Q3 N2
Ride Description: Out to Cafe Cirque http://www.circus.co.za/history.html which used to be the winter home of the Boswell Wilkie circus. Now the location houses a cafe, circus memorabilia, and a place to host kids parties with clowns, a petting zoo, ad infinitum.
Left from the Circus and went to the "helicoper", a bunch of what not shops including an old train and helicopter.
Thought I'd get to see some model trains at the "Toy Train" store, but alas not to be. The toy store used to be housed inside a train, thus the name. The owner's daughter said yes they get a lot of people looking for trains, and then they get the explanation how her father named the store. Incredible inventory of model cars and saw some nitro RC cars on the counter for servicing. I could
easily get back into RC racing.
Did 20.9 miles so did some loops in the neighborhood to get a quarter ride (25 miles plus).
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Friday, September 02, 2011
Bike To Stay Alive
Bike To Live Tips: Feel free to add comments or other tips in the Guestbook and I'll update the article.
In my first days of cycling the ride leader, known as 'Tom Guru', emphasized safety over and over and over to us 'newbies'. His mantra was 'Bike Not To Die'. After writing the following a friend suggested a better way to say this is: 'Bike To Stay Alive.' I can live with that.
These are my personal thoughts and as it goes without saying your opinion may differ.
If you have a suggestion feel free to email me at Jkeenan0407 AT yahoo DOT com or write it in the JOURNAL area for this article.
MIRRORS: Figured I'd pick this as a first thought because there are so many cyclists who don't wear a mirror and I often wonder "why not?" I think it's because of the "geek" factor and it just doesn't look cool. So about mirrors:
You can see a car long before you can hear one
By watching the front tires of the car behind you sure can tell if that sucker is starting to move over to pass ya
You wouldn't drive a car without mirrors, so why bike without 'em? (Rhetorical question!!)
Helmet or eyeglass mounted. Yup a personal preference but I've found this to be an incredible tool as by swiveling my head it's easy to scan behind me.
Use it for no other reason that it does increase your cycling safety
RIDE WITH THE TRAFFIC Simply it's the law. The other reason is that most car drivers DON'T expect you to be "there". What do I mean by "there"? One simple example is a driver pulling out of a driveway and turning right. RARELY will that driver look to the right because the driver is concerned about traffic in the normal flow, so as the driver pulls out I'll betcha dollars to donuts that you too keep looking left to make sure some speeder isn't gonna come flying down the road and "T bone ya. That means the driver isn't looking to the right, which is where a cyclist riding "facing" traffic will be. How do I know? Twice I've yelled just as a cyclist facing traffic was about to be hit.
TAKE THE ROAD (Sometimes): If you right far to the right a driver thinks "Oh, the cyclist is way over there, I've got plenty of room in my lane." This pertains to roads with no bike lanes or shoulders.
Two lane roads: IF and this is a big "IF" there is no oncoming traffic, ride about 1/3 into the lane and stay there. Now with a mirror you can monitor a car from behind. Don't use a mirror? Now it' up to you. Why 1/3 into the lane? Because if you hug the white line it's what I said above: The car stays in your lane. If you are riding about a 1/3 into the lane, that car will now move WAY over into the other lane to pass you. I've tried this numerous times as a test and it happens as me said.
Four lane roads: If with another rider or two definitely take the right lane.
Heavy traffic? I'd find a different route.
GIVE UP THE ROAD (Sometimes): Please don't preach "I have a right to ride on the road." As Tom Guru told me: "Yes, but do you want to be dead to right?" Why take a chance when there might be a much safer alternative. Examples:
Narrow two lane road with no shoulder or bike lane. BIG ol honk'n semi coming from behind me. Oh, how did I know there was a big ol honkn semi? I use a mirror (shameless plug for mirrors). Coming towards me are two dump trucks and a line of angry motorists behind the two dump trucks. So, do I just continue to ride because I have as much right as those two big freak'n dump trucks and that big ol honk'n semi behind me. Yes, but I'm going to pull over, move my bike about 2 feet off the road, smile and wave that semi on by. I know I'll live to bike another day.
Busy road with bike/pedestrian path on the side and the road has no shoulder or bad drop offs because of a lousy paving job, etc. Example: Old Cutler Road is a major road here in Miami. There is a a nice wide bike lane about 4 feet to the side of the road. My first week end in Miami I see cyclists on Old Cutler Road. So I tried it my first ride. Do you know how close cars come at 45 to 50 mph because the road has a double yellow line and there is often a lot of traffic coming the other way? Right. Beaucoup. So instead of doing 16 to 18 mph on the road, I do 13 to 15 mph on the seldom used bike path. This week end just for the heck of it, I'm going to count how many cars go by in oh about 10 minutes
I want to live to bike another day. I give up the road sometimes even if I have the right.
STOP at STOP SIGNS (okay..mostly!!): This is mostly for four way stop sign intersections. Don't assume because you're there first that the car approaching is going to stop. NOT always!. Try to make eye contact so the driver knows you're going to move. Yah, most of us do rolling stops, me included. But when it comes to a four way stop and there's a car looking like it might be there after me, I stop, wave the car on. Why? Cause then I know THAT car can not hit me.
DON'T ASSUME The phrase has spoketh many times:ASSUME and it makes an ASH out of U and ME!! So......
Don't assume that approaching car won't make a left turn in front of you because there is no turn signal.
Don't assume that car making the left turn WITH the signal on actually sees you.
Don't assume those folks at the cross walk will obey the light and won't step in front of you
Don't assume as you approach an intersection that the jerk in a hurry to make a left hand turn won't cut the corner over your path
Don't assume because you've got a green light that the car approaching from your right will stop. '
Don't assume that cyclist you're passing knows you are there. An "on yer left" can prevent YOU going down. Your front wheel gets touched and skip to the TURTLE lesson.
Don't assume anything. At all times practice VIGILANCE.
MENTALLY PRACTICE THE TURTLE There is a known fact with avid cyclists: It isn't if you will fall down, it's when will you fall down." Or as someone said: "Bikes are not built to stand up by themselves." At some point in your cycling life you just might "go down".
So mentally practice "What if".
What if I hit a rock?
What if I have a blow out?
What if my front brake locks up?
What if I don't see that gaping pothole?
The TURTLE can help you, so think about doing it the moment you start to fall. So many broken hands, wrists, arms, collar bones are because the first instinct is to put out a hand to stop/cushion/ward off the fall. Not Good. Bad. Bad. Bad.
Instead: TURTLE immediately when you start to go down.
What's TURTLE? Glad you asked
Ball up your fists.
Cross right balled fist to left shoulder.
Cross left balled fist to right shoulder.
Tuck chin deep into chest.
Hold that pose
What this does is to roll your shoulders forward. Go ahead. Try it. The chin tuck protects your face. Hey, that's a nice face. No need to leave it on the asphalt. The rolling of your shoulders exposes the fatty area to the fall and could cushion the impact possibly preventing breakage.
