A sweet weekend

Not much time to post, but here's the skinny:

Friday: Pre-Homecoming Shindig at Little Havana in Federal Hill. Saw a lot of old heads that I haven't seen in a long, long time. Good times indeed.

Some pictures have been witheld to protect the innocent:

[Frat bros: Keith, Meat, Chuck and yours truly]















[Apparently we were all giving the gas face to Faith as she snapped some pics]















[See, I wasn't lying. Frat bros Craig and Stork]
















Saturday: Homecoming. The frat put on a good show. Most of the Friday night revelers were nursing their wounds. Again, good times!

Sunday: Relax. The Rig has been put on order...more to come!

That's all for now, back to work!!!!

I'll watch..thankyouverymuch!

This event is slightly nutty. Who will sponsor it? Of course Red Bull will! We've had urban bike battles, crazy big hit bike events in remote areas of the world and some off-the-wall mountain bike events sponsored by the "high" energy drink company. Now this:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2005/redbull_road_rage

With riders like this:














And he's a roadie!!! See, they aren't all straight-laced, high-strung elitists!

The Decision

The results of the exhausting, time-consuming, nail-biting, stressful search is over....
Introducing my next steed to the exclusive RideCam Stable:

The Gary Fisher Rig will soon be purchased and I will once again be "singled" out with big boy tires (29 inch). I will make some immediate upgrades to the stock components, like trading out the crappy Cane Creek headset with a Chris King (color choice undetermined), and the Shimano pedals with Time Atacs. I may want to swap the seat post and stem with the Salsa gear I currently have on my Surly and the handlebar with my Surly Torsion.

I feel like a kid in a candy store! I can't wait to get this bad boy on the trail!

The War Wagon

Okay, so for some time I have promised some pictures of my rides. Unfortunately my work horse Surly met an untimely demise, but I'm sure I have some older pics somewhere. I will also be posting the breakage and the creation of the SS converted Karakoram...much like MC7's.

So here's the War Wagon (older model Bianchi touring bike) at work. I have since replaced the saddle. The Selle Italia Bianchi edition saddle looked sweet, but it felt like I was sitting on a jagged brick. She's the beaut' that gets me to and fro on my commute of approximately 29 miles round trip.
















Bike parking at work. Not under cover, but it's a start.




















The route to work. Mostly the last two miles. This doesn't depict the somewhat bustling country road that encompasses the majority of my trek, but it really is the nicest part of my ride, pretty countryside which I can slow down ( a little) and enjoy...horses, old barns, green fields.
















This picture does no justice. This is a steep hill at the end of the ride. after you get past the elipse of the first section of road, it drops off pretty significantly. If you look hard enough you can see the road again a little below the center of the picture.















More pictures of family, friends, bikes, trips, general good times, and my beautiful wifey to come.

Also a decision has almost been reached with my new bike. I believe I'll be going the 29er SS route...The GF Rig! A little more research needs to be done first.

Rainy Saturday Rainy

No Gambrill
No Single Speed
No Wife
No Crap

I'm a little bored today. We had a nice little Saturday planned until God decided otherwise. I was scrambling to piece together a bike for the Gambrill trip. The Karakoram was about to adorn the Empress' (my Surly's) Old Clothes. Then the weather report kicked in and the Gambrill trip was held until November. So no Gambrill.

Yes, the Flying Monkey is a goner. I'll miss her, but a timely phone call from my pops put a little kick in my step. Can you say Christmas present? Gotta love supportive parents who understand where I come from. Now I get to do some soul searching/bike shopping. But still...No Single Speed.

My wife and I were supposed to do movie and dinner last night, but high pressure systems kick her hiney with major headaches (I type with soft fingers this morning). Hoping she feels better so we can head out this evening. But until then...No Wife.

What's a kid to do? Dust off the ol' Cyclo Core video and get my ass handed to me by Graeme Street...you evil bastard. The video workout definitely has shown me that my pain threshold is a lot higher then I thought and the rewards for pushing yourself are endless. Other than that, do some well needed cleaning and playing with Cobi!

Wet Commute

I woke up yesterday having watched the weather report late the night before. Skies are crispy and clear! A little cold, but tolerable. So I head in to work. Feeling great! A Senior VP catches me in the parking lot and said what a wonderful way to start the day. Indeed, it is!

So, the day dredges on and I look out the window in anticipation for my ride home. What are all these dark clouds about? Hmmm. I check out accuweather.com and low and behold rain. I'm not afraid of riding in the rain, but I do fear the drivers. So I ask my boss if I could shove out a little early. With great delight, she said yes. So I get ready to roll out of the parking lot and here comes the rain! Not the typical warm tropical showers of late spring and summer, but the first cold rain of the season. The first couple of minutes were a shock to the system.

