NYC Journal

Cal, in no way intending or even wishing to delve into your nation's political system or say any more about climate change/global warming, I have a stray thought to share - the way things seem to be going in your neck of the global woods, you may want to consider buying land and a cabin somewhere in Canada.

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island seem small enough (and sufficiently unimportant) that any global cataclysm would surely bypass them.

They also have a few advantages - a slower, less pressured lifestyle, reasonably good climate (getting warmer due to climate change, but so I'm told, yet nothing much like the more central parts of Canada and the USA are experiencing), pleasant people who enjoy casual social interaction as part of their daily lives, and good seafood.

What's there not to like?

(Written somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I seem to have a long history of my TIC throwaway comments evolving into real life...)
 
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NYC has had the driest October in recorded history.
Click to expand...
Last week the neighbor across the street from my job parked their car in a different spot in the driveway. The heat from the catalytic converter lit the dried leaves under the car. Soon the car went up in flames, scorching the siding on a single story addition. The FDNY was there in time to prevent it spreading. They did fill a dumpster skip with their stuff due to smoke and water damage.
 
I do think the Canadians as a great people. As noted more polite than Americans, with the exception of when they play hockey and of course the French Canadian women in Montreal who can be sexually aggressive carnivores.

One thing though is the Canadian immigration laws. There are laws to try and restrict foreign land grabs. The Chinese Nationals in Vancouver inflated that citiie’s housing in a mucho bad way. Also in Canada getting residency means you have to have a certain amont of wealth, education or skill level to be of benefit to the Canadian economy.

I would still have to pay U.S. Federal taxes, no escape from that, and there is no bridge for healthcare. In fact about a decade ago we met Canadians in Canada that used the U.S. to have the prenatal and birth of their baby. Evidently there is/was a shortage of doctors…

I have a map of the northeast, and there are remote parts of Maine that are really raw and undeveloped.

The idea did pass our minds though. I was considering learning French, the underground city part of Montreal was on our list, and we also explored Toronto.

I can be ashamed to say, I think Canadians are a better people than us Americans. I realize how aggressive and rude Americans are. Pretty much the politics here are sickening. We voted early to buffer ourselves from getting ill/sick to detach.

God help us and the rest of the world.

BTW I feel that I have to have the ability to take down or take out any physical threat again like when I was a kid looking like the enemy during the Vietnam War era. Racism is experiencing a rebirth in the U.S. and I now feel there are places here I best avoid that are not really safe for me.

I had to argue with “Maggie” that she had a choice: she could visit me in jail because I killed or maimed someone: or she could visit my grave. I had to settle the argument that there are times in my life where I kinda had to fight off racism and hate crimes. I don’t want to kill anyone, but I can justify killing someone in self defense.

Hope is all I have, but I know this fear.

I have enough experience fighting to know it s easy to loose control and fatally kill someone. In a gang attack deadly moves/blows are required and are justified. Sadly I am wired like a switch through conditioning and experience.

Cal
 
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The fire alert continues here in the Hudson Valley, NYC, and Long Island.

Meanwhile the Farmer’s Almanac suggests a wet winter…

The expected temperature high today is a revised 79 degrees and it is November 1st.

I know I brag about Peekskill. I think we are and have been very fortunate, but “Maggie” does make a point that Peekskill might languish and not develop into the next Beacon or Hudson.

A boutique retail store downtown is closing run by a Brooklyn hipster transplant family. A boutique business that was a bakery closed its brick and mortar storefront, but remains a viable business online.

Maggie points out that Peekskill is likely too minority entrenched and the households are too blue collar to support boutique retail. This seems to be true, and there is no arguing that Peekskill is a suburb, even though we are fortunate enough to have nature nearby.

Bear Mountain State Park gets crowded, and if you live in Peekskill, understand you drive further north to the Catskills to avoid the NYC congestion and crowds at Bear Mountain.

Beacon has the DIA Art Foundation that bought a old Nabisco factory to make and create a notable big museum. This is what really drew in the artists, but meanwhile right across the river and bridge is Newbough a City that is full of problems, like crime and poverty.

