2021

and Pffft, just like that something appears. I have a few bikes, a road, mountain, beer-beater, and cyclocross. I'm a cyclist more than anything eles. I love to ride. I'm happy on all of them. but, sometimes, more often than not on my cross bike, I see something, a downed telephone pole, that I have to hop. A narrow ribbon of dirt off the gravel road, and the bike I and pull to it, turn up the effort a bit and get at it!

My cx bike loves the spewn decaying streets and urban blight as much as it does, the paved path to Valley Forge. Around here there is a lot of stuff, if brave enough, I can ride. There is a short paved path, underpassing the road, an old trolley line, that I will hit every once in a while, and I'm scared to know what is in that tunnel, I'm ready to turn around and high tale it if needed. And I sprint down to it, and high speed right through it. I miss racing this year, I miss the really steep off camber mud hill decent in the Sly Fox race, that I barrel down and almost say a thank you out loud, that I'm still up right, when I arrive at the bottom, but quickly forget to do, cause I'm racing cross, and lots of other thoughts appear, quickly, chasing you or just needing to get going harder. Oh also, I've been racing long enough to hear people say "that's it, I'm down with racing", like someone can really hang it up. and I know in their mind, that when they say they don't miss the training, or racing, I know, I think they are just trying to convince themselves more than anyone else. Once a racer, you are never retired, never. and who knows the future, and what turns are up there. I got out for a nice easy ride today. It's damp, 35 degrees. On the cross bike, with just faint plans of where I was headed, and got a lot of pleasant pedaling in. I found a couple of new lines. The exploring always sorta keeps me warmer and happy. Ha! Well I really look forward to more gravel roads, hole in the fence short cuts, and burly rocks. Cheers friends, stay happy, and ride fast, when you can, like a whacked out kid, not knowing where they are going, but are loving getting there. dlowe

COOL

I don't mind riding in the humid summer heat of Philadelphia.  I just try to measure my effort.  As if nursing my old AMC Gremlin along, windows down, hot air smashing in.  Watch the temperature gauge, and hoping and trying to keep it out of the red.  That once it is too hot, you'r done, for a long bit. Happy Birthday today to Marcel Duchamp, and to his ability to make me wonder.  I imagined he had a love of cycling, and knew a bit about suffering out on a ride in the sun.  The table on our porch, on it I have waiting, to greet my return, from my summer ride, a cooler of ice cold seltzer, a towel, and by it a chair.  Just to sit.  And let the cooking finish.
I've seen a couple of new riders out there, hammering along, I mean at a real good clip, 225+ watts, railing at maybe 23mph, for a long bit, 10+'s miles, and on flat pedals, an old bike.  I can't wait till the end of their effort, to almost give my applause, as I pull up along aside them, and they all seem to turn to me and have a smile, I say "man you were a crushing it!" and we both roll on.

I wish that this could be memographed, or piratedly xeroxed at kinkos, after hours, cut up and pasted in a zine, then probably it'd have some kind of creedence, and mean something more, and positive enough.

I wish that every person in Montgomery Co. went to a bike shop and bought a bike.  and That when I went to George's on Monday nights to drink beers with him, Anthony, Erin, and whatever other guest invited to the outdoor back porch.  That Anthony and George's eyeballs would be bugged out, and I'd see dirt so deep down in the skin of their hands it can't be washed off.  That the little common touch spots, the top of a pant pocket, or center of the t-shirt where they'd wipe the stress and sweat off, is black of old bike oil.  From selling and fixing bikes busy all day Monday at the bike shop.

Just a bit more.
There is something to falling asleep with a fan on high, and it's hot, that I like.

Cheers friend, enjoy the summer heat.

dlowe

Philly is the Place

The cheap cologne, sweat tobacco and bad weed, made for a familiar philly aroma as I rode my bike through the East Park.

I remember early on when I moved to Philly from Ohio.  I went to see Sun Ra at the CEC center, a small spot in west philly.  Sun Ra was like a god from another planet rolling out to the piano.  It blew my mind.  That was philly for you.   This community center, a dopey white naive kid from ohio, seeing god.

That is how it is in philly.  It's a simple route, Belmont, The Boxer Trail, up on the road and around the ball fields, pass the box truck that'd haul the workout equipment that used to be parked on the corner weekends, before the virus.
The bench and iron plates laid out on the sidewalk.   There is no cheating a rep.
Dropping down to the Strawberry Mansion bridge I pass the Dell East, home of the Magnificent Funk Fest!  (worst hang over of my live acquired there).  West River Drive, Falls Bridge, the Wiss, and the tow path home.

now On a weekend Wiss is the spot, and 100's of pounds of food, grills, speakers, beers, families, and smiles make their way, down to the creek in the valley.  And as weird as it is, I find the weirdness of loud music rocking up out of the creek, and the parties, comforting.

I'm not every sure this time of year, out on the cross bike where I'll go.  I just want to ride, and I want the ride to make me fast, and I want to kick some ass when it comes to racing in the fall.

Ah, the Monday nights of Grass Track in August.   Taught me a lesson or two, and I change my cleats on my shoes about now, to avoid worn out unintended clip outs, and did so tonight. 

I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for out on these preseason rides, a special motivation, inspiration, strength, fortitude, a magic spell, maybe just a bit more compassion.  I'm glad I've made Philadelphia my home. 

I will be racing this fall, I might even get some recording breaking fast laps in at my local grass track.  I plan to  dig deeper and suffer more than I can imagine, out on the cyclocross course, even if it is just by myself. 

Cheers all!

dlowe

In a Spot

I am a learner, that comes by knowledge usually picked up, by painting myself into a corner.
I brake bits, strip, dent, snap, drop and lose them, quite easily on my first attempt.

It was a good, the last three days of riding, the heat and humidity did compound itself, and by riding home, Sunday, I was a bit more loopy, than my normal self.

Friday I did some workouts on the bike. "Stay Fit!"  I say.
warm and a light rain, I'm a cap wearer.   and I watched the water drop form and rock on the brim.

Saturday it did not take long at all!  To realize that what I'd thought about getting a good bit, of hard, long, rugged, cx trail riding work in, turned into, a long,  hazy, humid, it just ended up being, surviving a long,  humid, hard, and rugged trail ride, to its end.

Today was better.

I had considerable less expectations of what I could do, it was a good cx long ride, but at a lower intensity level.
and,
As I was just rolling out on the start of the ride, up the tow path, I saw a women in biking distress of some sorts.
I asked "are you fine, do you have what you need"  she answered, with a expression of "I don't"...

I stopped, it is a tough choice now a days, with so many out riding, who I help, and who is left to their own accord, to find a solution, and getting where they need to get, and their bike seems to have a problem.

Well she was, getting at the repair, on her way, to changing her tube, fixing a flat,  but I don't think she was far enough along to do it. 
I stepped in, and...
I did not booger anything up, I was a help.
and as I started to fix the flat,  she stopped me,
she asked "what is your name?"  I liked that.
It was better than a thank you, for sure.
and Quick I was, to fix that flat.
I helped her out and we were both on our way, snappy quick. 

Friday I was going hard, suffering, and my mind was to keep the body smooth, watch how far the drip rolled back and forth on the bill of my cap.
It was a light rain, and the drops came in a spread out steady pace.
and kept me good company.
Saturday, I just suffered,
Sunday....  a good long day of riding,  and with a nice memory!

Cheers, stay the course, keep training, stay fit!
dlowe