The Late GREAT Bruce! (a.k.a. Bapster/BAPman)

The following is a message I sent on 9/14/10 about one of my most cherished acquaintances:

It is with the greatest sadness that I send you this news. Some of you already know. Bruce Phillips has passed. It is hard for me to write this as he was a very special member of the Port Angeles cycling community. He lead us to victory in Cascade Bicycle Club’s Summer Bike League for 2009. I took great pride in having his support for our efforts with regards to cycling in our fair city. I will deeply miss him.

He inspired me since the day I first saw him on the Olympic Discovery Trail. I was riding with my wife, Lisa and we were at the base of the Morse Creek climb when I threw a chain on my Cannondale trying to downshift a little too vigorously. We had just passed him on the trestle. He was riding his single speed. As I called out to my wife that my chain had come off, Bruce passed us and commented, “Gears SUCK!” That, I came to find out, was a very Bruce thing to say.

Later that year, we were riding the now defunct Olympic Cycling Classic and he passed us again, on his single speed . . . again, on the climb up Deer Park Rd. I tried to catch him but even with all the gearing combinations my 9-speed could muster, he was too strong. That’s how I want to remember him, “too strong”. And that’s why his passing is so difficult for me. Eventually we met over beers and discussed each other’s biking exploits. His cycling resume was full and accomplished. I told him about what I was trying to do for cycling in Port Angeles. He was enthusiastic about my advocacy.

Our lives touched ever so briefly, but he clearly had an impact on mine. I respected his uplifting demeanor and ability to cut to the chase and keep things simple and in perspective. Our community has suffered a huge loss in the passing of Bruce “Bapster/BAPman” Phillips. I wish I’d’ve known him sooner, longer, better. Nonetheless, I feel fortunate for having met him at all. I’m sure right now he’d tell me, “Forget all that sh*t about me and JUST RIDE!”

Thank you Bruce . . . for keeping it real.

Randall

FYI here's the obit:

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 11:32 AM, PDT

Bruce Alan Phillips

Surrounded by his family, friends and loved ones, Bruce passed peacefully away Friday September 10, 2010, after a courageous battle with cancer at his home in Port Angeles, Wa.

Bruce was born on June 30th, 1952 to William and Barbara Phillips in Roseburg, Or., and raised in Coos Bay/North Bend where he graduated from Marshfield High School in 1970. Shortly after high school, he went to work alongside his father at Menasha Paper Co. where he eventually became a Journeyman Millwright. After the closure of the Menasha/Weyerhaeuser Paper Mill in 2003, Bruce moved to Port Angeles, where he was employed at Nippon Paper as a Journeyman Oiler/Millwright.

All his life Bruce was an avid gardener and outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, skiing, bicycling and running. He completed numerous races, including the Boston Marathon. After several years of mountain bike racing, Bruce turned to road cycling, completing over 10 Cycle Oregon’s, 8 STP’s, 4 RAGBRAI’s and many century rides. He was very active in the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Oregon, where he taught bicycle safety and was instrumental in the cycling community in Port Angeles.

Bruce will be dearly missed, not only by his immediate family, but by his family of friends in the Port Angeles, Kirkland, Wa. and Coos Bay, Or. areas. Those friends that ran, walked, hiked, biked or worked with Bruce, were very important to him and dear to his heart. It was with them that he shared his greatest accomplishments, it was with them that he drew his strength and happiness and it was to them that he entrusted his life.

Bruce was preceded in death by his father William “Bill” Phillips.
He is survived by his mother Barbara Phillips and Bud Holmes of Mesa, Az., brother Steven Phillips of Longview Wa., sister K’Lynne Allsop of White City, Or., sister Mary Tabler of Portland Or., uncle Richard Bailey of Astoria, Or., nieces Ashley, Jordon and Kayla, and great nieces Tejah and Sydney.

A celebration of life will be hosted by friends Brian and Mo Mittelstaedt on Saturday October 2nd, 2010. For information and details, go to brianmo2002@gmail.com or call 360-452-2390.

Remembrances in Bruce’s honor may be made to Hospice of Clallam County and the Humane Society of Clallam County.

To view or sign Bruce’s guestbook at Drennan-Ford Funeral Home, please go to www.drennanford.com

In the words of the late great Bruce “Bapster” Phillips:

“It sucks to be you” BAP

Summer? Summer . . . Please Don't Go!

"Fogust", Mike said.  Fogust indeed! In fact, it was Fogust in Julyvember.  You know, that month between Fogust and Junuary.  Yep, it has been one of those summers thus far.  From our house, to the waterfront, the  temperature can be 10 to 20 degrees different.  We had some heat in July, but only about one week's worth. In any event, at least the weather has been stellar for just about every event ride we've done this year.  And we've done our fair share again this year.

We'll missed the Ride the Muse as it will no longer be sponsored. That was the toughest ride we did last year.  However, this year's Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC and Party (RSVP) win's top toughest ride honors for this year thus far.  We (Bruce, Shelly, Lisa and I) even think it was the toughest ride we've done yet. That's because we faced 25 mph headwinds traversing Skagit Valley on day one. We rode over 110 miles that day, climbed in AND out of Snohomish Valley and faced the sawtooth profile of Chuckanut Drive.  Last year we complained about Chuckanut and even called it names "F@#kanut Drive" (thanks Bruce S.).  This year, even in the heat of the day, we relished it as it relieved us of the incessant pounding of the wind.  We climbed, eight climbs to be sure, but we also glided the scenic descents and were able to recover. There was no such solace in the wind. One had to actually stop and dismount to catch any sort of break. The wind was heinous and relentless.




