tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69649163653915824302024-03-13T08:52:27.770-04:00Rigid Bicyclesdavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-28895727808672794582014-01-03T13:22:00.001-05:002014-01-03T13:22:47.311-05:002014 is Attacking Us!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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This video from Clarence Eckerson Jr. of Streetfilms is an eye opening look at the potential for cities to change. How many US cities are going to follow for 2014?<br />
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<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/83173191?color=9086c0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/83173191">NYC Streets Metamorphosis</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/streetfilms">Streetfilms</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br />
Guidance and Prosperity for the New Year!<br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-25412888018005462602013-05-31T17:28:00.002-04:002013-05-31T22:54:52.559-04:00Spoiler Alert: Exciting in the Begining, Then it Gets Boooooriiiing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
OK, It's Friday! Before you do anything, make a note of the biggest, bounciest, jammiest, jumpiest jam-jam that has ever happened in the history of the world.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g7IVAH1JauE?feature=player_detailpage" width="540"></iframe><br />
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Wait, that is not it. But expect lots of white kids in ball caps throwing their hands up at this event too:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ohOsmIZVdKc/Uaj8OCbNx4I/AAAAAAAABVk/efelk34b-y8/s640/PTAG%2520Jump%2520Jam%2520Flyer%252006-02-2013%2520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ohOsmIZVdKc/Uaj8OCbNx4I/AAAAAAAABVk/efelk34b-y8/s640/PTAG%2520Jump%2520Jam%2520Flyer%252006-02-2013%2520.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br />
The North Park Freeride and Skills Park is pretty cool. It is the first of its kind in this area, and the trail builders and shapers at PTAG have made improvements over the winter that will surely cause some jaws to drop. If you're about it, then get on it. <br />
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Several months ago, riding my old Trek, I felt my bicycle get a little bit squirrely, looked down, saw nothing unusual whatsoever, kept riding, knew something was wrong, stopped, squinted, stared, jumped on the pedals, and finally noticed that the downtube was cracked nearly in half. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft5Uj_fxCiU/UakJK2cA87I/AAAAAAAABYw/galbGcVuHtg/s800/P1030247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ft5Uj_fxCiU/UakJK2cA87I/AAAAAAAABYw/galbGcVuHtg/s1600/P1030247.JPG" /></a><br />
The hairline crack was not perceptible unless I weighted the pedals, stood awkwardly off to one side, and craned my neck to look under the downtube. If I bounced my weight on the pedals a bit, I could see my bicycle frame open up and smile at me. I did not smile back. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OJ5gvHpIF0A/UakNUdouQ3I/AAAAAAAABY0/sOXaWDrqALY/s800/0118130734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OJ5gvHpIF0A/UakNUdouQ3I/AAAAAAAABY0/sOXaWDrqALY/s800/0118130734.jpg" /></a><br />
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To resolve this tube failure I put the bicycle in a corner of the basement and left it there. Until fairly recently, when I contacted <a href="http://www.mezzatestacustomcycles.com/id1.html">Anthony Mezzatesta</a> and asked him to replace the tube. He did.<br />
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There was a bunch of this...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZh_ffVJqt0/UakONPrchZI/AAAAAAAABZA/94UQLTeky44/s800/0504131040a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZh_ffVJqt0/UakONPrchZI/AAAAAAAABZA/94UQLTeky44/s800/0504131040a.jpg" /></a><br />
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And then I took it to the dusty shell of New Kensington, PA to have it powder coated. To the 3 dozen remaining residents, New Kensington must be a strange and hollow facsimile of the formerly bustling steel town that once stood in it's place. Office space is going cheap up there. And evidently so is garage space, because the guy who did the powder coating has a sprawling commercial repair center that he uses just to do his weekend projects in. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JAwT-C2sUPw/UakQpW6dbSI/AAAAAAAABZc/YeHQjNsqMfs/s800/0519131924.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JAwT-C2sUPw/UakQpW6dbSI/AAAAAAAABZc/YeHQjNsqMfs/s800/0519131924.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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And finally (HEY WAKE UP!!!!) here is the finished product. Fully repaired, with a new columbus downtube and "Burly Man Orange" color upgrade. Hi-Viz for life, suckers. Hey, the sunshine really changes the color, ehh?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv_yJcA_BYA/UakTk9xNM_I/AAAAAAAABZ0/YRXHC9-Vxs8/s800/0521131711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv_yJcA_BYA/UakTk9xNM_I/AAAAAAAABZ0/YRXHC9-Vxs8/s800/0521131711.jpg" /></a><br />
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Thanks for accidentally stumbling onto this site, and have a great weekend of jumps and bounces.<br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-29689786307400644372013-05-03T16:22:00.002-04:002013-05-03T16:22:44.079-04:00Mayday! Wait, this isn't actually May Day. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Like a cousin returning from the Peace Corps, or a buried trail-side can of Miller High Life recently unearthed, I have returned, a little more rusty, my exterior faded and dented, with my mind's contents ready to spill out on the pages once again. Here we go for 2013!<br />
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Now that we are in the Month of May, I am getting emails and reminders from friends and organizations to help track the progress of bike nerds everywhere using the <a href="http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national" target="_blank">National Bike Challenge</a> mileage tracker. As I understand it, this is a way for individuals, groups, communities, and cities to track and compare the miles they've collectively logged on two wheels. This seems like a fine idea except I have absolutely no interest in it at all. If these figures will be used to tell policy makers how many thousands of individuals make bicycle riding a part of their everyday routines, then I can get behind that effort and I'll be right in line to stand up and be counted. But, if this is actually just one more opportunity for analysis in the narcissistic feedback loop of modern cycling, then I'm out. Commuting to work is still just getting to work. I don't need to press buttons on my phone every time I jump on my bicycle just so we can all jerk off over how many miles we've contributed to this artificial game-ification of getting where we need to go. <br />
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Basically, I decided years ago that I adore the feeling of being on a bicycle, I like wrenching on bikes and collecting parts, I am actually a pretty good bike rider, but I am a terrible bicycle racer. There is no doubt that my resolve has grown a bit stronger with the birth of our fourth(!) child, but I have no problem telling all the bike geeks I know: I am resolved to enjoy my bicycle rides simply for the sake of being outside, of feeling the breeze on my cheeks, of going fast, or slow, and arriving at my destination--or back at home after having had no destination whatsoever--without having delivered an environmental kidney punch to mother nature in the process. I only want to ride my bicycle. I do not want to analyize any metrics, or plot power numbers, or boast about Strava segments. I do not want to go out on my bike and "practice" anything. I do not want to work on anything, nor do repeats of anything, whether they be hills, intervals, or sprints. The only repeats I want on my bike rides are smiles and high fives.<br />
