Old Dudes Roll!!

It was pretty cool that an older guy, Alexandre Vinokourov, won the gold medal in the London Olympic Road Cycling event.  Granted, 38 isn't exactly OLD, but it's 11 years older than the average Olympic athlete, who's 26.8 years old.  For professional athletes, it's quite a feat for anyone in any sport to achieve the pinnacle of greatness at such an age.

"Get outta my way, punks"

Likewise, Kristin Armstrong won the women's Time Trial (for the second time, mind you) ... and she's also 38 years old ... the oldest person to ever win the gold in that event.

"Don't hate me because I'm STILL much faster than you"

The rest of the competitors were younger ... and yet somehow these "aging" athletes proved that riding a bike isn't just for kids.  To have both men AND women's events won by people who are almost 40 is pretty cool.

And ... I think it's inspired a lot of people to get out there and ride.  If two near-40-year-olds can win Olympic gold riding a bike, then certainly those in their 50's, 60', 70's and beyond can at least have some fun doing it, right?  True 'dat.

I'm all for people riding and having fun, and I've noticed a greatly increased number of riders who appear to be at least as old as I am (48, as of this writing), and many who are much older.  And there seems to be another "inspired" side effect of the Olympics.  Many of these new post-30's riders have decided that it's "GO" time ... imagining themselves in pursuit of Olympic Gold ... and anyone on the road is their competition.

They got themselves a race bike, race clothes, race helmet, race shoes, race computer, and carry at least two water bottles at all times.  They may not yet understand how everything works, but they're ready to race.  They'll race anyone ... other old dudes on bikes, kids on cruisers, skateboarders, in-line skaters, dog-walkers, pedestrians ... I've even seen a dude racing someone in an electric wheelchair.  And, of course, they race ME ... an aging dude on a non-racing bike, wearing non-racing clothes, and obviously not in a hurry for anything, which I assume makes me appear to be the weak member of the herd, and therefore easy to take down.  This is quite entertaining to me, as well as a little frustrating, since I worked very hard to overcome my desire to race anyone who might pass me, just to prove that I'm not getting old.

Today's race was "brung" by a man who began his approach at the first of three stoplights in the last five miles of today's Ocean Institute Decade-And-A-Half Everyday Epic ride.  I was stopped at the light when he rolled up, gave me and my bike a once-over scan, and continued on, coming to a stop well into the crosswalk and nearly into the intersection to capture the very best possible sprint starting position, as he struggled to unclip his shoe from the pedal.  When the light turned green, he jumped on the pedal, fumbled while attempting to clip in the second shoe, and then proceeded in a wobbly standing sprint as fast as possible away from the intersection.  A quick look back was given to ensure that his breakaway was successful, then he sat down hard on his saddle and began his somewhat slower, rather bow-legged seated pedaling style, which was necessary to circumvent the large round protrusion in the lower half of his jersey, no doubt a reward for the years of beer consumption (I have one of my own that I swear will one day disappear).  I pedaled on at my usual slower-than-most pace, and found myself gaining on him, then passing him within about half a mile.  I rode on to the next stoplight, where it began again ... in exactly the same manner.  And then AGAIN at the third stoplight.  It might have continued, but at the fourth stoplight, he turned into a coffee shop, and I rode the last mile home to likewise drink some coffee.

Perhaps it will be "ON" again tomorrow ...

Surf-O-Lounger Epic Ride!!

When you mention Southern California, many stereotypes come to mind ... beaches, bikinis, surfers, skateboarders, and the fact that when you register with the DMV, your first name is automatically officially changed to either "Dude" or "Bro" (you may or may not have an option, depending on the mood of the clerk).  A laid-back atmosphere is almost always envisioned, along with the cross-culturally-approved attire of board shorts, t-shirt (or alternative Hawaiian-style shirt), sunglasses, and flip-flops (and if you live in San Clemente, the flip-flops MUST be Rainbow brand).  These components are required for SoCal non-workplace clothing code compliance for all dudes and bros.  Only those engaged in more serious sport activities may be exempt from the code, provided they wear either a wetsuit or something similarly form-fitting (spandex).  For all other activities, the standard clothing code applies, and all components are required at all times, both day and night.  Some variation is allowed, however.  For example, you don't have to actually be WEARING all of the approved attire components, as long as you have them with you.  One variation, shown below by a member of the Southern California Beach Cycling Team during a training ride, depicts the sunglasses, flip-flops, and board shorts being worn as usual, with the t-shirt displayed on the bike handlebars.

