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    Wednesday, April 22, 2009

    Randall Scott Lifestyle

    Pressure To Win


    Most consider road bike racing a non-contact sport. Yet check out the YouTube video (see below) of Theo Bos ‘pulling’ Deryl Impey off his bike onto the pavement during the Turkish stage race last Sunday and you may consider otherwise. However, much debate surrounds whether Bos did indeed pull Impey down or whether it was simply an unfortunate cycling accident. The footage certainly suggests that Bos grabbed Impey’s yellow jersey and used NFL tactics to de-seat Impey. However, Bos denies any intentional action. Furthermore, questions circulate the incident. Why would Bos have pulled Impey in front of his own bike? And if he did, what interactions between himself and Impey could have taken place to result in such a dangerous retaliation? In my opinion, however, the most disturbing assumption is that winning has come to mean so much to some people that they will engage in unfair, dangerous behavior.
    In one poll, one hundred and ten athletes were asked if, in taking illegal performance enhancing drugs (with no chance of being caught) they were guaranteed to win all their competitions for the next five years, but then DIE from the drugs, would they still take the them? Guess what….90 of them said yes! This may not be as surprising as we initially think. When was the last time an athlete received the kind of respect and national recognition that comes with winning from simply ‘trying hard’ or being a generally good person? America especially, but the rest of the world as well, honors the highest scores, the fastest times and the best results. Athletes feel this pressure and respond accordingly. When physical limits prevent meeting the public’s expectations, other measures are taken to circumvent barriers. Furthermore, high paying athletes often get off with little more than a slap on the wrist. As they come to see themselves as above the rules, it is no wonder that further illicit behavior ensues. The real issue is not whether Bos threw Impey to the ground; the real issue is that this is even a possible explanation for what happened during the race.

    Friday, April 17, 2009

    Randall Scott Lifestyle

    Got Bike?

    I woke up on Wednesday to grey skies instead of the beautiful baby blue, cloudless skies of the past week, which I had gotten used to. The first thought that flashed through my mind was, “Maybe I should just drive to work today.” I like to think of myself as a bike commuter, preferring two wheels and man (or woman, I should say) power to four wheels and horse power (if I actually had a horse this might be different). Yet that day I found myself craving a comfortable seat and a heating system. In the end, due to guilt, I hopped on my bike and pedaled to work, instantly feeling better. This mornings debate got me thinking; the vast majority of us don’t even consider using alternative transportation. I’ve watched a friend hop in his car to drive to a park about two blocks away to play some basketball. I’ve seen shoppers circle the rows in the Safeway parking lot, waiting for one of the first five spots because spot six would be too far away. And all the while, we wonder why obesity, air pollution, global warming and a myriad of other problems continue to rise!

    Every gallon of gas burned produces twenty pounds of carbon dioxide. Asthma rates have increased drastically due to air pollution; most air pollution having been shown to come from vehicles. Not to mention the habitats we have claimed with our roads and highways, viewing road kill as a smelly inconvenience rather than a consequence of our continuous global take over. How would you like a gofer to tunnel three or four exits up through your living room floor? Seeing as pest control companies seem to be doing fine, I would guess most people wouldn’t be big fans.
    As if the future of the only world we have is not enough, let’s examine a problem that people seem more concerned with: obesity. America spends ridiculous amounts of money on diet books and pills. Everyone is looking for a ‘quick fix’ to lose weight. Well, that quick fix is sitting in your garage collecting dust (and I certainly don’t mean your new SUV). Why do we only concern ourselves with the intake half of the energy balance equation? Why not consider the output factor? Then, at least, you can still enjoy a cookie once in a while. Plus, you save the gas money, which you can always put towards diet pills if you’re still not convinced about the benefits of exercise. So next time you grab your keys, think about using the one belonging to your bike lock rather than the one belonging to your Bentley.

    Monday, April 13, 2009

    Randall Scott Lifestyle

    Suckerfish

    OK…it is a busy Monday but I had to stop and comment on this insanity. Keep in mind it is from a design competition so there is room for the imagination. It is called the “Bike Remora.” It is based off of the Remora Fish that hitches rides off of other fish. By the way, please note that this fish is also called the “Suckerfish.” Because as a society we all love the freeloaders and this fish and this invention are no exception.

