Yellow power!

May 15, 2016

Yesterday was the Wear Yellow Nebraska Ride.  I opted for the 57 mile ride, which started at 7:15 or so.  They also offered a few other distances, some shorter, some longer, and even one on gravel.  The shorter rides started at 8:00.  I think they said there were 630 registrants, but the early start seemed a bit sparsely attended.  

Possibly due to the unseasonably cool temps in the upper 30s. 

We rode out with an ominously nice tailwind.  At around 9:15 I noticed my rear tyre was a bit low on air.  Pumped it up and it was alright until 10:15.  That didn’t seem bad.  I figured stopping for a refill every hour or so was a bit easier than pulling out the old tube and patching (no, I did not carry an extra tube for the following reasons:  a] saddle pouch is small, b] didn’t have any new tubes when I checked my stash the night before the event, and c] if I’ve got a patch kit I feel justified in not having a spare tube).  

It was about time for the 2^nd or 3^rd refill when an SUV stopped and pumped up my tyre for me.  This fine nobleman had been manning a SAG stop for the gravelly riders.  I asked him how that was and he said it was not a particularly popular option amongst the WYN bicyclers.  Possibly due to the weather, he conjectured. 

There were some events going on in the region, including a graduation party and a wedding.  

Along the way my dearest friend Rich and I enjoyed the downtown vibe of Elmwood, former home of Beth Bess Streeter Aldrich, who, I believe, was a famous poet.  

Let me check into that.  Nope, not a poet.  A novelist/short story writer whose stories often depicted the pioneering lifestyle.  

There was also this sweet trike and a hell of a deal on a 4x4 classic Blazer.  

I don’t recall having been through Elmwood before, but I hope to be back sometime to check out some of the very well-maintained downtown shops. 

Then we made it to the highway that goes past Murdock.  

And through part of Greenwood.  These were nice highways and included some of the local barn-adorning, geometric artwork that is popular in this region and which I previously enjoyed during the Heatstroke 100 ride last August.  

I am starting to think of them as similar to clan crests or tartans. 

As you may have predicted, the frequency of my tyre refills increased as the miles accumulated.  Towards the end, I was busy working the pump every 4-5 miles.  The new Bike Rack van and her pilots stopped and pumped my tyre up for me at the last SAG stop, about 9.5 miles from the finish.  

In hindsight, this would have been a good time to request a new tube, but I didn’t even really consider that an option as I had become set in my ways/routines.  This is easy to do for me – an aspiring grouchy oldster.  Rich was not visibly annoyed with my multiple delays.  Thanks buddy.  

We were apparently the last to finish.  There were no pancakes.  

There was no fanfare.  There were some extra bananas, so that was just good. 

I had accumulated quite a few bicycle event-related advertisements.  Also a bicycle-related gift advertisement, which might be useful to me since my gifting is notoriously bland.  

Thanks Wear Yellow Nebraska for a fun event in the spring.  Hope to see you again next time!

Soggy hitchhiking towards flowers

April 30, 2016

Happy the end of April showers to you.  That’s right, its time for May flowers instead.  Here are some precocious April flowers, but some of their ilk will still, no doubt, be lingering in the upcoming month.  

Worms like to be out during the rain.  Out of the soil and on the surface of the Earth, that is.  I do to.  I like to be out pedaling.  That is how I ended up with this little fellow hitchhiking along with me on my way to work at the postal clinic. 

He seemed a bit sodden and bewildered.  Not his usual self.  Well, I can relate.  I usually don’t mind riding in the rain, but it makes it hard to see potholes that are covered in puddles.  I hit a pretty big one the other day and felt a bit jarred by the experience.  Maybe worms and I aren’t so different after all, just like my ex girlfriends used to say!  Let’s all get out and get wormy!

Bicycling magazine has an article entitled 7 Things youshould do after Riding in the Rain.  Did you know you should get out of your wet clothes?  That’s right.  I got that.  But they also recommend cleaning your bike.  Well, that seems a tad excessive.  I just add some more lube to the chain before the next ride (if I remember).  You’ll be fine.  Yes, the Old Bastard is getting some rust spots here and there, but that’s just part of his charm.  A buddy asked me if I used any kind of framesaver on him and I said yes.  It was back when OB was a mere whelpling, one, two, maybe ten years old.  I sprayed half a can of that stuff into his innards and figured that’d do pig, that’d do.

So let’s put on some appropriately quick-drying clothing and bicycle!  Squirm, squirm.

Springing onwards!

