New StreetView Contest

Cyclelicious is running another Google StreetView contest. I posted a few links there that undoubtedly will win me the prize, but in case you want to enter, you have until Saturday. Oh, and here's another one. And one more.

Inaugural Chicago Criterium

Chicago Athlete has this story that the Inaugural Chicago Criterium will be held Sunday, July 27, 2008. This is great news for cycling fans. The rest of you should also come out. It's going to be fun.

Google StreetView

Google StreetView has come to Chicago. Check out the Segway tour on their way to the Planetarium.

Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate
Originally uploaded by frankshapiro

This is one of the pictures I took of "The Bean" last Sunday.

The Bean

I had a chance to walk around Millennium Park last Sunday and, with Google Street View coming to Chicago I just had to see if I could find "The Bean" on it. And yes, I can.

Vegas Sucks

Vegas Sucks
Originally uploaded by richardmasoner

Sticker on sign spotted at Interbike. I'd put in a vote for moving it to Chicago (Interbike, not the sticker). More discussion on this at Cyclelicious.

Bike Path Coming

Bike Path Coming
Originally uploaded by frankshapiro

We've been riding this road and watching the construction progress for a while now. Today, there was this sign. It will be interesting to see if the new traffic pattern helps. No news about estimated completion date.

Cyclocross Race

The Cat 4 Mens results from the Jackson Park race are in. I'm told the race began with 79. 70 finished. I came in 33rd, tired, but undamaged.

Fun With Photoshop

This photo was taken at the Jackson Park Cyclocross race last Sunday.


I didn't like how dark Barry looked and was looking for a different way to lighten him up (pun intended) without washing out the background. This is what I came up with.


More photos from my first 'cross race here. Results of my race are not yet posted.

Reckless Driving Incident

Chicago Bike Racing has this report of a driver intentionally cutting in front of a paceline and braking. It's worth reading the entire post and the comments that follow. Luckily no one was seriously injured and the driver was arrested and charged.

Safety

At the start of the North Shore Century last Sunday, right about here, the group I was riding with was passed by a black Dodge Stratus. Crossing over the double yellow line, accelerating to over 40 MPH and nearly taking out an oncoming SUV before swerving back to the right lane just ahead of the paceline, it was an unnerving start to the day.

That experience, coupled with the events of the last few days, got me wondering about the relative safety of bicycle riding vs. other activities and just life in general. A little net surfing and I came across this interesting chart. The data is from 2003 and is the lifetime odds of one's dying from the specific activity as reported by the NSC.

Of course these are averages and does not account for those of us who ride 6000 miles per year or drive like that moron in the Stratus.

Coloring Book

Taliah Lempert has a new coloring book out. Nice.

1000 Words

Sign
Originally uploaded by joon coming from the old world

This sign says it all.

Glencoe Grand Prix Pictures

In addition to the shots you can see at the Flickr group, Jon informs me that the organizers had a professional photographer shoot some of the races and the photos are available for purchase.

Bad Week

It's been a rough couple of days for cyclists in the Chicago area. On Monday, a cyclist wearing an iPod was trying to ride across some tracks near Burlington and was struck and killed by a train. On Tuesday, a woman was struck and killed by a garbage truck as she rode her bicycle on Chicago's Northwest Side. Police report that she was apparently talking on a cell phone at the time. The driver of the truck was ticketed for making an improper right turn. Wednesday night in Matteson, a XXX Racing-AthletiCo team rider crashed during a race and never regained consciousness.

It's a horrific series of events, a reminder of how fragile one is on a bike and that safety is not something to be taken lightly. My condolences to all family and friends.

Bicycle Arch Entrance

Bicycle Arch Entrance
Originally uploaded by neilcrocodile

Something you don't see every day.

Failed Photos

Last March, I saw Floyd Landis at a picture framing studio in suburban Chicago. I took a lot of photos with mixed results. There was this one shot, though, that I was able to crop and it would have been a really fun shot, but I happened to take it either a moment too soon or too late. Had I noticed just what was next to him, I would have taken a few shots to make sure that he at least had his eyes open. Hope he has better luck with his hearing (pun not intended, but left in anyway). Oh well. At least I got to drink some Three Floyds beer.

