Beefcakes Bike Blog

2008 Double Dare - Day 2 I rarely sleep well except for after day 1 of the double dare. Sleep seems to be plentiful when you know you must wake in 4 hours. Oh well. The morning came fast and with it a whirlwind of preparation. Where's the pump? Crap! I can't find my other sock! Do you have any Cliff Shots left? After a few minutes of morning delusion, the smoke in my eyes cleared and I realized what we were there to do. Eric of Pisgah Productions rode by our camper van Tahoe ringing a large boisterous cowbell at approximately 5:30 am. A cow bell seems to slice through the sanctuary of Pisgah morning silence like a hot knife through butter. I bet there were squirrels and raccoons kissing their loved ones goodbye because they thought judgement day had arrived, or maybe I solely owned those destructive actions. Once I realized Eric's cow bell was not the doomsday tolling death bell, I shifted into high speed, gathered my things and joined Cissy who had been ready in at least 5...

I could kiss my Double Dare partner this year without fear of A: getting clobbered by my partner B: getting clobbered by my partners partner C: her waking up All of the above reasons made for an excellent Pisgah Productions weekend in the woods, and oh yeah, it didn't rain. I teamed up with my s/o (significant other - not "surprisingly odd") for this years race. It was hard dropping my prior teammate of Jen Rinderle but about this time last year I got all googly eyed for the grocery girl and well...here I am throwing out an invitation to potential disaster. Racing with your girlfriend. Wow. That's a step in direction. To some, it would mean sure separation, but to me, and hopefully her, it was a step in the RIGHT direction. When I started hinting to Bi-Lo mama that I may extend an invitation to her to race the 2xDare with me, I usually premised the conversation with "how do you feel about riding until your totally spent and freezing and asleep and hungry and in p...

Another day in life completed. Black Mtn > Turkey Pen > 22 jumps > Bradley Creek > Pea Gap > Bradley Creek > 1206 > Laurel Mtn. > Pilot Rock > 1206 > 276 > 475B > Seniard (now road) > 225 > 475B > 475 > 276 > Black Mtn . 44.57 miles/7750 feet elevation/8 or so hours Loss or gain? Happy column? Sad column? Good? Bad? Half full? Half Empty? Big fish, little fish swimming in the water............ Disgusted with my current profession, i sit and profess to you, electronic shiterature voyeur, about half full/half empty: What a great day in the woods. That's a beautiful new subdivision. A 9 hour journey in Pisgah is an appetizer. If we get the STARZ pack, we'll have 9 more HD options. We climbed more hours than not. Is there an elevator to the mezzanine? My empty stomach after four hours of riding made me feel lighter and faster. Yes. Up size combo 4 please. My cell phone doesn't work. My cell phone doesn't work. My girlfr...

Finally. I feel re-inserted in the life i choose, amongst friends, desired family and my bike. If two days in the woods can make me feel this good, then how about a month? or the rest of my life? Thanks to all who came out for the Pisgah "little" epic on Saturday. I hope to repeat soon. So few days, so many trails to ride. I wish for all the time in the world to spend riding with my friends. Twinkles is cool. What about the constant pain of long days in the woods makes us return? What is pleasurable about cramping thighs? What point in our nurturing did we crumble and desire constant, repetitive punishment as the solution? Or did we evolve with a hint of sadomasochism indulgence ?

I'm off the bike now. Injured. Why? Was there too much movement. My quest for clarity, enlightenment, interrupted . My sole refuge gone. Coffee nor beer offers similar solace . The internal judgement of me is unbalanced. As I ride, movement reduces the abstract of my day. "Did I respond to that client properly?" - out after the first mile. "How much do I need to make to have a great retirement?" - second mile "I'm not worth shit, to me or anybody" - second hour, thought gone "My house is a living hell" 2 1/2 hours "I'm breathing and pedaling" 3 hours Clear mind - 4 hours Euphoria found in repetitive movement. My body is full of abstract right now. My bike is my mental colon blow. Have a bowl...won't you?

Spent a good weekend down in the bellos, Campobello that is with friends ZB, Mater, Kristen N Meghan. Did some bike spa schtuff, cookin out, enjoying adult bevs so on and so on. Went to Croft State Park today and kicked down a quick 21. I dig the trails in NC but twisty single track takes me back to my roots of Yellow River, early 90's Athens, Chicopee, basic ATL tight n twisty...just like i like it. ZB n Mater were SS it so i was kicking the gears. Wow...do i miss the tight n twisty. Zoom zoom, not in Mazda style but in schwoopy, bumpy going so fast you hover kind of style. I was made for that kind of riding and it's nice to hit every once in a while. It makes me know i am alive, like nothing else can. Peace.

Yeah. I like my bike. Had em longer than any girlfriend, longer than most friends, maybe that will change in the near future. People who don't ride don't understand it's a love affair; the spin, the wind, the breathing, consuption of adult beverage after the ride...it's a lifestyle. Did 65 miles today on the road bike. Went from Hendo to Saluda then down Holbert Cover and back up the 17 switchbacks and back to Saluda> Greenville Watershed then Hendo again. What a day. I thank God for my ability to ride and clear my mind of funk. I should tape record rides cause i come up with some great ideas but today all i could do was recite the chorus to Mojo Nixon's "are you drinkin wif me Jesus". I'ts not a blasphomous (sp) song but a kind and friendly way of perceiving Jesus. Jesus, he's my friend and Jesus is just allright with me and of course Jesus just left Chicago. Any way, this is me and the bike is what propells my life, keeps me looking forward to...

Rabbits are cute and fluffy, but they still get fleas and disease and they die and get hit by cars and trucks and eaten by wolverines. Such is life, and I've been off the bike for almost a month now. "Shucks Wally, this sucks". "So Beav , what've you been doin ?" "Hiking, listening to Purple Rain over and over and watching "The Whitest Kids U'know " on IFC .com. It's funny as all git out." In all reality, if there is such a thing, time off the bike allows for other influences to re-enter your life, like finishing the three year kitchen re-model or writing the great Hendersonville novel. The novel will probably finish first. No biking = too much crazy head space Yikes. Not sure what's what anymore. Looking for that thing called "sanity". Sanity is relative I suppose. Those who seem to have it, often don't and those lacking can plead ignorance. So, if I never knew what sanity was in the first place would I know ...

If you're not scared yet, you should be now! Here I sit, still retarded, tried to type but only sharted. Well, not really. I've been away for a while...on purpose. Sometimes it's good to step away from the things that turn your screw, crank your shaft, butter your muffin, even if it's just for a few days. My last ride worthy of blogging (less a few that are unmentionable) was a jaunt in the woods with my pal ZB. I've been crying "i want to go to FATS", "let's go ride FATS" since early summer when i first heard how wonderful FATS is. Finally someone in my posse stepped up and said "let's go" (yeah, I have a posse). ZB and I hopped in the car cause we was on a quest--50 miles of FATS, just a little test. Zoomin to James Brown Town at the speed of sound. Directtions were simple: 26 south twards James Brown Town, pass Gypsy town, go Right and the trail head is on the Left. Seemed simple enough until we started seeing weird sites. ...