100psi

I knew that the Minuteman Bikeway was going to be mad crowded on the first warm-ish Sunday afternoon of the year, but the promise of 20 miles of flat and car free riding was too strong to pass up.

However with all the slowing down, stopping, and near collisions because of others poor bike handling skills (not me, of course) I had endure, I realize I’d much rather put up with speeding Range Rovers on the roads of the Needham/Dover/Sherborn CRW route, than fall over and scape my knee because the rider in front of me came to a quick stop rather than going around the skateboarder blocking the path and I couldn’t unclip quickly enough.  Aaargh.

Sorry, Minuteman.  I like you, but don’t like like you.  I hope we can remain friends.

Is forty-something too late to start racing?   You’re only as old as you feel?  I’ll see how old I feel after attending NEBC Spring Race Clinic.  Got to put my new race bike to good use.

And speaking of Freds, I recently started listening to the Fredcast podcast.  The host talks about all aspects of cycling, from commuting to PRO.  He goes overboard with sponsor mentions, but you might check it out.

I’m selling my beautiful, smooth riding, one of a kind vintage steel, French seven-speed.   Not an easy decision, as I’ve become quite attached to it, but I don’t need two road bikes.

I’ll post it on craigslist and bicycle forums, but wanted to offer to readers of this blog first.  Asking price is $1800; fair offers welcomed.

The description:

Philippe brand, thought to be late 1980’s or early 1990’s

Hand-built, one of a kind, French manufactured

Columbus SLX tubing

Steel-lugged

All Dura-Ace components

3 TTT stem and bars

Campagnolo dropouts

7-Speed

Mavic Open Pro Wheels (built last June at Harris Cyclery)

Dura-Ace Hubs

Gatorskin tires, 700×25C

Brooks Team Professional saddle with copper rivets.

Will included Mavic GP4 and GL330 clinchers from original build (rims and tires only, hubs cut out for new wheelset)

and used Shimano PD-R600 (not pictured)

54 cm top tube, 32.5” standover height

Rides as beautifully as it looks.   Few minor scratches from use.

Sorry, will not sell parts.  Local buyers; will not ship.

More larger and higher resolution pics here:

Thanks for looking, and please forward this along to your bike collecting friends.

Worst evening commute of the year?

(this weather merits staying off main roads taking alternative routes)

Feeling too lazy, I almost didn’t put on the snow tire this morning.  I wish I had one today for the back tire too; major spinning action with the wet, heavy snow.   But for a brief moment, I had fond recollections of me and the neighborhood kids hiking through similar weather on our way to the “big hill” for all day sledding, which this type of snow is perfect.

(I thought leaving work a bit early would be better, but just my luck, I left in time to get in front of the snowplows and not behind them)

I just saw this interview/webinar with Nicole Freeman on urbanvelo.org, and thought I’d share if you haven’t seen it already.

I’m hoping that the bike share program will be a success and encourage more folks to travel on two wheels.

As I wrote in my last blog, I’m in the midst of bout with winter blues, cycling-wise.  I’m near tears every morning as I put on the same five layers of bulky winter clothing, and I’m tired of cleaning salt and sand off my bike, so the crud just builds up, acting as a visual metaphor for my mood.

(depression’s got a hold of me)

I don’t ride cross, nor will be training for race season, and I don’t enjoy long distance rides in temps below 60.   Pleasure riding for me stopped in September and won’t begin until April.  Yes, I’m having pity party for myself, on Valentine’s Day no less.

To lift my sprits, I bought a new bike.  Not that I have extra money for new bike, nor was I looking to buy one so quickly, but it was too good of an ebay deal to pass up.  A complete bike with Ultegra for much less than what the frame and fork retails.   So what I have to buy new pedals, and new shoes, and probably a shorter stem?  I’ve got something new (used, actually, but new to me) and shiny, and that makes me happy.

This is next level cycling for me.  I’m excited to hit the road.  Just hurry up and get warm already.

Completely unrelated, but I wanted to share this shirt I recently spotted embroidered with the Virgin Mary because its that great:

I can now add universalhub.com readers, smokers, shaw’s employees, shaw’s employees who smoke, and fellow bostonbiker.org blogger, bagel thrower, tobacco enthusiast, MBTA hater, and hater of 50% of all Bostonians, Zero Combustion, to the list of folks who think this blog is written by a cynical, sarcastic, unfunny twat.

Perhaps some of the reasons for this are:

-       this blog is in fact written by a cynical, sarcastic, unfunny twat

-       when I put out negative vibes, I get back negative vibes

-       I’m missing long rides on country roads and my winter blues manifest into grouchiness

I predicted that once I stopped riding for fun and only for commuting, the complaint hag inside me would rear its ugly face through this blog.   But I’ve come to enjoy writing this because it gives me something to think about while I’m in the saddle, other than how to react after being flattened by mini-van racing to a red light because they are running late to pick up their kids from violin practice.  And typing in Word at work gives the impression that I’m actually working.

