All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Hell yeah, it's time for The Cyclocross! This is season seven for this old purple warhorse.

 

I ride with a hydro pack, makes for a softer landing on full rotation indo and when there aren't any sage brush to destroy near bye. riding without it I feel naked and vulnerable...

 

Needs less gears

 

Finally getting back out after three weeks.
I had a major off, and a good wake up call. Riding a familiar trail, pushing it, and came around a blind corner into a fallen tree that broke across the trail.
Handlebar smashed on the right side, ejected at roughly 30 mph into the other side of the split tree. I missed getting literally gutted by a giant spike about 7” in diameter by blind luck. Smashed my face and head into the trunk, missing branches in my eyes and face again by blind luck. My leg got crushed between the bike and trunk of the tree. I though I broke my femur.
I was unable to walk for a good five days, bruised and battered on my face and leg.
Like a jackass I didn’t go to the docs because I was healing, although slowly. Now, three weeks later I’m finally back to riding at 70%, with pain.
I wanted to share the story to remind everyone here that sometimes we push it, sometimes we know we’re over that edge. And all it takes is a split second to change your life. I was so goddam lucky. I was riding solo, late in the evening, on trails no one rides. If I had hit that spike... I wouldn’t be here. And it was close, like inches close.
And today, well, it was magical. Perfect weather, new bike, and I took it easy. But I had to go back, and ride the trail again. Because.

 

Damn Alex... heal up soon man!

Never go half-ass; always go full ass... glad to see you back at it.

 

I swing that way too.

 

Damn son!

 

This is the worst part of the whole story. I remember back when I was 17 I tried to leapfrog a pool cue. Long story short I ended up a shish kabob! I was fucked up for months with catheters and such. For the next four years I would stare at that damn thing and tell myself I could do it again and make it. Because??? By the grace of God I never did try again, but that damn pool cue gnawed at me for years.

 

Def had some of my worst offs on those familiar trails where you draw that razor just a little closer to yourself. Hunter S Thompson has a great line about it.

 

As do I. #SSOD

 

Are we sharing our single speeds now? Old picture haha

 

My derailleur cable broke, so this was a de facto single speed for a good while...

 

I'll be there next weekend

 

I'm very curious how it will be because I've heard polarizing opinions on the place. Seems like a case of build it and they will come. A large part of me is envious of the Wal-Mart money making it a destination overnight whereas majority of other trail systems require lots of manual labor and fundraising to make things happen

 

Paved downhill?

 

Sounds...wasteful. But also very fast and fun

Anyways, a guy I used to race with now lives there (Guess who he works for? ) and is going to show us the goods over a long weekend. I am looking forward to it

 

Its a really cool town. Really not what I expected when I went to visit. Didnt get to bike though, broke my leg a month before my trip. But still enjoyed the area. Can't remember the name of the spot, but its right next to one of the BikeRack breweries. Really good pizza.

 

Since we're posting the Singlespeeds....my race bike...well. actually. My only mtb.



Love the seatpost, but i want to change it for next season since it's the only non-matte black bit on the bike aside from the cranks/ring.

 

Damnnn, that's hawt.