1+1=N+1

So I had a bike I wasn’t using anymore and had no plans to ride every again after all the trouble it gave me for the year I rode it. I guess the worst parts was I bought it brand new and still had pay for all the repairs it needed which should have been under warranty. Needless to say I wasn’t happy and I sure wasn’t about to buy another bike from this dealer again. I’ll give them credit that they did try their best to treat me right by giving me a major break on the cost of these repairs but the fact still stands that I should not had to pay a nickel. Screw me once, silly me.

Now admittedly there was nothing wrong with my Scott winter bike. In fact it held up well and gave me zero trouble dealing with the ice, snow and freezing cold. Unlike the other bike that always had frozen shifters if it even got close to freezing. That was just another reason to hate that bike. The Scott was even a lot of fun playing in the dirt with. The only reason it was even going in on this deal was the fact, that it too, would end up not being ridden and I really didn’t need six bicycles. I mean how many can a guy ride at one time really?

I’ve got a real nice Cannondale road bike, a real cool older Cannondale Hybrid that is a lot of fun to cruise around on and this ultra cool vintage Cannondale mountain bike. So really I didn’t need these two bikes. What I did want though was a modern 29er mountain bike. So the plan was hatched to trade in the two old bikes and buy one. Hence the 1+1=N+1.

You might notice a trend here that all the bikes I was keeping are Cannondale’s and that is because like Harley’s they are hand built here in the USA. Well that was until 2010 when the little company that could sold out to some large cooperation who of course shipped productions and jobs overseas.  So as much as I wanted to hate them for this they at least kept design and research here. Not many brands even do that anymore.

Since I own all of these Cannondale’s I have devolved a very good relationship with the local dealer of them. And since they are not the same dealer that hosed me on the other bike it seemed only logical I buy the new bike from them. To say they made me a hell of a deal on this new quest would be an under statement in my mind. All little back and forth and the deal was made. When you buy a $890.00 bike for $510.00 I called that a pretty good deal. The bonus is I didn’t have to screw around trying to sell the two other bikes and all the headaches that involves.

So it’s only 10F here right now and a buddy just called and wants to have homemade pizza and beer at the little pub down the street so it sounds like a pretty good reason to hop on the new ride.

Let’s see if I can wipe this grin off my face! :)

    fasthair

Update: Got to go play in the dirt and mud today. This photo was early into the ride so it wasn’t very dirty yet. It was a complete mess by the end of my little romp.

That Was a First

One of the better things about winter cycling is there are no leave on the trees to block your view so you get to see more of the wild life. There is always the seemingly suicidal squirrels that like to always run across the path in front of me only to turn right around and run right back across. Maybe they like playing chicken or something? I don’t know but I’ve seen pictures of them getting caught in a bicycle wheel and it never ends pretty for the varmint or the cyclist. Anyway, I’ve seen this big red fox twice now in the past week. That’s not something a person would normally see in the middle of a big city. At least not around here. Or from behind the wheel of a car stuck in traffic for that matter. Of course he’s not like the squirrels because he is off like a, well like a fox. Of course there is always a bunch of dear too. Last spring on my way home I watched as a doe gave birth to a fawn. I must admit, that was a first too.

Had a flat this morning on the way in to work. I’ve had a lot of flats while out riding but that was the first while commuting to work. While flats are never fun, just like a motorcycle, at least you have a chance on a bicycle if you carry a spare tube and some sort of air installing device which I do. But as luck would have it I was a block away from a local bike shop and a bagel shop. So I grabbed a bagel and enjoyed my coffee as the shop fixed my tire. I just set outside in the warm sunshine with a smile on my face thinking it could be worse. The nineteen bucks it cost is still less than it takes to fill the tank on the motorcycle, much less the car!

It must be warming up because yesterday was the the first time THIS YEAR that I was yelled at and told “get on the paths!” Try as I might to catch her at the next stop light three or four blocks from where she yelled at me only missing her by about ten seconds. But I really just wanted to tell her that sometimes the paths don’t go where I want to go. If it was still cold she wouldn’t have rolled her passenger side electric window down to yell at me and just buzzed like she did instead only. Never mind there is a center turn lane that every other person passing me uses. I think she was mad because she had to wait three seconds to pass me because of the truck that was in the center turn lane wanting to, well turn. I would like to think maybe Aunt Flow was in town for a visit and it isn’t really me she dislikes. Yeah I’ll go with that.

