spam comments

In view of the fact that I can't always respond to comments on this blog due to Blogger.Com weirdnesses, it surprises and dismays me that some anonymous toad has started posting spam comments with links. I delete 'em as soon as I see 'em. It's probably an attempt to fool search engines into ranking a page unfairly highly (if my limited understanding of search engine rankings is correct).

To whomever is doing this: your links usually last less than two days. Go find some unattended blogs to troll; I'm fairly diligent at pruning this one.

underestimation

Having worked in addictions services for over thirty years, I can tell you that this anonymous tyro is underestimating the power of the addiction. Even in prison, it can get worse.

From today's Oddman.

confirming one of my suspicions

I bet Cadillac, Mercedes, and Lexus have these classes, too.

From today's Oddman.

almost balked solo ride

So maybe it's gonna rain later, and I want a date this afternoon with The Excellent Wife (TEW), so I went out on a solo ride rather than one with the Freewheelers. I opted for about 35 miles, and to go up Dutchtown-Zion. I started out at a reasonable, but not fast, pace... but when I turned onto Dutchtown-Zion from 601, it was all I could do to talk myself into keeping going to get over the hill. I came that close to turning back, and it wasn't until I was over halfway up the hill that I decided to keep going and complete it.

(And with all that... it's still a minor complaint. I'm so glad I'm going back to work tomorrow!)
Here's the ride page. I didn't decide until after Dutchtown-Zion that I was going to keep the speed up, and it shows; slower average than yesterday (it doesn't help that I ride the brakes coming down Pinoak after the hill - I don't know the road or the surface, and there is the beginning of a collection of autumn leaves to cover up surface imperfections and to slide on).

On the way back up Canal Road, I came up on a stranger riding; he had his mirror on and saw me coming, and we were pretty well matched; I barely caught up and let him pull me for a while; then I pulled him for a few. Then home.

TEW also dd a solo ride today, and met Francisco and Juan Carlos from the Kim's group (in full Kim's kit; lookin' good, I have no doubt!), and got waved at by the Major Taylors as they whipped past.

mid sept ride with kims bike shop

Don S of the Freewheelers had his Belmar Century planned for today; he does it once a year or so, and by adding a plethora of course changes to the 60-mile-or-so round trip between Etra and Belmar, he gets it up to 100 miles. Years ago, it was my first century, and he did it at a manageable pace; I wasn't wiped by the end. I had planned t go again today, but the weather prediction was iffy (and appears worsening as I write this), so I decided to go out with the Kim's Bikes early-morning Saturday ride.

Snakehead decided to come, and drove in; he wanted to show off some very cool carbon-fiber wheels he's gotten. Sixteen spokes front, twenty-four rear, and they're lighter than a thought (especially some of my depressed ones). They take tubular tires. He had a bump in the back wheel that may have been a poorly-set tire; that's one of the many, many things I don't know anything about. Snakehead said he could really feel the difference above 25mph.

We gathered for a 8am start, but, of course, the Kim's folks have a generous and forgiving attitude about punctuality. Some of the Rutgers folks have started to come out on the Kim's rides. I was afraid of keeping up with the pace, but evidently the fastest folks were off racing today. (Whew!).

Fray, above, is faster than you would think for his size.

Edit: Snakehead sent me some names; those are Jasmine and Matt above.

Above: Full Kim's kit, with matching socks and gloves. Snakehead's a fashion plate. (Snakehead and bike socks are getting to be A Thing.)

Above: Vincencio would be a lot of fun if he'd just loosen up a bit.

My ride page, of course, shows my rides to and from as well as the usual route. We were pretty quick, and I wasn't in the front much. I'm blaming that on a skipping cassette - I changed the chain recently - and not on the fact that I'm old and slow.

We did the usual sprints along River Road (where we split into a faster and slower group) and through Colonial Park (that young lady in the braids just above talking to Benny was in my mirror until I pulled over to breathe a bit before the end of the park). We continued to the parking at Six Mile, and there was another sprint along Canal Road that I don't remember in the past, but I'm not reliable about that kind of thing.

Edit: Another of the names Snakehead provided: above center, in the red/white/blue jersey, Professor Andy, "winner of the Omnum at T-town recently" (pardon my ignorance; is that Trexlertown?).

Edit: More names from Snakehead: Above, facing left (not on the bike) is Keith B; on the bike at right is Dave Kim of Kim's Bikes.

Then up Coppermine. Some of the guys blew past, but I did OK. Francisco impressed me; he's had a knee injury that slowed him down, but he's been doing his exercises, and I couldn't catch him on the uphill.

Pics of some of the others as they came up.

