the top 20 songs from 1991... last night it was 10-6... i could sing along (not well) will every single song... Damn those years were good... damn good tunage. If i do say so myself... even had to call Sailorboy to say HEY MAN i was so caught up in those years...

Week of May 22nd
Top 20 Songs of 1991

1. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. REM – Losing My Religion
3. Violent Femmes – American Music
4. Big Audio Dynamite II - Rush
5. Divinyls – I Touch Myself
6. Throwing Muses – Not Too Soon
7. Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away
9. Jesus Jones – Right Here Right Now
10. U2 – Mysterious Ways
11. EMF – Unbelievable
12. They Eat Their Own – Like a Drug
13. Big Audio Dynamite II – The Globe
14. Seal – Crazy
15. U2 – The Fly
16. Siouxsie & the Banshees - Kiss Them For Me
17. Squeeze – Satisfied
18. Voice of the Beehive – Monsters and Angels
19. REM – Shiny Happy People
20. Kirsty MacColl – Walking Down Madison

That's the list... a DAMN fine list if i do say so myself.

Okay, now i'm TOTALLY freaked out. AFTER i started talking about music and 1991... i did the open tabs thing, added a comment to Sailorboy's web log, and read KL's latest TWO entries (must be a record or something, two entries in ONE day?) (okay - going from her white text on blue to this black text on white, my eyes are freaking out)... i'm freaked...

I can one up her on the internet thing, only cause my whirlwind college days happened before she got there.... my college was the first or second installtion in the country of AT&T's "network of the future" specifically, every room, dorm, class, EVERYTHING was connected with a state of the art Fiber optic network. And it freaking was sweet. Anyway...

no need to play one up with her... that's a bit too macho for me to be doing and why? cause there's ALWAYS someone out there who was doing more than you (me)... Like my friend Kevin, he taught himself Assembly langauge in highschool, after mastering all the other programming codes... BTW... he works for Microsoft now, suprised? I'm not.

Ya see that list of songs KL posted about her freshman year... those were my gradschool, bikeshop slumming songs... all still damn fine songs... just a different phase...

I guess, the fact that KL put up two entries sort of makes up for SB's lack of one today... maybe he's still too tired after the 'tuc....

Give this Gal's web log a read... she's cute as hell, writes 100x better than i do, and well she has pretty pictures of Colorado to look at.

Well everyone, yall have a good day... I may just have to burn my Liberty Seguros Hats that i got from the Cross Nats... but on the other hand... maybe i keep those cheap sunsobitch hats for keeping my head clean when crawling under the car...

Gonna end with this - came through the email... i think i've delt with that issue and feel fine about dealing with it (being a biologist makes it much easier)
but it made me laugh...

Okay - this is an edit... getting to FRAZ today... oh so making me bust a gut laughin "beans aren't fruit" "beans, beans, the charmed legume; eat a bunch and clear the room..."

now.... back to the original entry...

Not quite the same as hittin the 'Tuc... but... i sort of suprised myself.

My computer thing said it was roughly a 6.6 mile circuit. gmap gave me this...
.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=198977

and the profile looks about right, although the rise at the end seemed to hurt one hell of a lot more than the first one... Maybe 'cause the first was with the wind and the last was near the end and into the wind. The wind was howling, a decent 15-20 mph (at least thats what AccuWeather was reporting).

At the start brendan said, "a good time will be 3 or 4 minutes at the first turn, 3 miuntes is about a 16 minute pace, 4 minutes will get you 18. and the last turn, if you hit that at 12 you're doing great"

So i was starting 1 minute after Chuck (i think) on a Trek OCLV time trial machine with a rear disk and a tri-spoke front, and a fancy aero helment... and one minute behind me was a Tri-guy (dunna remember his name) from the P-Velo tri team, on a Q-Roo TT setup... I'm thinking, this is gonna suck... not really having expectations, but i'm sort of running first the course through my head - we did a warmup lap fortunately and its pretty straight forward course wise and then i start thinkin about what SB was saying on the 17th... effort in the hills, recover a touch on the down hill... with my HR pegged most of the time and the lactic acid building up i was focusing on breathing in the downhill... slowing the cadence down to get the HR down a bit but keeping the power in the pedals and staying in a tuck. Mind ya, i had no aero bars.... no aero helment, no shoe covers, big fuzzy legs and that crappy old helment. I wore the crappy old helment because it was the only thing i normally wear... and well, i didn't want to go out in completely different kit... as it was, i was on the Klein (ridden once for 12 miles as mentioned a while ago), wearing my SIDI (not that it is a big change but lately with all the time in the answer flats it was different), dropped the full fingered motocross gloves infavor of some real 'bike' gloves, popped on the P-velo bibs and jersey, so rather than pull out the fancy helment i stuck with my battered commuter super-moto Giro... The spinaci's may come out next time... the bumps on the last bit are too much to just rest my for-arms on the flats...

The bike felt great... the legs felt okay and i managed a 18:07 with a nice pedal bobble at the start... stupid shoes... and slightly different pedals... grrr - i think the fastest i noticed was around 16:14... I'm pretty happy with it, i think that works out to a 35kph or 22mph average, no where near the wampatuk speeds, but for me, not bad... considering the 16 minute guys only had 2 mph over the course on me... 2 seems some what attainable with a touch of training i think... maybe... i could probably pull a portion of it back with bars.... and another portion back with a better attack of the course... a bit more effort right at the front end maybe...

