Cyclocross Shasta County Style!

Web-Foot Riders Present...

New Years Day Ride, The Search for Captain Look-Out. Jan. 1, 2010. 9 a.m. Starting at Carpet Mart, Downtown Redding. Please join us as we ride, rain or shine, to try our best to catch up with the enigmatic icon of Shasta County mt. biking, Captain Look-Out. Games, Prizes, and bell ringing... Cowbell that is!

Letter to Home.

The Furnace Creek Inn has a pair of outdoor fireplaces beside its spring-fed swimming pool, and they are lighted every evening at sunset. After dinner, on a cold December night, it was a treat to go down there and throw a few logs on one of those fires. I sat and basked in the radiance and warmth, the smell of the pinyon pine logs like incense. Above, a gray plume of smoke streamed from the stone chimney and traced across the starry black sky. While looking through the day’s photos on my camera, I started messing with the self-timer, and set up a self-portrait beside the fire—laughing at the very idea. A Christmas card from Death Valley. Love, Neil.

Don't Take My Word for It...

Listen to fellow Web-Foot rider, Mr. SanFranCup's comments on, weekly rides with the "WEBBERS!" "I really put a lot of training and preparation into this years Cyclo-Cross Series and now, well, we all know what a bunch o' lies that's turned out to be!" Actually, I said that. I don't need some doggone lawsuit from mis-quoting or plagiarizing my friend. You see, I am just a coward who hides out behind a key-board stirring up shat and then calling on my Big Buddy's to back me up! That's why I never ride alone.

Christmas on the Half-Shell

Sitting here asking myself that age old, English question: Is it time for another cuppa tea? I have just finished up reading that icon of 70's literature, Venus on the half-shell. I am a slow reader. I read at night while lying in bed, so usually, I only go a half-an-hour (tops) before I'm dropping the book on my face, nodding off. But I'm a tenacious little Son-of-A-gun and after a fortnight's worth of reading I have an answer to that age old question: "Why is man born only to suffer and die?" The answer is, of course, "Why not?!"

Dance of the Solstice

Here is a picture of last Sunday morning's ride up Rattlesnake-to-Westside-Trail-System. For those of you highly astute readers, yes... that is me doing the Dithyramb!

Of Frankenstein and Myrrh

About two o'clock the mist cleared away, and we beheld, stretched out in every direction, vast and irregular plains of ice, which seemed to have no end. Some of my comrades groaned, and my own mind began to grow watchful with anxious thoughts, when a strange sight suddenly attracted our attention, and diverted our solicitude from our own situation. We perceived a low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs, pass on towards the north, at the distance of half a mile: a being which had the shape of man, but apparently of gigantic stature, sat in the sledge, and guided the dogs. We watched the rapid progress of the traveler with our telescopes, until he was lost among the distant inequalities of the ice.
High quality myrrh can be identified through the darkness and clarity of the resin. However, the best method of judging the resin's quality is by feeling the stickiness of freshly broken fragments directly to determine the fragrant-oil content of the myrrh resin. The scent of raw myrrh resin and its essential oil is sharp, pleasant, somewhat bitter and can be roughly described as being "stereotypically resinous". When burned, it produces a smoke that is heavy, bitter and somewhat phenolic in scent, which may be tinged with a slight vanillic sweetness. Unlike most other resins, myrrh expands and "blooms" when burned instead of melting or liquefying.

Today On The Rack

Finished up the Blue Hard Rock Bike after going to "Seat Post 101" at Bikes Etc. Who'd a thunk that there was 57 different sized seat posts out there! I am here to tell you folks, Bikes Etc. is your ultimate source for not only great deals on bicycles and parts, but they also have so much knowledge and know-how and they are happy to share it with you. I like a bike shop where the employees actually ride bikes!

Redding Cyclo-Cross

Everybody needs to just chill the hell out! The above photo shows clearly that the "Board of Directors" are diligently working on getting us some high quality races going. Besides, what's the big deal anyway? It's still 116 degrees out there. Hopefully our first rains of the season will be arriving soon!

Announcing Seely's Catering Company

If you happen to know of any upcoming bicycle events that might need a nutritionally-balanced and delicious food service, please contact me. Our fee is $125.00 per event, plus the cost of food. We offer a large varity of on site prepared foods for groups of ten to one hundred people.

We Want Names!

Reward! Any information as to the identity of this man seen cooking nutritious food out at the Swasey Rec. Area on Sunday. He is alleged to have been using a curry powder that may contain ingredients banned in certain non-Ayuvedic Providences.

