Jay Adams Appreciation

Can you even imagine doing it before it was done? The ruler. Freedom Rider

Perfect Mix

Like a groundhog seeing his shadow, bragging about feeling warm on a ride will most likely damn me to 6 extra weeks of freezing my ass off. Regardless, winter on the bike is usually a series of mind numbingly freezing weekend rides outdoors and week nights of mind numbingly boring trainer workouts.
One major highlight is when you manage to dress perfectly for the temperature. Just right. No cold toes. No feeling of clammy sweat trapped under layers of windblocker.
The sweet spot is rare, but when you hit it, it is hard not to brag.
Frozen feet have always been an issue for me. I have experimented with countless sock and overshoe combos to find the magic bullet. I have always avoided winter shoes (they seem like cheap cx ski boots) Besides, I am a Sidi devotee and why mess up something so good if you can just figure out how to wrap the present better instead?
I might have hit the magic formula last weekend. In the past I might have tried to jam too many pairs of socks into the shoe. This kind of compression is going to cause hot spots and cut off circulation. Not good.
The overview

1.Smartwick socks. Tall socks. Real tall.(embrocation plug)
2.DeFeet Woolie Boolies. The best winter wool cycling sock
3.Shoes
4.Toe warmer on top of shoe. I think this is key. On top.

5.Sock weight overshoe-the insulation. If it is super cold I have an old pair of wool socks with a hole cut out of the bottom. Generally it is my ragged, yet reliable Rabobank over socks(these things have been like my security blanket since I got them on ebay)

6.Shoe cover-wind/water block. Overshoes are a hot topic.(as seen here and here). These LG's have done their duty, but I don't know if I will get another winter out of them, so all the bootie talk is appreciated.
So once your done you look like you have clubfoot, but are good to go.

Did 3.5 hours in the high 20s with no issues. Could feel my toes when I got home.
Can't wait to test it out again next week! It was dry day and that helped a lot too.
Disclaimer-I am not trying to claim any hardman status-this is the competition for that crown!

A contest?

I spend way too much time in the basement riding the trainer watching old races and skate vids. Switch it up to rollers to keep it interesting. Still not so much.

today as I was zoning out to barillo's dominating win of the 06 Giro, I surveyed the tableau that I present myself with daily. As a degenerate record collector, there are stacks of 45s and LPS everywhere that I hope my wife won't see. Hard to remember where some of them came from or even what they are
So to pass the time,I tried to name some of the records from what was visible in the piles.
What fun....
But I thought I would offer a contest to all the loyal WWDIS readers. First person to identify 4 or more records will win a prize(TBD). The higher the number the better the prize.
So study the photo below and get your responses back by 02/14. Yeah that sounds good a valentine's day deadline.

notwist

The Notwist are a pretty popular band. Indie. Electronica whatever. But for me it is the 1st 2 albums that were described to me as "Slayer mixed with Dinosaur Jr". They somehow managed to sound exactly as described, but not suck. I liked a bunch of the bands they put out on their HausMusik label in the late 90s, but really wished they just stayed like these first 2 records. So if you get chance track down Nook and the self-titled record. Maybe a little dated, but still so good.
My favorite song was Seasons. couldn't find a video, but the track is here

cosmic vibrations

Found out that Dan Higgs was playing up in Kittery ME. Not just anywhere in Kittery Maine, but in a yoga studio. The thought of a late night and driving on a work night was not too appetizing, but we are talking about a chance to see the lord of the weird beards. So off I went. Kittery on a Tuesday night in January looks a little like Woods Hole or something, and after some stumbling I found the spot.
I paid my "suggested donation" and took of my shoes. Ouch a bunch of weird beards and art freaks with no shoes on? Trouble. It was a pretty cool space and the vibe was chill-more art opening than rock show.
First band, Deep Egypt, got going pretty much on time which is amazing for an art show. They were a 2 piece. some droney strumming. Not bad, but not my cup of tea.
Higgs was up next. He opened up with a "song from Star Trek", called "children of eden" which he sang while he played a little accordion in a box drone thing. Anyone who knows what the accordion like drone thing in a box is, please let me know. I don't think it was a harmonium as it lacked keys. Not sure if he was joking about the song being a cover so Trekkies please enlighten me... Next up was "Holy Bible Time" an extended workout with the accordion like device. He switched to banjo for "Living in the Kingdom of Death" off Ancestral songs. This one two punch was a real workout on the gnostic bio-theology that makes up most of Higg's lyrical content. Higgs may seem a little odd, but he seems totally comfortable rocking out and messing with his tunes. He dropped 2 banjo instrumentals next that had some ginnish/immortal shredding. Not even close to traditional strumming and plucking. Banjo wasn't staying in tune so he broke out the mouth harp for a long jam. The mouth harp jam ended with him red-faced and breathing hard, and it highlighted the visceral nature of what he does. Alone and unamplified, he puts on a physical and intense performance. Finished up with 2 more songs on banjo. Drones and more drones. Engaged and funny.
I ducked out of the Solar Drone Ensemble that was wrapping up the night's festivities.
Jammed out to Harvey Milk S/T reissue on Hyrdahead during the last half of my ride home. All in all, I am glad I motivated and got out.

Roubaix Cross

Roubaix WC round was amazing to watch even with a glitchy streaming feed. Cyclocrosschannel has it right above. You know that downhill to right turn was gnarly if Nys and almost everyone else was running it.

PS I guess shitty pre-fab skateparks exist in France too....

scott bourne

AHTBM had a post which was a where's waldo thing involving scott bourne. Hadn't really thought about him in a while. Consolidated ripper. Where are they now file? Maybe living in France? Heavy Henry Miller action. Love the guys who shred and then disappear to do their own thing. Anyway here is some old SB video action
This clip was a classic. did a lot to make white kicks and khakis cool for gnarl-dogs.

and perhaps some more recent?




So stoked to go ride tomorrow.