Syd Barret, whose birthday I share, wrote a fun, lighthearted, simple, and childlike (and kind of weird, he did a lot of acid) song titled “Bike.”

(ride on you crazy diamond)

And I enjoy riding bikes because it is fun, simple, and childlike.  So I’m going to try to be more like Syd and try to keep my writings more optimistic and less grumpy; more about my zany riding adventures and less about future cancer victims blowing carcinogens my way.

And I also plan to drop a lot of acid.

However, I will continue to us the power of this blog to target and unmask the real enemies of humans and cyclists in particular: kittens.  Don’t be fooled by their cute meowing or soft, fuzzy fur.  Check any conspiracy website and you’ll learn part of the their master plan is to cover all bike lanes with kitty litter, and make all bike racks into scratching posts.

(all you haters suck my fur balls)

First step is to bring down their diabolical and cunning leader, Maru.

Smoking, Shaws and me, pt.2

I had a head scratching visit to Shaw’s supermarket this morning.

I noticed that even though the cigarette receptacle was moved away from the bike rack area to the corner of Comm. Ave. and West Alcorn St., employees (and visiting smokers) still puff away at the bike racks.   Did they not notice it moved?

(at least these employees were considerate enough to move somewhat away from the bike racks when i arrived.  but, you know, you can still smell smoke even though it shifts six feet down the sidewalk)

Then as I was leaving, I watched these two pro-life protesters walk from the Planned Parenthood building over to the bike racks to light up.  Maybe they are in a pro-life union, and are allowed certain number of breaks from standing in the cold all day calling women baby killers and telling them they’re going hell.  What confused me most seeing this is why would someone be pro-life, yet slowly kill themselves by smoking?  And wouldn’t be more disruptive and malicious to smoke in front of planned parenthood building?  Or are they more polite when off the clock?

And then there is this sign outside Shaw’s a bit further down toward Brighton Ave.:

Health and safety only for the non-existing people in the closed, locked and unused sitting area, but not for cyclists?  Hmm…

WWTWD (what would Tex Williams do)?  Or this guy?

Here’s a helpful visual aid:

When driving rains and melting snow turn the bike lanes in raging rivers, its one of the rare times I’ll seek the higher grounds of an empty sidewalk.

(beacon street, chestnut hill)

The first few minutes on the bike in weather like this, I ask myself “why?”  After getting completely drenched (except for my feet; love my new overshoes, although the stitching is coming undone and I hope to exchange them), I start to laugh at myself.  Out loud.

I wonder what motorists must think when they see me soaking wet and wearing a maniacal grin.  I want them to fear and respect me, but I guess they’re probably thinking to themselves “why?”

At least I’m not futilely trying to stay dry by clutching onto an inside out umbrella, or trying to jump over two foot deep puddles created by storm drains covered with trash.

(my wife hates when i hang clothes in the shower.  apparently there’s some thing called a ‘drying rack’? whatever.)

Hope everyone got home safely.

If you’re looking for a cycling pick-me-up to get you through next few months of shit weather, I recommend watching the short films of the 42 Below ride.  Click on each date to the right to view short clips.  I hope they offer this cross country ride again this year.  I want to go to there.

With the winter break at Boston College over, the students and faculty have returned, along with my bike lane arch-enemy who continues to park in the buffer zone of the Beacon St. bike lanes:

You can’t see it to well in this photo, but the car has a “Hip Hop Zombie” bumper sticker.

Not sure what that means, even after Googling the term.

True, they aren’t actually blocking the bike lane, but the arrogance of parking wherever they please, repeatedly, especially on top the slash markings which indicate a no parking zone, bugs the shit out of me.

This car disappeared for a while towards the end of last semester, and I like to think it was because I posted about this car previously, and that influential folks in parking enforcement who regularly read this blog acted post-haste and issued a parking violation ticket.   Could such a thing happen again?

I realize there are bigger issues in the world right now to write about; Haiti earthquake victims, wars around the world, Scott Brown is a Senator, the final episode of Jersey Shore airing tonight, etc.  But I blog about cycling, and commuting in particular, so please save any critical replies for my next post about Shaw’s smoking receptacle (which remains at the bike racks as of this morning).

On a more positive note, I wanted to share this image from a link on Bike Snob NYC if you hadn’t seen it already:

(to dream the impossible dream)

Just another wintery day on the bike.

Went and voted this morning for the candidate who did not promote their gas guzzling, pick up truck driving ways.

Tried out my new overshoes in the snow and rain for the first time, and pleased to report they performed well.

(they are still dorky fashion-wise, but i’m happy they look more star-trek-original-series-boots than the frankenstein-platform-shoes of my last pair)

Was happy to see others rode today.

And marked up the office rugs.  Again.