Friday Bouillabaisse

I had a great rain commute this morning. It was a quiet, peaceful, chilly, and wet.

A feel good bike movie.

via jerome

A feel really really good bike movie.

via Urban Velo

I saw this chop top low rider at the Silver Spring Whole Foods the other day. Notice the large SUV next to it cowering in fear of its superior fuel wasting potential. I would throw a roof rack on thing in a second, although I could probably just lay a few bikes down in the trunk.

Accurately described as a "Panty Peeler" by Murr

I also saw this equally drooltastic custom Vanilla in Bethesda outside the Apple store. No doubt the owner of this ride stopped by to purchase a handlebar mounted iPad.

Lastly, you may have notice this little trendy hipster butthole on the right column. Well that THB is me. I caved in and joined all the other twats out there. There was lots of peer pressure involved and if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that if you jumped off a bridge, I would make fun of you for being a trendy dipshit for a few years before deciding to jump off too. I would totally give you credit for doing it first though.  I have to admit following my favorite breweries is pretty cool.

Have a splendiferous Friday everybody.

Required Reading: Paul Theroux's essay, "The Moving Target"

This comes from the Bike Snob. Paul Theroux's essay, "The Moving Target" beautifully illustrates a subject most of us are all too familiar with. The American bully behind the wheel.

http://tinyurl.com/yz4rvzo

Product Review: The Wisecracker

One of the many souvenirs I picked up for myself at NAHBS this year was a Wisecracker for the Rocky. It's a bottle opener which stealthily replaces a headset spacer. It weighs next to nothing, it has a fancy logo which nobody will ever see, and it comes in black and silver. That's pretty much it for the specs.

pardon the poor focus

The only thing I can say about the product itself is that the bottle opening action is superb. I thought it would be awkward to get the bottle under the stem at the right angle but it works smoothly.

I paid $10 for it which is silly but I thought it would be funny and I could write it off as a blogging expense. I would like to get one for the LHT (yeah you know me) but it would get in the way to the iBert.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended.
Buy it if you like bikes and beer and you like crackin' wise.
Don't buy it if none of the above apply to you.


Also, while posting this on the Youtubes I saw this and then this. I think maybe every video on Youtube is one related video away from some kind of pom pom girl.

Wanker Of The Week: Tony Kornheiser

This has been bouncing around the interwebs today. Tony Kornheiser has put a hit out on me, you, and every other cyclist in DC.

via Urban Velo

Bike commuting is interesting enough without media d-bags calling on everyone to run me over. How about this, if you ride a bike on a regular basis and happen to see Tony Kornheiser, you should punch him as hard as you can in the kidneys.

It's really futile trying to argue with someone who's main goal in life is to hear themselves talk, but hopefully Lance will get the job done.


F*ck You Tony Kornheiser.


UPDATE: Lance was on Tony's show today. Check it out. Some good open dialog here.

Holiday Music

C&O FLooding

The winter thaw and rains have done a number on the C&O Canal. Hopefully the damage won't hinder traffic on the tow path.

Springy Dingy: Am I On Drugs?

This seems a little backward to me.

I am stoked. I am feeling really good most of the time. I haven't felt this positive in a long time. I feel a warm energy radiating from my chest. I am alone in this feeling? Are there other (sober) people out there who are just as pumped as me? 

I can find several reasons for this feeling. The Snowmacrapolypse has thawed for one. As much fun as it was I'm glad to see the ground again. Another reason is that the crocus have started to bloom in my yard. They are always the first messengers of spring. Morel season is almost upon us. Soon I will start foraging through the ground cover like a pig rooting for truffles.

These are all legit reasons to feel good, but not this good.

The reason is because I'm biking again. Over this winter I was sick for two months straight. A combination of ill-timed colds and flu knocked me off the bike for the better part of the winter. People close to me have said that it's ok because I missed out on all the shitty weather. Although a nice attempt to cheer me up, it was bullshit. I love biking on the crappiest days of the year. I'm proud to be that idiot in the freezing slush rain.

I digress. The reason I feel so good is because I'm a cyclist and I'm back to cycling everyday. This break form the bike has reaffirmed my passion and given me perspective.  

So it's going to rain all weekend. So what. Just go for a ride and you'll feel better about it.

Cheers!