In any type of competitive bike riding, you see lines. The fast line through a trail. The hot line through a streat course. The flat-tire-free line through the potholes. You have to see lines.
The line through this road is pretty obvious, at least it is to me. Seeing the lines is similar to how a baseball player sees the ball as it leaves the pitchers hand. It's hard to explain unless you can do it.
You can learn to see lines, but some people just have it instinctively. Those that do just fly and look free. There isn't much hesitation and there is a simple flow to how they ride. Again, the great hitters in baseball make it look effortless. Bike riders just make it look like it flows. I see some lines, but still get those flat tires when I don't.
Riders that see the lines finish first. Baseball players that see the ball, crush homeruns. Basketball players that see the arch, rack up titles. If you can see the line in what your doing, you doing it right.
I simply ride bikes. I like mountain bikes, road bikes, bmx bikes, freestyle bikes and even bikes that are broken. I like bikes and I like to ride them. Don't expect me to fix yours because that is something I don't like. I don't even fix my own very often. I just ride them.
Yup, its that time of year again for many of us in "less than San Diego" climates as I like to say. What to do? If you stop riding now you will have to deal with that awful "Spring Burn" that in some cases keeps you off your bike until summer, fall or even another spring. That is not an option for me.
So what then?
Run, hike, join a gym, anything!
Running will keep your legs and lungs in form. Somewhat different muscles but many of the same. More importantly it will keep you mentally in the mode of working out and feeling the adrenaline of doing it.
Hiking will help you build some leg strength if you do it right. Don't just stroll along. Run a bit, hit some hills like you would on a bike and enjoy being outside in the cold. Nothing is worse for a bike rider than bing couped up inside for a winter. I start to get nuts!
Gyms are great this time of year because there are others like you there working out and in some cases the people that are only concerned to look good on a beach are home building up more to burn off later. Brilliant time to go! Build up some muscle or strengthen up where you were weaker.
I keep this in mind year round as it is the best motivator for me...
"Pain is temporary, quitting is forever" - Lance Armstrong
Everyday something inspires me. More recently, its seeing people who can't do something that they love due to something out of their control: illness, family situation or life's many challenges. Specifically, cycling. I see so many people that have been stricken with an illness that keeps them from being active or simply enjoying riding a bike. I see people that have family situations that keep them away. I see people that just have lost that spirit to put away the bag of chips and the TV remote and dust off their bike or running/walking shoes. They all have legitimate reasons, none of which I would ever criticize.
What inspires me is that I CAN go out there and do it. I consider myself fortunate to be able to do that. Generally I ride a bike (or several of them actually) for me, not for anyone else, just me. The more I see of people that can't and those that need something to keep them going, the more I admire people that ride a bike to help. Take the folks that this past weekend rode in the PanMass Challenge, a bike ride that covers 190 miles over two days. It raised 31 million dollars for cancer related research. That inspires me. The Lance Armstrong Foundation inspires me with the tireless work done by so many to raise awareness and funds. People that post the cool stuff they are doing on Facebook and never raise a dime is inspiring to me because they are doing IT. They CAN do it.
So what am I doing about it? Not sure exactly yet, but I am riding my bike tirelessly to be ready for how I will get involved. I am already worn out from seven months of riding this year, but have loved every hill, berm, jump, ramp, road and obstacle...I guess I even enjoy the cars that want to mess with me in traffic. I enjoy outsmarting them or invoking my "pedestrian" status at times to take over the road.
What are you doing? I hope you find a way to do what you can and love. I smile when I see the stare on somebody's face as I fly by them, do something cool on a BMX bike or teach someone how to fly up or down a mountain bike trail. But even more special, is the feeling of knowing that in some way what I am gearing up for soon will help some people recover from whatever ails them, whether it is illness, chaos or flat out laziness. I am one person. I am not out to save the world, just have some fun and use some abilities in me to share it and make some waves.
Seriously! I love this mountain bike, but this front wheel and fork bent so easily I am a little stunned. In 30 years of BMX riding, I have NEVER bent a wheel anywhere near this bad. Gotta love BMX bikes.
How did this happen?
Riding along a fire road I have never been on before, I see a boulder in the road being excavated and it looks like I can ride off it and land easily down the hill on the other side...just assumed the "other side" would be the same incline as the rest of the hill. Well it was more like a little pit with very unattractive options to land on...realizing this mid air unfortunately. I stuck the front wheel in the backside of the hole and did the old tuck and roll. Fortunes in my favor apparently now, I landed back first on a hay bail so cleverly positioned next to the hole. Nice! I jump up with no scratches or bruises and look over at the bike and see that the front wheel has somewhat of an "L" shape. My first thought was "shit it's like 4 miles to walk back and these bugs are eating me up like a ^#^#*(@)@$%%.
I spit the dirt out of my mouth and do a quick inventory of myself, no damage. What would Lance Do? He would rip that wheel off and start beating the *(^* out of it to get it back on the bike. Wheels comes off and I start beating it senseless to get it somewhat straight to at least ride instead of walk home. W
Success! I am riding through the trails with the wheel as you see it in the video and along Route 62 down what normally would be about a 40 mile an hour rocket ride down the hill. I went slow of course. :)
Worst part of the whole thing, other than riding up my hill with this wheel flopping around, was the repair bill I swallowed today...$650! Forks, front wheel and chain are toast...and of course while this is all going on I needed new tires and a tune up.
All I wanted was a quick 10 mile spin around town, but the allure of flying through some trails ("shortcut") were too much. I had to jump off the road. I did get to keep the wheel as a souvenir...and it didn't even get a flat tire. Weird!
