Winter Riding

While on vacation, Rex had to be taken to the Doggie Hospital (he's fine). While I was waiting, I read a Calvin and Hobbes book and found this. So I had to snap a cameraphone picture for the blog.

Video of The Bone

Props to Andre.

Post Ride Conversation #4

Sunday Comics

(click here to see a bigger size)

Route Map from Sunday

The Bone as seen, post-ride, from Andre's GPS.

Post Ride Conversation #3

Post Ride Conversation #2

How Global Warming Might Affect Cycling.

WGaS Oldie But Goodie

Post Ride Conversation

Autumn Ride on the DPR Trail

Turkey Day 2009 CX Ride

St. Charles Cross Race Video

From last Sunday's race...

CROSS from Paul Michna on Vimeo.

Team Car #2?

Carpenterville Cross Race

A couple of pics from the race on Sunday from "Hold Your Line"

Whose Team Car is This?

Happy Birthday BT

You're not getting older, you're getting better cycling equipment.

Caption Contest #3

Tooting My Horn

Sat DPRT Ride

Chilly start - 33 degrees but we warmed up as we got passed Old School - BT, Chip, Bill Hatch, AC, Big John and Barb W and myself had a nice ride up to Gurnee and back. A little spicey on the way back home after Independence Grove but a lovely morning. Tucci and Freddy joined us for coffee as they did solo rides - The Professional on the trail and Fa(s)t Freddy on the road. Don't you love Lake Forest Starbucks ..... not! (that is another story)

We took a long look at the bridge at 120 - still very slick so be careful! I did notice the sign above - a bit small when you are riding 20+ mph.

Hope to see you out this week ... weather permitting.

DeKalb Cyclocross

The cyclocross race in DeKalb yesterday was, as usual, a fun one. A tough course with off camber steep turns made even more challenging by the previous days rain. I raced Masters 40+ and am certain that I came in ahead of at least one other racer. I started with about 50 others, so it was a very big field. Here's a shot of me climbing a short steep stretch:



I stayed for the next two races and grabbed a few photos. Here's one of Bill in his first cyclocross race, looking fast:



And one showing his barrier crossing technique:



There were other creative ways to get over the barriers:



And here's my favorite team kit from the race:



More pictures of the race where these came from.

Team Car?

Seen this morning. Did someone order a Team Car?



Enlargement.

Movie Night!

Race Across the Sky



The only question is Lincolnshire or Evanston?

Outa my Way!

Running was clearly the best way up this hill!

Riding on the Front

Today we had a minor accident - but it could have been much worse. As we were heading south on St. Johns just turning onto Lambert Tree Road (road on North Side of Ravina) there was a plate covering a loosely filled trench. I was on the front with Vitaly, we were not going too fast as today was a recovery Friday. As we turned (I may have taken the turn a bit too tight/too sharp an angle) I saw the plate and yelled, making a short quick turn to get out of the way of the plate. Frank who was behind me, was not so lucky - as he turned to miss the plate, his wheel gave way in the loose dirt/gravel fill in the trench and went down. I believe his hip and shoulder took most of the impact but his helmet did hit the ground. He got up and had a few scrapes and probably will be pretty sore tomorrow.

Since I was on the front, I feel responsible for not guiding the 'ton around the obstacle. I was told that the plate was not there yesterday. So the morale of this post? Roadwork, darkness and ever changing road conditions make riding at the front a very important and a task and one that should not be taken lightly. It seems that the darker the mornings become, the harder and harder it is to see the pot holes and the rougher the rides have become ... let's just be careful out there .....

Frank - I hope you are feeling better!

Pablo

Test Your Awareness : Whodunnit?

Jackson Park CX 2009--Wayne on the attack

Another Picture From Jackson Park

First lap. Third turn. I think this was the last time I saw Pablo.



Photo by Luke Seemann

Jackson Park Cyclocross Race

Great form. I understand he's a decent writer, too.

Thanks to Inga and Wesley Walker for the photo.

