Compass and Camera

From Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Drive to Dekalb - Views of Winter I can't believe how the Fall rapidly receded into Winter and how we now have had sub-zero weather and several winter storms. I have only had one flight canceled so far this season, but that was due to a mechanical incident and not weather. Will my luck hold? I can't even enumerate the places I've been. My United miles runneth over, though. I need to post some pictures of our trip to London and Paris over Thanksgiving. We had fish & chips for Thanksgiving dinner and didn't really miss the turkey much! I cannot say enough about the Evensong service at Westminster Abbey. If in London, at 5PM most days, the choir sings the service and the seating is but a few feet away from where nearly all the Kings and Queens of England have been crowned. Sitting in an 800+ year old space, surrounded by the tombs of the greatest citizens of the Empire, listening to the choir sing in Latin is simply marvel...

Hi Gang, Last night in Berlin. After we packed up and returned to the hotel we ventured out to the Jewish Museum in Berlin. The museum itself was beautiful in a very modern sense and the exhibits were technically very well done if multimedia is your thing. It covered the history of the Jews in Germany and Europe and the repeated pattern of persecution and assimilation. I found it surprisingly light on the Holocaust and almost feel like I missed something! After wandering back nearly to Checkpoint Charlie for a cab we headed back to the Ku'Damm and had dinner again at the Block House . Susann was again our waitress, taking Joe back to show him the t-bones, which was rather amusing. Dinner was good, but then it was time to pack and so we headed back to the hotel to get ready to depart for Frankurt. Here are some photos from last night! Back home today .... can't wait to get a little sleep on the plane and get back home!

Hi Gang, Took a walk yesterday ... a long walk, but it was nice to see a bit of Berlin or at least 6 km worth! Click here for the photos The Funkturm used to be the highest structure in Berlin and was referred to as their Eiffel Tower. It is right in the center of our convention center and so to step outside where the smokers gather puts you right at the base of it. You'll also see a view shots of our booth and surroundings. I commenced my walk and discovered a bike shop as large as a Dominicks or Jewel-Osco! But with the exchange rate not so much in my favor, I was able to avoid temptation! And I've got enough bags coming home! I then wandered into a cemetery for a look around. The graves were often lettered in gold which made the names pop out easily. Finally after a few more street shots, we get to Schloss Charlottenburg, early 17th century and I believe at one time the largest palace. Of course it was bombed heavily, but rebuilt. A few more street shots and my w...

Hi Gang, Presently in Berlin and have had a little time to see the sites. Last evening after we got finished with the show for the day we walked to the Kaiser Wilhelm church and tonight we ventured out to see the Brandenburg Gate (Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!), the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie (You are now entering the American Sector). I'm too tired to fully describe things and hope to in the coming days, but for now, here are some pictures, though I know that with it being dusk they aren't stupendous by any stretch and I'm unlikely to win a photojournalism award: Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie Kaiser Wilhelm Church and more Check back soon. I apologize that this isn't my usual writing, but it has been a long day. As ever, Kevin

Hi Gang, Another criterium season winds to a close with the venerable National Championships Weekend in Downers Grove . Wheel Fast Racing was ably represented by myself and Chris Hammer racing Masters 30+ 4/5. With the race not until 4 in the afternoon, I had a lazy morning, getting the Bianchi ready, putting a 25T cog on my sew-ups and figuring that with the hill, light wheels would trump aero. Chris and I discussed taking an amble around the course to scout out new potholes and just re-familiarize ourselves with a course that is lined with great and terrible memories. I quickly discovered that between corners 7 and 8 of the 8-turn mile long circuit that a wind tunnel occurred and after we registered I headed home to switch to the Bontrager Race Lite wheels . I know the hill on Summit is not a long climb, but I also knew that my power is a bit suspect and thought that hitting the 53x25 every lap would allow me to maintain speed with a good cadence and not waste a lot of what littl...

Well, I was feeling pretty good about my racing so far after two solid finishes. I kn ew that Winfield would be a test because of the two-step climb on the backstretch of the course, but I hoped that I could make it through 30 minutes and 3 laps. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be racing a bike - 80 degrees, light breeze, plenty of sun. My warm-up went ok and so I wasn't too nervous. Kim was joined by my Aunt Rita. Aunt Rita is without doubt the reason I got into cycling. Thanks to her, I rode my first "real" bike, her Miyata 1000 that she rode from West Chicago to the race. Her stories of centuries and RAGBRAI fueled my imagination and soon I had my Schwinn Traveler. It was great to have fans, especially one that was so instrumental to my early love of this sport. Over 60 of us lined up to race this pleasant Sunday morning. They staged us and to get the timing back on track, we weren't given a warm-up lap. Just as well. I lined up in the second row. Af...

Sunday was Bike the Drive where Lake Shore Drive is closed to cars and bikes can ride from Jackson as far north as Bryn Mawr and as far south as MSI. We set off at about 7AM, Kim on her GT mountain bike with a semi-slick up front and a slick from the trainer (why I didn't get two slicks I'll never know!) on the rear and me taking the Bianchi. This might not be something I'd do every year, but it is a great reminder that we live in a wonderful city. I've been to all 50 states and a lot of great place, but this ride was a reminder that of everywhere I've been in the world, Chicago is still my favorite. If you're curious, Sydney Australia is next up. The ride up the lake front benefited from a nice tailwind and so we cruised easily along amongst the 10's of Thousands of participants. The bikes varied from the ridiculously expensive to the "I don't know how that even is ridable!" Still needing some baggy mtn bike shorts for days...

After having Brian @ Bicycles Etc update the faithful John Cherry frame to Campy Chorus 10, my trusty Bianchi from 1993 has stood ready with the worn but serviceable Campy Chorus 9 speed, and a gentle reminder that the Giro d'Italia has been a tremendous race so far this year! Where does that leave the Japanese Shimano 105 parts that disgraced the glory of Italy for all those years? Well, since 1990 a Cannondole has been kicked around and ended up in my basement. Having first been raced under Bryn in some NCCA races for the University of Illinois before being taken up by Wheelfast member and my brother Stephen and seeing still more duty on the NCCA circuit, the venerable bicycle has seen some combat. It was last pedaled the day before my wedding now 12 years ago this past weekend in driving and cold rain that left the trio of us nearly hypothermic, quite literally. It has hung with down-tube shifters in my basement since as first Bryn then Stephen moved away. As...

Saturday was stop number 2 on Kevin's Summer Criterium Tour. Back to Wooddale. For my long time readers and a few of my teammates you'll recall a story from probably 5 years ago in which several of us (Tony & John maybe???) raced the ABR National Championships at Wooddale in rain coming down so hard it literally hurt to keep the eyes open and left 3" of water in the turns. It was the heaviest rain I've ever faced and it was stupid that we continued, but we race bikes and we couldn't watch our heros on the cobbles of France and Belgium and feel a bit of what they face if we didn't persist in such ugly circumstances. Saturday was altogether different - sunshine and a light breeze that would meet us on the back stretch and through Turns 3 and 4. I'd guess around 50 or so lined up for the Masters 30+/Cat 4 event. Also sporting the Yellow & Blue Wheelfast Racing / Bicycles Etc. kit is Chris Hammer. We'd warmed up together and o...