Dave's Good Stuff

I’ve not been very good about riding my bike to work the last couple of weeks. I was gung-ho the first week, and rode every day. The last couple of weeks, though… I don’t know, I just didn’t have it in me. I caved to the pull of the seat vs. the saddle. I took the easier, more populated road. Can’t say I felt great about it, and though there were only a couple of days where I legitimately needed the car to either be somewhere far away quickly, or to carry something my bike just isn’t equipped to carry (lumber, for instance), I did it every day anyway.

Bike Week KC starts up next week, and I joined up on Brent Hugh’s MoBikeFed Wheel Wizards team, for no other reason than b/c I got a mass e’mail from him about it. I couldn’t pick the man out of a crowd, but if it keeps him from buying dinner for other people I don’t know, and helps me with the whole biking thing…

Well, why not?

So… I’m signed up, and though I’ll need my car at least one day next week, I don’t see why I can’t ride to work the rest…

See you out there. And Noah if I see you, I promise I’ll wave back.

Keep ridin’…

Predators On Facebook Tough To Track – Kansas City News Story – KMBC Kansas City: “KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Your child could be talking to a sexual predator on Facebook and not even know it. Thursday, February 18, 2010.”

Just watched this on the television… more ridiculous scare mongering from self-important local news personalities. To be fair, the advice was good, such as “Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t say in real life.” and the tips for parents

However, they lost me with the bits about the sex offenders and the lack of police manpower and time to check them all was completely glossed over. They ignored the fact that the list is so polluted with people who have no business being there, that the police may miss the real threats

In the end, it was irrational fear mongering in the name of ratings without any real perspective on the level of danger.

But that’s what I expected to find, so that’s what I found.

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – A man faces up to [a mere] 60 days in jail in connection with a November 2007 accident that killed a West Burlington man who was riding a bicycle.

A judge found Marvin Oberly guilty last week of driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway and passing a vehicle on the wrong side. Douglas Kenney died of [the tragic and needless] injuries he suffered in the accident on Nov. 9, 2007 [due to Oberly’s utterly irresponsible and reckless actions].

Oberly is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30. He faces [a paltry] 30 days in jail for each of the counts and up to a year suspension [rather than the far more just complete and permanent revocation] of his drivers license. [It is left as an exercise for the reader to rationalize how 60 days in jail and a year's suspension balances out the irresponsibility and recklessness that resulted in Kenney's death.]

Prosecutors argued that Oberly drove up behind Kenney in his pickup and collided with the bicycle Kenney, who was riding his bicycle in a manner consistent with safety and law.

Oberly testified provided the lame and weak excuse during his trial that glare from the sun prevented him from seeing Kenney[, which would have been inconsequential had be been driving on the correct side of the road and not passed another vehicle on the shoulder].

Original here.

Though I be in Texas, far away from home and the bike that awaits me, new and unridden, with virgin saddle, as it were, my thoughts stray now and again, all the same, to the subject of cycling. I think on how nice it will be to once again sit astride the saddle, my arms outstretched holding brake levers and handlebars. I think on how nice it will be to see my waistline diminish once again, rather than continue it’s current trend of slow expansion. I think on how nice it will be to once again stride out the front doors with pride, knowing that I will be making it home on my own power, while at the same time clowning around like a fool for the cadre of lustful (though unfortunately married) women who have come to be a sort of 4:30pm Fan Club for yours truly (I take the ego boosts where I can get them). But lately, one thought presses forward as I spend minute after empty minute in the cabin of an automobile instead of the saddle of a bicycle… that thought is what I will share with you now.

And here it is, then.

That thought is patience.

More than a healthier body (and the unabashed admiration of womenfolk all across the lands), more than all those things I mentioned above, cycling has given me patience.

