Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Cycling census

How many of us are there really? I've wondered this for at least a couple of years as I've watched other cyclists when I'm on the road. But when I'm on a bike or in a car keeping track of how many cyclists I see is usually a dangerous proposition. So I have two questions: 1) what is the best method for counting cyclists and inferring a larger total from that and 2) what's (or is there a) the best way to do that from a bike? My guess on No. 1 would be something akin to the Audobon Society's Christmas Bird Count. It would be nice to know who's out for what end — commuting, training, exercise and so on — and where they ride but I'll take a gross number for starters. And I'm happy to start real small, say for Cary or specific areas of western Wake County. I've done a quick and dirty Google search but didn't find much. Please speak up if you know of other such censuses or if you have a neato mosquito sampling method.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Now all I need is a monkey

He may not know it, but I encounter Carl Fogel, an authority on early bicycles, several times a week in my listserv wanderings. He sticks to business with humor and shares masterpieces like this. Fogel first came to my attention when I stumbled across Ted.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Jules Verne never imagined

The Guardian reported yesterday that Mark Beaumont had successfully completed his cycling circumnavigation and blown 91 days off the old record. Though cycling through Istanbul was "without comparison is the scariest cycling I have ever done," it appears the only place Beaumont was hit by a car was in Louisiana. Maybe David Zabriskie is on to something.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

My day at the speedway

The roar of engines is interminable at Lowe's Motor Speedway just outside of Charlotte, N.C. I spent five hours at the facility's media center this afternoon at a time-trial seminar sponsored by the Carolina Cycling Time Trial Association. For $27.50, I got a T-shirt and advice from pro mechanics and coaches. I've been to conferences that my employers have paid exponentially more for at which I which I have learned exponentially less. Not ever having participated in a time trial, I wouldn't know one if it bit me in the ass. Nevertheless, it was heartening to learn that I already knew to show up way early, strip my bike of all extraneous crap like bottles and cages and be pissing clear by the time I hit the track as well as the basics, if not specifics, of how to eat on race day (light and balanced). There was lots and lots of stuff I didn't know and probably won't know even if ran the whole season — which I already know I can't. Ignorance aside (or perhaps embraced), I believe that at this very minute I could turn in a time that would not put me last in my age category. We'll see about that. I think a cheapo heart-rate monitor and perhaps some coaching advice are in my future. After all, I want to know how to make the 2100 sound like what I was hearing on the track today.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Better links for Sheldon Brown

I'm probably the last cycling blogger to mention this, but Sheldon Brown, a man I never met and whose online encyclopedia I can no longer imagine living without, died Sunday. Doubtless his death is a huge deal for cyclists but his personal postings reveal an interested and interesting human being. Tales from people who knew him and who are affected even more than I am can be found here. Browse through the discussions or use the search feature.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

My newest hero …

Is The Bicycle Tutor, Alex Ramon. Ramon's site has videos showing how to perform bike maintenance and repair along with his concise explanation mostly in voiceover. It appears the site went up in December. Most of the current offerings are very basic — how to change a tire, how to adjust a derailleur and so on. The video arrangement indicates that the guidance will become more complex as time goes on. So far this is all stuff I know but it helps so much to see it and see it again. I breathlessly await the next installment.