Everyone has heard about the horrific road rage crash out in California. What I think is particularly disturbing about the incident, besides the fact that the guy was an ER Doc and tried to kill the cyclists and then refused them aid, was that apparently this was the second time he had done it that had been reported to the police. The first police report had his car description and license plate number, and the police didn't follow thru.
Maybe if they had, two guys wouldn't be in the hospital right now...
There is no excuse for this behavior. From anyone. I hope his medical license is revoked, he looses his shirt, and spends some time getting his a-hole stretched.
Apparently the residents of the canyon have some good reason to be unhappy with cyclists though. Come on, lets be honest here. Residents reported being spit on by cyclists, and cyclists doing other bad things.
Cyclists doing bad things? Noooooo....
I had a ton of emails this morning about a ride last night. I wasn't there folks, I was getting wined and dined by one of my law firms.
All I can tell you is this... the only person's behavior I can control is my own. I can choose to ride with jerks or not. I choose not to. You can also choose not to ride with people who's behavior bothers you. When no one will ride with the jerks, maybe they'll get the hint.
If you want to race your bike, race your bike. Train hard, but training rides are NOT races. When on the road, obey the rules of the road. Act courteously. Maybe a lot of motorists treat cyclists bad because cyclists treat motorists bad. Or not.
The next person who tells me to tell others to ride nice... unless you get an agreement from the group, that the Divine Miss K can bring my training shock collar, it is not going to happen. Sorry, those people don't want to ride better, they are too busy holding on for dear life. I agree a little zap might be effective, but I think it's illegal for me to strap the shock collar on them without their permission!
Just remember, if you are on a ride where unsafe behavior is occurring, and the ride causes people not on the ride to get hurt... you are going to get sued as well. You are complicit by being there. People don't like cyclists, and people sit on juries. Hope you have a LARGE umbrella policy just in case.
I'm just sayin', you know?
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Hany Hosny Rocks!
I emailed Hany and asked him if I could put these up on the blog. Aren't they INCREDIBLE! Thats me and J at Roanoke. Geez, you can almost smell us! (dont try, it would be bad)
I think this was when I sent J up the road to get a prime. She looks like she could rocket off the page....
Me, so fast you cant even see me...
And Sharon giving Mill Mountain the what for...You can see more of his incredible work at
http://www.pbase.com/hanyfotos/cycle
and if you see something you like, show a brother some love and buy a few.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
I could eat a cow
You know how it goes, sometimes you just get deeply hungry. You know, the I'm so hungry I could eat a cow hungry. Just run up to one, grab it by the butt and sink your teeth in ala lioness type hungry.(not really, have you seen what cow's butts look like? But you get the idea...)
Coming back from Blacksburg on Sunday I told J that we HAD to stop at Cracker Barrel. I was just going to get one of those grilled chicken on a salad things. Yeah, but then she had to ask about biscuits, oh, and apple butter. So then I ordered french fries, too. And we waited... and waited for the food to come. All around us people were getting platters of fried chicken.
Do you know how good fried chicken smells? Some days around here you can smell Ukrops fried chicken for miles. It literally pulls you into the store. Karen, eat me, I'm fried... grease is good for you!
I thought I was going to have to beat up someone and steal their food. It was a close call.
Finally, the salads came and we wolfed them down. Good, but not enough. Not even the french fries helped.
I made a huge batch of brownies for everyone, and didn't eat any of them. Maybe I should have eaten brownies. I don't know. All I know is that I'm still so hungry that I could attack a cow. And that oatmeal I had for breakfast is just not cutting it.
Bossy, be very, very worried...
Coming back from Blacksburg on Sunday I told J that we HAD to stop at Cracker Barrel. I was just going to get one of those grilled chicken on a salad things. Yeah, but then she had to ask about biscuits, oh, and apple butter. So then I ordered french fries, too. And we waited... and waited for the food to come. All around us people were getting platters of fried chicken.
