packing & planning

packing & planning
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

first of the CTC kit coming together
sleeping bag
air mattress
poncho/ground cloth
stuff sacks
cook kit

not shown or finalized
food
tools
clothes

beer box for reference scale
handlebars are a tad narrower
gears gotta fit on top of the porteur
seat or frame bag is an option

one week till rollout

who likes the misfits?

porteur racked pacer

a loaner rack from dan's private collection
stolen from his wife's fixte mixte
sorry laura
gonna be loading up this bad boy for crush the commonwealth
traveling light this year
with a light tucked snuggly away under the cargo
initial commute with lashed down bag was promising
handles just as well if not better than the crosscheck setup
it's all about the trail
just recently gave the pacer a once over
new shift cables yet and should be good to go
packing list has been started
fine tooth comb time
seat bag, frame bag, creative lashing?
most will rest on the porteur
but ease of access will come into the equation too
going pack free for sure
food, phone, wallet, keys will all my back will need to bear
that is a damn sharp looking bike if i do say so

return of the porteur crosscheck

first porteur rack built by dan is back in service.
he added bungee tie downs and a light mount.
then got it powdercoated to replace my rattlecan hack job.
then it sat in his barn waiting for our schedules to align for a hand off.
not having it for a couple months made me realize how much I use it.
normally carry a pack everyday but odd loads and cases of beer benefit from better loading options.
and living in a one car household means you need a versatile do-all machine.
now that it's back i'm ditching the bag once again.
or at least giving it a try.

what a fucking mess

tally is up to 17 packages, one of which is from china. new discovery today, my name and address are used in conjunction with a another stolen credit card number. fun

box contents L to R
need to call and claim fraud
need to return to sender
no need to return, saving for evidence

I have more to say and happier things to speak of like evey's first birthday party but I'm pretty occupied and angry at the moment. and I got pretty porteur racks on both the pacer and crosscheck but that'll have to wait too.

on a lighter note...

fixed crosscheck commuter do all tough as nails bike got some newness bolted on.



fresh 16t tomicog bolted onto a fresh surly hubbed delgado hooped wheel. it takes many a mile to get grim to build up like that.

and on the other end of the drivetrain we've got the six month old tomiring.



little to no wear on this lasercut chunk of stainless steel.



impending rain and lacking rain gear motivated the legs to keep on top of that 68" gear on tuesday. few drips but i kept just in front of the leading edge.

id theives can suck it

here's where to go with step by step instructions. what a pain in the ass.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

still waiting for more info from citi bank. card has been cancelled so the account is dead. card number is still trying to be used however.

in the meantime packages have been arriving at home. herbal supplements, skin care, colon cleanse... none of which I ordered. google said products and scam alert pages rank number one. seems that I'm getting signed up for free trials which turn into $90 monthly supplies. gotta call within 10 days to cancel the subscription and claim credit fraud or they'll keep billing you. I'm guessing if you don't cancel and just ignore it, the bills would eventually go to bill collecters after they pile up.

my theory is these are all front companies that bought my id and are signing me up hoping I don't cancel. all my calls go straight to call centers where indians named justin and mary answer and go thru the routine of cancelling my fraudulent account. make sure you get a cancellation number too.

sadly this won't be the end of it I fear. credit report looks clear so at least I have that going for me. need to file a report with the police too.

this is a real pisser.

twelve months

hard to beleive it's been a year already

fifty seven miles of relentless pedaling

(click map above for big)

wow, haven't done that for a while
wanted an idea of where the legs are at
tons o commuting but long rides have been lacking
pockets loaded
bottles filled
four hour window
fixed gear go









pretty shelled rolling home
one clif bar
one granola
three and a half bottles
fuel input did not equal energy output
57 miles
3:34 total vs. 3:24 moving time
16.8 avg
6129' of climbing
left me feeling empty but satisfied
excellent country road/wooded hillside cruising
this loop will be repeated
with more calories in tow

hooray for credit card fraud!

got the phonecall this morning
mysterious activety
five transactions by nine am
none are mine
card cancelled
new one issued within ten days
affidavit included to sort out charges

meanwhile bill arrives today
angela opens it out of curiosity
seems I've also done nine hundred worth of air travel too
back in march
wondering what else was charged between then and now
fun financial wranglings ahead

seen at the farmers market

seen at the farmers market
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

this place brings out all the special people. an excellent friday
lunchtime distraction. and they've got giant pretzels.

april showers

forty two degrees
driving rain
ne wind
second day in a row
foul weather
builds character
it always seems worse than it is
give it a go

I only eat from sticks

I only eat from sticks
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

ponderings on travel

car, bus, or train?
how to get to pittsburgh is the question
crush the commonwealth
pgh to phl
west to east
traveling with bike is the conundrum

car
- rental fees
- need to pay attention and drive
- turnpike tolls
- fuel cost
- bikes go in trunk
- 4+ travel time
- can split costs with others
- flexible travel schedule

bus
- 70 bucks
- boxed bike loaded onboard
- bus terminal close to home
- 7 hour travel time
- 1:25 lost in layovers

train
- 44 bucks
- need to ship bike seperate
- hour drive to train station
- 6 hour travel time
- beverages served onboard

decisions, decisions....

who else is going?