Under the Influence of Cycling

USA Today published its ranking of the 25 most influential people of the past 25 years and Lance Armstrong is #8. That ranks him as more influential than Pope John Paul II (#9), more influential than Bono (#10), but not as influential as Oprah (#3).

Also, Floyd Landis was listed as #15 in the list of the 25 biggest sports scandals of the last 25 years.

Greg LeMond was unavailable for comment.

Unattached Rider

Is this for racers without a team or riders without significant others? Either way, I like the 'tude of the copywriter. An interview with the originator is here.

Biking in the Bible Belt

Cyclelicious points to an article that suggests that the town of New Llano, LA might ban the use of bicycles in town. The proposed "no wheels" ordinance will prohibit the use of skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, bicycles, etc. anywhere in the corporate limits of the Town of New Llano with the exception of the individual's private property. The reason? Skateboarders have been tearing up city property. I'm surprised they didn't ban strollers and wheelchairs, too.

This story also reminded me of a short film I saw at last year's Bicycle Film Fest called Biking in the Bible Belt.

New Rule 2

If an SUV blows a stop sign in Highland Park and cuts you off, it does not mean the driver was on the phone, applying lipstick, selecting a song from their iPod, and drinking an iced low-fat soy 1/3 caf 2/3 decaf no foam hazelnut frapadapuccino with one Spenda and a half package of Equal double cupped. It might have been only two of these.

Stop Means Stop

Stop Means Stop
Originally uploaded by frankshapiro

I guess the stop sign alone wasn't doing the job. The additional directions showed up a few weeks ago. As soon as I saw this, the song "No!" by They Might Be Giants popped into my head. Never heard it? Sample here.

New Rule

New Rule: The King of the Mountains jersey should not be available in sizes larger than medium.
With apologies to Bill Maher.

Bicycle Art

Taliah Lempert is an artist in New York City who clearly loves bikes. I love how she describes her paintings which is more a description of the bikes and their owners. And you can see how she "builds" this Seven. And, oh my, she has jerseys!

Downers Grove Through The Rain

Downers Grove through the rain
Originally uploaded by Luke

I saw this picture and just had to show it to you. You're welcome.

Picture From GGP

After looking through the pictures I took at the Glencoe Grand Prix a number of times (and wondering if I should blame the camera or just my inexperience photographing moving cyclists), I decided that this was one of my favorites. The tree with the face is right after turn 2. I like the contrast of the sad "face" on the tree and the determined face on the rider.

The Onion on Cycling

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't find The Onion piece that ran yesterday (and has made the email rounds from my riding friends and a mention on a number of cycling blogs) all that funny. Yes it was nice that cycling made it into that prestigious news source, but the joke just didn't work for me. Yes, I "got it". The TdF is so hard that you have to dope to finish on time, yada, yada, yada. I just didn't find anywhere near The Onion's usual brilliance.

I'm not saying it was entirely without laughs. The part about it being carried on "Versus-2, the little-sister network to Versus" was brilliant. I guess I just didn't buy the premise. Also, see #9 and #12 here.

Yada, yada, yada has it's own Wikipedia entry? Now that's funny.

Cyclocross Skills

Cool cyclocross skills videos here.
(h/t Chicago Bike Racing)

Cyclocross

Info on the Chicago Cyclocross cup races here. First race is September 23 at Jackson Park. I plan on making this my cyclocross racing debut. I'll try to get in some practice Wednesday nights at 6 at Mt. Trashmore in Evanston. This guy's excited for 'cross season. If anyone has other links of interest related to local 'cross events or practices, please post them in the comments.

Glencoe Grand Prix

Nice race summary by Chicago Bike Racing here. FattyM has his take on the Cat 4 and Masters Cat 4 races. More photos are up at the GGP flickr group.

Just Off The Top Of My Head

Next time I'm having coffee and I find the half and half in my fridge has gone bad long before the expiration date, I'll try to keep my disappointment in perspective by remembering that a faulty fridge can do a lot more harm than that.

Glencoe Grand Prix

Race results are now posted.

Glencoe Grand Prix

Yesterday, the first annual (I was going to say inaugural, but I couldn't spell it) Glencoe Grand Prix was held in beautiful downtown Glencoe, Illinois. By any measure, it was a success. There was a full day of competitive racing under perfect weather. I spent my day watching the races, volunteering as a course marshal and taking snapshots with my Canon Elph. I got 81 pictures before the battery failed. My raw photos are now on a Flickr group that I creatively named "Glencoe Grand Prix". Feel free to post your own photos of the event there or add comments. I will eventually post a few of these shots after a little time with photoshop.