Ed suggested adding some miles, but I was concerned about the skipping cassette, so I demurred. We rode back to the shop, then I rode home.

Back to work Monday. Yayy!

on disk brake failure

Granted, it's only ONE report, and granted, it's from a self-described retrogrouch... but I found this post on a disk brake failure sobering.

From the post:

... to my view it does highlight a certain problem with the brakes, as well as a lot of the new technology we're seeing on today's wünderbikes. On traditional cable-operated rim brakes, everything is pretty well out in the open, easy to see, easy to understand -- just as with most traditional bicycle components. On a hydraulic disc brake, a lot of the critical componentry is hidden inside. One can't visually inspect the caliper for a cracked piston the way they can spot a frayed cable..

Original story on Bikeradar.

I'm stickin' with my cables.

probably the last ride with the old guys

Back in the 90's, men's groups were in vogue; I was in one. They were discussion and support groups, and that format has come and gone. But there have probably always been men's groups - you just don't recognize them, because they look like Tuesday Night Poker, or Church Clothes and Furniture For the Poor, or the local Habitat project, or "we always go out to all the (insert team name here) games together".

While I've been unemployed, I've been riding with the Old Guys, who get together three weekdays to do a C+ ride (that really has everything from C to B+ riders on it). Whether they admit it or not, they are a men's group; they look out for each other, and discuss what's going on and what's important in each others' lives.

Since I've been unemployed, I've been going out with 'em. Today was probably the last time I'll go; I got the letter to start work on Monday, and Friday I may have another commitment. They've been a great help to me - more than they know.

Today's ride was slightly longer than most, but unremarkable otherwise. I had decided to add miles, so I rode from Etra to the start at Byron Johnson Park in Allentown.

I was glad to see Dennis W out, although he had to stop early and go back. Joe led us on this route (of course, that includes my extra miles). We stopped at Roy's.

On the way back, Joe led us along 526, Bordentown-Allentown Road. The offices of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), along with a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu studio are in a corporate park on the east side of that stretch between West Manor Way and downtown Allentown; also in that corporate park is the main office of the company that fired me. I hereby declare it a Seeming Verb Thousand-Day Indulgence to flip the bird at that office if you are riding past. The efficacy of the indulgence is doubled if you repeat the Latin incantation "pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo," (it's from Catullus 16; you could look it up).

After the ride, I expressed my gratitude to Joe, but I'd like to thank all the guys I rode with, and who provided just the right mix of support and abuse that made these rides one of the best parts of this difficult time.

---

The question came up about where I got the jersey I wore today. I got it from ScudoPro. That link goes to the online store for jerseys. Some to them are wretched, but some are really attractive, and they're only $40. Go through the themes on the right of the linked page, and don't let the barfy-too-cute graphics thow you; the good ones are in there.

back to work

It's official. I got my start letter. I start work at Rutgers on September 14.

Go Knights!

cycles brillant

In my internet stumblings, I came across this:

It's by one of my favorite graphic artists, Cassandre (see my previous love note).

They don't make 'em like that anymore.

old guys and extra miles, before labor day

I wanted to get this ride in with the Old Guys today. Friday I'll be unavailable, and Monday is Labor Day, and I don't know if I'll get to ride with 'em next week before I go to work again.

I decided to start from Etra to get the extra miles to the meeting place in Allentown. It was thickly foggy this morning; I had a rear blinker on, but many of the cars did not have headlights, and were almost on me before I saw them. And on the stretches of road with no traffic, the fog imposed an eerie isolation. The early extra miles had me in a state between meditative and penitential. I was quiet when I got to Allentown.

That passed as I met the guys in Allentown.

Prior to leaving, Steve T was showing off his new wheels, and I did a quick-and-dirty brake adjustment.

Dennis W has passed the leading on to Al P while he recuperates, and Al is away... so Joe M led again. You can see my ride page here, but that includes the miles to and from; the regular ride was the middle 40 miles. Joe took us down to the Pemberton Wawa, but not by the usual route (although some of the roads I recognized as ones we usually take the other way).

I must say here that I find it disconcerting that I recognize roads. It was much easier when I was just blissfully lost all the time.

A few shots at the Pemberton Wawa:

When we got back, Don S and Spence let me know that they had also ridden in from Etra; Don had seen me (I didn't recognize him in the fog). We rode back together; I showed them my route that avoids a little more of 539 than the one they used. Spence said that they went the way they did because Don likes the danger; Don protested, but Spence called him "Danger Don", and I kind of like the name "Danger Don" for Don S.

I don't know when, if ever, I'm going to ride with these guys again. I hope I can find a group like this when I retire. I'll miss them.