Over on Gwadzilla (http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com), my friend Joel makes an interesting comparison: that, because of his doping, Michael Rasmussen is sort of like Keith Richards, but not (different kind of dope, you see...).  

I wonder what Keef thinks about all this...

At any rate, here's what Comrade Peanut thinks:

But wait, there's more:  Someone else in the pro peloton has something in common with Keith Richards.  Alexandre Vinokourov and Keith Richards have both had blood transfusions (again, a different kind of dope, but still...).

Comrade Peanut will now change the channel.

---posted by josh

Last year, during the nascent stages of our glorious revolution, the Racing Union's Supreme Council for Propagation of Message and Truth sent out a request to our citizenry for a stirring patriotic anthem befitting our quest for all that is right and true on two wheels.  An anonymous sympathizer sent us a particularly gusto-filled little number set to the tune of the traditional Welsh anthem "Men of Harlech."  For further reference, and a moving ode, please peruse the following link: http://www.racingunion.org/PermaLink,guid,638193ef-c7be-43e0-b47c-ccf9f55d0218.aspx

However, today we received another inspiring anthem from our own Comrade Kevin (who's been tearing it up at Greenbelt lately), clearly aimed at our younger compatriots throughout the Union heartland (aka "The Fruit of the Union").  As an expression of our deepest gratitude to a comrade who has clearly been reading his manifesto, an extra ration of potatoes has been reserved for young Kevin at the Plaza de la Revolucion.  Just what the hell am I talking about, you ask?  Well, Kevin wrote a song about it, and even though our humble compatriot may not want it posted (heh-heh...), here it goes:

         You frontin the union? 
         Slow yo roll you ain't got that
         We fed yo communion,
         Don't act like you all phat.

         East side or west side, you know we roll hard,
         Forget all thorps corps, that shit should be barred
         You with us or against, don't fuck wit' tha vanguard.

         Ya'll actin like bitches, sponsor's little whore,
         Watch your step or you'll be right out the front door.

         Rollin on the win, hear the Union Da!
         All you others just droppin a jaw,
         Where they come from, ain't never saw.
         Raise yo glass to the Union, a resounding Huzzah!

Well, there you have it, dear friends.  I hope that this little ditty has brought a tear to your eyes as it has to mine.  To borrow some immortal words from none other than the illustrious Flavor Flav himself, I would like to say: "yeeeeeeahhhhh, boooooyyyyyyeeeee!."  In my own words, I say: Da, Union, Da!

- - - josh

This just in from the state of the art broadcast studios at Racing Union’s Ministry of Culture and Entertainment:

Broadcasting in life-like clarity to the latest and most technologically-advanced high definition televisions throughout the Racing Union (including those made from re-purposed produce containers by loyal workers in our tropical industrial cooperatives), film critic Comrade Peanut brings us news of three cycling movies playing in the occupied Washington, DC area over the next few weeks.  All members of the Racing Union Cinema Appreciation Society (RUCAS, not to be confused with RUCCAS, the Racing Union Commuter Climactic Alert System) are strongly encouraged to attend these films.

It is not too often that cycling movies are exhibited publicly, and it is especially rare that three cycling-related movies are showing within the next few weeks, so Comrade Peanut cannot emphasize enough that it is of the utmost importance that we citizens show our support. 

The first of the three movies is “24 Solo,” which was best described on the D-20 list by Artemis Racing’s Evelyn Egizi: “This movie is absolutely incredible! Even if you don't mountain bike, this movie appeals to anyone who appreciates bike racing or an inspirational story. The documentary follows Chris Eatough, 6-time World Champion of 24-hour solo mountain bike racing in his attempt for a 7th World title. If you heard the news stories after the race last year - the finish was more than dramatic...”  For more information about the film, you can visit its website at: http://24-solo.com

The film was made by Arlington-based documentarian Jason Berry, who also made the award-winning documentary “Off Road to Athens” (about mountain bike racers trying to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens).