    The Bike Remora uses “a silicone coated magnet to secure itself to the automobile.” Of course safety is an issue and the Bike Remora has a safety leash that “wraps around the wrist of the cyclist and when pulled upon, the magnet recesses in to the shell of the Bike Remora’s body, thus becoming unattached to any surface." Funny, I don’t see any mention of a bullet-proof remora shield to protect the cyclist from the 9mm artillery blowing through the rear window of the vehicle that they decided to “hitch” a free ride from. The mindset of this invention is based on a day when “respect falls onto the pedestrian or cyclist.” [Insert more rambling text here] “Because of the car’s impact on the environment, it will be in debt to the common cyclist, and will happily take on a couple “remoras.”

    I started a new paragraph because I wanted to give you time to laugh aloud or run to the bathroom due to this interesting take on relationship between cars and cyclists. I would have to say: Make like Aerosmith and “Dream On.” It seems like in the future (of crazy people that is) that Catholic Guilt and global warming will be the reason that cars will want a bunch of cyclist freaks hitching a ride uptown. Yeah, I said freaks…come on; anyone with a detachable magnet in their hand trying to suck onto a car is…well… a freak. Here’s an idea…why don’t we just pedal our own bikes and not use cars as the “escalators” of the open road. Maybe we will all be better off keeping our hands and “remoras” to ourselves. A word to the “suckerfishes” out there: Last time I grabbed onto the trailer of a landscaping truck, from my bike at a red light, I almost got a lawnmower thrown on me.

    Monday, April 06, 2009

    Randall Scott Lifestyle

    San Francisco Grand Prix

    Picture the San Francisco Bay laid out below you, salty wind whistling through your helmet, the cry of seagulls filling your ears as they circle above head. Hundreds of people restlessly surround you, dressed in that familiar get up- biking jersey, helmet, a pair of Look Road Cleats. It’s a modern day cycling army similar to that of the Spartans in 300, and you have positioned yourself at the forefront of the charge, riding in cat one. Although the sky is grey, you’re thankful for the cool fog as you anticipate the 108.1 miles of hills that await you. And then, before you’ve done much more than mount your Kuota Kharma Carbon Fiber road bike, the race is on! Well done, you’ve just begun the T-Mobile San Francisco Grand Prix.

    It’s been four years since I’ve been in San Francisco for this international circuit, but the atmosphere is incredible. While most city commuters will lay on their horn if they have to slow down to 40 mph to let someone into their lane, not a trace of complaint is present when the city shuts down miles of its streets to accommodate the race. Spectators line the course shouting encouragement, even to those cyclists they have never met; and especially to those cyclists who seem to need that extra push as they climb their umpteenth hill. Many spectators are simply tourists with the original intent to cross the Golden Gate or take the ferry over to Alcatraz. Perhaps they wished to eat fresh crab on Pier 39 or see Lombard St., the curviest street in the world. But the energy emanating from hundreds of spandex clad, calf-enhanced cyclists is just too much. It is a sight not to be missed. And for those who get impatient sitting on the sidewalk, an event not to let pass by!

    Wednesday, April 01, 2009

    Randall Scott Lifestyle

    MUD

    Talk about false alarms! I guess summer is going to hold out on us a little longer. No worries though; rain, wet snow and dirt trails combine to create one of nature’s most entertaining elements…MUD! As Sunday’s sun warmed up the foot or so of snow that dropped on us on Thursday, I jumped on the chance to get some quality mud trekking in. Paths had cleared enough to make my way into the backcountry, but remained wet enough to make my hike challenging and bring me back to the good old days of puddle jumping. Plugging along with a few friends, our hike soon turned into a mud fight after one particular puddle jump resulted in a mud facial for my friend. While I thought this was considerate of me (these facials usually cost a lot of money!) she thought a strategically aimed handful of mud was more appropriate than a thank you. After some slipping, some sliding and a lot of laughs we called a mud-caked truce. Forget overpriced mud baths. All you need to feel young again is a good slushy day in the mud. And although we want to be young, there are certain adult additions that make the ride home more bearable, such as Patagonia’s rain shadow pants and jacket. Their lightweight, waterproof fabric makes them easy to pack during questionable weather, as well as providing unrestrictive protection when the elements take a turn for the….more exciting. Keeping a spare towel or two in the trunk may not be a bad idea either. And for the mud-fight loser, there’s always the option of a good hose down before getting into the car.
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