Cross Season is Coming!

The 2009 Chicago Cyclocross Cup schedule is posted at the newly redesigned ChiCrossCup web site First race is Jackson Park on September 20. See you there.

The Phrase that Stays

This article brings an entirely new meaning to Phil Liggett's expression: "the Hard Men of the Tour".

Cell Phones + Cars = More Dangerous Than You Think

The next time you are riding and see someone in an SUV (or car, but around here, it's mostly SUVs) on their phone, watch out. Just because they are looking in your direction does not mean that they see you. In a summary of research on cell phone use while driving by the National Safety Council, these two particular points stuck out and brought home just how risky talking on a cell phone (hands free or not) while driving is:

Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash while using a cell phone.

80 percent of crashes are related to driver inattention. There are certain activities that may be more dangerous than talking on a cell phone. However, cell phone use occurs more frequently and for longer durations than other, riskier behaviors. Thus, the #1 source of driver inattention is cell phones.

Read the entire Fact Sheet. It'll only take you a minute or so.

Just don't do it while driving.

Totally Tubular Design

A great use for old tires and tubes.

What I Learned on the Internet Today

For best results, don't visualize yourself winning, imagine yourself training. The Secret fails!

Caffeine consumption may help prevent Altzheimer's. But don't overdo it, there's a possible link between significant caffeine consumption and hallucinations. So, that's why I thought I remembered where I put my car keys.

Curse while sprinting or climbing to deaden pain. That would have made the HHH much more interesting.

Which Species Of Cyclist Are You?

Love this tongue-in-cheek description of the various species of cyclists one might encounter on the roads and trails. I found the exact same article here. No credit to the original writer of this "guide".

More Reasons Caffeine is Good for You

From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine (July 12, 2009):

Two studies in the July 2009 issue of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease show that [the human equivalent of] five cups of coffee a day reverse memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's disease. The coffee also reduced blood and brain levels of beta-amyloid,the abnormal protein that may cause Alzheimer's disease in mice and people. Other studies by the same researchers at the University of Florida show that caffeine lowers blood levels of beta-amyloid in elderly non-demented humans, and when given in early adulthood, prevents memory loss in mice bred to develop Alzheimer's disease in old age. Previous studies on rabbits also showed that caffeine may help to prevent Alzheimer's

Researchers at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Committee plan to start studies in humans to evaluate whether caffeine can prevent memory loss of early Alzheimer's disease. Other experiments by the same group show that caffeine may prevent memory loss by blocking the enzymes that make beta amyloid

The amount of caffeine in two to five cups of coffee (200 to 500 milligrams) is probably safe, but more than five cups a day may cause insomnia, nervousness, irritability, nausea, anxiety, a fast or irregular heartbeat, headaches, breast pain or muscle tremors. People who have high blood pressure or narrowed arteries leading to the heart may be advised to restrict caffeine. However, the Nurse's Study showed that heavy coffee drinking is not associated with increased risk for high blood pressure. Unfiltered coffee raises blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels after eating. Pregnant women are advised to restrict caffeine since it may cause miscarriage or low birth weight

Many studies show that caffeine can improve mood, alertness and energy, prevent diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and liver cancer, decrease the risk of stroke and may help prevent skin cancer. It also increases endurance in athletes.

And I just thought it was the perfect way to end a ride.

Stupid Headline

Sorry if it seems like I'm beating up on Bicycling Magazine too much, but this type of stuff drives me nuts.

Headline: "Fignon Wonders if Drug Use Caused Cancer"

Halfway through the article Fignon says: "I'm not going to say no that it didn't play a role, [b]ut I didn't hold back any details of my drug use with my doctors and they said, 'It can't be that. That would be too simple.'"

A little later he adds: "If there was a direct link with my cancer I think there would be a lot of other cyclists that would also be suffering from the same cancer."

I wish Fignon the best in fighting his Pancreatic cancer. It is a serious condition and 5-year survival rates are pretty low. There's no reason for him to add to his misery by blaming his drug use for the disease when his doctors and his intellect say it's not likely. And there's no reason for Bicycling to emphasize this when it's hardly relevant.

Brews and Bikes in Bicycling Magazine

Bicycling Magazine has a feature on their web site called "Brews and Bikes: The best bike-related summer beers." Being two of my favorite topics, I took a look.

First, let me say that I'm not a fan of the format they chose for this feature. You see one slide at a time and when you click for the next, the entire page reloads. They also have a popup window ("We are conducting a research survey on this site. You will be invited to participate when you leave. Please do not close this window") which, will trigger your popup blocker (I'm using Firefox) every time you click to see the next beer in the article. I switched over to Google Chrome to avoid this and to see what the fuss was about the constantly blocked popup windows. My last complaint about the article is that it does not give you a link to any of the breweries mentioned or a final list of all 12 beers. Yeah, I know, I can search for any of the breweries myself, but I shouldn't have to. This is the internet, not a magazine.

The article was well written and got me interested in trying to find at least one beer I hadn't tried, like Pike Brewing Company's Tandem Double Ale. Unfortunately, their web site had no information on whether it's distributed in my area. I also liked that the article emphasized breweries that didn't just have a picture of a bike on the label, but also showed support for cycling in some other way like Full Sail Brewing Company and Oskar Blues. In any event, I learned about six or eight bike-related beers that I can add to my "to-drink" list.

This also gives me an excuse to plug a local brewery that is heavily invested in the local cycling community, Half Acre Beer Company. I have seen these guys on the road in their Half Acre kits and at many of the cyclocross races that my faithful readers know about. I also like that their web site gives me everything I need (tell me about your beer and where I can go get/drink it) in an easy-to-navigate layout.

Oh, and that survey I was promised? Would it surprise you to learn it was to see how well Nissan's latest marketing campaign was working? After the basics, there were a lot of questions about how much you like several of their ads. "Don't care" wasn't one of the choices.

