Photo Dump

Not much to say tonight, so it's Photo Dump time! Here are some of the pictures from the last few weeks taken by FBC riders of FBC riders...

Ryan - Big Air on Jackrabbit

Jon - Finishing up a fast run on Jackrabbit

Sandie - Eyes forward for the upcoming turn on the V&T

Me - Peace, Love, and Mary. Love the bars!

Kristy - Riding the chute on the creek trail

Amy - Riding the chute

Jeff P - setting it up

Jeff P - Bravery and Balance

Amy - Loves to be photographed, and it shows

Sandie - Blew out her shock on this jump!

Wooly

How about that last post, huh? A comedic piece that turned rant! I loved the discussion though! I'd like to lighten up the mood a little bit tonight though, and slip into something a bit woolier.

In a previous post we debated the coolness of shorts over your tights. There were some for the look, and some against this abomination. Some readers were even inspired to take fashion to areas not yet explored. Tights over jeans? Smudgemo has the full review.

The suggestion of knickers came up in a couple comments and settled in the back of my mind. While cleaning out the garage this weekend, I happened upon my Father's Nordic Ski outfit from a decade long passed. I snickered at first, but then the revelation came to me. Wool is hip. So are knickers. Mork from Ork's rainbow suspenders were also cool.

What you now see before you, is the outfit that can be plainly worn about public and the trail alike, appealing to both the young and the very old, worn free of scorn and ridicule, and appreciated by those with the most discriminating taste.

Angry Highway

Impatience, intolerance, and hatred is building in America, and the best place to express these feelings is on the Highway! Hidden safe in our metal cages behind tinted windows, we are free to tell people how we really feel. And if someone disagrees with us? We just flip them off, mouth some dirty words at them, and pray that we don't run into them and the next stoplight.

There have been a lot of stories around the bicycling blogosphere of road rage and hatred towards cyclists. Fear, anger, sometimes even death. The family had to drive to Reno yesterday, and Kristy and I decided to take a sampling of some of the rolling billboards along the way. These three pictures are from a five minute stretch of traffic before entering Carson City. The theme? Meaningless Jingoistic Symbols.

My favorite of the three is the first one. "America. Love it or Leave it". What does this mean exactly? "If you do not do things exactly the way I do things, and do not believe the same things that I do, you must leave the country." Half of America hates the other half. We pollute the land, air, and water. Our tax dollars go to destroying far away lands, while our own is left to decay and crumble. We don't make anything for ourselves anymore, and send our money to communist countries so we can buy cheap appliances that will last one year if we're lucky. We want to deport anyone without a legal piece of paper that says they are welcome to pick our lettuce or flip our McBurgers for minimum wage or less. Americans are content to sit back and be sickened and fattened by government subsidized, corporate corn syrup. And if I don't like this, I am to leave? Time for another Boston Tea Party! TSOL! This time we'll be dumping barrels of High Fructose Corn Syrup into Boston Harbor...

Not much to say about this picture, except that I feel sorry for you. You don't know that the 2004 elections are over. You are among the small percentage that believe the country is headed in the right direction. My country right or wrong. There is nothing patriotic about supporting a billionaire politician that could give a rats ass about some piece of white trash living in the desert. Because if you die, there will another along soon to replace you. Another soulless consumer to buy their crappy products or make the ultimate sacrifice for a better corporate profit margin.

Bill Maher recently said, "This generation doesn't do real sacrifice. Or even pay for our own wars. That's what grandkids are for! No, we do flag pins and bumper stickers. And not even bumper stickers. Bumper magnets. Because stickers are tough to get off, and we may change our mind about never forgetting." There is much conflict here. By continued support and funding of the troops and war, it keeps them in harms way. I say bring them home. Supporting them just prolongs their exposure to bullets and bombs. These brave men and women could better defend their country at home. These magnets though... Communist, Chinese products. We're buying magnets from a country that is competing for the same oil reserves we are fighting for in the Middle East. Buying these products puts a greater strain on the situation, and further endangers soldiers abroad.

I hereby decree, that $3.00 gas is now a tax on impatience, intolerance, and hatred!

Opt out of the madness! Riding a bicycle is part of the revolution! I'll see you there.

Ooooh Yessss! A ride did happen....