Although one showing of “24 Solo” has already happened, there is another screening on Friday, April 27^th at 9:30pm at the Arlington Cinema n’ Drafthouse.  The movie is expected to sell out, but you can reserve tickets through: http://www.grippedstore.com/index.php?cPath=2_6

note: updated below with informed opinions, as opposed to what i normally publish -sg!

note: updated again with even better material

this is an open thread to discuss the idea that there is some benefit to restricting the gears of junior cyclists.  fixed gear cyclists, put a sock in it for now.  this thread assumes we are talking about riders who choose multiple gears and some mechanism for selecting which gear to ride.  Is there some benefit to restricting what gear the kids can ride?

info from usa cycling: link.

in canada, there is an evolving gear restriction.  link.  juniors under 13 have a maximum possible gear of 42 x 16, juniors under 15 have a maximum possible gear of 45 x 16, and juniors under 17 have a maximum possible gear of 52 x 16.

i am currently trolling for research but it's difficult to find directly applicable stuff.  this article would appear to say that there is little difference.  this article along with this article appear to show that arbitrarily modifying cadence (for instance by riding a fixed gearor using a gear restriction) may lead to suboptimal muscular contraction patterns.  check this as well.  demographically speaking, this is an interesting article, but i don't know if it provides useful proof for gear restrictions.

anyhow, plant your thoughs in the comments.

update (applied experience!): i solicited some feedback from pete lindeman who ran the junior program for ncvc for a few years before becoming their equivalent of maximum leader.  as always, h is insightful and amusing.  he has a lot of experience on all sides of this issue and i think his comments are well worth considering.

new update:  i was sent some more correspondence on this topic.  this is the most coherently argued perspective against this arbitrary rule that i have come across.  i virtually never post anonymous material, but in this case, I will say only that this is from a parent of an active junior racer.  this communique has everything.  be sure to check out the last paragraph.  the ending is brilliant.  simply brilliant.  enjoy...

This Juniors gear ruling is not founded on any empirical research that I can uncover. I've done a lot of research on the origins of the rule and it appears to come out of the UCI, based on nothing more than popular opinion. I believe USA Cycling has adopted the rule only to ensure that US Juniors and Espoirs remain compliant with and competitive in international competition. If that's the case, then why don't they so state. Is there a body of knowledge with the Espoirs National Team supporting the rule? Who knows? Other countries like Australia and Great Britain have even more restrictive Juniors gear rules that change with each racing age year from 12 to 23. Queries to clubs and organizations there have turned up a lot of support for the rule, but no rationale and no origin.

 

Our position of coordinating the 2008 US Air Force 60th anniversary bike race came out of my queries to USA Cycling as to the origins of the Juniors gear restriction rule. No one that I addressed at USA Cycling would discuss the rationale or origins of the rule. In fact, they wanted to get off the topic as quickly as possible.

 

As you know, 15 - 18 year old juniors must be Cat 3 rated or higher to qualify for National Championships. Here are some obvious facts that tend to question the merits of the new ruling that Juniors now must use restricted gearing in Seniors races as well:

 

1. The vast majority of Cat 5, 4, 3 races are flat-ground criteriums decided by a mass sprint in the final 500 meters or less. Loss of control from spinning out (150-200 RPM) in a 40 mph mass finishing sprint presents far more dangers to young riders than potential stress on joints and muscles from larger gears.

 

2. A large body of physiological research indicates that younger atheletes (under 23) are virtually incapable of self-induced stress injuries to muscles or joints, particularly in a sport like cycling, but are more highly susceptable to impact injuries, such as crashing, due to lack of skills and expereince (combine this with #3 above). In fact, adults over 23 are much more susceptible to repetitive stress injuries than juniors from lack of core strength, diminishing muscle mass (30+) and flexibility, and a more sedentary lifestyle.

 

3. USA Cycling cannot rule, measure nor enforce a rule on a minimum pedaling cadence, which is the stated rationale for the rule. Moreover, a bike race is not the place to teach or learn high-cadence pedaling technique. A fixie bike on a track is likely the best place to teach spinning. But in a race, instincts take over, and no amount of screaming from the sidelines will influence a kid trying to win a race, or just hang on to the pack and finish.

 

4. Pedaling stress on joints and muscles is relative to terrain, speed, wind, bike weight and measures, rider weight and measures, rider fitness, rider genetics, and rider pain tolerance, and NOT on the available gear selection. So, a 150lb. Juniors rider ascending a 20% grade at 17mph in a 52 X 17 gear is placing far greater stress on joints and muscles than a 120lb. Junior going 15mph in an illegal 53 X 12 gear on a flat course criterium. Moreover, every competitive Junior trains with one to two days of intervals to increase speed. There are tons of empirical data that support interval training as the only effective way to increase your speed.  So when Juniors spin out doing intervals on flat terrain, they seek nice long really steep hills to get HRs into Zone 5 - rule and rationale defeated.

