Bees Knees

 

the child of Luv - "give it to the people" 

riding the cross bike is about having Bees Knees,  I ride out the front door and put together all the cool bits, the trails, paths, back alleys. 
Today tinkered with the new bike, first ride,  hit up the Water Ice CX loop.
I remember, when I got the idea, to go up the cobbles, and around the abandoned reservoir.
To stop at the water fountain at the Rec center, fill up, and hit the meadow trail down to Forbidden dr.
The bluff above Kelly drive, it was always sitting up there, we just didn't know each other.
a tricky climb the back hill to the art museum,  sometimes I yell YO ROCKY!  at the tourist getting pics with Mr. Balboa. 

I love sitting behind the Water Ice stand, feet up, dumpy place, perfect place to end and start.

nothing like a new bike, a bit of mud,  and a new season of racing quickly coming the way.

Cheers, dlowe.

Ghost Writer

I had two names in mind for the post title, Ghost Rider, and Disjointed.    


There are some tricky parts at the Wissahickon, especially if you are not good.   I look back at the past, my riding style, I think, if I would have gotten off the bike, gave it a push, it would have rolled straight down the rocks, no problem.   I've found that me trying to take control, to steer, and not just let the things happen in the best way happen, f's it up.

I learned back in college that if you reprint something, that if you take a printed quote and use it, that the quote itself becomes more credible.   That's what politicians, movie adds, and a lot of blogs/tumblr/shit  do.

and, ... it still works.

if you remember a few post back I put up a picture and wrote a bit about this tomb stone, of Richard Harding Davis.   Located, in the graveyard behind Bob's diner.

I got one of his books, and started into it.  Its good, in a different era style, for sure, but good.

I sat outside the Mann Music Center the other night, drinking some beer, reading my book, and listening to the music, for free.  and I  dog eared this page,

 

I wanted to remember this part

 



 

that despite living in a hut, and dirt, the women, wore clean white gowns,.... that made me think

  it's like me, I'm the brake that's rubbing, that if I just relaxed a bit, took it in, opened up,    If I just could be a bit more nil, that the effect on life would be better.     That impossible things, ... are... really ....simple.

d.

Suffering

This morning I tried to explain to my wife, about my ride home from the river/ballet show.

There is something about suffering.   Something I seek out.  Mine is simple.  The challenges I take on, are safe, short, simple.


Saturday:  at the Brandywine River Museum, one of my hero's Rockwell Kent's, a few of his paintings are being shown.  Its rare to see his work.   but I thank Jamie Wyeth, his ego, and talent to be part of a showing, of just him and Rockwell's work.

It was the first day of the show, and I took advantage of having the day open and went.  Jamie sat at a table, I got a ticket and stood in a long line of locals, waiting as if to get their holiday glazed ham, from the Co.  for a glimpse and autograph.

I am not into meeting peeps,  Thursday and Friday,  my wife and I worked on Sunny in Phila.  good gig.   but at one point she came up to me and pointed out Gary from Howard Stern,  she wanted to meet him,  I think we both respect, and anyway, we shy away from such actions.

Friday, the scene, for Sunny, shot on the beautiful Strawberry Mansion bridge.
Sunday I sat in a parking lot watching the couple hang from the bridge and dance in the air.

 

 

The sun set, ....review,...the dancers were to far to take in the turmoil, muscle, the art,...

I took the long way home.
Passed on Main st, by a bloke, riding a very practical bike, and high paced, he sped by, by chance we ended up going the same way.   When we hit the Cynwyd trail, I closed the gap, and passed him by.
He stayed steady on my heals and I rode off the front of his light, just enough so I cast a shadow on the ground.   I kept at it, and so did he.   at the trail head exit I waited, sweating, hiding my panting.
"nice pace" he said,  "nice chase" I replied.  We both smiled, and pedal off in different directions.



If you get a chance swing by the Art show, read up a bit on Rockwell Kent, his life, it motivates me.
His work,  he tries, in my view,  to capture the moment, of peace, feelings of gravity, ...


I stared at this work for awhile, it seems to me that inside that figure of a women, that if you stare at it, you see, a man, Rockwell. 

 

a good weekend, cheers, dl

Short

I came up just a bit short yesterday. 

Photo Credit: Bob Wellmon


I'm not much anymore for race reports, but sent one via the team:

"Rivertown is a classic Crit,  great town support, well run event.   Its one of the races that’s hard from the start to finish.   Masters 45+,  I finished 21^st.      Again, another masters race full  of tactics.      The short 21^st place story,… I missed the 4 man winning break,   the pace let up the last few laps as everybody was finding position in the pack for the lead outs.   I attacked with 3 to go, got a great gap, 10+ seconds up and was moving away,  Patrick Gellineau bridge up to me, I had a feeling that this was going to work, I was maxed and look to Patrick to do a pull, he had nothing, back to work.   It was exciting coming down the start finish line,  hearing bunches of people cheering us on.  The last lap, teams lined it up a bit for the sprint and were closing down on us, we got caught on the 2^nd to last corner, and that was it, sat on the end of the field with the spit outs.    Great day, an almost, if Patrick had a bit more, we might of made it.      Oh well, at least tonight is half price growler fill at the Greeks Next Door.  Cheers, d."

