I recently had an exchange with CM, the same CM I referred to in a previous post. He asked me what type of Aero wheels I like and while I sure am pleased with Alex and her Zipp 404s the fact is I have rather limited experience with this sort of thing. Anyway here is our exchange:
From CM:
I am look'n at an upgrade to my tri bike with some aero wheels... Think'n the ZIPP 404 clydsedales? Any others I should consider? I was thinking HED or Easton EC90's?
My reply:
I think Mavic, Comic Carbone might interest you too. Not that I have ever used such animals so for all I know they suck. Really the only Aero wheels I know from are the 404s and they are pretty nice.
One thing I will say, get the 80mm stem tubes. I am so fed up with my valve extenders… I believe I wrote about my adventures with inflating the tubes the night before we went for a ride? [Actually I never did, I meant to but I forgot... Ooops!] Ultimately I had to take the tube right out and re-seat it. Well the same thing came up again this past Friday. After I fixed the tube re-seated the tube and re-inflated I went to bed. The following morning wouldn’t you know, I had a pinch flat! I put in an 80mm tube and things have been a lot easier since. I will never use a valve extender again, those things are dreadful.
Remember Michael’s first rule:
1. You cannot buy your way to glory. (However you can buy your way to a sexy bike.)
Anyway this brings up a really entertaining idea, that I have had on previous rides and possibly documented earlier, but needs much more thought, what are the rules for cyclists?
I suppose the second rule has to be:
2. You always have a head wind, even when riding in circles!
Which sort of implies the third rule:
3. You have the nicest bike of any out there, except the guy kicking your rear end, he's (or more embarrassingly, she's) only beating you because... oh never mind, she's beating your sorry rear end cause she's actually physically better (strong) than you are!
This lends its self to the first corollary of the third rule:
3a. Your bike is sweet, but you already have ideas that will make it sweeter, too bad you don't have the money for any of those ideas.
Of course 3. and 3a. are actually more or less theorems derived from the first rule.
Any other rules? I am open to suggestions. Anyway I'll be giving it some more thought.
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
On Carbon Dioxide
Events that transpired on the afternoon of Sunday April 19 have a way of being a thorn in the side more than a week after the fact. To be specific, I was fed up with the tyres I bought at the bike show and had decided that Erin will ultimately get the same Vredestein tyres that are on Alex but in the mean time it made sense to reuse last years tyres on Erin.
Except now I have a pair of pretty decent Vittoria tyres that have an unfortunate tendency to let in glass, metal and anything else that might rip a tube. So I took those Vittorias and put them on the Coppi with a plastic liner that protects the tubes from things that might get past the tyres. Funny how these things work when I resumed riding the Coppi last spring, I hated that bike, it had an antiquated wheel set, awful bar tape, don't even get me started on the group, a bent saddle, and pedals my feet slid off of left right and centre. Not so much anymore, the group is still painfully dated but slowly the Coppi has been improving to the point where the worst part about riding in the rain is not the bike.
Anyway it was a struggle and a half to get the old tyres off. I broke a tyre leaver, my hands were black from mud and whatever else was on the wheels and tyres, it was not my idea of a great maintenance exercise. I gave the old tyers away but I still had a problem, I needed a new tyre leaver. When I went to a shop near my office I saw the perfect lever, for a whole $2.50 which when it comes to tyre levers is about the perfect price (well if anything too expensive) - hence the perfect lever. But while at the store I saw they sold 20 packs of CO2 for $30. I have enough CO2 to last until the rapture or end of season, whichever comes first.
In other unrelated news, as I documented earlier I went for a ride on Saturday (April 25). I burned over 4200 calories while averaging over 27km/h over a +100km distance - not bad considering the wind and I was going solo. It was the first ride of 2009 that I did in shorts and a jersey and nothing else and I now have a farmer tan with ruler straight tan (or burn) lines. I got my fix of the sunshine vitamin and good thing too, just as I was taking Alex apart to give her my usual anal retentive cleaning the sky opened up and dumped buckets and sheets and cats, dogs, lions, tigers, a couple wombats, a gorilla six elephants and a blue whale. It kept raining right through until Sunday morning thus cancelling the BCC ride.
Monday was another beautiful day complete with a 0600 start to my working day (arrived the office at 0550 actually.) So I would like to think that leaving at 1400 is a reasonable proposition. I then went for a fast 40km ride in 80 minutes, or about 30km/h average.
The weather for Tuesday promised, well rain of course! And as I prepared the Coppi for journey to work I discovered the front wheel was flat. After some poking around I found the problem, the rim tape was toasted, it is a used wheel and I did not bother to replace the tape - oops! Another trip to the bike store, more supplies and now yet another, albeit really small, part of the Coppi is new, and shiny red.
At this rate the only part of the Coppi that will still be vintage will be the chain grease, just need to wait many more years and that bike won't have any claim to the champion of champions.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
On Riding in the East End
I know, I have not posted in a little while. I am actually working on something but I've been busy at work lately, well I'm always busy, but now its just insane, not Ronald Regan, sleep through meetings insane, more Barack Obama, I cannot believe what a huge mess you idiots left me insane. No nobody I work with is an idiot who handed me a mess, I just feel swamped and under fire, I suspect a great deal like the senior people in the Obama administration.
Have I mentioned I really like President Obama, I know rating a president after one hundred days is a lot like rating a restaurant on quality of the bread they put out before the appetizer, but still, it is so refreshing to hear the President of the United States actually level with the people. And the part where he said something to the effect of "Look I am disgusted with this torture business but let the justice department and the attorney general do their jobs. We have these agents for a reason let them work free from political interference and we will have much more satisfactory results." Some how in a hundred bajillion years I cannot see the previous president doing something like that, probably because he went out of his way to slime his predecessor.
