Clik here to view.
Biased Blow-By-Blow - Il Lombardia 2017
IntroductionIl Lombardia is the last big classic on the World Tour calendar. I’ve never bothered to watch it before, despite its being one of the “Monuments”—a word the press came up with when they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Inflating Tubeless Tires
NOTE: This post is rated PG-13 for mild strong language, coarse humor, and mature themes.IntroductionThis post is about how—and why—to build a soda-bottle human-powered air compressor for inflating...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Tao of Blade Runner
IntroductionTao is a Chinese word conveying a complicated array of ideas, such as the journeys the mind makes—these mystical and yet tangible paths, and the process undertaken by the wanderer. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Seeking Office Work, or “I Played Myself”
IntroductionBack in college, I wrenched at bike shops to support myself. When I transferred from UCSB to Berkeley, I was feeling all fancy and thought maybe I could trade in my shop apron for a nice...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Famous Last Words
NOTE: This post is rated R for mild strong language.IntroductionI had the unfortunate opportunity recently to hear somebody’s last words. As in, on his deathbed. I suspect that few people’s last words...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Famous Last Words - Part II
NOTE: This post is rated R for mild strong language.IntroductionIf you haven’t read last week’s post, I recommend you click here and do so now. In that essay I explored the phenomenon of a dying...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is This Pinarello Nytro Ad Sexist?
IntroductionIn this post I tackle the question of whether this bicycle ad is sexist.The ad in question, from Pinarello hawking their new Nytro electric-motor-assisted racing bike, caused quite a stir...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Radio Station Poetry
IntroductionIt’s a slow news day at albertnet so here’s another poem from my archives, complete with all-new footnotes. This one goes way back to spring 1988, after high school but during my year off...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Quasi-] South Beach Diet for Morons
IntroductionThis isn’t actually a post for morons. I thought the title would be funny, and “[Learnable Skill] for Dummies” is copyrighted. This is a shortcut to reading The South Beach Diet, and also a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[Quasi-] South Beach Diet - Part II
IntroductionIn this follow-up to my last South Beach[-ish] post, I offer reports from the trenches (my brother’s and mine); some arcana about glycemic index and glycemic load; the good news about the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Santa, Lance Armstrong, and the Christmas Eve Doldrums
IntroductionPlease don’t read this aloud to a small child. And now that you’ve stopped reading aloud, I can tell you why: I don’t want to spoil anybody’s belief in Santa. In this post I describe the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - UC Santa Barbara Bike Paths
IntroductionMy older daughter, a high school junior, wants a car when she goes off to college. This is comical for two reasons: 1) she doesn’t even know where she’ll be going yet and thus whether a car...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Race Report - San Bruno Mountain Hill Climb 2018
IntroductionI don’t race very often anymore ... the old guys are just getting too fast for me. Once in a while, I do race the San Bruno Mountain Hill Climb on January 1. This gives me a good excuse to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Biased Commentary - Could Chris Froome Be Innocent?
IntroductionI enjoy posting “biased blow-by-blow” reports of World Tour bicycle races. I label them “biased” because I when I think a rider is doped I can’t bear to bite my tongue like real journalists...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Year’s Resolutions - Dental Hygiene Edition
IntroductionEvery January, the temptation to write a blog post on New Year’s Resolutions is almost overwhelming. But my own resolutions are off-limits because a) you quite rightly don’t care about my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Love Poem from a Coward
NOTE: This post is rated R for mild strong language.IntroductionIt’s a slow news day so here’s another old poem from my archives, with all-new footnotes and commentary. Enjoy please enjoy. Sonnet 17 -...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Race Report - 2018 Fort Ord CCCX XC MTB
IntroductionIt is a tradition on my bike club to send out race reports that give a comprehensive explanation of how all the race tactics played out to produce the thrilling final outcome. No, of course...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My Favorite Failure
IntroductionA year or two ago I came across in article (probably a regular column) titled “My Favorite Failure” or “My Favorite Mistake.” I can’t find it now (Googling “Favorite Mistake” turns up a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Olympic Spotlight - What is Curling? (FAQ)
IntroductionThe United States just won the gold medal in curling for the first time in history. You might be wondering what this strange sport is all about. Well, I’m here to tell you, by answering...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives - Robin Killed Off!
IntroductionWhat’s up with all these comic book movies? They’re coming out constantly. I had to sit through Thorrecently, because my wife has a thing for Chris Hemsworth. (I went along because Thor...
View Article