ever since

Hi, buckaroos! It's Summertime for real, and that means thinking about new bicycles, new headset sizes, and cannibals. I just finished Savage Harvest by Carl Hoffman. (Spoiler: those savages ate that guy.) I figure the Rockefellers ain't reading this, so it won't add to their grief: I admit to taking a strange (savage?) satisfaction in the idea of the Mighty being brought so very low. I guess that says more about me than anything else but, to paraphrase Blowfly, I got to be true.

turn this shit up...




Don't misunderstand. I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, and I am not interested in fucking Charles Manson in the ass, it's just...I feel a lot of folks are kidding themselves about the Nature of things. There's no joke in that story. It's well told and worth the read.

If I am going to ruin what shreds of credibility I have with this post, I may as well include the more relevant clip...



If you don't love Blowfly, we got nothing in common.





break





So, my clean cut son has a new-to-him bicycle. Remember JJ Shinburger's old Bridgestone camping bike? The one that J__ used on the Death Valley Ramble? It lives anew, as DR from PRs new skate commute vehicle:



Fairdale Bikes makes the Skate Rack (you can get one at your local bike shop). This set up gives the 14 year old DR the FREEDOM to get to the skate spot whenever he wants (and relieves us parents of the onus).





 As soon as it was all dialed, I made him ride over the hill to the Monterey skatepark. He knows the way.



Well, if I didn't make him, he would never self-motivate. It would always be too far or too hard or too something which keeps him from starting. I asked him afterwards how it was, and he said "not that bad." So now he knows he can do it. I'm a make him too tough to eat.

hand-reared jungle cat

Local roadies all want to ride out 68 and go "over the grade". They say it with a gleam in their eye, like it's something. Pardon me while I snicker. Cloacal roadies, get real! Carmel Valley is where it's at. Sure, there're the wine-drunk tourists sometimes, but over all the experience is much more good. You can talk about how 68 has such nice pavement after the winter's redo, and how it has the wide shoulder...and get blue in your face as you ignore the issue- commuter traffic and buses and trucks and the grade sucks, homie. It is hot, it is exposed, and it backs up with assholes driving way too fast teaching you a lesson by passing within a foot of you. And, then, you're up and over and down and you have CV to ride anyhow. (buzzer sound.)

On the other hand, shifting into your big ring and smoothly pedaling circles out the valley gets you past the village in practically no time and from there it's no-traffic one-lane goodness. To wit, Cachagua:

where you can get your hot exposed climb on with minimal cars, nice grades, and fantastic descending on the backside. Scary twisty and quick.

So I did that. But the ride was too short, even though my lily-white, coastal-fog-softened pins were talking. As I was headed West, I opted for a further climb up the South side past all those steep false summits. Hopped a gate that wouldn't open, and rolled through some more:

oak land goodness. Summer is here and the time is right, for riding in the streets. ~70ish miles of street biking.

At home afterwards, I stretched hamstrings and adductors and foam-rollered the legs. It helps. Don't sleep.


Finally, in the interest of Summertime and more info than you deserve or desire, I made the BBQbaked black-eyed peas from the Vegan Soul Kitchen cookbook by Bryant Terry.  Fucking delicious.

kick em when they're up, kick em when they're down

Rhus diversilobum

Took that shinyish newish old bike out in the torrent today. (I am weary of the rain.) Rolled those 28s right off the streets and into the woods. Lots of sinking and slipping. Some sliding. Several big trees down right now, as those Monterey Pines just fold right over in a storm with their shallow roots. I don't have the saw for them. What sawing I could do I did. Beat the hell out of lots of poison oak; back on that plan. If you take a stick (of not-poison-oak) and swing it, you can lop the tops right off. Clearing trail for days when it will be fun to ride.

I make it sound like it wasn't fun, but who am I kidding? Being out in it is being out in it=Good.

It is definitely self-tent weather, and I used the Carradice waxed cotton Duxback poncho to good effect in the trees. Hard to beat for comfort when coupled with wool underneath. Hard to stay upright if there is serious wind and it is not ezzackly aerodynamic. Choose your weapon for the specifics of the field, I guess. None of the Gore __________(insert whichever model is current when) stuff keeps me dry for an extended period, and I end up overheating and sweating like mad in my personal sauna suit. Also, the self-tent is quiet- not crinkly. And plus, I look like a hobo and that is always a bonus.

Rolled out of the woods and into the town...stopped at the store for ingredients(and I will point out that the semisweet chips were $1.99 right next to the Vegan chips for $2.99, and both "may contain milk" as they are produced in a factory, etc...but the only listed ingredient difference was that the "vegan" chips had dehydrated cane juice instead of sugar) for these vegan "brownies" , and then it was home again to make the goods with N after school. She wanted cupcakes this time-complete with the vegan frosting of melted chocolate chips whipped with Silken firm tofu...we also left OUT the almond extract, reduced the sugar by 1/3, and reduced the cayenne(!) by 1/2 on account of how my kids are soft . But to each their own...If you make them you will be happy with the result. Full stop.

Also: Softy Newton is coming to town this weekend, from the wide open singletrackless (well, mostly) desert of Southeastern Utah, and I am putting out feelers to those innerested in dragging a hard man around so's we can show him up on trails we know the ins-and-outs of. He foolishly declined to bring his cross bike, so he will pay the price on his little bitty wheels...if that puts you in mind of some looong slogs involving plenty of quality road sections mixed in with suhweet singletrack. I know it does me.