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Monday, March 2

It's gonna come to this...

With a full weekend of rain and cold temps at hand I decided to make the most of my time and head down to Bolt Brothers to get some stuff ordered for the "season" and kinda piss away a couple hours hanging out. We talked about bikes, racing, life, and what-not while I made up my wish list. I remember mentioning that The Pie was leaving soon for two weeks to volunteer at an orphanage in Haiti, and in and amongst the conversation with Will and John I dropped a question, a question that I had no idea which answer would please me.

"You guys wouldn't have a trainer I could borrow for a few weeks, do you?"

"Sure do. Take that Kinetic trainer right there."

Shit.

Taking the trainer home meant that I borrowed something with the intention to use it, so it looks like I'm gonna have to use it. I haven't been on a stationary trainer since the early 90's or a set of rollers since the mid 90's. As a matter of fact I liquidated my trainers after I had been a messenger for a few years realizing there was no point in owning a trainer when I rode my bike for a living. I spent many a cold Ohio winter day down in my basement cranking out roller miles while watching movies, and I thought those days of stationary boredom were behind me.

Sunday I woke up to an all day soaker with temps in the low to mid 30's. I decided to bite the bullet and try the trainer out to see if I'd really be up to using this thing.

I kept the frame pump handy just in case.

I set up in front of the computer hoping I would not bother the family with the noise, noise, noise of doing it in the living room. I found an episode of Flight of the Conchords that was twenty two minutes long, and it appeared there were more episodes to follow. Twenty two minutes of semi-entertained effort later the video went over to clip to commercial to clip to commercial till I couldn't take it any longer. I could only reach the mouse to surf the web for more entertainment, so I ended up seeing an America's Funniest Home Video segment with burping/vomiting babies, more commercials, and then the CBS evening news from Friday night (did you know our country is in terrible trouble?). Oh well, an hour long experiment which proved that a trainer won't kill me, and I guess I'm slightly fitter today.

After that I dug into my beer supply and broke out the sander in order to further the efforts of re-finishing the hardwood floors in the hallway to make a safe haven for foster pet play.

Last night Charlotte (and much of the SE US and A) experienced a "winter event". We are blanketed in snow, the schools are closed, and the stores are devoid of milk, bread, eggs, and the SI Swimsuit issue. I just found out the law firm I deliver for is going to brave it out in the name of the almighty dollar and start up around 11:00am. The good news is that means I don't have to break out the trainer as I'll at least have a snowy commute in a few hours. The bad news is almost every place I would normally deliver to will be closed, so I'm in for a very boring day.

Viva la trainer!!!!!!!!!!

6 comments:

rick is! said...

it's important to stock up on the essentials (like 3 weeks of tp) when you're going to get 1 1/2" of snow.

Anonymous said...

Last night Charlotte (and much of the SE US and A) experienced a "winter event".

---- better you than us!
Up here (north pole), we get crap loads of snow.

I biked all last week and the weekend. It hit -25oC last week. Today it was -30oC this morning. Frooze the gonads off me! Its not that bad, -40oC is bad stuff. that happens in Jan.
So, before you head north... think snow and cold...

my winter bike is dying and so am I. Winter has to end soon.
I gotta get a job some place warm...

its deadly.
Trainers... yuk...
Just ride...
When it comes to being a hamster, the fun is gone from the sport.

jac

Unknown said...

got any pics of the snow fall?


here's some pics of last winter...

http://glacialridn.blog.com/_/photos/photo/2873469/

this winter a bit less snow. But, damn cold still.
Today's ride into work (25km there and 28km back...) at -30oC this morning and -15oC tonight...

Try running nude through that weather!

jac

rick is! said...

c'mon jac, you need to speak american. -30c is only -15f. totally doable. and -15c? that's a balmy 5f, no knee warmers for me!

btw, how are you commuting at the north pole? wouldn't you just be riding in circles?

Anonymous said...

Look at that poor bike. Soon you to will be trapped like it is. Inside on a trainer. Pretty soon you'll give up the singlespeed and start racing crits:)
TimmyD

Anonymous said...

Take that nice tire off the rear wheel if you don't want it ruined. It's a pain in the arse but worth the effort. And keep the air pressure up so as not to cheat yourself out of any of the fun!