The human body is truly amazing.

After Friday's excitement I still needed to go to work on Saturday.  Friday night my car wouldn't start (I had to wait for Mrs. CB2 to get home from work before I could drive myself to the ER).
I woke early after a fitful few hours of sleep, assessed I was good enough, and prepared to ride to work.

We start early on Saturdays to meet before we open, and I needed to stop for coffee on the way in.
First store I stopped at wasn't open, so I rode on, thankful the morning chill wasn't having any effect on my stitches.

A few miles down the road I found a store that was open (captivating, I know).

Got to work, soldiered through 8 hours, with a bonus 45 minutes rehanging the shop sign the wind had blown down; a lot of teamwork getting that thing back up, and headed home.

I was very thankful for a tailwind.

Once home, my body knew it's work was done and I just crashed.
My daughter was unable to wake me for dinner.

It was as if my body knew; get through Saturday, then you can rest.

I woke briefly, shoveled some food down my throat and made my way upstairs.
I slept for another 11 hours.

Sunday my body stayed in recovery mode.

Drank coffee.
Went for a walk.
Baked cookies.
Drank coffee.
Changed tires.
Watched an English Sitcom
Drank coffee.



Today (Monday) almost three days since the accident, I'm feeling almost normal.
Other than the fuzzy growth around the stitches, my face feels fine.
Curiously my iliotibial bands are sore but not as bad as the arm I got the tetanus shot in.

Tomorrow, hopefully we'll be back to regularly scheduled program.

The Mistakes I Made

I was hit by a car.

On my ride home from work, on Boulevard, a couple blocks from Main St (right around the corner from home), a woman rolled a stop sign and hit me.

Slow-motion-rapid-fire.

I slammed on my brakes, swerved clipped her front fender grazing the headlamp and endo'd.

I popped up like it was a rehearsed acrobatic routine.

Slapping my palm on her hood, I marched to her window and shouted "It's a stop sign, stop!"

"I did stop" she replied.

"No you didn't, you need to pay attention" I retorted.

"I was looking for headlights".

I pointed to my bike on the ground with it's 650 lumen headlamp blazing while my two watt tail lamp flashed in her face "I have a headlight".

"Keep your eyes open and pay attention" were my last words as I picked up my bike, gave it a once over, and rode off.

I did not get her name, take a picture of her car, or get the witness' number that was offered.
I did not realize I was injured.

I was.

The adrenaline was masking any pain I was feeling.
When I went to put on my riding glasses they were smeared with blood.

Looking in the mirror at home my chin was dripping and my face was splattered.
Maybe she was in shock at what she had just done to another human being, or maybe she was worried about being sued, but you think she might have had the decency to mention MY FACE WAS SPLIT OPEN.
(maybe she just didn't give a fuck)

6 stitches in my chin, and a tetanus shot.

No matter how good you feel, get names and numbers.

I'm okay, I think my bike is okay, I don't want anything from the lady but a hope that she has gained some awareness.

Be careful out there.
I concluded it could have as easily happened if not more so  in broad daylight as I might have blended into the environment even more w/o the lights.  Driving back from the ER, I couldn't help but notice just how well lit Boulevard really is.

It can happen anywhere.

I Could kiss you GW

I guess that dude's happy about daylight savings time too.

In the past I cursed #43 for his extension of DST (which in reality I doubt he really had anything to do with); it effected my commute.  I was thrown from not needing lights into darkness.

But I don't work there anymore!!!

At Benidorm DST works in my favor.  I should only need a full on headlight 1 day a week.
That's pretty sweet.

Another thing that is pretty sweet, is the bike path is mostly passable.

There were a few section where it went down to a singletrack and even an icy foot path, but mostly good to go.

The sweet smell of Spring is out there too.

Joy...

It Might Be You

A young man complained to the social cyberness of how he was honked at 7 times in one ride.
 "What's wrong with you drivers!"

I ride in traffic...a lot.  I'm the first to spout off about some douche in a 6000 pound cocoon of death, but 7 times?

I don't think I was honked or yelled at 7 times in the past year.

I think we, cyclist, get awfully indignant  about our right to the road, and drivers sharing the road but do we ever consider the other side of the equation?

Do we obey the law?
Do we ride as far to the right as safely possible (which can be the center of the lane)?
Stop at stoplights and even stop signs (at least when there's an audience)?
Do we try and share the road too or just expect others to extend us the courtesy?

Life is too short, if you are continuously being harassed on the road, you might want to consider how you are using it.  There will always be self absorbed pricks out there, don't give them any fuel for the fire.

Stack and Reach

Stack and reach is (are) a valuable resource when fitting a bicycle.  It seems simple enough but has been a revelation as I begin to understand it more.

The easiest way for me to understand stack and reach is to think of a framing square.  Hold the short end of the square level bisecting the center of the top of the head tube while the long side bisects the bottom bracket.  The vertical measurement from the center of the bb to the top of the square is your stack.  The horizontal from the headtube back is your reach.

Fortunately I'm short enough to get a rough measurement using that method, but more and more manufacturers are providing stack and reach numbers with their bikes (so grownup sized people can use it too).

Yesterday at the shop a dad and son were looking for a new mountain bike for the boy.  Dad was willing on spending a pretty nice sum on the bike too.   But dad was also worried about the boy having a growth spurt and be out looking to spend a pretty nice sum again pretty soon.  Pete was able to show that although the stand over on a medium Rockhopper 29 was an inch and a half higher the reach was only a centimeter more than a small.   The small would fit and have room to grow (it's spec'd with only a 60mm stem).

Personally (by dumb luck) the Fun Machine fits me pretty well.  Going by the stack and reach of that bike I was able to see I had too long a stem on the Sunday Princess, which explains the slipping forward I sometimes experience.

La Folle is a bird of a different color.  A prototype cyclocross frame with a slightly sloping top tube.  The top and head tubes measure really long.  Going by those dimensions I had put a really short stem on the bike.  It always felt off.  Between the Euro-high bb and quick angles the bike seemed too tall and rode just weird.  When I measured the stack and reach, yes the stack was greater than my other bikes, but the reach was actually a good bit shorter.  I needed a longer, not shorter stem.  I stole the Princess's stem and now I can't get enough of the Crazy Bitch.

Next time you're looking for a new bike or frame, add stack and reach to your arsenal of tools in choosing a size or brand.  Or if you have a bike that just doesn't seem right check the stack and reach.  Still can't seem to dial it in, and hate math, call Jan for a professional fitting.