At anyrate - I hope to improve, or at least just keep doing it.

It was a positive thing (the TT) to dispell the depressing thought about houses and what we could comfortably afford relative to what we'd have to spend to get into an area we want... Ah well, many folks are saying give the market a couple months... it'll be much better then... i hope so... on the flip side... the place we have now really isn't terrible... its pretty damn nice... even if it is small, and alot of our stuff is out in an open barn...

I'm not gonna do the 'grit tonight, but maybe one of these Wed. This competition thing, even if its psuedo with an almost unoffical club TT where the results are posted in the shop.... is good, and can only make me faster come Cross time.... I can't freaking wait...

Coffee time...

Oh that reminded me... one of my sips of the French Press brew of French roast (8 cup pot, 6 tablespoons of coarse grinds) tasted of a distinct essensce of wasabi... that complex overtone kinda thing... make me think red pepper flakes are good in the coffee (just don't do what i did and put a heaping teaspoon in an 8 cup FP), maybe a dash or two of wasabi powder (the kind without the dye or the artificial flavor) might be just as good... look for the adventure report sometime soon...

oh and its GiroTIME ... fingers crossed that the feed is good

Here's the link. As a friend who has just bought a bike and is planning on commuting to work at least a few days a week bitched "What? no PDF?"

Ah heck we can't have everything. Its a great read. Even for those funny folk on MVI (like sailorboy and Suds... if you thought I wrote alot - don't click there talk about verbal spewage, although his 'spewage' is very well thought out and constructed and all that - but he's a lawyer, who was almost a doctor, who was almost a psyc, who worked a Pfizer for a while so I kinda expect it).

Man - i get dizzy and glassy eyed trying to read that narrow column and all those words (I key-d I Key-d - triumph dog reference)...

also its kinda funny watchin the world implode as a connection across two friends is made... G asked me "who's that solobreak guy, I bet i've raced with him before." well damn sure as hell enough they have... and what was unleased was I turned into a transporter between the two - how freaking cool... and yeah that Tuc... gonna have to go get me some of that... We'll see... we'll see maybe we can even get the G out on the course this summer... if he makes it east from sunny Cali

well there - i just went babbled a bit more than i wanted to...

I've given up on trying to come up with a cute system like SB has for naming posts... and since i generally start with the title and fill in this box next it often is tough to come up with something.

YES, i KNOW. I'm violating the penultimate rule of writing: Never come up with the title or abstract until the whole work is finished.

At least i'm doing it deliberatly and not out of ignorance. that counts right? I dunno The gal who knows grammer might dissagree... oh well, maybe with pressure i'll change... yeah right. (and i don't feel like going through and doing spell check today... be forwarned)

So my whole week is turned around a bit. Tonight has been the mellow Tuesday night BLVD ride. The social ride around for an hour and a half or more at a slow steady state (keeping the cadence high and the like)... Yeah this is the ride i approached last week with no fuel in the tank and no water bottle.

BUT, now the word comes in from the club (P-Velo) that the Thursday night TT has moved to Tuesday and will remain there for the rest of the season. 'Okay' no problem, right? Actually it works out 'cause bikeworks will be starting their TT on the 8th and that seems to be a marked event for the team. Seein as all the course records are held by 'us.' That sounds kinda funny, "us" as in i'm part of it. Hopefully it'll feel less funny as i get out and ride more with these guys.
Maybe i can get out for a Ninigret at some point too... and then there's the Wampatuck race on Tues and Wed.

And i may just have to bust out the Klein for its first ride today. I was gonna anyway, but the TT seems a better venue for the debut of my new kit and the old bike... Hopefully the position is okay. And no, no TT bars, yet. I've got some spinaci bars kicking around that'll see some action once we hit the Bikeworks TT...

The Race feed from RAI is really shitty today... and Salvodelli is getting the shit handed to him. well there's always the tour right? Would be nice to have a Disco rider win a big tour and sort of say "hey, it wasn't just LA" and since i can't understand much of what they are saying - screw it - i ain't watching 2 minutes of the lampre chase (frozen in time)...

Basso is kickin MASSIVE ass.

I did have a few other random non-cycling thoughts that i wanted to get off my head.

#1 Real Job.

I made the comment at the Bike to Work day event that i was riding every day as a grad student and a bike shop mechanic then i got a *real job* and had to drive. And later i used it in context with my job now, and heard others use it once or twice since. My sensitivity meter kinda pegged 'cause a gal who works at the Hub (check out the department store bike link there) was in earshot. And i don't mean to suggest that working in a bike shop is NOT a real job. Much the same way as this job could be seen as not a 'real job.' Why not this one? Well, like the bike shop i REALLY enjoy what i do. And when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. Its true. I embody it joyfully. I still take it very seriously. But that sort of is tough when those words come out. Ah I can't ride to work because i have a 'real job'... BullShit... anyway... that's just something that was itching my cranial interior lately.

that and

#2 Real News...
Often i'll turn the AM "news" programs on when getting the girls ready to head out for school/daycare/work to catch the weather... well between the weather the morning shows talk about some crazy stuff. But lastnight - catching the news about the DownCity Fire, they went into a peice about American Idol. A freaking TV entertainment SHOW!!! A News program. WTF. Made me wonder, does NPR give ANY airplay to that glorified popularity contest? I sincerely hope not. You may ask, why don't you listen? I'll answer: Where/When? At work? i suppose, but if i'm listening i prefer music. But i'm not in the car at the Morning Edition or ATC time, like i used to be. And honestly i prefer a bit of music. 102.5 outa boston as of late. the 9-10am saturday morning kids programming kicks ass! How freaking sad is it that the news shows are giving props and publicity out to TV shows, and TV shows on DIFFERENT NETWORKS? WTF? its just VERY strange... but then not really for a country so wrapped up in their retarded idiosyncradasies(sic)... smelling the mass produced flowers... not going out to find their own and grow and be an individual.

