Friday, April 23, 2010

Out of the Office

I'm dropping y'all a note before the wheels go up.

Yep, I'm leaving on holiday for a couple weeks. I won't be here yammering away about tuning up my bike or the fact that I really need new cleats.

Enjoy the sunshine and warming temperatures in Minnesota, everyone!

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

We're Number One!

Star Tribune: When it comes to two wheels, we're Number One
Flabergasted, that's a good word to decribe me. My dad sent me the article and I ended up coughing on my morning cup of tea. Bicycling Magazine has ranked Minneapolis, Minnesota as the most bike-friendly city in the United States for 2010.

I know Minneapolis has quite a lot of bike trails and of course, our bike highways The Greenway and the Ceder Lake Trail, but we beat out Portland?

UPDATED 4/12/10:
After reading Steve Friedman's article, I'm still a bit at a loss as to what the big deal is about Minneapolis. Yes, a lot of urban commuters ride through the winter here. We've got some dedicated bike lanes downtown, and a veritable network of bike trails around the city and it's suburbs. Perhaps because I grew up with all of this in my backyard, I find it ordinary, expected even, not remarkable. I'm used to riding on the roads around Lake Minnetonka, Lake Calhoun, and Lake Harriet in the summertime. Quite a few roads around the Twin Cities area have wide shoulders that are kept in good condition and swept clean of sand in the spring, perfect for riding.

Maybe, as Mr. Friedman notes, the remarkable thing about Minneapolis is that those of us who live and work here don't always see how remarkable our bike culture is. To us, this is ordinary. This town takes all types of bikers, most riders are happy to see so many other people on two wheels that the type of bike doesn't matter. (Except for that guy who rides in a Speedo; dude, seriously?) Few people are pretentious about riding here, I've found; and the one's that are don't last too long. Or just they hang around with other pretintious riders, and thus, fall off my radar.

I guess, all in all, we've got a good thing going here in the MiniApple.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Nix the Pistol, Alberto

Reconstructive surgery places Contador's season in doubt
Sounds like there's some doubt about whether Alberto Contador will be able to continue to race this season. Why? He's messed up his right hand from doing his signature "finger-bang". You wouldn't think that was particularly strenuous, but apparently, Alberto repeats this gesture 200 to 300 times a day and with such vigor that he's developed a "repetitive motion syndrome" that makes him unable to grip the brake hoods, shift gears, or grab the brakes.

I'd advise you to nix the pistol, Alberto; or at least tone it down. Your hand will thank you for it.

Until next time, ride long and keep the rubber-side down.