OK, what did you get?

I SHOULD have written a "gift ideas" post in advance of Christmas, but my Mac wasn't feeling well. The post wouldn't have been too hard. You can pick just about anything out of the VeloGear catalog and make a cyclist happy. But now that it's Boxing Day (a Canadian holiday that we Michiganders celebrate only because it gives us another excuse to eat.), I want to know what the BEST gift a cyclist received for Christmas this year. And which gifts made you say to yourself, "What were they thinking?" Or you might have said that out loud.
I got myself a Garmin nuvi200 which turns out to be about the niftiest useful toy a cyclist can get.
Got myself. Yeah, it's like that.
In "Roadie", I mention the whole gift giving thing and say that kitchen utensils and gadgets are pretty safe bets because food is always on a cyclist's mind.
Am I right? Or is there a better gift idea? If so, leave a comment and tell me what the gift of the century is.

Today's Lesson

This video is two years old. The lesson is timeless.

OK, now go out and play.

If a Roadie tells you he stayed at the Marriott, he's lying.

I have a confession to make to my family and co-workers:
When I said I stayed at the Marriott in Monterrey during a racing road trip in the summer of 1991, I actually parked my car in the Marriott parking lot, and slept in the car.
Technically, yes, I stayed at the Marriott.
If I had told them the truth, I would have caught hell for it. They'd worry. Who wants that?
The question I pose to you readers: Have you ever told this lie (or one like it) to keep your family from worrying about you during your cycling road trips?
Like a friend who shall remain nameless (which makes it difficult for him to get a credit card) who once told his family that the expensive bike he'd just bought (while a poor college kid) was given to him as part of a sponsorship deal. (That's a common one.)
Or the guy who always bought RED bikes because his wife couldn't tell the difference between a Trek or a Guerciotti or a Serotta. As long as they were red, she thought it was all the same bike.
True stories, all of them.
Got one? Let's hear it.

Where Were We?

Three unrelated things and an unrelated photo:
1. Try going without the Internet for a week. Holy crap, it's not easy.
I was forced to. My Mac took a well-timed vacation. (Seriously, (tell me this isn't well-timed) the DAY after I sent my post-final-final revisions and additions for Chapters 15-16-17 back to VeloPress, I tried to turn the Mac on, and it gave me the Screen of Death (officially known as the Kernal Panic screen - whatever THAT means) that says not-in-so-many-words: call tech support and get your wallet.
It was a close call. (don't judge me for what I'm about to say) I had spent an entire weekend making substantial changes for those chapters, and I hadn't backed up ANY of my work. Ha ha ha. The winds of fate don't hit you when you draft off the bike of luck.
I learned my lesson...for now. That's about as living-on-the-edge as I get.
So now I'm digging through more old material hoping to put together a post that will rock the cycling world.
2. Jef Mallett's artwork is amazing, and will really make Roadie - The Book more fun to read. I'll post some of the rough sketches here when I get permission. He simply has it dialed in. You can see the cover art at VeloGear.com but that doesn't even scratch the surface.
3. I just got my assignment for the Tour of California in February. As luck would have it, I'll be announcing from the mobile P.A. truck which can be seen just a few moments before the first riders on the road. I imagine they'll also put me to work during the time trial stage on a secondary stage somewhere on the course.
It'll definitely provide more fodder for this site. So you have THAT to look forward to.
OK, I have to go back up my hard drive again for the 7th time since breakfast.

Another One from the Vaults

Here's another old video from the days when I really thought I wanted to be a TV producer for cycling stuff. Every now and again I'll get a fleeting desire to chase that dream again. And then it hits me: that's way too much work. Watching the TV crews work at the Tour of California (77 days from now by the way, woohoo!), taught me that it's long days and short nights, and a lot of bickering. Heck, I get my fill of that by attending City Council meetings every week.
OK this clip is of the Flying Rhino cycling club. Some good photography. The narration is lame. I'm a crummy writer. And that's my whiny voice, too. No wonder we never showed this to anyone!


SO, wha'd'ya think? Want to be a sponsor? Call Jeff at Kinetic Systems: 248-625-7000.