A new Seattle Times article: Fixed-sated: Coasting is for poseurs. Fixed-gear bikes are about the pedaling

So I guess I should make a post about the article by Florangela Davila that just ran on the front page of the Northwest Life section in Thursday's Seattle Times aboout fixed-gear bicycles. It was a very well done article and my very good friend, Adam Smith, Counterbalance Bicycles co-owner and former messenger was interviewed and his picture accompanied the article. The only funny thing I found about the article is the author mention messengers and messenger culture in how it relates to the "fixie" craze yet she does not interview any working messengers? Adam did a great job of explaining it all but she refers to the "crusty messengers" without getting their take on all of the Faux-messengers that think they can ride sans-brake and plow peds over giving working messengers (the ones that make anywhere from $0.80 to $15 per delivery, GOTTA HUSTLE!!) a bad name when they are out there working their asses off!! Anyways I am off my soap box now the article does a great job of explaining to the general public the experience of riding fixed (without actually doing it you'll never have any idea......)


Picture by KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Adam Smith, in background above, has spoke cards from the races he's participated in. Smith works (co-owns) at Counterbalance Bicycles in lower Queen Anne.

Another Top Ten Finish!

This weekend Jeff, Jamie, and I (Abigael came down with Jeff and I) went down to Rochester, WA for the first Independence Valley Road Race. The Cat 4 and Cat 5's raced two laps totaling 39 miles. There was lots of climbing and it blew the fields apart many people didn't even finish! Jeff came across in 7th and Jamie finished 14th! Thanks Guys for representing the team!! Christie and Abby (Jeff's girlfriend) came down mid-morning. We all went down to Jeff's mom, Delight's house at the foot of Mt. Rainier just outside Randle, WA. WOW the homestead is awesome it is completely off the grid and it is run by hydroelectric stream fed power. It was a horse ranch at one time. And the main house is HUGE!! Thanks Delight for your hospitality!! It was a nice weekend away from the city with friends!

Surgery...AGAIN!!

So I scheduled surgery today... April 6th! This time we will do the bone graft from my own bone and we will pray that it heals fast!! I have a pre-op Dr.s appt at 8am on the 5th and then under the knife on the 6th. I should only spend one day in the hospital and then I will be home to recover.

A Singlespeeder named "Dick"

Now I "was" a singlespeeder, as a matter-a-fact until recently I only owned one bicycle with gears and even now my mountain bikes are singlespeeds. I have only been forced, due to injury, into riding gears again. So I found this post and I have to salute to Dicky at true singlespeed nut!! I salute you sir!!!

Fun with teammates

This was taken at the Mason Lake 3 Road Race and turned into a movie. Jeff came across the line first in the Cat 4's!! And afterwards we were just hang'n out at the car.....

Click the picture to see

Surgery again....

So it sounds like I have to go back under the knife again. At my Dr.s's appointment on Wed. my x-rays showed no new signifcant bone growth, it's been FIVE months!! So I will probably go back in April and redo the bone graft, this time with my own bone from my femur. This may set me back a month to a month and a half but the healing process should excellerate much faster after the graft takes. Not sure when I will schedule surgery but I am looking at either the 13th or the 20th of April. Fingers crossed.....I guess I won't be able to race the Northwest Velodrome Championships July 28-30 or any track season after all, oh well I might get to ride my new track bike next year.

Seattle Times Article still on the web...

So I googled myself just for the fun of it and this old article popped up that was written a few years ago by a friend Eli Sanders, that now writes for The Stranger. I thought I would link it for those of you that want to read it. My very good friend from North Carolina, Wes Duncan, has decided to join our ranks and create a blog. the link is to the right under blog links.

The value of a tire pump...

