The Bicycle(s) You Own

In the past week, I've talked with three people at the U.P. that have purchased new bicycles recently.

Scott picked a new Trek 7300 commuter as his first "grown up" bicycle purchase. He is actively putting it to use commuting to work and experimenting with routes from the 50th and Grover area to downtown. Any suggestions?

Tracy also bought a Trek commuter as her first bicycle as an adult. She lives a little further out west and has transported it to join the UP lunchtime riders over the past two days.

A few weeks ago, Wes was rear-ended while transporting his 2006 GT Series 1 roadbike. From witness accounts, he was more distressed about his totaled bike than his totaled car. The good news was that he was fine and the insurance covered the damages to car and bike. Now he's riding a 2008 fully-carbon GTR Team bike w/ Dura-Ace components, Dura-Ace tubeless wheelset and a Ritchey stem and fork. Dang that's a nice upgrade, dude! During our lunch ride yesterday, I struggled to hang on his wheel at the levee hammerfest north of the I-80 bridge. My hope is that he enters that thing in a Cat5 race with me next year.

Congratulations on the new bike purchases to the three above. Enjoy them and be safe.

While purchasing a new bike is always a titillating experience, shopping for a pre-owned bicycle also has its rewards. Craigslist is a great place to start, especially if you're looking for an entry level bike.

A month ago, I bought a 1987 Nishiki road bike for $40 off of Craigslist with the goal of overhauling into a single speed during the off season. Advertised as a CroMoly "lightweight", it has enough extra steel to be recycled into a manhole lid. Heck, calling the derailleur guard a pie plate is an understatement; it's more like a charger plate. At first, it will be a rebuild on the cheap. New bar tape, brake pads and a spacer kit are the only parts I hope to purchase. I will swap the 27 inch wheels with a spare set of 700s if the existing dia-compe brakes are long enough to reach. The original peddles are also going into the manhole lid effort too. In doing this overhaul, I hope to build a bullet proof commuter while learning more bicycle maintenance.

If time permits, I may even take it to the Omaha Bicycle Co-Op just south of California Tacos on 30th and California. Katherine and I dropped by there recently: a Creighton student named Emerick Huber has built this grassroots co-op with the help of other students, the neighborhood association and contributors (bike shops, electricians, carpenters and such). It's a pretty cool place. The basement has like a jillion bicycles waiting to be restored. What used to be a kitchen contains bins of spare parts. The former dining room, living room and bedroom are now fully stocked mechanic stations. When we visited, all three mech stations had a volunteer working with a neighborhood kid on simple bike maintenance such as flats and brakes. They even have a deal that if you go through their volunteer mechanic training program, you can build your own bike out of the parts other have donated. Bike cost = your sweat. Volunteers are needed with even the most basic bike maintenance skills. If you can fix a flat, you're ready to volunteer at the Omaha Bike co-op.

Finally, as many of you know, my current multi-use bicycle "Old Yeller" is a hand me down from brother Brendan. It was in pretty dire shape when I got it three years back and lasted for another five hundred miles before the indexing blew up on the 8 spd Shimano RSX shifters. That was a year ago next week. Munson came to the rescue with a cache of quality used parts and reassembled it into what I've got now. While the bike is worth $300 on paper, it rides and looks great. In my estimation, it's priceless.

So what is it about your "grown up" bike that you like? What would you change now if you had the cash/time?

I Ride The Bus

Some time ago, I wrote a primer to riding the Metro Area Transit (MAT) bus. While I believed I was offering this advice as a benefit to the community, I was in fact fomenting an attack against good old MAT. At that time, I confess that I didn't have much bus brio. I offered few of its virtues as I skewered most of the experience.

It seems that in the Big 'O, the perception exists among the public that riding the bus is like, well, so proletariat. For example, the other day this guy was telling me about how he's commuting to work by bike to save money and the environment. When I asked him if he's considered riding the bus, he literally burst out laughing and scoffed, "The bus? No way, man. I don't ride that thing."

