Path Less Pedaled...

Last year, I followed a couple as they made a bike touring trip all over the United States.  They kept a blog on their journey which can be read at PathLessPedaled.Com.  This year, they are embarking on a new journey with bikes that have a bit smaller wheels.  Check it out!

Tour of Flanders Promo

The Tour of Flanders is coming up! This is one of my favorite bike races of all time. Here's the promo for this year's race!

A Little Rant/Wisdom Of The Day...

"Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise.  Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down.  Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people."  -Zig Ziglar

Sometimes people suck.  Enough said.

 

Rule #9...The Dude Abides...

Yesterday we discussed how I hate the weather we've been having.  Rain, rain, rain.  Despite the rain, I made it out for a ride.  I rode to and from campus in this shitty weather.  The ride into campus wasn't too bad.  It was raining the entire trip.  Many cars passed and would slow down to stare as they passed.  It was as though I was some kind of circus animal.  Well, scratch that last comment.  If I'm out there riding in this weather, I probably am a circus animal.  When it rains, sometimes people actually turn into to kind souls.  Two people stopped and asked if I needed a ride.  I kindly declined as I had a goal to abide by Rule #9.  As I hopped onto the greenway, I pass the local golf course and saw several golfers out.  I figured, if these dudes can golf in the rain, I certainly can ride a bike in the rain.  The only difference was I didn't have a beer in hand.

Proof of the rain ride

Local golf course during the rain

Hell of the South is slowly approaching.  I still haven't done enough to train for this race.  I was talking it over with a buddy of mine yesterday and came up with the excuse that any races I do right now are just for shits and giggles.  My focus is cyclocross.  Until CX season starts, everything else is just to maintain some kind of fitness.  Regardless, I need to get back on it so I don't get dropped.

With all the time on my hands yesterday, I did some change ups to a few of my bikes.  Pretty much, I just switched out some wheels and handlebars on two of my singlespeeds.  One of the bikes has some mustache bars and I'm still not completely convinced that I like the mustache bars.  This bike is used mostly around town and when I'm wearing a backpack, riding with Burt Reynolds bars just doesn't quite feel right.  I'll give it a few more rides and make the decision later.

Added a freewheel, mustache bars and brakes to what was the fixed gear bike

Not much else going on.  I mean, the blog is called the "Uneventful Life of Jimmy Deane".  If you want to read something with merit, read Dicky's blog.

Good Day To Listen To Jerry Sing...

And considering it has been raining here all day, a boat may be a better option for my commute than a bike. Row, Jimmy, Row...

Restlessly Ranting...

I'm feeling a bit restless.  Riding in the rain is cool but today it sucks!  I'm tired of shitty weather!  I want it to be warm and dry!  I'm just sitting here listening to some of my music and wish I could be in Nashville this evening to hear Langhorne Slim play at Grimey's Record Shop.

I Love Coffee and I Love Bikes...

I caught this video on Prolly's blog earlier.  This looks like a pretty cool cause to get behind.  So many people drink coffee but never really think about where it comes from and the communities that produce that great morning cup.  This guy, owner of Bald Guy Brew in Boone, NC, is going to give all proceeds raised to Project Rwanda.  Check out the video for more info!


Beans for Bikes- Pedaling for Change from Matt Powell on Vimeo.

Down That Road...

This week, I have truly been living the uneventful life. Aside from exams at school, not much has been going on. I've also had limited motivation to ride the bike lately. Not sure what has got into me. I still love cycling and all. Something has got to give soon. Now the weather has turned to crap. Looks like rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week. Most people would pull out the trainer. However, I'm not too fond of riding on trainers. They're boring and you sweat way too much. Yesterday afternoon, I was reading over the "Rules of Cycling" and came across Rule #9: "If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period."  So if I want to be a badass, I need to get out and go for a ride today!  I guess you'll find out where I stand tomorrow.  Regardless, I've got to do something since I have a race coming up this weekend and I just need a way to stretch these old Lincoln Logs.

Registration closes at 7pm EST on March 31st

On the topic of the race this weekend, I'll be racing at the Hell of the South in Berlin, Tennessee. The race has a couple of dirt road sections that kind of make it like a Paris-Roubaix style race. Since this is my first road race, I'll be racing in the Cat 5's. The Cat 5 race route is only 28 miles.  With the course so short, endurance shouldn't be much of a problem for me.  I've got a few other teammates who are also racing in the 5's.  Hopefully we'll get a good rhythm going and can pull out some podium spots for the team.

