On Not Riding....

As I'm sure anyone who has read my blog even a couple of times can tell, riding for me is important. It's important for a few different reasons.

The first is that I identify myself as a rider and if I don't actually ride, then I must not have an identity. (I can see you trying to wrap your head around that one right now so I'll give you a moment.....ok, done?)

The second reason is that, as I've stated in more than one previous post, riding for me is therapy, anger management, conflict resolution class and a nice dose of Prozac all rolled into one nice, low cost session. (granted the low cost part of that statement is debatable if you look in my garage)

It's also a place I'm able to safely and in a healthy way, work out my competitive issues. (not that I'm in any way admitting there's a slim chance I may be slightly competitive)

Lastly, riding is pretty much the only exercise I do these days that doesn't leave me with aching knees and a sore lower back so if I'm not riding, I'm also not getting any exercise. This in addition to affecting my long term health, also affects my self esteem and self confidence. (yeah, there's probably a doctoral thesis paper in there for some psychiatrist, but whatever)

So, lately, I haven't been riding much. Life and family challenges have kept me off the bike and although the time off the bike has allowed me to get stuff done around the house, it hasn't been helpful for my attitude. The problem is, I don't see the situation changing a whole lot in the next several weeks....something has to change and unfortunately, I think it's going to have to be my attitude towards riding.

In the past, I've felt like I could do any group ride and although I'm never the fastest, I've been able to complete the ride and usually at a pace that allows me to avoid embarrassing myself. I've worked hard to get to this level of fitness. I normally ride 2-3x per week with at least one of those rides being a long, hard ride where I could pretty much empty my head of all the crap that builds up during the week.

I guess if there's any upside to my inability to ride is that my fitness level will fall off.  How could that possibly be an upside you ask? Well, let me tell you.  One of the things I really enjoy about riding is the way a long hard ride will leave me completely depleted and exhausted but doesn't hurt my back or my knees the way running used to. My assumption is that if my fitness level decreases, and I'm only able to do one short ride per week, that one short ride will become hard and will get me to my desired level of exhausted-ness quicker. (yep, in my head that actually makes sense)

So, as I try to find a new balance between work, home and cycling I realize and accept the fact that I'll be slower, and probably heavier, but still thankful for the time I get on the bike. Time spent clearing out the cobwebs and making circles with my legs while my brain checks out, even if just for a little while.

Who knows, maybe I'll even find a place where it's ok to not be in the lead group and not one of the "fast guys".....(yeah, right)

Passing It On...

I've been mountain biking since the mid-80s and since we were newlyweds at the time (read flat broke) every bike I'd owned was a compromise between what I wanted and what we could afford.

The first bike was a Schwinn Sierra (1985 I think) and it was my prized possession. I remember saving for months to get it, scraping and diverting precious dollars from our already over-strained budget until I had the 289.00 to make it my own.

Not long after though, it was stolen. We lived in an apartment in a less than great neighborhood and I left it on the patio one night to find it gone in the morning....I was crushed but immediately began raiding the budget again until I saved for my next bike. A 1990 Giant Iguana which at 349.00 took a pretty big bite out of the meager savings.

When I was shopping for this bike, front suspension was starting to be a lot more common on bikes.  I unfortunately, having 2 young kids was forced once again to settle for something less than what I really wanted. The giant though was leaps and bounds ahead of the sierra as it had 21 speeds and the "new" rapidfire shifters which were a big leap over the friction thumb shifters on my Schwinn.

I rode this thing all over the place, rigid fork be damned. Chabot, Garin, the Hayward Plunge trail....nothing was too tough.....It's too bad I didn't save the money to move to a nicer neighborhood because I still had to keep the bike on the patio. Even though I had installed an eye bolt in the concrete and locked it up, my cable lock was no match for the commitment of our local hoodlums.

Ok, upgrading again....this time to a pretty nice 1996 Diamond Back. Still no front suspension, because after all, that was at the $500.00 level and only pros spend that kind of money on a bike...right?
It was about this time that my life and career were taking more time and riding was getting less attention...to be honest, the bike pretty much sat after that first year....

