Logan's bike is almost ready, cept for brake cables.  He will have a shiny new Vassago Jabberwocky....with lots o bling.  It's a single speed runnin' 34-18, but I think he will adapt pretty well. He is looking forward to being tested a little with some riders that can push him more than I can.  My Snatch is getting new wheels.....DT Swiss 7.1ds wrapped around some sik blue CKs......Now if I can get another 20 lbs off before March 30th.  I will be racing Bigboy  and basically just want tnot finish DFL.   I know beginner would be easier at 1 lap but I think in the long run I can do better in CLyde.   I know I am a total Noob, but I do better if I set goals, whether they are reachable or not.  But I have to say that, as a rule, when I set goals, I reach them......

My goals for the racing season is for me to finish top 3 overall in Clyde for the year and to at least podium once.   I think these are reasonable goals and they will require alot of work.  Wthin these main goals are some weight loss goals..  I want to be under 235 by the 1st race and under 215 y the last race......  I know I need to do some other things besides just riding but they are in the works.  

I know this is kind of a selfish post, only talking about me and not some stories but I wanted to post my goals so that they will be on record...  Everyone knows that goals that are written down have much greater chance of being accomplished.

I found this on MTBR Forum and though I would share.

What do you tell people that ask you why you ride?

We are people in otherwise responsible positions with predictable lives in which we are used to guiding events to our will,
who now repeatedly subject ourselves to the elements, forces of nature and hard realities of riding at the edge of the envelope of
our abilities, physical powers and endurance in a chaotic and not really predictable or controllable situation together. There is a
reason.

You have found that reason.

We can talk all about the activism of the experience: our ancestors for thousands of years derived their existence from "the hunt",
in which they exposed themselves to the rigors and dangers of the natural and unknown and unpredictable world.

We can talk about worship: the sheer beauty of the natural world in which nature speaks to us in the universal language of sun and
sky and wind and waterfall, and touches our soul.

We can talk about the physical challenges our bodies were made to meet and are missing in our daily lives. The opportunity to
push oneself beyond ones known powers and skills, and the cleansing simplicity of maximum effort.

We can talk about energy expenditure: feeling the recoil of our hearts pounding at 180 pumping 20 quarts a minute through our
dilated capillaries, our lungs taking in 20 gallons of frosty air and expelling 20 gallons of vapor a minute, steam rising from our
beaded sweaty naked legs into the frosty air.

We can talk about the simplicity of a single task in our otherwise complicated lives.

We can talk about bonding: in this age, which abounds in lack of trust and honor, we rest comfortable and sure in the knowledge
that no matter what happens to any one person or piece of equipment, we will get through this together and come out together
and share whatever knowledge and skill and materiel we have to do it, and solve problems together, like a tire and duct tape
splint for a dislocated thumb.

We can talk about fear: and meeting it in a direct and simple fashion when the rest of our life has indirect and amorphous not
really confrontable fears.

We can talk about focus: On the downhill, the absolute necessity to eliminate distractions, mental diversions and lack of focus in
which we normally live our daily lives and focus entirely on what we are doing.

We can talk about spilling blood and its cleansing effect of washing us free of the fear of our mortality and of death that makes
us hide from life.

We can talk about transcendental experience: The inner calm that comes when we have our weight back and loose on the
screaming downhill and the bike is everywhere in front of and below us, our eyes and muscles communicating and adjusting
faster than we can think, adapting to the events that come faster than any conscious mind can respond, and yet we are floating
loose and still and free and calm in the midst of chaos - totally free as we cannot remember ever being free.

It is moments like these that make up the very substance of life itself. But when you talk about this your friends will look
at you a little funny. They will not understand. They will try to dismiss these experiences, which can not be surrounded by
words, which do not fit words, and which can not be understood through words.

But nothing we can say can compare to the doing of it. You just have to do it! Tell them that!