I can attest to the TURTLE saving my face and head. If you're curious email and I'll be glad to give you a second by second hand account. I believe the TURTLE twice saved me serious injury.
STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT Nope not the light for out of body experiences, although riding into this light could cause that.
Stay out of riding into a low rising/setting sun. When you're in a car and you're driving into one of those low sunrises or sunsets, got the visor down, your hand shielding your eyes, and still it's dang hard to see. That is the light I mean.
In Florida, I've read of at least 3 maybe 4 deaths of cyclists commuting to work and you know what the driver is going to say: "I just didn't see the cyclist. The sun glare was so strong."
What to do? I'd find a different route or I'd be on the sidewalk cycling wherever I have to go at a pace that allows me to react to driveways, turning cars, etc. Yah, I know: The sidewalk? Given that or riding directly into sun glare, I'll take the sidewalk and take it easy.
The light could lead to permanent darkness. That is definitely not good.
So those are some ways I BIKE TO STAY ALIVE. Your thoughts or suggestions in the Journal most welcome.
In my first days of cycling the ride leader, known as 'Tom Guru', emphasized safety over and over and over to us 'newbies'. His mantra was 'Bike Not To Die'. After writing the following a friend suggested a better way to say this is: 'Bike To Stay Alive.' I can live with that.
These are my personal thoughts and as it goes without saying your opinion may differ.
If you have a suggestion feel free to email me at Jkeenan0407 AT yahoo DOT com or write it in the JOURNAL area for this article.
MIRRORS: Figured I'd pick this as a first thought because there are so many cyclists who don't wear a mirror and I often wonder "why not?" I think it's because of the "geek" factor and it just doesn't look cool. So about mirrors:
You can see a car long before you can hear one
By watching the front tires of the car behind you sure can tell if that sucker is starting to move over to pass ya
You wouldn't drive a car without mirrors, so why bike without 'em? (Rhetorical question!!)
Helmet or eyeglass mounted. Yup a personal preference but I've found this to be an incredible tool as by swiveling my head it's easy to scan behind me.
Use it for no other reason that it does increase your cycling safety
RIDE WITH THE TRAFFIC Simply it's the law. The other reason is that most car drivers DON'T expect you to be "there". What do I mean by "there"? One simple example is a driver pulling out of a driveway and turning right. RARELY will that driver look to the right because the driver is concerned about traffic in the normal flow, so as the driver pulls out I'll betcha dollars to donuts that you too keep looking left to make sure some speeder isn't gonna come flying down the road and "T bone ya. That means the driver isn't looking to the right, which is where a cyclist riding "facing" traffic will be. How do I know? Twice I've yelled just as a cyclist facing traffic was about to be hit.
TAKE THE ROAD (Sometimes): If you right far to the right a driver thinks "Oh, the cyclist is way over there, I've got plenty of room in my lane." This pertains to roads with no bike lanes or shoulders.
Two lane roads: IF and this is a big "IF" there is no oncoming traffic, ride about 1/3 into the lane and stay there. Now with a mirror you can monitor a car from behind. Don't use a mirror? Now it' up to you. Why 1/3 into the lane? Because if you hug the white line it's what I said above: The car stays in your lane. If you are riding about a 1/3 into the lane, that car will now move WAY over into the other lane to pass you. I've tried this numerous times as a test and it happens as me said.
Four lane roads: If with another rider or two definitely take the right lane.
Heavy traffic? I'd find a different route.
GIVE UP THE ROAD (Sometimes): Please don't preach "I have a right to ride on the road." As Tom Guru told me: "Yes, but do you want to be dead to right?" Why take a chance when there might be a much safer alternative. Examples:
Narrow two lane road with no shoulder or bike lane. BIG ol honk'n semi coming from behind me. Oh, how did I know there was a big ol honkn semi? I use a mirror (shameless plug for mirrors). Coming towards me are two dump trucks and a line of angry motorists behind the two dump trucks. So, do I just continue to ride because I have as much right as those two big freak'n dump trucks and that big ol honk'n semi behind me. Yes, but I'm going to pull over, move my bike about 2 feet off the road, smile and wave that semi on by. I know I'll live to bike another day.
Busy road with bike/pedestrian path on the side and the road has no shoulder or bad drop offs because of a lousy paving job, etc. Example: Old Cutler Road is a major road here in Miami. There is a a nice wide bike lane about 4 feet to the side of the road. My first week end in Miami I see cyclists on Old Cutler Road. So I tried it my first ride. Do you know how close cars come at 45 to 50 mph because the road has a double yellow line and there is often a lot of traffic coming the other way? Right. Beaucoup. So instead of doing 16 to 18 mph on the road, I do 13 to 15 mph on the seldom used bike path. This week end just for the heck of it, I'm going to count how many cars go by in oh about 10 minutes
I want to live to bike another day. I give up the road sometimes even if I have the right.
STOP at STOP SIGNS (okay..mostly!!): This is mostly for four way stop sign intersections. Don't assume because you're there first that the car approaching is going to stop. NOT always!. Try to make eye contact so the driver knows you're going to move. Yah, most of us do rolling stops, me included. But when it comes to a four way stop and there's a car looking like it might be there after me, I stop, wave the car on. Why? Cause then I know THAT car can not hit me.
DON'T ASSUME The phrase has spoketh many times:ASSUME and it makes an ASH out of U and ME!! So......
Don't assume that approaching car won't make a left turn in front of you because there is no turn signal.
Don't assume that car making the left turn WITH the signal on actually sees you.
Don't assume those folks at the cross walk will obey the light and won't step in front of you
Don't assume as you approach an intersection that the jerk in a hurry to make a left hand turn won't cut the corner over your path
Don't assume because you've got a green light that the car approaching from your right will stop. '
Don't assume that cyclist you're passing knows you are there. An "on yer left" can prevent YOU going down. Your front wheel gets touched and skip to the TURTLE lesson.
Don't assume anything. At all times practice VIGILANCE.
MENTALLY PRACTICE THE TURTLE There is a known fact with avid cyclists: It isn't if you will fall down, it's when will you fall down." Or as someone said: "Bikes are not built to stand up by themselves." At some point in your cycling life you just might "go down".
So mentally practice "What if".
What if I hit a rock?
What if I have a blow out?
What if my front brake locks up?
What if I don't see that gaping pothole?
The TURTLE can help you, so think about doing it the moment you start to fall. So many broken hands, wrists, arms, collar bones are because the first instinct is to put out a hand to stop/cushion/ward off the fall. Not Good. Bad. Bad. Bad.
Instead: TURTLE immediately when you start to go down.
What's TURTLE? Glad you asked
Ball up your fists.
Cross right balled fist to left shoulder.
Cross left balled fist to right shoulder.
Tuck chin deep into chest.
