Possible Routes for B.N.Y.E.F.G.C.O.P.™

I'm considering a couple routes for the ride Sunday a.m.

Remember, we don't have to do the same route both directions... we can change it up a little to make things more interesting. Note: this is not the entire route... it doesn't include the 10 mile stretch between here and benbrook lake, nor the 16 mile stretch from Cartwright park to Mineral Wells State Park. We'll probably keep those sections the same in both directions.

Ron might have some additional routes or suggested changes to these, but these are the best and most direct I've come up with:

possible route #1

possible route #2


Any thoughts on these?

RSVP for the Century of Pain™

Could everyone planning to participate in the New Year's Eve ride leave a comment here confirming your attendance? I'd like to have a pretty good idea of how many are coming by Dec. 29 or thereabouts. As I mentioned in the comment thread of the previous Century post, there's a possibility some of our friends might be able to have lunch ready for us upon our arrival at Mineral Wells SP.

Holiday Hours

We're going to close early tomorrow, so if you want any last-minute gifts or supplies for your holiday rides come get them now! We won't reopen until Wednesday, Dec. 27th.

We will also be closed on New Year's Day (We'll be busy recovering from the Century of Pain™ and its after-party).

Bernie's New-Years-Eve Fixed-Gear Century of Pain™

Do you need one last bicycle story for 2006? You know, the stories that you love to tell your non-cycling friends because they look at you with such a sense of bewilderment as to why anybody would do such a thing to their own bodies?

Well, they don't get it. But you do, so that's why I'm inviting anybody who desires to come with me on a really long fixed-gear ride this New Year's eve. Single-speed road/cyclocross bikes are welcome too. Actually, if you don't have a non-geared bike you can still do this ride. You can just choose a suitable gear, and I'll render your shifters temporarily inoperable with some athletic tape.

The pace will be moderate, because I'm pretty out of shape and because we'll be heading into somewhat hilly (and very headwindy) country. That means you should GEAR LOW. I'm running a 44-18 gear, which is 64.5 gear inches. Shoot for something close to that if you can.

If you've got tires bigger than 23mm, it wouldn't be a bad idea to put 'em on your bike. There will be some non-paved sections on this route. There are also long sections with no convenience store support, so be sure you can carry plenty of food/drink on your bike. This will be an out-and-back route, with the start being here at the shop at 6 a.m. and the turn-around being Mineral Wells Lake (in Mineral Wells State Park). I estimate this route will be about 110 miles.

The prize for finishing? A spoke card and a fajita dinner at my house later that evening. House Party starts @ 7:30 p.m. and goes 'till the ball drops.

A beautiful new bike is born:

I was trying to wait until I'd finished building it, but I'm just so smitten by this bike, I couldn't wait any longer to share it with everyone out there...

Meet Jim Burger's new titanium Crown Jewel, built just for him by Independent Fabrication in Somerville, Mass.:



Jim chose nice, understated black decals so as not to take away from the beautiful finish of the frame:


Detail of the gorgeous Sterling Silver headbadge:


Cool crown engraving on the rear brake bridge:


I don't think I can say enough about how beautiful and unique the shotpeened titanium finish is... this isn't your cousin's boring brushed Litespeed! The shot peening gives the raw titanium a depth and a sparkle you just don't see from anybody else. And those welds... flawless!


It that a beautiful bicycle or what!? We are so proud to be Fort Worth's #1 Indy Fab dealer...

For Mark:

Here's a picture of the front and back of the Men's $20 sale jerseys (better hurry in, though, Mark... I've only got 2 left):


They're made of a nice, breathable wicking fabric; They're "club cut" (a little fuller than the trim racing jerseys) with an 18" zipper and 3 BIG pockets on back.


I've also got a few more of the women's sizes:

Jansport Hydration Packs

Jansport Hydration Packs: 70 oz. Nalgene bladder, leak-free drinking valve, pump sleeve, and storage pocket. Regularly $55, now just $30.

Get pumped... (for only $15!)

Here's the pump we have on sale. It's got an aluminum barrel, stable base, integrated gauge with both PSI and BAR, hassle-free dual head fits both presta and schrader valves, and it's even got accessories to inflate basketballs and pool floats hidden in the end of the handle.

