A long time...

Well, despite the supposed fact that there are zero readers of this site, having never told anyone of it, I am quite dismayed that I haven't updated in now over seven months.

Many things have changed in my life, in fact, most everything has changed. I am currently no longer a student. I no longer live in Las Vegas. I no longer am a quasi-governmental employee. I am now single. And the biggest element, is that I am much happier now.

Back in April, I took a trip to California to visit some family and friends with the intent on purchasing a car that my brother found on Craigslist. The funny part is that after spending five or so days there, and after looking at the car, I bought a bike. Yes, I flew three hundred miles and instead of my intended goal, I bought the glorious aforementioned velocycle.

It is beautiful, and I love it. I had the shop I purchased it from install a fixed gear on the opposing side of it's flip-flop hub, and rode it the five or so miles back to my cousin's house as my first jaunt on a fixed gear.

I never fell, but I learned a lot very quickly. Firstly, downhill with a small gear is scary, you go very fast and since it is a small ratio, your legs are forced into spinning fast. Secondly, you shouldn't ride on a sidewalk on a fixed gear (you shouldn't on any bike, but I had no lights, yet), especially if you have a low bottom bracket or longer cranks, because your pedal will eventually hit a bump, and you will hear a low sound followed by a painful jolt into the air. Thirdly, you never, ever, ever, ever wear jeans or pants that have loose cuffs, there is no joke here, you can easily lose a chunk of your pant leg, and that's if you're lucky.

I have been on the side of a lot of different camps on this. I rode BMX as a kid, mountain bike as a teen, road bikes as a young adult, and now a fixed gear is within my armada. I have not sworn off gears, no right minded person should, but a fixed gear bike is the most exhilirating ride. It is very quiet, no freewheel buzzing, no shifter clicking, and it is also very quick since it is nigh weightless. My fixed gear bike at current weight just shy of nineteen pounds, my commuter (with rack) weighs roughly thirty-five pounds. I would recommend anyone who enjoys riding a bike, and does it as a workout, to try this. My legs are not small, and I have put over a thousand miles in the last two years on various bikes (relatively small distance for most cyclists), but still the fixed gear bike gives you a very intense leg workout in different areas than that of a standard geared bike.

Of course, being the wannabe fashionista that I am, I modified my "fixie" with a few of the necessary accoutrements. I ditched the drops, in favour of some Profile Design bullhorns. I stripped the front and rear brake setup, and put a simple Tektro black brake triggered by a Salsa cross lever. Some glorious MKS RX-1 pedals, racked and strapped with MKS black clips and white leather straps (all purchased from Ben's Cycles in Milwaukee) replaced the generic plastic pedals and ironic clips that were included by the shop. Despite the minimalistic trend, I need a bottle cage, and naturally I set my sights on the always classically beautiful Delta Inox to fill that niche. While I my be lacking the run-of-the-mill fixed gear clichés, I am proud to don my "hipster cyst's" known to the layman, err... laycyclist, as the Knog Frog paired by it's bigger brother, the Bullfrog in back. I have finished off with a white chain, a white Specialzed Toupe saddle, and the Apple sticker, showing my loyalty to Lord Steve Jobs.

I don't care if it's not über-sweet, or completely hipster friendly. Elements may seem ironic to hipsters, but then again, their ironic attempts are generally overshined by their aggregious misappropriations of funds, common sense, or both. The a proliferation of $40 headtube pads on bikes that likely cost $20, or over-extended quill stems on intentionally undersized bike, or my favorite, carbon-fiber wheels (HED 3s or Aerospokes) on lugged steel bikes. Irony is a key element, if not the definition of Velo Hipsters.

On a side note, I have attempted to nickname my crimson steed, but have yet to find a suitable moniker. Any input from my nonreaders or opinionated person who mistakenly stumbled upon this would be greatly appreciated, and credited justly.

Fixie Frenzy? (part one)

Today was a frenzy filled day. I finally took my initiative to empty out my storage unit and let it manifest into an action. I spent the earlier part of the day moving large, awkward objects and small, recreational ones.

