Happy Holidays!

A time to reflect on what is most
important. A chance for increased
awareness and empathy. And of
course, some giving and recieving
of bike love!

new Times Union post.

Go HERE!

Pokey the puppy

I am not that good.
It's not me that pushes to rescue
or foster dogs, it's the better half.
Suppose I could take some credit
with all the 'stuff' I clean up, and
the craziness they bring to the
house.

But ultimately it's not my idea.
Four puppies right before the
Holidays? Not my idea. But we
survived. And they are all getting
homes this week. One yesterday,
one today, and one Saturday. Oh!
The last one? I MAY keep him.
Maybe change his name from Pokey
to Opie.

Sometimes you can't look for the
ending, it makes the effort required
seem to great. Sometimes you just
maintain a steady cadence, and
enjoy the ride. Because it's about
the ride, not the destination.

Lazy Days

Cold days bring out the lazy days.

Riding bikes with the Dutch

Wow, haven't even finished off the year, and there's things coming
together for next year..... more, later.

ARTributes

Three works made the show! Which will be my largest in size and cost.
For being in the usual Holiday grump
mood, this was a pleasant surprise.
Now I have one week to get it ready!

New Year & New Shows

As always it was a rush-to-the-last-minute for the latest submissions.
My interpretation for the call for art.
Not sure if I'm on point,
but I felt really good about that went into it.
So we shall see....

post ride talk

casual rides

the way it is

I commute daily.
Six miles each way.
Early in the morning,
late at night.
Rain.
Snow.
Everyday.

There's always so much talk in the driver vs. cyclist,
the 'rules of the road',
nothing worse than a cyclist citing 'rules of the road'
to an everyday commuter.

There's a point where it's simply about survival.
BECAUSE the driver's are SOOOOOOOO bad.

And this is why I pull up along side of you at a red light.

Yes, it's annoying for that guy three cars back to overtake me AGAIN.
But I'm gonna use you as a barrier,
against other bad drivers.

Could you imagine what I would look like if the car hit me
instead of this car? The driver was totally fine.
The car? Obviously not.

I'll follow 'your' rules AFTER you follow them,
til' then, it's just survival.

molester vans and 'cross racers

consistant what?

lately I've just packed all my clothes in the bag.
rain jacket & pants,
winter booties,
three gloves: spring, liners, and lobster mitts,
headband,
thermal cap,
thermal top and bottom,
and of course extra socks,
and may as well put on the fender(s).

The first wintery ride,
it was cold when I rolled out.
So I only had the man-pri knickers with thin thermals.
I packed the jacket - well, in case.
As work wrapped up, I noticed the bitter 30 degrees,
was now still 30, but also windy AND snowing.
Still a kid at heart - it was the first snow ride!
Didn't matter what I did or didn't have for gear -
I was gonna ride!

I made about a mile before the realization hit,
it may be snowing, but the ground was still 'warm',
so it's WET out.
NO: booties, or shell pants, or fenders, or winter gloves,
was a bitter, soggy ride home.
And I still had an evening ride planned,
with soaked shoes,
so I resorted to the gallon freezer bags between
new socks and soaked frozen shoes.


The local pond I pass is now frozen.
BUT today it will hit 40.
Then tomorrow night it'll be in the teens,
and 20's in the day for the rest of the week.
Thinking I'll finally mount up the studded tires.

elite cyclocross racers

great xtranormal from steevo.

if you overheard two racers

it would sound like this,
which isn't funny to those that don't ride,
to the rest,
it is.

Can't shake the mags.

It's a nasty habit no one really thinks about. You have a hobby, a
sport you follow, an interest in something. Or maybe you have a full
blown hard core facination with anything and everything cycling
related. And there's a magazine
for everthing out there.

After some serious attempts to make room, I've realized the old
magazines need to go. But then, with everything available online, why
even buy a magazine in the first place? With that, I've quit buying
magazines. Well, for the last two months. Until today. ROAD has
awesome photography on ridiculously priced bikes, places I'll never go
to, and pros I'll probably never see in real life. So I broke down,
this month. Think my problem would be solved if thier online presence
was even half of the print version.