not a bad way to end the day

these routes have been there all along. but i'd retrace my steps day after day rather than vary it up. the known is predictable and easy. some prime sections are technically out of the way, not along the straight shot to work. but why pedal if the enjoyment is waning? go out of the way. hit that monster of a climb if the mood is right. take the meandering single lane road that predates autos. pedal into the woods dodging rocks and roots. keep the ride fun. don't let it become work.

not a bad way to start the workweek

not a bad way to start the workweek
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

sweater weather is here.

on the grill

on the grill
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

bestest corn ever.

from saturdays travels

from saturdays travels
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

cappuccino kid
(w/ soy milk of course)

new commuting strategy...

include sections like this as often as possible
the monotony of daily commuting wears on you
time to mix it up
and add dirt
no fenders to catch debris
keep the load off the bike for nimble handling
bright lights for early mornings
spin spin spin on the road
reap the rewards in the woods
breathe some life into the daily mileage
.

parked in the basement at work

parked in the basement at work
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the dirt incarnation

varying parts for varying duty

the itch, the urge, the desire for change.  all true bike nerds get it. geeking out on swapping out parts and reconfiguring machines that run perfectly fine but don't suit the mood at the moment.  addiction, affliction, neurosis....

ah, the joy of owning a surly crosscheck.  current configuration of slicks, full fenders, porteur rack, and a fixed gear drivetrain make it the ideal commuter.  jump on and pedal to work; done deal.  it's been in this configuration since july when i built it up to replace my car vs. bike damaged frame.  and it's almost exclusively been ridden daily leaving my pacer parked in the garage.

but then the mood swings and ideas arise.  a fan of scorching for years now, the thought of returning to a dedicated dirt fixed go-all fat tired crossish rig is appealing.  pull off the rack and fenders, swap out the tires for larger volume, and add a couple of teeth to the rear cog.

so lets do some gearing math here.  40t/16tx27"=67.5"; my ideal road gear when slogging clothes, food, etc back and forth to work.  i've pushed larger gears in the past but it's easier to ramp up the rpms and spin instead of bogging down working like a dog in the hills or when doing battle with an incessant headwind.

now for dirt applications you'll want something even lower, say high 50's or low 60's.  40t/19tx28"=58.9".  spinny yes, but when riding in the rough it keeps the cranks turning over.  also handy for towing a kid trailer which i've sadly been neglecting to do enough of lately.

and in regards to tire choice, i've had good results with running a knobby front (schwalbe marathon cross) while still favoring a semi-slick commutery  rear (vittoria, conti, panaracer).  traction is compromised but not as bad as you'd imagine.  plus tire life expectancy is greatly extended as the inevitable paved miles add up especially when you're reluctant to always driving to the ride.

so i'll make the changes above, fender up the pacer for wet weather duty, and most likely write up another rambling post in a couple of months when my riding tastes vary again.  winter is getting closer and commuting thru it calls for a different setup...
.

soiled

it's been fun cutting thru the park
though a good rain ride wouldn't hurt
to clean things up a bit

it's not about distance or speed. and the location doesn't need to be deep back woods or rolling country farmland quiet. mere seconds of the unexpected during a mundane ride make it special. hell, no ride is mundane unless you let it be. getting out in the saddle is what it's all about. finding the unexpected is the point.

mud bogging with slicks and fenders and a lone fixed cog. laughing out loud as you sink hub deep. narrowly avoiding slamming your junk into the stem as you stop. and then keeping upright as you feet touch down in the muck.

bikes are fun and shouldn't be taken so seriously. get dirty and don't be afraid to wreck. keep the car parked and ride from your door for once. a cross bike is wonderful for such applications. and make it a fix too for good measure. just remember to get into a two wheel drift at least once before returning home.

sunday at the museum

sunday at the museum
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

juried art show
yours for $1200

as seen in todays travels

as seen in todays travels
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

the mens bathroom in a mexican restaurant

about nine fifteen a.m. on a wednesday

same snowy road as below
just a different time of year
.

forty five minutes of thursday

fire up the lights
darkness prevails at this hour
it's an early departure
streets are still empty
crickets are still chirping
cicadas are still silent
the fix is silent too
just the hum of the tires
and the whir of the chain
miles and clock tick away
thick clouds obscure the sunrise
but slowly they brighten
led's switched from steady to flash
more silent carfree miles
before rejoining busy roads
make haste with the cranks
finish off this commute
and wait out the clock
for the ride home

a cold shot on a hot day

commuting to work on the fixed & studded xcheck
the third of february two thousand nine
.

a non-racing recap

it's eleven thirty a.m. and i'm already sweating in my all black kit before leaving the house. hot hot heat under the blaring sun. bottles on the pacer, jersey pockets stuffed, roll out pointing the bike towards french creek. suburban streets lead to schuylkill river trail and high cadence gravel spinning. slice, dice, drift the soft sections with the skinny treads but still manage to be king of the rail trail passing the wobbly hybrid crowds. roll thru birdsboro and hook a right up shed road for the 2+ mile climb. pick a gear and keep the pace steady as this one takes a while. unzipped jersey flaps in the breeze and i'm thankful for the tree cover keeping the temps manageable. into the park i roll finding the race venue and topping off bottles. see dan and laura immediately who both came out of retirement for this race and we head down to the pit area looking for the princeton tec tent. justin and beth are racing endurace and have been at it for 5 hours already as justin rolls in. a bottle of endurolytes in one hand, gatorade in the other, and he's all rock star taking pulls from both. then he's off for a final lap trying to hold his second place position. we lurk and linger as the stray enduro rider rolls thru before the elites come flying by still looking fresh after their first lap. the clock just fifteen minutes shy of the 2 p.m. cutoff, beth rolls by without stopping and continues on putting in one final lap for the day. and with that we depart ways after discussing diner plans for later that evening. a little muddy doubletrack cruising as i leave the state park then it's back the way i came dropping off the ridge and back down to the river valley and rail trail below. spin, hydrate, spin, hydrate into a slight headwind to home. thrity six miles for the day and the gps gizmo shows the nature of the ride pretty well.