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I view my cycling as an escape, a hobby, a sport, form of transportation, and leisure activity. Do other hobbyists fetishize over their pursuits so meticulously? Do basketball fans measure how many games they watched on cable vs. networks? During the playoffs do they record and compare statistics for every game: if they sat in the big chair, or sprawled on the couch, if they ate pretzels or popcorn, with a Bud Light, a Miller High Life, or a Hamm's? Get over it bike nerds. If you want to race then get a license and get your ass on the line. If you want to obsess over your stats and go to war with Cleveland about who has the most bike riders, then leave me the hell out.<br />
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Speaking of getting the hell out, me and this dude below, Bas (don't forget that <a href="http://basbelogging.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">he definitely </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">be logging</a>), got the hell out for a couple bicycle rides recently.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7lJ5QEJAqg/UYQXEM53ZSI/AAAAAAAABTo/rrXOfcIkiYQ/s1600/BasmajianLadderRigidSize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7lJ5QEJAqg/UYQXEM53ZSI/AAAAAAAABTo/rrXOfcIkiYQ/s1600/BasmajianLadderRigidSize.jpg" /></a><br />
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Part of the mission on this particular excursion was to check out a new Illegal trail in Frick Park in the city of Pittsburgh. There was a time when illegal trail builders kept this stuff secret and built jumps and berms in the woods in order to share with their friends. Those days have segued into Facebook posts with full length videos of the trail and Twitter updates with directions to the trailhead. I'm not sure when guys with shovels became so brazen, but I do know that these trails are making things difficult for those who are trying to convince city officials about the need for legal access to single track. Anyone that hasn't seen it can check out Pittsburgh Trail Advocacy Group's <a href="http://www.ptagtrails.org/content/ptag-statement-illegal-trails" target="_blank">position on the issue</a>. The hard part about something like this is that if a person is dedicated eneough to go out and dig trail undercover, then that person often is also dedicated enough to build fun, lasting, single track. This case is no different. The trail is fun to ride.<br />
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If you know someone who loves trailbuilding enough to do it on his own, give him a high five and tell him to get on board with doing stuff legally. That's all I'll say about it.<br />
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Have a good weekend, whether it be with a Bud Light, a Miller High Life, or a Hamm's. <br />
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-50860512416323766102013-03-28T19:36:00.001-04:002013-03-28T19:36:12.966-04:00Something Soulful, Something Sweet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Coming in from the cold! Here is a little something small to bring the rigid bike family together for 2013. Thanks for staying tuned in, and keep thinking positive. <br />
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<iframe width="540" height="303" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IH-5upb3Wx0?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-42516013701520307692012-11-15T16:18:00.001-05:002012-11-15T16:18:21.025-05:00This Weekend (For the Reals)!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now here is the thing that everyone in the great area of Pittsburgh should be doing this weekend. Link up, and seek sustenance.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AbrKHXmqDOU/UKVbnWrhqlI/AAAAAAAABSs/3FKkO6LsaDc/s1600/2012+volunteer+day+5-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AbrKHXmqDOU/UKVbnWrhqlI/AAAAAAAABSs/3FKkO6LsaDc/s1600/2012+volunteer+day+5-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-11516683540728161792012-11-15T16:10:00.001-05:002012-11-15T16:18:35.468-05:00This Weekend!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few weeks ago there was supposed to be the biggest bicycle jumping pajama jam throw down that Allegheny county has ever seen. But then it rained for about 12 days straight. So before I put up the poster of the thing that people should be doing this weekend, first you have to see the poster of the thing that should have happened already.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ab8j29nnesU/UKVZ-01WfsI/AAAAAAAABSk/cs6TXOMKdt4/s1600/jumpJamSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ab8j29nnesU/UKVZ-01WfsI/AAAAAAAABSk/cs6TXOMKdt4/s1600/jumpJamSmall.jpg" /></a></div>
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-35696799668105624892012-09-21T15:48:00.004-04:002012-09-21T15:48:46.624-04:00Updates and Cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There has not been much bicycle advocacy news here at Rigid Bicycles for a few months now so let's get right into it.<br />
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Last week was the national conference called <a href="http://www.pps.org/pwpb2012/" target="_blank">Pro Walk Pro Bike went down in LA</a> and they made the announcement that Pittsburgh will be hosting the shindig in 2014, so we're looking forward to that.<br />
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Secondly, <a href="http://www.ptagtrails.org/content/north-park-freeride-area-workday" target="_blank">The folks at PTAG need help to finish the second jump line</a> at their North Park Freeride Skills area, so if you have some free time on Sunday, and are not committed to the first Month of Mud race of this season, then head up to North Park and throw some dirt around. <br />
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Also, the League of American Bicyclists announced that in addition to bicycle friendly city awards in the categories of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, <a href="http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/09/beyond-platinum-creating-world-class-biking-cities-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">they will now be adding an even more pretentious category called Diamond. </a> Set your municipal sights high because it takes a lot of self-aggrandizing to reach that level of precious gem-ery. <br />
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Some time ago I mentioned how passionate I am about texting while driving. I still see many drivers using phones--they could be texting, or they could be updating these myspace pages that I've heard all about--and it still makes me angry. I previously wrote that we could use some marketing creativity aimed at eliminating texting and driving, and that is exactly what the Department of Transportation has done. The campaign is called <a href="http://itcanwait.com/" target="_blank">It Can Wait</a>, and we all agree that if you want to send a text from your car, just wait until you're parked. They have a page that lets you put a little symbol next to your profile picture for various social media platforms (medias?) (mediums?). <a href="http://twibbon.com/itcanwait" target="_blank">Go check it out</a>; use it or not, but spread the word that texting and driving kills people. <br />