Perry DeAngelis

I never met Perry DeAngelis. I only knew him as a voice of wit and reason on a podcast called The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, a highly entertaining and informative weekly podcast talk show that discusses, from a scientific point of view, the latest news of the paranormal and fringe beliefs. I heard of his untimely death the same way that I have come to know him, on a podcast. I don't remember how I found the SGttU, but the first time I heard it, I instantly liked it. It is a rare combination of science, intellect and entertainment made all the more enjoyable by the personalities involved.

Perry, I never met you, but I will miss you.

Good News Everyone

I may be a little late learning about this, but one of my favorite shows is coming back.

Glencoe Grand Prix

Remember that the Glencoe Grand Prix is this Sunday, August 26. Same day registration opens at 7:00 am, but why wait? Go ahead, register online.

I'm told they can still use some volunteers and the weather forecast looks great.

Potter Mouth

"Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's."
--Hermione Granger (from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

Funny thing. This was the second time in the book where phallic humor penetrated the story. Without giving too much away, in the story Harry has to use someone else's wand. It's, ahem, smaller than his and he refers to using it as like "having someone else's hand sewn to the end of his arm." One of the first spells he tries with it is engorgio and it doesn't work (Viagra joke anyone?). Hermione's comment to this failure is: "It's all a matter of confidence."

Really enjoying this, the seventh book.

Three Feet. It's The Law

Governor Rod Blagojevich signed Senate Bill 80 yesterday which amends the Illinois vehicle code to require motorists that are overtaking bicycles to leave at least three feet of room until safely past the rider. I wonder if this will change the attitude of Mr. GOTFR from last Sunday's ride?

Many thanks to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation for their work on this.

Now if I can only get a police vehicle as a pace car.

Your Lunchtime Laugh

Every high-end carbon fiber bike review you will ever need to read. Wish I could write this good.

(h/t to Cyclelicious)

I'm With David. And He's a Fred.

The FredCast is a weekly podcast about cycling news and gear. I listen to it (free from iTunes). It seems that the staff of a certain TeeVee actor who may or may not be running for President is using the name FredCast for their podcasts. David Bernstein, the creator/host of the cycling FredCast has written this letter to politely ask them to stop. There is a story about this that you can Digg by clicking here.

SUVs to Pay $50 Daily Fee to Drive in London?

In 2003, London instituted a $16 per day fee to drive within their "congestion zone". This reduced traffic and provided money to invest in their transport infrastructure. Now, Mayor Ken Livingston has proposed to charge owners of SUVs $50 a day to drive them within the congestion zone.

(Just a note about attribution. I first saw this story in today's Chicago Tribune. Since links to their web site require registration, I linked to the autoblog story for convenience.)

Imagine what a fee to drive within the Loop might do for Chicago? Yeah, like that'll ever happen.

Getting Through to McQuaid?

UCI president, Pat McQuaid, blames organizers of Tour de France for scaring away sponsors saying that sponsors are reluctant to invest when there is no guarantee the team will race.

Wellll duuuh!

Later in the article, McQuaid takes another shot at Lance Armstrong as if allegations are just proof of doping that haven't yet been confirmed. This of course is part of the problem. One that Mr. McQuaid doesn't yet seem to understand.

Let me state it clearly so Mr. McQuaid understands. Most of your sponsors are large corporations. They have many sponsorship opportunities. Corporations are risk averse. They do not want to be associated with controversy. Right now, cycling is seen to be a risky association (this point you seem to understand). Therefore, corporations are likely to spend their sponsorship Euros elsewhere. This is even more true for new sponsors. You know, the ones you need to replace the departing sponsors.

I'd Rather Ride

While Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour de France, proclaims his innocence, Tailwind Sports, owner and operator of the Discovery Channel team, his team, a team which also placed riders third and eighth in this year's Tour, announced that they will cease operations at the end of the season. Two years in a row, the team of the winner of the Tour de France shuts down. Doping is certainly destroying the sport. Just not exactly the way you're being told.

