5 years

my legs were dead at the start of my workout today,
it was good to get out on the cross bike,
and it took it a bit to spin out my legs,  yesterday was a 14hr work day.
and
I hit up the trails,

and planned a reward stop at the gas station for a coke and sweet.

The lady at the mini-mart gas station stop is always super nice.
she asked if I was going to buy a lottery ticket,  pots up to 200 some million.  I did, 3 numbers, who knows, I might get lucky.
I got my coke, and a piece of banana walnut bread.  sat out front relaxing on the the plastic stack of washer fluid pallets.

I look up, and a long tanned bearded man on a fully loaded grimed up Surly, says "hello",
can you tell me is this the way to Haverford?

I thought, there are lots of ways to go,  "this way is all hills, if you cross the river its flat to Manayunk, there you can cross back over the river and its not to far"

well,  that's not quite enough information, after few more questions, and,...  I said I'd take him.
He said you sure, "I ride pretty slow".

we rode and took the bike path, we talked.
He was from Manchester, and
he has been riding,  on this ride,  for 5 years.



as we go closer to his destination, Haverford, where he'd be staying, he told me, today, was the last day of his ride.

I did not want to ride to the end of his journey with him, I thought maybe it was best for him to complete it by himself.

we got to Haverford.
I saw a Quakers meeting house, we turned in, .

we shook hands, and few salutations, I said goodbye.
ended up shaking hands three times.
our last words, his to me "respect"
and mine, "enjoy your journey".
I turned right clipped in, pedaled off on my cycling machine, back home.
I did not catch his name,  did not ask.

we had talked about books, San Francisco, cyclocross racing, our bikes, our views on life, money, basic meanings of stuff,
people,  just stuff,

good ride today,   dlowe.

complicated

the kinks - The Time Tomorrow-

(one of the few picture I took, "hotel room composition#3"

Charm City always is a good weekend.   Baltimore its a run down town, crushed by corporate anarchist,
gobbled up everything,  and just pulled out and left, her pregnant and barefoot a taste for liquor, and hard drugs.

the streets rattled my car, and tubulars,  my cooler full of drinks.
I get lost and roads are dug up and people always seem to be out on the street.
talking to me at the stop lights.

day one I rode wrong in every way, and the dude who I could care less about,  just kept yelling "fuck whatever" at me,   So I gave him just more reason to.
37th

I had dinner with two team mates at Johnny Rads.

Sunday was not hard,  I just rode, and pedaled and climbed and through the 4 sand pits and raced.
30th.  Glorious.

There is no better city for cyclocross than Baltimore, and no better race to race than Charm City.
maybe i'm just in a post race low blood sugar way of thought, but,
really,  what's any better.

thanks for putting it on C3 folks,
sincerely, david.

the flag, snaps in the wind.

punk rock its dead, from the beginning,
and Single Speed Cyclocross, it got cancer and died quick.
Cross, its healthy, wise, strong.
Even if I race 3 others, down the tow path, around pretzel park, up the 100's steps, down the cobbles, and with a bike throw take the sprint at Grape St.  cross will always live.
Its a nitch.
and only a few can stand the real pain.
Some frat boys might want to make it a green beer, and show me your tits type of thing.
but cross, it won't make many any money.
I love it.
more than I love a crit, or a mountain bike race.
I love punk.
I ride a single speed Cyclocross bike.
but my true love.
and why it shall always endure.
Is cyclocross.

photo by the mysterious: Anthony Skorochod

photo credit to Mr. Kevin Dillard.


my best regards,  dlowe!

Grand Granogue

Driving on creek road early yesterday,  the mist and fog still was sitting in the low spots.
My race time was earlier than the MAC start,  9am.
I arrived a little after 7am,  and got out for a pre-ride.
I've raced a number of times at the private Dupont estate, Granogue.
This time was one of the more special ones.
maybe something about being smaller, not part of any series, just a crossrace, on, by far the best place piece of land, to race cross on.
Being a racer, sometimes I forget, how much work, labors of love, goes into putting a race on.
I kitted up and took a ride, and came around the back of the tower, and the landscape, the sun, fog,
and I came around to the front side and learned the off camber corners.
Every cross course over the years is different, and each one is the best.
Yesterdays was another best course.
I had the center spot on the front row, and took the hole shot.
I've been working again on the hole shot.
I sat 3rd, riding hard, I felt great
I tried to hold onto 5th, but it slipped between my fingers, and I finished 8th.


I ripped my derailleur off before the race, and had to have a friend re-pin my number, to the correct side, just before I was headed to stage.


after my racing I sat in the sun,  with a honeycrisp apple, a beer, with a couple of friends, watching the racing.
It all was grand.

          some cx racers on the podium.


Cheers, dlowe.