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I have a great friend, a big brother of sorts, a former coach, and all around great guy who deserves a little hype. Rich Vossler, the workhorse behind <a href="http://www.richvossler.com/?splash=1" target="_blank">Rich Vossler Photography</a>, has been creating some amazing images in and around Boulder Colorado for many years now. So for the parting shots on this episode, check out some recent shots of the world famous Valmont Bike Park and then head over to Vossler's site to see lots more photos.<br />
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Guidance. <br />
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<a href="http://richvossler.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Valmont-Gallery-9-17-12-052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="http://richvossler.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Valmont-Gallery-9-17-12-052.jpg" width="520" /><br />
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davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-43199006624834278922012-09-03T14:10:00.001-04:002012-09-03T14:10:25.477-04:00The Labor Day Lab: Creating the Future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If you're located in these United States then this weekend's Oreo cookie sandwich is made a little sweeter with the addition of an extra dab of filling for Labor Day. This weekend is double stuffed. So let's twist off the crumbly black cookie wafer of Friday right now because we have nothing but sweet creamy white paste all the way till Tuesday.<br />
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This guy Chris Akrigg was pretty seriously injured last year, and now he's back riding bicycles through the abandoned detritus of exhausted industrial landscapes. This type of thing may not be for everyone, but it really is amazing to think about how the sport of mountain biking has evolved in my lifetime. To be fair, it's not just mountain biking, because it seems like all the adrenaline-fueled sports have changed. The rate of progression has been phenomenal. People are doing backflips on snowmobiles. Anyway, I wonder what riding bikes will be like when my children are grown? <br />
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<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/48131951" width="540" height="303" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/48131951">Through the mill</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1089639">chris akrigg</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br />
Have a great weekend everyone. Try to keep the rubber side down. <br />
</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-15526090911395027652012-08-24T11:59:00.001-04:002012-08-24T14:10:07.866-04:00More of The Same Old Thing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
My favorite road race is now the <a href="http://usaprocyclingchallenge.com/" target="_blank">Tour of Colorado</a>. They have increased the number of stages to 7, changed the routes, added some gravel sections, moved the time trial to Denver on the last day, and they still stream full coverage of the race on their site. There are still 3 stages left, so tune in and check it out. <a href="http://radioshacktourtracker.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/" target="_blank">Go here to watch bike racing while you're at work</a>. I am cheering for Tom Danielson, who graduated from Fort Lewis college, which is located at the start of the first stage, Durango. The race has been pretty exciting as far as stage races go, at the end of stage 4, the entire top 25 is within 1 minute of the leader.<br />
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This same week another cool stage race, the Brek Epic, is going down, and Pittsburgh local, <a href="http://www.dirtragmag.com/webrag/breck-epic-stages-4-6-bourbon-and-powdered-donuts" target="_blank">Montana Miller is posting daily dispatches over at Dirt Rag</a>, so go check that out too. All the stages are wrapped up at this point, but you can still follow Montana as he <strike>enjoys</strike> suffers through hundreds of miles of sweet single track that is all the way, way up there, above treeline. <br />
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Speaking of Pittsburgh locals, the folks at PTAG are hosting a little drinking and riding link-up on Saturday, so if you are anywhere near here, then you probably already know what to do.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ptagtrails.org/sites/default/files/eventflyers/HighlandPark%20New%20Trail%20Party-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ptagtrails.org/sites/default/files/eventflyers/HighlandPark%20New%20Trail%20Party-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The Rigid Bikes crew has been busy at the BMX track but I was able to squeeze in some super fun twisty threads of single track at one of the area's best spots, North Park.<br />
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I met up in Lawrenceville with the Mayor of Smutsvirgina, we packed bikes into his busted-up pickup and headed for the hills. First we embarrassed ourselves on the jump lines, then we ran into the actual Dr. J for whom the local downhill trail is named, then made asses of ourselves on that same trail before getting out into woods.<br />
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First it looked like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BYOVRkw1xZD70zJ3_fNJqfePmWuaEWrfjeAocC5u8YM?feat=embedwebsite" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xkmW6-FHN80/UDeZuaGrRBI/AAAAAAAABRU/K72M36rdKU0/s640/0823121918.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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And then there were deer everywhere. Seriously, we probably saw 50 deer. The Mayor of Smutsvirgina suggested that we should save on our dinner expenses and cut one off the back of the pack, which as it turns out, is a skill he finely honed years ago during his college days. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cd38O3LoATw/UDee6PIxiLI/AAAAAAAABSI/uQ4Cy2g6i7k/s1600/deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cd38O3LoATw/UDee6PIxiLI/AAAAAAAABSI/uQ4Cy2g6i7k/s1600/deer.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I convinced him to keep riding instead. <br />
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The light slowly faded, we began seeing fewer people than the very few we had seen up to that point, and finally, there was a great stillness and through the wooded darkness the fluffy white tails of bounding deer were the only other perceptible movements besides our spinning legs.<br />
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Eventually, we made it back the grit of the Steel City, found a welcoming watering hole, saddled up for sustenance, and got deep into conversation concerning groundhogs and photo shoots. Sometimes a bike ride is all you need to help put the puzzle pieces into some kind of order. Peace.<br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-16895905207785255432012-08-13T12:25:00.000-04:002012-08-13T14:17:12.366-04:00Music for your Mondays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This song is real. <br />
There is a nice wheelie on a "20 bike with brake levers, but no cables. Chinese export department-store mountain bikes are in nearly every frame. <br />