Well at least it was 3 o'clock, not too many cars on the road. Wrong. Now what we have are big ol' school busses. Gotta love the ever changing world of commuting.

Got home to a big ol' pasta dinner and a warm shower.

Gambrill isn't looking too good this weekend...updates to come.

Initiation Night for Camma Krakka Frama

Rest in Peace Flying Monkey

To those who don't know, The Flying Monkey said goodbye last night at the Loch Raven Reservoir Bridge Trail. She, a Surly 1x1, had a strong run, but alas her poor ol' heart..er..chainstay coudn't handle the pounding it has received over the years. You see...she was a rescue. A poor slob couldn't take care of her any longer, so I took her under my wing no questions asked. My guess is that she didn't get her shots (of rustproof on the inside of the frame). She held up for 4 to 5 good years with nary a complaint. Her untimely demise was quick and painless (for both of us), but the emotional trauma still is lingering. Her last words were "keep on single speedin' good buddy...keep on keepin' on. I'll miss you Miss Flying Monkey...godspeed!

[Insert Boys II Men's Goodbye to Yesterday]

Now on to look for other SS's. Do I go 29 or stay 26? Surly or Vicious? Go broke or broker? Damn the decisions. When I was a single lad without many priorities the decision was easy. Maybe it's time to get that part time job and build my dream SS. Until then, I think I'm going to convert an old frame so I have something to do during the winter. And you thought you were sent to pasture Kara! My GT Karakoram is coming out of retirement! Okay, I gotsta talk about something else.

The commute today was chilly and somehow I managed to go .4 miles less than usual which I am baffled by...must be a computer glitch. forgot to strap on the arm warmers and paid on the 25-35 mph descents. But after a while the wool got warmed up and the fleece although bulky was appreciated...it seemed like I was still in bed. I saw another biker on the road today. I thought it was a co-worker so I amped up my pace to catch up, which never happened. I saw a red Trek VW jersey, which makes me think it could have been Chris Eatough because he lives out this way. And no, I never even got close. The person took off like fire! My gut says Chris, but odds say Trek VW wearing road general (I was going to poser, but the dude was flying!)

New in the musical rotation is Reverend Run's Distortion. It takes me back to the Raising Hell days, when my brother and I would be playing marathon games of MicroLeague Baseball and in between innings pretending to be Jam Master Jay. The CD is relatively short, but packed with a ton of old school flavor...my favorite being his tribute to Jay with Lynard Skynard's Sweet Home Alabama as the hook. I'm not sure what the connection between the two are, but the lyrics are great and the music is...well...legendary. A great mix of rock and rap...something Run DMC started (or at least brought to the mainstream)...Limp Bizkit who? Maybe the connection is that both group lost the heart and soul of their bands in such a tragic and unnecessary fashion...Oh well, I don't typically dote on musical interpretation too often.

Hop thanks for the CD! And for finding me in the forest last night...I will never take the "shortcut" again.

Stay the essense of pulchritudiness, ya'll.

Up that hill!

THIS JUST IN: I broke 1,000 hits on my website...rock on RideCam!!

Oy...the ride home last night seemed like it took forever and a day!! I had the cyclometer on for the ride home just so I could gauge mileage and see my top speed...I am sort of a speed freak. I wasn't riding for time though. Just get my butt from point A to point B. I rolled in the middle chainring for the entire ride...Lance style. It felt like I was dragging arse through the backroads. When I got back to the truck, it seemed like my time was the worst ever. Oddly enough I posted a 52 minute ride...which I believe is a personal best for me on the ride back.

The last hill into Glyndon proved to be a grinder which had me standing and mashing...hellish!

The good news is that the Smartwool rocks! The midweight LS is toasty when cold , breathable when warm. It also seems like the sweat acts as another thermal layer. Most synthetics chill to the bone on longer road efforts. Damn, I should get sponsored by Smartwool :) No seriously...that would be great.

It's been awhile...I missed ya!

So, what's been going down since we last spoke? Hmm. I had a brief hiatus from the bike and running due to some slight knee aggravation and the 90 feet of rain we received last week!! I hopped on the bike on Friday to commute into work and the "big" hill seemed twice as long.

