Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been spending a lot of time researching bikes because I want a change. I like my Felt 4C but it's not a proper fit. I've learned more about my riding style over the past few years and prefer a more relaxed geometry that will provide more comfort on longer rides.
As firSSt can attest to because he's seen it firSSt hand, I can be quite analytical when it comes to decision making. And there's more than meets the eye. I've pretty much gone through a trillion iterations in my mind regarding brand of bike, bike shop, frame material, etc...
I've decided to go with a custom Waterford steel frame. It's highly regarded among steel junkies and has a great history. Waterford is co-owned by Richard Schwinn, who is the grandson of the original Schwinn founder. Richard bought the Wateford, WI facility out of bankruptcy in the 80s and has been cranking out custom steel frames ever since.
I pretty much set my heart on steel from the start. I have a steel touring bike and like the ride a lot -- also, I love the old-school nature of steel. In making my decision, I thought about Colnago, custom Serotta, custom Independent Fabrication, etc... But you see a million of these bikes on the road. I want something special. Something different. Waterford fits the bill. Their bikes aren't flashy, but they are well made and have an understated elegance. The most interesting part of my choosing Waterford is the very first time I complained publicly on a ride that I didn't like my bike and wanted a steel one, a guy on our ride ask me if I wanted to try his bike "it's a Waterford" he said. I haven't seen one since. I know him pretty well and see him a bunch. He loves the bike.
It's strange Waterford didn't enter my mind earlier but I guess I was approaching things from what the good local bike shops could offer. When I tweaked the search to start from the manufacturer end, they jumped off the page. I'm trying to schedule a fit appointment with a local bike shop Waterford uses. I'll update the blog afterward.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I Want A New Book
I want a new book.
One that wont go away.
One that wont keep me up all night.
One that wont make me sleep all day.
Apologies to Huey Lewis for ripping off his lyrics, but I do want a new book. Not just any book. I need an inspirational book. A game changer. Something along the lines of King of the Club or Shadow Divers. (If you haven't read Shadow Divers, it's a must read). Of course those two books are only pseudo game changers because nothing changed after I read them. But I thought about changing things and that's a start.
Any suggestions?
One that wont go away.
One that wont keep me up all night.
One that wont make me sleep all day.
Apologies to Huey Lewis for ripping off his lyrics, but I do want a new book. Not just any book. I need an inspirational book. A game changer. Something along the lines of King of the Club or Shadow Divers. (If you haven't read Shadow Divers, it's a must read). Of course those two books are only pseudo game changers because nothing changed after I read them. But I thought about changing things and that's a start.
Any suggestions?
Running Back to the Bike
Last night I did the unthinkable. I went for a run in Central Park for the first time in about 10 years. I'm still doing my long Saturday rides but I've been diversifying my exercise lately, playing some tennis on Sundays and running started to enter my head somehow. It was everything I remembered it to be (painful and boring). The best thing I can say about it was it was over relatively quickly. It doesn't take long to run 2 miles.
Some observations compared to cycling:
1) You can't "take it in" running like you can cycling. It's too intense. All I kept thinking was "when is this going to be over?" and had no time to enjoy the beauty around me (in all forms).
2) Granted I only ran 2 miles, but the feeling afterward is totally different than cycling. It's hard to explain but cycling seems to make both your mind and body tired/depleted whereas running really only your legs. It could be because during cycling you are constantly expending mental energy being aware of traffic and your fellow riders.
3) I'd rather ride 100 miles than run 5 miles. Running is painful and not fun.
4) Running kills your feet. They hurt more than my legs right now. Interesting how running hurts your feet and cycling your head. Ok, maybe only interesting to me.
5) I may actually run again despite all the negativity because it's a much more efficient workout.
6) Way too many people have cycling blogs at this point. Granted, most of them aren't sprinkling in posts about Deleveration. But still, it doesn't feel too unique. Not sure there's a point here.
Some observations compared to cycling:
1) You can't "take it in" running like you can cycling. It's too intense. All I kept thinking was "when is this going to be over?" and had no time to enjoy the beauty around me (in all forms).
2) Granted I only ran 2 miles, but the feeling afterward is totally different than cycling. It's hard to explain but cycling seems to make both your mind and body tired/depleted whereas running really only your legs. It could be because during cycling you are constantly expending mental energy being aware of traffic and your fellow riders.
3) I'd rather ride 100 miles than run 5 miles. Running is painful and not fun.
4) Running kills your feet. They hurt more than my legs right now. Interesting how running hurts your feet and cycling your head. Ok, maybe only interesting to me.
