02/28
This cyclist endorses Barack Obama for the Presidency. Because he’s clearly a long-time cyclist and his platform actually includes a bike plan.
Actually, that’s not my only reason for endorsing the man, but I’ll post about that at a later date.
02/28
You know, I love the Caturday/LOLCat humor. It’s so simple, so retarded, yet so…hysterically funny. It really cracks me the hell up. And that said, here’s one I found today that I love:
What are your favs? (Embed in comments.)
02/27
So I’ve narrowed the field to three possibilities:
- the Blue TR250 frameset
- the Fetish Attack frame
- the Trek T1 frameset
Right now, the Fetish is leading the cost battle. The Blue is winning the appeal battle.
I need to go get working on the spreadsheet that determines what we’re getting here. Figuring out parts and such. Should be an interesting experiment, trying to balance affordability and performance. Once I make some determinations and get some parts here, you’ll get pictures.
02/26
There is no better way to deliver righteousness than through humor. I agree with everything the dude says, by the way.
02/25
Okay, so I’m starting to narrow down my choices for a track frame:
- a Trek T1 frameset
- a Fetish Attack frame
- telling financial common sense to go “fuck itself” and buying a Bridgestone Anchor PHM9 (pictured, click for larger view)
Obviously, given that this is my first season on the velodrome, I’m not dropping the bank on a frame that retails in the $4000-range. But damn, it’s a beautiful bike.
There’s this thing about bikes — they’re fucking expensive. That’s the one thing that really bugs me about this sport (other than hearing it called “the new golf”) — the price outlay is enormous. This year, I’m trying to keep my spending on bike stuff under control, because last year, I was really bad. Yes, I’m buying two more bikes this year, but I’m trying to be as inexpensive as possible without compromising performance. (So, inexpensive aluminum track frame instead of multi-thousand dollar track frame. Single-speed MTB instead of cross-country rig.) It’s tough. There’s part of me, knowing I could technically afford it, that wants to buy that PHM9 frame, but there’s this majority voice in my head that says, “Fuck that! We have other shit to worry about!”
Wait. Did I just admit to having some degree of financial responsibility…and that it’s important to balance responsibility with the hobbies?
Damn. I’d like to think my parents, my ex-wife, and a few ex-girlfriends would be proud.
02/25
Odd title for a post at the end of February in Minnesota, isn’t it? This morning when I left the house, it was warm enough for a light jacket, and there was a haze of fog in the air. Dirt was showing through patches of snow in the area between my apartment building and the neighbors’ house, and the smell was putting a big smile on my face.
Part of me wanted to be late for work, go back upstairs, strap on the Las Cruces, and then spend half an hour violating the mud and snow. It’s not so much cyclocross as it is the urge to get out and ride. Okay, maybe it is ‘cross. I got the bug last fall and now I have the urge to flirt with the dirt.
02/24
So. I was all geared-up to employee purchase a Felt TK2 frameset to race on the track this year. Unfortunately — and not just for me — the shop I work for elected to drop Felt as a product line. I was pretty gung-ho about this frameset — I’ve always been impressed with Felts from the first time I encountered them, and had been considering an F1X as a pit bike for ‘cross this fall.
02/22
So last year, I made my comeback to racing on July 4th, at the Northfield Criterium. I DNF’ed (did not finish), as I was way out of shape and in no condition to race. In another of my blogs, three days later, I wrote a piece about the experience and why, at the age of 34, I was coming back to racing after a long lay-off. Here it is:
02/22
So I have an awesome idea for a cycling product, something that will improve aerodynamics while still falling inside the rules and regulations. I’m going to need to take out a patent on the thing and bring it to market.
The awesome part is that it’ll be relatively cheap/easy to manufacture. Tri-geeks and triathletes everywhere will want a set.
I need to find a patent attorney. Srsly.
More info after I actually have the patent.
02/21
So recently, sci-fi author Steven Brust released a Firefly fanfic novel as a free download. A friend who is making strides in the business of being a sci-fi writer, if I recall correctly, cut her teeth by writing fan fiction.
I’m reminded of John Scalzi and his adage about “paying work gets written first.” It’s a phrase that can easily be interpreted as “don’t write anything unless you’re going to submit it to a paying market first.”
Lately, I’ve been musing on the trend in sci-fi circles toward releasing one’s work under the Creative Commons license. And I’ve been musing on fanfic, because I’ve got an idea for a piece rolling around in my brain.
Dan Bailey