 

5. Neither NORBA nor USCF Cyclocross rules have Junior gear restrictions, despite encouraging far lower cadences and radical terrain changes with steeper climbing grades.

 

6. There is no empirical data that I can find showing 80 rpms as the universal optimum cadence for men, women and children, in any cycling venue, but its taught and published 10,000 times a year. Where did this optimum come from and when? What types of riding and bikes were around when someone suggested this cadence? What empirical data supports the suggestion?

 

Year after year, I've watched Morgan Gerlak go off the front early in a Junior's race, pedaling at a godawful slow cadence in his largest 52X14 gear, while his mother screamed red-faced at every lap for him to pick up his cadence. He never did. He usually won. He's never had a stress-induced injury from mashing a large gear at a low cadence. He goes right from road racing into cyclocross every year and does suffer injuries there from crashing. Sean Yates (Motorola) was known for his slow cadence, while Lance Armstrong debuted his newly reengineered 120 rpm TT cadence at TdF win #5 I believe. Within the most successful of the pro ranks, there's a huge variance in pedaling cadence, so I conclude that the Juniors gear restriction rule is based solely on popular opinion from some outdated and outmoded cycling official who thought it was a good idea at the time.

 

Popular opinion also taught us that the world is flat and the center of the universe; that spinach is full of iron and good if you're anemic; that bathing causes the black plague; that beer and wine are good for hydration on long, mountainous, hot stages of the TdF; and that the atmosphere is warming and the polar ice caps are melting. Well, sorry Popeye but spinach has no iron. The troposphere has only risen 1 degree Farenheit in the last 100+ years, while the stratosphere and the eastern Pacific ocean have experienced much more significant cooling in the last 20 years. The same supercomputers that are pumping out this doomsday crap about waterfront in DC by 2025 can't even predict the weather three days from now. There's been no significant change in the total ice mass of the poles for decades - it melts a little over here and grows a little over there. 2006 was the calmest hurricane season in decades with the least amount of property damage for a long, long t ime, but that fact isn't newsworthy because it doesn't support Juniors gear restrictions.

 

One thing USA Cycling will accomplish with the new rule is the enduring angst and mistrust of a generation of up and coming Juniors, likely for the rest of their cycling careers. <name withheld> already competes against juniors that are 10, 11 12 months older because he was born in December. What difference would it make to USA Cycling to have your racing age change on your birhtday, rather than the calendar year? That's how it works with drinking age and voting. Now they're going to force Juniors to compete in sprint finishes in Cat 1/2/3/4/5 Seniors races (<name withheld>'s goal is Cat 2 before season end) with a 20% gear-inch handicap (52x14 vs 53x12).  That makes about as much sense as adding weight to a Junior's bike so he'll learn what it's like to race when he gets older and fatter.

sort of close, and then in the end, not really so much.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/?id=2006/woodland_sponsors

amateur athletics does not benefit from the dumptruck loads of cash that are poured into it each year. 

rediscover what amateur cycling is all about.

it starts here.

- - - posted by scott (link from mike)

i got a number of emails from people suggesting that we'd catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.  i'm not sure what the hell that means.  people saw our recent drive for new members and seemed to want to tell us to tone it down a notch or two.  go along to get along, old chap, eh?  whatever.  read this post very carefully.  the times, well, they are a changin. 

we're standing tall with the will of the people as the wind at our backs.  where would we "move" to?  we're being inundated with *&%$ing ridiculous requests like this one.  mabra is not putting on the races, promoters are putting on the races. mabra is supposed to be an association of it's member clubs and promoters. i fail to see how promoting mabra is supporting these people.  it ought to be going the other way. seriously. How easy is it to find detailed data on the member clubs on the web site? how easy is it to find rides or articles of interest or anything that helps to indicate that there is some sort of community which the association is supporting?  in addition, this whole effort smacks of "branding", and i question the _need_ for mabra to assert it's privledge in this regard.