I tool about in my car, making my way steadily and surely to my destination, watching in bemused awe as drivers around me scream about (literally and figuratively both), forcibly changing lanes at the last minute, riding bumpers in unabashed displays of apparent superiority, verily burning valuable rubber off at stop signs and stop lights in a desperate attempt to get to the next stop sign or stop light that much sooner, and generally behaving like a group of angry baboons… all in the name of shaving valuable seconds off their commutes.

I used to be one of them. I used to scream at others who behaved in ways not to my liking. I used to drive as aggressively as defensively. I used to speed everywhere I went. I used to strain the engine and the brakes both starting and stopping. I used to be one of them. But I’ve spent a lot of time on the roads in a saddle this year. I’ve learned first hand the energy it takes to go uphill, to start from a stop and to increase to a higher speed. I’ve gained a sense of what my car must be experiencing when I demand of it the same. I’ve learned how it feels to be truly vulnerable on the roads, though my vulnerability has not (as of yet, thankfully) been tested. I no longer consider myself one of them.

I’ve also gained what I believe is a relatively rare sense of time as it relates to distance and traversing said distance.

And this is my point.

It takes a lot longer to get from point A to B on a bike than a car (assuming a distance of any significance and without a maze of stop lights). I’m used to taking that extra time, so now as I’ve found myself behind a wheel more than on a saddle lately, I’m far more patient being behind the wheel, knowing that I’ll get there if I relax, take my time, pay attention, and avoid daredevil behavior. I know what it’s like to take a long time to get home. Driving a car home takes no time at all.

A side benefit, in addition to the lower blood pressure and overall better demeanor is that the learned patience cycling has taught me gives me a better chance of getting where I’m going safely. Not bad as far as side benefits go.

Well, I’m going to have to call it. Time of death: 06:58.

Now, a few words…

You were a good bike, and carried myself, as well as several others, through some lean times, some fantastic trails, and finally back into the wonderful world of commuting by bicycle. But, as with all things, both good and bad, it’s time to lay you to rest.

It’s for the best. You’re simply not safe to ride. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Every full stop is a moment of fear… will your chain slip again this time, throwing both feet, undignified and sloppy, to the ground? Will your cables finally snap with this change of gear? You’ve been fantastic, but your rings are shot, and your cogs are squeaky. Your cables frayed and your headset shows signs of rust.

But I don’t blame you. It’s not all your fault. I’ve been woefully lacking in taking care of you. I’ve not held up my end of the deal. You’ve given more than I ever had any right to ask of you, and only recently have you started complaining. I understand. You’re old. You’re tired. You’ve never asked for anything, and to my discredit, I’ve given you far less, for all your wonderful years of faithful service, than you deserve.

You’ve had a good run. Over 15 years and you’re still the same girl you were when I first bought you. New tires, a new seat and new bar ends are the only things I’ve changed. You’ve held up damn well, and I thank you.

But worry not. Like a Phoenix, you shall return. This weekend I will remove all those things that ail you, and take you down to your most essential… all that will remain is your frame. From there, I will rebuild you. I have the technology. I can make you better than you were. Better… stronger… faster.

Fear not, you will not be replaced. You will have your place. You won’t be discarded.

Rest in Peace, Oh Fire Mountain. You’ve lived well, and deserve a rest.

I know I said, not long ago, that I would refrain from posting negativity here. In posting this, I hope to avoid negativity. Let me know how it works out, will ya?

An incident occurred on June 4th that has had the cycling community in KC up in arms. I’ve not mentioned it here b/c I didn’t want to talk about it before it went public. It’s in the KCStar now, complete with the same rough-around-the-edges style of commenting from both cycling supporters and detractors alike.

To be clear, I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m going to try to make the court date on July 28th to show my support for Maher. My brief encounter with him at the Epic Time Trial was extremely positive, and left me with a very good impression. See, I’d ridden off to use the portapotty, and like a completely doltish noob, did so without my helmet. That’ll get you DQ’d from an official USCF event in no time flat. Fortunately for me, they knew I was a doltish noob, and instead of DQ’ing me, Maher brought me my helmet without the slightest hint of disparity.

