suspension

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

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

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

race

my first race will we May 17.

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

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

penner

riding at Burr Oak tomorrow

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

darryl

a good read

from the NY Times

Tinker Creek

The Rocky Mountain demo at Tinker Creek is this Thursday.

A note from James:

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

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

minutes, may 8, 2006

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

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

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

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

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

dr.h's rules of the road #1

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

KOM Race

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

bur oak ride

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

the world's fastest Mennonite on two wheels

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

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

here you go

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

ride anyone....

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

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

Miller Time

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

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

Coach Penner

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

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

dogfest?

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

A bit more on Trans Iowa, courtesy of Guitar Ted:

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

Trans Iowa

Lindsay, Paddy, Steve and some other local guys drove down to Iowa this weekend to take part in the 2nd Trans Iowa race. Looks like it was a wet and sloppy affair. And after all that suffering, nobody won because nobody made it to the halfway point inside the time limit. But apparently Lindsay and Dallas got closer than anyone else. Check out the video here. Anybody want to try to go next year? According to Hal, Lindsay and Paddy are also talking about a race around Lake Manitoba. Should be fun in a masochistic sort of way. We might have to start making our races a little longer.

Dogfest on Tuesday

This Tuesday we will be leaving the familiar cozy confines of the F&H and venturing out into the cruel suburban world for the spring dogfest at Juan Eppstein's. Same deal as usual. But for those who don't know what "usual" means, here are some instructions from the dogfest czar himself:

For dogfest, bring dogs or reasonable facsimile, buns, drinks, munchies (peanuts, spits, etc.). I can supply condiments. Any drivers should bring extra lawn chairs and roasting stick.

I assume we will do some sort of group ride before hand. So meet at my place at 8:30 once again and we'll decide where to go from there, planning to arrive for the dogfest at around 10. Last time we rode out to NK to meet Darryl and Penner (or did Penner take the van?). Should we do that again?

it's the truth ruth

fixie is where it's at

(take note of the headline)

ride report

dr.h and i enjoyed (if that is the right word for it) an early morning ride to lockport and back this morning. we started at 5:15 and we were finished before 8:00 so i could shower and change before my reference desk duties at 8:30. i hope to be doing this on a weekly basis, look for emails inviting those interested in doing some early morning road rides.

alleycat race results

by all accounts it was a well received event, but i'll leave the report of the race to the participants.

8 riders showed up for the race: penner, james f, aiden, darryl, jon , john, juan and chris. times and placements were as follows:

james f: 56:30 (+2:00 minute penalty) = 58:30
aiden e: 58:10 (+2:00 minute penalty) = 1:00:10
darryl: 1:00:08 (+2:00 minute penalty) = 1:02:08
jon g: 1:05:09 (+2:00 minute penalty) = 1:07:09
john k: 1:05:12 (+2:00 minute penalty) = 1:07:12
juan e: 1:05:30 (+6:00 minute penalty) = 1:11:30
chris h: 1:10:10 (-12:00 minute bonus) = 58:10: (winner)
penner: DQ

prizes:
1st place - chris h: bottle of wine and $20
2nd place - james f: loaf of velo artisan bread
last place - juan e: loaf of velo artisan bread
1/2 of collected entry fee - penner: $20

here is the manifest the particpants had to complete:

1. Pick up package from Geez Magazine Headquarters; instructions for delivery location will be on package.

(the package was an empty six, which they had to deliver to the Fox and Hound beer vendor for $.60 and verification card)


2. Globe Theater (Portage Place) – Who is the director/producer of the movie U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha?

answer: Mark Donford-May


3. City Hall – What does the red plaque on the South East corner of City Hall commemorate?

answer: Winnipeg General Strike


4. What is the make of the bike hanging on the wood-fired brick oven at Velo Artisan Bread (293 Carpathia)?

answer: CCM


5. St Boniface Basillica – Find Louis Reil’s gravestone; what is the exact date of his death?

answer: November 16, 1885


6. Exchange – What company occupies room 706 of the Silpit Building (70 Arthur St)?

answer: Sofa Logic


7. Osborne Village – What is the phone number of the Medical Clinic located at 478 River Avenue?

answer: 453-4310


8. St. Boniface Hospital – What is the name of the Research Centre building?

answer: G Campbell MacLean Building


9. Forks – What are the hours of operation for the Explore Manitoba Centre?

answer: 10-6


10. Finish – Fox and Hound


2:00 minute penalty for every mistake on your manifest; more than 4 mistakes disqualifies you from the race.

11. BONUS RUN (-12:00 minutes): Go to Kenaston Wine Market, ask for AJ and get his middle name (1855 Grant).

answer: Kampeas

the race is on

the course has been mapped and we're good to go for tomorrow. remember, you need a pack, lock and pen. the last post by chris, attesting to his riding skills, bodes well for the other participants in the race. see you at dr h.'s @ 9:00.

rider down

Now that the snow is all gone, we can go fast again. But watch out for loose gravel around those corners. Took one a bit too wide this morning, and caught a bit of winter sand. Boom. Have a bit of road rash on my knee and hip and my elbow is banged up. But it's the missing chunk of my pinkie that hurts the most. Doesn't hurt enough, though, to keep me from racing tomorrow. Can't wait. It should be fun.

Floyd holds on

Floyd Landis is a certified badass. Tom Danielson can really climb. Last year he took over a minute out of Floyd on this same climb. But this year he couldn't shake Floyd. They attacked and counter-attacked each other all the way to the finish. While Danielson took the stage win, Floyd didn't concede any time and so keeps his 4 second lead heading into tomorrows final stage. Barring disaster, he should be able to hold win his third straight stage race. Can't wait for July. See the full report here.

Alleycat

To help everyone get prepared for Tuesday's messenger race, an article on Pittsburgh Alleycat races courtesy of the Bike Blog:

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, April 17, 2006

By Andrew Johnson

Gothic black bottoms, down-the-back dreadlocks and pierced septums don't exactly mesh with Lance Armstrong's image. Michael Camp, 29, of Rochester, is no Armstrong. He likes to combine his bike rides with a trip to the 31st Street Pub, a Strip District staple.

Camp recently downed a Presque Isle Pilsner before riding in The Caffeinator Alleycat, an organized bike race around the city. Other participants of the same race prepared for the aerobic test by smoking.

An "alleycat" is a bike messenger-style race, where renegade riders compete in an urban setting at breakneck, red-light defying speeds. It's one of the last remaining vestiges for these mostly male cyclists, whose profession is disappearing in a digital world where electronic court filings have replaced hard copy documents.

Ian Newell, 27, works for Quick Messenger on the South Side and said the trade is down in Pittsburgh.

Triangle Messenger Service lasted in the city nearly 20 years and grew to 25 bike messengers, before closing four years ago. Newell said he's one of four messengers at Quick, one of the city's bigger companies, among several small ones.

Brad Kenner, 27, of the South Side, said he biked briefly for Jet Messenger Service, Uptown, before quitting. He said after an eight-hour shift, he sometimes pulled in $40. Kenner blamed technology for the dwindling need for bike messengers.

With the Caffeinator Alleycat earlier this month, they brought the street spirit of maverick bicycle riding back to Pittsburgh -- at least for the day.

In this race, about 40 bikers tried to navigate the quickest way to seven coffeehouses -- downing beverages at each -- between Mellon Park and the Mexican War Streets.