Hold that pose
What this does is to roll your shoulders forward. Go ahead. Try it. The chin tuck protects your face. Hey, that's a nice face. No need to leave it on the asphalt. The rolling of your shoulders exposes the fatty area to the fall and could cushion the impact possibly preventing breakage.
I can attest to the TURTLE saving my face and head. If you're curious email and I'll be glad to give you a second by second hand account. I believe the TURTLE twice saved me serious injury.
STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT Nope not the light for out of body experiences, although riding into this light could cause that.
Stay out of riding into a low rising/setting sun. When you're in a car and you're driving into one of those low sunrises or sunsets, got the visor down, your hand shielding your eyes, and still it's dang hard to see. That is the light I mean.
In Florida, I've read of at least 3 maybe 4 deaths of cyclists commuting to work and you know what the driver is going to say: "I just didn't see the cyclist. The sun glare was so strong."
What to do? I'd find a different route or I'd be on the sidewalk cycling wherever I have to go at a pace that allows me to react to driveways, turning cars, etc. Yah, I know: The sidewalk? Given that or riding directly into sun glare, I'll take the sidewalk and take it easy.
The light could lead to permanent darkness. That is definitely not good.
So those are some ways I BIKE TO STAY ALIVE. Your thoughts or suggestions in the Journal most welcome.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Reasons Not To Get A Recumbent
Reposted from Sue's webpage:
Reasons to not get a bent!
Surely there are reasons to not get a recumbent bicycle. Since I started in as a rider of a standard bicycle, I feel qualified to suggest excuses for not getting a recumbent so you can resist the urge to purchase one!
If you ride for 20 miles, your butt lets you know that you have ridden a long ride, not like a on wimpy recumbent when you can ride for fifty miles and have no soreness at all.
When you visit a restaurant after a 15 mile ride, you will walk to accommodate the chaffing. Thus it's obvious to the other restaurant patrons that you are a real athlete and must have ridden at least a 'half century'. Compare to the bent rider who rides a half century and walks as if she or he has just been sitting in a car!
Since you wear out bike shorts on a standard bike every couple of months, this gives you an excuse to buy lots of pairs in the latest style. The poor 'bent rider who never wears out bike shorts must find another excuse to buy new ones!
You will continue to pay a large gasoline bill - this helps the companies like Mobil and Chevron to stay in business. Compare to the bent rider who finds it easy to take his/her bike everywhere and pays $25 to $50 a month less in auto fuel. This is not good for the gasoline companies.
You will never have trouble logging too many miles on your bike. Your butt, thighs and private parts will remind you it's time to quit. Compare to those addictive recumbent riders who spend time on their bikes instead of at useful tasks like watching TV.
You will find it easier to cross train because riding an upright bike is not all that comfortable. Compare to the poor bent rider whose bike sings to him/her after a day off of it!
You won't have people bugging you about 'What a cool bicycle that is'. Compare to the bent rider who must keep a supply of cards from the bent dealers to hand out to all their admirers.
When you are out on your bike, your face will be intense (from the pain) and you will look like an athlete. Compare to the 'bent rider who usually has the "recumbent grin" on his or her face.
Hope this has helped you to resist the desire to buy a recumbent. If it hasn't, oh well, succumb to your lower desires and enjoy life more!
Article by SueW
Return to Sue's Recumbent Biking Page
http://suewidemark.com/bent.htm
Reasons to not get a bent!
Surely there are reasons to not get a recumbent bicycle. Since I started in as a rider of a standard bicycle, I feel qualified to suggest excuses for not getting a recumbent so you can resist the urge to purchase one!
If you ride for 20 miles, your butt lets you know that you have ridden a long ride, not like a on wimpy recumbent when you can ride for fifty miles and have no soreness at all.
When you visit a restaurant after a 15 mile ride, you will walk to accommodate the chaffing. Thus it's obvious to the other restaurant patrons that you are a real athlete and must have ridden at least a 'half century'. Compare to the bent rider who rides a half century and walks as if she or he has just been sitting in a car!
Since you wear out bike shorts on a standard bike every couple of months, this gives you an excuse to buy lots of pairs in the latest style. The poor 'bent rider who never wears out bike shorts must find another excuse to buy new ones!
You will continue to pay a large gasoline bill - this helps the companies like Mobil and Chevron to stay in business. Compare to the bent rider who finds it easy to take his/her bike everywhere and pays $25 to $50 a month less in auto fuel. This is not good for the gasoline companies.
You will never have trouble logging too many miles on your bike. Your butt, thighs and private parts will remind you it's time to quit. Compare to those addictive recumbent riders who spend time on their bikes instead of at useful tasks like watching TV.
You will find it easier to cross train because riding an upright bike is not all that comfortable. Compare to the poor bent rider whose bike sings to him/her after a day off of it!
You won't have people bugging you about 'What a cool bicycle that is'. Compare to the bent rider who must keep a supply of cards from the bent dealers to hand out to all their admirers.
When you are out on your bike, your face will be intense (from the pain) and you will look like an athlete. Compare to the 'bent rider who usually has the "recumbent grin" on his or her face.
Hope this has helped you to resist the desire to buy a recumbent. If it hasn't, oh well, succumb to your lower desires and enjoy life more!
Article by SueW
Return to Sue's Recumbent Biking Page
http://suewidemark.com/bent.htm
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The String Be Broken
Twenty six days. A new personal record of number of days ridden in a row, but I didn't make my goal of 31 days of cycling in May.
Truth be told, burn out got to me. Unlike someone who commutes, I didn't have to bike anywhere.
I woke up Saturday, May 22nd, to a cold, gray day and there was no fire burning either in the fireplace or me. Kept looking outside and said, "I should go ride. Just 6 miles." The lips moved; the body did not.
Unlike where I live in Oregon where there are myriad places to cycle and explore, here in Johannesburg my cycling mostly is around and around the condo complex. Truth be told: It's exercise.
I'll fudge it. No one will know. Oh wait. Someone will know: Me.
I decided to take a break and instead of riding my bike, I picked up a book.
Time to exercise the mind.
The body will just have to wait its turn.
Truth be told, burn out got to me. Unlike someone who commutes, I didn't have to bike anywhere.
I woke up Saturday, May 22nd, to a cold, gray day and there was no fire burning either in the fireplace or me. Kept looking outside and said, "I should go ride. Just 6 miles." The lips moved; the body did not.
Unlike where I live in Oregon where there are myriad places to cycle and explore, here in Johannesburg my cycling mostly is around and around the condo complex. Truth be told: It's exercise.
I'll fudge it. No one will know. Oh wait. Someone will know: Me.
I decided to take a break and instead of riding my bike, I picked up a book.
Time to exercise the mind.
The body will just have to wait its turn.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
15 Best Cycling Cities, etc.
JoeNote: Reprinted from http://www.bikingbis.com/blog
Where in the world would you go to take a spin in the world's most bicycle friendly cities?
