Life Updates

So I got the lights and gear transferred over to the Surly who I think is getting a new name. I haven’t been happy with any of the names I’ve tried out so far, but I’m trying out Ms. Billie Blue. No relation to the Australian convict. In any case, today I learned how wonderful it is to ride your commute with a bicycle that you can count on. I didn’t really realize how much I effort I spent constantly checking the chain, listening to the derailleur for the slightest sound of binding, checking that the brake cable hadn’t slipped for the 50th time, etc. [Read More]

Well today is a sad day for #30DaysofBiking. I know I’ve been talking about it for a long time, but my old trusted Cannondale Touring Bike which I’ve had since I was 15 years old has finally reached the complete end of its life. On the way home tonight, the rear derailleur came into pieces tonight on the way home. The picture below doesn’t really show the complete extent of the damage, but it was a pretty catastrophic end considering I was doing about 17 mph when it happened, thankfully outside of several broken and bent spokes there was no personal injury. [Read More]

The 45 mph gusts of yesterday convinced me to chicken out from the 60 mph gusts this morning. Therefore I waited till late after I got home from work and the wind had died down before hitting the road. Weekday nights are pretty quiet in Oklahoma City, especially after 10:30 at night on a Monday. I saw only two cars on my 30 minute ride. With the streets that quiet and the lights shining off the street, it’s like you are the last person left alive in the city. [Read More]

A 20 mile ride around Lake Overholser in an extreme headwind (25-45 mph) showed me how out of shape I am.  But you have to start somewhere . . .

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Today was another incredibly beautiful day.  This stretch of warm weather has caused all the flowers to bloom which always makes for a beautiful day . . .

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I wanted to make sure to send out a great big thank you to all those who sponsored me for this year’s St. Baldrick’s Day event. Together we raised over $1100 dollars for this great cause. It was also wonderful to see many of you at the event. However, for all those who didn’t brave the chilly weather, here is a video of my shaving:

So, it’s time again for another round of #30DaysofBiking. I like this event because it gives me a chance to work on some aspect of cycling, and since I’m never in a hurry to improve my speed, I get to work more on just riding more. Last time I worked on being calm on the city streets and trying to just enjoy the ride. This time it has been a long winter and I wimped out through most of it and hardly rode at all. [Read More]

Spring is upon us! Every day the sun shines a bit longer, the flowers bloom a bit brighter, the grass turns a bit greener and the Grizzly Adams jokes get just a bit older. So like last year, I again take up the challenge to remove the fur for the wonderful St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation provides much needed grants for childhood cancer research and I’m gladly taking up their challenge to shave my head not only in solidarity with childhood cancer patients but to also help raise money for this wonderful cause. [Read More]

In case you are really bored, not living in Oklahoma and would like to spend some time watching snow fall, I present Snowpocalypse Cam. You too can watch a really fuzzy image for hours on end, enjoy!

Watch live streaming video from radicalwacko at livestream.com

So this year for my birthday, I got an awesome present. My girlfriend got us tickets to the Pixies at the Brady Theater, not to mention a room at historic Mayo Hotel and a little yellow sports car to drive up Route 66 for the show. Here is my gallery from the concert:

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