Just the right amount...

Initially I was a bit leery of a shorter commute to work. I could give two shits about "hitting the ZONE" or getting my fat burning/carb-burning ratio together. Feh. But I used to ride over 20 miles a day and would often ride a total of 150+ miles a week. I GUESS this kept me in shape, but I often felt ass-dragged and lethargic--quite the opposite feeling of what I was hoping to attain!

But now--with a whopping 6.2 mile commute total--I have been feeling mad jazzed after each leg of the ride, and, with the exception of yesterday, profoundly energetic and optimistic overall. I still try to get in lengthier rides during the weekend (these miles are all contingent on my cold-weather/asshole wind threshold), and I still seem to be making 100, or a little less, miles per week. That might just be the perfect niche for me.

And I keep thinking that, come warmer weather (and HOPEFULLY, less wind), I should be in decent shape to make the lonnnngggg weekend rides, and I'll laugh madly at the paltry 7 mph "gusts" that might dare assail my person.

Now if I could just break my carne asada burrito habit...

P.S. The new bike is kicking mad ass and that "buttery" feel is coming--it's a matter of tweaking my position ever so slightly over time. It's good. :)

"Who is Fay Wray?"

One bonus of being stuck at home on a workday is being able to catch Jeopardy! at 3:30 PM. I think there may be slight discrepancies in episodes in different syndication markets, but on today's Chicago episode, there was a promising contestant: a cyclist from NY who apparently rode from Amsterdam to Paris last summer in 6 days. He had my "vote" for Champion. And Alex even quasi-sagely asked him, "Do you even use all of those (18) gears?" Heh. But then the guy responded "When in the mountains...YEAH."

Well, he performed well, surprisingly so in a Comic Book category, but then got wiped out in a "It Happened in New York" Final Jeopardy question. The answer was "Who is Fay Wray?" Everyone got it wrong, and he blew his entire load on the wager.

C'est la Vie. Life WILL go on...if my magic eightball is as accurate as always.

A somewhat assy day

I started feeling the pangs of foulness as the day progressed yesterday. I was freaked, largely because it seems like I just got over some jive not long ago. At the same time, an office is awash in a swarm of germs, so it was just a matter of time 'til something snagged. My cool adjoining co-worker got taken out for a day last week, so I figured my number was gonna be up soon.

Ech. I woke up before light with my stomach all clenched up and pained; I'll spare the gory details of my all-too frequent bathroom breaks. Ugh. In any event, the "whoa is me" mantra along with the trips to the can kept me from getting back to sleep for hours. UGH. But then the "flow" seemed to subside, so I was finally able to get some rest. After napping for a few hours, I sat in bed and tried to catch up with my latest issue of Time Out. It was cool, detailing some pretty interesting volunteer opportunities. I've been meaning to do so for some time, but it's hard to pull my head out of my ass at times.

But I think I am going to stop by Felines, Inc. on Saturday and see what I can do as far as donating my time. It's a no-kill cat shelter (Yeah. That's right. I'm a "Cat Person") located a little less than a mile from my house, and they have garnered a great deal of acclaim and seem to be awfully well-respected. I guess this more or less explains the new banner at the top of this page! And beyond doing some good, I'm looking forward to having a new socializing environment outside of work. After over 1.5 years in Chicago, my base of friends has yet to extend beyond a mere handful of people, the large bulk of whom live within several blocks of me.

Bike Note: After I woke up and read for a spell, I was SOOOOO fucking dehydrated that I just had to head out and grab some sports drink/ibuprofen remedy. I was going to actually give in to malaiziness and drive. Yet I realized that in the time spent waiting for the interminably long light to change at Glenwood and Ridge (my car is across the street, having not moved in over two weeks--woohoo!), I could pretty much be AT the store on my bike. So I rode the new 500, and I had my new Converse on, and the Powergrips actually weren't that bad! The right side strap may need some adjustment, but the left felt pretty right on. I'm pretty adamant about having at least ONE bike without a clipless Shimano regime!

