Bicycle - Bicycle's Blog - Victoria Advocate http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle Bikes, riding bikes, favorite rides and defense manuevers against those pesky attack dogs who jump out at you from nowhere. Bikes, riding bikes, favorite rides and defense manuevers against those pesky attack dogs who jump out at you from nowhere. en-us I'll pedal if you pack me in your suitcase http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8529 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8529 <p>Was I envious when I read <a href="http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/877/story/301234.html">Myra's column</a> today?</p> <p>Yes. I was.</p> <p>I love reporting, but if&nbsp;I suddenly became independently wealthy you can bet&nbsp;I would hop on&nbsp;my bike&nbsp;and pedal off into the sunset. For those who doubt that bike tour would be fun, I present this point of view: It's like regressing into fourth-grade summer vacation. You get up every morning knowing all you have to do is ride your bike and eat (Ok, fix your bike, set up a tent, filter water, etc.) And you won't get fat.</p> <p>Uh, how does that not sound like fun?</p> <p>Leslie</p> Silver screen cycles http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8510 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8510 <p>This tip&nbsp;from Aprill Brandon, whose blog is far better read than this, so I should take her cues:</p> <p><a href="http://madeinqueensfilm.com">Made in Queens</a> is going to feature a group of kids, originally from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago">Trinidad </a>(the island, not the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2003/georgiegirl/resources_04_biber.html">Colorado town</a> that's the U.S. sex-change capital) who rig their bikes with huge sound systems and cruse around. My guess is this movie isn't coming to Victoria, so I'll have to wait and put it on my Netflix cue. Sigh. </p> <p>Leslie</p> Track races start tomorrow http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8477 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8477 <p>Olympic cycling track&nbsp;events <a href="http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/Schedule/CT_2008-08-15.shtml">start tomorrow.</a></p> <p>Let's be honest -- these are oddball (but nifty) events few people watch. No idea how the races work? <a href="http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BCK/CT/40135.shtml">Here's a primer</a>.</p> What I want to read and what I want to wear http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8464 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8464 <p><a href="http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/">This blog</a>&nbsp;was linked in a recent NY Times story about cycling. I had to go back to confirm -- this is my favorite bike blog this week. I'm happy to report that I doubt anything about my bike could be classified as ironic. Or maybe I'm blind to my own foibles. I am sure, however, that the fork leg mounted brake lever is not for me. I've never touched my fork leg while riding, and if I tried, I'd mangle my hand in the spokes, I bet.</p> <p>On a more practical note -- I'm in search of cuter things to wear on my bike. If you read this blog, you might have gathered I cycle just about everywhere. Now, I don't mind looking scrubby on my way to and from work -- after all, I'm just going to change. When I go out at night, I can roll up the cuffs on my jeans or wear a dress and ride Yellow Bike. </p> <p>But when I'm out and about on the weekend I'm usually on the 520, which is better for running errands. So a sun dress is out. But I don't want to roast. So jeans are out. And I really, really hate shorts. I hold dear the thought that the women's wear industrial complex conspired to make shorts look dorky on anyone older than 16. Don't know why they do this.</p> <p>I have one pair of cutoffs that are OK, but they're plaid, so my thick parts look thicker and they don't have back pockets, so I make Greg tote all my stuff and he always forgets where he put it. </p> <p>I'm partial to skirts, so I bought a running skirt. It's OK, but not exactly stylish. I'm working on some skirts based on the same design, but I'm not much of a seamstress. </p> <p>Any suggestions, folks?</p> <p>Leslie</p> Don't know how I missed this earlier http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8444 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8444 <p>A story in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/fashion/10bikewars.html?pagewanted=1">the NYT</a> talks about cyclist/driver hostilities. Hitting someone, then jumping out of the car to punch him? Really? Isn't that a bit much? I love <a href="http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/">this response</a> to the story: &quot;Nobody's as cool as they think they are, and no matter what, you look ridiculous to somebody.&quot; True words of wisdom.<br /> </p> <p>I'll grant drivers this -- there are cyclists who don't obey traffic laws and do things so dumb it your forehead hurts before you can slap it. People who ride down the wrong side of the road, at night with no lights, etc.</p> <p>But here's the thing -- if you can see a person, why would you willfully assault him with a car? Most rational people wouldn't, I think. It does happen, though.</p> <p>Here's what scares me more than angry drivers: the ones who don't pay attention.&nbsp; On my ride home Thursday, I was nearly hit twice by people who just didn't see me. Both had stop signs, while I did not. </p> <p>The first driver was a man in an SUV crossing Bridge Street. He left me little room when he pulled in front of me. There was no question I needed to slam on the breaks.</p> <p>The second driver was a woman in a Benz, crossing Red River.&nbsp;She ran a stop sign.&nbsp;I don't think she&nbsp;saw me, even after I&nbsp;came within a foot of hitting her&nbsp;and&nbsp;almost flipped my bike in an effort to stop. </p> <p>Let me do a really bad job paraphrasing Kurt Vonnegut when I say what the roads need is a little more kindness. &nbsp;And attentiveness.</p> <p>Leslie</p> Wow, that's a lotta bikes http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8443 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8443 <p>Every year, Portland closes down a bunch of bridges so cyclists can ride in car-free lanes. This year, <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218421504110830.xml&amp;coll=7">bicyclists&nbsp;17,000 attended.</a>&nbsp;Holy cow.</p> <p>Today, I drove my car to work for the first time in about two months. I really didn't like it. It wasn't much faster, or cooler, since I don't have AC. </p> <p>But I brought the car home because we needed it to take&nbsp;the kitten&nbsp;to the vet Saturday. While Rudi loves to help make bike repairs, we can't actually move her on the bike. Yet. Here she is, being her helpful self. Also check out the bike-glove tan lines on Greg's hand. Yeah, I know. Hot.</p> <p>Leslie</p>


Title: 100_1777.jpg
Caption: Rudi helps Greg pick tunes. Dispite her name, she does not like reggae or ska as much as Cliche does.
