different route home

cutting thru the park
constructions got things torn up
new houses
new sewer line
skinny tired track
rooster tails of mud

indecisive

thirty two degrees leaving the house
dressed accordingly
with visible breath standing in the backyard
looking at a late departure sunrise
pretty

rolling the streets
increased morning traffic
hit a wall of really warm air
wind begins to pick up
dipping into a tiny creek valley
hit a wall of thirty two degree air
warm front approaching
messing with my layering strategy

ten minutes later i'm off the bike
jacket stowed in my pack
forty some degrees
southerly breeze swaying the trees

sixty one degrees at lunch
springish
thirties and snow showers sunday
winterish
ping pong weather pattern continues

RR41

clicky clicky sends you to the newest rivendell reader. interesting stuff as usual. go get your lugged steel fix.

http://www.rivbike.com/assets/payloads/75/original_RR41_web.pdf

of trailering via the fix

so the days are growing slightly longer and the sun has a bit more potency of warmth and the mind wanders to getting the little one out. our garage is a cluster of a mess as i struggle to get the trailer out the back door. plan is to utilize the garage door opener and come & go with style and ease one day. armed with a blanket and toys, all we need are temps reaching 40 and a bit of sun for some warming greenhouse effect inside her little windproof rolling bubble.

the trailer itself is top notch quality. ball and socket hitch. weight specific suspension. smart retention strap design and comfy seat. lots o windows for viewing the world. cargo pocket that'll fit a big grocery bag. large easy rolling wheels (though they could use a little truing). basically i like the chariot carrier cougar one and she doesn't hate it either cause she'll pass out within 5 minutes of being strapped in.

now having first hand experience with our local roadways, i know there's a shit ton of assholes out there that have little regard for my safety. and sadly, they still have little regard even when towing a kid trailer with requisite flapping orange flag. and i'm talking about saturday or sunday afternoon cruising, not rush hour madness where everyone is a doctor late for an organ transplant and they need to piss really bad too. fuck you very much, you have a stop sign and i don't.

so i'll wisely choose my roads but try to focus on hitting rail trails and the like. now this time of year freeze/thaw is in full effect and things tend to get soft and drain extra poorly as vegetation is still hibernating and not sucking the water up into the canopy. the geared pacer is shod with 25's which is perfect for the road and probably doable sans trailer offroad but 40 extra pounds of rolling resistance may test that setup.

in steps the crosscheck with a knobby 38 up front and slick commutery number out back with a width of 35. only one gear so you gotta choose it wisely; 40x19 seems to work out just dandy for me.



you can still spin out on the road while keeping the rpms up in the soft stuff. standing to climb is awkward at first but pedaling thru the deadspot and avoiding the subsequent surge of moemtum from the trailer makes things feel semi normal. direct drive is most likely responsible for this as i never felt this smooth while towing with the pacer. speed modulation via the legs is a bonus too as a sleeping girl may not like the squeal of my lone canti up front. and yes, you can still trackstand with a trailer attached.

we've only been out for an hour at a time but as temps rise that will increase and i'm sure to learn the location of all the local parks as destinations. another hitch will be purchased for angela's bike as well and maybe a chainring swap as i'm not sure how low the gearing is on her 3 speed swobo otis.

long stretches of rail trail will be traversed this summer, maybe a road trip or two to philly to tow with max and the twins, and possibly a summit of mt penn with evey in tow. that last one'll require the gears though, that's a big ass hill.

how to properly use a big dummy

go speak to the reverend for inspirational instruction.

the past three days...

the trip home friday







saturday afternoon







sunday morning

10 months

contrasts

morning fog


evening flurries and fierce tailwind

help a brutha out

wordage straight from tomi himself. you know, maker of stainless steel cogs and rings. he wants to see colorado. go do some clicking and send him on his way:

Hello fellow lovers of the fix!

