cop gave me the stink eye when i was riding on the sidewalk yesterday at college and spadina then i promptly locked to the first post i saw and he let it go. i can't be bothered with a ticket; i'm on my best behaviour for the next few weeks...

I noticed a distinct lack of police out and about this morning. Blitzs suck it hard, and I really need to question their overall effectiveness, both driver and biker ones.

I swung around King/George St. yesterday very wide of some pedestrians only to find a cruiser around the corner and despite being on the wrong side of the road they didn't do anything - I was very surprised. So far so good.

ctfinnegan: I'm probably going to go, but the ride is called off if it rains, which it might.

vainglorious: I can mostly be found on my IRO Rob Roy...

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/phot...75682_3138.jpg

Longer journeys/tours are usually on my road bike (old Centurion):

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/phot...36163_4211.jpg

My ugly mug (haven't got a good recent photo, this is from my last ride to Niagara region last August)

http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/phot...048561_989.jpg

I'm kind of on the fence about busting cyclists for unsafe stuff. I think that a lot of cyclists are very safe at what they do but that other 5% really screw things up for the rest of us. Too many people see messengers or "downtown" cyclists blowing through red lights or weaving in and out of traffic so they want to give it a go because it looks "cool".

Yesterday at Queen and Shaw I was sitting at a red light and a woman on an old cruiser ran through the red and came within metres of smacking into a tow truck. The tow truck guy had to slow down and he gives her a dirty look and of course, that look is for all cyclists, not just her. I kinda wish the cops had been there, it was a really dumb move.

If I blew every red light I hit the odds dictate that I would get caught eventually. I ride every day, all year round, even two tickets a year would suck. That is a nice new wheelset blown on tickets...

Campy is coming out with 11 speed stuff next year. Crazy!

FSA also has a road group in development which is supposed to be 11 speed.

I'm super pumped about starting my retro-grouch years and sticking with 10 speed. :)

Is that a 10 speed cassette Mike or 10 speeds total? How retro are you willing to go?

10 speed cassette, though this season's 'cross bike will be a singlespeed. I think for the mountain bike I wouldn't go any further than 1x9.

Thought so.. :lol: Wow SS on the cross season? You rolling with at-the-race gearing change hardware?
11 gears... at what point is the chain going to become so thin as too be dangerous. I've heard/read tell of carbon chains?
I was talking with a co-worker this morning about the Koolstops I saw at Urbane the other day, the depth of the pads these day are about the depth I'd swap my old ones out at. Engineered alright, not to work better, but to wear/fail more consistently. First gen Time cleats lasted years literally, now 2-3 sets a year and the wear is inconsistent with which foot you clip in and out with.

Back in MY day, we had 5 gear clusters, NO compact gearing, downtube shifters, and steel everything, and the beers were not twist off's. You've got it easy!!! Instead of helmets we'd make nets with old inner tubes to protect us. :lol:

spotted out in the wild! ha!

http://www.makergo.com/shutup/images...8/P1050026.jpg

Well it's not like I'm contesting the win or anything. ;) Last year I was on the ass-end of the race every time. This year I'll be happy if I can move up a few places ... maybe keep it to the ass-quarter of the race. Also, I think Wes is going to be racing a category up this year and since he's my ride I may have to tag along for that. It'll be a faster pace which will hurt but hopefully I can hunt down a few more people in the larger fields (cat. 3/4 races are tiny).

As for changing the gearing pre-race, if last season is any indication there won't be time. I'll gear light and hope for the best.

Haha, you mean it didn't sell? Surprise, surprise ...

Yum http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/724087472.html

Yeah, 11-speed is dumb. But, they need to have something new to tout as The Next Big Thing, right? Time to start hording 10-speed Campy stuff. :)

Compact gearing I have whole-heartedly welcomed, however. I'm planning on going 46/34 on my cranks for this CX season, with a nice tight cassette. Although, that said, if my bike was race-only I'd probably set it up with a single-ring.

Also, for cleats, I'd rather have the cleat wear out than the pedal, which is Crank Bros theory.

Most of the courses are pretty similar (i.e. flat) anyway.. You just choose your gear for the flats and run the hills.

I will be heading out to check my lighting functionality a little after 10pm tonight. If you wanna do the same, and would rather not brave the Don alone @ night, post here or call me at work (416-691-0019) and ask for Andrew M. Leaving from Cycle Solutions on Kingston but can meet anywhere in the Don if you give me an accurate 5-10min window.