Poor MAT.

So now I'm turning over a new leaf and am actively promoting the bus as viable alternative to driving to work as a means to save money while reducing impact to the environment.

Since that last posting, I've come to appreciate these items:

1) Buses are to be fitted with Bike Racks. As part of the new Omaha-Council Bluffs pedestrian bridge, money has been ear-marked to retro fit buses with bicycle racks. Sure, you're not likely to drop your $10K Serrotta TT bike off on that rack, but an option for the budget commuter. Suddenly, the bus becomes more publicly accessible with a bonus of some exercise. Good job, MAT!

2) Federal Tax dollars at work. MAT receives federal grants to offset the purchasing of equipment, maintenance and fuel. This past year, they received a grant to purchase new buses. New rigs cost around $250K each. Rather than buying new, the administrators decided to apply the funds toward refurbishing the old. You know, the grand make-over. I can appreciate that after re-making Old Yeller. To this end, MAT had the 1994 series buses stripped down to their frames, fitted with new engines and transmissions, new flooring, seats, glass, and completely remade external paneling. All this for around $80K per bus. Apparently, the Transportation Department was initially hesitant at funding these refurbs, but we're converted after flying a couple of the feds out for a personal tour and ride. Now that's what I'm talking 'bout, MAT!

3) Save money through Park & Ride. For example, parking downtown costs $40 to $120 per month. That's on top of high fuel and maintenance expenses. A year's worth of these savings easily justifies the purchase of new riding gear, equipment or even a new bike. Slap me some skin, MAT!

4) Enjoy the ride and feed a neurosis. Avoid the driving hassle while reading a newspaper, catching up on google reader or feed a new compulsive habit of spotting buses. From what I've been told, there are 171 different buses to see and ride in Omaha alone. And since I started keeping a tab nine months ago, I've ridden only 64 and spotted an additional 21 of that count. With these results, I'm bound to be entertained by this very low grade amusement for years to come.

So there it is. Let it be known that when I'm not running nor cycling to work that I am one satisfied customer of good old MAT.

Fred Saw Me Riding Twice Today

As you may already know, Fredcube saw me this morning commuting into work. Here's the really cool thing: I saw Fred riding too. Way to go, chap! Glad you could finally roll that rim you put on layaway for six months.

Then, Fred saw me a second time on one of the famous lunch rides at the Union Pacific.

Oh, and hold the press...RF saw me too! It's kind of funny, RF was down at the U.P. to have his father see him. That's when RF saw Fred. Or did Fred see RF? Wait - why do I care?

So anyway, Fred must have cued RF about my pending appearance because RF had a pleasant countenance about him when he saw me (instead of the usual mob scene).

We talked about some real important stuff, like a tour in California that some bazillionaire is gonna buy and how RF was going to ride his motorcycle thingy in Red Rocks, which I believe is in Montana somewhere. After like 30 seconds, I got tired of all the heady stuff and cut the chit-chat for a fabulous ride on Old Yeller.

Ho hum. I wonder who's gonna see me next?

Shim Saw Me While Running Home Yesterday

Notice how I say that Shim saw me. Also notice that its ambiguous as to who was running.

To clear any doubt, Shim was on his bike when he saw me running home along Hamilton and Military.

He yelled, "Brady!"

I yelled, "Shim!"

And that's all I have to say about that.

Frosty Fingers

Rode into morning practice today on the GT Karakoram. It was 19 F. I wore woolie and two base layers, tights and cycling shorts, amfibs, balaclava, skull cap, mountain bike gloves and liners. Everything was perfect execpt for the hands. Fingies were quite cold...need to invest in better hand protection for this type of riding.

Felt tired during swimming practice. Had difficulty holding form and pace was off. Not sure what's going on there as I rested yesterday. Oh well, some days are better than others.

