Wednesday, May 31, 2006

early riding times for the spring ride

monday's meeting turned up a couple of ideas... we temporarily settled on this:
Friday
1. meet at Deacon's Corner at 9:30. Drive straight to Ingolf (Ingulf?) and ride.
2. meet at the Falcon trail (the downhill skiing facility) parking lot at 2:00pm. Ride.

lunch somehow inbetween. we can check in at the campsite at around 4:30, although we may not be there by then.

looks like a good sized crew riding on Friday.

maybe we'll nail a few more things down this next Monday.

If anyone wants a call as to when and where the meeting will take place, please let me know and I'd be happy to make a few calls from the Ultimate field.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

and the answer is....

$31.63

A woman went into a bank to cash a check. By mistake the teller gave her dollars for cents and cents for dollars. She put the money in her purse. On the way home she gave a beggar a nickle. When she got home, she found that she had exactly twice the amount of the check she had cashed. She didn't have any money in her wallet before going to the bank. What was the exact amount of that check?

The amount must have been $31.63. She received $63.31. After she dropped a nickel there would remain the sum of $63.26, which is twice the amount of the check.

No, I did not figure this out. I'm a librarian, all I do is find things.

No more rye and cokes for Chess.

Monday, May 29, 2006

i'm hooked

everyday i visit the fixed gear gallery to see other people's latest projects. very cool



here's the perfect bike for your next time trial, sprint, trip to the corner store

Saturday, May 27, 2006

bike deal underway

so, some $$ exchanged hands today... i've been in possesion of the Rocky for a bit now, but formal steps were taken today. i gave hal a cheque, he gave me some sundry items. the rear shock actually comes with this super fancy pump... and he's got all, and i mean all, the manuals in a binder... it's incredible. even the seatpost has a comprehensive info sheet. i have some reading to do...

anybody have size 10.5 cycling shoes i can borrow to try that system on for a bit?

Friday, May 26, 2006

jersey update

My Visa has been hit for $500+ from the jersey people. Actually, I knew it was coming because I had faxed the order away (with my VISA # and signature on it), and then I heard nothing for quite a while... I emailed a couple of times, nothing. Finally I called because I was getting a little freaked that I had faxed the wrong place... and maybe someone else was enjoying my Visa...

Anyway, I talked to a nice guy, and he says things are underway.

Chris and I did a bit more preliminary math (before he left), and figured $35 might be the target we're looking at after shipping and whatnot.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Wednesday Night Race

Finished my first race. essentially undamaged except for minor abrasions here and there. there was no lapping and I do believe that I did not finish last in my class. Would have done better except for a minor fiasco at the end of lap #1.

penner

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

camping arrangements for spring ride

Well, Juan Eppstein has done his work. While our hope had been to get into West Hawk, that's not an option, so we're in the group use area at Falcon... yup, a bit of a drive to the trail, but it affords flexibility in numbers, cost and hopefully seclusion that one can't really put a price on. Sweet work Juan.

Friday, May 12, 2006

suspension

well, i think i'm ready to get off my high horse in regards to suspension... yes, i cultivated a bit of a superiority complex in myself because i don't have it, and still finish the ride... it's a little like single speeding. :)

even with flat pedals, i think i was able to ride through the bur oak trail at least half a time as fast on the Rocky as on my stiffy... (rode the Univega through last week, and had to hang on for dear life in some of the rooty stuff)

as soon as we get a few drivetrain issues worked out, a cheque will most likely be written.

race

my first race will we May 17.

I will try not to be lapped but will be happy with finishing.

I might need a ride out to the event, anyone else heading out to the event??

penner

Thursday, May 11, 2006

riding at Burr Oak tomorrow

I'm going to do a ride at Burr Oak tomorrow morning (Friday). Leaving my place at 9:00am,
back here by 11:30. Call if you're interested.

darryl

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

a good read

from the NY Times

Tinker Creek

The Rocky Mountain demo at Tinker Creek is this Thursday.

A note from James:

Just a reminder... the Rocky Demo is this Thursday evening, May 11. In order to be as close to singletrack as possible, we'll stage it from the west edge of the Klassen pasture. From the Tinker Creek intersection, go 2 miles south, up the hill, gradual curve to the right... go another mile west, just past the Trans Canada trailhead, turn right or North up the Mennonite cemetery road another mile. We'll be set up on top of the hill in the pasture to your right. I'll try and post a few signs.