Everybody needs a spare pump... and somebody needs one for Christmas, too.

Winter Sale!

Come see our display of holiday gifts for the cyclist in your life. We've got tons of great gift ideas at all different price points, from stocking stuffers on up.

We also have lots of items on sale as we clear out our inventory and try to pay some bills during the slow season.

Some sale highlights:

Three-pocket coolmax cycling jerseys: were $30, now just $20!

Serfas FP50 floor pumps: were $25, now just $15!

Cinelli Cork handlebar tape (assorted colors): was $16, now just $9.99!

All tubes, buy two get one free (That's 3 tubes for just $10!)

Sidi Raiden cycling shoes: were $120, now just $100!

JanSport hydration packs: were $55, now just $30!

There are more deals to be had, even on bikes... come in and check them out.

First Saturday Bike Ride!

That's right friends... tomorrow is the first Saturday of December, which means it's time for our monthly bicycle-powered beer ride. First stop: The Rahr Brewery for FREE beers. Rumor has it there'll be a couple of kegs of the new (and incredibly tasty) Rahr Winter Warmer on tap.

Be here at the shop (1306 W Magnolia) at noon if you want to participate in the festivities.

Mmmm... gumbo

So, I'm sitting here eating a big hot bowl of Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, still waiting for the first customer of the day.

Seriously, if anybody gets off work early and wants to come play darts or something that'd be great. I'm bored. Bring beer.

Cold, but not THAT cold

Sure, it dropped 50 degrees in 12 hours... but this is Texas. That's how it works here. As usual, the local media has completely overblown the severity of the first cold/wet front.

The roads are fine. If you're scared to drive, ride your bike to work. It's safe, and fun too.

Holiday Hours

All you loyal PCB blog readers take note:

The shop will be closed Thursday AND Friday for Thanksgiving. We'll be open Saturday if you need anything.

Texas is the Reason

Now that Fort Worth has bicycle messengers, we've got to go represent at messenger races around the state. So I went to do D.O.O.M.'s (Dallas Order Of Messengers) "Texas is the Reason" race, a JFK-assasination-themed alleycat today, and it turned out to be quite an adventure (and I don't mean just the event itself).


I just barely caught my train to Dallas; I was running late and just barely got there in time after racing to the station. About halfway to Dallas, the tracks pass some illegal dirt trails near highway 360 often used by Motocrossers, ATVers, and the occasional mountain biker.

Suddenly I heard the air brakes of the train activate, HARD. The conductor started laying on the horn for an unusually long time. Just as I realized the train was trying to stop to avoid something on the track (it takes a half mile to stop a train), we heard a crash and felt something go under our feet and be dragged along by the train.

When the train finally came to a stop, the conductor and engineer came hauling ass through the cars to get off the train. I heard on the radio, "Did you hit him, did you hit him." And the answer was, "I don't know, I didn't see him get out of the way"

Turns out some knucklehead dad was riding his dirt bike across the track. His son followed but his bike got stuck. Dad and son were trying to pull the bike off the track as the train approached, but couldn't get it. They bailed just before the train hit the bike and dragged it all the way across the railroad bridge that crosses 360. After they pulled their bike from under the train's wheels, and the conductors did a safety check, especially of the brakes which had just been used pretty dramatically, we were rolling again. Here's a picturce of the MotoKnuckleHeads that I took out of the front window of the train:

The conductors did quick stops after that, and despite a 20 minute delay, by the time we got to Dallas they had made up all but 4 of those minutes. Four minutes isn't even enough for the TRE to consider it a "late train" according to a conductor I talked to.

I learned lots of cool Kennedy trivia I didn't know previously. I also thought it was interesting that the old Parkland hospital where JFK was taken after he was shot, is now abandoned and vacant. This is a place where a U.S. President was declared dead after an assassination, and it's boarded up with nary a historical marker. Now, I realize that this is a dubious distinction, but it just seems like there should be a little more respect for that piece of history.

