Bridge Over Troubled Water

I've ridden my mt. bike over this foot bridge so many times that it isn't funny.

But during an early morning ride one summer day, I rode right off the bridge and landed in the small creek below on my right hip. It was painful.

Now I tend to walk my mt. bike over most small bridges.

I can't overcome that fear of falling again.

It's funny how certain things mess up your head for life.

"Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind.

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind."

S & G

On a Shoestring Budget (or 3 screws)

Ice climbing gear is expensive. In 86', I was a poor graduate student. I could only afford to buy 3 ice climbing screws.

So, up I went.

Each belay station only had 1 screw for an anchor. That left me with a single screw for my running protection.

Even though Shoestring Gully is a moderate climb, it was my 1st ice climb that I lead from top to bottom (in full winter conditions), so having a few extra screws would have been nice.

But I learned on that cold, windy day that "faith in equipment replaces faith in oneself".

That mindset has always stuck with me in everything that I do, even to this day.

And the thing is, I still have all of my original ice screws and I still use them because I trust myself more than I trust my equipment.

Shoestring Gully

Mt. Webster, NH

NEI 2

Philadelphia Freedom (or how I got sucker punched in Philly)

I was hatched in NYC & I love riding my bike in the Big Apple. I also spent some time in Philly.

It took me a while to figure out the traffic flow in the City of Brotherly Love, but once I found my groove, I did enjoy riding my bike on the same streets that our Founding Fathers once rode on.

On the downside though, while I was doing a trackstand at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, some dude just punched me in the chest for no particular reason.

Where's the love bro?

Anyways, there's lots to do in Philly with the bike, so check it out if you got the time.

Just be careful of that sucker punch.

Don't do the climb, if you Can't do the time

Don't go to bed, with no price on your head

No, no, don't do it.

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time

Yeah, don't do it.

And keep your eye on the sparrow.

When the going gets narrow.

Don't do it, don't do it.

Where can I go where the cold winds don't blow,

Now. Well, well, well.

Climbing is an unique sport in the sense that you can't take a break from it and then get right back into it.

To do the climb, you need to put in the time. In other words, to be good and more importantly, to be safe, you need to climb lots.

You need to be out there at least 2 - 3 days per week.

You see, climbing is really just a head game.

Sure, you need the muscles. But what you really need is confidence. And confidence only comes by spending time on the rocks. There is really no other way to get it.

With a strong head, you can get up just about anything.

So if climbing is your bag of tricks, invest your time on the rocks and you'll be a better climber without a doubt.

Afterglow

I lived in NH at one time and most winter weekends found me on Mt Washington. It's always cold and windy up there.

What do I remember most about Mt Washington?

It's the afterglow.

After a long, cold day on the mountain with the wind blowing, we would hike down at full speed and then burst into the warmth of Pinkham Notch.

Within seconds, our faces would burn red, our ears would buzz, our eyes would tear up and our fingers/toes would swell.

That's the afterglow.

It's a hard thing to describe, but if you're a winter person, you know what I mean for sure.

That's what I miss most about Mt Washington.

THE NEED

the need

by

roman holiday

i have the need
for the single speed.

it's simple; it's fast
and most important, it's a blast.

so forget about all that bling
just hop on the single speed and make it sing.

REPEAT

An old buddy of 26 years was in NYC for business last week. So I rode my bike (Roman Holiday) to meet him at the train station.

Something popped in my mind.

You see, Roman Holiday is the same exact bike I had in college 26 years ago. Back then, my nightly routine consisted of: study in the library until about 11 pm and then a few "buckets" of beer at the college pub, which was located below the library.

Then around midnight or so, I would hop on Roman Holiday for a quick 5-minute ride home. Unlocking my bike and riding home, while hitting all of the green lights, was the best part of my day.

Back to present.

I get my buddy back on a NYC-bound train and then I unlock my bike. With a few pints in my belly, I saddled up on Roman Holiday and blow through town. I'm home in no time.

