Defeating natural selection one Google map at a time....

We live in a time of excess in this country, in which everything and anything is available at a moment's requirement....especially information. Does anyone else remember when, if you needed to find something out, you had to go look in this thing called 'the encyclopedia', or even worse, hop on your ten speed, and ride to the library, where you would look it up there? How in the hell did we ever get anything done? And as a kid, my cycling routes were dictated by trial and error.  I found out the hard way that if I rode down 7th street, there was one mean-ass Rottweiler that would chase the shit out of me, nipping at my Chuck Taylors until I would start down the big hill that would finally allow me to outrun him on my blue Kabuki. This is known as evolution.  If I was unable to find a suitable alternative route, and continued to go down 7th street with the Rottweiler, one of two things was eventually going to happen:  1) I would be eaten.  2) I would get faster.  Why do I bother bringing this up? Well of course, the big cycling news of the day is the announcement that Google Maps has added a bicycling feature which helps plan routes optimized for cyclists.  Features include highlighting and alerting the viewer to streets with bike lanes, less traffic and the opportunity to select routes with fewer hills.  Much like the invention of eye-glasses and C-sections, this is one more tool to allow us to combat natural selection.  Plan your new hill-free ride to work in advance and never suffer the consequences of exerting some hill-climbing effort, melon-headed, near-sighted cyclists....I implore you.

I checked out the cycling Google map thing for Columbia and found none of the streets marked with bike lanes, or lighter traffic, nor saw any indications of the steepness of Chappel Hill or Forum Blvd.  But I read where the addition of such details is user dependent and readers can add these items over time.  Thus I created a symbol of my own that is far more relevant for me than bike lanes or hills and I've contaced the Google Staff to see if I can get it added to the program.

Those SOBs (literally) chase my ass down Woody Proctor every flipping time.  But hey - everyone needs to eat....right?

Speaking of needing to eat, Floyd Landis is collecting a paycheck once again, having now officially signed with the Bahati Foundation Pro Cycling Team.  The Bahati foundation was formed by Rahsaan Bahati, another Rock Racing refugee, who was let go by Michael Ball in 2009 despite being the 2008 USPro Criterium Champion.  The team's launch will be tomorrow in California with a week's training camp to follow.  They are slated to be on the roster for the Tour of California this year.

Pedal on!