“It's being here now that's important. There's no past and there's no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can't relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don't know if there is one.”
― George Harrison

“There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last.  ― Jonathan Larson

What's all this metaphysical hippy mumbo jumbo?

It's about riding a bicycle.

It doesn't matter what you just rode, or what you will have to ride, but what you are riding RIGHT NOW!

You'll get to the top soon enough, thinking about how long and hard it's going to be won't change anything.

Just pedal.

Around and around and around.

I love this shit

Some of my most memerable rides have been when it's raining.

You say "I just don't give a fuck" and you ride.

So you get a little dirty (for the record, the trails around here are cement hard this time of year especially with the lack of rain this Spring.  More fir needles and decomposing leaves than actual mud or dirt), and as long as you're moving you stay warm.  Just think how good the shower is going to feel?

In my experience, it is most slippery when the sun comes out and things start drying.  There is a transitional slime between wet and dry.  Keep off the front brake and let the rear come around.  A little loosy goosey; steer with your rear.

Better yet, don't think about it and just ride.

Today was one of those days.  Everything was perfect.  

It just flowed.

Bad Dad

Looking at the weekend's forcast the Q's baseball game might be rained out.

Bummer.

If it rains on a day there is a baseball game and a mtb race, the baseball game will be canceled but the mtb race will go on as planned.

Is it wrong to hope for rain?

How was your drive to work today?

Bill sums it up pretty well why I'd rather ride my bike

 

WT Fat Tire Classic 2013

Boy, did I miss that!

After a anxious morning trying to busy myself before the first race I'd actually participate in this year (I had paid for 2 already but circumstance prevented me from attending), I made my way over to Winding Trails for the Fat Tire Classic.

The proximity of Winding Trails presents the unique opportunity to actually ride to the race.  Carpe Diem and all that jazz.

After catching up with a few friends, and my parents(!),  Chris was calling us to the line.  Being one of the first races of the season, Winding Trails always has a good turn out; there were about 30 of us in the Junior Geezer Class (Cat1 40-49).

The whistle blows and we're off...like a wrecking ball...and I'm not with out fault.  Brian McInnis and I bang hard  off the line, and going 3 wide into singletrack I find myself bashing through a bush on the inside line.

After that ugliness is done it's Winding Trails at it's best; everyone it just beating their brains out.  No place to rest; full on for 4 laps.  Tasting blood in the back of your throat, not leaving anything on the table.

Last couple laps settled into a carrot / cat /mouse scenario.  Jonathon Tarbox was the carrot, I was the mouse and Scott Hood was the cat.  Chasing Jon and staying in front of Scott kept me going.

Finished 10th on the day, which I'm pretty happy with.  Had a great time pulverizing myself to pulp.

Notes:
Ben from Gita Sports had very generously offered to let me race the Pinarello Dogma XC, but I decided
make-believe time was over and I should just ride my own bike.

Totally geeking out with numbers, last year Josh Wilcox (winner of this year's Cat 1 SS) was 10% faster than me; this year 3.5%.  Mike (winner of the Cat1 40-49) was 8% faster than me last year; 7% this year.  So progress!

One problem with riding to the race is you then have to ride home from the race!

Pinarello Cinderella

 Gita Sports dropped of something a little different at the shop the other day

The Pinarello Dogma XC.
I jokingly quipped to Ben "I could race that at Winding Trails"
Without missing a beat he replied "Go ahead".

I was a little taken back by this; me riding a Dogma XC with full XTR, Fox CTD fork and DT Swiss 1450 wheels.  A little different from my mantra of "Jam Econo".

One problem is this is contrary to my yearly goal of riding only SS or fixed this year.

Technically I ride geared bikes all the time when I'm test riding repairs, so if riding the Dogma XC was considered "work"...

Pete asked me "Are you going to ride the Pinarello"
Hello loophole!!

I rode it home from work cutting through the Res.  Not having a spare tube I took it rather easy.  My first thought was the bottom bracket was a little low as I struck my pedals on some rocks.  But the cranks are 175 mm and I ride 170 mm on my own mountain bikes. so it might just be me not being used to them.

The next day I met Josh and TJ over at Winding Trails for some Recon laps.

Very pleasant.

The center of gravity is low on the frame as is the standover  height; one of the few 29ers, if not the only, that I've ridden that has a suitable top tube length without compromising the ol' wedding tackle.  This helps the Dogma XC rail corners.  The handling is sublime.  The best compliment I can give it is I didn't think about it.  I just got on it and rode.

No quirks.

The carbon has a solid, direct feeling, yet some compliance.  This was most evident, along with the well mannered handling, when I hopped back on my bike.  In contrast I had to really man-handle Aspasia to get her around the course, something I had never noticed before.

Who is the Dogma XC for?
It's a well thought out, great handling bike (except for the single water bottle mount); if you're a XC rider of discerning taste and means, this might be the bike for you.

If only it came in a singlespeed...

Deep Thoughts

Just riding along...
I was noticing just how developed the once local farmland had become.  Can't really argue wit the farmer selling his land; a man's got to make a living.
I suppose the same can be said for the land owner who sells off a forest for development.
(just how did he/they become the owner of a forest?).

Shaking my head in disgust I realized it's what the majority of people want.
Society is less and less interested in being outside, so a  greater emphasis is put on  their insides.

When everyone spends every waking moment "connected" electronically  (and blogging) , with their faces buried in a screen, who needs outside?

I do.