help, build an ark!

In article <[email hidden]>,

Marlene Blanshay said:

CX races this weekend oughta be fun... for those who like glop-fests!

Ryan will be right over :-) :-)

cheers,
Tom
--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
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In article <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Marlene Blanshay said:

CX races this weekend oughta be fun... for those who like glop-fests!

Ryan will be right over :-) :-)

cheers,
Tom

Crescent Park, home of my favourite course so far, and a really really
nice bakery.

I'll take any weather,

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ryan Cousineau said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Marlene Blanshay said:

CX races this weekend oughta be fun... for those who like glop-fests!

Ryan will be right over :-) :-)

cheers,
Tom

Crescent Park, home of my favourite course so far, and a really really
nice bakery.

I'll take any weather,

Following up on my own post, incredibly wet and muddy. I rode the race
on borrowed tires again, but managed to upgrade to a borrowed 30mm CX
tire in the front, paired to a 28mm inverted-tread tire in the rear. I'm
fairly comfortable on a loose bike, but I'm sure knobbier tires would
have been faster, especially on this very fast course with lots of fast
but muddy corners.

Next Saturday's race is in Vanier Park, rain or shine. All my
early-rising Vancouver fans are invited to see me take the start line at
8:45 in the Men's B Race, where my over-under placing is predicted at
mid-pack. Since a top-15 finish will help my team in the Rusty Rim
Trophy standings, I'll be trying hard.

-RjC.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ryan Cousineau said:

Next Saturday's race is in Vanier Park, rain or shine. All my
early-rising Vancouver fans are invited to see me take the start line at
8:45 in the Men's B Race, where my over-under placing is predicted at
mid-pack. Since a top-15 finish will help my team in the Rusty Rim
Trophy standings, I'll be trying hard.

I'll try to get out there to put pressure on ... erm ... I mean,
to cheer ya on.

Meanwhile, getting back on topic -- I just got all togged up
for a nighttime tootle and new-toeclip-cover test ride.
Dug my gaiters out of a heap of basement stuff, climbed into
the rain cape, dragged my bike out the basement door ... it
stopped raining! After what -- 48+ hours of steady downpour?
The moon is poking through the clouds. I don't feel like
riding now. It's too dry.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:57:21 -0700, <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

Meanwhile, getting back on topic -- I just got all togged up
for a nighttime tootle and new-toeclip-cover test ride.
Dug my gaiters out of a heap of basement stuff, climbed into
the rain cape, dragged my bike out the basement door ... it
stopped raining! After what -- 48+ hours of steady downpour?
The moon is poking through the clouds. I don't feel like
riding now. It's too dry.

Capes are only half the solution as I discovered Friday. I was riding
my new, sum of some bits, chopper, Yorik, who was born without
fenders. Got totally soaked with the water thrown up under the cape.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

Zoot Katz said:

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:57:21 -0700, <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

Meanwhile, getting back on topic -- I just got all togged up
for a nighttime tootle and new-toeclip-cover test ride.
Dug my gaiters out of a heap of basement stuff, climbed into
the rain cape, dragged my bike out the basement door ... it
stopped raining! After what -- 48+ hours of steady downpour?
The moon is poking through the clouds. I don't feel like
riding now. It's too dry.

Capes are only half the solution as I discovered Friday. I was riding

That's where the gaiters and toeclip covers come in.
My toeclip covers are fashioned out of strips of
inner tube fastened to the clips with zip ties.
I dunno how well they'll work; I was looking forward
to testing them. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

The gaiters are lovely for keeping shins dry.
But they're more of a cooler weather accessory.
Mine are a pair of cheapies from 3 Vets.
I ended up with two lefts, the zipper is busted
on one, and the bootlace hook pulled out of the
other. But the velcro keeps them rainproof.

Quoted message said:

my new, sum of some bits, chopper, Yorik, who was born without
fenders. Got totally soaked with the water thrown up under the cape.

