After my post of yesterday about the first issue of the Practical Pedal one Ron Richings of Vancouver, BC pointed out that there is another magazine covering utility cycling, Momentum, published in Vancouver. According to the inside cover Ron is a writer for Momentum and my first scan the one piece by him in the current issue regards a city subsidy for folder bikes in Santa Cruz, just over the hill from where I live. Momentum looks nice, very nice, and quite mature. May have to sign up for a subscription. Interesting that two topics The Wife and I discussed quite a bit during our recently completed trip to Canada, the 100 mile diet and the Otesha Project, both are featured in this issue. Coincidence?
A couple of months back I had found another new magazine, Urban Velo, which covers cycling in urban areas. So I popped over to their site to find that issue #2 was posted this past Wednesday. Looks like I will have lots of good reading for the next day or two. My recommendation: take a look at all 3 since current issues are available on-line. If you like what you see, support them so we can continue to get good coverage of cycling as transportation.
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June 2007.
The first issue of “the Practical Pedal“, a new utility cycling magazine, is on-line and apparently been mailed to subscribers. I do not have my hard copy, yet, but have read through about half the articles in the on-line version. It’s a nice start. Fairly good article on cargo trailers, a nice story about how a daughter led her parents to cycling, a short piece on dutch cargo bikes, and a history of power-grips.
If you are interested in utility cycling, take a gander. You can read it on-line in HTML or PDF format, and if you like it you can subscribe for free .. or throw Wiley a five-spot for a paid subscription.
The trip to Canuckistan was originally planned as a self-supported bicycle tour. Given that: 1) the week before our arrival there was flooding and road closures, 2) we had rain/snow flurries on about half the days in the mountains, 3) there were far too many CruiseCanada.com/CruiseAmerica.com/CanaDream.com/other-RV-rental-outfit.com website giganto-sloth Are-Vees driven by inept drivers, and 4) lots of facilities (hostels, campgrounds, food places) still not open along much of the route, it is probably wise that we ditched the bike tour for a drive-n-hike vacation.
The Icefield Parkway seems like a poor place to cycle; too little of interest, road conditions dicey, too many motoring tourists. Can’t figure out why so many cyclists do tour along that route.
Anyone know why so many of the cyclists we saw around the Okanagan valley and in Banff, Jasper, and Kootenay Nat’l Parks were riding tri bikes?
A pass for a carful of folks entering into Yosemite is $20/week, $40/year. Parks are supposed to pay for their own improvements to a degree, yet facilities at US parks are deteriorating and public outcry seems to squash attempts at fee increases. In contrast, a pass to Canadian parks for the same car is $17.80/day, $123/year. No wonder that the facilities up north were so much better maintained than down here. By the way, anyone want to rent an annual pass to Canadian national parks?
The soft dollar policy of the US government has made touring in Canada an expensive proposition … something unimaginable a few years back. Approaching 1:1 conversion rate, but prices up north are much higher than down here. And we thought airfares to Europe made Italy unwise this year …..
Canadian drivers seems just as capable of inattentive driving as US drivers.
Ms. Chatterbox does not fancy herself a mountain biker. Perhaps she may be softening on that position (?).
The weather up here in the northern latitudes is finally taking a change for the better. But of course if had to get worse for a while first.
Monday evening the weather was getting better so we took a nice pre-dinner walk, about 5km or so. Saw one beaver, a few squirrels, and about 50000 mosquitoes. Ms. Chatterbox seemed to have been good bait, so they left me alone. And there was one small black bear on the outskirts of town.
Tuesday we had planned a nice hike to a pass above the Columbian glacier, but when we got there the wind was howling, the skies were threatening, so we went anyway. The hike turned out to be pretty nice. Just a bit of rain, which was really snow flurries at the pass, and winds probably 25MPH constant with gusts in the 40MPH+ but what the heck. We had seen a lot of fresh sheep dropping on the trail and I was joking that there should be sheep (Rocky Mtn Bighorn type sheep) above us when I looked up and saw 1, 2 , 3 ….. 11, no 12 of them sitting just above us on an exposed slope. Look down and there are 4 more below us. Not the least bit worried as we passed by. On the return trip all 16 were together taking it easy in the breeze. Ms. Chatterbox, who was shivering, could not understand how they could be so calm in that weather … wind with snow flurries. Guess I’ll have to give her more wool clothing so she understands. It was a good day for wildlife: 2 elk, 3 mountain goats, 16 sheep, and a grizzly bear sow with 2 cubs, not to mention all the little critters.
