And They Wonder Why?

Monday morning and I'm pedaling down Walsh St. at 7:15am, it's -1 and still dark. Not in a real hurry but moving along in cruise with Lisbeth and her big heavy tires. I come to a red light at Edward St., stop and catch another bike behind me in my peripheral vision. The light changes and I stand for about 5 strokes and carry on. I get to the 4-way stop at Brown and slow. The guy behind me on a Giant road bike goes around the far side of the road into the oncoming lane and circles around the hydro tower island, runs the stop sign. (I guess technically there is no stop sign ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD). I make my stop while shaking my head but I gotta ask.

I jump on the pedals and catch up to what should be a much faster bike but the guys knees are literally flailing all over the place and he's spinning a high gear, no way he can get away even on a road bike. I slide in behind his rear wheel and comment: "that was a real slick move". The old guy turns back and smiles at me. "And we wonder why they all think we are all a**holes", I continue. "They think that anyway", he says as he slows and tries to ride side by side. He asks, "so you stop for all the reds?" I answer "yes especially at this time of day".

I slow and let him go, letting him know "if you want to pass just 'on your left' and go". I stay with him to James street where he flies through the yellow light while making a left onto James. And they wonder why we can't get any respect.

Highlights of #56

My 56th started with a project I had been reading about, lubricating chains with paraffin wax. It takes a little longer than simply dribbling some more lube on but is supposed to keep things nice and clean and it doesn't attract dirt. We'll see.

Sal made me some eggs with cheese and spicy salami and gave me a bottle of Effen cucumber vodka. I love this stuff in a caesar.

Next I took a 90 minute, 34 km ride on Lisbeth who has seen limited action this month. I've been on a road bike kick lately but she still provides a very comfy ride and is rock solid.

After a shower we headed out on a few errands. Petries was our first stop as I needed a master link for Bonnie to complete her chain service. The road was 'closed' in front of the shop but we snuck through. Parked next to the shop in the lane was Cindy Loohoo's food truck. These are popping up around town and I guess it's about time. We shared some fries and then finished up our errands. Not a great day for the road to be closed.

At supper we went to Mama Alfa's for her amazing Caesar salad and pizza. If you haven't tried this place put it on your to do list. We've never had anything but great food at this little place.

Sal made me a carrot cake and Aj, Jess, Jen, Curtis and Brandyn came by for a slice. While they were there Cullen dropped in via facetime. Man that kid can pack away the food. 

Finally we decided to take in an outdoor movie, Evergreen the local volunteer group was screening 'Despicable Me' at Widnall Park so we grabbed our folding chairs, sweaters and some snacks and watched it on the side of the building. The city was running the same movie down at Marina Park but with Ribfest going on it was going to be pretty busy there. The kids running the movie were a bit disorganized and the crowd was thin but it's a great movie for adults and the few kids who actually sat and watched.

All in all a nice relaxing day.

Waxing Molly's chain

Effen Cucumber vodka, best caesar ingredient

Food truck outside Petrie's, great fries

Beer, caesar salad and...

pizza at Mama Alfa's

outdoor showing of Despicable Me

Back to the Grind

After two weeks of eating pretty much whatever I wanted, it was back to the 'Lose It' diet plan Monday. I managed to gain only 3 lbs. in Calgary and have shed that and another 3 already with lots of riding and not much eating. I turned down the crazy this morning and had a big breakfast. It sure was good to go below 230lbs. for the first time in probably 20 years. If you're planning to start a diet here's a suggestion. Make your initial weight something like 255lbs.. When you lose that first 5lbs. it becomes 249lbs.. Then you are halfway to the first 10. You get two bits of motivation very quickly. Helped me immensely. Those middle numbers changing really spur me on to keep going. I hope to see that first number go down sometime in October. A party will follow.