Best Use of Google Ever

Headline: "Muggers Caught When Their Crime Was Captured by Google Street View"

(h/t Fritz via Twitter)

Bicyclist Harassment Ordinance Passed

Via Levi Leipheimer's twitter feed and Bike Monkey, We learn of an ordinance passed by Columbia, Missouri that "makes harassment of bicyclists — including throwing objects, verbal assault and other offenses — a misdemeanor offense punishable by a $1,000 fine or one year of jail time"

Following the lead of South Carolina and Colorado, the ordinance "makes it a misdemeanor to do the following: throw an object at or in the direction of a cyclist, threatening a cyclist to frighten or disturb the cyclist, sounding a horn with the intention to frighten or disturb a cyclist, knowingly placing a cyclist in the path of physical injury, or knowingly engaging in conduct that creates a risk of death or serious physical injury for a cyclist."

Full story here.

Legislation that helps cyclists doesn't just happen. We have to get involved. That's why attending the upcoming meeting of the Highland Park Traffic Commission on July 22, at 6:30 pm is important (put that in your calendar now). Lina Hoffman from The Active Transportation Alliance (formerly The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation) will be making a presentation on Complete Streets. The goal is for the Traffic Commission to begin taking all users (including pedestrians and cyclists) into consideration when making decisions that impact the roadways in Highland Park. We need to have strong representation at this meeting. The meeting will be at Highland Park City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Avenue.

Bicycle Film Festival

The Bicycle Film Festival will be in Chicago August 12 - 15 this year.

Cyclist vs. Journalist

Fox journalist attacks cyclist in Central Park with his SUV:

Brian Dooda, a Brooklyn film archivist, was riding his bike on East Dr. in Central Park at about 5 p.m. on Thursday when he says a grey SUV cut him off, nearly swiping his front tire.

This escalated when Dooda caught up to the vehicle at a red light, pulled in front of it, and, in his own words (see NY Cycle Club thread), "facing the driver and, straddling my bicycle, explained to him that what he just did almost cost me my life, the speed limit is 25mph in the park and if he doesn't like it to stay out of Central Park."

The driver then accelerated, knocking Dooda and his bike to the ground. It get even worse from here (read the whole story in Gawker or the Daily News). The good news is that Dooda escaped with only some scrapes and bruises.

The Last Four miles

Make no small plans...

Four of Chicago's 30 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline are not available to the public, contrary to the plan Daniel Burnham published 100 years ago. The advocacy group Friends of the Parks will be unveiling a plan (as yet unfunded) to change that.

"Called “The Last Four Miles,” the plan proposes to plug these holes with 2 miles of new parkland on both the north and south lakefronts. If fully carried out, it would create a chain of parks, beaches, lagoons and bike trails that would stretch without interruption from the Evanston border on the north to the Indiana state line on the south."

What's that expression about a journey of a 1000 miles beginning with a single step?

Indexed Help

So far the cold weather has kept them away, but they're coming...

Talking Head Book Review

In yesterday's NY Times Sunday Book Review, David Byrne reviews "Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities", by Jeff Mapes.

It's always fun to read about David Bryne using his bicycle as his primary transportation around New York. He quotes Mapes pointing out that "when more women begin riding, that will signal a big change in attitude, which will prompt further changes in the direction of safety and elegance." Byrne says that he "can ride till my legs are sore and it won’t make riding any cooler [I say that if David Byrne is doing it, it's cool], but when attractive women are seen sitting upright going about their city business on bikes day and night, the crowds will surely follow." True, that.

It sounds like an interesting book, one I will probably add to my "to-read" list.

Also of note. In the author's bio at the end of the article, it's noted that his book "Bicycle Diaries" will be published in the fall. I'll be keeping an eye out for that as well.

Take Your Cycling Shoes Swimming

The Lunocet Fin is something you will just have to see to believe (h/t to the print version of Outside Magazine).

Cycling Art

Seen in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Help A Fellow Cyclist In Her Fight Against Cancer

This is worth reposting from Ride-Strong.

Colleen Whealdon-Haught is a cyclist fighting metastatic breast cancer. Read her story and help her out if you can.

Funny PSA

Fast at the Giro

Twitter updates from Lance and Levi. 70+ MPH descents today at the Giro. YIKES!

Injustice

Early yesterday morning I was riding with a group of about 15 cyclists on our usual route through the north shore suburbs on Sheridan Road. We were under control and riding two abreast when we were pulled over by a Kenilworth police officer. He instructed us to ride single file, that there had been complaints on the road and that this was for our safety as well. We asked if riding single file was a local ordinance. The officer said, no, it was the state law that required riding single file on a road with one lane in each direction (the turn lane doesn't count). He said that if the road is two lanes in either direction, then state law allows cyclists to ride two abreast. When one of our riders said that this is not our understanding of the law, the officer offered to take us to the station and show us the law, which he claimed he has done in the past with other riders. Not having the time to do this, nor wanting to be confrontational, we followed his instructions to continue our ride single file.

So I checked (the internet is a wonderful thing). The Illinois Vehicle Code, Article XV. Bicycles states (all emphasis mine):

(625 ILCS 5/11‑1502) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11‑1502)
Sec. 11‑1502. Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles. Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this Code, except as to special regulations in this Article XV and except as to those provisions of this Code which by their nature can have no application.
(Source: P.A. 82‑132.)

(625 ILCS 5/11-1505.1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1505.1)
Sec. 11-1505.1. Persons riding bicycles or motorized pedal cycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than 2 abreast, except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for their exclusive use. Persons riding 2 abreast shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic and, on a laned roadway, shall ride within a single lane subject to the provisions of Section 11-1505.
(Source: P.A. 83-549.)

There are no provisions in the Illinois Vehicle Code for riding single file based on the number of traffic lanes.

So what do we do? This stretch of Sheridan Road is less than 2/3 of a mile long (from 10th street to Winnetka Road). And yet, we were riding legally and safely, and not impeding traffic in any way. At that time of the morning, we see few cars at all. One cyclist suggested carrying a copy of the code (small format suitable for printing and laminating here) and politely showing it to the officer. Whether or not this works probably depends as much on the situation as your charisma. Will it prevent a future unnecessary interuption of your ride? One can hope.

