2007...buh bye

So there was this for the last ride of the year:I took the fixed Crosscheck...wish the bars were a leetle higher. By the way, I was recently heckled for my frame pump?!? WTF? Those are tires! They need air! Frame pumps are "old school" for a reason, TJ...the reason being that they work real good.I'm tired of taking heat for my giant black pump. But if people are secretly dissatisfied with their stubby little housecat pumps, then they must vent their spleen I guess.
The ride "began" at the stairs. There's a beer stash that I and others (known and unknown) replenish. You can tell when one of us is out on the trails by the empty(s)...picked up on the way out. If you are taking these beers and not puting any back, like that mutha ucka who stole the entire bottle of Woodford reserve (!) then you risk a beatin'.I recently put this new hanger on & I LOVE the improved housing run. Thanks Surly!
Subtle but bold combinations...My ass custom shaped that saddle. I hope you're happy now.
Year end on the CA Central Coast was warm and sunny. After much rain, the sand was perfectly tacky. The trails in Fort Ord are sand with a sand under-layer on a base of sand. When I began riding them it freaked me out because the slippage never really stops, there's no rock under there to hold you like in the Utah sand I's used to. Any of y'all who've ridden Sea Otter will have gotten a taste. But today was glorious. Nice traction for the fixed 2 wheel drift.

From the stairs I meandered over to Mud Hen Express ( some fools are calling it "shitcoaster", but they don't know) and from there down 50 to 49 to 82 and back. The wetlands were full and full of fowl. My legs are heavy- they're weighed down by my Holiday Excesses (started on Halloween with stealing all the Reeses from 3 separate candy bags!)...but what a day to get out. Not much of one for Resolutions...Ride bikes! Don't hate. Like George Costanza, I'm out on a high note.

Secret spot

Sometimes we camp at the Secret Spot. There's a reason it's secret. When we're there, or near there on trails, it's time for scary pirate stories. My favorites involve Rupert Tompkins a.k.a. The Skull Ghost, and Salivatin' Annie ( who was a witch in addition to her piracy- for both of which she was hanged until dead so she's a ghost as well). N and D really get involved with these tales out in the maritime chaparral. If it's near dark, N will ask me to quit telling them...especially when we're near the Gallows.

The Secret Spot can "only" be accessed by bike, roughly 2 miles from the trailhead. It's great incentive for the kids to ride, and a couple times now we've ridden to/from home which makes maybe 14 miles each way. This is definitely an overnighter- 28 miles in one would not be fun or successful. The kids agree to go because in addition to scaring them I lug all their stuff too. Xtracycle loaded with gear and trailer loaded with J & food. Boba Fet brings herself only, cuz biking's not her thing though camping is.

These photos show the most recent overnight. N chose to ride her 26" townie because it would make the longer portion of the ride (street and bike path) that much easier than her 24" mountain bike. It was interesting to hear a 10 year old's perspective on the relative merits of horses for courses. Everything's a compromise, and this was driven home in the 2 miles of relatively hardpacked sand with a few deep, grabby stretches . She says she's happy with the trade off. She even offered to haul her personal items in her basket.

test ride...1,1,1,1,2,1,2...ssss...check..k,k...

Hi all. Seeing what's what. I'll be using this space to talk about bikes, bike riding, and stuff...riding with no lights, riding with my kids,riding with booze,riding trails and roads, bike camping, massage, and er...