Also on the agenda is my summer plans.  I'm really debating pretty hard about doing a summer semester in school.  I'd really like to get some more classes knocked out in hopes of graduating as soon as possible.  The only problem is that I was wanting to do some kind of bike touring trip this summer.  I've got my Surly Cross Check all built up to be a perfect touring bike for pulling a BOB Trailer.  One of my plans is to do a tour back home to East Tennessee and stop in the Smokies for a few days.  This would be about a 500 mile round trip with a significant amount of riding in the mountains.  Another plan is to do the Natchez Trace Parkway from Mississippi back to Tennessee.  That trip is around 450 miles but it's all flat and not as nice of scenery.  Anyhow, registration for classes is coming up in the next few weeks.  I'll take a look at what is being offered and make a decision then.

My last thought for this post comes from a blog entry on Brickhouse's blog.  This entry has been on my mind for a few days and thought I'd share it with all my virtual friends.  The post is about how to treat your local bike mechanics.  We're coming up on that time of year when a lot of cyclists start dusting off their rigs and take them into the shop for a tune-up.  Sometimes are rigs get pretty filthy.  When you take your bike into the shop, at least clean it up a little bit.  It may make the turnaround time a lot faster for you.  Also, be mindful that bike shops are super busy this time of year.  Give yourself plenty of time to get your bike back.  Don't wait till the day before the race.  Anyhow, I'm going to let you read the blog post if you wish.  I certainly recommend it to all my cycling friends.  Check it out right **HERE**

Cheers and beers with a lot of bike riding for the years!

Packway Handle Band

This Is What's Happening In My Community...

Again, I'll try not to get too political on the blogisphere but this is an issue that has been close to my heart in my community. CNN did a segment on the issue of a mosque being built in my town. Over the last year, there has been a lot of turmoil over this issue. I stand on the side of religious freedom for all and think the Muslims have the constitutional right to build their mosque. I wanted to share this video because it outlines a clear view of the issue from both sides. I hope that tolerance will prevail in this matter and our community can go back to living in peace with each other regardless of our faiths.

This is the entire CNN segment.

Bicycle Rights!

Yeah, we can watch videos like this all day long and laugh.  As far fetched as this video is, there is some truth to it.  Yesterday, I had a run in with a car on my commute home.  No crash or anything but just a really close call.  I was being predictable and riding in my lane when a car failed to see me and ran a stop sign.  I swerved to avoid the collision and then the vehicle honked at me like it was my fault!  The sad thing is, this happens to me nearly everyday!  You could call this a rant because I really don't have a followup to it.  If you're not a cyclist, just try to remain mindful of us two-wheelers out there.  If you are a cyclist, I hope you know better!

And on to other news.  I made the announcement yesterday that the goateous chin beard is gone!  Yep, I decided I'm in for a change.  You know, I'm running for office now.  I gotta look good!  Over the weekend, I bought a new suit, shined the shoes and shaved the chin.  In fact, as much as I embrace the whole dirt bag jeans and t-shirt look, I kinda like being all spiffy looking!

                                                                           BEFORE

Hey, what?!

                                                                           AFTER

 

And I'm going to include yet another Portlandia video because it pertains to my shaving the chin beard thing.  For all you hipsters (DicKy), you can keep your chin beards, cause chin beards are OVER!




And don't forget about this weekend's race, Hell of the South!  Weather looks pretty crappy all week but looks perfect for the weekend!  I'm feeling pretty stoked!

I've been seeing this video on a few blogs over the past few days.  This Tennessee weather has been fluctuating from warm to cold over and over again!  I could only wish our weather was as nice as it is in this video.  Hopefully soon enough we will be able to enjoy the warm temps!

Study Session with Alice....

I'm currently sitting in an enclosed cubicle of the library doing a little studying on Government and American Politics.  Don't get me wrong, I love the subject.  However, I have a test coming up in less than an hour.  What do I do?  I'm listening to Alice and Chains and writing a blog entry.  I'm the man in the box.  Buried in my...

Gent – Wevelgem Finish...

I may not have been on the bike over the weekend but I did catch a little bike action on the interwebs.  Here's the finish of the Gent-Wevelgem.  Fun race to watch!

No Bike Weekend...

I got home from class pretty early on Friday and called the wife just to check in. As soon as she answered the phone, she told me we were heading to Memphis. Apparently, her best friend was going into labor. So I grabbed the suitcase and got a few changes of close packed and patiently waited for my wife to get home from work. On the way to Memphis, I started seeing all these dirt roads that paralleled the interstate. From Dickson County till the Tennessee River, most of these dirt roads were pretty rolling. Of course, I'm driving on the interstate and the only thing I can think of is new places to check out on the bike. I'm definitely going to have to make the trip to this area to do a little exploring on the CX bike.