While the sun rose during swimming practice, it was only 22 F on the bike commute to work afterwards. Fingers again were on the verge of frostbite by the time I arrived. Not fun there. As this winter is coming to an end, I'll likely go fish on eBay for some lobster gloves to rectify this situation.

On a different note, I ended up drilling the holes in the work bench last night and finished installing the bike repair stand. It works! However, I still need to do some modifications to it. My seat post doesn't have enough clearance for the hinged tee to hold it properly. I successfully mounted the bike at the seat post tube (near the water bottle cages), but will need to cut some old inner tube/tires to use as protective packing material for the clamp. The 1/4 tube insulation foam is too thick for the frame as is.

When I get a chance, I'll write up a better critique of this workstand with comments about what to look out for if you should try to build one of your own.

Gumpin' It

Wherever I was going, I was runnin-g.

With winds steady at 35 mph and 43 mph gusts, it's quite possible on my running commute home last night somebody was yelling, "Ee too windy fo dat" but I wouldn't know.

And so I say again, is that the best you can do, old man winter? Ha!

Distance:
* 5 miles

Conditions:
* 28 F with Heavy winds and blowing snow
* Packed snow and black ice

Clothing:
* Thermal
* Tech shirt
* Mittens
* Tuke
* Reflective Vest & backpack
* Nylon shell pants

Eee Too Co Fo Dat!

While running home from work yesterday, this dude slows his car to yell out the window, "Eee too co fo dat!!"

Fortunately, I was raised right. With a proper viewing of Airplane! to my creds, this cracker replied, "Ain't nothin' but a thaaang!"

Truly, it wasn't that bad yesterday afternoon. At 11°F it was certainly cold outside, but it was 15 degrees warmer than earlier that morning. And with the amount of heat generated when running and dressed adequately, it can actually be enjoyable.

But I can remember a time when I probably would've thought the same. Habitually walking in extremely cold temperatures without a hat and gloves will quickly reinforce the attitude that winters are not to be trifled with. But it doesn't have to be this way! Dress appropriately and the attitude will soon change.

It's also somewhat relative. What's uncomfortable to me is more likely bearable for a Minnesotan, and for a Minnesotan, an Alaskan, etc... Also, motivation has a lot to do with it. Plenty of people go skiing in much more extreme conditions, but ask them to consider going for a run outdoors in the winter? Forget it. It's like, no way, man...IT TOO CO FO DAT!!

Well that's all this honky has to say on this subject.

Golly!

Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom

Today on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, we have traveled to one of the dismal regions of the Midwest: Omaha, Nebraska, where the temperatures started out at -6°F with -35 wind chill factor.

We have been tracking this bipedal male who has chosen to go against the grain of civilization. On this bitterly cold winter morning, he has opted to leave the comfort of a warm bed and venture out into the godforsaken cold.

Our good fellow Jim Fowler has caught up with him as he's trudging along...

Jim: Like the stoic emperor penguins of the Antarctic, who travel over 70 miles to feed and who endure the brutal -50 degree temperatures and 60 mile an hour winds months on end, who is this man and why does he run through Elmwood park? What mysterious reason is his motivation? Is it for survival of the species? For sex drive? Food? Here he comes now...

Brady: Ah! Is that Jim Fowler?! You scared the crap out of me about that emperor penguin jabber!

Jim: (teeth chattering) What brings you out on this epic trek this morning?

Brady: Epic? This isn't Beowolf, Jim. I'm just out for a simple run to morning swimming practice. It's not too bad if you bundle up and keep moving. Hey Jim, don't you have anything better to do with your time?

Jim: (huffing) Yes, but it was Marlon's idea to get me out here in the cold. Anyway, you could be at home sleeping in the warmth of your abode. Instead, you venture out into the frozen world with angst like polar bears on melting ice caps.

Brady: Angst? Jim, really, who writes your scripts? Listen man, I just heard an owl hooting in the woods about a quarter mile back. Why don't you save some of your rhetoric for the lonesome plight of the horned owl in search of emaciated winter field mice? I think Marlon will still be satisfied with your suffering, I mean story. Tudaloo and enjoy!