Our troop consisted of Bruce's wife Kathy, son-in-law Kyle, daughter Allison and grandchild Everett. Kyle and Allison rode but Allison had to abandon day two due to . . . let's just say equipment issues and leave it at that. We all had lunch together in Arlington at our favorite burger joint and motored on. Lisa and I cruised into Bellingham and headed straight for Boundary Bay brew pub. We had our well deserved and well earned savory beers as well as a succulent hummus plate.  Then it was off to the hotel to shower and regroup with the rest of our troop  Kyle soldiered on for day two and made it to Vancouver by 2PM. Lisa and I made it by 2:38 while Bruce and Shelly, well, made it a TAD later.

Fun was had by all recounting the journey at dinner both nights.  And, I want to personally thank Bruce S. for the wonderful dinner meal in Vancouver, BC.  Thank you Bruce! The sable fish was . . . delish. May the wind ALWAYS be at your BACK and may the trail rise up to meet you. Bruce ended up having to replace his entire . . . tire due to a rather horrendous gouge (can't remember which day). Luckily, there was a service repair vehicle moments away and he got it all, as my father would've said, "squared away".

We (consisting of Lisa, Shelly and I) also tried something new this year. Daring and bold and carbon footprint conscious, we rode home from Vancouver, BC. We're town mice, not city mice. We visit the big cities, but we're far more comfortable just living in our little town of Port Angeles where almost everything is within walking distance. So, the idea to ride through Vancouver across the Fraser River, twice (north and south forks), unassisted by 'Dan Henrys" seemed a bit daunting at the time. But hey, I'm a map guy. So this should be easy for me, right? Yeah, but add my wife and our friend Shelly and a heap or two of doubt and we gots ourselves a good ole fashioned ad-venture!

This particular adventure wasn't so straight forward as one might think. We had a busy city to traverse, a few rivers to cross and a couple o' ferries to catch. So I did my research. I wanted to avoid the George Massey Tunnel (GMT, not to be confused with the Canadian tax of the same abbreviation) as it involved catching yet another means of scheduled transportation, a "free" shuttle service.  University of British Columbia has collaborated with Google and put together rather awesome website that serves the greater Vancouver cycling community and visiting cyclists as well (http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/bikeways/planner.htm).

It will map your route from one given point to another using various criteria you can input. Least hills, shortest path, bicycle lanes/routes, greenest, least congested route, etc. are all filters you can enter to determine which route gets generated on the map.  AND, you can export it as a kml file and print the directions. Be sure to check your ink supply before trying to print it at home instead of the office! I ended up having to write them down on a piece of paper . . . with a pen.  I know, right?

I chose this website over some of the others like Bikely.com or MapMyRide, etc. because they were all rather random and somewhat anonymous and who could I sue if something bad happened along a given route? Just kidding! I looked at some of the routes others posted on those sites but couldn't be sure they were   do-able by bike. How do I know if some joker in a car turned on his/her GPS and routed an impossible route for cyclists just for spite? Anyway, the UBC/Google site gave me satisfactory detail and info to calm my anxiety. Like I said, I wanted to avoid the GMT crossing but to do that added about 20 miles to our route.  After riding over 180 miles in two days and listening to the sole two women I'd be leading I wisely decided that the shortest distance made the most sense.



The Cycling Planner had a link to the GMT which gave less than clear directions to the shuttle service pickup site on the north side but did give a schedule that I ultimately misread. Hey, I was thinking about allot of things . . . to think about . . . and stuff! I read the schedule as every hour on the hour except noon. I didn't think we'd be getting there any later so I kind of missed the part about not having any southbound service at 2PM. So sue me! (no, don't, not really please). The northbound service was every hour:thirty on the hour:thirty, except noon:thirty and . . . I wasn't really paying attention to that one because it didn't affect us since we were heading south.

But, the ferry service at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal does operate every hour on the hour. I still haven't figured that one out yet as it takes 1:35 minutes to cross. They must be using four(?) vessels. Anyway, back to the shuttle at the GMT, we left Vancouver around noon and followed my handwritten directions to the shuttle service pick up on the north side of the GMT. Oh, and, I chose this route because I was able to use Google Earth's "Street View" to actually traverse the part where we pass the signs that are posted along the road that takes us directly to the place where shuttle picks us up. You can actually read the signs in Street View.

Lisa, Shelly and I got there at 1:38. There're benches and a big sign with the shuttle service hours of operation (which I neglected to read clearly yet again). Luckily the shuttle driver drove up and dropped off a single bicycle rider from a northbound transit just a minute or two later. He asked us if we knew there was no shuttle service until 3PM. "Umm, er, no", we said. We (Shelly) immediately tried to bribe the guy with a 20 spot. Inevitably he capitulated and we got through the tunnel to the other side (but you didn't just read this part, understand?). He totally saved our bacon! (you didn't just read that either, okay?). From there, we headed on to the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen and caught the 3PM ferry (schweet!).

