Chico Gino: The cycling blog of Gino Zahnd, who lives in Chico, California

The end of an era

2010-09-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

After five unexpectedly awesome years in Chico, it's time for me to wind this blog down. I've gone through a ton of life changes over the past bit of time, and the universe has drawn me back to my adopted home city of San Francisco.

To be Chico Gino in San Francisco just doesn't seem right. San Francisco Gino, or City Gino doesn't have the same ring either, so it's time to close this chapter. I'll leave this blog here though, because there's some great content, discussions and interviews.

What am I doing headed back to the city?

Well, a few things.

One
I've started a user experience and product development company, Seabright Studios Ltd.. We are working with other companies to help build kick ass software, and we're also developing web-based products of our own. If you'd like to keep in touch that way, we'll have a newsletter signup and RSS feed for our blog there soon.

Two
I'll be blogging at Gino Zahnd dot com from time to time. It won't be as focused on cycling as this blog has been, but bikes are an integrated part of my life, so count on seeing two-wheel related posts. Other topics will include beer and brewing, coffee, design, travel, and just general things about my trying to live a life worth loving. I'm also on Twitter.

Three
I'll be riding with my good buddies in the bay area! The San Francisco Randonneur and Bay Area Prestige cyclocross scenes will see a lot more of me. Oh, and those monkeys up in Santa Rosa now have to deal with my pro-level heckling.

To close out on a cycling related note, I could not possibly find the right words to describe what Chico's cycling scene has done to add value to my life. It's the best town I know of to ride a bicycle for transportation. That's saying a lot, because I travel a TON, and have seen all the great cycling towns in the United States.

I've made some new friends that are now old friends, and have no doubt that I'll continue going on crazy cycling adventures with them, even though we'll be a few hours apart. Roy, Mike and Ochs, I'm lookin at you.

Chico Velo, or what's now left of it, was instrumental in introducing me to a ton of great people and great routes.

Chico Corsa, while I don't race road bikes, has provided me with a Wednesday night excuse to drink every single Wednesday for five years straight at the Banshee.

I guess that's about it for ol' Chico Gino. I move to San Francisco this Saturday, until I come back to Chico next month to race as a girl at the yearly GallandCrossDressCrossRace™.

Tailwinds,
Gino

Film review: Ready, Set, Bag!

2009-12-30T16:48:00.001-08:00

Note: This post is not bicycle related. But you should read it anyway!

Hey Chico, listen up. There's a movie that will be premiering at the Pageant in January that will make you blush with sympathy, and make you laugh repeatedly.

I had the pleasure of screening the wonderfully awkward-and-hilarious film called Ready, Set, Bag!, and it's a winner. I kept finding myself smiling, and feeling slightly uncomfortable in the same way Best in Show made me feel - except Ready, Set, Bag! isn't a mockumentary. The cast are all real-life grocery industry workers, some with dreams that lie elsewhere, some who are lifers in the grocery industry. The one thing they all have in common is they're headed to Vegas to compete in the National Grocers Associations Best Bagger competition. And they're serious about it. Really serious.

I bagged groceries in 1988 and '89, and had I known there were such a competition of epic oddball grocery-bagging proportions, I'd have been all over it. Pure comedy, this film. Go see it!

"Ready, Set, Bag!" HD Trailer from Ensemble Pictures on Vimeo.

Configurating for The Grand Tour of New Zealand (breweries)

2009-11-11T14:03:00.001-08:00

In preparing for my upcoming tour of New Zealand, I tried these two different ways of carrying a light-ish load of ~18lbs (photos are below).

Interesting to note:
• I could easily ride no-handed with either setup, even on slight inclines going slowly.

• The rear panniers caused a big no-handed shimmy if they were even slightly behind the rear axle. If I moved them up 5mm to be even with, or slightly in front of the axle, the shimmy stopped completely. Luckily, I don't have any foot strike on the panniers.

Overall, either way would make a good setup for extended inn-to-inn touring, or for S24O's. For this trip, I'm going with the rear big rack simply because it's faster to assemble and disassemble.

What's in the bags?
• 2 pair cycling shorts, 1 Ibex, 1 Pearl Izumi
• 2 wool short sleeve jerseys (one Ibex, one Rivendell/Woolistic)
• Ibex long sleeve micro merino thing
• Wooly warm wool arm warmers
• Ibex wool 3/4 length leg warmers
• 3 pr Smartwool socks
• 2 pair Ibex wool boxer thingies for off the bike
• Ibex wool beanie
• 2 pair Defeet wool gloves
• REI rain jacket
• Puma sneakers
• Portland Cycle Wear knickers
• Patgonia quick-dry pants
• 1st aid kit
• toiletries kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, Dr. Bronners, floss, etc.)
• toolkit
• spare Hetre tire, 2 spare tubes
• cable lock
• saddle cover
• wet wipes!
• silk sleeping sack
• MSR camp towel
• cotton cycling cap

I think that's it. The panniers are about 70% full, and the handlebar bag is mostly empty (it'll be for food 'n whatnot.)

On my body, I'll have cycling shoes, one of the pairs of shorts/jerseys/gloves, a helmet, glasses, and all the regular crap one wears when cycling.

Book Review: Bike Touring - The Sierra Club Guide to Travel on Two Wheels

2009-05-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

Bike Touring - The Sierra Club Guide to Travel on Two Wheels
by, Raymond Bridge
Sierra Club Books, San Francisco

Raymond Bridge has been writing about bicycle touring since I was born, quite literally. His first book, Freewheeling - the Bicycle Camping Book, was printed in 1974, the same year I was born. I happen to own the original, so when I was asked to review the new publication, I was quite excited! Oh, and for the record, here is his first book:

The core of the original is certainly alive and well in his new book, but the execution is significantly different.

With that, we can all agree that Bridge has had a while to contemplate cyclotouring, and to gain experience as an author on the subject. As one might expect, some things like equipment, ease of planning trips and availability of local information has changed significantly. The internet has revolutionized trip planning and the ability to find pertinent information en route. The average production bicycle that most people will tour on is a quantam leap from that of 30-something years ago. The spirit of cyclotouring however, hasn't changed very much.

Bridge covers all sorts of touring styles, from inn-to-inn (or roof-to-roof) touring, to weekenders and overnighters, to supported tours and cross-country journeys. He ties them all together before explaining any of them though, with the following:

"The underlying motivation for this book is to inspire readers to experience some of the remarkable rewards that cycling can provide to anyone with an adventurous nature who enjoys physical activity, the experience of the natural world, and the process of overcoming challenges that are both unique and personal."

Closest to me due to my busy schedule, his coverage of short weekend trips resonates loudly. The following paragraph certainly makes me think of ways to squeeze more of these types of trips in this summer and fall:

"A lot of touring consists of one or two-day weekend rides that cover a circuit fairly close to the cyclist's home, perhaps with longer trips on holiday weekends or vacations. The variety of touring that can be enjoyed even close to home is amazing. Since good cyclists are quite likely to cover 50 or 100 miles on a day's trip, there' is a wide range of possibilities starting from your own doorstep."

Aside from touring styles and planning, Bridge also goes into a surprising (to me) amount of detail with regards to touring bicycle handling, (such as subtleties of trail/caster), frame materials and geometry. The bike geek in me was pleased to see all of these topics covered. And where it makes sense in order to stay on topic, Bridge provides pointers to web sites and news lists. Phreds are mentioned several times in this book. You know who you are. :-)

A list worth noting here is his production road touring bike short list:

• Cannondale Touring 1 and 2
• Cannondale T800, T2000 (older models)
• Trek 520
• Fuji Touring
• Specialized Sequoia & Sequoia Elite
• Specialized Tricross Sport
• Novara Randonee (from REI)
• Bianchi Volpe (up to 2007)
• Jamis Aurora
• Raleigh Sojourn
• Kona Sutra
• Terry Valkyrie Tour (women)

I don't think that list would be complete without adding the Surly Cross Check and Long Haul Trucker. Likewise, I'd consider the SOMA Double Cross as a must-have in that list.

Several custom builders and higher-end makers are also mentioned including Rivendell, Bruce Gordon, Waterford, Kogswell, Co-Motion and others, but given the current explosion of framebuilders in the United States, one would have a hard time listing all the good ones.

The book is paperback, and filled with illustrations (but no photos). At over 460 pages, there is almost certainly useful information for most people with an interest in bicycle camping, touring, mountain touring, and just about any other kind of two-wheeled adventure travel.

Lastly, given that I tend to get "pointy" when it comes to the Sierra Club's stance on certain, but certainly not all, topics, I feel it important to mention that Bridge does an excellent job of keeping politics out of his book. This is a book about cyclotouring, and a thorough one at that. If I had to rate this book on a five star scale, I'd rate it 5 for completeness, 4 for production quality, 3 for design, and 4.5 for editing. There were some typos and extra words that weren't spotted by the editors, but eh, I don't really care. I was inspired to go touring, and that's ultimately what counts with a book like this: the author meets his goal, which is to get people on the bike.

Idaho Stop

2009-04-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

I generally operate on logic, and for the best of me, I can't figure out how the "Idaho Stop" law isn't on the books in every state. It's simple, makes sense and still requires cyclists to behave like law-abiding citizens. Aside from that, this animation is visually great, so do yourself a favor, and watch it!

Bicycles, Rolling Stops, and the Idaho Stop from Spencer Boomhower on Vimeo.

Cyclocross Santa Rosa: Doyle Park

2009-02-16T15:31:00.001-08:00

There's long been an idea knocking around in my head that I love Sonoma County and want to live there someday. This weekend furthers that notion. What a place on Earth - perhaps the best place.

Team Paul (minus Lau Ackerman, who is undergoing knee surgery. Get well soon Brother Lau!) headed to Santa Rosa for a weekend of rain-soaked muddy cyclocross racing, touring of three breweries in three days, and some bicycle day touring on the Sonoma coast. Mission accomplished: fast-n-dirty racing, brewery trifecta (Russian River Brewing, Bear Republic Brewing, Hopmonk), beautiful coastal riding, great fun and people second to none.

Barrier hoppin' and diggin' in

2009-01-27T11:08:00.001-08:00

Roy Steves has some good photos of the team at finals a few weeks back.

My SF Randonneurs Pt. Reyes 200k DNF

2009-01-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

I hadn't ridden more than 80 miles in one sitting since the last 200k, but given my decent base, and the fact that I'd been racing cyclocross all winter, I figured I would hop on the bike and ride the season opener with the San Francisco Randonneurs. Great company, world class scenery, possibility of bad weather. Sounds great!

photo by Damien
I was up at 5:30am to go through my normal routine: coffee times two with bagel(s), hot shower, get going. I was staying at a friend's house in Sausalito, so my trip to the bridge was minimal. As I rolled over the Golden Gate to the start control, the wind was howling. I wasn't too worried yet, because the wind always knocks one around on the bridge. The Pacific can blow, and she nearly never feels the need to stop.

As I arrived at the control, nearly everyone seemed to be there. 100 riders (maximum capacity) for this season opener, and the sun itself was still asleep. Bicycle lights were blazing. Reflecto-geeky attire was in full effect. The biggest collection of amazing rando bikes I'd ever seen; Rivendell, Toei, Pelican, Kogswell, Ebisu - they were all there. The women's bathroom was out of order, so women and men were using the same one. As it was my turn, a guy wearing roadie cleats/shoes slipped and fell to the wet public bathroom floor, landing on his tailbone. He sat there, not saying anything. It definitely hurt, given the amount of time he kept his eyes closed, swallowing the pain. He finally eeked out, "well, that's not a good way to start the day." A young woman and I peed next to each other, and then I went to hear Rob Hawks give orders for the day.

The ride started out well. Perfect overcast-yet-dry skies, no wind once we left Sausalito. Warm enough, but cool enough to keep me cool. The bicycle headlights were soon turned off. My stomach didn't feel great though... as if the too-much-garlic from the previous night's pizza was nagging me. I thought it would go away in no time, but in fact it would come back to haunt me.

(photo by JimG)

Compared to the racers I often ride with in Chico, I've noticed that many SF randonneurs don't paceline very well; it felt like more of a loose organism than a tightly controlled wind-breaking machine. Randonneurs could save a lot more time and energy by pacelining properly. That said, it is such a fun group of like-minded folks, I only thought about this fact for a minute or two as the groups became separated by traffic lights, and in the first hills. Then we were mostly alone.

Even though I lived in Marin in the late 90's, rode in Marin, drove in Marin fished in Marin and ran in Marin, I'm always blown away by the beauty of Marin. Every time I come back to visit. There's something about the freshness of the air, the everpresent reminders of the Pacific (fog, mist, sloughs, marshes, seabirds, fishing boats, howling winds) that really make my heart pitter patter like no other place on Earth. I do love it there, yuppies, hippies, grumpies and all. Marin, for me, might hold the best cycling on the planet.

As the affluent and beautiful suburbs of southern Marin passed us by, we headed over White's hill and through San Geronimo Valley, then JimG and I took the off-road option through Samuel P. Taylor State Park. It was a mud-soaked affair, and when we got back on the road, I looked like I'd been in a cyclocross race. It's the same path I rode with Cyclofiend and Jim last fall, and there were a few times I caught myself thinking, "man, I wish the other Jim were riding with us!"

The fences disappear in the west of Marin, and cattle guards become the only man-made containment mechanisms for all the dairy cows. I reckon the country is just too rugged to escape, and the milk gals just can't go anywhere that isn't on the road, so a few steel bars across the road does the trick. In cattle guard country, fat tires are a good thing. And between the cattle guards and metric tons of rain-soaked cow shit and mud, so are fenders.

It's a funny mind game, the route out to the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse. The approach reminds you that for every hill you crest, there is another waiting for you no matter which direction you choose. My strategy was to focus on the unthinkable beauty of the hills falling to the coast, the sun trying to get through the translucent yellow-haloed grey blanket of clouds, and the lack of wind in a land where there are no trees because the wind is generally so bad. Coyote. Deer. Egret. It was a good number of things to take in as we headed west, and while the riding was tough, the experience was sublime.

At mile 45 or so, my Stomach Thing started waking up. I could feel hints of it along the route, but to this point I was still far too excited to let it bother me. I figured I could ride through it. Maybe gas? Lack of salt? Drinking enough? Only ten hard miles to Control #1 at mile 55.

Jim and I rolled into the control, and after getting our brevet cards signed, we heard the volunteer say that there were only about 30 of 100 people ahead of us. Good! We were making great time! I ate half a sandwich, drank the remainder of my first water bottle, and we rolled out, headed back through the hills toward Inverness and Pt. Reyes Station. We spent maybe 10 or 15 minutes at the control.

Back through the hills, my stomach started to go, um, downhill. What was a whisper of a cramp slowly turned into a full blown sour stomach cauldron, Long Knives Drawn episode. But I pedaled on with Jim for 21 miles or so into Pt. Reyes. By this point, I felt feverish, achy, and the stomach thing wasn't going anywhere. I told Jim to just go on without me to the next control in Marshall. I told him I thought I was out of the brevet. I called Claire (my wife) to see where she was, and to ask if need be she could come grab me from Pt. Reyes if need be. She confirmed, but I told her I'd call her later. When Jim left, I got horizontal on a public bench, and thought about my choices. It was an out-and-back 17 mile arm to the Marshall control, and I figured if I could stay down for a bit, things might get better. After a half hour and a cup of coffee from Bovine Bakery, I texted Claire telling her I was bailing on the brevet, but would start riding back toward the Golden Gate. Stand by just in case.

Shortly after I sat up and had thrown a leg over my Saluki, still in Pt. Reyes, I ran into Brian and Gabe, who offered me Tums. My stomach was so rank that I couldn't take the stuff. So off they went toward Marshall, and I decided to click in, and bail on the Marshall control. I just needed to head back.

I pedaled slowly toward Olema, climbed out of Olema toward Samuel P. Taylor state park and Lagunitas. I rolled back through the gravel/mud option that Jim and I cranked through earlier in the day. Alone in the gravel, the quietness of the tree canopy had a soothing effect on my mind, and surprisingly, my stomach started to feel a bit better. I kept the pedals turning much slower than I wanted, but really, there was little choice to be had in the matter, so I took what I could get. I was running on fumes at this point. Exit the park. Sir Francis Drake. Fairfax. San Anselmo. Ross. Kentfield. Camino Alto.

I got to the bottom of Camino Alto as it dumps into Mill Valley, and lo and behold, there's Claire, on her bike with her friend sitting at the traffic light at Blithedale just getting back from their own ride on the Paradise Loop. I was less than a half mile from our truck and her friend's house it turned out, and I had just rolled over 100 miles. Twenty four miles from completing my brevet, and not regretting my choice to abandon. Heck, I still got to climb all the 7700+ feet of hills... I was glad to be done, and looking forward to lying down after a shower.

Almost to my friend's house in Sausalito, I saw my crew (JimG) rolling toward the finish control. In the time that had passed, I had lost a half hour trying to get better, and then my riding pace was slow enough that he nearly caught me, even though I cut 20 miles off the course. That's how slowly I limped back south. Phew! I yelled some words of encouragement to Jim, and headed on up the hill, to hot water and down pillows. The stomach thing was on and off for the remainder of the evening, but today I feel pretty good, albeit a bit sore in the legs.

Could I have finished? I likely could have unless something went terribly wrong. Jim's time was around 9:45, and I imagine I'd have finished an hour after that. The bigger question for me though is, would it have been fun on any level to have stayed out there for another couple of hours fighting bio-failure? Eh, not really. I'm stubborn when it comes to these things, and apparently/obviously I like suffering. But on this day, the fire just wasn't in me to battle my stomach issues, so I made a decision and stuck with it.

I'll be back out there, likely on the Davis 200k in March, the Russian River brevet in April, not to mention some of the upcoming Chico Velo rides.

Notes to self
• didn't use rain jacket or gloves, shoe covers, or extra socks
• ate less than half of the food I packed (gels, bars, dried fruit, beef jerky, figs). Attribute to stomach ailments.
• Left knee was pinging pretty nicely the last 30 miles. Suspect too-wide crankset. Changing this week.
• the borrowed NR MiNewt light was extremely bright, but offered poor mounting options. When on, it interfered with the wireless cyclometer - no reading.
• 44cm bars feel too wide. On this, and other bikes.
• don't do well with onions or garlic. Stay away from it before big rides!

Bringin' it home for Team Paul

2009-01-20T23:07:00.001-08:00

by jnkochs

Well, I stuck it out in the C's this season, and brought home the win for Team Paul. As Paul says, ' TEAM PAUL DOMINATES THE SLOW CLASS OF A REALLY SMALL RACE SERIES!'

And so it was, my first cyclocross season, and probably my last season of winning. What does an Overall Winner receive in a tiny race series? Well, for one, a custom etched 1st Place beer mug bigger than my head. Any astute Chico Gino readers realize this may well be a Gift from God in these parts. It's true. We like beer here.

