Yellow Card

Found this from BikeHugger. I like how it's set up as an open source thing, meaning you can just download the pdf and make your own stickers. Think I'll take a crack at it and see how they come out. It's the PC way to flip off that crappy driver that just about rearranged your face, arms, and legs. I'll probably continue to flip them off and yell at them, too. BikeHugger also has some nice interbike gab going on... check it.

Click here to see the cards.

Really, c'mon now...

Is anyone else a bit put off by the fact that a metro-sexual, hyped up, over-priced t-shirt maker is dealin' bikes?

C'mon Paul Frank. Just because bike co's for years have been spewing out some good (and some bad) hip t-shirts doesn't mean you can just flip the tables and do the bike thing. Kindly find some other niche market to spin your myth in.

Shadows

So I'm a 3.2 mega-pixel bike geek. I'm fine with that.

Catching up...

Mechanical problems and other factors sidelined the commute last week. The Long Haul Trucker quickly turned into a single-speed bike on Ummy’s Ride of Splendor, so I had to miss that, too. The rear derailleur was ok, so she wasn’t really a single-speed since the gears were changing fine. But when I back-pedaled, the chain would slack up and drape over the chain stay. Huh? Unclip out of the pedals while coasting and the cranks kept spinning. Weird. Took ‘er to the Trek Store after tinkering a bit with it myself. This was beyond my level of mechanical prowess. Skinny D fixed me up, and the Shimano thingy-mabobber was under warranty. All is well.

Happy to be back in the saddle again. Chilly, late-September mornings are good for lazy-hazy fog and long shadows on the ride in to work. Class is in full swing, so I spend Tuesday nights at the library studying up on the fascinating world of Corporate Finance. This really adds to the bike weight as I’m lugging around books, big calculators, Wall Street Journals, Lunch & Dinner.

I’m looking into winter gear for my bike as I decide whether it’d be better to commute through snow on my Mt. Bike with its fatty, knobby tires, or if suiting up the Trucker is my best bet. (Current) Wish list: Pearl Izumi Barrier Jacket, dope gloves (any suggestions?), better things to put on my feet for deep cold spinning. Nice socks included.

POLO AT SWANSON ON SUNDAY, OCT. 1 at 1 PM.

“Bring it. Dig it.”

Irony

Another flat on the ride in this morning. Bigger nail this time - 'bout 1-1/2". Same crappy, junk-filled shoulder - "L" St. Walked the bike over to the frontage road to get clear of the traffic to repair the tire. Walked into a parking lot to get to work. Ended up being Walker Tire on 89th & "L". Thanks to the guys inside who let me fill my tire up and not waste a CO2 cartridge.

Flat

It took about 2000 miles, but something finally got through the Satellite Elites. Gotta dig the reflective stripe on those babies. Should've seen it coming. I started looking into grabbing some Mr. Tuffy's for the Trucker just the other day. I jinxed it.

Really... no surprise. The shoulder on "L" St between 84th and 108th is a disaster both ways. I've been dodging patches of broken glass, nails, screws, odd shapes of shiny metal, 2x4's with scraggly bits n pieces sticking out, and other miscellaneous shards of tire destroyers all summer. Over lunch I inspected the outside of the tire before sliding it off the Mavic A319. (I was "lucky" enough to have run out of air down to the rim in the parking lot at work. Reminds me of the Brady Bunch episode in Hawaii.) Where's the flatty? No... it wasn't the THREE PIECES OF GLASS that were nestled into the rubber that I picked out with a paper clip. (Seriously - how long were those there? The Satellites are kickin' stylie.) It was the NAIL. 1 inch of twisted, rusty evil puncturing my smooth as butter tires Cowbell gave me.

Flip-swap the tube for a new one and repair the old. Ready to roll, right? Nope. Better check the front for any burrowing glass weasels there, too. Maybe a quick run to the Trek Store on the way home for some Mr. Tuffy's. MOD - you got those? It wouldn't stop the nail, but it'll make sure to keep the weasels at bay.

Up next: Ummy's Ride of Splendor. Ride down to Lincoln with TEAM FLASHBACK on Saturday and back Sunday. Mucho Road Sodas to help us on our way. I get to watch the NU-USC game in high def on a super-sized tv. Nice.

1spd's in WI at the Cheq Fat Tire, Swanson race this weekend rain or shine, Pub Crawl inching closer as we head into October.

Ride on.

Swanson Champs = Bike Polo?

Scotty called today to see if there was a game going in tandem with the race at Swanson next weekend. He's having a slow start at getting Polo started up in WI, though things are going well for him beyond that. I'm out... I'm going on Ummy's Ride of Splendor and won't be around for it. Just throwing the idea out there for whoever. T-Bone... you've got pull... work your magic.

The cure is more cowbell

Got this email from Capn' Cowbell this mornin'. See ya Sunday, Sept. 17th at the Cow Dell.

Hey all. Just a quick note. I'll be home on the 17th overnight. How about meeting at the Dell around 7 pm to catch up. Let others know as I'm sure others might want to show up. Bob Wieck

Brew Two

The reviews are in. Brew Two is a success. The initial reviews for the Czech Pilsner say it all:

"Interesting."
~ Neil O.

"Better than Bud."
~ C. 2wheel

"I'll drink it."
~ Lumpy

"You brewed this?"
~ Monte C.

"I can't believe it."
~ Anonymous

"It saved my life."
~ Some thirsty guy

Up next, Brew Three.
The original.