London Ontario Cyclist Profile: The Real Richard Sleegers

I can't remember the name of them, but there's a set of questions with a french name that CBC radio often uses to interview authors and artists and stuff. I've tried to google it, but I can't find it. If anybody knows PLEASE comment and remind me.

 

Anyway, in the spirit of those "standard" questions asked of many different people, I have decided to make a standard set of my own, which I will use from this day forward for every London Ontario Cyclist Profile, fake or real. They are quite intentionally a mix of cycling and off-the-wall stuff.

 

My new friend Richard Sleegers is being kind enough to be the first to respond to this awesome set of one dozen questions, so let's get to it: 

 

 

1) People cycle for all kind of reasons. What are your top ones?

RS: Being slightly on the cheap side, the economy appeals to me, saves on gas, delays getting a second vehicle. I commute to work and it’s actually faster than bus, but I’m glad there’s now the option to use the bike rack on the LTC. It also helps keep my fitness up, and weight down. Plus it’s about the only time I can wear spandex, at least in public.


2) Have you ever spent any time (even a couple of hours) in jail? If so, what for?

RS:I once spent 5 minutes in a cell at the Children’s Safety Village at Fanshawe, but other than that, no! It’s true that I can’t leave the country, but that’s because I haven’t applied for a passport since the new border rules came in effect.

RW note: This is possibly the most wholesome answer this question could possibly have. Well done, RS!

3) Do you have a favourite London bike shop? Which one?

RS: It has shifted as bike shops come and go (RIP All Season Sport), currently it is Village Cycle. In the past I’ve also bought from Reynold Cycle, and To Wheels. I even have an old Fiori Excella from Champion Bicycles that I bought 30 years ago, although it needs a bit of work to be road-worthy again.

 

4) What is your favourite place to cycle recreationally?

 

I’d have to give the London’s Thames Valley Parkway a pretty good grade, especially early in the morning before they become crowded with long dog leashes and the headphone zombies. Otherwise it’s the open country road (a quiet one with a wide shoulder) for training rides.

 

5) Wine or beer? Neither? Both? Other?
 

Beer! I’ll drink wine to be polite, or if its free. But I often go weeks without drinking either one. Coke (the soda kind) might be my kryptonite, it’s great for when I’m training, not so much when I’m less active, and I can’t stand the diet versions.

6) Got any hobbies (other than cycling)?

Triathlon, running, (both middle-of-the-pack, you can see my times at Athlinks), camping (the trailer kind), home automation (basic electronics and embedded systems). I keep up on consumer technology trends and I’m usually asked questions about computers and phones and tablets and internet, but I’m actually a late adopter myself.


7) What would you consider a "dream bike" right now?

Anything Cervelo gets me excited but I think I’d be too worried about it getting scratched or stolen. The Marin Fairfax SC6 looks like a sweet replacement for my current commuter; it has internal hub drivetrain! front dynamo hub! hydraulic brakes! puncture-resistant tires!


8) How much/often do you ride your bike?

Daily! During the week for commuting on my heavily used Gary Fisher bike (I think pretty much only the frame is original after a few winters), and sometimes training on the weekend on a Cannondale road bike. I recently spent a day my daughter with hauling her around in a bike trailer just to prove it can be done, and we’ll often use the trailer while camping, too.

Richard with his Gary Fisher commuter bike,

looking way more fit than me. Jerk.

 

 

9) Demographics: Give me your age, gender, family/marital status, job if you want, the works.

 

I’m currently in the 40-44 age group (as we say in the running/triathlon industry) with a wife and young daughter. I work as a software developer.

10) Any tips or tricks you've learned that you would like to share? Cycling and non-cycling answers welcome!

Don’t eat yellow snow! Most important cycling tip I have is to leave yourself room! WE ARE TRAFFIC! This means take the lane - a lot of close calls I have had were with vehicles trying to squeeze past me. By forcing them to slow down and pass, you have room to maneuver if it gets tight. I’m more aggressive on this since I’ve been “door-prized”, although my winter padding saved me from serious injury. This also means leaving room for when cars “don’t see you” and turn in front, so you have time to stop or avoid. I assume that I am invisible unless I see eye contact, and even then I am wary. I’ve also had a shouting match or two with motorists in the past, but in the end I can’t change their behaviour, so now when I hear a shout (though it’s not like I can hear the whole sentence anyways as the vehicle zooms by) I just assume it’s something like, “looking good”, or “I wish I was riding”, to which I can wave back graciously.

 

11) If you can, tell me one thing about yourself that most people would never guess.