Credit: Bicycle


Title: 100_1777.jpg
Caption: Rudi helps Greg pick tunes. Dispite her name, she does not like reggae or ska as much as Cliche does.
Credit: Bicycle

 100_1777.jpg Rudi helps Greg pick tunes. Dispite her name, she does not like reggae or ska as much as Cliche does. Bicycle To the dogs http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8388 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8388 <p>Greg thinks it's sooo funny when I get freaked out by dogs chasing me on bike rides. I'll admit, there have been a couple of cases where my panic must have been pretty comical. Like the time the world's friendliest golden retriever chased me,&nbsp;but I was too scared to look over my shoulder and see what was coming after me. </p> <p>In my defense, the meaty jawed dogs&nbsp;running free around town&nbsp;are what what started my sudden fear.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-a-Dog-Attack">This link</a> on my google home page&nbsp;claims to share the secrets to avoiding dog attacks.</p> <p>Victoria locals also tell me throwing rocks, squirting water bottles and riding really fast helps.</p> <p>People keeping their dogs -- especially mean ones -- under control would help even more.&nbsp;</p> <p>Leslie</p> Clouds. Rain. Nice weather for a ride http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8379 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8379 <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Edouard made some great riding weather in Victoria this morning. The cloud cover kept things cool, and there wasn't much wind. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Even the light rain wasn't bad. As I pedaled down Vine, I watched it bead on my arms and legs. 'You know what's cool?' I thought. 'Skin.' (I had to answer myself because it was a rare introspective moment.) Skin does a pretty darned good job of separating our guts from the elements.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Riding a bike really makes me appreciate the human body -- that&rsquo;s one of my favorite things about cycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I&rsquo;m not the first to say this, but the cleverness of bikes is amazing. I can&rsquo;t think of a more efficient use of energy. I&rsquo;m sure the physicists among you could point some out, but that&rsquo;s one of the few facts I&rsquo;d just rather not know.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Leslie&nbsp;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span></span> Gender gap http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8329 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8329 <p>I've been really happy to see lots of people on bikes the past couple of days. Last night, on my way home, I even saw a small herd of men on road bikes.</p> <p>The thing that has disappointed me is how few women I see on bikes. When I swing by&nbsp;Bills, most of the customers are men.</p> <p>&nbsp;I've heard, via e-mail, from one female cyclist. But where are the others? </p> <p>Leslie</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Scamming the scammer - Finale http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8321 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Bicycle/8321 <p><font color="#800080">Previously on &quot;Scamming the scammer:&quot; </font></p> <p><font color="#800080">&quot;Vivi,&quot; my new Internet friend, doesn't seem to recall&nbsp;the totally&nbsp;fictitious romantic relationship we had in high school many years ago. I toss out the names of some mutual friends of ours like Shirley, LaVerne DeFazio and Ethel Mertz but none of those ring a bell for Vivi. Now Vivi wants to know my address, cell phone number and Yahoo id. Vivi is about to find out that &quot;Ignatius&quot; lives a sad, lonely life:</font></p> <p>Vivi, my former love!<br /> My heart almost leaped out of my chest in happiness when I saw that you had written me another e-mail. I really do think there is a chance that we will get together after all these years. It will be as if 30 years had melted away.<br /> You asked me what I am doing. Well, I am in the grocery business. Actually, that is a fancy way of putting it. I work as a bag boy in a small grocery store in a small town called Mayberry. But I have BIG dreams. About once a month, a take a bus to the next biggest town - Mount Pilot - and attend a business seminar.<br /> My father calls these &quot;get-rich-quick&quot; schemes but I call them business opportunities of a LIFETIME!<br /> Someday, I will own my own business and will be a RICH MAN! Then I will laugh at all the people in Mayberry who laugh at me! They used to laugh at my father, Otis. Years ago, he was known as the town drunk but&nbsp;he stopped drinking and owned his own business. True, it was just one ice cream truck but he was his own boss and was happy. I want to be my own boss and be happy. Do you agree?<br /> Perhaps when you move to Mayberry to be with me, you can help me run my business. We will be the KING and QUEEN of business and be very very very wealthy.<br /> I am sory but I do not have a cell phone. I work as a bag boy in a grocery store and cannot afford such a luxury. When I want to make a phone call, I have to walk five miles over to Mr. Oliver Wendell Douglas' house and then climb on top of the telephone pole near his house - that is where his telephone is. He charges me 50 cents every time I make or receive a call.