Thursday, March 27, 2014

The Right Gear: Essentials for Winter Cycling

First off, hi! Long time! How have you been? Uhuh... yeah... how 'bout the kids/dog/fish? Some winter we're having, eh?
 
Speaking of the winter that refuses to end, I have been riding my bicycle in it. I had a spell where I kind of stopped, but thankfully I've been back on the saddle for a few weeks and loving it as always.
 
Anyone who has come across the right bit of gear can attest to the fact that it can make a big difference to your enjoyment of any physical activity. In my case, I got tired of being attached to my pedals in dicey icy snowy kooky road conditions, and I've gone back to a cleatless, "normal" shoe and pedal for winter riding. Finding just the right thing proved very easy. Like so many romantic comedies prove, sometimes your heart's desire is right in front of you the whole time... you just need to see it!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So what is "essential" about an old pair of shoes? Nothing, of course. Because nothing is essential other than a bike and some attention to what hurts. If it freezes, cover it up. Whether you cover it with the sweetest bit of expensive bike gear or a chunk of tape don't matter none. That is essential. If you get my drift.
 
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

I'm Not Dead. YAY!


Dear Anyone Who Has Been Wondering If I'm Dead,


I'm not. YAY!

I have not ended up under anybody's wheels, had a heart attack, or gotten squished by a piano dropped from above. That last would be a pretty cool way to go, though. Snuffed in a cacophony of tinkling seems pretty cool to me.

Not that I want to die! I love most things about my life; my family, cycling, even work. What I don't love is that I'm in a dry spell here on the blog... sorry, but the juices just ain't flowin'.

I know myself too well to do a "callin' it quits" kind of post; I must leave this recreation open-ended. I always end up picking my guitar up again, even after long periods without. Same with this, I guess; heaven knows I'll get all wordy and annoying once more, I just don't know when.

So, I guess, don't stay tuned, 'cause it may be a long while. Or DO stay tuned, yeah, and read some of my older, better shit and hope that those days shall return. That's what I'm doing.


Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Publish or Perish

There is a common expression among professional academics, "Pubish or perish". Thank god blogs aren't like that, 'cause I would be dead. Hang on, though; I just checked my site stats and whadda ya know, blogs ARE like that! I am pretty much dead! Go an' figger!

My extended absence from this space wasn't planned or expected or any of that. I honestly hope that the friends I've made here swing 'round again when I start writing regularly once more. I have a problem with my creative outlets it would seem because I am prone to lengthy outages. This is the first long one with the blog, but similar things have happened with guitar and stuff before.

Rather than go into a lengthy exploration of why I stop and start, which is useful to no one, I think maybe I'll just post some stuff from while I wasn't writing here, like this:




Yes, I traveled a bit while I was gone... I'm hoping to keep it highly mysterious, like scooby-do mysterious. Why would a guy like me be taking pictures of posters in Slovakia? What? Why? Were there bikes? Well, no, there were no bikes, sorry.

I've been looking at some of my older posts and feeling like I used to write good stuff, but not lately. It might happen again, but if not I've always got some helmet cam video worth showing, thank goodness. I won't ask you to stay tuned because my return is still sort of fragile, but if you feel like it, come back again. There might actually be something to see or read.


And Oh Yeah, Merry Whatever Floats Your Spiritual Boat!
 Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K