And Christian Prudhomme writes this editorial showing he is completely out of touch.

GOTFR

Wow. This may not mean what I thought it meant.

Bicycle Film Festival

The program information on the Chicago Bicycle Film Festival is up. This was fun last year. I'll probably be there this year as well.

Fun With Physics

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy is one of those comics that I read mainly because I'm already on the comics page reading Dilbert and several others that I like. BRSP's humor usually ranges from juvenile to obvious and is occasionally funny. So imagine my surprise when I saw this one:

It's not laugh out loud funny, but you do have to remember your high school physics to get it. Also, for some reason, I hear the voice of Dr. Farnsworth from Futurama in my head when I read Dr. Mel's lines (it's his shrink ray above). I also can't believe that Dr. Farnsworth has a Wikipedia entry.

A Little Fun With That Warning

I saw this sign at Starbucks after our morning weekday ride. Isn't this another way of saying: "Get your coffee and get out"?

I took this picture two weeks ago, did some photoshop magic and was about to put it up as a fun posting when tragedy struck. The hard drive on my trusty 4-5 year old desktop showed me the blue screen of death. In other words, it gave up the ghost. To make a long blog entry short, I bought a new computer, reinstalled my favorite software, and restored my music and pictures from an Iomega backup drive I had been using. I only lost about a dozen pictures from a recent trip that hadn't been backed up (damn!) and a lot of time. The moral of the story. Get a back up drive and use it.

Doping at the Tour

"It ain't cheating if you don't get caught." --Billy Martin

Yeah, but if you cheat to win, it's an empty victory. Don't believe me? Consider where Bjorn Riis kept his yellow jersey from his 1996 tour victory. It wasn't displayed in a prominent place. It was "in a box at home."

That's one reason the Floyd Landis situation bugs me. No matter what you may think about whether he doped or didn't, we will never know. The flaws in the lab's procedures and documentation shown in public by the mediation hearing make it impossible to know if he was doping and got caught or wasn't doping and his results were a false positive (remember that the 'B' sample was known to be Floyd's and the lab analyst was confirming her supervisor's 'A' result. A clear conflict of interest and poor laboratory procedure). Even if you think Floyd doped (and I don't) you have to hope he is cleared by the arbitrators. It is the right result and it just might help reform the system or at least open WADA's eyes to a problem it must fix. One of many before the Tour can recover.

"I win on my merits; my opponents win by cheating." --Mason Cooley

Moose Drool

I was up in far northwestern Wisconsin last weekend (more on that in a future post). It was so far northwestern WI, that I had dinner in Duluth, MN where I had the pleasure of a Moose Drool beer. Loved it. A really tasty, dark brown ale that was so good I went through all the trouble (yeah, right) of looking them up on the web. Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana. They even have a great tag line: We make water fun. Fun yeah, but not available (yet?) in Illinois.

News

This was the headline on the front page of today's Chicago Tribune:

The 237 reasons to have sex

Let me repeat myself. This was on the front page. Above the fold. With everything else going on in the world and in our country today, this was deemed worthy of the front page. Important. I'd link to the article, but you have to login to read it.

Besides. Who needs 236 other reasons?

Charity Event

On August 26, if you're not racing (or volunteering) in the Glencoe Grand Prix, there is a bike ride through Highland Park, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff to raise money for Hedge Fund Cares which gives grants to organizations to combat child abuse and neglect. More info here.

Future of the Tour de France

While Fritz at Cyclelicious is optimistic about the future of the Tour de France, Pete Geyer of Cycling Fans is not. In his July 26 editorial, he writes at length of the political problems of the Tour and of the importance of a strong riders union that is "capable of getting [Franck] Bouyer back on a bike, capable of protecting riders from their own teams, from unethical team doctors, from their own sponsors, from the collateral damage done by all the political battles. A rider union capable of getting the riders a better base salary and longer contracts, like in other sports, so that they don't have near-constant pressure to perform, 'or else'. A strong rider union capable of helping young cyclists avoid the pressure to dope to begin with."

Hear Hear.

Music on the Web

There are a number of interesting music sites on the web. Here's one with cool visuals that allow you to stream music selected by various characteristics (mood, genre, decade, etc.) Within this chart, you can select a song to listen to and let the player continue on to similar music or you can keep clicking to sample and move on to other songs. I've only just started to play with it. Check out Musicovery.