Do you know how good fried chicken smells? Some days around here you can smell Ukrops fried chicken for miles. It literally pulls you into the store. Karen, eat me, I'm fried... grease is good for you!
I thought I was going to have to beat up someone and steal their food. It was a close call.
Finally, the salads came and we wolfed them down. Good, but not enough. Not even the french fries helped.
I made a huge batch of brownies for everyone, and didn't eat any of them. Maybe I should have eaten brownies. I don't know. All I know is that I'm still so hungry that I could attack a cow. And that oatmeal I had for breakfast is just not cutting it.
Bossy, be very, very worried...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Photogs Rock
Cycling is some kinda cool. You race your butt off, drive for hours, get home, and then get to live it all over again days later when the list serve posts start popping up with all the cool photos that the family members have taken. If I haven't said it before, THANKS! Mega Thanks!
Here is Jake on a bike instead of "on his toes" getting his first crit win. I took one look at that course and knew that it had Jake written all over it. Maybe there is something to massive doses of caffeine and those really weird compression tights after all.
Here is Jake on a bike instead of "on his toes" getting his first crit win. I took one look at that course and knew that it had Jake written all over it. Maybe there is something to massive doses of caffeine and those really weird compression tights after all. 
Julie sticking it to Mill Mountain. Thats such a good photo that you can pretty much see the fillet o'leg scars that run half way down her quad to her calf. 
Col. Sharon, never, ever giving up. Even though her bike wouldn't stay in any particular gear. If you were an insurgent, would you want her coming after you? I thought not.
Some day I'm going to have to prove that I'm worthy of those new wheels! This was me, practicing looking good climbing, cause Lord knows, I'm not! I must have fooled a few people because guys were coming up to me after the race Sunday telling me that they had no idea I could climb like that. (I can't, it was a stunt double.)
So for all of you who go to races, take great photos and then throw them out for everyone to share, we love you!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Just Where Was That Star?
That's what Maria asked J back at the registration area. If you haven't done Mill Mountain before, you are totally anoxic when you get to the top. Maria was right at the base of the star, and never saw it.
Me, well, I know where the star is. It's way up there...
So how did that climb go? Like a broken record, not too good. First was the nausea, probably caused by the knowledge of what was to come. Then about 1/2 mile into the climb, I went to shift, the chain dropped, wrapped around the rear derailleur, and whammo, down she goes. Between that, the fact that the seat was now at a 90% angle, and the front brake was jammed in, my day was done. I took off the shoes and walked, ran it up the mountain.
J at the meantime, motored up in 12 something taking 4th overall. Sharon rode her new Orbea up and despite not being able to get the gear to stay in anyone gear got up just fine. Me, I had sore feet, but got up a little different way.
Sunday was a blast. We headed down to Va Tech to do the crit there. Crap, there was a mean climb on that one, too! Technical turns, climbs, it was a gas.
Too bad I had no gas left. Poor J and Sharon tried to get me going, but it was just not going to happen. When I finally unleashed J she was able to get up for money, and a nice tire prime. I got a "pass the hat" prime of $15, which was a pleasant surprise which got us a little farther down the road on the way home. We were even able to take a shower after the race. I wish all race courses could be done so well. (Maybe without that pesky hill thing, though...)
The funniest thing of the weekend... listening to NPR on the way home trying to dodge the holiday traffic. Terri Gross was interviewing this German guy who sings show tunes... he grew up listening to dubbed tunes. He told Terry that he always thought that Judy Garland was singing "I want to be a porn star", and couldn't imagine why it was so. Now, whenever I hear that song, I'm going to be thinking, "I want to be a porn star."
The best thing, watching little Jake King annihilate the field on Sunday. He is going to be a superstar. Teeth gritting, out of the saddle, attacking every corner... I want to ride like Jake!
