Dec 31, 2008

THE "ONE MILE SOLUTION"

i have never really been much of the new-years-resolution-type - but this one is worth considering.

here is my personal story relating to this idea...this past summer i installed an xtracycle freerad kit onto an older mtb i had hanging around with the aim of using it for some local shopping, farmers market trips and taking the boy to school. i wanted to try and do my part for the environment as well as live a little closer to my community and reduce my personal impact in my community. all of that happened, but what was surprising to me was how easy it was to do, how thouroughly enjoyable it was, and how often i left the van parked. throughout the summer and fall, my first choice was to hop on the "tankbike" whenever i could for the simple fact that i felt like i was sticking it to "the man" everytime i rode it!

for those of you out there that are wondering how you can make a contribution to your local community, or save money, or live simpler - this might be an easy first step.

check out walk score as well - a very cool tool for info on services close to where you live.

Dec 23, 2008

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!



happy holidays (or whatever you like to say at this time of year) to you and yours! i hope its as cold and snowy where you are as it is here - and i hope that santa finds peace in your actions over the last year and graces you with a gift or two (you know you dont deserve it!)

Dec 20, 2008

ONLINE KEIRIN RACING



with the frigid temperatures still hanging around - here is a good way to feel like you are being athletic - even while sitting on the couch. try not to sweat to much!

pulled from here...

Dec 18, 2008

...STILL SNOWING!

i am pretty sure that i have shovelled my walk more times in the last week than all of last year combined. sheesh! what happened to al gore and his promise of warmer weather?

Dec 13, 2008

BACK TO REALITY



god damn - its downright frigid - and only expected to get colder. not even 24hrs after returning from the east coast we get blasted by this yukka yukka weather. its too cold to do much of anything outside. i guess now would be a good time to do some needed bike maintenance to some of the fleet in preparation for the warmer weather that will eventualy come and melt all this off.

Dec 10, 2008

ANDREAS LEARNING ONE OF THE FINER POINTS OF HOTEL LIVING - Dartmouth, NS



on a separate note, while at the mall with the family today we decided to pick up some bevvies before my sis and i head out to see some live music in halifax - and to my surprise - what did the liquor store have? tall cans of vitamin p!

what a nice treat - and re-warmup - before our return to Pil Country tomorrow.

Dec 9, 2008

Dec 8, 2008

WINTER - LITTLE JUDIQUE STYLE!

we woke up this morning to a solid blast of winter. not just regular winter we all know - more like - the-blustery-bend-trees-sideways-cover-the-side-of-the-house version of winter! its too windy to go outside right now but we are crossing our fingers the wind will die down long enough to get outside later and hit the slopes - on toboggans.

Dec 4, 2008

CABOT TRAIL



all pics are here...

Dec 3, 2008

WE'RE HERE! WE'RE HERE!

After a long, but fairly easy journey from basically the west side of North America to the far east side of North America - I present to you a pic of our lovely accomadations.

Nov 30, 2008

I'M ON HOLIDAY!

on tuesday the boy and i will be hopping a plane, another plane, and then a bus to make our way to cape breton island for a holiday at grandma and grandpa's house. i am excited to get away from alberta for awhile and do basically nothing for 9 days.

nothing. for 9 days. i wonder if i'll go crazy?

i am hoping my daily routine looks something like this...
- wake up late and eat first breakfast
- core workout and short run
- shower and second breakfast
- nap
- lunch
- nap
- dinner
- bedtime
hopefully by the end of this break i will be well rested and have established a regular daily workout regime that i can bring back with me and continue doing here in alberta. my poor old body is hurting a lot these days and most of the pain/hurt is rooted in a complete lack of flexibility and sad lack of core strength.

i will try and post some stories of the "nothingness" occuring in little judique and if you're lucky (and if i am lucky) i'll get a report up from the alexander keith's brewery tour scheduled for 10 days from now. that should be fun!


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those of you that know me will also know that i love riding my bikes and racing has been fun for sometime too. i am finding that i am less interested in racing these last couple of years but still very passionate about riding nonetheless, even if it means i am riding slower than in the past. i came across this great little tidit while cruising around on sheldon brown's site...have a read, and go ride your bike - slowly - forever.

Nov 28, 2008

Buy Nothing Day - today!

