Boss got a bike

I always find it strange when people talk about how long they have been riding bikes because, I always figured, everyone learns to ride a bike when they are a kid. I can see asking more specific questions like "How long have you been riding a track bike?" or "How long have you been commuting by bike?" as understandable because those aren't things that we take for granted. I was shocked when my boss told me that he hasn't ridden a bike in over 4 years because he seemed like the type that would ride sometimes. Recently he'd been asking me more and more about bikes and then he told me that he was planning on buying one. I really envied him because he was going to go through all the fun of waiting until it finally got there and that feeling is something unto itself. There's always a little bit of disappointment when you finally get what you have been waiting for but it disipates quickly when you hop on and ride. He picked it up from the local shop and was ready to go instantly, even bought a helmet. He called me up and we worked out a meeting point. He had bought a 2009 Giant seek which seems like a pretty cool bike and looks like a sturdy. I know that $600 in the cycling world is a drop in the bucket for some but to a regular person you always want to get your moneys worth. We stopped for a beer and got to do the "let's look over this bad motha!" tough guy thing. I felt like he had the hood up and we were getting the IROC ready for a trip to jersey to pick up hair spray girls. We were being tough. We headed down to the river and talked some more about biking and how it doesn't get easier because the more you do it the further you want to ride.

VH1

A ride to remember

Another night and I wanted beer, as I was on my way home, because the train was so crowded and everybody was very stinky. I wasn't stinky because, as one is in one's own mind, I'm not lumped in with everyone else. I got off the train a stop early to grab a cold one and make my way to the bike shop where my wheel was being repaired and my seat nut stem fudge thing is on order. Turns out they forgot to fix my wheel and my seat nut is "on the way" which is when I held it all in and told them it was cool. Enter the son who, upon seeing me, grabs, incorrectly, a carbon wheel from the building rack and apologizes. I tell him I am happy to even be let in the shop and he gets to work on my wheel. I wish it were the carbon but the lurker says you'll get hit by lightning if you ride them so it must be true. I looked through the hat bin and head off to grab some more beers. I grabbed the recent release, without meaning, lager for the guy who is truing the wheel and head back. I pass him the beer and, being Japanese, he dis acknowledges them. He goes on and on about the wheel as I listen and wonder about some of the vocabulary. I asked him a couple of times and they, the father, mother and son laugh because the onomatopoeia are killing me. I left with a new quick step cycling cap and a free wheel true true method man. My pension will buy a frame from that store. so happy that I bought the brooks there. Then I was at home. I was on on my way to place where people shouldn't ride bikes and that is way further away from the place where people shouldn't drive cars, yet they do more than we do. After a beer and a tyre replacement, the good Dr. needed a new skin, we were on our way. to the ends of sanity. Where we all wear north face and devour human souls!!!!!!! Or at least where we all have expensive bikes Christ like balance while emitting a beep beep beep stylistic like " I remember 10 years ago" massage to your senses. So we took group photos that made about as much sense as the previous sentence. I took a sick pleasure in calling them all together for more and more group pics. They were all so happy to do it, likes Nazis to kill or Italians to eat pasta, they crammed themselves in again and again to have their picture taken. and again I hope you note, if it's published, that the good Dr. held up my steed in the rear for all the pics that he could. Then I went for another beer and the bike tried to kill a Run dmc inspired Christmas tree After that we, the royal one, returned to where the ride had begun. I found a wheel and a shirt, panicked that thieves might come so I tried to find the owner. After calls and riding I remembered that, being Japan, you can leave wheels and shirts laying around because it's safe. Thank you for how safe this country is and have a merry Christmas. I wish I could bring the benefits of CA and JP together so we could have great beer, food and outdoor contests of strength that end in great food and beer. At home yet home sick.

SNOW!!!!

you'd think everyone around here had an extra chromosome with the way drivers were acting on the roads yesterday. ridiculous. fun ride regardless, though verrrrry slow. 15 cm yesterday, although today was sunny, but the flurries have already begun and they're talking 15-20 (depending on proximity to and position around the lake) overnight/tomorrow morning. the photo's not mine, but it's a good one - this isn't dawn or dusk, but midday at king and bay. so much for the sun...