As I'm flying through town, I am instantly transported back to my 1980's college days.

Bikes remind you of the past and move you forward at the same time.

HISTORY

Well I don't care about history
Rock, rock, rock'n'roll high school
'Cause that's not where I wanna be
Rock, rock, rock'n'roll high school
I just wanna have some kicks
I just wanna get some chicks
Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock'n'roll high school - THE RAMONES

The 2 sports that I love, mountaineering & cycling, both have long track records. My house is filled with climbing and bike books.

Knowing your place in history is important.

Without knowing who came before you, it's hard to move forward.

And plus, it keeps you from thinking that you're hot stuff. Lets say you just did a rad first ascent, you may be surprised to find out that your "first ascent" was done 40 years ago using crappy gear.

History keeps you honest.

So read your books & enjoy your sports knowing that you might be making history someday yourself.

The Cut

i pedal so fast
but i know i can't last.

i'm not sure how long i can hang on
pretty soon they will be gone.

please don't leave me behind
that won't be very kind.

road racing is not fair
but who really cares.

i didn't make the cut
so now i go home and spend time with my mutt.

Sounds of Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence

Simon & Garfunkel

School is a drag, but Gelato (aka pista) & I managed to slip in an early morning road ride on Sunday.

The sun was coming up & there were no cars on the road.

As I put Gelato through her paces on familiar roads, I heard nothing except my bike moving forward & the wind whipping up the leaves - no shifting, no thinking.

It was my own "private Idaho".

I returned home with my head cleared & ready to hit the books once again.

Mixed or Fixed

another poem

by

roman holiday

should i go mixed [climbing]

or should i ride my fixed [gear]?

the summits are far

or should i just stick to the tar?

the cold wind is blowin'

i'm flying down a hill and i'm not slowin'.

hey, you're "on belay" mate

man i wish i had some brakes.

have i cold feet and hands

hey check out that track stand.

should i climb mixed or ride my fixed?

i need to call in a day of sick.

Fall Day

a poem

by

roman holiday

should i ride my bike,

or should i go for a hike.

should i climb some rocks,

or should i skate down the block.

snow will be here,

and i'll be there,

facing the fall line,

and i'll be fine.

Skateboarding Through the Ages

I was there almost from the beginning. My 1st board had clay wheels with loose ball bearings.

I've seen skateboarding go from surf-style to pools/ramps to street. And it's all good. But last week I was reading the Transworld Skateboarding magazine in my local library and I noticed that it was focused 99% on street skating.

This is a shame.

Skating means different things to different people and it would be great if all flavors of skating were represented in this way too glossy magazine.

I also noticed (which was hard to miss) that most of the magazine was filled with one polished advertisement after another selling clothes and shoes (lots of shoes). I thought folks just skated in Puma's, Van's or Chuck Taylor's.

When did skateboarding get so fashionable? Did I forget to buy a ticket for that bus?

Street skating is "in" these days, but everything always comes full circle (i.e., back to their roots). You can sort of see this with more & more longboards out there.

Enjoy it all.

A Life of its Own

My bike-to-work/school commutes have ranged from about 6 to 50 miles round trip over the past 30 years.

It's a funny thing how each commute takes on a life of its own - same daily routine, same people on the streets, same roads...

My favorite bike commute, which I did for 3 years, was a 12 miler (round trip). It traveled mostly through towns and neighborhood streets with some very minor upgrades thrown in for fun. Since most of the street had lights, I rode this route year round.

Why did I love this one over the many others? Because at the end of the work day, it was a red-line, pedal to the metal 6 mile sprint home - 5 days a week. A great way to end the day for sure.

And plus, commuting the 60 miles per work week was just enough to keep my fitness on the upside for my weekend rides.

Enjoy your ride home.

The Kids Are (not) Alright

When I ride past my local High School in the morning, I'm amazed how many kids drive to school. And I'm sure most of these kids are within walking, biking and skating distance.

