32:16

32:16---Is the gearing on my Ventana Singlespeed bike, the one I have been happily re-discovering the past 2 weekends. I know I have an audience of like 3 people, but I know two of them are really into their bikes and riding and can appreciate the little ditty I am about to lay forth...

I am married. With child. With large house payment. With job in city that keeps me away from home 13 hours a day.
I haven't even been able to ride my "city bike" (2004 Specialized Allez Comp with Foco tubing, magic motorcycle cranks-set up as a singlespeed (32:16 here too) and moustache bars) for a month because somehow I was able to effectively crack the driveside crank arm in half. BUM-MER. They were sweet cranks, the ones I drooled over in like 1988. The ones my good buddy gave me. And yes the ones that were beyond custom in that they were black anodized with red ring. Damn. I really went on and on. They are gone now...

My "City Bike"--2004 Specialized Allez Comp, moustache bars, Magic Motorcycle cranks, rear rack and the very important and necessary CycleSak cover---ferry rides DESTROY bikes, especially steel ones.


... Back to the story at hand.

No boo hoos, no what if's. I used to get a good ride in almost everyday during my internment at King Cycle World and Cog Works. Singletrack, road, cross, beer. They all flowed seemlessly together. Now, I get 2 hours a weekend to slip away (thanks Cari) and ride on of my bikes. And lately, that bike has been the old El Toro.

Did I mention I am a bit of a tech dork? Oh, not so bad that it consumes my conversations or anything like that. More like, I see something that looks cool and actually works (well most of the time) and I have to get it. Being like this I have re-shuffled bikes every few years, always moving up to the perceived "better one". Steel, to aluminum, to carbon fiber to single pivot, to faux four bar to VPP. You name the acronym, I've probably owned it. Liked them all too for their own characteristics. But where the hell am I going with this? Sorry. Back to the El Toro.

So there I am getting across town (20 minutes to single track just for reference Kirby) to ride. I'm bigger than before and the gut weighs heavily, but I keep the pedals turning. Climb, climb some more, climb a bit more, wheeze and voila! I am at "the Lake" (Skyline park's lake). No time to rest, it's up around the lake and a bit more climbing before the FUN begins. * Sorry, I have not had a chance to actually "embrace" the "fun" of climbing.

This is where it gets good and where I finally get to the point of my rambling. The climb all leads me to a glorious little 10" wide sliver of perfect (right now) single track. Twisting, turning, undulating up and down, the roller coaster lets me open it up full throttle, and damn I love it! Mostly smooth with just the right mix of rocks and technical bits thrown in for good measure (it's no Rockville though). I grunt up (OK walk part of) the last climb and before me is Lower Skyline Trail---the final fun part. I bomb it and only run into some hikers near the bottom, what a joy!

So what am I getting at with this freakin' story? Bikes, fat, technology...it's just this: I really like riding and I firmly believe that in this technolgy driven world, bikes especially, you gotta get back to the basics more often. My El Toro has one gear, 80mm of travel and gives me an ear to ear grin pretty much the whole time. You have to be fully AWARE of evrything-cadence, upcoming obstacles, breathing, braking--the works. Some of things I notice I begin to take for granted when I have the opportunity my full-suspension offers-namely gears, 4" of travel at both ends and disc brakes. Taking it back to the basics is the best way to elevate your game on all fronts and helps me realize what a joy just being on a bike can be.

Of course this doesn't mean I am giving up the geared world. Couldn't do it. The Intense is down with a busted BB (I was lucky enough that the ol' TruVativ lasted as long as it did), and when the new one comes in and I install it, we'll be back into the rotation, but for now, I can't wait to get back onto the SS, look down at the handlebars and see only grips and brakes and head back out on my next weekend ride.

Yep.

Oh yeah?!! Well me too...

So there I was this past weekend, lounging on the couch after another 1/2 day spent working on my new house. The third HoHo wrapper drifted softly to floor as I shifted my weight around while searching for the remote control somewhere near my ass. "Dammit, I have to find it, there is no way I am getting up to change the channel by hand". I just HAD to see another episode of Punk'd before hitting up the local Jack in a Crack for 6—99¢ Tacos. Then I saw it a commercial showing a guy riding a bike! I remember the bike, don't I? 2 wheels, fun to ride DOWN hill. I used to spend the gross national product of some third world countries on mine. Oh yeah, mine! I have a garage (and shed) full of those things.