Wow, what a year it's been. First, thanks for all of the support, taking a chance on my silly cogs & rings. Ya'll have helped me learn some things, lots of things, see some sights and pedal that bike just a bit further than ever before. Good times, good times. Couple years ago when I was newish to the fix, I got a hair up my ass and did a bit of underground stage racing on the fixie's. 2 dirt TT's, 2 road stages and 3 epic mtn bike stages over six days. Last year in a bow to sanity, I cut it back to just singlespeed on the dirt, but kept it fixed for the two road stages. And now, if you're not already aware, I have a chance to race the fix in another stage race, at a new to me venue, in Breckenridge, Co. They're jumping into the game with a little stage race out there this summer, 210ish miles over 5 days + a prologue. Sounds like fun, eh? here's the link:

If you go to that page, you might notice a link to this thing in the lower right called the "Blogger's Grant." What they're doing is, is taking the top finishers of a blogger popularity contest, and comping an entry in exchange for 4 prep articles plus daily race reports. You'll get to read all about it! And if you click thru to that page, you might notice that I'm entered. Yeah, I'm throwing my hat into the ring on the premise of doing it fixed. Why? well, like most of you, I'm still working on that one. The entry/essay tells you more....

I could really use your help in getting my vote tally up, that wirey viking TeamDicky is killing me...curses, but his fjear don't scare me none. So, please please please take 30 seconds and click me in at number 1, you get to pick three, weighted tally I guess. And if you just wanna throw me some blind support, here's the direct survey link: » Vote for your favorite now

or this maybe: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2fSyN8trcRItHWo9YXQBfjg_3d_3d

My entry, w/ links to the other blog, the one I actually keep up to date: http://www.breckepic.com/blogs-contestant-mcmillar.html

Breck homepage: www.breckepic.com

enjoy the ride,

Tomi

ps: I do now have chainrings on the shelf...32/4/6 in 104x4, 32/4 in 102x4, 38-44 110x5 and 42-48 130x5, all 3/32" and cogs of course, with a few 22's now also, thnx.

prime conditions

35f
rain falling
snow mixing in too
touch of fog
weathery tour of california?
how about a tour of pennsylvania?
and a hypothermic peloton
now that's impressive
i'll just ride home from work
with imaginary fanfare lining my route

edit: no snow, little rain, lots of sleet
drop your head and pedal blind sleet
quick glance up then eyes down again
sure puts hustle in your legs

warming up the engine

early morning darkness
streets lined and driveways filled
with frost encrusted cars sitting silent
down the block a cloud of exhaust looms
spreading to fill the entire lane
on a calm windless morn
breath, breath, hold
pass thru the foul tasting air
pedal onward
making my own exhaust
part of which freezes to my beard
another warming car
another cloud of combusted petrol
metabolized calories warm myself
though i did start my engine early
fully kitted minus the shoes, gloves, helmet
two sets of pushups
feel the heat build quickly under the layers
remainder of kit donned and out the door
enveloped in twenty degree air
doesn't feel so bad

scorcher on the mountain

sometimes the ride just clicks
mood matches terrain
clothes compliment the weather
bikes tuned and rolling proper
legs effortlessly turn the cranks

a tour of neversink mt was in order
gave neighbor mark a taste of what's up there
his geared cross and my fixed crosscheck
skinny treads rolling on dirt
catching the last light of day

mobile

mobile
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

crawling isn't enough anymore
now we're onto cruising
laps around the coffee table
covering the length of the bookshelf
getting brave and letting go of both hands
momentary balance act...
then down with varying results
this little girl wants to walk badly

high style drop bar action

Rapha Rides The Tour of California from RAPHA on Vimeo.

more tour of california riding over on rapha. do i even like mt bikes anymore?

rolling on two wheels again

still snapping the commute shot everyday. 4 months down, 8 to go.

weather snippet

A VERY STRONG AND GUSTY WEST WIND WILL OCCUR TODAY IN THE WAKE OF LAST NIGHT'S COLD FRONT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR WILL GUST AS HIGH AS 55 TO 60 MILES AN HOUR TODAY. COASTAL AREAS NEAR THE OCEAN AND BAYS, AS WELL AS AREAS OF HIGHER TERRAIN, WILL BE MOST LIKELY TO GET THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS.