Twenty years ago, my answer was that I was a closet cyclist. No more! Now I cycle outside! You might think I’d be a big bike sports fan, but I never got into watching events like the Tour de France (even before/during/after the whole Lance thing). I did once do the Tour de Norfolk. That was fun.


12) If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would your favourite movie be?

Peanut Butter, au naturel, the Motion PictureTM! However, the sequel was a bit nutty. Recently I discovered Banana Granola Peanut Butter, so I may have a new favourite. Movies-wise I like sci-fi, war themed, and, shh! romantic comedies.

 

Thanks Richard! I thought those answers were pretty damn good. I also think that set of questions will do quite nicely in future. Speaking of the future, I want to profile more London Ontario cyclists! Do you know somebody who might be good, including yourself? Lemme know.

Yer Pal,

R  A N T W I C K

I Can See Clearly Now

There was a bit of bike path running under a bridge here in London Ontario at Adelaide St that I actually emailed the City about because the sight lines were so bad. Nothing happened for many days, leaving the spot in question looking like this:

 

 

 

 

 

That spot is bad at the best of times, but the lack of sight line under the bridge thanks to the vegetation was slowing me to a crawl for fear of running into somebody.

 

Recently, however, I had the good fortune to run across not only some real improvements but also the people who did the work!
 

 

 

 

 

When asked about what I was filming, I told those guys "good stuff goes on my web site"... I wonder if they would like to know they made the cut? Pun unintentional. A keeper though, right?

 

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Oops

I accidentally posted tomorrow's stuff today for like, only a couple minutes. I could see a couple people actually took a look. If you did get a look at the London Ontario Cyclist Profile of the mighty Richard Sleegers, consider yourself sneak peeked!

 

The rest of you will just have to wait until tomorrow. Stay tuned though, todays regularly scheduled programming is still on the way. It is scheduled for 1145 to be exact.

 

Hey, speaking of that, I write my posts at night and usually schedule them to publish some time in the morning. Any preferences for what that time should be? Let me know.

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

They Are Among Us

Well, having that camera on my head all the time had to pay off sooner or later! I have captured some footage that strongly points to an alien presence in London Ontario:

 

 

 

 

 

I could not resist having that kind of fun when I saw those perfectly still wheels. Rantwick readers being as intelligent as they are, however, (which is roughly Government-experimental-spy-ferrets-after-6-solid-weeks-of-Luminawesomity-brain-training intelligent) many of you know what is going on here. Commonly called the "wagon wheel effect", this is what happens when the frame rate of my video camera happens to synch up rather perfectly with the rotation of the spokes in the wheels.


Here's a super cool video showing the same thing, this time with a badass helicopter:
 

 

I love stuff like this. Explicable, but still fun as hell. In my opinion. If you disagree, just put a sock in it. The aliens and I don't need your humourless downer vibes clouding the hivemind.

 

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

My Coffee Maker is Possessed

"Possessed" might be the wrong word. My coffee maker is more of a reincarnation. Of Darth Vader.

 

CHECK THIS OUT:

 

 

 

Wait, wait. That just looks like a black coffee maker. Sorry. Forgot to raise the lid:

 

 

 

Oh yeah. There he is.

 

 

What can I say? I mentioned in a previous post that this blog may be getting sillier for a while. You were warned.

 

Something related to cycling will appear here again very soon, I sort of promise.

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

There Will Be Groundhogs

My family saw two deer close up last weekend while driving well within the boundaries of London Ontario. They were beautiful. I love deer; they have the skinny legs of horses or cows, yet have a graceful, natural shape found in neither. It was great. I did not get pictures, preferring to enjoy the moment rather than scrambling for a phone or whatever.

 

The natural world has a way of asserting itself even in unlikely places, no matter where you live; different animals perhaps, but rest assured, there will be groundhogs. City-dwelling wild animals make me happy in a very simple way. Perhaps that is why this helmet cam-based video has a Sesame Street kind of quality. Enjoy. Or not, I guess, if you're some sort of bitter and negative person who would rather be crusty. Either way, if you click play there will be groundhogs!

 

 

 

As you may have noticed, I recruited the Rantwick clan to record some voice-overs. They were totally willing at the time, probably because they knew it was the quickest way to have me leave them alone so they could return to the things they actually wanted to be doing.

 

When my kids saw the finished product, they independently asked variations of "What is your deal? Who sees five groundhogs and does this?" I had no answer other than "I do, I guess!" That answer didn't seem to satisfy, but I got the feeling that despite their puzzlement, they kind of liked that I am this kind of weirdo. Kind of. Mrs. Rantwick, on the other hand, just doesn't ask such questions any more. She is the best woman on the planet, hands down.