Damn I’m enjoying this commuting by bicycle thing! I’ve got the itch for a new mountain bike too. It’s that N+1 thing don’tcha know. I went dirt riding last fall with a buddy for the first time since I was a kid and it was a blast! I may be to old to go flying off big jumps like I did back then. I’m also too old to be getting broken arms like a did when I was a kid. But I’m not to old to play in the dirt and get muddy just like little boys are supposed to do.

Writing that reminds me of a camping trip I did last summer. It had rained over the night time so there was standing water in the little holes of this gravel drive. I’m sitting at the picnic table and watching this little boy that is probably five or six years old riding his little bicycle. The first time he nears this little puddle I said watch this. Sure enough he rode right though the puddle popping a little wheel in order to make a splash so he would be a mess and get muddy. I watched him ride back and forth sometimes making sharp turns just to hit this puddle. Not once did he miss this puddle until he had splashed all the water out of it. I just laughed every time he went by thinking, I know that little boy. He was of course me at that age! Fun times those days were.

fasthair    

Who Says You Can’t?

When I told some friends was going to try and continue to commute to work in the winter on my bicycle I was told, you can’t do that! Since I’m pretty hard headed at times I took that as a challenge and set out to prove that it could be done and I was going to do it.

Since I always rode my motorcycle until it snowed I knew how to handle the cold. But I wasn’t counting on was how much different it is just sitting on something blasting along at 60 something miles per hour and pedaling something at 18 mph or slower. The clothes I had for the motorcycle were too big, heavy and hot for bicycling in the cold. So a new wardrobe was in order. Funny how little it takes to stay warm when you are working at riding a bicycle at times in deep snow. Who knew at 10F a person could sweat?

I did know though that the summer road bike with it's skinny little 23mm wide slick tires wasn’t going to cut it so I had to get another bike (N+1) for the job. It was just pure luck that I found a used Scott (my last name) mountain bike at a second hand sports store. While I knew the knobby tires used for dirt riding would probably work in the snow I wasn’t so sure about ice. A little searching on the ‘net revealed they make studded snow tires for bicycles. Who knew?

Studded tires and fenders installed. Winter bike clothing kit bought and off I went.

We’ve had a rather mild winter here as far as snow goes. It hasn’t been all that cold with 2F being about as cold as it has been when I hit the roads for my morning commute. And you know what? It’s been a lot of damn fun!

 

Even as much fun as this is I’m like everyone else and can’t wait for spring so I can get the road bike back out. I miss going fast! With 40lbs of bike and gear there is no such thing as fast.

fasthair

Tour for the Tata's

Over the weekend I did a little different type of riding for the cause, breast cancer awareness. The best part was I talked my family into donating five dollars each and covered most of the sixty dollar entry fee. A win win for everybody.

 
This was a 24 hour ride held at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapid, Iowa on a banked half mile asphalt oval. I was in town for family business so I couldn’t spend a lot of time riding. My plan was to ride for one continues hour nonstop to see if I could do it with an average of 18/19mph. Somewhere during the hour I came up with this silly idea of one hour plus a lap.

 
I rode to the event about five miles to get warmed up so I would be ready to go. With my support team (thanks Shelley!) at hand I clipped in and rolled on to the track. Oh, did I mention the 20+mph head/side wind for about half the track? No? Heading down the back straight wasn’t too bad but banking in to turn three and four I got the full brunt of the wind. Than as you come out of four the front straight has a slight rise until the start finish line where the grand stands would block the wind. Pass the start finish line was a dip leading into turn one that was slightly downhill then the wind would kick you in the butt and you could really get some good speed built up to get ready repeat it all over again. I learned in short order to sit up in that part to get the full benefit from the wind and get a little rest time in.