I also received a nice $50 gift certificate to a bike shop in Redding (that's a good number of tubes!), some Yerba Mate, a Redline beanie, and a pint glass from Kona Cycles, which has a sketch of a fella doing a table top on a penny farthing, with the descriptive exclamation, "SICK!". More cycle-themed beer implements... I'm in love.

Oh, I've also been advised to not come back unless I'm willing to move up a class. I guess it's time to start training harder for the B's next fall.

My 2008 in pictures

2009-01-02T22:56:00.001-08:00

If pictures are worth 1,000 words, then here's a couple-dozen-thousand word essay that takes less than a minute to read.

Make the most of this new year. Be cool. Work hard. Love the ones you should.

Just for the record, I love the people that are in my life. Thank you. :-)

-gino

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Oh, I rode around 4200-4500 miles in 2008. More than ever, for me.

Shasta Race Series Video (Enterprise Park)

2008-12-16T21:27:00.001-08:00

Video by Mike Crumm

Hitting your stride

2008-11-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

It's not something I'd ever felt before, I can tell you that much. In the season opener of the 2008-2009 Shasta Race Series, I bolted off the Le Mans style start like Richard Pryor when he caught his hair on fire, my strategy: Go Till You Blow.

I got the hole shot.

I mashed out the first climb.

Through the flats and over the barriers, and twisting through the oak-studded single track, I could hear racers bearing down on me. Chains were slapping. People were spitting. One guy tapped my rear tire on a climb, and apologized. Through heaving gasps of desperation I replied something like, "don't worry 'bout it dude, we're in a race!"

They kept breathing down my neck as we worked our way across the course, but the buzz of many slowly turned to fewer. We covered more technical terrain, and then fewer. Upon dismount before the last set of barriers on Lap 1, my cleat got stuck in my pedal, but I managed drag my bike and free myself just before yard sale-ing in front of god and everyone at the chute. There was still the noise of being chased, too close, in fact, and it worried me immensely. Just behind me as I cleared the second barrier, I hear a BANG KLANG THWACK. THUMP. Followed by a hearty, "FUUUUUCK!"

And then silence.

A clear moment of silence. Just me fluidly remounting, trying to keep moving. Click. Pedal in. Click. Other pedal in. Don't hurl. Can you pedal harder? No? Well just try to keep it up.

When the cowbells and familiar voices of my friends and teammates broke the silence that was in my head, I was bombarded by words I'd never heard before: "GO GINO, GO MAN. GO GO GO GO MAN GO YOU'RE OFF THE FRONT!"

I was too scared to flip a glance over my shoulder for fear of veering off course into poison oak, oak trees, or rocks; my pace was still frantic. My pipecleaner legs were on fire. So I kept mashing the pedals, heaving, heart rate at 10% higher than whatever it should've been. The first glance I was able to steal found an empty section of doubletrack behind me about a half mile into the next lap, with no other racers that I could see. But I still didn't trust my eyes, so I mashed on. The first time it really sank in that I was in the lead position was at a 180º switchback, which gave me a clear view of the field. I had gained at least 15 seconds on the closest riders after the crash behind me, and by this point I had settled into a pace that I could maintain. And by maintain, I mean that the puke stayed right behind my epiglottis, rather than the outward side of it.

So here's the thing. I've never been at the front of any sort of race, ever. So I wasn't prepared for the mental switch from offense to defense. I was completely blindsided by the feeling of pedaling out there alone, wondering how much I could back off, but not so much that I would have to fight so hard again. I've only ever been trying to catch someone. This time, I had everything to lose. Focus, man!

For the last two laps, I managed to keep up my pace, avoid crashing, and ended up winning my first race ever. Now I'm fully aware that it's no big accomplishment, winning a Category C race in northern California, especially when I compare it to other things I've done with my life. But for a lifetime average joe athelete, maybe slightly less-than-average, well, it was righteous. I savored every tiny painful second of it, and I've run through the details of how I could've been faster a thousand times in my head. And if it never happens again, well, it happened once, and this once I got to taste victory. And victory doesn't suck! Especially when it comes with a 1st Place Pilsner glass and a $20 purse!

To use a cliché, sometimes the stars just align. Sometimes you cast that perfect loop with your favorite bamboo flyrod. Today, for me, it was winning this cyclocross race. But in my personal bigger picture, I feel like Claire and I have really hit a stride in Chico that feels juicy, and solid, and indescribably Good and Fun. We're squeezing this place for everything it has to offer, and it has taken three and a half years of living here to get to this point. And it feels like it only keeps getting better. We have an amazing, no AMAZING, group of friends - in Chico, and in the bay area. Our jobs are currently both going a million miles an hour and keeping us traveling all over California all the time, and for that I count my blessings daily. I have a wife that I'm nutso over, and we just celebrated five years of being hitched; it still rocks to see her every single day. We both get along with our parents, and even like them all. We live in a town that has three farmers markets every week. We eat fruit and veggies out of our own garden from May until late December. Even our neighbors, while half crazy or half redneck or both, are perfectly fine neighbors. Our health isn't horrible.

You know, things are just good right now when it's all said and done. Sometimes it's probably a good idea to step back, and write down all the goodness, because sometimes the badness can overshadow it. Sure, there are plenty of things that are bad-to-awful in my life, and they could each get me down. But not me, not now.

All of this, which is to say Happy Thanksgiving! Unless you're starving in a desert with no water and no way out, you probably have something to be thankful for. Just give it a thought, eh?

Oh, and here's the proof. Go Team Paul!

Cyclocross! Chico's annual Cross Dress Cross Race

2008-11-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

Cyclocross: Galland Cross Dress Cross Race 2008 from Gino on Vimeo.

In my head, this is what Cyclocross feels like.

This particular event is a yearly semi-private gathering of friends at Casa Galland in Chico, California. We get together and dress up like girls, drink beer, race cyclocross, and then drink more beer. See, Chico and bikes and beer go hand in hand.

Thanks to the Bronx (without permission) for the music. You guys rawk. Hard. thebronxxx.com/

Product Review: El Duke degreaser

2008-11-14T19:03:00.001-08:00

El Duke (doo-kay)
Originally uploaded by Gino

After a quick test on a nasty cassette and chain, soybean-oil-based (which means biodegradable and non-toxic!) El Duke (pronounced El Doo-kay) degreaser rocks it. Makes gakked up parts shiny, smooth, good.

Sorry Park, but El Duke is my new way to get stuff clean. It's solid. Plus, a dog with a bone logo is unbeatable in itself. You know how we do.

You can get yer own El Duke here.

A Bicycle Light Mount for the Masses

2008-11-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

After nearly six months of waiting, it's finally here folks: The Gino Light Mount, by Paul Component Engineering.

This bicycle light mount is designed to do two things:

1) get your bicycle headlight down low, where it should be. Handlebars are not a great spot to mount a headlight. (more on that below)

2) hold about 99% of every battery powered handlebar-mount style bicycle headlight on any 5mm (M5) brazeon that is on your bicycle. So, if you have a little front rack, or mid-fork brazeons, or even eyelets for fenders near your fork dropouts, then the Gino Light Mount will help you better light your way. It can also work for tail lights.

But Gino, why do I want my headlight down low?
Great question! A light that is mounted lower casts a beam that is closer to parallel to the ground, which results in a less bright beam that lets you see further ahead. And yes, the lower light casts more shadows from bumps, cracks and potholes, which is precisely what you want a light to do. Show me the surface irregularities, man!

The mount has undergone many thousands of miles of testing at this point, including a 500 mile tour of California, the Rocky Mountain 1200k, dozens of mixed-terrain rides, and countless
daily commutes, with good results! Here is one review: http://readytoride.biz/?p=342

That said, get your Gino Light Mount at the Paul store.

For more on bicycle lighting, and why down-low is better, see:
Bicycle Quarterly Volume 5, Number 2

You can also check out a bunch of long-distance bicycles that have been tested by BQ, nearly all of which have the lights mounted low, here.

Wheels North: Help medical research and (maybe) win a Richard Sachs frame

2008-10-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Wheels North is a bicycle adventure led by Eric Norris that is recreating the epic 1909 adventure of two young bicyclists, from Santa Rosa, California, to Seattle, Washington. Aside from an epic cycle adventure, Eric & crew are raising money for Histiocytosis research.

This description is from the Hystiocytosis Association of America:

Histiocytosis is a rare blood disease that is caused by an excess of white blood cells called histiocytes. The histiocytes cluster together and can attack the skin, bones, lung, liver, spleen, gums, ears, eyes, and/or the central nervous system. The disease can range from limited involvement that spontaneously regresses to progressive multiorgan involvement that can be chronic and debilitating. In some cases, the disease can be life-threatening.

About the frame you have a 1 in 100 chance of winning
Richard Sachs has been building bicycle frames since 1972, working entirely by hand in his Connecticut workshop (see his work at www.richardsachs.com). He has such a rabid following that his wait list for a frame is SIX years.

If you don't already own a Richard Sachs, this auction may be your last chance to order a frame. Richard stopped taking orders from new customers in August, but held a spot open for this auction. But more importantly, your $100 donation will go toward research for Histiocyctosis.

Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Histiocytosis Association of America and the Wheels North fundraising ride. For more info: www.histio.org and www.wheelsnorth.org

You can buy your raffle ticket here.

Rawland getting picked up by local dealer?

2008-10-01T11:28:00.001-07:00

JimG sent me a link today to the blog of Marin County-based Black Mountain Cycles:

"There were two booths at [Interbike] that had bikes I place in the category of "bikes-I-didn't-design-but-would-like-to-own." The first is the new Salsa Fargo. The second were the bikes from Rawland... Thinking about why I like the bikes from these two brands, I see that they both have something in common: fat tires and drop bars. The combination doesn't get any better."

I can't say that I disagree... want to read it all?

Product Reviews: Ibex wool cycling gear

2008-09-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write a review on a few pieces of Ibex wool for about six months now, but I've been busier riding and using said gear than writing about it. As fall sets in, I find myself with a free afternoon full of ball sports that I'll never watch on TV, so now seems like a good time to tell you about some of the best pieces of clothing I own.

Let's start with the garment that kicked off this love affair:

El Fito 3/4 knickers

Really, the Ibex experience starts with their packaging. It's kind of a low-fi nature-y version of the Apple unboxing experience (if you don't know what it's like to unbox an Apple product, go find someone with an Apple product box!). The products come in thin, minimalistic Ibex-branded boxes, and the whole experience is simply refined. It's a pleasure to open, and I think Ibex's attention to these tiny details simply reflects their dedication to making very fine wool products. The detail carries over to everything they make. I bet JimG rolled his eyes on this entire paragraph. :-)

Right, so the knickers. I purchased the El Fito knickers late in 2007 directly from Ibex. Over the winter, I was able to ride a couple of centuries, lots of mixed terrain rainy rides, and a few 70+ mile warmer days until Chico really started to cook in June. The stitching is second to none, and the weight of the knickers is definitely that of a company based in New England. It's pretty thick. Not uncomfortably thick - just thick enough to know you're wearing really high quality wool. The 'Climawool Lite' knee panels allow great movement without getting wonky in shape, no matter how long you wear them or go without washing them. The chamois is of similar quality to the priciest Pearl Izumi chamois I've ridden. I don't ever think about it, so it must be doing its job. Overall, I love the knickers. They're the perfect three season (northern California) cycling knickers. For those on the CA coast, they're easily a 4-season piece of gear. My wife, Claire, rides in the women's version exclusively, unless it's 100º outside.

I do have one gripe about the El Fito, but first a little tangent.

South by Southwest happens every year in Austin, TX, and like most years, I went for the Interactive part of the conference/festival. SXSW 2008 led me to a wonderful meeting with a rep from Ibex, at the Bikehugger party. I told her that I loved my knickers, but that the waistband must have been designed with either A) fat people or B) big butts in mind. See, the knickers fit perfectly, except that the waist band is about 2" too high for a skinny guy like me. The result is that the knickers work their way down as I ride, leaving a host of room for my, umm, junk to move around, the result of which would be chafing if one weren't careful. I've figured out that by simply rolling down the waistband TWO full times, no sagging, and thus no rubbing occurs. There's the gripe. If you're skinny, prepare to roll the waistband. If you have a gut, you're set, although you probably won't wear a size Small either.

Anyway, the Ibex rep (I'm leaving her name out on purpose) gave me an Ibex wool beanie at the Bikehugger party, and after a great conversation about product design, bikes and blogs, I gave her my card. A few weeks later, a tidy little package marked Ibex showed up at my house. But first:

the Ibex Beanie
I don't know what one can really say about a beanie, but I can tell you that it is now my most-worn winter head garb. I took it on our Tour of the California Coastal Breweries (where it's always winter), and after a week of wearing it without washing it, it was just fine, and didn't stink at all. I slept in it every night, rode with it most mornings, and it's an indispensable piece of my bike wardrobe.

It's also great for drinking giant IPAs on the frigid far northern California coast in July:

...and it easily fits under your helmet. What's not to like?

So that package showed up, and in it was a spanking new...

Arrivee Ibex bib short

Wool bib? I've never owned a bib, but I'm now sold on bibs now for certain types of riding. I sported this thing all spring and summer in Chico for all sorts of riding on and off road. In case you don't know, summer in Chico means HOT HOT HEAT, and I don't deal well with heat. The Arrivee bib never feels uncomfortable, and when it's super hot, just dribble some water down the mesh on your back and poof: instant air conditioning. I don't know if they intended that as a feature, but it's enough for me to buy another one when this one wears out. Oh, and the potential rubbing issues that I experience with the El Fito are completely erased with the bib. The first time I wore it on a 50 or 60 mile hilly ride, I did come home with tender nipples due to the shoulder straps. Hey, I'm just sayin'. I guess my nips leathered up though, because I no longer have that issue.

The Arrivee has the same OCD attention to detail as the knickers; the quality is equivalent to the price tag. Interestingly, I've learned through experience that there are a few times I won't wear it: brevets, camping and/or touring. Why? Well, it's a real pain when you find yourself having to do the #2 with a bib strapped over your shoulders. Just think of the logistics. I'd not considered it, but I discovered it on an alpine ride in the southern Cascades. It's something to consider! OK, I'll stop with that. If you're a racer or weekend warrior who doesn't like plastic clothing, get the Arrivee bib. If you have a big gut and tend to show crack, get the Arrivee bib. It's possibly the perfect piece of gear for all but the longest of rides. And even then, that's just my personal preference.

Summary
I've since purchased Ibex leg warmers, and tested their arm warmers (on the summer tour); each product leads me to the same old boring story: I love the stuff Ibex makes. It costs a shiny nickel, no doubt. But if you can come up with the coin, you can rest assured that your Ibex duds will do you right, and last for a long, long time. I'm thousands of miles into these Ibex products, and none are showing signs of wear yet. Once I get my hands on a couple of pairs of their merino cycling shorts, my departure from plastic will be complete.

The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own

2008-09-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

(Title, courtesy of Frank Zappa)

Todd Teachout

2008-09-07T22:22:00.001-07:00

Todd Teachout
Originally uploaded by Gino

I rode with Todd for 30 miles or so on the recent RUSA 200k 10th Anniversary brevet in Marin county. It was my first brevet, and a wonderful cycling experience. Marin and Sonoma truly are cycling heaven on earth.

(Thanks for the pull!)

El Gran Tour de bicicletas de la costa Cervecerías 2008

2008-07-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Update: Tour photos are here.

This Friday, Jeff and I are headed out for a 420 mile self-supported tour from Brookings, Oregon to San Francisco. This is a first for both of us; for Jeff it's a way to celebrate his 40th year, and for me it's a celebration of living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and being lucky enough to know people like Jeff.

Our route will traipse the coastline, and we've designed it with the intention of sampling the yields of as many coastal breweries as possible, hence our broken Spanish title: El Gran Vuelta de bicicletas de la costa Cervecerías 2008, which poorly translates to The Grand Bicycle Tour of the Coastal Breweries 2008. We thought about a French title, but really, this is California...

As regular readers may know, we are both beer connoisseurs of sorts, and there are simply too many breweries along our lovely coastline to just pedal past. So, on the list for this tour:

Humboldt Brewing, Arcata
Lost Coast Brewery & Café, Eureka
Eel River Brewing, Fortuna
Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville
North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg
Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, Fairfax

And we may very well end the tour at 21st Amendment in San Francisco.

Several of my favorite breweries are just barely not on this course, including Russian River Brewing, Lagunitas, and Mendocino Brewing. Those plus several more are all in Sonoma county, and that sounds to me like a good three day weekend tour for a different time. :-)

Now I know that was an awful lot about beer, but really this tour is only slightly about sampling local beers along the way. In fact, it's hardly about beer at all.

It's mostly about moving along a ravishing and world-famous coastline under our own power, and on our own time.

Take photos. Stop to drink in the scenery; hopefully feel the fog, and if we're lucky, a bit of rain. Take any suffering in stride, and know that suffering is likely of our own doing, and that the sum total of the adventure is pure pleasure. See the coast in a way that most people never will. Camp out all but one night. Watch cable television the night we don't sleep out. Maybe see some stars and ocean and moonlight over the water. Get really dirty and definitely stinky. Ride these miles and have this adventure now, because I have no idea what tomorrow will deal.

That's what this is about for me.

Jeff is riding his SOMA Double Cross, and I, my Rivendell Saluki. We've given them several loaded riding tests, done some S24O trips this year, and I think we're ready. We've planned each day's route (over a couple beers), and that's pretty much nailed down. I've been testing a bunch of wool gear from Ibex all summer, and this tour will be the final beat down on that stuff before I write up several product test reports (including arm/leg warmers, knicker/tights, and a bib.).

Special thanks goes out to our families (my wife, his wife and daughter) for giving us the time and freedom to do this. THANK YOU!

Until we return, keep 'em turnin'!

Leaving Chico for a month of riding

2008-07-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Due to the fires and smoke that are consuming our area of northern California, Claire and I have decided to stay in Marin County for a month or two. Our home is fine, just smoked in. The way I see it, this stay in Marin will be a nice break from the smoke and heat, a chance to catch up with a lot of bay area friends, and a chance ride my bike every day in the wonderful coastal California weather. And, we'll still come home from time to time.

Butte county is currently down to five "active" fires, one of which is over 53,000 acres. CalFire is saying that the big one should be contained by the end of July. Contained doesn't mean out though. Best of luck to everyone in Chico, and all the brave people that have been risking their lives to fight the fires. Thank you.

My company has a San Francisco office, and I plan to make as much use of it as possible during our stay. I have my trusty Saluki, and will ride it over the Golden Gate most mornings to downtown SF. Sometimes I'll ride to the CalTrain station in SF, and shoot down to Mountain View to work HQ. The weekends will hopefully be spent riding with Claire, as well as some of the super swell San Francisco Randonneurs. I kicked it off by riding with JimG, Carlos and Greg this past weekend on a challenging mixed terrain ride in southern/west Marin. I'll have to ride the entire route next time...

The end of July will be broken up by a 420 mile tour from Brookings, Oregon to San Francisco with my good buddy Jeff, and that will put us into August.

