Business +

Yesterday was a unique and satisfying day in the life of a bike industry employee. A coworker and I drove through the WI farmland to Trek Bicycle Corporation.

Now, unless you've been mezmerized by American Idol for its entire run, you've probabaly heard of Trek or maybe a guy named Lance Armstrong or wore a yellow bracelet for a year or so? Lance won all of his Tour de France races aboard Trek bicycles. This publicity and legitimacy pushed the Trek brand even further along in the minds of consumers.

A dreary start to the day gave us some concern as we made our way further into Cheeseland, but about 5 miles from the office, the sun came out, finally. And as we stepped out of the car, we were pleased to see the temps had risen, the winds got light, and all was right for mountain biking. Why? Well...

... we did our business with good results, but also were able to ride on Trek's private off-road trails. These are leased from a local farmer and only for Trek employees and their guests. The trails were built in conjunction with the International Mountain Bike Association and lots of hard labor. They are smooth, flowing, and downright fun. Of course, they have some MTB "stunts" sprinkled in as well, but I have my hands full just by being off road. All this is part of the good stuff that has come from almost a decade of winning the tour (Trek won last year with a Spanish cyclist as well).

It's a great day when people in the bike business can get some work done and go on a lunch ride.

Results, Poll #16, Golden Shower.

For much of this week, the results were 100% "Yes" and only within the last 2-3 days of voting time did two votes sneak in for "No". This is also a pretty popular poll, I guess, with 17 people voting. The impetus for this poll goes back to a bunch of conversations with friends about doing this very thing. Many of these friends I've been roommates with, so we had a vested interest in how the question was answered.

15 people (88%) chose "Yes" - so I'm not the only one... though everyone should watch the Seinfeld episode about gym locker room shower peeing.
2 people (11%) chose "No" - shower saints... kidney martyrs... bladder gods. I salute you.

I'd say it is now clear and almost unanimous that people pee in the shower... maybe not everyday, but at least once in their life. Ahhhhhhh, relief.

Bridges, we don't need no stinking bridges!

This is one of the most unique features for bike riders that I've ever come across, in any city. And it happens to be right here in MKE. This bridge spans the Milwaukee River near the Water Street/Downtown area. On one end is a condo/nightlife neighborhood, near Brocach, with a sweet session spot for skateboarders and on the other end is the entrance to Lakefront Brewery (great weekly combo fish fry and brewery tour) and more condos, with a good connected path.

What's unique is that his bridge had been hung directly under the bridge used by automobiles. The bridge for the cars isn't too bad to cross, but the one below for bikes and pedestrians is much nicer... and, I suspect, a lot less lethal.

These kinds of features in any city make cycling more accessible and fun.

License plates, Revisited.

I've been getting hundreds of comments and emails to "please do another license plate post", so after scouring MKE for more examples, I think I finally nailed down the right ones to post. In this edition, I have two - one I consider good and one I consider (very very) bad.

Let's start off on a high note, the good one:


Interesting? Possibly. Just what does "QUO VADI" mean? I thought you might ask, so I looked it up already. The plate means "where are you going?" in Latin, not too bad for a plate. I also found more than I bargained for when I googled the phrase, just to be sure. Plus, it's on an Audi - nice ride, Dude. It would pass the Council of Vanity Plates if I were a member - how 'bout you?

And let's end on a low note, the bad one:

[found the pic!]

How many of you want to put this vanity plate in the "good pile"? C'mon, be honest. Are you a baad boy too? If you can't read through the fine print and get the sarcasm, I hate this plate. It was already placed on an SUV (I know, I'm in a truck)... but can you just imagine the driver? I can only guess he was the definition of the phrase "dillweed".

Keep checking back as my camera phone is always at the ready for more gems.

Pizza Shuttle.

As anyone with half a brain will tell you, a good hometown has GOT TO have some good pizza. This goes double for anyone that grew up in Chicago (being the home of deep dish) or perhaps New York, but I can't speak for them. And if you don't know it already, I like eating in general. To be more specific, I've grown up with an eating contest atmosphere at most meals in a family of 4 boys. It was almost always unspoken, but there was something to be said for eating as much as or more than they guy next to you. It's still like that to this day, but we're all getting older and our feats of gastronomic fortitude are becoming increasingly rare.