Most New Englanders, or other cold weather areas, give up on mountain biking when the temperature gets too cold or the snow hits the ground. I do this to some degree but there are some days where riding conditions are okay. The past weekend in MA was just that, cold enough to keep the snow frozen and a week or so after a storm. These two factors combined make some riding possible, not easy, but possible.
Snowmobilers make this possible. The wear in and pack down the snow to give it some density. The fluffy snow makes it NOT possible in most cases. The fire roads are what I road on as they are more worn in. All the usual trails are not packed in enough, even with the hiking that goes on. Fire roads not all that much fun normally, but during the winter months riding in general is fun...and a lot more work! The traction you get is lower and the friction is higher...you pedal twice as hard for the same power. This is great if you want the workout, bad if you want the rush of going smoothly.
For those of you that know me well, you know that 2009 was a year I will hope to forget as quickly as possible. Sparing the details for everyone, 2010 is a year where change is in the air. If you know me at all, you know bikes are a huge part of my life, second only to my family, maybe third if I rank making a living ahead of riding a bike. You see where bikes stand though. Having the year that I did last year allowed me to rediscover some things, reading for one thing. One of the great books I read was "Its Not A About the Bike" by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins. Great book for anyone looking to read a truly amazing story about the human will and spirit. it also educates well on the process cancer survivors experiences. Amazing on both points.
After reading the book, and a second and third by Lance, I asked myself why I was still worrying about how my life had changed. I asked myself, "what would lance do", in this situation. Guess what? He went through the same thing. He is divorced with small children. In comparison to what he has persevered through, I felt pretty silly worrying about my situation. Lance being a bike rider, undoubtedly the greatest cyclist of all time, I related to his path back from his challenges - get on the bike and show yourself you are still alive and well. It is truly "not about the bike". It is about living for what it is you have, and not worrying about what you don't.
WHAT WOULD LANCE DO? Lance would say go for a ride. Lance would say focus on your life. Lance DID say "pain is temporary, quitting is forever". Not digging out from your challenges IS quitting. Don't quit on yourself. I am not quitting, never planned to and never expected to quit. Now let's just get this snow out of Massachusetts and get on with "WHAT LANCE WOULD DO" on two wheels.
LIVE STRONG - This is allot more than a cancer survivor website. I was amazed at what is available for anyone interested in something better for themself. Register and explore.
Some great videos to further introduce or grow your appreciation.
If you live in New England or other cold weather winter regions, you know how it feels to slip into that exercise coma when either the weather scares you inside or the snow builds up so high that even the widest balloon tires won't give you any traction. The worst part of it all is not the boredom or the withdrawal from the fun of actually riding trails...it is the downward spiral of your fitness that saps away your energy and drops your once stellar fitness level way down. You feel lousy, and in the case of this unsuspecting "rider", you look even worse. I have to give this guy credit for being out there on a bike. He is clearly motivated to ride and has the gear to prove it.
This is from a blog called "Kids Prefer Cheese". Nicely done. Take a look through the other postings for more. Nice!
A few tips to avoid the impending burn in your legs and lungs when the weather breaks?
SureTreadmills - they mimic many of the exercises that riding does and keeps your lungs from exploding when you do get out on the bike
Diet - Don't eat a bunch of shitty food. It catches up with you. It also pollutes your system when you want it to burn efficiently later on in trails.
Read about other riders. Lance Armstrong is a good start. If you can't get motivated to ride after any of his books, try a new sport. You have no business on a bike.
Maintain your bike. If you can't ride it, why not fix and tune it. Bike shops are dying for some business and will have deals galore in some cases. Get to know the bike this way as well.
I have been advertising a mountain bike on Craig's List and have learned how scummy some, not all, people are that are scanning the items for sale. Here are a few things to beware of when selling on this site.
"Certified Check" is a scam. If it isn't still stay away. The buyer will contact you shortly after the ad is posted and ask if the item is for sale. They quickly come back to you telling you they will buy at full price and sound very excited. Here is the text of one I received. Read it through and then I will show you the flaw. Watch the grammar as an indicator that this is shady. My guess is that this author is not even in the US.
And the same type of reply from another scammer. Look familiar?
The certified check scam works this way if you fall for it. The check is mailed to you (now they know who you are, where you live, and have multiple phone numbers). You deposit and your bank initially cashes it and you contact the seller to pick up the item. They pick it up and you feel like everything is great. It takes the bank a few days to find out from the "other" bank in which the bogus check was counterfeited, that it is a phony. Your bank contacts you to reimburse them, or files a police report for fraud.
The result? You not only lost your item but you also have to pay the full price you asked. Hopefully you don't have to explain it away in a police department.
Watch out for this scam on Craig's List. It is too bad since this service has such great intentions. One other thing to be careful of is the location you choose to meet any buyer. Don't ever bring them to your house for obvious reasons. Invite them to meet you at a Police Station. If they are legit, they should not mind meeting you there. If you have a weird feeling, show up early and walk into the Police station and tell them why you are there. They will likely keep an eye out for you. I would imagine Police stations don't want to be Craig's List pick up areas, but they are here to protect your safety.
"Monica" and "Jake", I hope that at some point you see what you are doing to people.
For true bike riders a new bike is not just a collection of metal, rubber and plastic. It is something you don't take lightly. I have finally jumped off the deep end of mountain bikes and retired my hardtail (no rear suspension) bike in favor of a full-suspension bike (both rear and front suspension). It is a natural progression for riders...and it is just a smoother ride as well.
As much time we spend on these bikes, you better get it right. I am pretty confident. I should be with the number of hours invested in researching bikes. Welcome to the family.
