Easy Come Easy Go, Craigslist Success

Just a little while ago I bought a Surly Cross Check off of craigslist. After trying my best to make it work, the 56cm frame was too damn small. So after removing the New Bike Utility Cargo Basket, back it went on craigslist and bam! it's was gone. Out of my life as fast as it came. We had a short but sweet run my little friend.

But enough lamenting, I just ordered a new 58cm Long Haul Trucker... Huzzah! It should be here next week. I am pumped to have a bike as tough, versatile, and pimpin' as the LHT. I ordered the ugly green color because it was less ugly than the ugly Truckaccino cream color. At least it's not Beef Gravy Brown. Ok, I am down with the muted earth tones, but shit colored? Really? WTF Surly? It was not an easy choice between the Cross Check and the LHT but now that it's made I feel as light and free as a little girl. tee hee!

Now go forth and give this weekend a good kick to the solar plexus

Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up! Oh Wait, No They're Not...

The commute in this morning was rough for several reasons; the first of witch is that it finally rained last night after a week of daily threats making Sligo Creek Parkway a tangle of road closures and downed trees. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, only because the rain is now warm enough that shorts and a jersey are all the outer protection I need. Also because I wasn't in a car! (tee hee)

The second reason is that over the three day weekend my friends and I emptied these growlers (lovingly filled by the good folks at Rock Bottom Brewery in Bethesda) twice. 

Onto other oddities of the long weekend. While out for a ride at Rosaryville I came across this scene.  A toaster and percolator from the 50's left trailside for anyone with a long enough extension cord.

This oddity truly took me (and my wallet) by surprise. The CycleLife Cafe under the bridge in GTown is something to behold. I have heard of high end bike boutiques popping up in NYC but had never experienced one for myself. Equipped with a coffee bar, an Apple Store like environment, ultra high end product line, and a ridiculous mark-up, the CycleLife Cafe will surely get the Georgetown polo circuit in a tizzy.  Not being their target demographic, I will merely windowshop as I can't even afford a Clif Bar there. ($2.63 WTF!)

Next up is the building that won the Cycle Jerk award last week for being the building that most looked like Miami threw up in downtown Bethesda, has received yet another badge of honor, this time from the city itself. Keep up the good work assholes!

And finally, it looks like the purple line project has been scrapped for the ever popular Runoff Line or the "Brown Line". This will make it possible for runoff to easily flow between Bethesda and Silver Spring eliminating back ups and log jams in local creeks and waterways, at the same time giving the area youth something to spray paint on.


May 26th, the Tuesday that's pulling double duty as a Monday as well.

Bike To Work Day: Blowing My Cover

Not only was the Curse of BTWD broken (technically), but it went off swimmingly as usual. The turn out seemed to be only slightly better than last year's, possibly because the forecasters were calling for a week of non-stop hurricanes. 

I have to give a shout out to Brian from Craigslist for his generosity. After putting out a plea to borrow a child trailer (in the non-erotic bike section), he replied and offered his with no strings, not ID request, and no collateral required. He even dropped the trailer off at my house! So hat's off to you sir, karma has a piece of cake with your name on it.

With trailer and sweet little girl in tow, I went about my usual route to Bethesda. It was my daughter's first bike ride and she loved it. When arriving at the Bethesda pit stop I stowed the bike and grabbed the girl and headed for the registration tent to see if there was still time to win some shwag. I had another reason to check in. Earlier in the week I got an e-mail from Rachel from Bethesda Transportation Solutions who told me I had been chosen for the 2009 Bike Spirit Award. WOOT!

Luckily, my daughter and I always carry
our black rectangles with us... 

And now I would like to give props in the form of the Annual BTWD CJ Awards. It was tough this year but I do believe the cream has risen to the top. 

Most Peugeotiest Bicycle

Comfiest Accessory

Coolest Throwback Bike
Makes me want to get all tweeded out.

Coolest Bell

Best Hair to Bike Color Coordination
as well as
Bike with the Most Tourqe Couplings
Congrats Tamzin!

Building That Looks Most Like Miami
Threw Up In Downtown Bethesda

Best Actually Old Bike

Furriest Accessory

And finally the Best My Bike Award
Thanks again for the trailer Brian!

So there you have it, no rain and an award enabling me to be even more obnoxious towards my friends and coworkers. I would say that qualifies as another good BTWD.

Monday Out!

If They Were Easily Broken We Wouldn't Call Them Curses

Ok ok, so maybe it's going to rain, who cares! Wouldn't you rather be a little wet and kicking ass than dry and lame?
Think about it.

In honor of tomorrow being Bike to Work Day I made a time lapse video of my commute to Bethesda this morning. It's a little shaky but it's my first attempt.

Silver Spring to Bethesda
25 min boiled down to 1:55

On that subject, this morning Golden Triangle is giving away a bike and announcing the announcing the winner of their artistic bike rack design contest in honor of National Bike Month and Bike to Work Day. At the south entrance to the Dupont Circle metro Golden Triangle will unveil the winning artistic bike rack, designed by local architect Olivier Delacour at 10:30 which is right about now. Here is a photo of the winning design which seems to be leaning towards the flagrantly literal. Kudos to you Oliver Delacour.

Bike To Work Day, Breaking The Curse...

For the last two years the Bike to Work Day festivities have been somewhat soggy. As we all know, for many cyclist and non cyclist,  a few drops of rain may as well be the great flood. That's all it takes for many to opt to piling into their cars, buses and trains over having a good time, (because that is what biking in the rain is).  So the rain keeps the attendance at BTWD to a small gathering of the true believers. However, I have just received a weather report from the Cycle Jerk meteorological department and here's what they said.

(nbc4.com)

So there you have it. No excuses, no whining, just some clouds...  see you there!

OMG! NAHBS 2010 In Richmond VA!

This was sent to the NAHMBS facebook  group...  I'm freakin' OUT!

NAHBS 2010 Announcement!! 

You heard it here first, a Facebook NAHBS group exclusive that announces the 2010 North American Handmade Bicycle Show. The contracts are signed, sealed and delivered and I am now, finally, able to go public with the location.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Children of all ages, please direct your attention to Richmond, Virginia for the 2010 North American Handmade Bicycle Show on February 26 - 28 at the Richmond Convention Center.
A more detailed announcement will take place Monday.

Thank you for your time!

Don Walker
Founder and President
North American Handmade Bicycle Show
handmadebicycleshow.com 

Captain Chaos Is Dead, Long Live Captian Chaos

Bike Swap This Weekend

There is something about the DC area that repels good bike swaps. A while back there was a big one at the DC armory and it was decent but it only happened once. The bike swap in Silver Spring behind The Bicycle Place has had some decent years like the one where I got a unused uncut Surly Cross Check fork for $10! (BOING!) but you never know. It's a mixed bag where sometimes you score and some times it just plain sucks. 

The thing that makes a bike swap great is the turnout both of buyers and sellers. So we have to participate! We don't have many outlets for the exchange of bike junk so we need to nurture the ones we do. The good thing about small local bike swaps like this is that they are low maintenance. You can just show up and spread your junk out on a blanket unlike bigger events where there is registration and fees to deal with. I brought some stuff to sell a few years back and although the turnout was small I made some cash and spread some bike junk love around. So if you don't have anything to do this Saturday morning take that egg crate full of STX derailleurs over to the Bicycle Place and participate in the local cycling community. You might make some cash, you might score something that kicks ass.