Alleycat races, in general, are a nod to bike messengers' creativity in finding their city targets, organizer Brian Janaszek said. Janaszek said there are about six to eight of these under-the-radar local races a year. They are advertised in a magazine called Dirt Rag and on blogs.

The group at this alleycat was more Social Distortion than Tour de France.

Frank Elia, 41, brought eight members from BABE -- Beaver Area Bike Enthusiasts. Elia drank a Pabst Blue Ribbon and wore a utility man's blue workshirt that said "Kirk."

He said his group loves the fixed-gear bikes popular among messengers. The stripped-down bike, with super-skinny tires, gets him close to the road, producing a "Zen"-like ride.

"It's a pure feeling," Elia said.

A fixed-gear bike doesn't shift, not even into neutral, and a biker can't coast on one, even downhill. If the cyclist stops pedaling, a heels-over-head handlebar flip often follows. Some at the alleycat added brakes to their rigs, but many bike messengers slow down solely using their pedals.

Camp, a child therapist in Beaver County, has a burgundy-colored Schwinn Traveler steel frame, dating back to the time of President Reagan's near-assassination. The bike cost him $55 to construct.

Adam McNeish, 28, of Butler, crashed the single-speed party with something more elaborate. It still fit the category of low-tech, though. McNeish used a section of gray plastic outdoor floor mat for a super-long banana seat for his recumbent bicycle. He said the gray mat was better than the green mats with flowers on them. He had to look hard to find it.

A recumbent bicycle is the kind of extended low-rider bike one sits down in. It looks like something made for circus performers.

McNeish, after a wobbly start, went missing from the finishing line.

But Brian Rayburn, 20, a University of Pittsburgh sophomore, was there. Rayburn crossed the finish line first. He ditched his bike and ran into Beleza Community Coffeehouse on Buena Vista Street in the Mexican War Streets, practically heaving.

Rayburn was the only non-courier who said he aspired to be a full-time, bike messenger.

Tour de Georgia

Floyd's scorching form continues. Today he used his unique "praying Landis" time trial position to shred the field at the Tour de Goergia. The long course, with a steep climb and a technical descent, was perfect for Floyd. Only Tom Danielson was able to keep it close, finishing 4 seconds back. Floyd and Danielson now sit 1-2 in the GC, setting up a nice rematch on Saturday for the nasty uphill finish at Brasstown Bald. This is the place where Floyd lost his lead to Danielson last year. It is also the place where he had the much publicized run in with Lance Armstrong. Let's hope he'll leave with better memories this time around. A full report is available at cyclingnews.com.

Also, check out the nice little profile of Floyd courtesy of Daily Peloton.

Spent last night getting the IRO set up. Back to grinding it out at 48 x 15. Should be able to hold your wheel now, Vic.

fgbc messenger race - tuesday, april 25

okay, here is the skinny....

be at dr h's by 9:00 to receive your manifests. you have 5 minutes to study the manifest, and then the race is on. you need to have a pack, lock and pen. don't bring your good bike if you have one - remember this is a messenger race, and they don't ride the shiny or wear spandex (okay - orgininally I had the word latex in here , but that is way too kinky and wrong on so many levels - i think it was the image of dr h. in a chocolate latex suit that was just too disturbing...).

minutes april 18, 2006

a fine gathering.
five riders: g, jonny n, juan, dr. h, secretary
post ride additions: james, hal, president

the secretary met the riders half way at city hall, then we visited a trail in point douglas, saw the oldest house in winnipeg (it sure looks old) and examined the site for the new community centre in that area. next to the bike dump... not a place you'll likely stumble on by accident. we have committed to a visit there some time when it's open. next to the red river college princess campus where juan enthused over various elements of construction and design... finally, to headquarters.... oh, passed the fraternal order of eagles eyrie... now that's a clubhouse. columns, orange and blue neon, the works...

discussion:
- first kids of mud event for the offspring of the president and secretary. lots of kids, lots of bikes. moderate to minimum volume of tears. the 8 & 9 yr olds practiced using the front brake on slight declines... the goal: the appropriate amount of "front".
- the most massive bike parts catalogue was brought by hal. incredible. bicycle seat for $550 anyone? bike armour for the president - priceless.
- hal laid the special fgbc bike deal terms on the table... certain persons are feeling a certain amount of heat over this opportunity. a deal so good it can't be published on this site.
- next week's meeting: the messenger race. stay tuned for more details. start time 9:00.
- week after: dog fest at juan's. sweet.

bike for sale

it just sits in the basement any ways...

anyone interested in a 2001 Rocky Mountain Instinct? some changes to the bike include:

• Avid mechanical disk brakes (the Magura Clara's sucked)
• new bottom bracket last year (rode bike a handful of times since installation)
• newer rings (rode bike a handful of times since installation)
• newer cogs (rode bike a handful of times since installation)
• replaced all bushings
• maintenance on shocks (new seals and oil replacement)

I am going to do a compete tune-up on the bike including ordering some bushing for the rear shock (need because of a little play). It comes with SPD pedals if you want (sorry Penner, I will need these pedals for the bike, unless the purchaser does not want them - I have a set of older Ritcheys you can have for free).

price - I haven't decided yet; will know soon once I talk to James - but it will be very fair.

how do I pay for this mess - FGBC members are eligible for a wide variety of payment plans (O.A.C. - kidding), I will negotiate

this is a time limited offer before I put it up for sale on the MCA site, etc.

Bicycle Film Festival

Perhaps a trip to Minneapolis is in order sometime in July.

Paris-Roubaix

Paris-Roubaix has got to be one of the most interesting one-day races around. No real climbs or anything, just cobblestones. And they can do a lot of damage, as George Hincapie can attest. Here are a few videos to check out: another highlight package from Velonews and a bunch more, including Hincapie's bike exploding, as well as the controversial train-crossing incident, courtesy of OLN.

new bikes, new rider

Another good ride last night: Penner, Vic, Darryl, Jonny G, Jonny N, Chris, Hal (and Unger at the F&H). Highlights included a movie shoot, VJs, a tall bike sighting.

Penner and Vic debuted their new bikes at last night's ride. I believe Penner's bike has already made an appearance on the blog. Vic was moving too fast to get a picture, but here is one from the Devinci site:



Also making his riding debut last night was Jonny N. That makes it three Jonny's, by my count. Perhaps we should all change our names to Jonny. Kind of like the Ramones.

Looks like the race schedule is switching to Tuesdays. Makes a lot of sense. The messenger race is scheduled for April 25. Perhaps also a race/relay around the Leg. or the formal gardens next Tuesday.

sign of the times

Congrats to all of the participants of the LRL; if I don't start showing up to more races I'm going to start getting the rep of being a softie (maybe I already have a rep).

Planning on a ride at Bur Oak on Thursday evening - Wednesday night races start next week - anyone interested in trying the trails?

Also, going to try Grand Beach sometime next week in the afternoon and was wondering if anyone would want to try that as well?

Finally, from the wire services....

(KP International) A man aroused suspicion from a taxi driver taking him to the Durham Tees Valley Airport in northern England after the man requested the driver play music that sparked terrorism fear.
Harraj Mann was headed for the airport to catch his flight to London, when he asked to listen to The Clash's punk anthem 'London Calling' and began singing along.

