Marching

• We're now less than two short months away from the first brevet of 2010 and very few of us seem ready. Last year's spring 200k was challenging at best, and harrowing at worst... but despite the heavy precipitation and uncomfortable conditions, this was mainly due to my cohorts and I taking a bit of a detour, adding an additional ninety minutes to the sojourn. Despite my heavy tilt towards Luddite cycling, I may insist that someone in our group carries a Garmin this year.

  The winter does strange things to cyclists. A few ditch the wheels in favor of other sports, returning only when the roads are clean and dry. Others suffer innumerable indoor hours in dark basements. Many of us ride a bit here and there, but spend most of our energies thinking and dreaming and writing about riding. Thanks you Youtube, the predominant time wasting meme amongst Hyde Park roadies seems to be the hour record... and more interestingly, good old Dane Ole Ritter. This has inspired the latest ridiculous and wonderful project in Tativille: The Calumet Hour. Beginning later this month, steel yourselves for a biweekly race against the clock at Calumet Park. All are welcome. The details are still being worked out, but one thing is for sure: this will be a "naked" TT, so no modern aero equipment will be allowed.

  Speaking of Calumet, Half Acre Cycling's excellent twilight crit series is back this year. The Gaper's Block crits will run between March 22 and 26, from 6-8pm. The course will be the same as last year, at the south end of the park. And who knows: there may actually be streetlights this time! We'll have 8-10 Tatitos racing the series, so come on out and cheer for your favorite orange-clad team!

  And finally, just in case you were expecting the shop's spring hours to be posted... I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a few more days. The elves in the back of the shop are busily (desperately) trying to complete the last few wheel and bike builds of the winter, so until that work is done, the doors will remain locked. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see the shop when it's operational again! It's packed to the gills with eye candy, and a number of long term shop projects have actually come to fruition this winter. Yay surprises!