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Earworms

02.10.2015 by Ray Niekamp // 15 Comments

I’m bugged. Somehow, things are getting into my brain, messing with my ability to concentrate while out on the road, and generally driving me nuts.

Those things are earworms.

If you haven’t heard the term before, it refers to those songs that play in your head — over and over and over. If you try to drive them out, they just get louder.

Now, I normally wouldn’t mind a song in my head. I like music. The trouble is, the songs that have been playing lately are unwelcome, because they’re a) irritating, b) bad songs in general, or c) bad biking songs in particular.

A bad song is anything that I never enjoyed listening to, even if it was a hit. Most pop songs of the ’70s and ’80s fall into this category, but there were some real gems from earlier than that. Do you remember “A white sport coat, and a pink carnation…I’m all dressed up for the dance”? Or, “Honey,” by Bobby Goldsboro? “See the tree, how big it’s grown…”

Not only are they awful songs, but they’re particularly bad for biking. When I’m out on the road, I want something that helps me maintain my pace: Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild,” or most anything by the Rolling Stones. But those songs never invade my cranial innards.

Motown? I love Motown! At first blush, it might seem like the beat is a tad on the slow side. But “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops (“Sugarpie, honeybunch”) has a beat that you want to hit on the downstroke of your pedal. I have been known to sing “Tears of a Clown” out loud while pedaling down a lonesome country road.

The bad songs don’t have that kind of beat. Or, they’re way too slow. Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady” is a great song, but you don’t want its syrupy strains spreading through your head when you’re trying to keep up a 15 mile per hour pace.

The worst one, though, was the one that got me last week. It wasn’t even a song, but a commercial jingle. For a regional chain of liquor stores.

Got cheer, all through the year — Chocolate, coffee, cheese — And a case of cold beer

Okay, it’s kind of catchy.

Spec’s fine spirits and finer foods — World class service — It’s all about you

But there’s a major problem with it:

Shop Spec’s — Low price amazing — Here’s to you (shout!) — Here’s to savings!

It’s only 30 seconds long! If I’m out for a two-hour ride on the weekend, and that’s the only thing playing in my head… it’s enough to drive a cyclist nuts.

How do you deal with earworms on a ride?

(If you’re not from Texas, and you’ve never heard the Spec’s jingle, here you go — but don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

 

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Categories // Odds 'n ends Tags // earworms

“Adventure Road” Bikes

02.01.2015 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

As I deal with less than optimum biking weather this winter (although I shouldn’t complain — I rode today in 62-degree (16C) sunshine), my thoughts turn to other bikes. What’s out there that I need to pay attention to?

I’ve noticed one category that has taken hold quickly, at least based on the offerings of all the major bike companies. That’s the so-called “Adventure Road” bike. Evolved from cyclocross bikes, the adventure road is intended to let the recreational roadie go beyond the tarmac. The wider tires offer good traction on gravel roads, too, and more comfort when the pavement disintegrates. It has the drop handlebars of a road bike, and it’s priced in a wide range — from under $1,000 to well up into the several thousands. What sets it apart is its wider-than-typical road bike tires and its brakes.

I took a look at several makes, and selected models that are priced in about the mid-range: $1,200-$1,500. Here’s what you can get:

The Trek CrossRip

The Trek CrossRip Elite.
The Trek CrossRip Elite.

The Elite model has an aluminum frame and carbon fork, a 9-speed cassette with an 11-32 tooth range, a 50/34 compact crankset, mechanical disc brakes and 32 mm tires. Its MSRP is $1,270.

Giant AnyRoad 1

The Giant AnyRoad 1.
The Giant AnyRoad 1.

Also aluminum frame, carbon fork, mechanical disc brakes. It has a 9-speed cassette with an 11-34 tooth range, and a 48/34 crankset. It also comes with 32 mm tires. Its MSRP is $1,225.

Diamondback Haanjo Comp

Diamondback Haanjo Comp
Diamondback Haanjo Comp

Aluminum frame, carbon fork, and a 10-speed Shimano 105 drive train. It has a 12-30 cassette, and a 46/36 crankset. Mechanical disc brakes, but wide tires — 40 mm. MSRP: $1,500.

Norco Search S2 Steel

Norco Search S2 Steel
Norco Search S2 Steel

The Canadian bike maker Norco has low-to-medium-priced adventure road bikes with steel frames, and more expensive carbon fiber framed models. The S2 has a chromoly frame and fork, and 11-speed Shimano 105 drivetrain, 11-32 cassette and a 50/34 crankset. Mechanical disc brakes, 28 mm tires. It’s priced at $1,215.

So, what’s the attraction of bikes like these? Well, they offer a more comfortable alternative to traditional road bikes. Their geometry is more relaxed than most road bikes, with shorter top tubes, and taller head tubes. The disc brakes offer better stopping power, and the wider tires cushion the ride somewhat. If you have gravel roads in your area that beckon the cyclist, these bikes are good gravel grinders.

It’s likely that they won’t keep up with the A group in your club, but that probably won’t bother most people in the market for them. For a certain type of rider, the ride is important — not the speed. I’m intrigued by these bikes. I’m not in the market now, but if I do start shopping for a new road bike, I think the adventure road will be the road I take.

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Categories // Bikes Tags // Bikes

Running Interference

01.25.2015 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

We’ve been enjoying the newly-striped roads in our immediate area. As I’ve mentioned before, in some places there are parking lanes for cars, with bike lanes next to them. The bike lanes are fairly wide, which squeezes moving cars a bit, but has the effect of slowing them down — theoretically.

But I still see cars that follow bikes to an intersection, pass them, and then cut them off to make a right turn. My friend Maggie said she nearly followed a woman into a parking lot to yell at her about it. Maggie is better at controlling her temper than some, and thought better of it.

It doesn’t seem like it’s too much for cars to pull in behind bikes when approaching a right turn. It will cost them, what — only two or three seconds?

So I’ve decided to intervene — surreptitiously. When I’m driving my car, and a cyclist is ahead in a bike lane, I make sure he or she will get to the turn unmolested. I slow down and ease over so the side of the car is right at the edge of the bike lane. That blocks following cars from trying to pass me on the right in the bike lane to beat me to the corner. It also forces them to stay behind me so they can’t cut off the biker.

The beauty of this is that the cyclist is probably unaware I’m even there. They can keep pedaling without worry and get through the intersection. Drivers might get impatient, having to follow behind this slow guy, but they don’t honk or complaint. At least they haven’t yet.

Some of use from the club were sitting around after a ride recently, and the topic of running interference came up. Every person — all six of them — claimed to do something like what I describe here.

How about you? Do you take an active role in protecting cyclists from cars?

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Categories // Safety Tags // Safety

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