Interesting you've given it a Shakespearian name. Yesterday
I was thinking how "Caliban" might be a good name for a
half-'n-half monster.

BTW, I picked up some rack extender hardware at MEC
and fixed up my rack properly. I also finally got
around to installing rear brake pads.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 23:25:27 -0700, <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

Quoted message said:

my new, sum of some bits, chopper, Yorik, who was born without
fenders. Got totally soaked with the water thrown up under the cape.

Interesting you've given it a Shakespearian name. Yesterday
I was thinking how "Caliban" might be a good name for a
half-'n-half monster.

I think of it as "sum of some bits" because that's what it is.

It curently has a plastic skull Halloween decoration mounted to a
front brake hanger.

Yeah, Caliban would be a good name for a Frankenbike.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

Zoot Katz said:

It curently has a plastic skull Halloween decoration mounted to a
front brake hanger.

Obviously a bike of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:19:30 -0700, <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Zoot Katz said:

It curently has a plastic skull Halloween decoration mounted to a
front brake hanger.

Obviously a bike of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

All my other bikes wear a small plastic skull-ring as their mojo but
this one is bigger than two fists. I might yet cut a couple holes in
the eye sockets and add a small light.

The Margaret Charles Chopper Collective basically pokes fun at the
apocalyptic and macabre names other chopper gangs' call themselves.
And, we're not structured like a gang in that we're not exclusive.
Civilian bikes are welcome on the rides though tradition stipulates
that they ride at the rear. I'll bet we're the only chopper "gang" in
Cascadia that can boast two linguists among its ranks.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Meanwhile, getting back on topic -- I just got all togged up
for a nighttime tootle and new-toeclip-cover test ride.
Dug my gaiters out of a heap of basement stuff, climbed into
the rain cape, dragged my bike out the basement door ... it
stopped raining! After what -- 48+ hours of steady downpour?
The moon is poking through the clouds. I don't feel like
riding now. It's too dry.

And now it's a beautiful day!

Phooey!

I'm riding anyways.

Can a reasonably effective mudflap be fashioned
from a mouse pad? (maybe with the pop-rivet hole
reinforced with rip-stop tape or something?)

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:29:28 -0700, <[email hidden]>,

(Tom Keats) said:

Can a reasonably effective mudflap be fashioned
from a mouse pad? (maybe with the pop-rivet hole
reinforced with rip-stop tape or something?)

I'd say gopher it. Being a GlidePoint kinda guy, I can't think of a
better use for a mouse pad. The best ones to use would be those given
as awards or souvenirs. I doubt the sponge foam ones are as sturdy as
the hard rubber backed kinds. And, they come in fashionable colours.

My mud flaps are fastened with the larger headed two-piece rivets like
they sell for leather work. I used tire patches to mend and reinforce
the area where the rubber flap got ripped.

'tis a lovely day for a ride. I might see you on the road. With the
schools being closed, it's noticeably quieter out there too.
--
zk

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Meanwhile, getting back on topic -- I just got all togged up
for a nighttime tootle and new-toeclip-cover test ride.
Dug my gaiters out of a heap of basement stuff, climbed into
the rain cape,

I am not a fan of rain capes. You might as well ride with a sail.

Quoted message said:

The moon is poking through the clouds.

Gorgeous moon yesterday morning -- it was just setting over the west at 6:00
AM, and clouds were swirling around it like a Halloween movie.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

In article <[email hidden]>,

Claire Petersky said:

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Meanwhile, getting back on topic -- I just got all togged up
for a nighttime tootle and new-toeclip-cover test ride.
Dug my gaiters out of a heap of basement stuff, climbed into
the rain cape,

I am not a fan of rain capes. You might as well ride with a sail.

Or a parachute. But they're cheap, compared to the hundreds of
dollars one can spend on Gortex stuff. If I could spend hundreds
of dollars, I think I'd be more inclined to spend it on a Rohloff
500/14 Speedhub. And keep the rain cape.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca