You have to give the guy credit; he's not using a combustion engine, and he's taking the lane, which is pretty bad-ass when you've got a flipping cervidae on your back. It's from the fail blog, though I'm not sure this qualifies as such, quite the opposite me thinks.
On to a lighter note, this week has seen a lot of friends and colleagues laid off from where I work. Thirty years at the company? Yeah, nice knowing ya, but it's time for ya's to be on yer way. Oh, and good luck finding work out there. People are wandering around the workstitute this week a bit dumbstruck, cause no one knows who's next.
And I'd like to thank Chloe for sending this clip of her father, the large feller, on his new Portland ride, heading off to the co-op to fetch some hummus pâté for the supper table:
I was the lone human at the dog park this morning, for some reason the attendance at the dog parks go down a bit this time of year.
I'm sick this week, so no riding for me for a few more days. Seems as if I have a few cracked ribs as well, from the fall of last week - again, it only hurts when I breathe, or cough, or sneeze, or try to get out of bed.
Bundle up and keep warm.
Oh, and I found the first 3-4 minutes of this to fairly entertaining:
In the good words of my father, the streets have been "slicker than snot on a doorknob" the past few days. I was riding last night and had my first just-riding-along-not-fucking-around fall of the year. The bike was out from under me fast fast fast. I landed on my already injured starboard knee - A bit of get up and go is what I gave it, and it gave me back a night of no more falls.
Anybody go to OOOBS last night? There was a nice turnout, considering the season. You just don't see certain people very often this time of year, and last night was a good chance to play catch up with some friends who've been in social hibernation. Those in attendance got to participate in a bit of gumball roulette as well as seeing the newly built Hatcher on display:
A bit of back alley snow antics were sure to follow. I decided to sit this one out as my body is in the state of ache. Please sit back and enjoy what was about six riders, though Linden dominates here - in quantity only, I can be sure.
This photo turned up on my camera the other day. Thanks to Hurl for making sure a few winks didn't go undocumented. As long as word of this doesn't get out... Oh, and Butler is back from his extended vacation. Welcome back sir, welcome back.
My advice to you is to grab a cool beverage on the commute home from work, go to your nearest frozen lake or wooded area and enjoy said beverage in the bright night of the winter. Not a lot of people outside this time of year - it's just too beautiful out there to stay inside.
Also - party tomorrow night at the OOOBS. See you there.
Jumped over a tremendous snow pile last night, made it up and over the crest only to find my front wheel jammed into a rut resulting in a bit of head over ass and trying to catch my breath after the wind is knocked out of my port side lung. I got a bruised and swollen rib cage, but no worries. Having learned no lesson, I next tangle up with the Kevin in the garage, bruising my taint in a wicked smash-up. Some would have gone home at that, and I did several hours later, where I followed up with a 3am reattempt at snow pile jumpness, resulting in another landing on my damaged ribs.
I simply have too much fun riding over snow piles - one of the perks of the season. Now I'm not mentioning all the successful runs, I'm just not reminded of those each time I breathe...
That quote didn't come from your mouth, but you did print it in your article, you prick.
And then in a follow up article, he claims that people are misreading his words, and goes on to state how much he admires the work ethics of winter bicyclists. I don't know who this guy is and I'm surely not going to let this prick ruin what I so much enjoy doing, which is ride my fucking bicycle. I read something like this and it makes me want to ride more and more.
You know what I call somebody who rides their bicycle in place of driving a motor vehicle, in any weather? I call that person a patriot.
Keep churning out the hate, it'll get back to you eventually.
[edit] What kept rolling through my mind as I headed home tonight was the memory of Jim Nisser, who was killed in a hit and run accident while riding his bicycle to work last September. I'm throwing one back for you tonight, Jim.
[edit 2] It has been recommended that this Joe Soucheray be from now known as a douche bag - this shall be the case, until further notice.
So I think people do end of year lists. I haven't seen any as I am a bit out of the loop, but I'll take the time to throw out what I think.
My 3 favorite record albums of the year 2008, in no particular order, and not really the top 3 of the year, more like 3 that I've been listening to lately.
Fleet Foxes - self titled. I missed them play at Haldern this year but have my ticket for 2009 - though I doubt they'll show 2 years in a row. My suggestion to you: pick up the vinyl - it comes with the album, the EP, and the whole shebang on mp3 for the price of the compact disc - who the hell buys CD's anymore anyway? Take a listen.