The inaugural ride

The 500 had been sitting around begging to get the once-over from my neighborhood bike shop. So I finally took her there after work on Friday, so I could have a chance to ride all day Saturday. But then the LBS mechanic said the bike probably wouldn't be ready until the PM on Saturday. So when Saturday came, I took a ride on the XO; halfway through the spin, I received a call: IT WAS READY.

When I came in, one of the guys said "Phil (another LBS employee), yer brother's here." Referring to our common appreciation of Bridgestones and all things good n' simple. In fact, it was Phil who sold me a bar-end shifter when I was refurbishing the XO-1. Helluva nice guy. In any event, I realized I had left my wallet back home (or so I thought...I DID have it but couldn't feel it because I was so Goddamned numb), so I rode back home, changed, and walked back to the shop.

Wow. The bike looked amazing. The drivetrain was IMMACULATE, the bike's finish was gleaming, and it really did look new. Not that it was in bad shape before, but the mechanic really did do a great job. He even took the time to call me and explain what he had to do with the headset (re-set the cups) and allow me to choose to do in several situations. Good people. I ended up buying Powergrips and a water bottle/cage, had them do some last-minute tweaking, and I hit the road.

I realized that I hadn't ridden with pedals other than clipless or with toeclips in YEARS! It was so odd and awkward pedaling without these mechanisms in place. Doubly so, because I was wearing these thick, unweildy hiking boot kinda things (my Converse are at the office). I got home, did even more tweaks, then received a call from the Brit who wanted to head to a pub for a bit. I decided to ride to the bar--I was obviously stoked and inspired to ride--and I also wanted my buddy to see the bike!

So technically, my "inaugural" ride was pretty unassuming. So today I installed the Powergrips, braved the elements (18 degrees with microflurries and 25+ mph Northern winds), and headed out with no grand cycling agenda. First I headed in to the wind, cycling North on Glenwood, until it terminated; turned around and headed South on a road that parallels Broadway until IT ended; hopped on Broadway until Irving Park; turned West on Irving Park; then headed North, oncce again, on Clark, facing the excruciating steamroller blast of that brutal fucking wind.

So, the verdict: the bike is definitely a blast to ride. It doesn't have the consummate "WOW" factor that I felt the first time I rode the XO-1; but it's definitely a nice ride. And the fact that it fits me better than any of my flock makes an enormous difference. that being said, I feel like the stock drop bars are waay too narrow (I'm 6'1" and kinda wide), and I was getting odd jabs of discomfort in my forearms during today's ride. I'm eyeing some reasonably-priced (for now, at least) moustache bars on eBay (Yay. more auctions...). Also: the Powergrips aren't exactly moving me. However, I had to ride with my biking shoes because they were the only things at my immediate disposal that would fit in the standard-width Powergrips. The tread on the shoes would catch on the parts on the cage pedals along with the straps, and this make it profoundly difficult to get a comfortable position. And the fact that the shoes are stuffed sausagelike with 2 pairs of wool socks and my ill-built feet doesn't make for the most comfortable scene in general. I'll levy my Powergrip verdict when I try them with my sneakers.

But all in all, I am incredibly stoked about the bike and look forward to getting it perfectly in order and spending many hours together. Whoa. Doesn't that sound positively romantic?

Welcoming a new member of the family

So I bought the bike.

It's a 1985 Bridgestone 500 that's definitely been ridden (no museum piece, here!), with full SunTour Cyclone derailleur majesty, Sakae cranks, Avocet Touring saddle, with "legendary" Bridgestone brakes. And the guy who sold it to me put on some aftermarket Araya rims (27") that have some enchanting gold luster to them. I have never seen these before. That'll work. Now on to the (minor) annoyance:

The front tire is just about spent, with ample amount of cracking and overall funk. And the presta valve itself is busted, with the little piece one needs to unscrew to inflate the tube missing. Minor matter. But then I tried to unscrew the seat post binder bolt, but couldn't get it to loosen! Then again, I didn't use anything that could give me proper torque. I'm just excited at the moment and haven't settled in to tweak my new friend.