Mike managed to get to Ikea and bring us the correct pieces for the bathroom cabinets. It turns out they messed up the order, not us. Does anyone need stainless steel legs for a double wide tall Lillangen cabinet? Didn't think so. And of course the cabinets are on sale this week.

Another series of flats has plagued Molly this week. Mike has Lisbeth while he's here so I had to get something back on the road. Bonnie's front wheel is at Petrie's and Eyowen is being welded. I finally got a good patch on Molly's front wheel at 10 last night and rode this morning with no issues. It's a good thing I have 4 bikes to choose from.

June saw another 711km on the bikes and I passed 2000km earlier this week. My legs feel very strong, I might just have to sign up for the Caribou Ride in September.

bike art at Cibo
the wall behind is made from various historical buildings

another shot from my turn
on Cullen watch at Cibo

Epic Day

As bike rides go today wasn't long, it wasn't grueling, it wasn't even enough to break a sweat but it will probably mean more than any ride since Conquer Cancer. Brandyn and I set out for a day long adventure based around riding.

I set off at 8:45 with Lisbeth on the rack to park the car at the end of the bike path in Park Dale. I rode back to Curtis and Jen's to pick him up.We headed out and at first he was hesitant to leave the sidewalk but I convinced him he would be fine if he just stayed on the side of the deserted Sunday morning roads. We crossed a walk bridge by the CLE and he let me know that was his first bridge. I told him there would be lots of firsts today. We went through the parking lot and then walked across May St. and crossed another bridge to get to the bike path behind the McIntyre Center. From there it was bike path all the way to our destination 8.17 km later. At one point when he was coasting along and standing he said it felt like flying, "he gets it", I thought to myself.

We packed Sharon and Lisbeth and stopped at Timmy's for a coffee and muffin/lemonade and chocolate chunk cookie. A quick trip out Arthur Street and we were at the the Pennock Creek Trail in the 25th Side Road Tree Farm. We searched around for a bit riding on the pine needle covered trail and then took a few steep hills via push-a-bike across a pair of bridges into the main farm.

After a half hour he was tiring so we headed back to the 25th and rode out of one parking lot and back to the other, avoiding the steep trail. We drove to Mom and Dad's where lunch was waiting. He ate the biggest meal any of us had witnessed and then we were back on the bikes up and down the camp road. He loved climbing the short hill and then gliding all the way back down. He has little fear and I had to remind him to stay on the brakes. He did very well at every new obstacle other than pushing Sharon up one of the hills. It was short but mountain goat steep so I did it twice.

We went down to the lake, I walked and he rolled down the grass hills. He threw the required rocks in to Superior and then was back on his bike doing circles in the driveway. He slept most of the way home but was awake for a second deer sighting of the day.The bear cub we had seen on the way in was nowhere to be found.

I dropped him off thinking he's had enough but he put on his helmet and rode off down the sidewalk with a "thanks poppa". No, thank you Brandyn.

at Pennock Creek Trail

around and around

time to get dizzy

the wind up

Ginko's First Free Ride

I texted Jen to see what Brandyn was up to, he was trying to ride his bike in the back yard....hmmm would he like to go for a ride. Ten minutes later we were heading over to the school yard. I made him follow me around some obstacles to see if he had enough control to go further and he seemed pretty stable. We walked across Simpson and rode all the way south on Hardistry to the Kam River Park and then along the boardwalk. Round trip was about 5 km. As we approached the house it started to rain. I got him to the door and took off trying to keep one hand over my cell phone while shifting and braking with the other. And it came down. I was totally soaked but happier than he** that I have someone to ride with and show how much fun two wheels can be. It might even be better than Minecraft but we'll let him decide that one. Next time the bike paths or the tree farm.

It Forgot To Snow Today

With the beautiful change in the weather it was time for another long ride with Lisbeth this morning. No, two degrees and overcast isn't normally my definition of beautiful either, but it wasn't snowing and the roads were dry enough.
Off to Mission Marsh we went and put 25 km under the tires. That resulted in just over 1000 calories burned. I weighed in before showering and the scale showed 41lbs. lost.
Once the weather gets really beautiful...well I can't wait.

