Sunday, December 23, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Keen Commuter Sandals
I wear these 95% of the time. Sometimes with socks. They work great, except for the toe-box isn't the normal roomy affair you get used to with Keens. Kinda' cramped. They newer Commuter II model is out and I hope they have widened it some.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Boycott Bullshit
So. Good. A repost from @kenntwofour. Brilliant. Buy some of his 'shit' tomar at #iceatlanta @iceatlanta #boycottbullshit, a photo by twotoneatl on Flickr.
Words to live by!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Ramble On
Hello friends. How have you been? Good, I hope. I'm fine as well, thank you for asking. I've been wondering about this: I heard you've been looking for a new bike That's great as there's one that has just come on the market that you should consider: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/oceanaircycles/ocean-air-cycles-rambler-sport-touring-bicycle-rev-0
This is a designed in Ventura, CA, made in the Portland, OR honest to goodness all-round good bike.
I know Rob and love riding with him whenever I can. Maybe a couple times a year. The guy knows bikes, loves 'em and has put together a really good one.
Do yourself a favor and clickety-click on the link above and see if this could be the bike for you! If you're independently wealthy, this is a great place to invest it!!!
This is a designed in Ventura, CA, made in the Portland, OR honest to goodness all-round good bike.
I know Rob and love riding with him whenever I can. Maybe a couple times a year. The guy knows bikes, loves 'em and has put together a really good one.
Do yourself a favor and clickety-click on the link above and see if this could be the bike for you! If you're independently wealthy, this is a great place to invest it!!!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Attention Undecided Voters: Your Vote Counts, Read Below!
As a low information voter, I know it can be hard to decide who to vote for. So many yard signs, all those commercials during your favorite police procedural, incessant phone calls during Cheetos breaks.
You wanted to like the one guy, but he acted like he didn't care about you during the debate. But the other guy just seems creepy with the hair and the tan and houses and such.
It's definitely tough to make a decision! Below is a helpful PSA (Public Service Announcement) to help everyone understand the ramifications of this choice. This will hopefully assist in the decision making process. I know it did with me!
And yes, I miss Firefly too.
zombie
You wanted to like the one guy, but he acted like he didn't care about you during the debate. But the other guy just seems creepy with the hair and the tan and houses and such.
It's definitely tough to make a decision! Below is a helpful PSA (Public Service Announcement) to help everyone understand the ramifications of this choice. This will hopefully assist in the decision making process. I know it did with me!
And yes, I miss Firefly too.
zombie
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
bikeRedlands: The Big Weekend: Big Film Festival and Community R...
bikeRedlands: The Big Weekend: Big Film Festival and Community R...: On October 13 th , at the 2012 IEBA Bike Film Fest, the Inland Empire Biking Alliance (IEBA) will be presenting the world premier showing...
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Schwalbe Marathon Supremes - Making the Cut?
I love 35mm Paselas. Really. Made in Japan, high quality, flexible sidewalls, so-so puncture protection. Inexpensive to buy and readily available. They roll fast and wear at a reasonable rate. In fact my only criticism is that the sidewalls start disintegrating before the tread is worn down!
I do have an on-going problem with goathead punctures, so am always looking for a tire that rolls as good but is somewhat resistant to punctures. For those of you not living in the Southwestern United States, let me tell you how awful goatheads are. They are from an invasive ground level plant that reproduces at a prodigious rate. The seeds are built like little caltrops that puncture just about any tire I've found.
I've tried the amazing 700c Grand Bois tires, and while they roll wonderfully, they are just too delicate for my needs. I really do appreciate how low their rolling resistance is. Some QC issues as well I found.
In my quest to find the next best thing, I was able to borrow a set of Schwalbe Marathon Supremes (thanks Doug!). I found them to be about the same weight as the Paselas (Paselas have less wear, so I'm extrapolating that they're about the same weight when new).
Both tires pump up to near 34.5mm at 35psi.
So same weight, same size, but they don't roll the same. The Pasela seems to be able to roll further when I'm coasting down a known road. Not hugely, but enough that I can notice it. The Supremes also feel heavier and clunkier. That's on the same rim, same bike, same pressure, same roads. Yes, subjective seat of the pants speedometer. I'll gladly refund any subscription money you've paid to this blog if you don't like those results.
And then there was the puncture!
This happened the same weekend that I mounted the tires up. Maybe within the first 20 miles? Anecdotal of course, but it seems like the puncture protection isn't all that much better than the Paselas. Perhaps because the Supremes were fairly worn? With full tread they should be more resistant, but also a bit clunkier then what I felt was already sorta' clunky-chunky.
