BAFS2018 Team 21 – Legal in Las Vegas

[lossomes]

Got a good feeling about our team number! Hope to meet everyone over the coming weeks.

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[spinstah]

Great to meet some of you tonight!

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[Birru]

I relinquish my Acting Captain title. Clearly chuxtr is right on top of things!

[chuxtr]

Team,

Some of you should’ve gotten an email from me inviting you to join our team club on Strava. If you haven’t already, please accept the invitation and I will approve your membership. For everyone else (and you know who you are!), please go to the team club page on Strava, request to join, and I will approve your membership.

https://www.strava.com/clubs/335168

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Right now, we have on our Strava club:

Me
Carlos
Lynn
Alison

Need to get everyone on board ASAP! If you have any issues or questions, you can either post here or PM me.

[chuxtr]

Since we all weren’t able to make it to happy hour last night, why don’t each of us do a little shout out to introduce ourselves to everyone else. I’ll start …

I’m Chuck aka chuxtr and your cruise director for the next 11 weeks of this silly adventure. This is only my second Freezing Saddles but I had so much fun last year that I decided “What the hell? Why not?” Unlike a lot (probably the vast majority) of other riders in Freezing Saddles, I’m not a commuter. I’m an ex-racer (local/regional) who now rides just for fun. During the week, I’ll get out for a short early morning ride or some sort of ride after work. “Longer” rides on weekends. But once a roadie always a roadie, so you’ll most likely see me riding my Felt FC road bike. But my official Freezing Saddles bike is my old Bridgestone MB-2 mountain bike that’s set up for road riding. I have a knobbies wheelset if conditions warrant, but most of the time I ride it with pure slicks. Every once in a while you might catch me out on my old (circa 1990) race bike. A steel is real custom Hollands built with Reynolds 653 tubing. My favorite rides are coffee rides. And I’m one of those sadistic riders who actually “enjoys” riding hills (even if I’m not as fast up them as my younger self).

My “philosophy” for our team is for everyone to ride as much as possible and to just have fun doing it. I’m less concerned about how many miles we all ride. Just ride! I’d love it if all of us are able to ride every day throughout Freezing Saddles. Even if it’s just a mile. There’s no shame in sleazing/sleezing! And I’m all about socializing. I’ll do my best to organize rides/social activities for us (and friends on other teams and other riding friends who aren’t playing Freezing Saddles). But all of you are welcome (and encouraged) to organize anything you want too. Just post it on this thread (and on our Strava team page) and see what happens.

Finally, every now and again you’ll find me engaging in a little shameless self promotion. In my spare time, I’m a contributor to PEZ Cycling News and I flog my articles. My latest is a review of “The Wrong Side of Comfortable” by Amy Charity. Interestingly, Amy is a former DC resident (she now lives in Boulder, CO … rough, huh?) I’m trying to get her out here to give a talk(s) and do a group ride.

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-the-wrong-side-of-comfortable/

P.S. I live in Arlington and work at Fort Belvoir.

[chuxtr]

In case y’all are interested. Here’s what I have “manually” for our points as of this moment. I couldn’t fine Scott or Walter on the Freezing Saddles leaderboard. Don’t know if that’s because they’re using a different name/ID for the leaderboard or if they haven’t ridden yet. If the latter … GET OUT AND RIDE!

Adam Piceno – 124
Bill Harlow – 269
Chuck Pena – 181
Chris Jochnick – 22
Jason Tucker – 277
Carlos Goldie – 225
Lynn Salvo – 427
Alison Cody – 93
Taylor Rinehart – 342
Scott Jupiter
Walter Johnston

TOTAL – 1960

[lossomes]

Hey guys – my name is Carlos (lossomes). I’m an every-day, metro-is-never-an-option-cuz-it-doesn’t-work, commuter. I really hate metro, which is how I came upon cycling. I used to be really, really big (320 pounds). Between that and my hatred for metro I knew I had to find something else. Some of my buddies were occasional bike commuters and I thought that was something I could do. I bought a hybrid bike back in 2011 and slowly began my journey. 2 years later I was passed down a LeMond Nevada City, my first road bike. I instantly fell in love with the ride and turned it into my every day commuter. I still have the hybrid and have converted it into my poor weather bike, complete with fenders (which are awesome, btw)!

In 2014 a friend and I decided to challenge ourselves and attempt a century. We signed up for Bike to the Beach DC (b2b), a fully supported century ride from DC to Dewey Beach. We loved it and signed up for the following year right after we crossed the finish line. We’ve since recruited several more friends who have participated in b2b and become avid cyclists as well.

This past year I wanted a new challenge and signed up for the Garrett County Gran Fondo Masochistic Metric, which is as awful as it sounds. I was the biggest person there by probably 40 pounds and drew a lot of skeptical looks, but I finished and felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. My goal this year is to go back and do better. So much of this sport is mental, and my previous experience will no doubt help the second time around. And this time I have a much better idea of how to train.