I have contacted the Active Transportation Alliance (formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation) for their ideas. You can contact them here if you have anything to contribute to this situation.

Stupid Doping Tricks.

So, Tyler Hamilton announced his retirement from cycling after testing positive for a banned substance. "He had tested positive for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) a multi-functional steroid he said was in an herbal remedy he took after he had stopped using prescription anti-depressants."

Self-medicating for depression is stupid. Self-medicating if you are a pro athlete subject to random drug testing is really stupid. Self-medicating after serving a two-year suspension for doping is pretty well off the charts stupid.

Depression sucks. If you are not getting well with your current medication then either change it, change your program or change your doctor.

The reports say that Tyler got caught using a "'homeopathic' remedy - Mitamins Advanced Formula - that included herbs, such as St. John’s wort, and DHEA". Let's break the stupidity apart from that sentence. First a "real" homeopathic remedy contains no active ingredients and is just water, so if the lab at UCLA was able to detect it, it's either a miraculous test or a false positive. Second, if that remedy actually contains St. Johns wort (which is nearly useless in treating depression, anyway) and DHEA, then it is not homeopathic. This either means that Tyler didn't get what was advertised or Mitamins was being misleading when they called it a homeopathic remedy (and either way, my head hurts). Finally, DHEA won't help his depression, is banned (and he knew it) and probably didn't provide any performance enhancing benefit (so then why is it banned?)

I wish Tyler well.I hope he gets his depression under control. I morn for the racer he could have been, without the doping drama. So I'll continue not to watch or pay attention to the pros very much. Instead, I'll just ride.

Blogger Down

A long time ago I discovered the Large Fella on a Bike blog. What caught my attention was the story of a guy who weighed 501 pounds and was told by his doctor that he'd be dead withing six months if he didn't undergo stomach-reduction surgery and take heavy medication to lose weight. Oh yeah, the doc also said he only had a 50/50 shot at surviving the operation. Neither choice appealed to him, so he takes a different route. He changes diet and decides to exercise. On a bike. That has to be custom made for his, er, size.

It's about four years past the time when the doc said he'd be dead and he's at 178 lbs. It's an amazing story of perseverance and the ability of being able to turn one's life around. (In some ways it's almost twice the story of Mike Magnuson, author of Heft on Wheels: A Field Guide to Doing a 180, a book I thoroughly enjoyed.)

His blog was an interesting mix of his rides, personal life and a series of questionnaires with a who's who of framebuilders. I visited from time to time and linked to him from my blog as a reminder to stop in occasionally.

And now, in an effort to simplify his life (near as I can tell), he's decided to blog no more.

Wonder what he'll do with all the time that'll save him?

Bicycle Dreams

Bicycle Dreams (note: music autoplays on the site) is a documentary of the 2005 Race Across America. During this race, Bob Breedlove was killed by an oncoming vehicle which just adds to the drama and poignancy of the event and movie. From what little I could read about it, I'm interested enough to want to see the movie. Unfortunately for me it is currently only scheduled to play at film festivals in Colorado, New Jersey and California. I'd love to see it added to the Bicycle Film Festival which typically comes to Chicago in August.

As it is, I have two quibbles with their web site. First, their home page plays music as soon as you load the page and there is no (obvious) way to turn it off. The music is pleasant, but the idea that I want to listen to this as the default mode is incorrect, obnoxious and just bad design. Quibble #2 is that there is no way to subscribe to a mailing list if I want to be notified when the movie is scheduled to play in my area. They do have a Facebook page, which might serve this function.

Here's the trailer for the movie.

Look Who Rides

It's the kingpin himself!

A Swift Reply

Scott Myers, Copy Editor at The State News, wrote a near-brilliant and humorous response to Clueless Zach Colman. 

The fun begins with:

White 2009 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno.

That’s the bike I ride — and if you’re a motorist on the road and plan on running me over, I hope you have a good lawyer, because I might sue you.

Intentionally.

Because you see, with all these dangerously inattentive motorists on the road nowadays, doing things like changing songs on their iPods, sending text messages while driving or falling asleep because they can’t get enough sleep to function on the same schedule as 90 percent of the rest of the world, I’m tired of getting run over.

And ends with:

Those are the blinking lights on my white 2009 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno in front of you, and I’d appreciate it if you’d do your best to avoid them.

Well done, Scott. 

The Stupid. It Burns!

Via TCW, I read this from Zach Colman who writes for the Michigan State University student run newspaper, Statenews.com. I don't know how many comments this idiot usually gets, but this column got A LOT. A few favorites:

Zach wrote: "I cannot drive my car on the sidewalk, so why must you ride your bicycle where I drive?"

"Dumb as D. Bobby" pointed out (complete with link) that the MSU biking regulations state: " .. Since bicycles aren’t legally allowed to ride sidewalks on campus .."

Zach wrote: "But roads are for cars, not bicyclists. The bicyclist should not have been in the car lane."

"Michael" pointed out that the Michigan Vehicle Code states: "Each person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped or operating a low-speed vehicle upon a roadway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter".

I won't even point out how stupid it is for Zach to use Lance Armstrong's average speed in the Tour de France as a cycling speed benchmark (I'm sure some commenter did).

It was the third paragraph which set the tone for the burning stupid which followed. Zach wrote: "But you see, with all these things I can do in my car nowadays, such as choose a different song on my iPod, send a text message while driving or fall asleep at the wheel because I had to wake up for a worthless 8 a.m. biology lab, I might not notice you."

OK. Zach. You are obviously too stupid to drive. Your column demonstrates that you are a failure as a journalist. Your attitude towards Biology demonstrates that any career involving Science is probably not in your future. Science also involves research, something for which you obviously lack motivation and/or ability. Judgment seems to be a problem for you based on your self-assessment of how you drive. That's going to narrow your field of study and career choices even further.

So what's left?

Inmate?

Morning Ride

With the warmer weather, it's getting easier to take photos during the morning ride. There was no way I was going to take off my lobster mitts and expose my bare hands to 20 degrees and 17 MPH self-generated winds just to take a picture of a rider I probably won't recognize due to the amount of layers they're wearing. Anyway, today I took some photos early in the ride and what follows is the best one. Turns out my fitness level only allowed me to take a few shots early in the ride when the pace was slow and I could easily stash the camera and catch up.

