Encounters with Rantwick, episode seventeen: I Am a Cat 6 Racer

I am completely unfamiliar with organized competitive cycling of any kind. I don't even ride in a group, ever. Don't pity me though. For me, the solitude is part of what makes a bike ride beautiful. Commutes, even. Like some other commuters, however, I am afraid I'm a bit of a Cat 6 racer.

I had to research a little bit about competitive cycling in order to explain that label here. The short version is that real bicycle racers compete in Categories based on their skill level. Category 1 is for elite cyclists who compete at the National and International level. Category 5 for men and 4 for women is where beginners at racing do their thing. "Cat 6" is not a real category. It is used as a euphemism for the informal racing that people on the street or path sometimes engage in, often spontaneously. I am a Cat 6 racer and I am AWESOME. Check this out:

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case - Goodbye, Good Tire

Exactly one year ago I posted something about cuts in my rear tire. I received many fine comments about how I might extend the life of the tires with internal patches, krazy glue, all kinds of stuff. I told my readers that I would try some of those things and see how it went. I was a stinking liar. I didn't try any of it. I just kept riding on it. I didn't even check on it once in a while and since I rarely flip my bike upside down the full fender hid it from view. It was a simple case of out of sight, out of mind.

Yesterday morning while riding in the wet my rear wheel was making a peculiar noise. I stopped and checked things out and could not believe how far gone the outer rubber was, but the fabric / anti-puncture layer was still intact and containing the tube. I rode it home after work, waiting for the flat. It never came. The following video clip will remain an online testament to my deep cluelessness and laziness in terms of bicycle maintenance, but that's OK. Here's how it looked when I got home: 

I am tempted to continue riding it until it flaps off like truck trailer rubber does sometimes, leaving behind a "road gator":

As much as I kind of want to see how far I can go in abusing this tire, it is on my commuter bike and getting to work and back in a timely fashion trumps my curiosity. For the record, that tire doesn't owe me a thing and has never been punctured in over 4+ years of daily city commuting. I don't track my miles the way many do, but I can attest to the fact that this thing went pretty damn far before giving up. Just spitballing it based on my commute length and months of the year I'm on this bike, I would put it at about 7200 km or 4473 miles. Not having to deal with the brunt of my  considerable weight, the front tire may last me a couple more years... I like these tires. Goodbye, good tire.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Good News Bad News - Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Coming to London Ontario

The good news: I am very happy. MEC is opening a store here in London Ontario. Mountain Equipment Co-op is a store very much like REI in the United States. I just read a snippet about it in the London Free Press here. Some of the comments about the article questioned why MEC would open here since we have a very good outfitters called Novack's downtown. I like Novack's too, but they don't do bikes. Which leads to the bad news...

I fear that the wide variety and lower prices on bicycle accessories offered by MEC could be bad news for my favourite local bike shops. Quality isn't always as high, but they do sell some good brands like Planet Bike that are harder to find in Canada, and their cheap house brands of cycling clothing are pretty popular too. I have no idea how much of a lbs's profits come from clothing and accessories like fenders, racks, lights, etc. but this can't be good. MEC expanded into selling bicycles as well a couple of years ago which is also troubling.

I'm torn. Selfish me is happy. Unselfish me is a little worried for the local shops. Time will tell, I guess.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - Thanks to lots of people ending up on this looking for London MEC info, I have collected everything I have written or learned about it here.