Spring has Sprung

Spring has arrived in the Pacific Northwest - at least temporarily - decent weather doesn't officially arrive until July 5th.  Just kidding - sorta.

Almost 70 degrees on Sunday and Monday, practically a heat wave for this time of year.  Unfortunately, the warm weather and resulting pollen explosion raise havoc with my allergies.  To add to the misery, also my turn for a nasty cold that circulated through the family.  I've been down for the count for two days now.

Until the one, two punch of nasal torture, did squeeze two rides in - which probably didn't help matters.  Still, no way I'm passing up two 70 degree days hiding inside.

Sunday, did a mountain bike cruise through our local woods with my son Ian.  Monday, I commuted to work - usual 34 mile round trip.

Some actual photographic proof....

Scenic shot - complete with cyclone fence - I am the master photographer.  Lake Washington as viewed from the Burke-Gilman trail as it passes through Log Boom Park in Kenmore.  Fence blocks off new restrooms under construction.  To the left, out of view - new playground for the kids.  Bald eagle sightings common near this park. Much of my bike commute looks like this.  I can't complain.

No rain means no fenders.  Old steel Ibis sulks at home, while new carbon Ibis frolics in the sun - powered by skinny, pasty white legs.

Here I blur the camera and senses with impressive speed - even riding one handed, camera recording race winning pass.  Dude never knew what hit him.  I am Dork Boy, hear me roar.

Cooler weather is already here and rain expected tomorrow.  Please resume all normal activities - fenders included.

Designed in USA

Bicycle Retailer reports today that Cannondale will cease manufacturing frames in the US by 2011.  I guess they'll have to replace the Handmade in USA sticker that graces the seat stay with Designed in USA.  Like many other products that were manufactured in the US, construction will move to Asia.  I don't even like to call bikes "products" - to me they're more then that.

When it comes down to it - only the frames were made here - everything else comes from somewhere else.  Besides high end, boutique components - very few parts of a bicycle are still manufactured here in the US.  So who cares about the frame?  I do. We're losing something when this practice continues to happen - since the frame is the soul of the bike.

I know globalization is complicated.  I've owned a Volkswagen GTI that was assembled in Pennsylvania.  I currently drive a Nissan SE-R that came off an assembly line in Tennessee. The Aprilia Falco motorcycle that once graced my garage was made in Italy, but the motor came from Austria.  I've owned a long list of Japanese motorcycles and one modern Triumph, built in England.  On top of that, many years ago - various cars from Italy, Germany, England and the US.

I've owned a fair amount of nice bicycles over the last 25 years or so. Frames made in the US, Japan, Taiwan and China.  So, it's not like I'm completely a "made in the USA or die" zealot.  Still, hearing the Cannondale news bothers me.

I'm just as guilty or hypocritical as many on this subject, even though many times you don't have a real choice when buying something.  I've worked for a few manufacturing companies in the past, providing IT support.  I've witnessed the manufacturing area converted to a warehouse after production moved to China.  I've heard all the pro arguments supporting such a move.  I don't care - you're still losing something important.

My next bike - if at all possible - will sport a frame manufactured in the US.  That's my little stand in a sea of things I can't really control.

Big Visors and Bar Ends

Found this while cruising YouTube (the ultimate time waster) - '90s footage of XC racing in its heyday.  John Tomac, Tinker Juarez, Juli Furtado and others.  Pick 'em out and win a prize.  Well, not really - but take a look.

On top of it all, soundtrack from one of my favorite Seattle bands - Gas Huffer.  Not a bad find after a little Internet poking around.

It is the Information Superhighway after all - no?  Yes indeed.

Rock Around the Clock

I am lame.  Due to work, family, weather and other reasons - including allergies that are killing me this spring - I've barely ridden a bike in over two weeks.  Well, outside anyway - excluding a cruise around the neighborhood over the weekend.

I have however hit the trainer in the garage a few times.  This usually occurs after the family has settled in - so, ah - 10:00 PM or so.  The other night it was 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM on the trainer.  Yeah - then try to sleep afterwards.  Climb off the thing soaked with sweat, ears ringing from iPod set to stun.  Perfect way to wind down before bed.

Today's torture session was a little early, 9:30 PM - 10:30 PM.  As I'm spinning along on my old RB-1, mounted on a 1980s era Supergo wind trainer, sitting in a cluttered garage, sweating away with the Ramones blasting in my ears - wonder how many other 47 year old guys are doing the same thing.

Must be at least 3 other idiots somewhere in the world rocking around the clock with me.

Then again, maybe not....

Tax Time. Touch Me I'm Sick.

It's that time of year - you know it, you love it, you can't live without it - tax time.  I can't really complain, since we usually score a refund.  Well, I can complain where the tax dollars go - but that's another story.

We've been going to the same tax guy for 15+ years - Calvin McLaughlin - nice guy who started a tax preparation business out of his house after retiring from Boeing.  Our taxes are not that complicated, we could probably do 'em ourselves. However, being way too easy to delay such festivities, an appointment with Calvin ensured the deed was done and correct papers filed.

We'd sit in the small home office, handing over paperwork, while Calvin filled out the official government forms, tapping away on his PC.  A few years later, we'd have to entertain our kids in the small room while this went on. Calvin's wife, who always seemed nice, would poke her head in to say hello - along with their dog, Lucky.