Some of the lyrics from the song, including "War is declared and battle come down," along with Mann's demeanor made the driver apprehensive so he notified police who arrested Mann while he was on the plane. (Mann also reportedly sang along to Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' that includes the line "The hammer of the gods will drive out ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming").
Mann was escorted from the plane, had his luggage searched and was put through rigorous questioning.
After a thorough check under the Terrorism Act, Mann was released, but his plane had already taken off.
"Safety is paramount and we respond to concerns from members of the public in the way they would expect us to," said a spokesperson for the Durham police.

"I was laughing about it," said Mann. "But all my mates are absolutely furious. It's just left me bemused."
Mann said, "I mean obviously the political climate these days is like walking on egg shells, but I mean there's caution and then there's taking it to the point where it's absurd and ludicrous."

Louis Riel race report

Sweet little race this evening. Six racers showed up to honor admirable acts of political insurrection by taking part in the Louis Riel classic. A bit of a different format this time around. A 20 minute relay, doing laps around the ramps by the Louis Riel statue behind the Leg. Kenton got a significant gap off the start and he and Jonny G were able to maintain it for the rest of the race. They even threatened to lap Vic and Chris for a while, but were held off. Penner did not crash. But the yellow flag had to come out for Unger. His front brake cable broke and he nailed the cement wall virtually head on. His nerves were a bit frayed for a while, but fortunately there was no physical damage either to Unger or his bike. After the race resumed, the gaps all pretty much stayed the same for the remaining 15 minutes.

Final standings:

1) Kenton/Jonny G - 22 laps
2) Penner/Unger - 21 laps
3) Vic/Chris - 21 laps

This was of course preceded by a few rounds of knockdown. A bit different without ice, but still good fun.

Prizes (courtesy of president Penner) and post-race bullshit followed in my front yard.

Tuesday night ride is on again. Meet at my place at 8:30. F&H around 10pm.

the jersey redux

Last chance for comments.

front

back

ride report, next race

Nice turnout for the Tuesday night ride last night: Darryl, Jonny G, Unger, Vic, Hal, Chris. One minor incident involving a spontaneous dismount into the bushes, but nothing serious. This occured while previewing the course for the next race. And while my latest demonstration of bike-handling ineptitude did prompt some discussion, the course was deemed race worthy. The race will take place on Sunday at 9pm. Meet at my place around 8:30 if you want to ride over together. Otherwise, meet at the Louis Riel statue behind the Leg. Some sort of post-race gathering will take place somewhere. There may even be some prizes. Hal is working on an Alley Cat/Messenger race later in the month. Start memorizing your map of downtown Winnipeg and stay tuned for further details.

The jersey discussion is coming along nicely. We seem to have reached a decision about design basics. Waiting to hear back about some technical details concerning images. Hopefully that won't set us back too much. Perhaps the secretary can relay that info if and when it is received.

A flurry of bike-purchasing activity has taken place at Olympia recently. The formation of the next generation is apparently under way.

Official tally at the F&H: $903 spent so far, which translates into $135 in FGD. How close can we get to $200 before the spring ride? This is starting to feel like a fundraising drive.

Tusday night ride

Ride tomorrow. Meet at my place at 8:30. Estimated arrival at the clubhouse around 10pm. Where we go in between to be determined. Would be nice if some folks from the NK chapter could join in. If it's too far to ride the whole thing, drive up to here and ride from there.

learning to ride all over again

natural cycle comes through and the green machine is now an it. the fixed learning curve is a not too steep, but some schooling still needs to happen; hmmm, my shoe lace is untied, maybe i should stop pedaling and take a look...nope...nadda...not going to happen.

everyone should get neutered, it makes biking even more fun than before

big thanks to darryl for the jersey work; with a little bit of luck we'll have something by mid summer.

jersey debate open

comments please.

i'm getting neutered

the green machine is getting fixed - they say it will be done by saturday; its natural cycle and seeing is believing.

kudos to the president for becoming a single white male.

bicycle auction

Small gathering last night: Unger, Hal, Chris, Penner, Jonny G were all present at one time or another. Some jersey design discussions took place. Things seem to be coming together. Just waiting for a time to get together to finalize everything for the order form.

Short but sweet inaugural pre-meeting Tuesday night ride, punctuated by a brief pit-stop for fries at VJ's drive in. Previewed the course for the next race on the way back to the F&H. Call it the Louis Riel secession classic if you need a title. Consider it a celebration of springtime in Winnipeg if you need a reason to participate. This race requires what may turn out to be a relatively small window of time, namely that brief period of time between the melting of the snow and the river overflowing the river walk. Get your datebooks out: festivities will take place sometime during the weekend of April 8-9. Precise time to be finalized at next week's meeting. Penner is working on prizes.

Penner picks up his new bike on Thursday. Word at the clubhouse is that things are looking up for the secretary on the new bike front as well. Good news.

Speaking of new bikes: I received a flyer for the annual bicycle auction at work today. The dates are April 22 and 23. Once again it will be held at the Maples arena. Jonny G. picked up his Monterrey for something like $25 a few years back. That bike has taken him farther than the half a tank of gas he could have spent that money on.

Tuesday night ride

Due to a scheduling conflict, this evening's meeting of the jersey design sub-committee has been postponed. The good news is that this frees up some time for a ride before the F&H. Meet at my place around 8:30. Perhaps we can start out by heading to HSC to pick up Hal from work.

BHP ride

Riders: Hal, Chris, the McLaren brothers, with brief cameos by Paddy H and Dallas S
Dist: 64.19 km
Avg: 26.6 km/h
Max: 54.9 km/h

Good times.

bike lanes

There is an article on the MCA site right now, reprinted from the Free Press a while back, about a series of grass roots groups working at improving the bike lane situation in Winnipeg. This is in response to the rather chilly reception that bike-related matters have received from City Hall under the Sam Katz regime. Of course, more bike lanes in this city would be great. But the cynical side of me suspects that in classic Winnipeg style we'll end up with some sort of half-assed compromise. Something like the bike lanes in this picture from the UK. We all know hom much fun it is to ride in and around trees. Riding through them, however, is less enjoyable. I've tried it. It sucks.

Also on the MCA site is a list of planned road consturction projects for the summer. Nice to see that Pembina is finally receiving some attention.

the future of the FGBC

I saw this guy riding in fairly heavy traffic on Grant so I had to take a picture. Serene. Knows his destiny. Has great luggage space.

mutant bikers

A follow-up on the bike culture wars in NYC and the possible connection with the cabbage throwers, courtesy of the Village Voice.

minutes march 21

Well, it was the last post hockey meeting of the season. The bad news is that hockey's over, the good news is that we can start meeting a bit earlier... incorporating some bike riding, even... (yes, I know, some haven't stopped riding.)

So, Hal, Chris and I will meet earlier next tuesday to firm up what our jerseys might look like... I expect we'd be at the clubhouse by 10:00. See ya'll then.

Here's a link to a blog post with a video of a nice skid competition. Looks like a good blog in general if you're interested in the very urban side of biking.

bikes and coffee shops

Spent a good part of the evening yesterday delivering about $600 worth of coffee to friends and fellow cyclists. Bikes and coffee somehow just go together naturally. One day in Girona, when he was riding with US Postal, Floyd Landis skipped out on a training ride by hanging out at a local coffee bar and drinking 15 espressos in one afternoon. While our sponsorship and other identity-constituting efforts have thus far looked to alternative beverage forms--equally a natural fit with the bike--it would be a mistake to overlook the significance of the roasted coffee bean. A number of bike-related coffee shops have opened up recently. One of my favourites is Jet Fuel Coffee in Toronto. But there are also some worthy models in Minneapolis, both of which also sell bikes: One on One Bicycle Studio, where Hal got his new wheels, and more recently the Cars-R-Coffins Coffee Bar opened up. If you ever find yourself in Minneapolis make sure to pay them a visit. Check out the article on them both from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Perhaps we should look into opening up the FGBC coffee bar. Then again, perhaps not.

