Wednesday Quote Passion

Life can be a roller-coaster.  Hang on for the ride.

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.”   T. Alan Armstrong


Almost one year ago I started this blog.  Last year I started with a David Letterman style top 10 list of the best moments of the year.  I figured I would do the same thing this year.  I thought about this for quite awhile trying to figure out what those moments would be.  A top 10 list just wasn't destined to pour out of my fingertips.  Besides its been done before.

There are definitely highlights.  The Tour de Pink definitely stands out again this year. 

The most fun was off the bike. 

Switching jobs and going to the Tour de France VIP style also sits up there.

The thought that is prevalent in my mind and that has been a constant theme of this rambling site is Passion.  Obviously one of my biggest passions is bicycles.  I like riding them, I like bicycles, bicycle part's, the places they take me, and the people that they introduce me to. 

This is my passion.  Thank you for following along and reveling in it with me. 

Live your life with passion.  Think about this second quote next time you are at an impasse. 

“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.”

Trust your heart in 2011. 

Xmas Done Next Up NYE

Found this one HERE

I googled "New Bike"  hoping to find a fancy picture of someones new Christmas bike.  Instead I found that fancy oversized adult training wheel contraption.  Somehow I think it's cooler.

Hope you got or bought yourself something you wanted.   Like Sock Monkey jammie's and slippers.

So now that Christmas is behind us and we are approaching the impending amateur hour that is New Years Eve it is time to reflect on something that is truly special.... The First Tracks MTB ride.

Sunday, (Boxing Day to you on the other side of the pond) we officially got our first snow.  T-Rav and I decided to take full advantage of it.  Bakey came along for the ride but she wont ride with us.  We were all on the same trails just not technically "together". 

We timed it perfectly. Just after we finished dressing up like this...

Somehow I always feel like riding when I have many layers on and a Sailors Hat.  Trav being a Ranger protested but only a little.  (he likes dress-up and yes that is creepy)

It started to flurry and we started our ride.  The trail was perfectly frozen for traction and the flurries started to turn to snow.  We saw just a few cyclists and even more people out for a nice snow stroll.  Seeing only a few people out riding did allow for "First Track's"

Most of the people out enjoying a snow stroll were strolling with man's best friend.  Furthermore most of these people were enjoying there time with Fido (I'm guessing all the dog's weren't named Fido this is more a collective Fido for storytelling purposes) off the leash.  I like dog's, and don't particularly care that people walk there dog's off the leash. 

T-Rav and I tend to be nicer to the dog's than people.  When we encounter one he or she always gets "Hey Buddy" or "Hi Puppy". So imagine my surprise when I said "Hey Buddy" to a cute little brown dog in the trail and he said hi back by sinking his teeth into my calf.  Yes the little guy bit me.  Not a full on bite but a nip from the front of his mouth. 

Cujo (I'm guessing his name wasn't actually Cujo) was still in full on bark-a-thon at me and thinking about having me for a main course when T-Rav caught his attention by waving a stick at him.  Thank god for limited attention capacities.  (The dog's not mine).

Rather aggressively I told the guy walking Cujo to come get him NOW!   I informed said dog walker that I have no problem with dog's off the leash but if his dog tended to bite people he probably should keep him on the leash.  I was rather Ticked Off.  This was the only negative spot in an other wise ideal ride. 

The bruise that is forming under the bite is proving to be a very festive green.  Luckily the teeth didn't tear through my tights.  Then I really woulda been ticked.

The last thing I have to say on this subject is that Mad Alchemy Coffee Embrocation in an open dog bite wound is not comfortable at all.  Hopefully you take my word for this and dont feel the need to prove this yourself.

The more we rode, the more the trail covered with snow.   Go figure.  We were about finished and stopped to take some pictorial evidence when I realized that my camera was still in the Spruck.  Luckily T-Rav had his phone.  Oddly I was perfectly comfortable reaching into his middle pocket and pulling it out. 

The snow was coming down fast enough to almost cover our tracks by the time I was reaching back into his middle pocket to put the camera back.  Ok that was a little odd but I got over it. 