Then, hopefully the air quality in Chico will be back to suitable for healthy life, and we can head home. If not, well, I could get used to this Marin County thing. I lived here almost 10 years ago, and had forgotten how nice it is, if you simply ignore all the foofy goofy people.

The S24O and beer

2008-06-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

In my little world of bike camping, my fellow Chicoans seems to have a hankering for tasty suds after a hot summer ride. And they (and by 'they' and mean 'we') like them cold. Really though, who doesn't want to swill a cold one when camping on a summer day?

With this in mind, could this backpack cooler be modified to work on a rack? If so, it might be the perfect hot weather beer carrying pannier. With that in mind, I'd love to hear feedback from anyone who has devised a good beer carrier for S24Os.

Thanks to Design House Stockholm for such simple and useful design.

Back in the olden days

2008-05-28T12:40:00.001-07:00

Old Skool Gino
Originally uploaded by aerocha

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.~Ernest Hemingway

Rivendell Bombadil: my two week fling

2008-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to thoroughly test ride the 52cm twin-top-tubed Rivendell Bombadil prototype, and in short, I can sum it up like this: the Bombadil is a bike that is going to take you by surprise.

Rivendell touts La Bomba as "a stout-tubed mountain bike for rough riding and heavy loads. It's not Dutch-heavy, but by contemporary standards of expensive, fine bicycles, it's out there on the edge."

The one thing I thought when I first picked it up was, "man, this thing is light!" I wasn't the only one that thought so; every cyclist friend that happened to stop by my house during my time with the Bomba said the same thing, neither coaxed nor influenced by me.

Setup
Grant had set the bike up for himself, and I imagine it has been his main steed for a while, as he's working out the kinks and tweaking things. So, when I picked the bike up, I took it as is.

La Bomba was wearing the new Pacenti Quasi-moto 650Bx2" tires, which are billed as Pacenti's hardpack tire. I could post another review on those tires, but I'll just be quick here and report that they are easily as nice as any XC race tire I've ever used, and I used a lot of race tires back in my off-road triathlon days. They're tacky, they roll wonderfully, and the plush factor is that of a Cadillac. Great tires, and I'm praying that Kirk's new smaller knobby will fit my Bleriot.

The cockpit was set up with 46cm Noodles, and thumb mount shifters on the flat part of the bar. It was also fitted with a new style Tektro brake lever (not sure of the model) that featured a smooth spoon-like lever - excellent to the touch. Some purists might cry heresy over the V-brakes, but they were just fine for me.

The first thing I did was lower the bars a couple of feet (kidding! only a couple of inches!). After banging it out for a couple of weeks, I would have preferred a flat mountain-style handlebar. I found that in Chico's extremely technical volcanic terrain, that I needed to be in the drops quite a lot simply to have more leverage on the brakes. This is more a result of the terrain where I live, and my personal preferences, so don't take it as a recommendation or anything like that.

The biggest gripe I had with Grant's handlebar setup were the friction thumb shifters. I use friction thumbies on my Bleriot, but on this bike they never quite, um, clicked for me. Firstly, the thumbies felt in the way when I rode with my hands on the flat part of the bar. Lastly, every time I used the top-n-flat part of the bar, the jarring terrain would cause my hands to slightly touch the shifters. After a few minutes of riding I'd have to trim the shifter a bit to remove chain rub and/or unintended rear shifts.

Again, I feel like this is a result of the terrain here. If I rode smoother single track, fire roads, reg'lar roads or gravel roads it would have never been an issue. Below is a photo of a "trail" in Chico on which I tested the Bombadil.

If I were to set up my own Bombadil for pure off-road riding in the Chico/Sierras/Shasta area, I'd use a mountain flat bar and MTB brake levers with trigger shifters. The versatility of this bike shines when thinking about how to set it up though, because you could rig it as a pure mountain bike, a touring bike, an Epic Tour Through Tibet bike, or just a great all-rounder. Any of these setups would suit the Bombadil.

The bike has three bottle cage mounts, and I used two of them. When I first saw the double top tube, I wondered if the second top tube would get in the way when pulling the water bottle from the cage; it didn't.

It's probably my racing past, but I found myself wanting my Camelbak simply so I could pedal and drink while humping over the volcanic baby heads in the trail. Bottle cages + mountain biking over rough terrain = stop every time you want to drink.

The last thing I'll mention about the setup were the pedals. The left pedal was a Grip King, and the right pedal was one of those bad boy Spyder BMX pedals from Tioga. Hands down, for grippyness, the Spyder pedal wins. Even when wet with slick-soled shoes, the Spyder remained sticky. The Spyder pedal also has little spikes installed, which caused a few flashbacks to dented bloody shins, and those BMX Bear Trap pedals we used to use in the early 80s. The surface is significantly smaller on the Spyder than the Grip King though, so over a longer ride, the Grip King becomes the more comfortable pedal.

One other pedal observation I made when riding over Big Rock Technical Stuff is that due to its longer base and thicker body, the Grip King tended to cause more pedal strikes than the Spyder. Clipless pedals would likely eliminate the issue completely. Heh.

The Ride & Handling
The bike was fitted with the Tubus cargo rack, and a Nitto front rack, which I didn't load or use. So with that in mind, everything up next is in the context of riding without any loads.

Handling is where the Bombadil gets creepy. And by creepy I mean Awesome™. I've ridden one other mountain bike (my USA-made Schwinn Homegrown Factory Pro) that was so sure-footed, so easy to turn at any speed, or that tracks so well when huffing up steep-and-technical pitches at 2mph. When grinding up the most technical terrain, I simply pointed the front wheel, mashed the pedals, and it just went. It just felt like riding a caterpillar (the bug, not the tractor) that slinks over every object you put in its path. Gooey would be a good descriptor. I'm sure this certainly had to do with the Pacenti tires, but the bike's geometry is certainly at work as well. Off-camber turns? Tight switchbacks? No problem.

I was absolutely SHOCKED to find out, after (hesitantly) returning the bike that the trail figure for the Bombadil is 68mm. Make of that what you will.

I'm no weight weenie, but I'm certainly conscious of it in my bikes. Not once when climbing, descending, or riding fire roads or singletrack did it cross my mind that the Bombadil is a heavy bike. I wouldn't race on the Bombadil, but that isn't what it is made for.

Summary
If you have the coin to put down for an exquisitely crafted lugged steel mountain/adventure touring/touring/do-all 650B cycle, the Bombadil might be the bike for you. At $1600 for the frame and fork, it is more in the Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen category of off road vehicles. But the enjoyment of the craftsmanship, detail, performance, and interesting conversations that will happen as a result of owning it are, in my opinion, worth it.

I don't know what the final design of the bike is going to look like; I have no idea about the two top tubes, the trail figures, or anything else. But, based on the bike that I ran through the ringer, I wouldn't change a thing about the frame and fork.

Why I ride

2008-04-05T20:00:00.001-07:00

Today, Tony and I climbed into one of the local canyons to Centerville. It's a fun climb, and the road actually turns into gravel and spits you out a few miles above the little "town" of Magalia.

Rather than take the gravel this time, we turned around where the pavement ends. I strapped a Sony point-n-shoot camera to my front rack, turned on the video recorder, and bombed the hill.

70 degree days, strong coffee for fuel, good health, sunshine on my skin, wind in my face and nice people around me. This is why I ride.

Saluki Cam: 40mph down Centerville Rd., Chico, CA from Chico Gino on Vimeo.

Music: 'Ouray' by Andy McKee.

Introducing the Chico Wheelmen Touring Club

2008-03-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

The rains are stopping soon, so it's time to do some cyclotouring and bike camping!

In the interest of meeting like-minded people, and fostering a healthy community of Cyclotouring in Chico (which totally doesn't exist right now), I'm starting a new cycling faction, and it may or may not operate under the auspices of Chico Velo.

May I introduce the Chico Wheelmen Touring Club.

Here's how the Chico Wheelmen Touring Club will operate:

1) We don't race. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature; self-sufficiency and camaraderie are paramount.

2) The Chico Wheelmen Touring Club is not a sausage party. Women are welcome, and encouraged. The name is just a fun throwback to the golden days of cycling, when people rode penny farthings (high wheelers), and bicycles that were made for real-world riding. Fat tires and steel frames are ok, and even encouraged. We will ride dirt roads sometimes.

3) The club is 100% unofficial. There are no dues. There are no membership cards. No politics. No drama.

4) The newest person at the meeting is the President of the club for that week, always.

5) We'll meet up for a beer/soda somewhere, every week. Maybe we'll swap stories, have how-tos, or have slideshows, or whatever. Or maybe we won't.

6) No hero worship.

6b) No training plans.

7) We love our official Chico Velo pals, as they fight for cyclist rights in Chico. We'll probably ride in all the Chico Velo events, in addition to our own unsanctioned, unsupported weekend excursions.

8) We'll do local tours and bike camping trips. We'll also strive to go elsewhere to do some bike camping as well. Maybe the Sierras, maybe Shasta, maybe wine country, maybe the coast. Maybe all of the above.

9) If we get a dozen cyclotourists that are interested, maybe I'll design a run of wool jerseys, marking the inception of the CWTC. :-)

The mailing list, and the Google Group is here:
http://groups.google.com/group/chicowheelmen/

If you're remotely interested in cyclotouring and bike camping, I think this will be fun. I look forward to seeing you on the new list.

On passion

2008-03-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

I was recently in Austin, TX for SXSWi, and probably the best thing I saw was 20x2, which wasn't actually part of SXSW. The gist is this: ask a question, in this case, "What's the difference?" And then, give 20 people 2 minutes each to answer the question. Got that? Twenty speakers. One question. Two minutes each.

While it's interesting to compare and contrast the different approaches to the question, there is undoubtedly an underlying competition that takes place, even if unspoken. The content, the performance, the delivery, the passion; they all come into play, and in my mind, there was one clear winner.

My friend and colleague, Simon Batistoni (of Flickr ilk) was invited to be one of the 20, and what follows was his answer to, "What's the difference?"

Simon, if you happen to read this, you totally rocked it, and inspired me and everyone else in the room. Hopefully you've stopped shaking by this point...

The difference, in a word, is passion.

In all our pursuits and endeavours, it is passion which leads to the creation of the genuinely great, or the superlative experience.

Think about it - who do you most associate with passion; Steve Jobs and his irritatingly exquisite products, painstakingly put together by folks who care about the minutest details or… well… Bill Gates?

I've seen the effects of passion in the panels I've attended here at South by Southwest. All of the best panels have been hosted by people with a genuine passion for what they're talking about.

In all honesty, some of them have had so little real content that they've actually subtracted from the sum of human knowledge.

But when that nebulous non-content is delivered with infectious passion, it still has value. The raw emotion itself inspires, leading us to new insights and ideas.

The greatest music ever produced, from the snarl of the Sex Pistols to the intricate scales of Rachmaninov, is fired through with deep, passionate enthusiasm and dedication. And the same is true for every other creative field:

The writing of Dickens or Ginsberg or Phillip Pullman; the art of Rothko or Monet; superlative graphic design or exquisitely prepared food by chefs like Thomas Keller - passion informs all of these things.

Life… is better with passion. It crackles with electricity a little more; sings a little more.

So my plea to all of you is this: let go of all those other influences on the things you do. Shut out the shareholders, investors, editors or producers; ignore the spreadsheets, monthly growth charts and budgets. Whatever it is you do in life; however you do it, feed your creativity with your passions, be they kittens or cushions, candles or cattle-prods, cocktails or cave-paintings.

Channel that energy into everything you do. It's the easiest, most fulfilling way to truly make a difference.

Sheldon Brown interview up on Rivendell site

2008-02-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Grant & Co. have uploaded the Big Sheldon Interview over on their site. It is an 8 page in-depth candid talk with Captain Bike, from Rivendell Reader 25, around December 2001.

In the post on the Rivendell site, Grant says:

In the intro to it, last paragraph, you may notice the word "knowledge" is spelled three different ways, only one of them was correct—not even half. Sheldon never would have let that happen.

To which I would add: just think of it in baseball terms, my friend. Sheldon loved baseball, and .333 is hall of fame material.

More words about Sheldon

2008-02-05T08:59:00.001-08:00

This wonderful email came through my inbox from a fellow named John S. Allen. His words, and the stories about Sheldon and Sheldon's family are too good not to repost.

Friends -- Sheldon's memorial service will be held off, so that family and friends can gather. (This info from his wife, Harriet Fell). She'll let us know when it is to be.

More info:

In 1972, I was halfway home with a flat tire and walked into a bike shop that was just closing -- the bicycle Revival, River Street in Cambridge,. or maybe Western Avenue. Sheldon stayed late to fix it. That's how I first met him.

There were 46 bicycles in or around his house "with a few shared wheels", by his recent count, mostly in his basement. He didn't buy bicycles off the shelf -- as a challenge to his mechanical ingenuity, and a way to spend less money and spend more time doing what he liked to do, he cobbled up customized bicycles from parts he acquired mostly through special deals, barter or secondhand, to suit himself or someone in his family. He often came up with a something unique, clever and useful. You may read about his bicycles on his Web site. He had an eye for style, but also, one or two rusty clunkers hung out by the back door getting rustier, for the quick ride to the convenience store, and several old hulks of bikes lived under the front
porch.

Much more history could go here...later for that. As David Wittenberg described him in an e-mail this morning: "He knew more about bicycles than anyone else I know, as was always happy to share what he knew." Lemonade out of lemons, serving his lifelong interest in photography: he drilled a hole through the handle of the cane so he also could use it as a monopod for his camera. He could no longer ride a bicycle because he lacked the coordination and leg strength to mount or dismount. He rode a Greenspeed recumbent tricycle slowly.

You wouldn't have known about his illness from his correspondence, except when he openly mentioned it. He hated euphemisms and didn't mince words: he wrote "I am now a cripple." He remained upbeat, active and involved and said that his illness was much harder for Harriet to take than for him, though "it's damn inconvenient." With his usual mechanical ingenuity, he had bought a hoist secondhand and rigged it to lift his electric 4-wheel scooter in and out of the back of his minivan, and that's how he got around.

But it was a massive heart attack rather than the MS that ended his life last night. He was 63.

He leaves Harriet, a PhD professor of mathematics and computer science at Northeastern University, and the first American woman to complete Paris-Brest-Paris. You may read about that too, on her Web site. Her opening line when she first met Sheldon: "I see you're riding fixed." And then he noticed that she was riding a Holdsworth, a high-grade British bike of the day.

Bicyclists and computer gurus mixed at their wedding in 1979. Would you believe that my seat was next to that of artificial intelligence guru Marvin Minsky? It was. Sheldon and Harriet rode away on a tandem.

Their two children, George and Tova, are both now doctoral students in mathematics.

Sheldon was widely read, with a special interest in science fiction. He spoke French, and read Jules Verne in French, having brushed it up when Harriet was on a fellowship in France and the family spent a year there, 1988-1989. He wrote with lucidity and technical precision, though he had been a square peg in a round hole with conventional academics and never earned a college degree.

Favorite quote from Sheldon:

"Everyone I know in bicycling is at least a little bit crazy, present company included."

Amen, to which I would add, the craziness I know in bicyclists often leads in good directions, or the bicycling keeps it within bounds. I know of a lot of people *not* in bicycling who are very much crazier :-)

Favorite quote about him, I don't recall from whom (Harold Lewis, Ed Trumbull?):

"When they made him, they threw away the mold."

This afternoon, I went out for a bike ride. That always helps get *me* going in the right direction when things are getting out of bounds :-).

I stopped at the post office in Weston and a woman in line ahead of me was saying that everyone is depressed because the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl game last night. Well, we all have our troubles, I guess.

John S. Allen

Member, Massbike Board of Directors.
Regional Director for New York and New England, League of American
Bicyclists
League Cycling Instructor #77-C and Member of the League's Education
Committee

http://bikexprt.com

Farewell Sheldon Brown. You're a legend.

2008-02-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

Today I received the news that one of cycling's most storied and passionate characters, Sheldon Brown, passed away.

I don't really know what to say.

Rob Hawks, a bay area cyclist summed it up as well as any:

"It is undeniable that Sheldon has influenced many, many people in the bicycling world. I read with sadness of his passing. The thing though that I've always remembered about Sheldon all along are some of the non-cycling elements to his communications with others. I loved and will now miss the quotes contained in his signatures to postings to the list. I'll also remember an email exchange I had with him off list regarding music. I had come to discover a band very late in my life and many years after the date of a recording, and mentioned this band and recording to Sheldon. His response had such enthusiasm in it and it put me in mind of being on the opposite side of the experience where one can look with a little bit of envy at someone who is just being exposed to a work of music, literature or film that had a profound effect on you at an earlier time.

Certainly, I've looked over Sheldon's cycling oriented articles, but I've also been intrigued by the other parts of his vast web pages and all the other passions in his life.

Poke around on those pages. It is amazing I think to see all the different things a single person can be so enthused about and really get into in a big way.

Farewell Sheldon, but you'll never be gone.

rob hawks
richmond, ca"

With that, all I can add is this: Sheldon, we only ever communicated via email, and you only ever offered sage advice, and always with a level head and sense of humor. You were always a great point of reference to all of us, and like Rob says, you'll never be gone.

Rest in peace Sheldon. Your contributions to cycling and general Good Will are as large as anyone in history.

With that, JimG (idea) and I (execution) offer up to anyone who wants them, these badges. Sheldon, whether you like it or not, you have a posse.

Tour de Ed - a great excuse to come to Chico

2008-02-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

My friend, and the leader of Chico Velo for nearly as long as I've been alive, Ed McLaughlin sustained a severe spinal cord injury a little over a month ago during a regular group ride, and is currently in the spinal cord rehab unit in Santa Clara. If you've ever heard of the Chico Wildflower, or ridden it, Ed is the brains and brawn behind that spectacular ride.

The cycling community here in Chico is putting on a ride, called Tour de Ed (February 23rd), to raise money to help with his recovery. So, if you're in the area, you might consider coming to Chico for this ride.

The Tour De Ed follows the same course as the old Almond Blossom ride. It takes you on an easy 20 or so mile ride on quiet country roads through the almond orchards when the trees are in full bloom (spring comes early in Chico!).

The farmer's market is rocking the same morning, and the ride starts late (10am) so you can chow down at one of the local eateries (or at the market) before the ride. If there is enough interest, a few of us have talked about heading out for an S24O later that same afternoon to Woodson Bridge SRA, and back Sunday morning.

Do what Ed would do, and get on your bike!

Here are the links:
Tour de Ed info, and
Ed's status updates.

If you think you want to come out, let me know. It'll be a good day (or possibly weekend) of riding, and any excuse is a good excuse to camp out for a night.

Cheers,
Gino

It's summer in the other hemisphere

2007-12-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

'White Peugeot Mixte with Saddlebag' by Chainring Transit Authority

During the North American winter, our friends at Chainring Transit Authority in Sydney get to remind us of sunny and warm days elsewhere in the world. Winter is also a good time to reflect on those long comfortable days out, where one is able to become intimately consumed by her environs.