Because I wasn’t there, I’m not qualified to speak to the events, but (understanding that I’m biased) two things from the article really stand out to me…

Former Jackson County Sports Authority Chairman John R. Bondon’s lawyer states “I’d like to see evidence that he did anything… If he really did what they’re saying, ask yourself, ‘Was he put in handcuffs? Was he taken downtown?’” I can’t comment on that without being sarcastic. Believe me, I’ve tried. I must have written and erased nearly the same thing half a dozen times. Suffice to say that police officers are always pure of heart, are never corrupt, and always take the bad guy in.

See? There it is. Sarcasm. I’m sorry…

Later, the article relays Bondon’s side a bit… “He claimed not to own a sap and said he didn’t strike Maher in the face. The only reason he tore out after the cyclists, he said, was because he thought they’d thrown a water bottle at his truck.” So… an H2, designed to be absurdly durable, allegedly under siege by *gasp* a WATER BOTTLE is obviously a clear and present danger situation. The only course of action left to this 61 year old was obviously to threaten the lives of the individuals he *thought* nearly destroyed his precious H2 with a water bottle.

Damn. There it is again. Sarcasm. I’m really sorry.

I responded to the article, and in a fit of vanity, would like to cross post it here for my own keeping…

This morning’s ride was a touch on the damp side. It rained last night, and I debated swapping the ‘Relli (I’m still looking for a good name for it…) for the Kona, but decided that the dry spots in the driveway were indicative enough of rain-past vs. rain-current that I’d risk it. It wasn’t too bad. A little damper than I’d like, but the spray wasn’t bad, and the frame had only a few spots on it when I was done. A little water and some paper towels took care of it nicely.

Last night’s ride was phenomenal. A slamhammafest, I hit an average of 18 MPH on my long ride home, coming in at 51 minutes and 1 second, beating my previous best by 6 minutes and 4 seconds. Of course, that previous best was on the Kona, so I would expect a much better time on the Torelli, even laden with heavy frame bags and lighting. I was tired when I got home, but nowhere near as tired as I was when I first started this back in November ’07. I’d be so beat after riding almost 8 miles that I didn’t even feel like taking the panniers off the bike and upstairs. Hammering it solid for 50 minutes now has me tired and soaked with perspiration, but a shower and a drink and I’m ready to go.

Chalk one up in the Health->Endurance column under Benefits of Regular Exercising…

There were some interest things coming across the intarwebs this morning, so I thought I’d share some of them. I don’t plan to make linklists a regular thing, but for some reason, it felt right this morning…

Serious injury results from an allegedly improperly assembled Walmart bicycle. The family is suing the retail giant. Story here. On the first ride for the 13-year-old boy, the handlebars “detached from the steering stem, causing Plaintiff to lose control of the bicycle, flip over the handle bars, and strike the ground, hitting his right shoulder on the curb, and causing Plaintiff severe and permanent injuries.” Don’t trust department store bikes. Spend the extra money and go to your LBS. Your health and mobility is just too important.

Noah has some fantastic tips for reducing fuel consumption here. It all boils down to planning ahead, and realizing that most of what you need is within easy biking distance. The comments section on his post led me to the Twike. It ain’t cheap, but how freakishly cool! It reminds me of the go-one³.

Warren-T says he rides because it’s fun. Honestly, it’s really as simple as that, no matter what fancy frilly reasons you lay on top of it. We wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun. Someone else, isn’t having nearly as good a time. He’s mad as hell and ain’t gonna take it no mo’. Can’t say I blame him.

Breaking news… people are immature! One of my favorite reads is the Tuscon Bike Lawyer. Today he laments about immature people responding to the natural state of the human body. Ok, maybe it’s not the natural state to be nude on a bicycle, but it is the natural state to be on a bike. Unfortunately, via Recumbum, there are no naked rides for Kansas. However, if you’re of the mind, half naked little people in Australia will pour copious amounts of booze down your gullet. Duder looks a little like a tiny Arnold.

