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Once again, Steve and the Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association put on a great race. Even though we had more rain in the week leading up to the race then we had seen in months, the course was still almost as dry as could be, and was a real joy to ride.
I had signed up for the inaugural "Duo-Enduro" category with my buddy Rob, a six-hour tag team race. I've been playing around with on-bike video cameras, and even purchased a little ATC-2K helmet-cam from the guys at Oregon Scientific. I loaded up on batteries and memory cards, and hoped for the best.
My plan had been that while Rob was riding his laps, I would hang out at the pit and get to shoot some footage of the race scene. But not twenty minutes after the start Rob rolled in to the pit and said, "Dude, you gotta ride for me. I think I broke my finger."
"What? You're kidding!"
"Nope, I'm not," Rob said, and pulled off his left glove to expose a compound pinky fracture. Just to confirm that, indeed, bone was jutting out from flesh, some helpful soul walked by and stated, "That's a compound fracture."
One of the volunteers saw the what blood there and blurted out, "Should I call an ambulance?"
"Naah," Rob said, "I can drive to the hospital."
"But shouldn't we do something?" she insisted.
"Well," I offered, "we should elevate his hand above his heart, and maybe splint it."
"What do we use for a splint?" she asked, triggering a flashback to my dog-eared Boy Scout First Aid merit badge booklet,
"Umm, well, we need something hard for a splint. Something about the size of his hand."
"Like what?"
"Well, aah, a water bottle would work."
"OK!" she shouted as she ran over to the check-in table where dozens of commemorative 20th TMBC Anniversary water bottles were lined up.
Meanwhile I got Rob sitted in a chair and fished in my bag for my gaffer's tape. (It's like duct tape, but with a cloth backing & less adhesive.) When water bottle lady returned I told Rob to hold the water bottle in his maimed hand, then taped his hand to the bottle. Someone else sensibly suggested that we should keep his hand cool, so water bottle lady ran to get a bucket of ice. I filled the bottle with ice, then looked at Rob and asked him, "Which hospital are you heading to?"
"Oh, Norfolk General."
"You'll be able to drive."
"Yeah, it's only my left hand. It's an automatic transmission, so it won't be a problem."
All during this time riders were whizzing through the pit, some hopping off their bikes as their waiting teammates started in on their laps. While Rob and I had initially hoped to be able to place decently in the Duo Enduro category, even though we only had 2 gears and 1 suspension fork between us, I realized our competitive hopes had vanished. There was no way that I could compete against 2-man teams by myself. But since Rob had ridden to the pit, he had met the rules for switching riders, and I could technically continue the race as a team. But Rob wouldn't be riding anymore.
So I walked Rob to his Volvo wagon and got his bike on the roof while he settled his kids in the car. I waved him off, then headed back to the pit for my bike.
I rode for the better part of the next 5 hours, stopping to rest and adjust my cameras, generally just having a good time. So let me know what you think...
The YouTube version offers a bigger picture, but it's resampled and compressed more than the blogger version at the top of this post. But I'm including it if you want to watch it in big screen...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
My Favorite Bike Podcasts
Podcasting, for those who ain't so tech-savvy, is an awesome way to listen to audio content on your own schedule. Instead of having to remember to tune into, say, This American Life, or The Bill O'Reilly Show, you can just subscribe to a podcast through iTunes (look for the "Podcast" menu on the left side, then click the "Podcast Directory" button), download the show to you MP3 player, and listen to it at your convenience.
While there are quite a number of professionally-produced radio shows that are now available in podcast format, there are a whole bunch of amateurs who are getting into the game, too. So here's a round up of my favorite biking podcasts. I've included the hyperlinks to the iTunes podcast URL's, so just click the link and you'll go to the podcast:
The Bike Show from Resonance FM.
Jack Thurston hosts this awesome little show out of London, and covers everything from the latest underground fashions in cycling apparel to transcontinental bike rides. The interview with Sheldon Brown on the history of Raleigh bicycles is a real gem. The Bike Show blog is here.
Bikescape
From the other side of the Atlantic comes Bikescape, an amateur show out of San Francisco. While not as regular as The Bike Show, Bikescape offers a revealing look into West Coast urban bike culture, while also occasionally venturing abroad for visits to velodromes and New York City. The Bikescape blog is here.
The FredCast
The FredCast is oriented towards road riders, and the first twenty minutes of every show is spent recapping the pro tour. If you care about the pro tour, I guess that's a good thing...If you care about latest, newest, and most expensive power meters, GPS navigators, cyclometers, heart meters or integrated power meters/GPS navigators/cyclometers/heart meters, then this is the show for you. Sometimes The FredCast is good, but sometimes it's just annoying. The FredCast blog is here.
The Spokesmen Cycling Roundtable
While The FredCast can be a bit much, the same guy also puts together a round table discussion by a rotating cast of bike industry folks. It's usually a pretty amusing ensemble, especially when the mountain bike guys start dissing roadies for doping. Much, much better than The FredCast.