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JA represented very well at the Olympics, the whole world is celebrating. At the same time, there are some real problems out there. The system set a way, fi real. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="336" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pMuvyjDwkJc?feature=player_detailpage" width="540"></iframe></div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-56280028549038760702012-08-10T17:04:00.001-04:002012-08-10T17:04:15.664-04:00Olympic Fever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
The Olympics are wrapping up this weekend, and they have saved the cross country mountain bike race for the last day. When I read the schedule a few weeks ago, I naturally thought "Wow, they saved the best event for the last day, this is going to be thrilling." As it turns out, the last day is like the Olympic version of the consolation prizes they used to give out in elementary school sports: all the medals were awarded but then the rest of your class got a participatory ribon just for coming to school that day. Awesome. Mountain biking shares the last day with the group all-around rhythmic gymnastics, the women's modern pentathlon and men's handball finals. I have no idea what any of those sports even look like.<br />
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Anyway, if you want to check out what the Olympic cross country course looks like, you can get the first person shooter video game version of it right here.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="400" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9hFqldLCfXU?feature=player_detailpage" width="540"></iframe><br />
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The Olympic cycling events have been a great pleasure to read about so far and I suspect the XC race will not disappoint. Notice I say "read about" because NBC has been tyrannical in its blocking of any event streaming for those persons not subscribed to a cable TV package. So you can't stream any of the event coverage on a computer unless you have already paid to subscribe to those stations using cable TV? Why the hell else would anyone want to stream it? Thanks NBC.<br />
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In matters much closer to home, there has been lots of mountain bike riding taking place here in Western PA. In that sense, the rigid crew have been hard at work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70CmLKKXR4s/T_B26MQPYRI/AAAAAAAABOo/2-igT-XiSAA/s1600/0630121023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70CmLKKXR4s/T_B26MQPYRI/AAAAAAAABOo/2-igT-XiSAA/s640/0630121023.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ARUO3V_0Q5Y/T_B2_wj7jpI/AAAAAAAABO4/vLrnGt9mffI/s1600/0630121014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ARUO3V_0Q5Y/T_B2_wj7jpI/AAAAAAAABO4/vLrnGt9mffI/s640/0630121014.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_F6ILrvQajk/UCVxDY5MIyI/AAAAAAAABQs/ISW5oLqK4NE/s1600/0714121356a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_F6ILrvQajk/UCVxDY5MIyI/AAAAAAAABQs/ISW5oLqK4NE/s400/0714121356a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9F6owVc1PTk/T7qE1HiVJpI/AAAAAAAABK8/L2ParIwBxAs/s1600/0519121624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9F6owVc1PTk/T7qE1HiVJpI/AAAAAAAABK8/L2ParIwBxAs/s400/0519121624.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Also, the folks at PTAG ahve some amazing trailbuilding going on right now in North Park. They have added new features to the existing dirt jumps, and are working late nights and weekends to make the downhill trail badder and scarier.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8PpxZ5A4TE/UCQFzuMKpwI/AAAAAAAABP0/cY1Kns3Keaw/s1600/0616121348a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8PpxZ5A4TE/UCQFzuMKpwI/AAAAAAAABP0/cY1Kns3Keaw/s320/0616121348a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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Last thing to take note of before we sign off is the big bad pajama jam that Bike Pittsburgh throws every year. If you are a last-minute type of person then by all means go check out <a href="http://bike-pgh.org/blog/2012/06/13/bikefest-2012-fundraiser-party-one-of-the-best-parties-in-pgh/" target="_blank">BikePGH's BikeFest party tonight</a>. <br />
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Until next time, be healthy. <br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-7796160095256038102012-06-13T11:16:00.001-04:002012-06-13T11:16:29.917-04:00Music for your Mondays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Sometimes Mondays happen on a Wednesday. Go meditate. <br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34445473?color=ffffff" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/34445473">Moshadee - "ALL DAY RIDIN"</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user471763">Creative Control</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p></div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-44622644110181033742012-05-25T14:49:00.000-04:002012-05-25T14:49:54.515-04:00Working Overtime and Playing Catch Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There is so much happening in the world of bicycles right now that a blog post dedicated to catching up sounds exhausting. Dirt Rag magazine hosted their annual Dirtfest this past weekend, and as I told the event organizers, I ran out of words to describe how much fun I had. PTAG was there, and so was the 12 Pound Kid. <br />
<br />
After enjoying the amazing network of dedicated mountain biking trails in the Allegrippis forest at Raystown Lake, PA, it was difficult to come back to the mean streets of Pittsburgh. But due to all the new bike lanes, bike corrals, and bike parking I was able to shrug off any reservations and I confidently threw a leg over my commuter for my Monday morning trip to the office. I guess there were others on the road that morning who were still basking in the reverie of their weekend's excitement because when rolling easily through the Strip District on Penn Avenue, I came across this guy, who seemed to have a hard time finding parking. Wow. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2LroM3YTrY/T7_QOwFk5wI/AAAAAAAABLU/PTqZ0AuctCU/s1600/0521120758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2LroM3YTrY/T7_QOwFk5wI/AAAAAAAABLU/PTqZ0AuctCU/s400/0521120758.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><br />
<br />
How he was able to pull that off on a one-way street without much traffic is still a mystery to me. <br />
<br />
Finally, someone might be wondering about the amazing news on the domestic and international road racing scene, and it is true: I built a coaster brake wheel and put it on a 90's Klein mountain bike, then cruised around and layed down some fat skids. Oh, also, the Tours of California and Italy happened. <br />
<br />
And mountain bike racing is in full swing.<br />
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<br />
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Kick out the jams, more complete reports will be coming soon. Until then, hold your head up. <br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-67983677477607984022012-04-20T07:00:00.000-04:002012-04-20T10:21:57.064-04:00Friday Fun Bags<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Well another week has slipped by like grains of sand through the sun bleached toes of time: slighty crusty and a little worse for the wear. Some local <a href="http://knobbymeats.blogspot.com/">folks</a> have kicked off their racing seasons and some Boontastic folks have completed their international takeovers. <br />