Another dimesnion of riding

On the way to work today I had a very fun and interesting experience where several worlds crossed, linked and fled. I was coming up to the best scariest part of the ride where traffic jam meets hill and bus lane when I noticed a starbucks goer mount his sidewalk locked fixed bike and begin to pedal. Imagine worrying about a fart whilst riding public transit and that will give you an indication of about how much thought I gave him. I got caught at light where I was forced to notice the dollar value of yet another kind of bike rider that has more money than me. The road rider or fxxk head as I have come to know them. The evil scowl tucked under a $300 helmet as they click in and check their eye pods to make sure their rolling stones are rolling. I knew the roader would take off and leave me wondering why I hadn't invested in more than cut off dickies on this frigid 16 degree morning but he didn't..... he waited for what seemed like a female orgasm, mythically long, and then the fixed gear rider pulled off of the sidewalk in front of us. He rode the road. I have seen many a thing during my commute but a fixed rider on the road, in the morning, pedalling blew me away. I guess he felt the same kind " I am fxxked now, shit son" feeling because he began to pedal backwards and skid and fishtail and skid and check coffee and skid. The road rider held and held and held so I figured they both were retarded and passed and passed. I gave the fixed rider a "why the hell did you even bother trying to ride on the road" type look and then I heard a scary guttural challenge uttered from behind, not without comedy. I had that monster from the closet is chasing me feeling and didn't want to look back until the road guy expensive bike rider passed me shouting, in English, ATTACK! We road to the top of the hill and kept going throught the city. We talked and he was a funny fxxker because we live near to each other and he kept telling about how far I ride. I liked trying to keep up with him and he liked talking so it was great till we hit the core and split off. At that point in my day I didn't know that the best thing ever was waiting at home. The lurker had picked this up and gave it to me as a present. I had no idea what to make of it so I decided to slay a dragon with it and the dragon turned out to be beer despite having to work early tomorrow. The tool can adjust anything on a bike and even turn into a bikestand!!!!! I will scan and save the details later but that's not all! It can be used by ninjas as weapons! Oh, how they fought! But this is a truly special post because this is post where I finally reveal the lurker to you all, as in gee. This is the post where you can lay eyes upon the the pure nakedness of the LURKER>>>>>>>>>>>

Goals: Putting it off

After firimly setting my sights on completing a metric century on my panasonic this Friday I ran into a tiny disaster while adjusting my saddle. A spring like metal shaving fell the the floor and my seat pin slid easily out coaxed by the slight magnetic charged tip of the screw driver. An expletive was uddered under my breath, the little on was within ear shot, and I knew I would be off to several stores. Seo, the closest shop tried hard but couldn't come up with the part and they aren't a Panasonic dealer so the order would take a while. My trip to the hardware store ended fruitlessly and I only, like princess leia, only had one hope left. It was off to Jingane to see what they had. As it turns out that nut is proprietary and will take a week. Expletive beer return to shop. The younger of the older guys is there and gives me an earful about not being around the neighbourhood anymore and that he had a present for the young one. The present is a new BMX for little kids that he can ride when he gets a little bigger. I was happy to take it off their hands for free since we just had to pay $45 to throw away 2 TVs. I am still heading out tonight but the lurker is going to ride solo and I will be riding my commuter. If I can pull 100 tonight and then commute the next six days in a row I will be able to justify cycling shorts to myself for X mas. Sometimes my groin hates and throbs through out the night.

No rain no rainbow

We have been having some really poor weather lately with lows nearing 15 celcius. Last night was probably the coldest ride home so far this year because I actually had to wear my jacket and second guessed my decision to ride to work in shorts. Once I was on my way I was alright and with a quick stop to have a beer and take in Tokyo tower I was feeling alright. This morning is another story, though, as it's pouring rain and I don't feel like getting sick before this weekend, going after a straight metric century. I will take the day off my bike and do the ride and read warm train. I don't ride to work because I have something to prove but because I honestly enjoy it. The people around me complain about the train, traffic, crowding etc. and I still have arm tan and under eye sunburn. Sure, they laugh at me when I have deep red line around my forehead from my helmet hat combo but they also complain about their weight and how lethargic they feel in the same breath. Morning wood at 30 should never be taken for granted and is seldom neglected in this, the nether, region. I posted a picture of some bike stuff just because I liked it and always remember to ride both bikes with the occasional dose of BMX in there. Maybe it's dorky (no doubt in my mind that it is) to have 2 panansonic cycling hats because they are the same brand as my frame when I should be wearing a campy or something for fashion but I don't care. Winter in Tokyo is Indian summer in Ontario and I don't take that for granted, over 400kms since the 8th of this month and I work full time.

Ride report; meeting people

On Saturday I had to go into work because we were holding a party for the clients at our branch and the staff is remarkably useless in those kinds of situations. The clients pay and teachers stay to have a few drinks and talk while the staff walks around being generally useless. I was going to take Saturday of but instead I was on bike to work at 10am. After the party there was some leftover beer that fell into my bag and started weighing me down on the trip home so I started looking for a spot where I could dispose of it. I took a quick detour to a park where you can find a lot bikers, skaters and people there to hang out. I was surprised to find so many people there at that time. There was a group riding fixed gear bikes and they were quite friendly. I talked with them and I got to ride two of their bikes. I think one was a brooklyn machine works which was pretty fun. It was like a commuter that could do bar spins. I am not really into tricks, at all really, but those guys were having fun and taking advantage of the unusually warm night. I have to give people props for getting out there and riding while other people lay around the house wondering if the gym is crowded. Maybe I should try and make it back there to ride with those guys some day. Thanks to Sven for sending the pictures.

Ramsberger sez:

this is just straight up dope.

got it from ecovelo.

New Yorker cover

this caught my eye in the mailbox yesterday. i like it. santa in a bike trailer. the wave of the future i say, the wave of the future...