ah.... the bicycle wheel....

I'm feeling artsy today. Here is one of my favorite photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Its a portrait of Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). Duchamp was this painter/sculptor/author dude and anyone who is cool (bikers especially) should know something about him. Think dadaism, cubism, surrealism... you know what I mean. Anyway, go here to find out what he used that bicycle wheel for.

tour de france

Ya, the Tour is on,  and it looks like it will be another victory for Lance.    I'll say it right now, I have NEVER been an Armstrong fan.   I'm more of an oldschool guy, and I believe these new specialists can't really compare with the legends of old.    Ya, I know the sport has changed alot since the early 90's but still, I'd have much more respect for Lance if he had won everything for a few years (a few classics, the Giro, the Tour, another WC championship, the Vuelta) rather than if he wins 6 or 7 Tours.    Then one could say he was the undisputed king that year, rather than just the best in July.   You know what I mean????  Anyway,  the best Tour coverage on the web is at  www.cyclingnews.com .    enjoy

 
"If Eddy Merckx had competed only in the Tour de France, he would have won it 15 times." - Bernard Hinault  

machine of precision

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man's convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man's brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle. ~Elizabeth West, Hovel in the Hills
(for more bicycling quotes go to the Quote Garden)

what did you do for the 4th?

well, me and my riding pal emily went out and did about 40 miles. it was hot and there was a ton of traffic on the roads (all the people heading out to the lakes) but it was still pretty fun. check out the really badass tan emily got -----> whoa! <------ i got burned too, but not nearly as bad as she did. i guess we should have used some sunscreen before the ride. duh!

news of the weird

Ken James, 64, died in February when he fell off a stolen bicycle in Melbourne, Australia, and hit his head; police later found 435 bicycles and hundreds of parts in his home, stacked to the ceiling in every room (with only a few of the bikes having been legitimately acquired). (from News of the Weird - week of july 4)