#3... i went up on the soap box in the collegiate email list... i'll close with that, for now...
(Matt wrote a great letter to the club)
here's my comments:
Crossing the yellow line is acceptable when passing, just like it is in a car. However if the line is solid the same rules apply.

ONLY pass cars on the left. NEVER pass cars on the right. EVER. Cars are not expecting to be passed on the right side and often will duck and turn into you if you are passing on the right. Don't believe me? Just wait... like me and millions (or only thousands) of other cyclists, we've been hit, or have had to take emergency evasive manuevers in those situations.

Car Back is a good heads up. BUT don't erractically all file in... your rights on the road are just as strong as theirs. Just like farm equipment, Amish Buggies, and other slower vehicles, a cyclists's repsonsibility is to maintain control in a predicatable manner. If you part like the red sea to let a car past that car will think it is acceptable, and expected. And you have no need to do that, assuming you are riding in a safe and predicatable manner. Now if you are doubled up and spread out from white to yellow that's one thing... but a tight double should require no change if you hear Car Back.

For those who missed the bike to work breakfast, you missed a nice free t-shirt, and a fantastic handbook for riding safely. I picked up a copy and read it. And even with all the city riding i've done from Seattle, Lansing and Providence, and the Road riding all over the Pac NW, SE Conn, RI/MA and Michigan, i still got a few tips and a few pointers that made me go, hey that makes sense. It also was a "hey i thought i was the only one that did that"

Confidence on the road as a cyclist is key. You have a place and a right, just as much as a car does, to occupy that space on the pavement. Like that *frenchman's* sudden agressiveness after a few more races this season... confidence is good.

Il Bruce may have the reference to that book. Or somewhere that it can be acquired. Personally i'd make anyone who wants to ride with the club read it and apply those rules listed. It really is one of the best tomes on how to ride safely on the road.

Another confidence booster is reading the Rules of the Road
BicycleLaws
ya can find em there.

Sorry to crowd the soap box there Matt...
-Geoff

I'm now a Cat 4

small things like this make me happy...


'course i still need to actually present the card to enter a race...

Damn finest short story written... maybe not but i really really like it...

if you have a few minutes and want to re-read it (also so i can find it easily)...

here's a link to a version of it:

The Man Who Planted Trees

i popped across this in a link from BikeMag forums.

The Art of Urban Cycling... might just have to pick up the book... although with the years and miles under my wheels in Urban (Seattle, Lansing, Providence) surroundings, i feel reasonably confident with my street style...

but its a good read...

Yeah... that's right... me no on the bike all weekend... Saturday was a great drive out to East Orleans on the Cape for a big TDIclub function. My wife had to work so the two girls and i loaded up in the Golf and drove out right after Ballet class. The VNT actuator was stuck and that took a liberal application of Boesheild T-9 to free it up so i would have boost (and dencent power and economy)... got out there, filled up the tank (only 1/2 empty) with 8 gallons of B100 for $3.50. $3.50 doesn't seem so bad now for 100% bio esp compared to the $3.00 ave around here for regular diesel.

But that morning I had actually contemplated driving up to Sunapee to spectate... instead... but not knowing how to get there, not having internet at home, not having phone # for anyone i knew who was going... pushed me back towards the Cape. It was great to see some friends i hadn't seen in a long time. But knowing i wasn't getting a ride in on saturday i'd seriously contemplated saying F-it and bombing down to North Stonington and racing. 23 miles in 1:03 seems reasonable, esp in a small group... I dunno i'd prolly have been shelled... but part of me thinks i might have been okay... and a big part of me wishes i'd got it all figured out.

On the flip side sunday rolled around i was tired, and we pop'd down to Warren, wandered around, checked out the Grand Opening of the Market at Cutler mills... stop'd at my bro's to check out the noise in the front end (no luck) then at 1pm we started driving around looking at openhouses... It started and it was still gorgeous outside... it took us more time to get from Warren to Providence than it took me to drive back from the Cape the day before... And like that drive the youngest fell asleep. By the time we were back the rain had started and the wind was up and it got suckier... Turned bright green outside "Hey that looks like its supposed when there' s a tornado" well there was a tornado 'sighting' in Pawtucket...

that and i got grumpy, my daughter got difficult and my wife made herself scarce... it took everyounce in me not to just completely let loose... the total rediculously expensive housing around here coupled with not getting out on a ride (even with a phone call saying hey we're headed out at 11am) and my daughter who was being defiant was too much...

Looks like SB did pretty well at Sunapee... not a win but nuttin to sneeze at... a bit better than mark (mentioned last time)...