asking the racing union to advertise this kind of adminstrative oligarchy of plutocratic robber barons defies logic.  it would be like seeing hugo chavez wearing a baseball hat and t-shirt covered in dollar bills and doing advertisements for financial services companies.  communists for cool hard cash.  the reason it's so detached from reality is that it's predicated on the idea that movement towards their chosen position makes sense.  but that's just flat out wrong.  the social currents are with us, not with them. 

brothers and sisters, citizens and cyclists, now is the time to heed the call.  work to break the back of the car-based society.  work to bring the joy of cycling to all individuals and work to experince that joy yourself.  do you sometimes forget why you fell in love with the bicycle to begin with?  the union offers you the chance to rediscover that and more.  union brothers and sisters, onwards and upwards, never failing.  the time is now. 

- - - posted by scott

portal to the revolution: www.racingunion.org

our guiding principles: http://www.racingunion.org/Document.aspx?manifesto

i pointed out in a previous post that aric's bike is the new hotness.  through some internal union communciation channels, i mentioned early this morning that kevin had picked up one of josh's old bikes and it's also the new hotness, but for totally different reasons.  then chris designed some new graphics for an upcoming membership drive we are about to initiate.  and his graphics are also part of the new hotness, but for totally different reasons. 

some discussion ensued.  certain unnamed indivudals claimed that i was some sort of arbitrary arbiter of the new hotness.  in some cases he is correct and in some cases he is incorrect.  certain unnamed indivudal followed up by claiming that his riding at hains point today would become the new hotness.  then there was confusion followed by some allegations that emphasising the "hotness" of material goods was a decidely poor fit with the union ethos.

let me tie all this together.  we often say that something is union approved.  what does this mean?  it generally refers to actions or objects which appear to be incarnations of the union ethos.  if you were to take the principles outlined in the manifesto and reduce them to a quick experience or something you could hold in your hands, that would be it.  something that is union approved satisfies you in a very deep way: it is an object which is excellent on it's own while simultaneously being the very embodiment of your philosophical principles.

still not sure what's going on or need an example?  use the search feature and select the key words "union approved" to get the general idea.

so what is all this talk of the new hotness?  the new hotness is the zeal we express towards these union approved objects.  certain unnamed indivudal's riding today was the new hotness, not because he went out there and rode hard, but because he went out there and rode to make the union proud.  he rode as a teammate (until we separated) and volunteered first and foremost to support any union wheel.  that is union approved.  and it's the new hotness.  same goes for chris' graphics, and the new bikes that aric and kevin have acquired.  all are embodiments of the principles that drive the glorious revolution, but for different reasons.  they are therefore union approved, and hence, the new hotness.  q.e.d.

- - - posted by scott

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/igleheart/index.html

The Speedhub  36 500/14 has a gear range of 526%, which means that the highest gear is 5.26 times higher than the lowest gear. Across the entire range of the 14 gears shifts increase or decrease in even increments of 13.6%.

The individual gear ratios, the single increments and the entire range of gears are determined by the design of the internal gear system and cannot be changed. Neverthless you can customize your gearing by substituting different chainrings and cogs for easier or higher gearing.

The Speedhub 500/14 has been developed for racing which means that it can handle the heavy loads encountered during competition. Maximum torque loads in extreme conditions can be as high as 250 Nm on the crank (=150 kg on the pedal). This will not damage the the gear box because the high chainwheel/sprocket ratio transforms the low number of crank revolutions into a higher number of revolutions at the cog. The higher the chainwheel/sprocket revolution ratio, the lower the torque transmitted to the gearbox.

The sealed gearbox ensures reliability and durability even under the toug- hest conditions. The even increments of 13.6% from gear to gear make it pos- sible to always ride at the performance peak. The overall range kes sure that you have the right gear in every situation. Pure fun is guaranteed.