When we got to the other side, we headed straight to the Stonehouse! Ya kinda gotta take a left and then a right once you cross the bridge over the terminal entrance road. Anyway, it is our (Lisa and I) favorite endpoint for the Lochside/Galloping Goose trail. We also like the Sooke Bay Inn(?) at the end of the western extension of the Galloping Goose. We grab a late lunch and . . . a beer though I've yet to get too excited about ANY Canadian beer. Unfortunately, they're a bit like Belgium in that regard. We take our time and head straight south on the Lochside Trail all the way to Victoria where we end up staying at the Empress for the night. We arrive at sunset. Another stellar weather day and night on our trek. We clean up and bop out to the Banker and Bard Scottish Pub for some liquid refreshments and entertainment.

The next day consisted of breakfast, trying to find Shelly a top and catching the 3PM ferry home. Oh, by the way, did I mention that the Canadian ferries DO NOT serve beer? Yeah, apparently, their crossings are too long (over an hour) and since most of their passengers drove onto the ferry, they found it unreasonable to serve beer and/or wine. Bummer! Even the Coho doesn't serve beer. They'll sell you liquor via the duty free service on board, but cold beer and wine, not so much.  So, you can purchase a fifth of whiskey or vodka or scotch and . . . and what? Well, you get my point.

And there you have it. We traversed the daunting route from Vancouver, BC to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Now Lisa and I can catch a couple of ferries, a free shuttle service for cyclists and cross a few bridges to downtown Vancouver from little ole Port Angeles and back without use of a car. Mass transit and bicycles only please. Pretty cool. We'll be trying this again in the near future to watch some Canuckle-headed hockey games for sure.

Route Route: Vancouver to GM Tunnel Elev. Avg: 69 ft Location: Vancouver, Elev. Gain: -98 ft Country: Canada Up/Downhill: [+492/-590] Distance: 13.85 miles Difficulty: 3.1 / 5.0 Surface: rough Traffic: medium Water: Yes Food: Yes Lane: Yes Scenic: No This will get you from downtown Vancouver to the free shuttle pickup at the George Massey Tunnel. Part of this route is on dirt trail but it's road bike-able. Map Vancouver, Elevation (ft)

Posted from bimactive.com

Route Route: GM Tunnel to Tsawwassen Elev. Avg: 7 ft Location: Richmond, Elev. Gain: +13 ft Country: Canada Up/Downhill: [+229/-216] Distance: 10.46 miles Difficulty: 2.7 / 5.0 Surface: smooth Traffic: light Water: Yes Food: Yes Lane: Yes Scenic: No This will get you from the south end of the George Massey Tunnel (where the free shuttle drops you off) to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Map Richmond, Elevation (ft)

Posted from bimactive.com

Launch Day

So you want a little excitement?  Well, try getting on one of these babies while the swells are pitching a vertical difference of 6-10 feet.  This has to be one of the most dangerous aspects of ocean floor mapping.  The "davits" (sp?) were not really designed for such a heavy boat (so I'm told).  They're the cranes that launch the 4 survey launches over the side of the ship.  The tackle (hooks) are quite heavy and cumbersome.  I watched in wonder waiting for something to go wrong as the small boat heaved up and down and the deck hands timed the release of the hooks.  Precarious at best is really the only way to describe the operation.  I hope no one gets injurred during these operations.

I was fortunate enough to be allowed to sail on one of these "launches" yesterday.  The day started out all gray with some mild rollers (swells).  Our crew consisted of Tammy, Jon and Jim (and me).  I was mostly just along for the ride and the experience as the survey commenced rather unceremoniously and without much difficulty.  There was some issue with initializing of a particular piece of equipment but a quick shutdownd, wipe of a card and reboot and all was up and running.  The area we were mapping was flat as a pancake and sandy.  In other words, not much excitement and no need for me to hang over the bow to look for potential obstacles.  In other, other words, calm, serene, uneventful, at times boring, but otherwise peaceful and relaxing.

Eventually, the sun broke through and I was able to work on my sunburn/windburn.  It was . . .  (more later) . . .

Kandi!

You know when you walk into a place and look across the room and there she is? Well, it really wasn't long after I had purchased Trixi (see my first blog post for a pic), my first carbon fiber bombshell that I saw her.  I have to say that I immediately felt I had to have her! (Mr. NYCBikeSnob be damned, I name my bikes.  It's just the way it is, fashionable or not, ridiculous or retarded as that may be, I do.) I recently sold Ginger, my Cannondale R600 to a friend from USGS who is tall enough to actually fit her.  That's right, I had been riding a bike that was too big for me for around four years. Sixty centimeters is just too big.

When I bought Trixi, my carbon fiber Specialized Roubaix, she was around 58 cm and quite the smooth ride.  She fit like a dream and had those ergo handlebars that are oh so sweet.  One day I noticed a crack in the Shimano rims and took 'er into the local bike shop where I bought her for a look.  They contacted Specialized and Specialized shipped a brand new set of Rovall Eschapees as replacements at no extra charge.  Now that's service.  Plus, the red and black spoke paint job set off the all black bike something special.  Trixi and I were in a TV commercial ad for Sound Bikes & Kayaks (for about 5 seconds).  I still haven't seen the footage as it was on cable.

Anyway, I like to go downhill fast. After all, when you weigh over 200, going up is work and going down is our reward.  Here in Port Angeles though, there are a few sharp turns on a few steep descents. Especially at the bottom of the bluffs on my commute to work. I noticed "it" on the first ride to work on my new carbon bike.  When in a high speed descending tight turn with a little front brake pressure applied, Trixi would flex and buck her front tire with a shimmy, shimmy, shake, shake that was downright unholy!  That's how she got her name.  You had to use back brake more and front brake less to offset this precarious characteristic.  But, that usually only happened at around 35+ mph in a rather tight turn.  Ginger had a carbon fork, but she never did this.