Approved SoCal attire while training for the Pier-To-Pier Epic Half Decade Trail Ride

Although, I'm not a California native, I've now been here for over ten years, which earned me a special discount at the "Dude, Who Cares?" store.  Nevertheless, I do feel that I've learned just enough about the small region of Southern California in which I reside to truly call it "home".  And when I say "just enough", I mean that I generally don't get too surprised at what I see on a daily basis.

For example, to see a Chihuahua with bright red painted toenails wearing a dress, hat, and sunglasses running from its doorstep to chase and bark at my much larger dog, who doesn't know whether to roll on his back and laugh or throw up, I'm not that surprised.  (In case you're wondering, yes, this actually happened.)

However, when I saw the genius creativity in the following photos taken on the very street where I now live, I must say it took the whole Southern California laid-back surf/skate theme to an entirely new level.  Check it out ... he's got the t-shirt, sunglasses, board shorts, and flip-flops ... but he's not cruisin' on a skateboard or bike ... no, he's cruisin' on a Surf-O-Lounger!

It looks to me like a lounge chair attached to a base with four skateboard trucks.  Awesome!!  He's rigged some steering apparatus via handles on each side, which appears to work very well, since he rode true and straight down the hill.  He just pushes it up to the top, hops in the chair, and rides.  Too cool!!!

I don't know this dude ... but next time he's cruisin' the Surf-O-Lounger, I'll talk with him and see about getting some video for you to see.

I know this post didn't have much to do with bicycles ... but the images were just to cool to not share.  The things you see on the neighborhood streets in San Clemente ...

More bike stuff soon ... hope it's not too hot where you are!  I'm headed out for a little ride that looks kinda like this ...

San Clemente Beach Trail heading North

The Everyday Epic Ride

It's been a few days since my last post ... mainly because the weather's been great, and accompanying the great weather has been a week of great rides. Nothing spectacular or "epic" for any particular reason ... just great rides. However, spending a little more time riding has taken a little more time away from non-work-related writing ... hence the lack of blogular postage. My apologies for anyone who waits with great anticipation for each of my posts (last I checked there is actually one person who reads them).

In thinking about the great rides that are great for no particular reason, I was trying to come up with some wonderful bit of prose to share the experience with you ... but nothing came to mind, apart from the small group of gray squirrels who were intent on taunting me by waiting just at the edge of the road and then jumping up to make me think I'd hit them, then laughing as they ran away because they made me stop. Of course, there are no photos to document this ... but it really did happen ... twice.

At the same time, I was thinking about the bike-related blogs out there. One of my favorite daily reads, EcoVelo, has gone away. It's sad, because there was always something interesting to read there that had nothing to do with any sort of competitive, training, or epic riding ... just great photos and articles about everyday riding and gear. There is another (for which I won't mention the name) that had a similar focus ... but now seems to be more about getting into race bikes, group training rides, and entering epic long-distance events. Not interesting to me. Don't get me wrong ... I have nothing against sport/competitive cycling. I have an enormous amount of respect for the sport and for those who are involved in it. It's really hard work, and really rewarding to complete some of the events out there ... pushing yourself to the limit to achieve big goals is a wonderful way to spend some healthy effort. For me ... it's just not why I ride ... and, with all due respect to the many people who write about it, it's not something I want to read about every day.

