The Old Bag

Through the Window

2012-01-23T19:11:00.000-06:00

I want

that

bicycle, the one that says

goin' somewhere...and

maybe I'll think about coming back....

- OB and I want to go with it

Nirvana

2012-01-20T16:16:00.002-06:00

In 1996 I bought my first road bicycle.

I had ridden thousands of miles on a Giant Prodigy comfort hybrid during the previous four years; had seen the coast of Oregon and the Canadian Rockies a week at a time from an upright position. As I watched riders on road bicycles fly past me on those tours, I didn’t really understand the wow-you’re-doing-this-on-a-hybrid comments. I simply assumed they had fitness that I didn’t.

It was during a tour across Minnesota that summer that I rode my first century. The day’s route was about 70 miles, with an extra 30-mile option around mile 60. It was a relatively flat course with a couple of rollers, and the decision point was late enough in the ride that my friend and I had plenty of time to think about it.

The day was perfectly blue and perfectly mild. By the cutoff we were still feeling fresh. We had nothing to do all day but ride, so we did.

Over those 30 highchair-positioned miles I pondered road bicycles as small groups of them passed me with riders on the hoods, in the drops, on the tops. Somewhere around mile 75 my lower back started aching, and the extra foam of my lycra-covered saddle that had been so comfortable...well, it wasn’t anymore. The bull-horns on my hybrid didn’t allow the hand positions that would give my back and backside a break.

The light bulb warmed, then illuminated.

A couple weeks later I was off to find a road bike.

It was a LeMond Zurich that convinced me I could give up a granny ring for the double -- one test climb up Williston Road was enough for me to know that a lighter weight bicycle and different position meant I could go places more easily and more comfortably than I’d ever imagined.

It was cycling nirvana.

I’d never need to, nor why-would-I-ever-want-to, buy another bicycle.

- OB I was pretty naïve in '96

Almonzo

2012-01-12T07:22:00.001-06:00

In January it’s easy

to say yes to a 100-mile gravel ride in May.

...

When the weather is beautiful,

in January it’s easy

to say yes to a 100-mile gravel ride in May.

...

When training is effortless on 50-degree sunny days

when the weather is beautiful,

in January it’s easy

to say yes to a 100-mile gravel ride in May.

...

As temperatures plummet to single digits I mourn

when training was effortless on 50-degree sunny days

when the weather was beautiful,

in January when it was easy

to say yes to a 100-mile gravel ride in May.

-The just what-the-hell was I thinking?! Old Bag

My Fault

2012-01-07T06:55:00.002-06:00

Last Thursday saw record high temps across the upper midwest. One area of MN recorded a 60 degree day, one of only ten 60 degree January days to be had in the last 120 years...one day out of a possible 3,720 January days to hit 60 degrees. Our chance of a 60 degree day in January is...well, it’s infinitesible. But that's the winter we're having.

And, hitting the mark this year is my fault...our fault.

Last February, we test rode fat bikes over piles of snow on the playground of the neighborhood school. I told Wheel, “If we do this, we’ll have the first brown winter in six years.” But, he was having none of that argument, and we put down our money.

In April we got our Fatbacks...

...that have seen 2” of snow...

...over the span of one afternoon.

Over the past eight months, we’ve had them out on bare trails, sand, gravel, singletrack, rail lines and a few fire roads. The bikes are a hoot. But I knew it would happen: we’d get snow bikes and then all of us would face down the brownest winter in a decade.

I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make a big deal about it. We feel bad enough.

-TheOldbummerBag

Riding at 17 Degrees

2011-12-24T10:15:00.001-06:00

between the eyes
headache
without the pleasure
of ice cream

- TOchillyB

Maiden Voyage

2011-12-09T18:14:00.002-06:00

- TOB or is the maiden voyaging?

Fatbiking Cuyuna

2011-10-05T11:24:00.068-05:00

The Cuyuna Mountain Bike Trail System is a fascinating view into reclamation of old mining land...not necessarily our reclamation, but nature's. It's part of a larger outdoor recreation area. The 30-mile trail system is built on top of 200 ft. high iron ore tailing heaps that are now overgrown with aspen, basswood, birch and red oak. The summits look out over what used to be iron ore mines (some up to 500 ft. deep), now water-filled and used for underwater exploration and kayaking as well as for trout, northern, bass, crappie, sunfish and walleye fishing.

There are lots of ins and outs to the trail system, and it's a great place for riders of various levels to ride together. While losing a riding partner is possible, it's always easy to connect again.

The trails leave telltale red dust on everything, and they leave the clinks of glass-shard shaped rock in one's memory...Shred the Red, as they say.

This time, I shredded it fat.

The bottom of the climb.

Red dust from iron ore tailings covers everything.

Photo op on the climb it's all about timing * huff * * puff *.

More dust=more cleaning sigh

Looking out over Alstead Mine Lake. Yes, we started from waaay down there...or somewhere close by!

ONE tiny puddle is all it takes, I guess.

If I'm not dirty at the end of a ride, fun wasn't had!

- OB livin' fat!

Don't Even Ask....

2011-10-03T19:53:00.001-05:00

...because I couldn't explain it anyway!

- The Bag but it has something to do with Fatbiking on singletrack

The Commute

2011-09-29T21:22:00.000-05:00

- The so busy Old I'm Bag exhausted

And so I Write about Bicycling

2011-09-02T23:12:00.013-05:00

and so I write about bicycling

because if I don’t my mind whirs through the night

over my profession

of learning and joy and creativity

that hasn’t anymore

because test scores dictate

because budgets are part of the chess board

and legislators override professional judgment

and one of us is doing the work of two of us

and because it all matters too much,

and so I write about bicycling

because a matching kit doesn’t really matter

and joy can be found in a paceline

or outside of one

because clearing the log the first time is a celebration

and because great flow is as good as great sex

and because all of it is beauty

and joy and freedom

and

it

saves me

- ob

big man

2011-08-01T15:43:00.011-05:00

sure pedal strokes

determination in your position

definition in your legs

your voice resonates confidence

passing on your left

you've become a cyclist
but
if we’re going to continue meeting like this

we’ll need to talk

because these days

I’m seeing just a bit too much of you

-tob seein' his entire backside through the shorts...but we've all been there

Lorraine

2011-07-30T10:10:00.000-05:00

Betty just has more get-up-and-go than...than...Aunt Lorraine, here! I blurted out, as I topped the hill. It had been a rainy few days and we grabbed the bikes with fenders and racks—the Long Haul Truckers—for our Saturday breakfast ride, and I forgot.

* sigh *

I forgot that I wasn’t riding Betty. Climbing? The LHT can’t be persuaded to get all excited about it. She’ll take me places and haul things that Betty won’t touch, but she won’t be something she’s not...and she’s just not racy.

You know an Aunt Lorraine. She can’t be hurried. Around her, life is relaxed and comfortable, but underneath all that deliberateness there’s potential for adventure.

Lorraine likes a good beer, three squares a day, and a gin tonic on summer nights during poker games. She’s a sturdy woman...not fat, mind you, but tall and solid. Fifty years ago she’d have been called a spinster. Now she’s simply a grown-up tomboy, independent as hell, who has her own way moving through the world.

Aunt Lorraine’s got a past, and when she’s in the right mood you’ll hear about some of it. She’ll trail off and smile, then offer you some more iced tea before the two of you head off in the truck...that old Sorrenson place just outside town is waiting to be explored.

Lorraine makes you see parts of yourself in a different way. Things that are neither good nor bad she simply paints in new colors, and you find yourself hmmmm-ing and nodding. She helps you realize there’s more to life than the block you live on, and there’s more about time than the here and now.

The way it’s always been?

There just may be another way.

- Old Bag learning new tricks

The Gentleman

2011-07-20T21:13:00.005-05:00

And what about you? says he.

Me? Well... says I.

Would you be interested? says he.

Interested, sure. I love the idea, but the reality of 100 gravel miles? I don’t know, says I.

Nice thing is there’s time enough for dedicated training, says he.

Who else’ve you talked to? says I.

Well, there’s Wheel, here...Jerry’s interested...Dan, but logistics are tough being 10 hrs away...rides like this really aren’t Tim’s thing.... says he.

I’d be the slow one, says I.

Time is called when the fourth one rolls through. The three others
take
good
care
of the fourth. That’s why it’s called a gentleman’s ride, says he.

Hmm, says I. My brows scrunch together.

What about Jimmy? Have you talked to Jimmy? says the other.

What...and have him nurse MY ass along all day!?! says he.

- tob * sigh...so I guess it's gotta be mine *

Adolescent Nightmare

2011-07-10T07:11:00.000-05:00

It had been a hot, sticky morning commute.