I figured it out. Tom Boonen was right. Once his team, Quick Step, signed Specialized as the team bike, he wanted the Roubaix redesigned. Guess when that happened?  Guess when I saw Kandi for the first time? That's right, Kandi is the result of that redesign.  On an XL (58cm) Roubaix, the distance from the down tube to the cross tube on the head tube is rather great, about 4-6 inches.  On aluminum frames, this is not a great issue.
Cannondale has a greater diameter down tube AND head tube.  Boonen's redesigned Roubaix completely addresses this in spades.  We are talking serious stiffening of the tubes in question as well as adding some rather uncommonly appealing design lines.  The curvature of the cross tube is a through back to the old Sting Ray days and is done so well that this bike oozes with . . . sex appeal.  Remember the 70's era Corvette?  Yeah, just, like, THAT!

So, I named this bike before I ever rode her. How'd that happen? Somethings you can tell from sight alone. She is lipstick red with white and silver trim, delicious like candy. Her design, sexy, light and smooth as silk but sturdy and stiff like, like . . . hard candy. I got a cavity just from lookin' at 'er! (It's true, I had it filled last week.) So, I had about two years of ogling over her and after a few more high speed shimmies on Trixi, decided I needed to look at upgrading to a (pardon the pun here) sweeter ride.

That chance came when my good buddy Mike McH. broke a crank on his '64 Masi during the Fort 2 Fort on the 6th of June. He had noticed a crack near the pedal mount but rode it anyway and lo and behold, on a climb up West Valley Road, the crank gave way and he went down.  He scraped his knee but no serious harm was done. However, he had to abandon the ride.

His wife, Nancy McH. knew I was in the market to sell Trixi as I had suggested so to Mike. She wanted to know specifics and I told her my issues and that ever since Matt, Mike and I rode up Hurricane Ridge and, in particular, down it, Mike hasn't wanted to ever go fast again.  That day Mike and Matt showed up to do the much anticipated torture trip and just as we were about to mount our steeds, Mike noticed his rear tire was flat.

He repaired his tire but failed to ensure the hub was aligned properly due to the nature of the "straight back" (single speed style) drop outs.  Well, coming down Hurricane Ridge at speed with a mis-aligned rear hub will put the fear of God into anyone!  He was white as a sheet when he finally arrived at the rest stop where Matt and I were wringing our hands wondering what the hell happened to him.  He was 12 minutes behind us for crying out loud!  That did it for Mike. I seriously don't think he'll ever be a downhill demon not that he ever was. But that trip was it for him.  To this day he's sworn off high speed descents (for life).

So, that makes Trixi a good fit for him.  He'll never push it like I like to (and probably shouldn't but do anyway). Nancy wants to buy Trixi for him for him for his birthday (don't worry Nancy, no one reads my blogs anyway, especially Mike).  I priced her to sell and believe that Mike will get many, many years of joy from riding that smooth as glass carbon frame!

Having said all that, my wife, Lisa, gave me the green light to go ahead and buy Kandi, which we did Saturday.  Then, we rode the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) from Port Angeles to Blyn and back.  We stopped at the Longhouse Chevron Station for a paninni per our usual.  Lisa needs to get miles under her to be ready for the Seattle to Portland (STP) so this was a planned ride.  Unfortunately, it was cooler and cloudier than Saturday (we rode Sunday) and by the time we got to Blyn, the weather was downright chilly willy!  Nonetheless, we headed back and heated up some as it is a slight ascent most of the way back.  Lisa suffered some pain nearer the end of our trek but managed to stretch AND tough it out.  She's a serious trooper!

The Voyage to Map the Bottom of the Sea

It started with an email.  Someone I knew recommended asking me whether or not I'd like to take on a volunteer position helping the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary map the sea floor off the coast of Cape Alava for two weeks. Apparently Katie B. suggested me to Nancy W. and I was invited to join a the NOAA vessel Fairweather and her crew and scientists on a sea floor mapping mission.  Hmm, do something different for a change?  Get out of an In-Law-festated house for a switch?  I jumped ALL OVER IT!! How many opportunities like this can one expect in life?

My father was a 30-year Navy man but I was never really exposed to life aboard a ship at sea.  My first vague memories on board a ship was coming back from Rota, Spain when I was around 4 years old.  I'm sure it took some time crossing the Atlantic but I remember not being able to use the pool, 1) I didn't know how to swim and 2) there wasn't a wading pool for kids.  When we arrived in New York Harbor, it was foggy and I couldn't really see much of the city, just vague forms of monolithic buildings disappearing into the grayness.

Other than that, I've toured a few Navy vessels on class trips and slept aboard my father's ship more than once or twice.  Then there're the Seattle ferries which I love but that's different. The trip lasts less than an hour at most.  I've been on a cruise ship for a few days.  I've been on whale watching tour boat in heavy seas for a day.  'Been on various boat based fishing trips.  Perhaps the most exciting ship board experience of my life has to be the Dependent's Day trip aboard the Nimitz.  That was AWESOME.  We sailed from Indian Island out to just off the coast of Sequim in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The ship went operational with several key aircraft launching and landing to demonstrate operations while we stood on the deck and watched!