<br /> What is this &quot;yahoo&quot; you are talking about? I know that is something the cowboys say in the movies. Do you like cowboy movies, Vivi? Maybe we could watch a cowboy movie together sometime? Yahoo. I like that word. Let's make that our secret code word of love. I will say &quot;I yahoo Vivi&quot; and you can say &quot;I yahoo Ignatius.&quot; Get it? Instead of saying &quot;love&quot; we will say &quot;yahoo&quot; so only we will know what we are talking about.<br /> Please write to me again. Every day, when I finish work at the grocery store, I get on my bicycle and ride as fast as a can five miles home to see if I have an e-mail from my darling Vivi.<br /> Your Ignatius</p> <p><font color="#800080">Now that Vivi sees what a doofus I am, she will run screaming in the opposite direction. Boy, am I in for a surprise! Read on:</font></p> <p><em>Hi <br /> How are u doin today Ignatus..i think i am begining to fall for u but i wanted u to know something....i hav gone thru a lot ..i hav lost my parents and i am fighting for their properties in Uk and also their Company in Nigeria Named Sacon Construction Company.<br /> This is why i left the state last week...right not i am in belfast north island and i came here to buy some goods.....i buy goods from Uk and sell them in the state.....but my goods hav been seized since the past 5 days bcos the Customs said i dunt hav one stupid documents they mentions so they gav me a reciept to go and pay the amount of 3000 pounds in the bank and bring that reciept back and hav my goods...they said if not am not gonna hav the goods...<br /> So now i am pleading with them to accept the money i hav at hand but they wount agree to that...<br /> The good news is that finaly my fathers company in Nigeria has been soled and the state security company in Nigeria are looking for means of tranfering the funds to my in the state and now am not even in the state and its such a huge money...<br /> I understand all u said but i dunt want u to worry i will come back home and meet u and we could use the funds to start a new life togething and live a very rich life together...i hav a daughter now her name is jessi and she is she lives with me in our very big house....its such a very big house with a big swimming pool and garden and a large car park..i hav 3 cars now including and Suv,,a porsche and a Range rover Sport..<br /> Get back to me as soon as u get this message <br /> Hav a great day<br /> Vivi care a lot</em></p> <p><font color="#800080">OK, Vivi just said the secret word (Nigeria) and told me a sad story about her troubles moving her goods. She also wants to fly to the airport in my city to&nbsp;be with me. I can bet you dollars to doughnuts that Vivi can't come up with the money for the airline ticket and/or visas. She will also need help with that shipping problem. Guess who the likely sucker will be to bail her out? Not lil ole Ignatius. I send Vivi a farewell note</font>:</p> <p>Wow! It sounds like you are rich - a big house, nice car and a swimming pool!!! You are already the QUEEN of business.<br /> Reading what you just wrote to me makes me feel very ashamed. Why? Well, because I don't have ANY of those things. I am a 51-year-old man who makes minimum wage at a small grocery store, rides his bicycle to work and lives with his parents. Right now, I am trying to scrape up $1,000 to pay for a &quot;start your own business&quot; plan. The man at the seminar said it was foolproof, so it has to work this time.<br /> So, Vivi, this will be my final e-mail to you. Why? Because I want you to be happy with a man who has things to give you and make you happy. I don't have anything. I am a miserable failure. You have shown me that.<br /> Good luck in finding that special person in your life and thank you for bringing a little sunshine into mine.<br /> Ignatius J. Reilly</p> <p><font color="#800080">Vivi won't let me go. After my farewell note, I get this e-mail from her:</font></p> <p><em>Hi <br /> How are u doing....Oh no i dunt want u to stop communicating with me Ignatus..i think u brought a lot of happines to me already and i told u i realy want us to meet okay..<br /> Do not worry about all u are going thru i promise u i am gonna try and be of a good help to u as soon as i get all this things okay...i am gonna start a production company that u and i will run together okay...<br /> Pls keep communicating with me okay..wats ur residential address and wats the name of ur nearest aiport...as soon as i get this things taken care of i will do a lot to help u okay<br /> Hav a very wonderful day<br /> Thinking a lot about u<br /> Vivi cares</em></p> <p><font color="#800080">OK, what have I&nbsp;accomplished here? Other than having a few chuckles at this person's expense, hopefully, I have wasted their time. I suspect that &quot;Vivi&quot; is a 20-something Nigerian male sitting in an Internet cafe in Africa, thinking he has a gullible American sucker on the hook.&nbsp;Maybe&nbsp;wasting his time like this means fewer scam e-mails&nbsp;will be sent out to more trusting folk than me.</font></p> <p><font color="#800080">Thank you for reading about my fictitious romance with &quot;Vivi.&quot;</font></p> <p><font color="#800080">Eric&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> </font></p>