Phanny's New Friend

PA

Someone recorded one of my PAs between DFW and SFO and sent it to me.

I thought you'd enjoy this!

Square Grand

I never heard of such a thing. But, I am now the caretaker for one.
Built in 1860. I haven't played since I was 13. We'll see how quickly
it comes back.

Air to Air Gunnery

Ever wonder how fighter pilots practice shooting down other airplanes?

Well, since airplanes are too expensive to shoot down we have one jet tow a banner and the others roll in and shoot at it.

The first image show what it looks like from a distance.  It really is that hard to see.

Next we get a little closer.  This is about what it looks like just before we start to shoot.  It gets big fast so we only shoot for about half a second.  That's long enough to get 50 20mm bullets into the air.

You can see the how close in size the banner is to one of our F/A-18s.

Images from Key West

Your earliest response

Nederlands Staatsloterij
Postbus 3334
5902 RH Venlo-Nederland
https://www.staatsloterij.nl
Ref No: STLI/88-5/0007.
Batch No: 587/9876JH.

Dear. Sir/Madam,
Your email address has won EUR 920,000:00 (Nine Hundred and Twenty
Thousand Euro Only) in the Netherland Staatsloterij Sweeptakes,conducted
on the 11th day of March 2008, sponsored by consortium of software promotion
companies.

For claims and more informations, contact our processing
department with the details below.

Mr. Peter.Gobec
Staatsloterij Processing Dept.
Tel: +31-634666123
Fax: +31 847195169
Email: contactpetergobec@gmail.com

Your Winning Details.
Ref No: STLI/88-5/0007.
Batch No: 587/9876JH.

Sincerely Yours,
Mrs. Clementina Colombo
Sweepstakes Coordinator.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Nederlands Staatsloterij

Brrrrr

Look out Zamora, here comes VOS.

RE: Land Park

congrats you guys...great results
 
have fun tomorrow too
 
m
 


> From: kyleglerum@gmail.com
> To: vos_racing@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Land Park
> Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:18:12 -0700
> CC: kyleglerum.lothar@blogger.com; gebhard@cyclepath.com
>
>
> 45+ Sweet G 3rd
> 35+ Jeff Poulsen 1st
> P/1/2 Dan Martin 7th
>
> Plus several primes!
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "vos_racing" group.
> To post to this group, send email to vos_racing@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to vos_racing-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vos_racing?hl=en
> -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
>

---

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Land Park

45+ Sweet G 3rd
35+ Jeff Poulsen 1st
P/1/2 Dan Martin 7th

Plus several primes!

Sent from my iPhone

Do The Test

Do The Test

Thanks Taz!

Remembering

Memorial Ride

Team Roaring Mouse Cycles and Third Pillar Racing Team are holding a joint 
memorial ride this Saturday March 15th, to honor the lives of Kristy Gough and 
Matt Peterson, our two teammates killed on Steven's Creek Canyon last Sunday 
while on a training ride. We welcome friends, family, fellow cyclists and all those 
whose lives have been touched by Matt and Kristy. Our ride will include a visit 
to the site of the crash site for those to share their memories

When: Saturday, March 15th 

Where: Leaving from Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road,
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

**We kindly request you do NOT drive out to the crash site during this time, as 
we need to keep cars to a minimum in the area, given the road conditions.

Time: Meet at 2:30pm, ride by 3pm

Length: 30-45 minutes to the crash site. Base pace (ie, mellow). No drop. 

Route: 
Start @ Foothill College (Parking Lot #1, near the football stadium;  see link 
above for map)

–         Left on El Monte
–         Right on Foothill Expressway
–         Continue on Steven's Creek Canyon

–         Return

*Press are welcome to attend, however we request respect during our ride. It 
would mean the most to us if press were to accompany us on their bikes, as we 
are all cyclists this week.

Matt Peterson

Mercury News - Matt

Kristy Gough

Mercury News - Kristy

County Sheriff Hits and Kills Two Cyclists

It is a far worse day than I thought.  

I just found out two of my training partners from Five Rings Cycle Center were killed and a third rider who I have ridden with several times this winter was seriously injured.

Kristy Gough, a professional triathlete and member of Third Pillar, a friend and training partner, was fatally injured.  

Matt Peterson, Roaring Mouse Cycles, was fatally injured.

Christopher, a young European professional from Germany training this winter on the Peninsula, suffered critical injuries.  Sounds like broken arm, leg, and ribs.

I am out of town but it sounds like these riders, who train with my coach, were on a ride around Stevens Creek Reservoir when the Sheriff crossed the center line and hit them.  This is our usual route to Hwy 9.  Several witnesses heard the officer remark that he must have fallen asleep.

