TMonk

Ya, you gotta be careful w those opiates. I've used cyclobenzaprine before for back problems and I thought it helped. Hope you get well soon CDR.

Bummer about the trip Enthalpic. My wife and sister in law were planning on going to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks and returning before Xmas... ya we'll see about that. Either way I think she's still gonna get her (Moderna) booster, and same for me before meeting them in Texas for the holiday.

revchuck 

I got my Moderna booster and the flu shot at the same time a couple of weeks ago and felt fewer side effects than from the first two shots, just felt kinda tired for a day.

Hermes

Heal up fast CDR. Back issues suck.

Hermes

I got my Moderna booster awhile back and the 65+ flu shot when we returned from Europe. The booster and flu shots were non events. I have the shingles vaccine teed up for later in December. Shingles is a two shot regime that is supposed to suck. We will see.

Enthalpic

It was still pretty fun, just shorter and not really what I was planning. Go with the flow.

Canada border agents were harsh. Full car and baggage search, then they made me wait to talk to a public health official who sent me straight home with two covid self-sampling kits. Yay!

US agents were "better."

burnthesheep

I've bought stuff plenty of times from euro based sellers of an item and paid reasonable shipping, like $15 or something.

Why do so many though have flat rate 50 euro or so shipping fees? Especially for super light weight "bag" kinds of things like wearable kit? Like, what the eff. It's literally a "we don't want to have to sell this to you".

ridethecliche

Since this is the thread for over sharing I'll spill.

Bought a ring to propose to the gf when I was in India over turkey day time. She had no idea. Spoke to her parents to let them know I was planning and asking them if they wanted in on shenanigans. I'm going to do it at Jay Peak over mlk weekend. Symbolic because we'd been dating for like 3 months when we went there and i ate **** there trying to make out with a tree and joke that it knocked some sense into me.

So yeah. That's happening.
Ring is super simple. Something about wearing a blingy ring while treating patients on the poverty line doesn't sit well with me and this is a simple platinum ring with a small diamond without a pedestal so it can be flipped over if needed.

Spoke to a photographer at the mountain yesterday and bought a 360 camera so I could try to record things myself as well. All in all the weekend stuff there is going to cost like 3-4x what the ring did. Someday I'll finish training and she'll get whatever she wants to wear lol.

In other news, anyone have a rec for a small headlight? Gf has been biking to work and back in Philly and with the clock shift she leaves and gets home in darkness. I bought her front and rear flashers but think a city headlight would be a good idea. I want something smallish that won't hurt if it gets stolen. I have an old magicshine setup that works well but I don't think she'd want the hassle of an extra battery pack so a rechargeable light would be best. Anyone have recs or something sitting around they want to turn into some dollhairs?

/fin

Flatballer

Congrats! I'll send you a headlight if you send me an address. It's a Lezyne 800XL, if it fits the bill. It's just sitting in my office with the battery probably dying from not being used enough (I charge it occasionally to keep it fresh). Probably can't send it until next week, I'm slammed at the moment. I think the odds of my needing it before it's obsolete or trashed are slim.

Consider it your first wedding gift.

carpediemracing 

Dude, so awesome!

As far as lights go... although a good headlight is good, I think a good tail light, or side view lights, is critical. It's not what you're riding towards that will hurt you as much as the stuff coming up from behind.

You remember the Down Low Glow sticks I had. Well I have them but they're beat and dead somewhere, and they weren't very efficient. I realized at some point they were probably lights meant for a computer case, based on voltage, adapters, wires, and similar hardware in my computer case lights. However I'm pretty sure there are LED versions of it. Could permanently mount to the bike via zip ties or something, so that you don't have to worry about putting them on all the time (like I did with the DLG). What you want is the bike and rider to be lit up, not some random red blinky light hovering mid air. Would attract a lot more attention. A quick Google (LED lights bicycle) shows Walmart.com has some green thing that lights up your wheels from the downtube (and probably seat tube if you get a second one). That would be idea, lights up the wheels, easy to see it's a bike, easy to judge movement and speed. I'd go for lighting up the wheels, the frame, and then the person if you want even more.

carpediemracing 

So I'm reviving Carpe Diem Racing for 2022. Simple kit design, basically monotone camo with the logo on it. Vie13 because the guy there is a long time Bethel Spring Series volunteer, rider, and helper - he used to get off of his third shift job, drive 2 hours to Bethel, sleep in the car until I opened registration, marshal a corner for 4 or 5 hours, then race the A race (and typically win it). Kicker is that he started doing this maybe 25-27 years ago, and he still tries to help me out when I help with races and such - I saw him at the race series I helped with earlier this year, and he lives a couple hours away. Anyway, with the team, I'm psyched to do this, it's so I don't have to worry about any team obligations etc, no politics, it's just me myself and I.

