Breakfast with the Boys

Breakfast Spot

Starbucks with Kirk and Sebastian, then a mid-morning breakfast with Mike and Mark.

The Lakeside Trail was trashed so we went snooping for a breakfast spot on the West Side. We were not the first ones out, but it was sweet riding the fresh snow and we did manage to find a couple pieces of virgin singletrack.

The Breakfast of Champions

Wind chill pretty close to zero while moving (yes, that is cold) but shot right up to the high teens when we stopped for breakfast. And while my Camelback froze solid, our breakfast did not!

This afternoon I will begin the new Inbred build. More to come on that!

Chris

All Aboard!

This video speaks for itself.

All aboard!

Chris

Thank You Sir May I Please Have Another 22,927

Something's in the air...

Remember when you were eleven years old and it was Saturday morning? Your mom made you a sandwich which you threw into your backpack along with a jack knife, some matches, some rope, and other essentials, you climbed onto your bike and headed off on a day-long excellent adventure with friends to the great unknown. It felt a little risky and just a tiny bit illicit. And it felt a lot epic.

That's how it felt yesterday riding The Crazy Train.  It reminded me why I love bicycles and cycling. Ever since I could ride two wheels, the bicycle has meant freedom and adventure.

Not that cycling 40 years later is any less fun, but it can get predictable. Yesterday's ride was different. It was put together with the wide-eyed abandon of an eleven year old, and it brought me straight back to those wonder years on a bike. Straight back.

"Don't be a dumb ass and please
don't sue us."

It started as it usually does, with the 6:00 am alarm on Sunday. Sneaking out of the house without waking the family, picking up a buddy or two and heading somewhere to ride while the world sleeps. When we arrived around 8:00 am the atmosphere was electric. The rising sun softly lit a light rising fog. A couple of dogs romped in the distance and a cyclists was riding a wheelie across the snowy field. A steady stream of bikes kept rolling in and the crowd quickly grew to 150 riders gathered in the parking lot chatting, laughing, fiddling with bikes, snapping pictures. One young hipster had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth (I don't recall if he finished the ride or not).

First stop. Cheers.

Tangent: At registration I got #52. I turn 52 in March. I took that as an incredibly awesome sign. I was right.

A megaphone broke the silence as one of the organizers climbed onto a pickup tailgate to give the pre-ride briefing. The usual stuff about maps and route markings, post-ride awards ceremony, and the obligatory speech about being safe. Then he summed it all up in ten simple words. Profound words. Words to live by. He said "don't be a dumb ass and please don't sue us." The crowd roared. The ride now had a decidedly campy, slightly illicit feel. We were eleven years old again.

Urban Industrial Wasteland. We
don't find many of these at
Marsh Creek.

Then with the charge to "follow the guy wearing the Octoberfest jersey!" a crazy train 150 strong left the parking lot. There were a couple of bumps and lurches as we left the station but within 10 minutes our heart rates were up and the train was chugging along smoothly, more or less, over and through:

• Frozen doubletrack mostly through abandoned industrial parks and along old railroad beds. This was the even playing field where every cyclist was at an equal advantage (or disadvantage).
• Muddy singletrack with stream crossings, log overs, punishing climbs, and an ample supply of greasy derailleur choking mud. Watching some of the cyclocrossers get all tangled up on the logs was immensely entertaining and fat tire bikes ruled in the considerable slop.
• Just enough pavement interspersed throughout the ride for the roadies to draft and beat us fat tire riders down, remind us that a 27lb bike with big soft knobby tires and upright geometry is no match for the road. Occasional ice covered pavement sections helped to pump up the pucker factor.
• Railroad tracks. Three sections of relentless kidney-pounding railroad ties with an occasional narrow railroad trestle (no railings or guard rails of course) to break the bone-jarring monotony.

With this many riders and the challenging conditions, it was no surprise there were many mechanicals. Mostly flat tires and busted rear derailleurs resulting in quite a few single-speed field-conversions. Ours came at about mile 30 when we gave Angela (racer for Bicycle Therapy) a hand with her conversion to the sounds of Ozzy Osborne's Crazy Train blaring from a smartphone.

Crazy Crossing. We would spend
much of the day riding down these
tracks instead of across them. Ouch.

Tangent: We finished in under 5:30 at which point I had consumed two turkey sandwiches, two packages of peanut butter crackers, one package of shot blocks, one small package of fig newtons, one beer, one soft pretzel, one hundred ounces of water, twelve ounces cup of lemonade, and a pint of chocolate milk...and I was still hungry.

22,928 pedal turns of suffering without having any idea of what was around the next turn was the brilliance of this ride. And hours in the saddle gave me plenty of time to appreciate the Crazy Train challenge: "The terrain calls for you to ride three different bikes, but you can ride only one. Choose wisely."

Tangent: I know it was 22,928 pedal turns because I stuffed a pedometer in my sock before the ride.

The Heckle Pit complete with hash tag

Thank you Kirk for throwing this idea out there with enough time to make it happen, but without enough time to get cold feet, and thanks Mark for taking the plunge, I could/would not have done it without my DB wingman. And of course thanks to Lone Wolf Cycling for sending me back in time.

The story of the original Crazy Train http://wikimapia.org/21514741/Site-of-the-1921-Bryn-Athyn-Train-Wreck


Chris

“Like dogs, bicycles are social catalysts that attract a superior category of people” 
     -- Chip Brown

"Keep riding, Nancy. It's just water and dirt." 
     -- Huck And Roll

Crazy Train

What am I getting myself into?