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

 

PS - Groundhogs are real pain in the butt for farmers, who in these parts shoot them when they can. I get that. These city groundhogs, however, aren't hurting anybody as far as I know. I hope they get to stick around. 

London Ontario Cyclist Profile: Richard Sleegers

Well, a local cyclist has agreed to be profiled here on Rantwick, and I couldn't be more pleased. So, without further ado, let's interview Cyclist Wave Master Richard Sleegers!

 

 

RW: So, Sleegers huh? Are you related to the famous Canadian beer family? I love beer. In fact, I'm drunk right now!

 

 

RS: Yeah, I can tell. You're thinking of Sleeman's, so no, I'm not related.

 

RW: Woah, sorry about that. You look like a pretty regular bike commuter. Is that true?

 

RS: Nope. I hate riding my bike. My Lincoln Navigator was in the shop that day and my wife needed the Hummer, so I had to ride my bike like some kind of stupid loser.

 

RW: Wait a second. You gave me a wave. I was on a bike too, so I thought it was a gesture of transportational collegiality, if you will. Why did you wave?

 

 

RS: Well, everybody knows that cyclists are insane; I was just trying to fit in so you wouldn't, like, freak out on me or something. You said yourself you're drunk right now. Cyclists are notoriously unpredictable.
 

 

RW: You know what? That is simply not true! You've got cyclists all wrong! Now help me get into this scuba suit. I've got a bank to rob! You cool with driving?

 

 

RS: Hell yes! We can take my Navigator. Let's do this thing!

 

 

There was more to this interview/event but I have opted to omit the remainder in the interest of keeping my freedom. Needless to say, it did not go well.

 

-- end of fake interview --

 

 

The fake interview went so poorly that I'm looking forward to the real one quite a lot. I'm still a bit of a loner, though, so maybe email will do. I'm still percolating on that. Richard, I will be in touch with some real questions soon.

 

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a video that will BLOW YOUR MIND. Here's a little teaser:

 

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Well This Is Cool...

I recently posted a video of a "cyclist wave" featuring an unknown local rider. Miracle of miracles, this particular rider reads this blog at least sometimes! I know this because he commented on here once before some time ago. It really is a miracle, you know. If you knew how few people read this blog, local or otherwise, you would believe.

 

Anyway, London Ontario local Richard Sleegers dropped the following comments on that post:

I call that one my "motorcycle wave" but it's hard to see. I can't say that I heard the Woop, Woop, Woop as I passed by, but I may have been listening to a podcast.

The construction on Wavell had diverted me, I don't usually go out that way but eventually I knew the camera would capture me in my spandex glory.

and after that:

I watched the videos out of order, the "first contact" was silent. I usually only give a nod, maybe secretly I was hoping for a featured profile post.
  

Spandex glory captured, dude! I trust the lack of detail in the video was pleasing. What usually draws my attention to another cyclist, though, is the gear. Especially panniers. Also riding style. Maybe I'm crazy, but the combination of similar gear and a confident, efficient riding style (is that a noticeable thing for you too?) speaks of a potential kindred spirit, in cycling terms only, of course. The road ain't no church or political rally, thank my Lord and Saviour with the blessing of the Right Kind of government officials.

Where was I? Oh, yeah! "maybe secretly I was hoping for a featured profile post"! Are you kidding me? I would love to do a featured profile post! I mean, cycling site authors profile their cycling buddies all the time! I have no cycling buddies, so this is an awesome and unique opportunity for me! My question, however, is whether Richard was thinking a "Beard Guy"-style fake interview or a real one. I am totally up for either one.

Hey Richard, if you're still out there, let me know. The fact that somebody local has contacted me has me completely stoked. Do people still say stoked?

Speaking of "Beard Guy", that dude laid a beatific smile on me the other day when I said good morning:
 

 

The good vibes emanating from beard guy were powerful, man. They kept me buoyant and somewhat less than cynical for like, 3 hours. I'm hoping their power have travelled your way via photo. I bet they have. Can you feel it?

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

 

PS - Richard, if you're reading this and wishing you had never commented, let me know and I'll take this post down in a heartbeat. I'm not in this to make anybody uncomfortable, ever. 

I'm All Good

Crabbiness overcame me yesterday. I'm not going to apologize for it, since what I wrote remains true. However, I was taking things a little too seriously. I mean, I have a loving family, a good job, a bike, a car and several personal interests (including this blog) that I find really enjoyable. One of my brothers has a great expression that grounds me real quick: my problems are First World problems. I won't try to explain that, because thankfully Rantwick readers are real smart, like genius monkeys on intelli-crack smart.