I was at my desk hoping to cool down before changing, but the library was warm and still...

don’t they turn on the AC in this place during the summer? is there a fan ANYWHERE?

My distress growing, I grabbed my bag and headed off to the nearest restroom

where I stripped off my cycling clothes, leaned on the door, and stared at the floor tiles

and smiled at the irony

of being in a junior high bathroom stall wearing nothing but flowered anklets and black shoes

and feeling relief.

-OB is this living the dream?

Member-ship

2011-07-02T22:48:00.000-05:00

I would have been just flinging my penis around I said in response to Wheel’s question. He’d asked why I hadn’t mentioned my racing background while on a ride with another couple.

We were riding with the local tandem club, and this couple was one we hadn’t ridden with before. The ride was 72 hilly miles around a wide spot of the Mississippi...about 2000 feet of climbing and descending.

The man, in particular, seemed surprised that they couldn’t keep up with us on the downhills, and he latched onto the obvious: our size must have been our downhill advantage. We had 55-60 pounds on them, which is significant on descents. However, with your size you’re also going to take more wind.... The scenario wasn’t seeming to make sense to him. We must have gapped them more than he expected.

Later in the ride, Wheel and I waited in the shade by the side of the road so we could ride into town with the group. We’d had a good energy spurt after lunch and had put quite a gap on our new friends. As the couple arrived, Tandem Man again mentioned the obvious. You guys just rode away from us! Then to me, I’ve noticed on the downhills that you go aero...I’ve never seen a stoker do that. The statement seemed odd to me, but I said simply that it’s automatic. I also mentioned that I grab the top tube with my knees. He didn’t pursue that point, however.

Had he pursued it, he could have learned that grabbing the top tube with the knees reduces frame wobble and prevents forward momentum from being wasted on side-to-side motion -- it also increases safety and handing. He may have reasoned that it helps to distribute that weight at a point between the seat and the top tube (without actually moving forward on the seat and compromising safe positioning) and it gets the knees out of the wind. Had he asked, we may have talked about weight that’s forward pulling the bicycle forward--consider a fishing line and sinker. He would also have learned that being in the drops, pulling-in the elbows and positioning the crank arms parallel to the ground contribute to a faster yet safer descent as well. And a faster descent is a great setup for the next hill. He could have had a few miles to practice with his stoker and feel the effects.

But instead, the chit chat moved onto some bicycle component.

Earlier in the ride there had been brief talk between Tandem Man and Wheel about men and their penises in the context of cycling. I commented that both men AND women have testosterone surges. Tandem Man laughed and agreed, but added that women manifest it with much more grace and subtlety during a ride than what men seem to muster.

The conversation drifted onto other things: choice of fork, how we liked the disc brakes, what other tandems we’d ridden, their other tandem was a mountain tandem, their wheels are lighter than....

I used to race mountain bikes, said Tandem Man.

So, when Wheel later asked why I hadn’t brought up that I used to race, I told him that most people hear racing and think speed. What I learned from racing was how to use everything I can to my advantage, that subtle positioning affects performance in profound ways. Those concepts would’ve been lost. In the end, bringing up my racing would have been nothing more than me swingin’ muh penis around.

So instead, we buried them on the hills.

Sometimes the best teaching involves leaving the student to grapple with his questions.

- The O testosterone? me?? B

Grillin' and Chillin'

2011-06-25T07:41:00.000-05:00

An entire 17 lb bag of Kingsford Charcoal with the lid zipped....

- OB amazed by the simple things....

Beautiful

2011-06-24T08:05:00.001-05:00

5:30 on the concrete pedestrian bridge
I coast to a stop
over 6 lanes of Highway 100
grab onto the rusty chain link fence
watch lanes of traffic below
and smile at the smell of exhaust fumes
because for right now
I’m not a part of the rat race

- The Old it's summer Bag

Fatbiking in June

2011-06-18T22:10:00.001-05:00

sounds like a ‘61 Chevy Impala convertible
baby blue
making the slow turn onto a gravel road
under the full moon
on a deep summer’s night

- ob

One of These Things....

2011-06-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

is not like the other....

-The one of these Old things just Bag doesn't belong :-)

Blockin' out the Scenery, Breakin' my Mind

2011-05-10T22:29:00.002-05:00

And the sign said anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight

So I jumped on the fence and I yelled at the house, "Hey! What gives you the right?

"To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in"

"If God was here he'd tell you to your face, Man, you're some kinda sinner"

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

- OB with a bike that can go anywhere, but she's not allowed....

Urban Camouflage

2011-05-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

-OB too much fun!

Recognition

2011-05-04T20:51:00.001-05:00

Part 2

the cyclist
riding toward me
sat up as we approached
and threw out a big wave
I saw the front Larry
“Hey, BUDDY!”
I put out a hand
as a smile cracked across my face
and we passed each other
fat-tired fellowship
simple
and sweet

- The fat Old Bag

Part 1

Evolution

2011-04-29T06:48:00.005-05:00

I popped into the shop down the road for a couple of spare tubes. It’s not a place where I spend much time or money. While it’s a polite enough place, the shop where I used to work is closer to home now than it was...and besides, there was that time this shop put the axle and spacers into Wheel’s rear hub facing the wrong direction....

Whatever. It’s less than a mile from home and for an immediate need, I go there.

After paying for the tubes, I did a quick scan of the women’s clothing section as I headed toward the door. It’s tough to shake evolution. Women are gatherers and have been for millennia. We scan our surroundings for color, shape and texture that catches our eye...in a bike shop that’s clothing, helmets, chainrings, SALE signs. Doesn’t matter.

I saw the jersey colors out of my peripheral vision and turned to look. My eyes stopped.

Nipples.

Not brass ones.

In the midst of the clothing rack rose a female mannequin whose nipples cast shadows.

The jersey it was sporting? No clue. It didn’t make an impression.

Typically the only nipples I zero-in on are on a rim. But these, I couldn’t NOT see. Instead of walking over to take a look at clothes, I walked out the door, pissed-off at what was being sold.

It's marketing, obviously to men. I don’t know about other women, but I don’t want my man to give me a jersey and dream of a plastic torso when he sees me wearing it.

While men comprise the largest segment of cycling-related purchases, there are women who are capable cyclists. We not only buy our own clothing, we buy our own equipment and can service it. Our men wouldn’t dream of attempting to buy equipment, much less clothing, for us because we’re that particular about sizing, materials and features. In clothing we want three deep pockets, a chamois that holds up over the long haul, and colors that appeal.

Do nipples draw women over to fondle the polyester? Creepy. Creepy enough to send me out the door.

To the shop manager: do you plan to feature a male mannequin at the top of the men’s rack? one with chiseled rod and balls sporting the latest men’s shorts? No?

Then ditch the nipples if you want women to hang-out and invest some dollars.

- OB with another reason not to go there....

Hallelujah!

2011-04-26T14:15:00.001-05:00

The Fatback came to life on Easter Sunday. Coincidence?

I think a red bashring is a necessity.

Reflective bits

The look-Ma-no-hands pic.

Raw frame with clear coat...industrial chic.

Brownie Lake rogue path off the Cedar Lake Trail.

This is the kind of paved trail I used to avoid....

With the mtb. trails closed until things dry up, we've been pawing around local wooded patches and either side of the RR tracks to find some interesting riding. For a fat lady, she climbs like a dream and she's at her best on gravel, sand, grass and crappy trails. She hikes up her pantlegs and barrels over anything in her way. The hubs = effortless. This was THE only frame left in my size late in the season. Lucky me. I'm liking it.

- ob :-)

Black

2011-04-17T10:25:00.009-05:00

My second bicycle life started somewhere in the early 90s. Several years prior I’d ripped out an article from Shape magazine: supported bicycle touring sounded like something I’d like to try someday. The article ended up in my desk drawer and the thought rolled around the back of my brain for years. In my early 30s I found myself prepping for the Oregon coast with a group of friends.

I headed to the LBS for a tuneup on an old Schwinn Grand Sport. I left the LBS with a new, lightweight, black Giant Prodigy. I liked the red bike...the blue bike, green one, yellow... but I bought the one with the best ride.

Since then I’ve had a variety of bicycles, many in black. At first I likened black to ninja, but over the years the idea has become less numchuk and more little black dress: it goes with anything. I’ve since expanded to silver/raw, since that’s neutral enough as well.

So, I’m now debating a Long Haul Trucker frame and fork. The blue frame is a nice look. But the other night as I was talking to the LBS dude, he and I both mentioned our affinity for black frames. My reason?

Black goes with anything, I said, thinking anodized bits and parts and kit.

A quick Sharpie and the scratches disappear, he said at the same time.

I like the way this guy thinks.