The saddest thing- its a tie... little Brook Stallings going down in the Jr race, and the jerks in the green Subaru who were throwing their trash out the window as they left the parking lot. Brook, you are going to be just fine. The guys in the Subaru, will suck forever.
Me, well, I know where the star is. It's way up there...
So how did that climb go? Like a broken record, not too good. First was the nausea, probably caused by the knowledge of what was to come. Then about 1/2 mile into the climb, I went to shift, the chain dropped, wrapped around the rear derailleur, and whammo, down she goes. Between that, the fact that the seat was now at a 90% angle, and the front brake was jammed in, my day was done. I took off the shoes and walked, ran it up the mountain.
J at the meantime, motored up in 12 something taking 4th overall. Sharon rode her new Orbea up and despite not being able to get the gear to stay in anyone gear got up just fine. Me, I had sore feet, but got up a little different way.
Sunday was a blast. We headed down to Va Tech to do the crit there. Crap, there was a mean climb on that one, too! Technical turns, climbs, it was a gas.
Too bad I had no gas left. Poor J and Sharon tried to get me going, but it was just not going to happen. When I finally unleashed J she was able to get up for money, and a nice tire prime. I got a "pass the hat" prime of $15, which was a pleasant surprise which got us a little farther down the road on the way home. We were even able to take a shower after the race. I wish all race courses could be done so well. (Maybe without that pesky hill thing, though...)
The funniest thing of the weekend... listening to NPR on the way home trying to dodge the holiday traffic. Terri Gross was interviewing this German guy who sings show tunes... he grew up listening to dubbed tunes. He told Terry that he always thought that Judy Garland was singing "I want to be a porn star", and couldn't imagine why it was so. Now, whenever I hear that song, I'm going to be thinking, "I want to be a porn star."
The best thing, watching little Jake King annihilate the field on Sunday. He is going to be a superstar. Teeth gritting, out of the saddle, attacking every corner... I want to ride like Jake!
The saddest thing- its a tie... little Brook Stallings going down in the Jr race, and the jerks in the green Subaru who were throwing their trash out the window as they left the parking lot. Brook, you are going to be just fine. The guys in the Subaru, will suck forever.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
We Got Fans
Friday I pack up the Queen Cab to schlep me and J to the 3 days of racing in Roanoke. Where's J? She is in F'burg winning the 8k up there and getting us gas money. So she sets all kinds of lead foot records getting to my house so that we could get on the road, and we zipped down to Big Lick.
Now this was a race done right. Tired of going round and round at a speedway? This was a genuine, downtown, 5 corner, technical in your face kind of race. I loved it. Didn't like the sprinkles that kept falling, but they stayed away for our race, so it was all good.
Right from the gun the little Team 19 and BMW girls hammered it out. I overcooked the second corner and had to sit up or go into a wall. That gave J a chance to bridge up to me and then the two of us did our infamous 2 chick time trial trying to reel the break back. We got good feedback, first they were 21 seconds, then 19, then 18... At one point we got them to 8 seconds, but the wear and tear of the day was getting to be too much. We are a game bunch though, and any time we could badger someone into working with us, we did. If you are thinking about just sitting on with me and J, forget about it. The abuse you'll take is not worth it, trust me.
What we did get was a bunch of nice primes, oh, and a couple of really nice checks which will go a long way to paying for the tiny Hampton Inn room we got for 4 people, and 5 bikes. That, and the fan club.
Fan Club?
Right after the race, as we are trying not to die, this guy runs up and starts patting me on the back, and telling me that "I'm HIS girl." Seems he and his buddies had been watching me and J ride the course all day at every chance we could get, and they just thought we were WONDERFUL. Out there working it, working it, never giving up. Yep, that's what he thought, and he just had to come over and meet HIS GIRL. I think copious amounts of alcohol might have played a wee bit into his exuberance, but what the hay. Us 40 somethings can use all the fans we can get.