The SPEEDHUB 500/14 is operated by a twist shifter which shifts by pulling separate cables up or down. The indexing of the shifting lies not in the shifter as with common designs, but inside the hub. There is no wear on the indexing system nor need to adjust it. 

read that last line again and again and again.  and think about this: rohloff has never had a hub wear out.  how cool is that?  you change the oil in it once per year.  period.  and get this marvel of german engineering....if you happened to wear it out, you can flip the hub around and wear it out again!  as aric point out, the union should take ownership of this company and issue a hub to every rider.  this hub is very clearly union approved.

the new issue of the new yorker showed up in my mailbox last night.  it has a very interesting article about the disparate groups that are advocating for a change in the relationship between bikes and streets and cars and people.  the article talks a bit about critical mass and, somewhat predictably, about the bohemian characters that are associated with it.  the article is unusual in portraying an activist who is working against cyclists as a total fruitcake.

the thing that most interested me about the article was the incredible variation in the types of groups that were working for change.  from the article:

Their nominal constituency, the hundred and twenty thousand New Yorkers who ride bicycles every day, comprises three distinct types—commuters (book editors, say, wearing cargo pants), exercisers (lawyers in spandex), and messengers (streetwise minorities without health care)—whose agendas overlap only loosely. And, as with any growing movement, success has brought about factionalization. Roughly speaking, the bikers range, in their political leanings, from Hugo Chávez to Ned Lamont, and in methodology from anarchist street theatre to wonkish position papers.

sound a bit familiar?  i had a hilarious encounter the other day.  mike rp and i were communiting home, towards key bridge on m street in georgetown.  we were crossing the bridge over rock creek which separates foggy bottom from georgeotwn.  a bike courier who was riding the same direction as us, but into busy oncoming traffic on the far side of the road yelled at me, and this was very clear, "rookie!".  i have no idea what that was about but both mike and i agreed that i was sort of being called out.  for riding my bike, i guess, in his vicinity.  i'm frankly not sure.  anyway, back to the article...

“I think a lot of people realize that this issue is really central to a lot of the dilemmas facing, you know, humanity right now,” Paul Steely White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said recently. “How are we going to deal with less oil? How are we going to make cities more sustainable, more livable?”

so there you go.  there are issues which effect all of us.  i'm not trying to get on a soapbox.  i'm just stating a matter of fact.  all of us are affected by traffic congestion and the reliance on vehicles to get around.  what the article talks about that's relevant to all this is the lack of cohesion among those who would benefit most from working together to solve problems.

we see a bit of that here.  racers seem to have this passive-aggressive loathing for recreational riders.  they call them freds, and i can't even mention (on this family-oriented blog) the things i have heard supposedly civilized and respected cyclists say about groups like PPTC.  normally composed individuals will seethe and bristle at the mention of it, and i have always wondered why.  rec riders are not off the hook either.  the friends i have who are recreational riders can't understand commuters.  "why would you choose to breathe all that exhaust" and "you're crazy to be riding in traffic like that" and "you have a family, don't you care about them??!!".  that last one is my personal favorite.  i've learned to receive it with a beatific grin.

one group locally that seems to be bucking this trend is waba, which has a number of groups under it's umbrella.  though many of the local groups often seek to do their own thing, i believe that efforts at coordination are having some degree of impact.  a favorite organization of mine is fabb, which works very hard to improve conditions, safety and accessibility for cyclists.  they, contrary to the generalized approach of many other groups which i am asserting in this post, seek to align their efforts with that of the umbrella group.  this won't always work, but if you've really read the new yorker article mentioned at the top of this post, you likely can't help but feel that the uncoordinated goals, methods and approaches play a huge part of the lack of success we have seen in making bicycles a safer way to travel and a more enticing alternative.

i'll try to post some more thoughts i have on this shortly.  there's a ton of stuff to discuss in that article.  if you have static, bring it in the comments.

- - - posted by scott

the union ethos in action.  the pictures sort of say it all.  thanks to all who came down.  we had a great time and hope you did as well.

ben pushes me aside and shows me how it's done. 

the hammer and sickle cookies went fast, they were very popular.

family friendly is the union way

the next generation of revolutionaries are off to a good start

the messenger, and the message.

at the end of the day, all that was left was a single cookie.

I hereby offer a proclamation to all union staff: for exemplary service to the riders, and to the people, worthy of a commendation.  you are heroes of the state.

next up, hot chocolate and doughnuts, sometime in late november or early december.