Still, a nice start to the spring riding season.

April Fool

Internet Rule Number 1. Never trust anything you read on the internet on April 1. Three random examples:

A UCI committee has voted to ban all non-prescription glasses from its races.

BlackBerry Storm Discontinued.

The Guardian announces that it will become the first newspaper in the world to be published exclusively via Twitter.

I'm sure there are others...

Bicycles as Tools

Via my friends at Working Bikes comes this video of how bicycles are used as essential tools throughout the world. The car rack on a bike (yes I have that in the right order) seen at 2:51 is incredible. The video was put together by Bicycles for Humanity.

Card Tricks

First, for your entertainment, Ricky Jay performs an amazing card trick:



Now, watch this trick and see if you can guess how it's done:



Just how good were your powers of observation? Let me know in the comments.

Road Work

According to my just-delivered copy of the Pioneer Press, the following stretches of crappy roads are due for resurfacing:
Green Bay Road from Lake-Cook to Edgewood.
St. Johns from Lambert Tree to Roger Williams.

Work is scheduled to start in May and be completed by the end of July.

Thank you, Highland Park City Council and us taxpayers.

Whatchoo Talkin' 'bout

Sears Tower To Be Renamed Willis Tower.

Bike Rack

Bike rack, seen on Michigan Avenue.

Cycling and Bone Density

We've all heard that cyclists are prone to osteoporosis and that cycling weakens bones. Well, to borrow a quote: "I think you’ll find it’s a bit more complicated than that." First, although a study in 2000 from the American College of Sports Medicine did find that bicycle riders have bones that are less dense than people who don't exercise at all, bone density tests do not necessarily measure bone strength. Now, a more recent study from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK compared bone measures of sprint and distance trained cyclists competing at World Master Track Championships along with sedentary controls (30-82 yr) and examined the associations of bone measures with age. The study showed that long distance cyclists have denser bones than sedentary control subjects and that sprint cyclists have denser bones than long distance cyclists (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, March 2009). The abstract of the paper concludes: "This suggests that competition-based cycling and the associated training regime is beneficial in preserving average or above-average bone strength surrogates into old age in men."

So we got that going for us, which is nice...

How the Bank/Wall Street/ AIG Bailout Should Work

Bikestock

One of the coolest places to see the Tour of California was at Dave Biber's Valley Center farm.

He had a great setup for fans to see both live action on the last major climb of the race and live television coverage on a huge TV. Biber says he spent weeks clearing trees and preparing his land for fans. He provided parking, tents, trash, portable toilets and a truck-sized TV.

Biber didn't charge a dime and refused donations. He said he did it all to sell race organizers on coming back.

When It's Cold

This is how you dress when it's really cold out.

I remember one winter when I rode my $275.00 Gary Fisher Gitchee Gumee with a set of $400.00 Mavic wheels, slick tires, full fenders and ClimbMitts. This allowed me to keep warm and dry and nearly keep up with my usual road bike group who all rode on skinny tires and bikes that were at least 10 pounds lighter than mine. I'm not sure how I kept up. I think the coldest we rode was 8 degrees (F). On that day, if you include the cost of my light, I was wearing more $$ than I was riding. Now I wimp out if it's less than 20 degrees (F) out.

Gone!

Remember this?



The NYPD says that he has been fired.

The Funnies

Original here.

iPass Troubles

I have an iPass transponder. It's the newer kind, the one that does not indicate if the toll was collected successfully. Today, I got a "Notice of Violation" that I owe $83.40, which, I assume, is both the missed toll amount and penalties. I naively believe that I can fix this with a call to their toll free number which is on the letter .

So I call.

And get disconnected.

17 times.

I go to their web site which helpfully explains that I have to call them to resolve this. So I fill out a complaint form to pass the time while redialing. I eventually get through and am told how important my phone call is to them.

So while I'm waiting, I reread the letter. The first thing I notice is that nowhere on the letter is the date and location of the (alleged) violation. There is a nice photo of my car and license plate. There is a issue date which is not the violation date since I know I wasn't on the tollway that day. There is a due date, which is fortunately two weeks hence. There is the amount due, the violation number and a helpful reprinting of the section of the Illinois Toll Highway Act that explains that they can assess mandatory fines. There is a paragraph that says that failure to respond to the notice is my way of admitting guilt. The phone number that they want me to call to contest the notice is helpfully printed five times on the letter.

By they way. I'm still on hold. They said my estimated wait time is 10 minutes. It's been 19 so far.

They keep repeating that my call is important to them. They also say that for faster service I should go to their web site (getipass.com) . Faster for them, maybe, because I can't resolve this issue on the web site. I know this because the web site says so.

I'm still on hold.

Their phone message also keeps reminding me what their business hours are. They close in about four hours and 15 minutes. I hope I don't have to stay on hold that long.

27 minutes.

I'm going to make dinner. I'll keep them on hold on the speaker phone and see what happens.

A little research turns up that the Tollway Authority has outsourced toll collection to Unisys. That's working well.

Wiki

Cool. A wiki for cycling.

For Sale

From Best of Craigslist:

Experienced Pilot

Experimenting

I'm using an article in The Bloggers Guide to try to widen my blog a bit. I'll get it right soon.

Flickr Fun with Blago

First, there's this:

Then, the burger of the month:

And this:

Capitalism 104

A short primer on economics. Worth the few minutes it will take you to read it.

Everything That Happens

Funny how one thing leads to another. I was listening to the podcast of All Songs Considered on NPR. It was their episode on listener picks for the best songs of 2008. Number 25 was Strange Overtones from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today by David Byrne and Brian Eno. I never know what will hook me when I listen to something new. Sometimes it's the lyrics, but it's usually something about the music that I like that I can't quite explain. This song fell into that latter category. The next day, I was talking about this song with one of my riding buddies who not only knew the song, but told me that you can hear the entire album at their web site (streaming audio) and download that song free.