- ob hadn’t thought of that one

No Worries!

2011-04-02T10:50:00.003-05:00

Muscle Memory

says he

Amnesia

says I

- ob feelin' sluggish

Anything You Want!

2011-03-12T22:18:00.000-06:00

- OB

Warm Up

2011-02-27T21:41:00.001-06:00

- OB creek? trail? mudbath? luge run?

Savior

2011-02-26T15:13:00.003-06:00

I was facing winter with the worst fitness I’d had in 15 years.

It was a tough fall. The comings and goings of everyday tasks were tiring. For anything but the essentials, I looked for simplicity...my days were broken into two pieces: work, hang at home. Errands had no place. Exercise wasn’t a player. Socializing? whatever. I hunkered down and rode it out.

Physically, I felt like a glazed donut: fried and squishy, but without the sugary outside. Shuddup! I feel like crap, my uncle is going downhill, and my cat died...damned cat, anyway.

I took the bicycle out now and again, but riding was more complex than I cared to undertake. The season was changing and the decisions were too many: glove liners? windstopper mitts? which tights? how many layers? lube? tires? batteries for lights, schmutz on the derailleur....

It was easier to just grab my trail runners and head out the front door for a jog. I worked up from a few blocks to a couple miles. It got me outside in what was left of the daylight with a minimum of prep and time. But I can’t say I loved it.

In December when I headed out on skis for the first time, it surprised me that my legs were in decent shape. I’ve been out a few times, but skiing just hasn’t captured my heart.

Awhile back, I headed out on the bicycle into a brief bout of crisp sunshine and did a flat ride on the trails near home. The 15 mph headwind surprised me when I turned toward home. Hmmm, my bad: I wasn’t tuned-in to the conditions. I lowered my head and geared down.

I felt alive.

Last weekend, Wheel and I went for a short ride to the ATM. We totaled about eight miles, with temps dropping into the low 20s and clouds rolling in. Gray lenses in my glasses made things drab. My toes were frozen slabs by the end of the ride.

It was exhilarating.

Running saved my fitness. Cycling saves my soul.

- TOB

Under the Influence

2011-02-17T06:53:00.002-06:00

Wheel wants a fat bike. His interest has been growing over the past couple of winters. Admittedly, with the snowfall we’ve had last year and this, a fat bike would be the better ride...studded knobbies just don’t bite over a couple inches of snow. He has headed off to ride singletrack regardless.

Me? Winters are for skiing. Yes, a fat bike would broaden the possiblities for outside play, but the season is relatively short and I’m happy to make-do with what I’ve got, given the cost of a new bicycle. Besides, I put money down last August to hold a spot in line for a custom road frame (after considering Betty’s age and the current asking prices for stock bicycles), so that will be my next bicycle purchase.

After all, road cycling is my deal, right? There’s nothing quite like flying down the road at the speed of happiness...

...unless it’s bombing through the woods....

...in the snow....

He was off to demo a Fatbike.

I couldn’t really have him go without me, could I?

- OBoy!

Flying Down Xenwood

2010-12-25T19:29:00.002-06:00

the Xenwood downhill

had been cleared of ice patches by the afternoon's sun

so I could hear the studded tires

against the asphalt

I could hear the tempo increasing

hear the speed

my numb fingers grabbed for the brakes

it was nighttime, after all

I was cold and cautious of the intersection

the driveways between snow piles

that emptied onto Xenwood

near the bottom I let go

as the brakes eased off the disks

the bike relaxed

and flowed into the straightaway

the rush was small

but not

incomprehensible

I pedaled to the street's end where I turned

away from home

and I pedaled up Webster, over 29th

where I saw myself 10 minutes prior

in the tracks of the wet snow

they wobbled left and right

I remembered holding my line

the snow lies

I coasted full-out the second time down

crouched

watching

tires buzzing

fingers ready to grab

but they

didn't

the third time

I stood pedaling up Webster

over 29th

in the sloppy snow

I hit the big ring, pedaled over the top

I flew down Xenwood

spinning

body warm

toes freezing

smile spreading

and this time

at the bottom

turned toward home

- TOfinally satisfiedB

Reset

2010-10-30T11:27:00.016-05:00

clawing my way out of the abyss

is a bit overly dramatic, and it's not like

the only place to go is up

because truly there are lower places, and

starting from square-one

invokes the award for cliché-usage, but damn-it

yesterday I didn't know what to wear for a 50-degree bicycle ride

-ob criminy, how can I not know?!?

Oscar

2010-10-24T20:32:00.002-05:00

2001-2010

Oscar was a kitty, abandoned and fending for himself, when he found my parents in early October, 2001. He came home with me about 2 weeks later and settled easily into the household.

He rid the backyard of bunnies, mice, bumblebees and a wayward bird or two just so you know, if you make a cat drop it! then YOU have to deal with the half-dead bunny...pretty amazing considering he was functionally blind. He could see movement, but would stumble over things in the house that were out of place. A telltale sneeze from the other room meant a diningroom chair had been left out and he'd just rapped his nose.

He was often moving, forever exploring, always finding the chink in the fence. He wasn't much for cuddling, but my lap was his lap...always. Through the years, Oscar taught me the value of sleeping deeply and waking up slowly; that more can be made of love than of hollering; and that in spite of shortcomings, life is best spent barreling ahead.

He was diagnosed with kidney disease about 16 months ago. I'd really counted on him to be an 18-year kitty (Barney set the bar awfully high), but tough beginnings can sometimes mean endings that come sooner.

We had nine years together that we wouldn't have had, had he not popped his face up through the autumn weeds.

I'm very lucky.

- tob with a very empty lap

Instant

2010-09-22T16:25:00.009-05:00

Is your trip business or pleasure? I could see the blurred form of the car rental agent in my peripheral vision. He held the clipboard, pen ready to check a box after I answered.

The car was candy red. My eyes stared past the surface. I felt them sting and I blinked a few times.

Did you know my mother never came home from the hospital after I was born? And they were never close, my dad with her family. They all drifted apart over the years. There was anger, sadness. I don't know what it was, exactly.

And my life was a dad, a sister and brothers. I didn't think to ask questions, it was just the way it was. And no one ever really explained what happened.

But I felt self-conscious as I hit my teenage years. People who knew her were spooked by my uncanny resemblance to my mother. People I'd never met would tell me things about her. Things that I didn't know about someone I should have been familiar with.

Did you know that I would stop at Grandma's house now and again on my way to and from college? One time my uncle was there and we spent hours talking. And he said to come visit him out in California anytime, he'd love to have me.

He repeated the offer in Christmas cards. I can't believe I didn't go visit him until nearly 17 years later. After two family funerals. After he moved to Phoenix.

And you know, once I started visiting, it became a yearly ritual. Phoenix gave me warm spring days riding my bicycle in the desert sun. It gave me the smells of blooming cacti during the depth of Minnesota winters. And my uncle gave me an understanding of my mother and of her life and ultimately of myself.

And did you know...you know he's receiving hospice care now. I'm losing the one who fit all the pieces together for me. I thought he'd be here forever.

I took a breath.

Neither, I answered.

- tob

Here's The Deal

2010-09-20T20:32:00.004-05:00

Well, I've got this deal going on. It's not a huge deal, but it's a deal. Some people have deals like this that are worse. Mine's not worse.

But I have to be on this stuff for this deal. Regularly. And the stuff is starting to tire me out. And give me headaches.

And I'm queasy sometimes...or maybe that's from the kindergarteners who aren't using kleenex. It's hard to tell.

The whole thing has cut into my time lately, because all I want to do once 7:30 hits is go to bed.

And I sometimes do.

Then I get up and go to work in the morning. Who can ever get anything done when so many hours are taken up working?

But tonight I took the bicycle outta the garage and went for a ride. At 7:30. I think I averaged about 4. MPH. I rolled home around 8:00.

And you know? I think I'll do it again sometime. But right now, damn, it's waaaay past my bedtime!

-ob zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Playground

2010-09-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

Hiking outside Hood River, OR, the multi-use trails look a bit different than they do in MN. We were hoping to see someone come by and actually take some of these features, but we had to imagine it.

- TOto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore B

Staring it Down

2010-08-12T13:26:00.006-05:00

We were facing down loop three. We'd done the smaller loop once, we'd done the long loop a couple of times, and we were back contemplating the long loop again before heading home.

There's something I like about completion. I like being finished with something. I like looking back after I'm done and saying And it was Good. We'd done several laps. My riding was nothing stellar that day, but given the extreme heat and dew point combined with the fact that we were at a stopping point, I could have easily said And it was Good and headed back to the car.