More German Tech for Lisbeth

When putting together the parts list for Lisbeth brakes never really seemed like an issue. Until I tried to bring her to a stop with the cantilever setup I chose. My hands don't have the strength to squeeze hard enough to do more than slow down with them. About as effective as dragging a foot Fred Flintstone style. My hands aren't that bad, the brakes were. Farzum suggested the Magura HS33 hydraulic rim brakes.

Last night I finally had a free evening and took her to work in the afternoon and straight to Petrie's after work. I stripped the old brakes and dismantled the cables from the rohloff. About 3 hours, 15 skate sharpenings, and 3 shopping goalies later the Magura units were ready for a test run.

I also found a shorter stem. I find Eyowen my most comfortable ride so I measured some of her geometry and matched it on Lisbeth. WOW. Like a different bike. And that was before I tested the brakes. One finger is enough to come to a quick stop. While most people and manufacturers are going with disc brakes I now believe these are the absolute best, employing the power of hydraulics and the size of the rim to take advantage of the physics. And no squeaky pads or warped rotors to sweat.

There were a couple of kids in the shop and they wanted their 20" bmx singlespeed bikes weighed. I thought Lisbeth was getting pretty heavy but she actually tipped the scale almost 2 lbs. lighter and she's got 14 speeds!

Magura HS33 Caliper 

Hi-tech German rear end

Just 1 finger required to stop 30lb. bike and xxxlb. rider

Amoeba short stem, scavanged

the new American Argyle helmet

Blogable for All the Wrong Reasons

After another run around Saturday I felt pretty good, everything that needed getting done, was. A longish ride was in the back of my head when I jumped on a bike at the Farmer's Market to get back to the car and load it and 2 others for the trip back to Petrie's. I was thinking Lisbeth has never even been to Mission Marsh.

A few hours later Sal was off to work and I got ready, donning cycling shorts for maybe the third time this year. I thought about changing the pedals so I could put on cycling shoes for the first time this year but decided against it. I really didn't feel like falling over if I forgot I was anchored to the bike.

Filled up a water bottle, grabbed a peach and headed west for the nice calm area around highway 130 and River Road. As I pedaled easily at 20k per hour through the bike path out to Parkdale I felt really good. Wind in the face and the prospect of riding for an hour or so without stop signs or traffic lights was a great carrot. Commuting back and forth even 4 times a day gets pretty mundane. I mix up the routes as much as I can, even going down Memorial and making a left into the McIntyre Center for some variety. But it's not the kind of ride that is memorable or blogable.

About the 8-1/2 km mark while heading west on Arthur things got blogable. Leg cramps, high on the calf just under the back of my knees. I had taken off without stretching but stopped minutes after leaving and grabbed a tree trunk to stretch out. I thought I had been drinking enough and I wasn't even sweating.

I stopped and downed the peach and some water just past the old Jones place. Do I turn back or keep going? I kept going another 1 km and they started again. I stopped across from the West Arthur Community Center and limped across the road. Less than 10 km and I knew I was done. I stretched again and drank half of the water I had left. I gingerly headed for home, disappointed but glad I didn't have to call for a ride. I took my time, letting Lisbeth roll down any inclines without my help and felt a bit better once I absorbed more of the liquids. I stretched the return out and finished at about 21.5 km. I guess it was blogable since here we are but not really what I had in mind.

Calgary Kids Hit the Bay

Mike and Mel got home after a long wet drive on Wednesday. Mike brought his bike over for a look at the brakes. Brake trouble was just the result of a few other ailments. A quick look and I figured it out and got Rachel back on the road. I rode her to work to check out any further problems and then met Mike at Petrie's to pick up a lock bolt that was missing.

