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.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
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...
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...
Monday, January 17, 2005
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.
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.
Friday, January 14, 2005
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
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
hope to see a large crowd tonight (maybe even another cyclist?)
hal
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