Over the years Calvin mentioned a few times that his son played "Rock 'N' Roll" and traveled around the world.  I'm the rock fan for sure, but for whatever reason never asked for more details.  I couldn't think of anyone even semi-famous with the last name McLaughlin. Teenaged picture of said son sitting on bookshelf, next to Cub Scout era Pinewood Derby car, didn't look familiar.  Finally, during one yearly visit I asked about his son.  "Have you ever heard of Mudhoney"?  "My son is Mark Arm".  I got a big kick out of this - and still do.  Further proof that the breeding ground for rock is mainstream suburbia.

I'm not a hardcore Mudhoney fan, but have a few CDs and dig some of their stuff.  During the grunge era that put Seattle on the map, Mudhoney should have gotten huge, but for whatever reason did not. They're an important band for many reasons and I'm lame for never experiencing them live.  Oh well.  They're still cranking out music, so I guess I have time.

Even after Calvin retired from the tax business, well into his 80s, he kept a few customers - including us.  We called him this year to set up an appointment, but he mentioned he's been sick - maybe in a few weeks.  We were sorry to hear that news and considered our Calvin era over.  I can no longer say I get my taxes done by Mark Arm's dad - my claim to fame - along with never seeing Star Wars.  Hey, I don't have much.

An old mountain bike and motorcycle pal of mine, Tony Meier, recommended a new tax guy.  New guy came over, collected our info and did a great job - refund is on the way.  He's also training for the STP this year and inspected my pile of bikes in the garage.  William is his name, taxes and number crunching is his game.

Perhaps a new era begins.

From the Archives: 1988 Mountain Bike Specialists Catalog

Pulled from the official Dan O mountain bike archives - a 1988 Mountain Bike Specialists catalog - select pages (poorly) scanned for your amusement.

The mountain bike world was fairly simple back then. Suspension and disk brakes were a long way off. However, by this point quite a few companies had jumped on the MTB bandwagon.

Being insane, I remember receiving this catalog in 1988 and pouring over it. It was mailed in a Mountain Bike Specialists water bottle, an idea I thought was great. It arrived right before my wife and I were headed to dinner with my parents at Sizzler in Rockaway, New Jersey. That's right - Sizzler, remember those? I flipped through the catalog while we waited to get in. Why do I remember this - 'cause I'm insane - like I said.

Here's a few pages straight outta '88....

I included this page since it mentioned Ned Overend answering phones for the shop. After an additional few NORBA and world championships - he probably was allowed to bag the phone patrol.

This '88 Fat Chance is similar to the '86 Fat I own and posted about previously. I also own the Ibis Trials Comp pictured. I'll get around to posting that bike sooner or later.

This was the early age of aluminum. The Klein bikes were trick for their time. Guy pictured raced a NORBA national and did a 400 mile road tour on the same bike - pretty cool, eh?


This was back when Tom Ritchey produced his own bikes - welded by the man himself. That red and white Super Comp looks sweet. Check out the mile long stem.

Double click on the pictures for better viewing. Pretend it's 1988 and you're in line at Sizzler checking out the latest in mountain bike technology.

All you can eat buffet soon to follow. Burp.

The Rider by Tim Krabbe

I’ve heard of this book, but have never read it – until doing a little bike related media swapping with a fellow rider and coworker recently. I loaned him my Sunday in Hell and The Tour Baby! DVDs in exchange for his copy of The Rider.

I rarely read fiction. To me, real life is wacky enough, so there's little need to make anything up. Since this was a cycling based novel, what the hell – I gave it a go. Turns out I enjoyed it quite a bit. Really well written tale of a blow by blow account of a race, by the authors view in the race itself. Flashbacks to his childhood and other events included.

Originally published in Holland, it was translated to English in 2002. If you race bikes you can relate to the story, and even if you don’t race, it will make you want to race – or completely put that idea out of your head.

Literature genius, I ain't..... see what I mean? Google this book for more in depth reviews from people who are actually qualified for such matters. In school I basically majored in motocross and Ted Nugent. What can I say?

A few random examples from the book - he sucks you in from the first paragraph....

Meyrueis, Lozere, June 26, 1977. Hot and overcast. I take my gear out of the car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.

On a bike your consciousness is small. The harder you work, the smaller it gets. Every thought that arises is immediately and utterly true, every unexpected event is something you'd known all along but had only forgotten for a moment. A pounding riff from a song, a bit of long division that starts over and over, a magnified anger at someone, is enough to fill your thoughts.

Forty-three nineteen. My gear lever feels like scab on a wound. During our reconnaissance ride I was using forty-three twenty here. Now I'm sticking to the nineteen, a matter of willpower. Krabbe's twenty was still clean as a whistle. Shifting is kind of a painkiller, and therefore the same as giving up. After all, if I wanted to kill my pain, why not choose the most effective method? Road-racing is all about generating pain.

As far as real life being more interesting then fiction, Jay - the guy that loaned me the book - got hooked on bikes about a year ago - along with his significant other, Jamie. They both now commute, tour and ride for fun - with multiple bikes each. Jay has lost 60 pounds and said bikes changed his life. To me, that's more impressive then any book written about riding.

Real life wins again.