In honor of Nevada Day, Jon and I did timberline and the Creek Trail. We did this as an unselfish act of kindness for the other trail users. To ensure that the trails were free of bears and wash outs.

Also, Did the same trail last Thursday night, under a full moon and warm temperatures with Dennis C. Take a look at the nice rock/tile work of Jeff P. on the Baldy Green trail. Wow. Nice to make that turn in the moonlight.

The trails are in GREAT shape! Firm and grippy. The weather has been warm. Perfect fall riding conditions.

Nevada Day

Mark Twain
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

The FBC Blog will be closed today in observance of Nevada Day. Sorry you all have to work today, but we'll be out playing!

Normal Business Hours will resume tomorrow...

Listen to Your Jedi

A wise and powerful Jedi once said, "Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment."

We rolled up to this intersection yesterday, and got in line behind a couple cars at the red light. An older man with long gray hair, a black trench coat, and a guitar case slung over his shoulder walked up and took a position on the sidewalk right next to us. At first glance he looked homeless, but upon further examination, he was well groomed and clean. All the while though, he was muttering nonsensically, almost rhythmically like he was rapping. I couldn't make out a word he was saying, but I was getting a creepy vibe from the dude. My instincts said it was time to roll!

I was half watching the cars in front of me, and half watching Weirdo McRappypants on the sidewalk. The cars took off, and I just followed their lead. What I didn't notice is they were making a right turn on a red light! I was inches away of riding into the intersection, but Ryan called out to me and stopped me in the nick of time.

I'm not sure what would've happened if I had continued on, but it kind of creeped me out the rest of the day.

"Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment." Meditate on this I will...

Todd Goes on Sabbatical

Last Friday we sent Todd off on sabbatical with a killer lunch ride (Todd is on the far left in this picture). We chose the longest, highest route, and spent some extra time up in the mountains riding and laughing. Todd scored a new job south of town, and won't be riding with us in the near future. I was thinking of doing a farewell post, but I have a good feeling Todd will be back before we know it. He'll be working in a building that is in the line of the new freeway, so the building will be demolished before too long. After that, I imagine he'll be back in active duty when they move his office closer to town.

Todd is one of the founding members of the Facility Bike Club, and was one of the only ones left that worked there. Ryan is the only remaining active rider from the Facility. He's keeping the torch lit for us...our last remaining connection to that place where it all started.

Riding with Todd for six years has generated many adventurous tales. There are way too many to list here, but I'll just throw out a couple. There was the time his bottom bracket seized on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride right in the middle of a swarm of mosquitoes. Todd, Sarge, and I sat there getting eaten alive as we tried to figure out what the hell had happened. Then there was the time when Todd and I tied Bill's legs together with inner tubes after he hyper extended his leg, and then dragged poor bill down the ravine to safety. You can't help but feel a little closer to a couple of dudes after climbing down a ravine in a sweaty, spandex clad group hug.

Todd has survived many a crash, and has put up with trash talk that would make most grown men cry. We'll also miss Todd's expressive trail riding. Primal grunts and groans. Mild swearing when he failed to clear an obstacle, or extreme profanity when he went down hard. After a few years, you got used to all the noise behind you, and didn't worry about him unless you heard the really bad words. Here's a great video of Todd expressing himself on the Tahoe Rim Trail...



Good luck with the new job, Todd! We hope you stay in good enough shape to rejoin us in a few months.

Feel free to wish Todd well or post a funny Todd story in the comments!

The Patriot

I saw this over at Pinch Flat News.

In an age of declining oil reserves, endless war, billionaire oil tycoons, crooked politicians, congested streets, road rage, etc., there's never been a better time to opt out and ride your bike!

Feel free to put a different beer in your basket though...

Rusted Chain Gang - Poker Run

The Rusted Chain Gang, which I've had the fine privilege of riding with, is putting on their 1st Annual Poker Run. 5 bike giveaway! We're still 2 weeks out on this one, but you need to start clearing your schedule for Saturday November 3rd. Details over at Cycling Carson City!

Cycling Fashion Faux Pas # 23

Cycling Fashion Faux Pas # 23. Wearing tights underneath your baggy shorts. I don't know about you, but at the beginning of the cold season, I have a hard time getting back into tights. I wouldn't mind so much if I was riding directly from home or meeting at the trailhead with a bunch of other cyclists, but most of my rides begin at the office. This means I need to change in the restroom, and then walk through the office in what appears to the untrained eye to be black leotards. Luckily I work in a basement, but still I slink through the office and abscond through the basement door to avoid both detection and ridicule.