Bombing down a steep hill on a race bike training ride ... great for many ... not for me

I suppose the reason there isn't more reading material available for "everyday" cycling is that it's pretty bland. I mean, in comparison to the ride report of climbing near-vertical mountain roads until you vomit and descending at 70mph, nearly sliding off a cliff and breaking your collarbone, a description of riding to the beach, eating some lunch, and picking up a few things at the grocery store on the way home sounds pretty tame. Nevertheless, there are probably more people who participate in the tame than in the epic ... and I am making it my mission to bring excitement to the world of the everyday cycler.

With this in mind, I propose a new naming protocol for our everyday rides. Here's the scoop:

Have you noticed that all of the "epic" rides have some kind of special moniker that describes its length? For example, a ride of 100 miles is called a "century", which makes it sound a lot more "epic" than simply saying it's a 100-mile ride. After all, when we hear the word "century", we think about a span of time greater than most of us will live ... so using it to describe a bike ride is like saying "this ride is so long and so difficult, you may not survive", which is somehow attractive to the thrill seekers. A "metric century" sounds even more "epic", even though it's technically much shorter, being only 100 kilometers. The REALLY epic rides are the "double century" rides ... 200 miles (or kilometers for the metric version). Well ... the everyday cycler's version of the epic ride could be called a "decade". Think about it. If a century is 100 miles, a "decade" would be 10 miles. That's enough for an everyday ride, right? If you need more, you could do a "double decade" for 20 miles ... or even a "triple decade" for 30 miles. It sure makes the normal bland everyday ride sound more exciting, doesn't it?

Of course, every big epic ride has some kind of additional verbiage attached to describe where the ride is, or who sponsors it, or to make it sound more torturous ... like the "Hell's Gate 100" ... or the "SoCal Double Century". Well that's easy to incorporate into the everyday epic ride title. How about The Doheny Double Decade?

Scene from the Epic "Doheny Double Decade"

We could have "The Heritage Park Hill Climb Half Decade" ... and "The Aliso Creek Trail Triple Decade".

How is this NOT an epic ride?

Trail-side scenery is not always appreciated during a competitive "event" ride.

And let's not forget "The Wind Tunnel From Hell". Of course, almost any everyday ride could be turned into an event ... like the "Starbucks Grab & Go Epic Double-Latte Half Decade With Whipped Cream".

First leg of the "Starbucks Grab & Go Epic Double-Latte Half Decade With Whipped Cream" ride.

The beauty of these EveryDay Epics is that they aren't competitive ... unless you want them to be. They don't cost anything to enter ... aside from your time. They don't require any special training. You don't have to wear any special clothing ... unless you want to. You're always the winner of the event, and the prize is whatever you reward yourself with after the ride. And you can participate at any time, since there's no schedule. You can even stop halfway for lunch and continue later ... with no time penalty. If you don't go as far as you planned, you can simply rename the ride ... a decade is then just a half-decade, but no less "epic" in nature. You can ride alone or with others ... and everyone wins, unless you decide to make it competitive, in which case I suggest the person who has the most fun (determined by best "woohoohoo" when crossing the finish line) is declared the winner. Take a camera and start building a photo album to remember your epic events. Put on a helmet video camera, speed up the video, and add a heavy metal soundtrack for posting on YouTube ... just remember to not giggle like a little girl on camera (or at least mute the audio track).

Yes, it's very exciting to think about those big epic cycling events ... and if you're truly into doing it, then my helmet is off to you. But if you're new to cycling ... or feel somehow that you're not a "real" cyclist because that's all you see in the media ... don't worry. As Forrest Gump's mom used to say ... "Epic is as Epic does". In other words ... make your own epic ... every day. Go have fun. Give your 10-mile ride an epic name ... call it the Decade of Death, even if you're just riding to the grocery store and back (traffic can be dangerous, right?). Remember ... you're not a "cyclist" ... you're a "cycler" ... and "cyclers" make their own adventures in the everyday ride!

So let's start a new trend ... Everyday Epic Rides. Healthy, happy, fun. Where is your epic ride today?