Riding in this am with the trailer i just kept it light... keeping the cadence high... even did the whole Llyod hill seated... cadence wasn't 90 rpm but it was higher than when i was standing (in a bigger gear)...

I'll get this crap figured out some day... some day i'll get on a race course and find out just how slow i am... we'll see... I just finished reading SBs account (sue me i checked the bikereg before the play by play)... 170? dats it? Scarier is i've got over 100# on his girl! But even my 34 waist pants that i just got are a bit loose... so i ain't exactly too terribly huge... and rolling down hills...

Either i'm just extra aero, or my wheel bearings are extra smooth, or i'm just a big fat ass but downhills are so much fun... and so frustrating when boxed in behind small fry ped'lin skinny little legs off to keep infront of the big diesel breathing down their neck with the brakes on...

I'm just a big diesel... wondering if it'll work for cross or not...

Oh and the bar position on the Blue P-mount sucks for long rides... puts my fingers to sleep... and these Answer flat bottom 'freestyle' spd work shoes... put my feet to sleep if i spend an hour or more in the saddle with an effort wearing them...

okay...

well...

maybe i'll find something exciting to post later... i'm gonna fire up the Giro (assuming it aint a rest day... nope Cyclingnews has the live coverage on...) and get keep shufflin paper work...

The empty tank (no water bottle - low food level) ride was trailer less and on Tuesday night... the slow ass 17 mph 1.5 hour looping around the BLVD was Wednesday after lunch and reasonably hydrated, but with much more of a head wind. The headwind was going DOWN hill... and if ya think a 15-20mph headwind is a pain, add a trailer... the downhill section just isn't the same... when you slow down going DOWN hill then well... ya got some serious drag.

Sorry for the confusion.

i've been rather muddled in the head as of late. Combination of lots of factors.

Before i forget: Those of you racing tomorrow at Sunapee, in the 45+ race... keep a look out for an unattached rider. He'll be in a red jersey, and is just as tall as i am (except skinnier), probably riding a green IF (steel). Say hey for me... he's about the only one i've ridden with lately that i can get a decent draft....

here it is, noon, and i have YET to 'open in tabs' and for a change today i am going to get through this without adding comments/reactions from outside sources.

Now i said i was slow and that i had no skills. Part of it is to ward off any ego in my thinking that i am fast and have passable skills... I am much faster than lots of people, but not as fast as the single 35-50 folks who've done nothing but ride and race since they were 16... I'm getting there.
And also, my goals are limited this year. I'm still less than a year on the bike from being a 220 pound fat ass... I don't expect to dominate this season, and i'm not sure i'll be ready to dominate the next. I expect to improve. I hope to get at least one or two races in this summer along with a time trial or two.

And i just dropped the freaking BOMB. I am now official. No more "maybe if."

And they let me keep my OLD NUMBER! FREAKING SWEET. Low 300s... i wonder if that's enough for an automatic upgrade ;)

This is too much, it is also a clue - my BP is up a bit afterdoing it... although its probably due in part to the 3 cups of coffee i had at the BIKE TO WORK festivities this morning in Downtown. Ran across Il Bruce at the thing... and last time i checked his profile IIRC there was no blog... now he has one of the BEST blogs out there... one word... Anyway, Bruce was there, Jack from the HUB (it was his deal) and Seven Stars bakery Tazeasomething coffee (good coffee too). Handing out t-shirts, waterbottles, food, maps... loads of people even considering the lightning and the downpours. (there writing about that and not thinking about the license for a second worked but glancing back at the paper work as i'm writing this elevated the BP again). Crazy.

Good reason NOT to drink too much coffee... I'm ammped, and because of the three muffins, apple danish, three plain croissants, i'm not hungry. And its lunch time...

I didn't say much about the Ride of Silence, i didn't manange to get out on it. But my solo ride (the one alone, after lunch, well fed, well hydrated, WITH the trailer, 10 minute laps around 2.8 or so mile loop of the BLVD - WITHOUT a cycling computer - just the stopwatch on the HRM), but my solo ride was nearly all in silence and to me, it was slow. Not easy, just slow.

I am using the argument for strength building to justify the "overgearing" of my commuter. BUT, honestly if I am using all the gears most days, or at least the middle 5-6 (13 15 17 19 21 23) with a preference for the 50-19 (with trailer) and the 50-17 (without) on the flats I feel very comfortable that the gearing is appropriate. Sure it might be *better* to have a 36 or so inner to drop down to with the trailer when i have the 5%+ grades, but so far not a problem. The 11% grades are okay without the trailer, easier than the 6-7% with the trailer (also shorter)... Maybe for next year i'll go with a fixed gear with 39x17 (odd teeth for optimal chain and cog wear reduction)... and force the spinning when i need to go faster... But those silly little gear arguments will still exist... so maybe i need smaller still... There is time to consider it all...

We'll see though... only good measure are results... don't matter how strong you are, don't matter what your natural/trained pedaling cadence is, if ya can't produce the results it don't matter.