Today we woke up to mostly blue skies. Wonderful! We took an early hike, about 7.5-8km total, to a small lake named Agnes. Great views, serenaded the whole time by Varied Thrush’s singing. Now if we can keep this weather for the next few days. May even get an MTB and go touring for a day.
It is summer, or close enough. Thursday should be the solstice. But up here north of the 52nd parallel summer seems to be a cruel hoax.
Yesterday we went for a hike, our form of cross training. We started at Maligne Lake, a bit over 5500′ elevation, and climbed up and around the Opal Hills, just below Opal Peak. The backside of the Hills, the side opposite the lake, was a bit over 7000′ up. We had occasional rainshowers the entire hike, but on the back part the rain was a bit fluffy … snow showers! And the trail was non-existent on the back side, or rather it was not apparent as it was buried under a white blanket, a blanket hip deep in places.
Today the plan was to hike to Cavell Meadows, which is across from Mt. Edith Cavell. That was the plan. But, as we started up the hill there was a blockade and a closure sign. The Canadian Park Service decided last year that letting folks walk in the meadow before the snow melted and the ground dried caused too much damage. So we were consigned to a short 1km hike below the mountain to the glaciers. But we did see this cute little guy, a White-tailed Ptarmigan, and his lady.
Getting some wet and white in the summer/near summer period seems to be our pattern. In 2004 we got a bit of snow climbing Stelvio on June 21, in 2005 we were blocked by a snowbank on Tourmalet on May 28th, and had to fight freezing rain and fog climbing Port de la Bonaigua on May 30th. Perhaps we need better vacation kharma.
We interrupt this blog to …. go on Vacation!!! First time in years that we are leaving town without the bikes. Strange feeling. Different packing list and rules. We will have much more than the 15-20 lbs each we took to France two years ago, and a whole lot more than the 25-30 lbs we took to Italy 3 years ago. Of course, we will not be carrying it all on a bike so why scrimp? Perhaps we will post from the road …. or not. Major goal is to RELAX.
Auf wiedersehen!
I am the spouse of a racing cyclist, someone whose Significant Other has committed themselves to throwing down the glove, putting it on the line, and racing against like minded souls. When The Wife joined the team last fall she was talking of doing about one race per month through the season, especially given her tight schedule with full-time work, part-time student, full-time wife, and a lot more. In actuality it has turned out to be two or so races/month so far this year, and started at the first of the year not March as originally planned. I have no problem with that, just want to make sure that she does not overcommit too much and burn herself out. The Wife does not want to tie up too much of my time, and has given me the option of not going to her races. I want to be there for her, but not in the way, so to date I have exercised the stay at home option rarely and only when she has commitments with her teammates that will make my presence a hindrance.
Most cycle races are not great for spectators; even in short course crits a spectator sees the racers for just a small percentage of total race and in most cases miss all or most of the action. Long road races and time trials (TTs) are worse; at best you see the racers for a few seconds at the beginning and end of the race. So the options for a racing spouse/SO are limited:
- Race, too.
- Stay at home, sending good vibes the way of the racing spouse.
- Accompany the spouse to the race and there:
- Work as an official.
- Work as a volunteer for the event or team.
- Help the spouse/SO get ready for the race, then become a spectator.
- Stay out of the way spouse/SO until the race, then become a spectator.
My strategy is mixed. This year is the year of The Wife, so no racing for me. I have committed to race next year, at least occasionally and starting with the first race of the year. And I have not been an official, yet. My guess is at some point that may happen. I was chatting with a couple in line for the Port-o-lets at the Dunlap TT on Sunday, he was the official keeping the starting clock, she was racing in the W3 category. She got to race, he was occupied though he was able to see his wife at the start, only, not at the finish. When I was course marshall at a Crit I was able to note The Wife passing by every few minutes, but could not give her or the race a lot of attention as I had to keep my eye on traffic and things happening around the course. Good to give a hand, but not good for being an involved spectator.
