i am going up north, to help a friend get ready for the upcoming mtb championship. its a great little getaway for a few days, riding on a new course, and getting some more riding hours.
3 weeks from now i am racing a 100 miler in the desert, on a singlespeed, so i better be ready by then... i guess riding hard for a few days can't do no harm...
you can sense it as the light is more scattered, and your eyes hurt less from squinching all the time. its not hot early in the morning, and the wind picks up in the after noon, making the rides even better. its the end of the racing season.
i have been racing every weekend in the past few weeks. even though racing on a singlespeed takes all the excitement out of the loop, as the playing field is not even- i love the feeling on the start line, and the challange of racing "regular" guys on a one speed bike. there is a big marathon coming, and i think i might race it with gears... any thoughts?
'been testing a sweet trail bike in the past 2 weeks- a five inch travel FUJI bike. today was the shooting day, so i got some awesome clothing from FOX and went riding in thr woods...
it was hot and humid today, so i drank like a thirsty camel, and had to stop every twenty minutes in order to water the trees.
worshiping a bike is second nature to me... nothing new here, i do it every night for my 9800 vintage trek. this was a sweet bike, and i love my job. 'nuff said.
in the past few nights i have been dreaming of bend. yep, thats bend, oregon. i truly miss the people i met over there, and it made me want to just leave everything behind, the bikes, the magazine, the kids i train- and move over there. my life is not bad, mind you, but the grass is really greener over there.
you see it all in a singlespeed race. and this one was one hell of a race. the people of this niche are somthing else. they all have a few bikes, and they all love their singlespeeds the most.
the beers and the trophy await, as we pass through the start\finish zone. the smile is permanent, you know...
the "dead cow challenge" was an israeli first. being a part of a pioneering group feels fresh, feels exciting, and makes me proud of what i chose to do in my life. even if this group is made out of cow-helmet-wearing weirdoes...
friday morning- a single speed race. every friday should start like this. this time, a couple's race. neil o'brian was a perfect match. he hasn't trained in a while, but the guy can still rock it, when he needs to.
the race was more than 2 hours long, but because it started at 6:45 in the morning, the BBQ started at 8:00. yes, you read it right- AM. there is nothing quite like meat at 8:30 in the morning. yummmmm
i am telling you, i think i am on to somthing here: train less, ride more, have fun, and you will be faster. don't get me wrong, i ride alot, about 15-20 hours a week. but without a training plan. when i am tired, i rest. when i feel good, i rip it. training? its for the weak!
it looks like this! this is lior dayan's work, a true pro photographer. it was taken yesterday, at a five budget bikes test we did for the magazine.
i love this rock-climb. it looks small in the picture, but its about a meter high, and its in the middle of an uphill. this guy makes me look like a pro.
seeing that lance armstrong is coming back to pro riding got me thinking... in the last 5 months i have been training less, having more fun- and i feel stronger than ever.
riding with the great kids i train makes me feel that little urge to go back racing and training full time. i will keep that thought on hold for now.
meanwhile, i am getting ready for this weekend's single speed race. this time, a 2 and a half hour couple's race, a la' cape epic/trans rockies. i found a great partner, and pictures from the race will come soon. wish us luck.
i called "shotgun", so i was in the front seat all day long. but not the driver's seat... next time, then. anyway, a car test works very differently then a bike test. you sweat less, eat more, and go faster.
i switched between cars so many times, my head was spinning. and it was not due to the VERY high speeds in which we were going, on the VERY twisty roads we have chosen. switching between cars is hard.
the cars. the dog. the desert.
it started out on friday morning. early. really early. 4 am early. riding with a guy i did not know, Amir- a great guy- on trails i did not know. sounds like an adventure, and so it was. the Jerusalem mountains are so quiet, and so "other country" like, it felt like we were riding abroad...
and then, in the afternoon i rode again. bringing the total riding hours on friday to 6 and a half. i was so tired, and another big day was still to come.
saturday morning. 5 am. a full day of CAR testing. yep! i was a car tester for a day, for a big car magazine. we went out, 4 executive cars, with 8 testers, for a day of desert driving, eating, breaking the speed limit etc. it was awesome.
i went out and got my sister a sweet cruiser. there is nothing quite like a new bike, to release that inner child within you, and to go ride outside, feeling that wind in your hair.
my sister did just that. and the smile is a given.
this whole thing reminded me of another beutiful girl i once knew... one of my favorite girls, in one of my favorite towns- moly from bend, oregon. the weather was much different, but you got to see the resemblance.
