Seeking Cherry Blossoms...I Found FDR!

My rented bicycle in front of the Washington Monument flanked by blossomless trees.

Sent by my union to a legislative and political conference during the waning days of a truly historic, Congressional health care debate, I had three hours to kill before my return flight. The temperature approached 70 degrees, so I sought out the cherry blossoms.

Heading to the rental shop that abuts the Old Post Office Tower, I passed this rack of at-the-ready bicycles designed presumably for residents, not toursists like me.

Lincoln Memorial behind my rented bicycle.

Seeking blossoms at Haines Point, I came across this monument to the "BRAVE MEN WHO PERISHED IN THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC APRIL 15, 1912. THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT WOMEN AND CHILDREN MIGHT BE SAVED. ERECTED BY THE WOMEN OF AMERICA"

But as I came through West Potomac Park it became clear there were no blossoms anywhere, only promising buds.

So, I wound my way back around the Tidal Basin toward the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. The weather was sublime, and I was ready to head back to my hotel, grab my luggage and head home. I'd be taking with me the experience of lobbying Congressmembers. I found champions of health care reform and scaredy cats both. But I was there as the ideals of caring for one another were solidifying again in America. Striding past "Kill the Bill" placards, I could feel that once again we were standing up for others and not just for selves. The cherry blossoms weren't out yet--perhaps appropriately--as health care hadn't yet passed, but I was hopeful as I pedal into the FDR Memorial.

Below is what I found. At first underwhelmed, I soon wanted to spend all day there. The sculptered relief wall moved me deeply and instantly. Were my tears for what we did under FDR's leadership, or for what we were about to do today in my adulthood under President Obama's leadership?

I'm not satisfied with the health care bill; I want a single payer system. But I am thrilled to be present when our country once again reaches out to those in need. While not the bill I'd write, it is one I embrace.

Here's a montage of the FDR Memorial:

"MORE THAN AN END TO WARS, WE WANT AN END TO THE BEGINNINGS OF ALL WARS"

Eleanor, and friends.

"THE ONLY LIMIT TO OUR REALIZATION OF TOMORROW WILL BE OUR DOUBTS OF TODAY, LET US MOVE FORWARD WITH STRONG AND ACTIVE FAITH"

Fireside Chats.

Timely Today.

Bread line.

An homage to dams. Great public works, but unfortunately fish-killing projects.

But then I came across this set of sculpted relief panels that just blew me away. Below are some close-ups of what I only at the end realized was a monument within a memorial. This was a monument to the Works Progress Administration (later renamed Work Projects Administration), the largest of the New Deal agencies.

The WPA.

Thank you, FDR.

When A. Philip Randolph met FDR in the Oval Office and asked him to desegregate the Armed Forces, FDR said he agreed but wouldn't do it. When Randolph asked why not, FDR replied that Randolph had to force him to do it with 10,000 protesters outside the White House so that Congress and the President could witness the demand. And so Randolph did, and FDR desegrated the Armed Forces. It is indeed up to us.

I pedaled back to return my bicycle and fly home, past cherry trees about to burst forth in blossoms.

Keep it blossoming,

CurioRando

Dartre's First Brevet!

Dartre on her way to her first 200k Brevet: the Seattle International Randonneurs Chili Feed 200 on March 13, 2010.

Out of the Saddle.

Hints of an early Spring.

The White River.

Overlooking the Tacoma Tidal Flats.

Here's Dartre at the Start Line with a rider whose name I believe is Tom, up from Oregon for his first brevet with SIR.

Also at the Start Line, our neighbor, Dylan, joins us for a photo. That'd be the last time we'd see Dylan who raced out far ahead of us! Dylan lives across the street and three houses down. That ought to give us the most randonneurs on a block per capita basis!

The really amazing thing about Dartre's completion of this brevet is that she doesn't really prepare or train. Her rides previous to this were this 25-miler with my stepson, Janak, in February, this 40-mile frolic on Vashon Island and the permanent we attempted but DNF'd after 100 miles in January. Other than those, she hadn't ridden at all since her first 200k of any kind: the Three Rivers Cruise Permanent.

Congratulations Dartre!!

Keep it memorable,

CurioRando

A Most Excellent Ride Report

Want to see a very cool Chilly ride report?

Check out this time-lapse photography of the ride I participated in Sunday: the Cascade Bicycle Club's 2010 Chilly Hilly. My static-by-comparison report of the same ride is here, but do check out Garrett Wesley Gibbons' time-lapse report first.

It will unwind your soul!

Thanks, Garrett!

Keep it time-lapsed,

CurioRando

Chilly Blossom TIme!

The Cascade Bicycle Club's annual Chilly Hilly Ride on Bainbridge Island might be the official opening of Cylcing Season in the Seattle area. The Seattle International Randonneurs had their Renton Spring Fever 100k Populaire today too, but I chose the Chilly Hilly.

I was eager for a spectacle, and that it was with from what I heard: over 6000 registrants, a new record. It was so tight on the roadways after the ferry dropped off our couple thousand or so that I felt like I needed the passing skills of speedskater Apolo Ohno to snake my way through.

It's called the Chilly Hilly because it's usually chilly in February (today was in the 50's I'm guessing and beautiful!), and because of the 2700 feet of climbing in 33 miles. It lived up to it's last name my knees can tell you.

Here's how it went:

Milling around in the ferry loading zone. See the Olympic Mountains in the distance?

Our boatload--there were several ferry loads full--from the gangway above.

Eager to disembark.

View from the ferry deck. See those Olympics again?

Here's a hill. Hard to tell from this pic, but I can honestly tell you: it is a hill.

Hill climbers. No shame in walking!