Oh and that Adam M-H guy... he gave a little talk to the Brown team earlier this year and when asked about the training regarding doing a variety or blocks (kinda like one of the recent cyclingnews email questions) he said mix it up... and the conveyance from one of the riders on the BLVD ride who was at the meeting seemed to be "don't focus on specific things like getting the Cadence up, just work on it all"

Now here is what i think. Cycling, like education, works best when you can build in blocks. Focus on one aspect, understand it, then add the next level. The next level though should incorporate the gains from the previous one, just as a properly set up educational block, or mental training would do. So in my case the first goal was to just get back on the bike. A side part of that was getting thinner and beginning the initial physical re-molding. Second part (what i feel i am still in now) is strength building, increasing cycling specific muscle mass, and pedaling force (torque). The third part i envision is leg speed, high cadence work. And somewhere in the middle of it all i should be building mileage and saddle time that should roughly equate to 1.5 times the race lengths.

Is that the proper way to do it all? Is that what doc ferrari would reccomend? Where is that 1.5x race duration from? Well its mine. Maybe someone else says it. But its been what i found is important, i don't have years of emperical data to back it up but i have a gut feeling that say if you are racing 1 hour races, you maybe should be riding no less than 1.5 hours. Now on the other side, mileage is mileage. Get the saddle time in and it's good. But that duration bit develops fuel consumption physiology (gut feeling again) in the muscles, and if you train your mind and muscles that 1.5 hours is good... the end of 1 hour technically you should be fresh enough to contest at the end. If you look at the well documented training of that LA guy, he was in the saddle one HELL of a lot. Time wise. Duh he's a pro, he gets paid to. But then look at the duration of his races...

I'll can it now. I am NOT a coach, probably shouldn't ever be but thinkin through this stuff satisfies a cerebral side of cycling that i am particularly partial to. Thanks for bearing with this non-sense. And please - rip it to shreds if you feel its total wrong and off base... unlike the narrow minded literal translationist Creationists and ID wackos... i WILL listen to what you have to say and AM willing to change my POV when the facts deem it.

Well i'm hungry now...

So Ciao
G

Damn cool shizzle...

i D/Led the Quicktime update and well here's iTunes... SWEET...

(another short post for Suds)

Oh and DAmn freaking cool - the Oilers are in the conference finals... at least Detroit got taken out by a team that has a chance to go to the cup... and how cool... Shaw Horcoff (Michigan State U) and Ryan Miller (Mich State U) are critical elements of their teams... very cool

okay - at this rate - catching up on random stuff between emails and questions this'll be longer than the last one..

WTF is up with this front wheel (speaking of Time trial stuff - okay well SB was)

Yeah, Funny comment on this mornings post there Suds. it had me lmao... (laughing my ass off for those in the world who don't use LMAO on a regular basis)...

Listening to the Curious George soundtrack right now... not a bad CD... worth the $$? I dunno - i might not have bought it but my wife did and she has much less of the stingy bone component i got from my Dad. You'd be suprised, shopping at Mark-It-Foods, then Safeway, or Thriftway in that order as a kid with my dad made a big impression. That or its genetic. part of all my indecisiveness is the unwillingness to spend $. but then somethings i just don't car about. Do i get worked up if I'm buying a better fuel (B20 - or Shell Premium for the Volvo) that costs a few cents more? nah, hell it didn't even bother me that my last 100 gallons of fuel oil was bought at $0.05 more than another company... but... awefuggedaboutit... i'll shut up on that. I'm tempted to go on about Mark-It-Foods... that was a unique supermarket... but... well i won't

I'm pissed - stupid Open in Tabs got me everyone that ISN'T on google's blogger stuff... IE i could read Kerry's, 32sixteen, Wells, tree farm, and Megs.. maybe a few others... Joel's came up suprisingly though... weird.

Shit, i miss one day and i double my reading. Heck even superstar KL has a new entry! Suds starts writing meaty posts... SB's got two... man i am SLACKING.

And reading KL's Nat Guard Comment... ain't that the shit... Kinda funny, do the Red states actually every use the Nat Guard? Hell i guess not when W was in them...

Good luck to the flooded...

now what the hell was i gonna say?

Oh.... well lets see if i can do the housekeeping shit first. And yes... i'm swearing a bit... first i'll assume that if you have the patience to read this stuff here, your attention span has matured to the point where you are over the age of 18 and thus are considered 'adult' and thus are able to be legally exposed to 'such language.' (this is something that has been rolling around with the other marble in my head BTW)... Yes, there is a significant population over the age of 18 that call the use of explatives excessive, vulgar and a sign of nothing good (fill in the blank with derrogatory, immature nouns). Well I counter that there are very few other words that carry the same power, connotations, or emotion. Stuff or shit... different! "housekeeping shit" or "housekeeping stuff" different emphasis? no? Well it doesn't matter i guess, here i can pull the ego and say, it matters to me and i'm writing this and its a liberating feeling to write in a way where i'm not censoring myself. Although i will admit, i often sensor some thoughts... i'm human and have innapropriate thoughts, but I figure, as long as they stay in my head, don't make it down on paper, or make it out of my mouth or get acted on in any shape or form... i'm okay... And damn i wonder if this is needed (maybe i should go back and delete the last dozen lines or so... NAH - no backspacing here except to fix crazy blatent errors!!!