 

You know, it's not like I have a toddler on a leash who falls down and causes me to lightly kick my dog at the end of a tiring and dreary winter day:

 

 

 

Poor woman. I hope and trust that she has had many enjoyable moments since that one.

It is still Summer, my toddlers (one of which could have used a leash) are awesome almost full grown people and my dog says I Love You pretty reliably when I get home each day. I'm all good. 

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Sick and Tired

I recently mentioned that I had contacted a local cycling group and was going to get involved. Well here's the flip flop. Forget that, man. This has does nothing to do with the group in question, but that little notion has no appeal to me once again.

 

Cycling advocates, aficionados and chronic debaters have just worn me out. I have only myself to blame, having waded in and out of those waters repeatedly over the last several years. I do care about such things, but sadly it would seem I have little tolerance for people, specifically groups of people.

 

Many of the blogs and websites I read are written by people who make sense to me. That is natural, of course. Nonetheless, the back and forth, push and pull of the conversations in the comments, usually interspersed with the exclamations of idiots and the rantings of crackpots, has lost its interest. I used to find it entertaining and engaging. Now (or perhaps more accurately, today) I have had enough.

 

It is totally fair to call me a hypocrite or egomaniac at this point. The irony of my writing a "cycling" blog and hoping people will read it while complaining about everyone else expressing themselves about cycling on the Internet is not lost on me. See, I'm part of the problem, just one of the millions of selfish children out here screaming "watch me dive" to the world and expecting people to do just that, no matter what is going on around us.

 

I'm going to keep writing and I hope you keep reading. If my posts get weirder or sillier, don't be surprised; I may be trying to make my blog content impervious to serious discussion for the next little while.

 

 

Yer Crusty Pal,

R A N T W I C K

We Ride Bikes! Woop, Woop, Woop!

There is a peculiar little wave used by cyclists who are passing each other in opposing directions sometimes. In London Ontario, almost nobody does it, so I don't usually do it either. I am, however, always ready to wave back when it happens. I kinda like it. Here's a sample:

 

 

 

 

I understand why the wave needs to be understated. Nobody wants it confused with a signal for turning or stopping or whatever. It seems awful quiet and tentative though, considering how awesome it is that 1) you are riding a bike and 2) they are also riding a bike and 3) you're both willing to wave, signifying that you "get" each other at least in some small way.

 

Have you ever heard a group of Australians respond to the call "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" with a rousing "Oi, Oi, Oi"?

 

 

I wish it was like that with passing cyclists. I mean, how fun would it be if instead of a small hand gesture, we all did this:
 

 

 

 

 

An additional bonus is that this could be used after you've overtaken someone too, since it isn't a visual thing! Tell your friends. If the tens of people who read this blog start doing it, surely it will become an international phenomenon, right? WE RIDE BIKES! WOOP, WOOP, WOOP!



Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

 

PS - In this day and age it seems everything has already been done. I often think up little inventions, only to search for them online and sure enough, somebody else has gotten there first. Wondering if by some bizarre chance somebody had already done something like this before, I searched "we ride bikes woop woop woop" and found that the Aussies, of all people, were already in the ballpark with the "WOOP! Rolling Festival", some sort of fun cycling thing in Sydney.

 

This event is not in direct conflict with my idea; in fact if they do it again, these people would probably be more than ready to take up my chant! I'm gonna try to contact them and give a link to this post on their facebook page. Can you feel the momentum building? WE RIDE BIKES! WOOP, WOOP, WOOP!

PPS - If you think it would feel awful stupid doing this, try doing both parts standing alone in a work parking lot at lunch just so you could make a stupid video. I hope nobody noticed.


Hiatus Interruptus

Hey all, sorry I vanished for a while without saying goodbye. The Rantwick clan went on an adventure. Most of those memories I plan to hoard for myself rather than broadcasting them here. I will tell you I was well off the grid, with no access to the Internet. I missed this stuff, but not the work stuff.

 

I have a tendency to keep working when I am supposed to be relaxing, so being unable to check in was very good for my brain. I experienced a blissed out feeling represented well by this guy, who was obviously enjoying a nice moment, at least until I announced my stupid presence:

 

 

Alas, we got bills to pay and thankfully employers who appear willing to help us do it, so we're getting back to normal now.  

 

I hope to post way more often again in the coming months, but I'm not entirely sure I want to do the Autumn Tree Smackdown again. What do you think? Would you be disappointed, or is it time to retire that thing? Let me know.

