Product Reviews: Ibex wool cycling gear

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 BeanieI 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.

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.

SummaryI'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

(Title, courtesy of Frank Zappa)

Todd Teachout

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.