Marathon

I can't seem to get away from marathon runners. Not that I'm actively trying to get away, but it seems like I always have a friend or acquaintance who's training for some long distance running. They're always talking about injuries, and long run distances, and negative splits and whatnot. These folks think I'm crazy for commuting in -10 degree weather. Sure, it's not fun but it lasts for 20-30 minutes. Tops. Who wants to run (also not fun) for 4-5 HOURS? That's crazy.

If you take the act of running out of the equation, I can see the draw to the sport. Unless you're Shalane Flanagan, you're not going to 'win'. Which means you get to define 'win' for yourself. It's an epic challenge, so for many a 'win' is simply finishing. It really is an accomplishment you can be proud of. Also- who wouldn't like a race where you get a medal, no matter where you place. I could get into that. Only without running.

So fast forward to yesterday, I was dialing in my full suspension ride for the season (it's the world's ugliest Blur XC, but it'll do), and got thinking about maybe doing some MTB racing. That said, I'm always thinking about doing some MTB racing, and so far I can count all of the races I've done on one finger. At some point I have to stop talking about it and actually do it (like now, would be good). Any type of race for me would be a personal challenge, not so much of a 'race to win' event, but I'm definitely intrigued by the idea of an epic event. Mountain biking is something that I could do for 4-5 hours, so why not some epic MTB marathoning? Like this or this? Not to mention I'm going to hit one of those 'milestone' birthdays in 2011, and it seems like that's a thing you do- try something hard/epic/new/crazy/noteworthy to prove you're not old yet.

Of course, that would mean some serious time on the bike. I have already taken the first step in achieving my goal of racing by writing about it here. So now it's time to stop thinking about and stating publicly, and start riding. I can put the time in while all my pals are out running 10:40s on their long runs.

HELMET SALE

No joke.

Nutcase is out with some sweet, sweet new features for their 2011 noggin protectors. New fitting system, 360 degrees of reflectivity, and a one hand-able(!) buckle make these babies even better. To make room for the 2011 helmets that are coming to Hub on Wednesday 3/23 we're going to sell the 2010s we have in stock at 20% off!

Here's everything we have in stock (when they're gone, they're gone...):

Pink 8 ball (Small/Medium)
Argyle (S/M)
Superstar (or 'the Evil Kinevil') (S/M)
Paint Fight (S/M)
Checkboard (S/M)
Hula Lounge (S/M)
Glitter Star (S/M)
Danger (S/M)
Blackdana (S/M)
Argyle (Large/X Large)

Clean up

So maybe you've been doing some home maintenance on your bike. Maybe you've fixed a flat, or dutifully lubed your chain. Now your hands look like this:

Band-aid.

The grime that comes off your bike is a special kind of filth. It's especially tenacious and resistant to regular soap. I know, I wash my hands a dozen times a day. I use a heavy duty, gritty citrus hand cleaner, that comes in a heavy duty quantity.


But let's say you don't want to buy a gallon of heavy-duty, professional strength hand cleaner. One of my other favorites is Lava soap (it's made with pumice... get it?). Also gritty, and available in bar form at your neighborhood grocery store. It's not as quick as the citrus stuff and I think it takes a little more elbow grease to remove bike grease with Lava, so I like to pair it with a nice nail brush.



But maybe you don't have your Lava soap handy, or you hate volcanoes. In a pinch, you can use dish soap. WAIT! Don't wash just yet. To really, really get all the grease off your hands you have to scrub your hands with liquid dish soap DRY. That's the trick. Put the soap on your dry, bike grimy hands, scrub it in, then wash it off with warm water. You might have to go in for another round, but it works much better if your hands are dry for the first round. Trust me.


It's good to get your hands dirty every once in a while (or every day), but it's also good to clean them in case you want to have a sandwich or something.

7 days a week

It's time. Slowly but surely. the spring, and the cycling masses are coming back. Two weeks ago people stopped into the shop to say they were thinking about considering taking the time to contemplate making a decision about bringing their bikes in for a tune up. Last week people stopped into say they definitely decided to bring their bikes in for a spring tune up, some time in the future. This week the bikes are coming in. And a bunch of the bikes look like this:

This is what early spring looks like.