5) I may actually run again despite all the negativity because it's a much more efficient workout.
6) Way too many people have cycling blogs at this point. Granted, most of them aren't sprinkling in posts about Deleveration. But still, it doesn't feel too unique. Not sure there's a point here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Get Well FirSSt
I haven't posted in a bit because I'm still in a state of shock over my buddy firSSt's cycling accident. It hits home, hard. I'm hoping the road to recovery is as painless as possible for him. The fact he's already thinking about cycling again is awesome.
I haven't been on the bike since his accident. To be honest, it kind of dulled my interest in cycling. I didn't want to ride while my buddy was suffering. It didn't feel right.
But tonight I'm getting back in the saddle. It's going to be my firSSt tribute ride. I'll be thinking of our time riding together in Idaho.
Get well soon firSSt.
I haven't been on the bike since his accident. To be honest, it kind of dulled my interest in cycling. I didn't want to ride while my buddy was suffering. It didn't feel right.
But tonight I'm getting back in the saddle. It's going to be my firSSt tribute ride. I'll be thinking of our time riding together in Idaho.
Get well soon firSSt.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Idaho Summer 2008 Top 10
Top 10 moments from my 2008 Idaho vacation:
10. Secesh Summit
This was a fun and challenging ride but the real highlight came when firSSt blazed past me holding out a Cliff bar as I yelled out “MECHANICAL!!!” because my front brake was rubbing as we started our descent. Who knows what he thought I yelled but I sure let him know he broke ride etiquette when I finally caught up to him at the bottom of the mountain 30 minutes later. I wasn't mad - or so I thought - he claims he snapped a picture that proves otherwise but I'm yet to see it.
9. Two golf shots
I had two tremendous golf shots. First, drilling a 3 wood to within 15 feet of the flag from 300 yards out on a par 5. Yes, it was a bit downhill...yes, it was at elevation -- but 300 is 300. Second, a near hole in one on a 190 yard par 3 with a ripping wind. Rolled it to about 4 inches from the stick. In golf they call that shot a Mexican (one more revolution).
8. Ida-hello
I spent a week trying like crazy (unsuccessfully) to get someone to respond to the supposed “insider” Idaho wave (index finger raised casually from the steering wheel while driving). firSSt thinks I was unsuccessful because my finger raise was unnatural. Guess I'm used to raising a different finger in NYC.
7. Finding the real Wall St.
I mentioned to firSSt the possibility of driving to Stanley one day to check out the Sawtooth Mountains (the Alps of Idaho). No way, he says -- too long a drive. Wednesday morning at 8am I hear a light knock at my door. "Stanley, today?" he asks eagerly. He was right. It was waaay too long a ride -- three hours each way. But it was worth it -- partly because he drove. But mainly because the Sawtooth Mountains are incredible looking. Oh, and I also found the real Wall St:
6. Kayaking (sort of)
On the last day of the trip, we decided to kayak up the headwaters of Payette Lake. firSSt and his wife shared one kayak and I got my own. We debated whether to do a half day (four hours) or just an hourly rate. We decided on an hourly rate and I set my watch timer for two hours. After 30 minutes, firSSt's wife and I were complaining about the amount of physical effort required. We returned the boats in about 45 minutes to the shock of the woman who rents them. In Seinfeld-esque fashion I made up an excuse about my back. Halfway through lunch (after visiting firSSt's store and then renting a DVD at the video store), my watch alarm sounded to return the kayaks. We burst out laughing. (This doesn't sound as funny in writing.)
5. A Fishing Hole in One
I tried fly fishing for the first time and I can see why people get addicted to it. It's definitely a fun sport. I think Ross enjoyed it too but he didn't catch anything which is a bit of a bummer. I got lucky and landed a big one. A 22" wild Idaho Rainbow Trout. "This is like getting a hole in one playing your first round of golf" our guide explained right before we tipped her. Hmmmmmm.
4. Boulder Dash
One of the great treasures of McCall is the abundant mountain lakes that surround it. But you have to hike to find them and firSSt and I have a horrible hiking track record together. Last summer, we ventured on a supposed "beginner" hike to Lake Josephine. After a treacherous 5 mile drive, we hiked up what seemed like a neverending incline through snow, slush, mud and frustration only to find a frozen lake. This year, it was the Boulder Lake fiasco. FirSSt was told you could "practically" drive right to the lake. Wrong. You can practically drive to the reservoir. The lake is a two mile hike from the reservoir. However, the McCall hiking guide author writes "I've encountered families with preteen children hiking this trail and fishermen carrying float tubes and all their gear". How bad can it be? we think as literally two minutes after we read this, a family with preteens and fishing gear passes us (chuckle chuckle). Well neither firSSt nor his dog nor I were chuckling after we made a wrong turn on the trail and were scaling huge rock faces and near cliffs to approach what we assumed was the lake. Luckily firSSt has hiked a lot before and was able to find a ridgeline, etc... The reward was worth the effort (for me at least since I didn't have a dog pulling my arm off all the way up the mountain). For the record, you ascend 700 feet in about a mile for this hike (if you go the correct way -- I'm assuming our ascent was steeper because we got off track).