Looking Forward

THANK YOU to all who reached out in various ways this last week. It meant a lot and I found that all the talking/typing helped me wrap my own head around a bizarre turn of events.

I had a very close call this week. But "all is well that ends well' as they say and this ended well. Let's just say I am an extremely lucky man.  Reflecting back though, this week left some pretty strong impressions that you may (or may not) find interesting so I figured I'd share them while you may be listening:

• Don't mess around if you have symptoms of something serious.  If it happens to you, I GUARANTEE it will not be at a convenient time and there will be a rational explanation in your head for why it's not serious.  You may be right.  But you also may be wrong and it's not worth taking that chance.  In was not convenient for me and I had a rational explanation but at the urging of those around me I did the right thing.  I almost didn't and that could have ended very badly.
• Take a low-dose aspirin every morning.  Make it your routine.  I've been doing that for a couple of years and it may have saved me from some serious hurt, or worse.  The FIRST THING they gave me when I arrived at the ER was three baby aspirin!  Just do it.  Easy breezy.
• That hospital was full of people my age who just yesterday had a lot of life in them.  Now suddenly their future has evaporated.  Hopefully that doesn't happen to any of us, but let me tell you that line between us and them is thinner than you can ever imagine.  Last Monday I almost crossed that line.  You could too.  The point is to recognize each day as a gift and ride the heck out of it.  "Ride it like you stole it" as they say. That's a lot to ask for every day, but having a sense of urgency will be a good thing. 

Thanks for listening and don't forget the aspirin,
Chris

Courage

Preparations

With just five riders for the 8:00 pm start we missed the carnival atmosphere that comes from a large more diverse group - the first time night rider, a light without a charge, or the inevitable mechanical breakdown that comes when some of the bikes have not have been ridden in some time. But still, we did have our moments. Like the wardrobe change which left Jim's pants dangling from a no-parking sign near the Lyndel crossing; and the frequent stops to share flasks of bourbon, root, and snap "courage" while imitating the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz.

Combustion

We were back to "camp" before 9:00pm where we lit the fire and settled in under a clear sky and brilliant full moon. Bonfires foster easy conversation and this one was no different, until it took an innocent but awkward turn.  A casual gesture triggered it, and before we knew it we were knee deep in a good old fashioned outing (as in "out of the closet"). Not the conventional LGBT closet - no - this was a very dark damp musky closet. We did out best to stuff the new knowledge back into the closet and to seal the door shut. Unfortunately the Saturday morning email suggests we were not entirely successful.

We were treated to a great selection of exotic microbrews, Nathan's hot dogs roasted over the open fire (on forks "made in a fork factory"), and more flasks of "courage" before calling it early Saturday morning. The bikes and backpacks were covered in frost lit by the still brilliant full moon. Really spectacular.

Best beer presentation went to Mike (the Irish one). His entry won sort of by default but what it lacked in debauchery in made up for with high marks for practicality and combustion.

Chris

"Courage"
     -- The Cowardly Lion at the top of The Bobsled Run


"There Goes Tokyo"
     -- Uttered during Friday night's whirly-bird reenactment

Fire and Ice (actually mud) for Tonight

Preparations for the 7th Annual Bike Bonfire and Beer Exchange are in full swing.

Weather for tonight is 29 degrees at ride time, dropping to a low of 27 degrees at midnight.  Balmy which also means muddy.

Nothing left to do but charge the lights, load up the beer, kiss the family good night. Oh and take the following Beer Bonfire and Beer Exchange fun quiz:

What is "Sheep Dip?"

1. Liquid formulation of insecticide and fungicide which shepherds use to protect sheep from parasites such as blow-flies, ticks and lice
2. Half filled bath of hot soapy water shared amongst friends, used to wash off the disco dirt post clubbing or boozing before everyone crashes out on your sofa and floor
3. Scotch whiskey enjoyed by mountain bikers around a campfire somewhere between Durango Colorado and Moab Utah

Who was featured in a full page spread in the June 2012 issue of Mountain Bike magazine?

1. Glenn Armstrong
2. Claus Van Traup
3. The D2M gang
4. Chiggers

Which of the following transportation accidents are associated with previous bike-beer-bonfire events?

1. Riding Miller's lawn mower into the bonfire
2. Riding Kirk's bicycle over the bonfire
3. Riding Cathy's beach cruiser through a rock garden
4. Riding Kaleigh's ATV over a flaming kerosene torch
5. All of the above

Andy has a new baby-blue bike seat because:

1. He's color blind
2. It's slightly more manly than the hot pink one he was riding before
3. It matches his baby-blue spandex shorts
4. It's the only color seat Rob had in the trunk of his car

The Overlook is popular on Friday evenings because:

1. It has a jacuzzi
2. It has great music
3. It has a beer tree
4. None of the above

The 2012 trip to Raystown will be remembered for:

1. $12 worth of firewood
2. Night time unicycle riding
3. 10 seatposts x 1"
4. The First Floor Queen
5. All of the above
6. None of the above (it won't be remembered)

Which of the following is NOT true about the "Green Lane Tickler?"

1. It is about 8" long
2. It is flexible
3. It tickles the inside of your thigh
4. You can only get them at turnpike rest stops

Please make a nomination for your favorite Bike Ride Beer Exchange acronym::

1. BEER (BEer Exchange Ride)
2. BONER (BONfire Exchange Ride)
3. BaRBIE (Beer Ride BIke Exchange)
4. REHAB (Ride ExcHAnge Bike)
5. ________________________ (write in nomination)

See you tonight!

Chris

"Keep riding, Nancy. It's just water and dirt." 

     -- Huck And Roll