These three and one other strong rider had broken away from the rest of the training group. The fourth rider became fatigued and was about 30 seconds behind the others going around the reservoir. When he rounded the bend by the quarry he saw the aftermath of the accident. There was nothing he could do for Matt. He kept Kristy alive until the paramedics and life flight arrived.

So far this is the most informative article I have found:

Two bicyclists were killed when a Santa Clara County sheriff's patrol car crossed the double-yellow line on Stevens Canyon Road in Cupertino and hit a group of riders shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

The crash on a beautiful Sunday morning left the local cycling community and the sheriff's department shaken.

"It's just horrible," said Mike Riepe of San Jose, after hauling his mountain bike up a trail near the crash site.

The opportunities for hill climbing and downhill coasting along Stevens Canyon make the road tempting for cyclists. So on Sunday morning four cyclists training for an event decided to give the hills a shot. The group collided with the deputy's car while the deputy was on a routine patrol in the area, Sgt. Don Morrissey said.

Coming around a corner, near a straight-away, the deputy accidentally crossed the center line and struck the group. He called for help and immediately began CPR on one of the fallen cyclists, Morrissey said.

Two cyclists, a 29-year-old San Francisco man and a 30-year-old Oakland woman, died. A 20-year-old man was seriously injured, CHP officer Todd Thibodeau said. The fourth rider was not hurt.

Sunday's accident rattled the whole department, Morrissey said. The deputy involved in the crash will be placed on administrative leave until the investigation is complete. He's been on the force for about a year and half.

"He's taking it very hard," Morrissey said. "The whole department is saddened."

Fatal crashes are rare for the sheriff's department, even though deputies often drive as many as 200 miles in a single shift, Morrissey said.

The last fatal crash involving a sheriff's patrol car happened in 1994, when a deputy trying to keep a suspect from running struck and killed the man near the intersection of West San Carlos and Bascom Avenue. The deputy was cleared of wrongdoing.

On a good weekend, thousands of cyclists cruise the winding road leading to Stevens Creek Reservoir, said cyclist Steve Paterson, 49, of Cupertino, as he was turned away from a road block near Ricardo Road set up because of the crash.

"There are so many rides up here," he said. "Club rides, sponsored rides, groups of friends."

It's unclear whether the cyclists involved in the crash were riding as part of larger group, Morrissey said.

Local cyclists noted that riders in large groups will sometimes ride two-abreast. The practice is not illegal but can be extremely dangerous on narrow, winding roads with a large amount of traffic.

It was unclear if the cyclists involved in this crash were doing so, Thibodeau said. But cyclists said they've seen dangerous behavior from those on both two-wheels and four.

"I've seen bicyclists who ride crazy," Paterson said. "And I've seen cars that go too fast."

In 1996, cyclist Jeffrey Steinwedel, 46, died on Stevens Canyon Road just up the road from Sunday's crash when a quarry driver struck him as he took a winter ride. The driver, Jon Nisby, was sentenced to a year in jail.

The CHP is asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call (408) 467-5354, ext. 337.

Not so nice today...

Thai Lunch

Key West might suck for cycling (especially since I broke a spoke 26
miles from civilization...again) but sunny and 80 on the deck enjoying
a little Thai lunch ain't bad.

Fork Shoals Road Race

Fork Shoals Road Race P/1/2

Greenville, SC

1 March 2008

To start off, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it to the race.  When I finally decided "game on" at 8pm Friday night, I checked the flyer one more time and noticed a pre-reg option.  I figured I could at least look to see if the field was full or not.  Well, much to my surprise, not only was the field not full, but I was able to register on line! Only 10 hours prior to the start of the race...kudos to Race Management Services.  And, I also noticed that Big George (High Road) and Teddy King (Bissell) were racing.

So the morning started like any other race morning. Except I was in a hotel in Atlanta not my bed in Redwood City. And I was going to a race I hadn't even heard of until the week before. And I didn't have a kitchen to raid for my pre-race meal.  But, alas, I was going to do my first P/1/2 road race.

I solved the breakfast issue with a quick stop at Cracker Barrel.  What a deal.  For $4 I got a bowl of oatmeal with nuts, raisins, brown sugar, a sliced banana, a carton of milk, and an apple bran muffin.  Gold Mine!  A quick stop for a potent cup of 'joe and I was, well, off to the races.

