German Cyclist Fail

Picture by: Tracey M. Submitted by: dunno source via Fail Uploader

This summer I went to Neuschwannstein Castle in Germany. I was running up to the castle to be on time for my tour when I saw, well… that.

How much do I need? $2200 —— !

Saving smaller amounts of money over longer periods of time results in less restrictive spending habits at the current moment (so I can eat things besides macaroni & cheese for every meal). That said, when can I realistically have enough money? December 2010.

After taxes, how much are the paychecks going to be? $400-440/month.

To save $2200 by December 2010, today being November 28^th 2009, I will need to save:

$2200 / 13.5 (months) = $162/month must be saved! Which is $81.48/per biweekly paycheck!

Is this suffering? No! I already have a bike so there is no absolute rush to get the one of my dreams. Just as long as I eventually get it, of course!

$440 (monthly earning) – $162 (bicycle savings) = $278 for food per month OR $69.50/per week to live with.

Wow it has been a good couple of weeks biking-wise. Been riding the fixed at Suwanee Greenway, in different ways, always. Using the fixed there has made it so much more fun. Psuedo-cyclocross for slowpokes like me.  Most of the joint is paved, but recent bad weather/floods have some of the paved sections a wreck. Well, not so much anymore since they bobcatted them. I’ve added as much non paved riding on my usual loop as I can for that particular trail. Some of the very short section of single track is sooper sketch due to leaves.

Oh wait did I tell you I rode it in the dark? Yeah man. Fun times for sure. Me vs. the roots on the unpaved sections. I WON.

I’m so darn stoked on getting some riding in that I actually did some -bike maintenance- today. Ghetto-tech brake arm length solutions and a super special de-mudding at the local power wash.  BONUS LEVEL: a whole new rigged up padding system on the car rack, including pipe insulation and electrical tape. RAD.

Just for kicks I took Ye Ol Talera, bald tires and all, out to Gainesville College Trail. They have built an entire multi-level car parking situation there between the last time I was there and now. They also built a small wooden bridge to the entrance of the trail that is angled in such a cockeyed way I had to wonder if the people who built it were stoned or something.

IN OTHER NEWS: there is a discrepency between my yearly miles on one of my bike comps and the spreadsheet I must not have been logging every ride on. That’ll be fun to figure out.

check out this hillbilly shit.

total pooj glamour whore shot

Me and the pooj been doin’ the somewhat dirty work…

Here are some close-up images of my Storck Bike: (more to come shortly)

Brakes with Swisstop brake pads

FSA crank with Look Keo Carbon pedals:

FSA Crank with Look Keo Carbon Pedals

Sram Red Rear Derailleur

Handlebars and stem:

FSA Crank with Look Keo Carbon Pedals

Thomas Robertson

Photographer

tomspider@yahoo.com

The weekend is once again upon us, and it’s time for some more bicycle-entertainment… This time with Queen’s Bicycle race.

All I wanna do is…

I am starting to reinvent myself … at least this is what I have in mind. I am glad (not really … but being unemployed has its good parts also) I have some free time to be able to rediscover what I want to do next, which way to go and what should I do in order to reach my ideals!

DESIGN, PHOTO, PAINTING

let’s go for it!

After a week of lots of hard work and stress and thinking, and reading, watching tutorials, drawing, erasing, drawing again, a tone of recycled paper used for sketches and models … I have finalized the project “Puiul Mot” … the character in the creative brief i have received. I am not very happy with the result of my work, not happy at all … I don’t like the colors – there are too dark, too cold … and I think the most important mistake is the fact that I have designed the character on paper first … it should have been made in photoshop directly, not imported!

But I am proud of myself for having a “result” at all! I am proud that I had the courage and initiative to finish this project and further send it! It is only the start!

So here you are some pictures with the little character … I liked it more on paper!

I’m going to keep the chatting to a minimum and just show you a photo tour of our Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!

It all started with a donut from Madeline Bistro.

The phillet no phish sandwich, Thanksgiving sandwich (which is pretty much all you could ever want from Thanksgiving), mashed potatoes and gravy.

Vanishing meal. Also consumed: biscuits & gravy, crepes filled with fruit. All amazing.

Visiting turkeys from Animal Acres. Luckily these guys will live long happy lives instead of being abused and murdered this Thanksgiving. Yeah, I said that.

Homemade pumpkin soy nog. My mom made this! I think that’s pretty awesome.

When making a pie, it is absolutely necessary to make a mess. It makes it taste better, I promise.

Best way to work up an appetite before Thanksgiving dinner. Okay so it was a rather leisurely ride to the beach. We were rewarded with a gorgeous sunset.

