more of Frank's doodles

Two of the 'Three B's'...

Thanks for the snacks, Gary! We're always happy to help out.

No worries on the third B, but two out of three isn't bad.

I'll be in my office..

You thought your cubicle was small.

full moons

Somedays, I can just guess its a full moon. Sure enough, today is not only a full moon, but there was also a lunar eclipse last nite. (Photo courtesy of the Roanoke Times)

Oddities Museum Expands

Patient waiting has paid off. Finally, a display case for main attractions of my growing Museum of Oddities. Currently featured, a double feature of the Rubberband Octopus (formerly Rob's Rubberband Ball) and the Petrified Lime.

HiFi Keeps Moving Forward...

Hmmm. The HiFi in a cross country platform versus an all mountain platform. Nice. I love my HiFi Pro, but I think the cross country 3-4 inches of travel with racier geometry might suit my tastes a bit better than the all mountain 4-5 inches and more upright/comfortable position. I like the new ProCaliber. (available also in the more modestly priced SuperCaliber and Caliber.) Click the link to read more about the HiFi XC Series.

Brush Fires at Carvins Cove

High winds and wildfires report by the Roanoke Times

video courtesy of the Roanoke Times

continued video on the wildfires courtesy of the Roanoke Times

Cold weather still here.

So as the weather returns to regular February weather, let us not dwell on the fabulous warm weather of late. Instead, lets think back to late January on a Sunday when the high was in the low to mid 20's. Brrr... for Virginia. Somehow, though, Frank and I still headed out for a road ride. Just shy of 2.25 hours.

I had just got a pair of half lobster claw gloves, Borealis, from Planet Bike. Toasty.


Sure wish I'd had my Castelli Wrap Due booties then, but with a steady pace my body somehow managed to stay mostly warm.

One of Frank's water bottle froze during the ride and had to be thawed inside his jacket. My cytomax slushed up but frequent sips kept the top from freezing. My plain water bottle had an ice chunk in it that was still there 45 minutes after getting home.

(I think Bob still owes us lunch. He didn't believe we would actually ride.) Still, it was a good day to ride.

Trail Reviews

For Steve from West Michigan-

Thanks for asking about the trails. They are great.
Here's some info to get you started until I can get a better review.
Also, East Coasters Bicycles has been updated our ride info pages for Roanoke mtn bike riding. They are quite improved with lots of great info.

Carvins Cove: Great variety, lots of options, newly signed, local favourite

Explore Park: Great design, fewer trails, possibly closing :-(

Dragon's Back: Wicked tough, intermediate to expert riding only, poorly signed

Mill Mountain: in town single track fun

Check www.blueridgebicycleclub.com for their ride calendar as well as www.roanokecycling.org for their rides.

Check back later for more in depth reviews.

from the cookie...

Fortunes from the cookie on New Year's Day. Courtesy of Red Palace Chinese Buffet - Valley View.

"Idleness is the holiday of fools."

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

Funny. I had just finished a 25 mile mountain bike ride with friends to celebrate the New Year.

time for the epic rides...

Last Sunday 30 december 2007 - last ride of the year and a very much needed ride for my sanity. I thought I would try to beat the rain. Read the following quote to find out what happened.

"you know you're wet from riding in the rain when you stand out of the saddle and feel all the water move in your tights. that's waaaay past a wet chamois. 1.5 hours and half way with no where else to go but keep riding; so i did."

I was in the middle of Bradshaw Road and the temp was in the mid to lower 40's.
I started shivering the moment I made it back inside my flat... because I stopped moving and generating heat from the inside.
Props to my clothing choice. At least 1.5 hours in soaking rain and my core was still dry. Arms, legs, hands, feet, and face were soaked, but my core was dry. Amazing what a wind vest can do.

Honest Tea and the Lorax

another Green Dragon Honest Tea, another tea lid... and another saying.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." The Lorax - Dr. Seuss


(it's a good book. i own a copy. i'm a forestry / resource management major remember?)

From the Cookie

"It is easier to make friends than to keep them."

"Softening your attitude opens your heart."

"The current year will bring you much happiness."

(funny, I got the last fortune from a friend much the same time I got my Gary Fisher Triton fix gear.)

Mill Mtn Trail Work

It's always nice to give back to your favourite stomping grounds.

Earlier this morning, I joined Paul Chapman for some trail work near the Mill Mountain Discovery Center.

Nothing glamorous like building a rock staircase, see-saw log obstacle, or even making new trail, rather, we just did some needed maintenance on the grounds around the Discovery Center.


Mulch, Mulch,and More Mulch. Although the pile was not quite as big as this photo, the goal today was to spread mulch around the Discovery Center's gardens.

Despite the Girl Scout group canceling due to weather (keeping third grade girls gainfully helping, warm, and dry in forecasted freezing rain can be quite a task.) Paul and I were joined by some regulars, the Donahue Family.

Turns out the weather was not to bad; at least no freezing rain anyway, and most of the mulch still got spread. A good day was had by all :-)

Keep an eye out on East Coasters Bicycles webpage for future trail work opportunities.

Also a shout out to Les, who braved the cold for a road bike ride up to the Star. Sometimes, its about the Need for the Bike.

Wonder Twins

Stupid... but the best.

Strange Peanuts

Don't ask.
Thanks for the peanuts, though, Paul.

another Frank Deal creation

i thought this one was lost to the recycle bin. somewhere, though, deep from the musette bag, another Frank Deal stickie note art creation resurfaced.

Honest Tea Lid

"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe." - anonymous

- courtesy of Honest Tea




(i prefer the green dragon brew.)

Virginia Tech A day of Cross

I'm a little miffed. I lost a cyclocross race today due to a continuously plaguing seatpost clamp issue. Until now, I have calmly dealt and accepted it as a working issue. Today, though, I had the holeshot and could have held it... until the clamp slipped... again. The Thomson is on the way and can't arrive too soon now. I did however get props for making up minutes off the back to reel in two other riders (sorry Skip) and could have got a third rider if there had been one more lap. None the less, it was another great day of racing, and for once was in my own home turf (Blacksburg). Thanks to the Virginia Tech Cycling Team for hosting a cyclocross race!

MSG Cross 2007 #03

It's not every day you get to enter a Spiraling Cyclone of Death... unless you ride / race cyclocross!