Back for now

I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “When it rains it pours.” Well, it feels like I’ve just been through a torrential downpour. It’s been a whirlwind few weeks that has seen more downs than ups. On my last post I mentioned that the company I was contracted to was undergoing big cutbacks and that my job was in jeopardy. That’s still true and is yet to be resolved. To make matters worse my dad suffered a major heart attack on 29-Oct and never regained consciousness. He passed away on 1-Nov and is now in a better place. I’ve also conducted two interviews with a potential new client in Dallas and may have to move there on short notice. I’m just waiting on the word.

I wasn’t kidding when I said it was a whirlwind. As you can imagine, I’ve had more important things to do and haven’t ridden or prepared new articles. In fact, I haven’t even thought about this blog for a couple of weeks. I will probably start riding again soon. I need it. If I end up moving to Dallas my bike will go with me so I can ride there. While I was with my mom in Oklahoma my wife found my cold weather gear so I can use it when it starts to get colder here in Jax. I know I’ll need it in Dallas.

One bright spot I’d like to point out is that Genuine Innovations is now a sponsor of Biking To Live. You can see the banner, created especially for Biking To Live, on the front page of the blog. Be sure to check them out.

I’d like to thank those that have emailed me and offered their support during these difficult times. I sincerely appreciate it.

Ten Brisk Miles

Contrary to popular belief, I am still around and still live in Jax. For how long I’m not sure but I’ll talk about that later.

Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve ridden. I turned an ankle a few weeks ago (I have bad ankles to start with) and had to take a week off. That wasn’t bad. Then my life was turned upside down and I felt no desire to ride. Again, more on that later.

This morning I wanted to get back out and ride. I could tell I had taken time off as it felt my pants had shrunk. That wasn’t good. So, the alarm went off at 5:00 AM and I headed outside to ride.

Upon opening the garage door I was blasted by cold air. Similar to what you experience when you open one of the freezer doors at the grocery store as you reach for that half-gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I had anticipated the cold air and had put on a long sleeve shirt on under my short sleeve jersey. I don’t own a long sleeve cycling jersey and after this mornings ride I’m beginning to think I need to invest in one. Contrary to popular belief it does get quite chilly here in Northeast Florida. The temp this morning was 48F. That’s down right cold! As my dad would say, “It’s colder than a witches _ _ _ out there.” The weather dude on the radio said it could be even colder tomorrow with the potential to have to break out the ice scraper! Dude, this is Florida. That’s just so wrong.

I roll out of the driveway and everything feels ok from the lack of use. I didn’t even need WD-40 to lubricate the joints. It actually felt quite good except for the cold. It was dark and clear too. The constellation Orion was unmistakable in the Southern sky with the Sirius (The Dog Star) to the lower left. Later, while driving to work, I saw the moon just creeping above the eastern horizon. You see the entire outline of the moon but only a tiny sliver was shining. It was stunning.

Like I said earlier, it was cold. My little sausages (fingers) were starting to feel it after a couple of miles. My oldest daughter, who is taking an Anatomy class, would have said my phalanges were cold. That said, so were my toes. I’ve got a pair of long-fingered gloves somewhere. I should look for them tonight.

Wanting to get warmed up quickly, I took off at a good pace but was able to maintain it for my 10 mile ride. I maxed out at 17.5 mph but averaged 14.8 mph for the ride. That’s not bad considering I’ve taken a few weeks off.

I did see a couple of runners this morning and one other cyclist so I wasn’t the only idiot out in the cold.

Now, what’s been going on in my life? A lot. About three weeks ago, the company I work for laid off all their temporary and contract employees. That’s about 300 people. The reason for the layoffs was due to the frozen bond market that prevented the company from acquiring bonds for construction. So, what they did was basically freeze all construction and started cutting costs. First thing to get cut was temps and contractors. I fall into the contractor category.

Luckily for me my parent company is a great company and their looking out for me. Amazingly enough, I’m still working at my old job. The financial arrangements are different but I’m still here until they figure out what’s going on. In the meantime, I’ve been nominated as a potential candidate for a position in Dallas, TX. Hence my post last week about wanting to know if anybody lived in the Dallas area. The big negative about Dallas is that I’d have to leave my family here at least for the short term. There’s just no way I could sale my house right now without taking a huge loss.

What does all this mean? I’m not sure right now. At the moment I’m still in Jax. That could change next week but I just don’t know. Only time will tell. In the meantime, I’m just going to get back on the bike and try and reduce my waistline.

Anybody live in the Dallas Area?

Got a weird question. I may have to do some time in the Dallas area in the very near future and will need to get an apartment. If anybody who reads my blog lives there, or has recently moved from there, I’d like to get some info on areas to not get an apartment in and maybe get some feedback on one I’ve got my eye on. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

If you’d like to contact me just use the contact form. Feel free to leave comments as well.

Product Review: Second Wind Road Mini

The topic of tire inflation is always a hot topic. Most of us carry either a CO2 inflator or some type of frame pump to help us out when we flat out on a ride. I’ve always been an advocate of the CO2 systems because of bad experiences with frame pumps. Most frame pumps are either too flimsy and/or aren’t capable to achieving a high pressure when re-inflating a tire. Many of my readers feel the same way I do while others swear by their pump. I’ve always been willing to give a pump another try if I could find one that could live up to the job. So, when given the opportunity to review the new SecondWind Road Carbon Mini inflation system by Genuine Innovations, I jumped at the opportunity.