April 23, 2016

Hello and good evening.  I hope that you were able to get out and enjoy some outdoor activity today.  I took Snot Jr. to the big forest and chased some turkeys.  

Not every day this week was as beatific.  Why, it seems like just last Wednesday that I got very soggy whilst bicycling to my humble place of work at the Schilling dispensary.  Although I wrung them out as best I could, my shoes were still very soggy when I put them on after work to return to my humble abode 

Although the visual evidence is flimsy, at best, trust me - soggy doggies.

(I did have an extra pair of dry socks, but I draw the line at carrying extra shoes on rainy days). 

This Every month is national WATCH OUT FOR KIDS PLAYING IN THE STREET! month, and we’ve had some great, unnatural-looking characters out to promote it. 

I think this is great.  I may even try to get one to wear as a backpack and to stare down any inattentive motorists who might be menacing my backside.  But in the meantime, I’ve deepened my relationship with this Serfas triangle light that I kept faithfully attached to my helmet until the batteries died a month and a half ago or so.  I think they lasted about 3 months, which is not bad but of course not as good as I hoped for.  It was a challenge for me to change the batteries.  At first I didn't realize that you had to unscrew three tiny Phillips screws to remove the red translucent casing.  So I pried at the tab thing until it got fairly mangled.  Then I didn't have a screwdriver that would fit so I had to go buy one. Grrrrr.

But now I’ve found some replacement batteries.  I bought two pair so I could have one around for next time. 

They were not that expensive, but not as cheap as I hoped.  

That's right.  $17.10 for 4 batteries (but now I've got a backup set).

You’re right, though, Serfas; my life is worth it.  

What else is happening these days? 

Well, as you may have noticed, Prince died.  Here is a real photo taken a few weeks before his demise and an alleged photo of him bicycling almost immediately prior to his demise.

http://www.tmz.com/2016/04/23/prince-riding-bike-photos/

Everybody loved Prince, just as everybody now loves Bernie Sanders.  Even the people of New York who did not vote for him still love him.  How could you not?  There is a strong link between Bernie and Prince, and his name is Jon Fishman (of Phish).  Although to most of you that will immediately make sense, for the other of you I will explain that JF was out to support Bernie in Philly and some other places, and he is also fond of performing Purple Rain when on tour with Phish.  Here is a video.

Also LB716 passed in its best, unamended form, as reported by the dauntless Julie Harris of Nebraska Bicycling Alliance.   

Way to go Nebraska!  Let's pedal!

Hunting up some springy fun?

March 27, 2016

Happy Easter!  I hope things are going well for you.  As for me, I am enjoying the spring drama foretold by the appearance of greenery, flowers, and predators.  

Flowering crab tree.  Mmmmm.  Crab...

Here is one well-adapted survivor/predator/mooch warily guarding its territory on the other side of the creek. 

Hunting for fun?  Well, we midwesterners don't really like fun.  We like to work.  And bitch about work.  But if you want to give it a shot, here's a sign I noticed the other day.  

It was on the corner of 144th and L, by the Mercedes dealership where the Bike Rack's/Kelly's truck is parked.  

Hunting for  some produce for the family?

Here is some music to complete your hypothetical multi-media-related enjoyment.

April 6, 2016

Hello there.  I am still sickly.  Phlegmy and discontent.  But that has allowed me to complete an exciting gif animation which I presented to you earlier.

I think it might be partly related to allergies or high caffeine intake.

April 10, 2016

So I recently noticed that there is a bicycling pubcrawl/roll scheduled for the same day (May 14) as the aforementioned Wear YellowNebraska Ride.  Although I wish I could go to both, I can’t.  I will be at the WYNR, and if you go on the Pub Roll then I won’t see you there.  I will; however, see you at some other bicycle-related event soon, or in hell whichever comes first!  Just kidding.  Ha!

Here are some other recent bicycle-related things I’ve noticed lately. 

• In Des Moines, Iowa bicyclists are frustrated by a lack of penalties for motorists injuring bicyclists, as this unusually informative bicycle-related article in the mainstream press states.  
• In Nebraska LB716 is apparently moving forward with very good coverage by Julie Harris of Nebraska Bicycling Alliance.  
• South Omaha Trail progress has been very good and we've apparently reached some exciting milestones.

Well, I hope to be able to spend some time considering some of this exciting news in the near future.  For now it all seems a bit overwhelming.  I'm not used to so much in the way of bicycling-related news around these parts.  Harrumph.  Let me get back to you once I can get my bearings.  

In the meantime, let's ride!