Livin' it up in Ben Franklin's town. Riding a bike in the city; damn! watch out for those trolley tracks (slippery when wet!) Whoa, that's what a hoochie mama looks like! I don't think I'm in Delaware anymore.....

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

AssFault 2, BC 0

I have no clue how to spell that black stuff which they make roads out of, all I know is that I've kissed it twice in a month on my right side so far. This past Saturday I was coming back from another totally rocking marathon of a ride to Valley Forge, when in Manyunk/Roxborough I decide to take a turn at a wicked fast speed.

See I've been dying to take this turn at speed since I rode it last Summer, but there's Always either a red light or cars on the intersection when I come up to it. So on Saturday the light turns green and within a few seconds there's not a car coming or going. I decide to stomp the pedals hard and because I'm going to take the turn at speed, I take it wide and go into the other lane. Since I had never ridden in the on-coming traffic lane on this road I never realized the ASSfault was all rumply. Anyways, right at the apex of the turn my ass was in the air as the rumple popped my rear wheel out from under me and I skipped across the road. Luckily for me: 1) no cars were coming 2) bike wasn't damaged 3) no other cyclist saw it happen 4) the scars on my right elbow ripped off, so now I have been given a second chance to grow back that pretty skin I once had
I've also learned another lesson. Philly's roads are rough and tough and don't like me too much.
Really though, I've found that I really cannot let all my senses drop like I could when I was out riding in the hills around rt273 by Marky-Marc in MD, or by Ted Logik around rte896 in Landenberg.
Philly's the real deal.
From the pot-holed roads, to all the stop signs and lights every 500 feet, to the hoochie mamas honking behind you b/c somehow you're blocking them from moving up at the red light.
I can stand it, but I don't know how long I'll thrive here as it is a little too dense to really have a good peaceful bike ride like I once had in Delaware....

MV, don't stress about losing your series 7, yeah you worked your az off for it, but you definitely made the right move, these days I wonder if I did...

Good news on the training front today! I know everyone else passed this threshold weeks ago, but I just had my first evening ride during the week since last year! It felt as good as can be to get out after work today. Yes it was for just 45 minutes, but riding around the 1 mile FDR park was the bomb. Didn't see a single other cyclist, but damn the skaters were out in force.

Hey there's some road racing up in Philly 10 days from now. Check BikeReg.com for info. I believe the races are put on by the UPenn/Drexel Cycling teams.

Turn 29 tomorrow, not only that, it's one year then since I started my job in Philly.
Bittersweet.

Dude, this is Classic!

HAHAHAHAHAHA, not only was I cracking up reading the article, I also was cracking up seeing the names of the people. Damn man, BC's messing up my reputation...The real BC doesn't need a blow up doll!


By TERRI SANGINITIThe News Journal
02/28/2006
Four Maryland men, seen sprinting to their car outside a Laurel market, were arrested on burglary charges after state troopers found a cache of stolen sex products stashed in the getaway car.State police recovered 177 pornographic DVDs, three sex toys, a blow-up doll, six pornographic magazines and other assorted sex products. Altogether, the items were valued at $3,540, state police said today.The seizure followed a break-in Sunday at the A-1 Exotic Video and Book Outlet on U.S. 13 and Sussex 462, east of Laurel, police said.Troopers charged Bryant M. Carter, 18, and Benjamin I. Denson, 20, both of Salisbury, with burglary, felony theft, two counts of criminal mischief, two counts of conspiracy, possession of burglary tools, attempted theft and attempted burglary.The two suspects were committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution after failing to post $9,000 bail each.Some of the charges stemmed from an attempted burglary early Feb. 22 at Jim’s Video Games near Laurel. In that case, the two reportedly fled empty-handed after trying to break into the occupied store, but the person inside wrote down the registration number of the 1996 Acura Integra and gave it to police, court records said.On Sunday, a state trooper checking on the property outside the Route 13 Market, saw four men running out of the building about 11:14 p.m. toward a green Acura Integra parked across the street.“Many sexual-related items were observed in plain view in the Acura,” police said in court records.Carter later told detectives that he drove Denson and two other men – Taven L. Parker, 19, and Tyrone A. Parker, 20, also of Salisbury – to the adult bookstore near Laurel.He said they “shot out the glass door with a BB gun,” and then they “all went inside and removed items,” police said.Taven and Tyrone Parker were each charged with burglary, felony theft, criminal mischief, conspiracy and possession of burglary tools in the Sunday night break-in.They were committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in lieu of $5,500 bail.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006


Can you spot the Roadie? Posted by Picasa

Return to Brandywine!

Hit Brandywine with some of the Guy's guys on Sunday. Jay Prudente (on Andrew Hogg's Santa Cruz), Rich Cordero (I need only 1 gear for these hills), Joe Kenas (pimp'n an ol C'dale super V), Mike Flynn (I did 3 hours here yesterday) and Rich's dog Mackie ("he's fine around other dogs, just watch out for kids as he likes to bite their ankles as he thinks they are sheep and will try to herd them").