Bike Culture Wars

Things are getting ugly in New York. Bikes are cool, it seems. But cool = commodified. And so bike culture purists are starting to fight back in order to keep corporate culture at bay. Must be those guys with the cabbages. Or maybe Aiden and Will took a trip to NYC recently. Read the story here.

Spring is here. Which means it's time to ride as if it were nice outside, even if the conditions are not appreciably different than those we've come to associate with winter. So Hal and myself, along with Kevin B. of Tinker Creek fame, froze our toes while riding three relatively relaxed laps of the road circuit at BHP yesterday. Nothing to brag about, but at least it's a start. In addition to the arrival of spring, hockey ends tomorrow. So bike-riding season is now officially upon us. Not that it ever stops being bike-riding season. But it's time to ramp it up a bit--if not all the way to 11, then at least to 3 or 4. From here on out, the weekly Tuesday gathering at the F&H shall be preceded by the Tuesday ride. At least until ultimate begins.

Paris-Nice Video

Velo News has put together a nice little video report on last week's Paris-Nice race, which Floyd won. Click here to watch it.

Tourney Time

March Madness starts this Thursday:

1. print out a bracket.
2. fill it in.
3. bring it, along with your $5 entry fee, to the F&H tomorrow.
4. hope your teams win.

Same scoring system as previous years: 1 pt for correct 1st round picks, 2 pts for 2nd round, etc. 7 points for picking the champion. 60% of the pot goes to the winner, 30% for 2nd place, 10% for 3rd.

Floyd wins again

Floyd held on to take the overall win at Paris-Nice today. Two races so far this season and two wins. Not a bad way to start a season. What's even more impressive is that in California he did it by dominating the time trial, whereas in France he simply rode away from the bunch in the mountains. It's that kind of well-rounded ability that has many thinking that "Floyd can win the Tour." Next up is the Tour of Georgia in April. See the results at cyclingnews.com.

Hell on Wheels

Not a reference to my dismal bike handling abilities, but to the movie that Woodcock is showing this Monday at IMAX. Hell on Wheels is a behind the scenes look at the 2003 Tour de France. See the summary below. For the polyglots among us, more info is available in German at the official site. Hal and myself are going. Feel free to join us. Tickets are $10 and are available at Woodcock. Showtime is 7pm.

The Movie: Hell on Wheels

This Film follows Team Telekom/T-Mobile in it’s quest for victory in the Tour de France.

The Tour de France – the toughest bicycle race of all, celebrated its 100th birthday and Academy Award winning German based director Pepe Danquart was there to produce a terrific film on the T-Mobile Team. Danquart tells about the torture and the pain, the fear and the weaknesses of the men. Hell on Wheels offers a true insight into the Tour and stars the Telekom/T-Mobile team. We see the tears of those who are out of the race and the joy of those, who suffered but fulfilled their biggest dream, to reach the finish line....The film follows two German stars, Rolf Aldag and Erik Zabel, six-time winner of the sprinters jersey as he battles out every stage with his Aussie rivals. Danquart picked a great year to document the race, as this year provided the most dramatic and exciting race for many decades. At 123 minutes, there’s plenty of time for history, for racing and for gorgeous French landscapes. But ultimately, it’s the rider portraits that make the film unique and rewarding.

The film gives a review of the genesis and history of the tour in its hundred years of existence, and shows the gigantic organization of the tour, the fanatic crowds along the route and in front of televisions worldwide. Hell on Wheels presents an outstanding inner view of one of the world's biggest sports events.

Principal Cast Erik Zabel, Rolf Aldag, Andreas Kloeden, Alexander Vinokurow, Steve Zampieri, Mario Kummer, Serge Laget, Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich.

helmets mandatory, everything else optional

In case you missed it in today's paper:

By The Associated Press
Friday, March 10, 2006

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The mayor of a New Zealand town wants a nude cycling race to be called off — because the participants won't be wearing helmets.
Mayor John Hurley of the Tasman District said police would look like "fools" if they allowed the race to go on for the third straight year, despite the objections of local residents.

Police said they investigated the legality of the race and found they cannot take any action.

"We have taken advice on the legality of their proposed action and have been advised that it falls short of an offense," Sergeant Arthur Clarence said.

About 100 people are expected to take part in the "clothing optional" race Sunday around Golden Bay on the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island. The race aims to promote safe cycling and alternative energy.

Hurley said police should enforce laws that require all cyclists to wear safety helmets.

"They have ridden bikes in the past down the road with no crash helmets, no nothing on, and people say that's a double standard," he said.

Floyd in France

Though still very early in the season, Floyd is off to such a blistering start that he's generating a lot of buzz about what could happen in July. Fresh off his overall win at the Tour of California, he rode away from the bunch today on the first real mountain stage in Paris-Nice. Though he let his companion take the stage win, he takes the overall and now looks to be in command to hold his lead for the remainder of the race. Though Basso and Ullrich have yet to take to the start line, Floyd is clearly the dominant stage-racer of the spring so far. See the report at cyclingnews.com.

Altona Race Retrospective

Altona Race Convenor extrordinaire, David S, has put together this fine montage of memories from the Altona Open event... Looks like it was an excellent event. The file now resides on our fgbc webspace and you can link to it from here. (Note: I had to install a newer version of Windows Media Player to make it go... make a note in the comments if you can't get it to work, and we'll see what can be done.)

Altona Race Retrospective

Altona Race Report

Good times at the first ever FGBC race held out of town. The Altona crew put on quite a show. Cool prizes (including urination devices, DVDs, and a martini set), rink dogs galore, and an FGBC-style stage race: a bike race followed by a knockdown. Mr. Sawatzky and Co. deserve another turn at hosting. And they deserve more serious consideration from Winnipeg folks wary of making the long, bumpy trip to the deep south.

The race portion of the event was short and fast, featuring highlights of the heralded Altona "trails system," a snow-covered mountain, and a bridge crossing. A perfect course for the red Raleigh Ltd., which is to say minimal bike handling skills were required. Just pedal hard and go. Stage 1 results were as follows:

Chris
Johnny G
Curt
Johnny S
Jeff R
Cheryl
David S
Brenda
Rachel

Where's the Duker?

Stage 2 was the knockdown--Altona style, which is to say in a cage, with no fixed direction, and with knocked-down riders and wandering toddlers serving as obstacles: 7 rounds with the top three finishers in each round scoring points to be combined with the race. After switching the Softride for his townie bike, Johnny S. proved once again to be the king of the knockdown. He won three and never finished lower than third. The big loser of the knockdown was Johnny G, still reeling from trying to race with his brakes engaged on his back wheel, perhaps. He failed to get any points during the knockdown portion and as a result was knocked down and off the podium, dropping from 2nd place to 4th. Johnny S., as predicted, rocketed upwards. But not quite high enough. In fact, though it only became clear well after the fact, it all came down to the final round, where I beat Johnny in a knockdown for the first time ever and held on to first place overall by a mere point. Johnny S. took 2nd, and Curt rounded out the podium for 3rd place.