3. Ross Toss
No matter how you slice it, Ross falling off his bike down a cliff was just plain funny. I mean it was only funny because he wasn't hurt. Of course I had no idea he wasn't hurt when I rolled up next to him bellylaughing as he moaned and attempted to climb out of the bush that stopped him from plunging another 30 feet. Add in the fact that some local watched the whole thing from below and yelled out "hey, you guys have an extra pump and tube?" after Ross emerged bloodied and bruised from the fall. I guess we missed the "hey, are you allright?" part. Idahoans -- gotta love 'em.
2. Just Riding
Riding in McCall was serene and highly enjoyable. It was also great to finally do some riding with firSSt. We pounded out 165 miles over five days of riding. I was impressed with his road cycling skills -- particularly considering he just started road biking in the middle of last year. The elements are pretty tought out there. We had some fierce headwinds and the roads can be spotty at times. But there are a bunch of routes with almost no vehicle traffic. That's a thing of beauty.
1. Riggins
Ahhh, Riggins. How do you put it exactly? It has a certain redneck charm. I love Riggins (or Riggo as I call it). Ross loved it too. Of course I didn't actually drive Ross into the town of Riggins -- we just checked out the rugged scenery and main fork of the Salmon River. This drives firSSt crazy because of all the people I've shown Riggins over the years, I haven't actually driven anyone into the town itself. Then when we return and the person starts chatting up Riggins I interject that firSSt hates Riggins. Of course he means the town and not the scenery -- still, it's fun to watch him tapdance a bit.
10. Secesh Summit
This was a fun and challenging ride but the real highlight came when firSSt blazed past me holding out a Cliff bar as I yelled out “MECHANICAL!!!” because my front brake was rubbing as we started our descent. Who knows what he thought I yelled but I sure let him know he broke ride etiquette when I finally caught up to him at the bottom of the mountain 30 minutes later. I wasn't mad - or so I thought - he claims he snapped a picture that proves otherwise but I'm yet to see it.
9. Two golf shots
I had two tremendous golf shots. First, drilling a 3 wood to within 15 feet of the flag from 300 yards out on a par 5. Yes, it was a bit downhill...yes, it was at elevation -- but 300 is 300. Second, a near hole in one on a 190 yard par 3 with a ripping wind. Rolled it to about 4 inches from the stick. In golf they call that shot a Mexican (one more revolution).
8. Ida-hello
I spent a week trying like crazy (unsuccessfully) to get someone to respond to the supposed “insider” Idaho wave (index finger raised casually from the steering wheel while driving). firSSt thinks I was unsuccessful because my finger raise was unnatural. Guess I'm used to raising a different finger in NYC.
7. Finding the real Wall St.
I mentioned to firSSt the possibility of driving to Stanley one day to check out the Sawtooth Mountains (the Alps of Idaho). No way, he says -- too long a drive. Wednesday morning at 8am I hear a light knock at my door. "Stanley, today?" he asks eagerly. He was right. It was waaay too long a ride -- three hours each way. But it was worth it -- partly because he drove. But mainly because the Sawtooth Mountains are incredible looking. Oh, and I also found the real Wall St:
6. Kayaking (sort of)
On the last day of the trip, we decided to kayak up the headwaters of Payette Lake. firSSt and his wife shared one kayak and I got my own. We debated whether to do a half day (four hours) or just an hourly rate. We decided on an hourly rate and I set my watch timer for two hours. After 30 minutes, firSSt's wife and I were complaining about the amount of physical effort required. We returned the boats in about 45 minutes to the shock of the woman who rents them. In Seinfeld-esque fashion I made up an excuse about my back. Halfway through lunch (after visiting firSSt's store and then renting a DVD at the video store), my watch alarm sounded to return the kayaks. We burst out laughing. (This doesn't sound as funny in writing.)
5. A Fishing Hole in One
I tried fly fishing for the first time and I can see why people get addicted to it. It's definitely a fun sport. I think Ross enjoyed it too but he didn't catch anything which is a bit of a bummer. I got lucky and landed a big one. A 22" wild Idaho Rainbow Trout. "This is like getting a hole in one playing your first round of golf" our guide explained right before we tipped her. Hmmmmmm.