The trails were superb as they were rocksolid until about noon-thirty when the top 1/2 inch of the sun exposed trails started to get a little slippery. I had totally forgotten how good it felt to mtb when it's ph'ing cold out! I was warm the whole ride, except for the 5 minute ride on the road after leaving the park while I pedaled back to mi padres house. The guys were great as they didn't put the hammer down much at all to Rich and I. We both hadn't been on our mtb's for about a year, though after saying that, Rich was baddas in riding his single speed for a good 2 1/2 hr. mtb ride. It felt weird at first, but pretty soon I was feeling a tad bit fluid, though it's amazing how when you don't ride mtb's, your eyes cannot get more than about a dozen feet in front of you.

I wish I could say the route we took, I have no clue other than the fact that we hit the same rock garden Mr. Ted Logik took us on years ago when I decided my bike was due for a good toss. Luckily (for my bike) it didn't get tossed, nor did it ever fall onto any rocks...though I didn't push it through there as I have about 0.023% mtb bike skill right now. I have to admit that it was a ride for the history books as I think I ate it just once, though of course Brandywine has about 10 feet of single track now compared to years past.

My ride totalled just under 3 hours, which meant my body was totally jacked up when I got back to my dad's house. It amazes me how mtb'ing is a total body workout compared with riding the road. Even tonight (Tuesday) I'm still sore from using some muscles which haven't been used in a long, long time.

On Monday I woke up all sore, though just like I thought when I started riding my road bike, all that soreness had to do with mtb muscles, and not one of my roadie muscles hurt. So off I went to my long way out to VF. It was another damn good ride, for some reason I decided to add another 2 hills I had been eyeing and sure enough they didn't dissapoint. The hills totally cooked me even before the final ascent up to the lookout point in VF, but while climbing the lookout climb, there was a car poking up ahead which looked like I could catch it, and there was a car behind me poking along. I suddenly felt like I was on some mt. pass in the Tour and I put on my game face and pushed it hard until I caught the car ahead of me and then I passed it and made the right turn onto the now close road up to the lookout. I popped bigtime and had to say hi to my 25cog for about 15 seconds before I could get moving again, but damn that effort felt good. The descent down from that lookout is the most baddassest of all baddass descents. You come down off the lookout and have a nice wide right turn onto a one way road. You can carry high 20's mph no problem. Then you head down into a 180 degree super banked switchback (always some pebbles at the apex of the turn too) and then you fly down for about another minute or too easily spinning out the top gear. It's a blast during the summer as cars go so slow down it and cyclists can blow by them like they are standing still.

I was totally cooked leaving The Park, though luckily the ride back on the VF trail had a tailwind and so after about 10 mintues I actually recovered and was able to punch it a few times on the way back to Manyunk. It was there that I witnessed my first Dieter siting of the New Year, damn that dude was pimped out in Fort Gear. He was like "Yo, I be rolling wit' tha FORT posse" as he rolled by. I hope that one day too I'll be blinged out enough to actually have a matching winter wardrobe and bike. And like he said the FORT posse gonna be mad pimp'n this year: http://bubsers.typepad.com/epistemic/

Got back to my house not feeling too bad, but after a few minutes I started a coughing fit and before I knew it, my lungs decided to kind of stop working on me. I guess I had over-done the cold weather riding, especially for having a flu/cold during the week. Even now it feels like someone's standing on my chest as I breathe...it actually feels worse than when I broke a rib back in 2003. I'll give it another day and then see a doc if it doesn't get better. What a bummer after some good riding this weekend.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Mo' Props to AfterhoursDJs.org

After still feeling run down today, AfterHoursDJs.org DJs got me jumping again. A sweet live set by Adrian Ravelo and Loic Tambay got my bootay moving and doing something. I went out for a whopping 1 hr ride today. It took a good 50 minutes of that just to warm up and clear out my lungs....hopefully tomorrow gives me my first day of feeling 100% again. It sucks being sick, though the only good thing is I've probably cut a few lb's. Also I'm looking forward to the fact that I'm off on Monday and can totally get 2 back to back long rides in, plus it's now getting light enough for a hour spin after work....racing season is JUST around the corner now...though I don't have my racing bike yet :-(. I hope I get it soon, so I can decided if I'll race the C'dale, or just swap the dope parts onto the Scott.

It's been inspiring to watch the Olympics! I had a blast watching the boardercross, plus the Biathlon and X-country skiing were wicked fun to watch, it felt like watching a bike race...though I also am now wishing I lived on a mtn. rather than in a city. What's up with that snowboarder chic who got flashy at the end and lost it, I bet the Euro's felt warm and fuzzy inside when they saw the US flaunt their stuff, only to not get the gold.

Sweet, going to hit Brandywine in DE tomorrow with some of my Guy's Racing teamates. Just got an email from Rico a second ago. If anyone wants to see how good I toss bikes, just come and join us MTB'ng at 10:30 tomorrow behind the restuarants.

ride on!

-bc

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Sick day...