North Branch Trail Reconstruction

Looks like all 20 miles of the North Branch Bike Trail will undergo reconstruction in sections July 9 through October 9, 2007. (h/t to Chicago Bike Racing).

Why So Much Doping This Year?

A thought occurred to me this morning. Aside from the weirdness of how and why Michael Rasmussen was pulled from the Tour, what if there is another reason why so many cyclists are testing positive this year? Why is this year different than last year? After all, riders signed the pledge not to dope this year, penalties are stronger and riders were prohibited from starting the race if even suspected of doping. So why is it worse this year?

If there is one thing we learned from the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing it is that LNDD has lax chain of custody controls and problems with their equipment and testing procedures. Can it be that riders thought they would be able to get away with more this year because LNDD won't risk additional embarrassment to their now-damaged reputation?

I don't know if this is the case, I just know that as much as the UCI, ASO, WADA, and AFLD say they want to clean up the sport, it's not just the athletes that they should be looking at. And let's face it. The athletes want the sport to be clean as well. Let's hope this year is a turning point.

Let's hope, I don't accidentally write that last line again next year, too.

Win This Bike

I need something to cleanse my cycling palate. Something to take my mind off the Tour de France and, perhaps, do some good while I'm at it. Looking around, I found this raffle to win a custom-built Serotta Coeur d’Acier like the one you see above. Proceeds will benefit To Life! a breast cancer education and support organization. I must have been fated somehow to find this story since I ride a Coeur d'Acier (that's it in the photo at the top of the blog) and breast cancer has touched someone very close to me. The winner will be announced on Friday October 5, 2007. Details here. Now go buy some tickets.

It Just Gets Worse

Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark has been sacked by his team.

Words fail me.

UPDATE: More info here and here.

More Bad For Cycling

Italian rider Cristian Moreni of the Cofidis team tested positive for testosterone after the Tour's 11th stage. Race organizers announced his name, L'Equipe broke the news of a positive test earlier in the day by quoting an anonymous official who said he did not know the identity of the rider and was not authorized to discuss the case with reporters.

Rasmussen wins stage 16. I understand that this is bad for Pat McQuaid.

Vinokourov insists he did not dope. This isn't good for anyone.

Finally. It rained this morning. At just the right time. And just long enough for me to go back to sleep. Turns out it was a localized shower and, had I waited 10 minutes, it would have been a nice morning to ride. So pretty much a bad day all around.

Good News Bad News

Vino's team quits while Petacchi is cleared. Oh, and John Edwards rode with Lance at RAGBRAI today. If I remember correctly, John Kerry rides a Serotta and our current president rides a Trek.

Bad For Cycling

This is bad for cycling.

Bad For Cycling?

The head of cycling's world governing body, Pat McQuaid, says it would be bad for the sport if current Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen goes on to win the race. McQuaid added, however, that the Danish rider has "broken no rules, so from that point of view ... you have to give him the benefit of the doubt."

Let me ask you something. What's worse for cycling: A rider winning the tour without breaking any rules or the head of the UCI telling us that it would be bad if a particular rider wins the tour? Was this a veiled message to Rasmussen?

Rasmussen currently holds the yellow jersey. The holder of said coveted piece of apparel has to pee in a cup and trust the powers that be that it will be handled appropriately (can you say chain of custody?) and tested accurately and fairly (LNDD anyone?) for various performance enhancing drugs. Does the lab (LNDD) know it's Rasmussen's sample? If there is an AAF, will it be leaked to L'Equipe before a confirming 'b' sample? And why hasn't Dick Pound weighed in on this?

And now I read that Pat McQuaid wants an apology from Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme for a late-night telephone call in which Prudhomme supposedly asked him if he was trying to "kill the Tour de France." This because of an inconveniently timed announcement that Rasmussen had been kicked off the Danish national team apparently for missing two out-of-competition doping tests. Or maybe he was kicked off the team because of the report that a former cyclist accused Rasmussen of trying to trick him into carrying illicit doping materials into Italy five years ago.

He hasn't won yet and there hasn't been any evidence of wrongdoing (unless you count a better than expected performance in the stage 13 TT) so what's the point of all this?