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As I have said before, the Spring Classics are my favorite time of year for road biking competitions, and this year the classics have been pretty exciting, because, in small part, the camera coverage from vehicles crammed onto old cart paths. The Vlandaren, and the Paris-Rubaix, and the Ardennes, and the Fleche, and all the others have inspired me to do a little cobble reconnaissance of my own here in hilly Pittsburgh.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sACFgADhb3Y/T3XGVaGElbI/AAAAAAAABJ0/WOGvoZHFnwU/s1600/0329121727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sACFgADhb3Y/T3XGVaGElbI/AAAAAAAABJ0/WOGvoZHFnwU/s640/0329121727.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCXvyxUxjuQ/T3XGk9OdwKI/AAAAAAAABJ8/1I3rO0kJzBc/s1600/0329121729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCXvyxUxjuQ/T3XGk9OdwKI/AAAAAAAABJ8/1I3rO0kJzBc/s640/0329121729.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
The process of exploring has piqued my interest in road biking. As I have also mentioned earlier, although I enjoy riding bicycles on roads, I am not a road racing fan, I've never raced road bikes, and I have a heavy skepticism of bicycle rides during which a car needs to precede or follow the actual bicycles.<br />
<br />
I do recognize that the majority of skinny tire racers will never train with a vehicle supporting them; but I think it's worthwhile to note that at the very top of the sport, in the painted clear coat of the polished toenails in the sand, training with a car seems to be the norm. Part of why you see so many automobiles when watching a <i>bicycle</i> race is the sponsorship money I suppose. This year Trek is combining with Radioshack and Nissan. BMC and Acura are all tied up and at one point there was VW, and Renault, and Subaru, and all the others. The money from the auto companies is helping to increase exposure of cycling. And it has always been that way. <br />
<br />
Here is Pennsylvania, with tempers rising over a recent road law that requires vehicles to grant 4 feet of berth when passing cyclists, there just doesn't seem to be a way that we can all get along. I feel like I <a href="http://www.rigidbike.com/2011/11/war-what-is-it-good-for.html">wrote about this</a> before. Oh well, hang on. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zF-T4gAqFQ/T5A5f_WXwwI/AAAAAAAABKQ/CrRuzRCT-GM/s1600/stuckInTraffic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zF-T4gAqFQ/T5A5f_WXwwI/AAAAAAAABKQ/CrRuzRCT-GM/s400/stuckInTraffic.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><br />
OK, that feels better. Do you like the idea of not being stuck, in traffic, or anywhere else is life. Check out the following little video that has been making the rounds. Based on this little piece of motion imagery Clint Reynolds is definitely not stuck anywhere, and with a couple creative modes of transportation available to him, he's able to get out into the woods and boost some huge jumps. Cheers. <br />
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<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/33todontNqo?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/33todontNqo?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="540" height="400"></object><br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-3056350051928999152012-03-23T16:54:00.003-04:002012-03-24T16:46:02.425-04:00Brace Yourself, It's a Gusher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
This past week the weather in the City of Steel has been amazing. This spring feels like mid-summer, and as a result, there are lots of folks warming up to the idea of bicycle commuting. I have noticed more women on single speeds, more businessmen on road bikes, more goofy guys on department store mountain bikes and more smiles all around. Awesome. I feel strongly that reducing the number of trips in a car is important for all of us. I have been committed to this view for about the past 20 years. I encourage everyone I know to generally consider the state of our planet in everyday actions and personal transportation is a major component of that. I am not preachy, but I also try to encourage those around me to ride a bicycle more often. It is natural, then, with this amount of riding and talking about bicycles, that the subject of safety comes up. The uncomfortable reality is that most cyclists know someone who has been hit by a car, know someone who has been seriously injured or someone who has died. I don't want to be the person that other cyclists knew about. <br />
<br />
I have only been hit on two occasions,in 1997 and 2003. I have been lucky. In both instances I was hit from behind, I was not injured in any way whatsoever, and I remained upright on my bicycle. <br />
<br />
In Boulder, CO, riding on the shoulder of a high-volume but low speed road, a pickup truck passed closely on my left and the empty horse trailer being pulled behind it hit me. I swerved, startled, and dragged myself onto the curb uninjured. Years later, in Kingston, Jamaica, a motorcycle cop brushed me from behind while he made a dangerous pass in an intersection (the fact that the cop hit me, crashed his motorcycle, and spread himself out on the pavement, while I continued riding was a great source of chagrin for him). I rode over to where the cop was cussing, picking up scattered paperwork while his bike lay leaking on its side. Again I was unhurt, but the cop tried to make me give him some doctor money for what he thought was a broken finger. His finger did look a little crooked, but Kingston cops have their fingers dug so deep in everybody's pockets that there's no telling how straight it was before the crash. <br />
<br />
Anyway, both times I have been hit I have been riding on the verge on the pavement. That is to say that both times I have come close to disaster I was consciously trying to make myself small on the side of the road in order to allow vehicles the greatest amount of space to navigate around me. Now, anecdotal evidence is not usually convincing to me; but these cases have taught me a valuable lesson: it is often safer to take the lane. Bare the embarrassment of a honking or a tailgating driver, hold your bicycle in the center of the lane and continue riding until there is a safe opportunity to pull over and let the vehicles pass. Being a road-hogging jerk could save your life. <br />
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Speaking of saving lives, I snapped the image below on my commute.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdDpozePfog/T2zfev8r3rI/AAAAAAAABJI/4-fN918ibMU/s1600/fireHydrantBest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdDpozePfog/T2zfev8r3rI/AAAAAAAABJI/4-fN918ibMU/s1600/fireHydrantBest.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I like to think that fire trucks, firemen, and even fire hydrants are doing doing their best to save lives on a daily basis. But after looking at this picture, you will have to make up your own mind if the fire hydrant planted in the middle of this driveway is helping to prevent an accident or simply waiting for one to happen. <br />
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If you ask me it's just a matter of time before someone leaving one of these houses backs out of the driveway and we end up with a version of this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HB1pkNw0wAU/T2zhvrA3V6I/AAAAAAAABJQ/wzWCgnvtwDc/s1600/yogiOnGeyser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HB1pkNw0wAU/T2zhvrA3V6I/AAAAAAAABJQ/wzWCgnvtwDc/s400/yogiOnGeyser.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Have a great weekend everyone, if the warm weather doesn't put a smile on your face, then maybe taking up a whole lane for yourself will. <br />