Overall standings

9th place - Brenda Schritt (8th in race, 0 knockdown points)
8th place - Cheryl Koop (6th in race, 0 knockdwon points)
6th place (tie) - David Sawatzky (7th in race, 3 knockdown points)
- Rachel Klassen-Huebner (9th in race, 5 knockdown points)
5th place - Jeff Rempel (5th in race, 0 knockdwon points)
4th place - Jon Koop-Guenther (2nd in race, 0 knockdwon points)
3rd place - Curt Falk (3rd in race, 10 knockdown points)
- prize pack included assorted DVD's, insulated coffee mug and strap-on urination bag
2nd place - Jonny Sawatzky (4th in race, 16 knockdown points) (mildly disputed due to vague ruling on single bike entry)
- prize pack included assorted DVD's, Manchurian Candidate DVD, strap-on urination bag, home spa
1st place - Chris Klassen-Huebner (1st in race, 8 knockdown points)
- prize pack included assorted DVD's, THE WHO LIVE DVD collection, portable martini set and CD

Oh yeah . . . there was a basketball game of sorts too. The Devils lost to the Heels. Uggh. Hopefully they'll be pissed but refocused and ready to play in the tournament. Or else what looked like it was shaping up to be a dream season is heading for a disappointing finish. Get ready for the annual March Madness pool.

First race for Cheryl, Jeff, and Rachel

Johnny S, showing he's not just a knockdown expert

Johnny G getting passed by Curt

Knockdown!

The final podium

Curt's backyard

note from Altona Race Co-ordinator

Hello all,

Just a quick word to let you know about the upcoming Altona Bikeathon this Saturday, March 4th. We'll be having the race portion of the event starting at 4 PM at the South side of the Altona Park (right across from Rachel's parents place). There is lots of parking right there on the North side of Parkside Junior High School. After the race we'll proceed to the knockdown tournament and then head South to the Hiebert/Sawatzky household for some dogs and stuff (BYOB). There will be prizes and for those who think the winners are a given fear not! The grand aggregate is a combination of placings in both the race AND knockdown so even if you're not that fast, your balance might earn a victory!
We're hoping a bunch of folks can make it out but we ask that if you are planning on coming just let us know ASAP so we know how much food we'll need. We may also ask some folks to bring some chips or things.
If you need directions I'm sure Hubie can help you out or I'd be glad to help too. Hope everyone can make it and we'll surely have a good time. If you know of anyone else who'd be interested please pass along the word (just let us know who's coming please!)

David

p.s. Hubie - Duke-Carolina - 8 PM

Floyd's Win, Altona, Icebike

Floyd held on for the win at the Tour of California. Not a bad way to start the season.

Closer to home, the Altona Open goes this Saturday, March 4th. The race organizer down there reports that things are coming together nicely. He is also wondering what kind of numbers to expect--for planning purposes. Check your calendars, talk to whichever interested parties need talking to, and let's have another attempt at a tally at Tuesday's gathering.

Does anybody remember what time the race starts?

Also, check out this video for a different approach to racing bikes on ice. Think the Altona cage rink would be big enough?

Floyd = First

Floyd kicked ass in the time trial today at the Tour of California. Dave Zabriskie can really fly in the TT, but Floyd bested him by almost half a minute over 27 km. This gives him the overall lead and puts him in good position to hold on for the final GC. The race continues through Sunday, but the more decisive stages are done. See the brief report from velonews.com.

Makes the Team Canada implosion a little easier to swallow.

Bergen's Cutoff Race Report

Bit of a smaller crowd than we've had at recent races. Plenty of underwhelming excuses were offered up by the absent ones. And of course these were duly mocked by the few, the proud, the hard core who did brave the long, lonely journey to NK for the race. But the continuity has been preserved. The race season goes on. There is even talk of extending the once-a-month race schedule into summer. This was, of course, a sponsored event. So loyalty was duly rewarded with donated FGD and toques. The secretary will post a picture.

As for the race itself, a nice little course that looks promising as a repeat venue. Several endos were performed--the result of a rather steep dropoff down the old rail bed and the diminishing snow conditions in later laps, not to mention poor bike-handling skills. But no major injuries to report.

Results:

Chris
Darryl
Vic
Penner

Next race is the Altona Open on March 4th. Perhaps our goal should be at least to match the participations numbers that Altona will put up.

In other news, Floyd sits in 4th place after the 3.1 km opening prologue TT at the T of CA. The race continues this afternoon. Check out the latest interview with Floyd from cyclingnews.

Sunday race update - new time: 9:00pm

As the president has mentioned, we did plan a loop for sunday's race.

What you need to know:
1. If there's no moon, it could be quite dark. Should be interesting.
2. New start time: 9:00 pm so Dr. H can make it. Meet at my place... check the google map in the previous race post to find it. Note the instructions if you arrive a little late. You'll easily find us.
3. There will be a $5 draw if you're interested... as per last time... I've heard there will be a prize or two.
4. Boil-up. Bring dogs and buns, we'll have basic condiments.
5. There will be a bike toss, and hopefully a knock-down event if Hal brings the cones. The little mermaid would have been a perfect toss... sorry Miriam.

Little Mermaid, RIP

Good day for bike buyin' yesterday, it seems.


In addition to Penner, Miriam and Jonah both picked up some new wheels. In M's case, a Norco Mity Macho. This means that the Little Mermaid has been laid to rest. Actually, it's back at that great little bike shoppe on Portage waiting to make some other kid happy. She served us well, but evidently it was simply time to move on. It was tough for Miriam to decide between the Macho and the pink, flowery Trek with the white faux-wicker basket. But the Macho won out in the end. Whew.


Nobody is happier about this exchange than Jonah, since the Mermaid essentially became the more male-friendly Shogun in all its yellow (or at least not-pink) splendor. His masculinity is now appears to be safely secured, at least for the time being.



Looking forward to the race on Sunday. The course looks good. Let's hope it warms up a tad by then.

New Ride

Thanks to some networking by Dr. H. I will be making a significant upgrade.

Darryl, Chris and I planned out a sweet little loop for Sunday's event but I will be riding my current wheels for this event.

See you there
penner

Motorist vs Cyclist, part II

It's not only couriers who get into trouble with car drivers. Pros (or perhaps former pros in this case) have thier share of run-ins too. Check out the latest instalment in an ongoing litany of poor relations between motorists and cyclists, courtesy of cyclingnews.com. Not clear who's to blame in this one, but either way it's the cyclist who bears the brunt of the damage:

German rider Danilo Hondo, currently in training while serving a two-year suspension, was injured on Monday when struck by a car in what appears to be a road-rage incident in Somerset West, near Cape Town, South Africa. Tony Brown, an acquaintance of Hondo, and Matthias Kessler, were training with the German sprinter on the Paarl Vallei Road when a car drove past and abused the riders. Both Brown and Kessler said the driver, aged around 65, waited for them to pass before ramming Hondo's bike "with intent".

The extent of Hondo's injuries is not yet known, and Hondo himself isn't sure when he'll be riding again. "The doctors will have to check me out," he said. "Sometimes you get internal injuries from a fall like that - I'm not so worried about crashing, you can crash in any country. The problem is that drivers can do this."

In a strange twist Somerset West police said that the driver of the vehicle called the police station after the incident and reported the cyclists attacking him, something denied by both Brown and Kessler. Hondo is reported to be taking action against the driver.

Keep riding. But be careful out there in the jungle.