Our Idea Of Fun!

We will be taking a little ride out at Swasey Rec. Area. This Sunday, 2 p.m. Won't ya join us? Food, Fools and Frost-Brewed. Finally, found fifteen foundries for forging force feathers.

Seems To Me, It's Chemistry

All you ever wondered about or thought you knew, is right here. Even answers to the really big questions, like: Who am I, really? Where do we go when we die? Will there be Chai there?

A Priest and a Rabbi walk in to a bar...

Now that's what I call a winning combination! Fifty to ninety percent of the world's languages are predicted to disappear in the next century, many with little or no significant documentation. Much of the work that has been done, especially on smaller languages, remains hidden away in personal research files or poorly preserved in under-funded archives.

As part of the effort to secure this critical legacy of linguistic diversity, the Long Now Foundation is creating a broad online survey and near-permanent physical archive of 1,500 of the approximately 7,000 languages on the planet.

There are three overlapping goals for the project:

* To create an unprecedented platform for comparative linguistic research and education.
* To develop and widely distribute a functional linguistic tool that might help with the recovery of lost or compromised languages in unknown futures.
* To offer an aesthetic object that suggests the immense diversity of human languages as well as the very real threats to the continued survival of this diversity.

The 1,500-language corpus expands on the parallel text structure of the original Rosetta Stone through archiving ten descriptive components for each of the 1,500 selected languages.

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Web-Foots!

Oh Mama! That was a chilly one!

All I want for Christmas...

I wish I could go out on this Sunday's Web-Foot Ride on a really trick, Co-Motion Tandem. Of course, I know this is just a silly dream but who knows? If anyone knows of anyone who might be able to make this dream come true, please tell me how, so we can make this dream come true!

Meet The Web-Foots

Announcing a very special Web-Foot ride, coming this Sunday, Dec.6th. Come on out and meet Team Web-Foot as we gather at Carpet Mart 9a.m. to ride out to Swasey Rec. Area for a pre-ride of the "Timed-Group-Ride" course set for Sunday, Dec. 13th at 2p.m. We still have plenty of autographed Tyler Hamilton postcards, so be sure to ask for yours, included free upon paying the 67 cent, annual membership fee.

Come-On-A-Chai-House...

Chai-house-a-come-on! Hi there Folks, it's me Swami Beyond-a-Nanda sayin' Come on out and ride with my friends The Web-Foot Riders, Sunday's 9 a.m. from Carpet Mart. And don't forget about the Big, Timed Group Ride up at Swasey Rec. Area, December 13 at 2 p.m. I'll be serving my most espicey chai!

Turkey Day

I hope Ya'll had a wonderful Turkey-Day!

Wood-Foot Riders?

An absolutely perfect day for a ride to the Top Of The World, we ran into so many characters along the way. SanFranCup continues to baffles us all with his narrow escapes from "The Long Walk Home" due to mechanical failure. Somehow "The Great Magnet In The Sky" made me toss a multi-tool in my pack... just in time! I am really looking forward to the Timed-Short-Track-Group-Ride coming up in December... oh and Cyclocross?

Buffalo Chili Friday

We had a giant pot of bison meat chili, here at Carpet Mart today so I am charged up and ready to ride this weekend! The Seely's Cyclery website has a new homepage, so check it out. Looks like we may get a wet, Webfoot Ride this Sunday, come on out and ride with us. The weather's getting better every week!

Coming December 13th

I have been asked to ride as sweeper for the upcoming "Timed-Group-Ride" out at Swasey Rec. Area, December 13th. Something about my skills in veterinarian medicine perhaps coming into play. Let me remind ya'll. I have a veterinarian technician certificate... I'm not a real Doctor! Watch for fliers for this event at your local bike shop...Etc.!

Webfoot Sunday

Sunday's Webfoot Ride was a hoot as usual! There were so many Kodak Moments, this was just one. We are out there researching and developing 2-3 hour-long rides that in many cases, border on world class. And, it won't cost you a dime of entry fee! Come on out and see why more and more riders are using Webfoot Rides for off season training instead of waiting around until it's too late for some increasing dodgy race series.

You're A Mean One

I want to get one of these for the guy who runs the local cyclocross series!
Oh well, we still have Webfoot rides. Sundays a bit after 9 a.m. for slow pokes... Little Jim!

WebFoot Rides Are Here... Bring Snacks!