To make sure we're available to make everyone's bicycle dreams come true, we're now open 7 days a week! Here's how it breaks down:

Monday-Friday 11am-7pm
Saturday-Sunday 12-5pm

That's 50 hours a week for you to get a tune up, pick up a patch kit, take a maintenance clinic, geek out about mountain biking (or any kind of biking, really) with me, get a new helmet, get a flat fixed, etc.

Web log block

I'm suffering from a little writers' block. I have a few bike-y topics I'd like to write about here, but I just can't seem to put the thought train into words. I'm realizing it was easier to write posts when I was pretty sure only my mom was reading. Now that there are probably 10-12 more of you out there, I'm feeling the (self imposed) pressure to infotain.

So anyway, in the mean time I've been reading some interesting articles about bike commuting and bike economy. Like this. And this. If you read this blog, I think it's safe to assume you probably like bikes, at least a little. So what's in these articles probably isn't a surprise to you, but they're still a good read. Sometimes I like to read a little pro-bike literature after a particularly cold commute, or a bad interaction with a surly driver, just to lift my spirits.

Spring Preview

High 50s and into the 60s tomorrow. As a native New Englander, I know this is not the start of spring. Just a little preview to keep everyone from totally losing it. It will most likely snow again, at least once more, before winter is really over, but I'll take it.

This little warm up is melting the giant snowbanks, which is three parts awesome and two parts a drag. The awesome is that as the snow banks melt, cars have have their parking spaces back, and we cyclists can have our bike lanes back. One of the drags is this:

Gross. As the snow disappears, we're left with dirty piles of trash. Although I did just find that red straw I lost in December.

The other drag is that the snow turns into water, flows into the reappearing bike lanes, and makes fenders pretty necessary even on a beautiful day like this. I have my humble opinions on bicycle aesthetics. Fenders are one of those things that I think bikes look better without. But I'm willing to give up looks, if it involves keeping the water that melted out of that snow pile off of my back.

I meant to write up a little review of Portland Design Works' Origami Fender before the winter hit. Just like all other quick mount style rear fenders, it's lightweight and easy to install. The feature that sets it apart from those other guys (and what I most appreciate) is that it's easily stashed in a back pack (or messenger bag, if that's what you're into). The 'mud flap' part of the fender is made of thin flexible plastic (think this), that snaps onto the seat post mount. Unsnap them, and they'll easily fit without sticking out. See?:

Bag w/ regular fender

Bag w/ origami fender™

Function when you want to keep trashy snow water from soaking you. Easy stowing when the weather turns nice.

Surly Troll

I mentioned last post that I had a new bike. I got this bike because I needed fewer bikes. Don't worry, it makes sense. My collection was getting out of hand. There are good reasons to have more than one bike, but at some point it gets to be too much. One reason is because I like a good project. I'd gotten to the point where I was finishing a project bike, and then picking up another one, to put the extra parts from the first project to good use. Or I'd want to try something new, like a 2-speed kickback hub, or a disc braked fixed gear, you know, product testing. So I can provide sound, tested opinions and suggestions. I suppose I could have gotten a Surly Cross Check. It's a frame I really like, and would allow for lots of parts swapping, but no disc brakes. And I already have a 'cross bike.

Enter the Surly Troll. 26" wheel bike, with means to attach anything you want (within reason)- disc brakes, full line guides, post mount brakes, derailleurs, racks (front and rear), fenders, specially threaded holes to attach their new trailer, and horizontal dropouts for single speeding.


Here's how I have mine built up (for now):

Riding in a winter wonderla... ugh. It's gross.

Single speed. Right now it's fixed. Front hydraulic brake. My favorite seat/saddle and handlebars. And giant tires. 26 x 2.4! I know they're excessive, and my choice is almost purely aesthetic. I just prefer the way they fill up the frame, especially on a mountain bike. If I was a car person, I would probably be this A-hole guy:


So far I've enjoyed the ride. The heavy, heavy wheels/tires do take a little energy to wind up, but if I keep them up to max air pressure it's not so bad. Plus, I don't fear the potholes quite as much on the 2.4s. Which is important for my daily commute these days- have you seen S'ville Beacon Street? Pinch flat city.

I'm looking forward to taking it off road a little. And probably for a little light touring. And give it a geared drive train sometime. Or 3 speed. And maybe try it with some skinny tires. Or whatever other project I can come up with.