OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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I have overhauled two bikes, put some nifty NOS Suntour Command Shifters on another (and got them to index a 7-speed Sachs freewheel) (thanks go to Scott Needle, sn69), stalled out on my half-finished workshop-in-the-barn project due to extreme cold, put in 80 or so hours on the trainer (at 2 beers an hour just to make the time pass tolerably) ridden a grand total of 70 road miles since Dec 1, and gained 13 pounds. None of my pants fit. I'm irritable, grumpy and fat.
So how's your winter been?
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DougSloan
new member
Reged: 02/10/04
Posts: 5
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Sounds you do you have a bad case of the grumpies, no doubt compounded by the French-looking guy doing in your Dean. ;-)
What really sucks is that after you get somewhat out of shape, riding, particularly on an indoor trainer, just isn't as much fun anymore. You get more aches and pains, you can't go as fast or as long, and it just feels pointless. Then, it's a downward spiral. That's been my general condition, with a few fluctuations, the last 2 years. It's so much more fun to be in shape and kicking butt, then you feel you have an investment in yourself and work to keep it up. When you get out of shape, you have no investment, and so you feel like "who gives a **** if a gain a few pounds and don't ride today?"
You need a plan, Man, just like your opposing party. Develop a plan, even if fairly loose, and try to stick to it. That can give it some meaning and motivation might improve. That's what I do.
Sometimes nifty new hardware helps, too. Go out and buy something that *should* make you faster, then you'll feel compelled to use it.
Doug
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OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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the living rooms at the top of my lungs -- just a list of random state names followed by YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! -- for no apparent reason the other night. Talk about GRUMPY.
You're right, it's a downward spiral. If I can just survive another three or four weeks, the weather should clear enough that I can take the Miyata out for a spin with the new Command Shifters. That's the hope I'm clinging to right now ...
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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....so I just drove around this a.m., scoping out a route, any route because I AM GOING FOR A RIDE TODAY! I'm tired of trainers, ellipticals and weight machines. I don't give a rip if it takes half-an-hour to get dressed and ready for half-an-hour ride, I'm goin'!
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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Looks at this incredible race lineup for the year!
http://www.olntv.com/htmlpage.asp?htmlid=24
I was worried they were going to back off race coverage. I was as wrong about that as I was about a certain unnamed presidential candidate!
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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WOW! Now I can see that I will have to upgrade my Ultimate TV DVR to get more than 35 hours of recording.
It's really great to see that bicycle racing has come more into the mainstream, and love-him-or-hate-him, Lance has been responsible for a goodly portion of that interest.
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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Kahuna
Forum Admin
Reged: 12/11/03
Posts: 162
Loc: Maui, Hawaii
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Yeah I know easy for me to say but then again, I spent 35 of my 44 years living in New York. Anyway, if I were back there doing the cold weather routine (man I don't miss that and beleive me I sympathize with you), the first thing I'd do is run out and buy myself a pair of Hotronic custom heated insoles.
Guys from my cycling club back east discovered and began using these a couple of seasons ago and swear by them. At least when lack of snow permits, they're able to ride more miles in the winter than ever before.
Your hands can get cold, your face can freeze, but when your feet go numb, that's when most people are forced to head for the living room. The Hotronic insoles aren't cheap but then again, neither is airfare to Hawaii! 
Take care,
-K
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Spoiler
new member
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 15
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Today I set foot over the saddle for the first time since December. I scored an old Fisher Tasajara from Ebay.
Back in December, I was in sunny Tucson. Tucson with dry heat, bike lanes, an lbs on every corner, and group rides every day of the week. Somehow, the employment boom hasn't reached me yet, so I was forced to move to Scranton.
Sunless, ashy, Scranton. Scranton without a bike in site, one pisspoor shop, narrow crater filled "roads" filled with drivers who've never driven near a bike. Chunks of brown/black ice mix with the dirty, rusty brick building, hills too steep to climb on my fixed gear.
I still haven't found steady work, but I have my brother to house me. Seems you need some sort of motorized vehicle to be an effective print journalist. Even then, people would rather watch the pretty talking heads than give themselves a headache trying to read more than 2 graphs on a newsstory. I've learned one important live lesson. Homeless in Tucson beats a roof over the head in Scranton.
The Fisher arrived and I slapped on the ATACS, adjusted the seat height and angle, and creeped out into the roads.
40 cloudy degrees passed for a beautiful day in this hole.
The Fisher shifts like [censored]. Turns out the bb is the wrong size, inner derailleur cage won't even come close to the inner ring. Chain is too short.