 
On the track I quickly fell into my normal cadence and thought the two guys in front of me might make a good pace line. I soon found out the only thing they had in mind was staying on my wheel, not that I really cared because I had my own agenda. After 15 minutes or so Merle had enough and peeled off to ride at his own pace muttering something about I have a good pace going. At about the half hour mark my half full water bottle ran empty and I tossed it to Shelley as I went by her standing in the gate. I felt this smile come across my face as I watched the bottle skid across the pavement and then laugh as I thought to myself, that looked so Pro. A few laps later Shelley is jogging to hand off the now full bottle of ice water and I take a big swig happy to have it back.

 
All of this time I have really no clue of my average speed since I have the computer in clock mode only. I do catch a glimpse of the pace arrow at times but can only tell I’m close to my speed goal. The hour mark comes up as I’m heading into the back straight. Pulling around turn four I raise my left arm in the air with one finger held up. I hear these two ladies sitting with Shelley and her give me a great big cheer and it really give me a big boost. I apply rule #5 and pull as hard as I can for the last lap, no taking a rest in turn one this time around. I’m going to give it every last bit of effort I have left and stomp this last half mile. I’m not quite sucking wasps as I turn into the wind of turn three one last time but I’m really starting to suffer!

 
Crossing the finish line I sit up and throw my arms in the air thinking I did it as I hear the ladies clapping and cheering. I hit the brakes and pull into the center grass as I unclip and stop laying the bike and myself in the grass. Several minutes go by as I lay there wondering if I hit my speed goal and if my legs would work to walk. I stand up to take a look at my computer.

 
Total time was 1:01:28 with an average speed of 18.84mph and a top speed of 26.6mph which if you do the math means I did 37 or so laps. I feel that smile cross my face again as I look at Shelley showing her the results to which she says “good job!” Walking on limp legs and still breathing deeply I say to her, “damn that was fun!”

Later in the evening we go back to listen to some of the bands that are playing and to watch some of the other riders. Standing there I say to Shelley I should get the bike back out and just cruise around for a while to which she replied “you should.” I think about it for a minute than I look at her and say “I better not, I know me and that cruise would turned in to let’s see if I can beat my last hour.” At that point the music comes back in to focus as I bask in the satisfaction of my effort as I think once again, damn that was fun!

I’m the one in the black still going…

fasthair

Warning: Mobile Device Protection Association (MDPA) is a Scam

First off sorry but this is going to be long.

I bought my phone from Wire Fly back when the DX came out. I was offered insurance from this company through them and not knowing it wasn’t the same insurance that Version offered I bought it since I was a new Version customer.

So over the past weekend I lost my phone while riding my bike on some trails here. I make a claim knowing it’s a long weekend and I won’t hear from them until Tuesday. No big deal but I can’t be without a phone so I head over to my local VZ store and buy one outright figuring when I get my replacement phone I will just sell it and recoup some of my money. The guy at the store cuts me a sweet deal and I continue enjoying my weekend of golf and what not.

I wasn’t prepared for what follows. This is a copy and paste from my contact with this company.

Lost my phone last night. I need my phone replaced please. Thank You.

On 05/31/2011 @ 9:02 AM MDP wrote:Please provide details as to the how and where the loss of your cell phone occurred. Once this information is received, it will be forwarded to your Account Manager for processing.

On 06/01/2011 @ 6:37 PM you wrote:I lost the phone while riding my bicycle on some bike paths in xxxxxx.I had the phone in the pocket of my cargo pants. Once I noticed it was gone I tried to use the App Plan B to find it's GPS location on my PC. Going to that location I could not find it.

On 06/02/2011 @ 9:05 AM MDP wrote:We’re sorry to hear about your phone. You provided information on how and where your phone was lost, but please provide details as to WHEN the loss of your cell phone occurred. Once this information is received, it will be forwarded to your Account Manager for processing.

On 06/02/2011 @ 3:12 PM you wrote:It was lost 5/28/2011 around 10PMish. Not to be a jerk here but this information wasn't asked for in the first response or I would've provided it then.

On 06/02/2011 @ 3:13 PM MDP wrote:The additional information you have provided was received and has been forwarded to your Account Manager for processing. Please allow 24 hours for a reply.

On 06/03/2011 @ 1:33 PM MDP wrote: I'm sorry to inform you that your Request for Service (RFS) has been denied. A letter with further details has been forwarded to you via your email address of record.