Anyhow, we made it to Memphis. Our friend had a beautiful baby boy. I'm not much of a baby person but this trip was a little different. I really enjoyed seeing their baby and sharing this experience with them. However, I still think my wife and I are pretty convinced that we aren't having kids anytime soon. Since the majority of our friends are having their first children and I have two nieces, I think there are plenty of kids that we can spoil and return to their parents.

Cute kid

 While in Memphis, unfortunately we didn't get to go sight seeing or check out any good BBQ joints. Instead, I had a killer fried catfish and hushpuppies plate at the hospital cafeteria and found some BBQ ribs flavored potato chips!! Score!! You can't visit Memphis and not leave feeling the least bit unhealthy!

We made it back to the Boro late Saturday and did a little bumming around town. The weather was pretty shitty all weekend and I really didn't feel like getting out in it. Most of Sunday was spent in the kitchen. One of my other hobbies that I haven't been able to practice lately is cooking. After spending some time searching for new recipes, I started working on a homemade Red Beans and Rice dish. It took nearly 4 hours to cook but turned out awesome!! There was enough made to last us several days as well!

I'm sorry if you came to the blog today to read about a race or one of my rides. Needless to say, I just didn't get out. Sometimes its nice to sit back and relax. No rhyme or reason to the weekend, just good friends, good fun and good food. Maybe I'll get into something a little more interesting later this week and can post up on it. Next weekend is the Hell of the South race. As long as the weather holds out, I'm planning on being there!  Oh yeah, the goateous chin beard is now gone.  That's right.  Shaved off!

More Ride For Reading Coverage

Ride for Reading just reached a monumental mile stone!  This week, the organization reached the 50,000 books donated mark!!  This is a huge success for an awesome program that benefits underprivileged school kids!  If you are looking for a way to support the cycling community while at the same time helping to promote literacy, please consider donating to Ride for Reading!

Thursday...

How is it that I can write pages of material for this blog but when it comes to writing a paper for school, I get writer's block?!  I've got a paper due this morning that is about defining "Bicycling".  The requirement is four pages.  I ended up getting the requirement but I'd say three of those pages are actually worth reading. 

On another note, I attended the local Murfreesboro Bicycle Club road ride last night.  When I arrived, I was freezing!  I think Mother Mom went on vacation and left the fridge open.  This gave me the opportunity to test out my new cycling vest.  It worked great!  We had a nice sized group for it being early in the season.  Most of the hammer heads stayed home last night.  It must have been the temps (shaved legs don't insulate as well).  Mark B brought out the tandem.  He and Janet F saddled up and set a good pace to start out to.  It felt great riding behind a tandem for several miles.  At the first hill, I was feeling geared up and I took off.  My buddy Reid held on to my wheel till the next intersection.  I then started to crank it out a little harder.  At the mid way point, I was averaging 23.5 mph.  After that, the route opened up through corn and cotton fields.  The headwind was ridiculous!  When out in these fields, there is nowhere to hide.  Anyhow, I finished the ride off the front and away from the group with a 22.6mph average over 25 miles.  This was an awesome route with a few fun hills and some beautiful scenery.  In the coming months, the routes will get longer as the days get longer.

You never should get tired of seeing my beautiful face

This is Ride for Reading...

I have mentioned Ride for Reading several times in the past.  Here is an awesome video that was shot a few weeks ago at the last book delivery.  This really explains the concept of Ride for Reading.  Help support their future and visit their website at RideforReading.com

My Daily Commute...

A guy can only ride their road bike or mountain bike so often. When that's not happening, I am commuting. Back in August, my truck broke down on me. From that point, I decided I was going to living car-free or at least car-lite. Since then, I have fixed my truck but still embracing the car-lite lifestyle. This is given me the opportunity to save some money and maintain a base fitness.

I am really fortunate to have a quality commute route. Each morning I get up and head out the door for the 10 miles into town. My commute mostly consists of a few residential bike lanes in my neighborhood, to the greenway and then cutting through the historic district of town. Once I get to school, I am also fortunate to have covered bike parking. Commuting by bike really gives me the chance to get my mind focused about the day ahead. You wouldn't believe how often I will be riding and thinking about something to incorporate into an essay for class. Some of my best ideas come while on the bike. There are limited distractions while riding, especially while on the greenway in the early mornings. On the way home each day, I have the opportunity to debrief my thoughts. This is normally when I will add a few extra miles to my commute just to get a little extra time on the bike. All in all, I'm typically able to get about 20-25 miles of riding per day just with my commute.