Saturday, I rocked out with Hoppe and Volk-man at the Maryland Brewers Association's Oktoberfest drinking the finest of swill from the area's brewmasters. Clay Pipe once again proved to be the brew of choice. They had all of their guns blazing - 1andDone, Pursuit of Happiness, Backfin, Blue Tractor, etc. I just wished they would bottle more of their beer. I guess we'll just have to pick up pony kegs. Hoppe was having his way with pumpkin ales in a pursuit to find the finest gourded nectar...I think we decided that Ellicott Mills reigned supreme, while Red Brick should have their pumpkin (ale) smashed. I was hoping it was a tainted keg, but round two much later proved otherwise.

We ended up hanging out and listen to music and Kirk (from the 98 RockMorning show) MC the Beer Belly and Ms. Oktoberfest contest. The Beer Belly winner was an absolute anomaly. His gut hung past his knees...no lie. Matt was given a free pass to punch me directly in the face if I ever got to that point. We got to talk to Kirk for a little while too. What a cool, very approachable guy...he actually walked over to us...he's funny as hell.

After we had our fill, Volk coersed (yeah right) to going to Recher theatre to enjoy some reggae-ish/311-ish music from Colouring Lesson. We grabbed some grub at CVP and hit the first act, Can't Hang...pretty decent. After Colouring Lesson, the Big Hurt came on and their name is spot on...so we rolled. Volk...you deserve a medal for taking care of us two goons...sincere thanks!

Sunday...Cammy sleepy, no ridey to Walkersville like he wanted to. Hung out with my fam and other relatives...most notably my cousin and her baby daughter, Julia...What a sweetheart. We also celebrated my Aunt Dixie's birthday which is tomorrow. We all enjoyed the fruits of my mom's labor in the kitchen. She made a Thanksgiving feast, which is exactly what I needed!!

I commuted today as well, took some pictures of my route which I'll post later. I wore my Smartwool long sleeve and REI fleece vest. The Smartwool is toasty, but I'll need to get a wind jacket or vest. While the fleece is nice, it gets too soggy and heavy.

Hop and I are investigating the world of home brewing...more to come!

Gambrill Saturday? Indeed wit da Single Speed...big hurt!

Until next time RideCam reader's...have a beer for me..

Come hell or high water

Commuting Schedule:

• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Friday

I must commit to this!!! It's killing me...time to motivate!

Why not Thursday? Hop wants to show off his new SS - http://7mc.blogspot.com

Some motivation: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/09/fashion/sundaystyles/09bike.html

Oh yeah, "Me Llamo" Bradley...bike pics are coming forthwith...stay tuned bitchez!~

The Saturday Edition of Fish Fry Friday

Today is phenomenally nasty. I think the weather is yen/yang-ing. Dry for over 6 weeks...over 3 inches of rain in 24 hours. Doesn't make for the nicest of outdoor weather, but there is work to do inside.

Last night was the first official Fish Fry Friday at the Chesnik's of Owing Mills. Mom and Pop came over and we surprised them with an authenic fish fry like the dinners we attended in Milwaukee in years past. It started off with my parents entrance to traditional Croatian music, mainly tamburitzan. They were definitely surprised. Foodwise we started with cheese and crackers and tomato foccacia. And since it's October and all, we had an assortment of seasonal and Oktoberfest beers. Dinner was made with the ladies sitting and talking in the living room and the guys in the kitchen. Pop sat in the rocker enjoying the fine nectars presented to him while I christened the new Lodge Dutch Oven. The dinner menu consisted of fried cod, cole slaw, potato wedges and apple sauce...relatively easy, but everyone enjoyed the fare. The night was capped off with some apple foccacia and cheese.

The rest of the night we talked and enjoyed the music and our gift of gab. We sent them on the way with hugs and kisses and a CD of the music we listened to during the evening.

This morning K's brother and friend stopped over so we could give him his birthday present. His band is making a demo CD and they were on their way to the studio. Afterwards, I taught K how to make coffee...strong, and we had breakfast together. Pretty nice start to the weekend...rain and all.

Stay classy.

Damn you weather..damn you to hell!

THIS JUST IN: Let the revolution begin and I told you so!

Gasoline demand destruction is slowly but surely going to take place and biking will be one critical element to the reduction of our crude oil addiction. Yes...I'm Pot...Hello Kettle!

So I get prepped for my morning commute and it is dark. I can handle that. As I walk the dog the sun is making it's way into the morning sky...fantastic. But there's a thick fog...hmmm. It will burn off. I get ready...the fog slightly burns off...at least enough so there is proper visibility. It's on! My wife calls..."It's sprinkling enough that I have to use my wipers". Damn...that's it! Too many chances for error. Fog + wet roads + wet windshields + windy backroads + an ominous forecast = trail run or core workout tonight.

