today is the big 29!

the cut

Just throwin' some vibes out to my bro Van Dine, who is ripping it up in South America on the DH scene. Check out his blog for stories, pictures and other things two wheeled.

sat-er-dai

After sorting it out with the Eagle of Deutschland over an extended phone call on friday night, we surmised a trail epic for the next morning. Nesquehoning loop would be first, refuel somewhere, and then ride the strip mines and hookup onto the Pisgah ridge. I left my house at 9:30 and grinded the rail grade to meet Scott, Werner and Griz at Redner's Market in Nesque. As we rolled out from there it was sleeting and pretty cold. We climbed to the top of the ridge to meet Dean at the fabbled "box fan" trail intersection. The air was smokey and he was, of course, fixing a flat. We rolled at a brisk pace out past the water tank on the lower, oh so sweet single, aand climbed to the top of the ridge and rolled back towards Nesque. The trails on that ridge are my favorite. People who have sampled will probably agree. Almost at the end of the ridge, Dean rolls up and said he thinks he broke his fork. Looking at it for one second, we agreed it was totally blown. Dean bailed to his house, grabbed his other bike and met us with the water and food at the link between the Nesque ridge and Pisgah. Only Dean would bail on a ride to grab his spare bike to finish the ride. A true lover of the two wheels. While everyone is slaving at work, Dean is maintaining the local trails and riding everyday. He is a true endurance rider to say the least. He might not be on the front with a fast pace, but he can outlast most riders any day of the week. With a refuel, the weather starting to shape up, and Dean rollin' we headed towards the Pisgah ridge. Turning our way through the strip mines, Dean and I were trying to hookup to what Dean calls "the critical link." A point in the strip mines that is a hike-a-bike right to the singletrack. Sure as shit, it was right where we thought, and we proceeded to ride the Pisgah ridge back to Thorpe. The Pisgah ridge is some super technical riding. I feel lucky having it as my home turf. After exhausting all of the singletrack on Pisgah at a decent pace we were back at my place in Thorpe around 5:00. Not a bad day in the saddle for a spring fling.

got rocks?

Got on some of the vulupchous baby heads. Mmmm felt good. Too much road could kill a man. I like the predictable unpredictability of the rocky-as-shit singletracks. They are abundant, and they are tastey. The stuff I have been coughing up all week would be a great chain lube. Quit fussing with your sag bag and come join in the fun! Races are on the way!

kills

Recently, I've been putting a lot of hard solo miles in on the local terrain. This weekend I figured I would probably be riding alone as well, so I decided to join my roommate and his friends for a weekend in the Catskills of New York. Most of the group was going up to unwind from marriages, girlfriends or the grind, I was also going for some R&R and some road biking adventure. We all met at Joe's cabin, right outside Woodstock, on Friday. Beers were flowing and good vibes were in the air. Just a bunch of involved dudes trying to get interesting stories out of the bachelor types. The next morning was frosty and sunny. I couldn't wait to get rollin'. I stuffed my pockets with food and maps and off I was. The riding up there is sweet. Just rolling around mountain with some topos, hooking together roads, talking to farm boys in the middle of nowhere. Some were like, "What the hell you doing all the way out here?" After about 6hrs and a pretty big ride, it started raining. Luckily I was on my way back to the cabin where the crazy brew was fresh. It rained all night and the next morning, so I headed back to JT where I could get in another beautiful day. Most bands are the originators of great songs, but sometimes it takes someone else to come along and make that song come alive. As I ride along the Richies Havens version of The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" comes on my ipod. Just a fitting song for the season. Here comes the sun, and I say, it's alright!

happy st. patty's

easy

From the dark hollows we rise...

action

calling all dwellers of the planet earth! we need to act now on the problem of the climate crisis. without a healthy planet we can not have healthy living. help mr. gore deliver the message to congress by signing a postcard at http://www.algore.com/, and do something to prolong the existance of the human race. we do not want to cause our own extinction!