Floyd at the TofCA

A new high-profile stage race on North American soil is set debut this weekend: the Tour of California. It runs from Feb. 19-26 and will mark the start of the race season for many of the big names. This is a nice compliment to the Tour of Georgia, which happens in mid-April. One thing that makes this latest race interesting is that it is sponsored by Amgen, otherwise known as the world's leading manufacturer of EPO. Our man Floyd will be at the start in San Francisco and he's bringing a strong team. Sounds like he's approaching this as a race rather than a mere training exercise. Good news. Stay tuned for updates. In the mean time, check out the article on Floyd from velonews.com. He's now the clear leader of the team and looks to be poised for a big year, with the Tour being the main focus.

Just back from a weekend in Ontario and it feels like forever since I've been on a bike. Then again, it's a nice break since I'm still bruised and banged up from the comedy of errors called Icebike. I did manage to stop in for coffee at Jet Fuel Coffee, messenger hangout and sponsor of Canada's only pro cycling team. Check it out if you're ever in Toronto.

sponsors etc

A rather lengthy report from the Jersey Committee

I am not quite sure how the figurehead leader has taken on this portfolio, but just as I am about to retire my efforts with this endevour, I am pulled back into it by some very faint glimmer of light.

The Fox and Hounds is in!! They are giving us $200.00. They would like a 3-4 inch logo. I said that we can easily accomondate that.

I am hoping that Snider othodics will come onboard as well as Eppsiepman!

On a similar note, Wayne, the other sales guy at FGBC returned a call I made weeks back. I indicated his counterpart was less forthcoming than hoped for. Anyway, we got to talking and Oerst is out, Wayne is in, but we still do not have any cash. It seems that FGBC has been burned in the past with sponcerships like this, teams not even buying jerseys. That being said, Wayne would like to "foster a relationship" with us and would like a letter or at least an email about "us". (Maybe someone could assist me with that.) He needs this to bring his boss onboard. He will see what he can do about some cash. It is easier to get FGBC shirts and beer than money right now (and that he offered)..."we are in a beer war!!" We talked about our needs etc, If all the planets line up we might get 150 -200 if his boss gives him the green light. In the fostering of a relationship, he sincerely offered the occasional use of the FBGC board room for the use of planning big events, like our spring ride. I am going to try to get a FGBC Tshirt or hoodie for the prize on the 19th, failing that, it will be the twin rivers touques.

Since we have a sponcer, Who is in??? 15 jerseys are about $720.00 Canadian (10 are about $550.00) There is NO duty so therefore no brokerage fees. They require a 50% deposit before work is started. A designed committee has been formed, Darryl, Chris and Hal. Let me(your presedent) know if you are in!

penner

velo artisan bread

let me know if you want a "velo artisan bread singlespeed cyclocross racing" shirt. i'll probably be getting both synthetic and cotton t-shirts from mec.

Other interesting bike stuff : a piece from the nytimes magazine about Jan Robic, a sloveanian soilder who is the world's best ultraendurance cyclist. Some of Jan's achievements: winning the 3,000-mile Insight Race Across America (RAAM), setting a world record in the 24-hour time trial by covering 518.7 miles,.last year following up his RAAM victory with a victory six weeks later in Le Tour Direct, a 2,500-mile race on a course contrived from classic Tour de France routes - Robic finished in 7 days and 19 hours, and climbed some 140,000 feet, the equivalent of nearly five trips up Mount Everest.

velospeak

From time to time it has been suggested that FGBC is more a vehicle to talk about cycling than it is actually about riding bikes. The pendulum seems to be swinging back to the riding side of things, if this winter's race participation is any indication. But lest we lose sight of our roots, I offer the Cycling Dictionary, made available by T-Mobile (Jan Ullrich's team), in order to facilitate future bike-related discussions. More road than mtb, but it's a start.

Next race - February 19 - Bergen's Cut-off

So, it seems we've confirmed that there will be a race at Bergen's Cut-off on February 19th. We'll meet at my place (see the google map here) at 8:00pm. The race area is in the green space just north of my place. (If you are a bit late, go to Kildonan Drive, hang a right (North) and where it ends will be race epicentre.) The race director is planning a trip out next week, to help establish an adequately rigorous course.

There is also a strong rumour that related activities (will not include rotten vegetables this time) may include a bike toss. Stay tuned.

It seems the draw and boil-up were popular enough last time that they may take place again... that will likely be confirmed at our next meeting.

Don't forget to keep Mar. 4 open for the Altona Open.

darryl

New Event?

Could this be a new event to work into future rides and races? As a whole, FGBC seems to prefer more of a slow-ride ethos. I've even heard one of us talk about the importance of slow-food. But 163 kmh on a bike has got to be a rush and I heard someone say once that you don't know what you're missing until you've tried it. I hit around 70 kmh once riding down a mountain in Utah. That was pretty cool. Finding the right spot would pose a problem. That hill in Altona probably isn't big enough. This event has Jeff R written all over it. Definitely not a slow-rider, that guy. Clearly the problem with the rocks and all a few years back was due to the slowness imposed by the conditions--tight trail, obstacles. But this definitely wouldn't be a Penner-friendly activity. It would no doubt suck on a fixie too. I love it that the dude is wearing a heart-rate monitor. Wonder what it registered when he noticed his bike start to disintigrate?

Motorist vs. Cyclist

Carrying on in the same general vein of attempting to purchase self-legitimation through stories of victimization . . . Actually, I find this sort of gesture--a kind of manipulative wallowing in self-pity that is blind to the power it seeks--to be perverse and morally repugnant. Egghead that I am, I've even written an essay on this topic. But this isn't that kind of forum. In any case, I will wallow away and participate in it anyway. Not all of us are as sophisticated as James in the dialectical rhetoric of disclamation/legitimation, so why not just acknowledge the contradition straight up? A different, though not entirely unrelated, social convention. At any rate, the following photos of a confrontation between a bike courier and an angry motorist in Toronto have been making the rounds lately. That dude needs to chill out. Watch out Johnny G. The next time you flex your muscles at a car full of young punks, they might not be as intimidated by you as the rest of us are.

Still We Ride

More treats from the world of NYC bike culture. See this trailer for Still We Ride, a documentary about the police crackdown on the NYC critical mass in August 2004. Bikes + cops = trouble.

Closer to home: Check out this picture of the secretary plunging to what looks like certain death.

ICEBIKE 2006

A huge success by any measure!

Lots of pictures to be seen. Start here:
shots Krista took at the finish line and a bit more.

Then, check out the bigtime FGBC representation in this guy's collection of pics. Beauty.
Pics from the BigDadoo. You have to be patient and wade through... it's worth it. My fav (besides multiple shots of the president's wound), is a close-up of dr. h with our logo gleaming brightly.

Full race results are available on the Icebike 2006 website!

Altona Bike Festival

More from David "give me some posting privileges" Sawatzky on the Altona Race:

Just a short update from the Altona race-planning commitee...

The race course has tentatively been determined for March 4th. Exact course distance has yet to be determined but we can tease you with the following course features: a unique start (void of push-ups, burpees, jumping jacks, etc.), bridge crossings, full-on hill assault, hairpin corners, and wide lanes (at least wider than lanes previously described to me).

Prizes are yet to be determined but there will be prizes! (probably)

For now we're hoping for a 4 PM meeting time followed by a quick course run-through. Then the race. Then the Southern Manitoba-style cage-match knockdown event.

The grand aggregate point system will determine the eventual event champion. This means that even if you kick ass in the race an equal domination of the knockdown by someone else could win the title. More on that later.

