Staying Put

Phonak reported yesterday that Floyd has decided to stay with the team for another year. This is an interesting move, as he most certainly had some good offers from some other top teams. A few of his teammates took advantage of the opportunity to leave, leaving them with fewer big names. But this could end up being a good thing, as they suffered a bit this year from having too many potential leaders.

Though Floyd is long gone, as are 56 other riders, there is still a pretty exciting race going on in Spain. As expected, Roberto Heras lost his early lead to Denis Menchov in the early time trial. Then Menchov was able to stick on Heras' wheel in the subsequent mountain stages--assisted no doubt by a nasty crash that left Heras with 14 stiches in his left knee. But that all changed in a dramatic way on Sunday, as Heras blew the race apart. He attacked on the 2nd last climb, over 50 km from the finish and ended up taking 5 minutes from Menchov. He now holds a comfortable lead and should be able to hold on for his 4th Vuelta victory despite the remaining time trial on Saturday. Michael Barry is one of four Discovery riders still in the race. Despite riding with a cracked rib, he's having a strong race, currently sitting in 50th place while largely riding in support of Tom Danielson (8th).

Minutes and other stuff

Well, the first meeting of the year has come and gone. Present: Penner, Chris, Jon G, and Hal. Various topics discussed, including: the absence of Dave, ultimate, John's adventures with clipless pedals, soft-tail mountain bikes, and a fall ride at Ingolf. Apparently there is some sort of book at the Fox and Hound and we, the FGBC, are going to be added to this book. This should result in some sort of discount or savings for a year-end party (Penner said he would follow-up on this).

Other stuff: The Manitoba Single Speed Championships are on Sunday, Sept 18th. Meet at Fort Gilbrater @ 6:00 PM. Bring a city map, bag (messenger or knapsack), lock and light. First prize - a tattoo administered at the finish line.

Other other stuff: Cyclocross is upon us. Skill rides commence on Sept 25, with the first race on Oct 16. Big event this year is the Beligan Supercross taking place on Oct 23. The Beligan Club in St. Boniface is celebrating their 100 year anniversary and the final event of the celebration is the cyclocross race. There is even talk of podium girls being there for the awards - this could be your only opportunity to be on a podium with podium girls.

First FGBC meeting of the year

There was talk of this yesterday at the Legends windup...same time, same place. See you there.

Don't try this at home.

Ingolf

Although it wasn't in the bone dry conditions that Morgan led us to believe it was in, I have never seen Ingolf in better riding condition. Rode it twice this weekend, with Jonny G, Johnny S, Unger. Anita also joined us on Sunday. The creek with the flat rock crossing was completely dry, and so easily ridable. So was the so-called steep rock, which usually has a nice puddle that makes your tires slip just when they should be gripping. Each of us was able to clear it--some with more do-overs than others. Also dry was the long wet spot where Luke has taken a few noteworthy spills. Now that we can see what's under that boggy mess, it's easy to see why nobody could make it all the way through. There's nothing but rocks with no discernible line to ride. A new trail has been cut to bypass the logging road, and Jonny G found some more at the end, so that we can avoid the road altogether. It seems there is all kinds of trail left to explore, and hence a discussion about a possible fall ride has been initiated. A few more highlights:


Johnny S ditched the Softride for Cheryl's new Fusion and, among other things, the promise of clipless pedals. The early verdict? You decide.



Unger and his new NRS demonstrating the benefits of full suspension for climbing.



Johnny S, having figured out the new pedals, determined not to be outdone.



Jonny G nailing the hill back up from the lake. It is much trickier than it looks. This is also where we met the first two of a group of 20 or so riders from Gords. This pair, along with their dogs, demonstrated the irredeemably bad form of bombing down the hill while a bunch of us were riding up it, thus violating the rule "always yield to those on the way up." I wish this would have occured to me at the time, but I was mostly taken aback by the dogs hurtling toward me to fire any verbal daggers at them. In fact, I think I may have actually said something nice. I should say that the rest of the Gord's group was much better, and there's something to be admired by their ability to get people out riding. But this only affirms my decision to stay away from that store. Perhaps we should adopt this as a general FGBC principle, in effect placing it under the ban.

More on Floyd's Exit

An update on yesterday's post. Team Phonak now has this to say about Floyd's departure from the Vuelta: "The injuries (hand, arm and hip) that the American suffered during a crash while training last week made riding very uncomfortable." Then they add, in italics, "Floyd Landis struggled with pain the entire time during this year's Vuelta." He sure looks like he's hurting in the picture they supply. Somehow I interpreted the word "morale" in a psychologist fashion, whereas it was clearly intended more in a physicalist way. How thoroughly American of me--I mean to assume that his somehow has to do with feelings and emotions. And I don't even watch Oprah or Dr Phil. I should have known better, good materialist that I claim to be. Floyd's own website puts it this way: "Floyd Landis has abandoned the 2005 Vuelta Espana. After having a frustrating stage 4 where he had a mechanical at the base of the final climb and finished 8 minutes down, Floyd stopped midway through the 5th stage citing fatigue."

In other news: Though not exactly an officially sanctioned FGBC event, a number of us are off to do some riding at Ingolf this weekend. Word from Morgan at Olympia is that the trail was actually dry when he rode it a few weeks back. Hope the rain from the last couple of days hasn't screwed up this rare opportunity. Will try to remember a camera to record any Aiden- or Penner-like incidents.

Abandonment

At km 138 of today's stage, upon reaching the feed zone, Floyd decided it was time for some beer and a Big Mac--or at least something a bit more substantial than the goo that normally passes for food in these events. And so he got off his bike and quit the race. Phonak's website provides the following explanation: "American Floyd Landis withdrew from the tour today due to reasons of morale." Interesting how they feel the need to point out that he's American, as if to distance themselves (they're a Swiss based team) from such a questionable excuse. Morale? Sure, he lasted longer than anyone in the FGBC would have (though Vic with those new pedals and cleats?), but clearly something wasn't right with Floyd over the last few days. He went into the race with high hopes, despite a crash in training two days before the start of the race. Apparently, yesterday's disaster was due to an ill-timed mechanical at the base of a climb, so maybe it wasn't the legs. Losing 8 minutes in a relatively easy stage has got to be demoralizing. In any case, it wouldn't be altogether surprising if he would end up wearing different colours next season. Wherever he ends up, let's hope he's given the opportunity to be a team leader, as his performance in the Tdf this year definitely demonstrated that he's capable of a high finish.

Floyd's former teammate, Roberto Heras, winner of the last two editions of the Vuelta, rocketed into the golden jersey in today's first mountain stage. He simply left the peloton in tatters, dropping riders one by one, before eventually winning by 0.13 over Denis Menchov. Francisco Mancebo who, like the Living Legends, finished in 3rd place last year, put in a respectable showing, finishing 0.49 back, and 1.20 in the GC. Mancebo is one of my favourite riders because of the sheer torture it looks like he's suffering through as he pushes his bike up those hills. He's definitely a contender, as are Menchov (2nd at 0.06) and Carlos Sastre (3rd at 1.01). Michael Barry finished 4.53 back and now sits at 6.45 overall. His teammate, Tom Danielson, billed by some as the next great American hope, couldn't quite hang in there with the big guns today. He finished 1.40 behind Heras and now sits in 11th place at 1.57, despite being ahead of Heras going into the stage.

Still lots of excitement to come. For some reason, the Vuelta alwas ends up being a dramatic and hotly contested race. In the last few years, the GC hasn't been decided until the last stage or two. Heras is a climber, pure and simple, and so will lose some time, and and most likely the lead, in the long time trial coming up Sunday. With another 39 km TT on the last day, things could very easily remain up in the air until the very end once again. Too bad the Canadian version of OLN doesn't broadcast this. Will have to get working on a satellite TV hookup for the clubhouse.

Team Time Trial

Thought it was time to put in an entry. 'Bout three weeks ago, two fgbc members, along with two outsiders entered a team time trial event at Birds Hill Park. The ride was billed as a funt, come as you are event, but it was anything but that. Chris and I, along with my brother Tim and our friend Cam entered as a team of single speed riders (because as you know, you only need one). We decided on the glorious moniker of 'single white males' as our team name and preceded to get ready for the race. Suddnely there was call for a bike check - what the hell? So we all lined up with our bikes and proceeded to get them checked out; I passed, Chris passed, Tim passed (we don't know how because he had the ugliest frankenbike there), but Cam did not pass. Seems like you had to be riding a road bike (ladeeda) for this event. The cause of this may have a been the other single speed fixed gear team who was busy laying down rubber prior to the start of the race (one of the neat things about fixed gear bikes is you can lay down the longest skid marks with this type of bike). Any ways, the roadie in charge of the race took exception to guys having fun and made everyone pass a bike check before they could race. Since some of them did not have brakes on their bikes they were deemed unworhty of participating in a fun team trial. Alas, Cam was also caught up in this Mcarthy inquisition because his bike did not have drop handlebars. Lucky for us I had brought another bike along (I borrowed my friends single speed) but it was too big for Cam. So what do you do - like any good single speed biker you canabalize; off came Gord's handlebars and on they went on to Cam's bike. The only problem was we were running out of time, but a little frantic work got us to the line 30 seconds before we had to start our race (okay - the brakes looked like they worked on Cam's bike but they didn't; hey, you when you only have so much time, somethings got to give). Solid team work allowed us to finish 5th out 7 teams and only 20 seconds out of fourth. All in all a good showing.

