Clik here to view.
A Man’s Gotta Do...
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but (look at that, I got your attention! What a great way to start a sentence. The audience is promised something to pity or despise the speaker for. It’s almost as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Heavy Metal Roommate
IntroductionAs I age, I try to grow as a person, to keep from ossifying. For example, in the last decade or so I’ve broadened my horizons significantly. I’ve even dipped my toe into heavy metal music...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Smartphones & Artificial Stupidity
IntroductionWell, well, well. I have a new smartphone. No, this post isn’t a review of that phone, per se; I won’t compare it to the iPhone 6, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, or any other phone, though I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fiction - Revised Blood Donor Screening Questions
NOTE: This post is Rated R for pervasive mature themes and mild strong language.IntroductionThis post is a work of fiction. Certain brief passages are taken from an actual questionnaire given to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dyna-Drive - Letter to an Old Gearhead
IntroductionRecently, I got into a long, rich e-mail exchange with a guy named Kevin, who is my friend John’s older brother. I know almost nothing about Kevin because back when we all lived in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - STEM vs. Rhetoric
IntroductionSome seventeen years ago, before the novelty of e-mail had worn off, I forwarded around a funny message I got from my boss. My friend M— forwarded it to a bunch more people, and one of them...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Biased Blow-By-Blow, Paris-Nice 2015, Stage Four
IntroductionNot everybody in this country is willing to get up at 6 a.m. to watch a bike race live. Other Americans are on the east coast so the race is happening during working hours, so they have to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Biased Blow-By-Blow - Milan-San Remo 2015
IntroductionIn a way, it’s hard to watch Milan-San Remo, the first of the so-called “Monuments” (i.e., really important races) of the year. It’s so fricking long, and so flat, that there’s really very...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fiction - Game Show of the (Near) Future
IntroductionI haven’t seen a game show in at least a decade, and I’ve seen almost zero reality TV, so perhaps I’m not the greatest person to create a story about them. On the other hand, who’s to say...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Flooding
IntroductionI came across this little story—a true one—very recently. I’d completely forgotten it. This takes place just a few weeks after my wife and I had finished an 8-month bike tour and were...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Adventures in E-Commerce - The Kettle Conundrum
Introduction“Can he really be that bitter?” A reader of my holiday newsletter, years ago, asked this. He was set straight by his wife, who correctly construed my newsletter as tongue-in-cheek. That...
View ArticleClik here to view.
OK Calling Bike Clothes “Kit”?
IntroductionSome people really care about words. My favorite people are the type who will argue passionately and at length about a subtle shade of meaning. I was reminded of this when, in a group...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“Kit” Revisited - Not OK with “Kit” Commentary!
IntroductionIn my last post I tried really hard to lead my readers away from using “kit” to refer to bike clothing. My strategy wasn’t to definitively prove that Americans who use this word are dorks,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ride Report - Grizzly Peak Century with Teenager
IntroductionMembers of my bike club traditionally send out race reports, with a special focus on what was eaten before, during, and after the event. I barely ever race, but decided to produce a report...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Irksome Little Pony
IntroductionRecently I was struggling (audibly, possibly profanely) with a teapot; I cannot pour from it without spilling. My wife said, “Hey, I like that teapot—don’t go ‘Diaper Genie’ on it.” She...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Biased Blow-By-Blow - 2015 Giro d'Italia Stage 8
IntroductionIf you didn’t get a chance to watch today’s Giro d’Italia stage, but don’t think you’ll actually bother with a video recap, read on for a blow-by-blow report that doesn’t get mired in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Biased Blow-By-Blow - Giro d’Italia Stage 15
IntroductionToday I continue my ongoing tradition of giving the blow-by-blow race report that real journalists aren’t allowed to. I’ll put words to the vague feelings of antipathy you may have toward...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What We Talk About When We Talk About “Kit”
NOTE: This post is rated R for mild strong language.IntroductionYou might not actually care if cyclists use the word “kit” to mean “those silly Lycra clothes we bikers wear.” Frankly, I don’t much...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Middle School “Graduation” Speech ... From a Dad
IntroductionI am vaguely aware that there is, coming up, some kind of “graduation” ceremony for my older daughter’s middle school. I’m still waiting to hear the details, such as when and what this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cycling Guidelines, or How Not To Be a Fred - Part I
IntroductionI want to start off this post by stating something important: I think novice cyclists are great. These are people making the transition from non-cyclist to cyclist, which is a difficult...
View Article