Bike Noob has a new toy. He lost his other bike computer, and picked up one with cadence. He’s having some problems getting the magnet to register with the cadence sensor, and one of the comments has the out-of-the-box idea of putting a rare earth magnet directly in the pedal spindle. It’s tough to see, but that little nubbin sticking out along the axis of the pedal is a magnet. So simple, and yet brilliant.

Tangentially related to cycling, in that cycling makes use of terrain which can, in turn, be mapped, and which also typically takes place in some sort of weather, fans of Google Maps, Map Mashups and weather tracking may appreciate efforts put towards mapping the 2008 US storm season.

On a completely unrelated note, our lead IT tech just sent out an e’mail telling everyone that the Exchange server was down. Seriously.

From Chris Hess: The Epic Time Trial is rescheduled for June 12, 2008 due to an unusually severe weather forecast. Kansas City weather and emergency response professionals state there is a high volume of instability in the atmosphere today, June 5. According to reports, the overall atmospheric conditions are similar to those that led to an event on June 8, 1974, when three dozen tornadoes hit the area and killed 22 people. To ensure personal and family safety, particular vigilance should be maintained between 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., then again from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, when sustained winds of 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph carry the potential for property damage due to wind and predicted hail. In other words, don’t go out riding because this event is postponed. Today’s conditions warrant aggressive measures to ensure personal and family safety.

http://www.localcycling.com/content/view/958/42/

With no inspiration to write this morning, I set about my normal task of catching up on my daily blogs. There are the cycling blogs, the mockery blogs, the security blogs, and the comics. I came across this in my perusals, and remembered a near encounter I had (almost had?) this morning.

It was a very slow ride in, on account of having slightly too much fun yesterday for Memorial Day… at least up until the very last minute, but we’ll get to that later. As I was approaching 91st and Lowell, I noticed another commuter heading north on Lowell. He blew right through the stop sign, with cars entering the intersection from all 5 directions. He didn’t slow for the sign, and he made no signals that I could see. He just rode through as if neither the intersection nor the cars were there.

I briefly considered chasing him down, as Joe started to do, but came to the same conclusion. Going out of my way like that just wasn’t in the cards this morning.

So as he sped off heading north, surely to run more stop signs, and disregard more stop lights, scofflaw that he is, I turned south and made my way, slowly but surely, to work.

Part of the reason for the slow ride is because I’m sad. When the GF moved in, she brought her cat with her. A rag doll that looks like a little white tiger, he really is a great cat. I’ve really grown attached to him. He’s actually a dog in a cat body, which is why I like him. The best of both species, he is very affectionate and loves people, and has the agility and vocal chords of a cat. He sheds like no other animal I’ve ever known, but he’s gorgeous.

But… he pees. He uses his litter box, certainly, but he also uses the couch. And he used to use the bed before the bedroom door was kept closed. And who knows what else. The GF spent a great deal of money on a Cat Genie, hoping to make her life easier, and that a change in litter box might snap him out of it. She was also hoping the move would snap him out of it. “Stranger things,” yes? Not so much. I’m no help, b/c I’ve never had a cat before.

Last night, right before we turned in, the GF found more urine on her couch in the basement. She’d covered it in plastic, so the couch was very protected, but that was the last straw, and as surprisingly sad as it makes me, we have to find him another home. But I’ll miss the little guy, in spite of myself. He doesn’t pee a *lot* outside of the litter box, but it’s too much for us, and we don’t know how to make him stop.

Good for them, but I have to wonder if they did so safely.

The first thing that comes to mind is how terribly unsafe (and aggravating) it is when cyclists pull up to the front of the line at red lights to the right of the cars there. I’ve always considered it the same as waiting until the very last minute to merge when a lane ends because of construction or other hazards.

I do know it can be done, however, and it’s not that hard.