Time to say good-bye to 2011. Really not a bad year. Got a new bike in February a Cannondale Quick 3. Then I got a Brooks saddle for it. Love that saddle. Hard to believe a leather saddle with no cushion can be so comfortable.
2011 was a wet and cold year. So much riding in the rain. But the end of the year was dry and got some good riding in. So everything is good.
On my economic front it was pretty good. The job was steady. I was able to pay off my credit cards and save a little money.
Met some good people and had some good laughs. I actually have complete control of my social life. I don’t deal with drama so I get rid of it as quick as I can. I have a job that gives me enough drama and idiots which the job pays me to deal with them. My personal life I don’t put up with it.
My Top 10 mostly played Albums for 2011:
1. Rock ‘n’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul-Jeff Beck
2. Mayhem-Imelda May
3. Holy Wood-Marilyn Manson
4. Propositions-Bar-Kays
5. Swing Is Dead-Lee Press-On and the Nails
6. Showdown-Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland
7. Nevermind-Nirvana
8. Flamejob-The Cramps
9. Version 2.0-Garbage
10. The Pressure Is On-Hank Williams Jr.

I read this in The Lincoln Highway by Michael S. Williamson:

“As funny as it sounds sometimes getting lost can be good. There are travelers who consider getting lost an art. It can be a balm for the soul, allowing those who are lost to learn more about themselves by altering the predictable course of life.” The quote of my life. I don’t mind getting lost. Let the fun begin.

I always wonder what refineries are letting into the atmosphere. Probably why I have issues with Spare The Air days that won’t let people burn wood in their fire places on cold nights. But trucks can sit with their engines running. The bridges won’t charge $20 to cross on spare the air days. This is one of the problems with letting government have so much power.

I was at Vista Point when I started talking to a guy. He was saying how he is afraid to ride a bike because it seemed so dangerous. I told him it has gotten better over the years. I started thinking how crazy it was to ride a bike during the late 80’s. I remember cars honking their horns, getting close to me, and throwing things at me. Now cars give me room and I haven’t had anything thrown at me for a while. I do get honked at now and then but who knows what is going on.

I especially hate when cyclist are riding side by side running their mouths and won’t let a car pass. Why can’t they stop talking form a single line and let the car pass. Instead the car driver gets pissed, goes into the next lane when safe, and lays on his horn. Now that driver is pissed at all bicyclist.

My Top 10 for Now:

1. Suzy’s Gone-Kiddo

2. Just Because your Mine-Teddy Pendergrass

3. Cold Blooded Lady-Ebonee Webb

4. No Talk Slot-Cameo

5. I Sang Dixie-Dwight Yoakam

6. Lydia The Tattoo Lady-Lee Press-On and the Nails

7. All My Life’s A Lie-Smokey Robinson

8. The Last Waltz-Englebert Humperdinck

9. Cover You In Oil-AC/DC

10. Rock & Roll Queen-The Subways

Bikes and Trains Study Tour. The Netherlands has the right idea about bike riding.

The San Francisco Bay Area has come a long way with bike riding, but it is coming along. Though politicians may be pro bike riding they really need people driving cars. Cities get money from car registration and the money received from the taxes on gas.

The car is not going away, there may not be as many, but it is not going away. Not everybody wants to ride a bike. But riding a bike should be safe.

Cycling Friendly Cities.
http://youtu.be/5rwwxrWHBB8
Wow, teaching children in school how to cycle safely. See the city and people better, ride a bike.

My bike ride started slowly today. Riding up Valley View Road my legs weren’t that strong on the climbs. The climb isn’t really much. So I was thinking maybe a short ride. I hit San Pablo Dam Road and my legs started to feel better and I was really in a good groove. So I kept riding.

I hit Orinda and really felt better so I decided to go through Moraga and Lafayette. I figure I could catch BART at the Lafayette station to Orinda and head home. I know some will frown upon me hopping on BART, but I have no problem with it.

Things took a turn for the worst. Somehow I got off course and ended up in the hills of Lafayette. So I kept going forward and somehow I ended up by the Lafayette Reservoir parking area. I knew where I was. Hit Mt. Diablo BLVD and to the Lafayette BART station.

