Thread Drift

[Trek420]

KnottedYet "Trek is sending me some lavender bar tape she can't use. Flossie will be so glamorous!"

Oy gevalt, and starting Monday "where's my tape?"

Have fun on your ride. Pictures, we want pictures!

[mimitabby]

here are the kids. They are staying out longer and longer. They purr when I hold them and even play. They still hide FIRST. when they'll stay there in that cat tree on their own, they have made great advances.

I have to get ready for the ride too. I don't know what to wear! Is it going to warm up? rain? I gave my son my booties because he's riding around mt rainier today.. so it better not be TOO cold.

So many decisions! eeek.

Mimi (can't wait to see KY's new bike and yes, I am bringing a camera (if the battery ever charges!!!)

[betagirl]

Wow, what a difference a fixed gear is!

I rode around town for about an hour or so, getting a feel for everything.

Some things I learned:

- Stopping by applying some pressure to the pedals seems more natural than using the brake.

- the 48/18 gear is a lot easier than I thought it'd be. I'm kinda insulted that the one guy at the LBS thought it'd be too hard for me.

- You have a lot more control over your bike than one with gears, if that makes sense.

- I coast a lot more than I realized

- When you go into coast mode on a FG it quickly reminds you that that's not in the cards

- Stopping and starting is a fine art. It took me a few tries to figure out how to clip out and stop (I'd just go around the corner instead). I did some practice runs on a side street and got the hang of it. I still haven't figured out how to stop with my dominant foot (left) in the proper position so I can go without backing up or rolling forward to get my pedal aligned. Currently I clip out with my right foot, use the pedals to stop, and find my left foot at the 7 to 8 o'clock position. That doesn't do me much good to go.

That was a cool ride. I think I need to practice some more, especially stopping quickly, before I use her to commute. I can't imagine how you'd do an emergency stop on a FG. I'll have to do some reading up on that. And SPD pedals are pretty easy to get used to. I'm glad I put those on instead of Look's.

Have any of you tried one? Deb, I'm assuming you have?

Time for breakfast. And coffee.

[betagirl]

Kitties!

[snapdragen]

Just to guarantee my spot in H*ll:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...95289434928074

advance apologies if it offends anyone.....but I found it pee your pants funny.

[Trek420]

snapdragen

"Just to guarantee my spot in H*ll:"

oh goodie, at least I've found someone to ride with there I'll meet you near the eliphants

I love it, "you just don't get it do you?"

"advance apologies if it offends anyone"

to anyone offended "love the ending, "don't worry, he'll be back"

[maillotpois]

Snap - save a seat for me. I'll do the same if I get there first.

That was funny!

[DebW]

Wow, what a difference a fixed gear is!

I rode around town for about an hour or so, getting a feel for everything.

Some things I learned:

- Stopping and starting is a fine art. It took me a few tries to figure out how to clip out and stop (I'd just go around the corner instead). I did some practice runs on a side street and got the hang of it. I still haven't figured out how to stop with my dominant foot (left) in the proper position so I can go without backing up or rolling forward to get my pedal aligned. Currently I clip out with my right foot, use the pedals to stop, and find my left foot at the 7 to 8 o'clock position. That doesn't do me much good to go.

Have any of you tried one? Deb, I'm assuming you have?

No, not me. Looks fun though, and I'd like to try sometime. But I do live on top of a hill... The owner of the shop I worked in raced, and trained on a track bike on the roads in winter. He also motorpaced on the road in winter, with his wife driving. The one mishap he had was when a squirrel ran in front of the car, his wife accidentally hit the breaks, and he went over the hood. All his wife could say was "And on his birthday!" No real damage, except to the birthday.

You know, track riders never have to deal with stopping and starting. Someone holds them up while they clip in and start, and someone catches them at the end. I think I'd be looking for a wall to lean on every time I had to stopped. Think I read that after you stop, you just squeeze the front brake, rock forward so the rear wheel lifts, and reposition your pedal.

[Lise]

beta, you're a brave woman. Have a blast playing with Sloane!

snap-- whew. FUNNY! I love the line, "GIVE ME THAT THING!" And of course, "Doan't woarry. He'll be bahk." I referenced the Terminator yesterday, when riding with Lynne. It's how we size up anyone else on the path, "Unpredictable", "Knows what he's doing", "Not paying attention", "Likely to veer into my path", etc.

Ran 3.5 miles with Jamie this morning, then rode 9 mi to brunch and 9 mi back. Milwaukee Ave. (from Higgins down to Irving Pk) is just one gob of asphalt on top of another. What a misery to ride. N'er agin. Let's see. 3.5 mile run, 18 mile ride, and two showers--is that a triathlon?

Do you know my Jewel (big grocery store) doesn't sell Simple Green?!? I was going to get some to clean the chain instead of that caustic degreaser stuff I've used before. I wonder where I can get it. Beta, Lynne, have you seen it anywhere in our area?

Trek I can just see your sturdy little Corgi going in and harvesting tomatoes. Hilarious.

[betagirl]

You can get simple green at home depot and I think Whole Foods.

Brave? Maybe. Definitely crazy I did find how to adjust the pedal to the proper position. I'll give her a spin again soon.

Hey are you doing the North Shore century tomorrow?

[Kitsune06]

Just to guarantee my spot in H*ll:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...95289434928074

advance apologies if it offends anyone.....but I found it pee your pants funny.

Well, since quite a few religions say you're going to hell if you don't follow them, and you can't really follow more than one, I think we'll have lots of company- but that's HILARIOUS.

(btw, if you write enough with 'OMG' and 'LOL' etc, you do end up accidentally saying them once or twice. It happens more often with IM conversations than just emailing etc (I think SKnot would agree...)

...so I admit, I actually have looked at someone in shock and disbelief, and without better words to express myself, said "Oh EM GEE!!! WTF?!" then we stared at each other in stunned silence that I'd actually SAID the acronyms. After that it became a joke among my friends, which only perpetuated the bad habit.
I'm hanging my head in shame... I really am.

[Bruno28]

Well I'm just back from holiday and there's too much TD to catch up with all at once so I'll just launch in - forgive my rudeness.

Prague was wonderful. It's a really beautiful city and any of you planning European breaks should certainly consider giving it a go. It is stunning to look at and full of historically interesting buildings, but it's also very cosmopolitan. Everyone speaks English which is great because Czech's not a language you can learn in a couple of days! The food was fantastic...due to the cosmopolitan influence it's not all meat and dumplings, not that there's anything wrong with meat and dumplings.

The weather was great also unlike here where it has been a horrible, grey day (very 'dreich', for those of you who want to learn Scots - a fine tongue if I may say so). Kitsun won the prize for pronouncing Edinburgh so I throw down the gauntlet again!

Extract from Scottish dictionary....
Dreich ADJ.
Description of the usual Scottish weather viz:
Damp, dreary, overcast, drizzling, threatening to pish doon, looks like it will stay like this for weeks.......

[Lise]

mimi, I forgot to say: Beautiful kitty babies! I'm glad they're getting more relaxed and friendly.

beta--thanks for the tip on Simple Green. I can tell you Target doesn't have it. I am not doing the North Shore Century after all. I am committed to the 1/2 marathon with my friend Jamie. I decided I could train effectively for one or the other, but not both. So I've been riding a fair amt--50 mi last week, 66 mi so far this week, but not enough to go out and ride 100 miles. How about you?

Bruno--my brother loved Prague. I understand the Scots' gloominess at times, being 1/4 Scots myself. Sometimes the sunshine is just too much! (not really. )

[LynneK]

I get Simple Green at my local hardware store (LHS). Haven't seen it at grocery or at Target, but have seen it at Home Depot. Have to get some, actually, as my chain and cassette are a fright.

LHS reminded me: here we use LBS; I also knit, so in talking with knitters we use LYS (local yarn store), as well as other common acronyms (DH, DGF, etc.). I am fascinated by the evolution of such norms in such disparate crowds as cycling and knitting! I suppose it's due to cross-pollination from our interconnected communities of different interests.

[Lise]

I am psyched! Today the cute little mail carrier lady brought me a box from TE and my Amici Veloche s/s jersey! I was so regretting not having bought a s/s version (I got a sleeveless). I put the word out that I was looking for one, and someone who reads here, but hasn't yet posted, PM'd me. She sold me one she'd bought for a family member whom it didn't fit. Same price, she even priority mailed it to me at her cost. Thank you! It fits perfectly. Now I wish I were doing the ride tomorrow so I could wear it!

I also got my Zoic knickers and PI Sugar Knickers. I love the Sugar knickers. They feel wonderful, and it will be so nice to have my thighs and knees covered as it gets colder out. If I like the chamois, I'll buy a pair of the shorts, too. I'm not sure about the Zoics. I don't seem to have the extreme low-rise problem that others have mentioned. I've bent over, as I would on the bike, and they cover my butt . But they are so stiff, and a little shorter than I'd like. It might just be too much fabric up above, and not long enough down below. They also smell very strongly of moth balls! That could be washed out. I'm undecided about keeping them.