Do your part for the planet and fight the greedy corporatistas by sitting on your wallet and staying out of stores. I am guessing there is no coincidence in that today is "Black Friday" in the US and BND too...

Nov 20, 2008

Guitar Hero By Bike

Nov 19, 2008

PREPARE TO GEEK OUT!
Court hears victim shot, lit on fire and dropped over embankment

gee-zus - the details are coming out on what happened to BK in his final moments and it is not pretty. see this for more info...

here is a link to the latest info on the trial...

and the latest on the trial...

well...the details of the murder are comng out and getting interesting...

finally - the jury has come to the conclusion that that fucker is guilty. hopefully BK's family can now begin the final stages of mourning his loss.

RIP BK.

Nov 16, 2008

movember supporter

byron davis, leader of our fine cycle club, is growing his moustache to raise money for prostate cancer in canada. its a cool idea that was started in australia and has since spread around the world. click on the link for more info or to donate...

Movember - Sponsor Me
second snow of the season



mr. henson looks rather fetching all draped in white!

Nov 15, 2008

i am too lazy to post about anything these days...



k - well, disregard what i said above. i do have one thing to post about - i figured out how to skid on a fixie today.

i am very proud of myself.

tap tap tap (sound of me patting myself on the back)

Nov 10, 2008

the fuzzy bike is dead! long live the fuzzy bike!



the indoor race is in the rearview mirror and it sounds like everyone that attended had a great time. the racing was fast and exciting, with crazy action and antics all day long. i raced the mr. henson in the 1Cog category and made it through 3 heats to make the final and in the final race i cased the landing on the jump so hard i broke 30 of the 36 spokes in the rear wheel - as well as broke something inside the headset as the handlebars dont turn anymore. after the third heat i had a feeling that the fuzzy bike would not be able to handle one more heat and - sure enough - the final heat was also the final moments for my fuzzy flying machine!

i guess i'd better put mr. henson out to pasture and begin searching for another bike to fuzz-i-fy and continue to spread the fuzzy love!

Nov 9, 2008

the remnants of our indoor cyclocross race...

Nov 8, 2008

picnic table bike

goofy - i know...but pretty cool too.

Nov 5, 2008

first snow of the season...

Nov 4, 2008

Trial into cyclist's shooting death to start today...finally!

those of you that are familiar with this tragic act will be glad to see this asshole will finally go to trial. its been almost exactly 2 years since Brian went missing and was subsequently found shot to death west of Bragg Creek.

Personally, I liked Brian - although he drove me kind of crazy sometimes - however he was a great guy and is missed by many to this day - including myself.

if you want some background info, check my blog posts from 2 years ago - there are a few posts and various links there to read.

hopefully this guy gets what he deserves and becomes some big dude's bitch!

Oct 31, 2008

some halloween cyclocross action from the folks at cross crusade...

Oct 29, 2008

beautiful autumn


if you life in calgary you have undoubtedly noticed that we have been experiencing an incredibly beautiful and warm autumn - unusually so, i'd say. well, enjoy it while it lasts. we are an hour's drive from the mountains and are sitting at 3700+ft above sea level - in canada.

winter is coming.

Oct 26, 2008

why grow a beard?



takin' from here - it made me laugh. if you dont laugh, you are either female or lame.

Oct 24, 2008

...i woke up in a bad mood this morning...

Oct 20, 2008

a little too close to home...my neighbour was the one whos fence was set on fire...yikes!

The Calgary Police Service Arson Unit is investigating a rash
of fires that occurred over the weekend in the Richmond Road
and Marda Loop areas.

Several incidents took place on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008.

The first happened at approximately 12:40 a.m., on the Sarcee
Pedestrian bridge near Optimist Park, where culprits placed a
20 lb., full propane tank in the middle of the overpass. An
accelerant was poured over the entire length of the walkway
and on top of the propane tank, in an unsuccessful attempt to
cause a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE).

At approximately 1 a.m., two men were observed lighting a
fire in a park near 37 Street and 17 Avenue S.W. They are
described as 18 to 24 years-of-age, approximately 6’ and 6’3”
in height. They were last seen running north on 37 Street
S.W.

At 4:30 a.m., culprits lit a tree and bushes on fire, in the
park located at Richmond Road and 29 Street S.W., using a red
jerry can.

