After waiting a week with the frame in the house, my bike has finally been built up. I can’t wait to ride it all over the track! (Sorry if the picture isn’t superb, but this was posted from my phone because I couldn’t wait to show her off.)
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Penrose Future
So, it looks as if a crisis was averted last night at the meeting. We appointed a track director, track promoter, people are signing up to be a part of a committee that will run the track, I believe the head official was chosen or at least given a nod. It was very productive but it looks as if there is still a lot of work to be done to keep the track going and to get it into shape for the future.
Someone threw out a figure of 1.2 million dollars. That is how much it will cost to completely re-do the track; to make sure that it doesn’t become Mr. Bumpy face again. There are major infrastructure issues under the track that have caused it to become bumpy, so to me it makes sense to re-do the track instead of spending $300,000 to repave the surface just to have it become bumpy in five years. Of course, we would have to somehow raise 1.2 million dollars. A daunting but worthy task.
As an aside, I totally wasn’t a lazy cyclist yesterday!
Lent Pledge
For the next forty days I promise to you, my yet unnamed ninja bike that I will work everyday to make myself worthy of you by not slacking off with my track training.
That means I won’t decide to do a sprint workout at 9:30pm only to realize that I am exhausted and only do one measly 15 second sprint. It also means that I won’t stay in bed watching Alice in Wonderland instead of lifting weights on Monday nights. It means I will actually do my recovery rides and I won’t complain AS much about how boring it is. It means I will eat more chocolate cake.
I love you ninja bike, even though you are still sitting in a box that has now been moved to the dining room. I have my crank set now, though, so you will be put together soon and I will make myself worthy of you.
I will not be a lazy track cyclist.
Penrose Velodrome Solidarity
So, my beautiful Dolan Pre Cursa bike frame came in the mail on Friday (with unfortunately a few scratches) and is sitting in a box in the kitchen when I hear that track season at the Velodrome may not be happening…. at least in it’s current form sanctioned by USA Cycling.
The current track director Steven Wilkes will be stepping down and I don’t know what/who is going to fill the void. There is going to be a meeting tomorrow night at 7 pm at Northwest Coffee in Clayton to try to answer that question. If you are interested in track cycling or the velodrome AT ALL please attend this meeting.
If you want to learn more about the velodrome visit the website.
If you want to help continue the track season in Saint Louis for the entire region, come to Northwest Coffee in Clayton tomorrow night at 7 pm.
Help keep this going!
Dolan update
So this weekend there was a bike swap extravaganza in Collinsville hosted by Trailnet. I was able to pick up almost everything I need to put my bike together when the frame gets to my house, probably on Friday.
I got two sets of handlebars; a set of pursuit bars with the arm extensions and a pair of ergonomic/anatomic (not quite sure which one to call it) Salsa drop bars. I got a Sugino messenger 44 tooth chain ring to match the crank set that I’m getting off my husband’s fixed gear. I also got a stem and even if it doesn’t fit well, I’m only out $10.
I’m getting my husband’s Open Pros and yesterday I ordered some Continental Sport Tires from E-bay. Later this week, I’m going to pick up a bottom bracket from Randy’s Recycled Cycles and try to find a saddle lying around the house that I can use. I love my old Schwinn ladies anatomic saddle but I’ve been informed that it would be ridiculous to have one saddle for two bikes.
I’m so excited!!!!
Dolan Pre Cursa
I just have to get this out there….
I ordered my Pre Cursa frameset last night!!!
If you can’t tell, I’m a little excited. I hope everyone has an awesome day because I know I am.
Winter Cycling
I know I can complain to myself about waking up early in the morning to cycle into the bakery, but mainly it’s the ‘early in the morning’ part.
Today was a particularly beautiful December morning. My paper was waiting on the front step, the grass was tinged with frost, and my bicycle was ready to go right out the door. As I rode North it amused me to see everyone dashing to their cars from their homes as to not get cold. Then the process of defrosting and furiously scraping the windshield and windows began. Scraping furiously because these people are not dressed for this crisp beautiful morning but instead for the warmth of their cars/homes/workplaces.
Bicycle = no scraping!
Not needing to defrost or scrape makes me appreciate my bicycle more than ever.
When I got to the grocery store this morning I saw one of my favorite security guards partnered with somebody that doesn’t see the beauty in this morning. He told me this was not ideal bicycling weather. I informed him all you really need are gloves, a windbreaker, and something to keep your face warm (something I always forget). Of course, if it is really cold there would be a need for long johns or some polypropylene but it’s not really all that cold outside today. Just crisp.
This could be described as not ideal cycling weather.
By the way, I love my God and Famous windbreaker. It really makes all the difference.
Cycling in the cold makes me feel like a child. I come in from the cold with rosy cheeks and want some hot chocolate and maybe a cookie for not getting into my car.
It might even snow this week. That will definitely deserve a cookie.
City Laps Wonderland
A video from Ernesto Pacheco of last week’s wolfpack hustle through a lit up Saint Louis.
Back on the saddle!
After a two week break, I am back on the trainer. I had a nice leisurely ride yesterday while the kids slurped down ramen noodles and ate clementines.
I entertained them pretending to be a lion training to ride a bicycle in a circus.
I am sore after restarting training but it’s a good sore. I can’t wait to work out some more this afternoon.
Now I have a question. Why is the seat of your bicycle called a saddle but there is a seat post not a saddle post?
What do you do with a budding cyclists?
My son borrowed my daughters Skuut for a few weeks in the late summer and it made all the difference when he attempted to ride his big boy bike. Now a couple months have passed and it is getting harder and harder to convince him that he needs to be in the bike trailer with his sister.
“But Mom, I can use my coaster break and I don’t fall off my bike anymore,” he pleads.
I try to tell him he isn’t old enough to ride to the grocery store. After all, he is only five. We have friends that didn’t start riding a bike until they were almost in middle school (some of them actually were in middle school).
So, we started these small trips. Instead of just letting him ride from one end of the block to the other, he can ride to the cookie store or to the Chinese grocer.
Now, those little trips to get soy sauce aren’t enough.
So, we took his bike to the park and let him ride the bike trail. He rode seven miles. SEVEN MILES! We only left because it was getting dark and neither me nor my husband had lights with us. He rode his bike up and down the block when we got home.
Yesterday, he convinced his father to take him to Cherokee Street Bikes since daddy needs a new bottom bracket. He only had one crash, and daddy had three. I guess it’s hard to pedal behind a five year old when you have cycling shoes on your feet.
Sometimes when it gets too dark to ride on the sidewalk outside, I let him ride on our trainer. He loves the trainer. He pretends he is doing a sprint workout and that I am his coach. He refuses to call me mom at these times.
He told me yesterday that riding his bike was his favorite thing to do, ever.
He always lists riding his bike as his favorite thing of the day. It’s a good day if he biked.
However, it’s December and it is only going to get colder. How can I help him with his love of cycling when, hopefully, there is snow on the ground?
Funkstitch 