Rain+Malaise = FAT!

Yo. After such a triumphant accomplishment that was the MS150, I let myself go. Haven't biked to work in months, blamed it on the rain, and worst of all, I neglected my bike.
Friday night I got off my 15lb heavier ass and gave the bike a good once-over. It didn't even seem mad at me. Took the (very) light layer of grime off the bike. Lubed the chain, cables, pedals, and dérailleurs. Greased the seat tube, and pedal threads. Wiped the whole thing down. Checked the tires.
Found a couple of punctures, but the sidewalls are holding up fine. I have these Slime tubes which make the bike ride a bit heavier cause you're spinning goo within the tires, but I know it's saved me from a couple of gnarly flats. Dunno. Maybe replace the tires and put in normal tubes? Eh.

The thing I need to get back is my motivation. After last year's Acura LA bike tour, I was so jazzed about going 22 miles and getting a medal, that I formed a team and signed up for the MS150. Train, train, hate, train, love, train, train, love, hate, indifference, love.... MS150.
After it was all over, I went into my LBS and saw what would be my next bike, a Torelli Countach. Italian steel. Lighter than my aluminum Cannondale. Ahh to dream.
Then...
I sat down on the couch.

The next few months will be retraining my body to love the bike. Retraining my brain to love 6:00 am. Retraining my motivation to know that 40 miles is a nice Sunday ride.

Stay tuned...

Post Ride, Post Bike, Post Bio

Hi There.
Well, the Start to Finish MS 150 ride was a resounding success, save for the fact that the second day was stopped at mile 30 due to extraordinary winds. Those same winds ultimately caught SoCal on fire for a few weeks. Not good. Thanks to all who donated and especially thank you to Robyn, Andy, Michele, Mindy, Mike & Olivia for being our core team. Next year in Jerusalem.

Haven't done any serious riding since the MS 150. I am a bad cyclist. I blame the daylight savings. Can anyone re commend a good light?

Where has all the biodiesel in Southern California gone? WTF??? Marina Del Rey's pumps are out. There's only one working pump at Conserv Fuel, and they certainly don't want me to Conserv Money because their prices are outrageous. Even SoCal Biodiesel Co-Op's prices are high. I'm halfway to spending my saturdays degreasing the combs of Venice Beach hipsters to make fuel.

Well, looks like it's back to the bike to thwart the evils of my own fat ass, and the oil cartels.

I'm Back!

Well that was a heck of a hiatus from posting on the Bike and Bio Blog. Good to be back.
So news up to the moment...

Putting together a team to ride the "Start to Finish MS" bike tour in October. Andy and I have been training and riding a lot more than we were. It's a good thing. Keeps me motivated. The team is nearly at our fundraising goal and we've got some great supporters behind us. Thanks to all.

I rode from Culver City (home) to Burbank (work) two weeks ago Wednesday. What I thought was an insane route a few months back was pretty manageable. Just keep eating and drinking and conserve energy, and it's do-able. Also it's got a great "you're insane!" factor behind it.

The biodiesel machine is truckin along just fine. Almost to 100,000 miles. Shed a tear and look forward to it's new life as a 100k+ car.

More to come...

Cyclist? Bike Enthusiast?

Alright. Do I need to define myself? Am I a cyclist if I'm not competitive? Am I a bike enthusiast if I ride for more than just the scenery?
I started riding a bike when I thought that I wanted a leisurely ride on Saturday morning down to the beach. I got a rusty old beach cruiser. Replaced the tires, re-packed the bearings, and got a new seat. Now I call the seat a saddle. I gave the cruiser away when I got my hybrid. I thought that riding to the beach would be more fun if I went a little faster, if the bike held together better, I could go farther. I could explore more. I found that I liked going faster and I got a bike computer to tell me how fast and how far.
Then came the road bike. A co-worker of mine found a Cannondale SR900 among thousands of beer cans in a forclosure property. He got $800 worth of recycling, and I got the bike and a mechanic's stand. I cleaned it, replaced the pedals, and got a new saddle. Now I can go even faster, I feel like I could go farther, and I can really start to build technique and a body that lycra wouldn't embarass.
Is this what I want out of cycling? Can I exist in two camps of bike riding? I want to lose more weight and am well on my way. I want to ride to work, and to do that, I need to build up my cycling endurance. So, is it bad to train on the road bike and then choose the hybrid for commuting?
I can't stand the gym anymore. Being stationary sucks. I think the only way to figure out what keeps me riding is to just keep riding. Not worry about which bike as long as I am on a bike.

I found a new barber. His name is David and cuts hair in Culver City at George's on Sepulveda. He's been racing bikes for years. When I asked him how to train and get better, he said, "Go from where you get on the path all the way down. Pass Manhattan Beach. Go to Palos Verdes, up the hill by Trump's golf course and come back. Do that every weekend for a year, and then maybe you will be ready for a club ride."

I think I'll stop wondering, and just keep riding.

500 Miles and Runnin'!

I thought it was awesome when I rolled into work and my trip odometer read 475 miles. Then I decided to just drive home normally and head directly to USA Fuel in Marina Del Rey. Pulled up to the pump, and there it was. 500.1 miles.
Beauty!
That was on 50/50 petro/biodiesel. This tank is all bio. Let's see what this puppy can do.
I have been accused of driving a bit grandmotherly since getting the TDI. I want to suck as many miles out of the tank as possible, but also, I'm getting used to the dimensions of the car.
Peppier driving to come.

Pictures from the Acura L.A. Bike Tour

Pictures of the lovely Robyn, and my intrepid compatriots, Andy, John, and Brad. Had fun. Felt good. I need to ride to work. Just once.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40598603@N00/sets/72157594571608674/

The first real fllup. 458 miles on this one...

Wow. After years of thinking it wasn't so bad getting 23 mpg in the Alero, and then the years of thinking, 23 mpg sucks and I need a new car, getting 458 miles to the tank is awesome!
Right now, it's working out to about 38 mpg, which is pretty good. I've been doing more coasting. Coasting is good. Sometimes coasting pisses off the driver behind you, but whatever. The light is red, calm down.

So here's the deal. I did 7 gallons of petro-diesel, at $3.09 / gal (which was the lowest priced fuel at the station. Hah!) And then I went to USA Fuel in Marina Del Rey and topped off the tank with Biodiesel. I don't know what the deal is, but the car is noticably quieter at idle. Must be that lubrcity thing.

I sold my car (the Alero) Thursday night and things are good. Got a car cover for the Jetta so the Burbank sun and grime doesn't destroy the finish which was so well cared for by its previous owner. Got a car wash today, and I love the diesel.

I still feel weird filling up half as often as I used to, and always being able to find a vacant pump. It will be interesting to see what happens to gas prices this summer.

As others have said... I'm burnin the bean!