Crooked Cog Podcast
Tim Grahl had a great thing going there for a while, but it's been a few months since he posted a new show. Crooked Cog focused on blue collar mountain biking- no high-end pro stuff, just the gritty basics for the working stiff who likes to ride some singletrack before going home to stinky diapers.
While there are quite a number of professionally-produced radio shows that are now available in podcast format, there are a whole bunch of amateurs who are getting into the game, too. So here's a round up of my favorite biking podcasts. I've included the hyperlinks to the iTunes podcast URL's, so just click the link and you'll go to the podcast:
The Bike Show from Resonance FM.
Jack Thurston hosts this awesome little show out of London, and covers everything from the latest underground fashions in cycling apparel to transcontinental bike rides. The interview with Sheldon Brown on the history of Raleigh bicycles is a real gem. The Bike Show blog is here.
Bikescape
From the other side of the Atlantic comes Bikescape, an amateur show out of San Francisco. While not as regular as The Bike Show, Bikescape offers a revealing look into West Coast urban bike culture, while also occasionally venturing abroad for visits to velodromes and New York City. The Bikescape blog is here.
The FredCast
The FredCast is oriented towards road riders, and the first twenty minutes of every show is spent recapping the pro tour. If you care about the pro tour, I guess that's a good thing...If you care about latest, newest, and most expensive power meters, GPS navigators, cyclometers, heart meters or integrated power meters/GPS navigators/cyclometers/heart meters, then this is the show for you. Sometimes The FredCast is good, but sometimes it's just annoying. The FredCast blog is here.
The Spokesmen Cycling Roundtable
While The FredCast can be a bit much, the same guy also puts together a round table discussion by a rotating cast of bike industry folks. It's usually a pretty amusing ensemble, especially when the mountain bike guys start dissing roadies for doping. Much, much better than The FredCast.
Crooked Cog Podcast
Tim Grahl had a great thing going there for a while, but it's been a few months since he posted a new show. Crooked Cog focused on blue collar mountain biking- no high-end pro stuff, just the gritty basics for the working stiff who likes to ride some singletrack before going home to stinky diapers.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
Utility Bikes
Just a random sweep of what I've been reading today-
First off, there's an awesome little magazine out of Bozeman, Montana (of all places) by the name of The Practical Pedal. They bill themselves as "The Journal of Practical Bicycling." And fittingly they had advertising for bakfiets, those awesome Dutch utility bikes ("the minivan of bicycles.") Not only can you download the PDF of the latest issue for free, but subscription is free, too!
I guess I know I've passed into middle age when not only is my hairline receding, but the exotic European models I lust after are...utility bikes. Bakfiets are just darn cool, and they're coming to this side of the pond! I'm hoping I might get my hands on one for a test ride...
And then there's this little gem of a blog:
Copenhagen Girls on Bikes.
Oh...Oh, yeah...
There's just something about a thigh-high, stilleto-heeled boot braced onthe pedal of a be-fendered city bike.
Finally, Issue 131 of Dirt Rag is now on the newsstands, and is, as always, worth reading from cover to cover.
First off, there's an awesome little magazine out of Bozeman, Montana (of all places) by the name of The Practical Pedal. They bill themselves as "The Journal of Practical Bicycling." And fittingly they had advertising for bakfiets, those awesome Dutch utility bikes ("the minivan of bicycles.") Not only can you download the PDF of the latest issue for free, but subscription is free, too!
I guess I know I've passed into middle age when not only is my hairline receding, but the exotic European models I lust after are...utility bikes. Bakfiets are just darn cool, and they're coming to this side of the pond! I'm hoping I might get my hands on one for a test ride...And then there's this little gem of a blog:
Copenhagen Girls on Bikes.Oh...Oh, yeah...
There's just something about a thigh-high, stilleto-heeled boot braced onthe pedal of a be-fendered city bike.
Finally, Issue 131 of Dirt Rag is now on the newsstands, and is, as always, worth reading from cover to cover.
Shenandoah 100? Try the Shenandoah 1200!
This just out! The DC Randonneurs Bike Club has announced their first 1,200 kilometer brevet, the Shenandoah 1200! It's an early season 1200, starting on June 5, 2008.
For those not up on brevets, here's the gist of it- entrants must complete a series of preliminary brevets- 200, 300, 400 & 600 kilometers. While brevets are not races, there are checkpoints which riders must pass within a specified time. Riders may only receive assistance at designated checkpoints (no support vehicles en route). Randonneuring is about self-sufficiency and pacing, not team support and racing.
So here's an awesome opportunity for an epic adventure right here in Virginia. The official course hasn't been announced yet, but it'll probably include a bunch of hills, valleys and mountains through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Which means...Sheetz!!! Yes, nothing makes a ride better than a quick snack from a chain of family-owned convenience stores. Remember, It's not Fast Food, It's Better Food Fast.
For those not up on brevets, here's the gist of it- entrants must complete a series of preliminary brevets- 200, 300, 400 & 600 kilometers. While brevets are not races, there are checkpoints which riders must pass within a specified time. Riders may only receive assistance at designated checkpoints (no support vehicles en route). Randonneuring is about self-sufficiency and pacing, not team support and racing.
So here's an awesome opportunity for an epic adventure right here in Virginia. The official course hasn't been announced yet, but it'll probably include a bunch of hills, valleys and mountains through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Which means...Sheetz!!! Yes, nothing makes a ride better than a quick snack from a chain of family-owned convenience stores. Remember, It's not Fast Food, It's Better Food Fast.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Bike Movie Reviews
Ya gotta love Netflix...When you plumb the depths, you can find some rather obscure stuff. But not everything lying in the rough is a diamond. Read on for some quick reviews of a few recent bike-related films we've watched from Netflix...
The Flying Scotsman is a fun little film that will keep the cyclist in the house cheering Graeme Obree in his record-breaking rides. The struggles between Graeme and the UCI were explained well enough that I didn't need to pause the movie and fill in the details for my wife. While it's no "Rocky," it certainly ranks amongst the ten best feature-length bike films, although I'm not sure if there are 10 feature-length bike films out there...For bike geeks, the most satisfying scene of the film has got to be Graeme ripping apart his wife's washing machine for the bearings. It's worth Three and a Half Sprockets out of Four.
On the other extreme, we've got...
Then there's...
Now when a film wins at Cannes, you know it's got to be good. However cycling is only a peripheral subject in this revealing portrait of contemporary Vietnam through the eyes of a pedicab driver who turns to the local mob when his bike is stolen. While the movie draws upon the classic Italian film, "The Bicycle Thief," the emphasis in "Cyclo" is on the thief, not the bicycle. Or rather, a den of thieves. Be forewarned- this film is not for the faint of heart- there are some rather bloody scenes. Still worth Four Sprockets out of Four, though.
For an even longer list of bike-related films, check out legjoints.com.
The Flying Scotsman
The Flying Scotsman is a fun little film that will keep the cyclist in the house cheering Graeme Obree in his record-breaking rides. The struggles between Graeme and the UCI were explained well enough that I didn't need to pause the movie and fill in the details for my wife. While it's no "Rocky," it certainly ranks amongst the ten best feature-length bike films, although I'm not sure if there are 10 feature-length bike films out there...For bike geeks, the most satisfying scene of the film has got to be Graeme ripping apart his wife's washing machine for the bearings. It's worth Three and a Half Sprockets out of Four.On the other extreme, we've got...
2 Secondes
2 Secondes could've been a great film, but like the lead character, a female downhill mountain bike racer who returns to her native Montreal, it falters at the gate and doesn't deliver. I don't speak French, but given that the English dialogue was rather stilted and poorly-delivered, I probably didn't miss anything. The bike scenes are decently photographed, but nothing special. At best, this film is a piece of soft-core bike porn: if you're like me, you'll be fast-forwarding through the dialogue to get to the good bits. I give it One Sprocket out of Four.
2 Secondes could've been a great film, but like the lead character, a female downhill mountain bike racer who returns to her native Montreal, it falters at the gate and doesn't deliver. I don't speak French, but given that the English dialogue was rather stilted and poorly-delivered, I probably didn't miss anything. The bike scenes are decently photographed, but nothing special. At best, this film is a piece of soft-core bike porn: if you're like me, you'll be fast-forwarding through the dialogue to get to the good bits. I give it One Sprocket out of Four.Then there's...
Cyclo
Now when a film wins at Cannes, you know it's got to be good. However cycling is only a peripheral subject in this revealing portrait of contemporary Vietnam through the eyes of a pedicab driver who turns to the local mob when his bike is stolen. While the movie draws upon the classic Italian film, "The Bicycle Thief," the emphasis in "Cyclo" is on the thief, not the bicycle. Or rather, a den of thieves. Be forewarned- this film is not for the faint of heart- there are some rather bloody scenes. Still worth Four Sprockets out of Four, though.
For an even longer list of bike-related films, check out legjoints.com.
Critical Norfolk
So we had over twenty people show up last Friday for Critical Mass, our first in Norfolk in some years. How many years, no one is exactly sure. I remember seeing signs for a Critical Mass when I was first married back in the 20th Century. And there's been a Critical Sass ride occasionally in Ghent. But this was the first Critical Mass ride in a while.
I slapped a couple of cameras on the bike & trailer, so enjoy the show! We'll be taking back the streets again on Friday, October 26th. Wear a costume and celebrate Halloween! We'll meet at 6 pm across from Starbuck's on Colley Avenue.
I slapped a couple of cameras on the bike & trailer, so enjoy the show! We'll be taking back the streets again on Friday, October 26th. Wear a costume and celebrate Halloween! We'll meet at 6 pm across from Starbuck's on Colley Avenue.
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