Cycle Jerk

Beer Bike Bling, Beer, Beer, Red Fang, and Beer

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:42:00 +0000

I know this product isn't anything new but I just picked up a YAWYD headset cap. It's small and cheap and makes me happy.

While were on the subject or beer and happy If you haven't tried the Prickly Passion Saison I highly recommend it.

While we're on the subject of saison and happy I thought I would mention To Øl Snowball Saison which I was lucky enough to try and Churchkey last month. It is perfect, If you can get some, get some.

While we're on the subject of beer, and happy, and naked, there's a new Red Fang video out.

via Stevil

While we're on the subject of beer, and happy, and Silver Spring Maryland, Fenwick has Fat Tire for $6.99 a sixer.

Friday you magnificent bastard.

Shit Mountain Bikers Say

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:11:00 +0000

They forgot:
"I'm so out of shape"
"I'm gonna take it easy on this one"
"Dude you're gonna kick my ass"
"Time to suck wind!"
"I haven't biked on so long..."
"That is so tight. How much was that?"

Maybe those are just the things that this mountain biker says.

Drilling For Oil On The Capital Crescent Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:52:00 +0000

I'm all for reducing our dependency on foreign oil but I draw the line at drilling on the CCT. They should at least finish exploring the Metropolitan Branch Trial before the commit to destroying such a vital natural resource.

As you can see by the time stamp I was pretty late to work today.

These bouts of surveying and core samples (or whatever the hell they are doing) have become an annual event on the CCT. Every time they drill the back fill the hole with fresh dirt which sinks in making a nasty pothole. I know, this is the least of the trail's worries. With every hole they dig the Purple Nurple creeps a little closer.

love ████████ your █████ ████ government.

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Happy Holidays: A Christmas Miracle

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:11:00 +0000

Yes, those are teeth marks from a table vice in a brand new XT hub. It turns out that removing the freehub body from a hub that isn't laced to a wheel is nearly impossible (for me). After putting the clamp down on it, the freehub slid right off. A true Christmas miracle. After installing the guts from this new hub into the old one still laced to the wheel, I was left with a nice little ornament. So the LHT has new rear hub guts and a new drivetrain just in time for the winter. (It's going to be 60 degrees today...)

The true Christmas Miracle is that I didn't need a trip to the hospital at any point during this exercise.

Happy Holidays!

Drome Dome: DC To Get A Velodrome

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:41:00 +0000

Coming in 2012 DC will get a velodrome. DC keeps getting cooler, lets hope it doesn't it doesn't realize how hot it is and get all upitty.

More details at DCist

Freewheel Bike

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:12:00 +0000

It would suck to get your shoelace caught in that thing.

Somebody hire this kid.

Pre-Work Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:17:00 +0000

An unwelcome but not uncommon site this morning on the way in. This was taken just passed Holy Cross Hospital heading into the pit of despair. I don't mind getting soaked while riding, in fact I sort of love it. Having said that, starting the day in the office soaked to the bone is pretty lame.

Did anyone else get hit by this dark cloud this morning?

The Internet Vs. The Local Bike Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:13:00 +0000

I love the Internet. Any place where beauty and depravity are sewn so tightly together holds a special place in my heart. As a cyclist the Internet is a great place to find really good deals on gear and connect and share ideas and knowledge with other cyclists.

Having said that, there are things the Internet won't do. The Internet won't help you diagnose a technical on the side of the trail on a cold night. The Internet won't answer your random tech questions while trying to get you back on the trail. The Internet sure as hell won't replace faulty parts while performing the previous two functions.

Ok, so I'll get to it.

Last Tuesday I was riding the LHT (yeah you know me) home from Bethesda on the Capital Crescent Trail. I hadn't been on the LHT all season. I decided that this past summer was going to be all about the road bike. Well summer is over and I have been looking forward to getting back on the big rig. Upon doing so I immediately felt very slow and very weak. After a mile or so I realized I couldn't possibly be this out of shape and that something was wrong with my rear hub (XT m770). I pulled into the CityBikes off the trail at Connecticut Ave. to borrow a cone wrench thinking maybe things were too tight on the bearings.