But all in all, it looks like it's going to be a fabulous ride. Just a simple, no-frills ride that'll get me properly from here to somewhere to just about over there. And I think I'd like to try riding this on the Frozen Snot Century. Yet I'm saying all this without ever actually RIDING this bike yet!

And a cool capper to this transaction was just talking bikes to the seller. We gabbed in the cold for about 10 minutes, and I assured him that the bike was gonna get RIDDEN and LOVED. Apparently he once owned over 40 bikes, but the wife is leaning on him hard to thin out the herd. And I could totally tell he was pained by having to do so! If by some miracle you're reading this my friend, Thanks again for the bike and I hope you get to hold on to what remains of your fleet!

Auctions can go to Hell

I just got the Word that I am to be FULL TIME ENSLAVED. But it's not as bad as ai sounds: decent time off, groovy personal time, and ...HOLY SHIT...proper insurance!!!

That being said, I've been on the warpath to find a dedicated commuter vehicle. The XO is getting testy, what with the stuck seatpost and all, so I've been slavishly scouring Craigslist/Ebay/BOBish Bikes for sale for a proppa ride.

I saw one a bit back: A Panasonic DX4000 on eBay. And it was in Iowa, so the shipping was reasonable. However, as is the case in almost EVERY GODDAMNED EBAY TRANSACTION, some snakebite asshole motherscratcher levied an touchable bid in at the last moment. SHIT!! When will I learn?? And that being said, this bsatard's final bid is STILL quite reasonable... :(

So when I turned to Chicago's Craigslist I was ASTOUNDED to find said item:




I am a simple person. All I want is a reliable bike to ge me from here to there. I called the owner and he said he'd DELIVER the bike tomorrow evening. Truly, it is a peculiar quirk of fate that would deliver a Bridgestone (cousin/relative of all my other bikes), in my size (57-59cm), at a reasonable price.

Strike it all.

I think I'm gonna be happy!!!

Stymied by horseshit

Before I moved to Chicago, I was really stoked because bicyclists and bike culture seemed to be pretty high-profile and really well represented. And the fact that there was a substantial confederation of cold-weather riders also amped me up! I vowed to make the most of the opportunities and get into the thick of all things bicycle. However, through some nonsense or another, I have yet to really make the most of what the city, along with a myriad of hip organizations, are offering. So I decided that it was a "must-do" to head to Daley Plaza tomorrow morning and see what "Winter bike to Work Day" is all about.

I don't need a festival or gathering to affirm my zeal for riding. However, I was lucky enough to ride in a all-city gathering in Austin--right after Lance won his 1st TDF--and that energy and solidarity was a pretty awesome experience. I'm thinking that tomorrow's get-together might provide a similar energy and stoke my fires a bit. I get the same zing, albeit to a lesser degree, when I see others out riding in sub-freezing conditions. It's goooood!

BUT....my new job is launching a redesigned site tomorrow, and as fate may have it (of fucking course), my end/environment/testing scene went all to shit. I was there until 6:45 tonight trying to get things back on track. Then I was asked if I could come in early tomorrow. I just had to reply, "But I'm gonna be downtown tomorrow morning...." I know I could get away with coming in a little late in order to soak up a bit of the chilly cycling revelry, but the guilt-otine is poised to drop on my neck. What horseshit.

When are obstacles and wanton horsehittery gonna stop being impediments to my good, clean fun?

And if work nonsense isn't enough, now tomorrow's forecast is calling for 30 mph Northern winds. Yoo-freakin-hoo. We shall see what the morning brings.