I was also part of this semi-embarrassing Washington Post article posted back in September, which a shocking amount of random acquaintances read and have asked me about: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cycling-to-work-means-better-health-and-a-longer-life-heres-how-to-get-started/2017/09/08/b48d13f2-72ed-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.63fabb9c4e1a

I want to apologize in advance for a couple of vacations I have planned that will likely prevent me from getting even a sleaze in. I’ll be in Negril, Jamaica from Thursday, January 18th through Monday, January 22nd. My plan is to get a sleaze in that Thursday morning before my flight, which I’d rate the likelihood as 50/50 considering my flight is at 5:30 am. We get back that Monday night and I hope to get a sleaze in sometime between unpacking and going to bed. I’ve looked into bike rental options in Negril, but I’m not having any luck. I’m sure once I’m down there it’ll be easier to figure out, but if you have any experience renting bikes in Negril i’m all ears.

I have another trip to Chile/Peru planned from February 14-26. I’ll be in Santiago from the 15-19, hoping to sleaze on a bikeshare type bike while I’m there. After Chile we are going to hike Machu Pichu and there will sadly be no bikeshares available. I will post the hike to Strava though, in case anyone wants to live vicariously.

[chuxtr]

7 out of 11 have joined the Strava team club. I know I’m a nag, but please join so your rides count towards our team standing. Go here, request to join, and I’ll approve you:

https://www.strava.com/clubs/64907

Speaking of team standings, we’re not in a bad position as I type … With 7 of us (and that’s actually about average for all the other teams right now), we’re in 5th place with 1,971 points and and 1,271 miles.

P.S. I actually used to run a club and race team, so if I come across a little “hard ass” sometimes, now you know why!

[Birru]

It’s your boy Bill here. I used to ride a lot way back in high school, with a huge gap until 2015 when I decided to get a cheap hybrid/fitness bike to putter around with and figure out what sort of riding I wanted to do. I rode it locally and then tried a few commutes from Falls Church to DC in the spring of 2016. It wasn’t a complete disaster, but my wayfinding was poor and it took me a while to learn the trail system. Safetrack happened and I decided to commute more regularly, at least 3 days per week. This got me hooked on cycling (I’m more of a runner) and by the fall of 2016 I had purchased my first “serious” bike. It’s a gravel bike and I’ve been living the “N=1, do everything on the same bike” life. Lately that means trying to keep up with roadies with my heavy treaded tires.

I found out about BAFS too late last year, but crashed some social gatherings and rides anyway, making new bike friends along the way. I plan to ride every day if possible, commuting, running errands, suffering on hills with like-minded folks, riding gravel, doing some long moderately paced rides, joining chill social rides, and undoubtedly sleazing to maintain my streak when necessary.

WSGFABR!

[spinstah]

Hi all! Alison reporting in from Brightwood Park, DC (north of Petworth and south of Takoma) just off the Interim Met Branch Trail.

I commute down to NoMa, which gets in 10 miles round trip. This is my second winter bike commuting and my first BAFS. I figured this would encourage me to commute more days, or at least bikeshare for the literal last mile from Ft Totten, and get in some weekend rides as well.

My commuter is a super practical Jamis Commuter II from a few years back. Definitely a workhorse and definitely in need of a little TLC at the moment. This spring I bought a Felt F85x so I could more comfortably go on longer rides (yes, I swapped out the tires). It’s a cool bike but the brakes have been nothing but trouble, so it’s currently out of commission until I can take it in yet again.

Additional winter reinforcements (lobster gloves, sock liners, and a face mask) arrived yesterday, so the next cold snap will not hold me back quite as much as this first one did. You’re welcome for the nice weather today.

[chuxtr]

@spinstah 171697 wrote:

My commuter is a super practical Jamis Commuter II from a few years back. Definitely a workhorse and definitely in need of a little TLC at the moment. This spring I bought a Felt F85x so I could more comfortably go on longer rides (yes, I swapped out the tires). It’s a cool bike but the brakes have been nothing but trouble, so it’s currently out of commission until I can take it in yet again.

What’s the issue with the brakes? What shop are you using?

[Birru]

@spinstah 171697 wrote:

My commuter is a super practical Jamis Commuter II from a few years back. Definitely a workhorse and definitely in need of a little TLC at the moment. This spring I bought a Felt F85x so I could more comfortably go on longer rides (yes, I swapped out the tires). It’s a cool bike but the brakes have been nothing but trouble, so it’s currently out of commission until I can take it in yet again.

If you wind up needing to replace the brakes on the F85X the TRP Spyres are very good as far as mechanical discs go.

[chuxtr]

Gang,

I’m doing a ride on Monday with a couple of other riding buddies (one playing Freezing Saddles, the other not). We have an ETA of 1100-ish at Colada for coffee. 1405 T Street NW.

https://www.coladashop.com/location/washington-dc-1/

Have a great weekend!

[Birru]

Conte’s in Falls Church does a weekly hill ride Saturday mornings and I’m inviting y’all. Wheels up at 8:30. Brian, the Captain of Team 20, usually leads this shop ride, but we can’t let them have all the “fun,” can we? It’s about 20mi and tomorrow will be cold and windy. What could go wrong? More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1758403247800931/

[chuxtr]

@Birru 171861 wrote:

Conte’s in Falls Church does a weekly hill ride Saturday mornings and I’m inviting y’all. Wheels up at 8:30. Brian, the Captain of Team 20, usually leads this shop ride, but we can’t let them have all the “fun,” can we? It’s about 20mi and tomorrow will be cold and windy. What could go wrong? More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1758403247800931/

I will add a second note of encouragement to do this ride. Brian is a good friend. When my schedule and … egads … weather … permit, I make guest appearances on his ride. Lots of good people. No drop. Coffee and bagels afterwards back at the shop.

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