I went to the back of the store and proceeded to remove the rear wheel. I was startled when I grabbed the cassette as it was burning hot, the whole hub was and so were the spokes. I gave the wheel to Brian, one of the mechanics on duty, and he started to monkey. To make a long story short he tried for about 10 minutes to get the hub apart which was locked up tighter than a duck's ass. When he finally did and removed the freehub bearings he saw that one of the rings had cracked causing all sorts of mayhem. While this was going on he replaced my Serfas True 250 which was having a battery issue.

The kicker is he did all this without being douchie, charging me an arm and a leg, or putting on airs like some some bike mechanics feel the need to do. We've all encountered one or a combination of these elements at one time or another when having bike work done. This was not the case last Tuesday night.

The moral of the story is this; no amount of Internet connectivity can compare to a friendly knowledgeable face when the shit hits the fan.

If you're wondering, the freehub was toast and I had to get a ride from a friend. I ordered a new complete hub and am planning on swapping out the guts of the old one with the new one as the old hub body is fine. However, if this proves to be beyond my technical abilities I'll know where to go.

Product Review: GoPro Heavy Metal Test

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:01:00 +0000

On November 6th I went to see Anthrax Testament and Death Angel at the Fillmore in Silver Spring. I did this for a few reasons: I haven't seen Anthrax since the early 90's, I was able to stop by and purchase the tickets from my bike on the commute home, and they were playing less than a mile from my house.

This show was also a good opportunity to test out my GoPro Hero in a new environment. I've tested it is rain, snow, and even Pennsyltucky but until now I never knew how well it could stand the skull pounding fury of heavy metal.

To illustrate how times have changed I didn't have to stow the gopro in my ass to get it into the show. Since most people have nicer cameras on their phones most venues disregard little awesome cameras like mine.

The sound quality was ok which is much better than I expected. The first video is sans case and it sounds much more tinny than the next one which has the case on. You be the judge on which sounds better. Without the case the sound is very tinny but with the case it's a little muffled. At any rate it sounds pretty good for a little tiny mic on a little tiny camera.

No Case:

Case:

I think I like the wide angle better in this experiment. I thought the regular view would give me better picture quality but it doesn't seem to be the case.

In any case the camera worked pretty well and Anthrax was awesome, even though they only played one song off their most successful album...

Ron Fucking Swanson...

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:01:00 +0000

via samspratt.com

Yeah That's Right...

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:24:00 +0000

via eatthattoast.com

This sums up so many of my daily interactions.

Signs Of Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Isn't it nice when someone puts a bike lane on the street you've been commuting on for 4 years? I was pleasantly surprised to find a bike lane on Forest Glen Rd. as I climbed the hill in front of Holy Cross. There is only room for a lane on the east side of the street but I'll take it as a sign of progress.

In other news there was a trucker sighting at the Whole Foods last week. That is a crazy set up with a monstrous front rack.

In other other news this graphic from Lunchbreath found it's way across my desk.

One Order, LHT! You Want Disc With That?

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Back in 2009 I bought an LHT (yeah you know me) and at the time I thought that that LHT would be in my stable for several decades. Little did I know that Surly was gonna go and upgrade the thing.

Having commuted for two winters on the LHT I can say that the only thing lacking for me is breaking power. The nastier the weather conditions the worse the breaks would perform. It was after these "OH SHIT!" moments of panic when icy mud rendered my breaks useless the same thought crept up, "I wish I could put some disc breaks on this fucker"...

I digress, I thought I would have my trucker for ever and now all I can think about is how much I can sell it for so I can get a new Disc Trucker.

That is some pimp ass drop out action.

I love the british racing green. The copper rivets on my honey brooks saddle would look baaaad ass on that.

I'm also stoked on how they moved the spare spokes to the seat stay. Very Clean.

I wonder how much I could get for a 2009 LHT with a small dent in the top tube? Or maybe It would be enough just to get the disc fork? I must go to my mountain top and meditate on this.

