Cold Riding

All the snow from last week is almost gone, due to very warm temps over the week, but they dropped in time for my Sunday Ride. It was the first time the moisture in my breath has frozen to my beard. Brrr. My waterbottle froze too, but it was still good to be out on a bike.

Joke

Wallingford Bicyle Parts is based in Louisiana, and was affecetd by Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately he is still in business. He has this joke on his homepage:

A driver is stuck in a traffic jam on the I-10 to Slidell, Louisiana.
Nothing is moving. Suddenly a man knocks on his window.The driver rolls down his window and asks, "What happened?"

"Terrorists up ahead have kidnapped the former head of FEMA, Michael Brown, Homeland Security head, Michael Chertoff, Kathleen Blanco, President Bush and all of the insurance Commissioners in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. They are asking for a $100 million ransom. Otherwise they are going to douse them with gasoline and set them on fire. We are going from car to car, taking up a collection."

The driver asks, "How much is everyone contributing?"

"About a gallon."

Crazyguyonabike

Crazyguyonabike is a website devoted to touring reports of cyclists. Lots of good reading there. This week I've been reading a report of Justin and Agata's 200 day tour of Europe. Wow. Really nice report with lots of photos. I've been using Google Earth to follow their route, sometimes even to the point of identifying their locations when taking some photos. Sort of an after the fact cyberstalking.

Snow Day

The snow fell for about 16 or 17 hours and we got about 12 inches. Not bad for this area. Some places nearby got over 20 inches. Sunday was work and play in the snow day. It was hard plowing for the curs'd tractor. It bogged down very quickly, but multiple passes and ramming speed carried me through just about everything. Where the snow drifted in one place it was over three feet deep and I had to go with a snow shovel to take off the light upper layers before I could even make a dent. Right after I finished my neighbor came home with his truck mounted plow. Oh well.

All the time I was working the kids were out playing. We all took a break inside to throw gloves and coats into the dryer for a bit and then went right back out for sledding, exploration of a snowy world, and snowball fights. As evening fell I started a campfire and we relaxed around it as the full moon climbed over the trees to the east. If I couldn't be out on a bike, this was a pretty good alternative.

Starting to snow

Looks like the first snow of 2006 is starting to stick. Fortunately it didn't come early enought to interfere with the kid's basketball, but it looks like tomorrow's ride will be done on the trainer. One of the best feelings is to be snug in the house with a fire going and the snow falling outside. My kids tell me the only thing which could make it better is if this were a weeknight, so school would have a chance of being cancelled.

Windy

I couldn't see any real reason (no $$$) to go to the bike swapmeet in Westminster this weekend, so I hit the road instead. Sunday's ride was out and about the Linganore watershed. Winter has made it's return and the wind was fierce, but I dressed warmly and had a good time. The boring sessions in the basement on the trainer seem to be showing some benefit, as my seated climbing is getting stronger. Still have a long way to go, as I ran out of legs and lungs on three hills and did a bit of walking. More photos here.

Bike Books For Sale

OK, I mentioned this a while back, but I've been cleaning out the basement and have some stuff ready to go. This is the bike related reading material. Other books, and eventually all sorts of stuff is HERE. Price listed plus actual packaging and mailing costs.

Shire 173, Early Bicycles, Nick Clayton, 19865, Softcover $3.00
Shire 174, The Safety Bicycle, Ian Jones, 1986, Softcover $3.00
Bikes and Trikes of Long Ago, Chandler Press, Softcover $1.00
Miles From Nowhere, Barbara Savage, 1983, Mountaineers, Softcover $3.00
Travels in a Strange State, Josie Dew, 1984, Little Brown & Co, Softcover $1.00
Metal Cowboy, Joe Kurmaskie, 2002, Three Rivers Press, Softcover $3.00
Round Ireland in Low Gear, Eric Newby, 1998, Lonely Planet, Softcover $3.00
25 Bicycle Tours in Maryland, Anne Oman, 1994, Backcountry Publications, Softcover $1.00
Ireland, A Bicycle, and a Tin Whistle, David Wilson, 1995, McGill-Queen's University Press, Softcover $3.00
The Road of Dreams, Bruce Junek, 1991, Images Of The World, Softcover $3.00
French Revolutions, Tim Moore, 2001, St Martins Press, Hardcover $8.00
Short Bike Rides in Connecticut, Mullen & Griffith, 1995, Globe Pequot Press, Softcover $1.00
Bicycling, Fichter & Kingbay, 1972, Golden Press, Softcover Make Offer
Around the World on a Bicycle, Thomas Stevens, 1888/1988, Century, Softcover Make Offer
Bike Cult David B Perry, 1995 Four Walls Eight Windows, Softcover Make Offer
Effective Cycling, John Forrester, Softcover Make Offer
Richards Bicycling Book, Ballantine and Grant, Dorling Kinderly, 1992, Hardcover Make Offer
The Bicycle, Pryor Dodge, Flammarion 1996, Hardcover Make Offer

Magazines

Price is for entire bundle.

Bike
Nov/Dec 1996 Vol3 #10
May 97 Vol4#4
June 2001 Vol8 #5
Sep 2001 Vol8 #8
Oct 2001 Vol8 #9
May 2002 Vol9 #4
June 2002 Vol9 #5
Jun 2002 Vol9 #6
Sep2002 Vol9 #8
Nov/Dec2002 Vol9 #10
Mar 2005 Vol12#1
$5.00

Tandem and Family Cycling
Summer 96 VII
Fall 96 VIII
Winter 96 IX
Spring 97 X
Summer 97 XI
Winter 97 XIII
Spring 98 XIV
Summer 98 XV
Fall 98 XVI
$10.00

Adventure Cycling
1996 - May, June, July, Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec
1997 - Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec
1998 - Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul
$10.00

Mountain Bike rider (UK)
Sep 2000 Vol4 #6
Oct 2000 Vol4 #7
Dec 2000 Vol4 #10
Jul 2001 Vol5 #4
Sep 2001 Vol5 #6
Oct 2001 Vol5 #7
Jan 2002 Vol5 #10
$5.00

Cycling Plus (UK)
Dec/Jan 2003
Dec/Jan 2004
Sep 1996
Aug 1998
Jun 1997
$5.00

Dirt Rag
Issues 87, 89-116
$30.00

sadness

Bad news arriving at work today. On of my co-workers apparently took his own life last night. When Dave started here we shared an office, but I moved into a different group and moved offices after about 2 years, so hadn't been in close contact with him for several years, but we'd see each other around. There were some good folks here trying to get him some help, but it just didn't happen.

Rest in Peace Dave.