One other thing stuck out for me in the McQuaid-wants-an-apology article. The fact that McQuaid called from Dublin, Ireland where he was on vacation with his family. The president of UCI is not at the Tour de France, the world's most famous and, arguably, most important race. I don't know if this means anything, but it sure seems to me like he doesn't care much about cycling.

Maybe none of them do.

Keeping Cool

One way to keep cool in a heatwave.

Morning Ride

Great ride this morning. Perfect weather and a nice even pace. The route passed the pyramid house in Gurnee (here's a cool shot of it from Google satellite). I took along my camera this time and got about 25 shots. I thought that this was the best one.

Lanterne Rouge

Bet this guy tested positive for donuts.

Ceramic Ball Bearings

Yup, ceramic ball bearings. They'll make me faster.

Nosferatu Ale

The mind reels with puns (you can use the comments section for this). I hope the beer reels with flavor (can a beer reel with flavor?). I'm a fan of craft brews and I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a fun label. Rats, I guess I couldn't avoid the pull of the pun. From your friends at Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Wet Commute

I had a new experience today. I got caught in the rain on my commute home. I was keeping track of the coming storm on weather dot com and I knew it was coming, but I just had to get that one last thing done and, well, I got caught. It wasn't raining hard, but it was hard enough to soak my shoes and the front of my pants and shirt. It could have been worse. I had just repaired my front fender so I didn't have mud kicked up in my face. I did make it home fast. Amazing what a little motivation will do. I think the only time I got home faster was when I got in with a paceline and rode their draft home. Getting caught in the rain wasn't so bad. I wouldn't want to do it everyday, but having a short commute was the difference between funny and miserable.

Shocking

From the department of duh! Of course, since the research is based on interviews, perhaps an alternate conclusion is that muscular men were twice as likely to lie about their sexual conquests. Yup. I'm going with that.

Pricey Bikes

Cool. My Local Bike Shop just happened to have the most expensive bike on the floor in a recent survey of local shops by the Lake County News-Sun. That earned them an article and photos in the paper.

Glencoe Grand Prix

The new web site for the Glencoe Grand Prix bike race is fully operational. Lots of useful goodies there, like information about the race, parking, directions, sponsors, pictures of the course and a link to register online.

Cool Blog With Videos

This is just too cool. One of the riders for xXx Racing-AthletiCo has a blog with videos he has taken with a helmet mounted video camera. He's not Lucas Brunelle (yet) but the videos are a hoot (and it's nice seeing Sheridan Road and University Avenue from the perspective of a helmet in a group ride.

Commuting

Last week I used my bike to commute to work every day. I'm finding that using the bike is more a state of mind that anything else. I'm lucky enough to live within a mile and a quarter of my work so the commute is easy and takes about the same amount of time as driving. The Commute by Bike web site has a variety of resources to get your started or keep you motivated. There is a calculator on the home page to help you calculate how much money you save on gas by using your bike instead of your car. I saved $2.19 last week. This does not include my errands to the bank, library, post office and City Hall (probably another $2.00 or so). There is also the wear and tear on the car (figure about 15-20 times starting it up and the fact that using a car for short drives is driving at its least efficient. I also save $60 by not having to purchase a parking sticker.

But that's not entirely why I do it.

I do it because it's fun.

Chicago Bike Racing

Chicago Bike Racing is a growing resource for prospective and beginning bike racers in the Chicago area. There's a blog, race schedule and a list of group rides. Check them out.

Andy Singer

I'm always up for a cartoon or comic (I know there's a difference, just don't ask me to explain it) or artwork that relates to cycling. I found the cartoon to the left via this blog, a commenter on my blog. Andy Singer's site is here.

The Appearance of Guilt

I've been thinking about the decision to not have any rider wear bib number 1 this year. This makes sense since it is not yet resolved if Floyd Landis will be stripped of his win. Without a confirmed winner from 2006, no one should wear bib number 1. This sends a message and is true to the process. For the same reason, no team will be wearing the numbers 1-10, the tradition for the team of the winning rider. What I disagree with is that bib numbers 11-20 will be worn by the Caisse d'Epargne team, the team of the rider, Oscar Pereiro, who came in second in 2006. This is flat out wrong. It sends the message that Floyd is guilty, and Pereiro is the winner from 2006. The only possible solution that would be fair to the process would be either to let Discovery I'm not sure who should wear 11-20 since Floyd is still the winner of the 2006 Tour (and will be unless he loses all appeals) and Phonak has disbanded (thanks, Bob for pointing out my cognitive lapse). Who wears #1 when the previous tour winner does not compete? What team wears #1-10 when the team of the previous winner is not in the tour? What if it is both? Has this happened before? Maybe the solution is to select team bib numbers randomly. Search for the truth Mr. McQuaid, indeed. I thought I had a clever post. Now I just have questions...