Today was the first day that was cold enough for tights. I was feeling self conscious about the whole thing, so I thought I'd wear my baggy shorts over the top so I didn't look weird. I basically traded the "night at the Nutcracker Suite" look for the "cookie baking Keebler Elf" look. At least my co-workers wouldn't be able to identify my religion while walking through the office...

It took some planning to get this ensemble to work. The tights aren't padded, so I wore some cycling shorts as the base layer. Next came the tights, followed by the baggy shorts which have a inner liner complete with a chamois. My undercarriage had more layers than a Taco Bell burrito!

The moral of this story? Baggies over tights isn't fooling anyone. The people who think your tights look silly, also think you look silly in your baggies over tights. Just suck it up and wear those tights proudly!

Falling Down-Its under rated

So, Todd wiped out on Jack Rabbit the other day. I saw the whole thing. A couple months ago, I saw Jeff M. full on "Oaf" on the Jackrabbit jump.
Micky from the Bike Smith was launching himself off the rock drop off on the creek trail several times, just to barely miss a tree, and eventually he landed on the trail.

My most memorable and positive experiences have included a spill here and there. Whether I am going over the bars into the " Look, now I'm a Jogger" mode, or I see my close friend wipe out as he tries to pass and a less than perfect location. Think of Sandie, and how she broke her ankle and kept riding.

Falling is really the great equalizer. And if we get off the hook with minor scratches or even major wounds, as long as we survived, it has made us stronger. Over time its just another story that makes us all smile or laugh.

About a year after I lost my spleen after hitting a tree on a mt. bike ride, one of the guys who was there, who saved my life (twice in the same day! ) was bagging on me. He was imitating the the sound I made after hitting the tree. ooooh! Oooooooooh! Nooooooo! Go Ahead! I'm gonna walk back to the car ooooooooooh! Really, it was the funniest thing in the world. It turned the whole thing around. Like Kathy's husband. ( sorry I forgot your name) but I remember the story. Big head plant fall at the Leadville 100 and being so out of your head you were giving the "sailors language" version of the accident to a bunch of little kids.

Or Jeff M. explaining how the wind blew his tire over when he fell off the jump with a big smile and dirt in his teeth. Falls are good. They make us better. They teach us. As long as no one dies or gets permanently disabled, they make the best rides ever. In fact they are the most inspirational rides. I ride my lunch break so I can carry that message to my relationships and my workplace.

I dedicate this post to you Todd. We are going to miss you now that you are transferring to a job south of town. Your wipe out was a great memory! Nice leg-eggbeater action. I will always refer to the top of Jackrabbit as "The place where Todd wiped out" in your honor.

My First Dates With Mary

A few days ago, I told you of how I traded various armaments for some cool On One Mary Bars. I think this worked out well for Brian too, since I don't believe Mary Bars are legal in Michigan. This particular bend violates some aesthetics law from what I understand. Everything but marijuana is legal in Nevada, so I decided to mount them on Kristy's 29er.

We've been meaning to cut down her tractor sized, 28 inch wide, On One Fleegle bars, but just haven't gotten around to it. At 25 inches across, the Mary Bars seemed like a good choice to demo on her bike. The effective width seemed to be a bit wider though because of the dramatic back sweep...more tubing, less width.

Ok, the real reason is that I just wanted to steal her 29er for the week (29ers are fun!). I threw on some Kona foam grips I had in the parts bin and called it done.

Time to ride. Visions of Miss Gulch entered my mind, and became my very first impression of the bars as I pedaled across town to the trails (please sing aloud the music that goes with this picture for full effect). It didn't even feel like a mountain bike anymore! Not to say it wasn't very comfortable though. Casual riding, commuting, and long distance riding would be great with this bend, as they naturally fit the bend of your wrist as you extend your arm.

We picked a hard hill climb that is pretty tough on any single speed no matter what bars you are running. I noticed right away that there was a different muscle group involved in pulling myself up the hill. I'm not sure if this is the wrong muscle group, or one that I just don't have developed. It seemed a bit more difficult though. Wide bars are best for climbing on a single speed in my opinion.