Well, this voyage might not have the excitement of listening to the afterburners of an F-14 Tomcat or F-18 Hornet taking off the flight deck while standing a mere few hundred feet away, but this has the makings of an epic journey into . . . boredom?  Perhaps. But, I wouldn't miss it for the world! We'll be, how do you say, literally charting uncharted waters.

I'll be on a launch doing near shore surveys using multi-beam sonar and then downloading it and post-processing it.  Yeah, that's the mundane stuff until you realize just how cool it'll be to have that data!  It's like LiDaR (which is like radar) of an alien landscape.  Think of the NASA stuff, you know, the maps of the surface of the moon and mars and such?  Some of that's done using radar (radio waves).  We do the upland earth in LiDaR (which uses laser light instead of radio waves).  Now using sonar (which uses sound waves) we'll be mapping high resolution digital elevation models of the sea floor.

Folks like me are classified as visitors on board.  We've been oriented on where to be when and how to don our "Gumby" suits (a.k.a., Mustang Survival Suit). So far, we've drilled for fire and for an abandon ship.  Everything went smoothly.  I believe this is quite old hat to the crew, which is good.  Ya wanna crew that . . . knows what ta do in an emergency.  The food is supreme!  I'm planning on losing some weight for the coming Seattle to Portland ride come mid July.  Mostly I figure I will since my carb intake will definitely go waaaay down (this is a no booze cruise).  However, I must resist some of the delicious carbs being served at meal time.  Last weight check: 206 lbs.  We shall see in 14 days.

Tour de Trails o' Boulder

After yesterday's tour de force of LiDaR 2 workshop mania from 7am to 11pm, I was nearing my capacity to absorb information (esp., Ph.D. level info).  It was a long day yesterday and I'd just about had my share of sitting on hard, uncomfortable conference chairs.  One more day though.  One more day of sitting and squirming and wishing I could be out on a trail somewhere taking in the thin Colorado air and soaking in those dangerous high altitude photons.  But I have to admit, the workshop was very, very informative if not, at times, over my head.  What do you expect from a room full of Ph.D.s?

Nonetheless, the workshop wound down to an end and everyone was milling about waiting for the hotel bus or the airport shuttle.  The clouds came and went all day and the wind seemed to be ever present, but the temps hovered just under 80 deg F.  I figured that as long as I could make it to the bike shop in time, I'd rent a bike over night and ride the rest of the day until dinner.  But this time, instead of a $20 "Dorkster", I'd pike a road bike.  They had Giant Defy 1 and 3 and I picked the lower end one but they were out so I got the upper end one for the lower end price. So, I took a few pictures and for some reason, my GPS quite each time so I had to cobble the routes together:

  Cycle 06:39 pm
Boulder, CO  Cycle  06/02/10  --  9.99  0:50:37  11.8 mph





  Cycle 05:52 pm
Boulder, CO  Cycle  06/02/10--  7.51  0:35:02  12.9 mph





  Cycle 05:27 pm
Boulder, CO  Cycle  06/02/10--  3.07  0:17:54  10.3 mph

ACTIVITY

Route:	Tour de Trails o' Boulder
Location:	Boulder, CO,
Date:	06/02/10
Time:	07:51 PM
Weather:	Partly Cloudy
	79 F temp; 24% humidity
	76 F heat index; winds WSW 6 mph

I have to tell you, if you ever want to see what a "state of the art" bike path system looks like, you gotta see Boulder, CO.

The Bolder Boulder

I flew into Denver today. I have a workshop to go to. As I'm driving my rental car to Boulder--okay, okay, it happened while I was in flight over Boulder.  I looked out of the airplane window and watched what had to be Boulder slip by beneath us.  I could see a creek below and just knew there had to be bike paths all along it.  And from our elevated perspective, I thought for sure I was seeing them. Well, that got confirmed during my drive in the rental car to Boulder.  What I didn't know, was exactly where the hotel was AND that the "Bolder Boulder 10K Run" was happening as I was driving into town.  I eventually learned that there were about 60,000 people who entered and ran this Memorial Day event.  The other thing I didn't know was that every year, Boulder holds a Boulder Creek Festival. Yeah, there was some traffic. As some of you might have guessed by know though, is that as I was driving watching cyclists left and right of me, I became hell bent on figuring out a way to ride some of the bike paths and bike lanes I began seeing everywhere in Boulder.  So, I asked at the desk at around 12pm and was assured I could get a cruiser for about $10.  But, when I went to the sport shop, it was closed. Never fear, I was directed to the Boulder Bikesmith Bike Shop (http://boulderbikesmith.com/) just a short walk away in the nearby shopping center, next to--get this--a Performance Bike Shop.  Bikesmith rented bikes and I was itching to sooth my poor bum from the punishment of a 3-hour airline flight and about an hour and a half car ride. So for under twenty bucks, I got a "dorkster" upright ride complete with helmet AND lock.  It was a "comfort bike" but I felt completely unnatural on it.  Nonetheless, it was a set of wheels and within minutes, I was cruising the Boulder Creek Trail.  I rode for over 12 miles and got a tad lost (see below) but everyone on the trail was very nice to let me know how to get where I was going. In fact, and you're not going to believe this, a guy in a car asked me if I was lost.  I said, "sorta" and he asked where I wanted to go.  I had spotted the Boulder Brewery & Pub on the hotel map and he let me know how to get there but thought it might be closed.  He even lead the way and when I got there we concluded it was indeed closed for Memorial Day.  But he suggested I go to Pearl St. and I'd find what I was looking for which happened to be lunch and a cool one. I eventually got back on the trail and finally got headed in the right direction and then ended up heading right into the Boulder Creek Festival.  It - was - packed!  I had to dismount and wade through the crowd.  I finally stopped to ask how to get to Pearl St.  I stopped to watch some street performers and then checked the map for a pub.   I ended up at the Walnut Brewery and had a fantastic chicken sandwich and some finely crafted brews before I headed back to the hotel. And then, I ended up watching the Flyers out hustle and out play the Chicago Blackhawks  only to lose 2-1.  Niemi was a friggin' wall!  Whatta ya gonna do?  It's back to Philly for games 3 and 4.  I don't want another Boston series, dammit!  LET'S GO FLYERS!! Activity Route: Boulder Creek (sorta) Elev. Avg: 5270 ft Location: Boulder, CO, Elev. Gain: +62 ft Date: 05/31/10 Up/Downhill: [+321/-259] Time: 04:15 PM Difficulty: 4.1 / 5.0 Weather: Sunny 82 F temp; 15% humidity 77 F heat index; winds E 4 mph Map Elevation (ft) Speed (mph)