Kingston is a writing community, former capitol of New York State, and is a very mixed community as far as race, and income. Many people who can’t afford living in the Catskills find affordable housing and rentals in Kingston.

Some people have compared the City of Hudson as a second Greenwich Village. It is a gay community, has mucho art and antiques, and certainly has a lot of the GV vibe, but Maggie compares it to SoHo instead of GV. Perhaps she is right in a way because Warren Street is kinda like West Broadway, but a few blocks away one can see decay and the lack of income.

So I can see Peekskill has its challenges. Still I also see great value in our home and location-location-location being the key reason to buy our home besides its own novel unique location. We are still in a great position. I’m glad we got priced out of Beacon.

The key thing here though is that the “identity” of Peekskill has not emerged yet. That defining moment has not come yet, or as Maggie thinks may never come. I kinda see though our cute small modest house as a sanctuary. We are an immigrant community where the dominant population is Latino and whites are not the majority. The income level is not so low, but the population is kinda majority blue collar. There is a big mix though of high and low along with ethnic diversity. Not a lot of Asians though…

The affordability issue though points to gentrification and more and more young white folks moving in. The old homes, some of grand McMansion proportions, and mixed with mucho two family homes and small modest homes like ours set on 40x100’s.

But realize that we own a 40x200 that has a buildable second building lot that borders on public land/wilderness right on the southern border of a city of 25K inhabitants. We somehow own an exceptional home that is not like most of Peekskill. Our neighborhood is kinda hidden, and is a maze of dead-ends.

Again location-location-location…

Cal
 
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I am pleased with my OCD thinking about my bikes. It got rather complex then simple…

I placed a limit on my Ti IBIS capabilities to see/find utility into developing as well as preserving a “garage” bike that was in remarkable OEM condition.

The most drastic conversion would be to a 2x11 conversion which would just involve a wheel change and removing the rear derailleur and shifter in a modular manner along with the chain. EZ-PZ. The front half of the drivetrain would be retained for the 2-speed

Riding a single speed bike is its own culture, and its limitations and simplicity are kinda wonderful.

Call me vain, but it will also be a very cool and pretty bike.

The true evolution of the Ti IBIS is as a 2x11 mountain bike/gravel bike. The limited tallness of the range of gearing is alright, because it is meant to be my upstate bike for gravel, dirt roads, and single track cross country and not intended to be used on any pavement.

The bike known as the Newsboy is for paved epic rides on the Empire State Trailway. This is the part of the trailway south of Poughkeepsie where I live.

Further north the trailway changes into crushed stone… Also further north it gets more hilly and eventually mountainous.

BTW a guy like Phil on one of his track bikes would be mucho happy on the paved parts of the Empire State Trailway North of Carmel or Brewster. Paved till parts of New Paltz, no cars, and infrequent road crossings.

For the same reasons I think owning a single speed using a freewheel would be a great tool. I can see running eventually a 72 or 75 inch gear, because remember these are railroad grades. You can really “honk” and exploit speed.

To give an idea one end of “The Great Swamp” to the other surrounded by protected preserve is 9 miles between road crossings, all rather gradual inclines or declines. Pretty much an 18 mile out and back that can be stacked to perhaps do a “quick” Century as a weekly workout goal to be ultra-fit.

Pretty much worth the car ride to Brewster… A 72-75 gear inch would do well here I figure. An even fixed gear paradise. Smooth pavement where there are no cars that you could do your own mini time trial for 9 mile sprints. How cool is that?

Cal
 
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A gym day. I am at a point where the bursitis is just minor, and the blood flow from Wednesday’s elliptical did me well to make a big jump in quelling the inflammation.

It was healing to have my hips, lower back and pelvis X-rayed and examined. I only have a small amount of arthritis in my lower back that was considered “negligible” for someone my age, no real wear and tear, and I displayed a high degree of flexibility and mobility.