Blitzen Trapper - Furr. Country rock band out of Portland, Oregon. Playing at the Cedar in February. Title track here. Good as it gets. Hurl, I still have your cd - you left it here so don't complain.
Willie Nelson - Moment of Forever. Come on, it's Willie playing outlaw country. Some have said the album is depressing when they hear me play it - thanks for trying to ruin it for me.
OK - now that that's over let's move on to some resolutions for the new year:
Drink more.
Perhaps ride my bike the same or more.
Build myself a turntable.
Spend less time riding the midtown assaultway, as my primary resolution is to simply survive for one more year.
Stop being such an asshole to people.
Quit listening to the current. You started out promising and with a hint of sparkle in your eyes, but now it's the same old crap the other commercial stations do, minus of course the incredibly obnoxious commercials. Is it possible to play more than 7 different songs? How about losing the accent, Mark? It's back home to Radio K for me.
Hey Large Feller, send me your address - I've got a gift put together for Chloe. Oh, and I don't read your blog, so don't put messages for me there. Well there goes #5.
That's all I've got. Hope to see you out and about.
It's a long one and if you don't wear prescription glasses you can ignore the hell out of it. You've been given the opportunity, at least.
I've been meaning to get a new pair of prescription glasses for a while now. I was a bit of an idiot and decided to purchase the vision plan at work, thinking it would pay off for me in the long run - I'll be canceling this the next time I'm able, which is during a 10-day period next November - health plans in the US are the awesome!
So I go to the fancy eyeglass place, the guy starts putting frames on the table as soon as I walk in, and has about six pairs there for me after my initial walk around peering into the frames locked up in their cases. OK - I sit down and try a few pair on. The guy really likes a certain frame or two and is a bit upset when I eventually steer towards something a little less boring with less bright colors and no cutout designs on the sides.
OK - so I've got this vision plan through work, what's this pair here gonna run me? Let's see, that frame is 540. What? Is that in US dollars, I wonder - because we haven't even begun to discuss the lenses yet, which is the thing I'm really after here - being able to see clearly. OK - but my plan covers the first $140 and takes off an additional 20%. So after factoring in the lenses, the frames, the $90 anti-reflective coating, which I don't want, it comes to about $475 - that's with tax now, so let's not lose sight of that.
I'm going to go think about this for a few hours before I throw down this cash that I really don't have, but if I don't get something before the end of the year I'm out the money I put into the plan - the $140.
I walk to a national chain type place - they've got a sign on the window saying something like all frames are $59 or something crazy like that. OK - they've got a much larger selection, though the frames have all been touched and prodded on by every person who just got off work at the burger king - if you try hard enough you can almost see out of the french fry grease fingerprints protecting the clear lenses.
So I find a frame that I think will suit my needs. Hey guy, how much for lenses in these here pair? OK, so he's ignored me up until now, cleverly utilizing the quiet hands off approach, I like it. This gentlemen can't seem to answer any of my questions other than repeating that I am going to need the most expensive lenses they offer, based on my very bad astigmatism. Wow, I had just told him the opposite, that I usually get by with the cheap lenses as my prescription really isn't that complex. So these top of the line lenses are gonna go for 200-bucks, that's including the anti-reflective coating, which everyone so far is emphasizing their ability to greatly enhance my ability to "drive at night". I've never had a problem getting around before, I keep thinking to myself. I walk out.
Let's go back a few years, shall we? I'm getting my eyes checked by an optician in the Navy. It's in Florida, this guy is a Captain, a very high rank for an eye doctor. He does the whole check up, we talk the whole time, have a hoot. He hands me my new prescription, telling me to walk around the other side of the building, hand the guy this slip and I'd have the glasses faster. Of course I do as he suggests. This technician takes a look at my prescription, grabs the right size frame out of a box on the wall, grabs the two lenses out of different bins, places them in the automatic grinding machine to bring them down in size to match the frames, pops them into the frame, polishes them with a cloth, and hands them to me. Five minutes, I'm walking out with my new glasses.
A buddy of mine was just in Korea. He's walking down the street and a vendor selling glasses tells him 35-bucks for a pair of glasses. No, he wears corrective lenses and doesn't have the prescription on him. No worries, have a seat. Hey, 35-bucks, what the hell? My buddy sits down, a light scans each eye for a few seconds, a slip prints out with his prescription on it, and 20-minutes later his glasses are ready. Bam!
My current pair of glasses cost me $150, frame and all, down in a Mexico eyeglass store.
So why the hell do glasses cost so effing much, for X-mas-sakes? I don't really need to be at my fashion best - I'm looking for a basic frame with lenses that don't fall out when I'm doing whatever it is I do. I need a good pair of glasses that isn't going to cost me a significant portion of my monthly income - beer money is not easily cut into, people.
I recall I'm a recent member of the Costco and they have an eyeglass counter inside. OK, so the selection is a bit lacking - I quickly find a frame that will suffice after sifting through a load of Nike/Converse/Stetson/corporate branded frames - so you want me to pay you money to advertise your brand of tennis shoes on the side of my head? OK, so basic frames - cost: $39.99 - they're the "Richard Taylor Quincy" model, in black, FYI.
On to lenses - here's where they hit you. The nice young lady tells me right away that based on my prescription, the basic and inexpensive lenses are the right choice. So how much? Lenses: $74.98 - that includes the UV coating, anti-reflective coating, and some other stuff.
Total price including the tax to support the wars and wall street bailouts and other political corruptions: $116.25 - why the hell was that so complicated?
I can get most if not all of this back once I submit the receipt for my vision plan, though I'll be out the remainder of the $140. Live and learn. Live and learn.
That's all I got.
Later reflection - Yes, I can surely see value in paying for what you get - take bike items for instance. I'm not buying a ride at Target because it's going to weigh 3x what I want to push, is not repairable or upgradeable, was likely not built correctly or safely by the 14-year old Erik's bike employee behind the scenes, is likely the most uncomfortable piece of machinery you'll ever sit upon, etc. But a pair of glasses works whether I pay a grand or 100-bucks. I don't see at all the value in paying 500-bucks for a pair of glasses - this ain't rocket science, as they say - and yes I do have a MS minor in aerospace engineering. Complimentary adjustments you say? I've always gone home and self adjusted my glasses with a pair of pliers because the person at the shop always made them as uncomfortable as possible. Warranty you add? For a quarter the price, I still have your said warranty.
I imagine there's an article in Consumer Reports talking about this very subject and I'm guessing they come up with the same conclusion - I ought to visit the library.
Been getting glasses at WP for a few years now and have no complaints. And as long as you don't mind heating up and bending your own frames, which I'm fine with, I recommend them. Oh, and you need your pupil distance, which I got after averaging out the measurement from several engineers at work using calipers.
Also, a segment on 60-Minutes I just learned of (spoiler: the industry is a monopoly and prices are set IAW there is no competition):
Props to Common Roots for being open today. Also Cheapo Records, where I threw down a few for some fresh albums of choice. After that I went and threw down a few on the lake on my now annual ride across Calhoun. This time I chose east to west, solely to mix it up:
Other than that - I've spent a few hours in the garage today, sort of keeping things real, if you know what I mean. Bikes, music, and beer, that pretty much sums up my day - couldn't get any better.
There has been a recent string of bike thefts in the Grant Park area of Minneapolis. The thief has been skillfully breaking into back doors and into parking garages to get bikes from locked up storage areas, to name one example.
Here's a photo of the guy, if you know him, you know what to do:
I'm riding home tonight down in the quiet, dark, snow packed, residential streets of Bloomington, specifically the 8500 block of Knox Ave South, when a Dodge Caravan minivan comes towards me and yells out "Idiot!" to me as he passes by. Holy shit I think - it's one of my readers! I was going to offer him a sticker, but he blew through the stop sign onto 86th in somewhat of a hurry, not really in my style at all, but perhaps explains this potential difference in character.
So not 2-minutes later, on the very next block, another car passes in the same direction, the silent driver throwing out 2 empty cans of Miller Genuine Draft at me. Two readers back to back? Too good to be true, I think, however this last person surely must have been a casual reader, because the points are on the packaging, not the actual cans or bottles. And please, for the other readers out there - it's only applicable to High Life, not the Genuine Draft. Details, people. Hey, at least he meant well! Happy holidays to you too, sir.
A third encounter you ask? Too good to be true, but true nonetheless. I'm riding through Richfield, not far from my first recognitions, on the 6700 block of Oliver, when a dog sees me - recognizes me more likely - now running at me, likely to give me a kiss or to receive a petting. I'm thinking when I stop for one dog, I'm stopping for the whole city - and my wrist isn't about to handle all the autographs, not to mention I've got to get home to check on the High Life, so I push it just a bit harder, maintaining myself just out of reach of my newest Richfield friend.