34x18 X 18x20

Being a physics teacher is tough. It is really not my fortay. I enjoy teaching biology and environmental science better, but a little physics is interesting. Plus, the kids in the class are great. Anyway, we were talking about simple machines and then moving towards the topic of complex machines. My co-teacher suggested to maybe find an activity that invloves a bike for the students to figure out. I was thinking, right on, I already have an idea. What better way to incorporate a bicycle in the classroom than to have it sharpen your pencil. Through a little fabrication in the students technical shops, we introduce the fixed gear pencil sharpener. We had a blast timing how long it took to grind a pencil down to the eraser. The secrets of winter training are revealed to all. By sharpening ten pencils a day one will be in top form to out sprint Daisey on the Dairy Rd loop. Daisey is a huge rotweiler that chills at this farm on one of the sweetest road and moutain loops in my area. I have seen Daisey eating the carcass of a dead animal on one occasion before tearin' after my skinny ass. The Dutch Eagle and I have devised a plan to tape lunch meat to our frames to fend of the beast the next time where out there.

more winter

nice

new folks

I have a new link posted under pa pride. It is a new group of folks/fellow racer types starting an organization in the north east region of Pennsylvania to build and maintain trails, put together rides, and just bring like minded individuals together for what we love. Cycling! Give them some hits and check out what they are all about and maybe hook up and ride some new terrain. The mountain and road riding in the northeast region of PA is epic and well worth checking out. Also, for some good reads on the world of simple cycling, check out the two wheeled locust. He has some new posts on the bennies of single gear mountain cycling. Enjoy the snow!

stretch

It feels weird to ride a bike that actually shifts and has gears. Most of my riding in the past year has been strictly one speeders, mountain and cross. An occasional road bike ride on a well broken in machine. Today I got to try the new ride on for size. I have been dialing it in for a few days and today I was going to take a nice cruise. It takes to the road like a seasoned prostitute, she knows what she's doing. I felt good, except for that Stegmeire Winter Warmer I got for a buck last night, the bike felt good, and the weather was a sweet winter day. On my return trip I rolled over to the Mauch Chunk Lake for some ice fishing 101 with my roommate and his dad, and talked to some old timer about cool stuff you see when nobody else is around. It's great to see folks enjoying all kinds of different activities during the winter months. Headway is being made on the super secret team/club kits. DIY stylee were evil has no boundaries!

drool

So I paid off my gas guzzler a few back and was wondering about upgrades for my road bike. I have been rolling on the same setup for a while and things were wearing out. Road components are pricey, espescially for someone like me who isn't into the high zoot road machines, but none the less upgrades were in order for my beat componentry. Adding stuff up, I was pushing the idea of buying a new bike. Should I. Talking to my roommate, Scott, who got a brand new carbon Trek at the beginning of the summer, he said it would be worth it to get a sweet ride. I have been rolling on a half new at the time/half used at the time build that I put together with whatever I could get that was the cheapest and lightest for the cash. New bike, hell yeah. I did some researching products, talked to some folks, emailed some bros, and like bikes built buy americans. Also, getting something below retail is also in mind, I made my decision. I went with a Cannondale Synapse. In true fashion for the month of love. I have only rolled around town on it a few times so far, but hopefully tomorrow will be my first somewhat extended ride on her, and yes this is my only geared bike.

vinter

Winter rules. Been trippin' out here on one of these thingys. I usually ride somewhere and take a hike. I have also time everyday to loosen up my fingers on one of these. I love instruments. I also rage on these. Winter training at its finest.

skoolin'

I was stoked to find this old photo. Knobbies and singlespeeds have always been in my blood. Back in jr. high, high school and a little into college, I was a nationally ranked bmx racer. I road for some teams, traveled, and had a girl friend and a mistress. Punk fuckin' rock!