Jim: Well, that's all I got here, Marlon. A strange fellow indeed. I'll see you back in the studio in a few minutes to wrap this up over hot coffee. Back to you....

Marlon: That's a good idea he had about the owl. Why don't you go look into that?

Jim: ...

Marlon: Jim? What do you say old boy? That owl...

Jim: (muttering incoherently) Right! What the hoot? Let's go check on that bird. That's all for now, back to you!....my fricking nuts are frozen. Oh shit! Is the mic still on? Sorry, Marlon!...Marlon?

Marlon: Er, ah....Until next time, I'm Marlon Perkins and remember: each and every creature, including the horned owl and my good man Jim, is a valuable and irreplaceable part of.. the wild Kingdom!

Do Your Worst

Another single digit day in Omaha to provide an opportunity for character building during today's long run. Along the way, I snapped this image of UNO's track, the place I do intervals in the sweltering heat and humidity of the summer. No, there was no such fun today.

Ah, and now is the winter of our discontent.

Punxsutawney Phil has recently called for six more weeks of winter, to which I say, "Do your worst." Besides, the days are getting longer and I've heard birds singing in the morning last week. So go right ahead winter, be my guest, for your day is about done.

I've long given up resisting the poor weather and am just dealing with it. I'm swimming, lifting and riding the trainer indoors, while bearing the brunt of the cold during outdoor runs. I suppose I could do the treadmill thing, but I absolutely hate it. Do you agree with me that the only exercise equipment more insanely boring than the trainer is a treadmill? Anyway, if dressed properly, running outside really is bearable in almost any condition.

Workout Details:
Temp: 6°F with 16 mph northern gusts
Distance: 12.7 miles
Elapsed time: 1:40
Pace: 7:52 min/mile
Avg BPM: 152
Max BPM: 178
Calories: 1328 from 40% fat

Clothing:
* 1 long sleeve tech shirt
* 1 Duo fold long sleeve poly top
* 1 long sleeve woolie PI cycling jersey
* 1 Duo-fold long johns
* 1 nylon shell running pants
* Smart wool socks with toe warmers
* glove liners, gloves, tuke and scarf

Other Comments:
The toe warmers were like blow torches about an hour into the run. I ditched them out of fear of getting nasty chemical burns or blisters. Thankfully, I got neither. Also, it's interesting to see the different freezing points between water and electrolyte infused Gatorade. After the run, the fuel belt water bottles were a block of ice while the Gatorade bottles were only slushy.

5 Degrees of Steel-Cut

I've reached a new low temperature run at 5°F. Because it was warmer during the day, I didn't realize that it was that 5°F when I left for my commute home. Daaaaaaaang!

After about 25 minutes, my toes became a little numb and stingy. I'm pretty sure that this was a running-first for me. Now I know that one pair of wool socks and running shoes just isn't going to cut it in those temperatures.

Distance About 5 miles
Elapsed time: 38:19
Pace: 8 min/mile
Avg BPM: 157
Max BPM: 180
Calories: 522 from 35% fat

Clothing:
* 2 long sleeve tech shirts and a fleece vest
* black stocking cap & Thinsulate Fleece mittens
* Thermals and Nylon shell pants
* 1 pair of smartwool socks
* Nathan & Co Reflective vest
* backpack

Along the way, I passed Fred playing golf at the old Chili Green's. Nice form. I like your tuke. Fore!

Polar Training 2

Tonight's run home from work was the most enjoyable training run I've had since I can't remember when. Although it was 14°F with 18mph headwinds, I was dressed smartly. The 5.5 miles in the heavy snowfall accompanied by my crunching footfall was the tonic I needed to a stressful workday.

Now that was special.

Polar Training

0-10°F in the big 'O today? I wasn't going to let that get in the way of some serious training. So after throwing a bowl of warm steel-cut oats down my pie hole, this is what I did today: I went for a swim. After that I thought, what the heck, why not go for a run?