Cold Weather Convert

Commuting over the last several months through varying degrees of coldness has fortified my ability to deal with loooow-ass weather. In fact, when I was back home in New Orleans, there were several times that I found it quite warm, yet it never cracked the mid-sixties! So this week's quasi-normal January weather has threatened to weaken my 2-wheeled resolve.

Well, SO MUCH FOR THAT. In fact, I've really been enjoying making my way throught the cold, enjoying a much more relaxed pace, and knowing that, even despite the modicum of chill making its way through my meager defenses, I'd rather be riding than driving.

Today got to be in the mid-twenties; my badass co-worker asked if I rode to the office. When I answered in the affirmative, she said "yer HARDCORE!" A self-fulfilling prophecy, maybe? My last name is Core, and my middle initial is H. Couple that with a long-standing affinity towards punk rock, then perhaps HardCore it is.

In any event, I just got back from Jewel, and realized that 9 PM might just be the most sublimely gorgeous time to ride. Little wind, little traffic, and just the sounds of tires creaking over snow/salt/..stuff. And if you listen closely enough, you might just make out the squeaking of the subtle grin of an curb/car-bound onlooker who is feeling pangs of jealousy.

OH!! And that made me remember: I stopped to investigate a Craigslist bike that looked to be a promising commuter. However, it turned out to be a pretty personality-less, mid-'90's Univega that didn't really grab me. If it were half the price, then I'd maybe consider it. And when I was leaving the seller's high-rise, a skateboarder dude spied my bike when I was unlocking it, and said "Cool handlebars, man!" It was pretty neat because he seemed genuinely earnest. That made me feel over-the-top awesome, and I was all aglow during my short ride back to the homestead.

New Bike Denied

I got in a frenetic bidding war on a 1991 Bridgestone CB-0 just a minute ago. I figured it would be the ideal commuting/all-around fun bike I need to own. However, whoever snagged the bike must've had some kind of auction software madness kicking. At 8 seconds left a bid slammed in at almost a hundred bucks more than my (almost) winning bid.

God bless you, fair winning bidder, whoever ye be. At the same time, I sincerely believe you are paying HiDollar for the the Bridgestone name; a comparably badass bike can be found for much cheaper. In any event, I hope you enjoy it.

And when you feel like selling it for a fair price, I'll probably be first in line to grab it. ;)

My First Snow Ride

There was a smattering of snow falling when I left for work this morning. Around 1 PM, I noticed that there was a substantial amount coming down. Like when I first had to drive in snow (just last year!), I felt a little nervousness mixed with a lot of excitement regarding the prospect of riding back in these conditions. I had no reason to worry.

HOW BADASS WAS THIS RIDE??? Wow. Not only was it gorgeous outside, with the snow languidly drifting down and covering everything, but the amount of auto traffic was substantially lower, with those remaining drivers actually operating their vehicles at sane rates. I have to admit I'd feel a lot more comfortable with wider tires, but I found if I kept my wits about me and just pedaled along at a mellow tempo, things went just fine. And I somehow miraculously managed to make every freaking light between work and home. Unheard of. The Gods of Good Fortune and Happy Pedaling must've been smiling down upon me.

My tires and frame all spackled and caked with snow, I was just an uber-stoked, giddy kid when I got home. And my skinny-ish tires DO sound cool creaking through snow.

I am also realizing that since I have had steady employment for a while, my normal misery/survival ways have managed to build up a little whit of savings. Just enough to afford a inexpensive commuter/funbike. I'm eyeing one on eBay currently (normally anathama to me, but the bike will be a fabulous ride), and if i win it, I'll chime back in an introduce the newest member of my steely clan.

P.S. If anyone went of the 2nd Annual Three Floyd's Brewery Ride, please chime in and let me know how it went. I RSVP'd, but wasn't able to get to bed until 4:30 AM Sunday because my band played earlier in the night. Needless to say, I had to pass. Goddamn rock and roll always ruining my fun.....