Pretty much I did no damage or displayed no chronic injury. So pretty great report to know I am not handcuffed or handicapped.

Also my knees are not loose and are still tight. All this is kinda due to being a skinny bitch, but also because I am strong and muscular.

So today a full hour on the elliptical, a bit more resistance, and on top of that some strength training.

I certainly have gotten more muscular. My arms and chest I would say are kinda big, but so has my butt. I kinda have a muscular bubble butt now, and while not quite a J-Lo, I kinda have a big butt. Not so sure I will get below 155 at this point, but at 155 I would have a small waist that would amplify my upper body strength that would be an intimidating display of someone who is an anti-tank weapon.

Understand though that my pant size is still a girly 28 inch waist.

I don’t know if other men can understand fully my background and upbringing where the threat of physical attack and violence is my past, and that the military like need to be able to defend myself is amplified and mucho important to me. There is a reason why I promote my strength and fitness, especially with the threats in today’s world.

For me it is survival… I am a true Alpha Male…

Cal
 
I haven't yet ridden the Harrison nor the Rotrax past Manayunk on the Schuylkill path, mostly due to my refusal to put a water bottle holder on the frame. I'm holding out for a handlebar mount TA bottle holder; not even considering using a chunky modern handlebar mount bottle cages on either of these two restorations. It just wouldn't be right. That said, once I get my next wheel set built, I will probably head out to Valley Forge on the path. Just past Manayunk, I'll "shift" from 48/16 to a 15 or 14 tooth cog. I may get to the point where I need a larger chainring and I'm watching a couple 50 tooth Chater-Lea track rings. I would like a ratio that puts me above 80" as the Schuylkill path is along the remnants of the old canal towpath, so it is virtually flat with only a few dips and overpasses. I want to see how fast I can get either of these bikes going before the fork starts oscillating. That's kind of a "sound barrier" for old track bikes like this and then the wheels need to get balanced to push the edge more. I've reached almost 30mph recently in a sprint, with the limiting factor being shoe stiffness and retention, spinning above 140rpm. I have exercise induced asthma as well, so I have to hit an inhaler before I ride. I found this out AFTER I stopped racing in 2010; had I known prior to my accident and gotten a medical waiver for Albuterol, life may be very different for me right now. I used to think the pain of feeling like my sternum being ripped from my chest was just normal for cyclists doing what I was doing.
Phil
 
Phil,

Mucho wow factor on a 30 MPH sprint. Kinda crazy-good.

Seems like you are sharing here your own kinda bike heaven. I love the goal setting and the positive thinking.

Didn’t know about the fork resonance oscillation, but it makes sense to me.

Mike the skinny hipster reported that doing around 50 MPH on a downhill on Route 9W clipped into a fixed gear track bike he experienced an unstabling oscillation.

My own personal experience is a shift in position rearward can dampen the resonant frequency to an extent.

I first experienced this on a stingray bike I walked up a mountain road. I was perhaps 13 years old hilling terminal velocity over 40 MPH coasting down a steep paved mountain road, no helmet.

Pretty much I learned right way to stabilize the bike by moving my weight rearward.

Please expand on the physics…

Also how long is that railroad stretch? More details would be appreciated. Call me a bike nerd, and of course I love the sense of adventure.

Cal
 
I have a luggage scale. Cheap, and made in China. Pretty much future landfill junk bought at CVS using a coupon for about $7.00-$8.00. Point here is a real POS that cost no-money.

I bought this to weigh my bikes, and pretty much it helps me build out my bikes because rotating mass really matters, and heavy bikes are just added dead weight.

Of course the trade off is durability and loss of overkill, but if you are a skinny bitch, or were one, weight savings can amplify an advantage, but of course with trade-offs.

I weighed the IBIS SS as is built out as a 7-speed XC Pro bike with skinny retro wheel/rims 14 gauge spokes, brass nipples, and only a spare Ti 29.4mm seatpost as the only lightweight weight weenie component, and the IBIS SS weighs only 22 3/4’ers pounds with narrow 1.25 inch wide tires.