The Webfoot Riders Association is up and running again. Every Sunday Morning at 9 a.m. at Carpet Mart. Bring a snack food item for the "Hook-A-Wino-Up" munchies-give-away. In the words of my wino buddy Little Ed, "I don't want no goddamn meal! But a little somthin' ta nibble on in my lean-to at night is kinda nice." Link to Seely's Cyclery if ya'll need directions or stuff!

Captain SanFranCup

Had an absolutely Out-Of-This-World ride last night with Mr. SanFranCup that put us back from the Hinterlands right into downtown Redding in the dark, during 5 o'clock rush-quarter-hour traffic. What a blast! Super-Nature, Super-Science!

Cyclo-Cross is coming... I Promise!

Even though the temps are perfect and the first rains have fallen, the dates and venues for the Shasta Race Series are being withheld like some kind of forbidden book of mysteries. Team Outlaw-Cross is ready to rock but we are going to need more than a 24 hour notice of races so we can get our performance enhancement programs rolling. We are working within very narrow parameters of athletic readiness here and if we mistime them renal failure is a very real possibility!

Web Foot Ride

Sunday, Carpet Mart, 9 a.m. Please come ride with our distinguished, featured rider, Mr. Little-Jim Ausboe.

Today at The Mart

Today we cooked a pheasant and noodle soup which featured a stock fortified with black bean and garlic sauce and chunky-cut vegetables, including Asian yams. Fabulous if'n I do say so myself! Last night I rode the particularly challenging power line road that goes from Hwy 299 W. down to Record Lane. A treacherous roller coaster of rocky, rutted downhill sections followed by, off-your-bike-running hill climbs. I am really enjoying the Trek 820 Frankenstein bike and look forward to a bit o' mud on it this weekend!

Still Spacing Out!

Degrees of Freedom of a Rigid Body in Space.
An unrestrained rigid body in space has six degrees of freedom: three translating motions along the x, y and z axes and three rotary motions around the x, y and z axes respectively. I think I have always known this but hearing it from "The Big Guy" just confirms my suspicion!

To The Summit!

Another beautiful morning in Northern Cal. and another fantastic ride with friends and family. I road tested the Trek 820 Antelope. Other than a tear in the 20 year old tire's side-wall, it seems to be a fine bike. Typical of bikes from it's vintage, it weighs about 30 pounds and believe me, I felt it going up the short, paved route to the Top Of The World but I just called it resistance training! I probably should have spit out the stupid plastic Dracula teeth I had in my mouth but if Bear can do it, so can I!

Halloween Cyclocross

I went to the Halloween CX today and I've got to say... I liked what I saw! The event had a different feel about it. Compared to the "same old song and dance routine" the local series has become semi-mired-down in, I found a freshness and enthusiasm that seems lacking lately. Also, a number of people asked me, if I knew anything about the schedule for the "Other Series". Good heavens, who's drivin' the fargin' bus here!?

Spreading The Word!

I am on a mission to Mars and I will not take NO as an answer! Rode last night with The GENIUS, SanFranCup and had a blast! Rode up Carter Creek off Harlan Drive into the wild outback of the city limits! I have pieced an old Trek 820 Antelope together so now I have a spare Mt. Bike for Webfoot Rides. Please contact me if you need a ride!
P.S. Sunday's ride will be lead by The Genius!