Anyway I could go on for a while about how good it is to see a President of the US who is so inspiring for a change, but I actually wanted to talk about the ride I did this morning, and here it is, or see below.
As I was riding up Altona Road and just North of Sheppard I noticed a new housing development, The Chateaus of Altona Forrest, for the second time. I went up the same route with my brother two weeks ago, at that time we turned for home at Taunton, this time I went much further, but anyway, when my brother and I were riding up Altona and he noticed the development he said something interesting, housing developments are often named after the very thing they destroy.
Well in the spirit of people in glass houses not throwing stones, my home is built on what was a pile of mud, prior to that it was the Greenwood horse race track and prior to that my Grandfather had not been born. I guess the point is, urban sprawl is a really bad thing, and anyone who doubts that must be in the home construction industry.
Its actually pretty frightful how long it takes to get into the country side now, when I was young highway 16 was the demarcation between the sprawl and farms, now it is Elgin Mills. When my father was just a little younger than I am now it was Steeles and at one time nobody lived east of the Don River. I know seven million people who live in the greater Toronto area need lots of space, but does everybody need to have a fully detached house with a driveway and quarter acre lot? I get by with a lot less, if we all got by with less I suspect many of the problems we are faced with today would be a lot less too.
Have I mentioned I really like President Obama, I know rating a president after one hundred days is a lot like rating a restaurant on quality of the bread they put out before the appetizer, but still, it is so refreshing to hear the President of the United States actually level with the people. And the part where he said something to the effect of "Look I am disgusted with this torture business but let the justice department and the attorney general do their jobs. We have these agents for a reason let them work free from political interference and we will have much more satisfactory results." Some how in a hundred bajillion years I cannot see the previous president doing something like that, probably because he went out of his way to slime his predecessor.
Anyway I could go on for a while about how good it is to see a President of the US who is so inspiring for a change, but I actually wanted to talk about the ride I did this morning, and here it is, or see below.
As I was riding up Altona Road and just North of Sheppard I noticed a new housing development, The Chateaus of Altona Forrest, for the second time. I went up the same route with my brother two weeks ago, at that time we turned for home at Taunton, this time I went much further, but anyway, when my brother and I were riding up Altona and he noticed the development he said something interesting, housing developments are often named after the very thing they destroy.
Well in the spirit of people in glass houses not throwing stones, my home is built on what was a pile of mud, prior to that it was the Greenwood horse race track and prior to that my Grandfather had not been born. I guess the point is, urban sprawl is a really bad thing, and anyone who doubts that must be in the home construction industry.
Its actually pretty frightful how long it takes to get into the country side now, when I was young highway 16 was the demarcation between the sprawl and farms, now it is Elgin Mills. When my father was just a little younger than I am now it was Steeles and at one time nobody lived east of the Don River. I know seven million people who live in the greater Toronto area need lots of space, but does everybody need to have a fully detached house with a driveway and quarter acre lot? I get by with a lot less, if we all got by with less I suspect many of the problems we are faced with today would be a lot less too.
Monday, April 20, 2009
On Mixing Work and Play
One of the vendors I deal with at work is into cycling. (He is the reason I went to the bike show - I had not been planning on going but when the offer came for a chance to get in for free - well someone else was paying, how could I turn down the chance to be tempted by tyres, tools, leg warmers and some pretty damn impressive looking bikes.)
Anyway Saturday we went for a ride together. Now prior to this ride the vendor, here after I will call CM, had gone to lunch with a number of my coworkers and while I was enjoying the Friday sunshine and a Dairy Queen, CM was telling my coworkers that the two of us had a planned to go for a little ride.
Not smart.
I don't know when, but CM told me today, Monday, that my manager had, at some point Saturday morning, sent CM a message asking if I was good. CM replied directly, saying that I was in good shape, which really should not come as a surprise, I probably spend 15 to 20 hours a week on the saddle in the Winter and double that in the summer. Given that cycling is a hobby (one I am passionate about to be sure, but still just a hobby) I'd like to think there really are not too many people who are better than me.
Well when CM told me on Saturday that he had told the guys we were going for a ride, I suggested that we tell them, separately, that we got our asses handed to us by a woman on a rickety commuter bike. (In this situation the safest way to avoid interrogation is to be too boring to interrogate.) CM had other plans.
CM and I had agreed to meet near CMs home, at Mississauga Rd and Lakeshore Blvd. Which is 32km from my front door, we rode 22 km further then turned for home, or in CM's case, for his car. So while he did 22km out and 22km back I did 22km + 32km = 54km out and another 54km home. While I was riding home the following email was sent from CM:
When I got home I did something idiotic, I rose to the bait:
Anyway in order to meet CM at 0730 at Lakeshore and Mississauga Rd I had to leave the house at 0600 which meant a 0500 wake up, except the night before I helped Lesley set up a light, then I had to fix a problem with the seal on the valve extender on my Zipp wheels (could deflate but not inflate the back wheel), all said and done, by the time I finally got to bed it was past 0200 on Saturday, so three hours of sleep later my alarm was ringing. (There was a time when my physiology could handle that kind of crap, but those days are gone now.)
After my little 100km journey I had to fix Alex's aerobars (I rode Alex, I know you don't ride a tri bike in a group but CM wanted to see her.) There were a few issues with Alex, the right bar was rolling over to the right, the attachment for the GPS mount was loose and wrist pads were not level. I was able to fix the roll in the aerobar but the other things required tie-wraps and special tools I do not have. So I rode Alex to the store where I bought her, 14km (not as I had thought 12km) and got her fixed up, then I rode home, another 14km. Traffic Saturday midday was appalling! Where did all those damn cars come from anyway?