Best New Training Aid Ever

With the Tour just days away, I need to alert my reader (or is it readers?) to the Greatest New Training Aid Ever.

A Sad Sight

This is a sad sight. The gas station widely known by local cyclists as the Velodrome Amoco (even after BP bought Amoco and changed the sign) is closed and it does not appear likely to be reopened. The station got its name due to its popularity with cyclists as a place to buy drinks, snacks and energy bars and to take care of other needs. It was in a great location with no competition. I think we knew something was up when they turned off the outside water tap. Maybe that was a last ditch effort to increase revenues.

It will be missed.

Bring That Camera

I always promise myself that I will bring my camera along on all my rides. I'm always missing what I think are great pictures. Heck I miss pictures even when I bring the camera (more on that on a future post), but at least I'd like to take the shot. Sometimes it's just being lazy, not wanting to carry it in my jersey pocket. Other times I just forget.

Today, while commuting to work, I lost an opportunity for a shot that would have made a nice blog post. It was a father on a Cannondale with a Trail-a-bike (or something similar-not sure what the generic name is) attached to it. Attached to the Trail-a-bike was, not one, but two bike trailers in a row forming a train that would probably have voided three warranties. He said the ride was surprisingly stable and it was a great way to get in a workout with his kids.

Maybe I'll meet up with them again. If I do, you can be sure I will have my camera.

Cyclelicious GoogleMaps StreetView Contest

Cyclelicious reports that he is sorry for the delay in coming up with a winner in the GoogleMaps SteetView contest and will get to it soon. I think he has been wasting his time waiting in line for an iPhone.

Interesting Quotes

I was skimming though my copy of The Quotable Cyclist: Great Moments of Bicycling Wisdom, Inspiration and Humor, Edited by Bill Strickland, and stumbled across the following which appeared one after the other (pg 219). I have them here in the reverse order from the book for reasons I can't explain.

"The problem with being a Tour de France winner is you always have that feeling of disappointment if you don't win again. That's the curse of the Tour de France"
--Greg LeMond

"I'm proud of what I've done in the Tour, but you have to keep your perspective. It's just a bicycle race after all."
--Miguel Indurain, after his 4th TdF win

Tour de France

Levi Leipheimer will lead the Discovery Channel team at the Tour de France which begins July 7. Ask me if I care. Well, actually, I kinda do.

Bike Commute

I've been commuting by bicycle to my office for about a week now. I've done this on and off for a couple of years, but this summer I'm going to make an effort to ride to work daily. It's not a major feat, only about a mile and a quarter and most of it by trail. I've always been a little embarrassed that I drive, but errands and driving the kids around make it easier to bring the car.

On the way home the other night, en route to the trail, my timing was such that I jumped in with my local club's evening ride. About a dozen riders in full kit on road bikes and me in street clothes on my 32 pound knobby-tired mountain bike. They were winding down the ride, spinning easily, probably about 20-21 MPH. I got in the paceline thinking that this oughta be fun. And it was. A little goofy, perhaps, but fun. I had company for the three minutes it took to get home and some incentive to finish work early next Tuesday. Maybe I'll start the ride with them as well.

On my road bike.

Fathers Day

This was my favorite comic strip from Fathers Day.

Glencoe Grand Prix

I recently learned from one of the organizers of the Glencoe Grand Prix that the course is slightly different for the Cat 5 men and the juniors. Here is what it looks like. This accomplishes two things. First, it is a safer route for the less experienced riders and second, it allows St. Elisabeth's Church to keep their 9:30 service. A win-win for all. August 26. Sign up now.

Tour de France Dopes

The Tour de France won't accept riders who refuse to sign the UCI's new anti-doping charter. UCI president Pat McQuaid said Tuesday: "The line has definitely been drawn in the sand. We'll have no more rampant doping."