I know, I know... "get to the post, Jackass!" Well, I had the opportunity in the last month or so to find what is actually regarded as one of the best pizza places in MKE. This title is not placed by me, but by some of the local publications I have read. Also, I suspect there are far fancier pizza places than Pizza Shuttle, but only they have such a niche carved out... carved out of mozzarella, dough, and pizza sauce.

Their niche, in my humble estimation, is semi-greasy, cheap, college pizza. This is not to say that it doesn't taste good, as they always get high marks in reviews. However, for those of us that are fans of Gumby's Pizza (ooh, Pokey Sticks), I would say this is very reminiscent of that style: a little greasy, a little cheesy, and a lot of volume.


This is the remnants of a dine-in only 28" pizza... Just barely held up by the table.

Not only that, but they have one of the biggest menus I've ever seen at a pizza joint. It's literally 8 full color pages, folded up like a small newspaper. You expect to be able to order pizza, but I did not expect to be able to order such things as: gyros, chicken fingers, wings, custard, beer, etc. This is a versatile place and also delivers everything. Yes, Margaret, you can get Brownie Fudge custard sundae delivered right into your grubby little hands.



Of course, the variety in people is almost as good as the variety of food. I saw lots of different people from all walks of life... and that's just the employees. Plus, we don't have to worry about the old saying "never trust a skinny chef"... trust me.

To top it all off, this is about 3 blocks from my place - totally walkable and they have a photo booth. What better way to end a gorging than to stuff yourself and all your friends in an enclosed space for pictures!?! "Say cheese!!"



Finally, I can write all this and I've not even had the pizza yet, just the custard. I'm saving the pizza experience for when I really need it - after a long, hard ride or long, hard night of drinking. I just know Pizza Shuttle won't let me down. Get on the bus, Gus.

Results, Poll #15, Amore.

Love seems to get a lot of press and often the rap for things that go wrong. Why are we fat? Because we're emotional eaters. Why do so many people get divorced? Because they lost their love. Why are strip clubs so popular? Because love don't come cheap. So, what did the readers of t.c have to say about being in love?

9 people (64%) chose "Yes, I know it with all my heart" - awww, sweet [barf].
0 persons (0%) chose "No, not ever" - phew.
3 people (14%) chose "No, but it'll happen" - that's good, stay positive... it's an attractive quality.
2 people (21%) chose "Dunno, how can I tell" - can we Google for more info on knowing if you've been in love?

I have to say, I'm not exactly shocked by the results, and maybe happy that the majority of us have been in love. "They" say you live longer when you're married and not single; I better get on the ball if I want to live as long as the rest of you.

And who's not filling the polls out now?!? We gotta get the total respondents back up there!

Cubs Forever.

I never really knew what I was getting into when as a kid of 7 or 8, I was taken to my first Cubs game. The only way one in a family of 7 kids could see the Cubs when I was growing up was to go with Grandma and Grandpa. For some years, my grandparents were crazy enough to host each of us, one at a time, at their house for about 5 days. We got to eat what we wanted, watch TV "during the day", and do fun things that weren't plausible with 5-7 kids at one time. I had to hear about my brother and sister's good times for a few years, but soon enough I was going on my own "summer vacation" and planning my own trips. I can't remember the year, opponent, or much about the first few trips, but I do remember my grandparents being about as excited as I was, the hotdogs, the chocolate malteds, the souvenirs, and also the general feeling you get from being in Wrigley. Did the Cubs win? I've no idea... but a Cubs game isn't usually about that.

The Cubs Forever program was a great show and I couldn't help but think about the stories I've heard about Wrigley from older fans (My grandma saw a Bears game there), the memories of watching games in the cool basement during the hot summer months (My uncle has the Pirates vs. Cubs playoff series on VHS still), the good times I've spent seeing games there myself (I have a foul ball on my bookshelf), missing games b/c tickets were too expensive (Yankees vs. Cubs), and all the great players and staff over the years. I suppose it's a sign of me getting older, but I can rattle off many names, all of which bring up some memory or picture: Caray, Cey, Davis, Dawson, Dunston, Maddux, Matthews, Ramirez, Sandburg, Sutcliffe, Santo, Soriano, Sosa, Wood, among many. These are players that we've cheered for over years and Cubs staff that have made the games more memorable.

If you consider yourself a Cubs fan and missed the original airing of Cubs Forever (fan status now debatable), set your DVR to catch a re-airing or find the book/DVD at your local (or mega) bookstore.