Winter Singletrack riding championships

Kate and I did about 3h of west end of town singletrack slaying despite the cooler temps (-15 at start). We were both warm. For me, the 1x9 Lynskey is working as good as I could ask for... which isn't quite good enough to keep up with Kate on that singletrack under the Stoney bridge. Off camber, snowy roots pose no problems apparently.

After that we lapped up the Tuscany ravine, which undoubtedly will be easy to access after the overpass is built, but for right now getting there is a disaster.

Bowmont trails by the river on way back, with accolades from the dog walkers for being out.

I'm amazed at how comfortable and mobile activity can be with modern clothes. I'm all over recommending these Pearl Izumi amfib tights, they're perfect on their own down to say a few degrees below. For today, I wore them with Icebreaker GT cycling knickers and calf height ski socks. Perfect, warm. Couple Icebreaker layers on top and a windproof jacket, snowboard helmet, and my cooler duty boots (Lake brand). Wasn't cold at all, until getting in the car I left at a friend's house yesterday when your whole body cools down.

Snowy weekend ride, promotion

I've had my title altered, likely for the last time in my investment banking career. Long road to get there, long road ahead. More importantly, in celebration, I hit the long way out to Cochrane with Jon, Kate and Craig. It could be distilled as the new most technical/challenging route to get to a town 25km west of us... great snow covered, root laden, off camber single track, followed by some overland hiking, then some rideable pipeline right of way (great new find!), and finally coffee and snacks in town. I hadn't been riding much of late, so in reality this ride is the bulk of my October riding total, and it took a lot out of me. Fun though and great day - beautiful scenery captured from the artful photography of Mr. Nutbrown. I feel like I peak in the offseason - I ride more regularly on weekend group rides, and the spin classes (starting tomorrow) help. Plus it's the most enjoyable form of riding to me - there isn't a purpose other than enjoyment. No "saving legs for racing" yet no "pushing the pace to train". It's just riding, for fun, with people who want to have fun.

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe - a misnomer

I’ve been working too much to post anything, but misnomers seem to be appearing too frequently these days… American politics seem to encourage such misnomers.  But the Germans don’t have such a propensity for misnomers, or so I thought…

 

See the below photo of the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe, and consider the following definitions:

1.       Coupe - a car with two doors and front seats and a luggage compartment.

2.       Sedan - A closed automobile having two or four doors and a front and rear seat.

 

What I see here misses the mark – you can’t trick us between 1 and 2.  BMW – I thought you’d be above this… your customers are not fools.

 

 

 

Dumb commuter cyclist

Ok, bold statement. But I'm tired, worked a lot this week, and on heightened sensitivity since Shawn's accident.

I cruise home early to sleep. Leaving downtown, I stop on 5th at the C Train tracks. A guy passes me, looks a bit, weaves through and pisses off pedestrians crossing, the runs the red light and crosses 8th just seconds after a C Train went by. Then as he gains speed he pisses off pedestrians on the other side by weaving through them. I put the hammer down to catch up once green. He weaves randomly between backed up cars on the train underpass between 9th and 10th, runs a yellow on 11th. I catch up at 17th.

Me: Hey, I've been riding behind you.

He: Hi.

Me: I've been judged a lot lately by drivers who don't differentiate between riders who follow road rules, and those that don't. Helps us all if we all follow them, I don't like being painted by that brush.

He: What do you mean?

Me: When I follow the road rules, and others don't, I get labelled, and treated on the road as if I'm an unpredictable rider.

He: I was riding fine?


Me:  Fine?  You ran two red lights, weaved between cars, randomly drifted lanes, and cut off pedestrians while running red lights in the last 5 blocks.

Here's where I get upset a little more. He says he did nothing wrong... and cutting through pedestrians is just like walking?  I didn't even really get that.  How do you even start to defend that running red lights then cutting through people (like, when there's 10 people crossing each way by the train, not like when there's one person and most of the road is open).


Me: don't you see their faces, let alone the RED lights your ran? You need to KNOW and FOLLOW ROAD RULES.

Light turned green. I left. This was a 40 year old nerdy looking guy with full commuter gear. And a completely dumb cyclist. It made me irate. A person can't be that blind, or they wouldn't be able to weave between cars. And they presumably have a job and some life. So they're chosing to act DUMB and should know better.

ok, just admit it

I’ve come to realize my bike race season is done...  I’ve been sick for two weeks, happened to be working big time again as activity has ramped up, go to and from work both weekdays and weekends before sun up and after sun down.  What is subtracted from fall riding form hopefully, just hopefully, is addative on a career and paycheque level – time will tell.  But it’s odd not even thinking bikes on weekends.

Smashing Pumpkins

Dear Smarshing Pumpkins,

(Or is that Smashing Pumpkin in singlular since only Billy Corgan is left?).

I do love you. Your ability to transport my friends and I to our formative years of the 90's is much appreciated. 1979 is not only a great song, its the year of my girlfriend's birth. Your continued musical performance is a tribute to our collective ageing process. You are the same age as my boss, probably a similar net worth, however he has to wear a suit every day, whereby you work nights.

Your classics are golden, memorable, and transformative to me. Please never forget your musical heritage. It's ok if D'arcy Wretzky burned out on drugs and is living the remainder of life selling necklaces in a roadside stand in northern Wisconsin. That's cool. I have no idea what James Iha is up to.

Robin Clegg and Rules of the Road

In an unfortunate, but all to common event for road cyclists, a motorist created an altercation and injury.

To me that sounds like assault.  Add the adjective aggravated in there too. 

I'll say I'm happy to hear that there are only injuries listed, rather than fatality, which is all to common when cars and bikes cross paths with nuts like this.