RACING UNION

shocker

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:03:27 GMT

I haven’t seen anyone else post this yet but it’s just so beautiful….like staring directly into a rainbow.

“The Italian's impressive performances have in the past been explained by his naturally high hematocrit level.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/tour08/news/?id=/news/2008/jul08/jul17news4a

And before newton’s laws of physics, and this abstract thing called gravity were understood to be real, people believed in the Ptolemaic view of the universe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocentric_model

>> >

intelligent Greeks in the 4^th century generally recognized that the earth moved around the sun. since then, systems of knowledge based on empirical facts, testing and discovering, the scientific method and reductionist approaches have continued to develop. And yet we still accept certain kinds of things, in complete contravention of observable facts.

Proposed Solution

michael@r-p.net (Michael) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:00:05 GMT

There has been considerable discussion as of late on some of the lists about what to do about drivers who are threatening or outright deadly to cyclists. In light of a recent Supreme Court decision, I propose this simple solution for protection when out riding on the roads in Virginia and (now) the District of Columbia. I propose a frame-attachable holster:

Just make sure to use the weapon's safety features to prevent accidental discharge and bottom bracket destruction while sprinting.

diversions

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:00:13 GMT

when i am not bringing the powerful, revolutionary word to the people, or bending my back, toiling alongside my brother and sister campesinos in the field, or fighting the tyranny of the status quo, i like to look at internet cat pictures.

my LOLmanifesto will be the next great iteration in collective organizing and social engineering. it will completely transform the language and modes of our efforts. it will be like staring directly into a rainbow....

it's the little things...

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:01:15 GMT

okay, you're a major media outlet and you decide you want to write a major media article about how unsafe the city is. using your standard major media techniques and sitting at your major media desk, you go through your stock photography (natch!) to find images which really drive home the point. remember your plot points: summer, crime, danger, violence, neighborhood.

i'm frankly rather mystefied over what the editors of the post are seeking to convey here. and i'm not being deliberately obtuse to make a point. is the person on the bike supposed to represent danger, or be an embodiment of violence? is the issue that he's riding on the sidewalk while families are playing? that makes no sense. i'm not sure how the photo helps to validate the "plenty of evidence" assertion. what is going on here?

hidden flaws of fixed #4

roy.roberts@gmail.com (Roy) — Sat, 24 May 2008 03:43:12 GMT

if you crash and bend your crank on a fixie
and you cannot bend it back on the street,
then you cannot ride home pedaling in half-circles
nor can you roll it home
you will carry it

Down is Up

gouldchris@netzero.com (Chris) — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:21:35 GMT

Any thinking person who has bothered to look at it will find the ranking system developed by the governing body for cycling to be so statistically suspect, it’s just laughable. The universe of sanctioned races from which the statistics are drawn is so small, the measurement is meaningless. I’d like to blame USA Cycling for this (and I do, insofar as the fact that they invented the system), but the fault really lies with who isn’t reporting race results. Well, that, and which results count, as determined by the powers that be. And what’s up with the points system they’ve made up? It’s a mystery.

Nonetheless, as a sort of joke, I like checking out the ranking every now and then, just to see how far down (or up) the list they have me. Indeed, for several years, based on the one or two race results that managed to get into the system, I was number one in my zip code – first as a Cat 5, then as a Cat 4. Somebody who doesn’t know how meaningless the ranking is could be forgiven for being impressed by that.

The system is responsive at least, constantly recalculating the results. Why, just this morning, I noticed they had the wrong zip code for me. The simple act of updating that number moved me from number 1 to number 2 in my zip code for Masters, and from number 7 to number 2 in Cat 4 road racing. Victory can't be too far behind!

The problem is this: When there’s crap being entered into the system, there’s crap that comes out. In my case, the one crit result they have listed for me is Carl Dolan, where indeed I’m listed in 21^st place in the Masters 40-49 race. This, despite the fact that I did not even participate in that race! From the ridiculous to the sublime. It has been suggested to me that this system of standings also show that Clinton has more delegates then Obama; I think it's more like Kucinich has beaten them all to the line.

-- posted by Chris

Grand Opening in Luray

gouldchris@netzero.com (Chris) — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:43:09 GMT

While you all were maybe racing at Fort Ritchie Crit on Saturday, I was at the Grand Opening at our bike shop in Luray, conveniently timed to coincide with the town's annual Festival of Spring.

Yes, those are rubber ducks! It's true, there's a place a mere two hours from Washington where you can get quality bike shop service, go on some awesome bike rides, AND watch a rubber duck race. The people need their entertainment.

Anyhoo, back to the Grand Opening. We had everything. From nutritious bicycle-themed cupcakes....