Nearly a week off

The shitty malaise I was beset with earlier in the week turned into a full-fledged Flu, knocking me out of commission for a couple of days. When I returned to work, I was hit with a ton of make-up work, so I've been doubly burned-out. But my ass was also tickled with the feather of a full-time position at this company. That could be pretty cool...For now, at least.

We had a "social" at 3PM yesterday. This entailed a lot of chips, veggies/dip, cookies, and BEER. Whoa. I didn't indulge--getting over the sickness took priority--but thought that was a pretty decent thing to offer the employees. Both beer and socializing, I mean.

During the interoffice fraternization, I talking a bit to a nice tech guy who often asks me about cycling. Apparently he used to ride a lot, but moved to the 'burbs and has mostly taken up running. But the conversation was interesting, because he claimed I "inspired" him, and wanted to start riding to work at least a few times a week! Awesome. I also found out that the owner of the Bianchi in the bike area works in MY office. But due to the circuitous sprawl of the office, I've yet to meet the guy! But I imagine it's just a matter of time.

In any event, it's been great to hop back on the bike after 2 days off. The wind has been predictably punishing, yet I've been feeling infinitely better after a little spin. I rode my pre-work 18 this morning then rode to work, and feel damned AWESOME at the moment. And I was taken to lunch today--had a killer al pastor burrito--and now let's let the weekend begin.

I have a lot on my mind, having not written in quite some time. I shall probably return shortly and blather a bit more. Lots of events in the forecast...

SPENT

I'm currently weaseling about in a rarely-felt condition: TOTAL FUCKING BURNOUT. I don't know if it's the stronger Winter winds, my excess baggage from Holiday gluttony, or undiagnosed Lupus, but I had a pretty awful ride today.

It began with me stopping at an alternate LBS (open on Sunday) to discuss my stuck seatpost and to see if, indeed, there was anything wrong with my rear hub. After a painfully long wait, the guy helping me seemed to arrive at the conclusion: nothing wrong with the hub, and maybe the colder weather is making things run a bit harsher.

But now I also think that the skipping I've been feeling may not be from the bottom bracket, but from the hub. I seem to recall this happening years back, and it was that the cassette body was getting worn (or so I recall....).

In any event, I rode South, and the wind was yet again of that curiously invisible nature, but pounded my resolve into shit. I turned around south of the aquarium, having reached my wind/cold threshold, and limped back home. and my right knee was also hurting a little bit. all I could think of while pedaling back home was how burned-out I was feeling. It was a real disheartening experience.

So I'm just riding to work tomorrow. No early, pre-work 18-miler. Just a simple, easy morning with a mellow commute. I just hope a day off the saddle (relatively speaking) will knit my shit back together so I can enjoy riding again.

Calling all Trekxperts

While riding yesterday, I discovered that the XO-1's seat post is stuck. Krap. It hasn't been stuck all that long--I adjusted it slightly not long ago--but the mad deluges I have been caught in lately while commuting has probably resulted in sick corrosion in the seat tube. So between this malady, coupled with what looks like a rear hub repacking/greasing along with a new/tweaked bottom bracket, it's looking like my bike is going to have to do some time at the LBS. I'm not the most mechanically inclined, and I absolutely defer to the wrench-slinging might of my neighborhood bike shop.

And it appears that the Raleigh I was lusting after is spoken for. The guy selling it said someone was going to look at it, and hasn't yet emailed me saying that it's still available. Sunuvabitch. So the necessity of getting the Bridgestone overhauled pretty much leaves me with no bike. The Bianchi ALSO has a stuck seatpost, and the shop said it could potentially cost me over $150 to get it removed! Not that it's not worth it, but that's approaching monetary territory that I can't tread on just now. So, I've been looking for an interim, fun bike that'll get me to work and allow me to get some miles in also. here is a recent Craigslist posting:





I tried doing a little research on this model, and all I could really come up with is that the current 1000 incarnation is an entry-level road bike. That'd be fine with me. But I can't tell if this is steel or not, and the guy I've been emailing doesn't really parle la bicyclette, so I've been having to glean little bits and pieces here and there. But at the same time, he's asking 100 bucks, so it seems like a pretty good deal nonetheless. And he's telling me it's in almost showroom condition. I don't know what that's like!

