Bedrock & Paradox

I dream of a hard and brutal mysticism in which the naked self merges with a non-human world and yet somehow survives still intact, individual, separate. Paradox and bedrock.

Riding bikes is fucking awesome

And the road goes on..

Up a little after 5 for an adventure this morning.  Mission, to ride the Nez Perce trail (aka the McGruder Corridor road) out and back, for either 100 miles, until snow stops me, or until I come to a rad vista and decide enough is enough.

Option B took me for  little over 80 miles and not quite 8,000′ of climbing.  And it was transcendently gorgeous.
Wolves have big feet.
Normally I don’t get too worked up about pictures failing to capture the moment, but today that seems particularly egregious.  Big country, spring in full force, 3 moderate and sustained SS climbs of 2500′ each.  
Wish you had been there.  I was thankful to have a suspension fork on several occasions when I negligently mowed over potholes and rocks while rubber necking.  Needless to say, I’ll be back later in the season for the whole deal.  It’s almost 100 miles one way from where I started today to the other side of the permanent pavement.  Will make a good overnight.  Or a bike-raft loop on the mellower Selway.  The river today was haulin’.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4877012&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=c9ff23&fullscreen=1
Back home I did some wrenching, and now I’m eating some banana ice cream M made yesterday.  Banana ice cream!!  What could be better!
I finally received my new bike shoes, finding a pair of Lake MX 165’s in 45.5 was not so easy.  I also put a 107 bottom bracket on the monkey, to tame the q-factor of those fat Race Face North Shores as much as possible.  Chainline with the ring on the outer mount (and a Surly rear hub) is a tad inboard, but only just.  And with a 107!  
I’m also excited about new gloves I got yesterday, Giro Rivets.  The old Specialized had lasted over a year, and deserve retirement.  The Rivets and full finger, unpadded, and very thin and light.  Today they dried amazingly fast, all my previous gloves are always the last thing to hold sweat.  If they prove durable, they’ll be a true winner for summer mtb gloves.
Life is good, nothing more to say.

DaveC

6 responses to “Riding bikes is fucking awesome”

  1. Ed Avatar
    Ed

    What’s better than banana ice cream? Oh I could think of a LOT of flavors better than that ;-)Nice ride. I’m jealous. We saw Chris P. today. He’s looking mighty ready for the Tour.Ed

    Reply
  2. Enel Avatar
    Enel

    Wow. Looks like an awesome ride. Wish there was a glove or something to give the Wolf prints some perspective.I am astonished at how quickly you are going big after such an off season.LOL at the title.later,E

    Reply
  3. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    I should have laid my glove down. The prints were about as big as my hand.

    Reply
  4. Bill Avatar
    Bill

    Man I wish I were along with you! Workin sucks …. I have had that one on my radar and was thinking cross bike … hmmmm

    Reply
  5. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    A cross bike would work for the first thirty miles, until you start to climb away from the Selway. I wouldn’t want to go back down that on skinny tires.

    Reply
  6. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    get a packraft now.

    Reply

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