At 5:25 a.m., it was reported that culprits broke into an
unoccupied, three-story apartment block located in the 2000
block of 34 Avenue S.W., setting a fire that caused
approximately $200,000 in damage.

On Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008, between midnight and 8 a.m.,
culprits threw a Molotov cocktail into a parked minivan in
the 3300 block of 34 Avenue S.W., destroying the van. The
culprits likely used a Colt 445 beer bottle that was
recovered at the scene.

Also on Sunday, culprits set a fence on fire in the back
alley of the 1400 block of 42 Street S.W., at approximately
9:25 a.m., causing approximately $200 in damage.


Investigators are currently working to determine whether
these incidents are related.

The Arson Unit believes two young males may have been filling
up red jerry cans late at night, at nearby gas stations. As
well, culprits may have stolen a standard 20 lb., full
propane tank, possibly splattered with black paint.

Anyone who may have seen these culprits, is missing a propane
tank or has any information on these crimes is asked to call
police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS
(8477).

Oct 17, 2008

i love found bikes!

here is my (striped and fixed) latest find...















this litle beauty looks to be a late-70's speed machine. when i found it it was missing its seat, had its bars turned up, flat tires and was whimpering beside a dumpster.

now look at 'er!

Oct 14, 2008

happy thanksgiving to you!

Oct 12, 2008

wiley rides again!


my bikeshop gave birth to this crazy frankenbike today...have fun trevor!

Oct 11, 2008

camp food at home
yummy kicking horse perc coffe and valbella bacon on our woodstove this morning. i was thinking about trying to get out to the mountains for a night of camping over this thanksgiving weekend but the cold temperatures have kept us here in the city - so - andreas and i decided to do a camp-style breakfast here at home.

now - if i could figure out a way to make toast on the stove, i would be set!

Oct 9, 2008

..just a little something beautiful to look at today...


koga-miyata

Oct 5, 2008

dark knight 'cross and oval 'cross weekend


my pics can be found here...

another incredible weekend of racing on a course that was spectacular! the saturday night racing action was unbelievable - what with a dj spinning beats, the race announcer calling the action and multiple crashes and lead changes in all the races - i think the cyclemeisters just raised the bar on what a cyclocross race should look like! good job ed and the gang at cmc!

Oct 2, 2008



a copy of this is on the way to me as we speak - yey! ever since i was a boy of 15 and saw, for the first time, coverage of this race on cbs sports, i have been completely enthralled, mesmerized and shocked at the ability of the riders and the brutality of the course. this one event - paris-roubaix - is what caused me to dream of racing, of winning races, of becoming a champion. needless to say, i've never been a champion of anything (maybe being a dad, i'll let you know in 15 yrs) but have won my fair share of races over the years and have never lost that feeling i first got upon seeing the riders clamber across the cobbles, crashing, bloodied - winning.

whos up for a group screening?

Sep 27, 2008

beans and barley 'cross and bk memorial 'cross



the rest of the pics are here.....
some great 'cross action was had this weekend, on perfectly speedy and tough courses, with sun-a-shin'! hats of to terrascape and bicisport/synergy for a couple of great events.

we are blessed in calgary to have such a solid 'cross thing going. wee haaa!

Sep 23, 2008

midweek cyclocross is in full effect!

the fine folks at midweek mayhem have brought another solid series of tueday night cyclocross races to us here in calgary and - judging by the turnout tonite and last week - there certainly is an appetite for it! i counted close to 40 people on the line tonite and quite a few new faces i hadnt seen before. here are a couple images...


Sep 21, 2008















what a great day of riding! nadia, morgan, andreas, and myself headed out on saturday for a slow-bike-ride to the crossroads market for some fresh local produce and locally made bread. it was an incredibly beautiful day and we did our best to soak up as much of it as we could. we stopped on stephen avenue for some street meat (from the hurtin'-est hotdog cart i think i've seen), stopped at some old building ruins to check them out, of course we stopped at the market and our last stop was at bernard callebaut for some incredible soft serve, white chocolate ice cream - OMG! - de-lish! after the ice cream it was time to make the run back home for dinner - which included bbq beef tenderloin, foil-packed veggies from the market and corn-on-the-cob grilled on the bbq - OMG! - de-lish! after dinner we finished off the day with a quick shot of absinthe and headed to the movie-in-the-park with the kids to check out "wall-e" under the stars. good times!

autumn arrives tomorrow and cyclocross season with it. i have decided to give 'cross racing a go again this fall and will have some reports in the next few weeks. till then, happy trails!

