50% Sun and incredible spring weather, 50% rain, wind and general nastiness.
I am really digging the road when our trails are beat up, today's ride was no exception despite the rain. I rode past the Hospital Rd. lot on the way out and the way back and was pretty surprised at how many people were riding. Hopefully they stayed off the newer and/or muddier stuff.
I started out and felt amazing, legs felt real fresh. My goals were to head into the Colts Neck area and look for some hills, push a bigger gear than I did last ride, and stay in the big ring as much as possible while keeping a decent spin. I was looking to do about 3 hours, and met all of my goals pretty well.
The rain started in Marlboro, so I made a quick stop at the Bicycle Hub hoping it would end. I refilled water, looked outside and realized it likely wouldn’t end. Pit stop lasted 5 minutes, and then I went for the quickest way home without hitting too many main roads (besides rt 34). I was damn near cackling inside, saying to myself “harden up, you LOVE this shit" but honestly the rain blew.
Got a flat less than 2 miles from home, no tube or pump on me (looked at the tube and inflator as I left the garage earlier, I love learning lessons this way). 10 seconds after I stopped this dude was heading out o his driveway for a jog and said "need a pump"? Bingo, I electrical taped the living shit out of the hole, inflated until his pump was about to explode, said "thanks" and hauled ass the rest of the way home.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...sant/465522589
Overall a great day!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Irony
I bagged work early today, blazed home and rolled out of the garage at 2 with a goal of spinning for 3 hours. I was real stoked with the weather and wind direction, so headed for Island Beach State Park.
On the way back North I swung through the swimming pavilion’s lot to answer a work call (I know, lame). I was spinning slow and finished the call, then set out north again while putting the phone away. Just as I got back down on the bars and started kicking it up this older dude blazes past me on a classic old road bike, pushing a big gear.
He didn't say hi.
I got an instant "ohhh it’s on" thought in my head and started cranking. I reeled him in, which was way harder than I hoped, and returned the favor. Every time I looked back he was hanging tough, about 50 yards back the last time I looked. I proceeded to ride a lot faster than I wanted to until I hit the gate house and finally shook him off. I hit Ocean Ave. and spun through arcade hell at a good clip.
I felt pretty spent, and as I hit Bay Blvd in Ortley decided I should kick it down and ride mellow until home. I also felt like a complete ass for re-passing that dude and not saying hi.
Minutes later a guy on a Cervelo passed me like I was standing still.
He said hi.
I returned the greeting, and once again stood on 'em. He was pushing entirely too big of a gear and dropped me handily, like I was a 6th grader on a beach cruiser. As we crossed to Rt35 north I thought I was closing the gap, but maybe HE was on the phone because after 5 or ten minutes he kicked it back into gear and I lost sight of him by the time I hit Mantoloking.
I got home and thought about the irony of the ride. Isn't biking cool?
On the way back North I swung through the swimming pavilion’s lot to answer a work call (I know, lame). I was spinning slow and finished the call, then set out north again while putting the phone away. Just as I got back down on the bars and started kicking it up this older dude blazes past me on a classic old road bike, pushing a big gear.
He didn't say hi.
I got an instant "ohhh it’s on" thought in my head and started cranking. I reeled him in, which was way harder than I hoped, and returned the favor. Every time I looked back he was hanging tough, about 50 yards back the last time I looked. I proceeded to ride a lot faster than I wanted to until I hit the gate house and finally shook him off. I hit Ocean Ave. and spun through arcade hell at a good clip.
I felt pretty spent, and as I hit Bay Blvd in Ortley decided I should kick it down and ride mellow until home. I also felt like a complete ass for re-passing that dude and not saying hi.
Minutes later a guy on a Cervelo passed me like I was standing still.
He said hi.
I returned the greeting, and once again stood on 'em. He was pushing entirely too big of a gear and dropped me handily, like I was a 6th grader on a beach cruiser. As we crossed to Rt35 north I thought I was closing the gap, but maybe HE was on the phone because after 5 or ten minutes he kicked it back into gear and I lost sight of him by the time I hit Mantoloking.
I got home and thought about the irony of the ride. Isn't biking cool?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Stuff
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Passed on by a friend from mtbnj.com, highly reccomend taking the 20 minutes to watch it. I watched it twice. Some points can be argued but overall one of the best videos I have watched in a long time. Linear system on a finite planet is what strikes me most. It needs to be said, because it is blatantly obvious yet always overlooked.