Brussels sprouts with capers. Oh how I love brussels sprouts.

Perfectly fluffy and wonderful mashed potatoes whipped up by Shawn. He also made fabulous gravy to go on top.

There’s that apple pie! All baked up with the infamous crumbly top. This is the last thing I stuffed in my face today.

Happy Thanksgiving! (p.s. Shawn does not like to smile in photos. He really is having a good time, don’t let the serious face fool you.)

Post #13

I LOVE Cyclelogical t-shirts. Looks like their prices have gone down a bit which means I’m going to save some money and get some new clothes.

And Outlier makes a great looking merino wool hoodie but I would be insane to spend $225 on it.  Maybe if I win some money on a scratch ticket

Today I want to thank myself for seriously committing to change.

My 3oth straight day raw was actually yesterday, but it’s timely to post my first set of before & after pictures today; a day we all pull our heads out of our asses and attempt to give thanks for the bounty that is existence.

What I’m thankful for today

I am thankful for my body’s insane resiliency; its capacity to bounce back and regenerate itself is incredible.

One month ago today I was sitting here at this same spot (my kitchen table) drinking continuous triple measured gin gimlets and eating massive quantities of nutrient deficient, fat laden, coma inducing food.  How the hell do I remember what I was doing a month ago?  That’s what I did every day.

The almost manic levels of energy I am experiencing (after getting past a couple difficult weeks) is making me want to explore so many things.  I have way less time than energy now–the INVERSE of  my life just one short month ago–where time lagged and I didn’t give a shit about anything.  I certainly had never blogged before, let alone about raw foods!  Now I have this daily-growing list of topics I want to explore, people I want to meet, stuff I want to try, recipes I cant wait to make, and places I’m dying to travel to…

A real load off

Weighed myself Tuesday and am proud to announce that I lost exactly 20 lbs in less than 30 days–eating only 100% raw food (raw fruits/uncooked veggies/raw nuts &eeds/raw honey & agave).

It takes a lot to post pics like these.  It’s weird to have strangers inspect your face and gut.  When I look at the picture from one month ago I’m disgusted.  How could I let myself get to that place? And while I am partly referring to the physical, please understand I am mostly referring to my mental/emotional state.

Here goes:

One month ago -- 254 big ones!

TODAY! 30 DAYS RAW! 234 LBS!

When I look at the “after” picture, I feel excited.  This is just the start.

It took 30 days just to figure out WTF was going on, get used to not drinking myself into a stupor, and find my way back into my own skin.

If you are considering making a change like this, please try to be compassionate with yourself and don’t expect too much at once. It’s a lot to just commit to a new way of eating.  The first month I kind of went into hiding, this blog my one connector to the outside world.

Exercise

I really didn’t exercise the first month.  But now I have too much energy NOT too! Isn’t that a nice problem to have?

Tuesday I dug out some of those funny 1980’s style resistance bands that I bought and never used and did a crude upper body workout.  Go ahead and laugh, these bands actually work. I used them in an EMS academy years ago that was taught boot camp style.  We all (guys and girls) got ripped and experienced massive strength gains using only the bands and calisthenics during our three month academy.

Yesterday I pumped up the sadly flat tires on my neglected fixed gear and took her for a long ride.  I ride my other bike to work each day, but it’s less than 2 miles and not a work out. Nothing like only having one steep gear to reanimate my long dormant legs and ass!

Just how she should be...Simple & Hot!

Struggling up a small hill, completely anaerobic, it was tough for me to believe I used to ride my bike over 50 miles a day as a bike messenger in NYC!

Climbing Mountains

Today just before dusk I rode over to the base of a popular—extremely steep—hiking trail.  Locked my bike to the trail sign and headed straight up for about 45 minutes.  The view is staggering. Other than the big hunk of cross-sectioned moon, alone on the mountain, it REALLY hit me:  I’m doing this.  I remember this feeling. I feel incredible…

I mentioned the other day that I’m able to use my Spoke Lights on the new Surly.  Pam pulled in just as I got home yesterday, so I asked her to grab video of me coming down the streets to see how my lights actually looked.  What I found out is that the rear lights need new batteries!

Here it is.

Oh…and here is a very interesting article about cycling infrastructure and advocacy in Dallas.

God bless….

TW

INDIA. Agra. Going home. ⓒ Julie Mayfeng

Taken in the Galacho of Juslibol in Zaragoza (Spain)

Canon EOS 450D + 18-55 IS

Flickr | Panoramio | Photoblogs | Cool Photoblogs

Hmmm….Thinking back to that third grade essay for Mrs. Gray…..What I’m Thankful For:

New Riding Partner at Lunch!

Actually, Kerri is obviously picking up a new set of wheels for the munchkin.  Good job for getting her started early!

Smooth Pavement!

After at least a couple of years begging the county to do something about the streets in our subdivision, they finally got re-paved this week.  It wasn’t nice they day stripped out the old, but that new asphalt is OH SO SWEET!

The ability to ride my bike around town!

When my dad was a much younger man than I, he was actually an old man.  He acted old.  He had limited mobility and energy.  For all practical purposes, his sedentary lifestyle left him so out of shape that if he tried to do anything at all he would hurt himself.  His life consisted (and still does) of watching TV, reading, and spectator events as long as they were easy to get in and out of.  I looked at that and decided there had to be more of life than that.  The problem was, I wasn’t sure how, so I did the best I knew to do.  It consisted of lots of walking and not a lot else other than just generally keeping myself busy by chasing after the kids.

Through my thirties, that was generally enough to keep me in reasonably good shape, but about ten years ago, I realized that I was still on a downward slide.  I weighed about 185 lbs, and noticed that I was susceptible to back aches and like my dad, I started feeling lots of aches and pains.  About that time, Pam got a job with Cox Health Systems, and had an opportunity to join their fitness center for a reasonable price.  Other than high school PE classes, I had never been inside a “gym” in my life.  Talk about an intimidating experience going in that first time for my orientation.  Luckily, as part of that orientation, the trainer gave me a sample exercise program for beginners and showed me how to use the weights and equipment.  If not for that, I’m sure I would have floundered.

Fast forward ten years.  I’m now in the best physical condition of my life.  I often lament to Pam that I wish I had figured out this lifestyle ten years earlier, just to see how good, fast, and strong I could have been.  I weigh 159 lbs, have a body fat percentage that is “ideal” for my height and age, and have a resting heart rate in the low 40’s.  I can run a 5k without thinking anything of it, ride my bike to work five days a week, ride a century with very little additional training, and I can do 100 pushups without stopping.  But more  than that, I feel good.  I’ve got energy for the things in life that are important to me. 

I look back at my dad’s life, and realize that he’s of the temperment to be happy with the choices he made.  I don’t have that temperment though.  I want to live life and live it at it’s fullest!  And I am….That’s what I’m thankful for. 

How about you?  What are you thankful for this weekend?

God bless….

TW

John and James went for a quick blast out to the West of Harrogate this evening with the lights on and after the rush hour.

We left Harrogate along Whinney Lane before heading through Beckwithshaw and out and up towards Little Almscliffe Crag where we were rewarded with great views of the night lights thanks to a nice clear evening.  From there it was down to Norwood, past the Sun Inn and a return to Harrogate via Penny Pot Lane.

A great way to spend an evening and beats spending an hour in the garage on the turbo-trainer!!

View our route here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/19654841

Join Sustainable Metuchen for a fun ride around town!

More information here:
Pedal off the pie post-Thanksgiving bike ride – Sustainable Metuchen (Metuchen, NJ) – Meetup.com.

Having an iPod around is great, especially when you’re doing various activities.  However, there are some that you almost don’t want to use it, purely because you’re afraid of damaging your iPod.  Bicycling is one of those things for some people.  You never know when you’re going to get caught in a downpour or just happen to accidentally spill your bottle of water.  With this Bicycle iPod Speaker it’d keep your iPod safe and you’d get to listen to your music while you’re on your bike.

The speaker case actually clamps to the frame on your bike and then a remote control gets attached to the handlebars.  The speaker won’t be in your way then and you won’t have to struggle to flip between songs and adjust the volume.  Of course the speaker holds your iPod within and makes the speaker and your iPod water resistant.  You can pick up the black iPod speaker for $50.

found @ www.coolest-gadgets.com

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! An example of what kind of team-player I am! I started a post on how to ride in a group and never finished it. Sorry, to busy being solo!

Anyhow. Riding in a group was my challenge of the summer. I’ve been a LONE RIDER for a very long time. Usually ‘cycling in a group for me is an exercise in nerves. I either follow and stay off the back or head to the front, waaay to the front, or am a nervous wreck just waiting for the person in front of me to decide to slow-down quickly, stop, swerve, decide to speed up suddenly, or just derby me. I know, I sound frantic and suspicious…but there are a lot of shitty bike-handlers out there and you never know. My philosophy- it’s better to be wary than not.

