Spinner Report for Feb 24th

Here are the charts! In spite of the rotten winter weather we northerners have been having, great job all! We are right on track for exceeding the 50,000 mile group goal for the year!


We might have to upgrade the goals! Now, I'd like to hear your Spring and Summer plans! Me and Mrs Stormcrowe are going to do some touring as well as ride in Tour de Cure! Also, we're going to try to get down to Chattanooga for the April 6 stage 4 of the Tour de Georgia, which is going through Chattanooga this year! If we get down there, watch for some exciting pics!

The Spinner Report for Saturday, February 17!

Running a little late due to an internet outage, but here's the report! Everybody did a great job. I had a big fat goose egg, due to pulling a back muscle shoveling out after the blizzard, but hey, it happens!

My Bloglog Denial of Service attack?

I think there was a denial of service attack on My Bloglog service today. I should warn you, don't click the link if you receive an email inviting you to coauthor a blog out of Belgium. I don't think it was that particular bloggers doing, and Bloglog is addressing the problem, just be aware! I made the mistake of clicking the link and for a while, I was receiving more email than I've received in a while! I also had a page called PCSpy pop up in my blogs authored list.

No spyware or Viruses were inserted into my computer either, the page was just too large to load, and believe me when I tell you, that takes a pretty big flood of data to do that!

This is what the email body looks like. I have removed the links for your security.

Hi Tom_Stormcrowe,

I would like to add you as a co-author of my MyBlogLog community below:

Blog/Site: Blog Memes (link removed)
MyBlogLog community:(Link Removed)


Your MUST click on the link below to accept this request:

(Link Removed)

Thanks,
Blogmemes_Belgium

I found a great cycling related article!

This article is The Psychology of Cycling by Nicolas van der Leek (Nick) .

Do visit and read it, it has a great take on Cycling!

Tour de Cure Update: Supersizedcycles Is Sponsoring My Ride!

Joan Denizot over at Supersized Cycles, an internet based Bicycle shop specializing in bikes for the larger rider has offered sponsorship for my Tour de Cure ride. She has offered a sponsorship of $25.00 on each bike sold from the beginning of this month to just before the Tour de Cure date. She offers bikes for rider up to 550 pounds bodyweight.

She carries several types of rides from a traditional upright cruiser to a really solid 9 speed city path bike styled like a mountain bike designed with the needs of a heavyweight cyclist in mind. This particular bike is called the "New Leaf", and is custom designed and built specifically for the heavier rider, specifically stating a 550 pound capacity.

You don't want to ride an upright because it's painful or you have back problems? Well, Joan also carries recumbents, both in bicycle type and trikes if you have issues with balance. If you want an electric assist bike, Joan also carries Zip bikes, which are quick and easy to ride!

We're still digging out from the Blizzard, by the way, so I have to keep this short. I'll post more storm images for the cleanup stage tomorrow sometime. Until then, keep pedaling and if you need a bike that is stressed for a rider of larger proportions, do visit Joan at her site and see the bikes she has from Workman, New Leaf, and Zip. I also have a link to her page in my resources block up above.

More on Blizzard of 2007

From WLFI Website: Snow Emergencies Declared

Dated: 02/13/2007 11:07:07

Updated: 02/13/2007 13:35:51

Adverse winter weather has caused some area counties to declare Snow Emergencies. Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe and Warren Counties have all declared Snow Emergencies. Authorities urge people to stay off the roads except when travel is required for work or emergencies. Purdue University has declared a snow recess. There will be no classes from Noon on Tuesday until Noon on Wednesday. City Bus is ending service to campus Tuesday afternoon. It will resume at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. All other City Bus routes will remain open. In Tippecanoe County, the commissioners declared a snow emergency. Sheriff Tracy Brown says that means people should not travel unless absolutely necessary. Brown says once Purdue and other major employers let their employees go home early, police want to clear out traffic. County leaders want people to get home safely and then stay there.

___________________________________________________________________
We have officially surpassed the Blizzard of 1978. This dropped 11 inches of snow and we currently have just over a foot of new snow down. We're expecting another 6 inches or so by midnight and wind tomorrow.

We are under a Stage 2 snow emergency as of right now as well. This means emergency travel only.