Lesley, who had gone out to the gym, got home shortly after I did and pretty much as soon as she spoke to me sent me off to bed to get some very desperately needed rest. That evening we went to dinner with my parents and when we got home I managed to make it to bed within about an hour. Lesley was adamant under no circumstances whatsoever was I to even think about waking up early - thank god! When I finally did open my eyes Lesley was almost ready to go to the gym again, so I decided I ought to do some other tri related stuff, since I think I've got the bike part down pretty good. I went to the local community centre pool and rediscovered how bad I am when fully immersed in water. The fact is that while once upon a time I was a swim instructor and lifeguard I have never, ever been a particularly strong swimmer. To think, I was going to do a triathlon or two... gee wiz I better rethink that one huh?
Years ago the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada (I just dated myself I know, and for those of you who don't, the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada or RLSSC is the authority for lifeguard certification and in the late 90s changed their name to Life Saving Society) put out an add, it was a picture of a lake and the caption read: "Johnny thought he could swim a mile. (new line) If he were stronger,(new line) this story would be longer." At least Michael knows he can't swim anything close to a mile.
Anyway Saturday we went for a ride together. Now prior to this ride the vendor, here after I will call CM, had gone to lunch with a number of my coworkers and while I was enjoying the Friday sunshine and a Dairy Queen, CM was telling my coworkers that the two of us had a planned to go for a little ride.
Not smart.
I don't know when, but CM told me today, Monday, that my manager had, at some point Saturday morning, sent CM a message asking if I was good. CM replied directly, saying that I was in good shape, which really should not come as a surprise, I probably spend 15 to 20 hours a week on the saddle in the Winter and double that in the summer. Given that cycling is a hobby (one I am passionate about to be sure, but still just a hobby) I'd like to think there really are not too many people who are better than me.
Well when CM told me on Saturday that he had told the guys we were going for a ride, I suggested that we tell them, separately, that we got our asses handed to us by a woman on a rickety commuter bike. (In this situation the safest way to avoid interrogation is to be too boring to interrogate.) CM had other plans.
CM and I had agreed to meet near CMs home, at Mississauga Rd and Lakeshore Blvd. Which is 32km from my front door, we rode 22 km further then turned for home, or in CM's case, for his car. So while he did 22km out and 22km back I did 22km + 32km = 54km out and another 54km home. While I was riding home the following email was sent from CM:
It's official Michael was passed by a woman.. I thought her large breasts and scantily clad lycra would have encouraged him some... But no! He was just passed fair and square...
And... For those of you who will ask.. I was not the woman... Although, I passed him as well... :)
When I got home I did something idiotic, I rose to the bait:
What [CM] neglected to mention was I let her pass to enjoy the... scenery. [CM] didn't you find it bizzare that just a few rollers later I was passing cars on lakeshore going up hill but somehow had to draft a woman doing 18km/h? Just remember what I taught you today and with three or for years of intense training I won't have to wait for you at every light. ;)If I were a smarter man, well I would have just ignored the whole damn thing. Needless to say, a bored man, day dreaming about his own years in triathlon while watching his son play hockey (read: my boss) had a nice piece of response to me, but seeing as this is my blog well lets just put it this way, my boss can trash talk with the best of them, but to my way of thinking trash talk is a privilege bestowed only on those who show up and there is no way my boss is showing up any time soon, therefore dear reader you will just have to use your imagination. (Seems to me an appropriate title for this blog post, like so many others is "On Learning when to shut the hell up.")
Anyway in order to meet CM at 0730 at Lakeshore and Mississauga Rd I had to leave the house at 0600 which meant a 0500 wake up, except the night before I helped Lesley set up a light, then I had to fix a problem with the seal on the valve extender on my Zipp wheels (could deflate but not inflate the back wheel), all said and done, by the time I finally got to bed it was past 0200 on Saturday, so three hours of sleep later my alarm was ringing. (There was a time when my physiology could handle that kind of crap, but those days are gone now.)
After my little 100km journey I had to fix Alex's aerobars (I rode Alex, I know you don't ride a tri bike in a group but CM wanted to see her.) There were a few issues with Alex, the right bar was rolling over to the right, the attachment for the GPS mount was loose and wrist pads were not level. I was able to fix the roll in the aerobar but the other things required tie-wraps and special tools I do not have. So I rode Alex to the store where I bought her, 14km (not as I had thought 12km) and got her fixed up, then I rode home, another 14km. Traffic Saturday midday was appalling! Where did all those damn cars come from anyway?
Lesley, who had gone out to the gym, got home shortly after I did and pretty much as soon as she spoke to me sent me off to bed to get some very desperately needed rest. That evening we went to dinner with my parents and when we got home I managed to make it to bed within about an hour. Lesley was adamant under no circumstances whatsoever was I to even think about waking up early - thank god! When I finally did open my eyes Lesley was almost ready to go to the gym again, so I decided I ought to do some other tri related stuff, since I think I've got the bike part down pretty good. I went to the local community centre pool and rediscovered how bad I am when fully immersed in water. The fact is that while once upon a time I was a swim instructor and lifeguard I have never, ever been a particularly strong swimmer. To think, I was going to do a triathlon or two... gee wiz I better rethink that one huh?
Years ago the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada (I just dated myself I know, and for those of you who don't, the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada or RLSSC is the authority for lifeguard certification and in the late 90s changed their name to Life Saving Society) put out an add, it was a picture of a lake and the caption read: "Johnny thought he could swim a mile. (new line) If he were stronger,(new line) this story would be longer." At least Michael knows he can't swim anything close to a mile.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
On Punctures
Last night I had to stop at a red light, yes I do obey the law, as I was riding home from work. Once the light turned green the road suddenly felt an awful lot bumpier - too rough actually. I looked down and sure enough, the back tyre, always the back tyre, was completely flat.