For me, one of the most enjoyable part of cold dark nights is sitting with a pile of maps and books, both planning and simply dreaming of trips I might take under my own power in the coming year. 2008 is shaping up to be juicy; at least another Cycle Oregon, Tour of the Unknown Coast, Chico Wildflower, and hopefully, if all goes as planned, a bicycle tour of Ireland's west coast. Oh, and at least one brevet. And aside from the big rides, I'm looking forward to the countless miles and adventures with my buddies and my lady.

"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle."

-- Ernest Hemingway

Turn a key, melt a glacier. Turn a pedal, melt some fat.

2007-12-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

Below is a little public service announcement from my friends at Chico Velo. I'm not sure who produced it, but maybe one of you out in the world wide internet can say.

I'm quite proud to live in a little town with such a passion for cycling. Thanks, Chico. And while I don't really subscribe to the cars=glaciers melting theories, the core message is still a good one: get out and ride your bike, fatty!

How to spot a redneck with a DUI conviction

2007-11-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

Alternative fuels

2007-10-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

I received an email from NateArm today, in which he pointed out the striking similarity between the fellow in the advert below, and my father-in-law in the photo below that. The video is from Errol Morris, and the original is available here. Thanks Nate, this was fantastic and hilarious!

Once again, Chico needs to fight down Wal-Mart

2007-09-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Last June, I wrote a somewhat impassioned post about Wal-Mart sniffing around in north
Chico, looking for a new place to pave. In today's paper, I came across a new article that states that they are still fighting to lay waste to the beauty that is the rural cycling haven north of town. Why have we not defeated this yet?

I'll say it again. Half a million square feet of China-made disposable goods, parking lots full of obese people in their giant trucks, and 168 acres of land is going to absolutely destroy what makes the northern areas of Chico and Butte county a wonderful place.

I have seen this type of unplanned growth completely wreck the town in which I grew up. I watched in happen outside of Boulder, Colorado. And now, I'm currently wondering what the residents of Chico are going to do.

Are you going to allow completely unplanned growth and traffic to consume what is left of Chico, so that there are no low-traffic places left to ride?

Wal-mart already has a football field-sized store five miles from this proposed site. They are also going to expand that existing store to 250,000 square feet. I'd say for a town of 100,000, that's more than enough.

Aside from destroying what are currently amazing cycling areas, the roads in the north simply can't support the type of automobile traffic that a Wal-Mart and strip malls would bring to the area. The auto traffic would be horrendous. And who do you think will pay, if they actually do build new roads to support the strip mall lifestyle?

Look at your paycheck stub next time. Look at the local taxes that are taken from you. And then ask yourself if you want those taxes going to support roads that will 1) wreck much of the area that you ride in north Chico and 2) support yet another Wal-mart in a small town that simply doesn't need another Wal-mart.

Chico Velo and Chico Corsa need to step up to the plate on this issue, and we need to do everything in our power to, with civility and constructiveness, defeat it. You can start by emailing these people of the City Council:

Email city council

Email Mayor Andy Holcombe

Email Vice Mayor Ann Schwab

Email the city manager

Email the Editor of the Chico Enterprise Record

The Bay Area has done a good job of beating back Wal-mart. We should as well.

This isn't just about the character and charm of Chico, or even cycling. This is much more about quality of life we have right now, and actively planning the future of what might be the last great small town in California.

Product Review: Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy 700x27c Kevlar tires

2007-07-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

Update: I have had ~~FIVE~~ SIX flats on the GB Cypres 650b tires in approxmiately 5-600 miles of mostly road riding. Not a good track record so far.

Also, in the first mile and a half of riding the Grand Bois Cerf 700x28 tire, the tire was punctured by a mystery object and rendered useless. These results don't bode well for Big Wood, my friends.

Carry on, and the original post is below.

--

The Rivendell-designed and Panaracer-made Ruffy Tuffy might be the best 700c tire in the world for sub-28mm-width reliability and, um, tuffness. Today, I reluctantly pulled my first pair off the rims of my Rivendell Rambouillet after 3,000 miles of hard use on and off road. I could have easily asked another 1,000 or more miles out of them, but I like to test products, and I was tired of looking down at the squared-off rolling surface of the front tire (which used to be the back tire).

Most remarkable is that in those 3,000 miles of riding northern California's goathead-laden roads and trails, I never had a single flat tire. I've pulled out countless goatheads, glass shards and other pointy bits; the kevlar belt is doing its job. The tire casing is shredded, but never a flat.

Ride Quality and Handling
When new, the tire is lovely, round and bulbous, like any good-and-fast tire should be. Compared to any 23-25c tire, the Ruffy Tuffy is legions above in terms of comfort. The only speed concern I've faced whilst riding this tire had to do with the engine turning it, and not the tire itself. I've read reviews and "scientific articles" on blogs and various publications that talk about how the Ruffy Tuffy's ride is harsh or slow, but to that I ask: What are you comparing it to? Please.

The tire has a fun checkerboardy pattern, which, while it does not add ridable value, it is certainly nice to look at when you're at the coffee shop or brewery after your ride (or before your ride!). On the other hand, the über-round aforementioned bulbousness of the tire inspires confidence, and even when bombing down steep and twisty roads (like Chico's Centerville Rd.) at 40mph, I never once felt trepidation to lay the bike down as far as I could to dig into any corners. In fact, I felt more comfortable going through sandy/gravely patches in turns than I ever did on smaller tires. Is bigger better? Maybe, to a point.

What's next? Well, I have Big Wood.
At the risk of falling into the Frenchy-frenchy fad that is currently underway in certain factions of the cycling community, I am going to try the Grand Bois Cyprés 700x32c tire. I like testing products, and until I absolutely stick on something (like the Brooks B17 Champion Special), I like to test out different products and setups until I find what's right for me. I'm excited to give the 700c model of the Grand Bois, which by the way in English means Big Wood, a go.

I have the Grand Bois Cyprés 650b tires on my Blériot, and thus far my results have been mixed. In short, the ride quality is quite great and handling is superb, but I've flatted twice in about 500 miles. I like to not worry about flatting when I ride, and I'll even take a little bit of weight in exchange for durability. But maybe I've hit a spot of bad tire luck on that bike, so I'm not casting judgement quite yet. More miles will tell.

One thing I've already noticed with the 700x32 Grand Bois is that it will not fit with a fender on my Rambouillet. It is a true 32mm, so they say, and on the Rambo, there isn't quite enough clearance for such a big tire. Come rainy season here in Northern California, the fenders and new Ruffy Tuffies will be reunited with the Rambouillet, and the Big Wood will be flaccid and shelved for the winter...

Polar does not understand bicycle fit

2007-07-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've been surfing around looking at various training programs to both increase my base fitness level, and to increase my fast-twitch muscle strength and endurance. So far, I haven't found anything great, so if you know of a good training program that includes weight training, core strength training, and smart bike training let me know, won't you?

It so happens that I somtimes use a Polar heartrate monitor that I have from my triathlon days, and whilst on the Polar site, I came across this hilarious intro to 'Choosing a bike', which offers up the following "sage advice":

Road bikes work well for long distances and by riding one you will be able to exercise for long periods. A drawback is the hunched-over position which could feel uncomfortable in the beginning. You will get used to it quickly, of course, and then you will be able to cycle long distances effortlessly.

People at Polar, don't quit your day jobs!

Paintings of bikes

2007-06-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a fellow named Tim Goss emailed me about this photo of my Blériot, which he found on Flickr. He asked permission to paint a watercolor rendering of the photo, to which I (of course) said SURE!

Well, the painting is finished, and it is in fact lovely (and for sale). Check out Gino's New Bike and Tim's other beautiful watercolors.

Building the Long Distance Bicycle

2007-06-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

I was recently honored to receive a pre-release copy of an e-book entitled A Rider's Guide to Building the Long Distance Bicycle, by David Rowe. And now that life has given me a tiny free moment, I had the chance to sit down and enjoy it. I didn't have the opportunity to make it to the Handmade Bike Show in San Jose this year, but after reading this book, I'd certainly like to attend the next.

More than a book in which one person gives opinions based on his experience, this PDF e-book is a transcript of a panel that took place at the bike show, and includes the knowledge of four long distance veterans. Rowe (the author) was the host/moderator of the panel, and the participants were Terry Zmrhal, Matt Eames, Matt Bracken and Steve Rex.

The four distinct viewpoints on what goes into designing and building (and using) a good long-distance bike were a lovely read, and not surprisingly, certain common agreements and ideals emerge as the conversation carries on. Being a bona fide bike nerd myself, I can say that I didn't learn TONS of new information, but to have all this knowledge in one place certainly earns a spot on my digital bookshelf.

If I were new to longer riding, curious about the sport of randonneuring, or wanting a solid half hour read about the philosophy of long distance bike design and usage, this is one place I'd want to start. The beauty of this book is that approximately 99.478% of the ideas espoused in the book SHOULD carry over into 99% of the bikes people ride on a daily basis. This notion might be best summarized on p.51, where Rowe poses to the panelists:

"Having a bicycle that is comfortable and one where the rider is able to fix a problem and finish that event, or just get back home, that's the key to a great long distance bike, isn't it?"

I'd argue that David's words apply to a much larger audience than he intended. Simplicity, reliability and maintainability; those are the core virtues of any good bicycle, and especially bikes that will be ridden for many miles. Building on that foundation, there are a heck of a lot of ideas per dollar, and at the $9.95 price tag you really can't go wrong.

Roid Landis and pro cycling continue to disappoint

2007-05-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last July, I quipped on this very blog that I was sickened by the drug-induced mayhem that is professional cycling.

Sadly, it looks as if my first feelings were correct. I won't rant anymore; instead I'll point you to these two articles:

• In Cycling, a Race to the Bottom
• The Dark Side of American Cycling is on Display Now

All this pro cycling garbage makes me even happier that I'm headed out in the morning to go bicycle camping with the Rivendell fellas at Rivendell Weekend III.

Roid Landis, you still make me sick.

Blériot is finished

2007-05-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

Seven months later, he's all together. Yay!

Girlie cycle sticker

2007-05-16T23:25:00.001-07:00

Girlie cycle sticker
from: homepage.mac.com/isaetterry/pagescountries/pagenewzealand...

new Flickr Slideshow + cycling

2007-05-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today, we (Flickr) released a spankin' new slideshow. You can read about it over on the Flickr blog.

Some fun cycling-related slideshows:

650b bicycles
Randonneur Group
and
Bicycle Friendly

National Bike Month

2007-05-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

This came through in my issue of Bike Bits today:

"Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There's something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym.

-- Bill Nye, The Science Guy

Amen, Bill.

As I've said before, my neighbor drives his V-8 truck less than 2 flat miles to work. He also owns a new bicycle. What am I getting at?

You may not know that May is National Bike Month in the United States. So, what do you say? Put that car away and ride somewhere. Get groceries on your bicycle. Skip the gym and ride the bike. Or, ride the bike to the gym! Or, *gasp*, ride to work. Let's stop being the fattest nation on Earth.

MacArthur Maze collapse: don't believe the media

2007-04-30T09:41:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by Scott Jones.

I wish I could get more coverage on this post.

Over the weekend we all heard the horror stories predicting traffic mayhem due to the collapse of a span of the Macarthur maze in Oakland. Reality is this: I commuted in the casual carpool, the same as I do every morning. The only difference today is that I had a glimpse into How Much Better the bay area could be if people would stop driving and start taking public transportation, riding bicycles, or carpooling.

Apparently, everyone WAS doing those things today, because it took me 12, yes TWELVE minutes to get from Elmwood to San Francisco. Yep, 11 miles to San Francisco in 12 minutes at 8:30am on a Monday.

There were literally zero cars at the Bay Bridge toll booths. It was as if the bridge traffic went back to its not-so-humble beginnings in 1937:

I chose to take the carpool this morning because I wanted to see the damage first hand; I was willing to take the horrible traffic that had been predicted. And I have to say, as we were whizzing by at 60mph it was a fantastic site, to see such a large piece of Modern Construction lying in ruin. CalTrans already had their heavy equipment out tearing down the scorched remains, and otherwise things were better than normal.

I've also heard many stories at this point about companies allowing employees to telecommute during this Time of Crisis. Why can't tech companies just accept that many people are better at their jobs when not wasting their time commuting and sitting around in an office? Why save it for times of crisis? Hey employers, why not back up your Green Charade, and start practicing what you preach? Get more employees to telecommute. It's good for the employee, good for traffic, good for the environment.

The Chico Wildflower: some notes

2007-04-24T11:20:00.001-07:00

Gino riding in the Wildflower
Originally uploaded by jnkochs.

• This was my first Wildflower. I'd intended to ride it last year, but I had a nasty chronic sinus infection and was about half way through a Prednisone and antibiotic treatment. Yay! This winter I've been what I'd call full blown paranoid about touching people and things, and washing my hands. Shake someone's hand? Wash. Touch a door knob? Wash. About to eat? Wash. Apparently it worked - I've not been sick.

• I didn't drink coffee before the ride, whereas most days I have two cups. This was a mistake. I totally blew apart on the third climb of the day (Table Mountain) with a splitting headache, which I'm chalking up to caffeine addiction. Luckily my buddy Tony was still at the top when I arrived; he gave me Advil, which saved the day. The rest stop at the bottom of Table Mountain had shabby coffee, and it was the best two cups of coffee I've ever tasted. Headache gone.

• I'm not willing to give up coffee. I love it!

• I absolutely love my Rivendell Rambouillet, and my Brooks B17 Champion Special. I was never in pain, other than said headache. That wasn't the bike's fault.

• Mudflaps and fenders in the rain rule. The extra weight, in my opinion, is so worth it.

• In contrast with what I've read in various publications, the food at the Wildflower is overrated. All sandwiches were laden with mayonnaise and onions, which for me, couldn't be worse when riding all day. There were also far too many cakes, muffins and junk calories. Maybe I'm just a hippie health nut, but I'd have liked to see more homemade energy bar type things, more fruit, less cookies and cake.

• REI's Novara Stratos cycling jacket is actually a great value. It's not *quite* as lightweight as the Showers Pass jacket, but it performed as well as I could've wanted. The ventilation is excellent, the pockets are sealed and well-placed, and it packs up small enough to stick into my little saddle bag with other bits of clothing when not in use. Oh, and it's totally waterproof, and on sale as I write this.

• The event was really well run. I highly recommend anyone with an interest in Chico do this ride. It's a great way to see Butte county.

• Tony not only saved my ass with ibuprofen, but he also pulled me the last 20 miles of the ride. And to top it off, he bought me a beer at the end of the day! I owe Tony some lovin'.

• I volunteered to work the registration tables the Saturday before the ride. In doing so, I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the country. Folks from as far as Germany rode the Wildflower this year. Four people that rode this year have done it every single year since its inception in 1981. There were tons of people from Nevada, at least in my line. Welcome to Chico! Please don't stay too long. ;-)

• Ruffy Tuffy kevlar tires, while not the fastest, are possibly the toughest (ahem) tires I've ever ridden. I'm approaching 3,000 miles on this set, and I've never had a flat. I figure I'll get another 500 miles out of them, at least.

• This year on the Wildflower course I saw no less than 50 flats - so many, in fact, that people were pondering the possibility of sabotage.

• Riding with a front mini rack with a small load is quite different than no load. It steadies the front end of my bike in descents, making it even faster. However, after nearly 90 miles and 4300 feet of climbing, I felt like I'd worked harder to steer over the course of the day. Steering response isn't as snappy as without the rack. This isn't a surprise... I'm just sayin'.

• I like riding long distances with wool against my skin. By the end of the day I still felt great. Long rides in plastic always make me feel clammy, sticky, and give me that not-so-fresh feeling. That said, in hot weather I still take plastic jerseys over wool! Luckily the Wildflower was rainy and cool nearly all day. Perhaps I really would enjoy living in the Pacific Northwest.

• True to form, Jeff blasted off after lunch, only to be seen briefly on the last 1/3 of the course.

• I'll be back next year!

Chico Wildflower century and the Chico Enterprise Record

2007-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I'll write up a report on my experience in this year's Chico Wildflower Century, but for now, I'll share this tidbit.

This morning, I "opened" the local paper to this article. The article then prompted me to write the editor of the Chico ER. Here is what I said:

Subject: Pedal vs. Peddle

Dear Editor,

This is in response to the following article that covered the Chico Wildflower:
http://www.chicoer.com/newshome/ci_5730070

Your staff writer, Sarah Kingsbury, made the embarrassing mistake of using the word "peddle" in every instance that she should have used "pedal."

One does not peddle a bicycle, unless that person is in business to sell bicycles. If a person is on a bicycle, he has his feet on the pedals, and is therefore pedaling.

Edit your news! The Wildflower is Chico's largest event of the year, and this article represents our town. With writing of this caliber, people will think that Chico's journalists do not know how to write.

Sincerely,
Gino Zahnd
Chico, CA

Perhaps the Chico ER will hire me to cover the Wildflower story next year. I have a journalism degree from a highly acclaimed journalism school, and I can certainly write more compelling cycling stories than this.

Update: The Editor wrote me back.

Yes, you are correct. The writer and copy editor on Sunday have already been reprimanded.

David Little, editor
Chico Enterprise-Record
400 E. Park Ave.
Chico, CA 95928

April Fools Day

2007-04-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

For my non-American friends, there is a "holiday" on April 1st of each year called April Fools' Day, in which pranks, jokes and hoaxes are played. The whole bit about me quitting cycling was a joke!

I didn't quit cycling, and have no intent to ever quit. I rode about 120 miles this past weekend (Friday-Sunday), and I am stoked about the upcoming Chico Wildflower century, followed by a few bicycle camping trips in May and June, followed by another century in September.

Get on your bikes and ride!

Tailwinds,
Gino

I've decided to quit cycling

2007-04-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Cycling, it's not you, it's me. Well, it might be you too.

I've been in love with cycling and bicycles since the day I received my first Diamond Back BMX bike when I was seven years old. It has been a fun run, these past 25 years since then, but I'm frankly fed up with the whole "transportation under my own power" thing. You know? It's just much easier to hop in my truck and drive wherever I want to go. If I want to get somewhere on two wheels, I'll buy a nice BMW or Yamaha motorcycle, and get there in a reasonable amount of time. Bicycles just take too long, and honestly, I'm sick of the muscular pain and tweaks in my legs. Who needs it?

So there you have it. I guess this means it's also time to sell off all my bicycles and gear. I have two Rivendells (a 58cm Rambouillet and a 57cm Bleriot), a Schwinn Le Tour III, a 17" Schwinn Homegrown Factory mtb, pedals, tires, handlebars, and all sorts of other crap that I now feel is clogging up my garage, and my life.

If you want early dibs on any of it before I put it all on eBay and Craigslist, just leave a comment and I'll get in touch.

It's been a good quarter century. I like that. 1/4th of 100 years. That's enough time spent on a bicycle if you ask me.

Oh, and I guess that also means the end of this blog. So long, and thanks for all the fun. It's time to do something better than waste my time on something that kids and bums ride.