On the good side, the 7-sp XTR shifts snappy, Acera calipers should stop fine once the Jagwire slick cables, housings and the Koolstop Eagle 2's arrive.
So tonight, in lieu of a ride, I'm chipping off the dirty, orange hub grease that's turned to wax with age. I'm sucking all the oils out of my hands with the mineral spirits bath and scrub for the chain and cogs. Working on the bike is by far the most enjoyable time I've spent since December.
Monday, I start a nowhere temp job in "document prep", ie: remove staples and scan a pile of insurance forms for 8 hours a day, at a wopping $7.50/hr. Man, good thing the weather sucks or I'd be upset at being stuck inside working.
I'll keep a few pics of Tucson in my pocket to keep me focussed on my goal. Make enough cash for a car, any car, that will carry me, my clothes, and my Fisher back to civilizaton (Tucson) before Thanksgiving.
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easypedaler
contributor
Reged: 02/08/04
Posts: 149
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Cannot catch a nice stretch of weather. Between the snow, freezing rain and slushy roads it is an adventure each time off. Have tried ill fitted MTB and taken the beater road bike out on occassion. Spring will soon be here. 
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OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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You're trying to break into journalism? What's your background, experience, etc and what kind of journalism are you interested in? Print, broadcast?
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Spoiler
new member
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 15
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u're trying to break into journalism? What's your background, experience, etc and what kind of journalism are you interested in? Print, broadcast?
I just got my BA in print journalism from University of Arizona. I was sports editor, reporter, and photographer for a community college newspaper. When I was in Tucson, I'd see job listings for nearby places like Sierra Vista and Casa Grande, but without a car, I couldn't move on them.
It's kind of ironic. All through school I prided myself on being able to say, "I've been 'car-free' for the last seven years." In a town like Tucson, especially when you're a college student in good shape, that's an easy thing to do. The problem is that after seven years, you forget about certain realities waiting for you after graduation.
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Max
journeyman
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 69
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Bluegrass, you're in Ky, right. Is the weather that bad back there? No snow, right.
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MAX
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OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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had snow on the ground for most of Jan and up till a few days ago. Had a big ice storm two weeks ago. Temps rarely out of the 30s (daytime high). Worse than normal winter for Ky, although I've seen much worse here.
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Jeff_Nichols
journeyman
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 73
Loc: San Jose
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I ran across this "tribute to winter" the other day. It might resonate with some of you folks right about now. I'm in northern california so I can't say I have it anywhere near as bad as you folks...
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DougSloan
new member
Reged: 02/10/04
Posts: 5
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This week was very good, and knowing there were the equivalent of "starving kids in India," I got out there and cleaned my plate. Did a great long mtb ride yesterday when it was 70 and sunny; just shorts and short sleeve jersey; sweated up a storm. I thought of you all back east and north.
Doug
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OldEd
contributor
Reged: 02/05/04
Posts: 117
Loc: The Great South
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Life is cruel, sometimes.
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Kahuna
Forum Admin
Reged: 12/11/03
Posts: 162
Loc: Maui, Hawaii
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You don't wanna know what it's like here. 
Might as well rank Maui cyclists down there with the Taliban.
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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Kahuna, that's the main reason I moved from Hawaii after living there 12 years; the weather. It was too damned good! I mean 72~78 degrees everyday with light northwesterly tradewinds and 10 minutes of gentle rain followed by more sun. C'mon, what right-minded human could endure that year after year?
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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SteveCnj
new member
Reged: 02/12/04
Posts: 5
Loc: Northern NJ
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While the attraction to riding in warm "nice" weather is well known and obvious, some of my most enjoyable riding is in the 30-40 degree range. It is not difficult to dress warmly for that temperature range and especially on sunny days it can actually be very warm and comfortable. While I will use the rollers on occasion due to time constraints and some weather will keep me indoors, even an outdoor ride on a 20 degree day is preferrable to 90 minutes on the rollers.
Steve
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TheMightySkunk
journeyman
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 82
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Good advice from Kahuna. I use Hotronic insoles in my ski boots, which are Nordica Grand Prix race boots. Great boots for racing but SUCKY for comfort, the super-stiff carbon fiber sole transmits cold into your foot as if you were standing on the snow in your socks. Of course, race boots are built to be used about two minutes at a time, like a track sprint bike. Comfort is not on the design parameter list.
Those insoles are da bomb.
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"I haven't failed. I've just managed to find 100,000 ways that don't work"
--Albert Einstein
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70 degrees and sunny