Why ride bikes?

I got my ass handed to me again. It always starts this way at the beginning of any season. I am sure that I am under coached, the real problem. I need a 40,000 dollar a year live in coach. What this means is that I have not realized or been made to realize the need to specifically train for the discipline that is in front of me. It means more road miles, more intervals, more pain. I eventually get through it. I will embark this morning on the pain train since last night was a wash with girls tennis.

So just before the race Struckman shouts out "tell me those are not the new friggin kits for the team?"--this when I was out warming up prior to the start of Bearcat Cross in Hermann.

It's the pink fade. Our new team got new team kits and the rust red fades to pink on the shirt. I am now taking some hits. Or course, I don't really care all that much but Struckman found it to be "mighty Struckman like" to call me out on it. In response he was dealt out a powerful blow of profane language on my part. Then he beat me like a step child directly out of the start. So he is now the captain of said team and can fetch the water bottles for all I care.

I bought some new wheels and tires, etc. The tires need to be glued on and "put" on, neither of which I am capable of doing on my own, because they are specialized in their own way and it is all one big pain in the ass. It just occurred to me that I need new brake pads for the carbon wheels, so there is another fortybucks. I will now need an earpiece to Bazler because he is now my lord of candy and knowledgeable of all things Cross. This is fine for now. I will soon be getting my hair cut like his, drive a car like his and... I will stop there. I ain't wearing no friggin madras...

So I bailed on Geezer yesterday after he waited for me to ride. By the way, he gave my good friends the Blau's the hookup on a stuck window repair. Go to Paul for all your electric car crap repairs. He is the best and never can he not find the issue. Paul will soon be equipping the worlds fastest truck for the goods to set a land speed record at the Bonneville salt flats soon. I am so putting a LWCC sticker on it.

Thrasher called me from the van on his way home from Colorado with Carlson, Keister, Campbell and Koetoritz, a week at CB with half the group injured. This was the original 10 year reunion group so they all rented a room in Crested Butte and stuffed themselves into it for old times sake. They are son gay. Craig was pleased with his performance and was looking forward to coming back and putting a hurt on whomever he came in contact with. He didn't say this exactly, but this is the normal process for those returning from elevation. Bring it smart guy. You are now in charge of water bottles.

We went down to Hermann Saturday afternoon, me and Janie, in order to spend the night and wake up and do the race on Sunday. We couldn't find a room for nuthin. So we rolled in to Trappers on Main Street (I think it was). There we were greeted by the server and owner of the restaurant who brought out a phone book to help us. Soon we were introduced to another couple sitting on the patio (yes we were allowed to have our dog out there) who recommended others to try (they were B&B owners too). Next Jeff Yielding, the local bike race promoter roles up to get a carryout order, he makes a call, talks to a guy at the bar, he makes a call, others on cell phones got on board. The next thing you know we were embraced by the entire local community trying to find us a room. I was just there for a bike race with my dog and my chick.

What a cool way to welcome some outsiders by getting everyone to embrace our condition. We met all sorts of people there, and had a really nice dinner with some very nice folks. We ended up heading back to the lew, but our experience there was that which you least expect sometimes, warm and friendly. Thanks to Jeff for providing us a great experience in his town.

I ride bikes because of the people and the experiences that come with meeting and knowing each one of them. Quirky, belligerent, old, ruffled, skinny, squirreled, cheap, drunk, injured, smart, tall-tailed, detailed, anal, super anal, fat, guzzled, rancid helmet smelling, chode huffing, zoots. The community is made up of them. I recommend everyone take a look at how this tribe of idiots truly impact the world, or your world. For me it is worth it.