Spring Cleaning for Cyclists

Well, I no longer wish to bitch and moan about the snow. I don't ski, and I am in good shape right now, so...what to do. Well, traditionally I start by destroying my fitness with a proper pub workout. I start with 160z curls, and stick with that for a couple of hours. Then I go for a stumble through my neighborhood looking for my house. Finally, I finish by doing my remote controle thumb presses.
This is actually a good time for cleaning up the old bicycles too. I pulled out a couple of different bikes and came up with a little list of some things we should think about for winter riding.
1. Don't ride your good bike. I know this is not what we were all thinking when we bought that Trek 3700 for "riding and stuff". I understand some of us have only one, mid ranged bicycles, due of course to our economics. But for riders with a bicyle with shocks, it would be benificial for you to have a rigid fork to swap out. You can do it yourself or take it to your local shop and have them sap it out, a service they will provide with a rigid fork if you purchas it locally.
2. Over lubricate your chain. The moisture from this season more than negate the fact that too much lube attracts dust. In this season, snow and rain will wash most of that off and make regular cleaning and relubing a necessity, so don't skip this step.
3. Fenders make riding this season more likely, and more enjoyable. And with today's selections you can find something that enhances your bicycle.
With these three tips, I hope you can enjoy your bicycle longer.

Meditations on Snow

Snowfall. It is like an old relative from childhood in so many ways. In the middle of summer, when you are farthest way from actually experiencing the uncomfortable presence of the second cousin season, you almost miss him. Usually on an uncomfortably hot day I will remember how good it feels to warm up after a long walk in the middle of winter. But then, as you are getting ready to head out the door for an early fall ride, he shows up at your door, ruining your chances of riding for a long time. Then he just will not leave. He borrows money, (heating bills), and he is always so damn depressing. It is like watching the parts of Everybody Loves Raymond that were left on the editing room floor…(I am implying that that show sucked and I would hate to see what didn’t make the cut.) Well, bring in your damn suitcase cousin. It looks like you plan on staying a while. But instead of crashing on my couch for a few month, he crashes in my ass. It really isn’t cool.

I struck something of a milestone last night, I did my first ride starting and finishing in the rain - at night. There were a few things I was aware of; 1. this was not such an amazing thing for the 15 or so cyclists I saw riding home from work, (my assumption because of the kind of bikes they rode) (http://www.bicyclinglife.com/PracticalCycling/commuteguide.htm) I noticed that this wasn't such a huge feat, noteworthy of a moment in Bicycling magazine, (Nov. 2009, Rites of Passage by Collin Erie, pg. 49). It was just a commute home. So perhaps the thing missing from the aforementioned list is, "stopped riding my bike to cross off parts of a list, and made the bike a part of my life."
So my list is of things I have learned because of my bike…it is a short list.
1. Not everyone is jazzed about bicycles and riding them.
2. Racing Sucks.
3. Training for racing Sucks.
4. A lady on a bike is 4X hotter than if she were walking in her underwear. (That is my fetish.)
5. Fenders on a fixed gear are scary dangerous.
6. When someone is excited about their piece of crap bicycle they bought at wally world, you should not bash their dreams on the rocks of reality…they will find out it sucks if they ride it.
7. Wal-Mart is the most destructive force in the world for cycling advocacy. (Their bikes suck, their “mechanics” suck…granted it is nice that the company hires so many mentally handicapped individuals….their attitude sucks, and everything is overpriced.) Shiny, full suspension, piles of shit make me not want to ride!
8. I need to remember to wear a helmet on my morning commute.
9. Night rides in the mountains rock.
10. I am happier on a bike.

I am no fancy, big city blogger, like that NYC guy, but I ride in a place where the Cowboy can ride a horse in the road, but people shout at cyclists from their four wheel penis extentions: "Get on the sidewalk you Jackass" So I thought to myself, "What would Levi do?" Bitch about it publicly! So that is what I am going to do. I figured I would try to have some fun doing it too. So if you are bored enough to read this, probably because you live in Wyoming and there is a long time to develope cabin fever, then sweet. Probably not though.