Descending was perhaps the strangest part of this bar test. Monday's descent wasn't that great; it felt like I was holding two ski poles! Today's descent was much better though. I used the bend to get my weight back a bit, and bend my arms like I do on my road bike. It is certainly a less aggressive stance on the bike...not the wide "Larry Craig" stance I'm used to with my 27 inch bars. I was having a blast today though. It felt like I was bombing the hill on a beach cruiser! I didn't have much courage on the final jump though, as it just didn't feel right to get airborne with these bars. Just a little bit o' air today...

Another thing you might consider with these bars, is to make sure you have an ironclad sense of humor. You will definitely get weird looks or comments from folks used to their humdrum, quotidian styled handlebars. On the "bad" side of the spectrum of comments I've received, "heinous", "retarded", "gay". On the "good" side was the comment, "They look great! But no, I would not like to try them, because uhhhh....I don't have the right shoes on."

I'll throw them on my 26er single speed for further testing. Stay tuned!

Good Bye

Dear Beer,

By the time you read this, I will be gone.
We had a wonderful summer together, but as we head into fall, I feel our relationship is changing.
It's not you. It's me. I'll always love and cherish the memories of your sweet malty goodness and creamy head. But even still, I just can't keep up with your high caloric content.
Damn you, maltose. Damn you!
I feel that a little time apart is what we both need. Just to see what happens.
Who knows? Maybe we'll be back together in again a couple days.

Always yours,

Jeff

More Bears and a Lion Too

According to this Reno Gazette Journal article, The Nevada Department of Wildlife has so far this year trapped 80 bears in an area stretching from Reno to south Douglas County and west to Lake Tahoe. Of those, eight were euthanized. Just recently, according to the article, a mother bear and two cubs were euthanized after breaking into homes in a subdivision south of Gardnerville. I had no idea this area supported so many bears!

Also, there is an alert over at News Carson City that there has been a Mountain Lion spotted on the west side of town (Ormsby and King). Great I say. Just great!

Return of the Front Wheel

The fliers worked! Kristy got a call today that the wheel had been placed on my mom's front porch. I went and picked it up, and it was in perfect shape. A good ending! $160 stays in the checking account...

Friday Fun

I'm home today, so I thought I'd help entertain you. I just added a survey on the side bar. Have at it!

For further excitement, go over to Twitter, sign-up, and tell me what you're doing! Oh come on, it'll be fun! You can find my account in the sidebar...

Something About Mary

There's just no accounting for some people's tastes! These Mary Bars, first seen HERE over at my brother from another mother's blog, BG Phone Home, have made their way to my house in Nevada.

Brian didn't care for the bars, and neither did some of his readers. Chris from Texas had this to say about the Mary's, "They should call those bars, 'Pee Wee Herman Bars'. I don't know how they steer, but they look like shit."

So naturally, I thought I had to have them!

I almost bought some On One Mary's a while back, but the local bike shop had sold them already. I've read some favorable reviews from owners of the Mary's, and this was my chance to snatch them up and see for myself. I'll get them mounted up, and have a full review soon. Brian included the stock grips, but I know why he didn't like those...they are prophylactic thin! The On One stem was included in the deal too. I like four bolt stems, and I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

The lady bug bug bell was wampum for the mojo bag. I was delighted to receive it, but Kristy quickly snatched it up before I could get attached.

So what did I trade for the bars you ask? A couple Kalashnikov rifles, a Howitzer, and an RPG launcher (sorry Brian, couldn't get my hands on the BFG you wanted...) Good trade I think. Brian has a score to settle apparently. I don't know all the details...not my place to ask, and I probably don't want to know!

Good Weather, Bad Luck

The weather has been pretty enjoyable here in Carson City, with 50-60 degree temperatures during ride time. We got some rain this morning that gave the trails that "I just can't lose!" feeling.

Or so it would seem. There have been a few losses in the past week. Sandie started off the streak of bad luck last Friday when she got some air off the jump at the terminus of the Jackrabbit trail, and blew out her rear shock. Coincidentally, this is the same jump that Marcus broke his swing arm on. These two are hardcore!

Last night Kristy loaded her bike on the top of the car and drove off without the front wheel....something some of us have done, or have certainly almost done. We realized the mistake when she picked me up from work, and drove back to where she left the wheel. Someone picked it up after only 15 minutes! Wheel, tire, and skewer...gone.

