Straight Outta Compton's website

I see that Leonard Zinn gives props to KC's dad Tom in his latest techical column. Tom Compton is a cool cat, one of the best officials around for USA Cycling events, but also a cool dude to talk with concerning the physics of cycling.

Here's the Leonard Zinn link:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9662.0.html

What's up with possible Snow this weekend?

What are we going to do?

What's up with the Rizzo Joey T? His site's been on the friz for a few weeks now....

The Guy's team meeting on Monday was rocking. It was cool to meet the 100+ members and also get all my goodies for the season. It totally felt like Kwanzaa again with all the gifts!

My new Cannondale Caad8 team bike is hot. First time I've ever had DurAce (Durr-Ach-Ey) as I like to call it. It shift's mighty sweet, though I'm having a little skipping going on down there....I'm looking to buy some of the Spinergy Carbon wheels to race on this year...anyone have experience on them? Just Colin the doctor has told me they are sweet.
One thing about the C'dale is it is noticeably more rough than my Scott Carbon, but it does feel like it's more responsive when out of the saddle climbing. I'll be racing the C'dale this year and probably convert the Scott to a TT bike.

I just realized that the weather this weekend is fitting for the White Clay Icycle ride on Saturday. It's ironic, but I think on average the weather is as dumpy as can be every year for this ride. Here's the link to it:
http://www.whiteclaybicycleclub.org/Events-WCBC/icicle.htm

Time to get ready for work....it's been no fun there at all! Everyone else has 5-6 weeks of vacation. Plus they get another 10 days of family care time so everyone uses those when their significant other is "sick". Also add in a liberal Short Term disability policy and people seem to work only about 40 weeks a year. Sure sucks for me and I get paid a few grand less than them. Screw putting in the time when I put in more effort and work. It's funny how corporate america can be quite socialistic...

Hope you all can ride this weekend, I'll do my best...

-bc

Free Rita's Water Ice on Monday...

Yes, it's still going to be ph'ing cold out on Monday, but still, don't forget, free Rita's Water ice on the first day of Spring.

Yey, pickin up my new C'dale in about 7 hours! But first a ride with Rico out to Ridley Park...going to be a killer of a ride as everyone's wicked fit these days.

Teamwork!

Dude, this brought tears to my eyes. Two of the best sprinters (Erik Zabel and Alessandro Pettachi) and top-class cyclists in the world, riding together as teamates. Photo is from the Associated Press.

Is it me, or does Floyd look like he could be a driver in NASCAR?

Taken from one of Graham Watson's fine photo's from Paris-Nice.

UD Scandals

WTF is up at UD these days? Does the football team need to recruit thugs to play football now? I think UD should have a policy that if some student on a full ride commits a crime which results in the student being kicked out of the college, then they have to reimburse the state for their free ride they've had up to that point. Sort of like posting a bond, which if they graduate it's forgiven, but if they don't they have to pay it back. It's just not fair to all of the other hardworking students for having to pay the escalating costs of college when fools get to go to college for free just b/c they are good football players. And what's up with all the arms:

According to search warrants served at Alexander and Jones' home on Madison Drive in Newark, police recovered black ski masks, a Remington 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, several boxes of buckshot, an Apple iPod, a safe and 59 individually wrapped bags of marijuana.

At Robinson's Madison Drive home, police seized a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, assorted ammunition, two cell phones, an Apple iPod, 11 grams of marijuana and $221 in cash.

A search of Heggins' Wharton Drive residence turned up baggies containing 3.92 grams of cocaine and 3.5 grams of marijuana, assorted boxes of shotgun shells, a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun and a portable DVD player.


These dudes were thugs and should be given no justice. It sucks, but most likely they've caused many more crimes around campus with those masks and guns. Why did these guys who had so much going for them do this? Their life is probably now over as they won't get an education and now they have committed some federal offenses.


Time to get out and run, it's nice and sunny these days by 6:30! It rocks.

My grandfather's 90th B-day bash this weekend

My grandfather, PJ, is a total badass, he's led the life of a legend.
Growing up he played lacrosse in upper-state NY with the Iroquoise Indians, not only was he good enough to play with them, he was good enough to flaunt them and after being a little too much of a hotshot one day he pissed off the chief of the tribe (who was also the goalie) and the chief left his goal to bop PJ on his head and knock him out! The big kicker of the story was that his father had told him not to play for $$$ anymore and yet that's what he was doing that one day when he was knocked out cold. His father obviously found out and was not too happy.

The USS Princeton, the boat he served on after college and during WWII.
The story of the Princeton can be found here, http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/cv23sink.html
It takes just 2 minutes to read, and it shows the bravery of people like PJ. He was one of the last guys off the ship as his duty was to secure the ammo if the ship was going down, his position on the boat was right at the back of the ship where the two big guns are located for air defense. Those guns were hardcore. Like 4 barrels each with 50 caliber per barrel. I forget exactly what he told me, but I believe he said it would put a ton of lead in the air w/in a minute's time.

The coolest Bathroom in the world!!! Flowers growing in there and look at the view. From one year ago in Ecuador. 

Props to Manhardt

Dave, thanks for kicking knowledge on how to do the links. I'm a slacker on the links, but now I got em up. Still a work in progress, like the rest of life....

Let's hope this stuff falling from the sky doesn't stick around for Saturday. If it clears up by then, I'll be pimping the roads around Wilmington/Chadds Ford on the road bike with my lady. My Grandfather's turning 90 and we're rocking out down there this weekend.

Took my first loss this year trading/investing this year. That was a bummer. I took the high risk trade of opening a position of SNDA the day before earnings b/c their competitor (NTES) blew out earnings the previous day and gapped up 10%. SNDA's been in a transition and I was hoping to catch a good pop, instead I caught a good drop! Smart money waits until the day after earnings annoucements to open a position, so FYI, if you are going to invest in the short term, always check when news worthy events are coming up for the company, ie. Earnings, Annual Meetings, Conference presentations etc. I knew all of this, but was greedy. Live and learn. Nothing like losing a possible new set of race wheels in an hour, I'll make it back, but man it takes time to do that. The market builds wealth slowly, but takes greed and shoves it to the ground.

Listening to iTunes on Shuffle right now, man that Beastie Boys song, Body Moving is some hype song, haven't heard that since college.

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.

Can you spot the Roadie?

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.

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

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

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. 

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. 

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