My bod felt the way it feels after leaving a sauna: weak and relaxed. But there was daylight left to burn and the heat had been making us stir-crazy inside. The woods were relatively cool by comparison. Wheel was going to do another lap.

I was hesitant to commit -- I liked being done. I could wait for him at the car. I could wait in the shade while drinking an ice cold caffeinated beverage (the hopped beverages were at home). I could spend some time on an out-and-back paved trail. Or, I could start the singletrack loop and bail early at one of several points.

There's strength in the suggestion of another. I decided to join him and start the loop but consider bailing if the attitude or body pooped-out. I like having options.

Typically Wheel holds-up at points along the loop just to be sure I'm fine. Since I was considering taking the shortcut, he said Well, I won't wait for you then. We'd meet back at the car.

It was an interesting comparison knowing I wouldn't see Wheel at any old point along the trail. My thoughts earlier through the loop were: around this curve? at the clearing? I hope he's not waiting at the log pile...I could take that if I wanted to. This time, I knew I'd see him when we were both finished. My thoughts were free to swirl around other things...or, they were free to leave my head completely. I was in my zone as I took rock piles and logs that I'd walked the previous time around. I hit my bail-out points, but decided I wanted to finish.

I'm typically not a whiner when it comes to riding, but that day I had a couple things on my mind and I just wasn't feelin' the love for the effort. On the last loop I surprised myself.

I always want Wheel to be there waiting for me. He makes my life stronger.

It is nice knowing, however, that I've got it inside when I need to face the going on my own.

-OB facin' it

W else WJD?

2010-07-21T22:35:00.000-05:00

And another!

-ob

WWJD?

2010-07-21T09:30:00.001-05:00

For you Jens fans....

- OB shut up legs!

Demons

2010-07-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes
I outride them

Other times
I invite them along
and we have a firm chat

This time
they thought it would be
a nice social ride
but I flatout ignored them

- bag I'm not listening!

Betty

2010-07-09T10:27:00.001-05:00

Betty is seven years old this season. In human years, that's...well, I don't know what that is, but she's no spring chicken.

Neither am I.

I got her right at the end of my racing stint. Bianchi sponsored our team, and I got her for a song. Actually, the frameset was a replacement for a 2000 version that had cracked. Bianchi finally did Scandium right -- I never did race this bicycle, but to me she was a dream to ride over the long miles and the hills.

Lately however, I'm not riding her as much as I used to. This season in particular, long miles have meant aches in my lower back...it's a tough realization. My bod is aging and I need a ride that complements it. Compared to the tandem and the commuter, Betty is just a bit too aggressive in frame geometry and material.

I've started tentatively looking around at road bikes, but I'm in no hurry. And I really question the wisdom in getting something different. There's nothing that says I can't use my old travel bicycle as my everything road bike.

Except.

Except that we all have our reasons why we ride. Some ride to save money. Some ride to save our corner of the world. Some ride to keep in shape, to be social or solitary. Me? it's all of that: it's the groceries, the beer run, the commuting, the road less traveled, the day-long ride just because.

Mostly though, it's about the wind in my face as I'm doing all of that...especially as I'm screaming down the hills.

But it's also about the wind in my face as I'm screaming up the hills. Any old bicycle can follow gravity, it's the breaking-free that I'm looking for.

I need an all-day comfort ride that can climb a hill like a crazy woman. The travel bicycle isn't a crazy woman. It's a safe, careful tourist.

Betty's my crazy lady.

Shorter stem, new seatpost = hopefully more comfort for a bit longer

white bar tape is for dweebs

- OB

Who Knew?

2010-07-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

- OB pretending to be a gardener

How to Buy a Bicycle

2010-07-05T16:57:00.018-05:00

...apparently...

Attempt to establish a connection to the seller by asking: where have I seen you before? I know you look familiar. What shops do you go to? Be sure to inform seller of your prior bike shop employment experience.
Assume there's no reason to ask the seller about her prior bike shop employment experience.
After a particular LBS is mentioned by the female seller, discuss this LBS with the male partner of the seller.
Discuss well cared-for, relatively current bicycle being sold. Say, yeah, I'm looking for a winter ride. Raise eyebrows when seller exclaims how wonderfully the bicycle rides with studded winter tires.
Make a statement about the bicycle's less-than-high chance of selling.
Deadpan when seller acknowledges that while it is a specialized market, two other cyclists have been interested in the bicycle. Unfortunately the fit or feel wasn't quite right.
Establish your ignorance by scoffing about potential buyers who don't understand their cyclocross bicycle size??
Don't actually ride the bicycle you're interested in purchasing.
Ask seller whether or not the cassette has been changed out. When seller reminds you the bicycle only has about 2,000 miles on it and that the chain has been replaced, insist that any cassette needs to be changed out at the time the chain is replaced.
Ignore the seller's educated explanation that frequent chain replacement delays cassette wear.
Further expose your ignorance by pressing the need that well any buyer will need to replace this cassette and chain after the bicycle has been purchased. Use this to justify your offer for $250 less than the asking price.
Hear the seller's bottom line price, but stick to your offer.
Realize that no means no.

By the end of the encounter only $50 separated us, but by that point it was about principle.

Principle: don't sell a loved bicycle to a putz.

- bein' a cranky Ol' Bag
.

How to Sell a Bicycle

2010-07-01T22:53:00.002-05:00

Stop anthropomorphizing. Bicycles aren't people, friends, pets, ponies or sentient beings of any kind. We're the ones who develop attachments; frames and forks don't however, an aluminum seatpost and a steel seat tube....

Quit labeling bicycles as svelte, pretty, genius, hard core, sophisticated or genteel. They're made of [trendy or vintage frame material here] which makes the ride appropriately [stiff, noodly, spritly, harsh, quick].

Don't name your bicycle. Naming it causes problems in the same way it causes problems for the farm kid who inadvertenly names a chick, and then one day has to face Mrs. Peeper sitting on the platter in the middle of the supper table.

Realize that a bicycle never did "carry you away" "help you escape" or "open new doors". YOU pedaled yourself away. YOU escaped. YOU opened the doors. You chose to do it on a bicycle. Smart you.

Remember, a bicycle doesn't have eyes, a heart or memories. Your ride doesn't pine for you after you park it and head inside for the night. YOU experience these things. You will still have memories after a bicycle is gone.

Understand that your riding needs and interests change over time. These changes sometimes require you to sell an old bicycle in order to buy a new one that is a better fit...for instance: you need a mountain bike because Betty just doesn't go there. Don't worry, she won't care that you're two-timing her. She's cool in that way. So don't sell her, sell the old track bike.

Besides, you've gotta know that Italian track frame was just toying with you. Your only contact now is when you bump your head into him as you're grabbing something off the far garage shelf. And does he even say anything?!

Realize that a bicycle hanging in the garage not being used isn't living the life it deserves. Find it a good home with an owner who can give it what it needs: the open road, the parade, the back woods, the competition.

Sell it. And get over it. It's not a loss.

It's giving an old friend new life.

- The said goodbye to a couple of pals Bag

Equation

2010-06-13T19:46:00.000-05:00

+ - = ( ) x ÷
inclination
inspiration
revelation
transformation

- OB make one

Translation

2010-06-02T22:10:00.002-05:00

Overheard at the bike shop:

Do you have any cup holders?

...um, do you mean...bottle cages???

- The Bag and the clerk was so kind and helpful

Not REAL Women

2010-05-29T09:59:00.004-05:00

There's a Wed night ride that meets across the street from an LBS nearby. It's a recreational club ride considered to be at a B pace: short mileage, relaxed pace, social, a warmup to the recreational ride that is scheduled shortly afterward (which is also considered to be a B ride).

This ride meets a couple blocks from home, has a late-afternoon start and end before supper; and it gets me outta the house during the week to socialize at a time of year that I don't much care about being social. It's a nice, easy spin that works out the kinks in the legs and the brain. This past week, we arrived back at the parking lot after the ride with about a half hour until the next ride started up. As we chatted, an LBS shop ride was beginning to gather across the street.

I always feel a few pangs when I see a spirited ride readying--a shop ride used to be an easy one for me. I'm still amazed at the fitness a racer has in comparison to Joe Average Cyclist...even the mediocre racer class that I fell into. I still had the fitness for a few years after I quit racing and, while on shop rides, I enjoyed watching the shop-ride guys expend a ton of energy on a training ride. Knowing when to bank energy, knowing positioning and how to subtly push a shop-ride guy out into the wind were advantages I had, and I enjoyed playing a few games on the unsuspecting. They tended to be a bit amazed that a skinny girl could ride so strongly. It was partly that, of course, but it was also partly riding smart.

I like to think I've still got the smarts, but the riding strongly part? Not so much these days.

