People who know me well know that I don’t like to shop. The exceptions to that rule are hardware stores, grocery stores and thrift shops. About once every few months, I get the itch to see what’s on consignment-sale in the area. I have a circuit of six stores that I visit around town. I usually don’t buy anything, but every now and then I see something in good shape at a price that’s unbeatable and I buy it.
Cycling
30
May 11
May 11
2011 USA Cycling Championship
I blogged the USA Cycling Championships the past two years because they were held in my hometown of Greenville, SC. In 2009, we cheered as George Hincapie, the hometown favorite, won by a wheel. In 2010, we watched the final downtown circuits from a sunny knoll in Cleveland Park. This year, we decided to take advantage of the fact that the race course is literally at the end of our street, and that our nearby house has very comfortable A/C for the 45 minutes between mountain stages. I took some pictures, but there’s nothing new to reveal, so I decided to film the peloton.
This is what it looks like when nearly 100 riders, their team cars, race staff, and emergency responders whiz by at 40+ miles per hour.
26
Sep 10
Sep 10
Swamp Rabbit Trail, 2010
It was unusually cool on Saturday morning, so the wife and I decided to ride a dozen or so miles on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It’s been expanded since the last time I blogged about it. I promised to post some pictures, so here they are.
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Sep 10
Sep 10
2010 US Cycling Championships
The 25th annual US Cycling Championship was held in Greenville this weekend. It was the sixth year the race was held in town and we got word that it’ll stay remain for another two years (but take place over Memorial Day weekend). The 112 mile course (map) involves several circuits through downtown and four trips over Paris mountain.
2
Sep 09
Sep 09
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Ever since I bought a used bike and my wife restored her old one, she’s been bugging me to get out and ride the new Swamp Rabbit Trail extension in Traveler’s Rest, SC. The Swamp Rabbit Trail is named for the defunct railroad line that used to pass through the area until 1993. Eventually, it will connect to the larger Rails to Trails network that spans the East Coast. I’ve been reluctant to ride the trail because it’s still a work in progress. All of the rails and ties have been removed, but the path isn’t completely paved. Our bikes are old and without shocks, and I like my teeth the way they are. Still, we headed out to Travelers Rest and started riding toward Greenville. We didn’t know how much of the trail was finished, but we’d heard that portion was in good condition.
This benchmark is full of information.
1
Sep 09
Sep 09
Hincapie Wins the 2009 USA Cycling Championship
Greenville native George Hincapie won the 2009 USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship on Sunday. It was an amazing race and we got really lucky with the weather. It was overcast and in the mid-80s all day, and the only rain was a light drizzle. My wife and I watched the first couple of mountain circuits froma sidewalk in the North Main neighborhood. Next, we saw the leaders in a break-away from the peloton as they maneuvered a curve on South Main Street. Finally, we worked our way to the finish line for the final city-circuits. The race cam down to the wire. Among a screaming crowd of thousands of hometown fans, Hincapie overtook Jeff Louder and outsprinted Andrew Bajadali in the final hundred meters.
This was the fourth year that Greenville has hosted the championship, and it by far the best-attended of the events. I’ve posted a gallery of pictures below the fold:
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Apr 09
Apr 09
Time to Get Thin
I tried to do the 100 Push-Up Challenge last summer, but lost interest after about a month. Now that my wife and I have bikes, we’ll be riding to stay in shape. Cycling is really big around here.
Within a couple of miles (in any direction) from my house, I have a farmers market, a local butcher, a chain grocery store, and several restaurants. So I can use the bike to run several errands, as long as it’s not too hot. In honor of this new challenge to ride my way to a thinner waistline, I turn to the master for inspiration.
19
Apr 09
Apr 09
A Bike Reborn
Ever since our bikes were stolen in DC, we’ve talked about getting new ones. I recently bought a used one with the understanding that I’ll justify sinking hundreds into a nice bike once I’ve worn this old one out. I wanted to buy my wife a new bike so we could ride together, but she wouldn’t consider it. She was adamant that we fix up her childhood ten speed. This might have made sense if her old bike was of high quality, but it’s always been a blue light special. What’s worse, it’s been languishing in a garage filled with salty air for several years now. My wife wasn’t swayed by any of my protestations, and her parents brought this piece of junk to our house on their last visit:
I worked as a mechanic at a bike shop one summer in college, so I’m not entirely useless when it comes to this kind of work. Still, I made it clear to my wife that if she wanted to give new life to her bike, she’d be doing most of the work herself. She enthusiastically agreed and we rolled up our sleeves.
13
Apr 09
Apr 09
My Bike
I’ve been wanting to start riding again. My mountain bike was stolen in DC a few years ago. The idea was to spend as little as possible on the best bike possible. That way, if I really take to riding again, it’ll be easy to justify buying a better bike later on down the road. And if I don’t ride it very much, I won’t feel too bad about the expenditure. I only work three miles from the office. I’m hoping I can ride to and from work a day or two each week, so I actually I need fenders and a luggage rack. I’m very patient when it comes to getting what I want, and it took me months to find what I was looking for.
