The incredible bicycle (today's diary rambling)

Steve Gravrock wrote:
On 2007-11-05, Tom Sherman wrote:
Brian Huntley wrote:
On Nov 4, 7:57 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:
From my almost-daily-diary (www.ChainReaction.com/dairy.htm),
Dairy? Is it that cheesy, or la creme de la creme?
Mike J. is milking his website for all its worth!

That's such a cheesy pun.

Well, don't have a cow over it.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
When did ignorance of biology become a "family value"?

Steve Gravrock wrote:
On 2007-11-05, Mike McGuire wrote:
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
From my almost-daily-diary (www.ChainReaction.com/dairy.htm), inspired by
yet another wonderful bike ride. As most are. I can't imagine wanting to
live in a world without bikes. For that matter, the scariest thing about
mortality (something you think about after turning 50) is that, at some
point, my cycling capabilities, perhaps even ability to ride whatsoever,
will decline. But I'm ready to accept what comes my way, and if it means
some day I'll be riding on a 3-wheeler to get around the trailer park, so be
it! --MIke--

It all ends with a walker with drop handlebars.

Ergo or STI?

SRAM Double Tap.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
When did ignorance of biology become a "family value"?

"Skip" wrote in message
t...

"Ted" wrote in message
ps.com...
I am sure Mike has lots of friends who can say the same. Keep up the
good work.

Mike's a "god". A good one. I used to ride with him in high school in
the very early 70's. Nobody better.

- Skip

Skip: I'm glad you at least made me a small-g "god" but I'm just like so
many of us, trying to figure out if I'm a has-been or a never-was. And I
still remember those Western Wheelers meetings when we'd be at the back of
the room, reassembling the cranks on some poor sod's bike so they were no
longer 180 degrees opposite each other. Every once in a while I still come
across Eric Peterson when my son's at the Velodrome.

It sure was fun back then, being young & stupid (and having no future)!

Maybe you should come out for our annual Thanksgiving-Day ride? We might
have two separate rides this year, a fast one and a slower one, probably
doing something like the Pescadero/Tunitas loop. I'd never considered having
anything but the fast ride before, but my son can average maybe 11mph, not
16. Not yet anyway. We're working on that...

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:57:49, Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

Fueled by powerbars & even twinkies if you must, both of which can
be presumed far more friendly to our planet than mining, refining &
burning fossil fuels.

I think you're underestimating the fossil fuel content of the Twinkie.
There's no way they could have all that rich goodness without being
some kind of petroleum product. ;-)

-alan

--
Alan Hoyle - - http://www.alanhoyle.com/
"I don't want the world, I just want your half." -TMBG
Get Horizontal, Play Ultimate.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
From my almost-daily-diary (www.ChainReaction.com/dairy.htm), inspired by
yet another wonderful bike ride. As most are. I can't imagine wanting to
live in a world without bikes. For that matter, the scariest thing about
mortality (something you think about after turning 50) is that, at some
point, my cycling capabilities, perhaps even ability to ride whatsoever,
will decline. But I'm ready to accept what comes my way, and if it means
some day I'll be riding on a 3-wheeler to get around the trailer park, so be
it! --MIke--


It all ends with a walker with drop handlebars.

Mike McGuire

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
. net...

Maybe you should come out for our annual Thanksgiving-Day ride? We might
have two separate rides this year, a fast one and a slower one, probably
doing something like the Pescadero/Tunitas loop. I'd never considered
having anything but the fast ride before, but my son can average maybe
11mph, not 16. Not yet anyway. We're working on that...

I can probably ride with your son. Still riding the old Gitane Tour de
France (purchased new at $199.50 in 1973 on your advice). I still love
this bicycle and it has been repainted twice.

Let me know the specifics of the Thanksgiving ride and I'd love to come out
if the family Turkey-day stuff doesn't intrude. I'm not the rider that you
have continued to be.

adverstisement I maintain the website of the BMHA (Bicycle Mobile Hams of
America) -- a group of ham-radio bicyclists. Check it out at
http://www.BMHA-Hams.org ). /adverstisement

One article that I wrote for CQ-VHF is found at
http://www.lafetra.com/skip/AA6WK/Ar...April-1998.htm

- Skip

In article ,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

"Skip" wrote in message
t...

"Ted" wrote in message
ps.com...
I am sure Mike has lots of friends who can say the same. Keep up the
good work.

Mike's a "god". A good one. I used to ride with him in high school in
the very early 70's. Nobody better.

- Skip

Skip: I'm glad you at least made me a small-g "god" but I'm just like so
many of us, trying to figure out if I'm a has-been or a never-was. And I
still remember those Western Wheelers meetings when we'd be at the back of
the room, reassembling the cranks on some poor sod's bike so they were no
longer 180 degrees opposite each other. Every once in a while I still come
across Eric Peterson when my son's at the Velodrome.