Ivy Tech and Purdue are closed tomorrow and it takes an act of God to close Purdue!

Our back yard

We currently have between 6" and 5 FEET of snow in the back yard and the front is about four feet deep. We can't go out the front door anymore, by the way, maintenance is going to have to dig us out.

A Clyde in the TdF?

Speaks for itself!

The Blizzard of 2007

I got out before it gets too bad, and took some pictures. I wouldn't want to be the guy that shovels out the last car!

The Spinner Report

I'm running a little behind this week. I'm a day late posting the Spinner Report, but it's because I was swamped yesterday between School and blizzard prep. That's right! Blizzard! We're supposed to get 16" of snow over the next 20 hrs or so and 35-40 mph winds! Everything in town is more or less shut down and a "Snow Emergency" has been declared! For those of you who read me in the tropics, I'll post some pictures later! Well, here is the data table and chart set for the Spinner Report! We're right on track to exceed the annual goal of 50,000 miles for the group, matter of fact, considering we're in slow season and the bulk of our riders are from snow states.....well, we should top that figure by a significant amount!

Up in Alaska: Gear check

Jill's in final prep for Susitna now! Up in Alaska: Gear check

A New Paradigm? I have a question..........

It's a pretty simple one, actually!

Did you only start to be able to achieve mileage and endurance after you started to believe you could actually do it?

The root of the question is whether belief affects the outcome.

Either post your answers in the poll here or email me at tom(dot)stormcrowe(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Winter Weather and Cycling: Trainer Time!

So, what do you do when the temperatures drop into the single digits and wind chills drop to -25℉? Me, if the roads are dry and safe, I do get out and ride. The last few days though it's been the trainer for me! I don't have studded tires on the winter bike and didn't buy any this year because of the deceptively warm early winter weather.

I use, for a trainer, the Kurt Kinetic Fluid Trainer, and while it's boring riding a trainer, it's better than no pedaling the bicycle! As far as the workout I get, it's great! The Kurt Kinetic is a great trainer!

As to how I occupy myself while on the trainer? Well, I watch TV! I either use a Spinnerval DVD or I watch a movie or something like that. One piece of advice.....don't let the spouse put a chick flick in the DVD when you are on the trainer! It'll kill ya!

Spinner Database Changes

I've added a feature for the Spinner Saturday database. The new function is saddle time. If you want to participate in this aspect of the Spinner Report as well, just add your saddle time to the mileage reporting. I added this feature at the request of some of our Bike Forums members because I thought it was a great idea!

Susitna 100: Coming Soon!

Here's a little story about one of our members, Arctic Jill. She is competing in the Susitna 100 again this year on February 17th. I have mentioned her in my blog several times. Well, it is happening this month and I'd love to see a few of my readers to drop by and wish her well in the race.

Given the level of training she's been doing I fully expect a great time from her. between the aforesaid training and her heart (Jill has got heart! Grit too, in the classic sense of the word), Jill is devoting a significant portion of her time away from work to train for this grueling race. I have to salute her efforts and tell her that she is a daily inspiration to me and a blog well worth the read!

Jill, all I can say is that I'll be following your race and pulling for you!

The Spinner Report

Well, here we are in a frigid week for Spinner Saturday. Miles aren't bad for the weather conditions! The wife and I are doing trainer miles, unfortunately!

Top miles for the week go to Jill, of course as she trains for the Susitna next month. I also have an announcement about a couple of members of Spinner Saturday. Uncle Dan and The Historian are both doing the MS 150. I'll post the links to their respective pages in the next day or so. Well, without further ado, here are the results!

Frigid Weather: Trainer Rant!

Here in the Hoosier State, the weather has been cold enough recently that the only miles I get right now are on the Gerbil wheel....I mean trainer! I'm so bored that I may just brave 4℉ and wind chill of -15 tomorrow for a short ride!

Just a reminder, tomorrow is Spinner Saturday....time to report the miles, everybody!

Historian On Two Wheels: From 0 to 100 in Six Months: Non-scale Victories

Historian On Two Wheels: From 0 to 100 in Six Months: Non-scale Victories

This is an article posted on one of the Spinner Saturday crew's blog. It's a great short piece about motivation. Drop by and read it!