After work I went back to Petrie's to build a front wheel for Lisbeth. Hanging out with Farzam is always entertaining. A kid brought in a bike for a tuneup. Farzam recognized it as stolen 2 years ago, checked the serial and told the kid he needed to know where he got the bike. The kid said his friend and little else. He was determined he wasn't leaving without the bike and was getting ripped off. Farz tried to explain that he would not call the police but needed the name of the seller. The kid left crying. The kids is about 20 so should be able to understand that the rip off happened when he bought the bike. The original owner had the bike less than 24 hours.

One more day of work and then five days off with a few at Mink Mountain. Hopefully the weather cools off a bit.

Lisbeth x14, Trolloff Lives

After 4 months of exclusively riding singlespeeds I took my first short ride on Lisbeth with the Rohloff Speedhub this afternoon. I took the frame and a front wheel in to Petrie's at 9 Sunday morning for the build. I arrived to see Farzam with his glasses on and his head buried in the manual. We dove in and finished the basics in just under 3 hours. German translations in the manual are a bit dodgy at times and unlike any other systems there are 2 cables running from the shifter to the rear wheel. One to upshift and one to downshift. Along with that is the ability to (somewhat) easily remove the wheel to fix flats etc. That ability requires quick disconnects for the cables and adds complexity to the installation.

The cables were on and off the bike at least 5 times, first the shifting was reversed, then a few cuts that proved too short. We finally got a third pair of hands holding the shifter in position and got the length right and shortly after the basics were done. I left to take Sal for dimsum (have to keep the person behind this all happy) and Farzam installed a tire and set up the rear brakes. We brought him some of the Canton's delicacies and I went out for a quick lap around the block. I stopped to tighten a few things, thanked Farzam and told Sal I'd meet her at home.

I rode over through Chapples to check out the Little League All-Star games but it was too hot to stand and watch so I just kept going. I rolled up a few short hills to try the lower gears and wound her up around the golf course. The range is amazing. 14 speeds with an even 13% spread between every gear. The shifting is so smooth, you barely feel the change other than the spedometer climbing. A 27 speed setup with derailleurs has more gears but many of them are just 5% apart and shifting can be tricky and anything but smooth, going up and down with the front shifter. The Rohloff requires just a twist of the wrist and no chain moving. It's not a light setup but there are no races in my near.

A huge thanks to Sal and my kids for making this happen. You've given me something I only dreamed of and would never have done on my own. Lisbeth is one of a kind. I took the long way to work and back four times today racking up 20 km on a ride that is just 2 km if I go the short route. Riding wasn't just transportation today, it was a blast.

Father's Day Surprise

When I was working at Petries I was working on a dream bike with Farzam. More dreaming than working really. We were searching for a frame that would accommodate the 14 speed Rohloff Speedhub. As reality returned and I went back to fulltime work elsewhere, the dream fizzled. Along came the Surly Troll frame in late 2010. It was Rohloff compatable but I saw just a great all round cromoly steel frame that almost any combination of drivetrain and brakes could be mounted, plus it fit with my remaining credit and was available in only one colour, Agent Orange. The Speedhub was no longer in the plans though I had thought of a Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub (like Mike's Felt X-City 'Rachel' has) which is much more inexpensive but nowhere near the rugged 14 speed German made unit from Rohloff, sorry Mike.

After supper on Sunday I was given a heavy box to unwrap in front of a few cameras, strange? I knew something was up but never imagined I'd be getting my father's day, birthday and Christmas presents (for a few years) all in one box. I ripped off the wrapping paper and must have looked pretty damn surprised as I revealed the Rohloff logo. Getting it on Lisbeth will take some time as a wheel needs to be built around it but as much as I'm anxious to get it rolling and try it out, this is a project that calls for expertise. Farzam expertise. I'll stick to taking pictures and trying to figure out what to do if something ever goes wrong. According to the website they simply don't break. Cyclists that have more than 70,000km of world wide travel swear by them so I don't think I can break it.

Here's a video of the assembly.