Here are the Pic's to prove we actually rode....

What is up with T-Rav's line choice?  And he was giving me grief for having a shot of Whiskey in my bottle to stop freezing.  Maybe he should try it.

I chose to not jump the rocks but roll to the side due to the snow covered landing

The snow piled up while taking pic's.

The Fourstroke 01 was the right choice for the day.

We spent the next few hours rehydrating and getting our eat on at Iron Hill.

Then I got snowed in for the night.

All In all I would say it was a day well spent.

While playing in the snow on the Right Coast The Green Laker was basking in a reprieve from the rain on the Left Coast and taking a spin.

Different way's of doing of getting your ride on but all fun. 

Come on back for a Wednesday Quote and some kinda year-end wrap up thing. 

Friday Quote? And Merry Christmahanukwanzika to you.

Tour de Georgia 05

"May you descend like you have Santa's belly and climb like you are pulled by Reindeer" Me.

For the first time since I started this exercise in narcissism I didn't post a Wednesday quote.  So to make up for it I made up my own.  I have been busier than a one armed paper-hanger with an itchy butt.  So frankly for once my priorities were in order and they were pointed in places other than here. 

There was some stuff from faithful readers in the inbox and on the FB wall.  This is great because they write my post for me and get me to my eggnog earlier.

First up from Dave.  This is a man who clearly has his priorities in order and very good taste in bicycles.

Bow Chicka Bow Bow

"On my last trip to Chicago before it snowed Hotwired hooked me up with a room at the Champagne Lodge so my bike and I could have a great ride at Palos then share a romantic evening of maintenance before it got put away for the winter."


Dave you are truly an inspiration and your bride is lucky to have a caring and sensitive man like yourself.  Have a beer and pretend I bought it for you.  It'll taste way better than normal. 

Next up from the LRHG.  She found this gem somewhere out in the interwebs

“Tree-Cycle”;



A tree made of recycled bicycles is the centerpiece of The Rocks, a shopping district in Sydney, Australia.


Made of 100 old bikes donated by a local recycling company. The bike frames were spray-painted tree green, while the tires were given a multi-colored makeover to make them look like holiday lights.


It took eight weeks to build the 23-foot-tall Tree-Cycle

I don't know who to credit for this so if it is from your site please don't sue me.  That would be very unchristmaslike.  Thank you to the LRHG and a 23 foot tall to you as well.

And from the random acts of Xmas files.

It really did taste like Xmas. 

 I always enjoy seeing the bike make a random appearance.  How this bunny is helping to sell ornaments I don't know but..... Cool Bike

The beginning of the week I made the pilgrimage to Bean-Town to visit Bicycle Peddlers and show my mug around the office.  The boy with two first names must have been reading my post about staying warm because he presented me with these.

These are clearly not gloves.  Maybe foot gloves, or as Stevil would call them Foot Bags

GripGrab doesn't distribute here but I have a feeling the Dane's know a thing or two about dealing with cold weather.  Thank you Two First Named one for looking out for my foot comfort.

For those of you reading who have feet I would recommend going over to visit Stevil HERE at his worldwideinterweb store and order some of these pronto.  Not only are they cool but you can support his illicit habits such as paying his mortgage and buying catfood.  Look around for awhile you might find some other stuff to spend that money Aunt Martha gave you.

As Stevil says "Get em before the Cease and Desist order arrives"

It has been just over a year since I started this rambling and over 170 posts.  Thank You to all that have stopped by to visit my virtual home.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's to you all.  (all 3 of you Hi Mom!)

I Have a Alot On My Mind And Not Much To Say

Martin Enzinger the wealthy hedge fund manager has avoided jail time and any real penalty. The major thing quoted was that this would impede his ability to make a living. This is despicable! because he is wealthy his job has something to do with his sentencing? If a landscaper did the same thing on his way home would he get off with a slap on the wrist? I'm guessing not.
It is irrelevant if Erzinger ran down a landscaper, a baker, candlestick maker or anyone else on his way home. The fact is he ran down a HUMAN BEING and left him in a ditch. No idea what condition this HUMAN BEING was in and very possibly dead. But Erzinger (I've tried to type Mr. Erzinger several times and cant) left a doctor on the side of the road.