...to knowledgeable staff, spreading the word good word of two-wheeled transportation to the public, including both adults...

...and kids...

If you look closely, you might notice we set up a raffle. Two dollars got the lucky winner a selected bike of their choice. The winner isn't portrayed here, but today, there's one happy kid in Luray, believe you me! Plus, all the money went to the family assistance fund for our neighbors at Page One, the local charity thrift shop, and the Lord Fairfax Community College Page County Scholarship Fund.

- posted by Chris

Automobile Safety Lecture

gouldchris@netzero.com (Chris) — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:03:17 GMT

There’s been a lot of talk lately on the MABRA listserv about the relationship between motorists and cyclists on the road. It’s a bit misplaced, as many of the constituencies on that listserv aren’t so much about cycling on the road other then during group rides and races. I’ve been reluctant to comment on the listserv, as I don’t want to fill up people’s mailboxes with information that isn’t particularly relevant to racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. I do, however, have some strongly-held views that appear to run contrary to many of the dominant personalities on the listserv.

The commentary was precipitated by the death of a cyclist in Chicago killed by a motorist who, police say, likely ran a red light. A human reaction to such a tragedy is sadness and anger. Next, for me, comes outrage – and, in this case, a little bit of annoyance with my fellow cyclists. Matching some quotes from officials in the news articles about the tragedy which seem to focus the blame on the cyclist rather then the motorist, we get a quick lecture on the listserv about how we cyclists actually invite aggressive driving by such antics as weaving in and out of traffic at Hains Point.

The comparison is silly, of course, because the vast majority of interaction between motorists and cyclists is not with some hot-shot at Hains Point, but a regular commuter on the street during rush hour. Without a doubt, there are many commuters who weave in and out and, as I read recently someplace, “blow” through stop signs. But there are many who not. This is human nature; different people behave differently.

But, more to the point, I don’t buy for a minute the notion that the behavior of motorists would change if I could suddenly wave a magic wand and cause all cyclists to obey traffic laws. Motorists aren’t modifying their behavior in reaction to cyclists. Remember that, for the most part, cyclists are invisible to motorists. And all this assumes that motorists know what the laws are with regard to cyclists – a pretty huge assumption, indeed.

Does this mean we shouldn’t obey traffic laws? Absolutely not. But, obeying traffic laws ought to be done because you think that’s the right thing to do.

I am, I must say, deliberately casual about obeying traffic laws because there isn’t a single motorized vehicle on the roads today whose driver is obeying the traffic laws – next time you’re driving a car, check out how fast 25 miles per hour really is, and remember that’s the speed limit for most streets in the District. But that’s not the only reason – there are, in fact, several points in my daily commute where the safest way of riding my bike in traffic is actually in violation of traffic laws (for instance, running a red light at one corner in order to get to the left lane of traffic makes it a lot less likely that I’ll get squished by a car going well past the speed limit).

There’s so much more to say on this topic, but I’ve probably said too much already – better here then in your mailbox, right?!

- posted by Chris

weekend

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:32:24 GMT

i haven't written much about this here but i really do enjoy playing bike polo with the dc street pirates. it's physical and fun and fast and no more dangerous than your average downtown crit. there's a pretty huge tournament going on this weekend downtown in dc. if you're in the area, or even if you're not, you should really stop by and check it out. they have teams coming in from all over and the competition will likely be awesome. you roadies who think you've got fantastic bike handling skills: you're especially invited. i think you'd find yourself pretty humbled, pretty fast.

rush rink is in between 12th and 13th on D street SE.

in the least likely of places....

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:41:07 GMT

check it, man....

The landmark political fact of our time is the replacement of our middle-class republic by a plutocracy. If some candidate has a scheme to reverse this trend, they've got my vote, whether they prefer Courvoisier or beer bongs spiked with cough syrup. I don't care whether they enjoy my books, or would rather have every scrap of paper bearing my writing loaded into a C-47 and dumped into Lake Michigan. If it will help restore the land of relative equality I was born in, I'll fly the plane myself.

not that i am, but if i were revising the manifesto, and looking for text to add, and i'm not mind you, but in a purely hypothetical sense, i would add the above text without hesitation. similarly, in a purely theoretical framework, and again, not that i am, but if i were going to make a comment about the current political horserace that's going on, and i'm not mind you, but in a purely hypothetical sense, it would repeat the last paragraph of the piece above, word for word.

and that's saying something because i'm not usually all about biting other people's rhymes.

two great tastes that taste even greater together

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:11:15 GMT

this is for chris, who will finally do his sprint workout today...

coincidence

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:14:42 GMT

so i'm riding in this morning and i make friends with someone named george and we're just cruising along and he starts telling me all about where he works in antarctica and about some of the experiements that are going on there sponsored by nasa and nsf and others. the most interesting one involved algal filaments producing biodiesel. i found this fascinating and tried to learn as much as i could from him between vienna and ballston where he jumped off. and i had planned to research this further, only to find that one of my favorite blogs has written a nice post involving the same concept:

link

as i have posted previously, i don't hate cars on principle, i hate the wasteful society and philosophy that drives our whole car-centric transportation system. it seems to me that renewable energy is soemthing that everyone can get behind. now if only i can get my cluster association to approve the placement of my new solar panels in my neighbor's parking spots...