The retarded homing pigeon struck again. Seems like this always happens. I end up getting lost, but some how I find my back on course. All in all it was a great bike ride.

I am amazed at older guys on bike rides still have the stamina to ride as fast as they do. As I get older I feel myself slowing down. Though I don’t ride as fast I am grateful that I can ride long distances. The rough part is living in an area with so many hills. I’ll ride them, but I hate hills.

My Top 10 for Now:

1. Nipple To The bottle-Grace Jones

2. If I Had You-Alan Jackson

3. Call Me-Skyy

4. Beautiful Dangerous-Slash with Fergie

5. Wicked Ways-The Blow Monkeys

6. Beale Street Blues-Louis Armstrong

7. Skeletons-Yeah Yeah Yeahs

8. Dead Lovers’ Lane-HIM

9. Gothic Lolita-Emilie Autumn

10. Dark Half-Lee Press-On and The Nails

Sometimes I think I have to be crazy when I go on a bike ride when it is cold outside. There is always the hope that I will be able to warm up. But there are some days when it just doesn’t work. Even if the sun is beating on me. Nothing is worse than a cold sun. The next day I will hop on my bike and think the same thing. I must be crazy.

I love the feeling of riding in silence on an empty road and enjoying the sights. It is always nice to have my camera with me. Never know when a nice shot will present itself.

I’m the bike rider that the fast riders see and they pedal harder and faster to pass me up and feel that they accomplished something. I think some probably keep a log of how many bike riders they passed up.
Eight Steps To Silkier Skin
Our modern lifestyles and diet can damage our skin and its collagen by destroying enzymes and creating free radicals. This in turn decreases skin flexibility and elasticity. Excessive free radical damage can result in leathery skin, wrinkles and even skin cancer.
The best line of defense is prevention. So be good to your skin and try following these 8 simple steps. Your skin will be glad you did.
1) Your skin needs plenty of fluid to keep it hydrated and to minimize wrinkling. So drink lots of water – 8 to 10 glasses every day.
2) Diet is important. Eat plenty of fresh enzyme-rich fruits and vegetables such as avocados, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, mangos, wheat grass and sprouts, the richest source.
3) Your face will reflect the first signs of fatigue so get plenty of rest.
4) If you smoke, quit.
5) Minimize alcohol intake.
6) Avoid excessive exposure to the sun.
7) Help nourish your skin by using skin-care products that containing vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
8) Improve circulation and enzymatic activity by exercising.

From Vitamin Power Website. Visit for health information and natural health products.

http://vitpower.com/anagel

My Top 10 at the Moment:

1. Payin’ The Cost To Be The Boss-Pat Benatar

2. What’s He Doin’ In My World-Eddy Arnold

3. The Great Pretender-The Platters

4. One Night In Bangkok-Murray Head

5. Hold Me Now-Thompson Twins

6. Would I Lie To You-Eurythmics

7. Someday My Day Will Come-George Jones

8. The Lie Which refuses To Die-Black Tape For A Blue Girl

9. Wild Streak-Hank Williams, Jr.

10. Voices Carry-‘Til Tuesday

Got a Brooks Millbrook saddle bag for my bike.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalcyclist/6534490069/

Wanted a smaller bag for longer rides with fewer stops. I like the Millbrook bag. There is room for my lock, extra tubes, tools, and snacks.

I still have my Topeak large MTX trunk bag for commuting or doing errands and shopping. Love the room and the drop down paniers are the best. Also like how it locks in place on the rack. No bungee cords.

Today when I took off for my ride it was thirty-six degrees. I like riding in cold weather. I don’t over heat. If I do get a little warm I can ease up on the pedaling and cool down. Hot weather is the worst. I get hot and can’t cool down. I hope for some shade along the ride or I find a shaded spot and take a few. Rain is the worst.

I love riding the back roads of the San Francisco Bay Area. It just seems like a different world. Not much traffic and didn’t realize there was so many ranches with horses.

