bike splints.

miles: 1.31

it's quite obvious that i've carried on a love/hate relationship with bikes for quite a while. love them: riding them with or without friends, looking at them, thinking about them, physical benefits, etc. hate them: being financially dependent on them. the later will certainly affect the former quite a bit. for the past few years i would go through periods of loving bikes [increased blogging] and hating bikes [decreased blogging] and obviously i have been in slump for more than a few months now. i've just burned out on them for a while... the thought of starting from scratch and having to build from the bottom again does not appeal to me. the sore ass for a few days after the first long ride. spending 20 minutes looking at the weather forecast trying to figure out of i should wear knickers or just knee warmers. not to mention, do i even have enough daylight to get a ride in? what seems to be the result of this slump? running.

ugh, i know, i know... running. it beats me up as much, if not more, than the next cyclist but at least i'm willing to do it. i, for the most part, do it because i need to for employment opportunities, but i have to say, i actually like to run. it causes me indescribable types of pain that would never happen on a bike but there's something about it that still appeals to me.

i'm not a fan of running on the road so i stick to the trails. many of the trails are the very same that i've been biking on for the past 15 years. i must say, when you're traveling at 6mph rather than 12-15mph, the trail looks completely different, new, even. no longer do you hear the slap of the chain on the chainstay, the grind of a mudded-up drive trail or the squeal of the breaks approaching an unfamiliar obstacle. as when riding my bike i prefer to run without an iPod... i feel like i'm missing out on something if i bring too much media into the woods. i want to hear the dirt, the leaves, the chipmunks and birds. i want to hear the woods.

often by the end of my appallingly short run my face has contorted into a grimace of pain and suffering but i still enjoyed myself for that 13 minutes and can't wait until my broken feet will allow me to run again. as i write this two of my bikes lean on each other next to me looking quite forgotten... don't worry you two, i'll be back at some point, and it will be like i never left.

night riding and the aimless.

miles: irrelevant.

i've been somewhat of a recluse for the past several weeks. i haven't done much other than work and nap... i haven't even ridden a bike in nearly a month. tonight, though, i went out for a night ride with a friend i hadn't seen in months and had a fantastic time. the temperature couldn't have been more perfect, the traffic was light, and the stars shone brightly... wait, no, that's venus.

it's funny how a late spring/summer evening will make everything seem just right in life... at least, at that moment. after my friend and i had parted ways and i continued riding on, i thought about what i'd write and the word that kept repeating itself was, "optimistic". at first it seemed appropriate but as i thought about it the more it became obvious it was not right. optimism exists in the future and the more i thought about it the less nights like this exist in any time frame, past or future... they're just now. as i rode down dark backroads with the occasional streetlight i looked at the stars, thought about photography, listened to the sound of tires on asphalt, and just generally enjoyed riding without intent or schedule. it truly was a stop-and-smell-the-roses moment.

during a remarkably uneventful period in my life, it's nice to take a break from routine and just enjoy shit.

it is what it is.

it has been quite the winter and spring for riding. i've out in more miles so far than i have in the past several years... time and weather being the reasons. it is definitively american to make a go of it and reach for that piece of the pie that everyone's talking about these days... but, there's something to be said for being able to enjoy the pie once you've gotten your hands on it. i certainly wasn't able to. i run in to old customers who say, "oh, i'm so sorry to see the shoppe's closed"... "i'm not", i'll inevitably reply. i made an honest effort to pursue a passion and it didn't pan out. day in and day out, bikes. i smelled of grease and tires at all times..."eau de pneu". the irony, of course, being that i never had the time to ride my own bike. i became intensely jealous and resentful of the people around me could ride all the time, let alone ride at all. but those days have passed. i put my time in and i've been rewarded with fantastic weather. i've taken advantage of it as much as anyone and i've been making up for lost time.

wintar.

65-ish miles.

late january. 50+ degrees. jersey, arm warmers, gilet and some embro... yeah, i'll take it.

new old trails.

51.4 miles

today was the first good long road ride of the year. it was just the right distance and no further. unfortunately the moment I walked in the door work called... apparently I was supposed to be there an hour before. oh well. I tore off my gear and tossed on some clothes. the shower will have to wait until later.

the day before was a delightful ride on some trails that i haven't been on in nearly 10 years. back then some developers started tearing up the trails and at that point it was just a terrible ride. recently, however, it has come to my attention that the trails are actually good again... and they are! someone has put a lot of effort in to buffing these trails and i have to say, super fast double and single track is a nice change from the standard rocks and roots in this area. i will enjoy these trails all over again.

bittersweet.