I wanted more, so I went to David Bryne's web site to look for tour dates. Of course, I missed him, but I noticed a banner across the top that said: NYC Bike Racks. It turns out that David Byrne, an avid bike rider (I know that), designed a series of bike racks for NY that are installed in various places. Check it out.

Oh, and if you like some humor with your music, go here and listen to number 7, Flight of the Conchords.

Seasons Greetings

Have a Merry Blogmas, a Happy Blognukka and a very healthy Blog Year.

(Cross posted from the other blog I seem to inhabit.)

Due Diligence

I did not lose any money with Bernard Madoff. This is not some sort of boast, and has nothing to do with my superior investing savvy. It has everything to do with my not having enough money for him to bother with me and the fact that I had never heard of him before two weeks ago seems also relevant.

That said, this article provides a nice lesson in doing due diligence with regards to investing. It also seems to provide an answer to this article.

What the Newest Car Ad Looks Like

Tim Jackson has a knack for finding some very funny stuff.

The Day the Earth Stood Stillborn

I saw the first trailer for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. My first impression was of another stupidly produced remake trading on the fame and good will of a science fiction classic. I am usually not interested in a remake that merely adds modern special effects, usually at the expense of a decently updated script. But, then I heard a Scientific American podcast of an interview with Scott Derrickson, the director of the movie and was encouraged that maybe the trailer was a case of bad marketing. Perhaps the film was good, but it is being marketed using the traditional methods of emphasizing the special effects. I was further encouraged that Michael Shermer gave it a positive review. Of course, Shermer is a science writer, not a movie reviewer, and I don't know if he and I have similar movie taste, so I checked with Roger Ebert. He didn't like it much, and after reading his review, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it much either.

I also watched the extended trailer which added nothing to my expectations. Finally, I visited Rotten Tomatoes and the news there wasn't so good either. My two favorite quotes there:

"There was nothing wrong with the original that warranted a re-do--other than pursuit of legal tender." -Gary Brown, Houston Community Newspapers

"You'll be doing yourself a huge favor if you go into this movie with lowered expectations. "
-Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Perhaps that's the best advice.

From Cross Racing to Cross Skiing

I got in about six and a half hours of cross country skiing Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was in Saugatuck and from Thursday night until Sunday it just about never stopped snowing. We hit the dunes and the Allegan Game Area and conditions couldn't be any better. On Friday afternoon, the Game Area had a foot to a foot and a half of soft powder which made for a great workout in a beautiful forest. The dunes were magnificent. It's snowing here right now and I'll probably get in about an hour of skiing tomorrow morning.

Well, if it's too cold and icy to ride, I'm happy to have good skiing conditions right outside my door.

Northbrook Cyclocross

photo taken by Luke

I got a late start to the "Save Ferris" cx race in Northbrook. That figures. Since it is the closest race to my house and I took for granted that I could sleep in a bit and not pack the night before. Big mistake. I wanted to arrive with at least an hour to register, attach my number, warm up and pre-ride what was rumored to be a challenging course (it was). Instead, I got there only about a half hour before race time and, in the rush to get on the course, attached my number on the wrong side (rookie mistake thinking that all races require the number on the same side). Luckily a patient race official was able to right my mistake with seconds to spare before the start.

The one practice lap I got in told me the story of a very technical, twisty, off-camber festival. No barriers to jump over (rats, I'm getting good at that) and two stair climbs. This is going to be, er, fun.

I registered to race both the 40+ Masters race and the 4a race. It was a damp 37 degrees when I arrived, but at least there wasn't any wind. As usual, the Masters got off to a very fast start and my position near the back didn't help much. As we got through the first section of twisty, off camber turns through the trees, a rider went down ahead of me. I was able to avoid hitting him or the many riders around him and dismount, run past them and remount. Looking good, but not for long. My first fall came on the hairpin turn at the top of the sled hill. It was the first of four or five falls on that initial lap. I attribute this to either my being too aggressive on the turns (which is an improvement over my usual tentativeness) or the lack of the right tires for the conditions (as if I have any others). I also decided to run that turn for the rest of the race.

The first lap cost me time and confidence and I wound up taking 27th out of 31 which is a slight improvement over Hawthorn. Ed got a nice shot of me looking pretty intense:



I now had three hours to kill before the 4a race. I ate a sandwich, drank some coffee and a lot of water and put on some additional clothing for warmth. I also took a few pictures and rode around to pass the time and help keep me warm.

I did get in one more practice lap after the women's race and this was key. I got some great advice from Tom S on how to handle that first hairpin turn on the bike and was able to practice it two or three times.

For the 4a race, I made sure to get a good starting position. This was important as there were 54 riders in this field and that first turn would probably get ugly. Not being in the top 10, I didn't get called up, but I did get in the second row.

I hammered the start as if it were a closing sprint and kept good position for the trees. I handled that hairpin turn on the sled hill perfectly (if a little slowly) and raced a nearly clean race. Unfortunately for me, I lost time every lap on the stairs to faster climbers and the various areas of the course that were muddy sapped my strength and speed. It was also getting windy which didn't help. I was very happy with my race and thought I did better than 42nd place.



Overall, a really great cyclocross race. I prefer the more technical course, because, well, they're more fun. There were also a lot of photographers out and you can see their pictures here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Plans

Riding Cross tomorrow morning at Daniel Wright Woods. Racing 40+ and 4a Sunday in Northbrook.

In case you want to participate in some races after Montrose, there are these races in Michigan.

Change of Plans

I had no legs today and decided not to bother going to St. Charles to race. I'm going to save myself for Northbrook Sunday. Did an easy spin this morning and nearly got dropped so I guess I made the right choice. I think I need a couple days off.

But I don't wanna take a couple days off with this nice weather.

Oh well...

Morning on the DPR

We did about 45 miles on the DPR this morning. This was my favorite picture.