Sep 19, 2008

yahoo's purple bikes

townies+gps+flickr = a pretty cool project. check it here...

http://startwearingpurple.yahoo.com/?purplepedals#/pedals

Sep 17, 2008

reducing my impact - increasing my fun!




from the very first time i saw an xtracycle i have been intrigued by its simple design and happy vibe. i have been doing my best to use a bicycle to do my shopping and running various errands throughout the summer but have been stymied a few times by loads that were too big for my zip-tied-milk-crate or too cumbersome for my backpack. after extensive searching to try and purchase one (none are apparently in western canada) i stumbled across an unlikely source - singletrack cycle in calgary. in fact, it was pretty much the only thing stu had left after selling off his entire inventory and shutting his doors for good last month. it probably goes without saying that i got a wicked deal on it - and to top it off - i purchased one of his professional park repair stands for next to nothing! ya! (i have been waiting to get my grubs on one of these for the better part of 20yrs!) i intend to break in the new(ish) cargo machine on saturday when we will be attending the movie in the park (see post below)and hopefully if the weather stays good we'll use it to go to the farmers market and load up on local eats on sunday. fun! fun!

Sep 16, 2008

HOLY FU*$&IN SHIT!!!



Bicycle Film Festival TOKYO '08 PART 1 from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.


are you in calgary saturday nite? any plans? see you there? i'll be there with the boy and we are going to ride bikes over - sounds like a great nite of activities and film. come out and celebrate the fall equinox in one of calgary's coolest little parks.

Sep 15, 2008



the new season is just around the corner - and this guy is stoked to get back out there and watch some of the rowdy-est action available in calgary. i attended a couple matches last season and both times was impressed with the turnout of fans and the insane flat-track action. check out their site and plan on attending a match - good times are guaranteed!

Sep 14, 2008

1st annual ramsay bowl bike polo tourney

my photos can be found here and my videos can be found here .

the tournament seemed to be a great success with some incredible action, many broken bike parts, and a super fun time. there was even a live band banging out some super cool rhythms and beats while we played. our team lost our first game bad (5-0) against the super-good grass game guys. our second game started much better as we quickly established a 2-0 lead and were feeling pretty good about making it past the team we were playing - when - agast! - trevor's bike broke - and suddenly it was three on two. then - agast! - tommy's mallet broke in two, making it 3 on me. tommy quickly grabbed another mallet (trev still on the sidelines trying to get his bike working) and just as quickly - agast! - he broke that one too! while all this is happening our lead is slipping away and we ended up losing 5-4. the loss was a little disappointing for me (uber-competitive guy) but super good times were had by our team nonetheless. all the losses have done is stoke the polo fire in my gut and i cant wait to get out and play again.



Sep 12, 2008

interesting, timely, and somewhat related articles from adbusters and FFWD that are worth a quick read.

seems that bicycles, bicycle riders and their related communities are starting to penetrate into the realm of the very mainstream - especially with the glode and mail, the ny times, the cbc, etc posting bicycle related stories on almost a weekly basis.

are we are witnessing the next renaissance of the bicycle?
ready for the 'tourney!
after having my look polo bike banged around a little too much for my liking on wednesday night i decided to try using a machine that would be a little more durable - c'est voila! - the 29er is now rockin the polo setup...




...some details - barrel adjustable, 2-sp rear derailleur with a standard mtb triple setup up front, rear hydro brake, thumbshifter for the front derailleur and disc to protect the front wheel. also here is a shot of our team t-shirt for the 'tourney.

its gonna be a good time!

Sep 8, 2008

expocycle report part 2

all the pictures can be found here


the first day of the show is traditionally pretty busy and this year was no exception. overall, the impression i am getting from the convention is that the bike industry is doing pretty well these days - especially when factoring in what high gas prices have done for bicycle sales! i was able to sneek away from my booth a few time during the day and snapped these pics of stuff that caught my eye...

easily the most beautiful machine spotted so far has been the naked city bike that shimano was showing with the alfine grouppo. shimano had sam whittingham custom design this bike around the group and the result is an incredible work of functional art. chek the pictures posted and be sure to notice the details - unbelievable!