The Matador Travel website recently came up with a suggested list of 15 cities. Five are in the good old U.S. of A., but not all are at the top of the League of American Bicyclists list of "platinum-level" bike friendly cities.
I usually enjoy looking at published lists of "best" bike rides, ... cities, ... trails, ... states, ... parks, ... regions. It gives me a chance to think of great places to ride my bicycle or wonder what the hell the list author was thinking about.
For the most part, the Matador list seems pretty straight forward. Here are the 15 and their justifications:
Europe
Amsterdam, The Netherlands -- Total support of bicycling
Barcelona, Spain -- Popular bike share program
Berlin, Germany -- 400,000 bike commuters daily
Copenhagen, Denmark -- One-third of workforce rides bike to work
Paris, France -- Largest bike-share system on Earth
North America
Boulder, Colorado -- (Platinum) 15% of transportation budget goes to making streets better for cyclists
Chicago, Illinois --(Silver) Former Mayor Richard Daley supported bikes with infrastructure and laws
Davis, California -- (Double platinum) More bikes than cars in the college town; both city and campus are platinum-level bicycle friendly
Ottawa, Canada -- 105 miles of bike paths help make it Canada's top bike-commute city
Portland, Oregon -- (Platinum) Highest rate of bike commuting in US, great support from city hall
San Francisco, California -- (Gold) Efforts to make bicycling more safe pay off
The other continents
Beijing, China -- Although car use on rise, bicycles still rule
Cape Town, South Africa -- Making bicycles acceptable with bike lanes and parking
Bogata, Colombia -- Home of weekly, car-free Ciclovia events
Perth, Australia -- More than 400 miles of bike routes
Five best trails
Digging around on the Matador website, I stumbled across a list of the five best urban trails published last year in Men's Journal. Here it is as an added bonus for readers who lasted 'til the end of the story:
Atlanta: Silver Comet Trail
Boston: Minuteman Bikeway
Chicago: Chicago Lakefront Bike Path
Northern Virginia: Mount Vernon Trail
Sacramento: Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (American River trail)
Where in the world would you go to take a spin in the world's most bicycle friendly cities?
The Matador Travel website recently came up with a suggested list of 15 cities. Five are in the good old U.S. of A., but not all are at the top of the League of American Bicyclists list of "platinum-level" bike friendly cities.
I usually enjoy looking at published lists of "best" bike rides, ... cities, ... trails, ... states, ... parks, ... regions. It gives me a chance to think of great places to ride my bicycle or wonder what the hell the list author was thinking about.
For the most part, the Matador list seems pretty straight forward. Here are the 15 and their justifications:
Europe
Amsterdam, The Netherlands -- Total support of bicycling
Barcelona, Spain -- Popular bike share program
Berlin, Germany -- 400,000 bike commuters daily
Copenhagen, Denmark -- One-third of workforce rides bike to work
Paris, France -- Largest bike-share system on Earth
North America
Boulder, Colorado -- (Platinum) 15% of transportation budget goes to making streets better for cyclists
Chicago, Illinois --(Silver) Former Mayor Richard Daley supported bikes with infrastructure and laws
Davis, California -- (Double platinum) More bikes than cars in the college town; both city and campus are platinum-level bicycle friendly
Ottawa, Canada -- 105 miles of bike paths help make it Canada's top bike-commute city
Portland, Oregon -- (Platinum) Highest rate of bike commuting in US, great support from city hall
San Francisco, California -- (Gold) Efforts to make bicycling more safe pay off
The other continents
Beijing, China -- Although car use on rise, bicycles still rule
Cape Town, South Africa -- Making bicycles acceptable with bike lanes and parking
Bogata, Colombia -- Home of weekly, car-free Ciclovia events
Perth, Australia -- More than 400 miles of bike routes
Five best trails
Digging around on the Matador website, I stumbled across a list of the five best urban trails published last year in Men's Journal. Here it is as an added bonus for readers who lasted 'til the end of the story:
Atlanta: Silver Comet Trail
Boston: Minuteman Bikeway
Chicago: Chicago Lakefront Bike Path
Northern Virginia: Mount Vernon Trail
Sacramento: Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (American River trail)
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Day 3 to 30 of 30 Days of Cycling
See no sense in posting every day for a "one topic" blog, eh? So I'll just update this every day.
MAY 14 Shopping Center Exploration
A Northern Farm MTB ride because there's no way I'm doing bike rides on the Joburg tarmac.
MAY 13 Shopping Center Exploration
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"
The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the first student, "You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do."
The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!" The teacher commended the second student, "Your eyes are open, and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."
The fourth student replies, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings." The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, "You are rising on the golden path of non-harming."
The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, "Ahh… I am your student!"
7.2 Miles of neigborhood meandering with a new discovery Le Tart Patisserie. Scarfed down a coconut cake and cappucino.
MAY 12 Shopping Center Exploration
Another explore the nearby shopping centers ride. Did not discover any noteworthy places but did decide that the next time I'm bringing money for the Fournos Bakery -- awesome display of treats including pecan pie. That and a cup of java will do nicely.
MAY 11 Shopping Center Exploration
Another Loops du LoneHill Village
MAY 10 Shopping Center Exploration
A ride to two local shopping centres on a just explore ride. Meandered around the parking lot dodging cars backing out and of course not expecting a cyclist.
Always amazed at how much more you see on a bike. Such as.......
MAY 9
Toyota Mountain Bike Park for a few hours of riding the singletrack. Dumb rookie mistake: NEVER lean forward and hit the front brake going downhill. Result: Header!! Couple of nicks and bruises.
One thought: If you're not wearing a helment when mountain biking, you're not just dumb, you're stoopid. Glad I had the helmet because I did see stars for a few there.
GPS bombed out for some reason cause my cyclo shows 11.7 (s)miles.
MAY 8
Northern Farm mountain bike trails. A bodacious day for what's supposed to be a winter com'n on here in Sud Afrika.
Didn't go with the club as me just wanted to spin and grin. I did.
MAY 7
Northern Farm mountain bike ride on the easier trails. In a "don't wanna do this, but I better" cycling mood.
MAY 6 EASY PEASEY III
MAY 5 GEO DE MAYO
Short ride to find a geocache, one I missed finding some time ago. Then some riding around the neighborhood to get me 10 (s)miles.
Geocache? Glad you asked. From the geocache site: "Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online." This is a great "on bike" way to see different areas of a city or find off the beaten track historial and geographical treasures in addition to the cache itself.
Todays' cache was simple PNG (Park and Grab). You can read about the cache here www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c51297a8-68f2-4221-b288-da08bad4ad14 but like I said, it's pretty simple.
Usually I look for geocaches that will take me some place interesting, or to some place with historical or local significance. Other times, like today it's just an excuse to bike somewhere and have a fun thingy to do.
May 4 EASY PEASEY II:
Uh oh. Don't know if I slept wrong or pushed over the week end but the back said: "Hey, I'm still here. Remember me? I can cause you a LOT of pain. Here, let me show you what I mean."
So I just did a spin and grin around the complex. Glad I live in a very nice looking, well kept place. It's a mix of folks who own, rent, lease, etc. Signs always up outside during the week end for open house, but it's called "Free Show" here.
Some pics from the ride. The next to last being my abode...2nd door in. It's getting to be ol' man winter here, but feels more like Sister Spring.
May 3 EASY PEASEY I:
As ye may know, there's not a lot of safe places to cycle by one's self so there will be a number of these days called "Lone Village Tour du Loops". Simply I go round and round the roadways inside the gated high walled electric wired complex. Each loop is about 1 kilometer.
So all these rides in the future will simply be labled "Easy Peasey" with no write up unless something really eventful happened, like about a week ago I watched two cars collide even though there's a big parabolic mirror and each could easily have seen the other. Must have been the ol' "I didn't see him".
MAY 14 Shopping Center Exploration
A Northern Farm MTB ride because there's no way I'm doing bike rides on the Joburg tarmac.
MAY 13 Shopping Center Exploration
A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"
The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the first student, "You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do."
The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!" The teacher commended the second student, "Your eyes are open, and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."
The fourth student replies, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings." The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, "You are rising on the golden path of non-harming."
The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, "Ahh… I am your student!"
7.2 Miles of neigborhood meandering with a new discovery Le Tart Patisserie. Scarfed down a coconut cake and cappucino.
MAY 12 Shopping Center Exploration
Another explore the nearby shopping centers ride. Did not discover any noteworthy places but did decide that the next time I'm bringing money for the Fournos Bakery -- awesome display of treats including pecan pie. That and a cup of java will do nicely.
MAY 11 Shopping Center Exploration
Another Loops du LoneHill Village
MAY 10 Shopping Center Exploration
A ride to two local shopping centres on a just explore ride. Meandered around the parking lot dodging cars backing out and of course not expecting a cyclist.
Always amazed at how much more you see on a bike. Such as.......
- A 'tack' shop in the middle of suburbia. Not the kind of saddle me needs.
- A massage location. Upon inquiry I found I could get a bit more than a massage.
- A Kooking school. Got a business card as they teach Thai cooking. Might sign up but the place looked really worn down.
- Chinese restaurant. Was looking for one close to home. Score
- Bistros. A number of outdoor bistros if I'm in the mood for a latte.
- Garden store with some of the wierdest "cat trees" I've ever seen. Need to go back for a pic.
- Nice pizza parlor. Might be my lunch stop in a few days.
MAY 9
Toyota Mountain Bike Park for a few hours of riding the singletrack. Dumb rookie mistake: NEVER lean forward and hit the front brake going downhill. Result: Header!! Couple of nicks and bruises.
One thought: If you're not wearing a helment when mountain biking, you're not just dumb, you're stoopid. Glad I had the helmet because I did see stars for a few there.
GPS bombed out for some reason cause my cyclo shows 11.7 (s)miles.
MAY 8
Northern Farm mountain bike trails. A bodacious day for what's supposed to be a winter com'n on here in Sud Afrika.
Didn't go with the club as me just wanted to spin and grin. I did.
MAY 7
Northern Farm mountain bike ride on the easier trails. In a "don't wanna do this, but I better" cycling mood.
MAY 6 EASY PEASEY III
MAY 5 GEO DE MAYO
Short ride to find a geocache, one I missed finding some time ago. Then some riding around the neighborhood to get me 10 (s)miles.
Geocache? Glad you asked. From the geocache site: "Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online." This is a great "on bike" way to see different areas of a city or find off the beaten track historial and geographical treasures in addition to the cache itself.
Todays' cache was simple PNG (Park and Grab). You can read about the cache here www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c51297a8-68f2-4221-b288-da08bad4ad14 but like I said, it's pretty simple.
Usually I look for geocaches that will take me some place interesting, or to some place with historical or local significance. Other times, like today it's just an excuse to bike somewhere and have a fun thingy to do.
May 4 EASY PEASEY II:
Uh oh. Don't know if I slept wrong or pushed over the week end but the back said: "Hey, I'm still here. Remember me? I can cause you a LOT of pain. Here, let me show you what I mean."
So I just did a spin and grin around the complex. Glad I live in a very nice looking, well kept place. It's a mix of folks who own, rent, lease, etc. Signs always up outside during the week end for open house, but it's called "Free Show" here.
Some pics from the ride. The next to last being my abode...2nd door in. It's getting to be ol' man winter here, but feels more like Sister Spring.
May 3 EASY PEASEY I:
As ye may know, there's not a lot of safe places to cycle by one's self so there will be a number of these days called "Lone Village Tour du Loops". Simply I go round and round the roadways inside the gated high walled electric wired complex. Each loop is about 1 kilometer.
So all these rides in the future will simply be labled "Easy Peasey" with no write up unless something really eventful happened, like about a week ago I watched two cars collide even though there's a big parabolic mirror and each could easily have seen the other. Must have been the ol' "I didn't see him".
Monday, May 02, 2011
May 2, 2011: Day 2 of 30 Cycling Days
With a cold dreary morning I wasn't too keen (bad pun) on cycling today, but around 10 the good ol' sol popped out of the clouds.
It's a holiday in South Africa: May 1st is "Workers Day" but because it fell on a Sunday, they holiday is today, Monday. So workers day is a non working day. Good for mountain biking because the "Nothern Farm" is open only on week ends and holidays.
Very few folks at the farm. I was always wonder: "What if I do a header and there's no one come by to claim the body until the next week end?"
A good workout for a scant 8.2 miles but it's off road and singletrack. My bod says 1 mile of hilly singletrack is 4 to 5 miles of easy peasy road cycling.
Day 2 in the books.
Love http://www.ridewithgps.com for saving tracks. Drag your cursor along either the route or profile to see what's up....or down.
It's a holiday in South Africa: May 1st is "Workers Day" but because it fell on a Sunday, they holiday is today, Monday. So workers day is a non working day. Good for mountain biking because the "Nothern Farm" is open only on week ends and holidays.
Very few folks at the farm. I was always wonder: "What if I do a header and there's no one come by to claim the body until the next week end?"
A good workout for a scant 8.2 miles but it's off road and singletrack. My bod says 1 mile of hilly singletrack is 4 to 5 miles of easy peasy road cycling.
Day 2 in the books.
Love http://www.ridewithgps.com for saving tracks. Drag your cursor along either the route or profile to see what's up....or down.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
May 1 1st Day of 30 Cycling Days
Day 1 of 30 days of cycling somewhere. This one was easy as the Johannesburg Mountain Bike Club was riding at Northern Farm, one of my nearby mountain bike haunts. BUT I was still suffering from jet lag and didn't make the 7:30 start.