Thoughts on Carpentersville

I really enjoyed the cyclocross race in Carpentersville this year. The changes to the course made it more challenging and more fun. More fun, of course, in retrospect. During the race all I could think about was why the heck was I doing this to myself? Looking back, I handled the barriers well and have a photo to prove it:



This year, the race layout gave more room to attempt to ride through the sand pit. During my one and only pre ride lap, I forgot that there was a large lip into the pit and nearly did an endo as my front wheel dropped and dug in as I entered. Luckily I was properly sitting back in my saddle and was able to recover. The first time through during the race I was behind someone who dismounted to run it so I had to correct my line at the last minute and lost all momentum and had to execute an emergency dismount. I compounded the problem by missing the remount at the end and lost some time (and dignity). Luckily, no one captured this Kodak moment (UPDATE: apparently this guy did, but I'm not buying a print or providing a link). I rode the sand cleanly all the remaining laps.

I still need to work on my speed through sharp turns as this is costing me time and energy that I clearly do not have to spare--based on my finishing placement (41 of 54).

And then there was Superman:



Ok. This raises several questions:

Shouldn't Superman be able to ride through the sand pit?

Or be able to leap over it?

And what was Superman doing in the 4b race?

Wait. I'm confused. What's Superman doing in a skirt? If that's Supergirl, shouldn't she be in the women's race? Maybe it's Superman who's confused.

Next race for me is St. Charles. Come on out and bring your cowbell.

Friday Quote

This quote came up in conversation recently:

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."

Douglas Adams, from his book (written with Mark Carwardine): Last Chance to See.

I'm Published!

Well, not really, but this was fun to find. A photo of mine was used in a blog posting. As my son would say: "How random is that?"

Hawthorn Woods Cyclocross Race

I raced both the Masters race at 10:00 and the 4a at 2:15. This was taken after the 4a race.



That about sums it up.

Stretch?

Bottom line: Stretching is good for you, but don't stretch before exercising and it won't reduce muscle soreness.

Photogenic Lake

Rode the trail at the end of the day Wednesday. This is what greeted me when I arrived back at the parking lot:

Morning Ride

No, I didn't race in DeKalb this morning. I didn't want to drive an hour and a half to race in the rain with possible thunderstorms. I didn't relish the idea of riding in a park on a metal bike with the threat of lightning. And no, wet rubber tires don't provide any protection against lightning.

So instead, I did the 8:00 Des Plaines River Trail ride. As you can see, it was a beautiful morning here, way out east.



It was a small group today, but it felt good to get in two hours of riding on the trails.

Note to Gurnee, the underpass under 176 is open and not under water, so you should change the sign.

Which US Senator Shaves His Legs?

Nope. Read the title again and note the pronoun.

Stumped?

Answer here.

Beer

Which country drinks the most beer on a per capita basis? The top 20 are here in an annoying slideshow format. The US is number 13. Not that it's a competition or anything.

Trails

Another harbinger of 5 AM cross riding in the woods. Oct 7. GTE ride. Just two more weeks.

Can't wait.

Wear a Helmet

Yet another reason why you should always wear a helmet when you ride.

Because you never know...

Justice for TCW

"One hundred thirty dollars and supervision."

One for the good guys...

Patricia Barber

I just got back from Ravinia. It was their Celebration of Summer, an all day event that was free admission (they encouraged you to donate a food item upon entry). We went because we learned from her web site that Patricia Barber was going to perform at the Martin Theatre. Somehow Ravinia didn't have her on their program, but she was on their web site when I checked earlier today. I had been wanting to see her at the Green Mill for the past two years, since seeing her at the Macy's music festival (or whatever it was called) two summers ago. The Green Mill shows start at 9 and, with the drive, it just seems that the show would go past my bedtime. This was close to home and an early show so I wasn't going to miss it.

We arrived at 5:00 with a picnic dinner for a 7:00 show. By 6:30, I thought there would be a line of people waiting to get in, but I noted that the park was largely empty and no one was at the door. This was rather strange, but we went in at 6:45 and got to sit in the 3rd row. By the time the show started, I think the theater was only a third full. Patricia Barber walked on stage on time, sat down at the piano, kicked off her shoes and socks and thanked us for attending (even "those who came in by accident"). The small turnout made the evening an intimate affair for those of us who attended and she handled it with grace and humor.

I don't have the musical vocabulary to describe the show with any justice. She performed some songs from her new album, The Cole Porter Mix including You're the Top (with some improvised lyrics) , a wonderful, sultry, jazzy rendition of Blackbird (Lennon/McCartney), and some numbers that I didn't recognize. It was a fantastic performance by a very talented group of musicians. They were listed on the sign as playing from 7:00-7:45, but the show actually ended at 8:25.

So yeah, I'm gonna have to see her at the Green Mill. I'll take a nap before the show if I have to.

Oh, and a quick note to Patricia Barber: You left your shoes by the piano.

Partial Justice

Remember this?



Well, the charges against the cyclist were dismissed in court Friday.

Chicago Cyclocross Cup Clinic

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 13. More info here.

I Got Nuthin'

Nothing to say and no time to say it. Maybe someone else has something to say...

"Ride lots"
--Eddy Merckx

(from The Quotable Cyclist)

Glencoe Grand Prix - Results

The results are posted for the 2008 Glencoe Grand Prix.

So far, this is the most popular photo I took at the Glencoe Grand Prix.

Justice

TCW tells the story of how he got into it with a clueless (and reckless) driver and got the Glenview police to issue a ticket for a 3-feet violation.

Way to stand up for your rights.

Olympic Feel Good Stories

First, there's this:
Hurdler Overcomes Many Hurdles To Win Hurdle Race

And there's more good news:
U.S. Charioteer Breaks 2,500-Year-Old Chariot-Race Record Set By Perseus

No Olympics would be complete without a crime story:
Green-Clad Olympic Archer Steals Gold Medals From Rich, Gives Them To Poor

Have a nice weekend.

Dope of the Day

Penny Weaver.

The News Editor of the Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, writes:

So, I saw this guy on Wednesday riding his bicycle while talking on his cell phone.

And so it begins...

He was headed south in a lane of traffic on 16th Street at Charleston Avenue in Mattoon. He stopped to wait for the light to change, yakking on the cell phone, switching it to the other ear after a few seconds, and yakking some more.