I pulled over and took the wheel off and began that pain in the rear end job that makes the pain of riding 200km seem like a walk in the park. If you have never had to change an inner tube and you own a road bike you are:
I pulled over and took the wheel off and began that pain in the rear end job that makes the pain of riding 200km seem like a walk in the park. If you have never had to change an inner tube and you own a road bike you are:
- Exceedingly lucky
- Going to have to learn how soon enough, probably at the side of the road somewhere far from home.
The process of changing an inner tube is simple enough but still not something anyone enjoys doing, especially at the side of the road. The tube change I performed yesterday went something like this:
- I used a tyre leaver to unseat the tyre from the rim on one side.
- I pulled the tube out of the rim and inspected the tube for leaks.
- I tried to partially pump the tube with my Axiom Hybrid pump, only the damned hand pump is busted, have to get that replaced, so I ended up blowing into the valve mouth to valve - YUMMY!!
- Blowing as hard as I could I just could not get enough pressure to see a hole, so I had to visually inspect the tyre and sure enough, there was a nice metal fragment embedded in the tyre, perhaps a fraction of a millimeter thick and only a few millimeters on each side, but that is all you need. I pulled the fragment out of the tyre and tossed the tube.
- I seated a new tube in the tyre and reseated the tyre.
- I tried to prime the tube by hand inflating with the pump, but as I said above (step 3) the pump is busted.
- I tried to inflate the tube with my CO2 cartridge but nothing happened - it turned out at some point in the past the pump had punctured the cartridge and now the cartridge was empty.
- I got out my second spare cartridge but when I went to discharge that one the damned pump must have had some obstruction the air came out too slowly and ended up leaking from the stem as fast as it came in from the pump.
- I unseated the tube to see if something was wrong there, nothing was, and reseated the tyre and tube.
- By this point a passer-by who lived near by offered to get me his floor pump, very nice of him, I accepted his offer, while using my very last CO2 cartridge (yes I have three cartridges thank goodness!).
- By the time my friendly floor pump had arrived my third and final cartridge had worked and my tyre was up around 100 maybe even 110psi. Lucky! (The floor pump as it turned out was not designed to exceed maybe 80psi.)
When I got home I took that 290 TPI Vittoria Tyre that I just got a month ago at the bike show and put it in the basement. I took out my old 290 TPI Vittoria Tyre from last year and put it on. This was the third tube replacement in under a month, something has to be wrong with that damned tyre, it seems to let every confounded thing puncture tubes. Conversely my front wheel has, touch wood, been fine. Of course the front wheel is fine, it is always the back wheel that fails, by the same law that says the buttered side of the toast will always land on the floor.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
On Reflections and Other Things
I wrote much of this post on the Thursday before the Easter long weekend. I should add that I set a goal for myself for that weekend, Friday I would ride to Newmarket (Vivan Road) and then if I felt up to it, and there was time, return via Ressor Road. Saturday I would ride with my brother however far he could go. Sunday ride to Milton, ideally Derry Rd. and Appleby Line. But enough of that, on to my thoughts!
I found an alternate route home that avoids Queen Street. It is a lot longer, but given the improved weather, extending a bike ride by a few kilometers seems like a really good idea with or without road repair. So for the next little while I will be riding along Richmond to Simcoe, down Simcoe to Front, across Front to Bathurst down Bathurst to the Martin Goodman trail, the trail to the Humber river, turn 180 degrees and return home, ensuring to come north at around York or Yonge to avoid construction on Queens Quay. (Yes I am doubling back and covering the same ground twice, but unlike someone stuck inside their mobile killing machine cum mobile jail, I want the longer journey home.)
On my ride "home" from work I saw a guy on decent road bike going the other way as I neared the Humber, as was my plan I turned around shortly thereafter and with a reasonable effort was able to catch up and then let him draft. All things being equal it was a good hammerfeast for both of us. Except, I had my backpack, with office attire, and assorted bric-a-brack that besides adding drag must have contributed something in the neighbourhood of 10 or 15 pounds. The other guy had... well he was dressed for speed, he had nothing extraneous.
Of course I was on Erin and all I need do is get on her after a few days on the Coppi to remember how fast she is. This morning as I saddled up on Erin for the first time since Sunday - the weather was lousy until today - I could not believe how light Erin had become (no nothing actually happened to her, I was just used to the Coppi). Well I started to pedal and it was as if Erin was not capable of going slow, she needs to be fast, faster than anyone else out there.
Speaking of things that happened today, I was talking to our co-op who will be going back to school in a few weeks. He, like me, is a Waterlooser, only I have paid my debts to society, having served my full 32 month sentence (8 months per school year, times 4 years for a Bachelors degrees.) Waterlooser University is a bizarre place, it is located at just the wrong place, I.e. Not in a real city (Toronto, New York, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami being the only 7 real cities in the Eastern Time Zone.) Not only is Waterloo not exactly my favourite town, suffering from a lack of culture that staggers the mind, not only do the local residents HATE the students who provide so many jobs, in bars, restaurants, night clubs, pool halls, hospital stomach pumps, but the University has what must be some of the ugliest architecture among some of the most condescending staff this side of a sphere we call Earth. (Yes I have lots of fond memories of my undergraduate years.)