If anybody has ANY idea of what these Treks were all about, please let me know. I'd be inclined to buy it outright, but the seller lives in the Northwest Suburbs, access to which is nightmarish. So before I head out into those badlands, I'd love to be armed with a little more knowledge about this tempting Trek 1000.

Tempted by a British beauty

Some guy on the Chicago Craigslist keeps posting this bike. It's fallen in price over the months, but the inital asking price wasn't even all that unreasonable. And every time he reposts, I am so Goddamned tempted to snatch it up. He we go:



And in the worst-case scenario, I'd wager the saddle alone would be worth the asking price. And truly, I'd love to spare the Bridgestone the rigors of typical day-to-day commuting. It's starting to give me those "love me, daddy" squeaks and moans that break my heart.

So if anyone has any knowledge of these old Raleigh 3-speeds, please chime in and gimme at LEAST 2-cents' worth. It'd be mighty appreciated.

A Devil's quandary

What would you choose? A fierce, howling headwind sandblasting your features into almost-nothingness on the way to work, or a torrential downpour during rush hour on the way back? I experienced both of these today, and my morale during both commuting legs was uncharacteristically ground into nuthin'.

Because I had to fight so hard through the morning headwinds--channeled directly at me from the South and focused that much more sharply by all the tall buildings around--I was sweating like a Neanderthal when I got to work. And I didn't stop perspiring for about 20 minutes after I sat down and got to "work." But I also figured that the cruel winds would be at my back after work. Suuuure.

And it stands to reason that if there's even an INKLING of rain in the forecast, I WILL get stuck in it during rush hour.

At least the winds were relatively advantageous after work. But racing along in heavy rain/wet conditions at 5PM doesn't feel terribly safe to me. So I limped homewards, while my only pair of decent work pants got mercilessly spackled by road grit. And then band practice got cancelled (I was going to go meet some Midnight Bikers after practice, too!), so I decided to lame out, stay at home/stay dry, and wash my foul-assed slacks. Hot Stuff!!!

It's true: You CAN still rock in America.

These things I want

I am palpitating a bit, partially due to the sleepcrushing coffee I made almost 13 hours ago, but also due to this quick blurb I just caught on my homepage:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070103/en_nm/police_dc_1

Man, I believe if ANY band could get together and still kick ass, it'd be the Police. I was too much of a heavy metal/punk rock knucklehead to truly appreciate them in their prime; however, I caught them on MTV during (I think) LiveAid, and Stewart Copeland knocked me on my ass! He also had "Fuck Off and Die" (again, hazy recollection) on his toms and MTV couldn't pull it together to edit that out! And not to mention, he was playing his ass off! I was smitten...in a hero-worship, nascent musician kinda way!

I have been a guitar player since I was 15, but have spent the last 7 years playing drums in bands, largely inspired by the Godhead that is Stewart Copeland. And the Police's music allowed me to appreciate music beyond slamdancing, headbanging, heartpounding mania (not that I don't STILL love that); never, when I was 14, think I'd ever espouse an appreciation for the Smiths and EVEN Morrisey! That was hard....

But, since I'm expressing wishes for the nigh-unnatainable, I will attempt to join this band when I reach my fighting weight, sometime around the third week in March:



And having accomplished said goals, it'll be all the easier for me to score the woman of my dreams:



So's we can have the most gorgeous offspring:


And once I acquire the Uncle Scrooge-esque Money Bins that only hot-action, b@d@$$ rock and roll can deliver, I can drive my ever-widening ass and brood in the dream machine:



God bless us, everyone.