You tell me!

Preston pushes the Big Wheel. Very impressive!

My cleat came loose, and I couldn't unclip my shoe from the pedal so I had to take my foot from the shoe! The garrish orange thing is my socked foot.

Some of the many Islanders who sat on their front lawns to observe our cycling antics. Silly Chilly Geese!

The feet that got me up the hills. Wore my hot orange socks for good luck and good safety.

They must have worked! 

Keep it bloomin'!

CurioRando

Sputnik Hub Coming in for a Landing?!

Sputnik Hub as she sits today.

In a previous post about trying to take apart a flip-flop wheel for sew-up tires, I tell of my foolishly conjuring up a disaster hub. I called it my Sputnik hub, because after removing the nipples and the rim I couldn't remove the spokes! They were jammed in by the freewheel and fixed cog.

Above is a photo of our friend, Kian, holding the monster Sputnik hub I had conjured up. He and his sister got quite the giggle out of my absurd misfortune!

Goofy me, I'd had a hard time removing the freewheel and fixed cog, so I preceded with spoke removal without finishing that step.

Oops. That meant that once I'd removed the tire and rim, I no longer had any leverage for removing the freewheel and fixed cog. When I last left this story I was headed off to a local bike shop. That was about nine months ago.

The bike shop guy told me I was out of luck. He also told me he only worked there once per week, and if I hung around for a while the owner would be back soon. The owner, he said, was much more experienced.

But alas, the experienced owner said I should resolve myself to the fact that I had a very beautiful paperweight. Nothing to be done but accept the lesson learned. Grrrrrr.

So, I've been ruminating on this for some time, and last night while watching Apolo Anton Ohno win his final Olympic medal (I used to get my hair cut at his Dad's hairdressing shop!) in my basement bicycle lair I hit upon it! I brought out my VAR vintage axle vise (VAR is a venerated French bicycle and motorcycle tool maker), and clamped in Sputnik.

Venerable VAR #117, Axle Vise

With a chain whip and freewheel remover, I was able to get leverage on the fixed cog so I could remove the freewheel. Voilà!

The photo at the top of the post is where I stand today. I can imagine ways to remove the cog somewhat violently that will leave my hub intact now, but I'm not giving up. I believe I can yet remove the cog with both the hub and cog intact if I can just get the right leverage.

Stay tuned: restored hub and fixed cog OR paperweight?

Keep it venerable,

CurioRando

Sunny Sunday Ride!

Rock bottom testing along the Green River.

Green River from the bridge. Hello Steelhead!

Tickle battle.

Tickle Truce.

Newly re-forked Fuji.

Keep it on the sunny side of the street,

Curiorando

Reforked Fuji

Newly reforked Fuji. Had to get the fork crown race seat ground to accept the headset crown race diameter. Boy, the cycling dimensions sure are squirrely, aren't they? Nice to have an appropriate fork remounted!

unabashedly

the wheels run round
and the world unfurls
new energy is found
from muscles and whirls


why don't bicycles
unabashedly  
earnestly
abound?






amid squirrels that chatter
the wind sweeps away strife
old priorities scatter
on wheels a new life


ought not bicycles
unabashedly 
seriously
matter?






down hills with great glee
uphill sweat soaking shirt
once more learning to see
that all growth starts with hurt


don't bicycles
unabashedly
teach us
to be?






we are challenging old forms
while some still charading
creating new storms
yet environment degrading


can't bicycling
unabashedly
model
new norms?






i'm cycling through time
and realizing i'm changing
can i help ring the chime
for priority rearranging?


on bicycles
can't we  
unabashedly
climb?






in the end it's the feeling
of our hard-pounding hearts
at our community's reeling
we can each do our part


doesn't bicycling
unabashedly 
help us 
with healing?

A Beautiful Spring Brevet...Except it Wasn't a Brevet or Nearly Spring!

Due to Dr. Codfish's invitation to ride the 0749 Lacey-Adna-Capital Forest-Lacey Permanent on what turned out to be a great weather day, ten or so of us rode what felt like a beautiful Spring brevet.

Crows seem to be following me lately, so the giant one above was a little disconcerting, but otherwise we just had fun, fun, fun. At least that's what I heard from folks.

For me, I pushed it harder and faster than ever before on a 200k. I joined up with faster riders, and it felt great!

We encountered this large heard of elk crossing the road near the Centralia Steam Plant. Maybe 75+ Elk altogether crossed the road while we watched. Quite a scene. One didn't cross. He/she got spooked and instead galloped rather frantically on a course parallel to ours for nearly five full minutes.

The Centralia Steam Plant, a Permanent 0749 landmark of sorts.

Here is a pic of me with a paper clip replacing my sunglasses screw and half of Josh's head. Try as I might I couldn't seem to get a good pic of the two of us. Sorry Josh. It took Josh to figure out that a paper clip might work. I was too trashed from hanging on to his and Rick's wheels to think straight enough to come up with a solution. Thanks for the repair idea and execution, Josh!

For a ride report that better captures the feel I think we all had, check out Doctor Codfish's ride report. He really captured this surprisingly fabulous day.

For me, it was all about riding harder and faster while feeling stronger and injury-free. A great combination and it's still only February. Come on, Spring!

Much thanks goes to Dr. C for inviting, cajoling, organizing and staying patient in the lead-up to this ride. You gave us Spring-bustin' out randonneurs a great gift, Dr. C!

Much thanks also to Narayan Krishnamoorthy for his patience and keeping us organized and legit. We appreciate all the volunteer efforts of Narayan and Geoff that make our permanent randonneuring possible!

Keep it with a spring in your cadence,

CurioRando