Actually Waterloo is not that bad a place, its just that for a city boy like me, well let me put it this way. I live in Toronto, have all my life. I don't have a particular problem with Canadians who do not live in Toronto, I just don't particularly want to live the same way they do, i.e. they do not live in a big city. Yet the number of times I have heard someone from rural Canada, (and here Rural Canada can be anything from a town of over a hundred thousand souls to a one horse town out on the parries) start ragging on Toronto, "its dirty", "the people are rude", "I got lost", "there is so much crime", yadda yadda yadda.
The fact is Canadians love to beat up on my home and frankly I'm really sick of it. First of all, by one estimate that is now about ten years old, Toronto contributes $13 billion in taxes more than we get back, (in hospitals, government pork, whatever else) that works out to about $4000 for every man woman and child in the city. Second Toronto's violent crime rate is, per capita significantly lower than many other places in Canada. For example, I believe per capita Saskatoon is the murder capital of Canada. (Attention people of Saskatchewan, I will never accuse you of being boring!)
For a city of about 3 million people Toronto is clean, you want to see dirty, take a walk down 5'th Avenue New York in a July heat wave, in any case, I do not choose to live here because of the clean streets. As for rude, well, after all the insults I read in the comments section of online Globe and Mail articles about Toronto, you expected me to be polite? Wow you must think very highly of me! And you got lost? Well I have this to say, first there is nothing more interesting to do in a big city then getting lost, that's how you discover the great restaurants, museums and galleries. Second, 3 million people!! Hello!! They all need space, it stands to reason that its going to be a big confusing place, buy a map.
Anyway I vented on Waterloo, but to Canadians outside of Toronto, stop pissing on my home or you are next! (And there are plenty of skeletons in every closet.)
Its Monday now and here are the bike rides I did.
Friday I did get to Vivian but I had to turn for home early. I was on Alex (the brand new Transition) and the front derailleur cable came loose so I had to get proper tools to fix it. Still 110km, not bad for a Tri/TT bike, especially on the hills.
This is what I did with my brother. If he gets clip in pedals, an index shifter I am in trouble, if he ever goes full carbon on his frame, I am toast. It was easy to keep ahead of him, but that could change without too much effort or money on his part.
I didn't quite make Appleby, but I knew the tail wind I had going out was too nice, if I kept going I was not sure if I would make it home again. As I was going home, my iPod battery died. (Given how low the volume is and it is only playing music, I thought that a rather unimpressive battery.) Anyway about half an hour later, on 6'th line just south of Britannia I had to stop, I had one foot on the ground and was resting on the saddle for a good minute or so when a couple guys (cyclists) passed, the lead guy yelled "Heads" and as he passed he yelled "look out" and then "don't ride with headphones". Frankly I am not sure what is more dangerous here, his inability to judge weather or not I am an object in motion or his inability to avoid a stationary object.
I found an alternate route home that avoids Queen Street. It is a lot longer, but given the improved weather, extending a bike ride by a few kilometers seems like a really good idea with or without road repair. So for the next little while I will be riding along Richmond to Simcoe, down Simcoe to Front, across Front to Bathurst down Bathurst to the Martin Goodman trail, the trail to the Humber river, turn 180 degrees and return home, ensuring to come north at around York or Yonge to avoid construction on Queens Quay. (Yes I am doubling back and covering the same ground twice, but unlike someone stuck inside their mobile killing machine cum mobile jail, I want the longer journey home.)
On my ride "home" from work I saw a guy on decent road bike going the other way as I neared the Humber, as was my plan I turned around shortly thereafter and with a reasonable effort was able to catch up and then let him draft. All things being equal it was a good hammerfeast for both of us. Except, I had my backpack, with office attire, and assorted bric-a-brack that besides adding drag must have contributed something in the neighbourhood of 10 or 15 pounds. The other guy had... well he was dressed for speed, he had nothing extraneous.
Of course I was on Erin and all I need do is get on her after a few days on the Coppi to remember how fast she is. This morning as I saddled up on Erin for the first time since Sunday - the weather was lousy until today - I could not believe how light Erin had become (no nothing actually happened to her, I was just used to the Coppi). Well I started to pedal and it was as if Erin was not capable of going slow, she needs to be fast, faster than anyone else out there.
Speaking of things that happened today, I was talking to our co-op who will be going back to school in a few weeks. He, like me, is a Waterlooser, only I have paid my debts to society, having served my full 32 month sentence (8 months per school year, times 4 years for a Bachelors degrees.) Waterlooser University is a bizarre place, it is located at just the wrong place, I.e. Not in a real city (Toronto, New York, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami being the only 7 real cities in the Eastern Time Zone.) Not only is Waterloo not exactly my favourite town, suffering from a lack of culture that staggers the mind, not only do the local residents HATE the students who provide so many jobs, in bars, restaurants, night clubs, pool halls, hospital stomach pumps, but the University has what must be some of the ugliest architecture among some of the most condescending staff this side of a sphere we call Earth. (Yes I have lots of fond memories of my undergraduate years.)
Actually Waterloo is not that bad a place, its just that for a city boy like me, well let me put it this way. I live in Toronto, have all my life. I don't have a particular problem with Canadians who do not live in Toronto, I just don't particularly want to live the same way they do, i.e. they do not live in a big city. Yet the number of times I have heard someone from rural Canada, (and here Rural Canada can be anything from a town of over a hundred thousand souls to a one horse town out on the parries) start ragging on Toronto, "its dirty", "the people are rude", "I got lost", "there is so much crime", yadda yadda yadda.
The fact is Canadians love to beat up on my home and frankly I'm really sick of it. First of all, by one estimate that is now about ten years old, Toronto contributes $13 billion in taxes more than we get back, (in hospitals, government pork, whatever else) that works out to about $4000 for every man woman and child in the city. Second Toronto's violent crime rate is, per capita significantly lower than many other places in Canada. For example, I believe per capita Saskatoon is the murder capital of Canada. (Attention people of Saskatchewan, I will never accuse you of being boring!)