In looking at the 4 skateboards I had there, I thought of all the memories that are tied up into the objects that we take for granted whenever we see them daily. One of the skateboards brought me back to nearly 8 years ago, when I bought it, and rode it regularly. I had once gone around a Lowe's parking lot with my best friend at the time and video taped us being stupid, and just trying to be cool despite our inability to land at least 90% of our tricks.

Later on, after shoveling a truckload of memories from one large box to another, I had a chance to go ride. I had left my road bike at my brother's a couple days prior, with intent to finally do the Red Rock Loop, but was waylaid by some wretched weather on Sunday.

I had been scoping out various bike shops in an attempt to determine my LBS of preference, and still have many to go, but I was able to check out Las Vegas Cyclery earlier on, before moving stuff. The shop has apparently expanded since I last visited there about a year ago, when the ongoing disagreement between my crank arm on my trail bike and I came to a battle, and it walked out on me (It actually just fell off when riding up Charleston).

It's a nice shop, fairly well organized, and the staff is friendly. I think I may be just a little too critical, but it can be quite disappointing whenever you look for something and a shop has only one option, if that.

I am trying to fix up a bike I was given by my uncle, which is a 15+ year old Japanese time-trial bike with a 650c (about 26") front wheel and standard 700c (29") rear wheel, giving the bike an aggresive rake. A replacement for the ancient tires is what initially led me to this shop, but as the 650c has become all be deleted from history, it is incredibly difficult to find a tire, or in the case of this shop, even a tube for said front wheel.

It took a bit to get some assistance (they were moderately busy, so I don't hold it against them), so I took the chance to peruse the big label stuff around the shop. They aren't host to my road bike of choice (Trek) but they have some amazing offerings from Cannondale and Specialized, two other huge names.

Here, I realized that this supposed "Fixed-Gear Revolution" has, in fact, hit Vegas. I had previously thought that with the constant slope of the valley mixed with the Summer heat and bike-unfriendliness would ward off any attempts of bike culture; but I was wrong. This store had a dedicated rack just for "Single Speed and Fixed Gear" bikes, and there were some beautiful ones.

The first one that caught my eye was a Specialized Langster, a very handsome bike at that, all matte black with classic drop handlebars. Then I looked a little to the right, and it was like i saw the sunrise for the first time again, or some other momentous magical event. I mean, seriously, look at this thing; it has a beautiful glossy red paint job with modest white letting, and accents on the downtube and fork.



It's extremely hard to resist. I want... no, need this bike and continue staring at it imagining the joy that could be had. It just needs a white saddle, white bottle cage, some circuitry (of course), and the black m520 SPD pedals from my trail bike.

There was a thread on BikeForums talking about this bike and referring to the Fixed Gear trend and how it is fueled by people with a need to be stylish, not by bicyclists (then there was a debate over the definition of 'bicyclist').

I take pride in my affinity towards bikes, I grew up with one, fawned over one, and I know own four with a prospective fifth. I don't ride with anyone, and am not a member of any riding group, clique or otherwise. I talk to people about how I enjoy riding, not how much I spent on my primo wheels or anything like that. If you like my bike, awesome; if not, oh well.

I own a truck, which I do plan on getting rid of in favor of a cheaper, more fuel efficient vehicle. I don't always recycle, but I try. If I am going somewhere nearby or even within reasonable distance, I opt for my bike, because I like it.

Tool or Toy?

Today I was thinking about how I have seen on many bicycle-related blogs they talk about how store bought (target, walmart, costco, etc.) bikes aren't very good quality because they are sold as toys for 12 year olds.

That made me assess what the bike is to me. I have ridden on and off for many years, but gotten more serious in the past 2 1/2 years. Still, my bicycle was still more of a recreational device for me. Even up until the recent future, I have viewed my bike as a replacement for the gym.

