Dessert table frenzy

We celebrate our independence as a nation

Happy independence day

Boom!

Chilling with Jake

Enjoying our pool on a hot June day

Reunited

Will they meet?

Jacob wants a unibrow

Black cat espresso

cAt Blue Spoon Cafe, Chambers Street, NYC

I haven’t had any of this stuff in a year. Honestly, back then I was just getting my espresso technique and palate together. It’s brighter than I remember it, leaning a little away from my preference these days. But it has great body and is very satisfying. My regular quaff – Miscela Privata from Real Coffee Roasters – compares pretty damn well.

The Goodyear blimp is circling the neighborhood

I guess it’s in town to cover the Belmont Stakes. It gets moored at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, a few towns over from here. Someone I once knew had an in and not only got to go up in it but steered…that must be very cool.

Best laid plans

8 miles out and my chain blows. This is the first time that's happened to me in my 35 years of riding. I guess the new narrow chains are more fragile. Here we are, waiting for the sag wagon.

Social Networking for Cyclists

A new site, Out For A Ride says:

We know that while you’d love to spend your time on a bicycle 24/7 this just isn’t always possible. Our main goal for Out For a Ride is to provide you with an internet based community where you can connect with other bicyclists while you aren’t on the road or trail.

Here is a list of some of the features that we provide on this site:

• Bikes — Add, manage and review bikes. Keep track of how many miles you’ve ridden on each bike.
• Gear — Add, manage and review gear.
• Routes — Map your bicycle routes, share your routes with others and view route elevation graphs.
• Rides — Track your bicycle rides and which route and bicycle you used.
• Stats — View detailed stats about your rides, bicycles and routes.

http://outforaride.com

Finally got on my bike!

So many things conspired to keep me off my Mercian this spring – weather, travel, parental duties and good ol’ sloth. Today I finally threw a leg over the bike I worked so hard on over the winter and put down the first 20 miles of the season.

It wasn’t as easy to leave as it ought to have been. I pumped the tires, then I switched saddles. I had it in mind to see if my old Brooks Pro was any more comfortable than the Specialized I got last season. After I changed the saddle, the front tube blew. Apparently the rim strip had shifted, exposing some of the drill holes for the recessed spokes, and that pinched the tube. So I put in a new tube, and off I went.

Lovely day on Long Island today, in the mid-60’s. If I’d had more time I would have ridden to Locust Valley but I cut it short and swung back east in East Norwich. I averaged almost 15.5 mph, not bad for an middle-aged guy’s first ride.

Overall the bike absolutely feels lighter and more responsive, and these are among the best wheels I’ve ever built. They feel nimble and seem to track dead-on true. No handed riding is straight and easy. I’m glad I went to a stem with a shorter reach, my physiology has changed and I was more comfortable. The saddle was no more comfortable, but no less either. So I’ll probably go back to the Specialized because the Brooks wins style points but it’s heavy as a brick. The components performed great, it’s striking how silent the bike is now. I suspect I have a sticky chain link because I got a few random skips at the outer ends of the cassette. During the build I cheated at one point and removed some links the old-fashioned way instead of using the special breakaway rivets. I’ll look into it after I switch saddles again.