17.5 miles

bittersweet.

and so it goes.

18.5 miles

and just like that, the summer passes and autumn rolls in. the ride after work was good, but abbreviated even from what it was 2 weeks ago. the sun hangs noticeably lower in the sky casting long shadows before my lungs have opened up. the roads that i have called "usual" for the past several months will be ridden less and less before they're abandoned entirely for a stationary trainer. tonight though, i will ride until i turn my blinky light on and then i'll ride a little bit more. just a little bit more.

late summer lament.

>0 miles

cicadas are the death gurgle of summer and they were out in full force today. the heat has broken and it was a pleasant 77°, even at midday. although the summer is the only time i make my living, a part of me is exhausted and wants it to be over already and get on with fall. i knew waking up today that i would be riding, but i was is a foul mood and sat staring at my bike for the better part of an hour. i flip-flopped from riding to going to the store for some retail therapy... but i eventually just flipped and pulled on my bibs. a much more ambitious ride was traded for a shorter, more "usual" ride, but it ended up being right on the money.

it took a lot longer than usual to shake the bad attitude that had begun the day with me. this certainly affeced my route and pace. short and slower... almost resentful, for some reason. after some miles, however, i began to leave the crabbiness behind and started thinking about the joys of riding. on such a pleasant day how can one not think about how perfect riding is? up the rolling backroads i pedaled my way north where the cars become scarce.  it's nice to be able to ride in the middle of the road without constantly having to look over your shoulder for that driver on their cell phone. the more north i got the quieter it became... and the more content i became. when it came time to take a main road back it didn't care i had gotten what i wanted out of the ride. with a slight downward grade i popped my bike into a tall gear and cruised back home. you have to take advantage of these days when they're available.

red barn blinky.

34-ish miles

the days are getting noticeably shorter these days so too are my post-work rides. it's getting more and more crucial that i get out on the road at 5:31 and not a minute later or else i'm going to be riding either 10 miles total or in total darkness, as i did tonight. people have a habit of showing up just minutes before close and either want to just chit-chat or they have some emergency that is never as quick as some air in the tires. today was just one of those days. i didn't get on the road for an extra 50 minutes, which absolutely killed me. the ride was still good... no, the ride was still great, but the last 30 minutes were basically in the dark with no light. i did, however, have the foresight to bring my rear blinky light. i did not die.

yesterday my computer started acting up... i'd get an average speed of 15mph, then 66mph... then 0mph, etc. today it just wasn't working at all, most likely it's just a dead sensor battery. no worries though, i have my phone with a GPS program... too bad that ate the battery up in about an hour and a half. that's why the mileage is approximated today. you gotta love technology.

goodbye, old chamois... may we meet again someday.

32.6 miles

gear. true cyclists love gear. every cyclist i know has a more extensive bike-specific wardrobe than they do a casual wardrobe by a very large margin. jersey and shorts is all you need, right? oh, i forgot the arm warmers... and knee warmers, leg warmers, gloves for fall, winter, early spring, late spring and summer, hats, ear warmers, tights, gilets, jackets for late/early season and winter, rain jackets, helmets, shoes, shoe covers both aero and thermal, chamois cream and embro... the list can get quite serious... and expensive.

recently, i finally had to give in to reality and move on from my favorite pair of bibs. they've been my favorites for quite some time and have thousands of miles in them. they just fit fantastic and the chamois just worked well with my garbage. i sat there the other day looking them over inspecting the holes and the seams that have worn out. i pinched the chamois and noted how lifeless it was. this pair will be put out to stud. i received my new pair the other day and took them out for the initial skidmarking last night. the fabric is nice and stretchy. the cuffs are sharp and exact. the chamois is thick and resilient. they smell of new lycra.

a new pair of shoes was also purchased as a late-season present to myself. not as necessary as the bibs it was still long overdue. the last pair of shoes had lasted me a little longer than they ought to have. they retain that permanent stink of sweaty food that no soak in baking soda can conquer. i deserve new pair of shoes.

it's funny how new gear can invigorate riding. sometimes when things get a bit dull or regular tossing some new gear into the mix can be exciting. sure, it's the same road, but it's a new chamois! as i road along last night i'd occasionally look down to admire my new stuff going around and around. doesn't it look fantastic? don't i look fantastic? probably not, but i feel fantastic. i can't wait to scuff the toe of my new shoes on my tire at 5:31pm tonight.