- - - posted by scott

a rare glimpse into a typical day's maneuvers for the citizens and cyclists that work to achieve the union goals.  as part of a local training exercise, you see here a rider executing a tyrolean traverse with typical union panache.  he's keeping both his drivetrain and his satchel of leaflets dry to deliver union message and wisdom to those on the the other side

what might not be immediately apparent is that this also serves as yet another example of the wisdom and far-sightedness of your supreme leaders, the vanguard of the union movement.  we are teaching citizens and cyclists to thrive and adapt to conditions without car-o-centric infrastructure.  all the bridges you see now are there because of the centrality of the internal combustion engine to transportation and industry.  when the second great leap forward occurs, much of this infrastructure will fall away from lack of use as people return to a more communal way of life and use simpler, smarter machines.  union forces know that though these days are not immediate, they must prepare as if they were.

vigilance and preparedness, constant companions of the union rider.

-posted by scott

(sigh)

okay people.  i'm going to break this down.  it will seem obvious in retrospect, but it's obviously not obvious to a sufficiently large majority that corrective actions are necessary at this point.  you know that revolution we keep talking about?  the one that involves bicycles?  think back.  you may need to re-read some of the older posts to re-acquaint yourself.  go ahead, i'll wait....

you back?  good.  let's jump into it.  in order to have a revolution involving bicycles, everybody has to, you know, pretty much ride bicycles.  biking isn't always the easiest way to get around (**) and it's just that much harder when your destination has no access to a safe place to lock up your bike.

as the union vanguard rode through washington this past week, we were repeatedly appalled at the shoddy accomodations that cyclists are offered. 

while we generally feel it is unacceptable, it is especially unacceptable for a large organization that bills itself as progressive, and as an incubation chamber for improvements to third world countries to give it's first world employees third world accomodations for their first world bikes. 

one of the union vanguard brought our ride to a screetching halt in the middle of pennsylvania avenue, and delivered a stunning extemporaneous speech which excoriated this smug, self-congratulatory institution for it's lack of attention to cyclists and it's inability to practice what it preaches.

the example below was by far the worst.  the fact that this worker, this citizen, this proud fellow cyclist needed to endure these types of conditions was unthinkable until we witnessed it first hand.  now the racing union doesn't go around like some celebrity actor or actress who flies to a central african republic and then spends two weeks (but no more) telling everyone in the most genteel manner possible how horrible the conditions are.  we've talked about this before and we'll undoubtedly talk about it again.

in fact, in the near future, we'll be talking about htis a whole lot.  but for now, the message is simple.  you had better do better than this.

- - - posted by scott

(** this is just a statement of fact.  i'll bet virtually everyone reading this is a pretty avid cyclist _and_ that virtually everyone reading this owns at least one car.  if we can't do the car free lifestyle, how can you seriously expect others to do it?  q.e.d.)

union forces amassed along the potomac today.  the plan was to storm bethesda, acquire rations, spread our zeal for the union message and then slip undetected into the gray suburban environment before the oppressive forces of mabra could be marshalled to silence us.  we knew they were looking for us so we opted to dress incognito.  incidentally, those gang signs mike is throwing up are not "union-approved".

josh met us at a base of the capital crescent.  he's on an off-week from his chemotherapy regimen and wanted to get out.  he went straight to the front and stayed there.  simply amazing.  that guy kicks ass.

dc is a bagel wasteland.  it's as if a whole bunch of people just woke up one day and realized that, well, you can just throw any old lump of dough with a hole in the center into some water, bake it, call it a bagel and charge a dollar for it.  this is not "union-approved".  there are still a few establishments around that produce solid products and obviously take pride in their work.  these places are as close as we can get to the traditional methods, products and quality that one would find in any artisanal butcher and baker's shop throughout europe.  and it's what you can expect after the revolution when we devolve this society back down into a series of agrarian communes with a focus on subsistence.  but more on that later!

the fact that we need to ride to bethesda to find a decent bagel is hardly the main point of this post though.  it was chilly but the sun was out and it was clear and a beautiful day.  a chance to ride our bikes, talk amongst ourselves, tell some jokes and stuff our faces. 

i want to share a personal bias that i have.  i don't care for it when people ride on the trail or on roads with a walkman, or a diskman or whatever the heck type of device you kids listen to your boogie-woogie music on.  i especially don't care for it down at hains point, where people are riding at high speeds and close together.  i almost never say anything about this because i don't see it as my perogative to tell people how to do their thing, but i bottle up my loathing in a passive agressive way.

this morning, chris sent me a link to the latest frazz comic and it got me thinking about this. 

part of the humor of the strip turns on what might be a generational disconnect or it might be a disconnect between their outlooks.  either way, the punchline at the end shows that though they are talking to each other, they are not really hearing what the other person is saying.