So, long blog short, I'm going to keep up withe the Paselas for a while longer. The Supremes would be great tires if you value long wear and probably improved puncture resistance. While I like those things, I want something with a bit less rolling resistance, but not too fragile. For now the Paselas meet that goal! Will keep my eye on the Challenge Eroica, though. I bet they will be a bit on the delicate side, similar to the GBs.
I do have an on-going problem with goathead punctures, so am always looking for a tire that rolls as good but is somewhat resistant to punctures. For those of you not living in the Southwestern United States, let me tell you how awful goatheads are. They are from an invasive ground level plant that reproduces at a prodigious rate. The seeds are built like little caltrops that puncture just about any tire I've found.
I've tried the amazing 700c Grand Bois tires, and while they roll wonderfully, they are just too delicate for my needs. I really do appreciate how low their rolling resistance is. Some QC issues as well I found.
In my quest to find the next best thing, I was able to borrow a set of Schwalbe Marathon Supremes (thanks Doug!). I found them to be about the same weight as the Paselas (Paselas have less wear, so I'm extrapolating that they're about the same weight when new).
Both tires pump up to near 34.5mm at 35psi.
So same weight, same size, but they don't roll the same. The Pasela seems to be able to roll further when I'm coasting down a known road. Not hugely, but enough that I can notice it. The Supremes also feel heavier and clunkier. That's on the same rim, same bike, same pressure, same roads. Yes, subjective seat of the pants speedometer. I'll gladly refund any subscription money you've paid to this blog if you don't like those results.
And then there was the puncture!
This happened the same weekend that I mounted the tires up. Maybe within the first 20 miles? Anecdotal of course, but it seems like the puncture protection isn't all that much better than the Paselas. Perhaps because the Supremes were fairly worn? With full tread they should be more resistant, but also a bit clunkier then what I felt was already sorta' clunky-chunky.
So, long blog short, I'm going to keep up withe the Paselas for a while longer. The Supremes would be great tires if you value long wear and probably improved puncture resistance. While I like those things, I want something with a bit less rolling resistance, but not too fragile. For now the Paselas meet that goal! Will keep my eye on the Challenge Eroica, though. I bet they will be a bit on the delicate side, similar to the GBs.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Best Song Narratives
Okay, okay, favorite song narratives... Couldn't sleep last night, so thought this up. These are some of the best stories told in popular music. According to me, the King Of This Blog. Or at least the limited popular music I listen to. They all have a narrative, a beginning, a middle and an end (mostly). Ranked sorta' by what I think are the best stories, but also what I like more. Feel free to add to this (biased) list!
Honorable Mention: Until The End Of The World - U2 - Not so much a story, but a conversation between Jesus and Judas has to rank here somewhere!
8) Romeo and Juliet- Indigo Girls (I think their version rocks more than Dire Straits!). Amy Ray just belts the lyrics out and conveys a lot more emotion than Mark Knopfler's slow simmer.
7) Jeremy - Pearl Jam - Not a happy song.
6) Paul Revere - Beastie Boys - Has there been anything as good as these three guys ever?
5) Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police (try to disregard the Mardi Gras pirate attire). It's a messed up story of obsession and desire at it's best.
4) El Paso + Feleena - Marty Robbins- Such a great song cycle. Feleena is even better than El Paso, which is pretty hard to beat.
3) Red Barchetta - Rush - 1981 was a good year! This song was my gateway drug to music. Maybe not the best story on this list, but damn I still love this song!
2) Tangled Up In Blue - Robert Zimmerman - the Jerry Garcia Band version is a very close second that I almost put on, but Bob's original is just so great! This rolling & rolicking story is just amazing!
1) Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash - Can. Not. Top. Story telling at it's best!
Honorable Mention: Until The End Of The World - U2 - Not so much a story, but a conversation between Jesus and Judas has to rank here somewhere!
8) Romeo and Juliet- Indigo Girls (I think their version rocks more than Dire Straits!). Amy Ray just belts the lyrics out and conveys a lot more emotion than Mark Knopfler's slow simmer.
7) Jeremy - Pearl Jam - Not a happy song.
6) Paul Revere - Beastie Boys - Has there been anything as good as these three guys ever?
5) Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police (try to disregard the Mardi Gras pirate attire). It's a messed up story of obsession and desire at it's best.
4) El Paso + Feleena - Marty Robbins- Such a great song cycle. Feleena is even better than El Paso, which is pretty hard to beat.