-Gino

A good magazine: Adventure Cyclist

2007-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you probably don't actually like the Rodale-press-style advert-ridden magazines filled with pages of corporate spew trying to convince you that if you only used their nano-technology fork or their $25-per-can powdered drink, you'd be your best. I'm a slow rider. My fastest long days put me at a 17mph average speed. And personally, I don't care about losing weight, or having bigger calves. Well, actually, I wish my calves were bigger, but my genetics trump my desires on that one. I've seen the rare good article in the Big publisher zines, but really, I suppose I'm simply not the target market for those types of publications.

The two cycling magazines I subscribe to, if you want to call them magazines, are Bicycle Quarterly and the Rivendell Reader. The first has minimal tasteful adverts, in depth historical cycling essays, extremely high editorial quality, and product reviews that result from really using the products they test. The second, the Riv Reader, has no adverts (unless you call Rivendell occasionally talking about their own product innovations as advertising), a very unique editorial tone, and often articles are tangentially related to cycling, if at all. It's just Good Stuff.

Getting back to the title of this post, I semi-recently came across Adventure Cyclist, which is published by the Adventure Cycling Association. You can't get it in stores, at least not that I'm aware of.

The focus of Adventure Cyclist, as the name might imply, is about peoples' cycling journeys from around the globe. Of the two issues I've seen so far, there have been insightful (and funny) stories, meaty tech information, useful product reviews for non-racing riding, and tips for about a million ways to ride this globe off the beaten path. Their mantra:

Our mission is to
inspire people of all
ages to travel by bicycle.
We help cyclists explore
the landscapes and history
of America for fitness,
fun, and self-discovery.

The magazine comes to you via a $35 membership to the Adventure Cycling Association. The best part? The membership is tax deductible because the association is a 503c non-profit! Membership also gets you deals on high quality cycling maps, bro deals with affiliated companies, and a bunch of other useful stuff.

Oh, and lastly, the Adventure Cycling Association is currently running an offer for a free sample issue. Why not Grab it? Really, how can you go wrong?

Why so quiet around here?

2007-02-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

I guess my Flickr photostream has been my blog lately. I purposely took some time away from writing here, and on Push Button For, and you know what? I've enjoyed it and I ain't stopping yet!

I've been riding more (nearly 600 miles in 6 weeks), and I've been reading more books again - something I completely lost touch with for too long.

I'm sure I'll come back here and write, but right now I'm enjoying other things, and I'm busier than I've ever been with work. 10-12 hours a day in front of a computer is enough, wouldn't you say?

In the mean time, hop on over to Flickr, and join the party! Soon I'll be posting photos of my Bleriot that is nearly built.

Rock on!

Rivendell Romulus STOLEN from Rivendell HQ

2007-01-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

Horrible news: a bike was stolen from a staff member at Rivendell HQ today. Be on the lookout if you're in the Bay Area. The Craigslist posting reads:

55cm Rivendell Romulus (Red) stolen from Rivendell
HQ in Walnut Creek. Small canvas bag on back. It's
a staff member's bike, not Riv's. Bad mojo. Bring
it back, call it in, no questions asked. 925-933-7304

When real men smoked Camels

2007-01-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

I came across this via cyclofiend. Click the image to see a large legible version.

Thomas Stevens

2007-01-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

Back in January of 1887 (that's 120 years ago to the month for those keeping count), Thomas Stevens became the first person to do an around-the-world tour on a bicycle. He left Oakland in 1884, and arrived back in San Francisco three years later, after pushing the pedals on his penny-farthing 13,500 miles. That's him there on the right. Stallion.

I like that of the four items he brought on his ride, one was a .38 Smith & Wesson. The other three were socks, a spare shirt, and a rain slicker.

I don't have the wherewithall to do such a thing as circle the globe on a modern bicycle, let alone a fixed-gear penny farthing. Nuts, I say.

Apparently there are still some folks that undertake such challenges, and here is a modern photo of a penny farthing being ridden through France.

I've never ridden one, but if someone in Chico has one, and would like to let me give it a shot, then holla.

New favorite ride

2007-01-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

Team JuG rode a 53 mile loop today, which you can learn about here. I highly recommend this route, but bring your climbing legs!

American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure

2007-01-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

I've never raised money for anything. I guess I'm a bit too fierce a Libertarian; I don't like people asking me for my hard-earned coin, and I don't like asking other people for their money either. But this year, I figured I'd loosen up a little, and try to put all these miles that I ride toward some good.

The Tour de Cure is one of two fund raising rides that I'm planning for 2007. The other will be the MS Waves to Wine two-day tour from Napa to the California coast, in September.

Why am I doing these rides? Here's what our team site says:

We are determined to reach our goal one rider at a time and as a team.

Why Ride? We're riding for my brother Matt, my friend Corey and that cute girl I dated in high school. We're riding for Gino's sister and Phil's friends and family that are dealing with it.

We invite all riders from Chico or those who have ties to Chico to join us on the team or through a donation.

Yep, my sister has diabetes. Jeff's brother has it. Apparently, Jeff hooked up with a diabetic in highschool in the 80's... In fact, I'm sure we all know someone that has to deal with Diabetes; we all know that Diabetes sucks and that it is a pain in the ass, at best. So why not raise some money for research, and further the effort to find a cure?

That said, we'd love to have anyone that wants to join our team come out and ride with us in May. And if you can't join or ride, any tiny donation for the cause counts. Yahoo! has donated ~~$100~~ $200 on our team's behalf to the ADA, and I'll be matching that, at least.

Want to pitch in? Make that donation right here, and keep some of your hard-earned tax-deductible bucks out of Uncle Sam's pocket.

Who loves me?

2007-01-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

Claire reads the blog, goes to Costco, comes to the rescue!

Sierra Nevada

2007-01-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

It pains me to no end to pay $7.99 + tax for a six pack of Sierra Nevada beer in the Bay Area. In Chico, all Sierra six pack products are $4.99, and 12 packs are $9.99.

I'm just sayin'.

Gone fishing, or riding, or...

2006-12-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

I'm taking off blogging for the rest of the year. Reading, and writing. I need a break from the masses of information that I attempt to soak up everyday.

Have a good, safe and fantastic holiday. See you in 2007.

There is more to life than increasing its speed

2006-12-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else noticed the proliferation of Amsterdam-styled (and other Euro-styled) bicycles coming to the US market lately?

There's the smugly overpriced Jorg & Olif which seems to be aimed at the Enviro-Yuppies. Rather than 'Stay Curious', their tagline could easily be "Ride our bike, look really unique, and save the world while you're at it. Just leave your Audi/BMW/Mercedes at home."

Then there's the Electra 'Amsterdam':

And who can forget the Kronan from Sweden?

Overall, I think it's great to see this fad/movement taking place. We could use more transportation/utility bikes in this country. It will be interesting to see which of these companies and bike models can stick it out for the long haul, and which ones will dry up. When someone brings over the Swiss Militärvelo, I might join the coup.

By the way, the title of this post was originally spoken by Gandhi. :-)

Team JuG and the Bobke

2006-12-04T10:13:00.001-08:00

Last night Jeff and I had the pleasure of hanging out at Sierra Nevada Brewery, drink a few cold ones, and listen to Bob Roll tell story after hilarious story. I wouldn't know where to begin, but I'd suggest if you ever get the chance, go see him speak.

A couple of quick notes:
+ He is 100% convinced that Floyd Landis is innocent. After listening to his explanations of why, I'm starting to agree.

+ He purposely mispronounces Tour De France. His story about what led up to his conscious decision to do so had me in stitches. Let's just say he's "fond" of the French.

In other news, the 2007 KGSN cycling team was there as well; a lot of youngsters, and I hope that they kick some arse this year. Nearly all the KGSN elder statesmen have moved on to other, hopefully bigger and better teams. All of this year's sponsors had reps at the event, and I have to say, the Kuota bikes that the team will ride this year look beautiful... even if they are carbon. I didn't bother telling the Kodak Gallery folks that I worked at Flickr, but I'm sure they would've been cool with it. I'm thinking there needs to be a Flickr cycling team! :-)

We also ran into what seemed to be 70% of the Chico cycling community at the event. All the Chico cycling bloggers were there except for Tony Rocha. Chico Velo had big representation, as did Chico Corsa.

The other Chico Geno (with an E) was there. Here we are! What a blast!

Chico Gino Exclusive: An Interview with Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycle Works

2006-11-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

The name Grant Petersen can bring on cheers or jeers depending on what person you mention it to. To some, he's the eccentric retro-grouch design mind behind Rivendell Bicycle Works. To others, he's one of the Premiere Thought Leaders of an entire world of Cycling That Simply Makes More Sense; a lugged-steel, racks-and-lights, wool-and-seersucker-based transportation-centric world that 99.4 per cent of bike shops and cycling magazines don't cater to. No matter how people slice and dice him, one thing is for certain. He's as down to earth as any guy could be, and his opinions on cycling are bound to evoke some discussion in any group of people with any kind of cycling priorities. Recently, Mr. Petersen was kind enough to take some time out of his six-days-a-week schedule to answer some burning questions that Chico Gino readers have submitted.

For those of you not familiar with Grant or Rivendell, here is an excerpt from the company's history to get you lubed.

From late ‘84 to late ‘94 I designed and spec’d bicycles and worked on catalogues for the U.S. division of Bridgestone Cycle, Japan’s largest bike maker. Bridgestone closed the U.S. office after ten years of no profit, when the dollar-to-yen exchange rate plummeted to the point where it became impossible to even break even. I was 40, and started Rivendell with $89,000, a mix of retirement money, savings, loans, and money raised by selling stock to friends.
True to the cliche, Rivendell was in my garage for two years. Now we have 5,000 square feet at about $0.90 per square foot, one of the cheaper rents in town. We like it here a lot. It’s easy to get to, close to good food and riding, and it feels like home, except that summertime temperatures average 90°F and winter days rarely get above 57°F. Seersucker and wool? You bet!

We’ve been profitable two of the past eleven years, but cash flow is neutral. Sales are about $2.2 million dollars per year. We’re just breaking even, there are no top-heavy salaries, and we fret a lot during slow weeks (and months). I do, at least.

Our mission is to make things that wouldn’t be made if we weren’t here, to offer an alternative to racing-centric bikes and parts, and to espouse a different approach to riding. And to resurrect and keep healthy many of the better ideas, designs, and styles of bicycles, clothing, and accessories that we personally like to use or wear. To sell lots of wool, and wipe synthetic fabrics off the face of the earth by the year 2010. That’s a joke. To still be around in 20 years. That would be great.
If you’d like to know more, just ask. It’s not a secret business we have here. —Grant

And now for the interview!

In your catalogs, web site, and in The Rivendell Reader, you write a lot about simplicity. Why is simplicity important?

Simple things make people feel smart, or at least competent, and complication has the opposite effect. If people feel smart and competent, they’re happy, and happy people are nice to other people, and it all starts or stops with how hard it is to use something.

Do you think simplicity should be a higher priority for designers of other products? In particular, designers of digital stuff?
Especially that, and I'm sure they're trying, but it's not reaching me. I don't like digital cameras with layers of submenus below the surface that you don't even know exist, and icons that I have to look up to understand. It all goes back to making me feel dumb, and in the case of cameras, it seems like it's just a consequence of trying to pack too many features into one widget. Just because a camera is capable of fantastic things doesn’t mean that I am, with that camera. I know they have instruction booklets for this stuff, but I think they rely on the instruction booklets too much. I want a digital camera that does ten things well and doesn't need an owner's manual. I think, if the designers knew they couldn’t supply instruction books, the designs would be simpler and the world would be a better place. It sounds glib to say that, and it would be too limiting in some cases, but for sub-$300 digital cameras, I think it should be the rule.

The newest bike from Rivendell is the A. Homer Hilsen. Is it true that Mr. Hilsen and Mr. Nigel Smythe knew each other? What's the story there?

They not only knew each other, but they were both friends of Paul Bunyan and the Easter Bunny, too. They came from a different time, when "digital" meant "of, or pertaining to, the fingers." They’re plain and honest, and their names are supposed to reflect that, to set them apart from the cha-cha-cha personalities and products. What “honesty” there isn’t in their actual existence is more than made up for in what they are, in them as products.

Rivendell is in the fortunate position of having a rabid following; some would say it's a cult. Are there downsides to being a cult leader, even if it isn't on purpose? And if so, how can future cult leaders learn from your mistakes?

Hmm... well, if I just rush in to an answer, I’m agreeing with the cult thing, and it isn't quite that. What we have here is a way of presenting information that lacks the “buy me and be cool” voice that smart and mature people find offensive. Most companies can’t get that voice out of their mouth. The ads and image are written by professional copywriters whose goal is to retain the account by flattering the company. It’s all over the place these days, because the “17 to 34” market buys so much stuff, and most of them are still looking to express themselves through their purchases.

We have a smaller mission and aren’t out to conquer that world, so it’s easier for us to seemingly take a higher road. As a consequence of just being normal, we do stand out, and every now and then somebody will think we’re infallible, or maybe it comes across as we thinking ourselves are that way. Of course inevitably we’ll do or say something that proves that to be false—maybe we’ll send a package ground instead of 2-day like they requested, or a new and packaged garment might have a flubbed seam or something, or we’ll get too casual with them on the phone and they’ll take offense. Then they turn on us like we betrayed them. They turn on us harder than they’d turn on a company that they didn’t feel as much kinship with, I’m sure, and I guess that’s the risk. It's a good risk, and it's not a risk for a business that nobody cares about, but it IS a risk.

You run Rivendell as openly as any company I've ever seen. Is there a conscious philosophy behind that?

Well, I wouldn't call it a philosophy, but I don't distinguish between "me" and "my company" when it comes to things like keeping secrets and telling the truth. It’s hard to keep secrets, so it’s best not to have any, but beyond that, I'm not exactly sure of what you mean by "open." Is that it? If it isn’t, just clarify it and I’ll try to answer it.

Gino's note: His answer here couldn't get more to the core of my question.

Of up-and-coming framebuilders in this resurgence of handmade bikes, have any piqued your interest? Do you even care?

I think it's good that lots of them are out there. It's hard to be an American framebuilder these days. There are hobbyist builders, many of whom seem to make nice-looking frames, and then there are full-timers. I'm neither, but I've been around long enough to have a perspective, and my perspective tells me not to envy them. I'd like to give them advice, but they aren't asking, and are probably too independent to take it even if it seemed to make sense to them.

The thing about framebuilding, though, and this is something few people and especially bike riders understand, is that there are custom framebuilders who are scattered all over the learning curve, with probably fewer than seven or eight at the top. It's not like being a tailor or a neurosurgeon, where the barriers to entry are long and difficult and people bail out on the way. It's more like being a desktop publisher or a photographer. Anybody can buy the tools and say, "I'll build you a custom," and that's pretty much all it takes to be a "custom framebuilder." So, unless you have a way to evaluate the frame, it's hard to tell how good the frame is.

I am not a builder myself, but I've heard more than one builder say that there are three big humps to get over on your way to becoming good. The first comes at about 50 frames, the next comes at 150, and the next comes at 500.

Building a frame is more than being able to braze or weld a frame that holds together. It's solving problems, and anticipating problems before you cut the tubes and stick them together. It's also knowing how to braze quickly and thoroughly and minimizing the pulling and twisting that occurs when you braze, so that the frame stays square as you build it. It's controlling your spillover, so the lug edges are crisp, while the joint is full. Plus, it's maintaining consistency over hundreds of frames, and when you do that, the challenge is avoiding cockiness and complacency. If you master the mechanical part, the challenge is maintain your consistency from frame to frame, over hundreds of frames, and to not become the “devil may care” brain surgeon, so to speak.

A custom framebuilder with 70 frames under his belt hasn't solved enough problems yet. It's possible that he's creating problems he doesn't even recognize. Another way to look at it—rather than seeing it as being overly hard on new framebuilders who are earnestly doing their best and want to make a life of it but haven't built a hundred frames yet—is that it's a real profession that requires lots of experience, and that makes it respectable in the same way that any hard-earned professional status is respectable.

I haven’t answered the part of your question about—“have any piqued my interest?” and “do I care?” I think I care, in the sense that I want them to do good and make a living and be happy, and I’m interested in what seems to be the rebirth of interest that’s giving birth to the builders and reviving others who’ve almost given up. As lousy a time it is to be building lugged steel, in some ways it’s the best time for it. Good lugs are more readily available than they’ve ever been, and the same goes for tubing. But then, not having to blacksmith lugs into fine form lowers the hurdle to entry and results in lots of frames that appear to be much finer than they actually are. Good lugs and tubing make good frames in the same way that good wood makes good furniture. Meaning, it has almost nothing to do with it, except as a starting point.

You and I both like to flyfish, and we both ride bikes. If you could take me on a bicycle-flyfishing trip, or a flyfishing-bicycle trip, where would go, and what flies would we bring?

If it's any trout stream in America with a good food supply and therefore a healthy population of trout between 12" and up to maybe 24", and the water is running clear and not too high, and it's fairly wadeable (so, not too deep), we'd need four flies only.

Three would be nymphy. A size 16 with a thin hare's ear body ribbed with gold, a peacock herl thorax, and a brown partridge hackle, on the long side. Then the same kind of fly with a muskrat body, black herl thorax, and a starling hackle. Then a pheasant tail nymph, tied with copper wire twisted together with 2-3 fibers from a pheasant's tail, but with a herl thorax, and no hackle. Then a size 18 elk hair caddis.

Four flies makes you fish them right and not blame the fly, and maximizes the time you spend fishing, not tying on flies.

Gino's note: Hey Grant, I can show you where to catch Goldens like this! :-)

There are an awful lot of young guys, and maybe some gals, graduating from places like UBI right now, with the aim to "make it" in the bicycle industry. Any advice for these new throngs of grasshoppers and greenhorns?

Find a style and stick to it, no matter how many sales you have to give up along the way, to people who want you to build their way, or with this or that material. If you can make your bike distinctive and recognizable in some way, that's good. Don't branch out, though, and don't copy people who are better than you are if you're going after the same audience.

I actually think it's not a fantastic growth industry, and I wouldn't be optimistic about it, but the narrower the focus, the better. Only unicycles. Only 650B unicycles. Only this, only that. Find something that nobody is doing, and do it, and THEN figure out how to sell it. It has to make sense, of course, but you don’t need a huge market. It’s way better to build nothing but lugged 650B unicycles in one color only and become the go-to person for anybody in the world who wants one, than to build whatever seems popular at the time, and find yourself competing with everybody else from the other “I do anything and everything” custom builder down the street, to the biggest factories in China. But, the temptation to capitalize on trends is too strong, and the rewards of going your own way are so remote and iffy at best, so you don’t see a lot of that happening. It’s just a hard way to make a living, I think.