One of the women in our group looked over to the readying shop ride: Oh wow, there are a couple women on that ride.

Those aren't REAL women a guy in our group quipped. Normally, I'd have taken offense to the comment and flung some shyte at him: the insinuation that women athletes aren't totally feminine chaps my hide.

Instead, I looked over wistfully.

- The not so in shape Old Bag kinda missing being "not a REAL woman" this season

I Thought WE had it Bad....

2010-05-25T20:56:00.002-05:00

This was Minneapolis on Monday.

It was a blast furnace: sweltering, muggy and windy to beat hell. But, South Dakota always wins the wind contest hands-down...be sure to look at the sustained wind speeds: The Life and Times of Biking Brady: Conditions Even I Won't Ride In

- OB goes back now and again and doesn't often bring the bicycle!

Double of a Different Sort

2010-05-25T18:16:00.000-05:00

- T definitely wouldn't O be able to B retire on time!

Make Mine a Double

2010-05-20T06:39:00.002-05:00

It's the Leo Principle: I met Leo when he was 49. Shortly afterward, he started talking about retiring. Not retiring some day but retiring then. At 49.

He didn't win the lottery. He didn't score a big inheritance. He's an average joe with an average job. But he has a secret.

Don't spend money on the little things.

Never pay for parking, eat out but only food you can't get at home, drink your liquor at home instead of at a restaurant you can buy an entire six-pack for what they charge!, and keep the clothes closet simple. Oh, and travel the world during the off-season when the special deals show up…and do it with a carry-on.

Bottom line? Spend money on the things that are important to you. Question all of the incidentals. Small costs become large totals over time. Everyone worries about the big expenses: the vacation. No one worries about $10 for parking or $7 for a beer, $12 for lunch out, but those are the costs that multiply when we're not looking…and we need to be looking.

Wheel and I? We try to live by the Leo Principle: we walk, we garden, we keep the closets lean, we cook, we bake. We run errands on the bicycle.

But last weekend, we both blew the don't buy liquor with meals rule. There's a fairly new sushi restaurant about a three-mile-ride from home…and before 6:00 even the food is on special.

The martini? We couldn't have gotten that at home...so, we each had TWO.

Our retirement is damned.

- TOB because it's been a looong spring

Minneapolis has dethroned Portland, OR

2010-04-09T10:33:00.001-05:00

...as the bike-friendliest city in the country.

- Baggie that is, if one trusts Bicycling magazine

Recovery Ride

2010-04-01T20:50:00.004-05:00

It's always said
one needs to
stop and

smell the roses

but I couldn't find any!

- TOB

Nekkid and Flying

2010-03-27T17:20:00.003-05:00

You know, one of those dreams
but then I realized
it wasn't a dream...I was on the road bike

- OB :-)

Nekkid

2010-03-23T19:41:00.014-05:00

When I first started riding back in the early 90s I easily saw the need for cycling shorts. Seams? waistbands? wrinkled cotton underthings with extra elastic in spots that would be bending and flexing over n over n over n over? Lycra with chamois took away all the aches and chafing and made total sense after I got used to the idea: What? WITHOUT undies?? I had to admit there was logical sense, but the first time? nekkid. I felt nekkid.

And everyone who was any kind of cyclist KNEW I was nekkid underneath.

And I knew they knew.

So I wore my t-shirt long and baggy.

Of course as time passed, I adjusted to the idea that all cyclists are basically riding around nekkid underneath and no one cares, so the concept lost its allure...er, its novelty.

And then one summer I took a week long ride through the Canadian Rockies. And I wore a long-sleeved t-shirt. And I carried bread bags for the inside of my shoes if it rained. And I carried an extra t-shirt if it got warm and another extra if one got wet... thus was borne the rationale for a cycling jersey and shoe covers (and a road bike, for that matter). Soon, I got one long-sleeved jersey. Then one short-sleeved. Solid colored....

I dabbled in racing. I traded in my floppy, dark purple, pilled Performance jersey for something more form-fitting that screamed in red, white and green and was covered in sponsor logos. I matched-up my socks and helmet. I didn't think twice about it. The kit was at once an identifier and an obligation: sponsors had footed the bills for some of my equipment. Spreading the word was the way to say thanks.

Then? The skinsuit. I guess a skinsuit doesn't leave a ton to the imagination...to an outsider, anyway. At time trials, we all must have looked as if we were nekkid wearing Depends, but to us nekkid was far from our minds. We noticed the team colors, how others had pinned their numbers, and whether or not someone had decided on arm warmers that day. I was confident of the fact, when someone once commented to me, Hey, great skinsuit, that he meant the season's new design, not the body that was wearing it. It's the way racers think.

It's been years since I've raced, but I haven't made a total transition back to cotton and floppy shirts. If I'm riding to supper or to the store, I'll toss travel pants over the cycling gear and I'll wear a sweater instead of a jersey.

Last Sunday, we rode over to see George for the afternoon. As usual, I wore my merino and tights underneath my pedestrian clothing, but the March temps were hitting the mid 50s by the time we were headed home. I needed a stop to switch out the jacket and to peel off the travel pants. As we got rolling again, I realized it was the first time all winter that I was riding with nothing flapping around my legs, with nothing cinched at my ankles, with nothing bunching up where it shouldn't. I could feel breeze...e v e r y w h e r e. ...

Nekkid, I tell you.

And everyone who was any kind of cyclist KNEW I was nekkid.

- tob I have GOT to get out more.

Why Do You Ride?

2010-03-12T19:30:00.009-06:00

- OB because "if I ride uphill I will eventually get to ride downhill...that's how it works."

South Padre Island

2010-03-08T07:11:00.001-06:00

-OB heading home today

Bianchiism

2010-03-07T21:41:00.011-06:00

So I looked. Jamis, Surly and Redline were early contenders, had what I was looking for and the brands are available at a couple LBSs.

I also considered having something done to the travel bicycle that I already have. The old LeMond could be repurposed with the addition of some brazons, but there's no way it would take cantilever brakes and 35c commuter tires with studs. It was out. And the Cross Concept I have already? It can't take a rack (believe me, I've tried 'em all), and I'm tired of hauling a backpack. She goes onto the auction block.

I dug around on the Surly site, the Jamis site. Long Haul Trucker? WD has one and loves it for commuting. Maybe a CrossCheck? Aurora? I poked around online and read forums and reveiws. They each had plusses and minuses. Someone somewhere in some forum mentioned the Bianchi Volpe...I decided that may be worth a look. After all, I converted to Bianchiism seven years ago and with each passing season it seems I become more entrenched in the faith.

And then -- it started innocently enough as I scanned through the frame geometry and component lists -- I found myself paying undue attention to forum comments about bicycle weight. It's the last vestige of my racing days: a 16-pound road bicycle (pedals and bottle cages included) that I still love to ride. The words lightweight and fun have the same definition in my cycling manual. I'm trying to rewrite it, but it takes time.

I headed off to an LBS on the west side-o-town (I know, it's not THE LBS, but it's good to have found a bunch of good joes close to home) and talked to the Commuter Guy every LBS has a Commuter Guy. I told Commuter Guy what I was looking for and what I was coming from. We hemmed and hawed over a Conquest. We talked Surly. You know, in all honesty, in this town I worry about having a Surly locked up outside of any place. I don't think twice about leaving Betty sitting out while I go in for coffee, but I'd have to have a u-lock and cable on a Long Haul Trucker if I popped in somewhere to grab a kleenex.

Besides, WD's LHT weighs in at 35 lbs 35 lbs! with fenders, studded tires, rack and lights.

We were about to walk over to the computer when Commuter Guy stops and says you're tall...what size frame to you take? We've got this '09 Bianchi Axis on sale, but it's a 58.

It's a size larger than I would take if I were racing cyclocross, but I have no plans for that -- it's a perfect fit and reach for riding the road. The aluminum frame means no rust, it's all sparkly black, it takes a rack, it's on sale...and it weighs 22 pounds.

Bingo!

-The now I have to sell one Bag

Education and Cycling

2010-03-06T11:39:00.001-06:00

Give this read a chance -- the ending applies to all of us who ride. It's a great analogy.

- OB down south for some R & R

Decision Tree

2010-03-01T21:35:00.004-06:00

I'm trying really hard not to let this blog tumble down a long slide into an aging-parents, hot-flashes-keep-me-up-all-night, work-is-depressing-because-of-budget-problems diatribe, but some days it's really hard. I mean, really...I can't sleep, 30 kids in a class, people losing their jobs, no pay raise this year or next, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

However, off in the distance is a flickering bulb that I turn and look toward every now and again: this year and next, our perk for not getting a raise is that we can cash in a sick day if we spend it on...fitness equipment.

Imagine.