First time in a few years that I actually called in Sick. It hit me like a train yesterday.
I woke up feeling 100%, by noon I had a little sore throat, by 3 I had a full on sore throat, and by 5 I was all achey. It totally sucked as when I met Thea after work I looked and felt horrible...We didn't really rock out for V-day, though we did stop by our favorite Indian restuarant in Center City. The place has the most rocking Vegetarian Buffee, it's located right on Juniper and Walnut, cheap but good eating. I needed that food as man did the fever kick in last night. It was around 2am when it kicked in full force and I lost my covers to cool off. It blows my mind that I was sweating, yet my house is only in the 50's...feel ok right now, luckily the fever has gone down, though I still am a little loopy in the head....

Can't wait for the 3 day weekend of riding, so hopefully I'll get back to 100% really quick. This snow's melting like crazy today. Heck the sun has raised my house temp to the high 50's already!!!

Scouting around for new jobs in the city today too. I think the reason I got as sick as I was resulted from the high stress of my office, I've never become sick so fast like I did yesterday, my office is like walking into a frying pan everyday.

I have a Nashbar 10% off coupon code: S1207G
it's good until Feb 17th. Feel free to pass it around. I'm going to buy a few SRAM chains, I love the Power Chains.....

ride on,

-bc

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Had to change it up.

Changed to a new template, though I still have yet to find out how to make links to my friends' blogs...

Rode out to VF yesterday on my new style super hilly non-direct route. Even yesterday when I rode it as hard and fast as I could, it still was almost 4 hours. I love that ride as it always leaves me cooked, and the ride back on the VF trail takes whatever energy I have left and leaves me limping home. Valley Forge Park was absolutely beautiful yesterday. It was just shades of brown and it would have been awesome to hunker down in one of the historic log cabins and watch the snow come down last night. On the ride back into the city the snow flakes started falling about 4 miles from downtown. It was wicked cool riding in the snow headed down the Schukyl river trail and into the city.

I started running again after being gimpy for a few weeks from when I magically just fell off my road bike a few Sundays ago. It felt great running and of course my whole body was sore even though it was only 30 minutes of jogging. I need to start tightening up and actually doing some riding during the week now as racing season is just about 5 weeks away...


The bakery's oven. It's the only bricked wall which doesn't have any snow, not only that, it's hot to the touch. It feels so good to walk by the wall as it's sooo hot. Posted by Picasa

This is the look all the way down the street, they will NOT plow my street at all b/c the street's too tight. Amazingly there were a bunch of parking spots when I came home last night around 7. First time in months. I spoke to a neighbor and they told me that anyone who has to work on Monday will park at the hospital's parking garage a few blocks away. That works for me as I got a spot right next to my house which is hard to come by. Posted by Picasa

my back patio, all my pots look like mushrooms and my trellis looks wild.  Posted by Picasa

Mi Casa Posted by Picasa

The bakery at the corner of my street. NOTHING beats hot and fresh sticky buns to start the morning. Also it's like 80 degrees in there and smeels wicked good. Posted by Picasa

To the right of my door Posted by Picasa

To the Left of my door. Posted by Picasa

To the left of my back patio Posted by Picasa

my back patio, all my pots look like mushrooms and my trellis looks wild. Posted by Picasa

Monday, February 06, 2006

Dust off your bikes!

Yes, I know everyone's riding their pimp'n racing bikes right now, doing that base mile thing like every good bike racer, but are you keeping your hooptie lubed and aired?

I know it's not warm out (yet) so most of us probably still have our cruisers and hoopties in that corner of our garages and basements where bikes go to hibernate during winter.
I say break them the heck out and get them ready for some riding....I'm saying this as I just realized that every phukking crazy leader in this world seems to have the US by the balls b/c of our addiction to their petrol products. Just this morning I read that the Venezuela dude said he could turn the spigot off to the US from his country and not only that, he said he would shut down his CITGO refineries. Then I keep reading and I see that IRAN wants to play international nuclear power, while being an isolationist state and then you have 2 of the top 5 petrol nations in the world saying Adios to Western oil demand. Sure they will keep selling oil to the world market and it won't make prices pop that much, but the disruption will cause a significant ramp up in price. Easily above Katrina levels too, plus don't forget that we are just beginning a decades long rise in Hurricanes which will cause our Gulf of Mexico production to drop off again this summer. We could easily be on the low side of prices for oil/gasoline right now for 2006.

I hate to sound too alarmist, but after hearing Bush talk about Alternative Energy as something other than fiction, then you know something big is happening in the world right now when it comes to oil. I have a feeling all of us driving 30MpG cars will be on the low end of the spectrum in just a few years as the war in Iraq has destablized the Middle East into a hornets' nest of trouble which we just cannot seem to fix.

Ride your bikes and save the world...if only it was that easy....

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Cross World's Viddie

This is from the Guy's Racing Listserve, it's a blast to watch:

http://www.nathanspear.com/movie/2006cyclocrossworldhampionships_512.wmv

Ugh, nothing like having someone's car alarm go off for 10 minutes outside, at least I have something fun to watch.

Hope y'all are enjoying this wickedly warm weather, days are getting longer now too!

ride on!

-bc