Many people think of the privileged people in society as the rich, Doctors and Lawyers. Here all three of these elements come together. Many people think all of these people are wealthy. I know quite a few Doctors and Lawyers not all of them are wealthy. The drama plays out in the courtroom and it comes to a head with someone who protects peoples lives versus someone who protects peoples money. It turns out in Eagle County District Judge Frederick Gannett's courtroom that the almighty dollar rules. The part I found compelling out of THIS article was this one

"The badly injured cyclist, Dr. Steven Milo of New York, urged the judge to throw out the plea deal. His attorney stressed that Erzinger fled the accident scene, hiding his car behind an abandoned Pizza Hut and took repeated steps to "cover up and minimize his conduct."

"This is an inappropriate plea bargain," Milo's attorney, Harold Haddon, argued during the plea hearing Thursday afternoon. He said that Erzinger never took responsibility for his crime"

This disregard for human (and Cyclists rights) is absolutely disgusting.
To backtrack to the beginning of the article Erzinger's lawyer argued that Erzinger suffers from sleep apnea and this contributed to the accident. If this is the case he should not be allowed to drive because he is a hazard to himself and every driver near him. Perhaps if Erzinger is going to be roaming around free he could dig into his extensive wealth, do the correct thing and hire a driver.

This goes into the "If you aren't outraged you aren't paying attention" category. 

Now onto frivolous cycling related banter

Brass Bra

Since it is officially as cold as witches left one in one of those ^ I have dug out and been using the whole gamut of cycling clothing.   Bib shorts for roller riding, short sleeve base layers for T's on the rollers, sweatbands, hat's and bandanna's to stop the pouring of sweat into my eyes.  Then every possible long sleeve warm thing I own to ride outside, thermal tights, thermal jackets, helmet liners, balaclavas, mountain expedition gloves, etc....

On the mountain bike I have been able to stay warm but the wind on the road chills me to my brass bra.  Yesterday I made the mistake of trying on the Assos Fugu Jacket. 

I only say mistake because now I want one.  This thing is amazing.  Complete with an inner jacket lining that zips straight into a hood.  No more little hat slipping over the ears and the heat from your body would keep your noggin toasty warm.  The only limiting factor two weeks before or into the Chriamhanukwanzika season is the $650 price tag.  I am going to have to start saving the excess pocket lint and see if my friend the Hungarian Irishman will take a huge wad of pocket lint as payment. 

I tried to stay away from mentioning just how freakin euro-cool Assos is but COME ON the stuff that they produce is uber-cool (as well as euro-cool) and functional as well as long lasting.  Anyone who puts the miles on the saddle would appreciate Assos clothing.

Since I may not be worthy of Assos cool and may actually bring down their "Cool Quotient" I have a plan to counteract that possible perception.

Yep Bar Mitts.  People may say they are goofy looking, hell they are probably right.  They definitely clash with the euro/uber-cool Assos Fugu jacket but they are equally as warm.  Everyone I know who owns these or has used them raves about them.  These go on my list of wants as well. I meant to pick up a pair at Interbike from the distributor but by the time I got back around he was gone.  I forgot about him until too late.  hard to focus on cold hands when its 100 in the desert. 

So I would like a clashing Cool/Dorky outfit for the top half of my torso.  Feel free to chuckle through your chattering teeth.  I would be warm and to me that is Pretty Damn Cool!

Now I just have to get my feet warm.  Again I can generally deal on the mountain bike but even then the piggies tend to get a bit cold.  Maybe some Hotronic electric insoles? Possibly I will need to bring my Euro cred back up and look for some Sidi Toasters. Most likely what will happen is I will continue with chilly tootsies and use these, or the toe version.

