More about "The Wheel"

My mom commented on last Friday's post, saying that she believed that the steering wheel was a custom addition by my dad's uncle from a junkyard car. I do believe that he tinkered with the bike, but I don't believe that the steering wheel was a custom addition. The image from the catalog wasn't that easy to see, but a quick google search found these two pictures:

I don't believe the wheelie bar behind the rear wheel is stock, but I bet it was fun!

If you look at the frame from the orignal picture, the frame and color, as well as the chainring design is the same as the two bikes pictured above. My bike is missing several things from the stock version, such as the sissy bar, chainguard, and the 3-speed shift lever that was common on muscle bikes from that era, but the steering wheel is original. 

Like I said Friday, I need to restore this bike back to stock. I think my kids would have as much fun riding it around the neighborhood as I did when I was a kid.

Sunday funnies

Caption this

Photo of the day

My mom, circa 1978-ish. She's going to be happy to see that I posted this picture online (not!)

If you notice, the bike she is sitting on has a steering wheel.  For the longest time I thought that this was a custom addition by someone, but I have since found that it was produced in this form by Huffy in the late 60's - early 70's called "The Wheel" (catchy name).

I still have this bike, in a shed behind my mom's house.  It's in pretty rough shape.  One of these days, I need to pull it out and restore it.

It has nothing to do with who you are - well, maybe it does...

Let's look at a couple of cyclists.

Cyclist A:

For the sake of argument, let's call him Tom Zirbel.

Tom has won a few stages and a few races. He's a competent time trialist. Tom failed a doping control in December 2009 for DHEA. Tom maintains that he did not knowingly dope. He is given a 2 year suspension.

Cyclist B:

Again, for the sake of argument, we'll call him Alberto Contador.

'Bert has won a few stages and a few races as well. He is also a competent time trialist as well as a good all-rounder. 'Bert failed a doping control in August 2010 for clenbuterol. 'Bert maintains that he did not knowingly dope. He is given a 1 year suspension by the Spanish cycling federation*.

So, it's not about who you are, huh?

*as of my writing of this post, the UCI has not weighed in yet. They may still suspend him for 2 years, but then again...

Agion Active: Try Everything, Stink at Nothing

If you are a roadie, there are three generalizations that can safely be made about you:

1. You shave your legs
2. You wear Lycra when riding
3. Said Lycra stinks!

Lycra is truly a wonder fabric, but it holds onto odors like a puppy with its favorite chew toy. You can wash it, but all of those old odors come right back out as soon as you start sweating in it. Not pleasant - especially for those around you.

Hopefully, that will soon change.

Agion Active has come up with a textile treatment that is added to the material during the manufacturing process that will handle both microbial-based odors from the body, and ambient odors absorbed from the environment.

Agion Active features a dual-action technology that not only provides antimicrobial product protection and industrial-strength odor elimination but also eliminates odors on and around the fabric. Silver ion antimicrobial technology stops the spread of odor-causing bacteria on the fabric while a natural, proprietary odor-trapping solution captures molecules from ambient odors. Unlike odor control technologies currently on the market, Agion Active eliminates odor from over 14 sources, achieving performance well beyond what has been offered to consumers to date. Agion Active continues to perform for the life of the garment, regenerating with each wash.

 

1. On the skin, bacteria cause odor that passes through the fabric.

2. On the fabric perspiration soaks in and causes odor.

3. On the fabric, perspiration is broken down by bacteria and causes odor.

4. From the environment, ambient odors are absorbed by the fabric.

I was intrigued when I received the email from Agion Active telling me about their product, and wanting to give me more information at the Outdoor Retailer show. Anything that can reduce or eliminate the stink from my cycling kit would be something that I would be greatly interested in trying. Initially, I thought it was something that was added to the garment after it was purchased. Instead, their technology is incorporated during the manufacture process. They have recently announced a partnership with Woolrich. Agion Active odor elimination technology is now available in Woolrich’s new Poly Merino base layers. Wool is regularly held up as the "gold standard" of odor control in fabric. I was told during our meeting that the Agion Active technology greatly extends the natural anti-odor properties of the wool garments. Additional partnerships will be announced in the future.

All products with the Agion Active technology will have this tag attached to them.

I was given a t-shirt that has been treated with the Agion Active technology to do my own testing. I have been running it through the paces this week. My highly scientific testing process consists of wearing it multiple days in a row, skipping a morning shower one of the days, not wearing deodorant that day (Hey! don't judge, it's all in the name of science - besides, I ran out of deodorant that day.), and spending time on the trainer, and at my office's "fitness center" in the basement of the parking garage during my breaks.