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Hell of the West (backwards)

MAP It's a beauty ride that has a little of everything; mountains, rivers, lakes, beaches, forests, farms and, of course, highways, clear cuts and city streets (small city). The weather was perfect for the climbs, overcast and cool. Still, we'd've enjoyed some sunshine though, especially on the downhills. It was the Irish Triumvirate consisting of Matt, Mike & Me. We're a good group for the ride and I always get my workout being the heaviest of the three of us on the climbs. Downhill though, I'm rather like a rock in free fall, untouchable. I still want my big BIG chain ring though. I want to be able to catch Glenn sometime. I rode with him on a Spirit Wheels ride about a year or two ago and we did the eastern portion of the OCC (the now defunct Olympic Cycling Classic). He started bombing down O'Brien Rd. and I figured I'd uber-tuck and see how soon I'd catch and pass him. But then, he did something I wasn't expecting. At 35+ mph, he started pedaling and I couldn't keep up. He started pulling away and I geared all the way up to Big Daddy gear and was pedaling air, no chain tension no matter how fast I whipped the pedals around. I was at a distinct disadvantage here. He had the BIG gear! SPEED (MPH) Well, this ride, the "Hell of the West (backwards)" has become somewhat of a traditional ride.  I tend to sign the boys up for the Fort 2 Fort every year (except last year due to cancellation) and we collectively need to train for their first event ride of the year.  So, without fail, we'll ride the Hell of the West . . . backwards. ACTIVITY Route: Hell of the West (backwards) Elev. Avg: 413 ft Location: Port Angeles, WA, Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 05/29/10 Up/Downhill: [+6404/-6404] Time: 02:07 PM Difficulty: 4.4 / 5.0 Weather: Cloudy 50 F temp; 85% humidity 50 F heat index; winds WNW 15 mph I was introduced to the course back during the limited Olympic Cycling Classic days, a May ride to remember.  It was part of the standard or English century (as opposed to the metric century) that started from the city pier.  After having ridden the eastern 62 miles of the eastern part of the course, the Hell of the West (forward) headed west along 112, across Piedmont to 101, etc.  It was truly hellish because by the time you made it to the city pier, the westerlies were blowing and you were in a headwind all the way out to Salt Creek. Once down Camp Hayden Rd., you get the beautiful view, at beach level, of the beach.  But, then comes the wall!  The road follows along the beach front and you're having one of those magical moments on two wheels where the whole world and all of your petty troubles fall away and your in some sort of serene setting just experiencing one of those moments in your life that you pray to your deity of preference you'll be seeing again that momentary eternity just before you die. And then, the road takes an turn and you realize your dream sequence has abruptly ended and you are heading straight for an epic climb that will be having you cursing a blue streak that'd make a sailor blush, your mother cry and have dock workers taking notes as you start slamming gears and stomping on your pedals.  Sweat will start to pour off of your nose and chin and everything pointing down in bullet sized plops as you read the pink spray paint some sadistic lunatic sprayed on the road, "GOT GEARS?"  You may even think you're about to black out from lack of oxygen as your lungs feel like they're about to explode and your legs feel like they're about to ignite your Lycra bike shorts. And then, somehow, through some sort of miracle of modern science and/or technology or perhaps an actual miracle of the Pope kind, you've made it to the top.  Now, due to oxygen debt, your idyllic end of life dream sequence has vanished forever.  Those neurons are now just the latest casualties of the battle to get you from where you started to where you were going, back to where you started. Sounds crazy when you put it like that but, there it is.  You'll have to reinforce that memory some other way. But wait, there's more.  There's the Piedmont climb, something like three miles of 8% that'll have you wondering whether or not you're on a conveyor belt made of asphalt and you're heading in the wrong direction.  And, the Hell of the West forward has perhaps one of the most sadistic twists yet.  At mile 100 (if you're riding the whole OCC course), after descending down Indian Valley heading east on US 101 still, oddly, into a headwind, you take a turn onto Olympic Hot Springs Rd. and then a quick left onto Little River Rd. ELEVATION (FT) That's right, you'll be heading UP Little River Rd. after having already ridden 100 miles.  The inaugural ride of the OCC, Lisa and I opted out of the Hell of the West precisely because we didn't think that after riding 100 miles, a feat in itself, we'd be able to even look at the 15% section of Little River Rd. without falling off our bikes, curling up into fetal positions and bawling for our mommies.  The next two years though, and sadly the last years of the event, we did the whole 100+ miles and 6500+ feet of climbing. Little River Rd. starts with a false flat and is quite dreamy (watch out).  Within less than a quarter mile or so, you're looking for the crease in the road where the floor meets the wall of vertical that'll make a man out of any pantie waist that climbs it, male OR female.  It's 15% for a very short mile by tape measure, but it's an eternity by sweat measure.  I learned it wasn't impossible, just unthinkable for the uninitiated.  Just go to granny and grind that puppy up. Well, remember that dream sequence you wanted to savor?  The one you hoped you'd be seeing when things got rough or relaxed or whatever?  There is a way to bring it back.  I know just how to do that.  Ride the damn thing BACKWARDS!  Those asphalt walls of voodoo turn into flights of shear terror and unimaginable exhilaration.  And that's just what we did this Saturday.  Not the whole OCC ride, but the Hell of the West backwards.  If you've got the opportunity, this one comes highly recommended. Performance Distance: 43.83 miles Time: 3:21:11 Speed: 13.1 mph Pace: 4' 35 /mi Calories: 2470