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Spandex Is Great, Thanks.

I have written about spandex / lycra before on this blog, noting how crabby people some seem to get about it. Spandex just seems to be a magnet for comment and unless you are super fit and good looking, some measure of derision.

 

This, combined with a desire to look more normal off the bike (like at a restaurant or something) led to my purchase of baggy cycling shorts offering chamois liners. The best of both worlds, right? In most cases so far, yes. Most cases. The ones that don't involve crazy stupid mental hot weather like that being experienced by many right now.

 

In this kind of weather the chance of me "layering" below the waist is zero. Spandex/lycra cycling shorts allow the breeze to cool you as you ride, unlike just about any other garment I can think of other than a Speedo! Take that visual and put it in your special mind vault now, before it burns, and put spandex cycling shorts in its place. They're not so bad now, are they?

 

Thank God for my good old spandex shorts. They are making the commute bearable rather than just plain psycho.

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Summer

Work, Baseball, Karate, Soccer. Mix well. Repeat. And Repeat.

 

I'll write often again some day, I hope. Please check back soon because I've got some video and stuff I'll get to sharing asap. R A N T W I C K

Snack God

Here in London Ontario there are now a few big Asian supermarkets. They are like any big supermarket in many ways. In other ways, not so much. It is kind of like taking China Town in a big city and repackaging it for mass consumption by suburbanites. I love these stores, because despite wishing I weren't so boring, I'm about as average a white man as you can get; a perfect target audience, if you will. They have so much cool stuff I've never seen before!

 

I had to buy these just because of the outstanding name and packaging:

 

Lonely God Potato Twists

I bet God really is kind of lonely these days. I mean, the numbers of religious people seems to be at an all-time low, as far as I can tell. Thankfully, that doesn't stop His or Her or Its minions from gracing our villages full of medieval-style towers with potato twists, thank Whoever!

The potato twists themselves were kind of rotini-shaped and had the taste and texture of slightly soft (like squeak against your teeth soft) sour cream n' onion chips. I ate half the bag anyway, because when I bought 'em, I made a commitment. It's just the kind of stand-up Lonely God fearing man that I am.

God might be lonely, but the helpers are super happy. I would be happy too, I guess, if I had a magic snack wand and could fly! I'm gonna try to spend all day feeling like this helper-minion-angel, sprinkling awesome weird joy snacks composed of goodwill and MSG and onion powder on all whom I meet. It'll beat being a jerkface angry man who just yells profanities at everybody all the time. I am just so sick of that.

 

 

Yer Pal,

 

 

R A N T W I C K

Happiness is a New Chain

I was failing to love my summer commuter in a proper fashion and had not replaced the chain in too long. I got around to that and new brake pads and front tire on the weekend. I measured the old chain and thankfully I had done the work in time, such that the cogs probably haven't suffered much, if at all.

 

Nothing is quite like a smooth running fixed gear with a new, perfectly tensioned chain:

 

 

When I see other people on fixed gears, I sometimes notice some sagging in the chain; I feel sorry for those bikes. They need a little more love.

 

For the detail people: Those thingies at the back of the horizontal dropouts are chain tensioners or "tugs". They aren't really necessary, but the wheels I bought on ebay came with them and I like using them because they make it easier for me to dial in the chain tension just so. Front chainring is a Blackspire Mono Veloce 130/44. Rear cog has 17 teeth, works out to 69.3 gear inches and has served me very well around town.

 

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Am I Crazy?

I have long professed my predilection for being a solo rider, an intentional loner, if you will. I'm not really into a bike club or lbs social scene... I value the solitude offered by the bicycle very highly: it is my zen time, not to be impinged upon by the ramblings (or space taking uppings) of others. I find it calming even when riding in full downtown street mode.

 

Here in London Ontario a local cycling advocacy group has gotten some press and God help me, I've asked to be involved. Here's the email I sent:

 

Hello,

 

I am year-round bicycle commuter here in London who up until now has had no involvement in cycling advocacy. Your recent media attention has peaked my interest in your group and made me think about joining in the discussion.

 

I would like to know more about your group, and may be in a position to forward the cause (in a small way) online.

 

Thanks,

 

Patrick "Rantwick" Cormier

 

This isn't like me at all. If they get back to me, I'll have to, like, meet some new people! What have I done? Plus, in pasting my email, I have noticed a grammatical error! "I am year-round bicycle commuter"? They're bound to hate me from the start!

 

Seriously though, this is different from participating in group rides and stuff like that... unless they're into CM and shit, which I have no interest in. I think it likely that if they get back to me, they won't force me to ride with others.