That's old and busted. The new hotness is finding the guy on your ride
with Q-rings, reinstalling them rotated 90 degrees, and seeing if he
ever notices.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
. net...
From my almost-daily-diary (www.ChainReaction.com/dairy.htm), inspired by
yet another wonderful bike ride. As most are. I can't imagine wanting to
live in a world without bikes. For that matter, the scariest thing about
mortality (something you think about after turning 50) is that, at some
point, my cycling capabilities, perhaps even ability to ride whatsoever,
will decline. But I'm ready to accept what comes my way, and if it means
some day I'll be riding on a 3-wheeler to get around the trailer park, so
be it! --MIke--

11/04/07- MOST INCREDIBLE INVENTION EVER? EASY. THE BICYCLE. I was
thinking about that while riding out to Pescadero this morning, cruising
along without much effort about 18-20mph, and suddenly realizing that
you're covering distances and speeds that people compare to what you'd do
in a car. You're not even in the same league as someone on foot, and yet
you're using the same fuel. A couple of cinnamon rolls and two bottles of
Cytomax. Not likely anything more than you would have eaten if you'd taken
the same trip in a car. The efficiency, and thus your capabilities on a
bike, are amazing. Beyond that, really. I've said before that I think we
take bikes for granted; an alien visiting our planet, coming from a world
in which bicycles didn't exist, would likely be blown away at the
simplicity, efficiency and usefulness of a bicycle.

Oh sure, I'm biased because I make a living selling bicycles. But there's
a reason I chose this profession. I simply love the darned things. I can't
think of anything better to be convincing people to buy. The saddest
thing, of course, is when a bike that I've sold sits in the garage,
un-used, for whatever reason. I consider that a failure of the worst sort.
After all, how can I bicycle not be an incredibly infectious thing,
capable of changing lives? What sort of world do we live in that that's
not guaranteed to be the case? I guess that's why I've gotten involved in
lobbying efforts, in Sacramento & DC, trying to make sure we have roads
that aren't hostile to cyclists, and communities that don't
unintentionally create barriers to getting around in anything other than a
car. It's long-term stuff, and it's expensive, but if we don't make the
effort now, I might not have any customers 10 years down the road.

But again, it's all about the bike. This wonderful invention that can cure
so many problems. Fueled by powerbars & even twinkies if you must, both of
which can be presumed far more friendly to our planet than mining,
refining & burning fossil fuels. And the strangest thing about what you
eat when you're out riding, when I think about it, is that you probably
would have eaten more had you not ridden. That's the bizarre thing about
exercise; if you ride hard, it seems to reduce your appetite. So we ride
bikes more and we'll be healthier, create fewer environmental issues, see
things we wouldn't have noticed driving past in a car with the windows
rolled up and the radio on, and help put my kids through school. What's
not to like?



the cagers, what's to like, after you get the bike on the street.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

In article ,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" writes:

....

11/04/07- MOST INCREDIBLE INVENTION EVER? EASY. THE BICYCLE. I was thinking
about that while riding out to Pescadero this morning, cruising along
without much effort about 18-20mph, and suddenly realizing that you're
covering distances and speeds that people compare to what you'd do in a car.
You're not even in the same league as someone on foot, and yet you're using
the same fuel. A couple of cinnamon rolls and two bottles of Cytomax. Not

A couple of cinnamon rolls with that gooey icing on them,
and a cup of dark roast to wash them down, anyways.
You can have the Cytomax if you like.


an alien visiting our planet, coming from a world in which bicycles
didn't exist, would likely be blown away at the simplicity, efficiency and
usefulness of a bicycle.

Tentacles aren't stiff enough to push pedals.

Oh sure, I'm biased because I make a living selling bicycles. But there's a
reason I chose this profession. I simply love the darned things. I can't
think of anything better to be convincing people to buy. The saddest thing,
of course, is when a bike that I've sold sits in the garage, un-used, for
whatever reason. I consider that a failure of the worst sort.

Maybe that's not so bad after all. Sometimes those garage hangers
eventually /do/ come down off the hooks, to be properly returned
onto terra firma. Some folks seem to have a sort of delayed
reaction for getting really into riding -- they buy the bike
and then their enthusiasm goes into a coma. A decade or two
later and they snap out of it. When that happens, at least
they still have the bike at their avail.

....

But again, it's all about the bike. This wonderful invention that can cure
so many problems.

Riding (an upright) cured my sciatica.

But you remind me of one of my favourite Points to Ponder --
what is the heart -- the guts, if you will, of a modern bicycle?
The most important part or aspect? I figure it's the ball bearings.
The rest is a support system (important in its own right) to
control how those ball bearings allow us to move so freely.
A minimal "bicycle" would be a bunch of bearing balls embedded in
the soles of yer shoes. But without the support system provided
by a typical bicycle, that would just lead to so many pratfalls.
I guess roller skates and bicycles are quite closely related.

