30NOV2015

Here in Sacramento, we get some incredible scenery...but you have to wake yourself up sometimes and brave the "cold" (relative term) in order to experience it in all its glory.



Sunrise these days is around 5:45am, or so my phone tells me. Either way, if you get up around that time and ride your bike up the A.R.T., you will often see stuff like this in the winter: heat off the water as it hits the cold air (the temperature this morning was 29 degrees).



Cairns...or simply the ancient, hippie tradition of stacking and balancing rocks?





If you chose the first option, I'm afraid you may get seriously lost out here...



I don't think I could ever logically get rid of my Surly Big Dummy. This is, by far the most practical day-to-day machine I own.



I used to think bike bells were for nerds...I was wrong--they are so sick!! I got this shiny new, very LOUD bell. If you have not invested in one for your bike yet, I recommend them only because of the following reasons: they typically look sweet, they help cars/pedestrians/dogs/sheep/goats/pigs/squirrels/friends/etc. know you are in the near vicinity, they sound delightful, they complete your bike.



Once again, riding through fog is so refreshing.



And, as a grand finale...witness the new addition to the Big Dummy: a (cheesy) custom wood half-crate. I really love having stuff easily accessible on the front of my bike.

Weather

Sometimes, out of suffering comes the greatest reward. This is not to say that one should just suffer or look to suffer in life's situations, but when a healthy, life-giving opportunity arises and the only thing holding one back is the "suffering" aspect, I think a person should just bite the bullet. The hardest part about certain ideas or starting certain projects is often the lack of comprehension on how to "set sail". I hate feeling dead in the water without wind, or even a paddle (e.g., inspiration or drive).

Rousing myself to ride my bicycle to work is not that hard these days; I have done it for so long (and I need money from work), so I just sort of do it. Some days, however, a wave of tiredness looms over my head like a heavy blanket. I have noticed that even though I am so familiar with what to do and how to do it when it comes to commuting, I just "don't want to do it". The newness and initial excitement of exploring a new path has lost its flare.

During times of lameness, I have to humbly slow my pedal strokes and start back at where I was when I was a child, with the wonder and excitement of getting that first bicycle. Back then, moving forward was an accomplishment. Feeling the breeze like never before, watching the simple machine work; living in the moment before I complicate it too much with things like "want", or "speed".

So, here are some simple pleasures I let soak in on a daily basis:



This little offshoot trail is one of my all time favorites. It's short, only slightly windy, and not at all aggressive in terms of "mountain biking", but the tunnel-like tree cover reminds me a little of riding in Western Pennsylvania...beautiful.



I have said this before now, but I LOVE the fog in the morning in Sacramento. This is so worth suffering through the tiredness at 5:30am and sub-forty temperatures (I know, not that bad, but for Sacramentens, it feels terrible!)



Take fog, add sunrise to slowly burn off fog, and you have a recipe for a promising sunrise.



And here are some more deer.

Johnny's Specialized Stumpjumper

This bike turned out quite well. Old, cro-moly Specialized Stumpjumper!





Drivetrain is 1x7--who needs anything more??



Frame fits a 2.3 Bronson! Such a sick tire...



A perfect option for the cockpit: moustache bars always make a bike look more stately...



Custom support for a floppy fender--classic



Still a world champion. They don't make them like they used to, though. Shortly after this photo shoot, Johnny assured me he was taking the SJ through some fresh mud after today's rain :)

24NOV2015

Sky. Impending rain...

Sarah's Salsa Vaya

I feel inspired when I see fellow commuters show up to work. I feel even more inspired when they invest in their commute. Sarah, a coworker of mine, just recently made one of the wisest purchases she's ever made: she bought a shiny new Salsa Vaya (upgrading her saddle to a Brooks will be her next wise move). I asked her if I could share some photos of it, so here it is in (some of) all its beauty:



Those who have used the SRAM double tap technology for the integrated shifter probably agree that they love it--and that it's pretty cool! The X9 rear derailleur is bomb-proof and the anodized blue Salsa hubs/skewers/seatpost clamp pop nicely off the cream-colored frame. Thanks to the lovely people at the Bicycle Business, she was able to hook up an even better bike than I originally suggested...actually, I couldn't make up my mind for her, so I suggested like a couple dozen things--none of which compared as well with this sucker. Good choice, Sarah.

23NOV2015

I relish in thankfulness for all of my Brooks saddles. This one is on the Big Dummy. My sit bones have managed to create near-permanent indentations in this most comfortable seat. If you do not have a Brooks Saddle on your bike, this should probably be your next splurge...



If I ever have another one hundred twenty or so dollars to spend on a a handlebar, you better believe I am buying another one of these! Behold, the "poor man's" Jones H-Bar (poor man's because it is the least expensive option: Aluminum). This is, by far the best handlebar I've ever used (and I've been riding MTB since the mid-90's, so I have tried a bunch of different handlebars). With the most hand positions I've ever dreamed of, if your commute is longer than two miles...well, whatever, this bar is just fantastic no matter what.

I figured I would at least attempt to start this blog with a few photos from my commute. I ride a majority of the way on the American River Bike Trail, from Downtown Sacramento to Rancho Cordova. The best time I've found to ride this trail is just before sunrise and just before sunset--absolutely beautiful.



