[Geoff]

I took the metro yesterday – Cold + Dark + Rain takes all the joy out a ride for me – but, even though Metro’s problems didn’t affect me very much, it did make me think about stepping up my game. My bike has never trapped me in a smoky tunnel.

[Geoff]

I don’t actually know how many miles I did in 2014; somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000, I estimate.

What I DO know is that my bride’s goal is for me to spend less time on the bike and more time doing stuff around the house. 😮

[Geoff]

@dasgeh 101813 wrote:

I think that if you (1) honestly are offering help; (2) because you really can help in this situation (i.e. have slowed to assess the situation at least a little and have the time, tools, skills to help); and (3) are nice in your phrasing, you shouldn’t worry so much about coming across as condescending. I mainly wanted to bring out this point so that people would look at it from that angle. And even if you don’t mean to be condescending, you should probably stay away from phrasing that involves the term “Honey”.

I only needed help trailside once. My chain had broken and fallen off. The guy who stopped was a self-confessed noobie who had never seen a chain tool – but he knew how to hold a flashlight, and that was all I needed.

But now a sore point of mine. If a guy addressing a female as “honey” is horrible sexism, why do various women half my age working in stores and whatnot feel perfectly free to address me that way?

[Geoff]

@lordofthemark 101797 wrote:

…had an equipment problem. Somehow right at the end of my ride my hand slipped (perhaps I was fiddling with my glove?) and I moved my crankset into 1st gear. I never shift the crankset, always running in 2nd gear and using the free wheel (terminology?) to shift. I tried to upshift back to 2, but could not. Do I need to moving really fast to upshift the crankset?

Anytime I have had problems shifting between chainrings, the front derailleur needed adjusting.

[Geoff]

Bikenetic has clocks made from used chainrings. Since they are made by one of the staff (Helen? Or is it Ellen?), you might even get one custom made.

[Geoff]

My wife gave me a set of four wine glasses, each with a painting (small, of course) of a scene with a bicycle. Each glass had a different picture. I think she got them from somewhere in Old Town Alexandria.

[Geoff]

@wheels&wings 101264 wrote:

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread on the Unbearable Lightness of Biking.
You guys are geniuses. Based largely on your insights, we’ve put together a paper for the American Anthropological Association. The only problem is, we received way too many poignant examples and funny observations to fit into our 15 minute slot… we had to boil our 25 page first draft into a mere six.

If anyone is riding in the vicinity of the Marriott Wardman Park hotel (near the National Zoo) tomorrow (Friday 5 December) at 11 a.m., please feel free to come find us in Roosevelt Room 3. We’re part of a panel on Urban Infrastructures….we have the slot from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.

Thanks again.
Cynthia/Wheels&Wings

Will you post the paper anyplace we would be able to see it?

[Geoff]

30 Days have September, April, June, and November.
All the rest have 31,
Except February, which is endless.

:p

[Geoff]

@americancyclo 100826 wrote:

As Dirt would say, ILARAM.

Which would mean…?

[Geoff]

@Steve O 97265 wrote:

Known both as the Trollheim Bridge and the Trollheim Plank Bridge,… …Not sure of the exact etymology, but it’s been the favored term on the forum since 2013 or so.

I don’t know for sure this is the derivation, but the term makes sense to me because of the association between trolls and bridges (per story The Three Billy Goats Gruff). It is fun to think about that stretch as a place where a troll might live. Also, due to the number of injuries there, one might imagine that a troll is to blame.
“Heim” is the German word for “home”. The story of the Three Billy Goats is actually Norwegian, but few of us are familiar with the Norwegian word “hjem”, so “heim” is probably close enough.

[Geoff]

The same flame tempers steel and melts butter. The trick is to know what you’re working with and how much heat it will take. Not knowing this boy, it is quite possible one day he’ll make his mark on the world stage and point to this ride as a pivotal event, or maybe he suffered some kind of damage that won’t be apparent for years. Maybe both will happen, or neither. I am certain this ride will have left a mark on him, probably for the good.

[Geoff]

@Crickey7 100714 wrote:

It’s always best to start the year off with a clean cosmic slate by purposefully riding into a tree or hurling yourself to the ground on January 1st.

Somewhere in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series (a four or five part trilogy, IIRC) we learned that the secret to flying is to throw yourself at the ground, and miss.

[Geoff]

@Subby 100631 wrote:

1. Never drive to work.
2. Lead by example.
3. Eat 3,000 calories per day.
4. Do stupid human rides every chance I get.
5. Live forever.

6. Wake up once for everytime I go to sleep.
7. Do not get smushed by any cars.

[Geoff]

My major goal this year was to do the ODRAM (One Day Ride Across Michigan). I put a lot of time into preparing and was glad of it, given there was a headwind almost the entire way.

Next year I’ll do fewer all-day rides, try to seek out more hills, maybe do more group rides. I’ll still do a couple centuries but they won’t be my focus.

I also want to be smarter about bike maintenance.

[Geoff]

Wow! I’ve forgotten how to dress for temps like this!

[Author]

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