Understand that IBIS built bikes that were designed for west coast mountains and this infers stiff builds and frames that promote stoutness. Also steel frames also are built heavier than aluminum, Ti, and especially carbon fiber frames.

So 22 3/4’ers is not so light on one hand, but not so heavy either considering the build, the culture, and that it is steel.

The bike will shed shifters, derailleurs, cables, chain rings, a cassette cluster and will have a shorter chain.

Kinda exciting the weight loss and the diet. Performance wise it is about strength to weight ratio.

I’d be curious how much is the weight of some of Phil’s fixed gear track bikes. These are the real deal bikes made for racing. They have to be stiff, strong and are designed for a competitive performance edge.

A bike nerd wants to know.

Speaking of weight, “Maggie” is digging into me that I now have an old man’s body that has a thicker thickening mid section. There is research that says that there are major tuning points in human aging: one is around 40; and the other is around 60.

So I concede that my days/years/decades of being a skinny bitch might be over, but know that I annoy people, and I have a talent for this.

I eat a lot, and this aggravates people, including Maggie.

A friend named Mike, an Engineer at Grumman once said, “Cal, you are so skinny.”

And I immediately responded that Mike was short, fat and bald.

Then Mike responded to my remark by saying, “I didn’t mean to insult,” and I responded to that by saying, “Neither did I.”

We both laughed because our remarks were in fact honest. Back then I was 5’10” and only 140-145 pounds.

Maggie described my build as being like a heroin addict. I looked kinda scary, people who didn’t know me were fearful, and on top of this I was hyperactive and jumpy (anxiety). Formally I was more annoying than I am now.

Also post September 11th my Brooklyn loft landlord, a rather rough and crude guy, assured me that there would be no difficulty with my security deposit because he considered me a “scarry-guy.” LOL.

Kinda funny the tough guy from Brooklyn act. I should win an academy award.

Cal
 
There is always something. Have to get a blood test to test my clotting factor for the prostrate biopsy.

Because I had physical therapy for weak hips from sitting a long time ago, I already know the strength exercises and stretching required to relieve an overtightened IT band.

Likely the siting for guitar practice needs to be offset with some daily physical therapy.

Know that I found a foam roller in Madhattan that I brought home to recycle. There is an exercise performed on your side where you try to bear all your weight on the side of your thigh and roll the foam roller along your leg while inclined on your side. This physically hurts, but is necessary to loosen up overly tight IT band due to too much sitting.

My health plan has an expensive $40.00 copay, so 10 sessions of PT will cost me $400.00 out of pocket expenses, and pretty much I already know what I need to do. The PA of my orthopedic doctor have me an exercise sheet also to target the areas that need to be strengthen.

Add onto this is that the PT office at my hospital was booked up, and then they never called me in the one week to 10 day envelope they mentioned.

Does not make sense to pay for the PT. I will save $400.00. I’m getting close to full recovery, and I’m still doing my “personal-therapy” that is making big jumps.

So today the required blood test for clotting.

Also know that if I can get back into skinny bitch mode, it will annoy many people. That is my goal. LOL.

No reason why I can’t burn off the added thickness. I’ve been inactive and not biking due to supporting Maggie with her book publication, childcare, and being sidelined with the house for the past two years. That is going to change.

Revenge of the skinny bitch is going to happen.