OK, OK I said I had alot to say and I do...I just find other stuff that keeps me busy instead of posting. I will get better, I promise.

In my last post I professed my love for the 29er sect. I drank the Koolaid!   Although I have yet to get it all together, I have decided and bought a Vassago Bandersnatch....It's vewwy, vewwy pwetty. I have everything I need to build it up except for the fork, which was being held up due to weirdie circumstances beyond anyones control. It will get built soon. 


I decided that since I have free time(I'm a landscaper, we're in a drought), I would take everything to Addictive and star to work on it, assuming it was too cold for the Tuesday night ride. I was prepared, however, to ride....6 layers, Spiderman tights and 2 pair of socks.   With the night coming quick, all that I had time for was to lust after the Snatch a little more.  I think I touch the frame everytime I go there. 

When we got out to Yargo, I sniveled a light from Cody since I have never ridden at night. We tried to hook it up but because of the 31.6 handlebars, it fit a little sideways...about 10 degrees to the right.   So we start riding and I realized that I could not see so well. Well, I could see well, but not the trail...unless I jerked the wheel to the left to get a peek than righted myself before I fell over.  Really though, I was ok as long as I stayed close enough to the guy in front of me. things were really ripping when Hodge breaks a skewer and stopped to fix it.  The rest of us kept riding until we got to the next road and when Hodge showed up, his chain was really loose from  not being able to McGyver it all the way in the dark and cold.  So I went back with him since I had an extra skewer in my car.  Well, it was no big deal but I do believe that things definately happen for a reason.  After he replaced the skewer he went to get me a light from another car. he says "take off your helmet" When I did, I realized that it was not strapped( I had forgotten to strap in all my first night ride excitement).  That could have been horrible...probably no big deal but still...
So I was able to get my life saved and get an extra light for my helmet just for offering to help a guy out...You see there is good Karma and bad Karma. They are both equally effective and totally in control of everything we do.  Some people believe in Carbon credits...I believe in Karma credits. You can never have too many. I can't wait to build back up some more of these nuggets.

-Jay

I have a lot to say. I have always wanted a vehicle for sharing my thoughts and observations. Somehow I always find a way to procrastinate. I then lose the thought. I may or may not get it back.

Riding
I met some cool guys at a bike shop I found. They are very passionate about Mountain biking.  Right now I am supposed to be riding at Gainesville College with them but it's raining. We go 4 months without rain and it rains on the first day in a week or so that I actually have time to ride. TurkeyDay!. 

Thanksgiving
Julie, the kids and I will be going to her parents for Thanksgiving today at about 3 and then at some point her dad will have his annual "No Drugs, No Tattoos" talk. Joe,  mentioned at dinner last night (Texas Roadhouse) that Pop-pop always say "no tattoos" first and "no drugs" 2nd as if not getting a tattoo is more important that not doing drugs.  So Joe says "He thinks we should do heroin before we get our tattoos" Joe has such a great sense of humor. I guess thats needed when you are a 13 yr old, very cute boy with LONG beautiful hair (he's in a band). It seems like everyday someone we come across thinks he's a girl. His skin had gotten really thick. I will say though, he can certainly take it as well as dish it out.

I have decided to get a 29er bike. I think it will suit me better than my current bike because of my size. I'm 6'2 , 245 and the Trek Fuel EX8 feels like a toy under me....maybe that explains all the endoes!

We saw the movie "Autumn Rush" last night. Great Movie, quick un-fulfilling ending. The movie is about a kid who was born from a one night stand to a couple of musicians(what a novel concept). He was separated  from them at birth but always knew that they would find him....they "talked to him" through music.  The movie has a couple of my favorite actors in small parts, Terrance Howard(Hustle and Flow, Four Brothers, Crash) and Robin Williams.  Williams is So under-rated as an actor, but I can never understand it, especially after this role. He plays a Pimp of sorts....you'll see!

Bikes I'm looking at : Vassago Bandersnatch and Voodoo Canzo