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</div></div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-71421883343368303142012-03-19T14:19:00.002-04:002012-03-19T14:19:29.483-04:00Music for your MondayPolitics as usual...<br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe width="540" height="260" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5JlWDgOe_Is?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-47471658958946738182012-03-16T17:02:00.003-04:002012-03-19T14:15:01.143-04:00March Madness is Madness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">WOW, things have changed a lot, and when you really check it out they haven't changed much at all. Thanks for tuning back in after our unannounced winter sabbatical. The Rigid family has had some fistfights with health and fitness and personally, I was out of the bike riding part of things for a good part of the past two months with what I had convinced myself was a bout of comsumption, but turned out to be a common case of bronchitis. But everyone is back to prime time health, so let's give thanks for that. A fair bit of news and developments tend to happen in the cycling off season and by now everyone has seen pictures and read drinking stories from the North American Handjob Bicycle Show, although I was not in attendance, mi hermano Pedro, alongside the original Lumberzach, sent me a few updates from the convention floor. If you have an opinion about the explosion in hand built bicycles here in the US of A, then do yourself a favor and check out a few words from one of my long time heroes, <a href="http://www.richardsachs.com/site/2012/03/05/toto-ive-a-feeling-were-not-in-houston-any-more/">Richard Sachs</a>.<br />
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<i>The several days at the convention center are just a blur of colors and sound. Both were<br />
loud. In the karaoke hall that we all occupy, the microphone that is being passed <br />
clearly needs a mute button. Perhaps it would make more sense to cut the power <br />
source completely.</i><br />
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Word. <br />
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Speaking of the secret geek party at the center of the bike geek universe that is the NAHBS, I recently spotted one of these in the wilds. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dimg/65c1b63950877cd4db9ba4043efa1bb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dimg/65c1b63950877cd4db9ba4043efa1bb2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Now I remember when this thing debuted at the 2011 NAHBS last year and I told myself that I would find the money to get it. Well, that didn't happen, but I still love this bike because as a high school kid in the early 90s there was not too much that I wanted more than a Ritchey race bike. If you want to get a little insight into the man himself, check out this interview with Tom Ritchey, where he talks about making an integrated saddle and post back in high school, in 1837. <br />
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There is a lot more else happening in the world of bikes but it's gonna have to wait for some other installment. In the meantime, if you happen to be in Western Pennsylvania and can get your St. Patrick's Day hangover under control then by all means come out to support the hardest working trail crew in the business:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQazoEyuZi0/T2OedfGmwAI/AAAAAAAABIY/sJzS3KOaVT4/s1600/PTAG%2Bsteward%2Borientaion%2Bday.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQazoEyuZi0/T2OedfGmwAI/AAAAAAAABIY/sJzS3KOaVT4/s640/PTAG%2Bsteward%2Borientaion%2Bday.tiff" width="539" /></a></div><br />
</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-59285391839090644822012-01-30T12:43:00.001-05:002012-01-30T12:44:36.369-05:00Music for Your MondaysPlay the Belgian National Anthem, because those guys dominated the Cyclocross Worlds this weekend. Also, Marianne Vos proved that she is the hardest working man in showbusiness. <br />
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<iframe width="540" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ASvNggIZiqs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-58958121378315334012012-01-27T13:23:00.000-05:002012-01-27T13:23:40.277-05:00Dust Off the Horse Blanket and Saddle Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Happy new year to all, or as some would say more formally, Greetings in the name of the most high, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of Melchizedek, Emperor of Ethiopia, Son of Solomon and Sheba, ever-living, ever-faithful, ever-sure, His Majesty Haile Selassie I, Ras Tafari.<br />
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First off the bat, congrats to the US Nationals cyclocross fields for going all out in the frozen icy conditions of Madison, WI. That stuff was crazy. Second off the bat, congrats to the UCI for holding the Cyclocross Masters World Championships at Eva Bandman park in Louisville Kentucky, the first time ever that a World Champs was held outside of Europe. I plan to spectate in 2013 when the Elite World Championships will be held at the same venue, and by most accounts the Masters version went off beautifully. Third off the bat, congrats to local vegan powerhouse Steevo for being the <a href="http://thesteevo.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-racing-nationals-and-worlds.html" target = "_blank">5th fastest cyclocrosser</a> in his age group IN THE WORLD! That stuff was crazy too. Elite Championships are taking place this weekend in Koksijde, Belgium, so do like me, get yourself an internet connection and get your stream on. <br />
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Things have been wet and sloggy here in beautiful Pittsburgh, PA. I would like to be able to report that I have been logging in some long, wet, road rides over the course of January but the reality is that after getting home in the dark after my daily bicycle commute to and from work I pretty much hunker down with the rugrats and call it a night. Which leads nicely into the next order of business for today: a little product review of the Nite Rider <a href="http://www.niterider.com/rechargeable-new/minewt-600-cordless-new/" target="_blank">MiNewt 600 Cordless</a> bicyle light, shown below with handlebar mount. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-MuTB_1-xg/TyLEk2TJcdI/AAAAAAAABHE/mW4aLJeQGbU/s1600/niteRider600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-MuTB_1-xg/TyLEk2TJcdI/AAAAAAAABHE/mW4aLJeQGbU/s400/niteRider600.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
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Now for those people who have known me for some time, I will start off by admitting that for many years, I thought it was silly to bedazzle a bicycle with lots of lights and shiny objects and therefore, for those many years, I did not use any lights when operating my bicycles in the dark. Maybe old age has changed me, or maybe I have actually gotten a bit smarter, but for about the past 5 years, I have made an effort to be seen when cycling in the dark. I have used several different brands and styles of lights, small and big, both front and back. Although I do not own any powerful night-riding lights for MTB use, I have borrowed them on many occasions with delight. I mostly purchased the MiNewt 600 for commuting, but I also wanted a light that could work for off-road night riding in the event that those people whom I borrow lights from get fed up with my begging. I have been using the light everyday for over three months and it has not given me any problems.<br />