the spoils

Gearing up for the weekend, finally some snow on the way, I seal the envelope. My last car payment and I own the Blazin' Blazer. What a feeling to pay something off. On the horn with DeJesus to ride Mountain Top on Saturday. It will be the first snow ride of the year. The east coast has been missing out on the white. Readying my gear for the next day, I head off with a few friends to get some brews and gas for the next day. Yes, I said gas. I am renowned for running out of gas from time to time, especially in the middle of Michaux State Forest. Hmmm, that's odd my car did get us to the gas station, right? Needless to say my paidoff car was dead at the gas pump. Fuck! Pushed'er on out of the way and started to bang around on the starter for a bit. Whipped out the AAA card for the tow to the garage. There was nothing major wrong, just needed a few bits tightened I guess, but there is always that little whatever saying, "Yeah muther fucker! Take that!" Saturdays ride was the shit. Singletrackin' in a few inches of snow made me feel better till my car got looked at on Monday. I now have my sights on a new vehicle, or at the least the chasis of a new one. Stay freeky.

nocturnal

For the past month I have been having this re-occuring dream. The dream has been progressing with each different night I dream about it. This is a compilation of a few nights. I am a science teacher and in my dream I am doing my teaching thing, but it is not at my usual facility. The school I am at resembles the high school that I graduated from. So I am teaching one day, in my dream, and an announcement projects over the speaker with the principle saying, "There is a state of emergency. It throughout the country and we must activate our lockdown procedure." I'm thinking, "Holly shit! This is crazy!" The students are the same way. I re-assure them that we will be safe where we are at and we can jam to some tunes on the computer to pass the time. With that, all of the windows get blocked out, we can not see outside. The computers get automatically shut off. Another announcment says that, "anyone who has to leave the room they are in must contact the main office for an escort." Now this shit sounds serious. I make a few calls, but nobody is answering or at least answering any questions. Another announcement, "We will distribute food to the different rooms at a decent hour for meals." Right about now, I am flipping my lid inside my head wondering what is going on. The students are doing the same, but it is out in the open and a lot to deal with. The night passes and the situation is still the same. We, the teachers and students, have now spent a night in the school. A kid gets the idea to hit up the bathroom and do some scouting out the situation. Good idea! He returns saying, "It is very weird out there. You can't see out any doors. Nobody is walking around except people I have never seen in the school before." Time passes on, maybe a day or two, and I let a kid sneek out to see what will happen. He comes back to the room with a crazy look saying, "All the doors to the outside are locked and someone tried to get out, but I don't know what happened to them." "I did hear someone say something about one of the teachers having a key to get out of the building though." I told the students that at night fall I will do some investigating myself. I snuck out of the room and into the hall. It was very weird. Weird dudes in lab coats walking around. I make my way to another classroom. Nobody. Finally, I found a room with the same type of scenenario. A teacher with students. They looked freeked! They had an idea of where this key was, but they were to afraid to do anything. I told them that it was better if we just waited this thing out. I headed back to my room. As soon as I got to the room, myself and a few students devised a plan for me to get the key. Two students would be a distraction, while I went for the key and the outside. Morning came. The two students headed out to find another teacher, so they said, to draw some attention. It worked! I made a break for it to where the key to the outside was. I've got to move fast. The key was right where the rumor said it was and the distraction worked up until now, just a little longer. I made for the doors! The key fit the lock! A voice, "Hey where are you going?" Stepping through the door my alarm clock sounded and I woke. FUCK! What happens next will have to be seen, or dreamed.

ill truth

El Nino? Global Warming? The temperatures of this winter have been all but normal, and this weekend was the warmest yet. Riding on Saturday in a short sleeve jersey and shorts for most of the day in January is unthinkable. After watching Al Gore's flick on the scientific studies of global warming, having crazy warm temperatures in the heart of winter, one has to wonder. Is this weather the effects of el nino or is the glabal warming theory actually happening faster than anticipated. Being a science teacher the conversation topic always comes up in class discussions. With all the technological advances in our society is it really more important to be at war, and have a car that parallel parks it's self, or have a cleaner society based on lower environmental impacts? One Earth, One Love.

happy new year!