Other news - the rumors are true, Vic is riding clipless; the man is going hard core.

Bad Form?

It appears that Floyd was not able to retain the good form he showed in the Tour over the past month. He came in today with a large group that finished 7.52 behind the stage winner, and now sits in 92nd place at 9.33 back. It may be that he's a little distracted by the need to find a team to ride for next year. It was recently announced that Phonak has given its top riders permission to look to other teams as its future is somewhat uncertain. We at FGBC should consider ourselves fortunate that we can count on rock-solid certainty from year to year. Not having to worry about the future viability of the klub allows us to put all our energy into riding.

Floyd's Vuelta

Floyd didn't have the best start to the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) yesterday. Finished 46th in the prologue time trial, 36 seconds back. Lost a little more time today, but basically finished with the pack, and now sits at 1:31 behind the leader, Brad McGee. Let's hope he finds his legs before too long, or else he might find himself in a supporting role for one of the many Spaniards on the team. Michael Barry, the Canadian who rides for Discovery, is also in the race. He fared a little better, finishing 29th in the prologue (29 seconds back).

Here's Floyd going hard in the prologue. He just looks like a Menno--like a younger Gord Zerbe in lycra, not to mention an alien from some 70s sitcom, with that funky helmet.

Rider Down

It seems James had an incident of sorts with a car this past week. The details are a still a bit hazy, but the general story is that a car pulled out in front of him on Portage, broadsided him, and sent him flying. He's okay. Just a few scrapes on his leg. And the bike is relatively unscathed too. But it sounds like the car sustained some damage on the hood. He suggests better defensive driving on his part may have helped to avoid the situation. And he promises that next time he'll wear a helmet. Cars are the enemy. Be careful out there.

Did the Muddy Waters ride yesterday. It's a fun event. 50k 100k and 160k options and 150 or so riders. I did the 100k route, but cycled to the start and back to get my 160k in. I think next year we should descend en masse and introduce the Winnipeg cycling community to FGBC. Word is starting to trickle out and people are curious, but there still seems to be a lot uncertainty regarding the whole phenomenon.

Spring Ride Pics

I finally have a few pictures from the Spring Ride. Now comes the hard part. This little exercise of posting them has seemingly stretched my intellectual capacities to the near breaking point. Either that or they've long ago been broken and this is feeling in my brain is just a painful aftershock. In any case, here they are. The President looking in fine form. Johnny S conquering the steppes, in a picture that doesn't come close to doing justice to how fucking hard they are. As the picture of Aiden's shin can attest.

In another interesting development, I spoke to one of the dudes from Northern Soul Wilderness Adventures this morning. He lives just down the street. They do canoe trips all over the province. I asked him if he ever considered doing something bike-related and he said they'd love to explore some possibilities. So I said we should get together and chat about it sometime and he agreed. Now we can see which gets further: this or Penner's conversation with the dude from Brannigans.

Of Bikes and Bombs

Looks like the recent terrorist attacks in London have renewed interest in the bicycle as a form of transportation. Glad to see there's some good news, bittersweet as it may be, that comes out of this mess the pundits call the "new world order." Read on.


Bicycle sales have soared in London as commuters prepare for a return to work in the wake of last week's terrorist attack on the transport network.

The four bombs on three Underground trains and one bus killed at least 49 people and wounded 700.

Some 20 people remain missing.

Grant Young, the owner of Condor Bikes in West London, said he sold 50 bikes on Friday compared with the normal 15.

"It was just one person after another coming in out of desperation," he said.

Evans Cycles, the biggest independent bike chain in Britain, sold 400 bikes at its nine outlets in central London last Thursday - four times more than normal.

Director Mark Smith said they had another good day on Friday.

"Now they don't feel safe on public transport so I expect over the next few weeks more people will be trying out bikes," he said.

Mike Blackburn, from independent dealer Onyourbike, said his shop sold more than 17 bikes during Thursday's rush compared with the daily average of about three.

Prior to the attacks bike riding in Britain has been growing at an annual rate of 20-25 per cent.

Final Floyd Update

Time to close the book on Floyd's first Tour as a contender. He ended up finishing 9th overall. Not too shabby. See the report from cyclingnews.com below, which also includes his take on the Floyd vs. Lance media-generated feud. Sounds like he plans to ride the Vuelta in September, which he led for several days last year. Hopefully he can sustain his good form. Stay tuned for further updates.


After he completed his fourth Grande Boucle yesterday, Floyd Landis explained to Cyclingnews that he was happy with his race, as he ended up 9th overall at 12'44 from Lance Armstrong. "I was happy with my final time trial on Saturday, based on all the energy I spent trying to stay in the front during the Tour. And I'm pretty satisfied with where I finished. Being in the top ten was an objective before the Tour, and looking back on the way things went, I'm happy with it. I think I did everything I had to and I learned some things and I'll go from here. I had some good days and some not so good days, but no terrible days."

As for his supposed conflict with Lance Armstrong, Floyd wanted to clarify things: "I think my comments from L'Equipe [about Armstrong being more about business than friendship] were taken out of context or misunderstood...first of all, I just want to thank Lance and Johan and the team for everything they did for me. That's it."

Landis didn't take offense at Armstrong's comments that even though he would not be racing any more, his Discovery Channel team would still ride against Floyd. "It's the same feeling in the peloton. We're all impressed with what he's accomplished winning seven Tours. I was there for three of them and it seemed miraculous. How he could do it seven times is beyond me! He deserves it and congratulations to him. That's what everyone wants to say to Lance."

We asked Landis what's next for him in the 2005 season and the Phonak rider told us, "I'm going back to California for a while to rest and recover after the Tour. I'm happy about that. In September, I think I'll do the Vuelta (a España) again. I like the race a lot and it's less stressful than the Tour; not the racing part, but the rest of it."

Floyd and Lance

An update on yesterday's post. Here's the full text of the controversy-generating words of Floyd that were quoted in L'Equipe a few days back.

"I will always remember the 2003 Tour, it was the only time that people thought he could lose. Everyone around him was concerned, even us, his team-mates. But the most surprising thing was that he didn't show anything. I will always remember that he directed the other riders around like the boss of a company. For him, the race was business and he was the boss.

In some teams they often talk about their friendship, but in a team like that with someone who behaves as if he really is the boss, I don't think you can go that far in talking about friendship. In everyday life it's hard to be friends with your boss. I don't believe that Lance has ever had that kind of friendship with any of his team-mates, even with George Hincapie, whom he has known since he was 17. Friendship can't exist when you give orders and direct others. It's not necessarily a negative thing. It's by acting in this way that Lance has been able to win the Tour so often."

That doesn't sound too inappropriate to me, but I guess it depends on how you interpret it. The media, at least, seem to want to make a big deal about it, but I suppose that's what the media does. Here's what cyclingnews.com had to say in its report of yesterday's stage.

"Despite the fact that reducing their deficit to the break actually limited the day's gains in the team classification [the team GC is determined by the combined times of a team's three best riders on each stage - ed.], Discovery blasted down the descent and into Revel. Popovych had over six minutes advantage in the best young rider standings and so this appeared not to be the driving motivation. Perhaps Discovery wanted to distance Floyd Landis, who had angered Armstrong by comments he made in an interview with L'Equipe earlier this week. If so, that goal was certainly achieved. Landis and Evans finished in a small group 0'20 down, with Vinokourov consequently overtaking them and moving up from ninth to seventh overall.

In his post-race comments, however, Armstrong did not allude to any desire to turn the screws on his former teammate. Instead, he said that attack was the best form of defence, and once he realised that he had two teammates with him, he said that Discovery kept the pace high to prevent any further attacks from T-Mobile. This was despite the fact that Ullrich is six minutes behind him on GC, Discovery was actually hurting its chances in the teams classification by reducing the gap to the 17 riders in front, and Popovych sprinted at full gas for 18th place, which could only have been for the purposes of gaining time."

James has suggested that recent disciplinary actions of the FGBC are "junior-high." I wonder what he might have to say about all this. Maybe someone from FGBC should help Floyd liberate one of Lance's yellow jerseys.

Floyd Slipping

In each of the last three stages, Floyd has lost a little ground. On stage 15, an ill-timed mechanical problem on the final climb added more time to that which was already lost to Armstrong, Basso, and others. On stage 16, a big breakaway launched Cadel Evans ahead of Floyd in the GC. And today, he got caught out on a Cat 3 climb 7 km from the finish as Ullrich and Vinokourov attacked, losing 20 seconds to that group and seeing Vino move ahead of him in the GC. So he now sits in 9th overall, 4 seconds back of Evans and 15 behind Vinokourov. 7th place still might be within reach if he rides a good time trial on Saturday, but anything more than that is looking less and less likely.

Floyd has also received some coverage for recent comments he made on Armstrong. He might not be able to beat Lance in a bike race, but at least Floyd is not an ass-kisser like so many others. See below for more, courtesy of timesonline:

As the race left the high mountains, Armstrong continued what is expected to become a lengthy victory parade. As he descended the hairpins of the Col de Marie-Blanque, he even took the time to enter into animated discussion with Floyd Landis, his former team-mate, who now rides with Phonak.

Landis is among those who will perhaps breathe a sigh of relief once his former captain retires. “For him, racing is a business,” Landis said, referring to his spell with Armstrong and the Discovery team. “In cycling teams, people often talk of friendship, but in that team, with someone who really acts as the boss, that doesn’t go very far.