False brinelling

False brinelling is damage caused by fretting, with or without corrosion, that causes imprints that look similar to brinelling, but are caused by a different mechanism.
The basic cause of false brinelling is that lubricant is pushed out of a loaded region. Without lubricant, wear is increased. It is possible for the resulting wear debris to oxidize and form an abrasive compound which further accelerates wear.
In normal operation, a rolling-element bearing has the rollers and races separated by a thin layer of lubricant such as grease or oil. Although these lubricants normally appear liquid (not solids), under high pressure they act as solids and keep the bearing and race from touching.
If the lubricant is removed, the bearings and races can touch directly. While bearings and races appear smooth to the eye, they are microscopically rough. Thus, high points of each surface can touch, but "valleys" do not. The bearing load is thus spread over much less area increasing the contact stress, causing pieces of each surface to break off or to become pressure-welded then break off when the bearing rolls on.
The broken-off pieces are also called wear debris. Wear debris is bad because it is relatively large compared to the surrounding surface finish and thus creates more regions of high contact stress. Worse, the steel in ordinary bearings can oxidize (rust), producing a more abrasive compound which accelerates wear.
In normal operation, bearings remain lubricated. However, if a bearing is stationary but subject to a very small oscillating or vibrating load, lubricant may be pushed out of the loaded area. Since the bearing is rolling only small distances (less than roller spacing), there is no action or movement that replaces the displaced lubricant.
With the lubricant gone, the damage described above creates wear debris; and since there is a small motion in the bearing, the damage is ongoing, creating more and more wear debris; and the wear debris acts as an abrasive to further damage the bearing surfaces. Typically the races are most damaged by this action and the appearance is similar to that of brinelling (overload) damage. Thus, the damage is often described as false brinelling.
The discovery of false brinelling is unclear but one story describes how, in the 1930s, new automobiles were loaded on to trains for delivery; when they were unloaded, some would show severe wheel bearing damage. On further inspection, it turned out that many wheel bearings were slightly damaged. The damage was eventually traced to rocking of the autos and the regular impact every time a railroad car wheel passed a track joint. These conditions led to false brinelling.
Although the auto-delivery problem has been solved, there are many modern examples. For example, generators or pumps may fail or need service, so it is common to have a nearby spare unit which is left off most of the time but brought in to service when needed. Surprisingly, however, vibration from the operating unit can cause bearing failure in the unit which is switched off. When that unit is turned on, the bearings may be noisy due to damage, and may fail completely within a few days or weeks even though the unit and its bearings are otherwise new. Common solutions include: keeping the spare unit at a distance from the one which is on and vibrating; manually rotating shafts of the spare units on a regular (for example, weekly) basis; or regularly switching between the units so that both are in regular (for example, weekly) operation.
Until recently, bicycle headsets tended to suffer from false brinelling in the "straight ahead" steering position, due to small movements caused by flexing of the fork. Good modern headsets incorporate a plain bearing to accommodate this flexing, leaving the ball race to provide pure rotational movement.
Brinell damage is characterized by permanent material deformation (without loss of material) and occurs during one load event, whereas false brinelling is characterized by material wear or removal and occurs over an extended time from vibration and light loads.

Best Swap Meet, Ever!

Wow! That was incredible! We want to thank everyone for showing up and sharing your day us. I am just delighted with how the day played out in general but later in the night, when Mark Twain showed up and shared brandys and cigars with us well, I just want to say thank you all! Halloween CX Saturday, Webfoot Riders Sunday, it's the most wonderful of the year!

2001 A Space Oddyssey

I am presently finishing off 2001 a space Odyssey, the book. I rented the movie last month and loved it so much that I decided to read the book. The old adage, "The book is always better than the movie" does not necessarily always apply. The movie, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is an undeniable masterpiece. The book by Arthur C. Clarke, is a great read, but might not have been the huge success it was (because of the movie)? Please accept this, a rare book review, as an unofficial suggestion only and in no way an authoritatively, well conceived critique.

Bumper Crop O' Herb

Well it took a fair amount of persuading but at the advice of a trusted friend, I grew a crop this year. The harvest was abundant and I am proud to say particularly lively! Please ask for you free, 1/8 Oz. while at the Bike Swap! Eleuthero, commonly called Siberian ginseng, was discovered in the 1950s by Russian physician, Isreal Brekman, while he was searching for plants to improve human performance. He hit the jackpot with Eleuthero. Brekman distributed the herb to thousands of workers and found that it helps the body adapt to stress, enhances mental acuity and physical endurance, and also improves the way muscles use oxygen. Brekman wrote that Eleuthero "possesses a remarkably wide range of therapeutic activities protecting the body against stress, radiation, and various chemical toxins … increasing general resistance."

Going Global!

Please check out the grand opening of my website, Seely's Cyclery. It is still under construction but with the help of iPages web design, we're getting there! Stop by for a free autographed picture of Tyler Hamilton and a fine how-do-you-do!

Webfoot Opener

The season opener for the Webfoot Riders was a complete success. We would like to thank Nurse Dixie Normous for coming out and riding with us. I thought that with a perfect, off-road weather day on tap, the large group of riders might need a little medical attention and sure enough, pert near every rider sought some assistance.

Passing The Torch

It is with a certain amount of sadness that I announce my retirement from the great sport of Cyclo-cross. While it is true that I feel completely content with my results out there in the trenches and that I've done what I set out to do, I know I'll miss the excitement of racing. However I will be passing the torch on to my distant cousin and nephew-twice-removed, Little Jim. I believe that he is cut from the same championship cloth as many of the great Clydesdale athletes I have met. All of us here at the Webbed-Foot Riders Club are pinning our hopes on his success this coming season. Go Git 'Em Little Jim!

