The Ottawa Bicycle club or OBC has been around for over 100 years, it is a full service bike club with racing, tours, socials and is a lot of fun. The OBC rides in a peleton or a pack, which means that you can do a ride with them, and arrive home at a reasonable time and not exhausted.
Today was an exceptional ride. Not only was it beautiful but it was heartwarming. I wanted to ride at my usual speed but saw that my friends were riding at a slower speed. I opted to join them. In our ride was a young student from Brazil he had a heavy mountain bike and was having difficulty keeping up. I rode with him sharing my energy gels and encouraging him. He had a wonderful ride but the ride became magical for him and for me, when the OBC tour director offered to give him his son's racing bike. This will enable our student to ride much faster with less effort.
Doug also rode with our friend, assisting him. The kindness shown to a foreign student who did not have the lightweight machines we have has forever cemented the OBC in my mind as the best bike club I have ever been involved with. Conrad as I called him could easily have been dropped, or dismissed as 'not ready'. There was none of that.
Bike on my friends
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
In praise of classics
I have a 35 year old Cambio Rino bicycle. A steel 10 speed racer that was developed by an Italian and built in Canada. It was Canada's answer to the flood of imported racers. Unfortunately, it did not last.
Cambio Rino was ahead of its time and at the time was a state of the art bike. Now they are collectors items. I have a beautiful one, all original parts including the toe clips and leather straps. I wrapped the handlebars with white cloth tape and applied shellac as it would have been done at that time. I am told this bike once raced in the Velodome of Montreal!
There is a lot of difference between my classic and my contemporary bikes. First off my newer bikes are much lighter and more comfortable. My other bikes are made of carbon and the other is chromealloy. My newer bikes have far more gears and I am more upright. I can ride great distances with them. They seem effortless.
The Cambio Rino is fast but also you are in a much lower or more aggressive position. Don't even think of applying the brakes if you are on the hoods. You have to break in the down position to avoid the pain.
At first I thought I would miss all the speeds but not really. I managed to get up a hill at a good speed all in the large ring. The friction shifters are also easier to maintain.
Of course, I can't ride this bike as a regular ride because I could never replace the parts but for an occasional ride like today, and for my charity ride on Saturday it is a bit of Canadian history. Granted 35 years hardly positions this bike as an antique but given the rapid changes in bike technology and technology in general, 35 years is an eternity.
One may very well ask, if the newer bikes are more comfortable, lighter and more responsive why would I even bother with this bike? Perhaps for the same reason that people restore and drive old cars...because we can and because it takes us into the past.
Cambio Rino was ahead of its time and at the time was a state of the art bike. Now they are collectors items. I have a beautiful one, all original parts including the toe clips and leather straps. I wrapped the handlebars with white cloth tape and applied shellac as it would have been done at that time. I am told this bike once raced in the Velodome of Montreal!
There is a lot of difference between my classic and my contemporary bikes. First off my newer bikes are much lighter and more comfortable. My other bikes are made of carbon and the other is chromealloy. My newer bikes have far more gears and I am more upright. I can ride great distances with them. They seem effortless.
The Cambio Rino is fast but also you are in a much lower or more aggressive position. Don't even think of applying the brakes if you are on the hoods. You have to break in the down position to avoid the pain.
At first I thought I would miss all the speeds but not really. I managed to get up a hill at a good speed all in the large ring. The friction shifters are also easier to maintain.
Of course, I can't ride this bike as a regular ride because I could never replace the parts but for an occasional ride like today, and for my charity ride on Saturday it is a bit of Canadian history. Granted 35 years hardly positions this bike as an antique but given the rapid changes in bike technology and technology in general, 35 years is an eternity.
One may very well ask, if the newer bikes are more comfortable, lighter and more responsive why would I even bother with this bike? Perhaps for the same reason that people restore and drive old cars...because we can and because it takes us into the past.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
How primitive we were
When I was a child, my father told me stories of walking miles to school with frozen molasses sandwiches through deep snow. He would tell me this to contrast his hardship with the ease of my life as I would board the military blue bus to take me to school through the snow. I remember thinking how primitive were the times in which my father grew up. For example I never had frozen sandwiches, my lunchbox contained devilled eggs and mushroom soup but never frozen sandwiches. I had a sophisticated meal not primitive frozen sandwiches!!
