From the mundane to the sublime

Legs tightening, shoulders aching, eyes blinking and staring intently at the horizon that just gets farther away, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Why did I decide to ride the 75 miles from Baton Rouge to New Orleans?"

Find out what the heck I was thinking after the jump.

Everything is just more TV

"In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV.  You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame."

"On a cycle the frame is gone.  You're completely in contact with it all.  You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming...the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness."

~Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I've thought of a name for my bike

J.M. Rosebud.  Isn't that good?

Rose because it's red. I think this'll be my bike's nickname.  One of my best old friend's had a hamster named something like Dr. Chewbacca Ginyu, Chewie for short.  It's gets to be a mouthful, so it's best to shorten things up.

Rosebud, after the **** (no spoilers) from the film Citizen Kane.  After a lifetime seeking fortune and power, media mogul Charles Foster Kane dies unhappy and alone, uttering the single word, "Rosebud..."  The film chronicles the ultimately fruitless attempt of a reporter to unearth the meaning behind this last word.  In the end, we the audience discover that the word was an allusion to his impoverished childhood, the only time in his life that he was truly happy.

J.M., after one of my inspirations, famed conservationist John Muir.  His life's work was dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the American wilderness.  He is often compared to John the Baptist, baptizing neophytes into the wonders of God's creation.  It was his work that inspired the creation of America's National Parks and National Monuments - in fact, he was a personal friend of President Teddy Roosevelt, who established five National Parks and eighteen National Monuments.  Muir died in 1913, all the while fighting to save Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed (to create a reservoir for San Francisco), a fight which was ultimate lost as the dam was completed in 1923 and stands to this day, not without a good deal of controversy.

Hetch Hetchy Valley before and after.

So there. J.M. Rosebud. What do you think?

Five things motorists want to say to cyclists

After putting together my post a few weeks ago about what cyclists would like to tell motorists, I've been getting a few (unsolicited) comments about what motorists would like to say.  It seems that folks in cars are not without their own views regarding the interactions between motorist and cyclist, so I deliberately went about soliciting these opinions.  5 things drivers want to say to bikers after the jump...and, do feel free to add your own in the comments section.

What if you were arrested for walking?

After taking a couple days off (from blogging, at least), it's time to do a brief update.  Sorry for no posts since Wednesday, but it's been a busy weekend...
Thursday, my family and I went into New Orleans to spend Easter weekend with our extended families.  The wife took the kids into town while I was still at work, so I was going to have to take a separate car into New Orleans from Baton Rouge.  I'll have a full post on it soon enough, but I chose to go ahead and take my bike for the 75-mile trip, rather than drive.  Since then, there's just been absolutely no time to get to the blog, but there's something I wanted to discuss about this weekend: walking.

More after the jump...

How did you get into cycling (part 2)

After climbing down from the bike during my undergraduate years, I don't believe I came anywhere near one until a few semesters into my graduate career.  Honestly, I'm not even sure I owned a bike during that time.  I would call those my "lean" years, but I'm afraid that would lead to a misleading perception of my body mass at the time.  I was by no means overweight, or even heavy, but instead maintained a slender (but soft) physique.  Definitely not a chiseled "super"man, but not overly buoyant either.

Kind of like this guy

I didn't have a whole lot of interest in fitness, as I was more focused on my future as a teacher.  I was gaining valuable experience working with a teen youth group and was motivated by little else.  While attending a small Catholic college in the Ohio River valley for graduate school, a few life events inspired me to get back on the bike.
A) I got married
B) We had a baby

Gas prices too high?

THIS project is in no small part about fossil fuel independence.  I haven't figured out the end-game yet (whether whether bikes are saving the planet or not), but I am learning a little bit about the effect of gasoline on my pocket book.
Last night, I filled up the 16-gallon gas tank in my 2004 Toyota Camry for the first time since I began this project.  I know EXACTLY how I feel about this.

It may be a selfish reason for bicycling for transport, but it is one of many legitimate reasons (as a reminder, I decided to do this for fitness, cost, earth/environment, and the bicycle's romantic appeal.)  So, this post will be my first foray into the messy business of petrol.

5 cringe-inducing qualities of serious cyclists

In honor of the UCI World Tour (Pro-Cycling), which has just started to heat up with two of racing's biggest events in the past month (namely, San-Remo and de Ronde), I thought we'd look at some of the peculiarities of serious cyclists.

1) Leg-Shaving



Yes, it's true - male cyclists like to keep their legs shaved.  I had to yield to the experts on this one, as I don't have a history here (although I must admit to have dabbled in the practice.  So, I turned to Bicycling.com for some insight into the practice.
After the jump for more...

I only went out for a walk...

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." ~John Muir

John Muir is simultaneously inspirational and enigmatic.  Part reclusive mountain man and part ecstatic holy man, his passion for the beauty of nature led him on incredible adventures, and his work and writings were the greatest inspiration for the creation of America's National Parks.

For more on Muir, read up at the Muir Exhibit at Sierra Club.
Otherwise, check out Part One of Ken Burns' magnificent documentary on our National Parks, America's Best Idea, called "The Scripture of Nature."

My question has to do with the quote above.  What did Muir mean by, "for going out, I found, was really going in?"