Thanks especially to the guys who we adore, like Big Sugar Daddy Ben who took us all out to dinner at the Blue Star, one of the sponsors. (I'll even forgive Maria for looking like something that stepped out of Vogue, making us look like ugly step sisters...) Oh, and Noni's husband who saved us with bottles of water, James and Jake for all the tips, and the biggest hug to Bob for writing us the checks.
Stay tuned for more reasons why all things vertical are BAD.
Now this was a race done right. Tired of going round and round at a speedway? This was a genuine, downtown, 5 corner, technical in your face kind of race. I loved it. Didn't like the sprinkles that kept falling, but they stayed away for our race, so it was all good.
Right from the gun the little Team 19 and BMW girls hammered it out. I overcooked the second corner and had to sit up or go into a wall. That gave J a chance to bridge up to me and then the two of us did our infamous 2 chick time trial trying to reel the break back. We got good feedback, first they were 21 seconds, then 19, then 18... At one point we got them to 8 seconds, but the wear and tear of the day was getting to be too much. We are a game bunch though, and any time we could badger someone into working with us, we did. If you are thinking about just sitting on with me and J, forget about it. The abuse you'll take is not worth it, trust me.
What we did get was a bunch of nice primes, oh, and a couple of really nice checks which will go a long way to paying for the tiny Hampton Inn room we got for 4 people, and 5 bikes. That, and the fan club.
Fan Club?
Right after the race, as we are trying not to die, this guy runs up and starts patting me on the back, and telling me that "I'm HIS girl." Seems he and his buddies had been watching me and J ride the course all day at every chance we could get, and they just thought we were WONDERFUL. Out there working it, working it, never giving up. Yep, that's what he thought, and he just had to come over and meet HIS GIRL. I think copious amounts of alcohol might have played a wee bit into his exuberance, but what the hay. Us 40 somethings can use all the fans we can get.
Thanks especially to the guys who we adore, like Big Sugar Daddy Ben who took us all out to dinner at the Blue Star, one of the sponsors. (I'll even forgive Maria for looking like something that stepped out of Vogue, making us look like ugly step sisters...) Oh, and Noni's husband who saved us with bottles of water, James and Jake for all the tips, and the biggest hug to Bob for writing us the checks.
Stay tuned for more reasons why all things vertical are BAD.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Goin' to the mountains
I came in to the office today after 3 days off to find 393 emails. That doesn't count the few thousand that are in my junk folder, some of which probably contain suit papers and other do NOW stuff. I'm here for a few hours and then me and the girls head down to Roanoke for a fun 3 days of racing on Mill Mountain.
Unfortunately for me, this isn't the Tour, and there will be no Tifosi out there giving me pushes the whole way up. I am still vertically challenged, and while Mill Mountain might be short, it sure makes up for it quickly.
I bought a new swim suit, got a good book, and I'm hoping to work on my cyclists tan while we are down there. Wearing a sundress with about 8 different tan lines (or lack of tan lines) may id you as a cyclist, but it also just looks dorky. (of course after a glass or three of wine, who cares?) I'm bringing the wine, so I may recover from the whole swimsuit experience.
The Mafia sent me a picture of the post ride libations from last week. Geez, what a bunch of cuties in that picture... hmmm, I may have to come back and bring some more girlies to balance things out!
Unfortunately for me, this isn't the Tour, and there will be no Tifosi out there giving me pushes the whole way up. I am still vertically challenged, and while Mill Mountain might be short, it sure makes up for it quickly.
I bought a new swim suit, got a good book, and I'm hoping to work on my cyclists tan while we are down there. Wearing a sundress with about 8 different tan lines (or lack of tan lines) may id you as a cyclist, but it also just looks dorky. (of course after a glass or three of wine, who cares?) I'm bringing the wine, so I may recover from the whole swimsuit experience.
The Mafia sent me a picture of the post ride libations from last week. Geez, what a bunch of cuties in that picture... hmmm, I may have to come back and bring some more girlies to balance things out!
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