The American River has become quite placid due to the drought; so sad. However, what the heck, it looks absolutely gorgeous when the surroundings reflect off the glassy surface. This photo was taken while riding across the Guy West Bridge from Sac State to the North side of the American River Bike Trail. One of my favorite places everyday to take in the beauty of the sunrise...




In these previous two photos, I kind of attempted to show off the fog layer that sits just below my neck while I ride through it...unfortunately, I only managed to really show off the awesome copper rivets on my Brooks B17 :) I couldn't help myself. I will take better pictures of the fog tomorrow, hopefully



I listen to a song almost every morning entitled, "Pictures in the Sky". I remember this was one of the first songs by singer/songwriter Rich Mullins that I fell in love with when I was six or seven years old. Funny that, as my understanding of art has "matured", I see beauty in the abstract and less and less think of the clouds as shapes I see in day-to-day life. I love the simple shadows and highlights the sun helps create as it works with the clouds.




Sooo sorry about these...This deer just doesn't trust me, yet. He's a handsome fellow and I tell that to him everyday (out loud, too, but I make sure no one is watching). Still, this old Buck catches my attention--full head of antlers!



This was a fail photo, but I like feeling the sun on my face.



I LOVE the weather these days. Autumn can really work out well in Sacramento and sun on the way home is a wonderful gift.



My nickname given to me, when I was very young, by my uncle Danny (as far as I can remember) was "A-Bomb" (I think because I was twelve pounds, four ounces when I was born--thank you, mom for your endurance). Well, I passed that nickname on to this "bar buddy" of mine; mainly because "Abominable Snowman" takes waaay too many seconds out of my life to pronounce. I'm sure he loves the mud as much as I do (and I think he is thankful I got the Jones bars as well).




Closing this day's photo group are two poorly photographed reminders that I get to ride on dirt for at least some of my commute--yaayy!!!

dragged, kicking and screaming into the light

In my senior year of High School, I enrolled in a class that would change my life for as long as my thinking mind would allow: Humanities. Mr. Ronald Tietz taught this class in the most eye-opening way. As I think back, I don't believe I "belonged" in the class in the first place (I was no sort of Honors student), but my older brother determined that I "had" to take this class. 

Today, I was reminded of an image we discussed one day from Dante's Inferno. Our teacher compared himself to a person dragging someone, "kicking and screaming" out of the pit of darkness and into the light. The idea really hit home with me. Conviction overcame me with regard to the fact that I rarely pull myself up by the bootstraps (old saying...) and seek the better life. Soon after describing this, Mr. Tietz gave us our graduation present: to memorize a key passage from the Inferno (...little did I know that his gift was worth eternally more than my other graduation present: three-hundred dollars I blew on a Rock Shox Judy SL for my '94 Specialized Rockhopper, but I digress...):

CANTO II “As one who unwills what he wills, will stay strong purposes with feeble second thought until he spells all his first zeal away―so I hung back and balked on that dim coast till thinking had worn out my enterprise, so stout at starting and so early lost."(37-42)

[Virgil to Dante responds] “I understand from your words and the look in your eyes, your soul is sunken in that cowardice that bears down many men, turning their course and resolution by imagined perils, as his own shadow turns the frightened horse." (43-54)

Basically, this passage was given to us to spur us toward greatness. Not to over-bore any readers, but the afore-quoted segment shows how a grandiose idea inspired within oneself can easily dismantle itself by "reasoning" oneself out of it. How sad I am to say that all too often I look back at situations in shame that I responded like the coward; I opted for the safe, well-trodden, popular route, or idea.

I open with this concept because it pertains, of course, to bicycles (for me, at least :). I commute by bike twenty miles, give or take, each way, every day. I could pretend that I chose this, but I have to confess that it was given to me. After re-routing my course at least four times now (due to hazards on major roads including traffic, lack of bicycle-friendly lanes, and, quite literally, a FLAT A DAY on a certain 2 mile stretch of road!), I ended up with a route that takes me up to three miles out of the way to get to work. However miffed I initially was being "dragged" into this option, I find reflecting on my route at the end of each week brings an uncontrolled smile to my face. I truly believe Someone knew better than I did and, in my best state of mind, I am quite thankful. This last week alone, I have seen at least two young bucks (two-point antlers) and two humongous bucks with a full head of antlers. Last week I saw my first wild bobcat! I come literally face to face with deer EVERY DAY and get to ride my bike through waist-level fog while the sun eeks its way over the Northern California mountains in the east.

As an immature senior in High School in Humanities class, I was ignorant and upset with my graduation "present" given to me by my teacher. Today, the late Mr. Ronald Tietz lives on in my memory as one of the greatest teachers, gift-givers, and recallers of wisdom. I am indebted to him to live an inspired life. I only wish I could thank him in person...I guess that will have to wait.

I carry the scars brought on by myself, kicking and screaming as I am pulled out of the pit, each one reminding me to embrace the journey laid before me and not hold back. I will ride to work tomorrow, most likely tempted to complain about so many things (inclimate weather, fatigue or other setbacks, etc.), but the reminders from those who have gone before me haunt my mind...
I welcome them to haunt.