So I went for a bicycle ride yesterday morning with Jose Sandoval and Sharon Anderson, teammates, around the south end of Lake Washington. It was very cold, but dry and when the sun hit you it made it all worth it. Unfortunately I was already feeling a bit under the weather before I went for the ride. I woke up with a knot in my gut and spent the 40 or so minute before Jose and Sharon came to pick me up sitting on the toilet. But none the less I was not to be detured from my recovery ride (as I can only ride when it is dry out I have to make the most of it when I can!!) and decided to go on the ride. I popped a few Immodium's and we were off. Now let me preferce this by saying I normally carry CO2 tire inflators, but I lent them out to Kris Lepine for cyclocross season and haven't gotten them back yet AND there was a big mix up with Christie and mine cell phones, I had her's and mine was getting dropped off at our house after I left. So I felt pretty good going for a ride with a spare tube and no way to pump it up, as Jose had a pump with him, most cyclists stop to ask if you need anything when you have a flat, or I could call Christie to come get me. Well after the south end of the lake loop we had completed 27 miles and I split off from Jose and Sharon to ride the 5 or 6 miles home. I was confident that if I had a flat I could either call Christie to come get me or some other cyclist would stop and ask me if I needed help.... Cut to 1.5 miles from home and you know it, a front flat tire:( So I pull out the Nextel and chirp Christie... NO ANSWER... I call the house... NO ANSWER... I call my cell phone... NO ANSWER!!!! So I start walking three cyclists ride by without as much a glance!! I have to WALK in cycling shoes 1.5 miles home and not until I am about 3 blocks from home does a cyclist stop and ask if I need help and then THREE guys ask the same thing!!! I am not about to sit down in the cold 3 blocks from home a fiddle with changing a tire!! So I get home, 33.6 miles total!!, and there is my cell phone sitting on the table no one insight. I took a shower and curled up on the couch as my stomach is now REALLY in knots and whole body aches. I layed there till Christe, her dad and Abigael came home around 2ish about 2 hours after my flat and then continued to lay there until the Cycling Team meeting a 6pm of which I only briefly attended. I then came home and fell asleep at 7pm and slept till 6 am this morning!!! I feel better and never once had a fever so I think it was food poisoning from Shorty's hotdogs I had on Friday around 3pm.... Oh well! I FORGIVE YOU CHRISTIE and I am not mad anymore for not being able to contact you IT WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT HAVING A PUMP OR CO2! Lesson learned always carry a pump, a tube or CO2, patch kit when you ride!!!

(PS I now have a CO2 inflator with two extra cartridges as well as an extra tube and a patch kit in my roadside flat kit!! Thanks Adam)

Great Race Results from the Road Squad!!

Mason Lake Road Race #2 Cat 4's Sam Sawyer, Craig Ethridge, Jeff Middlewood and Cat 5's Kelsey Wood, Jamie Welle, Matt Messenger

Some Results so far...

Ice Breaker Time Trial March 5th Jeff Middlewood, Jose Sandoval, Sharon Anderson
MonsterTrack VII March 4th Rob Kittilson
Jack Frost Time Trial Feb 26th Jose Sandoval
Valentines Challenge MTB Feb 26th Craig Ethridge, Forest Hoag, Kris Lepine

Brandon's new recovery bicycle...

So I went and purchased a bike with a triple. Never thought I would do it! I mean my mountain bikes had them till I ditched them for a more sensable single chain ring setup for singlespeeding. My road bike is geared WAY to high for racing and it's old and put's me in a racing position which, in my recovery is not very comfortable. So with some of my insurance settlement (gotta love renter's insurance!!!) and putting one of my singlespeed (19" KONA UNIT 2004 $800 OBO) mountain bikes on consignment at the Counterbalance Bike shop, I bought a Kona Sutra right off the floor. It's a 56cm and fits like a dream!!! I have already tricked her out with the King bling and still want to change the handlebar setup, and weighs a Metric ton, but she is so smooth on the road!! I have put about 55 miles on her so far including a trip to the grocery store with Christie and Abigael to tryout the new Chariot Sidecar (Pictures HERE) child carrier. This is the first bike I have bought complete off the floor since I bought my road bike, Specialized Sirrus (still rolling!! hence the "old" above), new in 1989.