Scenic Route

Happy holidays from Specialized Bicycle Components

I’m not a Christmas nut. While I’m not exactly a Grinch or a Scrooge either, the reaction I have to most holiday stuff is that it’s overhyped nonsense that’s far too cute, sappy, or otherwise emotionally manipulative for its own good.

But, as a bike nut, I loved this and can’t resist sharing it.

The Nutcracker Suite, played entirely on bicycle parts

• The finished product
• How it was done

The Fredcast’s holiday gift guide

A weekly podcast I enjoy is The Fredcast. It’s by a bike nut for bike nuts. I find every show entertaining and informative. If you’re a cyclist, give it a listen. I’m sure you’ll look forward to every show as I do. (No iPod? No problem. You can download the show as an MP3, Windows Media Player or RealAudio file and listen on your PC.)

If you’re not a cyclist, but have one on your shopping list, Show #44 is the Fredcast’s Second Annual Holiday Gift Guide. The entire list was submitted by listeners, and I think it’s safe to say we’re all avid cyclists. Items start from under ten dollars. There are many under $50 and of course, a few that are breathtaking.

Visit thefredcast.com and click on the link for the Gift Guide Show Notes. You’ll find the list and online buying links. Alternatively, many items are available at your LBS (Local Bike Shop).

Be careful what you ask for

I’m still feeling chuffed over having met my 2006 mileage goal a whole month early. This morning when I logged into the forums at Bicycling Magazine, there was a thread by a member asking to be goaded on to making his goal by the end of the year.

Naturally I felt qualified to help. Before sending you there, the original poster uses the name “Fat Slow Old Guy” and he’s a ballbreaker. And we tried meeting twice this year, but things just didn’t pan out. So I felt safe in breaking his balls a bit with his name, and taking this approach to goad him. Here’s my reply.

Speaking of “the patch”

Today is day 15. I slapped on the first of the smaller “step 2” patches.

This past week has been a bit more difficult than the first, largely, I think, because the novelty has worn off. Plus I had a couple of days in there with poor patch adhesion that coincided with repeating simultanious triggers. Still, overall it goes much better than I anticipated.

The two side effects that I have are itchiness and slightly more vivd dreams. As you may recall, when I had my ECGs earlier this year, the adhesive on the leads caused me to break out in an itchy rash from each lead, that took over a month to go away. The second time I asked for the hypoallergenic leads. They left a pink mark that itched a little and went away in two or three days.

The patches seem to use this second type of hypoallergenic adhesive. I get a little itching when I put them on and again when I take them off. There’s a pink mark for a couple of days.

The vivid dreams part, well, that’s part of one of my sleep disorders anyway. Dreams have been slightly more vivid and easier to remember. Also not a big deal.

Meanwhile, steady as she goes…

Early results and premature congratulations

Several people have congratulated me on quitting smoking. I accept them as intended, the remind pople that I’m still very much a nicotine addict. The difference is only in the method of delivery. I liken it to heroin addicts getting off the needle and switching to sugar cubes dispensed at a methadone clinic. They’re still addicted, just as I am.

Thanks for the encouragement, but save the congratulations for a few months.

Early results are showing, however. I didn’t expect anything at all, or so soon. But this week I noticed that I seldom pant when I ride. I’ve ridden very hard a couple of days too. Rides that have left me weak-legged for a couple of days afterwards. I never lost my breath during them, and became aware of having to breathe more deeply or faster only a couple of times.

This has surprised me. I figured it would be a couple of years before anything would be noticable, and then, perhaps only in riding stats.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 at 8:00 pm EST and is filed under Bike, Generic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.