Friday, July 26, 2013

Changing seasons not underwear

It's not even August yet, and I'm already thinking about Fall. This is like living in Utah dreaming of the snows to come when it is ninety degrees out. I'm getting that dirt frame of mind, I've been riding the CX bike a lot and threw a leg over the MTB for the first time in... forever. Just when I'm getting into the swing of things, mother nature throws a wind storm party and there are all these drunk fallen-over trees in my way. You know some of the trees on the trail are like barriers, dismount-jump-remount. Shouldering a 30lb full-suspension doesn't have the same appeal or is as nimble as it's off road cousin.

Le Tour is over and it was the most entertaining boring thing I've ever watched. It was similar to watching a movie that you know the ending to, but think that watching it this time it will change. No such luck. I was really enjoying the race until Froome put a strangle hold on yellow. Boring. Yes, he lost like a min when crosswinds shredded the field, but he took it back and more. Sagan locked up the Green with his points grabbing scheme. Don't feel he is the best sprinter, he is a Classics machine. He can get over the bigger bumps that the other pure sprinters die on, but in a heads up full gas sprint he is good, just not Cavo good.  Kittel, boom! This guy is for real. Impressive wins all 4 of them. Argos, in just three years has produced a Pro ProTour team. Impressed. Quintana was a breath of fresh air, slightly greedy with the jerseys. Hey pal just take one and move on. Oh, you want the White one and the Polka dots? Greedy, should have taken the Yellow while you were at it...

Enough of le Tour for now. Utah is coming up. Get the App and watch the stages on your mobile. It will be the hardest stage race in 'merica. After that we have the Tour of Colora... I mean US Pro Tour Challenge or something like that. It's Colorado. It's in one State, call it what it is. Coors needs to step up and sponsor this thing... Wait a min, we could call it the Coors Classic. Nope, just having a flashback. Sorry. Maybe Red Zinger? Hell of the West?

The days are getting shorter, you probably have not noticed yet, but they are. This means the changing of the seasons and I know you are expecting me to say CycloCross, but not yet. We still have La Vuelta and the Fall Classics, and don't forget Worlds. Lots and lots of racing left on our plates.  There is CrossVegas middle of September in Vegas and the World Champ will be there. (as will I, just not in a professional manner)

More coffee por favor, my body hurts, but I want to ride. Gonna ride down to the local Starbucks and see if I can get them to mainline me some espresso. I hate needles, maybe should drink it. Just French press it into my mouth. (that sounds dirty) Sorry trying to keep it PG-13

ps don't get all used to this

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Ice cream recovery

Totally foiled today by mother nature. Rode the MTB up to Turkey for a little single track goodness that turned foul very quickly. Somehow I forgot about the carnage that occurred just a night ago. Four hundred thousand mph winds knocked about and left several trees and debris all over the place. {Hey, what happened to the term "gust-nado"? Is it dead? I thought it was the stupidest meteorological term ever. Glad I have not heard it uttered.} This was pretty evident when I turned
0nto the Red trail and and everything sounded "crunchy". Branches and tree litter everywhere, and it's a shame because the trails are in perfect condition in spite of being laid to waste.

So it wasn't too bad climbing up to the top, the soil perfectly tacky and firm. No slipping, no sliding. Hooked up. I pointed the rig towards Bunny and let it out, after a few super nice turns I had a handful of brakes. Stopped for a tree crossing. Well, they don't really cross, they just stay there in your way. No matter how long you wait. I didn't wait long and shouldered the bike and traversed the tree with the elegance of a drunken monkey. Few more turns down and a few more trees in the same condition. So much for getting my flow on. Ride, get off, climb tree, ride, stop, turn around, ride, stop, pull out branches from rear derailleur. There's your flow.

That last branch must of bent something up pretty good, cause my drivetrain sounds like a broken hamster wheel in a grade school classroom. Minus the smell. Another lap of turns and tree hopping and it's back to the shop to put things back where they belong either all nice like or with a hammer. I can't complain, well I am just a little. Not bad for a day off, it could always be worse. At least the bread landed "butter side up", right? I got outside on the mtb and rode, it wasn't the postcard home kinda ride, but it was a ride.

I'm on the couch convalescing with some Dinosaur Jr in the background, legs up, and a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish food. Oh, I hate it when people say "life is good" "life is good" blah blah blah, but Life is Good. And it's almost beer thirty, or is it... Pssshhhhhsssss! Yep. Ahhhhhh!