As I left Georgia and entered South Carolina the morning clouds broke, the sun peeked through, and of course the wind picked up. But, I had just raced Snelling with evil nasty crosswinds so I was prepared.  I would stay near the front so when the hammerheads went...I wouldn't get caught behind the gapped riders and have to bridge the gaps unnecessarily burning matches I would surely need.

Ah, best laid plans.

The race started 45 minutes late.  My only negative comment about the whole day.  And, to the promoters credit, when they realized it, they announced that "all afternoon races will be delayed 45 minutes".

On the line I noticed a couple teams well represented (Hincapie/Coca Cola, Hincapie Development Team, Industry Nine, Black Sheep) but it looked like mostly a lot of ones and twos.  I saw George and his brother and Teddy and the 2007 State Champ (SC I think) and a bunch of kids.  But, there were a couple old guys like me also.

We weren't 5 miles into the race when the first break went. I waited.  Surely the "teams" would not let this happen if it was serious. It was only four guys, the state champ and a teammate (Hincapie/Coca Cola) included. I couldn't stand it. I tried to rally some support. I needed a couple guys to go with me. I jumped on a chase with Bissell. It failed. Maybe I could get another going. But, I had no idea what the course held. And, we had 65 miles to go. I got a couple guys to rally but there were at least 3 or 4 more Hincapie/Coke guys in the field. And they were boogers. They had control. None of the other teams were interested.

Lap 1: Gap = one minute

Lap 2: Gap = two minutes

I couldn't take it. The race was up the road. I had already done too much trying to get in the "right" chase and ignite chases, but at this point it seemed like it was just a work-out. A 75 mile training ride. The race was over. After two guys went off the front to bridge to the break and I was left sitting on the front, I tried to give it up, I was going sooooo slow but nobody would come around me. i got so frustrated. Then one of the Hincapie guys who had been blocking all day came up and became my oV. 

He said, "don't worry about those two, they won't make it."

I replied, "none of us are making it, I might as well get a work-out."

He so profoundly replied, "Oh...you'll get a work-out as soon as Big George and Bissell decide to turn it on."

I dropped back about 15 bikes, sat in, relaxed, started to enjoy the easy ride, then all HELL broke lose.  Bissell went, George took a pull and a pull and a pull and Bissell again, they were going for it.  Tag teaming the front. For 10 minutes it seemed like a pro race. We were all guttered and gutted. Then they sat up. We all sat up. Later I heard two guys talking, "I was so on the rivet back there", "yeah I don't think I could've hung on for another minute". I think we lost twenty or thirty guys in that 10 minutes.

Lap 3: Gap 1 minute

It stayed like that with random periods of speed when somebody got antsy. When the crosswind picked up. When Bissell or George took a pull.

Lap 4: Gap 1 minute

Bell lap. Here we go. But we weren't going. It was just more of the same. Then, on the backside, in the crosswind, George moved up. He pulled, someone else took a turn, someone else. We could see the break. It was coming back together. Ouch, the beginning twinges of cramps. (I drank the three bottles I carried, no neutral water) Have to stay near the front. No more than 10 back! That's my final offer. Top ten would be respectable. Last 5 miles. Rollers, long steeper roller, down, the last long steep roller, I'm holding my spot, some guys moving up, others falling back. At the top, flattens out a little, winds around, slight up hill, little kick at the end. Seen it 4 times already. Speeding up. Finish is closer than I thought. There's the sign, Bissell is sprinting, and the roof, and the 200m, still holding on, George sat up, two guys I can catch, over the shoulder nobody even close, pedal harder, faster, sprint. Finish. How far back? 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 in front...maybe 7...maybe 9.  Lots of people on bikes.

Well, 9th it was 

and a 

$20 payout to boot, 

thanks George

...until I looked on line (just for shits and grins, because no promoter can get results posted on the inter webs within 4 hours of the finish of a race)

I was actually 8th!  

Woohoo!

I love racing!

Look out Carolina

I'm heading East.  

And, since I think I can get away for the day without being missed, I'm going up to Greenville, SC to race the Carolina boys, don't tell my boss.

Fork Shoals here I come.

5 x 15 mile laps with the local pros...come back for post-race comments.

And guess who I'm racing?

Greenville, SC 

2008 Spring Training Series 

Fork Shoals Road Race

Saturday March 01, 2008 

Pro 1/2 11:00 AM

Name Team From

George Hincapie Team High Road Greenville, SC

Kyle Glerum VOS Racing Redwood City, CA

Yeah baby...bring it on!

Hwy 99 Sunrise

Here we go again!

Just Plain Funny

Things I see in airports:

LAX...enjoyong a beer at 0930.

Haven't done that since college...at least not that I can remember.