"objects in mirror are dorkier than they appear"

I will come up with some additional tests, and report back next week with the results.

If you would like to give this technology a try, you can go to http://www.stinkatnothing.com/ to apply, and if approved, you will be sent a shirt that has been treated with their technology. All you need to do is engage in whatever sport/activity you dare to do, and answer one simple question: "Did You Stink?" After sharing their results via video testimonials, photos and written accounts, T-testers will be eligible to win the grand prize of a $500 gift card from Amazon.com and an Electronics Prize Pack.

Outdoor Retailer: Nirve Bicycles

There is usually not that many bicycle-specific retailers that come out to Outdoor Retailer to show off their products - especially durring the Winter Market show. Part of the fun is finding those products that -while not specifically for cycling - can be used for cycling.

There is the exception, however. Nirve Bicycles came out to this year's show to display some of their cruiser and chopper models.  They showed off some new paint schemes for 2011.

I think LEOPARD TREK should have a paint scheme like this on their bikes.  Who's with me?

sorry for the quality of the pictures, good lighting for displaying bikes, bad lighting for trying to get a decent picture - especially with a camera-phone.

Hard to see in this picture, but this Switchblade model had a totally cool brown metal flake paint job.

Check out http://www.nirve.com/ to see more of their cool crusier, chopper and commuter bicycles and accessories.

If bkes were like cars...

I found this over on Urban Velo's site. It's in Dutch, but you don't need to understand it to enjoy the video.

Sunday Funnies

Outdoor Retailer: Photo of the Day

I unfortunately don't remember the name of this company. They were doing custom artwork on their line of aluminum bottles for people. This guy would draw the image with a sharpie, and another guy would airbrush in the color.

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GU Roctane - New Flavor

GU is coming out with a new flavor that will debut this summer, and they are letting the attendees of the Outdoor Retailer show vote on which flavor will be released.

This time around, the flavor will be chocolate based - I certainly don't have a problem with that! It will more than likely be caffeinated, as it is actually more difficult to produce a caffeine-free chocolate gel.

The choices are: Chocolate-Banana, Chocolate-Orange, Chocolate-Raspberry, and Chocolate.

My personal favorite was the Chocolate-Banana, with the Chocolate-Orange a close second - all of them were very good!

I was told that we can expect to see the new flavor sometime in July. Go to www.GUenergy.com to see their full line of gels and Chomps.

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Outdoor Retailer: Bison Designs Survival Bracelet

This is something I saw yesterday when I came to the Outdoor Retailer show that I wanted to talk about.

Something like this would be very handy for mountain biking or trail running, where you might find yourself off of the beaten path.

It looks like a standard woven bracelet that many of us wear on a regular basis, but this one is made of 10' of 550 para-cord. The 550 means that the cord is rated at 550 pounds. If you are injured, or have a mechanical, you can unravel the cord and use it to fashion a splint or do a quick trailside repair to help you get back to civilization.

They retail for around $10. More information can be found at Bison Designs www.bisondesigns.com

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Outdoor Retailer: Day One

Today I felt like I walked a marathon, and I was only here for a half-day!

I saw some cool products that I fully intend on posting about in the near future, and some - um, unusual things like the guy in the penguin suit displaying some no-slip shoes, and a guy wearing a ram head and underwear for Icebreaker wool (no pics, he was creepy!).

Tomorrow is going to be the true test of endurance! It is going to be a full day for me, I have several appointments set up for some products I hope will be of interest to you, my dear readers.

I'll try to some live posting during the show, maybe even some video - haven't tried that before.

Till then...

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Big news for the Tour of Utah

Big news was announced today on the Tour of Utah website:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (January 20, 2011) – Entering its seventh year in 2011, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utahcycling race has been elevated by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to one of the top three professional stage races for road cycling in North America. Organizers will invite 15 domestic and international professional cycling teams to participate and increase prize money from $45,000 to $150,000, as part of the UCI sanctioning rules. The six-day event, known as “America’s Toughest Stage Race”, will be held August 9-14, 2011, featuring a prologue and five stages for an estimated 400 miles of racing across traditionally diverse and mountainous terrain.

