Comments on: Bonk. http://www.notetofutureself.org/press/index.php/2007/06/14/bonk/ So big! Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:50:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bob Newbery http://www.notetofutureself.org/press/index.php/2007/06/14/bonk/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Bob Newbery Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:29:18 +0000 http://www.notetofutureself.org/press/index.php/2007/06/14/bonk/#comment-24 Funny I should be reading this today after a tough bike ride myself. After riding to work every day for a month, I had a bit of a respite last week-end as I attended the Society for Industrial Archeology's Annual Meeting. I did bus tours, boat tours, museum-style shuffle walking, and sitting for hours for paper presentations. and little real exercising. Yesterday I borrowed T H E car to travel the dangerous, twisting, and topographically challenging 2.9 km to work. Today, however, it was time to get back to the real commute. Holding my eager legs back a bit, I charged out the driveway and traversed the steep 1% grade to the end of the block, where a perverse stop sign robs you of momentum some 20 yards from the crest of the hill 3 houses to the west in the 2600 block. The stop sign does, however, give you a plausible excuse for stopping (while actually gasping for breath). Shifting my weight from pedal to pedal, while throwing the bike back and forth I went from dead stop to dead walk, and crested the 2600 block and began the gradual decent to Farley Street. By letting the only car between me and the cemetery (at Regent Street) pass, I enjoyed the delicious freedom of making a left turn onto Chamberlain while reving up to 5-6 miles per hour on the steep decline without fear of become the bug on someone's bumper. Believe me you need every bit of the reckless charge down the hill to make it up to the top of the hill at Franklin. Then another short burst downhill, and exhilirating left turn, and long flat along Bluff Street, and then a long deceptive, .5% climb to the end of the apartment complex then down the hill, 90 degrees to the right, 90 degrees to the left, then repeat it within the next block. Head spinning, legs churning, I cruised to the traffic light at Midvale, grateful once again that traffic control provides an enforced rest stop. Then onward once again through the Chicagofied landscape of the new Hilldale Mall with views of quaint, faux streetscapes and facaded parking garages. Thoughts of breakfast tantalizingly close, but the Big Hill stands in the way. Churning up Segoe with its daunting gain of 20 feet per 1000, a quick throw-down to maximum gearing,right hand quickly back on the handle bar, left hand frantically, hopefully waving to the west (Dude, I'm like turning). Safe at last in the left turn lane, where the observed speed limit is only 40 mph, no oncoming traffic no one on the sidewalk at the bus stop--go for it! Safe at last in the Hill Farms compound, with a hilltop view of the parking lot and the trees that block the view of the lake. Whipping off the helmet to accelerate the cool down period, lest a drop of sweat coalesce on the outside of my skin and ruin my "Ready for the 8:00 AM Staff Meeting" status. Next choice: dare I wait for the cook to prepare two pancakes, and risk passing out, or go for the two donuts (one glazed and one cinnamon-sugar coated) for the immediate refuel?? (To be continued) Funny I should be reading this today after a tough bike ride myself. After riding to work every day for a month, I had a bit of a respite last week-end as I attended the Society for Industrial Archeology’s Annual Meeting. I did bus tours, boat tours, museum-style shuffle walking, and sitting for hours for paper presentations. and little real exercising. Yesterday I borrowed T H E car to travel the dangerous, twisting, and topographically challenging 2.9 km to work. Today, however, it was time to get back to the real commute. Holding my eager legs back a bit, I charged out the driveway and traversed the steep 1% grade to the end of the block, where a perverse stop sign robs you of momentum some 20 yards from the crest of the hill 3 houses to the west in the 2600 block. The stop sign does, however, give you a plausible excuse for stopping (while actually gasping for breath). Shifting my weight from pedal to pedal, while throwing the bike back and forth I went from dead stop to dead walk, and crested the 2600 block and began the gradual decent to Farley Street. By letting the only car between me and the cemetery (at Regent Street) pass, I enjoyed the delicious freedom of making a left turn onto Chamberlain while reving up to 5-6 miles per hour on the steep decline without fear of become the bug on someone’s bumper. Believe me you need every bit of the reckless charge down the hill to make it up to the top of the hill at Franklin. Then another short burst downhill, and exhilirating left turn, and long flat along Bluff Street, and then a long deceptive, .5% climb to the end of the apartment complex then down the hill, 90 degrees to the right, 90 degrees to the left, then repeat it within the next block. Head spinning, legs churning, I cruised to the traffic light at Midvale, grateful once again that traffic control provides an enforced rest stop. Then onward once again through the Chicagofied landscape of the new Hilldale Mall with views of quaint, faux streetscapes and facaded parking garages. Thoughts of breakfast tantalizingly close, but the Big Hill stands in the way. Churning up Segoe with its daunting gain of 20 feet per 1000, a quick throw-down to maximum gearing,right hand quickly back on the handle bar, left hand frantically, hopefully waving to the west (Dude, I’m like turning). Safe at last in the left turn lane, where the observed speed limit is only 40 mph, no oncoming traffic no one on the sidewalk at the bus stop–go for it! Safe at last in the Hill Farms compound, with a hilltop view of the parking lot and the trees that block the view of the lake. Whipping off the helmet to accelerate the cool down period, lest a drop of sweat coalesce on the outside of my skin and ruin my “Ready for the 8:00 AM Staff Meeting” status. Next choice: dare I wait for the cook to prepare two pancakes, and risk passing out, or go for the two donuts (one glazed and one cinnamon-sugar coated) for the immediate refuel??

(To be continued)

]]> By: Dane Frisbie http://www.notetofutureself.org/press/index.php/2007/06/14/bonk/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Dane Frisbie Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:45:18 +0000 http://www.notetofutureself.org/press/index.php/2007/06/14/bonk/#comment-22 Sounds intreagingly like a feeling I experienced today on my first ride in a while. I decided to get out on the hardframe mountain bike with slicks and do a loop around the I-5 and I-205 bridges. The headwind on the oregon side heading for the 5 bridge was brutal. It's a short loop, but it felt good to get out for a ride, and now I know where to make the turns. Bonk away fellow cyclists, but carrying food is a good idea... Sounds intreagingly like a feeling I experienced today on my first ride in a while. I decided to get out on the hardframe mountain bike with slicks and do a loop around the I-5 and I-205 bridges. The headwind on the oregon side heading for the 5 bridge was brutal. It’s a short loop, but it felt good to get out for a ride, and now I know where to make the turns. Bonk away fellow cyclists, but carrying food is a good idea…

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