Cool Pix

Rock La-ahhhhh-ahbster

Where are the B-52s when you need'em? I can't believe it had to rain
today. The bike was ready for Santa Rosa but, not smart for the first
ride to be your first race of the season (and a crit to boot). Maybe
she'll just have to wait another week to go out and play. I can assure
you her first race will not be a rainy Snelling!

Holy City for Sale

Holy Smokes...how much?

Moth Ball 35+ Crit

Marco Fanelli's 35+ write-up.

Nice press guys! A NorCal team goes down south for a little fun in the sun and steals the show. I included the finish thumbnail but click the links to see the full size pictures or just go to Marco's blog.

Oh we are going to have soooooo much fun this year!


35+: This was an incredibly cool race and the VOS team put on a nearly flawless clinic.

From the gun, Dan Martin took off solo and steadily ground out the laps and kept the field at bay. That is really hard to do and the crowd, such as it was, showed their appreciation by cheering him on.

Good ol' Johnny O, break-away rider extraordinaire in the 90's, bridged on up and went pull for pull for a couple laps but his legs weren't up to the task and soon he dropped off.

Blinger taking a turn trying to bring back Martin. Don't feel bad that it was so hard to bring him back... he's a bonafide motor who won the prestigious Cat's Hill Classic last year ...in the Pro/1/2!!

Eventually Dan was brought back, and immediately another group of 12 went this time with both Martin and Hernando and some other very strong riders. Perhaps the break was too big however, because they never got a big gap and with just a couple laps remaining, the field closed in. Hernando launched and quickly gained 20 seconds. A race winning move? It looked good at 1-to-go 'cause Mike had a 15-second cushion and only 1,000 meters of smooth pavement between him and the second VOS victory of the day. But if there's one thing you can count on, it's that SoCal crit riders go fast on bell lap. I mean F'n fast, and as strong as Mike is, he couldn't hold them off, and got swarmed just before the line. His expression is priceless... how many of you kids can dig that deep?!

Not So Bad

Sunny but not so warm (46*) in the foothills. Jeff and I meeting for a
long slow ride. Group shot later.

Escape to Austin

So my job isn't all bad. At least it occasionally affords me the
opportunity to enjoy the sun and some warm weather when we have a
rainy spell at home like we are now.

No upright?

It's bad enough that I have to use a lifebike, but a recumbant, that
sucks!

Next?

Leigh trying to figure out which runs to do after lunch. We made it up
to Truckee last night and on the slopes at Squaw Valley this morning.

Poway to Del Mar

On the road again. Another shitty SoCal day!

Hittin' It In San Diego

Life is good. Fly the Hornet around in the morning. Go for a bike ride
in warm sunny SoCal in the afternoon.

Christmas Dinner

Yum...Christmas dinner!

At the hotel in Oklahoma City.

No room service and no restaurants.

One of the many joys of being an airline pilot....

Multimedia message

Uh! I can barely see to taxi and we're supposed to go fly.

The Big Chicken

Where am I?

Regional airlines lower bar for pilots

Just thought you should know...the below clips are from the article posted at the link.

If you've flown on a regional airline like American Eagle or Atlantic Southeast Airlines with any regularity, you may have noticed that the pilots seem a bit younger.

It's not your imagination. Regional carriers, which operate flights for major airlines like American, Delta and United, have been slashing their minimum hiring requirements in recent years as they grapple with a growing shortage of pilots. The carriers have reduced required flight hours for job applicants by as much as two-thirds, and in a few cases have hired pilots with the minimum experience required by the Federal Aviation Administration for a pilot's license.

Airline executives say recruiting less experienced pilots is necessary because the pool of applicants is shrinking while demand for pilots grows. And many have increased training for new hires and assigned them more time flying with veteran co-pilots.

Traditionally, many pilots began their careers at lower-paying regional airlines with the hope of moving to a major carrier, and a bigger salary, in a few years. Most regional carriers used to require 1,500 total flight hours before an aspiring pilot could apply for a job. A portion of those hours -- usually about 500 -- had to be flown in a multiengine airplane; the rest could be in a single-engine aircraft like a small Cessna 172.

In just the past year, 14 of the 21 regional and commuter airlines tracked by the consulting firm Air Inc. have reduced the hours of experience a pilot must have at the controls of any type of airplane. Trans States briefly lowered its requirement to 250 total hours last summer before raising it to 500, said Kit Darby, the firm's president.

American Eagle has cut its minimum flight hours to 500.

"If you have just a few hundred hours and don't have any jet experience, you're looking at quite a learning hurdle," Rice said.

