Test Google Map API

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v=spf1 a mx include:amazonses.com ?all

v=spf1 a mx include:amazonses.com ?all

test

test

BMW Oracle America's Cup boat is in San Diego

Just a quick note to anyone in the San Diego area. The USA challenger for the America's Cup this year is being tested down in our neck of the woods. It's a crazy advanced trimaran that will do battle with the crazy advanced catamaran that the Swiss team will be sailing in their defense of the Cup.

To see BMW Oracle's boat, just head down towards the Convention Center and park. Erin and I parked at Seaport Village. Buy a cookie and they'll validate you for 2 hours. Once you are near the Marina it's pretty easy to find. It's just behind Joe's Crab Shack, but you can see it from a mile away because of it's HUGE mast (185 feet tall). You can get all the boat stats here.

To check out the pics I took click here.

I wish I got a chance to watch it sail. Thank God for YouTube. Skip to the 1:30 mark to see it really sailing.

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Great bike repair services in San Diego

I've needed to get a few things fixed on bike recently and I didn't want to go back to the same place I've been going. They are nice guys but they weren't solving the problem - or if they did it seemed to create another.

So, I went to the trusty internets to find somewhere else and I stumbled upon a cool service. It's called Broken Spoke Mobile Bicycle Repair. You can call or email them and they'll come to your house or office to fix your bike. If it's quick and easy they'll do it right there, or if they need to they'll take it home and bring it back. It's run by a guy named Scott who's very nice and has done a great job both times I called. And the best part is that the price is very reasonable. I think it's even cheaper than the bike shops, plus way more convienent. I highly recommend it.

My second bike shop recommendation is Performance Bicyle in Sorrento Valley. I was riding home today (the scenic way through Del Mar and up Torrey Pines) and my gears were running funny when I was in the small ring for going up hills. It's been a problem since the old shop I visited did some work. By chance I saw Performance Bicycle and decided to stop by to see if they could help at all. It was quickly diagnosed that my chain was too small and in about a minute they took a link out of it. I got to test it going up the Torrey Pines hill (the steep way along the road in the park) and my bike performed great! And they didn't even charge me. I did promise them I'd tell all my friends, though, so now you know!

Get out and get on your bike!

Worst Person in the World

5000 km and counting...

I achieved a personal milestone on Sunday when I passed the 5000 km mark on my bike.  Well, it's 5000 km since I got an odomoter about four years ago (give or take a year, i don't remember).  If you can't read the picture above, it's 5032.4 km to be exact.  For those metrically challenged, that's about 3100 miles - or the distance from SF to NY.  I'm sure lots of bikers have riden many more miles, but it's a big enough number that I'm proud of myself.

I ride a 20 year Trek that was my dad's.  It's a steel frame road bike (600 series) that has certainly proved durable.  It's a vintage bike, but still performs well up hills, down hills and all in between.  It's changed a bit since my dad had it.  I've replaced the white seat and handle bar wrap with black, added a water bottle cage and gone through several wheels.  The guts of the bike, though, are all still there.  Of course, the Obama bumper stickers weren't there 20 years ago.

I would estimate that half the miles are from recreation rides and half are from commuting to work.  I started biking to work on a semi-regular basis two years ago when the Planet Earth shows were on Discovery HD.  There was a really sad episode about a Polar bear who was swimming around the artic because the ice had melted too early.  I was talking about it with some co-workers when I decided to at least do something myself.  I realize that the 8.5 mile round trip ride isn't stopping global warming by itself, but we all got to start somewhere.  The icing on the cake is that I love riding to work.  I've never shown up to work and wish I had driven, and there have been many times I've driven and wished I'd rode.

When it comes to recreational rides, the majority of the miles have come from out-and-backs up the coast.  The stretch of coast along 101 through La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Carlsbad is one of the premier biking areas in the country and I'm blessed to have such great access.  The longest ride I did was from my place up to north oceanside and back - 100 km.  Still quite a bit short of a true Century Ride (100 miles).  It's always fun to head up to Carlsbad/Oceanside and stop by Ross and Laurel's or Jac and Aaron's.  Of course, the pain always returns on the way home.  Leaving the Torrey Pines hill for the very end is a bit cruel.

Another ride I enjoy up and over Mt. Soledad.  The steepest hill I've encountered is going up the Pacifica Ave on the south side of Soledad.  However, that section is only half the hill, and the rest is more gradual.  The hardest ride has been going up the north side of Soledad.  Same height gained as the south ride, but in half the distance.  Closest I've come to walking.

My most recent ride, and the one that saw 5000 km, took me to Point Cabrillo.  It was the first time I rode south and I'll certainly do it again.  The views of the bay and downtown from the top of Cabrillo are awesome, and riding along Sunset Cliffs reminds me a bit of Carmel.

Getting on a bike and riding (both to work and for fun) has been one of the best things I've done.  But don't just take my word, get out and do it yourself.  You'll feel better after, I promise.