This ONE had been going around a bit and if you haven't read it you should devote a moment of your life to do so.  A nice tongue in cheek (I think) take on how NYC is becoming a "Bicycle Town"  To paraphrase Mr. Sinatra "If it can happen there it can happen anywhere" 

Be safe out there, ride your bicycle, and bundle up if appropriate.

Wednesday Quote

"When you undertake to investigate a bicycle for the first time, take an old one as a subject, and endeavor to put it in perfect running order."  Maria E. Ward The Common Sense of Bicycling 1896

I was thinking about working on bikes the other day.   Mind you not working on them but thinking about it. I was riding the rollers in the basement.  Ever notice that the torture always happens in the basement?

When I wasn't staring at this scene...

I was staring at the pile of bicycles that is my collection.  There is definitely some work and maintenance that needs to happen to the fleet but riding them is so much more fun.  It's bad enough being stuck in the basement riding to nowhere, but being down there to work on bikes will require some adult beverage. 

There is something cathartic about working on a bicycle though.  Even with my limited ability I do enjoy making something work just so.  I used to be a capable wrench but the more time I spent making a living talking about bicycles instead of riding them my touch went away.  Now something as simple as a front deraileur adjustment can leave me cursing myself and frustrated.  But when I do get it..... Man it feels pretty good. 

Enough rambling. Now it's time for the important stuff.  Do I do Junkyard Cross  the race disguised as a beer drinking fest or go ride my mountain bike for a bit longer and then drink beer afterwards.  These are the tough decisions I must make.

Check out this cool race vehicle I found over on Big Ed's Facebook page. 

I wonder if the accounting department at My Life Behind Bars will allow me to build one of those.  I'm guessing that is probably a no.
 
Why do I have the feeling that this bumper sticker was on the dashboard of this van?

It was in so many of the cool 70's vans I grew up in.   That explains alot about me I guess.

On that note.  I'm off.  Time to Peddle Pedalling.

Undercover Boss

Last night I had a rare few minutes to watch some TV.  The Eagles were playing and I figured I would catch a few minutes.  That never happened.

I have never been an over the top football fan.  For years I watched and frankly enjoyed the hype.  It is good to be a part of things.  In the last few years my interest and enthusiasm has waned. The Eagles signing Michael Vick may have had something to do with it but I am not evolved enough to look into the true reason or frankly care.

In my search for the game the first thing that came on was Undercover Boss.  I have only ever watched a few episodes of this show but every one has been good.  This show preaches something that I have speaking about for years.  The people running a company should know what everyone in the company is dealing with.

It is my experience that similar to following a football team people want to get behind the company they work for.  People will give a company their all and will even overlook the warts that are apparent if they feel that they can make a difference. 

If the upper management took the time to find out what really happens in the front lines they could effectively make decisions to take the business to a place they never knew imaginable.

Even though I appear to be a hopeless pollyanna I am not a person who reads self help books.  That said I read a business management book 10 or so years ago that struck a chord with me.  It described how a top executive at Burger King mandated that anyone in an executive position must spend at least a day a month working in the field.

This approach would help so many organizations.  The bicycle industry definitely would benefit from this.  The market is so varied throughout the country it is good for people to see what goes on in different parts of the country.  I have heard from many people (and thought it myself at times) that the industry is a bit too So-Cal centric. 

Rick Vosper has a great take that is loosely related to this topic.  Well related in the sense that it hits on the topic of the state of retail.  Add Rick to your list of Blog's if you are interested in the Bicycle Industry. 

The part of Undercover Boss that is a bit over the top is the part that makes the show "Prime Time" worthy.  The fact that the boss has to hide from his employees and then upon his reveal he rewards different people he worked with. 

If you are managing people or an organization take note.  Don't ask people to do things that you wouldn't do yourself.  Get down in the trenches, scrub a toilet, fry some fries, turn a wrench.  To go one step further, get outside your area, visit another part of the country, or go to a different location.  Different people will teach you things about your business.  As a wise person once said "Listen, that is why you have two ears and one mouth"

Stevie Wonder Saturday Can I Get A Witness

So far no one has stepped up to send me to the Stevie Wonder concert in LA on December 18th.  I am still willing to accept airfare and tickets.  Just Sayin.