“I don’t think Lance has that relationship with any of his team-mates, even George Hincapie, who he’s known since he was 17. Friendships can’t exist when you give orders and lead others. That’s how Lance has been able to win so many Tours de France.”

Floyd Hanging Tough

The tough mountain stages are all done and while Floyd was unable to hang with the big guns--Armstrong, Basso and, a little less emphatically Ullrich--he's still showing that he's one of the top riders around. Yesterday he stayed around until the very end, before dropping back by about a minute behind Armstrong and Basso to finish 6th. Today's stage was murderous--with 4 Cat 1 climbs before an uphill finish on the unratable Pla-d'Adet. Not even Ullrich could stick with Armstrong and Basso today, while Floyd finished in 19th place about 4:30 behind. He now sits in 7th place overall at 9:33 behiond Armstrong. 7th place in the TdF is not too shabby. Hopefully he can put in a strong showing on Saturday's time trial and hold that position or maybe even move up a spot or two. As for now, it seems like everyone's waiting until next year to see what it's like to race the Tour without some guy named Lance.

Alps

After a few medium days of climbing, the road really kicks up to the sky tomorrow. The first day in the Alps features an always thrilling mountain-top finish. This means plenty of attacks and likely some big time gaps. Floyd is still hanging tough, and is doing as well as anybody not named Lance.

Feel free to drop by the TdF headquarters to watch tomorrow's stage. Coverage starts at 7:30 am and should end sometime between 9:00 and 10:00.

Floyd at the Tour

An impromptu FGBC event of sorts took place this morning, as several of us gathered at the TdF headquarters to cheer on Floyd in the team time trial this morning. There may be more such gatherings in days to come. Stay posted. Things did not go so well for Floyd today, nor for Dave Zabriskie, who lost the yellow jersey in dramatic fashion after he crashed hard just over 1 km from the finish. Floyd is now 1.50 back of Armstrong, but could still be in the hunt for a top 5 finish.

Two Floyd related items of note:

(1) Floyd continues to impress with his musical sensibilities. Check out his current playlist for pre-race warmups on the trainer:

Creedence Clearwater
Guns N’Roses
Queen
Eagles
Doobie Brothers
Van Halen
Aerosmith
Rolling Stones
Willie Nelson
Boston
Kid Rock
The Who
Whitesnake
Supertramp
Van Morrison
The Police
Meat Loaf
Kansas
Clapton
and U2.

(2) A brief profile of Floyd courtesy of roadcycling.com, with an interesting understanding of what is entailed by being Mennonite.

The Unusual Story of Floyd Landis

By Ian Melvin
Jul 5, 2005, 07:21

Last year Floyd Landis helped Lance Armstrong win the 2004 Tour de France. His athletic qualities are as well known among riders as his coarse comments. Nevertheless, the American is not as relaxed going into this year's Tour de France as it may appear.

Floyd Landis has learned a lot from Lance Armstrong, who is going for his seventh Tour de France win this year. "He's done a lot for everyone on his team and for the sport of cycling. We were able to learn while being part of his team and now have a chance to establish ourselves. At Phonak - as with my previous employer - we work at a top level. Only here, there's not so much pressure. Lance Armstrong always had just one goal: victory."

Happy being able to share responsibility
Although it's a dream for him to kick off the 2005 Tour de France in his current position, Floyd Landis nervously approached the start of the year's biggest cycling race. It's not just all the travel and the stress associated with it. It's also the new role of entering the race as one of the team leaders that is making Landis slightly insecure. The American has no doubt about the quality of the team, but still he's happy being able to share the responsibility with teammates Santiago Botero and Oscar Pereiro. In the past he helped Armstrong conquer mountains. Now, is he looking forward to the support of his teammates in the mountains? "I hope they'll pull me along," he replies with a hearty laugh.

From mountain bike to road racing
Floyd Landis's story is the most unusual of the nine Tour de France riders on the Phonak team. He grew up with Mennonites and first used a bike for going fishing. But with the arrival of testosterone, fishing became irrelevant. As a 17-year-old teenager, Landis began racing together with his high school friends. "My friend had a mountain bike, and of course I wanted to try it out." In 1991, he won his first race in Brickerville. After that, he knew that he wanted to become a professional rider. Six years after his first off-road race, Landis switched to road racing. Today, he only rides a mountain bike in winter for pleasure. "Road races are more exciting."

A very normal family life
Today, Landis lives together with his wife, Amber, and his eight-year-old daughter, Ryan, in Spain. "It's nice. That way we have more or less a normal family life." Surely something about his upbringing has stuck with Landis. "But I wouldn't want to live like that any more." Occasionally, Ryan watches her father race on TV. But not all the time: "That's too boring."

dirty deeds done dirt cheap

The covert operation has been successfully completed. That is all I can say. Out.

spring ride update

Hey all,

General thoughts.

Well, we're on. We have 4 sites for 14 people. Should be grand. While it would be hasty to get all organized about vehicles, tents, etc... we should remember that we will only be allowed two tents and one vehicle per site... so joining forces is recommended.

It's true: part of our Ingolf trail has been clearcut, but we have an intrepid team of riders who will be working to mark some of the lost trail. Word is that people from Gord's, etc have been out and have found the trail after a bit of work.

If anyone has space and dry wood, it might not hurt to bring as much as possible rather than being fleeced... $5 for 5 pieces is lame... well, that might be exagerated, but the wood to $ ratio has been decreasing. Any wood we buy will be shared in the group cost.

Speaking of cost, it would be helpful if everyone brought a blank cheque so most of the $$ issues can be squared away at the event. Shared costs will be the sites, dogfest, any necessary wood.

Dogfest for Saturday supper.
I will be bringing 3 dogs/person or so (and Aiden's three will be up for grabs), buns and basic condiments.
It has never hurt when folks have supplemented the event with beans, etc.
All other meals are solo or in small groups.

further on spring ride attendence

now Aiden's in. good thing Dave reserved four sites... really, the most critical part of the event now is determining where we will source the dogs for Saturday's dogfest.

another attendee at the spring ride

Luke confirmed his presence at the spring ride. This is turning into a very nice gathering. Now we need the weather to co-operate.

Future meetings

Just a quick note to confirm our future meetings.... I haven't heard that anyone showed at the clubhouse this past Tuesday, but perhaps it happened...

at any rate... if you want to touch base with the FGBC in person, there will be fairly regular gatherings at the Cambridge, Monday evenings, after the ultimate games. I suspect this will continue for the duration of the ultimate season. After that, it's back to the regular clubhouse Tuesday nights.

Saturday Morning Ride

Dr Hubie and I are going for an early Saturday morning ride (May 14) to Lockport and back. Meet in front of the Manitoba Leg @ 6:10 (leaving promptly @6:15). I know it is early...but this is so we can accomodate family schedules.

Hal

Questions???? -> hal_loewen@shaw.ca / 489-0931

Manitoba Cup #2 Race Report

Racing season is under way. Actually, it began a few weeks back, but yesterday was the first time out for me. Discovered that playing Hummelt hockey once a week and riding to work and back is not enough. Felt like shit for most of the race, made lots of dumb decisions, etc. But somehow managed to chug away to a 3rd place finish, which was a pleasant surprise. The course was fast, but slippery. Ended up in the trees just once, and almost got taken down by a fellow Tinker Creek rider. But all in all managed to escape relatively unscathed. 30+ Sport is a big group this year, and a genuine sport class, so it should be a fun summer.

Hal took 3rd place in his category, and Unger nearly took down a tree. But I'll let them speak for themselves.

dog fest may 3

super deluxe! good weather. good turnout. good dogs.

nice to add Bergen and Hal to the "confirmed" list for the spring event. Juan Eppstein will reserve us a fourth site.

Giro d'Italia

The first of this years grand tours, the Giro d'Italia, begins on Saturday. Floyd is focusing on the Tour this year, and so will not be taking part. But two Canadians, both with Discovery Channel, will be riding--Michael Barry and Ryder Hesjedal.

Turned the IRO into a fixed gear over the weekend. Have come close to getting bucked off a few times, but it's starting to get more comfortable. Stange how it rides a little differently. My legs hurt in places they don't normally hurt because they are now my brakes.

Floyd's bad day

Brasstown Bald, with its grades of up to 24%, proved to be too much for our man Floyd yesterday. He came in fourth, conceding 1:09 to Tom Danielson--the other guy poised to succeed Armstrong as the poster boy of American cycling after Lance's retirement following this year's TdF. Floyd hung in there until the end, but with almost no team support, had to do too much work on his own over the last few climbs. So Floyd now sits in third place, 9 seconds back. Today's change is pretty straightforward, so that's not likely to change. At the very least, he is all but assured of a podium finish.

OLN promises to show highlights from the Tour de Georgia on its weekly cycling show at 6pm today. I'm sure yesterday's decisive climb will receive plenty of attention. They will also feature coverage of today's Belgian classic Liege Bastogne Liege.

Now that the school year is over, it's time to start putting in some miles. If anyone's up for a few longer road rides this week, probably later afternoons, let me know.

minutes april 19, 2005

present: quite a few, including Bergen, Unger, Dr. Hubie, VicP, President, Secretary, Jonny, Hal (I feel I may have missed someone.)