For a city of about 3 million people Toronto is clean, you want to see dirty, take a walk down 5'th Avenue New York in a July heat wave, in any case, I do not choose to live here because of the clean streets. As for rude, well, after all the insults I read in the comments section of online Globe and Mail articles about Toronto, you expected me to be polite? Wow you must think very highly of me! And you got lost? Well I have this to say, first there is nothing more interesting to do in a big city then getting lost, that's how you discover the great restaurants, museums and galleries. Second, 3 million people!! Hello!! They all need space, it stands to reason that its going to be a big confusing place, buy a map.
Anyway I vented on Waterloo, but to Canadians outside of Toronto, stop pissing on my home or you are next! (And there are plenty of skeletons in every closet.)
Its Monday now and here are the bike rides I did.
Friday I did get to Vivian but I had to turn for home early. I was on Alex (the brand new Transition) and the front derailleur cable came loose so I had to get proper tools to fix it. Still 110km, not bad for a Tri/TT bike, especially on the hills.
This is what I did with my brother. If he gets clip in pedals, an index shifter I am in trouble, if he ever goes full carbon on his frame, I am toast. It was easy to keep ahead of him, but that could change without too much effort or money on his part.
I didn't quite make Appleby, but I knew the tail wind I had going out was too nice, if I kept going I was not sure if I would make it home again. As I was going home, my iPod battery died. (Given how low the volume is and it is only playing music, I thought that a rather unimpressive battery.) Anyway about half an hour later, on 6'th line just south of Britannia I had to stop, I had one foot on the ground and was resting on the saddle for a good minute or so when a couple guys (cyclists) passed, the lead guy yelled "Heads" and as he passed he yelled "look out" and then "don't ride with headphones". Frankly I am not sure what is more dangerous here, his inability to judge weather or not I am an object in motion or his inability to avoid a stationary object.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
On Becoming a Citizen and Other Things Redux
There is a post I made about a month a ago wherein I recorded a complaint about the road quality that I made to Mayor Miller. Sometimes complaining is worthwhile. I say this because today I got the following note from a Transportation Services Field Investigator.
From: Bruno XXXX [mailto:bXXXX@toronto.ca]
Sent: April-08-09 9:29 AM
To: Karen XXXX
Cc: mcole@XXXXXXX.ca; Dale XXXX; Rick XXXX; Ray XXXX; Santo XXXX; Wally XXXX
Subject: roadway condition.
Hi Karen,
I'm responding to you on behalf of Rick XXXX.
An inspection of the location as noted in your e-mail was conducted and found at 69 Queen street E just west of Church St.a section of roadway to be in definite need of repair.I'll refer this to Wally XXXX Supervisor of sidewalks and roads to have this area resurfaced.Measurements of area are 9.00 x 3.00 also photos attached .
Bruno XXXX
Field Investigator
Transportation Services
XXX Eastern Ave
416 392-XXXX
[Attached images below]
From: Bruno XXXX [mailto:bXXXX@toronto.ca]
Sent: April-08-09 9:29 AM
To: Karen XXXX
Cc: mcole@XXXXXXX.ca; Dale XXXX; Rick XXXX; Ray XXXX; Santo XXXX; Wally XXXX
Subject: roadway condition.
Hi Karen,
I'm responding to you on behalf of Rick XXXX.
An inspection of the location as noted in your e-mail was conducted and found at 69 Queen street E just west of Church St.a section of roadway to be in definite need of repair.I'll refer this to Wally XXXX Supervisor of sidewalks and roads to have this area resurfaced.Measurements of area are 9.00 x 3.00 also photos attached .
Bruno XXXX
Field Investigator
Transportation Services
XXX Eastern Ave
416 392-XXXX
[Attached images below]
What can I say? I am positively delighted, sometimes when it is really required you can get the roads repaired with just a letter. I just hope they get that resurfacing done quickly, I have no idea how I am going to ride home from work when that section of Queen Street gets closed off.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
On Politics
One of my favourite reads on the Huffington Post is Bob Cesca. That guy is so funny I laugh out loud during my lunch break when I read his stuff - not a good thing, it disturbs my co-workers. I love Cesca's take on the screwy "conservatives" in the United States.
Well today I noticed that Bob is a road cyclist, just like yours truly. Only one really big difference, he is a good writer. I wish I could write that well.
In other unrelated things, I am going to rant here about something that is literally thousands of miles from cycling, and if you only read my blog to find about about bikes or biking, you should probably skip the rest of this post, it won't interest you.
A reader would have to live in a cave to not know that this past Saturday (April 4) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, (North Korea) or as the American service personal in the Korean peninsula call it, the KFR (Kim Family Regime), fired a missile, ostensibly to put a communications satellite in orbit. At this point there is no satellite broadcasting songs of faith and devotion to the Dear Leader, this the result of the fact that the booster payload ended up in the Pacific Ocean, despite claims to the contrary by the Korean Central News Agency (I tend to believe NORAD before I believe anything that comes from the DPRK.)
That the North Koreans would test a missile does not surprise me, this is not a first. Nor is it any secret that the Korean's have the bomb, they tested one of those a few years ago. But this is all very disturbing. The North Koreans have the ability to turn Tokyo or Soul into a sea of fire, they are very near the means to do the same to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle or Vancouver (how much longer until Washington, New York, Montreal and Toronto are in range?)
Furthermore given the isolationist and more than eccentric nature of the North's leadership, a cult like following of the Dear Leader, I honestly believe the World is at greater risk of a nuclear exchange than it has been since October of 1962.