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The light has only one button, which glows faint green when turned on and glows a faint red when the battery needs charging. The charging can be accomplished with a a USB connection or a wall jack and takes about 5 hours to fully charge. The light has a total of 5 modes: low, medium, high, flashing, and a dim "walk" mode. The waterproof case preforms admirably: I have ridden several times in pouring rain for 45 minutes and the light has never blinked. On one particularly cold day this winter, after my bicycle and light sat outside in single digits Fahrenheit for a few hours, the light would not turn on. I used that as an excuse to head into the nearest bar and warm up with a stiff drink; full functions returned after about 10 minutes of being indoors (the light's functions that is, I haven't been fully functional since I was about 13 years old) and I had no problems on the remainder of ride.<br />
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How bright is this light, you may be asking yourself, if you're still awake. Inspired by the folks at Dirt Rag magazine who did a fantastic job of documenting off road lighting systems in recent issues, I have some photographic evidence to help answer that. <br />
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First, here is a rainy dark Pittsburgh alley, illuminated with the little $20 light, that, if I had friends, I would lend to them on nights when we pedaled through the city on our way to concerts, movies, and the life of glamor. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dt0SKw4rOJA/TyLUFoESH3I/AAAAAAAABHs/f2EKx-deFzM/s1600/P1040365small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dt0SKw4rOJA/TyLUFoESH3I/AAAAAAAABHs/f2EKx-deFzM/s400/P1040365small.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
And here is the the MiNewt 600 shown on the low setting. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz2t0aUKQbg/TyLT104TdrI/AAAAAAAABHg/gKMByFGQr3s/s1600/P1040361small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz2t0aUKQbg/TyLT104TdrI/AAAAAAAABHg/gKMByFGQr3s/s400/P1040361small.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
Here is the the MiNewt 600 shown on the high setting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbG5J29vAsM/TyLUs4KDc7I/AAAAAAAABH4/sfhUNXhcwX0/s1600/P1040362small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbG5J29vAsM/TyLUs4KDc7I/AAAAAAAABH4/sfhUNXhcwX0/s400/P1040362small.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
I have used the light for a few MTB night rides and it is actually just as good as some more expensive light systems out there. On the high setting the light lasts 3 hours. The helmet mount is included with the light. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IooKI0P-W28/TyLgEoj9T_I/AAAAAAAABII/wNTME-7ItYM/s1600/niteRider600Helmet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IooKI0P-W28/TyLgEoj9T_I/AAAAAAAABII/wNTME-7ItYM/s1600/niteRider600Helmet.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Impossible for me to capture (with my rudimentary photography skills) is the flash mode. Be warned, the flash mode is surprisingly bright and can illuminate reflective surfaces like license plates and road signs for up to three city blocks--no exaggeration, the flash mode is so bright that the unz unz unz of techno music starts thumping in my mind when I have it on. The flash mode could trigger seizures.<br />
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Overall, I like using this light a lot. With this light, I have actually noticed drivers wait to let me pass at intersections where, when using dimmer bike lights, I have seen cars pull out in front of me. The light functions in all but the most unmerciful weather conditions, is easy to charge, and can double as a MTB night riding light. The MSRP is $160. <br />
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Get out the cowbells for Cross Worlds and have a great weekend! </div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-75347126946377180542011-12-16T11:50:00.000-05:002011-12-23T22:06:16.157-05:00Holiday Hootenany<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Christmas is here! The children at Rigid are full of sugarplums and the Christmas tree is fantastically bedazzled, looking like an alien spacecraft ready to blast off from our 1950s era fallout shelter. I have been getting in a few rides here and there, but with low temperatures and lots of rain most trails have been too wet to ride. <br />
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How about a little update on the PTAG annual volunteer appreciation day that took place on December 10th? I would like to be able to say that over that weekend hundreds of folks got together to laud the accomplishments and celebrate the long list of trails that have been improved or maintained by PTAG over the course of the past year. There definitely was a quick mention of that. But mostly we just did what I end up doing every other weekend. Which is a lot of this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bnlh1W9XZaY/TutkuMiZSEI/AAAAAAAABGo/sPj3vbg8QKI/s1600/DSCN1482web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bnlh1W9XZaY/TutkuMiZSEI/AAAAAAAABGo/sPj3vbg8QKI/s1600/DSCN1482web.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Although there was some fun freeze-thaw mountain bike feats of skill like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_jSk-JqiDhw/Tutksjl8bBI/AAAAAAAABGg/j5a-mrAyPR0/s1600/DSCN1481web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_jSk-JqiDhw/Tutksjl8bBI/AAAAAAAABGg/j5a-mrAyPR0/s1600/DSCN1481web.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Well that basically wraps it up on this end for 2011. Rigid Bicycles will be taking some time off from regular posting and will return with updates on January 6th. <br />
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Have a great holiday everyone. In the meantime enjoy some video of Johnny T in the 1990 Cross Country World Championships from Durango. <br />
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<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rbWR4uhebeY?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rbWR4uhebeY?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="540" height="450"></object></div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-3776681146807524812011-12-09T14:33:00.001-05:002011-12-09T15:13:14.092-05:00Weak-kneed Weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Another week has slipped through the cracks.<br />
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Sometimes time slows down and a week can go by in a crawl, as if it were a slow slog up a long gravely fire road. <br />
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Other weeks go by a lot faster. This one feels like it's just getting started and it's already Friday. Have a great weekend. <br />
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Tomorrow, Saturday December 10th, the Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group will host their annual Volunteer Appreciation Day event, with mountain bicycle rides, hikes, and trail runs in beautiful North Park. Get in if you can fit in. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ptagtrails.org/sites/default/files/volunteer%20appreciation%20201%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.ptagtrails.org/sites/default/files/volunteer%20appreciation%20201%20copy.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br />
</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-43794981623475965472011-12-05T15:15:00.001-05:002011-12-06T11:02:24.539-05:00Clever Title Referencing Someone Getting 'Punk'd'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As announced last week, the folks at Dirt Rag magazine hosted the annual Punk Bike Enduro for the twenty-second time; and here at Rigid, after a weekend of unseasonably warm temperatures, we're still trying to pick up the pieces. Saturday was a longish jaunt on the cross bikes which I thought might have prepared me for the lots of standing around and the 12 bicycle stages of the Punk. It didn't.<br />