I am definitely tweaking to get back on my regular commuting schedule.

Hop has finished his new SS steed. He is temporarily disgruntled with the geared world and the crap his Trek was giving him. So he took matters and the bike in his own hands and crafted a beauty. Check it out here.

I hit another trail run at Soldiers Delight...This time I hit the Newtown side of the trail. Nice to mix it up.

We will be taking a spin this weekend I'm sure if we don't get washed out by the possible 5 inches of rain I heard about on the news today. We need, but I don't want it!!

Join the movement!!

Solo on the Single

I hit Loch last night all by my lonesome, which is nice every once in a while. I started at a nice clip before running into an old riding buddy. Magic Mike was rocking a fixed gear Karate Monkey, which to the untrained is an insane way to ride the trails. It would be one thing if the trail was just fireroad, but he was scorching the obstacle-laden singletrack as well. Hopefully we will reconnect...this will surely blow my current riding mates' minds.

Apparently he rides fixie exclusively now with a KM and an old Panasonic fixed rig in his stable. Definitely minimizing the maintenance, which allows for more fancy parts purchases.

My ride ended at the brink of dusk. I will definitely be mounting the light on my helmet from now on. I hate having to turn around on account of darkness.

Do not adjust your monitor:

The time is upon us....

The world will never be the same....
Stay tuned....

Of being a gentleman

I favor myself prevailingly as a gentleman. Even when I'm on the trails. If I see someone in need, I stop to ask if they need help. If someone is stranded and needs a tube or a shot from my CO2 pump, I don't think twice. However, when I am rolling at a decent clip up a hill, I usually (as trail etiquette states) take the right of way. Much like the scenario last night. I was riding with Hop at Loch and I come upon two riders after a decent who were stopped in the trail. They said one more rider. I look up and see only Hoppe, so I continue on. I peak a smallish hill and hear "you're no gentleman" from one of the guys and then I see a woman who wasn't even clipped in yet who was attempting to restart.

Well sir, you don't know me....and indeed I am a gentleman. Just ask me Ma! I treat women with respect but when you strap on a helmet you are no longer classified by gender, rather you're a rider. Everyone following the same set of basic rules for a common end and that is riding your damn bike...What was I talking about???

The trail ride was fast and fun. The singlespeeds are a welcomed change. Just you and the bike working together to peak ascents, scale decents, absorb root and rock and methodically tuning mind and muscle to adjust for the ever changing terrain. Sound difficult? I used to think the KISS method was Keep It Simple Stupid, but now it also means Keep It Single Speed. Simplicity at its finest.

Be looking for the wisdom of Shih Tzu Propaganda coming soon....

She's a witchy woman

So I discuss Brewer's Alley yesterday and in comes my wife from a business meeting with a growler filled with the sweet nectar that is Kolsh!! That's fantastic!! A little on this tasty little number:

This style originated in the area of Cologne, Germany. It exhibits the more desirable features of both ales and lagers. Our Kölsch is pale gold with light body and a slightly dry palate. It has a mild bitterness and delicate hop aroma. This beer is a clean and pleasant thirst quencher, which earned a Bronze Medal at the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. 4.6 - 5.0% alcohol, by volume.

In other news...I ran. The light doesn't kick out much light. My pops suggested that I use the red insert. Hopefully it makes an improvement. Right now the light is washing everything out making the variation in terrain very hard to read. Not a good thing when running.

Hop and I will be at it again tonite at Loch Raven. Weather should be cool. That's all for now!

Blazing Single Barrells

Loch Raven was set ablaze last night with the vicious assault of the single dingas! Hoppe and I killed it last night with nary an issue. I was taking some hills that I haven't been able to conquer this year...holla! Hoppe still set a feverish pace, but I was able to keep better tabs on him. Maybe the kid is getting all grows'd up!

I saw 229 on the blubber scale this morning and dropping...not bad for a kid who was 270 ten months ago. Sure I give the credit thus far to myself, but I have an awesome group of friends that have helped me along the way with the motivation I needed. Watch out 200...I'm coming for ya!!!

A part of my weight loss regimen has been to cut back on the wobbly pops, so I have made a trade-off. No more "regular" beers. Gots to treat myself right. So I have a new found friend in Rogue's HazelNut Brown Nectar. Tasty as a muv! I've also hit up a few other Rogue selections including: Dead Guy Ale and the Mocha Porter - both delicious brews. I will try to make my way through all of the available 22 oz selections. They have a great attitude towards beermaking with a handcrafted mentality that seeps into each beer I've imbibed. Their beers aren't like the others!