Workout #1: Swim 90 minutes
Masters swim workout at 9:00 AM at UNO's natatorium. This was the third swim practice the past week. 2600 yards in roughly 90 minutes.

Workout #2: Run 90 minutes
Time: 4:00 PM
Weather: 10°F, but thankfully no wind

Comments:
A 12 mile there and back route south along the keystone in mixed conditions of snow pack streets and trail with patches of bare spots and 3 inch drifts.

Eyelashes were caked in ice and water bottles were frozen after this 90 min run. That, and the balaclava had briny saliva in front of my mouth. Felt like I was being choked as it wouldn't pass much air through when I inhaled. Had to ditch the balaclava after 75 minutes.

Clothing:
Thermal under shirt & 2 tech shirts, a balaclava, tuke, gloves + liners, thermal pants and nylon shells. Just about right except for the problems with the balaclava.

Workout Goals:
1) Foot cadence at 180/min. Accomplished.
2) Heart rate < 160. Only went over 160 briefly on hills

Summary:
12 miles at 7:50 mile pace
1212 calories from 40% fat
Avg heart rate=150
Max = 167 on hill

Tomorrow: the revenge of the trainer.

Primer to Riding the MAT Bus

10) Get Route and Schedule
It's available online and MAT will even send you free publications of the routes.

9) Be Early
Expect to wait at the bus stop. It's usually only a few extra minutes, but be especially prepared for long delays on Fridays, holidays, extreme weather and when Hanna Montona is in town.

8) Know the Fare
$1.25 for regular, $1.50 for express. A book of ten rides for $12.50 and an unlimited monthly pass for $40 can be purchased at local grocers. Transfers are a dime. If paying with cash, have exact change.

7) No Food or Drink
Also no radios, boom-boxes, weapons, etc...

6) Before Sitting, Look Down
Watch for bodily fluids and other bio-hazards. It's complement is rule #3, and both are dandy to keep in mind when riding the MAT.

5) Pay Attention
Just don't act like it. Among other things, you'll find out who's sleeping with who, how much it costs to get a handgun out of hoc and who's up for parole.

4) Don't Fall Asleep.

3) Did You Drop Anything?
I left a pair of black leather gloves on the bus once. I loved those gloves. I called MAT to check the lost and found the next morning. To my utter shock that there's actually a decent person in the world, I was told that a pair of gloves had been turned in from the same bus. I nearly dropped everything to rush over and pick them up. Thankfully, my wits quickly returned. I asked to have them described. The voice at the other end replied, "They're bright neon-green and it appears as though the finger tips have been burned off."

2) Avoid Eye Contact
I nearly got the crap kicked out of me while riding the St. Louis BI-State system back in high school. One day, while seated in the back, I was just as happy as I could be --it was a warm spring day, the tulips were blooming and all of that wholesome goodness was in the air. My eyes drifted then settled on another passenger. I noticed that his mouth was moving rapidly, but I couldn't hear him over the roar of the diesel engine. As the driver let off the accelerator, I asked, "What did you say?" Again, lips flapping. I couldn't make out a single word. The bus coasted as I said, "I didn't catch that - whatcha say?" White noise and lots of teeth was his response. Communication was futile. Finally, somebody pulled the stop cord. As the bus slowed, I asked one final time, "What was that?!" The bus stopped. It was quiet enough to hear the birds singing outside. At that same moment, he opened his mouth and delivered these words: "DON'T YOU F***ING LOOK AT ME YOU MUTHA ..." and so on so forth. Man, he liked to use the F word. A lot. He went on and on, cussing me out while the other passengers feigned indifference. Fortunately, he exited the bus at that stop. I can still recall how my heart was pounding while my friend Todd shook from contained laughter next to me. As the bus shut its doors with an exaggerated sigh, I vowed to never look another passenger in the eye.