Steve Miller, president of the Utah Cycling Partnership which owns the Tour of Utah, announced that the event has hired Medalist Sports to manage race operations and logistics for the 2011 race. Medalist Sports will oversee the competition and technical production of the Tour, as well as the development of the local organizing committees in each start and finish venue. Medalist Sports specializes in the production of professional cycling competitions and mass-participation, fundraising events around the country. The company also is the event management arm for the Amgen Tour of California (May 15-22), USA Cycling Professional Championships (May 28-30) and the Quiznos Pro Challenge (Aug 22-28).

For 2011, the Tour of Utah will be part of the UCI America Tour, covering professional cycling events on both the continents of North America and South America. The UCI America Tour includes 34 sanctioned events for professionals in 2011. Tour of Utah and the Quiznos Pro Challenge are the only 2.1-class events in North America. The 2.HC (hors categorie) Amgen Tour of California received the highest rating of the UCI America Tour road calendar.

“It’s really quite an honor to be able to organize and host a race of this caliber and level. This is really big for Utah. Professional cycling provides a unique setting from which we can showcase our beautiful State. It’s great for spectators. It’s great for athletes and it’s particularly great for tourism,” said Miller, who first became involved with the event in 2005 as a sponsor. “We’re very grateful to the fans and sponsors, without whom, this race simply would not be possible. Whereas in years past we’ve been able to attract a handful of the world’s best racers, this year the entire field will be the who’s who of professional cyclists.”

The Tour of Utah began in 2004 as a three-day race and was upgraded to a National Racing Calendar event by USA Cycling in 2008. The Tour is now sanctioned by both USA Cycling, Inc. and the UCI, the international governing body for the sport of cycling.

“Thanks to the support and dedication of the Miller family, local sponsors and staff, The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah has very quickly grown into one of America’s top stage races,” said USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. “Now, with its placement on the UCI calendar as a category 2.1 stage race, the Tour of Utah will join the ranks of the world’s top cycling events and feature an international field with some of the best professional teams in cycling.”

One of the distinguishing elements in the elevated status of the 2011 Tour of Utah is that organizers are not allowed to include amateur teams and athletes, but are permitted to invite teams and athletes from the sport’s highest level, UCI World Tour, including UCI ProTeams, UCI Professional Continental and domestic Continental Teams. Amateur teams and athletes can only take part in NRC events and lower- rated UCI events, where they are eligible for domestic racing points.

A total of 15 professional teams will be invited to race the Tour of Utah, with organizers extending initial invitations to select UCI ProTeams later this month. Each team is expected to field a team of eight riders, for a total of 120 of some of the world’s best competing across the mountains, buttes and plateaus of Utah, vying for UCI points, award jerseys and cash prizes totaling $150,000. Last year’s race was won by Levi Leipheimer, a member of Team RadioShack (a UCI ProTeam) but racing as an individual with Mellow Johnny’s.

Announcements about confirmed teams and the host venues for each start and finish line will be made in February. The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah continues to be free to all spectators, making professional cycling one of the most unique pro sports in the world today. Official information will be posted atwww.tourofutah.com, and race fans are encouraged to follow updates on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
Deemed "America's Toughest Tour," the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah presented by Zions Bank, is a six-day, six-stage, professional bicycle road race along the Rocky Mountain's Wasatch Range. It traditionally covers more than 400 total miles of racing through some of Utah's most beautiful and challenging terrain. Now in its 7th year, the 2011 Tour of Utah is scheduled to take place August 9-14 as a UCI 2.1 sanctioned road race for the best pro cyclists in the world. The event is owned and operated by the Utah Cycling Partnership. The 2011 Tour of Utah will be accompanied by a colorful, rolling festival celebration that will take place at each day’s finish line host venue. More information can be found by visiting www.tourofutah.com.


About the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies
The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies began with a single automotive dealership, Larry H. Miller Toyota, in Murray, Utah in 1979. Since that time, the Group has amassed more than 80 businesses and properties in the western United States. Most notable are the Utah Jazz NBA professional basketball franchise, EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Bees Class-AAA professional baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, state-of-the-art Miller Motorsports Park, Megaplex Theatres across Utah and 40 automobile dealerships representing 23 different automotive brands in seven Western states.