Kris and I are hitting In the Streets this weekend. With great weather and good friends, we should have a wonderful time with all the music and food and, oh yeah, Brewers Alley. Yes...more beer talk. But this is where I cut my teeth on good beer.

Until next time...stay sexy RideCam readers.

Let it Rain

We haven't seen rain in a while in these parts. Last night the skies opened up. I still went on my trail run...rain and all. It felt refreshing. It felt like my old club soccer days in high school when we practiced rain or shine. The smell of the wet earth was sweet.

I opted to do some hill repeats. Two in the beginning and three at the end. The rest of the run was pretty smooth. I brought along the Petzl and it got some use at the end of my run. I'm not sure if it's exactly what I want/need. Yes, it does give off some decent light, but not enough for my usage. It is better suited for night hiking or camping. I may have to return the light. I'll give it one more whirl. It said it threw light up to 17 meters (rough guesstimate 50 feet)...it felt more like 15 feet. We'll see. Maybe the rain had something to do with it, but I intend to occassionally use it in the rain.

After my run, I hopped into the truck and headed home to whip up some stuffed salmon from Trader Joe's. I liked it, wifey not so much. Oh well. Next time I take her to Trader Joe's to pick something that she likes!

Cobi Joan is now a caged animal. She has been relegated to the kitchen during the work day. She has been a bad girl around the house, so she has free reign in the kitchen. Note: K and I have sometimes been bad parents by not coming home quickly after work, so we'll sit in the kitchen during the weekend :) Sorry Cobi girl!

The weekends are too short!

Saturday started with a Bike and Run at Loch Raven -Seminary. The cast of characters were Hoppe, Volk and myself. We hit the regular 10-12 mile loop. Hop and I rode single, while Volk was on his old trusty steed (he's still waiting on his SC Blur LT...4 months and counting!!).

Not too many surprises...Hoppe smoked us. We all made good times. After the ride we did a 2-2.5 mile trail run. Wow that was different. There definitely is an art to this that I will need to figure out. Maybe it's as simple as ride and run hard.

Got a new headlamp, a Petzl Tikka Plus. I may try it out on a trail run tonight. I will let you know how that works.

Sunday was relatively a chill day. Some housework, but no rigorous outdoor activity. My brain has been re-wired to crave some sort of activity outdoors. So, although not outdoors, I steamed our carpet. Good times!!!

Fish Fry Friday

Not much to report from the family. Barbara and I have been discussing Armstrong's War over emails. It's a fantastic book. She absolutely blew my socks off with some of the questions she had. Kudos Barb!

My Dad was a bachelor last week as my mom attended a women's retreat with the church...I assume eggs or rice and milk for dinner? :)

K and I attended the Maryland Wine Festival last Saturday and then I drove her to the airport on sunday so she could attend her friend's wedding. I know, I know...why didn't I go? Well, I would have had I known her friend was going to back out at the last second. The ticket price wasn't so much the concern, but work has been brutal the past few weeks. My punishment...I couldn't sleep Sunday night.

More on the Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest:

Featured breweries

• BREWERY - CAM'S NOTES
• Baltimore-Washington Beer Works - Yum-dog...the Raven rules!
• Barley And Hops Grill & Microbrewery - Never been - never had
• Brewer’s Alley Restaurant & Brewery - The place that started it all for me - Kolsh is delish!
• Brewer’s Art - Resurrection Ale, please...night, night!
• Clay Pipe Brewing - I think I had a One and Done...however, there is no hard evidence
• Clipper City Brewing Company - I've been, but nothing comes to mind
• DuClaw Brewing Company - OZZY!
• Ellicott Mills Brewing Co. - No dice
• Fordham Brewing Co. - some good brews, better music venues
• Red Brick Station - ehh
• Ryleigh’s - can't say that I have
• Summit Station Restaurant & Brewery - Brewer's Alley's little sister and she's naughty!
  

Live Music Featuring

• The Bridge - I dunno
• The Kelly Bell Band - The best party band ever!
• Kenin - never heard
• Pale Stars - I think pop-a-billy might be an accurate decsription. The front man, Brandt, played in Greenberry Woods and is a part of Splitsville. And has a terrible time cutting salad.
• And oompa bands featuring the local favorites The Edelwiess Band!

On The Riding Front

Hoppe and I attacked the Loch Raven trails closest to the bridge or did they attack us. More like, Hoppe's bike. He's looking at getting a whole new drivetrain, because his is now trashed. I on my singlespeed..putted along just fine. I may need to gear down for the next trip there though...too much walking