Spring ride

The recent warm weather has dried some of the roads and the two-wheelers are starting to be seen again; a Harley touring bike yesterday; a few sport bikes today; and this Honda Metropolitan parked downtown. 

Surf's up!

Gotta' hand it to these young guys. Riding down the shoulder of the Kuhio Highway 2-up on this little tiny 80cc dirt bike with surfboards may not be safe but it's sure resourceful. When there's good waves up north you find a way to get there no matter what.

The photo doesn't show the cop car only seconds down the road with his lights already on, whatever words these guys might be uttering, nor does it show their friend about a quarter mile further down the road riding a his 50cc scoot with a board under his arm too.

Good thing they weren't long board surfers. The first gusting wind would have turned those scoots into airplanes.

More Scooters Please

Even though I didn't buy my 'Flex from the dealer, I still get the glossy Honda mag called "Red Rider". Nearly every manufacturer of wheeled things sends out these mags to recent buyers to show off their machines and make their buyers feel special. But neither the magazine nor the associated website feature much about scooters; so much for being part of a special group. This month however, I was pleased to see this letter to the editor:

"...could you print more articles on Honda scooters? I bought an Elite 80 and I love it. I don't know how many HRCA (Honda Riders Club of America) are scooter riders, but I'm sure there are a lot. Thanks."

...and the response:

"Based on the mail we receive, there does seem to be a fair number of scooter fans among our readers--or possibly you're part of a small or vocal group! It's hard to cover all the models when Honda offers such a diverse lineup, but our plans do include more scooter information in the future."

There's lots of things to cover out there in scooterland. Get writin' Honda.

Don't touch that dial.

"Part of the Month" wasn't supposed to be "Post of the Month". I've been ghostwriting another assignment so the Squeel has been out in the cold for a while. But stay tuned; there will be some big features in the next few days and weeks.

Part of the Month: Campagnolo Il Cavatappi

If you ride a bike and you drink wine, there is only one tool you should own to open bottles: the Campagnolo Il Cavatappi "Big" Corkscrew. These aren't cheap nor are they easy to find, but in return for your effort and hard earned cash you will end the messin' around with cheapy openers forever.

The corkscrew comes in a wood box with the title woodburned into the surface. A color brochure with instructions in multiple languages is included. Badly translated English could be a source of frustration if it weren't for the fact that the tool is simple enough to operate without the instructions. Read it and weep:

"...Avoiding to screw the handle down to the body (3), as shown in the photo, the cork does not come out entirely."

The tool itself is made of cast aluminum with a shot-peened anodized finish in silver or gold. The pivot bolts on the arms are chromed steel with the signature "BREV CAMPAGNOLO" trademark. The "Globe" appears on the bell beneath. This thing weighs in at a stout 517 grams and it's perhaps one of the rare exceptions in cycling where more weight is better. The mechanical action is simple; it's the basic two-arm corkscrew we all know but on serious performance enhancing banned substances. There are no gimicks, gizmos, or extra parts but just pure mechanical leverage at work.

Campy Record parts have an estimated service life of about 40,000 km (25,000 miles). I don't know how corks compare to klicks for wear but if we suppose one cork = one kilometer, then there should be enough life in this thing to enjoy a bottle a day for 110 years!

Salute!

Vinos Out.

Cue up Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" and read on.

Banned Vinokourov quits cycling

Alexandre Vinokourov has announced his retirement in the wake of the one-year doping ban he received from the Kazakhstan cycling federation.

"I don't want this sport any more. I'm slamming the door and I'm leaving. I will prove I'm not guilty," he said.

I had the most fun watching Vino in the '05 Tour when he was riding for T-mobile wearing his turquoise national color (I can't blame him for not wanting to wear pink). There was obvious tension between him and his teammates so he became kind of a one-man show. Usually that means the end of the game for a rider however he was able to pull it off with some pretty bold tactics and sprints.

4-Hoof-Squeel

Tall buildings, quiet park, and a man taking his pet reindeer for a walk. Only in Anchorage.