3) Red Barchetta - Rush - 1981 was a good year! This song was my gateway drug to music. Maybe not the best story on this list, but damn I still love this song!
2) Tangled Up In Blue - Robert Zimmerman - the Jerry Garcia Band version is a very close second that I almost put on, but Bob's original is just so great! This rolling & rolicking story is just amazing!
1) Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash - Can. Not. Top. Story telling at it's best!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Up, Up, Up The Hill
The first weekend with some cooler temperatures sent me out the door and on my bike. But where to go? I've been wanting to ride up to Angelus Oaks for a few years now, but it just never worked out. Time to change that!
Over the past few weekends I've put portions of the ride together, riding up to the trailhead and back, and then driving up and riding the off-road portion. But never strung the complete route together. No longer! As of Sunday I can say I've done it!
And what a ride it was! Absolutely gorgeous day, low traffic, and feeling good. 40 miles and 8,000 ft of pedaling against gravity! This is an excellent ride if anyone is looking for just such an outing. It's cooling down now which makes the ride really nice. LOTS of gnats up in the mountains though. I'm going to wear some sort of a bug net over my head when I ride up there again.
While the first part of the ride is all on road, it's still nice. A bit of traffic on Hwy 38 through Mentone, but not too bad @ 9:00 in the morning. It's about 13 miles of constant grade getting to the trailhead. That's where you see this sign and know the real fun begins:
That leads to seven miles of abandoned pavement, singletrack, stream crossings and blue jays! I had 42mm knobs last time up, but used 35mm Paselas this time. Definitely bounced around a lot more on the rocky trails and had to push through the occasional sand pit, but I was OK with that as most of the ride was road miles up to that point.
Speaking of which, the downhill was amazing! I rode the highway back to save some time and was hitting 40mph for good portions of it, just tucking in and hanging on!
I did bite off more than I could chew, and by the end I was forcing myself to pedal and get home. No pain, no exhaustion, just tired of being on a bike after five hours. I'd like to get to the point where I could do this consistently, but it is a bit of a time sink. I'll probably drive to the trailhead and enjoy it from there in the future.
While the first part of the ride is all on road, it's still nice. A bit of traffic on Hwy 38 through Mentone, but not too bad @ 9:00 in the morning. It's about 13 miles of constant grade getting to the trailhead. That's where you see this sign and know the real fun begins:
That leads to seven miles of abandoned pavement, singletrack, stream crossings and blue jays! I had 42mm knobs last time up, but used 35mm Paselas this time. Definitely bounced around a lot more on the rocky trails and had to push through the occasional sand pit, but I was OK with that as most of the ride was road miles up to that point.
Speaking of which, the downhill was amazing! I rode the highway back to save some time and was hitting 40mph for good portions of it, just tucking in and hanging on!
I did bite off more than I could chew, and by the end I was forcing myself to pedal and get home. No pain, no exhaustion, just tired of being on a bike after five hours. I'd like to get to the point where I could do this consistently, but it is a bit of a time sink. I'll probably drive to the trailhead and enjoy it from there in the future.
But best of all: No knee pain for the entire ride! That's a BIG one for me as I have IT band issues that can occasionally be debilitating. Mostly not there, but it sometimes it just crops up, usually on road rides where I'm pushing a constant fast pace. There were some solid road miles up there, but I rode my own pace and seemed work great. Whoo-hoo!
So get this: Not only did I have spousal clearance to take the entire morning off, but when I got back home, I was greeted with this:
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Yet another set of gloves done in.
These are Planet Bike gloves purchased June 2011. I believe they cost me $11.
Rivendell gloves last me two years before disintegrating but cost $15. So the Rivy ones last 100% longer while only costing 50% more. A good investment it seems!
Rivendell gloves last me two years before disintegrating but cost $15. So the Rivy ones last 100% longer while only costing 50% more. A good investment it seems!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
A Thoughtful Discussion Of The Lance Chronicles
Here: http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/yqer4/usada_to_ban_lance_armstrong_for_life_strip_tour/c5xzfwx
I don't know if he was cheating or not, but so far there is no proof of it.
Floyd & Tyler's thoughts on the subject are more than suspect at this point. I would be interested to hear to what Big George has to say, but at this point it's just a high-stakes game of he said/(s)he said.
I don't know if he was cheating or not, but so far there is no proof of it.
Floyd & Tyler's thoughts on the subject are more than suspect at this point. I would be interested to hear to what Big George has to say, but at this point it's just a high-stakes game of he said/(s)he said.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
What every haircut should be like!