(Reason of denial of claim)

This letter is in reference to the above captioned request for service (RFS). The loss was reported to our office on May 29, 2011.

As stated in your Request for Service: “I lost the phone while riding my bicycle on some bike paths in xxxxxx. I had the phone in the pocket of my cargo pants. Once I noticed it was gone.”

Therefore, the following exclusion applies to this request for service:

“UNSECURED AND NEGLIGENT LOSS”

MDPA requires that reasonable care and control be exercised at all times. Based on the above listed exclusion, we cannot consider this Request for Service for payment.

Should you have any questions, edited as not to give their contact info…

We regret any inconvenience you may have been caused.

Sincerely,

On 06/03/2011 @ 2:18 PM you wrote:You can't be real on this! How is having a phone in my pants pocket be "unsecured and negligent"? Just how do I carry my phone would you suggest? OK you guys got my first 90 bucks but I promise you you will not get another dollar out of my pocket! And you can bet I will not recommend your "service" to anyone I know. But I really want to know how I am to carry my phone?

On 06/03/2011 @ 2:48 PM MDP wrote:In accord with your request the MDPA Membership has been cancelled. A full refun of your Member Fee is forthcoming.

On 06/03/2011 @ 3:48 PM you wrote:You people take the cake! I don't see anywhere where I asked for cancellation of my contract and asked for a refund, which BTW is spelled wrong in your canned message!!! I want a phone with the insurance I paid for! My have brought this to the attention of my states attorney general office. I've printed all of this for their information. I ask again, where am I to carry my phone so as not to be "unsecured and negligent"?

I haven’t heard a thing out of them since. Of course after the fact I did a search on this company and this is SOP for them. Just do a search about them and the complaints are all over the web. One of the posts even had a person claiming to have once worked for them and this is how they handle every claim.

A few things here. First since I told them right off the bat I lost the phone why was even any need for these days of back and forth crap and just told at the start that I wasn’t getting a replacement because I lost it? Second why keep asking for more details with a 24 hour delay in each response? This company makes you log in to their web site to see if they have responded instead of sending you an email to tell to log for their response. They knew good and well they were not going to replace my phone and all they did was delay and drag it out.

So anyway that is my warning about this company. If anyone is insured by this company I would ask for that refund NOW because you will not be getting a replacement phone if/when you make a claim.

At this point I’m just going to laugh it off and make their life hell by posting this all over the web starting with my blog and any other web site like My 3 Cents that I feel like.

Oh lest you think this isn’t covered here is a copy and paste of the terms which they sent me with the denial email.

What is included? The entire phone and original electronic accessories provided in the phone box, not including aftermarket accessories purchased. The protected device and original accessories are covered up to the repair or replacement value or up the limit of liability, with no deductible. If a covered device cannot be repaired, MDPA will replace with the same or similar model if the same model is unavailable, at no additional cost, to the member up to the limit of liability depending on your membership plan. A police report may be requested for a lost or stolen cell phone.

What is excluded? The loss, real or perceived of data, time, financial opportunity, or any other consequence arising from the loss of the use of the wireless device, normal wear and tear, inventory shortage, dishonest or malicious acts, cosmetic damage (ex. marring, scratching), negligent loss (editor: their loop hole), liquid damage, pervasive corrosion, loss or unexplained disappearance or voluntary surrender to a third party, loss in a body of water, theft from an unattended premises or vehicle not reasonably secured, in transit either through postal or courier services, or incidences occurring outside the US or Canada are not included with this service.

(emphasis added)

There so much double talk here it makes my head spin. And before someone says you should have read the terms before you bought it, if you go read it it has more of the same double talk and isn’t even the same terms that I posted above. And while I’m at it Wire Fly can kiss my ass too for dealing with such a company!!!

fasthair

UPDATE: So today (6/10/2011) I get a check in the mail from these clowns for $35.00 and not the $69.99 I paid them for this headache. I don’t know about you but that is not a full refund that they stated I would be getting. Needless to say I have not and will not cash this check until I get a replacement phone and am done dealing with this company. Of course by then I’m sure the check will bounce anyway.

Oh yeah and our local police have nothing better to do than come to me to file a “lost phone” police report. Please spare me from going in to just how stupid that is.