In 1992 you said the following on the future on cycling:

"The best use of a bicycle is commuting, it's not racing or competing or recreation or anything like that. Ultimately its best use is getting cars off the roads and the government is not sympathetic to that idea at all. In terms of the industry, within five years there will be half the number of manufacturers as there are today. Whoever doesn't get their bills paid will go by the wayside. Also, when things go high tech in terms of their materials and design, it brings in a lot more industries into the marketplace. Consider how carbon fiber and titanium have brought aerospace and other non-bicycle corporations into the cycling industry. Those guys have the money to compete and smash and just snuff out the smaller companies. That happens and that's one of the consequences of advanced technology. So when we go to electronic shifting, which will happen within about two years, somebody like Westinghouse will get into making them, too. That will make it hard for Mavic and Suntour to compete with a company that large. So we'll have electronics companies making bike parts."

Nearly fifteen years later, how much of what you said still holds water? What has changed?

Things aren’t fully electronic yet, but they’re headed that way still. The Westinghouse prediction hasn’t come to pass, but as bicycles become more electric and electronic, it’s only natural that outside specialists will have a bigger hand in them. Westinghouse has its spies watching us constantly, and is ready to pounce when the time is right.

I feel more strongly about racing now than I did then. I don’t mind races, or racers, but I sure do mind the influence that racing has on equipment and riding attitudes. It seems like a big trick, to me. You flash it up and make it popular so you can fool new riders into going down this path of pain and not-fast-enoughness, and once you get them there, you assure them that they can go faster if only they ride your $800 wheels or the two-pound frame or chug the squeeze-gel you provide them. It’s like you’ve captured them like slaves, and now they’re serving you and can’t escape, and meanwhile, they’re missing out on the best kind of riding, which is just riding without comparing yourself to racers or wishing you were something you’re not, or not as good as you want to be. Anyway, it’s hard to talk about without sounding like a raving maniac, but the thing is, I feel like a raving maniac about it, too. I keep it under control to maintain a certain dignity, but let me tell you, I am not happy with the way racing has influenced bicycles and riding. I think it keeps too many people away.

One last note: I snagged photos in this interview without permission from Rivendell's web site, a Flickr user, and Sheldon Brown's web site. The trout photo is mine, from custom bamboo flyrod maker, Jim Lowe.

Prednisone + Coffee = Breakfast of Champions

2006-11-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

I've written about my faulty sinus genetics here in the past, and now with the flu season in full effect at the Yahoo petrie dish, I've come down with the mess. Far too early in the season, at that! This all begs the question (again), why can't sick people stay the hell out of the office?

I haven't been on the bike in three weeks other than some lousy sickly commutes, and I'm starting to get serious cabin fever. I'm currently taking a week off from work for "vacation", and thus far have spent it inside drinking hot tea-based beverages, watching the Godfather movies, Step Into Liquid, among others... and staring at the pile of baseboards that I still need to install.

In an effort to quell the chronicness of this bout of sinusitis I started downing Prednisone (a gnarly steroid) again. I hate putting drugs into my body, but back in March when I ate the stuff it seemed to work like a charm. The past two days I've been embracing this unfortunate circumstance, and taking the doses with a morning cup of coffee, or two. Yarrr! I'm three days in now, and so far I feel slightly better; albeit I also feel like I could take The Incredible Hulk in a wrasslin' match. Who wants a piece?

So is it too early to say I miss the heat and wellness of Chico's blazing hot summer?

Oh, and if you haven't seen Step Into Liquid, you really should. Even if you're not a surfer, or even if you don't like surfing, it is nearly guaranteed to stoke you! The videography alone is beautiful and not to be missed. Add to that an absolutely positive upbeat theme, and people in a lifelong search of fun, and how can you go wrong? Highly recommended for people of all ages and all sexes. Just be sure to watch the wide-screen DVD; you'd be cheating yourself otherwise.

Rivendell Blériot frame, now what?

2006-11-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got Quite The Good Deal on a new 57cm Rivendell Blériot frameset. The Blériot is made to sport 650B wheels, and is lugged steel. But of course!

Now what? How to build this puppy up? I've been thinking I'll build it up to be a workhorse commuter/townie/grocery-getter bike that could double as a mountain bike for fire roads and other rough roads that don't have big drops or boulders.

The following bikes aren't other Blériots, but they are points of inspiration thus far:

The beautiful commuter workhorse (Rivendell)

The elegant city bike (Curt Goodrich custom)

The offroad-ready rigid (Rivendell Atlantis)

See, the Blériot can take tires as big as 41mm WITH fenders. If anyone would make them, I reckon a guy could squeeze 50mm tires, if not bigger; and that would make for a fine semi-rough trail bike.

So what do you think in terms of a build? Mustache bars or Albatross? 48/36/26 triple? What on the rear? Lighting suggestions?

Before you quit reading, here is some stuff worth sharing that I've found along my 650B way.

1
On his blog, called Pork Rinds, Steve Hampsten so eloquently said:

The 650B is not a bike for the old, fat, and dorky. It's a bike for long days, wandering country rides, and the sort of attitude that comes with "going for a ride" rather than "having goals for the season." I have a goal for this season, I tell you: it's to ride my bike a lot and to go out for long, long days with lunch in a saddlebag.

Can I tell you? I dig Steve's attitude! And check out the 650B Tournesol and 700c bikes that he makes; the details are simply beautiful. Obscene, even.

2
I stumbled upon possibly the funniest Interbike photo of all time, on Sheldon Brown's site. For those of you not in the know, it's Grant Petersen kneeling in front of a spankin' new Bridgestone carbon fiber racing bike. Heh.

3
This bit is from the Blériot Owners Group on Yahoo! Groups:

"A couple members have asked me to give the brand and color of the nail polish that I think will make pretty good touch up paint. DISCLAIMER...I have not tried it on my Bleriot...only on my toes.

When my toes are held up to the frame it looks pretty darn good, but you might want to try it on an inconspicuous place first.

Maybelline COLORAMA #107 'tourquoise seas'

Best of luck,
Brooke
Austin, TX"

4
Lastly, have a read about the real Louis Blériot, and his record-setting flight across the English Channel.

So anyway, I'd love to hear suggestions on buildup schemes for this Blériot!

Sheldon Brown, we're all with you man

2006-11-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today I caught some news on Biking Bis that I have to share. I'm not sure why I hadn't seen it before now.

Sheldon Brown, who is also the colorful and opinionated voice of Harris Cyclery, has touched my cycling life, and more, through his prolific writing about cycling - and possibly the most by sharing bits of his personal life history. I've never met the guy in person, but I've asked him enough questions and taken enough of his advice that he feels like a good friend. I imagine he's A Good Guy. And I can't imagine that I'm the only guy out there that feels this way. Sheldon has likely contributed more to the online cycling world than any other single person.

At age 62, Sheldon has Multiple Sclerosis. And after a lifetime of cycling and countless miles of riding, he can no longer ride his bikes.

Biking Bis writes:

Lately, [Sheldon] has also been writing posts about his health, which sadly is deteriorating. The bicycle guru can no longer ride a bicycle and began riding a recumbent trike in September.

He's been to three neurologists who can't seem to agree on a diagnosis. Neurologist "#2", as he calls him, is of the opinion that Sheldon suffers from a primary progressive form of multiple sclerosis. Neurologist #3 says there might be something other than MS, or something in addition to MS.

His plight has hit the blogwaves this week at Bike Friday Walter, Bicycle Design and Cyclelicious.

Let's join those bloggers and offer our support for Sheldon by making a donation to the National MS Society or signing up next year for one of the nearly 100 MS bike tours that are held throughout the summer across the US. The rides are typically two-day events that cover about 150 miles. The season starts in Florida in April 2007, according to the calendar at the MS bike tour webpage.

In addition to my own donation, I'll definitely be hitting Yahoo! up for sponsorship for at least one of my local MS rides.

Bike polo

2006-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, so who's up for the first annual bicycle polo match in Chico? I could see a fixed-gear bike coming in handy for this type of thing, and I'd also wear a mouth guard...

Photo by Robert K.

A specialty license plate I'd buy

2006-11-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

I generally don't give a hoot about specialty plates, but this one is an A-OK message with no particularly silly political overtones. If California did something like this, I'd probably contribute my extra sixty bucks to the state coffers; especially if the money went toward more bike lanes and bike-worthy improvements. Here's the story from USA cycling.

Here are some other states with similar plates: Georgia, Texas, Washington, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Funny, speaking of politics; all but one of the states in the above list are "red" states. Can we surmise that red states might be more bicycle friendly than blue states?

And finally, here is Chico Velo's tee shirt version:

Change of work: I'm going to Flickr

2006-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

This isn't cycling related, but I feel it's worth mentioning here. I'm stoked to announce that in a couple of weeks I will be joining the Flickr team in San Francisco. I'll be leading interaction design efforts along with George and Stewart; Stewart is still Our Big Boss who wears the Big Hats. Rumor is that my first task will be to finally bring the Tuna Blaster™ product into the public light...

A few months back (nearly six to the day) Stewart put up a help wanted sign, and shortly thereafter we had coffee, or lunch. I can't quite remember at this point; we did both several times, come to think of it. It took a little while to get some things sorted out inside the Yahoo! Machine, but here we are about to close out 2006, and I couldn't be more pleased to be joining the team.

Flickr is the only other Online Thing I use on a daily basis besides Firefox and Mail. I'm a fan - a true Flickr nerd. And for those reasons I can't think of any other place I'd rather think hard about people, products, and the meaningful connections I can make between them.

This move of my weekday life to San Francisco will also reduce my back and forth trip by an hour each way, which, by my estimations, will allow me to reclaim about 100 hours of my life each year. And that's a lot of time to spend doing more important things, like ride a bike! ;-)

Lance Armstrong suffers through the marathon

2006-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, Everyone's Favorite Cyclist ran his first marathon. He had this to say about it:

“That was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I have ever done,” said Armstrong, who finished 856th in the New York City Marathon. “It was really a gradual progression of fatigue and soreness.

“I didn't train enough for a marathon,” he said, his right shin heavily taped as he shuffled into a post-race news conference. “In 20 years of pro sports and endurance sports, even the worst days on the Tour, nothing felt like that or left me the way I feel now.”

I ran the Boulder Backroads marathon in 2002, and it too was the hardest thing I've ever done. I even trained for it, but it was my first and last marathon. I just don't feel driven to run that far. It is too much pain with not enough distance covered. And you know, there's just too much injury involved in running. For me, anyway.

Between the suffering that takes place in a century and the suffering that takes place in a marathon, I'd choose the century any day. I see more sites. I get to go 40mph at times. I can eat and drink while I'm riding. I can stare at the beautiful details of my bike while I wonder why I'm putting myself through the pain.

Armstrong's final words really struck a chord with me. When asked if he'd be back to do it again, he quipped, "Now's not the time to ask that question. The answer now is no, I'll never be back. But I reserve the right to change my mind," he said. "I don't know how these guys do it."

Ha! That's how I feel EVERY time I do some long-distance event. It sucks, it hurts, and I hate it. I think I told Jeff those same words, more or less, after finishing my first century. But here we are a couple months later, and I'm planning on doing at least two centuries in 2007. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

Oxygen Break

2006-10-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here Jeff takes a break at the top of some mountain outside Graeagle, California. Just to shake things up, we took a dirt ride a few weeks back. It was a blast, although I think Jeff is questioning his ancient fork.

I'm still around; just been busy traveling, working, planning a move of the weekday place, etc.

I haven't been riding nearly enough, but that's about to change... in the mean time I felt the need to come up for air myself.

I'm in Seattle right now for the IDEA 2006 conference. The number of cyclists, and number of cyclists riding practical bikes with fenders, lights and racks is really inspring. All types of people here rides bikes. Weather be damned.

Also, the number of breweries that make a mean, hoppy ale is outrageous. The weather has been fantastic. In fact, I think the whole rain thing is a scam; it is something Seattleites tell people from California to keep the population down and the people laid back. Well, I'm on to your little scam!

I love this town.

Update: This morning (Tuesday) it is pouring in Seattle. Perhaps someone here read my previous post, and had the powers that be turn on the rain in order to dissuade me from think that it doesn't rain in Seattle.

At any rate, when I went to grab a cup of coffee a few minutes ago I saw three riders in five minutes, all decked in rain gear, bikes with mega-headlights, fenders, Ortlieb waterproof panniers. They also all had disc brakes. I reckon there is something to that disc brake thing in wet climates.

I still love this town. And its coffee.

The New Business Cycle

2006-10-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Update: Nancy Keates responded to me via email. She confirmed that her tongue was, in fact, deeply embedded in her cheek in the WSJ article that I quoted. I figured as much. Nevertheless, my closing statement in this post still stands!

-----

I laughed out loud when my buddy Tom sent me this article from today's Wall Street Journal. The opening line: A radical idea is sweeping the world of American bicycle manufacturing: building bikes that people will use for actual transportation.

Certainly the author, Nancy Keates, must be speaking tongue-in-cheek. If not, well God Bless Her Ignorance.

Regardless, Keates goes on to say:

Europeans, of course, have been riding commuter bikes for decades. In Holland, there are twice as many bikes as cars, and nearly as many bicycles as people. Now, in the U.S., the industry is pitching the new models as gas prices remain high and concerns over obesity grow. They also come as cities and states move to become more bike-friendly.

As fatness and obesity continue to spread (ahem), and as gas prices continue to be uncomfortable, it will be interesting to see if real-world transportation bikes become more of a market force. I love the sound of that idea: as we progress technologically and "evolve" as a race, we may quite possibly rely more heavily on one of the most simple of inventions.

Even over the course of my daily summer bike commute I've noticed a significant increase in the number of cyclists on the roads in Silicon Valley. Granted, half of them are on uncomfortable race bikes with their asses above their heads, decked out in full Spiderman™ suits just to ride a couple miles to work, but it's a start. It's also fun to beat those guys between traffic lights on my loaded down single speed, donning jeans and Chuck Taylors...

I would most certainly like to see less race-centric crap at bike shops, and more real-world applications of gear. It is actually quite difficult to go into your average shop in the United States right now and buy practical things like saddle bags, fenders, or dynamo hubs for lighting the way. Only specialty shops carry real-world gear. Doesn't that strike you as odd?

Based on simple observation, my guess is that there may be a temporary spike in bicycle sales while people get used to the new price of gas; that said, people are fat and lazy, and they won't continue to ride their newly purchased bikes. I have a neighbor in Chico that drives his V8 truck less than two miles two work while his new Trek hybrid sits in his garage... I also have a German neighbor that rides his Trek hybrid a couple miles each way to work. He has put about 400 miles on it this year just doing that every day.

Keates, and other industry folks seem to agree:

Whether many Americans will trade their cars for bikes remains to be seen. Sales of commuter bikes rose 15% over the past two years, according to Boston-based Bicycle Market Research Institute. However, at an estimated $900,000 in annual sales, it is still a small niche. Less than 0.5% of Americans commute by bike, according to the 2000 U.S. Census report. "There's no way it will happen here," says Bicycle Market Research Institute President Ash Jaising, who projects the segment's rise in sales will slow to 5% to 10% over the next two years. "The roads are just too dangerous."

The roads are too dangerous. On top of that, suburban culture (where most people in the U.S. live) and infrastructure simply doesn't support bicycles as a viable mode of transport. Try getting around Silicon Valley safely on a bike. It is no easy task. I feel spoiled in Chico. It is a pleasure to ride here.

Keates lists out a few companies that are now offering commute bikes, and I think due to her intended reading audience, it is an anemic list. I'd add to her list Rivendell, ANT, Surly and SOMA as viable choices as well. They all offer production bikes for less than the Trek Portland, which did make her list. They're all made of steel too, which offers a far more comfortable ride, is easier to repair, and will last longer than its aluminum counterparts.

I'm not arguing for saving the world, or for everyone to go car-free. Neither are a real possibility. However, I am encouraging you to get off your arse more than you do now, and ride that bike that has been collecting dust in your garage for the past twenty years. My reason is three-fold. Firstly, you meet the nicest people when you ride a bike; you're simply more exposed to each other, and saying hi is a lot easier when you're not behind a windshield with the radio blasting your favorite Justin Timberlake songs. Secondly, riding a bike is quite a bit of fun if you approach it with the right attitude; don't go out to race, go out to get some fresh air and look at your neighbor's crappy landscaping work; arrive at work refreshed instead of tight in the throat from sitting in traffic. And thirdly, our race is turning into a gelatinous blorg of cheese curds, and frankly it makes me sick! And that thirdly point *is* one that we can change.

Whether Nancy Keates is a sarcastic writer or not, it is a sad state of affairs that any article in the Wall Street Journal would need to start with that opening line.

Maybe the best reason to ride a bike

2006-10-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Remember how I was saying that you meet the nicest people on a bicycle? Well, if my previous post wasn't enough to encourage you to get off your butt and take that bike for a spin, maybe this post by my buddy Jeff, is. At one point, he says:

"I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since my first year of college."

His first year of college was almost 20 years ago (sorry to disclose that, dude). Forget about resolutions, the right time is right now.

Clever Chimp

2006-10-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Clever Chimp is a bicycle lifestyle outfitter, and they also maintain a sweet blog.

Ride Report: Ride the Rogue century

2006-09-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, along with about 500 others, Jeff and I took part in the inaugural Ride the Rogue Century. The course started in the town of Rogue River, and meandered in a loop through the Rogue and Applegate valleys for 104 miles.

The course well very well marked, and everything was well-run. Kudos to the crew that pulled this ride together, and pulled it off. I've always had a magical picture in my head of what the Rogue River valley holds, and true to its name, I wasn't let down. The roads wind through various eye-candy-beautiful terrain (with only two small hills),including sections adjacent to the river, sub-alpine forest, and through a couple of small towns.

The rest stops were nicely placed; there was one about every 20 miles or so, including a stroke of genius stop located at mile 94. Placing one at this distance really gives you the fortitude to pull through those last painful miles, even if the only reason is because you get to see a bunch of other suffering fools who will finish the ride with you. That alone is enough to get you to the end. The absolute highlight for me was being pulled through Southern Oregon wine country in a slipstream averaging about 22mph; a close second was the 10 minute downhill at mile 35 (or so?), where Jeff and I were doing 35+ the entire time. :-)

Quite frankly, I wasn't prepared for the ride. My "training" schedule has been a joke this year because I split my time between Chico and Santa Clara. So my "training" rides have happened on Saturdays and Sundays, with a measly daily bike commute during the week. A graphic of my weekly training would look like an EKG:

That said, I made to the half way mark with no problems, averaging about 17.6mph. The halfway point also was the lunch rest stop... and after lunch I couldn't quite pull it together again. I stayed around the 17mph mark until mile 70, at which point I fully recalled the feeling of a full-on BONK; I mean, like BONKATRON 3000.

From the 70 mile rest stop, I was a limp noodle with legs pumped full of battery acid. I rode alone from mile 70-90, most of the time thinking how stupid it is to ride more than 60 miles, and that now that I'd finish a century, I'd never have to do it again. I went through that mental battle where the devil on my right shoulder was going, "Dude, you just have to stop pedaling and lie down." And the little guy on the other shoulder was saying, "If you quit you pussy, you'll regret it!" I don't think he was an angel though... At mile 80, there is a hill that will test your mental stability. It was the only time in the ride that I flipped over to my little chain ring; it was all I could do to get through it! That hill was probably the loneliest stretch of road I've ever pedaled. Haha.