4. Boulder Dash
One of the great treasures of McCall is the abundant mountain lakes that surround it. But you have to hike to find them and firSSt and I have a horrible hiking track record together. Last summer, we ventured on a supposed "beginner" hike to Lake Josephine. After a treacherous 5 mile drive, we hiked up what seemed like a neverending incline through snow, slush, mud and frustration only to find a frozen lake. This year, it was the Boulder Lake fiasco. FirSSt was told you could "practically" drive right to the lake. Wrong. You can practically drive to the reservoir. The lake is a two mile hike from the reservoir. However, the McCall hiking guide author writes "I've encountered families with preteen children hiking this trail and fishermen carrying float tubes and all their gear". How bad can it be? we think as literally two minutes after we read this, a family with preteens and fishing gear passes us (chuckle chuckle). Well neither firSSt nor his dog nor I were chuckling after we made a wrong turn on the trail and were scaling huge rock faces and near cliffs to approach what we assumed was the lake. Luckily firSSt has hiked a lot before and was able to find a ridgeline, etc... The reward was worth the effort (for me at least since I didn't have a dog pulling my arm off all the way up the mountain). For the record, you ascend 700 feet in about a mile for this hike (if you go the correct way -- I'm assuming our ascent was steeper because we got off track).
3. Ross Toss
No matter how you slice it, Ross falling off his bike down a cliff was just plain funny. I mean it was only funny because he wasn't hurt. Of course I had no idea he wasn't hurt when I rolled up next to him bellylaughing as he moaned and attempted to climb out of the bush that stopped him from plunging another 30 feet. Add in the fact that some local watched the whole thing from below and yelled out "hey, you guys have an extra pump and tube?" after Ross emerged bloodied and bruised from the fall. I guess we missed the "hey, are you allright?" part. Idahoans -- gotta love 'em.
2. Just Riding
Riding in McCall was serene and highly enjoyable. It was also great to finally do some riding with firSSt. We pounded out 165 miles over five days of riding. I was impressed with his road cycling skills -- particularly considering he just started road biking in the middle of last year. The elements are pretty tought out there. We had some fierce headwinds and the roads can be spotty at times. But there are a bunch of routes with almost no vehicle traffic. That's a thing of beauty.
1. Riggins
Ahhh, Riggins. How do you put it exactly? It has a certain redneck charm. I love Riggins (or Riggo as I call it). Ross loved it too. Of course I didn't actually drive Ross into the town of Riggins -- we just checked out the rugged scenery and main fork of the Salmon River. This drives firSSt crazy because of all the people I've shown Riggins over the years, I haven't actually driven anyone into the town itself. Then when we return and the person starts chatting up Riggins I interject that firSSt hates Riggins. Of course he means the town and not the scenery -- still, it's fun to watch him tapdance a bit.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Screaming Babies
I forgot one vital part of the Secesh ride. As I turned around at the summit, I realized my front brake was rubbing so I stopped on the side of the road. As I was fixing the brake, the wind starting picking up and clouds started forming. I started hearing the sound of babies screaming in the woods. I felt like I was in a horror movie. The hairs were standing up on my neck. Secesh is a creepy spot -- It's in an area where forest fires hit years ago so all the trees are dead. I couldn't fix the brake fast enough.
When we returned to town, firSSt was talking to a woman who climbs the summit a few times a year. "Did you hear the voices in the woods?", she asked.
When we returned to town, firSSt was talking to a woman who climbs the summit a few times a year. "Did you hear the voices in the woods?", she asked.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Secesh Christ
We did the big ride of the week yesterday. Starting in downtown McCall, we rode to the back of Payette Lake and ascended into the mountains. The ride's midway point was the Sesech Summit (pronounced sea-sesh...i.e., ryhmes with Jesus -- sort of). This is a classic McCall ride that most people on do only a few times a year. It was definitely a challenging ride -- 50 miles and several thousand feet of climbing.
I'd write more but I'm pretty pooped from today because firSSt and I played golf this morning and then just did a 20 mile recovery ride. The days are long here (it gets dark at 10pm), which is great -- but it makes for lazy evenings.
Here's a few pics from the Jug Mountain Golf Course we played today:
I'd write more but I'm pretty pooped from today because firSSt and I played golf this morning and then just did a 20 mile recovery ride. The days are long here (it gets dark at 10pm), which is great -- but it makes for lazy evenings.
Here's a few pics from the Jug Mountain Golf Course we played today:
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