F i t n e s s equipment.

Just thinking it sends me to my happy place.

So all sorts of bicycles are rolling round the miniture velodrome that is my brain: a single speed mtb, a Pugsley, a full-on touring bicycle. But, these rides would each cost a pile of sick days. One day buys me a bottom-end hybrid at a garage sale as long as I can find one on Sunday when everything is half off. And yes, I can add my own $$ toward something more expensive, but I've got my limits.

Any bicycle would go a long way toward keeping me level-headed in the midst of the insanity, but the sanity that I've been pining away for is that which is attained in the midst of a day-to-day grind, in the midst of commuting and errand-running. I've decided I want something that can take a rear rack (I'm tired of the backpack), but that's still a sprite on the 25 mile round trip commute, as long as it's something that can lock up outside the grocery store, yet it's gotta have decent components, but not cost a ton, and it needs to look good, but be something that I don't really care about....

Can you see my conundrum?

- Baggie

Aging with Dignity

2010-02-13T18:59:00.018-06:00

for George

he simply ages
and doesn't always remember
how the rest goes

so those who understand
that he did the best he knew how
help him fill in
the ending

- ob

Comin' Down, Part 2

2010-02-08T22:11:00.005-06:00

Comin' Down

2010-02-08T22:09:00.002-06:00

Mrs. Braintree, you're a chilly northern woman
Go home from yonder bus stop
Because there's a blessing on the ground

~ob

Just One of My "Jens" Rides

2010-01-14T21:17:00.006-06:00

Watchin' the rat race during the deep freeze...

- The Bag is off to ski for the weekend...have a good one!

I'm a 5

2010-01-13T20:51:00.006-06:00

Lifted freely from cyclocosm.com

- Ob what's yours?

Monday Mornings

2010-01-11T06:15:00.007-06:00

They're the soft tire of the work week,

the rusted link in the chain,

the loose jockey wheel,

the snagged cable housing.

They're the flu just when training is going the best ever,

the tire iron that fell outta the bag,

the season-old ClifBar,

the thinning of favorite shorts.

They're the bar tape that's dirty,

the ding in the saddle that's no longer in production,

the falling-off at the base of the climb,

the cleat that's loose.

- Bag *sigh*

And Then I Said No

2010-01-08T17:04:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's sand on the trail...we may be wimpy but at least we're out there!

ice

it's a glamorous pastime

I stepped out the back door with four layers on. The foray to the garage was plotted out with wool baselayers and fleece under the jacket, wind pants, hat, scarf, and heavy duty mittens and boots who the hell came up with the idea of detached garages in MN ?!

I was surprised by the sunshine and relative warmth of the back yard. There was no wind. The day was crisp, but bright and pleasant. Although I was enjoying sitting on my backside after a couple days of skiing, I had to admit it felt great to be outside. Maybe a walk. Maybe Wheel'll wanna head out with the dog and me for a walk....

But he had a different ride in mind. So, let's head over to Wirth! he said to me when I got inside. We went back and forth while I considered some winter singletrack...at 6 degrees.

After all, I've got the studded tires now.

But six degrees!

In the end, life doesn't move too quickly for me on the last day of vacation, I was ready for some sit time, and I wouldn't be cajoled into a mountain bike ride. I told him no. It was damned cold and I just didn't want to be that far from home with no way to get back if there was a problem. While I have warm clothing, it's not quite that warm for that long. Whine. Moan.

Wait a minute! I proposed! He said. And YOU SAID YES!

Damn. He had a point.

I hesitated

but

stood firm. No, I'm ready for a down day. I'm going to head out for a walk.

So, Wheel suited up and rode off toward the singletrack.

And I sat on my backside and read the paper for a bit.

Drummed my fingers.

I'd fully intended to head out with the dog. His booties were on the closet shelf. But in the end I put my booty on the saddle. It was a quick spin down the trail system that passes our house to the north and south, a nice flat ride for the entirety of its 11 miles and never much more than three miles from home. I returned within an hour or so -- Wheel's bike wasn't hanging in the garage, so I figured I'd beat him home.

But as I hauled the bike to the basement, there he was cleaning his.

Busted.

- Bag pogies??

Back-to-Work Blues

2010-01-04T18:12:00.005-06:00

Christmas Eve Ride -- St. Louis Park, MN

New Year's Day Ski -- Birkie Trail @ 00

Out for a Walk -- Long Lake, WI

Back on the Trail -- Near 00

6 Degree Trail Ride -- Hopkins/St. Louis Park, MN

- ob HOW long until I can retire???

Search Queries

2010-01-02T22:16:00.007-06:00

Google #5

-TOB I doubt he found what he was looking for

Popped the Question

2009-12-26T20:30:00.009-06:00

He proposed
that we mountain bike this winter
and I said YES

toss me yer tire iron, we haven't got all day!

- TOB

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T14:27:00.013-06:00

Sometimes the best part

is hearing the snow

examining what's behind

and imagining what lies ahead

- OB

Make Mine

2009-12-24T12:05:00.004-06:00

a double

- The needin' Old energy for Bag shoveling out

Gazoombas, Landscaping and Running Shoes

2009-11-03T17:12:00.007-06:00

or
If You Want a Cycling Post, Go Away

My ~~costal cartilage~~ mountain biking injury is slowly healing. It still hurts when I run. My massive gazoombas bouncing around cause some massive hurt...or it's those phantom gazoombas, because I'm sure the hurt would be like that if they were massive.

We had landscaping done. I'm still amazed at the time it took me for someone else to do the work. Phone calls. Emails. Meetings. WD and had I debated this for a long time: You know, WE could do this. It always came back to: And, for exactly HOW MANY weekends do you want to be tied to yardwork? It's one thing to take-on maintenance...quite another to be willingly married to a house project at the expense of fall riding.

Work is beginning to bleed out of the confines of the work day. I'm trying to decide if this is a good thing...tonight I found myself searching for library bloggers and twitter-ers. I need connections. This year, I'm a team of one. At least when I worked K-4, there were three others across the district, but currently I'm at a huge intermediate school that's very different, programming-wise, from the elementaries yet it isn't quite the same as the high school. And, you know, it's not all about books. It's about turning-out kids who are information-literate, and about helping teachers step outta the comfort zone and become coaches of learning. We librarians are on the edge, I tell you.

Running: three times in the past week. I need ski legs. It's a fast workout. 30 minutes out the front door and back home again. Do I like it? Ask me in January when I'm facing down the Birkie trail for a point-to-point.

- The distracted Old Bag

3.4

2009-10-17T12:05:00.007-05:00

It's a great bone density T-Score, but it wasn't the first thing on my mind. Neither was I contemplating the beautiful northern Wisconsin leaf colors, the kick-ass singletrack built by CAMBA, or the great fall afternoon. Moreso, I was thinking that it would be nice to just lay there for awhile.

The bicycle laying across half my body wasn't a huge concern, nor was the one foot that was still clipped-in.

I found the situation interesting and decided it best to ruminate for a bit.

A few friends gathered around...I didn't really see them standing, but it was fine. I was fine, just needed to take stock of a few things.....a measured inward examination, if you will.

I felt some soreness near my backbone and near my sternum...odd, given I'd hit ground on my mid-back off to the side.......

Leaves covered much of what was on the singletrack. I had been on a slight downhill at the day's end when the front wheel knocked something . My weight must have been a bit too far forward. I hadn't quite recovered when I bumped something else, the front wheel jammed right and the bicycle stopped dead, pitched left, dropping me onto the ground.

It was nice to simply lay there and breathe for awhile....sternum was sore...I didn't land on my sternum. And my left chest wall hurt...or something in that general vicinity...or underneath it. But I didn't land on my chest.

This was a conundrum.

I pondered it for a moment.

I was deep in quiet concentration, ticking through the flow chart in my head, waiting for the experience and results to fall into the correct silo so I could determine a course of action. There were none of the sharp pains that typically accompany split skin, pulled muscles or worse, so I knew nothing was broken, cracked, popped or bleeding...everything was filtering into the get up silo but I needed to do a couple more checks.....

Wind, I said.

It was only part of what had happened, but it was the thing that would give people comfort: laying still makes sense to onlookers if there's a neck injury or if the wind is knocked out of a person.

It was about then that WD arrived and grabbed the bike off of me.

I was disappointed to have it gone, really. It was comfortable where it was lying on top of me...felt almost like a covering, blanket-like. Odd how things like that bother onlookers. They need to make it OK...dignified, I guess.

He squatted at my side, then held out his hands for me to grab. As soon as I said no I could see it wasn't what he wanted to hear. His face wrinkled with concern. I shared some tentative words, and eventually was ready to sit up, mostly because I figured it would make people feel better. I would have enjoyed resting a bit more.