At mile 90, a team from Land Shark (at least they were all donning Land Shark clothing and bikes) showed up and pulled me into the genius mile 94 rest stop. I laid down, sucked down a Hammer Gel, a PowerBar salty/caffeine gel, a bottle of water, and limped my way toward the finish line... ending with an average overall speed of 15.6mph.

All in all, it was a beautiful day. We started out with layers of clothes on and numb fingers and toes; we ended with shorts and jerseys. I love that kind of cycling day. not too cold, not too hot.

We ended the day by staying at a nearby hotel in beautiful Ashland, picking up a six pack of Drop Top Amber, and ordering a pizza... and sleeping for nine hours!

So now that I've done a century, will I do another one? One part of me says that's enough, just like I said after my first and only marathon. I did it, and now I don't need to prove it to myself again. Sixty miles is a great distance to ride. I get a killer workout, the riding is fun, and that amount of time seems good for me to be on the bike. Beyond the sixty mile mark, in my case, is the point of diminishing returns. The exercise benefit isn't increased, but the misery is drastically increased. Plus, what am I proving?

The other part of me says that I Live In Chico; and because of that, there is no choice but to ride the full distance Wildflower. After all, it's only 96 miles... we'll see.

Oh, and I'll definitely be back at the Ride The Rogue again next year, whichever distance I choose. What a beautiful ride! :-D

Product Review: Brooks B17 Champion Special saddle

2006-09-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

The Brooks B17 isn't laden with technology. In fact, it hasn't much changed in twice my lifetime. The only surprise I have had with the Brooks B17 Champion Special is that I love it, and if anyone tries to take it from me, I will have no choice but to freak out.

I have gone through more saddles than anyone I know. I've tried Selle this and that, cut-out saddles that claim to prevent numb plumbing, carbon this, Italia that, and I know with 100% certainty that my heart and my tender parts lie with the fine products from Brooks England Ltd..

(Above photo from Wallbike)

The Champion Special model is quite a bit nicer than the Standard in both looks and quality. Aesthetically speaking, I'm a fan of the hand hammered rivets and copper rails. The functional superiority comes in the form of leather that is significantly thicker than the standard. You might think that there is a downside to thicker leather; that it might take longer to break in, or hurt more. The truth is that both my B17 Standard (which I will review later) and my B17 Champion Special were both the epitome of comfort within 100 miles of use. By 300 miles I was in love, hence the freak out threat above. By 800 miles, the Champion Special is quite simply a hammock for my butt.

I can ride 70 miles with zero numbness, zero saddle soreness and no chafing. This statement comes after years of futzing with saddles, wasting money on every kind of gimmicky saddle out there. Well, almost every kind.

If you're wondering why your Italian/plastic/padded saddle is leaving you less than satisfied, I recommend trying a Brooks B17. Don't believe me though; just look at every long distance tourer or randonneur; they all ride Brooks, and I have no doubt why. Ladies, Brooks makes the B17 S, which is specific to your anatomy.

Some people have said to me with exasperation, "...but Gino, those Brooks saddles are just so heavy!" To that, I offer the truth: what you gain in less saddle weight doesn't matter the least bit (I have a future post on weight), and your body will thank you. Unless you're an elite racer going head to head against other elite racers, who gives a crank about a few grams?

Not cycling-related, but burning laptops rule

2006-09-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

From my other blog, Push Button For:

Stock price be damned! Today there was a mass evacuation of my building at Yahoo! in Santa Clara. Apparently someone brought in their personal DELL laptop and had yet to heed their battery recall instructions. Here are the charred remains. The fire was on the 8th floor, and the acrid stench of burned plastic could be smelled eight floors down!

I have yet to find out who the person was; I would like to get a recount of how the events that led up to this transpired. If I get an update, I will let you know.

Update: The machine belongs to a Yahoo! Research Intern. It was his first week on the job, from what I've uncovered. He was simply sitting there at his desk, writing code when his machine started smoking, and then flaming. Welcome to Yahoo, grasshopper.

Chico Mountain Bikers site launched today

2006-09-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

After a slow summer of slogging through designing and implementing a site using WordPress, today we launched a spankin' new version of Chico Mountain Bikers.

CMB is a great organization, and it's too bad there aren't more like it. Their mission statement goes like this:

To provide group rides for people of all riding abilities in an effort to foster the fun, exciting sport of mountain biking; to promote responsible mountain biking through respect for property, trails, and other trail users; and to unite mountain bike enthusiasts in an effort to continue a positive public image of the mountain biking community through involvement, positive advocacy and trail maintenance.

If that ain't wholesome I don't know what is.

I've built trails with them more than I've ridden with them, mainly because I work in Silicon Valley during the week. That said, it's mighty nice to help out local groups in My Home Town, especially when the result of volunteer labor is a healthy contribution to my community. Special thanks goes to Irvin Szeto, programmer monkey extraordinaire. Without his help, the site would still look like 1996.

Well guys, rock on with your new site. I can't wait to start riding some dirt again this fall.

Ride Report: 1st Annual Elk Flat 3/4 Century

2006-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Update: Jeff's recall of Saturday is here.

On Saturday, team JuG went out on a cross country cycling adventure from Chico to far western Red Bluff, CA. I on Lloyd, and Jeff on his black steel SOMA Double Cross, of whose name I am not aware.

We set out at just as the sun peaked over the Sierras to the East; the air was crispy, and the first signs of Autumn gave us a feeling of excitement as we set out into the semi-unknown. I say semi-unknown because this was the second time I'd done the course. Maps in pockets, loaded with food and drink, we were off.

No more than fifteen minutes into the ride the wind reared its ugly head; and didn't let up for 62 miles. We rode into a 12-15 mph headwind for 5 hours; the gusts must have been 20mph because if you stopped pedaling, you stopped moving. I can say that this was the hardest ride I've ever done.

This particular course takes you across California's Great Central Valley toward the Yolla Bolly Mountains and Mendocino National Forest. The views tend to be beautiful on a clear day, and once you are west of I-5 the traffic is minimal to nonexistent.

On this day the views were in fact beautiful, but between the wind and gravel we weren't too concerned with the views; instead we focused on staying upright and fuel intake! In fact, we ate like rhinos! Into my 137 pound body I packed 2 bananas, 2 granola bars, 1 AB&J (~~Apple~~Almond Butter & Jelly), 3 Honey Stingers, 2 Powerbar gels (with salt and caffeine), half a bagel, and 4 bottles of water over 5 hours and 30 minutes. I also had a bagel with cream cheese and coffee before the ride. I think Jeff ate about the same pile of food and beverage.

It's a bit sad looking down at a 13.1mph average, and only covering 72 miles in 5:30. However, in training terms it was like climbing for 72 miles and should make next week's 104 mile Ride The Rogue seem like cake... assuming we're not assaulted by the wind again.

I'll definitely do the ride again; hopefully Jeff will as well. Although next time I think we'll check the wind predictions. If they are they same, perhaps we'll drive to Red Bluff, and coast to Chico effortlessly... and spend that extra time and energy sipping pints at Sierra Nevada!

For The Love of God, No Bum Camps in Chico

2006-09-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was shocked to see this article in the Chico ER, wherein one of our elected officials is suggesting a "free" campground for bums to leech the city of Chico. I wrote a response to the Editor. I'm not sure that they will publish it, so I am publishing it here as well. We have to stop this kind of insanity before Chico turns into the next Santa Cruz hell hole.

I am appalled that City Councilor Andy Holcombe is an advocate of keeping bums in Chico.

The fact that he is lamenting the beautification and invigoration of our town center is appalling and incomprehensible. Every citizen of Chico should take that as an insult and a personal attack.

With bums (or homeless people, according to the Political Correctness Guidelines) come crime and drugs. It is that simple. Why do people like Mr. Holcombe feel comfortable ignoring that fact? For other examples of California communities who have welcomed vagrants to their own demise, we only need to look south at Santa Cruz, where the downtown area is no longer a place families can go. You can’t walk a block in downtown Santa Cruz without being offered drugs, badgered for money, or harassed in some other way. Keeping and welcoming bums in downtown Chico will certainly take our town down the same path.

Dignity Village in Portland is a colossal failure, and for Mr. Holcombe to cite is as a possible example for Chico to follow should be a wakeup call for every Chico resident. Any interview with Portland Police, and with most elected officials, reads the same way: Dignity Village is a temporary solution to Portland’s massive homelessness problem, and it a failure. Dignity Village is not decent, safe or sanitary. It is a drug-ridden flophouse for people who generally aren’t willing to help themselves.

Mr. Holcombe also idealizes a “free campground” idea. My fellow Chicoans, there is no FREE campground. WE are the ones who pay for these people to destroy our town. We are the ones who give tax money to support societal leeches. Why can places like Carmel keep bums out and nobody blinks, but when Chico shows self preservation and civic pride, we are met with opposition from the inside? How can we let this go unheeded?

Chico is possibly the last quality town in California, and I feel that the residents of Chico need to stand up for Chico. Keeping bums out of our town and our downtown isn’t a crime. It is an act of civic duty; a duty for our community, our children, and our future.

Handmade Bicycle Show: March 2-4, 2007 in San Jose

2006-09-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

CELEBRATING THE WORLD'S MOST EFFICIENT ENERGY CONVERTER
Top bicycle framebuilders gather at public show in San Jose, CA

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The 3 rd Annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), the world’s largest consumer show for custom-built bicycles, will run March 2-4, 2007, at the South Hall of the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

On display will be the finest crafted and most beautifully painted bicycles by framebuilding artisans from all over the world.

“A handmade bicycle is a thing of beauty,” says Don Walker, of Don Walker Cycles. The creator of the show, Walker says a mixture of passion and determination are responsible for the event’s success. “NAHBS is a celebration not only of the world’s greatest invention, the bicycle, but also the masters who have dedicated their careers to the creation of ridable art forms.”

Started two years ago in Texas, the event answers the growing need of framebuilders to meet and share ideas, and provides a venue to display their masterpieces to a public whose interest in handmade bicycles has increased in step with the recent resurgence of excitement about bicycling in general.

On moving to San Jose in 2005, the number of exhibitors grew from 23 to 90, and the number of visitors to the show grew from 700 to 2700. In 2006, more than 150 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors are expected. Among these visitors will be aspiring framebuilders, students of design, people with a casual eye for some striking style, and many cyclists looking to fall in love again.

Apart from dazzling displays of lug filing, pin striping, and tube bending, the show buzzes with ideas and knowledge as hard-learned skills and techniques are traded among the veterans, while tidbits are thrown out to the fledgling builders. Members of the public can glean gems of knowledge if they ask the right questions of the enigmatic and often eccentric masters of this craft.

Helping visitors to frame ideas and form the right questions are informative seminars throughout the weekend, led by industry insiders and the most famous names in the framebuilding world. For some, these seminars are the highlight of the entire show. Think of it like an audience with the great architect Sir Richard Rogers.

Adding a competitive element to the show are15 categories of awards based on visitor votes of all the bikes on display.

In only three years the show has built an extensive list of fans and supporters. "The NAHBS separates itself from the typical bike expo schwagfest thanks not only to the valuable presentations, but to the general audience who shares a passion for the knowledge and science behind bicycle design and frame material," said Teddy Allen of Gu Sports, a company that manufactures popular nutritional products for cyclists.

Whether building frames or other high-end cycling products like components, clothing, and energy bars, NAHBS exhibitors are a special breed not only because of their outstanding level of workmanship but also because they handle all elements of production, from design to shipping, in their own factories, without outsourcing.

This cottage industry aspect gives a very diverse look to the show booths, making it extremely valuable to exhibitors who can easily differentiate themselves in a grid of rows and aisles, as well as to consumers who, not exposed to repetitive products in every booth, can to zero in on the design that pulls hardest on their heart. And since many cyclists will tell you their bike is their second great love, eye candy is a pretty big deal at an event like this. “ Being a small builder in a sea of big box manufacturers is a daunting task, but having an opportunity to teach people about hand crafted bicycles at an event like the North American Handmade Show was a real honor and privilege,“ says Matt Bracken of Independent Fabrication, one of the exhibitors at the 2006 show who has already signed up for ’07.

Each handmade bicycle is the carefully considered expression of a skilled artisan who has dedicated many years to honing craft and style. Steel is the material of choice for most of these frame builders, who select from an exotic range to match the mechanical properties of the material to the myriad intended uses and physiques of their customers, who range from heart surgeons to cycle messengers.

Tickets to NAHBS Seminars are limited and cost $125 in advance, $150 at the door, pending space availability. Entrance to Exhibits only is $12 in advance and $15 at the show. More information about exhibitors, seminars, awards and other details can be found at http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com

About The North American Handmade Bicycle Show

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a gathering point – online and in person – for framebuilders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas and promotion of this special industry which has such a rich history. After two years of growing by leaps and bounds, NAHBS 2007 will feature still more exhibitors, consumers and a wealth of seminars. For more information, see http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com .

Media Contact:
Jodi Hall
Tel: +1-415-990-1324
EM: jhall@o2sm.com
http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com

Exhibitors as of Sept. 6, 2006

Joseph Ahearne
Ahrens Bicycles
ANT
Bohemian Bicycles
Calfee Design
Castellano Design
Charter Oak
Cloud Nine Design
Coconino Cycles
Crumpton Cycles
Della Santa
Desalvo Cycles
Don Walker Cycles
Echelon Cycle
Engin Cycles
Grognard Bicycle
Igle Cycles
Independent Fab.
Jonny Cycles
Keith Anderson
Kent Eriksen
Kirk Frameworks
Kish Fabrication
Moyer Cycles
Nelson Titanium
Oswald Cycle
Patrick Cycles
Peacock Groove
Pereira Cycles
Rebolledo Cycles
Retrotec
Rex Cycles
Richard Sachs
Rock Lobster
Roark Titanium
Rue Sports
Sadilah Cycles
Soulcraft Bicycles
Steve Potts
Strong Frames
Summersett
Thursday Bicycles
Townsend Cycles
Vendetta Cycles
Vicious Cycles
Vintage Studio
Waterford Cycles
Wolfhound Cycles

Claire's new 1987/88/89? Bianchi Nuova Alloro

2006-08-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

We found this lugged steel Bianchi Nuova Alloro in Los Gatos, CA this week. Not sure the model year (any help out there?), but the bike is in fantastic condition. See my Flickr photos for all the pre-cleaning details.

In its current state, it is 100% Italian, and 100% Campagnolo; even has the original bar tape, and cables. The paint is pearlescent white - just beautiful in the California sun. The details are stunning, and tell a story from a time when craftsmanship still outweighed mass manufacturing (even though it was mass manufactured). Example: Why don't bicycles come with the chain hanger braze-on anymore? Grant Petersen, why doesn't my Rivendell Rambouillet have one? It's the best idea that is no longer used, except on really expensive "custom" bikes.

Don't cringe, but the idea is to Rivenfry the bike to make it a more comfy steed; we'll put a higher stem on there, a Nitto Noodle handlebar, and a nice Brooks saddle. It's pretty to look at, but that current aggressive stance is not something one can ride very far before things start to ache.

Once we're done tweaking it to Mrs. Zahnd's liking, I'll post the 'After' photos.

What a score! Oh, and Claire's wondering what to name her new girl. "It must be a girl, because no boy could ever be so beautiful," says she.

Chico Gino Exclusive: An Interview with Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles

2006-08-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

For anyone with bicycle priorities, the Vanilla badge has at the very least crossed your radar. Most people in my sphere of influence experience physiological reactions when presented with images of Vanilla bicycles which include, but are not limited to: drooling, kneeling, hand wringing, and emitting low volume loose-lipped fox whistles. And in the fringe case that someone with bicycle priorities hasn’t seen a Vanilla, I suggest you look into the label, and the founder of Vanilla Bicycles, Sacha White.

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Mr. White (via email, but who’s keeping score?) and ask him some questions about his history, his company’s history, what Vanilla is up to now, and in what directions he may steer his fledgling, umm, White-hot company.

On with the show:

In a past conversation we had, you mentioned something about futzing with Vespas when you were younger. How did that lead to an interest in bicycle frame design?

From age 13 to age 20ish I was heavily into restoring, customizing and riding classic Vespas and Lambrettas. This was my first taste of real metalwork and industrial design.

When I was 21, I moved from Colorado to Portland, and started working as a bike messenger. With that, my focus shifted from scooters to bikes. For a while I was just riding them, then I started tinkering, and then got into full rebuilds. After a little while, I realized that the types of modifications I was doing to my bikes would only be interesting for so long. At about that same time, the frame that I was messengering on had broken. I took that frame to a builder for a repair, and saw him working on a new frame. I think at that moment the passion that I had for scooter restoration and my new love (bicycles) came together and a light bulb went off. The rest is history.

What was the first bike you designed, built and sold? And how did the transaction come about?

The first two bikes that I built were for my wife (my girlfriend, at the time) and me.

I sold my third frame to a good friend and racing buddy for like 50 bucks over my cost. He wanted a cross frame and fork to race that season. His was actually the first of my bikes to be ridden.

That first cross race was super nerve racking, because my friend Jeff was racing #3 my friend Sam was racing #4 and I was racing #5. Each of those bikes had minimal test time before being raced, and for all I knew they would all just fall apart that first day. It’s funny to think about how nervous I was then, because not only did those bikes make it through their first race, but all of those bikes are still being raced at an elite level today.

Did you realize at that point you might be onto something?

I really took frame building day by day back then. I didn’t have big ideas about building a business or being successful. I was just enjoying myself, and learning a lot.

Has the company head count grown yet, or are you still doing everything yourself?

I am happy to say that I have two employees, but I have been able to structure things so that I can focus on designing and building the frames myself. My employees handle all of the extra tasks that come with running a business ie; parts ordering, bike assembly, custom wheel builds packing and shipping etc.

Will there ever be Vanilla production frames?

I don’t know. When I think about doing the same thing over and over again, it makes me kind of sleepy. One great thing about doing all custom is that there is always something exciting and challenging waiting in the wings.

There seems to be the beginning of a shift happening in the cycling world - away from high tech materials, and toward comfortable all-day rideable bicycles, many of which are made of steel. Why do you think that is?

Cyclists are more sophisticated now. It has gone way beyond recreational and people are really integrating bikes into their everyday lives. City bikes with full fenders, lighting systems, unique handlebar setups etc. are becoming accepted, and in this neck of the woods they’re the norm.

There are currently a few companies out there making exquisitely crafted steel bicycles. Which ones are the most beautiful and useful in the eyes of Sacha White? Why?

Mike Flanigan / ANT is building some very beautifully utilitarian stuff. He is a perfect example of the useful citybikes that we were talking about above.

Peter Weigle is a one man shop. He has been building for over 30 years, but his designs and paint schemes are very current. He is also one heck of a nice guy.