Kudos to all of you for recognizing me in the winter darkness and with my winter clothing on:
I'm gonna see if I can finish off the High Life in the fridge tonight. You're welcome over to help, but no later than 0100, please.
Read this story, though it's from a bullshit source, it's powerful and worth the read. Note that it's spread out over 3 clicks worth of pages. Please do yourself a favor and bypass reading any of the comments left on the above link.
I'm in agreement with a few of the comments left on my previous post. If people were getting jacked in their cars up on Lake Street, the cops wouldn't reply by telling people not to use that street, they'd increase their presence and add cops in an effort to nab the culprits.
I rode out to the river on Saturday night - took the side streets, bypassing this trail altogether. I've been fucked with too many times, a lot of those times on this "Greenway" trail, and am sick of riding alone in fear in a dark and secluded subterranean pathway, not to mention being the frequent and easy target for people throwing objects off of bridges at.
Speaking of the 'greening' of this particular trail, I've seen people hiding in bushes and trees along the trail on several occasions, and as Gene said a few days ago, it's only going to get worse when all the newly planted trees develop into maturity, creating a plethora of hideouts for heinous hoodlums. That last Alliteration is mine, but you can go ahead and use it.
Be careful out there - ride in groups - don't be afraid to take the streets after dark.
Recently we’ve had series of robbery/assaults on the Midtown Greenway. They’ve occurred in both the 3rd and 5th Precincts at different locations along the trail.
Typically the victim is surrounded and pushed off their bicycle. The attackers are taking wallets, backpacks and purses. Many of the assaults have occurred after dark. Some have occurred during daylight hours. So far the attackers are not stealing the victim’s bicycles.
The suspects have been described by their victims as groups of 2 or 3 younger males. At this time we do not have more specific descriptions of the suspects. It appears that more than one group of suspects may be committing these crimes.
The Minneapolis Police Department is investigating these crimes. Police are doing extra patrol on the Greenway. The Police Dept. met with the Midtown Greenway Coalition to discuss some prevention strategies.
What You Can Do?
If you can, avoid riding or walking the Greenway after dark.
Whenever possible ride/walk with others, not alone. You are much safer with a group than you are alone.
There are “Bluelight” phones at intervals on the Greenway that will connect you directly to 911. Carry a cell phone as well. If you aren’t close to a phone, you can call 911 if you need help.
Pay attention to your surroundings. If you see people ahead of you, that make you nervous or uncomfortable, exit the Greenway at the nearest ramp.
If you should be assaulted, try to stay calm. Give the attackers what they want. The more you resist, the more likely it is that you will be injured.
Be sure to wear a bike helmet while riding. If will reduce you chances of injury considerably.
When you call 911 give the operator your location. Due to recent changes in our police reporting system, the Greenway is now listed as a street (i.e. Midtown Greenway W. (Nicollet Ave. westward) and Midtown Greenway E. (East of Nicollet to the river). When you riding or walking during daylight hours take some time to familiarize yourself with the addresses of the cross streets over the trail. It will help ensure a quicker police response.
If you have questions please contact Crime Prevention Specialist Don Greeley at the 3rd Precinct – 673-3482 or donald.greeley@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.
So on to the subject of riding a bicycle in winter conditions...
Dressing is what's most important to me. When dressed smartly, you'll be a hell of a lot warmer than those people you ride by who are waiting at the bus stop.
Pack extras: keep a pair or two of extra gloves, glove liners, socks, sock liners, a few plastic bags, hat, face mask, neck gaiter/scarve, that sort of thing in your bag from now on - until a few weeks ago I'd never failed that advice, but I'm properly equipped now, I'm happy to say. It's no big deal to stop or slow down to add a layer when it's situated at arms length, but a lot more difficult to do the same when you left it at home that morning - as I did a few Friday's ago with my gloves.