 

I thought about what  I wrote while I road today, especially the part about Patrick doing a bit more.   You know, If I am going to attack and go,  I better be ready to do it alone,  I have no one to blame except myself  for not making it to the line before the field caught me.

 

 

sometimes I carry the bike and sometimes it carries me.

Today I got out in the rain on the cx.  just noodled about,  close to home, a bit of short new trail, a good view, stood by the river and watch the rain Swollen* current carry big things along. 

close to home, but cool, no one around, nice side effect of rain.

 

My wife's favorite  tree, twisted, open, growing up towards the sun, or rain.

 

something about putting your shoulder through the frame, hefting it upon yourself, carrying it cause this part of the journey is unrideable.  I love you bike, and whatever it takes to get us where we need to go I'll do.

 

Cheers, d.

ones Moments

It used to be the moment.  When we wondered about the instant, that it could not be visualized or captured.  It was a question, "does all four feet of a horse leave the ground as it runs?"
Eadweard Muybridge

Now to me, its the movement, how events, feelings, the senses remember across time.  That now makes the moment in my mind.


My memories of yesterday,  waking early, looking up and I'm in my bed, what day of the week is it, do I work today, the alarm? 

at lunch with my with wife, Ljijljana, in a glass greenhouse room, full of women, and it felt like being in a magazine, propped and stylized.  I kept looking at a women at a table off to my left across the room, 50's colored lips, low cut blouse, deep leather cleavage, silk scarf around the head, fit with a layer of aged fat, our eyes caught every once in a while.  

its  not one image, yesterday I rode my Free Spirit down to see a piano recital, Nils Frahm. 
Early, I walked the block to the site where the building collapsed, full of firefighters, police, news men/women, and lots of bystanders.  A lot, documenting, capturing this one event, 1000s of photos taken I suppose.  A producer snapped at the camera op, as two rescue workers carried a body board into the wreckage.  The op was looking down into his phone, jerked the tripod over a foot and hit the button and rolled away.

 

 

The show, was not so good, the music, like Jerry Lee Lewis mixed with Tangerine Dream.  Physically played,  little depth.

The audience the most respectfully quite, sitting still in the dark.

The ride home, in a perfect night, a group of 8 motorcycles road by, racing by, as I rounded the corner a few minutes later I saw a couple of dudes directing traffic, the bike on its side and a bit of branches, dirt, scraps in the road.  A man on his hands and knees, helmet off, in riding gear, head bent like god had his foot on his neck.  Pained.

As I pedaled I reached back into the bike basket on the left, fiddled out a tallboy, cracked it and drank,    ride on.


I see Rapha trying to capture that still moment that shows it, the style of person that wears there brand, the roads they ride, why they ride.

I guess photography is falling flat for me, that the images mostly don't mean anything to me, What's a still of life of all the infinite moments matter,   ...just a bunch of chatter.

soon, we all will be able to take pictures or shoot videos in the dark, by the light of a candle, the moon, the dark will no longer be blinding, because technology,,,,, could not see into it.

Is there a way to take a picture that transcends the moment, giving life back into the movement of life, that propels the mind to think of the future, the past, instigating imagination,?  I doubt it, that technology does not exists yet.

d.lowe

Picnic

the Philadelphia bike race, the party up on Lemon Hill, or over in East Falls,  along the course up the wall, its one of my favorite days.  Its one of the best days in Philly.   I go, to watch a good race, and this years was quite a dandy, with the change to the course, tactics were altered, and getting to the Wall for the finale climb, was now the priority, not winning the sprint down the Parkway.    

but,  the race, sure it is the event, but the picnics, the socializing, the families, kids, dogs, its just laid back,  a giant pot luck cook out, for all of the city,  Hosted by us, the proud and numerous bike riders of the Philadelphia area.

the hill side is full of smiles, music, not a harsh word, just good vibe.  It would be a shame not to have this race, and I'm not sure what went on to Keep it,   but I think the man, and we often just curse and slander politicians, this act of Congressman Robert Brady,   it brought a lot of joy to a lot of citizens, and a lot of $$$ spent in the city.    It just makes Philadelphia a better place to live.


Thanks to all that brought back the race, and the sponsors that helped fund the race.  
I had a great day seeing so many friends, and enjoying the view from Lemon Hill.
Its always sunny on bike race weekend!

cheers, dlowe.