Well there are two countries that have the ear of the DPRK's leadership, China and Russia. Well in the aftermath of the recent missile launch, while Japan, who's airspace was violated by the missile and South Korea were in a frenzied state at the United Nations demanding that something be done, while the Obama administration who had only a short time earlier proclaimed their support for a negotiated settlement with the DPRK that would lead to a normalization of relations. What do China and Russia do? Well to date, not a damned thing that matters.
The only two countries in the whole world who actually hold credible sway over the DPRK have apparently done dick.
If something is not done soon I really do believe a missile is going to be launched from the DPRK and even if there were an NMD system it won't work because NMD is pie-in-the-sky boondoggle and not real science. That North Korean missile will carry a (possibly several) nuclear payload(s) and detonate over major cities in North America. If my horror story is true the guilty parties will not just be in Pyongyang but also Beijing and Moscow for they allowed this evil to fester.
Well today I noticed that Bob is a road cyclist, just like yours truly. Only one really big difference, he is a good writer. I wish I could write that well.
In other unrelated things, I am going to rant here about something that is literally thousands of miles from cycling, and if you only read my blog to find about about bikes or biking, you should probably skip the rest of this post, it won't interest you.
A reader would have to live in a cave to not know that this past Saturday (April 4) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, (North Korea) or as the American service personal in the Korean peninsula call it, the KFR (Kim Family Regime), fired a missile, ostensibly to put a communications satellite in orbit. At this point there is no satellite broadcasting songs of faith and devotion to the Dear Leader, this the result of the fact that the booster payload ended up in the Pacific Ocean, despite claims to the contrary by the Korean Central News Agency (I tend to believe NORAD before I believe anything that comes from the DPRK.)
That the North Koreans would test a missile does not surprise me, this is not a first. Nor is it any secret that the Korean's have the bomb, they tested one of those a few years ago. But this is all very disturbing. The North Koreans have the ability to turn Tokyo or Soul into a sea of fire, they are very near the means to do the same to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle or Vancouver (how much longer until Washington, New York, Montreal and Toronto are in range?)
Furthermore given the isolationist and more than eccentric nature of the North's leadership, a cult like following of the Dear Leader, I honestly believe the World is at greater risk of a nuclear exchange than it has been since October of 1962.
Well there are two countries that have the ear of the DPRK's leadership, China and Russia. Well in the aftermath of the recent missile launch, while Japan, who's airspace was violated by the missile and South Korea were in a frenzied state at the United Nations demanding that something be done, while the Obama administration who had only a short time earlier proclaimed their support for a negotiated settlement with the DPRK that would lead to a normalization of relations. What do China and Russia do? Well to date, not a damned thing that matters.
The only two countries in the whole world who actually hold credible sway over the DPRK have apparently done dick.
If something is not done soon I really do believe a missile is going to be launched from the DPRK and even if there were an NMD system it won't work because NMD is pie-in-the-sky boondoggle and not real science. That North Korean missile will carry a (possibly several) nuclear payload(s) and detonate over major cities in North America. If my horror story is true the guilty parties will not just be in Pyongyang but also Beijing and Moscow for they allowed this evil to fester.
Monday, April 6, 2009
On Limiting Screws
Its an odd thing for me to consider, I don't take anything I write at all seriously because when my tongue isn't planted very firmly in cheek I am almost sure to regret what I said in under 20 minutes, or even more likely both. On the other hand, with some reflection on what I have written and what has happened recently I understand why I said some of the things I have said. I am not pleased with what I wrote, but at least I understand why I wrote it. There was immaturity enough for all, my regret is being a party to any of it. Other people can behave like children but I would prefer to hold myself to a higher standard. That said recent remarks I have made here and in other places were really callous, insulting, and frankly not worth the neurons, or electrons that went into them. For those things and to those people I have offended I am profoundly sorry.
There, having taken that off my chest, Lesley told me that she liked the name Alexandra for the new tri-bike, the best I could counter with is Abigale. So from now on the Specialized Transition is Alexandra. And for those of you who think I am crazy to name a bike, well good guess, I am certifiable!
Anyway ever since I got Alex I had a real struggle to shift to the big chain ring. Downshifting was easy, and the cassette was fine but I had a real fight to get the chain on the big ring. First I tried the obvious, I tensioned the cable. No I didn't just tension the cable, I tensioned the cable so much it bent the derailleur hanger. After much fidgeting with the limiting screws I finally clued in on the funny angle the derailleur was on.
Even with all the adjusting, the gearing is still not perfect, I cannot go from 39 to 53 on the chain ring if I am on anything much bigger than 16 on the cassette. But then really how many bikes actually let you get away with that sort of oblique angle in the first place. Also, the 27 ring on the cassette is a little misbehaved when on the 53 ring, no surprise there obviously. All that said, I am eager to take Alex out for here paces and see how well she works on the road with a corrected gearing. I am thinking of doing a very un-time-trialish spin North to New Market and then home by way of Souffville. (Total distance is over 130km and lots of nice big rollers en route.)
Lesley is going out next week, so my Brother, Sister-in-law and I are planning on going for a little bike ride. For my brother's birthday I took my dad's old steel frame that he bought in, I think 1970 or 1971 and did some major repairs to it. The bike is a Coppi, (the reason I got a Coppi in 1994 is because that is what dad had since before I was born), the tubular wheels were replaced with clinchers, the cables were replaced (not a trivial task with no barrel adjusters) the chain lubed and holes and a water bottle cage added to the downtube. That old steel frame can sure take a beating though, it took an experienced metal worker quite an effort to put the holes in the downtube for the water bottle cage. Remarkably the chain was still good, one nice thing about a six speed chain, it is so wide it takes an insane effort to wear it out, but friction shifting is nowhere nearly as nice as index shifting and I don't care what old school cyclists say, I love my index shifters.