If Mr. McQuaid thinks signing this charter will end doping, I'm afraid I'll have to ask him to submit a sample to LNDD to make sure he's not on something. If the key elements of the pledge are submitting DNA samples and having riders to pay a year's salary along with a two-year ban if found guilty of doping, then it's going to be more of the same, only now with higher penalties. And why should the riders sign this pledge if it is optional? They get nothing in return. No matter what you may think of Floyd Landis, we will never know if he doped. His privacy was violated when his 'A' sample results were leaked to the press and the lab that tested both his 'A' and 'B' samples(!) was shown to be less than fully competent (there were issues with at least how they operated the equipment and with the sample chain of custody.) In addition, it was shown that the lab knew it was testing his 'B' samples to confirm their own 'A' sample results. His defense has bankrupted him (or nearly so). And the entire process of testing the athletes has created an atmosphere of mistrust. Where are the protections for the riders?

If the UCI wants to clean up cycling, there's far more work for them to do.

Bicycle Film Festival

The Bicycle Film Festival has announced its Chicago dates: August 15-18. More info as they get it.

American Biathlon

Here it is, our new sport: American Biathlon. Can someone suggest an optimized training program?

Glencoe Grand Prix Criterium

There is exciting news for those of us in Chicago's north suburbs. The August 26 Glencoe Grand Prix is a series of bicycle races to benefit the Glencoe Educational Foundation. The current issue of the Glencoe News (Pioneer Press) had a well written article about it. Here is a map of the course. Tell your friends.

MS 150 II

Rained out. Drove out to DeKalb with 8 friends. Had pancakes at a diner in Elburn trying to see if the weather would break. It wouldn't. We drove home and did a 40 mile ride locally where it was dry. Can you believe it? Just 80 miles away and we could have ridden all day. Oh well, there's always next year.

Science

Here's one way to make the argument for the scientific method:

Mindless Eating

Cyclists seem to be frequently (constantly?) looking to lose weight. I listen to the weekly Scientific American podcast and heard a very interesting interview on their June 20, 2007: Science Talk podcast. Brian Wansink, Ph.D. has written a book called Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. I think he has hit on some key issues why it can be so hard to lose weight. There were obvious ideas, like not being fooled by "low-fat" foods that are usually high in calories and there were more insightful (and surprising) ideas like using smaller plates (and narrow, tall glasses) so that you can better judge how much you are eating. Being more mindful of what we are eating is a far better solution than restrictive or faddish diets. Looks like my library has the book (but someone has it out) and has ordered the book on CD.

Mmmmmm. Beer.

I could only find two beers with some kind of connection to cycling. There's Fat Tire Ale and Tire Bite Golden Ale. Both delicious. If you know of any others, put 'em in the comments.

MS 150 Ride

I am riding in the MS 150 this Saturday. Feel free to make a donation by clicking here. Thank you.

Why I Ride Campy

'nuff said.

GoogleMaps StreetView Contest

Cyclelicious is posting a winner today. Here's a link to get you right there.

Recovery Ride

Somewhere I read that a real recovery ride is so slow that you have to take a different route so that your friends don't see how slow you are riding. Friday, I tried doing a recovery ride keeping my heart rate below 70% of max. This was easy on flat road where it meant keeping my speed at about 15 MPH. The trouble came when I hit a hill (like an overpass, I live in the flat lands), I had to climb at about 7-8 MPH to keep my heart rate low enough. Now I understand why one might want to take a secret route.

More Google Street View

Here's a pedal powered rickshaw in Central Park, NYC. And that's all for me. Today. I mean it. Really.

Google Street View

There are some contests to find the best cycling content on the new Google Street View. One is at The Fredcast and the other is at Cyclelicious. Here's my entry: Sixth Avenue Cycles in NYC. I also found a rider in Central Park. If you find others post them here and at Cyclelicious.

CORRECTION: The contest is at Cyclelicious. The Fredcast was referring to that contest, not one of their own.

Cycling Cross Country For A Good Cause

The Illinois 4000 For Cancer is cycling across the US to raise money to support the American Cancer Society Research Fund, Camp Kesem and other worthy cancer-related causes. Donations welcome.

Et Tu Sly?

When it hits the world of fiction, that's trouble.