About Medalist Sports

Medalist Sports, LLC is an international, full-service, sports management and production company. An industry leader, Medalist Sports specializes in the successful planning, promotion and management of special events, ranging from professional competitions to amateur experiences, to cause-related/fundraising events. Members of the Medalist team are proud to have been involved with and helped manage such events and properties as Tour DuPont, Tour of China, Amgen Tour of California, Quiznos Pro Challenge, Tour de Georgia, Tour of Missouri, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (Livestrong Challenge), USA Cycling Professional Championships, the Tour of Hope, The Dempsey Challenge presented by Amgen and more. Medalist Sports’ headquarters are located south of metro Atlanta at P.O. Box 415, Tyrone, GA 30290. The company website is www.medalistsports.com.

Another post about my Brooks saddle

I was nervous about putting the Brooks saddle on my bicycle.

I mean this saddle is easily nicer than the entire rest of my bicycle. The value of my bicycle doubled just by having it in the same room. So, it sat in its box on a shelf, where I would look at it, dumbfounded that I managed to get such a great deal.

Monday night, I realized that I was turning into one of "those people" - the ones who buy things like gold-plated bicycles and hang them on the wall, more as an Objets d′art than what they are meant for.

The Aurumania Gold bike in its natural habitat

So, I put the saddle on my bicycle.

seriously, I need a new seatpost - if not a new bicycle for this saddle

First off, it is a dang good looking saddle. The narrow nose, and cutaway sides looked fast, but classic at the same time. It just looked right.

I had heard stories about the rigors of "breaking in" a Brooks saddle. Stories of the saddles feeling like sitting on a stone until it was broken in and conformed to your posterior (or is that the other way around). I had also heard that the break-in time could take anywhere from 100 to 1000 miles. Hoo boy, I wasn't looking forward to the sore butt I was expecting, but I also figured that "trainer time" would be the perfect venue to start the process.

Photo from Sheldon Brown's website.

I started up the Sufferfest (I figured if my bum was going to be hurting from the new saddle, it might as well have some company from my legs) and hopped on. What I expected and what I felt were two vastly different things. It felt comfortable, not the rock-hard, nether region-numbing sensation I was expecting. It just felt right. It was more slippery than my previous saddle, but then my previous saddle wasn't made out of highly polished leather. My bum settled into a comfortable position and my legs had to complain all by themselves for the next hour.

I know I used "It just looked right" and :"it just felt right" to describe this saddle. Well, I can't come up with any better description. There is nearly 150 years of saddle-making expertise behind this saddle, and you would be correct in assuming that they would have gotten it right in that amount of time.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2011 opens this week with their Mountain Demo Day on Wednesday the 19th at Solitude Mountain Resort and the Trade Show Thursday thru Sunday at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

I plan on attending the show on Thursday and Friday. This year will be a little different for me, as instead of just wandering around and looking for interesting products to report on, I actually have several interviews set up with companies that offer products that I think are interesting. I hope that you will find them interesting as well.

Saturday was a good day.

Saturday was a good day.

It started off with me waking up to an email saying I had won tickets to see my favorite band in concert that night. A concert that I was going to have to miss, because I couldn't justify the $60 for tickets right then.

Then, I had to take my daughter shopping so she could buy some goldfish to ask the boy she likes to the Sweethearts dance (if you have dating-age kids, you understand. If not, just wait...). She's is 16, and can drive, but she isn't able to drive with friends in the car for another 3 months. It's a frustrating age. Her best friend - who was going shopping with us - was meeting us at a dress store in town. Two girls in a dress store? I decided that my time could be better spent, so I told my daughter that I'd be a couple of stores down at the bike shop that is owned by one of my friends.

Dan and I were talking about a couple of upcoming centuries he's planning on running from his shop when he told me he had something that he thought I would appreciate. We went into the back room and he pulled a box from the back of one of the shelves. It was a saddle. He said that he didn't know what to do with it, and that he would give it to me for whatever I offered. I told him that if I came home and told the wife that I charged a new saddle to the credit card, I would be a dead man. He again said it was mine for whatever I offered him. I did a quick mental calculation of all of the cash I had in my wallet, and offered him that amount. Sold! He rang up my purchase, and my daughter, her friend and I left to continue our shopping excursion.

You're probably wondering what the saddle is. Well...

I purchased a limited edition Brooks Swallow TI saddle. Complete with chrome adjusting wrench, a tin of proofhide, buffing cloth, saddle cover for rainy days and a signed, numbered certificate saying that it is #597 of a total of #999 which will be made. My bicycle is not worthy!

Immediately, I started dreaming of a new bicycle build, consisting of an Italian frame, Campy components and this saddle. Oh, if only I had a money tree in the backyard!