That being said, riding with people can be very rewarding. It’s nice to have someone to chat with while you’re pedaling along, it’s also nice to have someone to draft when it’s windy… and no, I did not learn my group riding skills from drafting strange ‘cycling dudes on the Greenway! Although you personally have little control over the person next to you, you do have control over yourself and your bike, so here’s a few tips by season.

Winter: Since winter is nearly upon us, this is kind of important and goes well with those safety lessons you learned at the last seminar-

1. Ride like you’re a car. You have the right to a lane, use it. Do not let cars push you into the gutter (which will be full of ice chunks and black holes). Usually I ride in the right tire track of the street. You will find yourself doing this during the summer months too, it becomes a habit that will keep you safe. If you ride in the gutter, cars WILL try to pass you without making room. If you take your lane, they have to respect your space. IF THEY DON’T- feel free to give them the finger in your lobster mitts (they won’t be able to tell, but you’ll feel better, trust me).

2. Make sure everyone you’re riding with knows about this- winter time is slippery time. Don’t try to race the stop-lights. It is better to stop and wait than run a red light when neither you or the car coming at you can stop. It’s also better not to stop in general, but when are we that lucky with the lights? This is also one of the reasons I ride fixed in the winter! Stopping is much easier to control when you’re NOT COASTING.

3. Ride a straight line. Don’t try all the fancy swerves and avoidances of dry asphalt. If there’s a patch of ice, ride straight over it. Do not panic and try to go around suddenly, upon which your wheels will go out from under you. This is guaranteed to create a pile-up when someone’s brakes fail them.

4. Wear the appropriate gear (long-johns, thick socks, boots, hat that covers the ears underneath the helmet, scarf, warm gloves, water-proof jacket with minimal layering). It’s not fun to ride w/ people who are freezing cold and getting frostbite. You have to rehabilitate them and listen to the complaints upon reaching your destination. It can ruin your day.

Summer: This applies in the winter-time, too.

1. Be predictable. Ride in a straight line and have a goal towards which you are riding. Do not swerve unexpectedly unless the person you are riding with is a circus clown. Do not play chicken with people who are unprepared (no helmet) or unwilling.

2. Do not make sudden stops. The person behind you will crash into you or need to make an unnecessary evasive move.

3. Signal. Either verbally or with your hands. Verbal signals are “all clear!” when you check both ways at an intersection for cars. Feel free to ride close enough that when you shout “Take a right!” and turn right, the person you are with is in the know (BUT DON’T TURN INTO THEM!). Using your hands is also very “handy” . I don’t even bother with the correct signals- most people, especially motorists, know not what they mean! I simply move into the turn lane (on the left side too!) and point in the direction I am turning. Simple. Who doesn’t know what that means!?

4. Remember, you have the right to a lane. Taking a full lane for 3 cyclist abreast can be very empowering…until cars are afraid to go around you and start harassing you. Perhaps it’s worth looking at the rules before you ride out- I know that the bike lanes drawn on regular streets are usually supposed to be single-file for bikers…but…if you’re comfortable biking within ass-grabbing distance of your partner…be my guest.

That’s my advice for riding with people and for safe riding in general. Remember, rule number one is BE PREDICTABLE. Communicate well with the people you are riding with or the cars you are motor-pacing and everyone will ride away happy and intact.

Cheers!

-The Dr.

I was walking around Dhiyafa Street on a recent trip to Dubai when I noticed something very unexpected. In one short stroll I was passed by (and I counted them) 15 people on bicycles! It was a strange feeling. There were bike lanes. The pedestrian crossings were very safe and had traffic lights for cars and pedestrians, with those little buttons you push that tell you to wait.

Upon further investigation, I found a hidden building which apparently houses the labor force that is constructing this new part of town. You can’t really see them clearly in the photo but there are literally hundreds of bicycles there. This one labour camp is seeding a culture of pedestrian and bicycle activity in the whole area! Once the infrastructure is set up, and people see other people on bikes, they won’t hesitate to join. The idea is to give people as much choice in transportation as possible and not simply force one mode onto everyone.

I also got a chance to visit Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the people in charge there were incredibly competent and passionate about what they’re doing. Maybe the lethargic attitude in Kuwait lowered my expectations, but I really have changed my mind about Masdar. I have a good feeling now that they really know what they’re doing and that it’s not just some grand-scale publicity stunt for Abu Dhabi. There’s not much to see there yet, but they are pretty deep into the technical design phase. It was fun and a bit surreal seeing pedestrian urbanism ideas, passive cooling, smart grid technology and pricing incentives all come together in one city. The skeptic in me still thinks it’s all too good to be true, but I hope i’m wrong again.