Capillary Action

COW Blog Entry #3:  If you are reading here, you have to be asking yourself what do these two pictures have to do with cycling?  If your'e thinking they would better belong in a "how to do a seventh grade science project blog", I would agree...but let me explain!

When I was a kid (in 1962-ish), we would often watch the afternoon TV showing of Art Linkletter’s House Party.  You know…it’s the show where “Kids Say the Darndest Things”.  If you have no clue what I am talking about, you might want to check out this utube link: Art and his Kids!  (you might want to check it out even if you do know what I am talking about…it was well worth the 7:14 time investment to reminisce). 

Now, as a late in life adult newbie cyclist, I can proclaim, “Local Bike Shop Guys Say the Darndest Things”.  Well, at least my favorite LBS guy says the darndest things.  For example, he often says, when facing a stubborn problem, “One has to allow the CAPILLARY ACTION to work its magic”.  In context, he would be referring to allowing a lubricant like Tri-Flow or, for tougher jobs,WD-40 to work its capillary action magic in order to loosen the stubborn grip of a rusted seat post clamp or derailleur hanger bolt.  If you have no clue what I am talking about, you need to hang out at your LBS more.  

My favorite local bike shop guy is “Jimmer”.  Well, that’s not what his real name is.  That’s the code name I gave him yesterday when I listed him in the “Initial 35” members of the Yellow Jersey tab…on the “Page of Fame”.  You can check out this page by clicking on the tab above or on this link Yellow Jerseys.  Jimmer’s real name is Jim and he is the lead bike technician and vice president of customer relations at Wheel & Wrench on State Rd in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. (oh…I just made up his title…sorry about that…one of my bad habits).

If you followed men’s NCAA college basketball this year, you will know that “Jimmer” was the name of this year’s NCCA’s MVP from BYU…Jimmer  Fredette.  Everyone wants to be him.  Why even last night I got an email from one of my biking buddies and he asked if he was the “Jimmer” on the Yellow Jersey page of fame list.  I had to tell him no and that he needed to look further down on the list to see his code name “Steel Diner Jimbo”. 

Anyhow, today was a great day because I got to stop by my favorite LBS shop after completing a 32 mile bike ride from the Route 303 Bike & Hike parking lot which looped around Brady Lake with lunch at Kent’s Wild Goat Café.  The ride was lead by ABC’s “Steel Diner Jimbo”.  There were only two of us riding.  I did call him “Jimmer” to make him feel better.

Getting back on track, the real code name Jimmer-Jim was working at the LBS this afternoon and I told him about the launch of my COW blog.  When I told him the mission of the blog was to talk about the impact “connections” have had on my cycling experience, Jimmer said the danrdest thing.  Jimmer said, “You are right, it is just like how the PROLETARIAT would learn things”.  My most frequent and predictable Jimmer response was, “Say WHAT?”

Jim went on to explain that he learned a lot of his cycling knowledge from a handleful of friends back in 1962-ish…or maybe it was 1972-ish.  Of course, I had to look up the word "proletariat" when I got back home (thank you google). Now that I am more “edumacated” (don’t look up that), I would have to agree with him.  Cyclists, as working class stiffs, can learn a bunch from each other. 

Besides visiting my LBS to check on that status of a product replacement for a Serfas USB-3 commuter light that failed, today was a great day.  I actual had direct contact with five members on my Yellow Jersey tab.  Reflecting on these contacts this evening has me pumped.  Here are my connection highlights for the day:

BOTW – As a means of emulation, this is an acronym for the blog “Back On Two Wheels”.  To repeat my prior post redundancies, this biking blogger has been truly inspirational.  It is not intentional that she is listed on the bottom of the “Initial 35”.  The list of Yellow Jersey members is presented in chronological order in terms of connection sequence.  BOTW (code name for  CGinAKR) made my day by leaving a comment on my Holy COW! post.  In case you all were wondering, bloggers appreciate comments.  BOTW's blog bi-line reads “Living the two wheel life in Akron, Oh”.  CGinAKR has a great post today about “Life”. If you love cycling…you will love her blog!  Here is the link:  http://backontwowheels.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-cant-get-no.html#comments  From a connection time frame, I met Mrs. BOTW and her husband Mr. BOTW in person while visiting my favorite LBS bike shop on Saturday April 2nd.  It was a great meeting!

JIMMER – If you need a trivia or scrabble partner…let me make a suggestion…visit my favorite LBS for one smart dude.  I cannot wait to dedicate a blog post to him.  Besides offering up “capillary action” and “proletariat”, Jim has encouraged me to become a “Power Commuter”.  I am not fully there yet, but I am pedaling on that path.  Any day I see Jim is a great day.

STEEL DINER JIMBO – There is a definite correlation between “computer techies” and “gadget guys”.  When it comes to biking gear, Jimbo has it all.  However, I did confirm today that he is deficient in having an “Ohio legal requirement” piece of equipment…an audible device.  My preference for meeting this requirement is a “bike bell”.  I’ll explore this audible device and other options in a future post.  I like Jimbo since we share a common background of being Boy Scout leaders.  Yellow Shirters in this BSA patrol, as I know of it today, would be JIMBO, CAPTAIN BOB, MIGHTY MIKE TO THE RESCUE and the COW.  Jimbo should take a peek at BOTW’s post today…I think he is addicted to “bike porn”.

MIGHTY MIKE TO THE RESCUE - I was shocked this afternoon when a biker rolled up my driveway with flashing lights and a ringing bell.  It was my best friend Mike B.!  You will note on my “Geeky Data” tab, there is a pie chart on the bottom that shows the number of rides that I had solo (54% of my 192 rides) and a breakdown of all other rides.  As BFF, Mike B. and I only shared 7 rides together last year…and I am sure that will increase significantly in 2011.  Mike has joined the ranks of ABC, has become a health nut, and has the biking bug bad.  Did I mention he is a “computer techie”?   Thus, same advice goes for him…read BOTW today!  Mike did joined Jimbo and me for lunch today at Kent’s Wild Goat Café…which proved to be a great connection on the trail.

BIKING SON SCOTT – You can find this Yellow Shirter in the number three spot on the Page of Fame.  Chronologically, he should be in the number one spot since he has been in my life longer than anyone else on the list.  As the code name implies, he IS my (third) son Scott.  I am excited to report, after reviewing my blog stats today, COW had International hits...from South Korea. You all might have read, in my Geeky Data comments, that Scott and his wife Ashleigh are finishing up their second year of teaching English as a second language in Busan, South Korea.  The gear that Scott left behind two years ago got me rolling on this cycling path. Thanks for checking in son…it really made my day.

Let me wrap this up.  The two pictures at the top of this page are actually from a seventh grade science project web page http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/PlantBio_p033.shtml . If you want to learn more about Capillary Action, check out the link. 

Here is my bottom line profound closing thought: 

If you have a tough situation in life, apply the right lubrication and give it time to work its capillary action magic.  Hopefully the best lubrication for life’s toughest situations…is love.