I don't really have many impressions from that point on, but I assume I stood up, moved my torso from side to side and did a few contortions with my shoulders and arms...because that's what one does. Maybe I hopped up and down a time or two. I do remember that the rocky, root-strewn trail was a challenge for my concentration and my ribcage over the couple-mile return. If I put my weight on the seat I'd feel the bumps where it hurt.

Any time there's a spill on the mountain bike I'm thankful for having been an athlete as a kid. I've inadvertently developed some off-the-charts bone density scores over my lifetime, but the stage was definitely set before I hit 30. I've not ever fractured a bone, and I figure this last spill could have resulted in one. Instead, the cartilage that connects ribs to sternum appears to have experienced some give and a week later it STILL hurts.

Turns out the "vices" we have in our younger years do affect us, still.

-ob and I did put in another couple days of good riding...we were in Wisconsin, after all!

Heavy

2009-10-05T19:44:00.004-05:00

it's been a tough few days;

a friend has made some poor choices

that affect the spouse and children

and the whole thing is weighing on me;

and Stella, she tried getting me out on Sunday

but we've had so much rain the trails were too muddy

so the ride had to wait;

and Stella was really the one who

would have taken my mind off things

because ya can't be thinking about your stupid friends

when she hauls you over a gnarly downhill

with a banked corner

that sends you straight into the hairpin

and through the meadow

toward the log pile

-ob :-(

The Chapel of Murphy Hanrehan

2009-09-28T20:19:00.002-05:00

My favorite place on a Sunday....

-OB I don't know what they were, but we did 90 of 'em!

Scratchin'

2009-09-27T20:59:00.005-05:00

We stumbled across the REI Scratch and Dent sale a year ago. It's their regular purge of all their returned products, complete with reason for return written on each item. Many items are incorrect sizes, have a broken piece or were "worn twice, but couldn't break-in"; but there are always items that have a surprising story behind the return.

Last year's favorite? A cycling jersey covered with snags -- snags everywhere...reason for return: washed with velcro.

This year's Best Of was on a well-worn pair of hiking boots -- reason for return: wore for six years, GoreTex quit working.

I scored a great pair of hiking/backpacking boots that retail for $180, leather, waterproof, Vibram soles, mine for $30 $30! -- reason for return: wore three times, too small. They were returned without the insoles, which was the reason for the so-low price tag. I can live with that.

- The Bag loves a deal

Ya Just Can't...

2009-09-25T21:22:00.005-05:00

...have a healthy relationship with someone who's unhealthy...

...just can't happen....

One can't make healthy connections with someone who isn't capable.

We assume everyone we meet is normal and therefore is capable of a normal human connection, but we need to keep in mind that there are those who aren't necessarily rational or mentally healthy and therefore are impossible to connect with in a positive and healthy manner.

Someone who is bonkers, even slightly, is impossible to engage in a normal, rational way.

You won't be able to connect to someone if she hasn't got her rocks together.

So the witch down the hall? don't even try!

-OB repeat after me....

Blogiversary

2009-09-24T18:12:00.004-05:00

-The Old four whole years?!? Bag

Big Words, Beheading and a Commode

2009-09-22T19:28:00.019-05:00

Inspired by Juancho's comments to my last post about rude drivers and my attitude of late: at least they know they've been told off by a poet.

A poem.
An English sonnet, in fact, with the following rhyme scheme, quatrains and ending couplet:
a b a b
c d c d
e f e f
g g

10 syllables per line, more or less, written ~~in iambic pentameter~~.

The third quatrain generally introduces an unexpected sharp thematic or imagistic "turn" called a volta.
--Wikipedia

Whatever. I wouldn't say this has an obvious volta.... You decide. Should be enough to meet the structural criteria.

In Shakespeare's sonnets, the couplet usually summarizes the theme of the poem or introduces a fresh new look at the theme.
--some Wikipedia page written by my arrogant old Lit. professor, I'm sure

The last two lines definitely summarize, but it's not exactly a fresh new look...especially if you're a cyclist. In traffic. At the end of the work day. I'm sure you've had the same thoughts.

Sonnet to Drivers circa September 2009
or
Told Off by a Poet

Entitled motorist, you raise my ire
wrapped in jackassed, fatheaded ignorance
I scheme to hoist your head high upon spire
held victorious above shaming glance.
Self-bestowed, arrogant grandness surrounds
treasured possessions of fuel and wheel
noxious expletives rupture and rebound
reverberate within your box of steel.
Your offspring bears the insufferable curse
of deplorable, abhorrent guidance
supplied while learning their world to traverse
they tumble and careen toward subsidence.
A curse upon your existence bestowed
to spend it suspended in muck of commode.

- The Old English Bag who's really in a GOOD mood this week!

This Week

2009-09-17T06:16:00.003-05:00

It didn't work for me this week
the commute
the ride usually solves the problems
removes the irritations
by the time I arrive home
but this week it didn't
my mind was roiling
drivers were rude
my attitude matched theirs
when usually it's just not worth it to me
to fight for space
"please, after you" is my mantra
because nothing spoils my ride
my big ringed pilates session
my two-wheeled prayer
usually
except this week
I dared them
indignantly
all of them
them in all of their entitlement
thinking they're better than me
more deserving of the roads
when really it wasn't me
but was the "me"
that was occupying my brain
this week

- OB in her crabby place

Bicycle Parade

2009-09-13T20:33:00.003-05:00

At my workplace, students put in their six school hours between 8:00 and 2:00. The professional day is typically an hour either side of the student time slot, with some flexibility. If'n ya arrive at 7:00, stay until 3:00. 6:30-2:30. 7:30-3:30. Most of us arrive at 7:00 and are easily hanging around until 4:00 or 5:00...and when we do walk out the door we do so with a pile of work to do during the evening.

There are bosses in our district who walk around with clipboards, marking who's there and who's gone and what time it is. But not mine. He makes time to chat with us before the school year begins, when we're there just because we want to be. He sees us at our desks in July. He notices the uptick in August as we're beginning to fill the building at odd hours. He sees us at work until 8 PM during workshop week. And he doesn't nitpick about 7-3:00. He knows we'll put in more hours than he could ever pay us for. And, he knows we'll ONLY put in 7-3:00 if he brings out the clipboard.

He believes that life has first priority, work has second, and so encourages us to go home...and by doing so gives us choice. We typically choose to put in extra hours because we know we don't have to.

I've put in a ton of time since this whole job switch came around, so on Thursday I exercised my ability to choose. It was a beautiful, sunny, 80-degree afternoon. I rode down the streets away from work at 2:15. Because I could.

The parade? Just me, my bicycle and the streamers flapping on my backpack.

AND my blinkie lights.

- The waaaay happy Old Bag

How Ever Will I

2009-09-11T21:46:00.006-05:00

a back-to-work haiku

has it been a week
since I've put together a
coherent post for

the laundry and mail
regenerate themselves in
an amazingly

how will I ever
accomplish in an evening
things that used to take

- OB Zzzz but I'm not done and it's already time for b

(a reprint from WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2006 because I'm just so ti)

Back to Work

2009-09-03T06:38:00.003-05:00

life is a whirlwind these days

and at first it was novel but

do I have to continue

getting up early

EVERY

day

- Bag I've been doing this for 25 years and it's STILL one helluvan adjustment

Leaving, it's Like

2009-08-21T22:08:00.007-05:00

You know when you have a great place to work and the work itself has its ups and downs but there's a crowd of reeeally good people who are reeeeally good at what they do and you get paid to do a job that basically you designed that gives you a lot of freedom and you mostly have a ball with it and you think you're set because who would ever leave a place like that?

You know?

And you know how then someone puts a bug in your ear about a different job in a different place because he knows how you like to shake up your work every few years but you really don't consider it because why-the-heck would you take a different job at a different place since you love where you are but then it turns out you know yourself well enough to think about it?

And you know how then you go back to ask more questions?

And you know how you decide to just let it all go but two months later the job still hasn't filled and you call out of curiosity and the guy is so glad you called because the applicant pool just doesn't have zing and he lays out all these cool things that trip your triggers and says it would be so great if you'd think about it and then suddenly while you're drinking your morning coffee two days later you realize the whole thing is right up your alley after all?

And then you know how when you announce to all these reeeeally great people in your reeeeally great place that you're leaving them and they all write you wonderful emails and they stop by to say how they gasped at the news but that they know you well enough to understand and you get all weepy because they're so encouraging and yet they hate to see you go and then you wonder what the hell you just did?

And you know how it makes you wonder if you really thought this thing through?

But then when you have a little space you know it's the right decision?

It's like that.

