Singletrack

I haven't done any dirt trail riding in 20 years. That is strange, because when I was younger I really loved it, getting muddy, wiping out sometimes... the challenges are exhilarating. When I returned to cycling several years ago, it was as an on-road and paved path commuter guy, and that remains true to this day. I think I may be saving wild times in the bush for my mid-life crisis or something. So, the title of this post is a little misleading. Here's what I meant:

Sorry I felt compelled to use Pachelbel's Canon again... I just love that freakin' piece. Please have an excellent weekend. I hope a couple of those little things that make you happy crop up.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - Speaking of things that make me happy, there's also this:

Just A Couple of Things

I went to Jakeman's for the sweet elixir to send off to JAT but they didn't have any! Should have more in a couple of weeks... at least it will be fresh!

Hey, you know what else is nice about Jakeman's? It is owned and operated by, you guessed it, the Jakemans! A pleasant thing in our monster corporation dominated world.

Now here's something that caught my eye at the grocery store a few days ago:

I wonder if "McDowell Ovens" is owned by the McDowells? I'll have to check that out sometime. What caught my eye, however, was this interesting statement on the packaging...

Shouldn't that kind of be understood? I mean they are breadcrumbs after all. I'm not sure why, but I find that statement super funny. It doesn't take much, I guess. Have super weekends everyone!

I am, as always,

R A N T W I C K

Rantwick Down!

I had a nice little wipeout a week ago on Thursday morning. I was barely moving and not even on the street at the time. Here's a helmet cam view of this stupid event:

As one might expect, the cam doesn't show much of what happened. I don't know where my mind was, but it wasn't on riding my bike or the big patch of ice I rode on to just as I was turning. I mean, it looks like I was aiming for it, but honestly my mind was just elsewhere, I guess.


Unlike a previous almost-stopped fall I wrote about on this blog, I did get a foot disengaged and on the ground, but my winter cycling boots have hard plastic soles that are less than useless on ice. I fell straight backward and landed hard, the back of my helmeted head smacking the pavement real good...

It hurt, but my helmet prevented any real brain damage. It hurt, but my helmet prevented any real brain damage. It hurt, but my helmet prevented any real brain damage.


I was kind of wanting a new helmet anyway. I hit one of my elbows super hard, but no bone damage. Did you know that the loose skin part of your elbow is called the "wenis" by some people? After I heard somebody call it that I had to look it up. Turns out it is popular slang, but not a "real" word as of yet. I had a badly bruised and and sensitive wenis. My neck was very sore and the next morning I hurt pretty much everywhere. It took three or four days for most of that to go away, but I'm right as rain again now. Except for the wenis. Still bruised and sensitive. In any case, it would seem that my preference for crashing at very low speeds is good for my health.

Stay Upright If You Can,

R A N T W I C K