My Top 10 for the Minute:

1. Lifetime Piling Up-TalkingHeads

2. Bolero-Ravel

3. What Have I Done To Deserve This?-Pet Shop Boys

4. This Is Hip-John Lee Hooker

5. Pump-The B-52s

6. Little Ghost-The White Stripes

7. Cool-The Time

8. She’s Got You-Patsy Cline

9. Christmas Eve: Introduction-Rimsky-Korsakov

10. One Less Bell To Answer-Gladys Knight & The Pips

Was on Telegraph Ave today and what a sad state. Not much there anymore. Stopped at Rasputin’s and Amoeba records. Pretty empty. Hard to believe how much fun Telegraph Ave was in the 90’s. Tower Records, Leopold Records, Amoeba, Rasputin, Blake’s and Cody Books. People all over the place. Always something entertaining going on.

Riding my bike in thick fog is not much fun. Actually it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Not much of shoulder, but bike riding around Pinole isn’t a lot of options. Roads weren’t designed for bike riding.

I’m really excited about the whole Mayan Calender and 2012. The earth needs to go through some kind of purification. I’m on the side that there are too many people on the planet. But if nothing happens life goes on and I’m still doing my thing.

Benefits of Biking from Momentum Magazine.
http://momentumplanet.com/blogs/momentum-blog/the-benefits-of-biking

Millennial entrepreneur bypass the unemployment line.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/story/2011-12-03/cnbc-millennial-entrepreneurs/51513386/1

Go for it while you are young. The back plan for later is getting a job in Corporate America.

11/22/63 by Stephen King explains why changing the past can be very difficult and cause bigger problems. The past wants to stay the past and doesn’t like changes and will put obstacles in a person’s way. If a person succeeds it could have big consequences. This is a spoiler so read at your own risk. George Amberson completes his mission of saving John F. Kennedy’s life. When he goes back to 2011 there has been a nuclear war, Maine is now part of Canada, and there are earthquakes that threatens to tear the earth in two. Time travel may not be suck a great idea. It is still a great read.

How the Dutch got their cycle lanes. An interesting video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o&feature=share

At least the Dutch was willing to make a change instead of continuing the path of the car culture.

Green Juice Super Tonic and My Thoughts on the New World Order. I enjoy watching the Life Regenerator. Living the Raw Foods Dream.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M2oWuqqnUg&feature=g-all

I think car companies have seen that the car culture in the United States is coming to an end and are concentrating on China. China is more than willing to get rid of the bicycle and jump into cars. The image is that owning a car is an economic power house. Get middle class and buy a car.

Sunday I went on a bike ride and it was cold. When I left the house it was forty-five degrees. The weird thing was I seen more cyclist than when the weather is warmer. Maybe they have come to the same conclusion I have come too. It is better to ride in cold weather because I don’t overheat and I don’t feel the cold.

My Top 10 for the Minute:

1. Hold On Me-Kahoru Kohiruimaki

2. Funkadelic Groupie-O.G. Funk

3. Gangster Attitude-Oran Juice Jones

4. Lay, Lady, Lay-Bob Dylan

5. This Ring Is For You-L.J. Reynolds

6. Is That Jazz?-Gil Scott-Heron

7. Time Keeps Slipping Away-Ronnie Milsap

8. Jesus Is Your Ticket To Heaven-Connie Smith

9. Tick Tock-The Vaughan Brothers

10. Time Won’t Tell-Sara Evans

Cities looking to knock down freeways, Are Freeways doomed?. Not really doomed probably just going to utilize the space better. I like the idea of open space and not looking at ugly over passes.
http://hwww.salon.com/2011/12/01/are_freeways_doomed/

Are Urban Bicyclist Just Elite Snobs?
http://www.salon.com/2011/12/04/are_urban_bicyclists_just_elite_snobs/

Good article on Salon.com. I wouldn’t say elite snobs. There is just a shift going on from car to bicycle. Cars are prices are rising and the maintenance is costing more. Having all the gadgets and performance comes with a cost. Add another factor of wages dropping then a person has to wonder if owning a car is worth the money being spent.

I think the day of driving long distance to a job is coming to an end. I work with a guy who’s round trip is one hundred and eighty miles. That is just nuts. I did a hundred mile round trip for six years. This was nuts on my part. Put over a hundred thousand miles on the car in four years.