Commies Are No Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:08:00 +0000

BOO!

Positive Interpretation

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:53:00 +0000

My positive spin on a photo Stevil posted the other day. See? Everything's going to be fine.

PSA: BRAC-tastrophe in BRAC-thesda! or How I Learned To Love Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:03:00 +0000

This is a copy of an e-mail I just got from Bethesda Transportation Solutions

-----------------------------------------------------

The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission has been working to “enhance efficiencies” for U.S. military bases and operations by closing and combining military facilities across the country.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been slated for closure on September 15, 2011. However, starting as early as mid-August, its operations and patients will be relocated to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

This will affect Bethesda commuters.

It has been estimated that an additional 4,300 daily commuters will be coming in to the Bethesda area as a result of BRAC. The staff at Bethesda Transportation Solutions (BTS) has been working closely with the BRAC Implementation Committee (BIC), the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery County, and the State of Maryland to provide commuters with the most accurate and up-to-date information about roadway improvements, sidewalk construction and changes in traffic patterns. Watch the BTS website, www.bethesdatransit.org for BRAC-related construction and how it will affect your commute. Changes to roadways, sidewalks, and transit will occur often throughout this transition and may take several years. Commercial and private development projects also may affect traffic and transit operations. If you have a particular safety concern, issue or question please feel free to contact the Director of BTS, Kristen Blackmon at kblackmon@bethesda.org.

Who is BTS?

Bethesda Transportation Solutions (BTS) is a division of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP), which is a non-profit organization, operating under a contract with Montgomery County, Maryland. BTS works to reduce traffic congestion in Bethesda. BTS is a FREE resource available to commuters and employers in Bethesda's business district who are looking for "another way" to get to work.

How can BTS help?

BTS staff can help commuters find another, better way to work. Explore the extensive BTS website to find information about carpooling, transit, biking, teleworking, and more! For more personal assistance, BTS will come to your office for FREE consulting services. BTS hosts Commuter Information Days in office buildings around the downtown area, and will even come to your office for an in-depth presentation.

Find Better Ways to Work!

Leaving the car at home isn’t as scary as it sounds.

Did you know that if you take transit, carpool, bicycle or walk to work, you are eligible for an emergency ride through the Guaranteed Ride Home program? If you have to leave work or stay late for any unexpected emergency or unplanned overtime, you can call 1-800-745-RIDE and they will send a taxi to your office (the average wait time is 5 minutes) to take you to your destination. And it’s FREE!

Did you know that the Bethesda Urban Partnership provides a FREE shuttle service starting at the Bethesda Metro Station with 20 stops around downtown Bethesda? The Bethesda Circulator runs every 10 minutes and will take you anywhere you want to go!

Don’t be caught off guard. The time to plan is now!

Contact Us!

All of our services are FREE, so please e-mail, call or just stop by our office!

Employer Outreach Employer Outreach
Jennifer Zucker
jzucker@bethesda.org
301-656-0868 Ext. 118

Anne Kaiser
akaiser@bethesda.org
301-656-0868 Ext. 129

Commuter Information Days BTS Director
Allison Kemp
akemp@bethesda.org
301-656-0868 Ext. 121

Kristen Blackmon
kblackmon@bethesda.org
301-656-0868 Ext. 119

PSA: A Few Puffs Of Weed A Day

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:40:00 +0000

Remember kids a few puffs of weed a day will take the edge off, but if something really bad happens you'll still freak out. That's why I always opt for a few more.

Bike Commuting Can Be Dangerous

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:43:00 +0000

Statistically your pretty safe biking to work on roads heavily traveled by automobiles but that doesn't mean things can't go wrong. See the video below of a perfect example of how a group of fellow cyclist, biking to work, were taken out by an driver no doubt engaged in various types of electronic communications.

HANGUP AND DRIVE BUDDY!