Of significance:

1. Dogfest Date: May 3 @ Juan Eppstein's... Meet at Juan's between 9:00 and 9:30... bring your favourite dogs, buns, beers... if you're driving, bring a couple of chairs.
2. Spring Ride: June 17-19
1. We have a solid list of those committed to attending the spring ride:
1. Juan, Jonny S, Lonnie P-L, President, Unger, Jonny G, Vic P, Secretary
2. The bigger issue is the maybe list which is sizeable as well and puts us in an awkward spot for reserving sites:
1. Luke, James, Bergen, Dr. Hubie, Hal, Duke, James D
3. The only confirmed non-attenders are: Steve E (who has made it to 0 events thus far), and Jeff R (honeymoon, as if that's a decent excuse)
   
4. General consensus was that Juan Eppstein did a fine reserving job last year, and it would be swell if he'd consider doing it again... trying for West Hawk first as per the first year, and then checking Caddy.
5. While it will be helpful to have some sort of cut-off date, we agreed that it wouldn't hurt to have an extra site...
3. Bergen picked up a newish bike. There was genuine disappointment that the red CCM would not be at the spring ride... of course, the disappointment was not so deep that anyone asked whether they might ride it...

Floyd in first

Honorary FGBC member Floyd Landis took the time trial yesterday at the Tour de Georgia, and now has the overall lead by 19 seconds. Lance was well back, at 1:49, giving rise to the usual speculation that this might be the year his TdF reign comes to an end. There are still some tough stages to come, including the mountaintop finish at Brasstown Bald tomorrow that should determine the final standings. Let's hope Floyd brought his climbing legs to the race. See the full story at Velonews.

See also the short profile on Natural Cycle in today's paper.

Unger and Hal are racing this weekend at Grand Beach. Hope the season gets off to a good start.

minutes march 12

present: dr. hubie, hal, unger, secretary

small but pleasant gathering.

most specific klub discussion was about booking our campsite... we will need to get a semi-accurate list of attendees together in the next bit so sites can be booked. please email the club address to indicate your intentions.
bike_club2003@yahoo.ca

dr. hubie is again in a bind with attendence at the most critical event of the year... an offer to do a 24hr race in one of the Virginias... we didn't push him on the matter, although discussion with another bike club member since the meeting recalled some significant claims after last year that he wouldn't miss this next one...

hal will be holding a few library skills seminars with unger... if anyone wants in, let hal know. (he didn't actually make this offer, but i'm sure would be in favour.)

minutes march 29

well friends... it's back to the pure FGBC... no more hockey... just those who rally under the FGBC jersey... now we can resume with some sense of usefulness, the practice of noting attendence.

Present: the president, secretary, Dr. H, Unger, Vic... and for a while later on, Juan Eppstein.

One topic of discussion which came up again was that of "getting in the book". Our customer service representative at the Klub Haus once again became earnest and encouraged us strongly to "get in the book" for next year. We have decided we will strike a sub-committee to investigate the matter. Jonny hasn't been at a meeting for a while, so it was suggested he would be only enthusiastic about pulling his weight again as chair of the "book committee".

Vic was in good form, candidating for a portfolio... it was really looking like he might be lining up as VP of "ideas". This was a good one: next dogfest, we all bring our favourite dog so that a comparison of the relative dog merits might be made. Now that's forward thinking.

The president made contact with that person selling the Rocky Mountain Hammer on the MCA website. The contact was with possible intent to purchase... a new guitar and new bike in the same fiscal quarter seems risky and it could have sent his shareholders into a bit of a selling frenzy... but it turns out that the deal likely will not go through... and shares in BHP have stabilized.

An early topic of discussion was the ability of sport to bring out the... well... enthusiastic nature of the sporting type... a few personal stories were shared, a number of James stories were retold, and then, a little later, Juan Eppstein walks in and graces us with a little of the real thing. The question unasked is what we should do about the growing statistical likelyhood of a FGBC member losing it at a ride... as we are a fairly intense bunch. Perhaps we should pool our resources for a joint anger management seminar before the spring ride...

minutes march 22

Last hockey game of the season... next week, attendance will be noted more carefully as it really is Bike Club only then...

Next week's meeting will begin more around 10:00pm.

It seems that Father's Day has fallen on our spring ride date... some are feeling some pressure to be back earlier on Sunday... it will be as it needs to be, afterall, we are exactly what we are.

new wheels

Picked up the new wheels today. Not road ready just yet. Still have a little building to do. But we're only a few warm days from the roads finally being dry, and things should be ready to go by then. With all the new road bikes that have popped up this year, perhaps some sort of early spring road race is in order. If nothing else, it sounds like the roads at Bird's Hill Park are dry. Anyone up for a Saturday morning ride?

minutes march 8

while there was some bike related chit chat... the critical discussion was dates for our spring ride. Here's the skinny:
Best option: June 17-19
Next best: June 3-5
As per usual, conflicts exist on all the dates, but it seems June 17-19 was the strongest possibility (although also the MCC relief sale weekend). Now, the only regular member who was not available to weigh-in was doc hubage, who is laid low with sickness... hopefully he will check-in through a comment or post in the next day or two which will help cement it all.
This was surely the quickest discussion on dates we've seen... well... to date.

Spring ride pics up

Hey all! With the impending meeting on planning the spring ride, I thought the time was adequately ripe for the posting of a few pics from last spring's ride... just for encouragement. Don't forget that calendar.
www.fortgarrybikeclub.com/media

bring your calendar to the next meeting

The president invites all FGBC members to bring their systems of calendrical tracking to the next meeting of the Fort Garry Bike Club.

The "Spring Ride" date is the main agenda topic. While we have toyed with the discussion in the recent past... it is suggested that we get down to business before the President "gets the shaft" at work.

The secretary (on behalf of the president)

Off the pot?

Time to shit or get off the pot. Or so it felt this morning. Not sure which of the options I ended up choosing actually. But either way, I ended up with a brand new bike this morning. Well a frame, at least, and a long list of parts that will become a bike someday soon. A new member to the wider FGBC family: an IRO Mark V. Will set it up as a fixie, with bullhorn bars. Should be fast. Can't wait for spring.

That good old FGBC Spirit

See below for an update from a friend of mine in NC about a race called the soupbowl that was held the same day we did Icebike. In NC they think wet and muddy is extreme. That is debatable. But there's no question Cody is extreme. That sort of spirit puts us grizzled buke club veterans to shame. More in keeping is his Dad Alex's take on running, which I'm in full agreement with. Perhaps we should give Cody some sort of honourable title. Cody is 11 years old. Read on.


The day before the soupbowl i was thinking out loud about wether or not there might be some way in which Cody could participate. Prior to that I had told him that it was old school, not family friendly and just generally too difficult and dangerous. he did wipe out in one mtn bike race last year on a course that he had not preridden, so he was willing to accept my censure. However, once i opened the door just a little bit he became determined. so i said he should watch while we run the first 2 miles and then join in at the back of the pack when the ride began. i figured if he was fresh and took it at his own pace, he could probably do the ride, though it was all steep and technical
singletrack. but when we got there we learned that the 2 mile run was really two laps of a one mile loop. so now (after talking to the promoter, who had set the age limit at 12 - cody just turned 11 - but was willing to let cody in)we decided he would do one lap and then ride. after that discussion i was out of the loop as i was racing at the same time. natalie and brandon did show up just before start time though. as i came through on my second running lap i asked where cody was and natalie said he is on his second lap! he felt fine, was ahead of some adults, and wanted to do the entire race, including 2 miles of running after the bike ride!whatever, i had to ride... although i was a
bit concerned about him going into the ride all tired. after the run i was about 20th out of 60-70 in the intermediate division, which was fine by me. there is nothing about running that i enjoy. nevertheless, i thought i would really need to hammer on the bike to move up much. not so. all i had to do was keep a slow and steady pace, no dabs, no dismounts and so many of the rest simply fell
off to one side or the other. either they had no technical skills or were too tired from the run. i caught a few more on the descents, proving to be much smoother than i usually feel when riding with the local shop mechanics. in the end i was in second place at the end of the ride, only a second or two behind first place. quite satisfying, although i still bailed at that point. i had no interest in the
ensuing run, and was a little concerned about my knee and Cody. so i went back into the woods looking for cody. he is now so fast that i cannot catch him on a second lap, so had to shortcut the trail in order to find him. he was plugging along, ahead of 5-10 adults. incredibly he did run two more laps as well. and unfortunately, i had to jog most of one more as Brandon insisted that she was going to jog a mile and wanted me to come with her. i did 4/5ths of a lap and then let her
finish out herself where she sprinted to the finish in order to hold off a guy who was finishing the race.

the whole event was a blast. cody, who was one of only 2 juniors - the other guy was 17 and kicked most people's asses, including mine - and they gave him a big trophy which he has declared the best trrophy he has ever received. cody raced for 2 hours. that;s a long time for an 11 year old to be putting in such a hard effort. amazing. as you say, it won't be too long before he is pushing me instead of vice versa when we ride. teh promoter, who saw that i dnf'ed, made sure to point out
to everyone , when presenting cody's trophy to him, that he kicked his dad's ass. cody laughed, but later said that saying ass was not appropriate. so, now at races i am better known as cody's dad than anything else. not a bad designation.

new cast

Got a new cast today. Still no final word on the surgery question, but the hope at this point is that it will not be necessary. The good news is that this new cast is only on my hand, not all the way up to my elbow like the other one. Was also able to hold onto some handlebars they had there, so this version should be much more bike friendly. Thinking of giving hockey a go next week. Now that I can move my wrist again, surely I won't be too out of place in the Hummelt underworld of quasi-hockey.