which brings me to where i'm at.  i try to be really good about telling people when i am passing on a trail or a road.  but i have stopped doing that if i see earbuds or a cell phone.  it may be immature or petulant or expose an irrational prejudice i have but i sort of feel like if you're taking yourself out of our common environment, that i can't really interact with you so it's not worth the effort.  the epitome of this is the people with the bluetooth phone ear pieces.  you can find them anywhere in downtown dc, walking along, talking to nobody: the modern urban crazy homeless,except these guys are wearing brooks brothers suits and extremely thin swiss watches.  but they look just as crazy.

now once we start podcasting union news and education services, we may need to rethink this position, but for now, i will take the sound of respiratory activity any time, any day.

- - - posted by scott

p.s. i miss the days of anton quist, when he would sing gilbert and sullivan on training rides.  that was entertaining.

as the season winds down, it seems like the right time to start seriously addressing the major flaws in the adminsitration of bicycle races in the mid-atlantic area.  the biggest issues we've seen recently have been those related to race numbers. 

now it simply goes without saying that the reason we have so many problems with identifying racers is because of the nature of race numbering.  oh, sure, you'll hear all sorts of other excuses, but lack of clarity and redundancy is the big one, trust me.  other sports just seem to take this issue more seriously.  in triathlon, for instance, your number is written in indelible marker on both arms and both legs.  your age or a code for your age group is usually put on your right or left calf.  they call this body marking**.  in addition, you have a paper number that attaches to your bike and a sticker that usually goes on your helmet.  when you're running, you need to wear a second paper number around your waist. 

now those people are really, honestly serious about placing competitors.  this sort of redundancy that we have come to simply expect as de rigeur in a professional business environment, we somehow don't see the need for in our chosen recreational pursuit.  even short track speed skating has a better system than we do.  using high contrast yellow helmet covers with black numbers, it's easy to identify each racer.

simply put, we must learn form these sports.  i will be advancing a two-part proposal at the mabra annual meeting which i hope you will all support.  mabra should acquire a stock of bright yellow helmet covers with large balck numbers immediately, and provide them to promoters to use during races.  initially, we'll probably only be able to afford one set.  but i'm sure that with a big "can do" attitide, the racers and officials in our district will work cooperartively to collect the helmet numbers from one race and immediately get them distributed and onto the helmets of the racers in the next race. 

in addition, all racers should be body marked.  the price of a sharpie?  $1.19 in my most recent back to school circular.  the knowledge that you're number is written all over your body virtually assuring you of getting placed in the final results?  can a price event be put on such a thing?  we spend so much on bikes and uniforms and training and sports nutrition and transport to the races.  and suddenly we balk at the $1.19 to virtually assure us of being placed?  it's false economy brother and sisters.  i will expect immediate and vociferous support for this proposal at the annual meeting from all people who bitterly kvetched about losing placings at recent races.  together, we can work to make racing better here in the mid-atlantic

 - - - posted by scott

**  i used to volunteer before a lot of tri's around here and body mark people on the morning of the race.  it's a surreal experience, but that's a story for another time. 

the racing union implicitly, through the supreme wisdom of our guiding principles, seeks to eliminate negative social and economic forces that adversely affect cycling.  we've talked a lot about doping.  we've offered proposals to catch people who cheat.  and i have personally gone out of my way to mock people who made lame and highly improbably excuses for why landis was not guilty. 

but i did not realize until this morning, when i happened to come across this article, that i had overlooked somethign considerable.  read it once or twice and really let the idea sink in.  i have obviously neglected to pursue other options that were and are available.  we don't need expensive testing regimens and we certainly don't need cumbersome legislative or judicial processes.  we just need to call people dopers and suspend them from racing.  problm solved, and seriously, what could be easier?

i frankly don't know why this did not occur to me earlier.  maybe it's because i spend so much time in the streets, fighting the man.  i am basically skeptical about using the man's system to do what the people need done.  but i hear it all the time, especially down at hains:so-and-so is a doper or you-know-who is on the juice.  i ask them if they are really certain (i mean really, really, really, super-really certain) and they always say yes and then go on at length about how obvious it is.  well then the answer is just right there.  mabra needs a new department of doping adjudication.  we'll just bypass the whole wada/usada** process and post their names as dopers after some sort of simple adminstrative process.  heck, we could probably just modify the mabra web site to allow you to enter the names of people you know are dopers.  sweet.  if anyone knows anything about who's doping or about modifying php coding so we can get cracking on the mabra site modifications right away, you know where to reach me. 