The days festivities will be capped by some grub here at Casa Hiebzky and the Duke-Carolina basketball game at 8PM. Festivities will conclude sometime the next morning. All are welcome and arrangements for overnight stays can easily be arranged!

We hope theres some interest out there from our Northern brethren (other then just Hubie) so let us know who's interested.

Thanks!

For the record, I plan to be there. We have had races with as few as 5 riders and knockdowns with a mere 4. The race shall go on.

Icebike conditions

Just back from a spin at the Forks, trying to figure out where the course is going to run for Sunday. If what we found is even close to being correct, it promises to be a fun course. Many of the same parts as usual, but all on land--unless we missed some river bits here and there. My guess is that it should be a rather fast course. The snow is packed down hard on the paths, and the trail is cleared to the grass, which means little loose snow to push through. The president's comment notwithstanding, fast = good. The same amount of energy spent will get you closer to your desired goal. Juan Eppstein could probably supply a formula that would corroborate this. In any case, all of this may turn out to be moot if the snow that is forecast for tomorrow turns out to be significant. We'll see. Either way, it will be a good time, as usual.

I still hope to get out again tomorrow afternoon, if only for a little while. Not sure when. Call if you're interested.

Johnny and I also scouted out a new potential race course for the FGBC series. This will have to be a late one, since we will want to make sure there are no pedestrians to compete with. Details forthcoming, but for now they must remain top secret. One thing we can safely promise though: no pushups. Burpees or jumpingjacks, maybe. But no pushups. And definitely no flexed arm hang. Bike racing isn't supposed to require any upper body strength. Ever see those guys? The cartoon characters in Triplets of Belleville were only slightly exaggerated. But with all the other race talk going around these days--Bergen's cutoff, Altona--it might be hard to find a time that works. Will see.

Friday Night Ride

Head's up: Johnny G and myself are planning a light ride tomorrow night (Friday)--probably around 9pm or so. Will check out portions of the Icebike course and maybe more in and around the Forks and Whittier. The more the merrier.

I'm also hoping to head out for a short ride sometime during the day Saturday. Call if you're interested in joining me.

The good news is that it will be warm Sunday. The latest forecast is calling for a high of 0. The bad news is that it will be warm on Sunday. That kind of weather will make for a bit of a slower course than would be desirable.

Old Lady and the Mercedes

Perhaps not explicitly bike-related, except in so far as we can all appreciate an asshold driver getting what he has coming. This video came up in discussion at the meeting last night. May or may not be genuine, but is still worth a watch. Click here to watch.

Sponcership woes

Several items to report on from the office of the figurehead.


I have made an effort into making some contacts in the hopes of generating a little sponsorship for "the team". The specific goal is/was new jerseys. After several conversations with Orest. I made a trip down to the brewery. I must say that it was rather dissappointing to say the least. I was informed previously that there was essentially no money, but made the trip anyway because I was promised some 'products' as well as maybe a brief discussion about future endeavours . He fell a fair bit short of his orginal 'products' offer. Orest was not even there in the end! He left me a case of dark and 4 touques, twin rivers at that!! I did spend a short while with Dieter, the accountant, who reiterated that funds were slim but directed me to Wayne. Wayne, he said, has the ability to make these sorts of thing happen.

On a somewhat similar note Craig Vidal, cousin in law, is the manager at BRANIGAN'S at the forks. He is very interested in making some sort of relationship with us there. He has strings to pull with FGBC(he and wayne are tight) and would pull some on our behalf if a positve relationship could be established. My concern is I am not sure that this is a direction our team wants/needs to go in. Branigans?? Wings and beers could be OK ??

The last item of note, I spoke with Chantelle today as well. She is the manager of the Fox and Hounds. She was pleasantly intrigued with us. She mentioned that the laws changed 3 years ago with respect to sponsoring teams, uniforms, drinks etc. They had not sponsored any teams since then BUT she has an interest in us and will give us an answer next week with regards to helping us. She needs to check on it with the legals and of course $$ concerns. She was indeed positive. She gave me a logo for artwork purposes! This logo would fit nicely on a sleeve indeed.

I think that we should race at the BERGEN'S Cut off and return to BARG's house, to consume the free case, raffle off the bad touques and whatever 50/50 contributions are gained and reprise the boil up at which point we can discern if new jerseys is what the FGBC is about. :) The race should be in february before the altona open

president penner
figurehead president FGBC
acclaimed by default.

More on the Altona proposal

Writing again on behalf of the Altona chapter, it now seems that March 4th has become the number one date of choice. The reason? This would facilitate a post-race viewing of the Duke - Carolina game at Swatty's place. Pencil it in and we can talk more on Tuesday.

Proposal from Altona!

Jonny S. and I (David S) were mulling over a possible date for a similar event here in the big A. Saturday Feb. 18th?

The line-up here would feature an afternoon race time followed by a Southern Manitoba-style knockdown tourney (to quote the Duker, "You haven't really done it 'til you've done it in a cage!" I hope he was talking about knockdown.) To cap off the day we'd have a little supper (Unger? Rink dogs?) and fun and fellowship well into the evening.

Hopefully a late afternoon start/early evening finish will encourage those who plan on heading back to Winnipeg (although all are welcome to stay, we can always find floor space/beds).

So, Winnipeg FGBC'ers, can we make it happen? The initial invitation comes in the comments down on the race report... Dr. H has replied negatory do to a prior commitment... Any other thoughts?

Spring ride date changed already

The most significant news from Tuesday is that the ambitious effort to peg down a date for the spring ride has already fallen apart.

New date (for now): The weekend of June 11.

FGBC sponsored knock-down derby

Icebike

Next event is Icebike: Jan. 29 at the Forks. For more information, click here. Last year 4 FGBC members were able to participate: Hal, Unger, Juan Eppstein, and myself. Hopefully we can improve on those numbers this year. With all the racing we've been doing, we should collectively do alright. It's a low-key race with a big group of people (150-200) and is always lots of fun.

Full Results and Series Points

Here are the full race results for Sunday's race:

Hal (ss)
Chris
Johnny G (ss)
Loren (ss)
Darryl
Juan
Nathan
Jon F
Aiden (ss?)
LeAnn
Penner (no pushups!)
Unger (chain problems)
Vic (-1 lap)
Elizabeth (-3 laps)
Stuart W (-3 laps)
Johnny S - DNS?
Jess - DNS

And, if we were to total the results from race to race according to the standard point scoring system, this is how things would add up. Bear in mind that you must finish a race to qualify for points.

Chris - 27
Hal - 20
Johnny G - 17
Darryl - 12
Mark W - 9
Nathan G - 9
Unger - 8
LeAnn - 8
James - 7
Loren - 7
Jeff - 6
Juan - 5
Jon F - 3
Aiden - 2

Brief Race Update

Good work, boys and girls. An overwhelming turnout last night: 17 riders started in each event--though not the same 17. Less a race than bike carnival, albeit lacking mattresses and rotten vegetables. Here are the bare bones details: Johnny S. retained his title in the knockdown event, as the one rider to win more than once. As for the race, here's the top-five (if memory serves).

Hal
Chris
Johnny G
Loren
Darryl

Full race results, report, and pictures to follow.

That's a lot of bikes

Courtesy of the New York Times:

PEDAL POWER "Retailers predict that they sold close to 20 million bicycles in 2005, a number not seen since the oil embargo of the 1970's," Bicycling reports.