My lunches were the same..devilled eggs (it took me years to realize this was an appetizer), campbells mushroom soup and an apple. My breakfast consisted of puffed wheat or cream of wheat. (I dislike wheat to this day!) and suppers were beans, or corned beef hash or well cooked steak and potatoes with Dijon mustard. Sometimes our grocery store had coconuts, which were in my mind the most exotic of all!
My parents would shop and there would be a choice of two mustards, two types of cheese, yellow and orange, campbells soup, eggs, milk, bacon and probably a dozen types of breakfast cereal and two or three types of jam. It was easy, there were few choices.
Today's parent has to choose from an array of hundreds of mustards, jams from all over the world, a bewildering array of soups and cheeses from around the world and exotic fruit (not just coconut). There is a pantheon of juices, drinks, even yogurt has become a designer element.
Today if I told a child what I had for lunch they would no doubt give me the same bewildered stare that I gave my father when he would tell me his stories of his walks to school, which were longer with each telling of the story. What? No artichoke dressing? No raspberry coulis on organic fudge brownies? No horseradish with cranberries atop their ham sandwich, on organic bread? And how could we have survived without a fruit cup of a variety of fruits..not just a few bruised apples and the occasional squashed grapes.
How could we have endured long days of academic ardour without organic snacks or fortified juices..we drank water..how totally primitive
My lunches were the same..devilled eggs (it took me years to realize this was an appetizer), campbells mushroom soup and an apple. My breakfast consisted of puffed wheat or cream of wheat. (I dislike wheat to this day!) and suppers were beans, or corned beef hash or well cooked steak and potatoes with Dijon mustard. Sometimes our grocery store had coconuts, which were in my mind the most exotic of all!
My parents would shop and there would be a choice of two mustards, two types of cheese, yellow and orange, campbells soup, eggs, milk, bacon and probably a dozen types of breakfast cereal and two or three types of jam. It was easy, there were few choices.
Today's parent has to choose from an array of hundreds of mustards, jams from all over the world, a bewildering array of soups and cheeses from around the world and exotic fruit (not just coconut). There is a pantheon of juices, drinks, even yogurt has become a designer element.
Today if I told a child what I had for lunch they would no doubt give me the same bewildered stare that I gave my father when he would tell me his stories of his walks to school, which were longer with each telling of the story. What? No artichoke dressing? No raspberry coulis on organic fudge brownies? No horseradish with cranberries atop their ham sandwich, on organic bread? And how could we have survived without a fruit cup of a variety of fruits..not just a few bruised apples and the occasional squashed grapes.
How could we have endured long days of academic ardour without organic snacks or fortified juices..we drank water..how totally primitive
Friday, August 24, 2012
Guns and the US
I was coming back from a camping trip and decided to take a break in Watertown New York. There was a farmers market, with the usual soaps, fruit...tons of junk food..including fried Oreo cookies..lemonade, music and a leather worker.
He was an older man who made belts, wallets bags and a holster for a handgun. He explained as I picked it up in disbelief that it stays close to your body. This was a craft market in Watertown New York, and here I could buy a holster worthy of Elliot Ness or Al Capone!
Of course this is America where people can carry guns. There are people who feel as if a gun protects them and others harken to the days of the wild west where you were in danger from an Indian ambush, or a wild gunslinger on the street..or wild animals. I saw none of these in Watertown. The saloon was quiet and Billy the Kid was no where to be seen.
The argument is that guns protect. Against what? Against other gunslingers? "it stays close to your body" he said his eyes shining with the prospect of a sale. No thanks!
He was an older man who made belts, wallets bags and a holster for a handgun. He explained as I picked it up in disbelief that it stays close to your body. This was a craft market in Watertown New York, and here I could buy a holster worthy of Elliot Ness or Al Capone!
Of course this is America where people can carry guns. There are people who feel as if a gun protects them and others harken to the days of the wild west where you were in danger from an Indian ambush, or a wild gunslinger on the street..or wild animals. I saw none of these in Watertown. The saloon was quiet and Billy the Kid was no where to be seen.
