The folks now running the Londonderry track have a new website. Including some remarks about how change can be “uncomfortable.” Thoughts?

http://northeastvelo.com/

Gah! 1 through 3

March 11, 2010 | 2 Comments

1) Brits and their dental problems: “[Mark Cavendish] has recently had a full dental brace fitted and will wear it for a year to avoid any more problems and possible consequential muscle problems. It seems the pain and problems of the pre-season are in the past and he is confident his form is rapidly improving.”

Egad!

2) Cute MIT cycling team kids:
Q – “In light of this morning’s sprint clinic, what’s the physics behind rocking the bike?”
A – “The rocking motion helps you use power from arm and back muscles. It’s the same idea as flexing your ankles through the pedal cycle to increase power. From physics, we know that Work = Force * Displacement. Given a fixed pedal force, if you can reduce the displacement of your main cycling muscles (upper legs, lower backs) by pulling the pedals closer with your arms and using your ankles, you can offload some of the fatigue to upper body and lower leg muscles. Or, with the lower displacement, maybe you can get a little extra force and therefore more sprint power. Rowers understand the concept much better. Get on an erg/indoor rower. See how much power you generate just pulling with your arms, with your legs stationary. Then, try just pushing with your legs with arms extended. When you combine the arms and legs, you get way more power.”

Sweet, lovable nerds. Seriously, I mean that in the nicest way possible. The MIT racing team have been nothing but delightful, charming, and very pleasant in all my experiences with them. (Including one January training camp!)

3) New England Velodrome?
“… this planned takeover was orchestrated by Jeff Palter and Kurt Begman of Cycleloft who attended our track and disingenuously expressed their support of what we had accomplished through hard work coupled with a collective passion for cycling.”

More info please?

New song, new year

January 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Actually, old song. Well, from 2009. Thanks to Ana for this one.

An Horse: Camp Out

Making it through the “A”s and foiled in several prior attempts to post songs contextually.

So what the hell.

The Secret Machines: “Alone, Jealous And Stoned

Gordon McIntyre in one of his solo-ish projects, Money Can’t Buy Music.

The Ghosts

Songs I love

December 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment

This one reminds me of my college hall-mate Cheryl Cross, who loaned me the Pixies “Trompe le monde” (and whose copy I may still have). The Pixies capitalized “Le” and “Monde,” but the mental and physical abuse I absorbed while an exchange student at the Universite Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 a hundred years ago forces me to only capitalize the first letter of the phrase.

The Pixies: Alec Eiffel

Songs!

December 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment

The Royal Alberta Advantage: Frank, AB

Only one is working tonight and I don’t have the patience to persevere for more.

More year end songs

December 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Yes, we have gotten down to “z.” In the alphabet. That doesn’t mean I don’t have more. MORE!

Other Girls: Hey Fella! You Fell
Telekinesis: Coast of Carolina
Times New Viking: No Time, No Hope
Wavves: So Bored
Zykos: The Gambler

I woke up with this song stuck in my head today. And for some reason I can’t upload it.

So sadly I have to use the lame YouTube link since I can’t even find their old video for this.

Death From Above 1979: Black History Month

A bonus

December 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment

We Were Promised Jetpacks: It’s Thunder and It’s Iightning