I did haul myself to the farm and after me ride met up with the JMBC folks for coffee and fuel for the body and mind.
Winter is sneaking up on Joburg only today it didn't sneak...it pounded on the door, barged in and shouted: I'm here!!"
Miles 12.6
time 1:25
I did haul myself to the farm and after me ride met up with the JMBC folks for coffee and fuel for the body and mind.
Winter is sneaking up on Joburg only today it didn't sneak...it pounded on the door, barged in and shouted: I'm here!!"
Miles 12.6
time 1:25
Friday, April 29, 2011
30 Days of Biking: Thanks Kent
I headed over to read Kent Peterson's blog. He was up to April 28th of his Bike 30 Days challenge, which began April 1st.
Click here to go to Kent's Blog--> Kent's Bike Blog
Sidebar Rant: I hate BLOG posting order. It's all backwards!! There's no index. Unless you read a blog everyday where do you start? So let me help: Scroll down to April 1st of Kent's blog and read backwards!!! Okay...scroll UP.
I'm living in Johannesburg where road cycling is nutz. Kent lives in Issaquah Washington which looks to be an idyllic place to bike. So here's what I will do: I will bike each day for the next 30 days and see to where can I bike safely from 235 Lonehill "surrounded by high walls topped with electric wire and two gates to go through for security" Estate in Fourways, Johannesburg, Sud Afrika.
Day 1 is May Day.
Let the 30 days commence.
Click here to go to Kent's Blog--> Kent's Bike Blog
Sidebar Rant: I hate BLOG posting order. It's all backwards!! There's no index. Unless you read a blog everyday where do you start? So let me help: Scroll down to April 1st of Kent's blog and read backwards!!! Okay...scroll UP.
I'm living in Johannesburg where road cycling is nutz. Kent lives in Issaquah Washington which looks to be an idyllic place to bike. So here's what I will do: I will bike each day for the next 30 days and see to where can I bike safely from 235 Lonehill "surrounded by high walls topped with electric wire and two gates to go through for security" Estate in Fourways, Johannesburg, Sud Afrika.
Day 1 is May Day.
Let the 30 days commence.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Just A Bike
On the morning of April 15th, I had one of those "this can’t be happening" moments. As I opened the interior house door to the garage, my self said: "Self, the garage door is open." That’s weird. Glancing over where my bike should be, there was no bike. My mind kept saying: "There is supposed to be a yellow modified for travel V-Rex leaning against the work bench." My self kept saying "It’s not there." My mind: "Are you sure? Look again."
No matter how many times I looked my bike was stolen. Gone. It just isn’t there.
Told myself: "It’s just a bike."
With a kick in my gut feeling all day I did the stolen bike thing:
Called police to file a police report
Printed out flyers with a pic to all bike stores.
Called pawn shops.
Posted flyers along the typical cycling paths.
Kept looking where my bike was hoping it would magically appear.
Kept telling myself: "It’s just a bike."
All day long whenever that empty feeling punched me in the gut: "It's just a bike."
Wait a minute. I’ve had this bike for over twelve years. Then I started remembering.
It’s not just a bike. It was my Conestoga Wagon on Ragbrai ferrying me from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. Okay, so Conestoga wagons went from east to west. Small details. I crossed the expanse of Iowa on my bike passing cornfields, alfalfa fields, and easily recognizable from a long way off hog farms. It blazed trails for me.
It’s not just a bike. In North Dakota it was my trusty horse galloping by fertile farmlands and wheat crops and across rolling grasslands. It showed me the big sky, the Red River Valley and the Drift Prarie.
It’s not just a bike. In New York, it was my packet boat and I was the horse power trudging along passing locks and lift bridges. It helped me explore old canal side towns, including the birthplace of the Colt revolver, something I’d love to show right now to the bike thief.
It’s not just a bike. Living in Qatar it was my Dromedary Taxi, taking me across the desert and showing me the Khor al Adaid ("Inland Sea") along the Persian Gulf.
It’s not just a bike. In Shanghai, it was my own Orient Express. Small bother that the Orient Express never went to Shanghai, because the Orient Express has come to symbolize intrigue and luxury travel. Hey, it’s a (okay..it was) a recumbent and trust me, that’s luxurious when cycling 200kms: no pain.
It’s not just a bike. When I was working in Florida it was my Ponce DeLeon exploration ship, taking me up and down the eastern coast in search of my own fountain of youth. Yes, cycling keeps the kid in ya. No question.
One thing is for sure: It's not "just a bike".
No matter how many times I looked my bike was stolen. Gone. It just isn’t there.
Told myself: "It’s just a bike."
With a kick in my gut feeling all day I did the stolen bike thing:
Called police to file a police report
Printed out flyers with a pic to all bike stores.
Called pawn shops.
Posted flyers along the typical cycling paths.
Kept looking where my bike was hoping it would magically appear.
Kept telling myself: "It’s just a bike."
All day long whenever that empty feeling punched me in the gut: "It's just a bike."
Wait a minute. I’ve had this bike for over twelve years. Then I started remembering.
It’s not just a bike. It was my Conestoga Wagon on Ragbrai ferrying me from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. Okay, so Conestoga wagons went from east to west. Small details. I crossed the expanse of Iowa on my bike passing cornfields, alfalfa fields, and easily recognizable from a long way off hog farms. It blazed trails for me.
It’s not just a bike. In North Dakota it was my trusty horse galloping by fertile farmlands and wheat crops and across rolling grasslands. It showed me the big sky, the Red River Valley and the Drift Prarie.
It’s not just a bike. In New York, it was my packet boat and I was the horse power trudging along passing locks and lift bridges. It helped me explore old canal side towns, including the birthplace of the Colt revolver, something I’d love to show right now to the bike thief.
It’s not just a bike. Living in Qatar it was my Dromedary Taxi, taking me across the desert and showing me the Khor al Adaid ("Inland Sea") along the Persian Gulf.
It’s not just a bike. In Shanghai, it was my own Orient Express. Small bother that the Orient Express never went to Shanghai, because the Orient Express has come to symbolize intrigue and luxury travel. Hey, it’s a (okay..it was) a recumbent and trust me, that’s luxurious when cycling 200kms: no pain.
It’s not just a bike. When I was working in Florida it was my Ponce DeLeon exploration ship, taking me up and down the eastern coast in search of my own fountain of youth. Yes, cycling keeps the kid in ya. No question.
One thing is for sure: It's not "just a bike".
Stolen Bike: Miami FL April 14, 2011
This be the stolen bike. Hopefully someone will see it and email me at JKeenan0407 AT yahoo DOT com.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Ride With GPS Site
Hope these guys make it. Two students from my home state Oregon have created a site for creating routes, rides, etc. that can be used in multiple places: GPS units, shared, embedded,etc.