easter sunday

easter sunday
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

in-laws have cable. : )

all grown up

not even a year old and she's got her own place
we're allowed to visit but we need to call first

one way ride

borrowed my parents truck for mulch hauling
returned it today
with the pacer bouncing around in the bed
morning showers cleared out
the sun was abundant
pedaled home with a tailwind




backroads


skyline drive


still in the big ring


topping out


home thru reading

waiting out the rain

waiting out the rain
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

how did I go this long without knowing of screenshots on my iphone?

continuously spinning drivetrain

heading home from work
enjoying the warmer temps
winter is so played out

old is new again

fixing into work has resumed
crosscheck is back in action
winter stud setup long retired
low gear dirt scorcher incarnation abandoned as well
28's
fenders
lights
72 gear inches
previous weeks on the pacer haven't been bad though
speed was increased through derailleur use
steady cadence has it's perks
but brute strength was wanning
no need to muscle grunt curse the climbs
or be perched on the rivet
letting the legs fluidly coast while flailing
back to the roots basics fundamentals
keep on top of the gear
patient yet fast pedaling the flats
can't rush as you just slow down when form fails
back pressure the pedals
no need to skid
taunt chain and 90 psi
rolls on day after day

Marysville Results

http://www.runhigh.com/2009%20WEB%20RESULTS/R040409FA.html

my lap times
one - 16:35
two - 16:18
three - 16:03

3 minutes off the fastest laps
on a rigid single surly
not too shabby
fifty some minute cooldown between laps not ideal
I had some trainer envy
but not enough to bring one along

2009 MASS Team Relay

First race of the season and looking forward to more. Headed out to Marysville for the MASS Team Relay. Mark, Kyle, Bernie, and myself represented JB Mountain Bikes. 4 man relay around a 3 miles course for 4 hours. Oh, and all that rain Friday, didn't really drain away all that well leaving 50 yard stretches of standing water. Well it was water till almost 300 hundred racers tore it up lap after lap turning it into a soupy mess.



Handicapping points were in effect for juniors, beginners, and sport racers. Our team; 2 beginners, one sport, and my optimistically expert self who got zero points. Coolest team at the race consisted of a bunch of kids that had the equivilent of an 8 lap lead. Everyone was rooting for them and gave all us parents hope that our little ones will tear it up one day as well.



Twisty tech course wound it's way around the farm with a handful of places for clean passes. Normally fast sections felt like a peanut buttery sand mix that had you looking down for a flat as progress came with extra effort. Creekside tight sapling singletrack with a resulting dip in the muddy water if you clipped a pedal or handlebar was a hightlight for myself. And the offcamber pine tree hillside weaving with logs to hop tested the form nicley.



A mix of classes on the same course made for slow moments and caused the too serious types a good bit of frustration. We overheard numerous tales of folks getting yelled at for being too so for some midpack sandbagging big money bike going pro next season if they win this handicapped race's liking. Fuck them. Yelling at some beginner doesn't make you faster. Call for a pass and don't be a dick.



Berms were forming in many turns which made for fast railing if your line held but sent many astray if you drifted wide. Our pit was on the outside of the last left hander before the finish so coming hot into the turn and nailing it looked good. A fair share went down going for broke but thankfully no one came crashing into our tent. Though the tent next to us went into the course numerous times as the gusty wind caught a hold of it. Fast scrambling got the course clear before anyone got intimate with the errant ezup tent.



We each got 3 laps in but didn't stick around for results. Electronic chip timing was used so lap by lap geek out results should be posted soon. Felt good to find a tad bit of mental peace during those blurry vision searing lung moments. More of that to come as the season progresses.

a real soaker

light rain falls as I finish dressing
out to the garage
still tweaking last nights disc brake install
fully kitted and burning time
but still can't dispell that slight rotor rub
gotta go
rain starts falling in earnest
wind picks up too
push the pedals
rain rolls down my face
pitter patter on the jacket and pants
peace is made with the weather
just enjoying the ride
holding back a bit
freshish legs for tomorrows race would be nice
pondering just how muddy it'll be
swap tires for a knobbier rear?
would fixed be better after all?
back and forth
rain begins to let up
oncoming traffic and I spot trouble
a pig trailer
the big double layer tractor trailer type
wall of mist sprays off the tires
close my eyes and mouth
drop my chin to chest
nowhere to hide
hold my line and pedal onward
I should really wash my water bottle

my mph > what you think

I am not a slow moving vehicle
I move at a quicker rate than you expect
chubby kid on a bmx I am not
rusty chained dishwashing pedaler I am not
street signs, lightpoles, mailboxes, parked cars, etc
these objects don't move
space/time perception is easy to calculate
I confuse you immensely
right turn signal comes on
you anticipate passing then making your turn
wrong
you never catch up enough to cut me off
even last second braking and you're still behind
maybe nipping at my rear wheel but you didn't catch me
this repeats more often than I'd like
oncoming traffic behaves similarly
50/50 chance
either dive across the road fast and sketchy
cutting the angle of the turn
or pause mid turn crookedly blocking the lane
once again I see this too often
it all boils down to impatience
you're not getting there faster
you're not
you were late before you even left the house

march wrap up

march wrap up
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

orange = rode to work (22 days, 594 miles)
yellow = drove to work (0 days)
blue = dirt or road ride (7 days)
year commute stats = 59 days, 1,593 miles