Fueled by powerbars & even twinkies if you must,

Blecchh!! You were on the right track with the cinnamon rolls.
Why the heck do people wanna punish themselves with either
blandly "healthy" stuff that tastes like a mixture of sawdust &
birdseed, or synthetic, chemical laboratory creations bought
from the 7-Eleven or gas station? There is /real/ food out
there, people! Gee whiz, really!

And the strangest thing about what you eat when
you're out riding, when I think about it, is that you probably would have
eaten more had you not ridden. That's the bizarre thing about exercise; if
you ride hard, it seems to reduce your appetite.

IME, it doesn't work that way with me. But I need to gain some
weight (I'm currently @ 5'11", 145 lbs with my steel-toe shoes on.)

Tell ya what does reduce my appetite -- cooking. If it takes a
long time, there comes a point where I don't even wanna look
at it anymore. Except for baked chuck steak[*] & onions, w/ a
baked potato or two and a steamin' clump of boiled beet tops
on the side. That, I can patiently wait for.

So we ride bikes more and
we'll be healthier, create fewer environmental issues, see things we
wouldn't have noticed driving past in a car with the windows rolled up and
the radio on, and help put my kids through school. What's not to like?

Right on!


cheers,
Tom
[*] As I understand it, what we call "chuck steaks," some
USAns call "ranch steaks." Those coarse, stringy SOBs
that can be tough as Ol' Harry if they aren't cooked
right. But if you brown them well in a skillet, wrap
them in aluminum foil along with a top layer of sliced
onion and some water or sherry to moisturize them, and
bake them in a 400F oven for a couple of hours, they
come up fork-tender. Maybe toss a couple of Idaho baker
spuds in there along with it. I like to perhaps liberally
sprinkle garlic powder on 'em when I brown 'em.

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Nov 4, 7:57 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:
From my almost-daily-diary (www.ChainReaction.com/dairy.htm), inspired by
yet another wonderful bike ride. As most are. I can't imagine wanting to
live in a world without bikes. For that matter, the scariest thing about
mortality (something you think about after turning 50) is that, at some
point, my cycling capabilities, perhaps even ability to ride whatsoever,
will decline. But I'm ready to accept what comes my way, and if it means
some day I'll be riding on a 3-wheeler to get around the trailer park, so be
it! --MIke--

11/04/07- MOST INCREDIBLE INVENTION EVER? EASY. THE BICYCLE. I was thinking
about that while riding out to Pescadero this morning, cruising along
without much effort about 18-20mph, and suddenly realizing that you're
covering distances and speeds that people compare to what you'd do in a car.
You're not even in the same league as someone on foot, and yet you're using
the same fuel. A couple of cinnamon rolls and two bottles of Cytomax. Not
likely anything more than you would have eaten if you'd taken the same trip
in a car. The efficiency, and thus your capabilities on a bike, are amazing.
Beyond that, really. I've said before that I think we take bikes for
granted; an alien visiting our planet, coming from a world in which bicycles
didn't exist, would likely be blown away at the simplicity, efficiency and
usefulness of a bicycle.

Oh sure, I'm biased because I make a living selling bicycles. But there's a
reason I chose this profession. I simply love the darned things. I can't
think of anything better to be convincing people to buy. The saddest thing,
of course, is when a bike that I've sold sits in the garage, un-used, for
whatever reason. I consider that a failure of the worst sort. After all, how
can I bicycle not be an incredibly infectious thing, capable of changing
lives? What sort of world do we live in that that's not guaranteed to be the
case? I guess that's why I've gotten involved in lobbying efforts, in
Sacramento & DC, trying to make sure we have roads that aren't hostile to
cyclists, and communities that don't unintentionally create barriers to
getting around in anything other than a car. It's long-term stuff, and it's
expensive, but if we don't make the effort now, I might not have any
customers 10 years down the road.

But again, it's all about the bike. This wonderful invention that can cure
so many problems. Fueled by powerbars & even twinkies if you must, both of
which can be presumed far more friendly to our planet than mining, refining
& burning fossil fuels. And the strangest thing about what you eat when
you're out riding, when I think about it, is that you probably would have
eaten more had you not ridden. That's the bizarre thing about exercise; if
you ride hard, it seems to reduce your appetite. So we ride bikes more and
we'll be healthier, create fewer environmental issues, see things we
wouldn't have noticed driving past in a car with the windows rolled up and
the radio on, and help put my kids through school. What's not to like?

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

you guys are right. riding bikes changes peoples lives.
like a wise man said, i thought there was no salvation to the world,
but then i saw somebody riding a bike. Most us biker, have a great
attitude, we like people, we like to help people. we always say hi to
other bikers and we are always willing to help. You do not get that on
the highway
carlos
www.bikingthings.com
Get Faster, Enjoy Cycling, Get Fit, Live Better.