The site is Ride With GPS or
Ride With GPS Website
From their website: What is Ride With GPS?
We created Ride With GPS to help cyclists plan bike rides and find routes in their area. We offer cuesheets, exportable routes for turn by turn directions on Garmin GPS units and live elevation profiles with grade information. Users can upload their ride and see graphs of elevation, heart rate, cadence and power. Signup and try our site today!
Here's an example. I've used the embed code to show the route and profile on this blog.
The site is Ride With GPS or
Ride With GPS Website
From their website: What is Ride With GPS?
We created Ride With GPS to help cyclists plan bike rides and find routes in their area. We offer cuesheets, exportable routes for turn by turn directions on Garmin GPS units and live elevation profiles with grade information. Users can upload their ride and see graphs of elevation, heart rate, cadence and power. Signup and try our site today!
Here's an example. I've used the embed code to show the route and profile on this blog.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tour Du Monde
Getting ready for my annual bike tour with bike buds where I'm sure most of the tour folks will be a high ticket bikes. These photos brought back the reality of how utilitarian a bike really is.
Click here for Tour Du Monde in a separate window.
Here's the first photo
Click here for Tour Du Monde in a separate window.
Here's the first photo
Monday, April 12, 2010
Back To Brevets
What was that movie: "Back to the Future"? I'm beginning to look like Christopher Lloyd. Now if I could get "back" to having 30 year old legs, brevets would be so much more fun.
Almost a year ago I had a liver transplant which meant limited strenuous activity. While I was approved to cycle about 8 weeks after the surgery, any long distance rides such as this were verboten.
Scheduled 200km rides for January were scratched by nurse Toni, who when told that temps would be in the high 30's with possible rain, said: "I know you love cycling, but tell your bike friends that "Mama Nurse Toni" says "NO". What Mama Nurse Toni says, I do. Faithfully. I like being around.
With the Central Florida Randonneurs 300km brevet on my calendar I kept looking at the weather forecast and thankfully even though a "cold" front was coming through the evening temps would only be around 50 F degrees.
One of the "going to be fun" things about this brevet is that a bunch of my recumbent buds who ride Bacchettas would be attending, John Schlitter amongst them. John is one of these long distance intrepid souls who started racing sailcars across the plains of Kansas. A racer at a young age, as he (ahem) matured, he got into long distance events, RAAM included. He currently holds the RAAM record as the only cyclist to complete RAAM on a recumbent. I knew I'd see him at the start and that would be it. These cyclists will complete a 300km ride (180) miles in about 10 to 11 hours.
Amazing
I have to keep telling them: "It's not a race. It's a brevet". Can't take the heart out of the lion.
When I started the 300km it was 5:00 a.m. in the morning, coldish, and we were going against a cross headwind out of the WNW at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph plus. So I pondered: "And Joe, why are you doing these?" I got the same answer when I started in 2003: "Ummmm I don't know, but I really like 'em." Although this time I was questioning my sanity.
Most of the brevet was on either lightly traffic roads or back roads with the surface from "wow" to "ow", especially one 20 mile section that looked like something from a war zone. I'm sure it was used for either bombing or strafing practice. I came to realize the benefit of my titanium trusty steed and wondered what that road would have felt like on a standard bike.
Usually I'm the "Rouge Lanterne", but this time there were one or two riders who rode with me for awhile or lagged behind at the control. So I didn't finish last on this one, as I normally do.
One third of the way into the race, cycling head first into that headwind and lucky to maintain 9 to 10 mph I was sure I would never do a long distance brevet again. Why need to? I'm not qualifying for anything or going for a medal. Turning back into a cross headwind my legs had nothing...I mean nothing. It was all I could do to turn the pedals and move.
Then it happened.
Again.
On my last brevet I also went from "lunch legs" to "energizer bunny". How or why I don't know. All I know is that the next 100 miles were "well...let's just keep going..." and I felt like I could ride forever. That's usually my style: Just keep pedaling in a spin and grin gear. It works.
Finished in about 15 hours riding time which is standard fare of about 12mph to 13mph overall average for me on these long distance rides.
Have a 400km coming up in two weeks and I'm sure I'll ask myself the same question: "And Joe, why do you do these ridiculously long bike rides?'
Same answer: "I dunno.". Wait. Yes I do: "Because they're there."
P.S. The ride back went through Titusville on the eve that the last night shuttle launch was to take place. Took my time looking at the hundreds upon hundreds of campers, vendors, food stands, etc. being established overnight: A veritable city popped up.
Shelly's Blog: A New York State Of Mind
I met Shelly in NYC in the mid to late 90's. He owns (or did) a bike messenger company and has been carless for I don't know how long. His blog urbanmobilityproject.blogspot.com/ is a door into the biking culture of NYC.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A Bit of Philosphy
Roland Provost writes a great blog. Until recently he has written under
eBent Recumbent Cycling at ebent.wordpress.com.
Philosophy from Provost's Blog:
As Groucho said "These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others".
1. We are doing this for fun. Anything that prevents us from having fun should be avoided. If it isn’t fun why are we here?
1A. We are riding for the fun and adventure not to ride.
1B. We can ride anywhere; we are here for another reason.
2. The faster you go the less you see. I have seen birds of prey circling and ants building mounds as I ride in the mountains. I tell myself they find my bike interesting.
2A. A great trip is full of little discoveries. These discoveries happen when you stop to look.
3. Everything is easy if you aren’t in a hurry. I met an 80 year old woman who had just ridden from California to Maine, her first cross country ride. She walked over every railroad track and up every hill. She told me this and I believe she was right.
4. Remember The 7 Ps – Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance or A Ride that Sucks!
5. We plan so that we can understand the consequences of changing the plan.
6. The plan was made so that the Ride would be fun. If what we are doing now is fun, we are following the plan, no matter what the plan said.
7. Enjoy what is here and now. Tomorrow may bring rain and traffic, don’t rush towards them enjoy this moment.
8. Keep your head up and your eyes open. There is very little interesting on the road and we won’t see what is interesting if we don’t look.
9. In Of Human Bondage, Maugham said, "The meaning of the Life is in the Persian Rug." This is also true for Bicycle Tours.
eBent Recumbent Cycling at ebent.wordpress.com.
Philosophy from Provost's Blog:
As Groucho said "These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others".
1. We are doing this for fun. Anything that prevents us from having fun should be avoided. If it isn’t fun why are we here?
1A. We are riding for the fun and adventure not to ride.
1B. We can ride anywhere; we are here for another reason.
2. The faster you go the less you see. I have seen birds of prey circling and ants building mounds as I ride in the mountains. I tell myself they find my bike interesting.
2A. A great trip is full of little discoveries. These discoveries happen when you stop to look.
3. Everything is easy if you aren’t in a hurry. I met an 80 year old woman who had just ridden from California to Maine, her first cross country ride. She walked over every railroad track and up every hill. She told me this and I believe she was right.
