Orange County Bicycle Service and Garage!!

I recently stumbled upon a local business that deserves a little "shout-out".  It's Orange County Bicycle Service and Garage, located in Laguna Hills, CA.  They've been around for only a couple of years, but seem to be gaining a reputation for themselves by offering a set of unique services for Southern Orange County.

First off, the mechanical service is top notch, coming from expert mechanic and owner Corey Clayton.  In my brief conversation with him, it became clear that he loves bikes, and cares about his customers, having a strong desire to keep their rides in good working order so they can stay on the road or trail.  While in the shop, someone came in with a mountain bike that had a brake issue.  Corey quickly put the bike up on the stand, diagnosed the problem, fixed it, and explained to the customer how to prevent the problem in the future ... and with a minimal service charge, the customer was back out the door within about 15 minutes, his brakes working better than they ever had before.  That seems to be the consensus about Corey's work ... the bikes are returned to the owner working better than when they were new.  Next-day and Same-day turn-around service is available.

I also noticed that there's none of the usual condescending attitude that's prevalent in most bike shops.  You've all experienced the LBS staffer who appears loathe to talk with anyone about anything not related to high-end race/performance bikes or products.  This shop has a great sense of broad knowledge and love of all bike types.  In for service was a range of bikes that included top-of-the-line mountain and road bikes, commuter rigs, and even a very old Raleigh frameset that appeared to be in the process of full overhaul.  You'll also find a good selection of parts ... including more UN-common things like 8-speed cassettes and chains.

So far, this is all great, but not necessarily unique.  HOWEVER ... there are some offerings that make this place quite cool.  Things like bike pick-up and delivery service, emergency roadside assistance within a 30-mile radius, even mobile service for those times when you just can't make it to the shop but need something fixed.

One of the MOST unique things about this shop is that they are one of only two Park Tool Certified Schools in Southern California, offering classes in bike repair and maintenance.  To go along with this, they have several fully-equipped workstations that are available for rent ... so you can work on your own bike in a proper environment with professional tools and an expert mechanic within earshot if you find yourself stuck.

Beyond all of this, they're one of very few places in Southern Orange County where you can buy quality used bicycles.  They don't really stock new bikes, but do offer consignment sales of bikes that pass the test.  This is truly great for both buyers and people who have nice bikes to sell.  While you can certainly go the CL route to sell your bike, that requires you to be available to meet with potential buyers and answer a lot of silly questions, not to mention the whole haggling issue.  Not my personal preference.  Having your bike for sale at OCBG means it's always available for customers to see and test ride, and you don't have to deal with the price negotiation.  Yes, there's a fee for consignment sales, but it's worth it for the savings in time and effort.

Here's the promo video for OCBG:

If you're in South OC, take a little time and go check this place out.  You'll be glad you did!

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 ...

MLK Day Thoughts

As I was riding today, I was thinking about the fact that it's MLK Day ... not because the banks are all closed and there's no mail or shipping ... but because his most famous speech about having a dream of change, and his death at the hands of extreme prejudice, have, in fact, helped to bring about a great deal of change in this country, and perhaps the world. We have a President who isn't a white dude from a long history of white dudes who were also politicians (although the current list of Republican candidates would love to see that revert). We have leaders in various positions around the country who are women, and others who come from quite diverse cultural backgrounds.

When I think about the way things were back when MLK was alive, it seems astonishing and shameful that our country (and our world) was ever like that, and even worse when we look back further in time. It really wasn't all that long ago that people were denied the use of a restroom or service in a restaurant or a seat on a bus, merely because of the color of their skin ... or that people were beaten, hung from trees, and burned alive for being the wrong color or having the wrong religious affiliation. Adolf Hitler was mass-murdering people in an attempt to completely eliminate anyone who wasn't the same color or had  different religious beliefs than him. And some people still believe none of that ever actually happened. Further back in time, but not too much further in the history of our fine country, the Native Americans were brutally forced from the land that was theirs, virtually extinguished in the process, told to adopt our way of life or face prison and/or execution. This, of course, was in the name of progress for the new America ... which was supposedly founded to achieve freedom from oppression. I guess that was THEIR freedom from oppression, not the oppression they placed on others. Oh, and let's not forget the founding fathers of our country who also "owned" many slaves, who were forcibly taken from their homes in other parts of the world to become the "property" of wealthy landowners here ... also told to adopt our ways or be executed. Think about that for a moment. Only 150 years ago, it was considered perfectly okay to own another human being as property here in America. Guess what? It still works that way in other parts of the world ... here, too, although it's not legal or approved of ... covered up until somebody finds out.

