I Bought a Bike

Like me buying bike related stuff is any sort of news, but I had to get myself a new single speed/fixie/beater frameset because my old whips both have broken forks (riding a bike with a broken fork is no good). I got some quotes for a new fork, but then stumbled upon a Vuelta single speed frameset (frame/fork/seatpost) on Nashbar for very reasonable $69.99 price. I kind of had to pull the trigger on that one. Should have held off though because there's further -15% off on Monday for Presidents Day sale. Oh well, such is online bike geek shopper's life...plowing through the snow from one "could have had it cheaper" to another "oh darn, they sell it for 5% less in Attila Bike Shop in Ulaanbaatar" (shout out to the reader in Mongolia! I'll write more about MB triathlon come summer).

But it's long weekend and heading to Canadian hinterlands to hopefully ski/snowshoe tons. Keep an eye on this space for EPIC!!11! reports.

Manitoba, Winter Wonderland

Back in the Winnipeg, waah waah waaaah! Wouldn't be that bad if we had even a little bit more snow because the temperatures are pretty mild. All I can hope for is an early spring. How awesome would it be to have no snow and +10-15 at least for the Easter weekend?

Anyways. Since there is no snow in Winnipeg, I had to go look for some, and I found snow at Falcon Lake. I was told that Grand Beach has some snow as well, but I prefer Falcon because it seems to be bit hillier. Falcon trails are in excellent condition considering last Sunday was +7 and sunny. High Lake "portages" are bit rough, but otherwise trails are in good condition. 10-15 cm of snow would help though, but there's no snow in the forecast. I was kind of surprised to be almost the only skier our there. I saw only two other skiers out there.



I also spotted an awesome looking trails groomed on the south shore of the Falcon Lake. I suppose this was Spur Trail that connects to South Whiteshell trail and is part of Trans Canada Trail. I would like to know how much of this network is groomed in the winter as internet is doing good job hiding the information. It looks like there's really no trail between Falcon Lake and Kenora.

And while I'm on topic. My cross bike is for sale again and this time for reals as I think I may have time to look for a new bike for next 'cross season. Also my Spec Stumjumper HT is for sale. Check the For Sale for details.

Christmas and New Year Training Camp

Just one day of work between December 23rd and January 16th, so I better take advantage of this and do a training camp.

So far it has been three days of MTB at Grand Beach with two pretty hard rides plowing through the snow in the bush and Boxing Day spin. Today I'm summoned to run errands in the morning so I'll hop on the trainer this afternoon for some oh so pleasant 4 x 20' at 90% FTP (or what I think may be my FTP right now...it's probably bit less). I haven't actually had this kind of training opportunity since the little lady came along. Maybe I can shed some weight too.

There may be a trip to Amsterdam or Stockholm during our holiday and that would be 2-3 days of rest, but we'll see.

Made in China

Just reading all the typical bike geek stuff online, I happened to notice the latest post on Rapha website. As a solid hater, I found this extremely entertaining. I think I puked a little bit in my mouth and felt like gouging my eyes out, but otherwise I rather enjoyed the post. I'm certain that Rapha loving Jens Voigt army will sleep better after this post as there is nothing to assure the ethical work environment like black and white photos. I am sure that Rapha has gone out of their way to make sure there is a quaint coffee shop within a short wool jersey, knicker trouser clad bike ride away from the factory. All this aside....when they ask $110-170 for their short sleeve jersey, you could expect the jersey to be made somewhere in western world.

And Sven's bike exploded again. Some might call it bad luck, but when it keeps happening "all the time", there's probably more to it than luck. Same as crashing 10 times in one season and calling it bad luck. Luck plays a part, but you may have gotten yourself in situations where you need luck to not get hurt.

And while I'm on my ranting gear, I better keep going.

What the hell is it with this winter? Where is the snow? It's almost Christmas and there's basically no snow on the ground. I want to ski! Now it's the time for snow not in April dammit!

I am evolving into a bigger Fred than I ever imagined. I purchased a dentist bicycle last summer and the most recent purchase was the SRM to replace my powertaps. Speed on the bike reduces and the amount of gear increases...typical signs of becoming a huge moron Fred. Next one will probably be a fatbike or something and at that point I've officially lost the battle and I will start riding longer and longer because "If you can't win go longer".

But five more real working days until our holiday. We'll be heading to the old country so should get some skiing in. December 23-January 16 will be just one working day for me so maybe I'll get my training going.

Non-Cycling ie. Important Update

I received a request for help today to find Dorothy Woods who went missing in Saskatoon on November 11, 2011. Later I read the reblog below and as a father of a little girl, who will eventually explore the world we live in, I felt that this is definitely worth reblogging.

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worth reblogging girls

‎”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this!

It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…

FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:



1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.
They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

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POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:


1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:
can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would
not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using
much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel
little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

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FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.


1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or
purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you! u are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.


If u have a heart or compassion reblog this post.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW
ATLEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOIN IN THIS WORLD.
So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.
I hope you all will Reblog. Lets See how many of you really care for this.

DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.