Here's a couple of shots at the finish. Fittingly, since I had already drank many a Fat Tire, the photos are blurry. This is a pretty accurate depiction of what I saw at the finish:



Me on the train coming home, where I chatted with the conductor about that mornings motorcycle incident:


Then, getting from the T&P Station and home, after not having any incidents of my own all day on the mean streets of Dallas (though I did see a couple of nasty crashes in the race), I was cutting through the Paris Coffee Shop parking lot to avoid a light, got my front wheel caught in a crack that was way deeper than it looked in the dark, and ended up eating asphalt. Less than a mile from home! CRAP!:

YouTube gold

I stole this video from somebody who stole it from the Blue Squirrel, who found it on YouTube. I post it here because I have a man crush on Jan Ullrich, crusher of weak souls.

Cranksgiving final tally

Thanks to all of you who participated in Cranksgiving, we took over 220 pounds of food to the Tarrant Area Food bank!

Just found this great new blog...

called the "Cowtown Chronicles," complete with real LOCAL goings-on and even podcasts! Check it out.

Cranksgiving Photos:

A big thank you to Ric Ceron who came out and took fantastic pictures of the event. There are many more photos than just the ones I have posted here... check them out at the link Michael posted in the comments on the Podium thread.



Handing out manifests and maps





Handing out the spokecards





Spokecard closeup





The eventual winners planning their route





What's up, wicker?





Quite possibly the worlds first tandem alleycat team





Gathering at the start





Rolling out





The Loose clan headed for the second grocery stop





Getting ready to enter the store





Grocery employees all over Fort Worth were wondering what the hell was going on





Locking one's bike can be challenging at some places.





I hope we didn't cause this accident...





Headed downtown





This is cool; you never see so many bikes parked at a store!





Solo, with noodles





Hey, I didn't put Bass Ale on the shopping list!





The view from the halfway point





Checking in at the finish





The victor and his spoils... great ride Chris!





The runner up, trying to catch his breath. He was so tired, he couldn't lift that Kryptonite Lock he won for a victory pose.





Third finisher Atticus Broadbent, with his Kryptonite prize.





Ron Hacker, representing the Lockheed Martin Bicycle Club well with a fourth place finish





Ken Loose, fifth place finisher and proud owner of some new espresso glasses from Masi Bicycles





Jason works the bar





Shannon's wife made us some incredible pies, which worked out well since it's safe to say everybody was pretty hungry






Shannon was victorious in the Trackstand competition, though Atticus gave him a pretty good run for his money. They both were up for a while with no hands before Atticus finally dabbed






A huge thanks to Rahr & Sons Brewing for co-hosting and providing a perfect finish venue





The sign says it all, ladies and gents. Support your local independent brewery... they support you!

Cranksgiving podium

From left to right: Chris Hasty, who won the race with an impressive display of accurate routing and perseverance, Michael Popovici, who took second with deftly played stategy of following the guy who won, and Atticus Broadbent, who took third and displayed a toughness most kids his age don't have.

Also deserving of a big pat on the back were Ron Hacker, who took fourth in his first ever alleycat, and Ken Loose, who finished fifth. These top five riders were the only ones (out of nearly 30 starters) that finished the race.

Admittedly, we made it a little hard. A 40 mile alleycat with shopping stops is probably a bit long. We overreacted to the fact that somebody finished our last race in an hour, so we more than doubled the distance. Next time, we'll find the happy medium, we promise.

Black Dog Down

This is exactly the sort of buffoonery you'll miss if you don't come pubride with us Thursday night at 7:

Cranksgiving

Think you know your way around Fort Worth better than anybody?

Or, do you just wanna ride your bike on a Saturday, help a local charity, and get a free beer or two to boot?

Join us here at the shop at noon, Saturday, November 4th, for Fort Worth's first ever "Cranksgiving" alleycat race, co-hosted by us and Rahr & Sons Brewing.

For those of you unfamiliar with alleycats, it is a bike messenger-style event with multiple checkpoints and no set route. Cranksgiving's checkpoints will be grocery stores, and riders' "signatures" will be specific non-perishable food items that they are to purchase at these locations.

Start line is our shop (1306 W Magnolia Ave), and the finish line will be at the Rahr Brewery. Fritz Rahr has generously offered to let us stay around for an hour or so after the race and quench our collective thirst.