Maybe that race at Holiday Mtn next week is a possibility after all. We can talk about it on Tuesday.

Monte Montgomery rocks hard!

minutes february 15

after a week off, it's time to get back to the minutes... here's some of the news:

• Chris had a wipe out and broke his thumb... no more hummelt hockey for him... it was that little patch of ice half a block from home... back to the doc on Friday to find out if it will need surgery. He should be in fine shape for the spring ride. Any injury is usually a good excuse for most of us to go through our litanies of injuries and medical system insights. Vic's thumb still looks funny from his break in 1976.
  
• Vic got Juno tickets by calling 10 minutes early... he was on hold for 9 minutes and about 30 seconds... the call went to Montreal where a nice fellow waited the extra few seconds and sold him the cheap tickets... too bad about having to fix the car that day Vic
• Juan Eppstein is on the single speed trail... there was a tone of determination to his comments about entering the inner sanctum of the Klub. Hopefully he'll still talk to us people with gears.
• yes, of course we talked about the spring ride, and yes, someone asked where we were going... there seems a strong consensus that our ride location is Ingulf... it wavers a bit when we talk about which campsite, and nobody has yet had the nerve to suggest a date... seems silly to push the issue. Perhaps the President will show next week with "the book".
• here's the link to Monte Montgomery, the incredible acoustic guitar player with the cheesy moustache. Check out Romeo & Juliet, and some of the Little Wing footage.

icicle bicycle

congrats to all fgbc (tinker) cyclists who participated in this year's event. the results are posted. rides of note include:

• dr. hubie's top ten finish (8th overall)
• dave u. 17th place finish (predicitions are that dave will continue to climb in the results this year).
• dave epp's top 20 finish, having to start the race late because he was trying to fix the chain he broke on the pre-ride.

special thanks to the fans who came out (anita, anita, rachel, and kids) and cheered on the riders. the only thing left to do is get some of the less committed fgbc riders off their butts and join the ride next year.

later, hal

Icebike

Icebike has come and gone. FGBC/Tinker Creek put in a good showing, accounting for over 1/4 of the field of 35 that took to the start for the Abominable (20 km) race. All four FGBC riders finished in the top 20: 8th (Chris), 11th (Hal), 17th (Unger), 18th (Juan Eppstein). Juan Eppstein pulled off the surprise of the race. As the rest of us took to the startline, he was feverishly working to repair a broken chain. But got it done and, more importantly, got the race in. Results are online at the MCA site.

minutes Feb 1

The Icebike Race is but a few days away. Hal, Unger and Chris will represent us fittingly... well maybe not entirely... the whole business is fairly ambitious... and yet that really is some of the beauty of the FGBC: the embrace of diversity within the generous bounds of endeavour known as "biking". No one rider in the Klub captures the full essence.

Really, while the Duke takes the heat for last spring, he still showed, and he "biked". The other positive is that the above mentioned riders can always default to representing "Tinker Creek" when they're too embarassed... so, we try to serve everyone their cake, and let them eat it too. The Fort Garry Bundt Club.

While we talked about the various related clubs, there were some delicious ideas around Hal's proposed "Team Bread" racing group. It did however, just strike me that this name is very close to Team Brown, our parallel club. Just in case you all forgot about them, here's a link to their manifesto: The Team Brown Manifesto

Well, other than some dreaming about trading up in the bike world, that nearly sums up the bike related discussion as this reporter heard it.

Oh, and our favourite former Mennonite rider Floyd Landis rides again.

minutes jan 25

Really, very little to report... there may have been some bike talk at the far end of the table, but I didn't hear it... a report from the end of the table would be nice if there is something worth reporting.

Jonny and I were at something of a loss for words as we tried to describe to Lorne B why having a single speed is deemed so cool, and that if you have a fixed hub, you are ultra cool. Lorne has been a very serious commuter, so it's not like he's new to bikes. His Rocky Mountain Fusion got lifted from his garage last year... that stinks.

The Nathan G stolen bike recovery was also shared... probably worthy of a full retelling on this blog some time but not tonight.

minutes jan 18

Well, good minute-taking intentions gone awry...

other than the bread being awarded to Vic, and then he having to share it with Lorne, I have little recollection of last week's gathering. Of course, Icebike was mentioned... but nobody nearly lost their life or limb that I recall... so there wasn't really news, was there?

The Minaki Yurts were brought up again for discussion as a Spring destination...

This link will take you to the page on Gord's Cycle where you can download the videos of people riding at Ingolf and Falcon and whatnot. This sort of media should be easily within our reach given adequate leisure time...

Why Ride a Bicycle?

At about this time of year, that question seems to come up more and more often. And with Icebike 7 coming up in just under three weeks, best to settle this once and for all. Call it a pre-emptive strike against the long list of lame excuses that are sure to start making their appearance at our Tuesday meetings.

What follows has been shamelessly lifted from Velonews.

ckh.

Why ride a bicycle? Ten reasons and counting
By Jill JanovSpecial to VeloNews
This report filed January 17, 2005
"Nothing compares with the simple pleasure of a bike ride."- President John F. Kennedy
Why ride a bicycle? When I asked 10 observers of the bicycle industry, they replied with inspired observations, unprintable expletives, lively endorsements of guilt-free dessert consumption and one common complaint - "Jeez, to pare it down to just one reason is difficult."

Cycling makes you smartA Zen teacher once asked his students why they rode bicycles. One said he rode to carry potatoes. Another cycled to observe the world. A third said it cleared the mind, and a fourth said cycling put him in harmony with all sentient beings. The Zen master was pleased, but when the fifth replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle," the teacher sat at the student's feet and said, "I am your student."
Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity while bicycling. And Ernest Hemingway said that, "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them."
And with government figures showing that 64 percent of American adults and 30 percent of children are overweight, it seems there are plenty of reasons.
How about gas prices hovering just below $2 a gallon? Or just take a gander at these reasons from 10 of the industry's wittiest and most fanatical cyclists, and you'll brave bitter cold just to hit the road or trails this winter.
* * *
1. Riding a bike is liberating in that I-still-feel-like-a-kid sort of way, and I'm not trapped in a metal/glass/infernal combustion coffin looking at the world through wide-screen television eyes. And parking is always free on a bike. And my bike starts every morning, even in cold weather.
-Hurl Everstone of Minneapolis is the publisher of Cars R Coffins, a Web site devoted to bicycle-punkrock-action.

2. Without cycling, I'd die consuming the quantities of beer that I do. I also ride for the scenery. And what other opportunity do I have for stuffing 250 pounds into too-small Lycra bib shorts?
-Matt Wiebe, a Santa Fe resident, University of New Mexico professor and technical editor of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

3. I ride because it gives me an excuse for shaving my legs. If it weren't for the six bikes in the garage, I'd be forever trying to explain why I look like a bearded lady on the lam from a carnival sideshow who got her head shaved in the drunk tank after flunking a cootie inspection. Plus when I'm stuck for something obnoxious to write or draw, a quick ride helps jar the nickel loose and set the music to playing. That, and the drugs.
-Patrick O'Grady, a professional rumormonger living in Colorado who vents periodically on this site and at www.maddogmedia.com.

4. While pedaling over hill and dale, people usually notice and often talk to me. Because of this I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Like a Southern Baptist song, the good has overcome. This has been the best reason of all for bicycling. I'm approachable when on a bike. It's fun talking to kids and strangers about a sport and way of life that I love. Humanity awakens at the sight of a two-wheeled traveler.
-Loretta Esparza is a seven-year veteran of Salsa Cycles and a dog-lovin' barista in California.

5. To coalesce the burning pure horrific rage as you face knuckleheads, debutantes and four-wheeled freaks in traffic.
-Bob Roll calls himself "a man barely alive." A veteran of the 7-Eleven team, the first U.S. pro squad to tackle the Tour de France, he is the author of several books and a cycling commentator on the Outdoor Life Network.

6. Your ass. As in, if you ride a bike your butt ends up looking fairly tight - like two VW Beetles parking.
-Joe Lindsey of Boulder, Colorado, has been riding and racing bikes for 15 years, and covering the sport for the past six for cycling magazines. He's covered the Tour de France, the Olympics and numerous World Cups and world championships. He enjoys photography, telemark skiing and Britney Spears videos with the sound turned off.

7. Riding a bike has always been a major symbol of independence and freedom. But the real reasons I go out and pound the pedals are sex, drugs and rock 'n roll.
Sex: As the gap to geezerhood closes, stayin' in shape for my favorite activity becomes even more important.
Drugs: A long time ago I realized that maintaining my awesome boy-toy bod while enjoying my modest beer habit was going to require a lot more exercise than it did in my studly youth.
Rock 'n roll: While my guitar skills have never surpassed the mediocre stage, the stuff I play in my head when I ride is awesome. Just give me the steady rhythm of my fixed gear, some open road and turn it to 11, Jimi, 'cuz today we're gonna rock!
-Ross Shafer lives with his wife, Mari, on the Rockin' Bar L ranch in Petaluma, California. He is the founder and former owner of Salsa Cycles and owns and operates Six-Nine Design, which provides product design, prototyping, fabrication and tool design services.