1) Fear the Bus Driver
The driver is the sole authority on the bus and what they so goes. They are like a god over their domain. Respect that and everything will be fine. So while a friendly greeting to them is nice, it's not necessary. Just make sure to have the exact fare ready and move along. Never question their judgment.

I arrived at the stop early one day this past spring. It was a good thing I did because I almost missed catching the bus. The impatient look on the driver's face struck deep fear in my heart. I averted her eyes by looking down and quickly paying the fare. Most days, the driver waits until you're seated before accelerating. Not this day - she hammered that accelerator as soon as I had paid. The bus lurched and jerked as it weaved in and out of parked cars and raced to the next stop. Finally, we came to a squealing halt in front of an unmarked stop: Petit's Bakery on 16th and Cass. We all watched as she leaped out the door and scurried inside. And there she stood at the end of a line ten-deep, waiting for glazed donuts. I could have walked the remaining four blocks to work faster than the bus would now deliver me, but I was too paralyzed by fear to move. There was no way I was going to disrespect the driver by stepping off the bus. She returned five minutes later and climbed into her seat. The door whooshed shut. An uncomfortable silence and blank stares followed. With a mouthful of glazed donut, she then called out, "NEXT STOP, 16TH AND CAPITOL!" A master of her domain.

Another One Rides the Bus

When I'm not commuting by foot, cycle or carpool, I take the MAT bus to and from work. Good old MAT. Awesome!

By now, you've probably figured that I have a slight tendency toward neurotic/obsessive behavior from time to time. Scratch-scratch. I tried to weed that undesirable trait out of my life years ago, but it just turned into a downward spiral of obsessing on obsessing. So I gave up on trying to root it out and just let it be. So, I'm a nutjob; tell me someone who isn't.

Instead of struggling, I enjoy making healthy concessions to my neurosis. One of these happens to be in taking a log of every MAT bus ride I take. I record the bus number, date, route, and comments about its state of cleanliness, disorder, etc.

I should note that this logging trait runs deep in my family as I picked this idea up from Murphini, who diligently logs every business flight he takes. Thanks, Murphini!

While I've been riding the bus for nearly seven years, I started taking a log only a few months ago. Here's some highlights of what I've recorded so far:

I've ridden 46 different buses at least once

Most rides on a single bus: I've ridden two buses 6x each (2015, 2016)

Nearly one of every five has at least one cracked window (2004, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2030, 2034, 8022, 8041)

About 5% have advertising on the exterior

Two have multiple cracked windows (2011,2014)

One had a broken Air Conditioner (8026), which made for an interesting ride one hot summer day. The smells were extraordinary!

My personal favorites are the #9500 series. MAT picked up these rigs this past summer for a total of $100,000 at some sort of used bus auction from Gainsville, FL.

These buses are a sensational delight. They come in a rainbow of colors: green, blue, red, yellow even mauve. They have exotic fabric patterns & colors on the seats, resembling a cross between where the Brady Bunch meets Miami Vice. Groovy! The fabric itself is this heavy industrial grade poly-blend of recycled automobile tires. But take note: MAT is not responsible for friction burns.

They also have this funky mildew smell, warmly reminding me of summer vacation motels. Breathe deeply. Hold for four seconds. Exhale....

While I've ridden 9502, 9507, 9508, 9514, 9516 and 9517, last night's ride on #9506 has been the best till date. 9506 has a navy blue exterior and a warm peach floor to ceiling interior with maddening orange, red and blue swirly-patterned seats. But what I liked best about it was the sound. An audiophile's dream! If only George Lucas could have recorded this bus for his pod racers. It was amazing. It begs one to wonder, how does a transmission get racked enough to sound like that?!

Indeed, the 9500s are a superb sensual experience, with vibrant pleasures for all the senses.

Yes, I love riding the MAT. Not only a great public transport service, it also provides wonderful entertainment and a healthy channeling of a trait I gave up dropping long ago.