Wait. A cyclist was stopped, waiting for the light to change? I thought cyclists never stop for lights or stop signs. Take that, motorists-who-think-cyclists-never-stop-for-traffic-control-devices.

Maybe I'm just jealous because I'm not that coordinated. I don't think I could ride a bike with one hand on the handlebars and the other holding a phone to my ear. I surely couldn't do it while trying to watch for traffic.

Then you probably shouldn't. Nor should you speak for those of us who are coordinated enough to ride one-handed...or even no-handed.

What I really wondered when I saw Bicycle/Phone Guy, though, was who would be to blame when he gets hit by a car.

Aha. Now I see where you're going with this. You are looking for yet another excuse to blame cyclists for your poor driving skills. What if you were talking on your phone in your car and you veered off into his lane (let's assume a bicycle lane) and hit him while he was talking on his phone. It would be his fault, right?

I mean, multitasking is one thing, but surely this carries it too far.

Why?

I know people talk on their cell phones while driving a car--yeah, me too, I confess--but I also know some drivers who shouldn't chew gum and drive at the same time, let alone yak or text.

This doesn't explain how talking on a cell phone while riding a bike is too much multitasking. This only tells me that you talk on your cell phone when you drive, you think you are better at this than some drivers you know and that despite knowing that this inhibits your ability to look out for other cars (and bicycles, and pedestrians, by the way) while you drive, you continue to do so regardless of the danger you pose to others.

It' not Average Car Driver who should be blamed when Bicycle/Phone Guy veers into traffic and gets hit by a car. It's Mr. Multitasker on a bike who should take the responsibility for being a doofus.

I'm not sure what your point is, but you wrote that you saw a guy on a bike talking on his cell phone while stopped for a traffic light and then proceeding (while still on his cell phone) when the light turns green. From this you extrapolate him veering into traffic and causing a collision. Sorry, that doesn't follow. Remember, he would be taking his life in his hands if his skills are that bad. The only threat to you is a few scratches on your car, and the pain of some paperwork.

So even when I see Bicycle/Phone Guy and I mock him and I shake my head at his stupidity, I still hope he gets where he's going safely.

I hope you also give him the required three feet of room when you pass him and you put down your phone, coffee, make up, iPod and cigarette (see, I can make idiotic assumptions, too) so you can make sure your car doesn't veer into the bike rider. Who's to blame and/or responsible then?

Music on Hold

What cell phone service answers my calls with:
"Please enjoy the music while your party is reached."

Then I hear the dulcet tones of John Denver singing "Rocky Mountain High-igh" until they either answer or I get voice mail. Not so bad the first time I heard it, but every single time? Can't they get a playlist?

Aaaargh!

Road Rage

Go read this post about another driver intentionally causing an accident in a group ride. If you were there and have any information about the truck that caused it, call the sheriff’s office at (847) 377-4000.

Where's the guy with the helmet camera when you need him?

You Have Too Much Money If...

...you buy this $1,000 icon for your iPhone.

Exercise Is Good For Your Brain

Something to read today:

"Athletes and people who exercise not only have better bods — they have better brains too, a host of studies have now firmly established...Exercisers learn faster, remember more, think clearer and bounce back more easily from brain injuries such as a stroke. They are also less prone to depression and age-related cognitive decline."

We're also better looking, but you just knew that intuitively, didn't you?

Observation

Is it a cycling fashion faux pas (if there is such a thing) to wear a Campagnolo cap when your bike is equipped with a Shimano gruppo? Of course, one never sees the reverse. And, as someone older and wiser than I once pointed out, no one ever tattoos Shimano on their leg.

Design Changes

I made some changes on the blog design. Just playing around...

Bicycle Film Festival

If you thought the only films worth seeing were Breaking Away and American Flyers, then you might want to check out the Bicycle Film Festival as it makes it's way to Chicago August 6-10. Road to Roubaix on Friday looks interesting.

Et Tu Lio?

Getting slammed on the comics page hurts.

TdF, Department of Duh

Carlos Sastre proved that a climber can win the Tour with amazing support from his team and a stellar effort in the final time trial.
--Johan Bruyneel

'Cuz you know, that never happened before.

Buh-Bye UCI

Reuters is reporting: All top teams to leave cycling’s ProTour series for the 2009 season. I wonder if the UCI will retaliate somehow against them this year.

"Pat McQuaid, president of the UCI, the sport’s governing body, said the dissidents were facing exclusion from the international federation."

You mean this year? 'Cuz they're leaving next year so you can't fire them, they quit.

This, of course raises the question: Did Greg LeMond know something about this?

This could get interesting...

Taking Pictures While Riding

Those of you who know me, know that I rarely ride without my trusty Canon camera. I keep it in my jersey pocket and use it to take pictures of the epic rides and epic riders who ride with me. I tend to favor the hand held method which gives me the flexibility to take artful pictures like this one:



or shots of fun stuff I see along the way like this one.



If you prefer to only take pictures of what is directly in front of you, Photojojo shows an inexpensive DIY method of attaching a camera to your handlebars.

I imagine one could attach a video camera the same way, although it seems that the best way to go would be the helmet cam.

Have fun. Ride safely.

Wear Your Helmet!

This story has been making the email rounds among my friends and fellow riders.

During a bike ride on the Skokie Valley Trail near the the Highland Park Lexus dealership, a blackbird swooped down and attacked a local rider. He lost control of his bike, fell to the ground and hit his head (he was not wearing a helmet). He died from his head injury over the weekend.

This was obviously a freak accident, but it emphasizes how important it is to wear a helmet at all times. You just never know what might happen.

Another fellow rider gave this advice about these aggressive birds:

Before they swoop down at you they make a repeated noise like ew ew ew and then they peck at your helmet. They may fly away and do it again right away. They don't hurt you, they scare the shit out of you. So if you're riding on the trail and you hear that noise, relax and hold the handle bars firmly, don't get stiff and hang on for dear life or you'll fall. Keep your tongue in your mouth (in case you scream) so you don't bite it.