 

As much as I want to just ride my bike, I'm feeling like I want to add my voice (and opinions) to the discussions of what London needs to promote cycling. I have read some stuff that makes this group seem like typical bike lane proponents; that isn't bad so long as it's not all about the paint. Even if it is, maybe I can add a voice that helps reduce poorly planned paint! I love bike lanes, really, when they make sense and are safely designed.

 

Caring about stuff sucks. I mean, when you start caring about stuff, it makes you start doing stuff. This is bad news for a person who is lazy by nature. Damn. Am I crazy?

 

Yer Doomed to Do More Stuff Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - Under my new rules, "uppings" (see first para) is a real word.

Baggy (MTB) Bike Shorts Review - Pearl Izumi Canyon vs. Zoic Black Market

Opening note: I bought these shorts with my own money; they were not provided to me by their makers nor do I have any financial arrangements with them, so rest assured this is an unbiased review.

 

Over the past year or so I've developed a desire to look a little more normal (less spandexy) both on the bike and when I stop somewhere like a bar patio or a grocery store. The click-clack of bike shoes is bad enough without showing off my awesome butt, y'know? I don't have lots of spare cash sloshing around, despite what my highborn-grey pallor may have led you to believe, so I went on Amazon and started looking for reasonably priced baggy bike shorts that still offered me the comfort of a chamois liner.

 

The two shorts I decided to try were the "Pearl Izumi Canyon" and the "Zoic Black Market with RPL liner", largely because they weren't expensive compared to many others. When I bought them, the Zoic was $54 and the Pearl Izumis were $47. I see that right now the prices (at least on Amazon) aren't as good. I got lucky, I guess...

   

Pearl Izumi Canyon      Zoic Black Market

The Amazon links above have better pictures of the features of these shorts.  I also happened to buy them in the same colours.

A note on sizing: I am 5'10" (11 on a tall day), over 200 lbs and have a 36" waist. Based on what other purchasers had written, I bought in size L for the Izumis and XL in the Zoics. Both pairs fit me well. I had better not gain any weight if I want keep wearing the Izumis, but that is cool with me; it's not really my plan to gain any more.

 

Both of these shorts included an outer pair of "normal" looking shorts and a liner with chamois that attached to them with loops and "snap straps"; short bits of fabric with snaps on the end that attached to elastic loops sewn onto the liners. With both pairs, these attaching bits were way more trouble than they were worth. I stopped trying to use them right away, opting to just wear the liners unattached to the shorts.

 

In both cases the shorts were cut for cycling, with a little stretchiness and a shortish inseam than kept them from getting snagged on the nose of the bike saddle and stuff like that. On the bike, the Pearl Izumis and the Zoic both sat nicely on my legs and didn't balloon out catching wind or anything like that. The Zoics were shorter and rode a little higher, threatening to but never revealing the edge of the liner, while the Izumis were a little longer and hugged my legs a little more, without ever threatening to reveal my chamois little secret.

 

The Baggy Parts:

 

Both pairs of shorts featured a smallish pocket behind the right knee. When I first used that pocket for a set of keys or a cell phone, it felt totally annoying while standing and I wondered what the hell the makers were thinking. On the bike however, I figured out that the little pocket was perfect, tucking a little something under your leg in the least annoying spot for pedaling.

 

The Zoic shorts closed at the waist with a velcro tab and included a snazzy black belt that closed with a plastic snap buckle. Although I thought the belt kind of lame at first, it did end up helping control things at my waistline, since the shorts had an elasticized back. Around the waist, the Zoic shorts felt a little sloppier than the Izumis, which had a snap at the waist and adjusters inside the waistband like you might find in children's clothes, which seemed pretty smart to me.

 

The Zoic shorts felt heavier and warmer, mostly because they had both zippered and regular pockets all over the place, which was great when off the bike but added layers of fabric. The Izumis, however, had just one small pocket, behind the knee as mentioned previously, and felt more natural/purpose built while riding. Trouble was, once off the bike there weren't any useful pockets for carrying your stuff!


The Chamois/Liner Parts:

I am a little reluctant to review any chamois, since I can't imagine a more personal kind of choice; what one person likes another may hate. That said, I should really say something, so here goes:

The liners for both pairs of shorts were not like "real" compression style bike shorts, but like slightly snug stretchy boxers with a chamois sewn in. The "RPL liner" provided by the Zoic shorts let me down in the chamois department. The chamois was almost too substantial and didn't conform to my body very well, seeming to want to keep its own shape rather than be flexible. This made it feel kind of diaper-ish and like the back edge of the chamois was visible under the outer shorts (and it was, a little) when standing around off the bike.