-OB the good-bye thing is waaay overrated

OK, so to be honest there was also this one thing that weighed into the decision

When Preparation Meets Opportunity

2009-08-19T17:41:00.013-05:00

it's like the night before a race
checking the bags to make sure everything is there
and looking through the closet to be sure about what stays
it's preparation
knowing strengths
being aware of weaknesses but knowing how to shield them
it's familiarity with tactics
it's the coach who recognizes
the soigneurs who know
but it's a brand new course
it's jumping the field
and teammates who sacrifice
and fans who believe

- tOB making a move

But Not the Wheels

2009-08-12T12:50:00.003-05:00

spinning
but not on the bicycle
riding miles
but not down the road
eyeing the opening
but not from within the pack
struggling to finish
but not the race

- Osometimes it's hardB

Proposal

2009-08-10T18:51:00.009-05:00

in a kayak

traversing the Chain of Lakes

passing through the tunnel

between Lake Calhoun and Isles

he looked down at me

I sure like what you're doin, says he

Great day for being on the lake, says I

I'm lookin' for a wife if you're interested, says he

Already taken! says I

- TheOldBag old guy just standing there watching the paddlers pass by....

Tears

2009-08-05T22:11:00.000-05:00

Don't Say She Lost

- ob :-(

30 Years Later

2009-07-29T08:40:00.007-05:00

some things change

some things stay the same

I miss the skies

the girlfriends--spread all over the country, but still the best

a few days at the parents' place

- The Bag...can't believe it's been that long

The Jubilation of the Descent

2009-07-22T12:58:00.006-05:00

the jubilation of the descent
isn't measured on the speedometer
but is measured
by the scenery
and the fresh air
and the company
and the rush
the completeness of the tuck
and the watering eyes
and the drool spreading from the corners of one's mouth toward one's ears

~

-OB it wasn't pretty but it was beautiful!

It's a Salad!

2009-07-15T13:42:00.006-05:00

marble-sized tomatoes

pea-sized pepper overshadowed by tomato plants

lettuce

chives overshadowed by tomato plant

tennis-ball sized broccoli

Actually, we've got a ways to go before it's a full-fledged salad, but it's exciting to see things growing! We made a 4' x 6' raised-bed garden: no tilling, no digging, no weeding...ok, I've pulled six weeds (which leaves plenty of time for riding!). It's our first year growing veggies...so far, so good! We plan to expand next year, now that we kinda, sorta know more about what we're doing.

- The Bag hopin' to make a difference from her own back yard

Stereotypes

2009-07-14T12:16:00.003-05:00

Scene: Wheel and OB just finishing up their first lap at Wirth and heading off for their second. A group of guys hanging at the trail head...obviously resting between laps. Wheel starts out with OB in pursuit, the following exchange occurs:

Little Dweeby Boy-Man: The couple that bikes together stays together!

TOB: Got that right!

Little Dweeby Boy-Man: As long as he goes slow enough!

- The crotchety Old skewer that guy and roast him over open flames Bag

Close to Home

2009-07-05T12:51:00.007-05:00

We got out for a nice, long ride outta town on Friday: sixty-some-odd miles into and out of the Minnesota River Valley, across farm fields, wasn't too toasty, plenty-o-green countryside...coffee/lunch stop...good company. What a day.

On Saturday, we rode a ding-around pace from home to the Mpls Farmers' Market for some locally-made brats and caramel rolls...people-watching, music, food. Can't beat it!

Saturday evening we rode about a mile from home to see some poppers.

We feel pretty fortunate living where we do. The metro area is fairly bicycle-friendly, and we're in a good spot to ride urban or countryside.

I love Minnesota in the summer.

-OB

Gray Summer Mornings

2009-07-02T08:01:00.001-05:00

early minutes

fresh, cool air through the house

the day not yet considered

coffee cup filled again

drawing out time

-OB's favorite time of year

A Body at Rest

2009-07-01T08:06:00.004-05:00

I forget to push myself

tempo ride, it's called

it all seems

such an effort

- The Bag

The Suit: Part 2

2009-06-29T06:15:00.006-05:00

Since I wasn't on the docket at work Friday, I was up with the sun facing a day of highs in the 90s. 6 AM was the perfect time to ride. I grabbed my blue and black print sleeveless jersey from the pile, threw on my gnarly socks, and headed out the door to join Wheel on part of his commute.

As soon as I was out the door, I felt chilled. I'm heading in for a short-sleeved jersey -- back in a minute. I knew Wheel was ready to get rolling so I didn't have ding-around time. The shoes, helmet and gloves needed to stay on while I whipped the jersey off.

I threw open my drawer. Just grab any jersey. Which one? the red one, the neon yellow one, the white one...GRAB ANY JERSEY! I grabbed. The cute green and white one that fits like a glove. Very girly.

I threw it on and repacked my pockets. I turned and took a step...looked down at my socks. Gnarly blue and black sharks.

all you need to do is yank off the shoes and peel off the shark socks...half a minute, tops, the matching greens are right there in the drawer

Wheel was getting my bicycle down so it would be ready when I peeled out the door. I didn't have time to mess around...

your kit doesn't match

I ignored the voices and headed down the stairs...

but the suit!

...locked the door...

you're not wearing the suit

...headed out to the garage....

blue and black sharks aren't part of the green suit

It was a beautiful 30-mile ride through the streets and woods, over the river and next to the creek. There were coffee smells and bakery scents...

...except everyone was pointing and laughing at my kit.

- TOB is there a twelve-step program??

The Suit: Part 1

2009-06-27T10:45:00.011-05:00

Another woman and I once showed up for a ride wearing the same jersey, but rather than laughing about being at a party in the same dress, I was given a hard time for looking so together while she claimed she looked disheveled. I was wearing socks that matched the jersey, my helmet and shoes were the same color.

It started way back in my racing days when my jersey matched the shorts, which matched the socks and gloves. Through the kit we wore, we advertised and represented our shop, our sponsors and our team. For all of them, we had to look good. Since it was the only cycling gear in my drawer, I could reach in knowing that whatever came up in my hand went with anything else that might surface.

I've slowly shaken off many of my racing habits, but the old mantra sticks: you've gotta look good. It's like dressing the part in the corporate world: if you want to move up, wear the suit.

So for me the suit, or matching "kit," is still a must. It's a bit more complicated now, though. My helmet and shades and shoes are a neutral silver, but I can't just grab things from the drawer and come up with a sure match.

I've got red and neon and leopard-print jerseys, and I have cow socks and paisley socks and some with flames; and the brown puppy socks just don't go with the orange sleeveless.

I'm working hard to keep the hyperventilating to a minimum.

- OB count to ten....

Rant to Castelli

2009-06-26T17:42:00.012-05:00

...because I'm sure they read my blog...

THREE

FULL-SIZED

JERSEY

POCKETS

!!!

three of 'em!

- The CRANKY Old Bag what do they expect me to carry in mini pockets? or two pockets? or ONE pocket? We're cyclists, here, not lipstick-carrying credit card girls!

!@#%$!!

Things that Make You Go...

2009-06-26T10:45:00.003-05:00

hmmmm....

- OB I guess it's accurate

The Old Bag

Through the Window

Nirvana

Almonzo

My Fault

Riding at 17 Degrees

Maiden Voyage

Fatbiking Cuyuna

Don't Even Ask....

The Commute

And so I Write about Bicycling

big man

Lorraine

The Gentleman

Adolescent Nightmare

Member-ship

Grillin' and Chillin'

Beautiful

Fatbiking in June

One of These Things....

Blockin' out the Scenery, Breakin' my Mind

Urban Camouflage

Recognition

Evolution

Hallelujah!

Black

No Worries!

Anything You Want!

Warm Up

Savior

Under the Influence

Flying Down Xenwood

Reset

Oscar

Instant

Here's The Deal

Playground

Staring it Down

W else WJD?

WWJD?

Demons

Betty

Who Knew?

How to Buy a Bicycle

How to Sell a Bicycle

Equation

Translation

Not REAL Women

I Thought WE had it Bad....

Double of a Different Sort

Make Mine a Double

Minneapolis has dethroned Portland, OR

Recovery Ride

Nekkid and Flying

Nekkid

Why Do You Ride?

South Padre Island

Bianchiism

Education and Cycling

Decision Tree

Aging with Dignity

Comin' Down, Part 2

Comin' Down

Just One of My "Jens" Rides

I'm a 5

Monday Mornings

And Then I Said No

Back-to-Work Blues

Search Queries

Popped the Question

Christmas Eve

Make Mine

Categories

Gazoombas, Landscaping and Running Shoes

3.4

Heavy

The Chapel of Murphy Hanrehan

Scratchin'

Ya Just Can't...

Blogiversary