-sg

transition

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:19:54 GMT

this one is for the unholy roleur....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7357874.stm

venceremos!!! hilarious, and more than a little ironic that kissenger ended up being right about that domino theory! a tsunami of latin american socialism is lapping at our shores and the forecast, the forecast is for change! time to get on the bandwagon people and run with the winners...

Bicycles for Everyone

gouldchris@netzero.com (Chris) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:14:35 GMT

Located on the other side of the Blue Ridge from Washington , DC , south of Front Royal, is Luray , Virginia . Washington area cyclists may be familiar with Luray as the mid-way point for the Sky-Mass ride, known locally as the Luray Classic. Luray is the county seat of Page County , which is defined by a corner of the Shenandoah Valley known as the Page Valley . It is also home to Page Valley Cycling, which is promoting the Page Valley Road Race in August (co-promoted by Racing Union).

Some of the same ambitious people promoting the Page Valley Road Race have now also opened a new bike shop at 20 West Main in Luray, called Hawksbill Bicycles. I ought to know, because I’m one of those people. You saw the tease here last week, generously posted by Dear Leader.

All the details aren’t down yet (our permanent sign, for instance, is still in the works), but this weekend marked the first day the shop was open to the public. Our grand opening celebration will occur in May – look for more information here later.

I’m pretty excited about it, and I’m thrilled to be associated with such talented people running the thing. David Duke, the President of Page Valley Cycling who also happens to be an associate member of Racing Union, is the shop manager. He studied at East Coast Bicycle Academy in Harrisonburg under Les Welch, and he’s an even better mechanic then he is a bike racer. And he’s a damn good bike racer. Our business manager, my other half, is a marketing genius whose talent is now focused on the noble task of bringing bikes to the people.

David’s wife Lois, pictured here at the shop, is another partner who brings a fresh perspective and a rare ability to always see the good in others.

You can see one of those fresh ideas is that we do not discriminate. We carry Cannondale, Felt, Marin, and Redline bicycles of all varieties, but we’ll also cheerfully repair your kid’s used Roadmaster, bringing to it the same seriousness we’d provide a carbon frame thoroughbred.

The night before we opened, we worked well past midnight, but at around 10:30 or so, David and I were working on the front display area and a guy in a beat-up old hybrid came riding past us, loaded down with a sleeping bag and provisions. Long story short, the rider was on the road, permanently it seems. Instead of a train-jumping hobo, we found a pedaling hobo. He came by the shop in the morning at our invitation, when we tuned up his old Huffy. Despite everything we tried to do, it was clearly on its last legs. David then escorted up the street to the local thrift shop, where he snagged a vintage Peugeot road bike for ten dollars generously collected from two patrons at the thrift shop. A few more generous people later, and that road bike was outfitted with a rack more appropriate for his heavy load, provided by our shop at cost.

If you believe that one good turn leads to another, the assistance we gave Willy to get back on the road might be a positive omen, a talisman for our shop’s good karma and future success. At least that’s what I think. At the very least, it illustrates our commitment to bicycles for everyone.

Extra special thanks for the support providing by my Racing Union friends – Bryan for the logo design; Scott for his grunt work and valuable advice; Michael for his moral support; and young Ben Gibbons for his award-winning diorama design of the shop floor.

--Chris

freshness

Gibbons.Scott@dol.gov (Scott) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:30:31 GMT

there is a lovely new bike shop going up soon. this post is a bit of a spoiler as I expect there may be some formal announcement coming but this place is going to be sweet. no details for now, but i can tell you first hand that it's going to be good...

and how do i know? well good peoples is the main thing. and a good space. and check the beer by the drill press. hotness. that guy can work on my bike anyday. i've actually been in the shop, done a smidge of work to help it get going. it's in a beautiful old building, right next to a creek with a cycle path. an ideal location. retail setup is still evolving...

the people make the shop, and in this case, i don't think they can fail. i am a bit concerned that i do not see any sort of construction permit signs...

according to the enlightened owners, the "Grand Opening Whoo-Ha" is scheduled for early may, during the spring festival in beautiful downtown luray. i sense a road trip coming....