I haven't mounted the saddle on my bicycle yet. It sounds stupid, but I'm a little nervous to do so. I'm sure that It will find it's place on top of my seat post before too long. (mental note, I need a new seat post now...)

I feel like I owe Dan dinner, or something now.

The concert? It was awesome!

Best.

Day.

Ever! (well... maybe not "best day", but it certainly ranks up there).

Photo of the Day

Another original by my 8-year-old artist. Crayon on newsprint.

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Sunday Funnies

Caption this - "Seriously?" edition

This is a real product, for sale on an Etsy site. 

I don't have words for this.  I can understand why, and I can see that it would be useful for outdoor activities when the mercury is low, but seriously?!?

Friday Videos: Ginger Ninjas

"At 2 a.m. November 1, 2007, an unknown Northern California rock band called the Ginger Ninjas set out from home on a seven month tour to southern Mexico. They had no van and no gigs. Instead, they hauled their guitars, cello, drumkit, camping gear and human-powered sound system on special load-carrying bicycles, and planned to pick up shows as they went, trusting in a mysterious force they called the “Golden Bubble” to provide for them and keep them safe from storied dangers.

Intent on living a life of gritty adventure, testing the limits of stepping lightly on the planet, exploring the far reaches of a Mexico that few Americans know, bringing a positive message southward, promoting the bicycle as cooler-than-car cure for global warming, and propelled by the mindful cultivation of blind faith and deeply resonant, kick-ass music, they pedaled 5,000 miles and played 100 shows, slept in James Bond mansions on private beaches and under bridges with braying donkeys and crap piles, got kicked out of plazas and talked transportation with big city mayors, demonstrating day by day and mile by mile that it is feasible to live, travel and play without deep dependence on gasoline.

Music and bicycles—universal symbols of human openness and connection, elements of our common humanity, and paragons of low-tech sustainability—become vehicles for seeing the world at human speed. From the Sierra Nevada through the suburban wastelands and urban decay of southern California, over the world’s busiest border crossing, across the wilderness and austere beauty of Baja, in and out of the heart of Mexico City, the band’s quest to reach the fabled pyramids of Chiapas becomes the backdrop for its sincere yet complex quest to make a difference. The documentary is an intimate exploration of youthful freedom, profound insights, emotional transformation, and the interpersonal relationships that develop among the travelers in their multi-season odyssey."

*From the Ginger Ninjas website

How Not to Lock Your Bike

Probably one of the best (worst) locking jobs I have seen. This was a bike that was for sale outside an antique/retro thrift store not far from my office.

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R.I.P. Peter Yates

Director and Producer Peter Yates passed away on Sunday, January 9th.  He was 81.

If you don't recognize the name, you will certainly recognize one of his films...

Peter was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Director and Best Producer categories for this picture. 

I know many people who will state that this film is what got them interested in cycling.  It is ranked #8 in the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies

Thank you, Mr Yates.  You will be missed.

Journey back down into the dungeon

Another picture from the "fitness center" at work, but unlike the exercise bike, this one actually works, and gets used - by me at least. I'll go down during my breaks, and do situps on this decline sit-up bench - usually holding a 10 lb. weight plate to my chest. Great core exercise.

Photo of the Day

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A little video to start off our Monday

Too funny to not share. There's being "in the zone", and "being in the zone too far".

Sunday funnies

Caption this

World Bicycle Relief

In most industrialized nations around the world, the bicycle represents a choice. We can choose to lessen our environmental footprint and ride our bicycles for our commutes instead of driving. Many of us have more than one bicycle - choosing the race bike for the weekend crit, or the mountain bike for some singletrack riding in the mountains. We choose to save the race wheels for those important races. We choose our clothes based on the type of riding we will be doing, Lycra, tweed, or whatever. We have the choice.

In underdeveloped areas of the world, the bicycle is less about choice, and more about survival. A bicycle can allow a child to obtain an education by reducing their commute from an unrealistic time to one that is realistic. It can allow a healthcare volunteer to cover a greater area, and see more patients in a week than walking would allow. It can increase the earning potential by allowing an individual to cover a greater distance and carry a greater load than they could by walking. The bicycle represents a better life.

World Bicycle Relief is an organization whose mission is to provide access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles. Started in 2005 by SRAM and Trek Bicycles, they are working to provide a sustainable transportation alternative to walking to people in underdeveloped areas. They are working to accomplish this mission by providing a sturdy, durable bicycle that can withstand the environment, and that is simple to operate and fix, and by providing mechanical training to keep those bicycles running.

