Saturday, September 25, 2010

Stark County Style

2010 NEOCX Series Race Three - KSU, Stark Campus. 9-25-10

Friday, September 24, 2010

Like it was 1999

A few weeks ago, I went to two (hard) rock shows in one week. And they were both on weeknights.

Not bad for a geezer.

Both shows drew a lot of the same people I would see at shows when I was in college. Same people, but with less head hair, more facial hair, and more kids.

First was Unsane and Craw at the Grog Shop. Here's a video from the Craw set that I found on Youtube. Note the band's bassist...he may look familiar to the bike racers reading this. (Hint: It's Zak):



A few days later was Shellac at the Beachland. The only video from that show is here:



Both bands have rhythm sections to die for.

And both shows reminded me why I got into music.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Plea

The driver whose vehicle struck and killed Sylvia Bingham last September pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide last Monday. Although sentencing happens in late October, her Foundation website states that the recommended sentencing will be four years. Also take a look at her parents' comments about the sentencing on that website.

I am still confused about how the positive marijuana test plays into this accident. Was he high while driving, or did he test positive for marijuana use at some point in the recent past? One would think that they had him for marijuana use during the accident, but the news stories never clarified that issue. Also, the news stories never mentioned witnesses. Were the charges (and the subsequent plea) based on witness testimony, or based on the fact that he was high? Does anyone know what really happened that day?

The answers to these questions won't bring back Ms. Bingham. But releasing this information could help us better understand this tragedy and raise public awareness of this important issue.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Racey Video of Wendy

The Wendy Park Cyclocross Race, that is:



It was fast. Then I took a beer handup from some hipster. Then I crashed spectacularly with like 250 meters left on the last lap. Then I flaked out on my teammates and failed to help them tear down the course because I went home to pout because I was scared I really hurt my leg.

Luckily, I didn't.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Trial

According the Cuyahoga County Court's docket, the criminal trial of the person driving the truck in the accident that killed Sylvia Bingham begins on Monday. Links to the cases filed relating to this incident can be found here and here, along with a list of the charges. (I don't know why there are two separate cases going at once with the same charges relating to the same incident, both having the same trial date.)

Next week will also be one year since the accident happened.

I have yet to see any local media coverage on the upcoming trial. Maybe we're all just more concerned with other important matters, like whether some hateful lunatic is going to burn some books that may or may not cause some other hateful lunatics to kill people.

Either way, I'll keep an eye on the court docket. As of now, I have no idea what the prosecutor claims happened on that day, as well as the alleged level of impairment of the driver.

If the local media does cover the trial, I suppose it will bring out the worst in many people who will ignorantly claim that bikes don't belong on the roads, and that it was her fault for not wearing a helmet. And some bike advocates will call for Mr. Roberts' head without even knowing the whole story.

I hope I'm proven wrong, and I really hope the case draws a jury that will not rule based on misconceptions about cyclists riding on the road.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Races!!

Most reasonable people like to relax on Labor Day weekend, drink beer, and watch a bunch of war planes do fancy things over our fair city.

I decided to do two races within seventeen hours of each other, the first one being a 60 minute cyclocross race starting at 4:00 p.m., the second requiring a 5:45 a.m. alarm and a two-hour drive.

The cross race was (surprisingly) dry and fast and fun. I sucked considerably less than I did last year, which I must attribute to my new bicycle. That would really be the one way to justify the expense. My favorite observation from the cross race was a (short lived) verbal altercation between my teammate and another racer documented here, as well as a (short lived) verbal altercation between myself and someone who may actually suck worse than I do at riding singletrack. He decided he needed to pass me right before, of course, the singletrack. Both (short lived) verbal altercations ended in polite apologies and mutual understandings. It was like we were in Canada.

Sunday's Tour de Tamarck road race followed the script from last year...much attrition over the six hills, then teammate Zak and I trying (unsuccessfully) to get away on the last lap. It was fun, although I nearly got caught up in a wreck that occurred right behind me and was close enough that someone's handlebar jabbed my thigh.

Here is a photo of me trying to pretend that I can ride well in the sand on Saturday:


Question of the day: Does the fact that many cyclocross racers incessantly talk about how awesome cyclocross is add to or detract from the sport's awesomeness level, which is already quite high?