In 2003 though, I was fat and out of shape and although I wasn't healthy, my savings account finally was. I began to shop in earnest. Deciding I would no longer cut corners and settle for a bike that wasn't what I wanted.  The problem was, I had no idea what was available any more and no idea what I wanted.

The good news is that when it comes to bikes, I actually enjoy shopping....and shop I did. Finally ending up with a full suspension, disc braked aluminum bike made by K2. It wasn't a common brand in the bike industry, but I figured I'd get more bang for my buck..and I did. Of course when the minister of finance found out I spent almost $1000.00 on a bike, she considered having me committed....I mean what kind of lunatic spends that kind of money on a bicycle???? (those of you reading this and knowing what my current stable of bikes looks like are probably laughing right now but that's why I discourage her from going in the garage)

I loved the bike and rode it like I stole it. She's ridden pretty much all the good trails in the bay area, from the local loops like Chabot and Joaquin Miller to some of the more popular place like China Camp, Demo, Henry Coe and Skeggs. I've raced her at Sea Otter, and Harvey Bear and she's even been to Tahoe on a few occasions.


It's on her that I finally became a regular cyclist and she eventually became a gateway drug for me, leading me into road biking, singlespeeding and as of a couple years ago, 29ers.

Sadly, over the last several years she also became a donor for some of my other bikes until last year, with nothing left but a frame I rebuilt her to her former glory. New front shock, crankset, F&R derailleurs and wheels and tires.....and there she sat in my garage....having only been ridden twice since and now hanging from the rack and gathering dust.

See, the days of heavy, full suspension, geared 26ers has passed for me and now my go-to bike has bigger hoops and neither gears nor suspension.  It's sad really....but the truth is there's a new gal in my life and I just enjoy spending time with her more

Well, today all that changed....  A friend of a friend is a newly married guy that wants to get into mountain biking. He has a limited budget and a kid on the way....and as of this afternoon now owns a very affordable, better than average, entry-level mountain bike in almost new condition.

Hopefully she'll do for him what she did for me. Introducing him to the joys of time spent together, pushing him beyond his comfort zones and if he's not careful, she may show him how tough she is as she lays next to him on the trail unscathed while he wipes the dust and blood off after she enticed him to try something he should  have known better than to attempt...

Good bye old friend...hopefully I'll see you on the group rides....

Bling-a-riffic for the SS

I bought myself the Jabber as a Christmas present in 2008 and built it up nicely, but on a budget. It had XT brakes, some e-bay Mavic wheels on XT hubs and some nice tires. I did add some red bits and pieces  in the form of a headset and seatpost clamp and some custom Groovy Luv bars which was my attempt at bling-ifying my ride.

Other than that I've done nothing to the bike except ride the heck out of it. This has been an awesome bike and with the exception of some rides at Demo, Skeggs or Tahoe where I knew either our route or my fitness level required the gears, it's been my main ride.....and it's been bulletproof.

I think for me, the simplicity is one of the main attractions of riding SS. There is very little maintenance, no tuning or adjusting of derailleurs or suspension and as far riding it goes, it forces a level of honesty that reminds me of riding my bmx bike as a kid.  If there's a hill you can't climb, you walk, if you want to go faster, pedal harder, if you head over a rough bumpy section, pick the smoothest line, flex your arms and legs and hang on....

Sure, the reasons that gears and suspension were invented and have become so popular is so that you can climb steeper hills, ride faster and descend smoother without beating the crap out of your body, and I definitely like my geared bike when I ride it, but for me, the SS really is my favorite ride.

With that in mind, I've been lusting after a newer, sexier SS. Maybe a lighter, custom steel frame. Or possibly even a carbon fiber wonder-bike with sleek lines, carbon fork and so light it practically pedals itself...the problem is, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Jabber. It does everything I need it to with no complaints and any drawbacks with the performance are more than likely due to the motor and not the bike.....still bike lust compels me to look and to shop.