Ton of good resources on the site. http://www.storyofstuff.com/pdfs/annie_leonard_glossary.pdf lists references. Also liked the links to NPO's divided by the different steps in the system.
Passed on by a friend from mtbnj.com, highly reccomend taking the 20 minutes to watch it. I watched it twice. Some points can be argued but overall one of the best videos I have watched in a long time. Linear system on a finite planet is what strikes me most. It needs to be said, because it is blatantly obvious yet always overlooked.
Ton of good resources on the site. http://www.storyofstuff.com/pdfs/annie_leonard_glossary.pdf lists references. Also liked the links to NPO's divided by the different steps in the system.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
A good day on the bike
In the last week I logged a metric shitton of saddle time, enough that I feel all weird not riding today, almost bummed. Took some much needed time off the bike today, but damn it was awesome to ride with summer gear on for a few days. Actually changed the worn-to-hell cleats on my summer shoes yesterday, something I didn’t see doing until months from now.
Yesterday kicked a lot of ass. I left work early and within a half hour of leaving my office was on the bike headed for Allaire. Got to the trails hurting pretty good from too little rest but knew I would be pissed if I missed the weather.
Met a few friends and ripped through all of the good trails on the "lot side", pace was fast enough to really kick my ass. We got back to the lot after a few hrs and friends split. I headed over to the campground side for a final loop before dark that would end up closer to the bike path that leads me to the road ride home.
The sky was on fire. I came around a corner (near the old rope swing for those familiar with this part of Allaire) and saw a guy sitting in a camp chair looking out over the sunset. He had an amazing view, one that you ride by every day but never notice until you NOTICE it, you know? He had a bike lying against the tree next to him, might have had racks and gear on it, or just a jacket or something, not too sure. It occured to me that thousands of people were blazing by on the parkway a 9 iron shot away from us and likely not giving much of a shit about the sunset.
I rode off without disturbing him. I dropped down the fast hill to his south, over the river crossing and along the river back to hospital road. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head, who was he? How freaking smart was he that he caught the sky on fire on a 60 degree day in January, sitting in his chair on a secluded hill in the middle of New Jersey, where most people from other states agree the country would receive the pointy end of an enema? He may have been homeless, broke, wealthy or somewhere in between. It didn’t matter, because for those few moments and for that sunset, he had it all right.
I hit the road as the sky got dark and pedaled home hurting pretty bad. I wanted to throw in the towel and call the wife for a ride. Legs didn’t want to go. I thought about the dude on the hill and decided getting a ride would be lame. It took me quite a bit longer to get home than usual but went to sleep pretty stoked with the day and looking forward to today. Isn't biking cool?
Yesterday kicked a lot of ass. I left work early and within a half hour of leaving my office was on the bike headed for Allaire. Got to the trails hurting pretty good from too little rest but knew I would be pissed if I missed the weather.
Met a few friends and ripped through all of the good trails on the "lot side", pace was fast enough to really kick my ass. We got back to the lot after a few hrs and friends split. I headed over to the campground side for a final loop before dark that would end up closer to the bike path that leads me to the road ride home.
The sky was on fire. I came around a corner (near the old rope swing for those familiar with this part of Allaire) and saw a guy sitting in a camp chair looking out over the sunset. He had an amazing view, one that you ride by every day but never notice until you NOTICE it, you know? He had a bike lying against the tree next to him, might have had racks and gear on it, or just a jacket or something, not too sure. It occured to me that thousands of people were blazing by on the parkway a 9 iron shot away from us and likely not giving much of a shit about the sunset.
I rode off without disturbing him. I dropped down the fast hill to his south, over the river crossing and along the river back to hospital road. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head, who was he? How freaking smart was he that he caught the sky on fire on a 60 degree day in January, sitting in his chair on a secluded hill in the middle of New Jersey, where most people from other states agree the country would receive the pointy end of an enema? He may have been homeless, broke, wealthy or somewhere in between. It didn’t matter, because for those few moments and for that sunset, he had it all right.
I hit the road as the sky got dark and pedaled home hurting pretty bad. I wanted to throw in the towel and call the wife for a ride. Legs didn’t want to go. I thought about the dude on the hill and decided getting a ride would be lame. It took me quite a bit longer to get home than usual but went to sleep pretty stoked with the day and looking forward to today. Isn't biking cool?
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