And...Done

And then there were none...












I don't really have a lot to say. I've been so busy with everything else from work to personal stuff that I just haven't had the time or the mental energy to write. Even putting down these few words took everything I had. I feel like a big sissy saying this since I know a lot of people are putting in a lot more mileage than me but whatever... I'm just tired. really, really tired. Last Saturday night, after I finished the last of the 15 rides I told myself that I'm going to drink some beer, which I did. I drank half a bottle of beer and then went to bed. Anyone who knows me would know this is an indicator of just how tired I am since they would know how I hate leaving beer out to get warm, or just wasting beer in general. So, I think I'll spend the rest of the week with my nose to the grindstone at work and then write some epic and awesome post that is some kind of retrospective on the rides that I did this year....maybe.


or maybe I won't... I don't know. Read more!

Tell Your Government What To Do!!!

A while back I reported on a ground breaking study that was done by the Rails-to-Trails conservancy and Bikes Belong. Their ground breaking research showed that... wait for it... Biking and Walking places is good for you, the economy and the environment! Ok, so it may seem obvious to you as every single person that reads 15 Rides is in the 99th percentile of the elite academia and intelligencia, but apparently some folks needed a 50 page study to understand that concept and believe it or not, most of those folks work in our government...

But what would the Rails-to-Trails conservancy had done if they had just published the Active Transportation Report and left it at that? Where would that have left us? I'll tell you where; with me writing letters to 3 congresspeople on a monthly basis thus annoying the crap out of their staff.

Thankfully the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has followed up the the Active Transportation report with a petition notifying our Government that there should be significant considerations for active transportation in the new economic stimulus plan. That's right kids, Bicycling should get a piece of the pie. Here is this little block quote, clipped straight from BikeRadar.com:

"The threat: Unless we speak up, these transportation funds will go overwhelmingly to road projects—the same unbalanced strategy that has created our existing transportation problems.

The opportunity: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, in partnership with Thunderhead Alliance and America Bikes, has collected a list of hundreds of ready-to-go active transportation projects from communities across the country. These projects would create new jobs and revitalize communities by funding trails, bike lanes, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

This would meet the ultimate goal of the recovery package: creating immediate jobs. Additionally, such an investment strategy would provide both immediate economic benefits and lasting positive change.

The long-term benefits are many: promoting local businesses along active transportation corridors; reducing health care costs; and curbing climate change emissions and oil dependency. These projects would also establish the principle that active transportation infrastructure is a wise, efficient and desirable public investment.

Please sign our petition to President-elect Obama and key congressional leaders, encouraging them to fund these important bicycle and pedestrian projects:

Basically it's like this: Sign the Petition. I'm not going to be all nice and friendly like those Green Peace folks outside of WholeFoods with their green shirts and blue notebooks. No. Sign this F&%king thing. Look, I've given you two separate links to get to the petition, so go there, read it, and sign it now. Go ahead... I'll wait. Read more!

Slackin', Sick and Senile.

Since my return to the great state of California you may have noticed a significant lapse in blog posts here at 15 rides. I could come up with a myriad of excuses about being captured by rabid gangs of angry motorists and forced to give up my hardline pro cycling stance but I simply won't. I'll just tell you that I've been busy with some other stuff, like sitting at home doing nothing and working...

However on a more serious side I've been considering my next move. Yes, 2008 is rapidly nearing it's end and before the year comes to a screeching halt on December 31st to make way for the shiny and new 2009 I am carefully planning my 2 wheeled assault on the world, and I mean "World" like American Baseball and means World as the league doles out the Title 'World Champion' when a baseball team wins the 'World Series', which only includes American teams despite the fact that there was recently a true "World" baseball tournaments including a number of teams from a number of countries that are not the United States, in which the United States didn't fair as well as the most recent World Baseball Classic champions Japan.

But I digress. I've been seriously considering what rides I will be doing in 2009, if I'll race this year (for real this time) and what beer I should endorse as "The only beer of 15 Rides" even though I will continue to drink a number of different beers, as well as a number of different types of vodkas, tequilas, wines, schnapps and scotches.

So far my thoughts for 2009 look like this: 1 century ride every weekend. That's right. 100 miles every Saturday or Sunday. Then KOM Challenge, The Death Ride and Everest Challenge. And maybe some other rides like Solvang, Tour De Palm Springs and other favorites.

We'll see though. I'll be solidifying my plans soon, as the month is almost done.

Read more!

Yay!!! Back to the News (from last week)

Welcome back 15 Rides readers. I hope everyone's thanksgiving holiday treated them as well or better than mine did. Yes, I found my way to Denver Colorado, home of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Leadville 100... And despite my best efforts to extend my hiatus through November and December and into the new year there was reports flooding the cycling blogs and news sites that there was talk of a cycling advocate becoming President Barack Obama's Secretary of Transportation. Though there were many sources reporting this a while back I've been slowly recovering from Thanksgiving, so here's the run down Bob Mionske gave on www.velonews.com regarding Obama's short list for potential Transportation Secretaries:

Representative Jim Oberstar — A Minnesota Democrat and nationally-renowned member of the Congressional Bike Caucus. Representative Oberstar chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Representative Earl Blumenauer — A Democrat representing Portland, Oregon, Representative Blumenauer—another nationally renowned Congressional Bike Caucus member and founder of the Bike Caucus—sits on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Representative Peter DeFazio — Another Oregon Democrat, and yet another member of the Congressional Bike Caucus, Representative DeFazio is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Governor Ed Rendell — The Governor of Pennsylvania.

Jane Garvey — The head of the Federal Aviation Administration from 1997 to 2002.

Well, I definitely hope the last two guys on the list don't get it, as they don't seem to have a lot on their list of cool cycling related stuff. So I think if I were to be making this decision it would be one of the first two, since those are the only two who really seem to be cycling advocates at all. I'm sure Barack will be calling me here in the next week or so to get my opinion, and since I'm a Super Genius my opinion is the end all be all when it comes to matters of national priority so I'm sure he'll agree with me and appoint Earl or Jim.

Read more!