While we've made great strides in many areas, the world as a whole still has an enormous amount of prejudice and extreme hatred. To think that someone hates who you are/where you live/what you believe enough that they would commit suicide in order to kill you and your family is thoroughly appalling. And yet, that mentality still exists. The question that has existed forever is ... "why?"

I'm not really sure, but some thoughts were running through my head as I rode today.

The issues of bigotry and prejudice that lead to extreme hatred seem to exist from day one in our lives, and I think they stem from not being able to accept that there can be more than one right answer to any question.  It works sort of like this:

Every group of people has their own set of values and beliefs, or what is "right" and "proper". Whatever goes against the values and beliefs of a particular group is considered "wrong" by its members. That's fine with me ... I think it's good to have values and beliefs, and a sense of right and wrong. For example, if your social group/family/religious affiliation believes you should only eat foods that begin with the letter "P" and that you should only wear brown shoes, that's perfectly fine. If you want to remain a part of that group, then eat lots of pizza and pasta, and make sure you stick to the more traditional Birkenstock colourway. If you prefer to eat chicken and rice, and want to don your pink Chuck Taylors, then you'll have to find another group or simply head out on your own to establish your own set of values. Maybe others will even join your new group, because they want the same things. So far, so good.

Here's where it gets twisted. When a group believes their values and beliefs are the ONLY way, and that any person or group who doesn't share those values and beliefs is wrong, and therefore "bad" or "evil", then we have the beginning of prejudice and bigotry, especially when a group's value set includes a requirement for a member to be of a certain color or cultural background, or even a certain physical appearance. When taken to the extreme, this turns into violence and war ... to kill anyone who isn't the same as you are, or at least prevent them from sharing the same neighborhood and infecting your children. "Swear allegiance or die" and "Convert or die" have been common threats throughout time. It exists on the playgrounds at elementary schools and on the street corners in Detroit and Los Angeles ... and, unfortunately, in many homes of "regular" folks around the world.

What people don't seem to get ... EVER ... is that there can be multiple value sets ... an infinite number of them. What's right for one may not be right for another. What's wrong for one may not be wrong for another. The fact that someone does not believe the same as you or look the same as you should not threaten your own values. And yet, it strikes fear into the hearts of so many ... leading to hatred and violence. Sadly, it is often only after such violence that the world takes notice of the problem. Perhaps that's part of how we slowly ... very, very slowly ... evolve as a species.

Yes, there's a line. When your value set says that you can walk through my door and tell me that how I live is wrong, you've crossed the line, mister.  I don't do that to you ... don't do it to me. And I'm not talking about the laws of our country or the city and state where you live. Those things are in place for a reason, and hopefully arrived at by popular vote, and they can be changed in the same way. But for my personal beliefs and life choices, as long as they're legal and don't affect you, what gives you the right to tell me they're wrong? What would give me the right to do the same to you? Nothing. There is always more than one right answer. Science has proven over and over again that just when we think we know everything, we find something that shows us we don't. Does 1 + 1 always equal 2? Not if you're working in a binary numeric system. See ... that's what I'm getting at. It has something to do with perspective.

What does any of this have to do with bicycles? I'm glad you asked. Nice segue, huh?

