Huh, it's been a while. Again. I'm not going to apologize for my
absence, since this is likely going to be the norm. I have nothing
against gopher, but this is a personal escape for me from the
distractions of the modern world, the virtual Vegas, with all it's
flashing lights, blaring klaxons, and infinite distractions. Amber
or green on a black screen, providing clarity, focus and purpose.
But there's more than one way to skin a cat (to use a figure of
speech -- nothing but love for the Felis genus). Warm weather is
here; the outside beckons. May is a cyclebration, transforming
rational human beings into sprocket-obsessed bicycle fiends. But
I'm getting ahead of myself.
May is National Bike Month here in the US. Our local
transportation management association (TMA) decided to promote
this a little over a decade ago with a simple goal: one million
miles bicycled in May. As it caught on, we surpassed that goal but
two million remains elusive. According to the website [1], this
May logged a little over 1.3 million miles.
Regardless, it's been a successful May. Our team achieved our
goals and we had a great time. I managed to ride over 650 miles
(1050km) -- not my personal best but definitely one of the better
years. A large part of our achievement was an unusually mild
month. It never once exceeded 100*F.
All that time in the saddle left me with some solid impressions on
my new bike. First, I do understand the trend of gravel bikes and
I'm loving the ride qualities. The geometry is more relaxed than a
road race bike which lends itself to commuting, touring, or other
long rides. Second, I'm back in love with mountain bike riding.
We're fortunate enough to be near two lakes with road and mountain
bike trails surrounding them. All that singletrack affords me a
more interesting way to commute, run errands and just be outside
having fun. The fast, rigid bike on those flowing paths with the
wind in my face reminds me of the simpler times when I used to XC
race before technology made cycling a point and shoot affair. You
chose skinny tires to go faster, sacrificed traction for speed and
had to pick your line instead of letting the machine do all the
work. It's exhilarating and yet you feel connected to the bike.
Jinba ittai.
The connection doesn't end there. The sound of gravel as it
squirms underneath rolling tires and the firmness and traction of
the soil, communicated with exquisite detail through the pedals:
Newton's third law in action. As I push down, the ground pushes me
up. Embrace the earth, and the Earth embraces back.
The north trail of the lake has been closed for a year and a half.
Multiple landslides blocked the trail after heavy rains which also
wiped out a culvert. This area has become my new favorite cycling
route. Making your way past the blockade and observing the power
of nature firsthand is part of the allure, but the peacefulness is
the main attraction. The desolation leaves me alone with my
thoughts so I can accept them. The trail itself is deserted since
it no longer is a continuous path and is instead two dead ends.
Nature is already laying claim to the trail -- weeds overgrowing
the edges and stretching towards the center. Deer, foxes and
rabbits wander mindfully but unalarmed.
Tags: #bicycling
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