Why I ride

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

'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.

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

Alternative fuels

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Girlie cycle sticker

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

new Flickr Slideshow + cycling

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