Trail Ride

Pictures are up from this morning's trail ride. A great ride with great weather and, of course, our usual camaraderie. I nearly earned a new nickname today right at the start of the ride. Mike clearly called out a right turn to begin the ride on the "Jedi Loop" while muscle memory forced me to initiate a left turn which I quickly corrected before nearly taking out SG. Here's a thumbnail of one of the pictures I took on the ride. The rest are here (click to see bigger).

Stolen from the "Fat Cyclist" Blog Site

How to Size Up the Competition
06.17.2005 3:14 pm
Part I: The Rider
When does riding become racing? Two simple rules:
When there are two riders: It is possible for two cyclists to ride together without it turning into a race — but only if it has already been established that one of the two cyclists is the alpha rider.
When there are three or more riders: If there are three or more cyclists, there will be racing — whether it be a race to the summit, a race to the next signpost, or a race of fatigue. The race may not be aknowledged, but it is there.
Of course, before you embark upon any race, you want to understand your competition. Today, I will begin to explain how you can assess your chances against your cycling foes.
The Cyclist
Clothes Fit: The type and tightness of the jersey and shorts give you a good indication of the relative confidence of your opponent:
Loose fitting: If the shorts and/or jersey are loose-fitting, the cyclist has something — ie, fat — to hide. He knows he’s not at the top of his game. Plan to destroy this cyclist on the climbs.
Form fitting: You don’t need me to tell you what this means. This is a person who has earned his physique. All you can hope for is that he earned it in the gym, not on the bike.
Used to be form-fitting, but now looks uncomfortably tight: Oh, that’s me. Don’t worry, I’m no threat to you.
Sponsor branding: This is complex. Bike clothes with sponsor branding can mean different things on different people.
Full team kit on a guy with hairy legs: This person read a Men’s Health article about the benefits of cycling a couple years ago and watched the Tour de Lance last year, whereupon he decided to “get into” cycling. He has money to spend, but no biking skills whatsoever. Toy with him, then ride away.
Full team kit on a guy with shaved legs: Could mean trouble. He’s clearly a fanboy, and cares enough about cycling that he probably rides plenty. Going to have to go to secondary clues: leg definition, evidence of a spare tire, suntan pattern, bike clues.
Jersey advertising a non-bike-sponsoring consumer product: This is a person who buys his jerseys at a bike store, as opposed to getting them as souvenirs for races he’s done. This person does not take biking seriously enough. A few intermediate sprints should demoralize him nicely. That said, I desperately want the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup jersey advertised in the current Performance Bike Catalog. Have I mentioned that Saturday is my birthday? Size Large, please.
Race / Event branding: This is helpful only if you know the circumstances under which the jersey can be obtained. If it’s a jersey you have to buy, it means your opponent wishes he were fast, but isn’t. If the jersey can only be obtained by finishing — or worse, winning — a race, you may have a serious race on your hands.
No branding whatsoever: Inscrutable. This is clearly a guy who either wants to fade into the background because he sucks (70% chance), or likes to go stealth so that you feel that much worse when he cleans your clock (30% chance). Look for secondary clues.
Legs: Evaluate his tan, his hairiness, and his quads and calves.
Tan = trouble. But check where the tan starts and ends. If he’s tan right up to the bike shorts line but not beyond, and his quads are the tannest part of his body, you’ve got a real cyclist on your hands. If his forehead has a strange tanning pattern on it that suddenly makes sense when he puts on his helmet and glasses, this spells trouble with a capital T.
Shaved legs = serious cyclist. Why do shaved legs matter? Because they mean he’s made a commitment to cycling. They also mean he’s vain, because the purpose of shaved legs is to increase the visibility of your leg muscle definition.
Leg definition and size: Finally, check the size and cut of his quads and calves. If he’s just cut, you can probably take him on the flats. If he’s just big, you can get him on the climbs. If he’s both, just try to draft.
Part II: The Bike
Anyone who’s ever gathered at a start line knows that there’s an awful lot of sly bike inspections going on. But gauging the quality of the cyclist based on what he’s riding isn’t limited to start lines. You can do it practically anytime — looking at bikes on car racks and looking at bikes people are riding as you pass / are passed are two common times. Today, let’s take a look at how you can quickly size up the competition, just by looking at what they ride.
Reflectors: This is the absolutely most obvious way you can be sure someone’s not serious about cycling. If he’s left the reflectors on his bike, he’s clearly not considering the extraordinarily deleterious (wow, I just used “deleterious” in a sentence!) effects on his speed the weight and poor aerodynamics of the reflectors will have. (
Drivetrain: The drivetrain is a good indicator of the person’s riding style:
Shimano = all about the efficiency and reliability. 80% chance that the rider also drives a Japanese car. High likelihood that the rider will be a good tactician and a a smart rider.
Campagnolo means the rider cares all about the history of cycling and the passion of cycling and will fly into a fit if you do not profess an undying love for Eddy Merckx. This person corners with passion. He climbs with passion. He descends with passion. He attacks with passion. And when you beat him, he will throw a raging fit.
SRAM: This person isn’t interestedd in beating you. He’s interested in doing his own thing, man. If you suggest working together, he’ll look at you like you’re from Mars.
Singlespeed means that he no longer cares about winning, or at least wishes to project the image that he no longer cares. He’s jaded, like James Dean on a bike. OR it’s possible that he is bringing enough game to the ride that he’s confident he can beat you even without the benefit of technology.
Wheels: Everyone talks about wheels as if they’re the biggest factor in how fast you go. Let me tell you a secret: your wheels aren’t going to make you any faster or slower. They’re not going to change the quality of your ride. So, if you see that your competition is riding with very expensive wheels, don’t worry about him being faster than you. Instead, just make a mental note that this person is gullible and that you’ll probably be successful at selling him NuSkin products later.
Frame: A brand-new frame says more about your opponent’s income than about his ability on a bike. It could mean he’s new to biking. It could mean he just nailed a sponsor. It could mean he wore his previous bike out. However, a well-worn bike says a lot about the rider. If it’s well-used and well-maintained, count on a tough race. If the frame is a couple years old but still looks new, your competition is more likely riding a New Years’ resolution — one that didn’t work out — from a couple years ago. If he’s riding a frame that’s several years old and still in good shape, you know you’re racing a lifer. If the rider looks strong, be ready for some serious competition.
Pedals: Better to have them than not. Okay, I can see I’m running out of steam here.