With that in mind, I have reappropriated my bike usage into two different categories. I ride to commute to work, so as to avoid using my truck, and that means that every mile I commute by bike is a mile that I am taking off of my truck.

I also ride, in a different manner, to exercise. Las Vegas weather is terrible for a fair chunk of the year, but during March/April, the weather can be gorgeous, and I want to take advantage of that to the best of my abilities. So I can either hop on and ride around, and enjoy it, or drive 2 miles to a gym where I would have to pay $25+ a month to be able to watch tv while doing the same thing. I'm sorry, what is the upside to that? Go outside, watch a sunset, look at the sky, breath in the fresh air while this planet still has some.

I neglect to list the time of day because the three times that I rode were during normal work commute hours, as many others do, to and from work and out to lunch.

Today's stats:
Distance: 4.37 miles
Average speed: 13.1 mph
Max speed: 22.5 mph
Overall time: 19:47

I'm not sure if my stats are going up or down, but I do know that if I rid myself of a car for one month, I will have saved enough money to buy a few new components.

Price Per Mile?

Recently, I decided to make a list of goals that is more extensive than just "be happy, get married and have six-pack abs". It contains goals both short and long-term, but realistic and laughable, and goals reasonable with little effort and some that will be harder than they sound.

On that list, I made a goal to make a realistic effort to reduce my "petrol dependancy" and I feel that I have done a decent job at it. I have been averaging anywhere from 20-30 miles a week on my bicycle, most of it being distance that I would otherwise traverse in my truck and that right there does add up.

Even with that feat, I still have to drive across town for class twice weekly, which adds up to over 45 miles in one day... yeah.

I absolutely love my truck, and load it up frequent enough to make me think it is worth it. That is, until I run the numbers.

Hypothetically, if I were to drive solely to my class in Henderson (roughly 22 360 miles in a single month. At 18.3 mpg(I've calculated every tank since I bought it, I know my fuel economy) that would come out to 19.67... gallons in a month, and with current prices of 3.24 (as of today, at my normal station) would come up to $63.74, adding on to that of course is my insurance. My insurance (which is the painful part, IMHO) is $240.10 a month, putting the total to roughly $303.84.

That means that every mile I drive, on average, costs 84.4¢ and moreover, every day I drive to class, I spend $37.94. Obviously I do drive more than that throughout the week, and that scales down the price per mile as I increase usage. Even with that in consideration, I am overlooking registration (alot) and maintenance costs (not much so far), so it is fair to assume that my rough cost is around that.

When I told a coworker that I intend on selling my brand new (9 month old) truck, they were rather surprised, until I explained this dynamic. Sadly, I know that I will have to buy another vehicle to replace this one, but I am looking into something that gets decent fuel economy (28+mpg), and more importantly, older (drastically lower registration and insurance cost, which still offsets potential maintenance costs due to age).

I recently had to drop one class just because I have felt overloaded, but now I feel guilty keeping this other class half way to Arizona. If I kept my truck, I would actually spend more money going to class for the rest of this semester than I would if I just dropped the class and retook it online in the summer.

This, of course, puts me in an awkward position. Should I eat the cost for now, until I find a replacement car? Should I drop the class and retake it either online or closer to home?

I feel that ultimately my decision in will be the correct one. I know I will feel like a quitter, but this entry will serve as a reminder as to why I got rid of my Tacoma and about difference that I am trying to make.

There is also the added bonus of stress relief. I truly enjoy driving, and used to frequently go for cruises all over the place, but Las Vegas has grown beyond its roadway's capacity and made traffic here worse than any Southern California traffic I've been in. Combined with a mildly traumatic accident several years back, driving here has become quite literally nerve wracking.

Thousand Dollar Bike, Hundred Dollar Lock, Ten Dollar Bike Rack

Today I made that horrendous drive across town to school, and after not having driven it for over two weeks due to spring break (and the week before that I thought was spring break) made it all the more apparent how much I dislike driving in Las Vegas

Thankfully I spent the whole afternoon at home, organizing, cleaning, and doing what makes me feel good. It's my goal to make my home finally feel like a home, and the sooner the better. The weather will be getting hot soon enough, and I know I won't be able to accomplish much as far as renovation/organization goes once that time comes.