8. Some people train so they can race; I race so I can train, so the all-important workout doesn't get shoved to the back burner so easily. Nothing inspires like knowing you're going to get your butt kicked in the next race if you don't train. The fact that I get my butt kicked anyway is completely beside the point.
-Jef Mallett, a former bike racer and current triathlete and cartoonist. His strip, "Frazz," appears in 150 newspapers across America.

9. My wife, Natasha, thinks cycling is great way to spend time as a family while burning a few calories. For her, the family ride is quality time. Then again, she does not have the trailer with 50 or so stuffed animals and the 2-year-old singing "Old McDonald" attached to her bike as we climb what must be Mont Ventoux. Hmm ... now that I think about it, cycling is the best way to burn a bazillion calories and hang with the family.
-John Kibodeaux, a 16-year veteran of bicycle retail, owns High Desert Bicycles in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and also works full time for his daughter, Marguerite. He has a B.A. from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in dirty diapers, Sesame Street and anything Disney.

10. I live and breathe bike transportation. Does that make me a granola-crunching, world-saving utopian? Actually, my riding has a lot to do with what's good for me. Riding makes me healthy. It saves me time. It makes me feel good and gives me energy to do more in life. Of course, getting around by bike is a green thing to do. And altruism does have its rewards. Frankly, I wouldn't mind saving the world. Makes one want to crunch some granola.
-Joe Breeze has been building and promoting bikes for more than 30 years. His Breezer bikes from 1977 are considered the first mountain bikes. Today, his Breezer company is solely focused on bikes for transportation.

Jill Janov, a resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the former managing editor of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News and a regular columnist with The New Mexican, where this article first appeared.

new colour

well, as suggested a long time ago... I've changed the blog colours from the weak tan shades to the bold, very dark blue so many people have come to expect based on the website. Unfortunately, some of the tan bits remaining are images that I won't changing, certainly not before I actually spend time to finish redoing our site...

minutes Jan 11

pleasant gathering. the Dark was good... peanuts were plentiful.

Luke mentioneed a Hard Rock available for $350. Vic wondered if he should buy it for Jason? no, it will be ripped off at u of w was the consensus.

the icebike event approaches. Hal posted the link, which takes one to a website under construction... the only useful info (actually, the only info) confirms that I had the incorrect date for the event in my last post. Mark February 6. If it's as cold then as today, you're going to have a lonely ride Hal and Chris.

As Hal also mentioned, there was just the faintest hint that we may be ready to start talking about a date for the spring ride. Good heavens... the very reason for the FGBC to have a web site in the first place... to document the twists and turns in such planning. Penner, get your green book out!

minutes for jan 4, 2005

with the threat of expulsion, nay, shunning hanging over his head johnny g shows up for bike club. it was a small group with only six brave souls showing up: johnnny g, dave, hal, james, vic and dr. hubie. apparently vic the most goaks that night on the hockey end of things. on the bike end of things talk about the spring ride surfaced as well as participation in the annual ice bike race in february.

hope to see a large crowd tonight (maybe even another cyclist?)

hal

Minutes December 21

A lovely turnout for a frosty Tuesday night... Hal rode... and with a windchill of -35 or whatever, that is pretty impressive... even though it would be more surprising if he didn't ride.

Hal also brought the bike club bagels... handcrafted in the wood-fired oven... hoping for fresh bread and jam sometime too...

There was other news, but since it was a week ago when these minutes were started, it seems to have slipped away...

just as a note, there is no gathering this evening unless there is some personal contact and interest. should be back on next week.

oh... remember the icebike race is on Feb. 1.
http://icebikewinnipeg.tripod.com/

Minutes for December 7 & 14

Guarded apologies to any remaining readers that minutes from last week did not materialize even though there was a gathering, and I was present. The passion for posting minutes waxes and wanes... and my sense is that I should be somewhat more diligent in preparing a second secretary for the waning times.

It also becomes more difficult when it really feels like there is no significant news, and conversation is as disjointed as it becomes when there are 10+ people at the table with only a few of them seriously thinking about biking at this time of year.

So, with a few excuses laid in place... a bit of recollection to last week, and then basically nothing from tonight.

December 7

There was in fact significant news at the meeting. Dr. Hubie sustained an injury in a bike - tree collision... to the point where walking became tricky in the following days and participation in hockey was impossible. The culprit was ice as he headed down a hill in the Wolseley region. This evening (December 14), he was dubbed "bark boy" by the master of one-liners, Bob H, convener of Tuesday night hockey. James didn't get it.

December 14

Vic P. walked into the clubhouse and asked about buying a bike for his son. After receiving his third independent recommendation for a single-speed from Natural Cycle, he appeared to be taking the suggestion seriously. While this secretary is still attempting to distill fact from peer/club pressure over the relative merits, Vic may be convinced. Good for Natural Cycle, not as good for Canadian Tire.

OK, so December 14's minutes appear a few words longer... no disrespect intended to the Hubie crash story.

minutes for Nov. 30

minutes, minutes, minutes....my lord who will do the minutes when darryl does not show up (no darryl, you will not you will not be turfed as secretary just because you did not show up). what do i remember from last meeting - well not much. i did bring honey roasted peanuts which seemed to go over well. i guess that's it for minutes. on another note jon g, dave u, and johnny s enjoyed a fabulous day snow cycling at tinker on nov 21. depending on how much snow has fallen well see if another tinker ride is in the cards. also - i'm looking forward to more details regarding dr. hubie's big wipe out this last weekend (if we can get him to drink enough dark, mixed with the pain medication he is surely on, maybe we can convince him to show us the bruise which would involve the dropping of his drawers).

later, crash

Minutes November 23, 2005

It was classic rock night at the clubhouse. What with the new weather, there was more discussion of tunes than biking, although Hal did ride... the faithful are becoming fewer.

Sounds like there will be a Tinker Creek ride of sorts on Sunday. Contact Hal for more info.

Now that there is snow on the ground, it's time for some to begin training for the Icebike race... OK, we should all be training... but some of us are still working on training a more cerebral understanding of the race. We're visioning the action, and pain. It could take some time before that translates to the physical... I expect years for some.

And further to crashing with a helmet cam... if you haven't been to the pedalmasher site, check out the top two videos on the crash list on this page:
http://www.pedalmasher.com/html/videos.html they're pretty good, and not really huge files.
Remember to right click them and then "Save target as..." to your desktop or wherever and then view them.

www.pedalmasher.com

Chris sent this link to me the other day. A great collection of riding video created with a helmet cam. If your computer can do it, check a few out. There's a couple of dandy wipe-outs recorded. It's amazing how quickly the crash happens. I can imagine this would have been what Penner's incident might have looked like...
www.pedalmasher.com

Minutes November 9

Not much bike discussion this eve. Unger and Jonny G spent the evening riding... even going so far as to ride to the Vimy Arena to catch a little Hummelt Hockey action. They caught some classic action, but left before the action peaked with a good collision between line-mates and fellow FGBC members Luke and Dr. Hubie. Blood was drawn on both sides. Chris managed a deep cut to the bone on the elbow that was still bleeding fairly well by the time we got to the post game meeting.

Some minor biking related excitement surfaced when Chris suggested that we all pitch in and get a helmet cam. Suggesting they could be had for as little as $150. Some quick research on the web turned up some options, although not as cheap as $15o:
the adventure cam for $235US
a Canadian dealer - $249US
If anyone has connections to a cheaper system, we should consider it... At $200+US, it may not get off the ground as quickly. Although it could be worth it... can you imagine having video of the president's crash from on his head?

another bullet dodged

yet another fgbc cyclist dodges the car bullet...

last night, around 11:00 pm, i was cycling home from my curling game (at least there are no cars on curling sheets) on grovesnor. i was well prepared for night riding with a blinking headlight, two red blinkies on my back, and a jacket with reflective tape on the arms and body. i was cycling west on grovesnor, keeping a pretty good clip of 30+ kms per hour. i usually like cycling on this street because it is nice and wide, allowing cars to pass you with ease and because it is not a major thoroughfare. as i was speeding down grovesnor i saw a white volvo station wagon pulling up to the stop sign on my left a block ahead. as always, i put my hands on the brakes in case i needed to stop suddenly. the volvo came to a complete stop and waited, 'great' i thought, 'he sees me' and i continued at my pace, relaxed that i could continue at my present pace. just as i was about to go through the intersection (i had no stop sign) the volvo begins to pull ahead -- i grab my brakes hard and start a sideways skid, suddenly my tires grab and i flipped off my bike, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop in front of the car. i looked up to see the headlights of the volvo staring me in the face. thank god he saw me at the last minute and stopped halfway through the intersection. to say the least i was a little shaken at this point, i picked myself up and walked towards my bike, picked it up, and began to collect myself. i looked over at the car which just sat there, nothing was happening, just me standing there and staring at the car in disbelief at what had just happened. after a few moments the car inched forward with the passenger window was rolled down. a voice came out from inside the dark interior of the car, "i'm sorry... i'm sorry..., i didn't see you. i didn't see your light." what could i say, do i go off on this guy, what do i do. "at least you said you were sorry" i said to him as i walked around the back of the car with my bike. all i wanted to do was go home, thankful that i was still alive and in one piece. the volvo pulled away and i got on my bike and continued my ride home replaying the incident over and over again in my head. i got home, put my bike in the basement, took off my bike gear and went upstairs to let laura know what happened and that i was okay.

ride safe,

hal

Fire the secretary

I move that the secretary be fired, and that someone with more passion for the cause take up the role...
What? No seconders?