I have definitely noticed the benefit of commuting by bike. Over the winter, commuting has allowed my to stay in shape without getting on the trainer. I really hate trainers. You sweat more than you should and you don't go anywhere. I'd rather ride in 5 degree weather than hop on the trainer. Being dedicated to commuting also hardens you to the different weather conditions. I could care less about what kind of weather I have to face each day. Over the past few months, I have been updating a lot of my clothing in order to accommodate the weather conditions I ride in. This is really important if you plan on riding in the extreme cold or in wet weather. The best piece of clothing I've been using has been my Cutter Knickers. They pants are cut to be comfortable on and off the bike. They are made of softshell material which sheds water pretty well during a light rain and dries pretty quickly after a heavy downpour. Any commuter should also have a good set of rain gear. My primary rain jacket has been a Marmot Aegis rain jacket and the Marmot Precip rain pants. As for shoes, I've really enjoyed my Chrome Kursks. These shoes look like Converse Chuck Taylors but have been designed for the urban cyclist. The sole is a bit stiffer and the shoes is made of nylon and rubber.  These shoes are great even when it's wet outside.  The nylon repels water pretty well except in the worst downpours.  Another key part of my gear is my pack.  I've been riding with a Chrome Kirov packpack since December.  This pack is designed for bike messengers so it has a lot of volume.  The pack has enough room to stash all my books, my laptop and a spare change of clothes if needed.  The inside of the pack is lined with a truck tarp material which keeps it pretty weatherproof.  The pack rides well on my back while on the bike but it does cause some serious back sweat when the temps are warmer.  During the warmer months, I'll probably switch over to some panniers or a messenger bag.  

Chrome Kirov

Another key aspect to commuting is, of course, the bike. I've got two bikes that are committed to being my primary commuter rigs. The first is my Surly Cross Check. This used to be my CX bike but has since been replaced by the All City Nature Boy as my race bike, I have turned the Cross Check into a commuter rig. The bike has full coverage fenders, 32c tires with semi knobby tread, triple crank and an 8 speed mountain bike cassette.  I really like the 8 speed setup for commuting.  The cassettes are cheap and the shifting works well indexed or on a friction setup.  This bike is mostly used when it's wet outside. I'm rocking the Velo Orange 48mm Fluted Fenders.  These have been great!  They are full coverage and look good on the bike.  My other commuter rig is a no-name hybrid bike that I've had.  This bike is surprisingly fun to ride.  I have an 8 speed drivetrain setup with a triple in the front on this bike.  I'm running 28c Pasela tires front and back.  The frame is completely covered with stickers.  This is the bike that I don't mind getting beat up a little bit on the bike racks.

My Surly Cross Check

My Sticker Bike

Commuting by bike isn't really that difficult.  It just takes a little more planning and some quality gear.  The fitness to complete your commute just simply comes with time.  As the weather starts to warm up a little bit, give it a shot sometime! 

Here are a few pictures from my commute:

Morning sunrise on the greenway

Happy commuter

Along the greenway

Approaching the town square

Downtown Historic District

Peck Hall on Campus

My Bike Parking Option

Heading Downtown

Approaching Train Tracks on the Greenway

Alternate route when train is passing

Old Fort Park on the greenway

Our greenway has some really cool bridges

Bike lanes in my neighborhood

Need I say more?

It's Hammer Time...

Last night was the first of many Tuesday Night World Championship rides.  Now that the time change has occurred, we've got enough daylight to bust out 40+ miles in the evening.  Well, last night felt like we've been riding all season.  We had a super strong group of about 10 or so guys, several of which this was my first time riding with.  The group left out around 4:45pm and a little less than 2 hours later, we were back.  The first half of the ride had a pretty intense headwind and several good climbs.  The second half of the ride, we were able to organize a steady rotating paceline that helped us make up the pace.  Several sprints were thrown in along with a nice breakaway led by Kurt P. and Matthew R.  These two guys were beasts last night!  Kurt has always been fast but this year he is nearly untouchable!  Anyhow, our group covered 42 miles with a 21.3 mph average.  I was quite impressed by the improvements that a lot of the guys have made over the last year.  I definitely look forward to the upcoming Tuesday Night rides in the future.

Today looks like some rain is coming in.  I'll load up my pack and hit my routine commuter route regardless.  With the weather we've been having lately, I think a nice rain ride is in order.  Unfortunately, I don't think my classmates are going to enjoy sitting next to a dripping wet Jimmy.  Anytime I ride in the rain, I just try to imagine that I'm racing in the 1994 Paris-Roubaix.  That was one hell of a race!

Sean Yates - 1994 Paris-Roubaix