One of the things that popped into my head as I was riding and thinking about prejudice is how people who ride bikes seem to have a lot of that very thing. Well, I should say "cyclists" often do. "People who ride bikes" are a different breed, and are the ones who smile and wave as they pass, ride varying types of bikes, and generally aren't in a huge hurry to get where they're going (although they can be coerced into a grinning sprint at any moment). "Cyclists", on the other hand, are always in a hurry, always have a "suffer face" (regardless of their speed), always ride a race bike, and almost always ignore me when I smile and wave or say hello in passing.  I've determined that this is all because being a "cyclist" means that if you're on a bike, you're "training", and can't be bothered with social trivialities. So, I suppose that might mean that they aren't necessarily exhibiting "prejudice", just being "preoccupied". But what I seem to experience is that even when off the bike and talking with a "cyclist", they seem to have an attitude of "Oh ... yeah, you ride an upright cruiser type bike", as though I couldn't possibly be serious about cycling when I don't ride a race bike. Of course, my use of the generic word "cyclist" to describe a certain group of people is in itself a form of prejudice, so I suppose I'm not immune to predisposition. I mean no offense to those who call themselves cyclists and are nothing like my description above.

And then there's the local bike shop. Go in almost any bike shop and ask someone to show you what kind of bike a "serious cyclist" might ride. I'll bet you'll almost never see a bike like mine. If you then showed them a picture of my bike and asked them what kind of rider would own this bike, my guess is that "serious cyclist" would not be among the words spoken. You see, to the mainstream, "serious" is equated with "race" when it comes to cycling and bicycle types.

And have you ever looked at the comments on some of the popular bicycle blogs? Holy cow ... I've rarely witnessed such vicious attacks, only because someone uses a component that isn't of their liking or doesn't fit their impression of a proper match to the frame being discussed. They range from being mildly sarcastic to outright calling someone a "f___king idiot" for using what they feel is the wrong part, or for the way a company designed the appearance of a component. Look up "helmet use" on bike blogs and witness the horrible debate over something that's simply a personal safety choice.

Prejudice is rampant in every walk of life. Some might say it's just a part of life, but I'm hopeful that our world is indeed changing. When I was growing up, there was no Internet. What we learned, we learned from books, the local news, and whatever we were told by those around us, which can be a pretty small circle of information, depending on where you lived at the time. Now ... wherever you are, you have instant access to information from around the globe, from an infinite number of perspectives. Despite its shortcomings, the Internet can be a very good thing. If you can begin with (and maintain) an open mind and explore a broad range of those perspectives, you can actually start to see what's really happening and form your own opinions ... not just those that were force fed to you as a child as being the only way to think. You can begin to see the many answers to what is right and what is wrong ... and maybe we can begin to build some common ground on which to live peacefully, without judging and condemning others for having a different perspective. Separation isn't the answer ... and trying to make everyone the same isn't the answer. It is our individuality that makes the world a beautiful and interesting place.  Do you really want everyone to be the same? I don't. If that were true, we'd never have any new music or new art or new fashion ... and that would be a shame. Those things come from seeing the world through different eyes, and we can't have that if everyone is forced to view the world in the same way.

I am grateful for MLK, Gandhi, Lincoln and all the others who devoted their life to peaceful change. I hope there will be more like them ... and I hope that as our world changes and evolves, we gain a deeper understanding of right and wrong in a broader sense ... in a more humane sense ... in a way that lets people from all cultures be who they are without fear of being murdered for it ... to appreciate those who are different than we are and have the ability to see the world from those different perspectives.

One of the reasons I write this blog is to offer a different perspective on what riding a bike means. You don't have to ride a race bike or wear a scuba suit or shoes that lock your feet to the pedals. You don't have to make every ride a training event. You don't have to race or ever want to. You don't have to monitor your heart rate, speed, and cadence. You don't have to do ANYTHING that anyone tells you you have to do in order to be a "serious cyclist". But ... you can if you want to. Because it's all about what works for you and what makes you happy on the bike. My Hunqapillar is a perfect example. It doesn't conform to any of the typical bicycle classifications. It's not a road bike. It's not a mountain bike. It's not a touring bike. It's not a commuter bike. It has elements of all of them, and can go where any of them go, but isn't limited to any category, which is what confuses many people who feel the need to place a label on it, and therefore me as the person who rides it. While it could be built in many other forms, the components I have selected make it work perfectly for me and the riding I do. It is unique, complements my style, and makes me smile when I ride it. That's my hope for anyone out there who wants to ride a bike. Find what works for you. Whatever makes you smile at the beginning of the ride, the middle of the ride, and the end of the ride ... and what balances your riding with the rest of your life ... that's what's right for you ... your Velo Zen!

Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts ... now go ride and do some rambling of your own!

Big Waves and Hunqapillar Love

Given yesterday's mechanical issues with the Hunqapillar, I began the morning with some careful chain cleaning and lubrication. I mentioned in yesterday's post that the chain was relatively new and couldn't really be completely fouled yet. This had something to do with some of Sheldon Brown's sage advice that a new chain is coated with factory lube, which in his opinion is as good as it gets ... and one should be good to go for quite a while with just that. Well ... I would have to say now that, although his advice is generally stellar, in this case I think he's wrong. With not a huge number of miles on it with the factory lube, my chain was thick and rather stiff, and that factory lube seemed like some kind of gel coating that magnetically adhered any kind of dirt that touched it. I've been pretty good about wiping it clean, but this time it looked like I hadn't touched it in months. So I cleaned it thoroughly and applied some more appropriate lube for my conditions here. The chain felt immediately more flexible, looked nice and shiny, and shifted through the cogs and chainrings like butter. Much better.

Having spent a bit of time on maintenance, I lost some of my ride time ... but I felt it was important to get down to the harbor today, as the morning weather people all offered warnings of high surf advisories, which means there might be some good photos to be taken. So I grabbed my camera and headed out.

There was considerable traffic on the way to the Ocean Institute where I thought the coolest photos would be. As I approached the beach and tide pool area, I understood why. It seems my idea of watching the waves and snapping photos was not a unique one ... there were lots of people already there, many camped out in folding chairs:

People, dogs, cameras ... wave watchers, all

I was actually one of the late arrivals, barely getting a good place to park the Hunqapillar and take some pics. Several people rode bikes there, every kind imaginable, including the racy-looking fellow below with his Lynskey Titanium steed and full matched team kit (whatever you do, don't call it an "outfit"). He complained that he hadn't brought his good camera, although I'm not sure where he'd put it while riding ... couldn't see any bags or racks on that very nice bike, and his jersey pockets were already stuffed with stuff. I, on the other hand, had my camera, tool kit, picnic blanket, and coffee ... and had room to spare in my saddle bag. Of course, he did seem to get up that hill on the way out a TINY bit faster than me ... and by "tiny", I mean that he was likely home, showered, eating lunch, and watching soap operas before I actually crested the hill. But at least I had my photos ...

Mountain bikes, cruisers, city bikes ... even titanium race machines!

The object of everyone's attention was the ocean, which was kicking up some pretty heavy swells and waves. The photos below are misleading, because there's no real point of reference to show how big the waves are ... but you'll notice there's no one surfing today, in contrast to the previous posts, where there was always someone on a board.

Normally you'd see some huge rocks where those waves are crashing

Just as I snapped this, the water swelled up around the rock in the distance, which is about  20 feet high

These waves are actually 12-15 feet high, or so the Ocean Institute people told me

Pictures can't talk, but the sound of the water hitting these rocks was AWESOME!

Since I didn't have a lot of time (I do actually work, you know), I headed back home ... but on the way, I grabbed a shot from above the harbor. The arrow in the photo below shows where I was when I took the photos above ... and to the left is a wave crashing over the break wall. Compare the size of that wave to the people standing to the right to get an idea how big the waves are today. Click on the image (or any of them) to get a larger view.

See those tiny people? Compare them to the waves for size ...

That's it for today ... more riding and stuff next week, if not sooner. Hope your new year is off to a great start!!
 