The race is FREE, but you will need to bring some cash to buy food items. You will also need a means to carry food items with you on your bike (preferably a Masi Bike: since they gave a prize for the race), a lock (Preferably Kryptonite: another prize-giver), and a stapler or tape to organize your receipts.

Cool Acting Company

So the Aquila Theatre Company (based in New York and London, I think) was at Bass Hall last night doing a one-night-only production of Romeo and Juliet.

It was a great classical production, with a traditional, minimalist set and costumes, so I knew I was going to enjoy it. I hate it when some theater company tries to do "Romeo and Juliet, set during the Civil War!" or "King Lear on Rollerskates!"

This company did have one really unique twist, though. So unique, I had to share it with all of you.

The actors lined up on the edge of the stage just before the lights went down. One of them made an announcement:

"The six actors in front of you have each learned every single part in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Tonight the hand of fate, provided by you, the audience, will decide who plays which role."

With that, each actor individually went into the crowd with a velvet bag full of names, and chose an audience member to pull a part from the hat. If they pulled a part that was already taken, they chose again.

It ended up that a a woman played a couple of man, and one man played a woman's role. But they pulled it off... it was damned impressive.

Texas Time Trials

Thursday night I stayed out way, way too late and drank way, way too much. A really bad idea since I was supposed to do a big event, the 12-hour Time Trial, on Saturday.

So, I spent all day Friday trying to recover from the night before instead of getting ready for my race. So Friday night at home I was up kind of late getting all my stuff ready (Food, cool-weather clothing, lights charging, etc.).

Then, in the middle of the four hours of sleep I'd managed to allot myself, my dogs went absolutely beserk, and I spent half an hour just trying to figure out what the hell was going on with them.

When the alarm went off at 3 a.m. I'd had a whopping 2.5 hours of sleep, and I knew it wasn't my day to go ride a bike for 12 hours. I'm disappointed (kicking myself for my terrible planning), because for me the Texas Time Trials is the coolest road event that happens locally.

When I finally got up and got ready to come to the shop Saturday morning, I found out the dogs' problem: my neighbor's truck, which is parked on the street below the window the dogs like to look out, had been broken into overnight. We were pretty busy at the shop on Saturday anyway, and Jason would have had a really hard day without me, so perhaps it worked out for the best.

To my friends that went (Frank, Brad): congrats on your rides. I wish I could have been there on the course with you guys.

1937-2006

A legend passed this weekend; Freddy Fender, a star on his own, and then a member of the supergroups The Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven, died at 69.

We'll play the Best of the Texas Tornados in the shop today and have 'uno mas cerveza' in his honor. Come drink one with us.

10 Good Reasons to Use Panther City Express Courier Service

1. It’s Fast... Downtown in 30 minutes, crosstown in 40. Nobody does that (except us).

2. It relieves congestion... One less car, one more parking space, and no drowsy side effects!

3. It’s Cheap... Cheaper than [insert Texas-ism here]. And there are no fuel surcharges, ever.

4. It’s Green... Our delivery vehicles are powered by renewable energy sources like Ramen noodles and caffeine, with only occasional (and discreet) greenhouse gas emissions.

5. It’s Patriotic... Every call to us supports our troops, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and helps prevent tooth decay; you don’t want the terrorists to win, do you?

6. It’s Safe... We’ve never hurt anyone (unless we count ourselves, which we don’t).

7. It’s Guaranteed... Our couriers are quality inspected and guaranteed not to peel, chip, crack, or fade - and they never need sharpening!

8. It’s Good for Business... Especially ours.

9. It Saves lives... Not only do we transport life-saving images for the medical community, but we also swerve to avoid striking wayward squirrels (as long as it’s not gonna make us late).

10. Best of all, It’s Easy... For you, anyway. We pedal our tails off;
All you have to do is pick up the phone and call 817-401-0146 today!

Carola's new wheels

In the comments thread of the last blog post, Carola mentioned the new wheels we built her... check them out. Her bike has a blue back end and a yellow front end. So, we built her a set of wheels with Velocity rims powdercoated to match:





Pretty cool, huh? Dura-ace hubs, DT-Swiss competition spokes, and red alloy nipples.