Some Kind 'O Wise-Guy

Who in the... We are looking for a man named D--- who may have left this collection of glassware here at the last swap-meet. Dude, it's Captain Lookout's Wrecking Crew not, Reeking Crew!

Web Footed Riders Ready?

We will be flocking to Carpet Mart this coming Sunday, Oct.18, 2009 9a.m. for our season opener, ride/laugh-fest. Please feel free to call Noel or I for a detailed list of food items we will need to create our movable feast!

Thank You Gino!

Cyclofiend.com: CX Bicycle Photos:

The Sogn is an interesting beast, the most of which (to me at least) is that it can run both 700c wheels with cyclocross tires, or 650b wheels with monstrous knibblies. Rolling diameter-wise, 700x35 is the same as 650bx58.

This one is from the first Sogn breeding, and I've raced it in northern California and Oregon with both wheel/tire setups. I've found that depending on the course, the tire versatility is fantastic. Though, I don't know if USA Cycling would approve... I've been using it as a drop bar mountain bike when not racing it; the 650b monster-cross setup has been great for any terrain I can throw it at, except maybe big hit stuff.

Nerdy details
¥ M/L Rawland Sogn canti frame
¥ Selle San Something saddle (during race season)
¥ XT hubs, Synergy rims, DT spokes
¥ Sugino XD600 triple crankset
¥ Crank Bros Candy SL pedals
¥ Shimano UN54 113mm bottom bracket
¥ Tektro long pull levers
¥ Pacenti Neo-Moto tires (650b x 58mm)
¥ Paul MotoBMX brakes (these allow the different wheel sizes)
¥ Salsa stem, seatpost and handlebar
¥ Ritchey headset and rear dropouts
¥ SRAM PG980 cassette
¥ XT chain
¥ Paul cross levers
¥ lots of mud, scratches and scrapes

More photos and info here: http://flickr.com/photos/gzahnd/sets/72157607364174687/

ÁGracias!

Roll That Beautiful Dog Footage!

Here is another flippin' sweet Bike Swap flyer. As an Art Major, I hope you will ALLOW ME TO CRITIQUE THIS PIECE AND EXPLAIN WHY IT HAS SO CAPTURED MY HEART.
The texture of the wienies in the real scene can be overwhelming to photograph. You've managed to simplify this and yet it still tells us they are wienies.
There is a nice feeling of depth.
The perspective is true.
The blue and red clothing on the figure helps the main subject stand out.
The colored buildings at the center invite us to row in and follow the boat.
The water has a nice feeling to it because the ripples make the water look like it's moving. At least that's the way I seen it!

Best Flyer Contest

Well I have been out distributing the flyers for the Bike Swap but I must admit, they are completely utilitarian. So I am inviting you, the cast of Captain Lookout's Wrecking Crew, to make your own and hand 'em out. Here is my favorite so far!

It's A Good Feeling!

As the word gets out about the used bike shop in the back of Carpet Mart, more and more men like Tommy here, are back on the road. "What with Big bike Weekend comin' up, at least I'll be ridin' some kind a bike... 'till I git my license back!" He said. And don't forget that we are also your source for Halloween Bikes as well!

Riders Ready

I am getting a lot of inquiries about The Webbed Foot Riders, like when we will be riding as a group again. Well, I was actually talking to the Big Quack just the other day and I heard that for now, with the dry conditions and all, Web-Feet are just hangin' out in small groups in the Whiskeytown area, riding and catching some late season swims. But I would like to mention a possible outlaw, Flat-Track race in the works, to be held on an undisclosed, dirt, quarter-mile track somewhere locally. Stay tuned!

Bike Swap Is Coming...

So is Halloween for that matter. Be sure to circle Oct. 25Th on your calendar for the "Biggest Little Bike Swap In The..." I am searching the world over for the finest vegan kielbasas and the plumpest organic beans to serve the trusting public and by Jove... I think I've found them! Here is an example of the kind of bike my friend Slavko Limonczenko from Ukraine will be bringink!

Great Day In The Morning!

Vintage Post Card from the 1964 World's Fair, New York.
The back reads:
"The Coca-cola Tower, rising from the court of this pavilion, features the world's largest and finest electronic carillon. The pavilion also features a unique, free "Global Holiday'" the U.S.O. Lounge and the American Radio Relay League."

Today It Is Windy

There is a dream place where secret missile launching pads, (that double as human passenger transporters to the Skylab) built in 1963, deep in the bowels of the old Shasta County Library, seemingly exist.