wheelswings
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In case anyone missed it, here’s a story from yesterday’s NYT on Tour de France champion Chris Froome. It’s about whether he cheated in his races…conventional doping (like Lance) or mechanical (i.e., the assistance of a secret electric motor hidden inside his bicycle). The article does not resolve the question; rather it discusses some physical testing he underwent.
It’s an interesting read, even for those of us who don’t really follow competitive cycling. It is hard to imagine anyone going to such lengths to cheat, especially after the prior scandals. And who would risk using a “secret electric motor” in their bicycle (how in the world could he hide it?), especially when there is so much at stake….Though I guess people cheat precisely because there is so much at stake, like half a million bucks plus sponsorships and fame.
By contrast, there is no risk of me cheating on my ride home. I’d only be cheating myself — out of my beautiful home-cooked daily bath of endorphins, which are undoubtedly the best drug!
Anyhow, feel free to skim the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/sports/cycling/chris-froome-releases-test-results-but-does-little-to-silence-his-critics.htmlWow. It looks like a lot of progress in grappling with these tricky-but-important details. Thanks everyone.
Three points:
–My concern with the slacker concept is mostly in how it affects the rest of the teams and the entire Freezing Saddles by siphoning off those who may not be as hardcore, dare-devil, or stupid as some of us. I want people who are recovering from injuries or who can’t ride every single day to feel welcome on our teams. I don’t want FS to become a hyper-competitive venture only for the most elite riders with lots of spare time and with studs on their tires. I’m a single mom with massive eldercare obligations and extensive carpooling duties (never let your kids become competitive gymnasts. ) I want FS to be for all of us, even if we don’t have time or capacity to log extra rides beyond our daily commute to the office.–I like Amalitza’s idea of grandfathering in former riders living in similarly cold climes. I happen to like our former teammates, and I miss them. And if this helps bring them back for a HH, all the better!!
–FS was one of the best things in my entire year. The friendships, the camaraderie, the funny prizes, the stupid goofy activities like riding in circles around Haines Point at midnight… believe me, in my life there is little space for stupid and goofy…it was a blast. I have five or six more pointless prizes I want to give out this year.
So I hope we can make it work, but at the same time I’m keenly aware of the enormous behind-the-scenes job that Hozn, Arlingtonrider and others have put into it in past years, and that they may not have time for, this year.
@rcannon100 128836 wrote:
(1) This is a consensus driven process
(2) There is consensus for a slacker teamUm. Really?
I think you and I both have some background in the art of consensus-building…multi-day tortured-but-empowering Quaker-style discussions and suchlike. But here I’m seeing a different sort of process. Not sure what you’re smoking in your pipe, but maybe I should try it too.
That said, I think it’s great if we can find a way to be inclusive and welcoming to all sorts of riders in an affiliated Friends-of-Freezing-Saddles group.
@sjclaeys 128652 wrote:
Black Friday Coffee Club will be at Best Buns at 8:00. All are welcome, even Rebel scum like Bob Cannon.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]10140[/ATTACH]
Reminder:
Come join us for tasty treats at Black Friday Coffee Club at Best Buns, 8 a.m. onwards
(except those who are rushing to the stores to buy more… khakis? razors? bicycles? ).
See you soon!Erg, sorry about your knees, dkel. Lingering injuries are dispiriting.
A few reactions:
–Are you totally convinced of the wisdom of your PT guidance? Long ago when I was badly hurt for over a year, it took eight different doctors before I found one who could fix me. She had me pain-free in a week and racing again in a month.
–You say you’re stretching religiously, as in “every day.” Are you sure this is what your injury needs? A number of conditions are aggravated by stretching. They improve only with specific strength building exercises that get at the imbalances and fortify the muscles around the knee. I don’t know the specifics of your situation, obviously.
–One of my favorite books on sports injuries is Listen to Your Pain: The Active Person’s Guide to Understanding, Identifying, and Treating Pain and Injury, by Ben E. Benjamin.
http://www.amazon.com/Listen-Your-Pain-Understanding-Identifying/dp/0143111957
–One of the innumerable advantages of riding on your pedals (standing) is it’s really gentle on your knees. Worth a try?
Hang in there. w&w@vern 128631 wrote:
That would be a long ride from New Jersey for coffee and a scone.
Best start pedaling now.
As for what’s open when…
Only Java Shack — not Best Buns — is open on Thxgiving/Thursday.
Both Java and Best Buns are options for Friday.Hope to see you soon.
Just wondering if anyone is planning to do Coffee Club over these next few days….
Best Buns is open tomorrow (Wedn) for the HDCC.
Java Shack is open both Thursday and Friday.Not to suggest that anyone might wish a little two-wheeled escape from the joys of family togetherness.
@Boo Boo 128494 wrote:
Just Oahu for me this trip.
I did not make it to Hanauma Bay this trip, although I’ve cycled there many times (I go to Oahu for work at least once a year). Just an amazing place….although I find it hard to keep cycling because I just want to swim when I get there.Two questions:
(1) Where do you work?
(2) Are they hiring?Welcome home!
w&w@hozn 128407 wrote:
Probably better analogy is whether you brush your teeth before going to the dentist!
Ha, yes, I always brush teeth before going to the dentist. And shower before the doctor! It’s just as Crickey7 says, “lest [they] think poorly of me.” I just never extended that thinking to my bicycle!
@Raymo853 128395 wrote:
As an-ex part time mechanic in the early 90’s, always always clean you bike before taking it to a shop. The more senior wrenches always dumped the dirty bikes on me and I knew a lot less than them.
Seriously? Clean your bike before bringing it to the shop? [And do you wash your car before getting an oil change?]
It never crossed my mind. I don’t actually clean my bike ever, aside from whatever happens on rainy rides. Guess that’s obvious to y’all.
I only toothbrush, lube, and wipe the chain, and sometimes I fiddle with the brakes.
I guess I must be at the ‘back o’ the pack’ at the bike shops, but honestly I’ve always had good service, as far as I’m aware. Maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe it depends on which shop you go to. Or maybe it’s the helpless-female-in-a-skirt phenomenon.
But even the couple of times during winter storms when my basic shyness was overpowered by my fear of not getting home safely, and I ventured into the shop in Georgetown…they were totally welcoming and helpful in fixing my dirty ol’ dinosaur mountain bike.Are there certain shops that only the likes of Raymo853, Crickey7, and consularrider should enter, or does this happen across the board? It would be useful to know which places cater most heavily to clean or high-end bicycles….so I know to steer clear!
By the way, I think it’s totally impressive that some of you can do all your own mechanics (lookin’ at you, hozn). That truly rocks.
I too have been wondering how others perceive my lights. Nobody’s ever said anything. I used to cover my light when I had only one, but these days I often use a second (the one I won in the Bike Arlington raffle
) and it’s tricky to cover both, especially since I stand on my pedals. I use the lowest beam settings (200, I think) and keep my lights facing at a downward angle if I’m riding at times when there are others are on the trail….
Is it only the bright lights that bother other trail users?