So, what's a guy to do? Well, the goal is to slowly upgrade everything that I can so that if someday I do find and buy that dream frame I've been searching for, I can just move all the components over.  To that end, I've invested in some nicer wheels which should not only save some weight, but will be perfect for a future carbon or custom steel frame.....the fact that the hubs are red and match the other red bits, only adds to the bling factor....

Now, if I could just upgrade to a stronger motor I'd be all set....

It's like a drug....

This past week, the stars aligned and my schedule worked out such that I was able to join the group for the Tuesday evening Diablo ride.

As I left work I noted that it was a perfect 76 degrees with only a slight breeze...couldn't have picked a better evening for my first ascent of Diablo this year.  The only problem was, as I headed up the Dublin grade and then down the other side, I noticed that the temperature continued to climb....until eventually stopping at a decidedly warm 87 degrees when I pulled in to the parking lot where we were to meet.

Evidently, I wasn't the only one motivated by the nice weather. Jim showed up along with Larry who not only hasn't been up Diablo this year, but hasn't been riding much at all since last year.  They both stated that their goal was modest, Larry wanted to make it to the first ranger station and Jim was keeping him honest...I mean keeping him company.

I on the other hand, known for making bad choices and stupid decisions, had decided I needed to make it to the summit even if it killed me.  Diablo, in my mind anyway, can be broken down into 4 distinct sections.  The first section to the ranger station/entry gate is not only tough, it's pretty much full sun the entire way.  With the breeze that had picked up, I'm pretty sure the temps had gone down from the 87 I saw on the dashboard of my truck, but it was still hot and I had finished almost an entire bottle of water by the time we got there.

At the beginning of the second section, after the ranger station, you enter an almost flat (4%) area that is in the shade and allows for a nice recovery. This doesn't last too long though and soon enough we were climbing again and although we were in and out of tree coverage, I still sweat like crazy and by the time we hit the junction where the north and south roads meet, I had almost emptied both bottles.

It's not like I haven't been riding at all this year. I've done a couple of 40+ mile rides and had been trying to make sure every ride had a decent amount of elevation, Diablo though is a different beast. It's basically an 11 mile ride that gains 3500ft with almost no relief.

After regrouping, resting for a couple of minutes and filling our bottles at the junction, we faced the third section.  For me, this is usually a lot harder than the first portions.  This evening though, I felt way better than I expected and although my heart rate definitely stayed high and my legs were feeling the effort, I actually felt pretty good.  I'm sure the fact that the temps had dropped and I wasn't cooking in the full sun helped, but I was able to get in a rhythm, shut off my brain and disappear inside my head for a bit.

There's one part that I always dread. It's a consistent 8+% and although it's probably less than a half mile, it always kicks my butt.  This evening though, as soon as we got to the beginning, I actually upshifted, stood and concentrated on trying to make smooth strong circles with the pedals.  I wouldn't say I attacked it, because that would imply I was fast, I wasn't.

I did though give it a good solid effort and by the time I turned the last corner where it mellows, I had worked in the red zone for a few minutes and was both puffing like a freight train and sweating to the point that it was running in to my eyes.  The best part about efforts like that are when they stop.  And sure enough, as I sat back in the saddle and backed off, I could feel the flush of endorphins flooding through my system. 

I remember this feeling happening a lot more frequently when I used to run.  There was almost always a point where you would be making long easy strides, your breathing would be smooth and you'd feel the endorphins flowing into your system as if you were on an IV drip. They call this the runner's high and for many, it becomes a drug forcing them to push farther and faster in an effort to get there.

On the bike though, this feeling is rare. I'm not sure why, you're putting good effort into both, both are exercise and both push your body.  With biking though, it seems like the efforts have to be much more extreme to get the same level of endorphin kick.