So, what is the Second Wind Road Mini? It’s a combination CO2 inflation system and frame pump built into a single carbon fiber body that measure’s just 7.25 inches long. You can use it as a CO2 inflator or a pump. Very ingenious. The system comes packaged with the carbon fiber Second Wind Road, instructions for use, a water bottle cage mount, a set of mounting screws, and a 16g CO2 catridge. The Second Wind Road Mini is only compatible with presta valves.

Upon opening the package the first thing you notice is the weight of the system. This thing is light! Weighing in at only 62.7 grams it’s light as a feather. The Mini is constructed very well. I mentioned the carbon fiber body and it’s beautiful. The ends are made of high-strength, glass-reinforced nylon, and the valve internals are made of brass.

One of the things that sets this pump apart though is the ingenuity of design. When using the CO2 system, you screw the CO2 cartridge into the brass fitting until it’s tight. The cartridge is punctured and activated at this point. To inflate your tire you attach the pump to your presta valve and loosen the cartridge a quarter-turn. To stop simply tighten the cartridge again. This makes the Second Wind Road Mini a controllable CO2 inflation system. The system comes with a 16g cartridge but you can use either 16g or 12g cartridges.

Now, what if you’ve exhausted your last CO2 cartridge and a buddy needs some help or you have another flat and no more CO2 cartridges? This is where the pump side of the Mini comes into play. In this role the pump is even easier to use. You simply attach the pump to your presta valve and start pumping. Now, one of the problems with most frame pumps is that they are hard to use because of their size. This usually prevents you from being able to achieve high pressures. Again, Genuine Innovations brilliant design comes to the rescue. To make the pump more stable, and give you more leverage while pumping, you just screw a new or expended CO2 cartridge into the pump handle and you dramatically increase your ability to control the pump. The maximum pressure of the hand pump is 130 psi.

So, what’s wrong with the Second Wind Road Mini? Not much that I could find. As with all frame pumps you have to be careful when pumping so you don’t damage your presta valve. The mini is no different. I used the mini several times while testing and the o-ring that seals the pump to your presta valve seems to be showing a lot of wear. This may be normal as the new o-ring is broken in. I’m not sure if there are plans in the future but it looks like this o-ring may be replaceable in the future.

Rating:  

So, what’s my verdict? I love it. It’s small, fully-functional, and performs as specified. If you’re a rider that likes the ease of CO2 but would like a pump backup then the Second Wind Road Mini is perfect. I give it 4 of 5 stars.

Thanks to Genuine Innovations for providing the Second Wind Road Mini. Now, what do I do with it? Do I keep it for myself or do I give it away to a lucky reader?

Greg Lemond, the ultimate bicycling tool

Greg Lemond, winner of three world championships and Tours de France, was an iconic figure in American bicycling in the 1980s. He set the bar that all other American cyclists would be compared to. In 1987 Lemond was involved in an accidental shooting while hunting with his brother-in-law. Just two years later he would win the Tour de France by beating Laurent Fignon on the final stage time-trial in Paris. His eight second victory over Fignon remains the closest finish ever in the Tour de France. He placed the United States center stage in a sport that has been dominated by the Europeans. Why is it then that Mr. Lemond finds it necessary to continue taking shots at Lance Armstrong? Because he’s a tool, that’s why.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know by now that Lance has announced his plans to come out of retirement and return to professional cycling. He will be re-united with his old friend Johann Bruyneel and race on the Astana squad. He will not be paid for his racing but will instead use the exposure to promote cancer awareness around the globe. Mr. Armstrong is a cancer survivor himself who overcame testicular cancer to return to the sport of cycling and win seven consecutive Tours de France.

Once he started winning the Tour de France his critics came out of the woodwork. The doping record of professional cycling hasn’t helped. He has undergone test, after test, after test and there have been no conclusive results that have linked Lance to illegal performance enhancing drugs. It never fails though that rumors will begin circulating anytime Mr. Armstrong is in the news regarding cycling. His announcement to return to cycling after a four-year absence is no different. Lance is receiving more criticism in the area of drug use even though he has committed to making his blood tests public following his return. Don Catlin, former head of UCLA’s World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory, will post Armstrong’s biomarkers online for the entire world to see.

Mr. Lemond decided to show up at an Interbike Trade Show press conference last week where Lance was set to outline the details of his comeback. Lance allowed Lemond the first question and he immediately set to questioning Catlin’s testing methods. The press conference was moved along by Armstrong after an exchange between Lemond and Catlin but Lemond wouldn’t let it die stating, “So, the whole history has just been passed over?” Yes, Greg, it has. The investigations, the countless tests, and the court appearances are over with. No charges have been filed. No substantial evidence has been produced. No bans have been issued. No wins have been stripped. You need to get a grip and move on. I almost wonder if you’re not jealous of Lance’s success. Where’s the Lemond I grew up with that was fighting the politics of the European peloton to establish himself? Where’s the Lemond that overcame a horrific hunting accident to win the tour? Where’s the Lemond that put USA cycling on the map? Wherever he is you need to find him, have him step up to the plate with Lance, and make the sport better instead of continually trying to re-open old wounds.

In short, don’t be a tool.

« Previous Page — Next Page »