One other note Verizon has already blocked the ESN of the phone so if someone did find it and try to activate it it won’t and it is  Verizon who will know if and when that ever happens not this joke of a company!

Filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau too. They’ve been a member since 3/2010 and have 119 complaints files against them in that time.

Here is the latest email from these clowns.

We would be happy to further review this matter of your lost/stolen phone. Your case has been forwarded to our Fraud Protection Unit. In order to expedite your request we require you get a police report and forward it to us by fax xxx-xxx-xxxx or email us @xxxx.com. Once this is received we will be able to flag the ESN/IMEI number of that phone so if someone is using your phone, or tries to activate it, we will be notified. At that time the phone will be confiscated and the person holding the phone will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All police information must be received within 30 days of this notification.

We are here to assist you the quickest way possible. We appreciate your assistance with this matter and if you have any additional questions, please contact Fraud Protection Unit’s liaison, xxx-xxx-xxxx or email at xxxx.com

Best regards,
MDPA Membership Committee

F&B Go Nitro Harley Racing

This is an old post I wrote back in March of 2003 on a private forum I belong to that I was reminded of today. Since I know it has never been posted here before I thought would offer it up for your reading. As most of you know my friend Frog is no longer with us and is enjoying that great drag strip in the sky where the track is always perfect and the sun always shines. I’ve got more stories I need to write about racing with my friend Frog an the Buffalo’s. Enjoy.

After raining out Saturdays qualifying Sunday woke all bright and sunny. Frog, Buffalo and I got the bike ready for the first of two qualifying runs. The last time we ran "Strip Tease" it ran ok at a 6.17 seconds. Frog had did some work to the carburetor to allow it to pass more fuel since than. We hoped for better this time out.

His first pass was a blistering 5.276 seconds at 140.71mph, Frog’s carb work was indeed paying off in a big way. We ready the bike for the last pass of the day and hoped for even more improvements. After the second round of qualifying Frog said he didn't feel the clutch worked like it should. He was right cause it slowed to a 5.596 at 133.61 mph. So Buffalo worked on it installing some more plates and resetting the "clutch pack” height. He sure knows his clutch and what it takes to make it work and it would show on the next pass.

We push up to the line for the first round of eliminations up against the same guy who we lost to last time out (Frog red lighted… another story for another time). Frog yanks the throttle late at the line giving the other guy a slight lead. He is already about 3 or so tenths behind before he finally gets it moving. Buffalo's clutch is right on the money allowing Frog to run him down from behind. We hold our breath as we watch Frog slowly pull up from behind and then the score board flashes our side first with an amazing 5.059 @ 140.99mph. The other sides lights up a split second later at 5.114 @ 134.00 mph. The racers are asking each other who won cause it was so close they couldn't tell. Buffalo and I look at each other with that same “who won” look on our faces. No win light on our side of the scoreboard. What the?

Back to the pits and we ready the bike for the finals to see if we can win the event. We are all set to go when we ask the starter how much longer before we run?

He looks at us and says with a puzzled look on his face, "You are in the finals?"

It is at this point we feel like something is for sure not right. We dig out the time slip to add up the numbers and see who won. The whole crew stands there in disbelieve. We was so excited at the performance of Strip Tease no one bothered to look to see who had won on the time slip. The ticket clearly states, "left lane 1st", we were in the right lane.

Are happy kick butt mode was all lost by a mere .052 of a second. We had nothing to be ashamed of, after all Frog did set low E.T. of the event for his class as well as top speed. Not to shabby for a 60 years young guy and a 13 year old Harley!

It will be awhile before we can go racing again. Frog is getting is knee worked on June 17th so it will be a good while before he can get back on the bike. If ever you get a chance to go to an AMRA Harley Drag Race by all means go. They are so much fun and exciting. Just
remember to park in the proper place!

fasthair

Epilogue: To this day we still don’t really know how we lost that round. On paper everything says we won but the timing system says another. Such is racing. Some days it’s a cruel sport. 

Insert You Are Old Joke Here

Go ahead and let’em rip if you must. But I must warn you…

I also want to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friends Chris and Sonya (she’s the better looking one of the group clearly) too!

fasthair