Some pictures from the past year mountain biking.

Difference in rides.

Rigs- at the different ends of the spectrum.

The after math:

cx 28, originally uploaded by Dave August.

Blog of note: Dirt Merchant

It is funny how the inter-web thing makes the world smaller- I stumbled onto the blog of one of the guys I raced against this summer. Very cool cat.


http://dirt-merchant.blogspot.com/

Sitting on, holding on and hoping not to pop off on the first climb.

Rapha Continental | French Broad River | Ashville, NC, originally uploaded by R A P H A.

You know what I mean?

Bombs away.

Fall brings the bombs from above.

Phil and the heart of the bike.

Years ago, I worked in a bike shop in NYC managed by an older Argentinean guy- his breath was bad and his dealings with customers was often suspect. He was an old school bike shop manager before there was an old school. But outside of his breath being ugly, he often had timeless pieces of wisdom that I remember well. When he was not telling me that the "customers were trying to kill us" (his special way of saying they were trying to rip us off...he liked it better when we ripped them off.) he would come out with a pearl of wisdom which was often wasted on my 25 year old brain.

One such piece of wisdom which I still carry around is he told me that the "bottom bracket was the heart of the bicycle"- A comment I remember so very clearly wanting to refute but could not. He said it was the most important part of the bike- it is where it all started. At the time I was more concerned with vee brakes( I am dating myself) as they had just come out to the masses. Being the punk ass bike boy I was, I wanted to refute his claim- but for whatever reason I did not. It was the truth.

If any component is worthy being deemed the heart of the bike, the Phil Wood stainless steel bottom bracket would make a very strong inrefutable claim to the title.

29er DH Bike

I knew at some point someone would make one. Talk about a bike that will have NO standover.

Sunday.

Sunday service was at the same venue as Saturday. Larger group with a few faster folks at the front keeping the pace fast- I tried to stay steady and save my legs for the climbing. Had a few flashes of superb riding on my part- Lower half of Monster was a run of zero dabs. The goal of the season was to have a dabless Monster- and outside of the two short steep climbs that I can't do on a SS (but can do geared...For the record: have done it a few times on a SS but only happens once in a blue moon...and never have I done them back to back on a SS.) it has been a challenge I have met with success...Big thanks goes to the folks I ride with who have given me the inspiration and confidence- I am actually starting to get good again.
All in all, a good day till my chain broke....Not much can go wrong with a SS, but I sure seem to find a way. With the Kona there is not much i can do except now carry a half link and extra chain (right...on it!) for those occasions when I need to make a repair as I have no margin for error with the chain- Not the best system but very light and normally pretty reliable. Sunday, not so much. Nothing like trying to outrun a bunch of mountain bikers cyclocross style on trails techy enough to give you a sporting chance....





Started the ride early enough to hit lunch- cheeseburger with avocado. Mmm.

Saturday.

Saturday was spend riding trails with LD in heavy leafs. No time schedule meant steady, with stops for freash air and gandering at the leaves. Funny what one notices when the foliage is zapped and all that is left is naked trees.


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Good day with a good friend.

Stolen Images Wedneday-

It is not every day you see a pro riding a compact crank.

Burly in that steep way. Have you ever had to get off and walk on a road ride? I have. I even did a road race in high school in which almost every single kid had to walk one hill....it was humbling.

Thank you PezCycling for providing some of the best pictures in the biz...

Shorter days.

Holzer, originally uploaded by WhoRyder1.