The Izumi liner, on the other hand, was really good and felt comfortable both on and off the bike. I've never really liked sitting around in bike shorts for too long, but if it was required I would want to do it with this chamois. My only problem with the Pearl Izsumi chamois is that they market it as a "3D" chamois and have "3D" texture-printed (is that a thing?) on it. I have gone on rants about 3D and marketing before. This chamois is definitely less flat with clearly defined zones or pads or whatever with deepish channels between them, making it more "3D" than many others, so I can almost see the rationale. HOWEVER: The expression "3D" and anything crotchally related should just not happen. That is all. Let's move on.

Summary: The Zoic Black Market shorts are more useful off the bike with many more pockets. The liner, however, was disappointing compared to the Pearl Izumi's. I often wear the shorts now with the Izumi liner or a pair of good old spandex bike shorts underneath. The Pearl Izumi Canyon shorts really perform well on the bike, being a little longer and little cooler and also feature really good liner and chamois. However, the lack of any usable off-bike pockets makes them less flexible on those rides where you're stopping someplace for a while.

Verdict: I like both pairs and wear them both all the time. The proof is in the choosing, though. If both these pairs are clean I reach for the Pearl Izumi Canyon shorts  9 times out of 10, preferring on-bike performance over off-bike practicality.

These are the first and only pairs of baggy cycling shorts I have ever owned. Despite being slightly warmer in hot weather, I am pleased to have made the change from sporting the full-on tight spandex because I feel more comfortable with my day-to-day appearance. Have any of you got a recommend for a pair of baggies that have been really great? Let me know in the comments and I'll post links to 'em! 
 

  

Yer Less Spandexy Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - Steve A commented that he likes the REI ones except that he finds the front pockets a little small compared to real cargo shorts. Here are some links: 

Velocodger commented too and seems to really like his Dakine shorts and liners (I think the shorts include a liner with chamois, but linked to both):

Just for the Record, I am 44 and my name isn't Wayne.

There was some local London Ontario news I meant to share 2 months ago but only remembered today. Among multi use path people, groups of joggers really slow cyclists down. Especially when you have to literally run them over. All that annoying bumping, you know...

 

From a local CTV article:

 

A 65-year-old London man is facing a number of charges after a woman who was running on a trail was struck from behind by a cyclist and then run over, causing serious injuries.

 

Wayne Morrison has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, mischief and common nuisance in the incident.

 

London police say the woman was running on a Thames Valley trail in December 2012 when Morrison allegedly rode directly into her back, causing her to fall to the ground and then rode over her.

 

The 37-year-old woman suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a pulled neck and severe bruising on her face including two black eyes. The incident appears to just be the latest in a string disruptive behaviour involving a cyclist and area runners.

 

When I'm riding the paths, groups of runners present some of the biggest slowdowns and I find it a little vexing when I have to deal with lots of them, as I'm sure they do when it comes to lots of bicycles. The path is meant to be shared and they have every bit as much right to the path as I do.

 

In addition, groups of runners (and individuals too) are among very few users who seem to get the whole "on your left" idea. Although they often spread out across the whole path, when I announce "bike on your left" they very reliably spread the word amongst themselves and move over.

 

Even then, I never blow by a group like that because it just isn't safe. Instead I pass at fairly low speed. We often share a few thank you's and a wave and sometimes even a "have a good run" or "have a good ride". I really like that part, because in most day-to-day travel, that kind of civility and goodwill NEVER happens. It happens with joggers and me. I like joggers.

My name is Patrick Cormier. I am 44 years old. I do not own a black leotard, although at 200+ lbs and 5'10", I bet I would look awesome in one.

Yer Free of Pending Charges Pal,

 

R A N T W I C K

Schadenfreude and a Deep Sigh

No video or pics or anything on this post. The events I am about to describe happened while the camera was running, but in reviewing the video I was once again wishing it had the nearly instant zoom and focus of the human eye, because what the video showed, even with software zoom efforts, was not capable of mirroring what I saw at all. I just deleted it.

 

Schadenfreude: While riding to work recently I saw a young man (on his way to school, likely) riding down the sidewalk and texting as we approached a 4 way stop. Oblivious at first to the pickup truck that had spotted him and stopped in the middle of the intersection so as not to run him down, the boy eventually woke up and awkwardly braked while descending off the sidewalk. The braking and the bump dislodged his phone from his grasp and it fell to the pavement and scattered into three distinct pieces (phone body, cover and battery) like many of us have experienced one time or another. While I hoped his phone wasn't totally busted, I felt a happiness unbecoming a grown man. Schadenfreude.