We need to make it cool for kids to arrive at school without a car.

We need to educate the student body so as adults they would be more open to bike to work, and not drive.

Turn the (bike) pedals and don't push the (gas) pedal.

Greater Than One (or less than zero)

"Won't you be my number 2." - Joe Jackson

For the 1st 30 years of my life, I only owned 1 bike at a time.

During the last 15 years or so, I have added a total of 4 bikes to my shed. I try to spend equal amounts of time with each bike, sort of like one of those guys who lives in UT with multiple wives.

It's fun to spread the love around, but the closeness is missing.

When you just own 1 bike, you're on it almost everyday and as a result, you develop a special bond with that bike. It's a nice feeling for sure.

Lately, I have been longing to own just 1 bike again to regain that 1-bike love that's missing from my life.

Flip Flops

Note to self: don't race a guy on a tricked out Eddy Merckx bike while wearing flip flops.

Last week I was enjoying the sun & surf in Newport, RI (nice place). I brought my old road single speed bike up with me. This bike is outfitted with some big old BMX platform pedals for everyday "need to run to the store" riding.

On my last day, I was cruising around the southern tip of the island, pedaling with my flip flops on. Then I saw Mr. Eddy Merckx bike dude.

We started to race. Surprisingly, I was going pretty fast with the flip flops. I held him off for about 15 min, but then I lost the battle. That was OK - I mean - how can a flip flop cyclist compete with a bike like that.

Now picture this: I was trying to bridge the gap and out of nowhere, both feet came off the pedals in the forward direction, all 10 toes were dragged hard against the rough pavement, both pedals dug into the backside of my calves & caused some nice punctured wounds and finally, my manhood slammed into the top tube (sort of like what Lance did into 2003 TdF).

Once again- don't race wearing flip flops.

The Joy of Single Speed

About a week or so ago, I had a single speed moment that makes the suffering all worthwhile.

I came screaming down a short, steep hill. Coasting at maximum speed, sort of like dropping in on a half-pipe with a skateboard.

I hit the flat section and spun out at 32 mph, which was more than enough speed to propel myself up the opposite hill with minimum effort.

The whole experience probably lasted about 1 full minute, but what a minute it was. It was the simple joy of single speeding at its best.

The Constant

Throughout my life, I've been obsessed with skateboarding, rock climbing, snowboarding, long-distance trail running and so on. But since the age of 5 or so, cycling has always been there for me (except for the moped years - we won't talk about that for now).

The simple act of riding bikes has and hopefully will continue to provide me with transportation, fitness, fun and competition until my body fails me.

Even though I've been at it for about 40 years now, I still look forward to my early morning rides and any excuse to run an errand by bike.

Yes I have lost speed over the years, but I still can go the distance when push comes to shove.

Growing old with the bike is a nice way to age.

I Gave It My All (Part Two)

Friday - 6:45 am

3 riders - coming up fast on my rear.

This time I play it cool.

I let the 3 rides glide pass me. The last one says to me, "Hop on." I say, "Thanks, but I'm fine."

[It's better to chase than to be chased.]

I lose visual contact, but I pedal hard to stay within striking distance.

As I head into the rollers, I see the 3 guys about 1/4 mile up the road. I decided it's time to take care of business.

I'm flying up and down the rollers on the drops - M. P. style.

I finally catch up after a stout effort; they look surprised since they thought they dropped me miles ago.

I say hi and keep on pedaling hard.

The 3 guys are chasing me like a rabbit on a greyhound track.

I'm in pain; asthma is kicking in; my stomach hurts like heck.

But I kept pushing it. I'm not giving up this time.

They catch me on the last hill & we all hit the traffic light at the same time.

We rode for a bit (really nice guys) & then said our goodbyes.

So, what's the lesson here:

ATTACK where you are the strongest & don't give up the fight.