Extremities - For me the most crucial aspect for proper dressing is to keep my fingers and toes warm - don't overly restrict your digits in your clothing choice or you'll freeze right away. Wear a liner of some sort and a bit heavier thing on top of that - wool is an awesome base layer and doesn't melt when standing around a campfire. I use basic riding shoes but sometimes use a pair of neoprene cycling booties on top of my shoes when it gets too cold for my liking. Some people use winter boots with platform pedals while others prefer the winter insulated cycling shoes by Lake and Sidi, but I can't afford those so I have no opinion on their performance. My favorite very cold weather riding mittens were eaten by my brothers dog last winter, so I'm experimenting with a new pair I recently picked up at Kaplan's for 14-bucks - have to wait a month or two for that sort of cold to hit, however. It is nice to have the glove liners on under the thicker pair, especially when you have to take the thicker gloves/mittens off to work a U-lock and key, for instance.
Legs - I usually just wear a pair of long-johns under pants, but this year I'm going to try a flannel lined pair of Carhartt's, again from Kaplan's. My legs are hot (I'm told), so this is about all I need - some can't seem to put enough on, so you'll have to experiment to find what works best for you.
Torso - for me it's a very light t-shirt style layer, a long sleeved sweatshirt style on top of that, followed by a light weight breathable full-zippered jacket for temperature control. I usually have this outer zipper down one-third to one-half during even cold rides, as I'm generating enough heat by my pedaling to compensate the dry-bulb temperature. It's nice to have zippers under the arms on this jacket to allow further temperature control. Don't let yourself sweat because that water is going to make you colder - this is what the zippers are for.
Head - Cover your ears, that's crucial for comfortable riding. I wear a thin hat that goes down over my ears and down to just above my eyes, but allows for my helmet to fit nicely. I like to cover the helmet with a rain cover, which blocks out the cold and allows a thinner hat for comfort (a garbage bag cut and taped to your helmet also works.) I wear glasses, so that blocks the wind from my eyes. Get a neck-gaiter or scarf, to your preference, to keep your neck warm while also being there to pull up over your mouth and nose. Grow a beard if this applies to you, it certainly helps. This year I'm going to experiment with a thin turtleneck shirt I just picked up cheap - it's technical or something and I'm not sure if it's going to burn or not. It's a pretty good idea to always have a beer in your bag in case a fire breaks out or you get thirsty, though.
Gear selection.
Lights: Wear at least one red blinkie light on your back side and a white one up front - it gets dark early and cars are less likely to think there are cyclists riding during this time of year.
Fenders: Come on, put some fenders on your bike - not cool for school, but you're past riding around with a stripe of wet, black, road grime on your ass by now, right? Go to the CRC, he's got them on sale until X-mas, knowwhatimean?
Tires: Some people swear by studded tires, but I've successfully ridden more than one winter on slicks without falling, minus the times I was screwing around, of course. I believe it's more about confidence and experience than anything else, but then again there are those times I tend to screw around:
Ice: The most important thing to keep in mind while riding in the winter is that you're likely riding on something slippery, and it isn't always this obvious:
Riding style: When you go around a corner; do it slower than you would normally, without leaning into that corner as if you were the solo breakaway of a cat-5 crit race. When you start from a stop, do your best not to stand up and slam down on the pedals - it's not a race getting to work or school, it's just a job or an education - not worth the weeks of back pain when you slam down onto the street after your rear wheel slips out from under your body.
I already mentioned this part: As far as riding on the snow, keep in mind that there might be ice under that fluffy fresh layer, as was the occasion here:
Keep it slow and get off and walk if you have to keep from falling.
Oh yeah, and grow a beard and always wear your helmet:
And don't end up like this guy, and always wear your helmet:
Enjoy the upcoming winter, it's a great time to ride!
So I got to spend the long weekend with kin folk down in Missoura.
My T-day was spent with the brother collecting wood and setting said wood on fire. This 14+hour blaze took a lot of foraging and hand sawing, which was assisted with tow chain equipped tractor and a cooler or more of cold beer - Busch and Bud's, to be exact.
Late in the night, I decided to make a few runs on the road bike down the hill towards the fire in otherwise complete darkness. One of these runs I find my front wheel stopped by a small mogul, and me subsequently slamming my face into mother earth. I ended up with a small concussion, which caused me to spend a bit more time resting the next day than I had planned, but I'm mostly recovered good and fine now, eh?
It's good to be back in the MPLS and feel the cold air.
In other news, I overheard today that all cycling related shit over at the CRC is 20% off until X-maz - do it.
You have to give the guy credit; he's not using a combustion engine, and he's taking the lane, which is pretty bad-ass when you've got a flipping cervidae on your back. It's from the fail blog, though I'm not sure this qualifies as such, quite the opposite me thinks.