To add insult to injury, my dear wife not only suggested that I go for a ride, but that my two good friends—Kirby and Steve—had been continually posting to their Blogs about the riding they had been doing, even so far as going out in the RAIN! IN THE RAIN!! Now please bear in mind, I was never of the caliber of these two. Kirby has the "aw-shucks" ability to crush any climb and the patience to at least hang with me as I weeze up the Blue Ridge parkway on a 40 mile road ride. This is the same guy who easily mastered the hardest climb I know of—Oakville Grade— without losing breath. Steve has calves the size of basketballs and has been routinely entering PRO class cross races and winning. Both are good enough humans to let me tag along in the back as bear-fodder and to that I am proud.

So what the hell am I supposed to do? My bikes are clean (aren't they always). My cycling gear is somewhere in the unpacked phase of our new garage. And hell-the little lady did say I could go for a ride. After brushing off the Pringles from my 1995 Collegiate National MTB championships shirt (yes I actually did ride in this event and yes-I did come in second to last), I stumbled to the kitchen and began the preparation for the ride.

Step One:
Mix up water bottle with PowerBar "Endurance" Drink mix
Find clean bib shorts
Check weather-judge from slight chill that a long sleeve jersey is in order
Find socks
Assemble trail repair kit consisting of: CO2 inflator and 2 extra cartridges, patch kit, assorted tools, cell phone, money and old Clif bar (even if it expired in 1998, they still taste pretty good-coming up AND going down)

Step Two:
Slip uneasily into spandex that didn't use to stretch SO far
Stare at new larger belly in bathroom mirror and vow to not eat so much fast food-damn, I'm HUGE!
Make sure this really is OK with wife (my last out)

Step Three:
Choose bike (I'll use the Spider, I need gears today)
Check tire pressure, shock pressure, fork pressure, drivetrain (is my bottom bracket jacked up?)
Put on shoes and begin ride

Unlike Kirby-my singletrack is NOT right out of my back door, unless I poach Westwood Hills (another trip altogether), so I must brave the Escalades with Spinners, Excursions, Explorers with "Keep Tahoe Blue" bumper stickers (freakin' clueless idiots) and the Fast and the Furious crowd all racing 102hp Civics with wings built for Howard Hughes' sea plane on a cross town trip to Skyline.

I won't whine too much, I am trying to come to grips with this as a "new singletrack"-similar to our old days of late night "urban riding". So I'm ducking and dodging cars and traffic and nearing the actual dirt---The dirt! Did I mention we just went through 2 weekends of slight showers, the trails are PER-FECT!

I climbed. I cleaned technical sections. I noticed side to side play in my BB (what the hell-thing never did feel right) , and my lungs burned. Sorry I have no pictures of the trail, I have to use this as training for my next mountain bike ride next month, no time to stop and smell the flowers (plus I have to get home to play Thomas Trains with Jake). I ran into my old riding partner from Cal Poly-Ryan in the exact same spot I saw him last weekend, at exactly the same time! This time I took him up on his offer to head back up and do another loop. What the hell was I thinking!?

We race around the lake and back down to Lower Skyline trail. Both pushing each other in the old friendly way. It was a blast! I think I'll do this again in a few months!

Heading home I remembered my buddies Blogs and called my wife--I need proof that I rode!
"Take some shots of me riding home honey" I pant into the phone.
Cari obliges and as you can see below I am HELLA HARDCORE and ready for the next ride!

Hella Hardore NorCal Style

Thanks Kirby and Steve for the inspiration, I miss riding near you guys!

To Halloween and Beyond!

This, Jake's third Halloween found our young trooper forgoing the "robot" costume he requested for almost a year in favor of his favorite character, the fearless space ranger-Buzz Lightyear™.

A Boy and his movie.


Slipping into the vinyl costume brought out the space ranger in the normally calm 3 year old as he was repeatedly heard requesting to hang onto the back of the car instead of sit inside while we drive as well as jumping off of any and every surface available while uttering the call of the Space Ranger-"To Infinity and BEYOND!"

No sleep til' I 've watched this movie 150 times...

To make a long story short, the little guy loved the costume we got him-even wearing it while watching the sacred movie-and had a great Halloween...

Oh yeah, check out the pumpkins---Jake originally picked out and art-directed the small white pumpkin, but later switched to choose the menacing multi-toothed version on the right. This left Cari with "ownership" of the little white one, which, when placed between the two scary pumpkins showed its true emotion!

Strike the pose. Jake and the original punkins®.

Oh no! Help the poor middle punkin®.

Punkin is a registered trademark of me (got it Cari!). It goes well with bajamas and "Where's my keys at?"

Haunted child captured by mother's photography

Having fun in his room...or is he????


Bats or Moths?


After getting let go from Sears™ Portrait Studio, Cari "Smile for the Camera" R. showcases her uncanny ability to capture a young child's fears and lack of expression in her 2 portrait series entitled, "Yes, there are Moths in Your closet".