The argument is that guns protect. Against what? Against other gunslingers? "it stays close to your body" he said his eyes shining with the prospect of a sale. No thanks!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Road cycling and Cleats
After much research and discussion about SPD versus Road cleats I have learned that the only rationale for road cleats is that there is a larger contact area and hence you can get more power transfer,
That is the theory. But realistically, it is a false argument for 99 % of us. The power transfer is really a function of technique and how your foot contacts the cleat. You DO NOT WANT to pedal flat footed and good technique involves pointing your toes.
The small difference in platform sizes between a shimano SPD pedal and say a Look pedal is minute.
SPD cleats means you can wear mountain shoes with recessed cleats. This gives you the incomparable advantage of being able to walk.
I recently did a bike tour that involved going on ferries and over bridges. In the rain, my race footed friends were slipping and sliding dangerously. My mountain shoes had no issues.
Unless you are doing a time trial where you will go all out and not dismount, or are in cyclo dome for track racing, I fail to see ANY advantage to road shoes. In fact, I see downright disadvantages in not being able to walk.
That is the theory. But realistically, it is a false argument for 99 % of us. The power transfer is really a function of technique and how your foot contacts the cleat. You DO NOT WANT to pedal flat footed and good technique involves pointing your toes.
The small difference in platform sizes between a shimano SPD pedal and say a Look pedal is minute.
SPD cleats means you can wear mountain shoes with recessed cleats. This gives you the incomparable advantage of being able to walk.
I recently did a bike tour that involved going on ferries and over bridges. In the rain, my race footed friends were slipping and sliding dangerously. My mountain shoes had no issues.
Unless you are doing a time trial where you will go all out and not dismount, or are in cyclo dome for track racing, I fail to see ANY advantage to road shoes. In fact, I see downright disadvantages in not being able to walk.
The Camelback
I like to road bike and like all road bikers have the bottle on my bike. However I recently tried a camelback system. This is a slim little backpack in which I can fit all my road tools, spare tube, my wallet and holds almost 2 liters of water.
The water stays COLD during a hot ride and keeps my back cool. I find I drink more, which is a good thing and don't get dehydrated or tired. It is light and areo and I don't need a little saddle bag anymore, or even a water bottle. The weight is hardly oppressive.
The only drawback is keeping it clean and the fact that it hides the great graphics on some of my jerseys.
To keep it clean I have learned the following:
Clean after every use
Store in freezer
Only use NUNO tablets or similar electrolyte tablets..no endurance drinks
Buy a brush system for it and a spare mouthpiece
So far, I am very impressed. It is comfortable and because I don't have to reach down and lose some speed, I am more likely to drink during a ride.
Road cyclists however are prone to fashion...and therefore I wonder if this will ever catch on!
The water stays COLD during a hot ride and keeps my back cool. I find I drink more, which is a good thing and don't get dehydrated or tired. It is light and areo and I don't need a little saddle bag anymore, or even a water bottle. The weight is hardly oppressive.
The only drawback is keeping it clean and the fact that it hides the great graphics on some of my jerseys.
To keep it clean I have learned the following:
Clean after every use
Store in freezer
Only use NUNO tablets or similar electrolyte tablets..no endurance drinks
Buy a brush system for it and a spare mouthpiece
So far, I am very impressed. It is comfortable and because I don't have to reach down and lose some speed, I am more likely to drink during a ride.
Road cyclists however are prone to fashion...and therefore I wonder if this will ever catch on!
Bike clothing....
Today I did a bike ride and was joined by members of the TREK cycling team, a world champion, the Discovery team and numerous members of Lance Armstrongs old Tour de France team. I was cycling on a road near Ottawa.
None of these cyclists would have made the tour de France and yet here they are wearing team kits with all the advertisements. Why? I suppose for the same reason that recreational hockey players buy jerseys from their teams.
I have a kit that is full of advertisements but there were sponsors who paid to be on our jerseys and shorts.
There is too much advertising in our cities already. We are deluged by ads and billboards and wearing advertisements while on a bike, in my opinion is simply offensive to the senses.
None of these cyclists would have made the tour de France and yet here they are wearing team kits with all the advertisements. Why? I suppose for the same reason that recreational hockey players buy jerseys from their teams.
I have a kit that is full of advertisements but there were sponsors who paid to be on our jerseys and shorts.
There is too much advertising in our cities already. We are deluged by ads and billboards and wearing advertisements while on a bike, in my opinion is simply offensive to the senses.
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