Okay - so why all this about being slow? Well i felt damn slow trying to hang on to G-ham's wheel... did fine for quite a while, suprised me... then i started pooping out. I could blame it on being dehydrated (no water bottle, 1-1.5 hour into the ride - working all day not drinking enough fluids), could blame it on no calorie consumption since lunch (ride was at 5:30), could blame it on the effort with the trailer earlier in the day... but mostly... lack of recent miles. Rain, workshop, work, family... has kept me off the bike. Biggest kicker was that Giulia showed up and had to ask me "Where's the Klein." No idea if she had seen this, but if she's a regular fan of Kerry's and clicks on any link over on the side - chances are she's run across this and may have put the email addy and the username together... but no... no klein. The roads were still wet, and i had JUST cleaned it (well cleaned it when i brought it up out of storage)... that and i had the race blades on the P-mount and thought it best to keep my jersey and the other folks dry... mostly... it wasn't as effective as Il brucie's full coverage monsters.

But besides feeling slow and like shit the ride was good. that last effort (the one making me feel slow) was great. And i followed it up yesterday with some killer resistance work.

Huh? resistance work? Well put a 30 pound kid in a trailer with 20" plastic Mag wheels pumped up to about 15 psi (if that) add a nice headwind, and some stuff... well we went down to P Velo to 'official' join the club and pick up some much needed new bibs (verge, and yeah SB... ya can pee wearing them) and a jersey... but no Joe. Damn. So we road back and stopped at wholefoods for some Coffee (beans not brewed) and what turned out to be 40-50 pounds of stuff (made lasagne last night, needed cheese, 1 liter of Olive oil, and i figured i'd get some flavorful black sesame oil, some rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, 3 pounds of ground sirlon, and some other stuff...). Well i thought i could just put some of the stuff at my daughter's feet and the rest in my messenger bag its freakin huge - oh seems they do still sell the size... it used to have a cool name... now its just the XXL a glorious 4100 cu in. of space... and i needed most of it... cause she was smashing the stuff under/by her feet...

That and if ya been down to the one here - Doyle hill is fun... esp with a trailer and a grocery store on your back... that 1/2 mile sucked... and climbing in the 50x23 might have been a tad over geared... but i made it up...

And made it home, made lunch, loaded her back up and headed out for 1.5 hours on the BLVD... headwind down hill, only 400-500 feet total climbing for that ride based on gmap-pedometer... but that 1.5 hours kicked my ass... barely keeping 17 mph average (10 minute laps) with a headwind heading down hill... and the aforementioned kid sleeping (nap time - i was damned if i was gonna sit inside while she was sleeping) in the trailer.

Now if i could just do that every day i 'might' be fast in a year or so...

So anyway - that's about it... enough babbling about that. I stopped at P Velo over lunch - met Joe and have my 'kit' am a few $$ poorer but now am somewhat official.

I'll stop - i can hear Suds crying Uncle!

#1 i'm slow as hell... was able to hang with Graeme for about 2 miles pushing it hard and i blewup...

#2 got some damn fine riding in yesterday... trailer is heavy

#3 daughter was NOT sick... she was 100% at daycare when picked up and has not changed but it was a great father daughter day

#4 i'm slow...

Okay... well that's about it for now, i'll get a bit on these shoes gloves hands and all that from yesterday's events...

well after a nice 3 minute debate with my wife about who will go get the feverish toddler (101 or so right now after her nap - most likely do to the latest round of vaccines - the timing is right)... she's going to get her... but... that means i get to go home and get in the car and go get the oldest... plus side = i get to leave early; minus side = i have to get in the car. Although my wife suggested i just ride over and get her... but... no helment for her, no go. So i am headed home here after the next meeting.

Should still be able to turn around and be at the bottom of the BLVD to see if any other brave soul shows their face... I'll be there, with every damn belgian bone in my body... you see, axle is my brother... a fellow tall skinny freak of a rider... i just don't have his genetics or last name... or a whole host of other confounding factors that make me who i am and him who he is... But i gotta say i've always admired and kept an eye out for that kid - more cause he's a tall skinny freak than cause of his dad... honestly. Same logic why i always kinda hoped that 4 eyed freak Zulle would come through... bad timing... on his part... racing against those guys... never mind - no reminiscinig(sic) about old pros. And don't ya love it, if you think you mis-spelled a word, or if you intentionally mis-spell it all ya have to add is (sic) after it and its alrite(sic). LOL

my hill of measure, really the point here of writing this is to say coming up College hill today felt freaking AWESOME. not to mention i was pretty much able to motor with and faster than the cars all the way here... no issue, the legs were 100% there... the lungs not quite so much but the effort was only around 1km or so... but it was great. Coming back up... now... here's something ya gotta pay attention to, wet man-hole/utility metal plates... esp cruising up an 11% grade hill... not to mention i thought i was headed up in the 23 but was only in the 50x21 oops... Popped up the top- so different from the gasping eyes surgin in my head wreck i was 6 months ago... felt inspiringly fantastic, which is why i actually considered riding out to pick up the oldest... may just have to start putting her helment in the trailer just in case, esp if i can bust outa here a few minutes early... one of these days...

Do i have a solo break of a 23 mile race in the legs (ie N. Stonington) prolly not... prolly not... should i? Yeah... ideally i should.

That and i hate to admit it, but i need some skills practice... cornering... big tall fat ass me just never has gotten comfortable heading down hill like Sean Yates...