 

Deep Sigh: On my way home today while sitting at a light I spotted a cyclist in the right hand lane of a 4 lane, two way street, confidently signaling their desire to move left, into the centre lane. I was happy. Upon reaching the intersection, they proceeded to turn right.

 

Funny thing, I heard myself laugh when I reviewed the video. It was funny. Except when I thought about it later. How does that cyclist signal a left, I wonder? If it is with a right hand turn signal, they are quite likely to get hurt or worse pretty soon.

 

In addition, when stuff like this happens, it makes me wonder what the motorists around me think when I signal. Do they just wait to see what I do and then feel relief that it matched what I indicated? I like to think that motorists might appreciate the difference in appearance between a hardcore commuter like me and other bike riders and trust my signals accordingly, but that is completely unrealistic considering some of the stuff I've seen some well-equipped commuters do. Deep Sigh.

 

 

Well, it has been my pleasure to bum you out on Friday morning... in case I haven't, please remember that things only get worse and hopelessness is obviously the only reasonable course of action.

 

Or not! It's almost the weekend! Woohoo!

R A N T W I C K

PS - When I spell checked this post "texting" was highlighted. Good to know blogger is using the Queen's English and not some kooky modern day dictionary full of words used by, like, people.

Things People Say Fridays #12: A Startlingly Common Question

I've generally stopped keeping video of people saying, "Is that a helmet cam?", because it happens once a week or so and is no longer novel to me. This one was a little bit more memorable than most others because it startled me and was just a little funnier somehow, so I kept it to show to you now.

 

 

 

 

Have super weekends everybody!

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

And to my Right...

People look at the camera on top of my head and have varying reactions, a few of which are captured in this post.

There's the "Camera! Woot woot, camera, look at me!" types:

There's the "huh, that's cool" or perhaps benevolent "hey look at that weirdo" types:

But my favourites are the somewhat perplexed types. Is that a light? A camera? Wah?

The lady pictured above had a big perplexed smile on her face that was clearer than the photo shows, and her head did the classic cock-to-one-side thing as I got closer, like this:

OK, maybe her head didn't fall off. Or maybe, just maybe, it did! It was still tilting when I passed her and then she was out of visual range. I didn't hear anything on the news about a mysteriously headless woman or anything, but you never know! Hey lady, if you're reading this, yep, it was a camera. Hope yer head stayed on.

Remember, a stranger is a just a friend you haven't met! Or a totally dangerous psycho. One of those. I'm gonna stick all three of these strangers in the friend category, 'cause I am an optimist who believes most people are good. Or dangerous psychos.

 

 

Come back soon, ya psycho!

R A N T W I C K

PS - It's nothing personal. I assume all who come to this site and read to the end of any post is a psycho. But not dangerous. I hope. Signing off from my easily found home in Austin, Texas (just look for the 30' turkey statue in the centre of my front yard fountain), be good 'till next time. 

Simple, Right?

Just a little video showing what I think is a no-brainer when it comes to bike lanes and right turning cars. Riding around town I often see cyclists and cars respecting that painted line way too much, to the detriment of both.

 

 

 

 

Comments welcome as always!

 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Things People Say Fridays #11: Bike Path Trash Talk

The time: Early May 2013.

The Place: London, Ontario.

The Battle: Hill climbing supremacy.

The Protagonists: Awesome. 

Hey, find your inner Annabelle and have a great weekend!

R A N T W I C K

Must Share Video, Again!

Wow! That is all.



 

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Poo Ladder Plus!

I don't know how to introduce this bit of my damn awesome life. Just read on, I guess!

 

I needed to use an extension ladder to get at a 2nd floor air conditioner at my house. Surveying the back yard, I saw a few dog poos. I scooped 'em, not wanting to bring the ladder out with them around.

 

I ascended the ladder and did my work. Little did I know, I had stepped in dog poop before doing so. I got to discover that terrible fact by descending the ladder, putting my hands on the poo my shoe had deposited on the way up. Yes. It was awesome.

 

Thankfully, the same dog that made the poo that ruined my day (and my ladder) also loves me AND CAN TELL ME SO!

 

 

 

For those of you who are only about cycling, please note that my Chico sessions feature me in cycling shoes after my PM commute. That's all I got.

 

 

Pity me. Envy me. Both apply!

R A N T W I C K

Must Share Video

Thanks to Byron at bikehugger.com for posting this before me. Danny Mac is still my favourite, but that doesn't make this any less awesome.





 

Good Lord. How Do these guys do that? How?

R A N T W I C K