While the media coverage Lance Armstrong received for winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France certainly deserves some of the credit, it seems clear that a good number of them were bought for commuting, something that the magazine could not be happier about.

"By using a bike instead of a car just one day a week, the average American (who drives 29 miles daily) would save $609 in gasoline, maintenance and depreciation costs per year, reduce auto emissions by 24 pounds per week, and on that ride, even at a comfortable 12-m.p.h. pace, burn an extra 1,315 calories."

better late than never

bike race - january - 2006

here it is folks, the schedule for the january bike race:

1) bike derby; 7:00 pm at vimy ridge park
2) race; 8:00 pm at omand's creek
3) hot dog boil-up; 8:30ish at dr hubie's - bring your own buns, dogs, lawnchairs, beverages, etc.

prizes or prize to be awarded at the boil-up

i know this was not discussed at the meeting last night, but i suggest an entry fee of $5. we will then put everyone's name in a hat and draw for the cash (minus any costs incured from prizes). if you like this idea, say so - if you don't, say so.

minutes jan 3, 2006

good attendence. two very significant points were covered:

• derby and boil-up - Jan. 15. The derby will take place in the Wolseley area, with dogs boiled over a fire to follow. time tba, but an early evening start has been suggested.
  
• Hal has written a date for the spring ride into his palm. The weekend of June 4. This is breaking very new ground as far as even proposing a date... check your books.

Last Ride of 2005

Good turnout for the New Year's Eve Ride. The ride itself quickly degenerated into a lengthy knockdown derby, cage match style--on ice. Not sure of the final tally, but the boys from Altona pretty easily dispensed with the out of town guests from the City. Defensive riding was the key under the circumstances, and Johnny's townie and David S's general penchant for conflict avoidence suited the conditions to perfection. Home ice advantage didn't hurt either. There are hints that enthusiasm in Altona is trending upwards. There is even talk of them hosting a race. The potential combination of a toboggan run finishing on an ice rink seems particularly promising. Stay tuned.

christmas comes late

got home late last night and had a message on the machine...

"hal,
gene-o at one on one bike studio....in snowy minneapolis, minnesota.
your bike is here - its ready.
anytime, we'll be ready for you - all right.
have a good one.
goodbye"

sweet.

other minneapolis news: looks like cars-r-coffins is getting a retail space...one more reason to go to the twin cities.

New Year's Eve Ride

Location: Altona.
Time of departure to be determined.

All are invited, including El Presidente, and the President too, for that matter.

minutes, dec 27, 2005

present: dr. hubie, hal, unger, secretary

a relaxing, post family-gathering type meeting.

an initial survey on the christmas bike crap (please feel free to add your items in the comments):
secretary: mec samurai riding shorts, VDO bike computer, assorted lights. no new bike.
dr. hubie: a fancy headset and hubs to build some new wheels.
hal: I can't remember
unger: maybe next year.

there was more discussion on future shirts... and the funding options that could facilitate something higher end. we were hoping someone would be able to provide a report on the status of the fundraising bonspiel... maybe next time.

the Texas hold'em fundraiser took a bit more shape... this may be more a way of levying dues in a fun way. we all put in $10 to play. the winner gets his $10 back, the rest of the cash goes into the common jersey pot. then we repeat on a few more nights.

Race Results

Another fine race took place this evening. A bit more cyclocross style this time around. This perhaps explains why Hal schooled us all. Another record turnout, with a total of 9 racers showing up. And a better showing from the FGBC, with 7 folks present. The course consisted of 4 laps of climbing and descending at Omand's Creek. The loosening of snow on the toboggan runs led to a series of endos and other forms of spontaneous dismount. There has been some discussion concerning the need to clarify starting procedures, but all in all it seems like another successful FGBC event.

Results:

Hal (ss)
Johnny G (ss)
Chris (fixed)
James
Darryl
Nathan
Vic (-.5 laps)
Elizabeth (-1 lap)
Penner (-2.5 laps)

The President's excuse for this poor showing is that the potential for footage was too good to pass up. So he played the role of videographer and photographer. Videos and pictures to be posted not later than 2007.

The next event was originally scheduled for Jan 1 at the school across from Hal's place. But in light of some potential scheduling conflict, there is a possibility that this may be rescheduled. The particulars will firmed up at the clubhouse Tuesday evening. In addition, the president promises to be present to request the official Christmas accounting of the numbers contained in The Book.

Race #2

Race #2 is this Sunday, Dec. 18 at Omand's Creek. Meet at Omand's Creek (on the Wolseley side) at 8pm. Post-race festivities at my place. I tested a potential race course on my way back from work this evening. 5 cm of wet snow is not conducive to fast riding. Let's hope it doesn't snow too much more and that it gets colder. But either way, the race will go on. Hope FGBC participation is better this time around.

and now for something completely different...

we have a long long way to go regarding bike derbys; as received from ian hall....

"In my heaven, this would be every Sunday afternoon (and I wouldn’t have to work Mondays).

Oh. My. God."

http://homepage.mac.com/rachelmeyrick/iMovieTheater8.html

lost and found

apparently, someone at this evening's meeting left this behind. anybody guess who's it is? i know i don't really want it...


possible future FGBC events as discussed at the meeting:
- bike and street hockey derby
- biathalon: ride your bike, throw a frisbee to hit a target

Night Riding

First night ride of the winter last night. Just me and Johnny G. Went out to Whittier Park, etc. Not enough dog walkers there, evidently. Or at least it was too dark to see the trail, if there was one. Everything else was fine though. The red Raleigh made her maiden off-road voyage. Only went down once--a block and a half from home. Only other incident was when I crashed into Johnny. Shoulder hurts a bit from where it impacted his saddle. Better than last year when, for a time, I thought a tree broke my femur. Did some scouting for the next race. Will look to throw in a decent amount of trail. Hope to confirm when that takes place at the meeting this evening.

Plan to get out for night rides on a semi-regular basis (e.g., twice a week), at least for the next little while. Co-conspirators are always welcome.

minutes nov. 29

...felt like we were back to usual in the attendance department. nice. a good complement of bikers and hockey guys. Even Luke was there.

Reports on the race were positive, although the lack of FGBC members was unfortunate.

A few ice related wipe-outs from the last few days were described.

Sounds like the next race could be on the weekend of the 17th/18th. A number of folks seemed to prefer evening.

It also seems like something is brewing for Jan 1.

Speaking of brewing, the dark was different last night, but the true supporters stuck with the home team. Wow, it won't be long before the thrift stores are full of useless Rickard's glasses.

Race Results

Good turnout for the first race this morning. Seven riders showed up. I believe that's a new record high for racers. Miriam was the lone fan. FGBC participation, however, hit an all time low. Only Unger and myself showed up. The race consisted of 15 laps around an oval in Vimy Ridge Park. The course featured a mix of untreaded snow, sanded walking path, a token technical dropoff, with a few sections of bumpy ice. It took a few laps for the snow to pack down, but by the end the laps were going pretty quickly. Will look to have another race in a couple of weeks, before everyone scatters for the holidays. A short loop of single track in Whittier Park might be nice. After sorting out some confusion on lap counts, the official standing are as follows:

Chris H
Mark W
Dave U
LeAnn F
Jeff F
Jess K
Elizabeth B

Venue Change

There is a venue change for the race tomorrow morning. It will take place at Vimy Ridge Park. Same time. Same setup. See you all there at 10am.