James Magee, an Eagle pilot and union spokesman, had 2,000 hours of flight time when he was hired in 1999.

"Our new pilots are exceptionally good pilots," Magee said. "But they're flying in very challenging environments, and there's really no replacement for experience."

Airlines are aggressively recruiting on college campuses and offering signing bonuses to new hires who complete their training.

Union leaders say improved compensation and benefits would help more than signing bonuses and lesser requirements for new hires.

"We have to offer them a career path, with pay and work rules, that is going to be attractive," Magee said.

A starting pilot at Trans States, a regional airline that flies for American under the name American Connection, earns $22 a flight hour, with 74 hours guaranteed a month, according to AirlinePilotCentral.com, which tracks pilot salaries. That translates to an annual starting salary of $19,500. A pilot flying 1,000 hours a year -- the most allowed under federal rules -- would earn about $22,000.

Bus Driver
Location: San Francisco, CA 94104
Base Salary $21,692
Bonuses $3,608
401k $1,569
also healthcare, pension, payed time off

Say again all after:

"We have to offer them a career path, with pay and work rules, that is going to be attractive."

Dusky Footed Wood Rat

A view from the new trail at Pulgas Ridge.

The dogs love it!

Home...hmmm, why do I live in San Fran?

I'm Dreaming...

...or, I'm in Indianapolis?

Mountain Lion

You know how they always
post these crazy signs like:

Mountain Lion Habitat

and you think,
yeah right,
someone may have thought
they saw a mountain lion,
or "evidence" of one,
once,
years ago.

But, I've been walking these trails
several times a week for years.

And I've never seen any mountain lion
or evidence of any such creature.

Well, on my way to work yesterday while driving up Edgewood Road,
just meters from the trails I walk with the dogs ALL THE TIME



I SAW
A FREAKIN' MOUNTAIN LION
STANDING THERE
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!

I haven't been back yet.....

A Windmill for Guatemala

Wanna fund your own windmill? Got $100?

Social entrepreneurship is our unofficial theme this week. If $400 is too much to pay for a laptop, a Guatemalan wind turbine might be more your speed.

I’ve recently had the pleasure of meeting the good folks at the San Francisco chapter of Engineers without Borders. Like other things-without-borders themed organizations, EWB is a non-profit professional association that donates its expertise to worthy projects in developing countries.

Phanny and Connor sitting in a tree....

Phanny found a boy friend.

Business Card

No Social Graces

So I'm just finishing up my training ride today...

after getting up at 0730 in Indianapolis (yes 0430
on the old body clock)

...so I'm a little tired and maybe running a little low
on the old tolerance meter
and as I am riding through MY neighborhood
this exchange takes place:

L: (observing young man with skateboard peeing on side of road)
"Nice...."

YM: "Blahdiddy blah unintelligible blah"

L: (sliding to a halt)
"I'm sorry, I didn't understand you...did you say something?"

YM: "What's your problem"

L: "You peeing on the side of the road. Didn't your parents teach you the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior?"

YM: "Huh?"

L: "Don't you have a house where you could go do that, or a friends house? I am sure you didn't ride your skateboard all the way to the top of this hill just to ride on this road and pee on the side of the street"

YM: "I had to go and it was easier...so what?"

L: "So what? It is inappropriate and illegal so what!"

YM: "It is?"

L: "It is against the law for starters, it's called public urination and indecent exposure. And, mother's drive their children on this road and shouldn't have to see that. And, that is someone's front yard."

YM: "I didn't know that."

L: "You have to be kidding me? How can any teenage boy not know it is wrong to pee on the side of the road in a neighborhood. We're not talking about out in the middle of no where. Didn't your parents teach you any manners? You don't know that pulling your crank out in public is wrong?"

YM: "You're the one that said 'Nice' "

(Lothar begins to ride off shaking his head in disgust when he sees a man getting out of the car in the garage across the street)

L: "Excuse me sir do you know either of these boys?"

M: "No, why" (with a slight look of "what's your problem spandex boy")

L: "Well, one of them decided to to relieve himself on the side of the road and then copped an attitude with me when I told him it was inappropriate. I thought maybe you might know him and be able to explain his misbehavior"

M: "You mean he urinated on the side of the road?"

YM: "Yeah, can you believe..." (boy has look of confusion) "...you mean that's wrong?"

M: (with look of disgust) "Wrong? Don't you have a house? Do you live around here? Are you friends with Kevin?"

YM: (nod in the affirmative)

M: "Couldn't you use his bathroom?........"

L: (rides away shaking his head....)

Friends?

Who needs enemies when you have friends like this?

Why one should always carefully plan nap time!