Bring a friend or 2 if you have... should be a great time.
Cheers,
James & Jon
TCC

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

minutes, may 8, 2006

sweet evening... gathering at the clubhouse after ultimate. five riders from churchill park to the clubhouse... and then jonny and his other brother jonny joined us, also on bikes... and for the first time, the lonely driver was the evangelist himself, dr. h. maybe i'll drive next week, because i don't want this to happen again...

note to those not present, and to those thinking about joining the gang tonight (tuesday)...
- the gathering is now moved to Monday... most of the club will not be there if you go... it is now a post-ultimate thing.

word on the spring ride is that Altona will be out in full force... six or seven strong. I was going to use the word "riders", but, well, what with the duke and all, "riders" seemed a little overdone. juan, we need a group site. could be 16+ people... one of the big questions, ringing off the clubhouse walls: "Where's Bergen?" perhaps some calling will need to be done.

note to all interested: the Tinker Creek Rocky Mountain fiesta is next thursday. Talk to Hal if you're interested in going out to ride bikes you can't afford.

the heat is on, on that front. I rode to Hal's and swapped the trusty Univega for the Rocky for the ride home. What with the knobbies and all, it doesn't seem to role as easily as my trusty blue steed... and all those gears! what do people do with them all (single speeders need not respond). The real test will come tomorrow when I put it through it's paces in the catwalk category... (oh yah, and the KoM are riding at Garbage Hill in the eve, so I guess I'll give that a go too...

Monday, May 08, 2006

dr.h's rules of the road #1

If you have your ipod on way too loud . . . . If, in other words, my repeated shouts of "on your left" go entirely unnoticed . . . . And especially if you are walking side by side, taking up the whole path . . . . Then I will blow by you as fast and as close as I can without actually knocking you down. And if you shriek like a rabid camel then I will take that as confirmation that my mission has been accomplished. Pay attention.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

KOM Race

Apparently the first Kids of Mud race happened this Thursday. Would be great to see a report. Expecting big things from Coach Penner's protoges. This is the future.

Friday, May 05, 2006

bur oak ride

seems to me that people favoured an earlier ride. anyone who is interested can meet in the parking lot @10:30. for those who are interested, i plan on biking to bur oak - need to leave city @ 9:00 (it is approx 35kms from my place).

Thursday, May 04, 2006

the world's fastest Mennonite on two wheels

That's how VeloNews refers to Floyd Landis. Sounds impressive, but I don't see how such a title can be bestowed when he has beaten any other Mennos in an honest race. Perhaps FGBC should sponsor some sort of event in which the fastest Mennonite on two wheels could be determined fair and square. Maybe we should invite Floyd to the CMU Alumni bike race this September.

Then again, to speak of Floyd as the fastest Mennonite in the world is perhaps not to give him enough credit. This spring, he's been the fastest guy on two wheels period--at least in the three stage races he's entered. And he's getting some decent press for his efforts too. This week he appears on the cover of VeloNews for the 3rd time in the last 4 issues.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

here you go




these are laura's new wheels, which we'll pick up on monday.

ride anyone....

still plan on going out tomorrow; rain, snow or shine

there was some talk about bur oak ride on saturday. comment to this post, state you time and intentions.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Miller Time

Floyd's great and all. But this guy should be an honorary FGBC member for all the right reasons.

Seems I had the wrong link. It's fixed now.

Coach Penner

The caption under this picture, from the MCA site, reads: "Congratulations to our Level I and Level II Mountain Bike Coach candidates." Would you want this man teaching your children the delicate art of navigating tiny, almost imperceptible, tree stumps and other small obstacles? I guess they don't ask for references.

See also the comments on Lindsay and Dallas from Guitar Ted. Those of us who have gotten used to being beaten by him race after race might have come to take Lindsay a little bit for granted. But clearly these guys are impressed with the old man.

Monday, May 01, 2006

dogfest?

Bike Club is still on for Tuesday. Whether dogfest is a go, however, depends on the weather. We'll have to play that by ear. The F&H will be the alternate location. Unless it's absolutely pouring, I'm still up for a ride. Meet at my place at 8:30.

A bit more on Trans Iowa, courtesy of Guitar Ted:
Crazy Canadians! While Jeff and I watched the lead group plow it's way through the last "B" road sector, we noticed that there were two extra fellows tagging along in the back. They turned out to be none other than Dallas Sigurdur and Lindsey Gauld who were the Canadian counterparts to Paddy Hummeny, who had been grinding along in the front for most of the event. An amazing bridge up! Lindsey and Dallas had been no where to be seen just ten miles back and here they were! Paddy was suffering badly from a respitory ailment that he had been battling for a week, so he pulled the plug, along with three others from the lead group, in Sutherland. Dallas and Lindsey kept grinding, and soon, they were the only two left standing. At the 119 mile mark, in Mallard, Iowa, they finally pulled out. It was about seven in the evening, and no one was going to get to Algona. The Crazy Canadians gave it their all, but the course and the forces of nature conspired to beat all challengers this year!