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Sunday morning rolled around, lots of people gathered at the spot,and world class athletes from around the nation checked tire pressures and put on their ultra fast racing suits. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk1qUyfkTtY/Tt0roZM5ULI/AAAAAAAABD8/BHinY8H2Gps/s1600/DSCN1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk1qUyfkTtY/Tt0roZM5ULI/AAAAAAAABD8/BHinY8H2Gps/s400/DSCN1413.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
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First off was the foot-down rodeo, which, because of the large attendance took a long time and finally ended when <a href="http://www.thickbikes.com/index.php" target="_blank">The Beer Monkey</a> started grabbing onto (other riders') handlebars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSdRUkmWKUU/Tt0pbqhvPWI/AAAAAAAABDw/zzLpJzqXpJ4/s1600/DSCN1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSdRUkmWKUU/Tt0pbqhvPWI/AAAAAAAABDw/zzLpJzqXpJ4/s400/DSCN1417.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
Then came a lot of other stuff that involved bikes and mud.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EF8OFlkUMmc/Tt0tlb5RaXI/AAAAAAAABEU/nBelul-NXKY/s1600/DSCN1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EF8OFlkUMmc/Tt0tlb5RaXI/AAAAAAAABEU/nBelul-NXKY/s400/DSCN1418.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_v-7ZA2c4ag/Tt0wZdyZxDI/AAAAAAAABEg/AH-Hw0Tazj0/s1600/DSCN1453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="390" width="520" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_v-7ZA2c4ag/Tt0wZdyZxDI/AAAAAAAABEg/AH-Hw0Tazj0/s400/DSCN1453.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWkqBBecP4U/Tt0xC87YCeI/AAAAAAAABE4/GiF2pRdFdTI/s1600/DSCN1434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="390" width="520" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWkqBBecP4U/Tt0xC87YCeI/AAAAAAAABE4/GiF2pRdFdTI/s400/DSCN1434.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t2OC8m4hGxo/Tt0tDcaqERI/AAAAAAAABEI/fSqaYDsj60o/s1600/DSCN1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t2OC8m4hGxo/Tt0tDcaqERI/AAAAAAAABEI/fSqaYDsj60o/s400/DSCN1419.JPG" width="520" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Ieygw6OraM/Tt45DosXrmI/AAAAAAAABFE/um0lmmKtx7k/s1600/DSCN1460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="390" width="520" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Ieygw6OraM/Tt45DosXrmI/AAAAAAAABFE/um0lmmKtx7k/s400/DSCN1460.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cfxtMmX0x60/Tt45NGiXQ2I/AAAAAAAABFQ/IeNsFIK0Kv8/s1600/DSCN1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="390" width="520" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cfxtMmX0x60/Tt45NGiXQ2I/AAAAAAAABFQ/IeNsFIK0Kv8/s400/DSCN1421.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Thanks to the entire staff at Dirt Rag magazine. Now it's time to go back to work.<br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-54870701171429847522011-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-02T08:17:28.633-05:00Kicking off December: Off Season But Not Off the Mark<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here is a last ditch reminder about this weekend's Dirt Rag Punk Bike Enduro. I was wrong about the posters: <a href="http://www.dirtragmag.com/webrag/making-poster-decades-old-secret-race" target="_blank">they do exist</a> and will be awarded to the riders with the <strike>highest blood alcohol content</strike> most Punk points at the end of the day. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ugpZbdB1938/Ttes67lVHcI/AAAAAAAABDk/57MBY2Y2zm4/s1600/punkBikePoster2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ugpZbdB1938/Ttes67lVHcI/AAAAAAAABDk/57MBY2Y2zm4/s640/punkBikePoster2011.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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If you happen to be anywhere near the western Pennyslvania part of the globe this weekend, then jump on it. This event reminds us that off road cyclists like to do weird things in the off season like drink beer and ride their bicycles in inclement weather. Roadies, on the other hand, are up for far more creative ways of spinning the two wheels. Johnny Hoogerland gives us an example. You will remember Hoogerland was made famous this year for getting knocked around and severely lacerated after he was hit by a <i>car</i> in the Tour de France, which, if you are unclear, is in fact, a <i>bicycle</i> race<br />
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(In the future we will be able to put videos in parentheses)<br />
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Well now the Dutch Hoogerland, aka the "Bull of Beveland," is getting even more famous for his off season antics because he recently competed in a horse racing harness race, <i>as a cyclist</i>.<br />
Guess what? He won. <br />
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Harness racing with infield bicycle competitions is the next cyclocross. <br />
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Have a great weekend and welcome to December. <br />
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</div>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-41061927353619833582011-11-23T20:46:00.001-05:002011-11-23T21:53:03.053-05:00Be Thankful: Good Policy to Live ByGive thanks for crazy bike events because here in Pittsburgh we have two of them coming up. <br />
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First up is the Dirty Dozen. This is a road race on the Saturday after Thanksgiving connecting 13 steep and unforgiving climbs in and around Pittsburgh. There are no posters or advertisements, the roads are all surging with hostile drivers, the weather is miserable, but it is well attended and all the information can be found on <a href="http://www.dannychew.com/dd.html" target = "_blank">Danny Chew's website</a>. <br />
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The Punk Bike Enduro is put on by the fine folks at Dirt Rag magazine, and is a long standing and very well run <strike>drinking contest</strike> off road bicycle race. Probably the most fun you might have on a bicycle during the month of December. Again, no one makes posters for underground races, so check out the folks at <a href="http://pghalleycat.com/races/punk-bike-enduro-2011/" target = "_blank">Pittsburgh Alleycats</a> for the details. <br />
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If you live in the US then have a happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Rigid! If you live outside the U.S. then carry on knowing that we'll all be over eating, watching TV, and misunderstanding American history. Cheers!davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6964916365391582430.post-69044939495649419602011-11-17T11:15:00.001-05:002011-11-17T11:23:37.120-05:00Pass the Bugles and Peanut Butter: It's Time to Get LiftedThis video has nothing at all to do with bicycles, but signals, for me, the moment when humans prove that there is nothing left to explore on Earth. Time lapse photography from the International Space Station has been compiled and enhanced into visually stunning internet-consumable chunks. I can't stop watching this. <br />
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<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32001208?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="540" height="304" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/32001208">Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/michaelkoenig">Michael König</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05889862842908241707noreply@blogger.com0