Things You Notice When Riding A Bike

 
 
It's interesting how your perspective changes when you're moving at a slower pace and not surrounded by walls of metal and glass inside a motorized contraption.  You notice things that you might not have otherwise had time to see.  You have time to think about what's around you.  You begin to wonder what's wrong with people.  Are they completely insane or merely oblivious?

I went for a ride today that included a stop on the way home at the local large chain grocery-shopping outlet.  I needed to get some coffee beans and razor blades, since there's a fine line between that sexy three-day growth and the crazy grayish-bearded slob who's too lazy to shave ... and I haven't yet purchased one of those new-fangled stubble trimmers. 

As I pedaled through the parking lot, the scenery appeared to move in slower-than-normal motion.  First, I noticed the guy in his huge pickup truck, who seemed unable to manage backing out of his parking space and then turning into the lane ... opting to simply turn from within his space, nearly backing over the smaller car next to him, which I'm certain he couldn't see from his vantage point of 32 feet in the air.  I suppose he thought the wheelbase of his enormous commercial grade hauling machine (which, of course, was hauling nothing but him) was a bit too long to back up and THEN turn ... but the lanes are pretty wide at this large chain grocery-shopping outlet (LCGSO from here forward) and he really did have plenty of room, even with his tires that were designed for off-roading in Nepal.  I wondered if perhaps he just plain couldn't see anything behind or next to him.  I wondered why people choose such a vehicle for driving around in the city, when it's impossible to properly park it.  I wondered why he didn't do as others with such vehicles and just park further out and use two spaces so it would be easier to get in and out.

Then I saw a woman in a SUV ... no wait ... there were two ... no, it was two women and one man in SUV's, a teenager in an old Honda, an elderly man in a huge boat of a 70's-era car, and a dude in a service company van ... all driving through the parking lot with their cellular talking devices held to their ear.  I thought to myself, "Isn't that illegal in California?"  Then I thought, "Hasn't it been illegal for several years now?"  I guess the cost of keeping up with the latest Pirate Speaking Device (a.k.a. Aye-Phone) prohibits the simultaneous ownership of a Pirate Earring (a.k.a. Bluetooth earpiece).  Or perhaps, being the adventurous pirate types they are, it's the thrill of doing something not only illegal, but proven to be dangerous, that appeals to them.  I then wondered how many people driving through the parking lot were texting instead of talking, since I wouldn't necessarily be able to see them doing so if the phone was in their lap.  Maybe that explains the younger fellow who was inexplicably weaving in the lane.  I had initially thought he was just learning to drive ... but now I have my doubts.

As I reached the entrance of the LCGSO, I then noticed that everyone coming in and out of said LCGSO had a look of frustration on their face.  No one smiled ... no one said hello.  Just marching to and from their vehicles where bad driving and pirate adventures await.  But then ... there was a guy who smiled and said "Good Morning ... beautiful day!".  He then put his newly-purchased bag of grocery items in the basket on his bicycle and rode away.  Hmmm.  And then another person, an older lady in a motorized wheelchair, also smiled and said "Hello".  Very interesting.

I wondered ... why is it that only the man on a bicycle and woman in a wheelchair appeared friendly and happy, while so many others with huge vehicles of convenience and high-tech pirate adventure devices appeared so distant, self-absorbed, and frustrated?  After all, we were all doing the same thing ... shopping at the local LCGSO ... sharing the same parking lot ... in the same beautiful beach town ... on the same beautiful sunny Southern California day.  Well, actually, there was one other person who smiled and said hello.  He was the security guard at the entrance to the bank in the same shopping center as the LCGSO.  But he doesn't quite count, since he wasn't shopping at the LCGSO ... and it's his job to smile and greet bank customers ... and to pummel any would-be robber-types ... who wouldn't smile to have that job?

Very Interesting, indeed ... maybe they thought I was the crazy one ... would anyone in their right mind ride a bicycle to the LCGSO, smiling and saying hello to complete strangers?  Maybe it was just the helmet ... and my too-lazy-to-shave grayish bearded face.  Gotta go check out those stubble trimmers now ...

Until next time, smile at someone and say hello ... and have a beautiful day!