The spouse/SO of the racing cyclist who accompanies their partner to the race has to keep busy during that long period after arrival until the racer(s) line up at the start line. I have found I can help The Wife get setup for her warmup, take care of logistics, but there is still a lot of ‘dead’ time to fill. I am a bit of a gear head, and tend to wander around taking notes of what equipment everyone has brought. Time trials are the best place for taking stock of gear, lots of high-zoot stuff and the ratio of top-end bikes/racers is greater than 1:1. The value of the wheels alone at the Dunlap Time Trial was probably enough to purchase a small housing development in the Bay Area.
As the spouse of racing cyclist I get to spend time with, and/or observe, the other spouses/SO’s. Some are content with socializing or just sitting around while the race is in progress. Some have their children present and are spending time with them. Some get engrossed in their books, magazines, iPods, etc. for the duration. I cannot seem to sit still long enough for that. I had planned to watch the season finale of ‘Heroes’ on the iPod during the Mt. Hamilton Road Race, but ended up socializing with Ann-Marie, Jennifer, Jeanine, and Alison instead, at least for what time was left *after* we got back from dropping the racers off at the start line 39 miles up the twisty, narrow road. Perhaps a hacky-sack or frisbee is better to take along rather than the iPod and see if I can get some activity going.
This past Sunday I opted for a more active time during the race. I brought along my bike, which I used to scout the end legs of the course while The Wife did her warmup. I then did some exploring and riding around the Winters area while The Wife was on the course, keeping my eye on the clock so I was at the finish line before she crossed. Another source of diversion, another way to spend my time while she is laying it down, giving her all, on the course.
This coming Saturday I will be with The Wife at the Pescadero Road Race. Not sure what I will be doing to help the team, yet, no message from the team captain. If I have no team assignment I will try to find a place on the course near the finish line so I can cheer The Wife and the team on during the 2.5 circuits of the course. The life of the spouse of a racing cyclist.
One of the problems with being a full-time cycle commuter and a recreational cyclist is that I tend to go too long between breaks. Recovery days are a good thing. Unfortunately they have been few and far between lately and today I had to pay the piper. I wanted to ride to Santa Cruz and back today, but that would be 110+ miles and the weather forecast for the coast was not looking good; foggy and rather cool. A trip over Mt. Hamilton, down to Livermore, and home would be 120 miles or so, and I was not sure the legs had it in them particularly since there was a hint of pain in the right knee. So I opted for some loops north of Mt. Hamilton in the foothills, with Sierra Rd. being the dominant climb. Sierra Rd., the local climb brought to national prominence because it has been THE featured climb of the first two editions of the Tour of California.
I started from home under fully overcast/foggy conditions. I had expected to see fog for at least a couple more hours, but by the time I arrived at the base of Sierra Rd. at mile 23 the skies were mostly clear around the hills though fog lingered most of the day over the valley. With clear skies I knew I would be too warm so I removed my base layer before starting up the hill. The climb up Sierra Rd. starts right away with three short steep sections stair-stepping up with a very short relief section in between. By the second steep part I knew my legs were dead and I had a few more miles of climbing. No real excuse, just too many days on the bikes without a break. Knowing it would be a slog I just got into my lowest gear, not that low since this was a standard double (I will put on the compact double, soon …) and just did a slow crawl to the top, enjoying the scenery, the cattle, the cattleman, and the wildlife. Past the three steep stairs the grade settles to a relatively constant 10% or so, something for the hearty climbers to enjoy … when the legs are doing well. At the slow speed I was going I could enjoy the horned larks, the meadowlarks, the hawks, the grizzled old coyote that jumped out into the roadway about 10 feet in front of me, and much more. By the time I got to the first of the false summits I was well past the point where I wanted to be done with the climbing. After summiting I decided to opt out of the add-on climb up Calaveras Rd. to the resevoir and down to Sunol, deciding to go down to the valley and ride north to the Dumbarton bridge to cross the bay then work my way home.
After descending off Sierra Rd via Felter and Calaveras the ride was more one of survival than anything. Miles of making my way northward trying to skirt as much of the surburbia as possible while riding straight into a brisk wind. I enjoyed a couple of brief sections heading south with a nice push from with wind, but I was toast and I knew it. I will have to search for a strategy for melding the commute and other stuff in ways that I can get a more days off the bike.
It is a good thing that we have a vacation scheduled. Fourteen days, and we are not taking our bikes. We may rent MTB’s at a couple of spots, but for the most part we will be hiking, resting, clearing the minds and letting overworked muscles recover. Oh, and visiting a few wineries on the way. A lot to be said for rest days.
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