This Friday I am going to try to do about 140km, then Saturday I'd like to get 40 or 50km in, with my brother and sister-in-law, finally Sunday I'd like to try to pack in another 100km. Not as ambitious as last August, but then the season is just starting, 300km in three days though, not to shabby, if I can do it.
There, having taken that off my chest, Lesley told me that she liked the name Alexandra for the new tri-bike, the best I could counter with is Abigale. So from now on the Specialized Transition is Alexandra. And for those of you who think I am crazy to name a bike, well good guess, I am certifiable!
Anyway ever since I got Alex I had a real struggle to shift to the big chain ring. Downshifting was easy, and the cassette was fine but I had a real fight to get the chain on the big ring. First I tried the obvious, I tensioned the cable. No I didn't just tension the cable, I tensioned the cable so much it bent the derailleur hanger. After much fidgeting with the limiting screws I finally clued in on the funny angle the derailleur was on.
Even with all the adjusting, the gearing is still not perfect, I cannot go from 39 to 53 on the chain ring if I am on anything much bigger than 16 on the cassette. But then really how many bikes actually let you get away with that sort of oblique angle in the first place. Also, the 27 ring on the cassette is a little misbehaved when on the 53 ring, no surprise there obviously. All that said, I am eager to take Alex out for here paces and see how well she works on the road with a corrected gearing. I am thinking of doing a very un-time-trialish spin North to New Market and then home by way of Souffville. (Total distance is over 130km and lots of nice big rollers en route.)
Lesley is going out next week, so my Brother, Sister-in-law and I are planning on going for a little bike ride. For my brother's birthday I took my dad's old steel frame that he bought in, I think 1970 or 1971 and did some major repairs to it. The bike is a Coppi, (the reason I got a Coppi in 1994 is because that is what dad had since before I was born), the tubular wheels were replaced with clinchers, the cables were replaced (not a trivial task with no barrel adjusters) the chain lubed and holes and a water bottle cage added to the downtube. That old steel frame can sure take a beating though, it took an experienced metal worker quite an effort to put the holes in the downtube for the water bottle cage. Remarkably the chain was still good, one nice thing about a six speed chain, it is so wide it takes an insane effort to wear it out, but friction shifting is nowhere nearly as nice as index shifting and I don't care what old school cyclists say, I love my index shifters.
This Friday I am going to try to do about 140km, then Saturday I'd like to get 40 or 50km in, with my brother and sister-in-law, finally Sunday I'd like to try to pack in another 100km. Not as ambitious as last August, but then the season is just starting, 300km in three days though, not to shabby, if I can do it.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
On Moving On
Recent events that I do not care to elaborate on have forced me to consider why I ride in a group and what group is suitable for me. In retrospect it occurs to me that the sort of group I would like to join is not nearly as structured as the one I am in now. As far as I am concerned too much effort is being spent organizing and soliciting volunteers and not enough time is spent actually on the saddle, riding.
Its a really simple concept, you get on your saddle and you go! I've been doing it since I was, oh three or four years old and its worked pretty well I'd have to say. But it seems when the group becomes large suddenly there is this need to accommodate people and change programs and plans and get headaches and grow grey hair and what the hell happened to the concept of just getting out there, away from computers, blackberries, managers, time lines, project plans and outcomes? Suddenly the world of the club has become a weekend version of my day job, but without the salary or company health insurance.
Actually here is my dirty little secret, often times I like to just ride alone. The solitude can be really nice. I learned that over the winter commute to and from the office. When you go on your own schedule and your own speed, when you don't worry about waking up early enough, well alright I have to be at the office on time, but its not like must be there at 7, because 7:05 everyone will have left, then riding takes the freedom that I always craved. Freedom from gasoline, freedom from auto mechanics and TTC schedules, and freedom of velocity and distance. That is the freedom I love.
Yesterday evening I went for a ride on the Transition (I still have to name her), I had to stop at a red light, some kids were crossing the street, one was walking a bike. Upon seeing mine said "that is a sick bike". When he got across he asked if it was a thousand dollars. Somewhat incredulously I replied, "what?" To which he said "Is that bike, like the wheels and everything a few thousand dollars?" "Oh she costs more than that, a lot more." And then I hammered off into the sunset, literally, I was going West and the light changed.
Its a really simple concept, you get on your saddle and you go! I've been doing it since I was, oh three or four years old and its worked pretty well I'd have to say. But it seems when the group becomes large suddenly there is this need to accommodate people and change programs and plans and get headaches and grow grey hair and what the hell happened to the concept of just getting out there, away from computers, blackberries, managers, time lines, project plans and outcomes? Suddenly the world of the club has become a weekend version of my day job, but without the salary or company health insurance.
Actually here is my dirty little secret, often times I like to just ride alone. The solitude can be really nice. I learned that over the winter commute to and from the office. When you go on your own schedule and your own speed, when you don't worry about waking up early enough, well alright I have to be at the office on time, but its not like must be there at 7, because 7:05 everyone will have left, then riding takes the freedom that I always craved. Freedom from gasoline, freedom from auto mechanics and TTC schedules, and freedom of velocity and distance. That is the freedom I love.
Yesterday evening I went for a ride on the Transition (I still have to name her), I had to stop at a red light, some kids were crossing the street, one was walking a bike. Upon seeing mine said "that is a sick bike". When he got across he asked if it was a thousand dollars. Somewhat incredulously I replied, "what?" To which he said "Is that bike, like the wheels and everything a few thousand dollars?" "Oh she costs more than that, a lot more." And then I hammered off into the sunset, literally, I was going West and the light changed.
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