Good Father, Bad Elite Cyclist

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Easton rims, full dura ace, look carbon fork... ibert child seat? With the LHT still in disorder I was faced with the burning question from my little girl, "Daddy, can we go for a bike ride in my seat?" I've always thought of my road bike as a sacred thing that I would only attach light fast things to, however one look from my daughter and I my philosophy went out the window. This is a bike and my little girl wants to go for a ride on a bike. I'll draw the line at tassels... if she wants them she'll have to find some in celeste.

What's A Bike Commuter Without A Commute?

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:55:00 +0000

I don't have the strongest resolve. If you saw my will power walking down the street you would probably be tempted to call it a sissy and break it's glasses. People make the mistake thinking that I am a pretty structured individual because I bike to work every day all year round. This daily structure comes pretty easy to me when the alternative is riding the bus which makes me motion sick.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE bike commuting, and I absolutely hate driving a car or riding a bus to work, that said I often would wonder if I would bike twice a day every day if I didn't need to. What would happen If I didn't have a commute at all? Would I still bike as much? Would I bike more?

That question was answered over the last month or so as I have been working from home every day. Aside from the occasional bike ride with my daughter, the bikes were parked. I did jog a few times which I'm finding out can be pretty fun as well as a good way to offset bone density loss often attributed with cycling (or so "they" say).

So I didn't have a commute and I didn't bike every day. I just didn't think about it much, which is awful. Soon I will return to the office but only for 3 days a week. For the other two I am going to give myself a ride schedule that demands I do certain rides on those days I work from home. What makes me think that a ride schedule can demand anything you ask? The gut that is forming holds a lot of weight (punny) and has started making the exercise demands... and I am listening.

I am looking forward to these new rides as they will be purely recreational and will have no destination. You know, just bike rides. Being a father of a three year old and one more on the way has made the recreational ride a distant thought as of late.

NYC Ticketing PSA: Stay In Your Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 02:28:00 +0000

I watched this 5 times already. I'm going to bed now and expect to watch it several more over breakfast.

Does that mean if you want to take your bike into a building you have to carry your bike from the bike like to the door or just hope there is something heavy to lock it to in the bike lane.

Chuck Brown Can Do The Robot!

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:45:00 +0000

Chuck Brobot by BZA

I think BZA really captured his "ChuckBrownness" in this piece. Check it out at Busboys and Poets, 6/13/2011, 6:00 to 8:00pm.

For those of you not familiar with the DC icon Chuck Brown see below.

Well now I'm feeling all funky...

Words Of Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Bike Commuters: Bethesda's Only Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Cycle Jerk) — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:59:00 +0000

WTOP has an article out today detailing how Betheseda, Maryland is about to get royally BRAC'd. Basically, by way of Base Realignment and Closure the Walter Reed Army Medical Center is going to be absorbed into the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. This is unfortunate as the NNMC is right across the street from the NIH which as we all know employs roughly 115% of DC area residents.

"Today, you have about 500,000 visits to the Bethesda campus," says Phil Alperson, the BRAC point man in Montgomery County. "After BRAC is fully implemented, you'll have about a million visits per year."

"You currently have 3,000 people crossing the street from the Metro station to the Navy (Medical Center). By September, that number will double to 7,000."

To put that increase more clearly...

Let me get this straight, the amount of visits to the BRACosphere will double and every one of these people is going to want to cross the street? This is a total BRACtastrophe!

Montgomery County Council member Roger Berliner was quoted in the article.

"You take gridlock and you multiply it by two and you have OMG!"

I've obtained some raw video of the interview which can be seen here.

It seems that the only hope for achieving Bractopia is bike commuting.

"There also will be a campaign to get people out of their cars and onto bikes -- a popular concept across the street at National Institute of Health.

Joe Cox, employee transportation coordinator at NIH, counts more than 600 members in the bike commuter club there.

Even when the weather is bad, we have some die-hard commuters. Their motto is they're 'non-polluter commuters.'"

I'm curious to see how this will effect my commute into Bethesda. A large number of commuters I talk to work at NIH which has fostered a healthy bike commuting environment. For my sake and all those who frequent BRACthesda I hope the Capital Crescent Trail is "bumper to bumper" come September.