Well, it's been a very busy week. There was a nice meeting on Tuesday. I can't remember anything about it except for the discussion about Hal's bread baking set-up.... oh yeah, and his winter bike crank is seized. (There's the biking content.) I know there was more... anyone is welcome to chime in at this point...

Near Miss

Came closer than I ever have before to being hit by a car this morning. Or rather, it would have been me hitting the car--t-boning it in this case, as it pulled out in front of me. I saw it coming, just past Johnny G's street, the one by the school, when the car rolled through the stop sign and I knew his sight of me was obscured by the cars parked along the ever so slight hill I was riding down at that point. No problem, or so I thought, as I began to swerve to the right in order to go behind him. But then he saw me, panicked, hit the brakes, and just sat there in front of me--like a big steel moose frozen by the headlights. All I could muster was a loud, drawn out "F-U-C-K!" But fortunately my instincts were more articulate than my feeble vocabulary, and I was able to brake hard enough and avoid going down on the slick pavement as I veered even further around his back end. To give the guy credit, he did roll down his passenger window and yell "Sorry!" as I passed by the other side. And to my credit, I gave him a little wave--admittedly an ambiguous, half-assed wave with a the kind of slight flick of the wrist that could easily have led to interpreting the whole thing as a curt dismissal--but nonetheless a wave with all five fingers and not the one I had cocked and ready to go. Shit, that was scary. My heart's still thumping a little harder and faster than normal. But I live to ride another day.

Hit the gym for the first time this week. Hope to get there 2 or 3 times a week for mostly leg-work. Don't know what the policy is for use of CMU's humble weight room, but if anyone wants to join me around 4pm Monday or Wednesday, that would be great.

In other firsts: I donned tights for the first time this morning. This cold, rainy weather really sucks. Hopefully it won't wipe out the Tinker ride this weekend.

post turkey ride

an unofficial/official fgbc ride was held on the thanksgiving monday. juan eppstien, dr. hubie and crash enjoyed a 45km ride out to headingly and back on a gorgeous holiday monday morning. much discussion, including past work experiences, heating solutions for homes, a report on the "motorcyle diaries," among other topics, was discussed along the way. one sprint took place with where the three riders managed to sustain a pace of 42km per hour for a goodly stretch. looking forward to future rides.

crash.

minutes, oct. 12

Present: Dr. Hubie, Vic P, James, Hal, Penner, Juan Eppstein, Secretary

There is reason to believe that James was burgled this evening.... had $15 plus a MasterCard starting the evening, by the time he was trying to pay for his beverage, and had a massive stack of wallet contents spread out, the aforementioned items were not to be seen...

It seems the ride at Tinker Creek will be on this Saturday. An unfortunate turn in the calendar for this reporter... but it seems it will work out for many. Watch this space in the next days for more details from Hal, our liason.

Question on Jonny G's whereabouts... third missed meeting in a row. At first he was proclaimed out of the club by one member, then it got worse... he was moved to "Luke status". Finally, cooler heads prevailed, and the six-pack rule was brought back, retroactively. A six for every unexcused absence. The total is now at three.

Hal is now in charge of the fundraising bonspiel to raise money for the new jerseys. The, well, rather pointed question was launched on how this was going to be a fundraiser.... stunned silence revealed a thin spot in the plans.... one suggestion was brought forth: charge each FGBC member enough to cover the cost of the ice plus $50 to be in the spiel, then everyone attending wins a jersey from the collected pot. There, the funds are raised.

more floyd

now that vuelta is over, why not get to know the real floyd. check out his interview in the recent issue of dirt rag

hal

no minutes here, move along

being the secretary, I have to admit that I have no minutes to report... at least nothing pertaining to biking whatsoever...

I sensed there was some discussion of that nature down at the other end of the table, but it really is difficult to connect when so many folks are there... perhaps someone who touched on the topic of biking in any way, could provide a thought or two. If you are not hooked up to be able to post, email me, and I can get you going ASAP.

It was nice to see a large crowd gathered. Nine or ten people is exceptional... but it does include some of the hockey crowd which began on Tuesday.

I might as well use this forum to report that Dr. Hubie scored not only the first goal of the season, but his tally exceeded three (in the interest of discretion and knowing that he is one of the more humble in our collective, you can email him to find out how many he really got), and that I did pot one, as well as providing assists on a few of the aforementioned goals as we were on a line together.

We learned that our ice time will usually go til 10:30, so it will be rare that the hockey part of the crowd will arrive before 10:45.

rambling minutes

minutes from sept. 28

present: dr hubie, dave u, president penner, bergen, hal

minutes from last week's meeting - i can't seem to remember any details so i'll try and and recapture the mood - sort of relaxed without any particular intensity or deep philosophical discussion on any particular topic. vaguely recall some discussion about tyler hamilton and blood doping.

ramblings

fgbc results from the fall classic:

chris h - 9th in 45 km.
dave u - 5th in 15 km
hal l - dnf (freaking front derailleur malfunction)

cyclocross #1

hal "i have too many excuses" l - 6th in masters B (ok, my excuse for this one is i was running too big a gear on my single speed, which by the way i think i came in first of the four single speeds running in the B group).

respectfully submitted,

hal

Floyd out, more Hamilton

At kilometre 115 of today's stage, Floyd abandoned the race. Bummer.

As for Hamilton, here's the latest press release:

"The blood samples examined in the B-Test under the UCI procedure are positive. The B-Test blood samples taken under IOC however will turn out negative. Since the new method is an effort based on probability and interpretation measurements, uncertainties will remain in this examination and procedure in any case."

Confused?

I tried breaking into my u-lock this morning, but failed. I wish I could say that I now lock up my bike with confidence that it will be there when I'm done for the day.

Minutes, September 21

Present: Dr Hubie, Bergen, Hal

A bit of a small turnout at the F&H last night. For a while it looked like it might just be me and the book I brought along to read just in case, but eventually a couple of others srtaggled in--and Penner did put in a showing of sorts via the phone. It took a few calls of "Johnny G? Is there a Johnny G here?" from the bar before Bergen and myself clued in that the bartender waving the phone in the air might have something to do with us. But while there may have only been three of us who were physically present, once again we had 100% participation in the bike ridership program. Not sure which is the more significant figure. Perhaps the meeting was more of a success than we first thought. Once again, the Dark was good--almost as classic as the F&H tunes.

No significant actions to report, but a wide ranging conversation covered such topics as enrollment trends at Manitoba's universities, Donald Rumsfield, Aiden's piece in the Free Press as well as the larger issue of rapid transit and the relative merits of the critical mass as a form of bike advocacy, Bergen's powerpoint skills, and Hal's oven, not to mention the u-lock/Bic pen crisis, and Tyler Hamilton's apparent blood doping problem.

We'll see how this latest saga turns out. But things don't look good for Hamilton and the world of pro cycling in general these days. David Millar, Phillipe Mierhage, and now Hamilton. Those are some pretty big names in the world of cycling. A couple of world champions and an Olympic gold medallist. I have to say I'm a bit bummed about this, as Hamilton always seemed like the good guy of the peloton. Even Dave of Evil Cyling's Pro Cyclists Suck has a soft spot for Tyler. Perhaps Floyd is also a bit sidetracked by the dim outlook of the guy he's signed on to ride for next year. He lost over 15 more minutes today in the Vuelta and now sits almost 25 minutes back, suddenly hurtling towards the middle of the pack. Heras increased his lead on Valverde, who also cracked today, and now has a lead of just over 1 minute over Hamilton's Phonak teammate, Santiago Perez. If Valverde can stay within 2:30 minutes, though, the final time trial should still be interesting, as Heras will likely lose some time on the final stage.

evening gathering is on...

still on for tonight, (and each tuesday thereafter). the rumour is that Hummelt hockey starts on Oct. 5. See ya there!

for the greater good...

nice to see some fgbc members on the eden foundation fundraiser ride this weekend. members in attendance included dave u, johnny s, and myelf. 42+ km of riding was enjoyed, much of it into a stiff headwind. to show for our efforts, i believe that all of came away with spiffy new cycling socks.

hal

Floyd's fading, Valverde's closing in

Sadly, Floyd continues to fade in the Vuelta. He lost another couple of minutes in the uphill ITT today, and now sits in 7th at over 8 min. behind Heras. But Valverde is closing in. After picking up 44 seconds on Heras today, he sits only 5 seconds behind the GC leader. Once again this is turning out to be an extremely tight and exciting race. Why is the Vuelta always so close? The last two years were won on the final day. There always seems to be much more drama and suspense than the Tour. I suppose the absence of some guy named Armstrong helps. Too bad we can't get it on TV. One more week of racing left and all kinds of things can happen yet.

Floyd's bad day

Even though everyone could see it coming, nobody could stop Roberto Heras from attacking on the final climb today. Floyd rode well and looked strong up until about 8km from the finish. But that's when the elite group of 9 started to blow apart. First Valverde and then Heras put in big-time attacks that splintered the group to bits. Floyd ended up conceding just over 3 minutes to Heras on the stage, and now sits in 5th place, 2.19 behind Heras and about 1.30 from Valverde for the final podium spot. Sunday's uphill ITT looms large and should allow for Heras to further solidify his grip on the golden jersey. But hopefully Floyd can hang in there and gain some time back on the final ITT to at least get back to the podium. Stay tuned.

Minutes, September 14

Well, since I missed most of the meeting, someone else will need to chime in with what is missing...