Andrew

PS I go pretty good and do not mind waiting lots during the day, but with half the forest flying at my illuminated head it is kind of a different story. So please try not to be painfully slow, or riding a ticking time bomb bike.

I for one am shocked! What did he want for it again? 5 million?

Just read this article: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/445155

I'd love to do a CANBIKE course, but the time component doesn't gel with me - the infrequence of it makes it really inconvenient for my schedule.

Anyone else done one of these courses? I was idly pondering the #2 and Instructor course a while back, but that was before I started working in Durham region ;)

I want, minus the saddle and handle bars, and the colour scheme... actually i'll take the frame and the rear wheel and the cranks

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/445155

Another reason the police rarely experience difficulties..... they are obviously cops. Drivers see them and avoid them like the Influenza Virus of the early 20th century. I've see police two abreast and traffic backing up behind them waiting, waiting to be able to turn right as the officers poke along at community visibility speed. No hooking, no swearing on the pass...because there was no pass..THE DRIVER WAITED PATIENTLY in this CITY!!!. I'm sorry but this officer attributes way too much of his officers' safety to the CAN-BIKE training course. Give some credit to the drivers in this city in treating the police on wheels with kids' gloves, and NOT treating them the way they treat the rest of us. Well intentioned? Absolutely. Mis-Guided? I'd think so.

Is it odd that this was written by the same Noob(if Canice is correct) that penned the Headline about that guy hitting an opening car door and falling into traffic? Why am I getting a weird agenda vibe from this?

Frank Schleck == lucky man. I can't believe he was totally okay and finished the stage!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sHVVgS-Gq2c

edit: Traffic Jammer: Hear, hear! I ride well within my means on the street and don't take any unnecessary risks but I've had my safety endangered by motorists (and pedestrians!) time and time again. What a load of horsecrap.

Hey guys if there's no ride tonight come out BIKES ROCK (for bff).. if there is come afterwards!



9pm till late
BIKES ROCK
Pay What You Can
STUDIO Gallery
294 College St. West 2nd Floor
Featuring:
The Bicycles
No Cadence (Sandro Perri, Ryan Driver, Nif-D, Sean Corcoran) playing live
accompaniment to bike films
Syntonics
The Cleef
DJ Rob Dyer

Jesus how far down was that ravine?!? He just vanished.....


Mr Robson:

I'm curious ... do you ride a bike?

add in above post.....

If you've ever seen the police poking about on their bikes you'd know how virtually impossible it would be for them get hurt, unless hit by a motorist.
I'm curious as to why you never responded to my previous emails regarding your other article? To your knowledge did anyone cover the Cycle Messenger World Championships on the island this weekend? Seems a shame to miss out on such an opportunity to present a balance.

Be well.

Andrew

Kim actually mentioned last night how she noticed there seemed to be absolutely zero local media coverage of the CMWCs. Kind of a shame for an event that attracted people from all over the world.

Speaking of media coverage, did anyone see any mention of the Toronto Crit after it happened? I just did a quick search on news.google.ca and the only mention I could find was just in passing in an article in the Globe about some proposed new museum. I found that a little weird too, considering the amount of promotion leading up to it. I actually heard some residents in the area *****ing about the disruption to their especially important lives (eg. they couldn't get to the lcbo during the 6pm race while the riders were all strung out)... I was wondering what the general consensus was about it. I'm hoping the city considered it a success because I'd love to see it happen again! Next time, I'm racing! :)

What happened to his bike for that to happen? Looked like a failure of something with him hanging his leg out, either that or he just screwed it up. Lucky fella, glad to see he's totally fine!

Good call re: cops safety and that article, I didn't see that initially as I didn't want to discount what the course(s) offer, but I know I've not done any bike training since some little elementary school thing we did (at some country bumpkin school I went to, too) and think I do my thing pretty safely on the streets. All it takes is a bit of common sense, some traffic sense and respect for others around IMO.

And yeah, obviously motorists don't behave the same around bike cops the same way they all suddenly slam on and obey the rules when there's a cruiser lurking/around. Turds.

Re: the Crit I spoke to Adrian Heaps and he mentioned that they'll be having it back, or trying to - in his eyes it was a huge success, and they want to keep the road race tradition here again... Let's hope so, I think it's a big shame these seriously big events are largely ignored. I mean, we attended (and some competed) at the WORLD level here, and there's nothing to report? Pffft. Bike month here seems to have had some really big cool events so far, and it's a shame we're getting the shun - I should poke around the union and get their PR on the go.