In the meantime I'll enjoy some classic B-sides.  Many have done this tune but not like Stevie.  There are a bajillion and 6 versions listed to the side on you-tube.   Waste a bit of time and listen yourself.  Or... just take my word for it.

Back in the Saddle

If its not fun why do it?

Back from a much needed break from Blogging.  I am recharged and full of banality.

Cyclocross is just about over and the temps have dropped into colder than a witches left one territory so it is THAT time of the year again.  Yep the dreaded roller season.

Now many of you may ask "Gary you aren't a racer so why put yourself through that?"  You would be correct.  The true reason is that I enjoy this.

And this...

And this...

You get the picture. The nice heavy beers will take a toll on the winter and if I just ride occasionally  I will look like this come spring.

Some may argue that I already do but I believe they exaggerate.  Although thankfully I don't look like the Chicken Either. 

Speaking of the Chicken... Did you see that he is going to be headlining a new team? He did his time and should be allowed to come back but will he and his team get the Floyd-like snub?  Will they have a difficult time getting invites to the big races?  Only time will tell.

Speaking of ex-Pros.  The Lion King has plenty of things to SAY.  Even retired he is more quoteworthy than many cyclists.  One of my favorites from the article is in reference to the infamous "Chaingate"

“Seeing Schleck and Contador embrace on the Tourmalet after crossing the line and then seeing Contador affectionately pinch Schleck’s cheek during his interview was unreal for me,” Cipollini exclaimed. “Logically, Schleck should have been raging, he had just lost the Tour after all.
“After the chain slip incident on the Port de Balès, he should have attacked the Spaniard day after day, in front of the microphones and on the air too, without giving him time to piss!”

Liked this one from the writer Barry Ryan as well...

Cipollini admitted to being far more expressive when he was defeated and he believes that the riches now on offer to top cyclists mean that the edges have softened on many rivalries.

Read it yourself and get all the Machismo and bravado you need to be charging into the weekend. 


Back to Rollers.  I need to channel my inner "This Guy"



Holy Freaking LEGSPEED!

And remember not to be "This Guy"



With that it is time to head into the weekend.  May you have a weekend worth sharing but holding back a few choice details from your mother. 

Passion. Where Will Your's Take You?

Sunset in Murten Switzerland

I have traveled the world (almost) thanks to the bicycle.  I haven't self locomoted all of these places but the Bike Biz has taken me there to work.  After a few trips I figured out that I should stay a few extra days and visit the amazing places that I found myself in. 

I find myself on this thought process because this morning I had the pleasure of having breakfast with Mike Dion.  Mike is producer of Ride the Divide.  This an inspiring film that I am missing right now.  The movie is being shown at the Acme Screening Room in Lambertville tonight December 3rd and Saturday December 4th. 

The conversation was particularly interesting because it wasn't the typical bike-dork speak.  We didn't talk about gears and components but about passion.   The passion to explore this big blue marble and to see a chunk of it from the saddle of a bicycle.  To everyone once in a while just STOP.

If you are not familiar with the Ride the Divide you should be. Both the movie and the ride itself.  The race goes from Canada to Mexico via the Continental Divide.  I expressed to Mike that I found it essential to just stop every once in a while and take in the sights if you are so moved.  He said that there have been several people so moved by the scenery along the way that they would just stop racing and explore so that they could take in the wonderment. 

In order to be competitive in the Ride the Divide you have to ride a metric ton of days in a row that average over 100 offroad miles.  This is not for the week of quad.  Mike said that he has known people to just stop and take a week or more to enjoy.  Both the racing and the stopping to appreciate I find admirable.  The reason to do something of this magnitude, hell to do just about anything is to enjoy it.  If you are enjoying a an offroad century or more a day do it.  If you want to stop and see Yellowstone do it. 