Oh update (three phone calls, two emails, and associated stuff later) i don't have to get in the car afterall... BUT i do have to stay home tomorrow, the fever topped just over 101 and that means she can't come back tomorrow... even though she was running around happy as could be chock full of tylenol... STUPID RULES... oh well - i can look forward to a nice day with my daughter... maybe this is the excuse i needed to make my way out to Pvelo and see about getting all official and stuff...still gonna wrap up early... may not get anything published tomorrow (dissapointed i won't get to see the live feed of the Giro :( but... hey could be worse... I'm thankful this is all i have to deal with, and i will keep sending positive healing thoughts out to those close friends, Suds and his family, Chris and his... that they can find the strength and support to make it through. Not to mention all those others out there that need it... Like those stupid mt. bikers calling Roadies dickheads and what not... and those arrogant assmunching roadies who give a bad name to the gangs of slick tired brethren... FUckitALL we are CYCLISTS... we ride a freaking two wheel bike... who cares if yours has carbon fiber disked hydrualic brakes and 10" of travel front and rear or if you are riding some fixie minus brakes, or some beat up anchient old schwinn... WHO CARES... Two wheels. Stop judging... focus on commonality and bridge the Fucking gap! GOT IT? hey i've seen it happen in the TDIworld. People with absolutely polar opposite Political and Social points of view can be good friends and can get to know eachother focusing on what they share in common.

Focus on the positive. Focus on what's relatable. That is how you begin to foster peace and all that

Damn did you see it? The finish? Holy smoking crap! Damn does axle just have the most rotten luck in the Peleton? Getting caught 100 meters from the line? Or was it 150 meters... yes... 150 meters. Oh man does that suck... attacking at km 15 and getting caught 150 meters... talk about your ultimate solobreak kick in the nutsack...

ah well... THOSE are the stages i like to watch... drama, pain... it woulda been doubly sweet if Axle had held on for the win... at least he got some major air time for the sponsor, prolly picked up the most combative jersey for the day.

I'm gonna pass this on from a local guy who race (for the last time appearantly) in the 35+ 5 race at Sterling. Supposedly came home from the race with a dismal placing and hypothermia... DAMN!

I did the 35+ Cat 5 [sterling, MA] last weekend, and ... oh boy, are they green. Can't hold a line, shift on a hill, or move into gaps without bumping. 'course, the road conditions were the worst.

GRRRR... great greenhorns... should be fun... maybe i'd just better get off my ass, get the lisence and get it overwith...

not the encouraging words... I would have guessed maybe that the 'old' folks would have a bit of skills... but then... what am i thinking... its probably a field full of Lance Wannabees with more cash and time than brains or skills at this point.

but i'll be nice - who knows - maybe people think i'm the phreaking phred stinkin up a ride... i don't think so, although i have been known to (due to in-attention) drop kick folks on a hill (stand in the saddle and let the momentum shift the bike rearward 6-12")... but at least i know what to do - even if i can't do it (exhaustion, brain fart, whatnot)... my guess would be the best way to deal with that crowd is to find one or two strong fit other guys in the group and get as far off the front as possible... down side is (my gut) some of the guys are stronger than they are smart... riding alone for 5000 miles so far this season might make ya faster than me but dude - hold a freaking line... (letting my caffine amped mind run isn't good maybe)...

at least its lunch time...

start drying out? its possible. I rode in today with out the Sugoi jacket on or the Pearl Izumi pants! Could be getting there. Even the puddles seemed smaller and managable.

Fingers crossed, but even if ol'Mother Nature is listening i'm fuckin riding. Screw this shit... BUT unless the roads are bone freaking dry i'm not riding the Klein YET... i just cleaned it (three weeks ago it seems) and i ain't about to start it off getting dirty for a BLVD circuit.... i don't need the lighter weight for that ride... maybe i'll bust it out for the PVelo Time Trial on Thursday...

The Giro coverage hasn't started yet it seems.. just some Live RAI TV with a Blond walking around and talking.

here's a question... Why do most of these euro folks walk around and talk or at least sit all visible? Not hiding behind a desk? Just curious...

Caught a bit of NOVA last night... and for what its worth... the particulates they are talking about are mostly gasser and power plant. Diesel particulate is a fair bit bigger (nulceating) and the Haze is the reaction of gasoline emissions with nitrogen oxides... or at least that's what i think it is... i don't know anymore... although i do know that Biodiesel has nearly zero sulfur (a huge component for nucleation both in soot/particulate formation in diesel and gas combustion) and the oxygenated nature of the fuel helps even more over regular diesel. Anyway... its a good answer... and its here and now... not down the road....

That's done and over...

Pretty much have ruled out N. Stonington this sunday... no miles, gonna be way out on the Cape Saturday on my feet hanging out... maybe down the road a bit i'll get in one of these nice 35+ 5 races.

The Giro is back on today (if your head is totally burried in the sand)
media.rai.it Giro Feed

Baso has a totaly hysterical smirk...

Diggin through loads of digital pics i can't find one set and its bugging the literalshitoutame... but looking back at ALL the pics from michigan and the stuff... there's some good scenery and now i have a nice record of the good parts...

And like that old saying goes... do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. I finally feel like that. here. its fantastic.

WOOOOOOOOO just found em... Freaking HUGE sigh of relief... not that its different than not finding negatives or prints and wondering what happened to them... at least digitally i KNOW they were somewhere and generally i never delete images so its just a damn matter of where the hell the shit it. Time for an external HD... that or a better organization system.

