http://velotopia.org/veloblog/ The main blog. en davidscole@yahoo.com Copyright 2008 2008-11-19T05:10:00-08:00 /archives/entry/screwed-flat-tires-why-i-hate-them-how-to-prevent-them/ /archives/entry/screwed-flat-tires-why-i-hate-them-how-to-prevent-them/ Flat tires piss me off so much I will say foul words in front of old ladies and little children. I don't want to do those things, but it's not my fault. Commuting by bike is God's sweet perfect plan for mankind. A humble man and a simple machine, moving quietly and efficiently, like a fish in the sea. Using no more energy than is required to get the job done, costing very little, keeping the rider fit and healthy. Sweet, glorious perfect harmony and balance. If the rest of the world worked this way, paying your bills would get you a tan, and the whole process would taste like chocolate. Last week my head was about to explode with sheer joy as my daily rolling-meditation was augmented by a glorious magenta-sherbert sunrise over Green Lake. Only a goddam complete blowout caused by a two-inch long, self-tapping sheet metal screw could bring me back down to earth, and that's exactly what happened. That's my third flat tire in two weeks. Cover your ears, grandma... 2008-11-19T05:10:00-08:00 /archives/entry/tax-benefit-for-bike-commuters/ /archives/entry/tax-benefit-for-bike-commuters/ 2008-11-13T00:54:00-08:00 /archives/entry/around-the-world-on-a-penny-farthing/ /archives/entry/around-the-world-on-a-penny-farthing/ Joff Summerfield pedals around the glob on an old-timey time penny farthing and lives to tell the tale. 2008-11-12T05:22:00-08:00 /archives/entry/new-year-new-tour/ /archives/entry/new-year-new-tour/ The Tour de France marches on, even while doping still mares this year's race. Today they introduced route for 2009 and oh baby is it a hot one. Very different from previous tours and quite an interesting route and a very hard final week. I imagine there's going to be a lot of carnage on the way to Paris in 2009. 2008-10-22T18:19:01-08:00 /archives/entry/early-winter-in-idaho/ /archives/entry/early-winter-in-idaho/ What started as a plan for a beautiful fall ride, ends up with 17 degree wind chill and snow. 2008-10-12T23:49:00-08:00 /archives/entry/redemption/ /archives/entry/redemption/ Let's be clear, I'm a big fan of Tyler Hamilton and was sadly disappointed when he was suspended for blood doping. Whether he was guilty or not is something that really doesn't concern me. He did his time and should be allowed to race, just like David Miller. 2008-10-09T20:05:00-08:00 /archives/entry/a-new-kind-of-bike-light/ /archives/entry/a-new-kind-of-bike-light/ As night falls earlier every day, I'm looking into commuter lights with renewed interest. I've recently upgraded to a high-output rechargeable LED headlight, and am very pleased with the results. More about that. While digging for safety statistics for 900MPG, I found another product which is pretty interesting. The idea is that the light illuminates the RIDER (not the road), so that you are more visible to other road users. Interesting. I don't think you need a particularly special light for this, and it's a good thing, because as far as I can tell, you can't buy these anywhere. Regardless, it's the idea that matters... 2008-10-08T15:42:00-08:00 /archives/entry/gothamist-new-bike-racks/ /archives/entry/gothamist-new-bike-racks/ Read the Gothamist article here and check out some bike rack designs from David Byrne. 2008-10-05T20:36:00-08:00 /archives/entry/its-all-mental-unabridged-version/ /archives/entry/its-all-mental-unabridged-version/ Probably everything I've ever said about cycling involved the phrase "It's all mental" - not that that makes it any more true. But it keeps coming up in my head, so there must be something there, at least for me. I'm going to start a little collection here, and as time marches on and the experiences pile up, I will come back and add things, as I think of them... 2008-10-02T21:22:00-08:00 /archives/entry/come-ride-with-second-ascent/ /archives/entry/come-ride-with-second-ascent/ This Saturday (9.27) Second Ascent and Team Group Health will be hosting the meet the team ride. Meet the team rides are lo-key no drop rides around the south end of Lake Washington. Rides are open to riders of all skills interested in racing and looking to join a team next year. It's a great way to casually put in some miles and get to meet a group of people who share the same interest in cycling. 2008-09-26T05:30:00-08:00