The rest of the climb is more of the same. A mix of steep, fairly steep and just kind of steep sections until you make the turn at Devil's elbow. From here you know you only have a few more turns before you get to what I'm referring to as the 4th and final segment. The driveway....(I put it in italics because it's supposed to impart drama...and believe me, the driveway IS drama. I would have put the "duh, duh, duh" sound effects if I knew how)

If you've ever been p Diablo, you know the driveway as the last hundred yards of hell. If you've never been up Diablo, you need to. The driveway is a short, narrow section that ranges from 15-20% and knowing that if you stop, you'll never get started again, forces you to either continue or arrive at the top walking.

Today though, knowing that I had burned all my matches on the way up, I, for the first time (probably ever) made a good decision and skipped the driveway.  I knew, had I tried it, I would have cramped up and I just wasn't ready for that level of suffering today.

Of course, as soon as the decision was made and we began our descent, I regretted it. I've never ridden up this mountain and not finished. Not done the driveway....today was the first time. And, while it may have shown good judgement and could even be seen as a sign of maturity, it bugged me.

Of course, the reward for any climb comes in the descent and today didn't disappoint. The weather was perfect, the views were amazing and I do love me some downhill....descending, along with the endorphin rush from ascending has once again left me feeling sane and almost normal....

One of my  favorite quotes is by Bill Phillips that says,
Food is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug in America, and exercise is the most potent yet underutilized antidepressant

No Jacket Required....

The title of this post has more to do with last night's ride than an oblique reference to one of my favorite albums in the early-eighties....

The usual suspects showed up for the Thursday ride and it was so nice that most of us were in short sleeves which was a very nice treat. That combined with doing the entire long loop sans lights made for a really nice evening to be out on the bike.

Several of us decided to do the longer loop and while I started out strong and felt good for the first few climbs, my legs eventually began to protest as the climbs didn't let up and the pace remained higher than I would have liked.

Eventually, as we reached the top of Soaring Hawk with the views of the bay and a nice breeze, I realized again just how blessed we are to live in the SF bay area. It never ceases to amaze me that within 10 minutes of a major metropolitan area like Oakland, we have access to good riding trails.

After a brief rest to catch my breath, we began the descent that was to be the reward for our efforts. The downhill portion on this part of the ride is fast, narrow and although somewhat rutted, is a great little hidden gem in our area. Actually, it's not even that it's hidden. It's just that there's quite a bit of work that goes in to getting here and even many that are aware of it, are unwilling to put the required level of effort in to enjoy it. I think that in all the times I've ridden this section, I've only seen a couple of hikers and never any other riders.

The last little bit drops you off on Redwood Rd and is REALLY rutted out. So, not only are you listening for oncoming cars and the crotch rockets that race up and down the canyon, you're required to put a large amount of focus into staying on your line and keeping your rear wheel from launching up and over your front wheel.

This section is followed by a nice slightly downhill fireroad run back to the lake loop. This is also the only section on the ride where I wish I had gears. I spend most of my time either pedaling like a hamster on a wheel or tucked and trying to draft off one of the guys ahead of me.

Bort Meadows is also where Jack and I separated from the others in doing the long loop. They were adding in another little sideloop, but the truth be told, I wasn't sure I was going to finish this loop without cramping. There was no way I wanted to have to walk the last section of road back to the parking lot so I decided that discretion truly is the better part of valor and Jack and I headed back without the added detour.

As we pedaled up the road to the parking lot, my legs were definitely tired, but I wasn't quite as spent as I thought I might be. So, with the last 100 yards left to finish, I taunted Jack and he and I raced in to the parking lot with him cranking a big gear and me spinning again like the proverbial hamster.  Afterall, while discretion may be the better part of valor, stupid is as stupid does and I'm always game for another really dumb idea.....

3 miles is a long way....

when you're running instead of riding....

On Sunday I took the pup out to the Bay Trail for a run.  It was a nice day and to be honest, we all like her just a little more when she's exhausted. She's mellow and cute and doesn't drive us insane jumping all over us.

I didn't bring the GPS but I'm guessing we ran/walked at least a couple of miles.  Well, I think I did a couple miles...with all of her insanity, running here and there and back and forth she probably had at least double that amount.  It's a pretty nice area, the wildflowers are in bloom and we didn't see too many people so I was able to let her off the leash and she was free to go crazy.