Not that the car is going anywhere. Americans still like their cars. It is faster to drive to Reno than to ride a bike to Reno from the San Francisco Bay Area. Not everyone is suited to commute to work by bicycle. Health issues can come up or distance. Not everyone wants to ride a bike thirty miles to work and make the ride home. Especially if hills are involved.

Running errands on my bike on my weekends is great. Leave the car at home and go about business. Enjoy the fresh air. Best thing is not having to worry about parking. Stop at a coffee shop and watch the world go by.

There is always room for cars and bicycles.

A new planet with a balmy 72 degree temperature and possibly water has been found. If there is life on other planets how long can the aliens keep hiding before they are discovered. Then again if the aliens started life on earth or interfered with life maybe they are embarrassed by what they did.

Improve Power and Balance.
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/improve-power-and-balance

Exercise is a good thing. Articles to help my bike riding is always good. I have to admit I get lazy and not in the mood. Sometimes I rather read a book. I’ve never been much of a workout person. Spending my younger days at no more than a hundred and twenty-five pounds I didn’t need to work out. As the saying goes, “Getting old sucks.”

As much as I like bike riding I enjoy hiking more. The San Francisco Bay Area has so many hiking trails. Nothing like hiking up a hill and enjoying the views of the San Francisco Bay Area. Or hiking near the marshes and enjoying the different wildlife. So much to see, so little time.

My Top 10 for Now:

1. If 6 was 9-The Jimi Hendrix Experience

2. Shotgun Shell-Elvis Hitler

3. Long Gone (from bowlin’ green)-Louis Armstrong

4. Baby It’s You-Hank Flamingo

5. Block Party-Helemano & the Players of Instruments

6. Me ‘N’ Opie (down by the duck pond)-Br5-49

7. Hit The Road Jack-Ray Charles

8. The Perpetrator-Hipster Daddy-O adn the Hangrenades

9. Walking Through My Dreams-The Big Bopper

10. Have A Drink On Me-AC/DC

Did I feel for the guy walking his bike because of a stripped bolt. A five mile walk back to Pinole on Alhambra and Pinole Valley Road is a lonely trek. I know I have made that walk. For more bad news there is no bike shop in Pinole, there is a car garage. He could add anther three miles and walk to El Sobrante and got to the Pedaler bike shop. A good bike shop with helpful people. I go there for all my biking needs. I know he was freezing too, he had gym shorts and a t-shirt on.

I’m not a bike snob. Probably because I never came to the point where I could ride with the people up front or kick ass up a hill. Never had the expensive bike that would probably have given helped to get to that point. I like to ride at a nice pace and enjoy the sights. Find a comfy spot and read a book and probably take a nap. I like to see people riding their bikes even if it comes from a big box store. Just ride. The more people who ride a bike the better it is for all of us.

How Bicycling Connects Us To A Healthier Community and Stronger Economy.
http://btaoregon.org/2011/12/how-bicycling-connects-us-to-a-healthier-community-and-stronger-economy

It is amazing to see how for bicycling has come over the years. When I was growing up when a kid hit high school the bike was put away and dreaming of the day when I could drive. But then again gas was a little over a dollar a gallon.

I was reintroduced to the bicycle when I was stationed in Japan. Amazing people rode bikes. Mostly heavy bikes. Bikes belonged on the road as much as cars. There was no padded shorts and no cycling shoes. Just short pants and my converse. Good times.

An exercise routine you can do at the office. Sometimes work and other responsibilities get in the way of exercising. These exercises may help.
http://www.diabeticdailynews.com/exercise_routine_office

My Top 10 for the Moment:

1. Jailhouse Rock-Elvis Presley

2.Wanna Make Love To You-Bobby Womack

3.The Slide-Bar-Kays

4. Me I Funk-KMFDM

5. My Reason For Living-Ferlin Husky

6. I’m A White Boy-Merle Haggard

7. Big Black Witchcraft Rock-The Cramps

8. Lord I hope This Day Is good-Lee Ann Womack

9. Lady Cab Driver-Prince

10. If You Wanna Make Love (come ’round here)-Smokey Robinson