4 Man 60k TTT - Utica, Illinois

Final Results not yet posted = unofficial time = 1:30 approximately 25.1 mph
John, Pablo, Greenie and AC

North Shore Century

Me, AB, Fast Freddy and 3W rode the Evanston Bike Club North Shore Century today. I took some pictures (click on the image to see it larger)...

It was a beautiful sunrise. The type that makes you want to hold hands and sing kumbaya. Or maybe more like the type that gets you psyched for a 100 mile ride.



We cast some long shadows as we started out.



We rode into a little fog.



And we passed an adult guy wearing a Bert and Ernie jersey. Maybe he was wearing it ironically.



I'm seeing more and more of these jerseys. Now if only more cars would see it, read it, and live it.



A textbook turn--safe and smooth.



Fred leads us out on the northern extension to the bunny trail.



Leaving Kenosha along the lake front. No, we didn't see Mike and Rod.



Do we look good, or what?

For When You Run Out of Tubes

We could have used one of these recently when one of our riders experience a TFE (three flat event).

Labor Day Ride

Cooling down, riding the bunny trail.

Sunrise

I blew a setting on my camera (I left the ISO at 800 from another day) so the shot came out grainy. Anyway, this is what the rest of you missed this morning.

FYI-RBR On-line Survey

Stopping at stop signs and red lights.

More than 3,800 RBR readers voted in our poll -- "When riding, what do you do at red lights and stop signs?" Others complained that we didn't differentiate between signs and lights. These riders offered various scenarios, some quite intricate, for when they stop and when they don't. Our thinking was that "stop" means stop. Either you do, or you keep rolling. If you don't stop, what's the frequency? The poll came out this way: ---I always stop: 24%---I usually stop: 54%---I occasionally stop: 19%---I almost never stop: 4%

QUACS -

Quality Consulting Services

call: for thoughtful and discreet consultation

It Pays to Advertise - hmm but Maybe Not Here

Dual Use Helmet

see more Fail Blog