Of course a few old Bethel friends requested a kit so that's nice. Finalizing an order and hopefully will have it by March. Which means I need to get in shape because, you know, I want to represent with some dignity. haha.

A slight setback - threw my back out a couple weeks ago, pretty bad. Was laid up for 5 days, I think that's a record, but it allowed me to regroup mentally, something I apparently needed to do quite desperately for the last two plus years. Work now feels like I just started, new, fresh, plans, a future. Building a new team, a few guys quit or agreed to leave, pretty much all the bad apples, and now what's left are the good guys and a few blank canvases. I hope to help shape the new guys into a good team, something I love to do, whether it's on the bike, back in my shop, or at work.

And my back is on day 3 of no pain. Did an effort on the trainer today, typical decent watt sprint, so everything still works. Of course I was cramping 30 min in so I def need more fitness. I could stand to lose 15 lbs minimum (25 to get to my magical 2010 year weight when I had my best recent season).

And Junior is 9, will be 10 in 3 months. Insane. Growing so quickly. He's a kid sometimes, sometimes getting old. "Will you lay with me" when I put him to bed, but then when I went looking for the new jar of Nutella in the pantry and the Missus said, "I put the new jar next to the old one on the counter", Junior piped up from the table, with that "omg my dad is blind" lilt. "Bruh..."

Life is good. Oh there's stuff. But life is good.

ridethecliche

carpediemracing
Cdr, so I actuality bought her a blinking front and rear light right when she got the bike. I have to remind her to use them all the time but they're there. I think she leaves them on the bike when she's at work so I'm going to have to remind her to take a decent headlight off!

Hah thanks! That's rad. Were you in PA or NC, I forget! I'll message you my parents address shortly. Let me know what I owe ya for shipping at the very least!

Flatballer

Already? Dang.

Speaking of growing up, we're thinking this is the last year of Santa for our 5, almost 6 year old. She's asking an awful lot of pointed questions.

If we're doing a sharing thing tonight, my wife is pregnant with our third (and last). 12 weeks or something, super super duper sick for pretty much the entire time so far. Has to keep getting IVs. Worse then the first two, which were also really really bad. Her body doesn't like the whole being pregnant thing apparently. She'll survive, but it's really rough.

Flatballer

PA now, near Philly, so shipping should be cheap and fast.

gsteinb

CDR - That's awesome. If I were going to do such things I'd race with you.
RTC - Congrats.

My kid is 24. When I joined BF it was in pursuit of a tandem for then like 9 year old him.

TheKillerPenguin

Last grad school class is tomorrow! Also received a fellowship! Stoke level is high.

ridethecliche

Woo TKP! The gang's all here! Congrats man, big ups!

I'm in Philly all the time! Awesome. Messaging now.

cmh

Wow - I've been off the forum (and taking a couple week break from the bike after CX season) and there is all kinds of good news -
Congrats rtc on the engagement!
Contrats KP on the fellowship and imminent graduation!
Congrats flatballer on having another kid on the way (hope your wife does OK)
Congrats CDR on the CDR revival - hope your back continues to treat you well.

Happy Holidays everyone.

TMonk

great news from you east coasters! Congrats RTC, CDR, TKP, FB!

TheKillerPenguin

Loving the good vibes. Congrats everyone!

gsteinb

East coast is the best coast!



ooops.

Enthalpic

I wish they all could be California girls...

TheKillerPenguin

big john

There was a swapmeet at the local velodrome last Saturday. My friend Ron sold a bunch of old publications and other stuff. Here he is with the late Mark Whitehead.

big john

Another local guy.

carpediemracing 

Congrats on the (future) third! I'm impressed with anyone that has more than one. That's all I / we could handle. Now I wish a bit that we had a second, for company for Junior, but it is what it is, we couldn't have known one way or another. He has a zillion cousins though.

And Junior this year is a LOT less concerned with Santa. Even last year he was thinking of budget, so he knows something. Two years ago it was still a Santa thing. Now, not so much.