stepping out onto the back porch, fully kitted to ride, a gust hits and i take a step forward to regain my balance. ok. walk to the back gate and unlock as another gust hits. ok, this could be real shitty. standing there watching the trees double over and hearing random debris rattle around the neighborhood i asses the situation; i'll be riding southwest into a strong westerly wind. doable but unpleasant and dangerous for a few miles as a crosswind would push me off my measly debris covered shoulder and into traffic.

funny to think icy roads won't stop me but wind will. went inside to inform my wife of my decision and confirm whether she needs the car. no particular plans for the day so grab the keys and go. tinges of remorse for driving but needing to countersteer the car at times confirmed the wind is mighty powerful today.

mark your calenders

crush the commonwealth 2009
friday may 8th
5 a.m. start
point state park pittsburgh
heading east to philly
400 miles

2006 : 60 hours, fixed surly crosscheck, loaded down mess bag
2007 : 48 hours, fixed surly crosscheck, front and rear racks
2008 : had a baby, no show
2009 : sub 36 hours? geared surly pacer, mini porteur and maybe a small pack

this is more fun than it should be
looking forward to crossing the state once again

routine continues

legs feel fresh after three days off
mind is still dull however
less fitful sleep did occur last night
as opposed to fri, sat, sun night
sick kid and tired parents
hopefully all on the mend soon

return of the quick crosscheck this morn
ditched the studs
drop bars back in place
bike had that FEEL
hammered in under moonlight skies
kill the lights and pupils grow
pull up on the hoods and climb determined
burn some carbon off the lungs
put some hurt into the legs

back to clicking the mouse
punching the keys
near motionless working
fatigue vs. coffee battle ensues

sick day

sick day
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

longest night of the year

not that solstice shit either
I'm talking sick baby kinda night
crying nothing can help kinda night
cough, snot, and a 4 am fever kinda night
mom and dad sleeping in shifts kinda night
oh and baby gets so upset projectile vomit kinda night
poor little thing is sleeping now
strapped to daddys chest via baby carrier
these germs can go fuck themselves

giant pretzel friday

giant pretzel friday
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

note the pencil for scale. lunch is served.

frozen

frozen
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the snow just adds to the visual
the real culprit hides within
snowy sky wet road commute last night
canti return springs must have gotten moist
unheated garage finished the equation
brakeless ride this morn
not that studs and gearing allow for speed anyway
large puddle of thaw forming in work basement now
inspection to follow

speedster

speedster
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

track bike weather has returned for a day
seventy three point five gear inches
fatties won't fit fine
no carbide studs to grind away
no deraileur drag
no wonky chainline
just pure wide open throttle speed
feels good to fly every now and then

january wrap up

january wrap up
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

new year and a new calendar for tracking mileage
orange = ride to work (19 days, 513 miles)
yellow = drive to work (1 day)
blue = dirt or road ride (4 days)

not too shabby for the dead of winter.

Rack N Roll (aka visiting dan and laura)

family trip out to new hope visiting dan and laura on saturday. packed up the track bike for a badly needed headset as indexing was getting serious. porteur rack made the trip too to get bungee tie downs added and then a trip to the powdercoater later in the week. for those unaware, dan is now wielding a torch and making custom racks for about a year now. Rack n Roll. go check him out. quick virtual tour of the unheated and cluttered barn where flame, steel, and brass come together.


the barn. sweltering in the summer, freezing in the winter. just how he likes it.


my bike in the stand with cups removed.


the torch resting on what used to be my schwinn le tour frame. also my stainless mini porteur bound for the pacer resting on the desk behind.


finished and unfinished racks. mainly porteurs but the little white one there supports a carradice saddlebag nicely.


detail of laura's porteur for her crosscheck


finished racks ready for powdercoating.

so yeah, go check him out. i've been using porteur #1 for a year now with no complaints. shody paint job on my part but structurally sound after many a load. and here's his flickr page for more viewing pleasure.