- - - posted by scott

** i really love the fact that when i pulled both of these web sites up, there were pictures of cyclists on both.  it turns out that this is not so funny as i first thought, as the pages have a rotating stock of photos that you can scroll through by reloading.  but check out the mtb cycling shot on the wada page.  it's not even a racer, just some guy in a yellow jacket riding a trail somewhere.  that tells you how damned prevalent doping is, if even the freds are juiced to the gills and in need of attention from wada...

the thursday herndon ride is always fun.  i do not get to do it often but it's always fun.  the ride out to herndon on the wo&d is nice.  you can just sense that traffic is in gridlock all around you as you softpedal along.  that's pretty sweet.  unfortunately, i think i'm allergic to something on the trail.  i've tripled my claritin intake in the last 12 hours and i've passed the point of usefulness.  i'm useless without the medicine, but at this dosage, i'm useless with it. 

there's some major construction going on between reston town center and herndon adn still more out by church road.  this, in and of itself, is not unusual.  i was surprised at this one however as there's not really a clear cut through.  you sort of jump up to the old gravel path and wind around but there not signs or anything.  there were some herndon police aorund but they seemed pretty focused on operating a speedgun and ticketing motorists so i didn't bother to ask.

the crowd takes the sign in before the daily stage...

bill breslin and judd milne roll in from the west

judd shows the excitement and enthusiasm he feels for non-cross events.

and they're off.

aric and colleen sitting on comfortably.

rolling towards belmont plateau.

it was really nice to see joe marques out last night.  for those who know him, he seems to be doing well and has put off his move south for another couple of months.

- - - posted by scott

greenbelt!

the greenbelt race was hot.  not many people showed up so the pace was sort of hot as well.  on again, off again.  here, the route one synchronize disrobing begins.  is there anything these guys don't do as a team?

bill on the warm up. 

joe setting up for the corner

chatting with bill during the warm up.

after the greenbelt race, everyone always seems to be in a good mood.  whatever bagels are left over are quickly scarfed.  the last of the nutella is scraped from the container as people wind down.

we all owe ben a huge thanks for the water.  the hard attacks and stuff, well, you'll pardon me if i'm not quite so thankful for those.

andrew rode an aggressive race but he failed to pay me the hush money required to keep pictures of him from being posted

and finally, thanks to bill luecke, who was kind enough to give me a ride home after the race as well.  that was generous.

- - - posted by scott

the revolution takes a pause for a moment as i apologize for the lack of timely content.  current events around the globe are having a cumulative depressing effect, and degrading my ability to find humor in things.  in spite of advocating the overthrow of mabra by any means necessary, i will meekly admit that i don't care much for the images of armed combat i've been seeing.  it is my hope that all people will come to see less benefit in geopolitical machinations and more benefit in improving the lot of everyone, everywhere.

and just like that, the revolution resumes, and we'll have some posts up soon with additional proposals in preparation for the mabra annual meeting.  some of our previous proposals were very well received.  we continue to address the critical issues of, by and for the people.  also note that this serves as a final warning to mabra that their current state of being in thrall to various interests is at an end.  the people are speaking, together with a single voice, and demanding change.  and we're bringing change.  we have attempted to operate within their framework by suggesting badly needed reforms, but the lack of response is pronounced and they continue to ignore us at their peril.  they are locked in a single mindset, inflexible and unadaptive.  but the great impending change is a huge, irresistible force; a social tsunami which sends the elite tumbling from their precarious perches and brings a hightened tide which floats all boats.

along these lines, all responsible citizens and cyclists should take the time to study the material in the following link.  it clearly shows that breaking with old ideas can be difficult.  the elite of mabra should pay special attention.  the people move forward towards a better day.

I'll be riding out to greenbelt tonight from dc assuming there are no significant storms on the radar.  email me at i_want_to_ride_in_traffic_to_a_bike_race@racingunion.org if you're interested in riding out.  I'll be leaving from right near the capitol around 5:15.

- - - posted by scott