I kinda thought there was somethin else that was buggin me that i wanted to get off my chest... i can't think of it now.

One of the more prolific posters to the Bike to Brown email list got a nice write up in the Phoenix:
http://thephoenix.com/article_ektid12135.aspx

worth a read if you haven't seen it yet. And ya know i'd be lying if i wasn't jealous of Connie and Kerry... getting written up as 'super commuters' but i'll also be the first to say, my commute is pretty silly short, no stretch of a challenge, heck the gal downstairs walks to work, just about the same distance (sometimes she takes the bus i think).

Heck even Jack from the Hub gets a quote or two... nto to boast but honestly i've had enough quotes and press clippings to last a lifetime. Between growing up in the edges of a media spot light as a musical family, and the Biodiesel stuff in michigan my yearning for 15 minutes has been satisfied, and i'm just happy to see some good positive press for the cyclists.

Oh crap - the Ride of Silence is tomorrow... even if you can't get out, try and observe a moment of silence at 7pm...

The graphics from the riders is cool, 187 HR 95% max and speed 28 km/hr... at least thats what Gomez's stats where... cool stuff in a way... excessive in another... but you can be assured that these guys going up hill are actually working...

My standing form/strength is definately getting better... this trailer is kick ass for strength... now to hope i can find some speed with it someday... but that would mean I actually need to ride more than two and from work...

Oh the conflict stuff (how to challenge and bridge the gap without making it worse - but also to do it without seeming like a freaking pushover peacenik hippie). I had a few thoughts on the way home last night, riding... but seem to be unable to recall them... Freaking hell Lampre is driving the train... someone must a missed a break... DOH... sucks to be them...

Oh and what's this? Il Brucie is correcting my ride of silence info... appearantly RI wants it to happen at 6pm... interesting... well none-the-less... at least keep it in mind.

peace...
G

PS...


PPS...
pez fullstory 4011 nice read with some science about cadence... something i've been playing with in my head since its started to drop... also seems to make sense... 90 has always felt good to me... maybe there is a biomechanical reason? But then since i haven't had a cadence option on the bike for 8+ years... well maybe i have no clue (shuddup back there in the peanut gallery)

PPPS...

yeah one of these days i'll just start a new entry:
i did a quick seach for that newest article mentioned in the PEZ article...
found this stuff google scholar is coooooooool

youtube.com/watch?v=AHM7iyjMAnw
The video has been pulled - it was Al Gore's SNL skit to open the show... bummer it got pulled
holy freaking SHIT that's funny!

ah the downside of being asleep at that time of night...

I'm eating lunch... and while you are... take a peak

one comment about it - What the hell happened to Canada if Michigan and Northern Maine have been swallowed up by Glaciers?

But maybe this first:

Although we had our qualms before the storm, we think our little road trip shows the technologies are out there to promise massive gains in fuel efficiency in short order, should circumstances warrant it. Imagine a Prius-like hybrid that ran on biodiesel instead of gasoline. We may not be there yet, and adapting diesels to use the cylinder-cutoff technology found in the Jeep and Honda might be a tough task, but look how far we’ve come already.

BioDiesel HYBRID... freaking hell YEAH that'd be cool... BUT here's the rub... the Diesel stuff they like so much... um is getting on 10+ year old technology... the cylinder shut down on the Hemi is also pretty damn old... some caddy did that a while back (70s). at least they are talking positive like

VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI
7.0 gallons of B20 biodiesel at $2.749
49.9 mpg vs. EPA highway rating of 42 mpg
TOYOTA PRIUS
8.3 gallons of regular gas at $2.599
42 mpg vs. EPA highway rating of 51 mpg
HONDA ACCORD V6 HYBRID
10.3 gallons of regular gas at $2.599
33.9 mpg vs. EPA highway rating of 34 mpg
CHEVROLET CORVETTE
12.8 gallons of premium gas at $2.699
27.3 mpg vs. EPA highway rating of 27 mpg
JEEP COMMANDER
20.3 gallons of premium gas at $2.699
17.2 mpg vs. EPA highway rating of 18 mpg

Definately give that article a read... interesting... esp about the E85 comment ...

back in a few


--okay -- its nice when lunch gets interupted with a massive stack of literature from a vendor... sort of...

what was i saying? Oh nevermind... Keep in mind though that the Jetta there was base, no driver feedback for instant fuel economy (like the hybrids) and it weights in at over 3,000 pounds.... It ain't light. Its safe and economical...

And the Vette's a damn fine machine.

Okay - maybe that's it... nope... wait... one more from the email:

Yes, Bike to Work Day has snuck up on us, and is this Friday the 19th,
the culmination of Bike to Work week (which starts today), which is
itself the centerpiece of Bike Month. These dates are all designated by
the League of American Bicyclists, and pretty much every year I've paid
attention, they happen to fall during the wettest, coldest week of May
here in the Providence area! Murphy's Law, I guess.

Damn nope there was one other email that was pretty damn cool:

May 15, 2006 -- Bike traffic on the bridges spanning the East River is up 35 percent since last year, and 100 percent since four years ago, says Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group.

It's up 84 percent on the Williamsburg Bridge alone since dangerous expansion joint coves were recently removed.

And with gasoline at $3 a gallon, advocates predict the city will soon see a record 150,000 cyclists a day.

appearantly from the NY Post this morning... now that's a good measure!