I was able to do a moderate ride on my Marin trail bike, that I have now clocked over 200 miles with, and still have yet to name. She has a personality that suits me more than I am willing to fully accept. I love her quirkiness, and it has been further personified by the various mods I have done. I find a certain comfort in the sense of trying to tame the wild things around me, even though it's feat I have yet to accomplish.

Also, some new anti-theft measures have finally been put into place. They may not be very efficient, but my new security detail is comprised of a Kryptonite Evolution Mini and New York Noose. Both locks are very compact which has advantages and disadvantages. The chain weighs in at around 3 lbs and the U-Lock is at least 2 lbs, adding a slightly noticeable weight whenever lifting the bike with them attached. It may seem like a bit much, but the big daddy mother-of-all chains, weighs in at over 8lbs and looks more like a weapon than a retention device.

The big downside of securing a bike in Las Vegas is the obvious issue that few people ride bikes, so very few places have the proper facilities to secure a bike. When I go to starbucks, I love up to a 60lb umbrella and a table, at blockbuster I lock up to a 10+ ft tall handicapped parking sign. Now because of that, it is hard to get the entirety of what I need to lock, including the pole/sign/table and my rear tire to all fit in that U-Lock.

This whole predicament has made me think of a few things. First, why isn't there a legal requirement for bike racks that are somewhere along the lines of handicapped spot requirements. I doubt the ADA would back such a movement, but there has to be someone thinking about this. The state obviously is becoming more and more interested in alternate forms of transportation and is trying (at least slightly) to improve upon the infrastructure to support this. I think I should probably write my Congressman, because something should be done about this.

Today's stats:
Distance: 4.62 miles
Average speed: 15.9 mph
Max speed: 32 mph
Overall time: 17:26

Temperature: 68˚
Time: 5:30PM

It's (Almost) All Downhill

So that nice leisurely ride has finally come. After spending a couple days with my dear brother, I finally made the 11+ mile trek home. It was a gorgeous morning, and felt absolutely amazing.

I love the ride down Alta during midday, because once I pass Rainbow, I hold perfect pace with traffic. The lights are configured terribly and it's almost a guaranteed 90 second cycle for every one of those lights. There is a chance that Alta might actually be set up for someone doing the speed limit, because I hold around that speed and pass just in time... regardless, someone out there is making my commute that much easier.

The one thing that threw me was that I was going considerably slower than normal. That could be due to the load I had, which included my laptop bag, as well as some school books, clothing, and regular shoes. Afterwards, I weighed my gear and I was hauling around 40 lbs of stuff on my back and rack.

Today's stats:
Distance: 11.7 miles
Average speed: 18.0 mph
Max speed: 35.2 mph
Overall time: 38:54

Temperature:65˚
Time: 11:30 AM

The Holy Day

Well, today was a nice day. I slept in... again, but it was more easy going that just straight up lazy.

I went to the Memorial this evening, which in the Jehovah's Witness religion is essentially the only "holiday" wherein all "witnesses" worldwide commemorate Jesus death for our sins. It was refreshing to see a few people I haven't seen in quite a while. It's funny, because even though I haven't been much in the last year or so, a lot of it feels very comfortable and familiar.

Afterwards, I went with a friends and my family for dinner at a little mexican joint called "On The Border." It was a tasty dinner, with a couple margaritas to make it all the tastier. It's a shame I was completely full, because their dessert options looked great.

It's probably better I stopped when I did, since I am, you know, trying to get a little more fit. I am starting to feel guilty about this weekend. I started out so great with my 14+ mile ride, but fell into a lackadaisical pattern that I seem to be falling into more and more.

Tomorrow will be better. I need to get back on track and won't accept any less than success on my own part.

Now it is time to sleep. It's before midnight and I'm tired, so I will take advantage while I can.

Goodnight and goodbye.