dirty tires mean more fun

a bit of cross action on the way home from work
drifting sliding skidding on the slicks
while cutting thru the park
makes brifters seem desirable
when overgeared on the rough stuff

french creek - dns

pulling the plug on racing intentions
heads not into it
mechanically impaired bike not up to it
entry fee better spent elsewhere
this has not been the season i envisioned
.

on the move

on the move
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

some days just never seem to slow down.

thinkering up a route

dirt road racing

it's a speedy descent as we drop back down towards the creek. rollers throughout the ride have been dominant; not huge but still cumulative. a truck comes roaring past a bit too close for comfort and i glance back over my shoulder to make sure the three others are okay. gaining fast on me is whit with a warning of a right hand turn onto dirt soon approaching. into view comes a covered bridge of days gone by marking our turn. downshift two gears as the entry to the dirt road is obscured by brush and brake hard while traction is ample. ease onto the surprisingly firm gravel/dirt/stone road as the days rains seem to have fazed it little. just like that whit takes off setting a firm pace catching me off guard as we roll alongside the swollen creek. roy and greg match speed and we're all eyeballing each other, grinning (or is that grimacing?) to see who's going to take off. i swing round whit ramping up the rpms and quickly reach for the downtube shifter while watching the road closely. then down into the drops letting the bike move with the road staying loose soaking up the ruts and washboards. i vaguely recall whit saying this is a short section of dirt and hope the legs hold out over the uncertain distance. roy and greg to my left, whit riding blind on my wheel trusting my line, we're motoring. lungs are burning, as are the legs, gasping for breath, and whit goes. shit. i gun it slipping into his wake as the two others drop back. up ahead i see asphalt. hold, hold, hold, go! sprinting in the drops as the bike skitters on the loose surface i clear whit and hold pace reaching the modern day road first. damn, we need rides like this more often.

birthday boy

birthday boy
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

milo turned seven yeasterday. hard to beleive our little boy is that old; he still acts like a pup too. which is good, since evey likes chasing and playing with him a lot.

oops, i think i just tweeted

yeah i'm on there now. say hi if you're on there too.

.

going down to the basement

the one space in the house we haven't yet renovated.



a cavern of junk for many years.



ceiling, paint, carpeting, and lighting work are in order.



slowly it'll transform into a livable space.



though late nights and long weekends will be the norm for a while.

racing?

yes, racing. of the dirt variety. on the karate monkey i all but swore off last week. sundays dirt ride in the rain felt good. though the miles have been lacking, the sensations were all still familiar. making good use of side knobs in the turns, cleaning rain slicked roots, flat land wide open spinning, working the climbs keeping the cadence up, fingers poised on the brake levers but not pulling descents. all good stuff that i've been largely neglecting.

sunday, august 16th, on the rocks at french creek, part of the mass series. race was postponed from earlier in the year due to weathery conditions. i've gone out previous years to spectate but have never toed the line. course is supposedly marked already but i'm unsure of the route. no big deal as i'll have plenty of time to become familiar racing the endurance class. yeah, what better way to re-enter the racing world than to sign up for six hours of saddle time.

going balls deep red line for two hours racing the expert singlespeed class isn't too appealing at the moment. a brisk, yet slightly reserved, six hour frolic in the woods sounds so much nicer. that is until reality kicks in and i'm hitting the same hills and rock gardens X number of times as i wait out the clock hoping to hang on slightly longer than the competition. i'll have company though as justins going all enduro too. and i'm sure some members of the team will be joining the course at times as well though i doubt for the same duration.

so in the mean time, keep on with the commuting, start thinking about food options, give the monkey a good once over, roll on dirt and rocks whenever possible, and get the mind back into racer boy mode. should be fun. and as far as my drop bar addiction, it's stills kicking, even been thinking of a little cyclocross this fall. iron cross looms out there in october (doubt i'll touch the podium again), but maybe some more traditional courses in the interim.

watch yourself out there

Man charged with stabbing bicyclist, 16
nice that they got the guy as i've been known to frequent the area along the river.

bad habit

bad habit
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

texting while behind the wheel
have i taught her nothing?

relaunch

embrocation cycling journal

.

under a bridge

under a bridge
Originally uploaded by fxdwhl

mt bike in the rain
half hour dry
half hour soaken
big puddle splashing
on local park gravel trails

riding my bike on a saturday

lots of hills. both up and down. it felt mainly up though. solid effort. lots of sweat. dripping of the brim of my cap to be exact. sketchy descent after that hill warning sign above; tight off camber turns at speed while planting my ass firmly on the seat for sudden braking to dump speed. a touch over thirty miles. and not enough fluid intake. but good overall.