Posted from bimactive.com

Five Bridges Tour NYC!

Activity Route: Five Bridges Tour, NYC! Elev. Avg: 23 ft Location: New York/Central Park, NY, Elev. Gain: -72 ft Date: 07/03/09 Up/Downhill: [+1328/-1400] Time: 01:04 PM Difficulty: 4.8 / 5.0 Weather: Mostly Cloudy 75 F temp; 63% humidity 77 F heat index; winds NW 4 mph Map Elevation (ft)

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The Story of Jack-Jack & the Big Apple

Now I got Jack-Jack in New York City last summer.  Yeah, he cost a bit in the big city and then some more to get 'im all the way home, but DAMN it was AWESOME to ride in the Big Apple.  Got 'im at Toga's Gotham City Bike Shop down in Tribeca.  Lisa was there at Columbia University to take classes for teaching . . . stuff, and I came along . . . BECAUSE IT WAS THE BIG APPLE!!  Our first day, was all travel, schlepping luggage and dealing with hotels (don't even get me started).

Lisa didn't start her seminars until Monday so Sunday, we walked over to Central Park, two blocks west, as we stayed at a hotel in the middle of Upper East Side.  We got to Central Park and went to cross the main street loop just after breakfast and were dumb founded by the traffic.  It was ALL bicycle traffic and some joggers and a few roller blade-ers, but about an STPs worth of bicycles!

There I was, for a week in the Big Apple, Lisa would be at her classes at CU from 8-4 and I would be touring around . . . on foot?  Seeing all those bikes in Central Park on Sunday and then the bike lanes and the sheer number of commuters and recreational riders had me frothing.  I MUST RIDE IN NYC!  I immediately thought to rent a bike and tour the city that way.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was contemplating purchasing a single speed for the coming winter.  It dawned on me, this town might have a few bike shops that I could haunt for some insight, rentals, test rides and whatnot.  Come Monday, I was gonna do some ground work.

It became my mission. Soon, I was absolutely possessed.  It was the perfect distraction.  I went to the hotel's computer room and started Googling bike shops in NYC.  The first bike shop I hit, I asked for costs to rent a road bike and a helmet.  Fifty bucks a day.  No matter which bike shop I visited, it was patently the same.  Hmm, five days riding, that's $250 bucks I'd never see again.  Two hundred and fifty bucks, that's nearly half the cost of a mid-ranged single speed.  I'd been looking at getting a Specialized Langster and they've been around $650 - $850+.  Nah, I couldn't spend $250 to rent when it could go toward a solid purchase.

Hey, how 'bout scouting the classifieds?  Well, I don't know the story behind it, but NYC ain't got no classifieds that I could determine.  I'm not much of a newspaper kinda guy anyway, but if there's a classified section in a NY paper, it might be in some special place I couldn't figure out how to find.  Maybe it's written in lemon juice and I just need to heat the pages up to see it.  They must've gone totally online. So I asked the bike shops if they had any used bikes I could buy (and then give away).  I mean, someone somewhere in this mega-metropolis must have an old Schwinn Varsity or something that's been rusting on a fire escape somewhere that they'd sell for 50 bucks or so?

The bike shops started pointing me to Lower East Side.  I found a "Recycle Cycle" or something down there and  I knew from all of the Law & Order shows Lisa makes me watch (ah, I like 'em too) that the Lower East Side is where all the shit hits the fan so to speak.  Bodies end up in the East River mostly.  The Hudson is on the west side and it's a bit more upscale there.  Actors bodies are found dead from overdoses there.  Bankers who've pilfered their customers nest eggs get arrested there.  You know, white collar upscale crap happens there.

But, the Lower East Side, that's a different frame of mind.  As soon as I got off the bus, I knew this would be an "on guard" situation.  Eyes darting when know one's looking and such.  But, that day, it wasn't bad.  I got to that recycle cycle place and walked into a rather dusty grimy kinda hole in the wall joint where you could basically bring your own bike in and, as long as you didn't steal the tools (I think they were on chains anyway), you were good to work on your own shit.

So I walk into this place and waited for the . . . any body to kinda pay attention to me.  I remember looking around and wondering where any of the bikes for sale were.  Most of them were tagged for repairs.  Of course, I was looking for a used bike in my size and when I finally got someone's attention, he said they had a used road bike my size for $75 but it wouldn't be ready until Friday.  DAMN, that close.  That'd be one day on a piece o' crap for $75.  NOPE!  Not gonna do it.  That did it, I'm officially, in the market!!