So wear your helmet, just in case...

2008 Cyclocross Season

Tentative schedules have been announced for the fall 'cross season. MadCross.org has the Wisconsin schedule (first race September 27) and the Chicago Cyclocross Cup tentative schedule arrived in my emailbox today. It looked like this:

Sat September 13-CX Clinic (TBD)
Sun September 21-Jackson Park
Sun October 5- DeKalb
Sun October 12-Hawthorn Woods
Sun October 19-Carpentersville
Sun October 26-Bartlett
Sun November 2-St. Charles
Sat November 8-TBD
Sun November 9-Northbrook
Sun November 16-Lansing
Sun November 23-Woodstock
Sun December 7-Montrose-IL State Cyclocross Championships
Dates subject to change
USA Cycling Event Permit Pending

RACE TIMES

10:00 Masters 30+ (60 min)
10:02 Masters 40+ (all 45)
10:02 Masters 50+
11:00 Cat. 3 (All 45 min)
11:02 Women 1/2/3
12:00 Women 4 (all 30 min)
12:02 Juniors
1:00 Men 1/2/3 (60 min)
2:15 Men 4a (30 min)
3:00 Men 4b (30 min)
Race times subject to change

Boom De Yada

This commercial brought a smile to my face.

Decision on Landis Coming Monday

I first saw this on Yahoo Sports, but TBV pointed me to the actual time of the announcement. Looks like 10:00 am on Monday. You'll find it here.

Be Like Idaho

Or at least their rules for bicycles. According to Cyclelicious, San Francisco will consider changing California law to allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs. Idaho already does this.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could do this in Illinois? Legally, I mean.

Why Jon Stewart Rocks

Because he says things like this:

What I’m saying is that they [the News] should take in the fruit and entrees that are presented by politicians and the corporations that process it, and come up with turds of wisdom, if you will. You either bring clarity or you bring noise. The media should be filters, and they can only be that if they exercise editorial judgment. It infuriates me when people say, 'That’s elitism.' No, it’s not. That’s expertise. That’s like saying to doctors who diagnose people, 'You’re being elitist, telling me I have heart disease. I don’t want to hear that. I want to eat cake and ice cream.'

and:

You know, nineteen guys with box cutters brought down the Twin Towers. Are we supposed to go to war until there’s not nineteen guys that want to do damage to us? One day, two assholes throw pumpkins off an overpass. And now when you drive down the highway and go past an overpass, you see those giant ten- foot chain-link fences. Two vandals out of millions of people can fuck up your way of life in ways you can’t even imagine. There’s no way to fool-proof the world. You cannot out-engineer crazy.

Read the whole interview here.

Crackdown

The Daily Herald reports "Barrington Hills cracking down on cyclists." Lake Forest is also, as we were pulled over on Old Elm just west of Ridge for riding three abreast (we were) and obstructing traffic (we weren’t). I got off with a written warning. More on this in another post.

As for the linked article, I have to say that the tone continues to be that cyclists are wrong, motorists are right.

"Each weekend, packs of several dozen bicyclists ride throughout town, sometimes as fast as 30 mph."

"It's a problem," he said. "This is not you and your wife out for a bike ride."

Does having your wife along on the ride somehow make riding through Barrington Hills OK? How about your girlfriend? I'm just askin'.

"[Sgt. David ] Kann said clusters of cyclists are sometimes longer than an 18-wheel truck and can be intimidating to drivers."

Reminds me of the opening of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy:

"Have you any idea how much damage that bulldozer would suffer if I just let it roll straight over you?" said Mr. Prosser.
"How much?" asked Arthur.
"None at all," Mr. Prosser replied.

"By stepping up enforcement, Kann said, police are not trying to dissuade riding in the village. 'We just want them to follow the rules of the road,' he said."

Not a word in the article about stepping up enforcement of drivers passing too close to or intimidating cyclists.

So, let's be careful out there.

Sleep Quiz

What's the best way to beat afternoon sleepiness?

1) More sleep at night
2) An afternoon nap earlier that day
3) Caffeine

Obviously, the answer is...

Such a Deal

Chainlove is like woot for cyclists! Except that unlike woot, which has only one deal per day, Chainlove continuously posts new deal throughout the day. WooHoo!

My Gruppo Goes to 11

The rumor mill has it that for 2009 Campy will have a "Super Record" gruppo with 11 speeds. Really, do we need 11 cogs? I used to enjoy ripping on my Shimano-equipped friends with their puny 9-speed cassettes while I had 10 on my Veloce-equipped rain bike. Yeah, that's right, Veloce had more speeds than Dura-Ace. Well, for a little while anyway. But now, I have lost all interest in cog-numerical superiority and the uniqueness of my carbon-fiber shift levers. Yes, the introduction of the 11-speed gruppo has made me reevaluate what is important. It's not the equipment, constantly upgrading in an effort to have the latest and greatest stuff. It's the beauty of the ride. The flow of a finely tuned paceline. The camaraderie.

Or, maybe it's the clothing.

Saturday Annoyance

Yesterday. Saturday. Beautiful day for a ride. Got about 60 miles in. Decided to continue to enjoy the day with a little alfresco brunch in downtown Highland Park. We're settled in and about to order when we hear advertising blasting from a National City points truck (pictured above). This guy drove back and forth along Central Avenue a number of times with speakers blaring...something. It was hard to make out. I assume that I wasn't the only one annoyed by this making me wonder how successful this promotion could have been. First, their name, color and font confused me. It reminded me of National Rental Car, but this was National City. Then I couldn't make out most of what was being broadcast from their speaker. I figured out that it must be a bank since the few words I was able to make out related to banking. So this is my first exposure to the fact that there is a bank called National City. Which leads me to think that the association I am going to have with the brand, National City is annoyance. Great first impression.

Of course, they just might be so successful that they can afford to waste diesel at nearly $5.00 a gallon to get their misguided message across. Or that they are so successful that they don't mind pissing off potential new customers. There is also the irony that the truck is painted green.

Lucky for us, his shift must have ended just as our food came. So the morning ended well.