So really, what more could you want from a hair-cutting establishment? I can't think of much.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Attention, attention this is important: Redlands Bike BBQ is NOW Open!
In short, go check it out! http://www.bikebbq.com/
Good people, doing good things to get more people on bikes. They offer FREE assisted bicycle repair. You're not bringing a bike there to get fixed, you're bring it there to learn how to fix it!
The #1 thing that keeps people from riding a bike if fear of a flat tire. So go learn how to fix flats, adjust brakes, set seat height, re-build a bottom bracket... the choice is yours!
As mentioned above, the service is all free. But the rent isn't, so donations are accepted. Wheels, frames, cables, even cash. I'm told the volunteers like OH- as well, so you can see how that works out.
Good people, doing good things to get more people on bikes. They offer FREE assisted bicycle repair. You're not bringing a bike there to get fixed, you're bring it there to learn how to fix it!
The #1 thing that keeps people from riding a bike if fear of a flat tire. So go learn how to fix flats, adjust brakes, set seat height, re-build a bottom bracket... the choice is yours!
As mentioned above, the service is all free. But the rent isn't, so donations are accepted. Wheels, frames, cables, even cash. I'm told the volunteers like OH- as well, so you can see how that works out.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Rivendell Riders Cross Training
Believe it or not, lugged bike-loving bicycle misfits can stretch beyond their retro-grouchy stereotype to embrace other forms of two wheeled fun.
Four of us who know each other from the RBW world got together in San Clemente to check out some of the best coastal singletrack around. Fifteen miles with nearly 2,000 ft. of climbing kept us busy. The four of us all had 29ers of one sort or another and had a great time out in the hills.
Were able to ride Blue Chair, Holeshot, and a couple others before coming back on No Hands/No Tools trail. I knew half the trails, and Dustin the other half. The two of us together stitched a pretty good route together that took up three hours of a Wednesday afternoon. Don't know of any better way to spend the day!
My legs were shot at the end of the day, but brain was stoked on happy endorphins!
(above from Mike's photos from the day)
Four of us who know each other from the RBW world got together in San Clemente to check out some of the best coastal singletrack around. Fifteen miles with nearly 2,000 ft. of climbing kept us busy. The four of us all had 29ers of one sort or another and had a great time out in the hills.
Were able to ride Blue Chair, Holeshot, and a couple others before coming back on No Hands/No Tools trail. I knew half the trails, and Dustin the other half. The two of us together stitched a pretty good route together that took up three hours of a Wednesday afternoon. Don't know of any better way to spend the day!
My legs were shot at the end of the day, but brain was stoked on happy endorphins!
(above from Mike's photos from the day)
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Crap in your basement =/= Rivendell gold
Just because it's old-timey, doesn't mean you can slap the Rivendell tag on it and charge a 1,000% premium on a $25 garage sale wheelset.
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/3052775535.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/3052775535.html
Monday, May 28, 2012
Goin' down the road feeling bad...
Open roads this Memorial Day. Perfect weather, perfect bike, perfect time out!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Good Roads to Ride, Southern California Edition
Untitled, a photo by cyclotourist on Flickr.
Telegraph Rd. in Chino Hills State Park. Live oak, grasses, cows, coyotes. Everything good in one place!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Good news everyone!
I am now posting articles on the Bike Redlands web-log!
Here's my first foray: mind-on-my-money-and-money-on-my-mind Be sure to comment on how brilliant my writing is and what a great addition to the site I will be!
Here's my first foray: mind-on-my-money-and-money-on-my-mind Be sure to comment on how brilliant my writing is and what a great addition to the site I will be!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Invest in bikes!
It's the conservative thing to do!
From http://bikeportland.org/2012/01/23/the-state-of-cycling-alliance-for-biking-walking-releases-2012-benchmarking-report-65422
From http://bikeportland.org/2012/01/23/the-state-of-cycling-alliance-for-biking-walking-releases-2012-benchmarking-report-65422
- People on bikes make up 1.8% of all traffic fatalities
- In 2009, 40% of trips in the United States were shorter than 2 miles, yet 87% of these trips are by car. Twenty-seven percent of trips were shorter than 1 mile. Still, Americans use their cars for 62% of these trips.
- While bicycling and walking fell 66% between 1960 and 2009, obesity levels increased 156%.
- Seniors are "the most vulnerable bicyclists and pedestrians"... This age group accounts for 6% of bicycling trips, yet 10% of bicyclist fatalities.
- Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects.
- Cost benefit analysis show that up to $11.80 in benefits can be gained for every $1 invested in bicycling and walking.
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