Today Todd came into a corner pretty hot, utilizing that "I just can't lose!" traction I mentioned above. Unfortunately he did lose traction, and he went over the bars and rang his bell. He also ripped the brake lever out of the master cylinder, damage he has done in the past which cost him $60 to repair. He was none to happy about this to say the least. I have the same brake levers, the carbon Hayes HFX9's. Great feel, but don't hold up too well in a crash evidentially.

Maybe it's time to make more Mojo...

Movin' Blues

Sorry for the delay in posting. We've been busy sorting and packing the Gardnerville house in preparations for moving to Carson City. It's fun, and even a little bit funny, to go through all the stuff you've been holding onto for years... or even decades!

Unfortunately this is just a small sampling of all the "fun" stuff I've been going through. It's overwhelming! We finally got a house picked out in Carson, but there is still much to do before we move early next month.

I can't wait till it's over!

More Mojo

Not all Mojo ends up on a bicycle. Here's Amy's Mojo. It's on the front door of her house that is on the market. Her hopes is that the good luck will expedite the sale!


Here's some traveling Mojo. Jeff P took his Mojo riding in Morro Bay, CA on the back of his Spot 29er.

New Trail Update

Go check out Jeff P's trail update over at Cycling Carson City. Exiting Stuff!

First Snow Ride of the Season!

Temperatures dropped, and guess who showed up? Old Man Winter visited the Carson City area today! It wasn't overly cold. It was sprinkling rain in town, but turned to snow as we got into the mountains. The trail conditions were sweet!

I'm not sure what such an early snow storm indicates for this coming winter. Anyone have any gut feelings? My gut isn't saying much other than I probably ate too much for dinner. It would be nice to have a wet winter, but really wet winters can be bad for cycling. I have mixed feelings...

Biking Circle

At the time of this post, the FBC blog is listed in the top 15 Recommended Blogs over at Biking Circle, under the heading "Sorted by Fastest Gain in Social Rank. These blogs had the biggest increase in attention today."

Thanks for reading and linking!

Gopher Snake

Gopher Snake
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

We saw this Gopher Snake on today's ride. I think Jon accidentally ran over it...the tracks seem to go where the poor guy's neck is. He appeared to be ok though.

I couldn't figure out if it was a Gopher Snake or a Bull Snake. But after researching this particular conundrum, I found that these two species are one in the same. So pick your favorite name!

Gopher snakes have a great defense. They look a lot like rattlesnakes at first glance. It takes a few seconds to examine the head and tail before you're confident that you're not in any danger. And by that time, the snake has usually crawled off into the bushes.

Second Annual Tahoe Blogger's Ride

After the very successful Ride With Smudgemo, we decided it would be a good idea to do it again, but with more of us. Brent has been doing some brainstorming, and Smudgemo has some good ideas over on his blog. So start thinking about next June people!

We figured June would be a good month, since the kids will be out of school, Lake Tahoe trails will be thawed out, and it's a little less crowded. We'll probably do a mountain bike ride and a road ride. June is also the month of the Slow Rollers Poker Run.

Post your thoughts and ideas in the comments!

UPDATE! I've added a link on the top of the side bar to the new Tahoe Blogger's Ride Blog, a bulletin board of sorts created by Smudgemo. Check the TBR for the latest updates!

Gonads -N- Strife Poker Run 2007

Yay for Porter!
Originally uploaded by Facility Bike Club.

On Sunday, Kristy, Brent, Sandie, and I loaded up the kids and headed to Sparks, NV for the Gonads -N- Strife Poker Run. The full report is up over at Cycling Carson City! Go read about bikes and beer HERE!

Mojo Sightings

Here's an update on some of the final Mojo Bags that were sent out.

The first picture is from MinusCar. The Mojo is riding on his messenger bag in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I traded MinusCar some Mojo for a cool MinusCar sticker that will be going on my single speed.


The next picture is from Lauren in the California Bay Area. I don't believe Mojo has been outlawed in professional racing yet, but Lauren hid this one under her saddle for good luck. TDF racers take note!



International Mojo! This last picture is from Jerome in Rockyford, Alberta (that's Canada for you geographically challenged Americans). This Mojo will keep him safe on his long haul commutes. This one took a couple weeks to make it through customs!