so this isn’t sam and jacob’s sswa, but it is a race.
where it goes…and what we’re racing for remains to be seen.
‘hey everyone! get to fixed&free at 1:00 saturday for a freeforall good times alleycat. the original schedule is pushed back a couple weeks but we will have good times anyhow.’
fixed and free. 114 tulane. 1pm.
it looks like the race isn’t happening this weekend.
this popped up on fb the other day…
‘hello too to all. let me begin by saying that this message is for those attending or thinking of attending sam and jacob’s super secret winter alleycat… i must ask you all for some help:
we have decided to move the race on account of the weather that is forecasted to come…cold we can do…wet we can do…but winter rain is a no no. we have two options…we can move the race to a date soon after planned (one of these upcoming weekends) or hold off and run a huge starting of spring alleycat…what do you guys think???’
one guy posted this ‘…how about you sack up and deal with it. no compromises.’ (this is just not said enough.)
‘…tough it out!’
some guy in china said, ‘you know you’ve lived in a desert too long when you believe a forecast of rain means it will actually rain…’
in the end logic prevailed(?), and there will be a grander race because of it, ‘i’d love to tough it out friends…but i think it would be unfair to us and our sponsors…for the 5 that are willing to ride in winter rain, there is a potential 30 that won’t come out. but we’ll do sooner rather than spring.’
stay tuned…
maybe you’ve seen it…a large group of happy cyclists rolling down the street, waving to cars and pedestrians as they pass. with no leader and no direction…we don’t need it. we are led by a shared enjoyment of cycling, direction comes from the ebb and flow of conversational currents.
friday afternoon. meet @ the unm duckpond at 530…we’ll roll out by 6pm.
tonight @ 9ishpm, the poker ride, rides again.
hidden park. be there….
rolling across town today reminded me of commuting in tampa. only in the sense that i was the only one out there.
the cold wind of winter had its way with burque’s cycling community. it was 27° when i crushed my way to warmth while bombing central in spite of nature’s attempt to keep me frosty with an honest to whatever tailwind. 430…the ride home was no better, already cooling down from a sweltering high of 28°, it was once more 27°.
the snow was nice…until it melted, and immediately refroze into everyone’s favorite, black ice. lucky for me, nearly all of the ice had vaporized…except for the shaded parts, aka, the bike lane on the southern half of the road, aka, damn you ice!
715…the temp. has dropped to 22°, with some snow to ground stickage going on. yesss, hiding the ice…but that was the least of my worries. in florida, i used to ride specialized armadillos on my bike. that brought the equation to <1 flat per month @ 160 miles per week. goatheads were what mexicans made barbacoa with, and sealant…we didn’t know what that was.
i was on my way to the co-op for a vegan cupcake, not that i’m vegan, but anyhow. i suddenly hear that (now) all too familiar tick-tick-tick of a not so tasty goathead. i reach down and brush it off as i roll down the white street. pfft-pfft-pfft-pfft-pfft-pfft-pfft-(and?)pfft-pfft…wtf? i stop, put the piercing to the ground, and start whacking it on the ice glazed pavement to get the hole to seal with stuff…no dice. the sealant is frozen.
and yet another reminder of florida…the sound of a hopeless flat.
‘first grass roots bike race of the year!!
come enjoy a nice winter alley cat with us! sponsor list, flyer and official name soon to come! sign up will begin and 12:30 and end at 1:10 pm sharp! so don’t be late!
ps all bike welcome! and don’t forget your gloves and jacket’
what more do you need to know?
…starts @ fixed and free. 114 tulane se.
…it’s on sat., 1.26.13.
…flyer and more details to follow. just don’t goto fixedandfree.com for info.
the road that goes out to the white mesa isn’t a road…it’s a test. a test of your cars shocks, a test of your bike rack, a test of your fillings. “…maybe if you speed up, you’ll skate across the washboard?” i asked.
…bra-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bum-bum-bum-bump bump…nope. “that’s one bumpy-ass road.”
at last we arrive @ the white mesa mtb trails parking lot. i shouldn’t feel this way…shaken and rattled, until after riding my rigid, off-road whip. as we climb out of warm cars and step into the frigid winds, all thoughts are on forgotten layers. hours later, forgotten layers are still in my thoughts…this time, the fossil strewn, geologic layers of aeons immemorial. these are surely some of the most scenic trails that i’ve ridden to date.
if you like the mtb, these trails are the sweetness. 20 miles ne of bernalillo.
hey fixie 