Simple sustainable mobility in the form of a bicycle multiplies a person’s effort and efficiency with improved access to healthcare, education and economic development, especially when compared to the alternative of walking.

Healthcare: Brings healthcare to patients and patients to healthcare.
Education: Brings educators to the field and students to schools.
Economic development: Sustainable mobility is a fundamental requirement in all economic systems. Bicycles multiply an individual’s efforts by:

• Bringing goods and services to markets;
• Enabling workers to get to jobs or find better jobs;
• Fueling an individual’s entrepreneurial drive – entire businesses can be run off the back of a bike.

I found this image on their site, which does a great job at showing what a great impact a bicycle can have to people.

World Bicycle Relief has provided over 50,000 bicycles to people in underdeveloped areas, and areas devastated by natural disasters.

I highly recommend you go to their site http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/ and check them out. I also highly recommend you support them if you can, not only through monetary support, but by getting involved.

Photo of the day

My office has an exercise facility - of sorts.

An apt comparison would be to the Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, since all of the equipment down there is discarded and broken equipment people have donated or dumped. Still, there are a couple weight benches, free weights, dumbbells, and this exercise bike.

It's better than nothing...

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A bike named Steven

My 8-year-old gave this to me a while ago.  He'll occasionally draw me pictures of bicycles, because he knows that I like bikes.  His name is not Steven.  My name is not Steven.  Apparently, he named the bike Steven.

Resolutions

Resolutions.

We all make them, and we all have difficulty keeping them. Fitness themed resolutions are always the biggest, every year people resolve to get in shape, loose weight etc... memberships at gyms increase, new equipment is purchased, and goals are made. Unfortunately, within a few months, the crowds at the gym are smaller, the equipment has a fine layer of dust on it, and goals are forgotten.
In the past, I have stated that I will not make any resolutions.  That way, I don't have any liability if I don't accomplish what I wanted to do by the end of the year.  That's the wussy way to do it.  By not giving myself goals to work towards, it is too easy to let things slide. 

This year, I am going to state my resolutions.  In writing.  Here.  I am going to do my best to accomplish them, and if I don't, I will look at the reasons why I failed, and what I can do to not fail again.

This isn't a full list of my resolutions and goals for this year, just what I have so far...

• Ride more - no set mileage, because I don't want to set myself up for failure right from the start.  It doesn't matter if it is riding in more events, riding by myself, or riding with my kids.  Just get out and ride!
• Improve my time in the triathlons I race in - Kind of a no-brainer goal, but if I don't state it, there is no motivation to improve.
• Learn to ride my unicycle - My brother gave me a unicycle almost 4 years ago, and I haven't done anything with it since then.  The Moab Munifest is no longer running, so I don't have that to work towards, but I still want to learn how to ride the blasted thing.
• Run more - seeing as I am showing more interest in triathlons, and 1/3 of a triathlon consists of running, I probably should work on my running.
• Post more frequently on this blog - More posts about product reviews, advocacy, people in the industry, or it may mean posting a picture I took that day of  something bicycle-related that caught my attention.  Probably not a post every day, but more frequently than I did last year.
• Be a better person - this one is going to be the tough one.  Try not to have such a sour outlook on life. Try to be more positive. Try to see the good in things, instead of focusing on the negative. Try to be more optimistic, more compassionate and more tolerant.

There, I have stated some resolutions for the world to see.  I wish you luck in whatever resolutions you set for yourself this year, and I hope 2011 is a prosperous year for you!

Garmin-Cervelo kit for 2011

Team Garmin-Cervelo has revealed their team kit for the 2011 season. 

Gone is the orange- replaced by black, and almost gone is the argyle that dominated the kit in previous years - only appearing on the collar, sleeves, and leg cuff. 

Very sharp kit, in my opinion.  My favorite part is the writing on the right leg, which reads "Innovate, Sacrifice, Unite, Succeed. Written upside-down so it can be read while they are riding.

Sunday funnies

Starting things off right

Well, it's done. The first weigh-in of 2011, and I'm happy to report that it wasn't a disaster.

I went into the holiday season at 197, got down to 187 with motivation and help courtesy of Elden, the "Fat Cyclist" and his contest, and came out the other end less than what I started. I consider that a win.

So, I'm sitting here right now trying to decide if I really want to go outside and do my traditional New Year's Day ride even though the temperature is a balmy 4 degrees outside right now, or go downstairs instead and spend some quality time with the Sufferfest.

I'll let you know.

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