Some would think I'm nuts.  And, to some degree, I am.  Who goes to NYC and doesn't visit the museums and galleries and theaters and clubs and the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building and all that tourist crap that people who go places do. I called my cousin in Allentown but he was down with a pulled achilles or something so I'd've had to rent a car and drive down their and deal with the traffic and gas and . . . fuggetaboutit!  I was shopping for a bike dammit and nobody, place or thing was going to stop me from achieving what we Americans cherish above all else!

Yeah, we're sick that way.  But the pros of this particular purchase far outweighed any conceivable cons.  Single speeds have one cog, thus one gear.  If you flip the rear wheel, the flywheel hub is converted into a fixed hub and your immediately thrust into an elite status, a "fixie rider" or just plain "fixie". Well, I'm no bike messenger so flywheel coaster it would be . . . if I got one.  So, I picked up a great bicycle map of Manhattan (http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/nyc-bike-map/) and began to strategize my way around to (honestly) almost every damn bike shop on the Island.

Now, you know, I was already testing and eying and asking about Langsters and sizes and costs and styles.  I was really wanting to get a NYC styled Langster.  It was taxi cab yellow with a stripe of black and white checkers.  Come on!  THAT'd be WAY cool!  But, I didn't see a one.  Next on my list, was a Seattle version.  I did see one, green with white walls and handlebar tape but it just didn't really do anything for me.  Yeah, GENUINE IMITATION WOOD VENEER fenders with a . . . handlebar mounted coffee cage.  Really?  REALLY!?!  Nope.  That's just not me.  Then there was the Tokyo model.  Race track style white taped handlebars with a black/white/gold/maroon frame in Asian stylized images and fonts an' stuff.  Way cool!  Too cool!  Too pretty!  I wanted something to ride in the Pacific NW winter, not a show piece I'd feel guilty about every damn time I didn't religiously wipe down with a chamois cut from royal baby swaddling.

Nope.  Too much to worry about, really.  Yeah, she's a beaut, but I was looking for something more of a beast.  Besides, I'd be riding this thing all around NYC and I didn't want to get mugged right off of my brand new bike!  Hey, I'm from Jersey and I don't know shit about NYC.  Anyway, if I could avoid undue paranoia, I would.  So, I searched and searched and finally found Jack-Jack at Toga's Gotham City Bikes in Tribeca (http://togabikes.com/storelocator/gotham-bikes-downtown-2.htm).

He felt just right but the size was rather small for me I thought, 56 cm.  I had doubts and thought maybe I should try a larger size.  But the more I thought and the more I inevitably rode 'im, the more right he felt.  I tried a Giant single speed at a shop on Upper West Side and it was a 58 cm steel frame but when I tried to go up an incline along the Hudson River bike path, I had to jump off.  That bike was too something and I couldn't put my finger on it, exactly.  Jack-Jack on the other hand, allowed me to wrench his aluminum frame with some decent leverage rather easily and the inclines were much more possible.  So, I had texted Lisa a picture of Jack-Jack.  We'd already discussed the logic of buying a new bike in NY and shipping it home and all so she was cool with it.  And, I knew she wished to join in the fun as well, but it wasn't to be.  Not on this trip.  (I definitely married the right woman).  So I bought 'im!

What now?  RIDE!  That's what!!  Where?  Friggin' A, the whole city is has bike paths/lanes and people were riding all over the place! So let the adventure begin (or continue as it may).  I set out the very next day touring NYC the best way I could imagine, on bike!  I hit the Hudson River trail on my ride back to the hotel and detoured through Central Park.  It was AWESOME.  Lisa was excited for me and I took her out for a few drinks and then to dinner and whatever else she wanted to do.  We hit the town and had a blast.

The next day, she rode a bus to Columbia U and I rode the East and Hudson River trails as well as Central Park.  I wanted to ride as much of NYC as possible and when I looked at the bike map, the bridges were calling, SCREAMING out to me.  I could ride every bridge in Manhattan!  What a concept.  Now that's what I call an adventure.  So, the next day, it would be our last day in the Big Apple, I rode every damn bridge I could:

The Brooklyn Bridge.

http://www.nycbikemaps.com/spokes/video-bike-ride-across-brooklyn-bridge/

The Manhattan Bridge.

http://www.nycbikemaps.com/spokes/video-bike-ride-across-the-manhattan-bridge/

The Williamsburg Bridge.

(no video, yet)

The Queens-borough Bridge.

http://www.nycbikemaps.com/spokes/video-bike-ride-across-the-queensboro-bridge/

The Pulaski Bridge.

(no video)

Broadway Bike Lane.
http://www.nycbikemaps.com/spokes/video-bike-ride-down-broadway/

And perhaps my newfound, most favorite-est bridge of all time--and for now Lisa has the pic on her cell and I haven't downloaded it yet but will upload a Panoramio image as a placeholder--has to be the pedestrian drawbridge that crosses from Manhattan Island to Randalls/Wards Island.  You read that right, it's a pedestrian drawbridge!  Un-F-ing-believable!  Only in NYC could the masses get a drawbridge specifically for . . . walking/bicycling.  I have to tell you,  we had to walk across it and I had to ride across it.  It should symbolize the future of transport!