4. Remember The 7 Ps – Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance or A Ride that Sucks!
5. We plan so that we can understand the consequences of changing the plan.
6. The plan was made so that the Ride would be fun. If what we are doing now is fun, we are following the plan, no matter what the plan said.
7. Enjoy what is here and now. Tomorrow may bring rain and traffic, don’t rush towards them enjoy this moment.
8. Keep your head up and your eyes open. There is very little interesting on the road and we won’t see what is interesting if we don’t look.
9. In Of Human Bondage, Maugham said, "The meaning of the Life is in the Persian Rug." This is also true for Bicycle Tours.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Amsterdamn Spring
Dozens of women posed naked on their bicycles on a bridge over one of Amsterdam's historic canals on Sunday - a unique sight even in a city famed for its relaxed attitude toward nudity and sex.
They were among 2000 men and women who participated in a series of four nude group photos in the city in the early hours of the morning as part of the latest project of US photographer Spencer Tunick.
The first and largest composition was in a decidedly prosaic location: a parking garage on the outer ring of the city.
But what the location lacked in romance, it made up for in style.
Participants lined the railings of the garage's twin circular towers, creating a pattern of multicoloured stripes against the white building and an overcast sky.
The women on bikes were selected from the larger group and posed with their chins pointed triumphantly upward toward the sky.
Other compositions included a group of men posing together near the parking garage and a mixed group of men and women on another bridge.
Tunick, from Brooklyn, New York, has become famous for photographing thousands of naked people in public settings worldwide, from London and Vienna to Buenos Aires and Buffalo.
He set a record for naked photography with a photo of 18,000 people in the buff in Mexico City last month.
Photos from Sunday's session are being exhibited at an Amsterdam club.
From the Associated Press
Friday, February 12, 2010
2010 SEBRING: 12/24 Hour Endurance Race UMCA
Many of my recumbent online bike buds have done this race. In the past I was overseas unable to attend. So this year with being in the states, I decided to "volunteer to crew" for Bacchetta riders. About Bacchetta
"Crew"ing for ultra distance riders means you do whatever it takes to keep your riders on the course. Time off the bike is lost time and less miles. These riders are there for a few reasons: (1) To qualify for RAAM (Race Across AMerica). (RAAM QUALIFYING) Various ultra races around the world are qualifiers for ultra distance ride of rides (2) To set a PR (Personal Record) or (3) Just to see what the heck it's like to ride 12 hours or 24 hours or as long as possible.
What made this year's race especially difficult was the unusual cold Florida weather coupled with the Florida hills, which goes by the name of wind!! The high temp on Saturday was about 47 degrees and as the sun dropped on the horizon so did the temperature until it bottomed out at about 35 degrees around 4:00 a.m. on the 14th. The hills/winds? All day over 20mph with gusts of 30 to 40 mph
One of the racers who set a record in 2007 had this to say: "I was pushing 250 watts and doing 11 to 17 mph into the wind." Okay says I. What does that mean to me, the layman? He told me that at 250 watts he is usually riding at 25 to 27 mph. That brought home the impact of the Florida "hills" on the riders this day. Record hopes were dashed or well, blown away.
I had the pleasure of watching a new female recumbent rider on a Carbent About Carbent smoke the course. Her name is Sandy Earl and she will be doing a solo RAAM (About RAAM) this year. Sandy rode 415 miles in 24 hours in just miserable conditions to set a new women's record.
Ultra distance bike rides take many shapes and forms. One of the most common is a "brevet" done by randonneurs.About Randonneurs
People often ask me why I do long distance rides and brevets. I put the question to one of the Sebring riders and her answer rings true. She wrote (with some minor editing by moi):
"Why do I do this race (you asked)? I do it because of all the Bacchetta people there in Florida and the route itself. It's not particularly tough, it's beautiful, and I love the camaraderie of like-minded people. I do it for personal satisfaction AND.... I really DO want to RAAM qualify and this is the one race where, unless they up the mileage requirements, I know it is possible for me to do so. I am already planning for next year. I could have hit 350 miles, for sure, had I had some training (and I didn't) ....... if there had not been all that wind. I was 98 miles short of my goal and quit 3 hours early.... even with a 15 mph average I'd have been within 55 miles of the goal and without the wind I know I could have gotten those 55 miles in over the previous hours.... Yup. I had 300 miles in 2008 in the socked bike and I spent a LOT of time in the pits.... way too much.
The Little Train That Could. That's me."
"Crew"ing for ultra distance riders means you do whatever it takes to keep your riders on the course. Time off the bike is lost time and less miles. These riders are there for a few reasons: (1) To qualify for RAAM (Race Across AMerica). (RAAM QUALIFYING) Various ultra races around the world are qualifiers for ultra distance ride of rides (2) To set a PR (Personal Record) or (3) Just to see what the heck it's like to ride 12 hours or 24 hours or as long as possible.
What made this year's race especially difficult was the unusual cold Florida weather coupled with the Florida hills, which goes by the name of wind!! The high temp on Saturday was about 47 degrees and as the sun dropped on the horizon so did the temperature until it bottomed out at about 35 degrees around 4:00 a.m. on the 14th. The hills/winds? All day over 20mph with gusts of 30 to 40 mph
One of the racers who set a record in 2007 had this to say: "I was pushing 250 watts and doing 11 to 17 mph into the wind." Okay says I. What does that mean to me, the layman? He told me that at 250 watts he is usually riding at 25 to 27 mph. That brought home the impact of the Florida "hills" on the riders this day. Record hopes were dashed or well, blown away.
I had the pleasure of watching a new female recumbent rider on a Carbent About Carbent smoke the course. Her name is Sandy Earl and she will be doing a solo RAAM (About RAAM) this year. Sandy rode 415 miles in 24 hours in just miserable conditions to set a new women's record.
Ultra distance bike rides take many shapes and forms. One of the most common is a "brevet" done by randonneurs.About Randonneurs
People often ask me why I do long distance rides and brevets. I put the question to one of the Sebring riders and her answer rings true. She wrote (with some minor editing by moi):
"Why do I do this race (you asked)? I do it because of all the Bacchetta people there in Florida and the route itself. It's not particularly tough, it's beautiful, and I love the camaraderie of like-minded people. I do it for personal satisfaction AND.... I really DO want to RAAM qualify and this is the one race where, unless they up the mileage requirements, I know it is possible for me to do so. I am already planning for next year. I could have hit 350 miles, for sure, had I had some training (and I didn't) ....... if there had not been all that wind. I was 98 miles short of my goal and quit 3 hours early.... even with a 15 mph average I'd have been within 55 miles of the goal and without the wind I know I could have gotten those 55 miles in over the previous hours.... Yup. I had 300 miles in 2008 in the socked bike and I spent a LOT of time in the pits.... way too much.
The Little Train That Could. That's me."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)