Cal
 
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Cal,
Old school round blade track forks tended to be light and only stiff along the long axis of the bike, but when a rider really puts force into the cranks, the front wheel lacing is kind of stronger than the fork, so the fork legs will deflect side to side. When I am cranking up a hill or just putting a lot of force into the bike to accellerate out of the saddle, I can watch my wheel move side to side up at the crown from this flexibility. These old British forks I have on the two track frames are both round blade and have a prominent rake with a short trail. This made the bikes optimized for the type of club racing done in the UK after WWI, up to the end of petrol rationing. The fork rake and flexibility made for a high frequency "suspension" that is super comfortable to ride on roads that kill the hands and wrists of a rider on a new bike riding any tires skinnier than 28c.
Anyway, with a British path racer, a rider would have one bike for two different kinds of races, the first being a distance road time-trial, and the second being in a velodrome. These dual purpose bikes were built for a front brake and often mudguards for the dirt and grass paths that were raced. At the time, mass-start rides were both too expensive, prohibitive, and illegal if permits and road closures weren't done. So the solution was to have race judges with synchronized watches, one at the start, and one at the finish, and to release riders every 30 seconds on a pre-determined schedule. This got around all the ordinances and prevented jams in traffic. So the bike would usually be a fixed gear with mudguards and a front brake, used for a 25 mile time trial.
The same bike could be easily modified to ride on a velodrome by removing the mudguards, brake lever and front brake caliper. I have one of these levers on the Rotrax which is a 1940s sandwich clamp that simply unscrews from the bar in two pieces, no taking off grips, no un-taping the bar. For those who used a road drop lever, the old ones had a tension nut which both held the lever on as well as tightened it to the bar. Removal is simply a matter of taking off the caliper, having a friend squeeze it to slack the cable, sticking a screwdriver in to unscrew the lever fixing bolt completely, then taking out the tension nut and flexing the band off the bar. My Rotrax has true track grips on the drops, so I could technically just pop one of those off, but I wouldn't want a grip coming loose when I really was putting it down. My Harrison has front and back road levers with tape, so the track modification would be much more difficult on race day, but it's getting new tape soon and I'll be creating a lever band gap so I can simply unscrew them. One of these days, probably next summer, I'm going to organize a "path racer" day at the Trexlertown velodrome to get all us mid-Atlantic fixed gear old school bike nerds in one place to have some gentleman's races on the "boards" (it's a concrete 333m velodrome).
I don't know if I mentioned it recently, but a retired racer offered me his 1978-79 Miyata Team track bike that was a one-off (no serial number, just a welder's mark but I had to decline due to cost. It was basically a dream bike but unfortunately will go to someone else.

Phil
 
Joe,
What you write is very true. Some of the wheels I work on at the shop are literally a century old with tied and soldered spokes that are the equivalent of a 15/17ga double butted or 14/17/15ga "triple" butting (14ga at the hub), and these can still be ridden on. Flexibility provides far more strength for a wheel that is going to deflect side to side in a racing bike configuration and riding style. Touring and commuter bikes with 13 o4 14ga straight spokes don't have as many side to side stresses, with the load primarily being straight down through the rim or close to it, instead of side-loading the hub flange as when pulling on the bike side to side. I have a tubular rear wheel that may be 90 years old with some ancient Torrington and unknown "triple" butted spokes (as above), which I'm confident could hold a load after being appropriately tensioned.
I should invest in a few boxes of Raedelli and Robergel Trois Etoiles spokes for future restorations. This reminds me that I've been shirking off posting photos...
Phil
 
Cal, I'll get you a weight on the Rotrax soon. It's not a fully butted frameset, as it is stiff and the fork compliant in one axis and whippy in the other. Regardless, it's not light but that is also a function of how heavy the wheels are.
Phil
 
Joe,

I understand the physics of butted spokes over straight guage.

The failed Ringle hub, and the Nuke Proof hub that failed at the flange were with butted spokes likely 15/15 double butted.

These hubs I feel failed because of either poor metallurgy, or weak design.

I support the idea you state that flex is forgiving.

The idea with the 14 gauge and brass nipples is to match the OEM front wheel on the IBIS SS.

Cal
 
Pretty much the bursitis seems much subdued. Only a hint remains.

Yesterday I did the elliptical with increased resistance, but I limited it to only 35 minutes as a trial. Then I went onto a stationary bike for an easy spin and for blood flow.

The restrictions are becoming less less and less, but ramping up has to remain modest as not to aggravate the condition.

My weigh in was a159 1/2 pounds.

I was surprised by the low gas prices. I pay a premium for Moble high-test, and I buy from the same gas station all the time. Pretty much close to North Carolina pricing.

Cal
 
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