just like a faucet that leaks

so the requirements of winter cycling have presented themselves pretty much all at once, and without apology. balaclava, tights, neoprene booties, full-finger gloves have been retrieved from storage and it takes another five minutes or so to get ready. what is wearing me down today is the wind, however - a good 15 to 20 knots right in the face, all the way to work. at least i wasn't wearing that goddammit slippery messenger bag.

speaking of godammit messenger bags, while waiting at the light at catherine and main yesterday morning i saw a fellow ride by, headed north on main, on what could be described as a full-on art school bike: green frame sans decals, yellow deep-vs, black taped bullhorns, spoke cards, et cetera. it caught my eye because i have found myself tiring somewhat of one bike after another on velospace and fgg set up the same way. not that the look is unaesthetic, but just maybe unoriginal; mainly i have realized that, as far as wheels go, it is the low-profile polished alloy tubular rims (as exemplified by my own bike) that make my heart go pitter-pat.

but anyway, the thing is, i thought his bike looked really good in motion there, on the street; the look was iconic, a handful of bold strokes that announce "bike" without resorting to unnecessary detail. i was just a little surprised to see it that way, for there to be such a difference in how the bike looked when someone was actually riding it as opposed to a photograph, taken in front of grafitti or a statue or some college campus fountain somewhere. so yeah, nice bike.

i am also pleased to learn that an abstract i submitted to the wef disinfection 2007 conference has been selected as a poster presentation. not the podium presentation i was hoping for, but probably a good thing in other ways. at least i get to travel to pittsburgh next february!