Pedersen bikes from Denmark have always been beautiful to me. I like that their frames are a total departure from the standard diamond frame. I would like to build a primer grey ss cross bike out of one.

These are just a few, but I respect and am inspired by a lot of independent builders out there.

Are there any big bike companies worthy of admiration?

I have some Specialized sunglasses that I like. (Gino laughs out loud)

I like some of the frame shapes that bigger companies are doing with carbon. The cruiser-esque curved top tubes and seat stays. That kind of design flexibility would make working with a material like carbon attractive to me - but this does not mean I am going to start working with carbon.

How long does someone have to wait for a Vanilla bicycle as of August 2006?

The wait is about 22 months right now.

Are there any Vanilla bikes living overseas yet?

There are. A couple in Europe, a couple in Africa, a few on order from the Australia area.

Africa? Where in Africa? I didn’t realize there is a cycling contingency in Africa.

I think there must be a cycling scene everywhere. It is an internationally loved sport, like soccer. Don’t you think so?

A few years ago I was in a hilly road race as a cat 3. There was a man that none of us had seen before, who won that day. It turned out that he was the Kenyan national champion.

As for my sales in Africa, I have a repeat customer in Egypt (the Egyptian bank notes are beautiful works of art by the way) and there is a journalist that I built a travel road bike for, who is living in South Africa, but is covering stories all over the continent.

What's the most amazing thing someone is doing, or has done on a Vanilla to date?

I pulled two good friends from their wedding ceremony to the reception in a chariot that we hooked up to a Vanilla. There was a little bike parade, endless champagne, and tender Barry White jams.

Vanilla has been victorious at cyclocross nationals, and my bikes have been raced at cross, and 24hr MTB worlds. My friend Steve raced a bike that I built for him in the Iditasport race in Alaska (walkers, skiers and bikes racing against each other. No roads), and also in a self supported race along the continental divide from the border of Canada to the border of Mexico. I get letters from customers who are in the middle of epic tours.

Earlier this year, your daughter ditched her training wheels. Does she now ride a Vanilla?

No but the two of us are going to build a bike for her soon.

If you could have any - but only one - bike to ride for the rest of your life, which would it be?

A single speed cross bike, maybe with couplers.

It is the year 2099, a hundred years after the first Vanilla rolled out of your shop. How do you want the cycling history books to read about Sacha White and Vanilla Bicycles?

It’s hard to look that far forward. Right now I build my bikes so that 40 years down the road when the paint is scratched up and only half of the vanilla name is legible the bike will still be riding like a dream. Also, the unique touches that are built into the frame will be as fine as the day they were created, because they are part of the structure, not superficial fanciness.

No more fixies allowed in Portland

2006-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. Read all about it here.

Roid Landis, you make me sick

2006-07-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm totally disgusted by this news of Floyd Landis. If he is guilty, at least his legacy will be that of a cheater - and it will also clarify why he won the other big races this year. Get in the boat with Jan Mr. Landis. It's your turn to paddle.

I've about had it with pro cycling. When all of these jack asses are finished doping and cheating, maybe I'll regain respect for what I used to think of as amazing athletes. Until then, I'm chalking them all up to no better than the likes of Barry Bonds, and all those other fat, bloated pro ball players. Puke.

I bet Lance Armstrong is stoked that he got away with it.

Give me my upright, heavy steel touring bike, a wind sail of a handlebar bag full of food and a camera, and an open road. I don't want my cycling endeavors to remotely smell like any of those professional cheaters.

Another online cycling route finder: Bikely

2006-07-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today Kent points out Bikely. Bikely is a cycling route finder that is simply a Google maps-based mashup in which cyclists can create, share, and find cycling routes. Thus far the number of quality routes is quite anemic. There are a few quality routes, but not enough to make me go back to use it. Hopefully this will change in time.

I went ahead and tested their route creation functionality, and wasn't very impressed. I went through the process and created a route for Honey Run that starts where you leave Bidwell Park, and ends at Peet's Coffee downtown. It was also the first route anyone has created for Chico - but I'm not surprised at that.

The Bikely experience is even less refined that Gmaps Pedometer, and Gmaps is still pretty rudimentary. I won't go into detail about the user experience here; I rant about user interfaces on my other blog, Push Button For. But just to use one example: Why can't I print detailed maps of a route? The printed map is the most obvious thing I can think of that would actually make Bikely useful, and it isn't there...

I will again say that the opportunity is ripe for someone to create the killer app in this space. The key is setting up an experience that is so easy - to use AND to create new routes with - that the cycling community will feel compelled to use it, and even feel like they can no longer live without it. Only then will the user base grow large enough to contribute enough content for an app like this to be truly useful. Any VC folks, feel free to get in touch. :-)

It's cool to see so many of these homegrown versions popping up though - it means someone will take it by the reigns and do things the right way!

Does anyone ride in this weather?

2006-07-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

This, my friends, is Chico's forecast for this week. I have found that in these tempuratures, I have to be finished riding by about 10:30am before it becomes pretty miserable. And then it doesn't start to cool down until 8pm or so. I guess this is when being down in the Bay Area during the week isn't all that bad.

Cycling in Japan

2006-07-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

I find it necessary to point you to this heartfelt bicycling call-to-action, wherein a Japanese fellow feels compelled to encourage Bangladeshis to ride more often. I love his use of Enlgish.

Cycling Innovation in Portland, Oregon

2006-07-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

In some circles, it is a well known fact that Portland, Oregon is both a cycling mecca and a brewing mecca. When two beautiful forces such as bicycles and beer can coexist in a tiny geographical location, good ideas simply cannot be stopped.

Adam Roberts, an internet friend, flyfisherman, and amateur framebuilder in Portland, OR, has been perfecting what I consider to be one of the best ideas (Adam, patent your design quickly!) in cycling's recent history. May I now introduce the Bottle Drop™!

Could there be a more refined way to open a chilly bottle of your favorite locally-brewed suds than on your bike?

There are other Portland companies hot on this beercycle trend, and I feel it important to note Ahearne Cycles and their complete set of beautifully handcrafted bicycle racks - many of which showcase a bottle opener, among other sensible features.

Inspired by all of this why-didnt-i-think-of-that innovation, I am currently doing some design research of my own to determine how to build the best flyfishing-specific, beer drinking all-rounder bicycle...

Randonneur!

2006-07-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have created a new group on Flickr called Randonneur!. Have a sharp-looking classically styled bicycle? Add your photos to the group.

Those funny orange icons: The RSS Tutorial

2006-07-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked me what those orange little broadcast icon thingies on the top right of this site are. And since I am an interaction designer by trade, I feel that I should explain them to you, so that you can make the most out of your web experience.

So what are the icons?
Those orange icons represent my RSS feed. Depending on who you ask, RSS stands for different things. But since this is my blog, I say it stands for Really Simple Syndication. You might also see other icons that represent an RSS feed that look like these:

But not on my site. Here you just get the little orange broadcast icon like this one:

It is succinct, and the most visually appealing of all the icons that represent an RSS feed.

The truth of the matter is that they are all very similar, and basically all represent "Hey, if you click me, you're going to subscribe to this site's RSS feed. Sweet!"

What does RSS do?
RSS is useful for several things. What RSS does for bloggers, news outlets, and other folks and organizations that publish content to the web is allow a very simple way to syndicate the things that they publish.

Why would they want to syndicate their stuff? The same reason radio announcers like Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh syndicate their radio program to stations all over the country: so that more people can easily hear what they have to say. Well, I guess Howard Stern no longer syndicates his show since he moved to Sirius, but you catch my drift.

How can I use RSS to read blogs, news, etc.?
If you see that list of bike bloggers on my right hand column, I read them everyday, but I never actually go to those web sites. I subscribed to those sites' RSS feeds, and I use my RSS reader to read them. My RSS reader is really similar to an email application like Outlook, but it pulls down RSS feeds from the internet instead of email. This makes my life a bunch easier, because all that interesting (or not-so-interesting) content comes to me, and I don't have to do anything to get it once I subscribe! Here are some screenshots of the RSS reader I use for my Mac.

What RSS readers are out there for me to try?
As you might guess, there are quite a few companies built around providing products and services for RSS consumption and production. I do all my work and play on an Apple Powerbook, and I use NetNewsWire. For PC users, I would recommend giving FeedDemon a try. Or if you are inclined to use free web-based products, NewsGator is a good way read and manage your RSS subscriptions online. It also synchs reasonably well with the aforementioned desktop-based products. The last one I should mention that you can use is My Yahoo!. If you don't want to try any of these, you can go here to see a much larger selection from which to choose.

In closing
I hope that this little tutorial will enhance your internet experience. RSS is a super time saver for the daily browsing that you might currently do. It also can lead to information obesity if you aren't careful - because it is so easy to use! And we all know that information obesity leads to less cycling.

RSS is as easy as email, and ten times as fast as bothering to go to all those web sites everyday. Happy RSS'ing!

...and be sure to subscribe to Chico Gino!

Dutch innovation addresses common cycling problem

2006-07-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Fietsersbond, a bunch of Dutch cyclists, have banded together to create the first (that I'm aware of) cycling-specific door-to-door route finder on the web.

Lucas van Grinsven reports:

The volunteers needed to be much more precise than commercial digital map makers for car navigation devices like Navteq (NYSE:NVT - news) and Tele Atlas (TA.AS), jotting down details such as road surface, scenery and if a road is well lit.

"Detail is what cyclists need and what makes this so valuable. You need to be able to choose a safe route at night, and a racing cyclist wants a hard bike lane and no dirt roads," said 34-year-old Erik Jonkman, one of 70 volunteers.

The Dutch version is a grass-roots undertaking that has required many man-hours to complete just one city's version of the route finder. The user interface is very rough around the edges, and since I can't read Dutch (and I don't know the roads of Utrecht), I can't very well comment on the quality of the information that cyclists are entering into the database.

This idea is very, very cool, and I can definitely see a commercial application of this type of thing. Even in America, Google and Yahoo maps don't even come close to cutting it. Just last weekend I mapped out a 70 mile route from Chico to Red Bluff, CA, and I ended up riding through 4 miles of loose gravel, and shouldered the bike to cross one stream - none of that was on any map. And that's not to say I didn't enjoy those parts of my adventure either. But I digress.

The mashup of a GPS company, a cycling sponsor, and a killer design and engineering team sounds ripe for the picking. If there are any VC's out there who find this idea interesting, feel free to get in touch. I'll lead the design and research for the company that needs to be started...

I should also mention that Fietsersbond is a member of the European Cyclists Federation. The ECF web site is a wealth of fantastic information on pedaling around Europe. You should check it out if you are remotely interested in such an endeavor.

Ok, vacation's over.

2006-07-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'm back. What can I say? I've been blogging for a decade now, and I can't stop. Blogs are part of my life at work, and also how I get things out of my head. They are how I communicate with friends that I might otherwise lose touch with, and they are how I can tell stories about my life. I'm going to go ahead and say it with some reserve: I love my blogs.

And with that, let's pick up things and start pedaling again!

I'm wrapping up a 10 day vacation, and here's the short of it:

First off, I needed it badly. Ten days away from the Bay Area was fantastic.

What did I do?

2 days kayaking, camping, and exploring California's Lost Coast with Claire: One day in Whiskeytown, one at the mouth of the Klamath River where it opens into the Pacific (scary, majestic, brutal, humbling, freezing cold, miserable, and beautiful) in Yurok territory.

1 day and night in Ashland, Oregon, my new favorite town to visit.

Flyfishing with not much luck due my own damn fault.

We hosted a fantastically fun BBQ with twelve good friends!

Hosted some friends from the Bay Area for an evening after said BBQ.

Drank an enjoyable amount of local beers and wines from the Real NorCal and Southern Oregon.

I turned 32 on June 28.

I put 200+ miles on the new Rivendell Rambouillet, which I have deemed The Blue Sheep™. I simply love the bike, and couldn't be happier with my decision. For those who have been emailing me, here is a painfully detailed set of photos. Enjoy! The head badge displays a true statement: Always willing, ever able.

And be sure to take a look at Jeff's 108.67 mile day. Can you say salt? That's from the Mile High 100 ride we did a couple weeks ago.

Oh, and I have a draft of my next post, tentatively titled, 'On Dogs, Dog Owners, and Bicyclists'. Inspired by the fact that I was chased by a dynamic duo that consisted of a Rottweiler and a Pit Bull on a recent ride from Chico to Red Bluff, and fueled by a flurry of recent posts around the web on the subject, it's time to put my thoughts out there. Stay tuned.

Well, it's good to be back after a couple weeks off. Heh.

This blog is going on vacation

2006-06-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I rode the Mile High 100 this weekend. He did the 108 mile century, I rode the 100k metric century. It was the first time I took my new Rivendell Rambouillet out, and the short of it is that I love the bike. It climbs like a rhino, but otherwise the comfort, handling, and predictability of the bike far outweigh the fact that I have to work twice as hard to get up hills. No back pain, no neck pain, just leg pain - which is where the pain should be when you're on a bike.

On the ride, I also realized that I've been neglecting this blog lately because I'm so busy, and frankly I'm tired of adding to the information obesity that exists on the internet. On that note, it's time to take a summer vacation from the blog. Time to ride. Time to fish. Time to be with my wife. Time to camp out and drink beer. But not time to spend any more time in front of this computer!

I'll still post photos over at my Flickr page, but otherwise things will be silent here for a couple of months.

Have a good summer, I'll see you back here when it cools off and there's not so much delicious daylight outside!

-Chico Gino

Monday Schmunday

2006-06-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

How do the weekends go by so quickly? Jeff and I had a light ride this weekend before his five-beer previous day caught up with him. That early morning Cohassett sun was cooking us - turning him into beer sausage; at the first big turnout we decided to turn around and ride some flats out Keefer Rd. way. Haha! Man, we're hardcore!

Here are some good things on deck this week:

My new Rivendell Rambouillet should be here today! UPS screwed up last week.

The Mile High 100 - Team JuG will be there. Jeff is riding the 100 mile course, and I'm not sure what I'll ride yet. Maybe the metric, or if I feel great maybe I will go further. We'll see. Regardless, it will be the maiden voyage for the new Ramboo!! :-D

If you need to waste a lot of time drooling over beautiful bikes, check out Brett's site. Go ahead, really. It's Monday morning. It's OK.

Velo Orange, Grant Peterson and others

2006-06-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Over in the right hand column there, I added the Velo Orange blog: a blog about bicycles and cyclo-touring to the Bike Bloggers section. You might also want to check out the Velo Orange store for bicycle parts and accessories on the unique and useful side of things.

Other places I that I feel should be shared today are Jitensha Studio, which is in Berkeley, CA, and the Hiawatha Cyclery blog (is this the first bike shop blog in existence?) from the fellows in Minneapolis.

And you have to see the new Rivendell Legolas - a lugged steel beauty of a cyclocross frame. Did Grant & Co. get a little goofy with the Lord of the Rings tip-o-the-hat this time? Or perhaps the naming is simply for Search Engine Optimization in an attempt to be the top result any time a query has anything to do with Tolkien's books. That is not a bad idea for a mail order bicycle company! Talk about exposure!

Grant Peterson: Lord of the Chainrings (and Google SEO).

All-rounders are coming on strong

2006-06-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Rather than repeat anything, may I point you to this article on Out Your Backdoor. It talks about the new wave of commuter bikes in the U.S., the revival of classic bicycles, and it has tons of juicy links to sexy bicycles.

2 Wal-Marts in Chico? I say Hell No.

2006-06-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am an outspoken Libertarian. I like progress, and I love capitalism. It is what makes this country the best place for me to be. But even I have boundaries of what I feel is sensible and good for the community.

I read in the Chico ER today that there are to be two preliminary environmental reports issued this summer that will be open to public scrutiny. The subject: whether or not Wal-Mart should be allowed to put ANOTHER store on the north side of Chico where the Esplanade and 99 intersect. Wal-Mart plans to put a 242,000-square-foot supercenter there.

I am absolutely against this idea, and I urge anyone who lives in Chico to voice your opinions on the matter as well. Chico does not need another Wal-Mart. One is just fine. Maybe.

Putting another super-mega-box store on the North end of our town will ruin what is currently a relatively light traffic area. The constant flow of traffic will destroy cycling routes.

Ask yourself: Does Chico need ANOTHER Wal-Mart? Are you constantly finding yourself wishing there were another 200,000+ square foot "super" store nearby? Is your life incomplete without another Wal-Mart? Is north Chico really so far from the existing location that we can't get down there to purchase a bunch of low quality goods that were made in China? Do you want visitors passing through our town to be greeted from both the north AND south by a big ugly Wal-Mart? Do you want Wal-Mart to define the character of Chico coming and going? Hell no!

Think of it this way: We have a population of 100,000 or so. If there are two Wal-Mart superstores at approximately 250,000 square feet each, you could fit EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CHICO AREA INSIDE THE STORES AT THE SAME TIME, and EACH PERSON WOULD HAVE FIVE SQUARE FEET TO THEMSELVES. Does that sound reasonable to you?

I have only lived in Chico for a little over a year, but the idea of this makes me sick, and I hope that cyclists, runners, motorcyclists, drivers, farmers and ALL residents of Chico will band together and fight this one down.

Chico is growing. We all know that. But are we going to be active citizens that are involved in managing the growth of our town in a sensible way? Or are we going to sit back fat and happy until what makes Chico such a beautiful place to live is dead and gone?

It's time to nip this in the bud and take action.

Email city council

Email Mayor Gruendl

Email the city manager

Email the Editor of the Chico Enterprise Record

Go away Wal-Mart. Chico does not need another one of you.

The Magic Number: 1Z155R780392185xxx

2006-06-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

That, my loyal readers, is a UPS tracking number (minus the last three digits).

And you may wonder why on earth a number could be so important to me that I would feel the need to post it to Chico Gino. Well, I will tell you.

It is the tracking number for my newly acquired Rivendell Rambouillet!!!

After much hemming and hawing about owning another bike, and after reading every word on Rivendell's web site (several times), and after test riding a couple of Rivendells, I decided to go for it.

Late last week I was able to track down a 58cm blue Rivendell Rambouillet at the newly opened Hiawatha Cyclery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Finding a blue frame in my size was difficult. See, I'm not nearly as fond of the new green models. There's something magical, something more fun, more classic, more personable and bonny in that blue paint, for me at least. And it will look so fine with a honey colored Brooks saddle and Honey-shellac'd bars. Blue and gold, a winning pair.

I should mention that if you are doing classic cycling business you should consider Hiawatha. Jim was nothing but helpful, knowledgeable, and quick-to-respond in my dealings with him.

The setup is pretty much the standard Rivenfried component set and gearing for now. They do a good job of selecting components and gearing on their production bikes, and it will certainly be a good starting point.

The question I have now is, do you think it's ok to put high-end carbon pedals on a Rivendell? Ha.

This is what the bike looks like right now, but I believe that nuclear orange tape will have to go. This isn't mine - it's a 54cm with the same build though. Stoked! Friday is the day!