VISA

Got up at the crack of dawn today to go to the US Embassy for my VISA interview. I'm scheduled to leave for training in Pennsylvania and New York sometime in the near future, hence the need to queue up and dress up. I'll spare you ALL the details.

Is there any bike content in this? Why of course! Our principal is the publisher of Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines.

And guess what? Dirt Rag's HQ is in Pittsburgh, PA. Hmm...looks like some commuting is in order!

Speaking of Dirt Rag - my Dirt Rag 15th Anniversary Edition jersey arrived today. It's a L, which fits a bit relaxed, but its cooooool. Will possibly ride with it soon.



No, that's not me in the photo!

I also got a Primal Wear Clive Barker Edition Elect Rick jersey as a gift. Thanks A!!! ;-)



Again, NO, that's not me ON the jersey hehe

just like old times

Former futbol team-mate, bike buddy, and all-around good guy Toby phoned earlier today, inviting yours truly for an afternoon bike ride in either Maarat or Sta Rosa. Due to possible inclement weather (dark clouds), we decided to hit the trails in Sta Rosa, just to be safe. Maarat is fun but the mud has a notorious clay-like texture that absolutely gets into everything - bearings, bottom brackets, fingernails, ears, in between teeth. HAHA!

It's nice to ride once again with Tobes. A long time ago he and I competed in the 55km Survival Race - which was sheer torture (though we both finished, despite getting split up). He's got a fresh Giant Anthem which is just begging to be ridden. We joined up with 2 of his friends and headed up to the trails.

My weapon of choice? Spanky of course!

Due to time constraints, we stuck to the main trail. The singletrack and plantation areas were off-limits due to mud and ruts. We had a blast though, and I was grateful he invited me.

On our way home, it started raining cats and dogs. Like limited visibility on the road. That's it, no riding tomorrow, the trails are slush.

At least I did manage a birthday ride!

HA HA HA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

Ok, now that's out of the way, back to the bikes!

Possible birthday rides this weekend, but the weather hasn't been cooperating. Been raining most of the week.

We shall see.

I'm 34, in case anyone's wondering.

SSWC 2006

Yep, you read that right. The 2006 Single Speed World Championships were just concluded in Stockholm, Sweden. Congratulations to the new champ, Norwegian Sveinung Björköy! Brian Keich of the USA and Swede Luca Mara round out the podium. Sveinung got this wicked tattoo for his efforts:




If you want to check out more SSWC2006 fun, check out this thread.

You can also check out the official site.

Incidentally, a beer-drinking contest was held to decide who would be next year's host. Scotland won!

Hmmm...I guess I have time to train (and save) then! Hehehe

Jake takes the cake

All Terra lent me a Kona Jake to play around with.

As you can see, it's a cyclocross bike. OK, in lay man's terms, it's like a road bike that can accomodate knobby tires. It's shod with 700x35C tires - wish my nice, fat Maxxis Ignitors fit in there, but alas, no. Riding with drop bars takes getting used to. Oh, it also has gears! I tweaked the bar position for a more trail-friendly riding position (read: more upright). Which means my hands would be positioned on the brake hoods. Yes, you read it right. Trail-friendly. Cyclocross bikes can take to the dirt. So off I went to the familiar trails of Sta Rosa for some rainy-day action. I figure the narrower cyclocross tires will not get bogged down in the mud.

The short road ride to the trailhead was an eye-opener. The drop bars let me get aerodynamic, and the road gears made the tarmac roll by effortlessly. The Jake's fast, yet not at all twitchy like a road bike. The Shimano STI levers allowed me to shift without taking my hands off the brake hoods - the default position I chose when riding this bike.

Which is perfect, because I found myself shifting through the gears a lot - especially on the climbs. I was surprised by the sure-footedness of the bike on the wet roads and damp trail. Bunny-hopping over humps was not a problem, though the aluminum frame rides a bit harsh. My opting to inflate the tires a bit to avoid pinch flats surely contributed to the chattery ride.

Rolling terrain was fun, but the last section of trail in Sta Rosa is a long stretch of dirt road that goes downhill, with sweeping turns and blind corners to boot. I shifted into the big ring and hammered away, curious as to how far I can push the bike (and myself). Jake rides fast - and as I rattled my way downhill, I quickly realized its caveat. While getting up to speed is easy, slowing down isn't! Cantilver brakes and wet rims aren't the most efficient means of stopping, and after a few white-knuckle moments, I decided to brake waaaaay before the turns.

Road ride back to the car was fun! Nothing like shifting into the big ring, going aero, and putting the hammer down.

It's faster than the Monkey, for sure, but as for stability and confidence in the rough stuff, gimme the 29er anytime!

It's a novelty bike (wait a minute, someone said that of MY bike once)...but a fun ride just the same.

build build build!

Here's Jay fawning over his grinch green Surly 1x1 frame. All he needs is a new crank, bb, chain and cables for it to get rolling - which means he's got a lot of leftover parts lying around. And quite a number of bikes too!

What you waiting for, man!?! Hehehe

Hail Team Dicky

Need some inspiration? How about checking out Team Dicky.They've just completed the Trans Rockies ride - on singlespeed bikes! He's got one hell of a nice ride, with pink Industry 9 wheels. Yummy.

Thanks to JayP for the link!

prodigal posting

it's been a while since I last posted – close to two months in fact – because of real-world, real-life concerns of mine. Rather than bore you with the details, here's a run down:

a) I've been busy with my day-job as EIC. It's fun and challenging at the same time.
b) Been traveling a bit because of above
c) Went to the province to fulfill a promise I made to my grandmother. Last year I told her I'd be there for her 100th birthday. So I flew in on August 1.
d) My aunt passed away on August 13.
e) My 100 year old granny passed away the next day
f) riding has been iffy thanks to the rainy season

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's back to our irregularly-scheduled programming.