christmas season...

Is upon us without it even being here yet. My little girl sleeps in the car while my wife does some quick shopping, and all I see around this shopping area is x-mas junk.

I want to bring back the essence and enjoyment of thanksgiving, instead of it being a speed bump on the way to another holiday.

Do we not then loose sight of why we get together at this time of year?

[amitabha]

i was able...

 to get a ride in today in between my classes.  so i decided to head on out to the rocky river metroparks, and doing some monstercross (mx).

after a big rain like last night; i didn't expect to stay warm and dry.  the picture to the left is just a sample of what i went through...literally.  the rocky river metroparks has great trails for brushing up on some cross skills, and with a race this up coming weekend; i thought i would.

with these trails not used much, they are all leaf covered.  so you have to keep an eye out where to go.  and with these trails not maintained in any way puddles like these were a plenty.  and not knowing how deep the hole was put a little extra surprise in the mix.  making any type of sharp turn was not happening.  i'm sure it didn't help that i had no idea of how much psi i was running, but i let out some air to hedge my bets.  still...i was slipping and a sliding all over the place.  that being said...the 29 inch wheels worked great getting over a few missed placed logs and ruts.  i was clearing stuff with ease.  i'm hoping to give this bike a bigger challenge soon.

during the ride i felt o.k., but sluggish.  i'm hoping to get another ride in before the race to work out any more bugs i may have. 

speaking of bugs...for most of the ride i was unable to shift into my 'big' rig.  so i was playing with the tension on the derailleur and limit screw.  it all seemed for not.  until...i cleared a log, and wham!  my non-drive side arm fell off.  nice.  i know there's a lesson here...make sure your shit works before you take off on a ride.

[amitabha]

how good are you at a wheelie?

sacrifice...

does it mean giving up what you truly want to do for something that you do not necessarily want to do?  to give up something?

well...i've given up a lot as far as my cycling is concerned.  here is another cyclocross season down the drain.  i was upset when i missed the first race of the season.  a little disappointed as i kept missing races.  i have only been able to do one so far, and if all goes well; one more.

but what have i really given up?  sure my cycling level as a whole has gone down, but i have gain so much more.

i spend all that lost time riding with my beautiful little girl.  i do get her on the back of the bike from time to time (temp. is too low now), and ride around the 'hood, and you'd be surprised at how much effort that takes; esp. when i start looking for hills to climb.

as my bikes hang in the basement, and collect dust; life does not.  ride when i am able to; however it takes a real man/father to admit that 'things' are no longer the center of life.  being a father is.

[amitabha]

the time has come...

 in my life to retire my old cross stead.  my vicious cycles slider has been with me for about ten years now.  it's gone from a single speed cross bike, to a geared cross bike, to a road bike, to a bike with three different sets of wheels for cross, commute, road.  to minus the road.

it's been a great bike, but the time has come.  the frame is starting to rust in some places that are not conducive to the preservation of the frame.  so it's getting stripped down and hung on a wall somewhere.  in it's place, i'm taking the parts off of it and building up a kona major jake carbon.  this is an amazing frameset.  it weights just over three pounds.  i just need a few parts that couldn't make the move.

all internal cable routing to keep the gunk out, and cables clean.  tapered headtube for strength.

this is just going to be fun.

:amitabha:

start here...

http://divinegear.blogspot.com/

:amitabha: