Somebody Saved my Life Tonight

Attached to my key ring is a 30 year old number 4 hex. A hex is a piece of passive rock climbing equipment.

Fall 1985

As I was topping out on a tough 5.8+ crack climb in Keene Valley (Adirondacks), I peeled off and headed towards the ground 75 feet below.

5 pieces of pro were placed in the crack.

Zipper - big time.

4 pieces blew out.

The 5th and last piece (that no. 4 hex) held.

My partner held a strong belay.

I bounced sideways, 2 feet from the ground. I was white as a ghost.

That no. 4 hex saved my life and is never far from me these days as my good luck charm.

Lifted from Somewhere

Skid Marks

There appears to be a slight return of bikes with coaster brakes.

I grew up on a street with tons of kids and in the summer, we would stage weekly skid contests.

We would fly down a hill, lock up the coaster brake and lay the rubber down. Then one kid would measure the length of the skid with a piece of string. The winner would get a big ol' glass of Kool Aid.

Good clean fun.

I may need to get me one of these new fancy Swobo Folsons: http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product_info_b.php?cPath=201_205

Yvon Chouinard - Return to the Outdoors

Check out the little clip on YC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrYa3qkeu-I

LARGO

John Long & his buddies (aka The Stonemasters) revolutionized big wall free climbing in 1970s, especially in Yosemite. They were the 1st to run up The Nose on El Cap in a single day.

John's approach to climbing is straight-forward: hard work & the self-confidence to do the big moves way above the deck.

John is also a great writer. Check out some old Climbing magazines for his stories. John has also wrote a bunch of great "How to Climb" books. Read them, too.

Even if you don't rock climb, read up on John. I think you'll like him.

Training Tip

"Don't buy upgrades; ride up grades."

Years ago, a buddy told me not to waste my money on buying $$$ parts for my bike. Instead, just spend more time riding & you'll get faster for sure.

Good words to ride by.

No Coca-Cola

Amateur - Latin root - "amare" - to love - love of the sport

There was a story in my local newspaper about a month ago.

A young kid saved up $345 and bought a pair of used speed (ice) skates. He has taken about 15 lessons or so. He's training hard for the next winter Olympics.

This is what the Olympics should be about - no professional athletes - PERIOD.

NBA stars - please stay home.

"Is it for love or money?"

Be a Bum

"Labor is honorable" - I'm all for that stuff. But at least once in your life, be a (climbing, bike, surf, skiing, etc.) bum.

I was a rock climbing bum in 1984. I spent 2 months climbing & living in Yosemite on $3/day.

In 1985, I worked minimal summer hours, which allowed my buddy & I to bike and climb almost every single day in the Adirondacks.

Needless to say, 1984 & 1985 were very good years.

So, if you can swing it, be the bum that you always wanted to be.

"The goal in life is to make enough money so that you can do the things you used to do when you had no money."

Goodbye Baby Got to Go

I've dropped my winter pounds.

I'm pedaling fast these days.

I'm feeling strong.

But yesterday, as I take off from a traffic light, I look to my left and some rider on a Trek comes flying past me like I'm standing still (actually I was standing still).

I push hard for about 3 miles, but I could not bridge the gap with the Trek.

On the + side, this was a good wake up call.

I'll get up even earlier and train harder and I'll be ready for Mr. Trek the next time we meet up again on the open roads.

"The rhythm of others is hell."

Wave Bye Bye

We, as riders, wave (or nod) to each other as we cross paths.

I always wave, but not every rider waves back.

May be the non-wavers are just plain anti-social or may be they are 100% focused on their training.

But as I always say, "give the brother (or sister) a wave". It's the right thing to do.

Strong-o-meter

Sometimes it's difficult to judge your fitness. Am I getting stronger or not?

Well, here's the beauty of riding a simple 1-gear bike. As the season gathers steam, I switch my chain rings &/or cogs to increase my gear ratio as I get stronger.

In the winter, I'm spinning along in the mid-60s. Come summer, I'm up in the mid-70s, which is high for me because of my hilly training routes.

When do I switch up? When the pedaling becomes too easy; it's that simple.

So riding a 1-gear bike is sort of like having a built-in "strong-o-meter". You know when you are peaking by knowing what gear ratio you're currently pedaling in.

And during the winter months, I gear back down to ease the workload on my knees.

No fancy CycleOps PowerTap needed here.

Commit to the Move

In rock climbing we say, commit to the move. It means that once you have decided to do the move / sequence, then cast off and do it without any doubts - no second guessing yourself - mentally and/or physically.

The second you start thinking about failure is usually when you blow the move and fall (hopefully, you're not soloing).

I think commit to the move also applies to cycling, especially while zipping through traffic at high speeds, riding some rough singletrack and definitively racing.

So once you have decided that you are going, then go.

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
Don't think twice, it's all right

Bob Dylan

Race Advice

"Be Safe. Have Fun. Be Competitive." - some race announcer prior to a 2003 mt bike - canoe - trail run triathlon - good advice to follow.

Ice

In your freezer should be 2 ice packs (I like the elastic wrap ones).

At the beginning & end of each day, pain or no pain, ice your knees for about 15 - 20 minutes.

As you know, ice reduces inflammation, which is a good thing.

Along with stretching, icing your knees daily will go a long way in keeping you active to a nice old age.

Also, ice is cheaper & safer than popping pain killers like Vitamin I.

Yamaha

A kid on my street owned one of these bikes in the mid-1970s. It was a heavy bike for a 12 year old to pedal, but it was sure fun to ride. A pre-full suspension mt bike I guess.

Learning to Climb

"Experience beats youth any day."

Learning to climb is a lot like learning to drive a car. You think you know what you are doing, but the fact is you're clueless and dangerous.

I'm amazed I wasn't killed during my first few years of rock & ice climbing.

It wasn't like I was making stupid mistakes. My partners and I just didn't have the experience under our belts quite yet.

But we survived somehow, mostly by knowing when to back down. Sure, we didn't make it up a lot of climbs in the beginning, but learning to make objective decisions in the mountains goes a long way in saving your butt.

Like most climbers I know, the early years, though dangerous, are the best years of your life. But you don't realize that until much later in life.

Enjoy your early years, but be safe.

The Skinny on Skinny

During this time of year when the trails are dry, hard & fast, I play around with skinny tires on my mt. bike.

Yesterday, I mounted a pair of Kenda 26 x 1.75 on my Gary Fisher - semi-slick in the middle, knobs on the side & 60 psi.

I'm returning from a training ride today & I spot another rider about 150 yards up the trail.

So I dropped down a cog and chased the rider. I finally caught up to him. He was on a nice S-works. Then he gives me a nasty look, like don't try to pass me (I'm dressed in baggies & t-shirt).

As we crossed the road, the last 500 yards of trail was on the pavement.

S-works guy gives me another nasty, "Lance to Jan" look.

So I take off & he's sucking my rear wheel like a lolly pop.

One more hard push & I'm gone for good.

Skinny is fast.

Re-think your tires.

15 - 25

Sure, you might check out a new band. Hey, you may even buy some new CDs. But I have this theory that for most people, their music is defined between the ages of 15 to 25.

Those 10 years between 15 & 25 are major, just think about all those life changes you go through.

[As a side note, my Dad used to say to me, "Survive to 25 & you'll most likely make it."]

So it makes sense that you really latch onto music during those years & then hang on to it throughout the rest of your life.

And that's not a bad thing because everyone needs a reference point in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16u0wwCfoJ4

Old and (not) in the Way

Saturday - 6:25 am - early morning mt bike training ride

I come across 2 guys on the trail who are most likely pushing 60, + / - a few years. And you can tell that they have been riding bikes for a long time. They are fit.

And the kicker is, they are both riding brand new single speed bikes.

As I wave and pass them by, I'm thinking to myself, that's great, at age 60 or so, they are still trying new things with the bike, and more importantly, having fun.

The passion for cycling stays with you until the end.

It's the attitude, not the age that matters in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NEE8oURdM0

Traffic

Bike vs. Car

A lot has been written about bikes vs. cars, bike lanes, etc. And I'm all for supporting your "Fight for your Right to Bike".

But the thing is, I love zipping through heavy traffic.

It's almost like riding in a rowdy group of riders. You need to think and act/react quickly.

And it's a rush to squeeze your way through a grid lock.

Be smart about it, but the next time you're working your way through rush hour traffic, don't be down about it. Instead look at it as great opportunity for some high quality training as you fly down the 2x yellow lines.

Enjoy the rush.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sj1-218EnvY

High Prices

There is some good news with the higher gas & food prices.

And that is, less driving & more biking.

But also people may eat less & in return, drop some pounds & become a bit healthier in the process.

So ride more & eat less.

The (Fritz) Wiessner Route

Fritz Wiessner (1900 - 1988) was the man. He almost tagged K2 way back in 1939, but his sherpa refused to go higher.

He moved from Germany to NYC in 1929. His name is everywhere in the Northeast, especially in the Gunks (with his buddy Hans Kraus). He was soloing routes in the Gunks until his early 80s. Fritz was quite the guy.

"The Wiessner Route"- The Washbowl Cliff - Keene Valley - ADK - NY. First Ascent: Fritz Wiessner, M. Beckett Howorth & Bob Notman (May 1938).

This is a great route for beginners wanting to transition off of slab climbs and onto vertical faces.

It's in the 5.5 ballpark - 4 pitches, nice belay ledges, good pro and it catches the afternoon sun with great views of Chapel Pond below.

So if you're in Keene Valley, stop by and enjoy Fritz's route. I'm sure Fritz would have liked that.

And don't forget to jumped into Chapel Pond for a swim after the climb.

Johnny Cash

I love punk music from the 1970s.

People often ask - who started punk?

Iggy? MC5? Television? May be?

I say Johnny Cash.

That man was pissed off for sure.

As I was driving to school tonight, I heard a punk rock version of "Ring of Fire". I'm not sure who the band was, but it rocked.

This confirmed my belief that Mr. Cash was the founder of punk.

And plus, Johnny wore all black way before Lou Reed did.

ps: here's the link to the song by Social Distortion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i2ESgR0FUM

Spring Skiing

http://www.mountwashington.org/

Rule of the Road

When riding in traffic - never look back, eyes forward.

Straight Bars

Where have all the straight bars & bar ends gone?

To me, straight handlebars with bar ends are key to climbing & xc riding. And bar ends don't really belong on risers, right?

Did I miss the office memo explaining why most mt. bikes these days are spec. with risers.

Riser bars are the ticket for DH riding for sure, but not for xc. I mean bar ends give you the power to get up & over that hill.

And plus, you have more than 1 hand position, which is a good thing in life.

I am missing something by not having risers on my Gary Fisher?