Present: James, Penner, Unger, Juan Eppstein, Jonny G, Dr. Hubie, Hal, Secretary

The comments I walked into were related to the status of various members in the Klub...
... while we did start off with a more open, kind of, "everyone's in the Klub, they just don't know it yet" kind of feeling, there are clearly regular attenders/riders that want a bit more definition and hierarchy... Like, if you've never been to a meeting or a ride, are you in the Klub? At this point, this agenda seems fairly strong with a couple of members... only time will tell if this discussion turns into some sort of codification....

More discussion about the "new" Ingolf riding... and how it turns out the larger mountain bike community seems to know all about it... so we turned to looking for scapegoats to hide our embarassment... the two guys, the girl and the dog are to blame for us not knowing more...

The fall ride option is faltering a bit... that weekend (Thanksgiving Long) is admittedly, a little tricky.... a couple of members have announced they simply cannot be there, the majority of us seemed to be looking for a leader who will rally the flagging hopes, and put new life into the discussions we have had and will be having on the various home fronts. If three members could say, "Yay and verily, we shall ride!", I think we'd have something.

Zabriskie

No big news on Floyd to report. Same 9 second lead as yesterday. But Valverde had a nasty crash and, while he finished the stage, is being Xrayed for broken bones, etc. But the big news of the day was fellow Postie, Dave Zabriske, who got off the front just 3 km into the stage and held his lead right up to the end. He led for as many as 20 minutes at one point, and held off the peloton to finish over 1 minute ahead of a bunch of frustrated sprinters. Breakaways like this are a dime a dozen, but almost never succeed. Pretty exciting. Almost worth investing the the 2004 Vuelta DVD when it comes out. But I'll wait and see how Floyd does before pre-ordering.

meeting tonight???

inquiring minds want to know...

since i did not hear anything more about a dogfest at juan eppstein's i'm assuming that there will be a regular meeting at the fox and hound.

hal

Floyd faltering?

After two mountain-top finishes, Floyd still wears the golden jersey, though he's lost some geound to the Spanish climbers--particularly former teamate and last year's winner Roberto Heras and new kid on the block Alejandro Valverde. Fancisco Mancebo is also in the hunt, as is Isidro Nozal who held the lead for most of the race last year before conceding over 2 min. to Heras in an uphill time trial on the last day of the race--Mike Wier style. Floyd will have to find his climbing legs if he wants to stay in the mix, because after a relatively easy day tomorrow and Wednesday's rest day things get crazy again. Aside from a few more tough mountain stages, there are two time trials left. One is uphill and favours Heras and the Spaniards. But the last day of racing is a 30 km flat time trial, which could be an opportunity for Floyd to gain back a couple of minutes. Hopefullly, he'll still be in it at that point. Go Floyd!

Floyd update

Our man Floyd showed good form in today's time trial, finishing third--18 seconds behind Tyler Hamilton. More importantly, however, he regained sole possession of the overall lead. He's now back in gold and can't wait for the chance to race for more kisses from the podium girls. Each of the next three stages ends with an uphill finish, so things should really start to take shape. Let's hope those climbing legs he showed off in the Tour are still there. Stay tuned.

Floyd

It seems some sort of ongoing watch of the Vuelta a Espana is in order. Honourary FGBC member Floyd Landis is currently tied for the GC leadership with hit teammate Manuel Beltran. He's looking strong, and appears to have as good a shot at winning the whole thing as any of the other serious contenders. We'll just have to wait and see how things shake out in the upcoming time trials and mountains. Check out this picture of Floyd in the golden leader's jersey after Stage 1. Go Floyd!

Minutes, sort of...

The big news: eight attendees on a couple hours notice, eight attendees all arriving on bike!

Is there anything more to say? This whole silly business is getting a little serious...

Present: Juan, Unger, Jonny G, President, Secretary, Bergen, Hal, Dr. Hubie.

The other important news is the date for a potential fall ride: October 9. Yes, the Saturday of the Thanksgiving Long weekend. Seemed to be the best chance of decent attendance. Everyone now needs to check their calendars and more importantly, check in with the family plans, or explain why the FGBC is more important than the family plans. (perhaps we could have an open brainstorming session in the comments section to help those who a) aren't as creatively gifted, and b) will have a significant "discussion" on their hands.)

A good deal more information was shared about the Ingolf ride that was mentioned in the last post. Jonny S apparently claims something to the effect that discovering the new trails was as exciting as going into DisneyLand when you thought the parking lot was awesome... (someone else may need to sharpen the delivery of that line.)

One fine story that surfaced from Hal's riding recently was how his friend Gord F. bust his derailleur hanger, so the Loewen boys helped him turn it into a temporary single speed... while experiencing some trouble with the chain not staying on the right ring in the back, he managed to get his hand jammed in between the chain and the teeth of the back chainrings... ouch.

While there may have been other good stuff, it's been forgotten by now...

Oh yes, it sounds like next Tuesday might be a dog fest at Juan Eppstein's. Stay tuned for confirmation on this.

Ingolf

Labour Day weekend, which means another weekend rendezvous with one of those offshoot bike clubs that has loose connections to the FGBC--"loose" in the sense that they are the kind of bike club where the bikes are actually for riding. This time around that meant a couple of wet, muddy rides at Ingolf and camping near the inaugrual Spring Ride site at West Hawk. The exciting news is that what was previously thought to be the end of the trail turns out to be merely a place for Juan Eppstein to show off his shiny white ass on a mid-ride skinny dip. Johnny S discovered more trail close by, which turned out to be a virtual goldmine: 10-12 more kms of trails, which eventually hook back up with Ingolf, along with a series of other forks that promise still more opportunities. Generally more of the same sort of technical riding, though perhaps a bit more trail-like than the old stuff. Highlights include a couple more lakeside stops for Juan, a section of sweet, rocky, and hilly singletrack, a 100 metre plus section of continuous flowing stone riding, a beaver dam crossing, a hike-a-bike cliff climb, and a few bridge crossings to begin perparing for the Northshore trip in years to come.

Consensus was that all of this--plus the possibility of still other trails that weren't explored--easily catapults Ingolf back to the top of the list for next year's spring event.

Despite the usual scrapes and bruises, no broken bones or hospital visits to report, though Johnny S is sporting a swollen middle finger.

Cheryl fought hard to retain the post of bike club wench, amidst all the rumours which are starting to circulate that there are others interested in trying to wrest that title away from her. Still, since we are a serious club always looking for good support services, other interested parties should send resumes to the secretary.

comments available to all

sorry, it took me a bit to get the comments fixed so all can post comments without registering. Now all can get into the heated discussion between Chris and Steve on the merits of technology and biking... I must admit Steve made a strong point recently... and the whole business is going to get even more complicated, if not messy when I have to scan Chris' bile soaked napkin posts...

new blog look

wanted to try a new look. unless there are streams of disapproving comment...
the cost has been the loss of the old comments in favour of using the new built in blogger system.

darryl

recent upgrades

After a month or so of frustrations with my ailing ride I decided to make an improvement. It was going to be a new chain. It ended up to be new wheels/hubs, new cogs, new cranks/chain rings and bottom bracket, and derailers front and back.

After much staring and studing it was decided that I should enlist in some help to get the cranks off. Jonny G came by, crank puller in hand, and the fight was on. You may wonder what does your bike require of you to recplace your cranks. My bike required 2 beers, a friend, hammer, 2x4 wood stud, torch, and 2 more beers. It took about 2 hours, after much heat and hammering Jonny got on the bike and jumped on it. the crankes were ready and yes the came off..... eventually.

The bottom bracket only took a 8 foot braker bar, another friend's tool and some patience (by ones wife--who just delivered her fourth child).

Jonny came by the other day and pronounced the improvement good

I would love the opportunity for a group ride


penner

Falcon Lake Race Report and Fall Ride at Tinker Creek

Another race, another dose of shitty weather. Left Altona at 7am so I could get to Falcon in time to do a little warm-up. At sign-in, I'm told the race starts at 12 noon, not 11 am as previously announced. Classic MCA organization. At least there was a fire in the chalet fireplace to keep us warm. They ran the course backwards this time, starting with the usual climb but then sending us into the trees, down the boardwalk, and backwards through the outer limits, with a few new sections thrown in to keep it interesting. At the start I was able to stay with the lead group for the first 2 km. This is an improvement, as I usually find myself chasing after get dropped right at the start. But after losing my chain in the first technical section they were quickly out of sight. Time to ride my own pace. I knew I was still 3rd or 4th so my efforts turned less to gaining ground than to avoid losing more. It wasn't raining during the race, but the course was muddy and wet. For me that meant running over the more technical sections. Ended up catching another rider, then getting passed again, and riding with him in sight for the next half a lap, waiting for the right moment to try and make a move. He was a better technical rider, I was better on the hills. Unfortunately, Falcon is more technical than hilly. In any case, about halfway through the 3rd lap all the riding at Tinker Creek the day before came back to haunt me. Just didn't have the legs to catch up. Ended up finishing 4th, just off the podium.

Sounds like there's talk of a possible fall FGBC ride out at Tinker Creek. Had a good group of TCC riders out there on Saturday to ride the Tinker trails and the Trans-Canada Trail. The Trans-Canada was much better than I expected. Fast, rolling singletrack--sure to be a hit with the FGBC. Hal and James did some serious negotiating during the post-ride BBQ, so he may have more to report. Let's hope we can work something out.