This breakfast really got me thinking.  What do I want to do?  I was there with LRHG and LRHG is starting a new exciting venture.  I applaud this.  Passion is driving these decisions.   What is your passion?  Hell for that matter what is mine? 

I know my passion is the bicycle.  As a twenty year old I thought that if I worked hard I could be pack fill pro and make a living as a cyclist.  I was lying to myself.  But I realized that I don't have to ride a bicycle professionally to make a living and build a life with the bicycle.  I know accountants who make a living in the bicycle industry.  Designers, artist's, salespeople, warehouse workers, executives, and small business owners, just to name a few who make a decent living working with the bicycle.  Just because I couldn't be Laurent Fignon, or Eddy Merckx didn't mean I couldn't follow my passion. 

I cant wait to see where my passion takes me next. 

As a retrospective here is a brief slide show of some of the places the bicycle has taken me or sent me.

The hills above Malibu Ca.

From a chairlift in Champéry Switzerland.  If you get a chance GO!

View from the top of the Galibier.  A week later Vinokourov broke away here and solo'd to victory.  Years later he was accused of doping but that's a different story.

Tucany region of Italia

Oleta park in Miami

I spent several days with these military guys a few weeks before they deployed to Iraq.  We met randomly in Grenoble France and they flexed at every spot we stopped.  Ridiculous fun and an opportunity I never would have had without the bicycle.

Tour de Georgia

Tour de Georgia.  Francisco Ventoso buried himself to win this sprint.  To this day probably my favorite professional cyclist. 

I am going to take a slight blog break next week maybe I'll post Wednesday Quote maybe I wont.  Depends on if  I feel like it.  In the meantime if you need a blog fix go visit Stevil.  He's always entertaining and he has passion for days. 

Wednesday Quote What Season is This?

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it "Hanukkah" and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Hanukkah!" or (to the atheists) "Look out for the wall!" ~Dave Barry

Today is the first day of Hanukkah.  Let me you all Jewish or not a Happy Hanukkah.  At Christmas I will wish you all a Merry Christmas and I will feel no shame in either greeting.  I will always wonder why sometimes I see Hanukkah spelled "Hanukkah" and at other times I see it spelled "Chanukah"  I get the Christmas and Xmas thing but the Hanukkah/Chanuka thing perplexes me.

Now since this is an exercise in rambling about bicycles not other peoples religious beliefs I would like to address the passing of one season to another.  Last weekend was effectively the end of the Cyclocross season at least for me.  The PA Cyclocross Championship's were last weekend and I am here to announce that I am the 11th slowest Cat 4 cyclocrosser in the fine state of Pennsyltucky.  That is to say that I finished 12th. 

Having raced a whopping four racers all on one-day licenses I also managed a second row call up.  Let's just say that it was all very impressive.  With that race done I am pondering doing it again next season, and actually riding my bike semi-regularly to participate in more cyclo-cross style pursuits.  I may even go so far as to say that I enjoyed myself. 

But with that I do believe it is time to switch to MTB riding and to solidify that I finished the weekend with an MTB ride with T-Rav.  It was nice, slow, and we gossipped like caricatures of 50's women or men over the fence.

Then after I resolve to put the CX bike away the Bilenky Junkyard Cross pop's up on the radar and I think I may have to attend.  Although this may be a not so thinly veiled attempt at masking beer drinking with bicycle riding.

So I tell myself that this will then be the end of cross for the year and I may be right but then THIS pops up on the radar.  If prior experience proves correct this will be a great event.  The folks in the Lehigh Valley know how to get down and have a party disguised as a bike race.  Besides why not start next year racing cross? 

So after all of this thought hurting my brain I think I decided that I will ride whatever bike I feel like riding at the time.  Instead of having specific seasons to ride specific bikes in my stable.  I declare it bike riding season 24/7 365. 

With that bit of randomness dropped, I will going out and spread the gospel of two wheels propelled by a chain.  Hallelujah. Don't forget to pump your tires.  Proper pressure is essential.



I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. ~Jewish Proverb