Yesterday, my wife had a doctor's appointment so after dropping her off, I took the puppy to the Alameda Creek trail for a run. With life being kind of crazy right now and me feeling fat and lazy about not having time to ride, I figured I had about an hour and could get a good workout in before picking her up.

The Alameda Creek trail goes all the way from the Bay to Niles Canyon which is about 13 miles. The south side of the creek is a paved trail and we've done a bunch of bike rides out there. I've never been on the north side, before since it's all dirt so I decided to give it a try.

We parked and as soon as we left the shelter of the lower parking lot and got up on the trail, I knew the wind was going to be an issue. I'd guess it was blowing at a pretty consistent 20+ mph with gusts that were much higher. The first part of the run is due west, or directly IN to the wind. It was a long 1.5 miles and I felt like I was struggling the entire way.  the pup on the other hand didn't seem at all fazed by it and once off lease proceeded to run ahead, lag behind, sprint to catch up and generally just bounce around like the energizer bunny on crack.

After hitting the mile and a half mark and turning around, life got much easier.  The winds that had fought me the entire first half of the run were now pushing me along nicely. They seemed to energize sasha that much more as well as she continued to sprint around jumping and chasing leaves as they blew down the trail.

Eventually, we made it back to the truck and although I was tired and sweaty, she immediately grabbed the tennis ball I keep in the truck and started batting it around the parking lot.....damn dog wasn't even tired....
When we got home I realized her willingness to play was just a ruse to make me feel old.  She immediately lay down on the floor in the family room and nodded off to sleep.  As the evening went on, I could tell I succeeded in wearing her out.  She was mellow and relaxed preferring to lay on the floor chewing on her bone instead of running through the house like a caffeine riddled psychopath...

It could happen to anyone....

I logged on the to the mountain bike forum this past Monday and saw the headline that gave me pause. "Rider Down"... 

We all know crashing comes with the territory when we ride and I've been intimate with both the pavement and the trail more times that I'd like to admit. This time though, it was someone I knew and the news was bad....really bad. He had been airlifted and was in a coma at the regional hospital.

A buddy I've ridden with several times and seen at the trail as well as various races a lot, had crashed pre-riding the Sea Otter Classic when his front wheel went in to one of the myriad of ruts on a long fast downhill.  Jerry is an extremely strong rider and a tremendous bike handler so it's not like he was a newb that made a dumb move. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what happened other than he hit a rut, went over the bars and landed on his head.....

For me, crashes usually happen in one of two ways. The first is the kind where you're out of control, know things are going south and actually have time to think of just how much the following events are going to suck.  The one that sticks in my mind is the time I was riding down a fast flowing trail, saw a creek, pulled up too late and knew my attempt at a bunnyhop wasn't going to carry me across.
My rear wheel hit a rock mid-creek. The back of the bike launched up and over my head as I slowly headed face first for the ground.  Luckily I was able to tuck my head, complete the airborn somesault and land flat on my canelback in the middle of the trail.  Thankfully, my rear wheel and my camelback were the only real victims in that case.

The other type of crash is the one where you're grooving along loving life and the next thing you know you're wadded up in a heap wondering what in the hell just happened.  This is pretty much exactly what happened both when I fractured my elbow at Demo and more recently, when I crashed my road bike.  One minute I'm thinking about how awesome the day is, tucking in to a nice fast downhill right hander and the next thing I know, some guy is standing over me saying "dude, you just slid all the way across the road, are you ok?"

There's an old saying that riders fall in to two categories, those that have gone down or those that will go down. all we can hope for is that when it happens, it's not major and it doesn't keep us off the bike for very long.

In Jerry's case, it is major and chances are it will keep him off the bike for a while.  All we can do is continue to pray and hope he comes out of the coma quickly and completely and with no lasting effects.

As we used to say to the moto riders, be safe and keep the rubber side down.....