Ponderings...

Spent some time again today in the woods. Today was different though...I took some moments off my bike to sit on a rocky ledge, soaking in all the positive awe the backcountry has to offer...it was the perfect place and time to spontaneously ponder my last 63-years. 

You see, according to the calendar, today the earth was blessed with my presents, through the grace of my parents of course. And yes I spelled presents right since I was a gift from above. 

I've been a lot of places, seen and done many things, accomplished so much, and yet it is rather shocking that I'm still alive considering some of my life events and of course all the crazy-stupid stuff I got away with somehow (I won't go into detail just to save you a gasp).

After a bit, my thoughts started pondering what is going to happen between now and when I turn 103...hmmmm! Better get going because the future is waiting to find out...

My Broken Head...

Finding a restful place for my broken head...

When I'm Not Sure...

There are days when I'm not sure...not sure about anything, when I use to be sure about everything. I've gotten to where I loath knowing so much in this world with the super quick access to information.

But...one thing that I am sure of is that getting out on a bike in the forest and witnessing the beauty surrounding us gives me a rewarding sense of calming awe...

WaltWorks SS Resting for a Minute

WaltWorks singlespeed resting for a minute to enjoy the love of being out on such a fine day dodging the rain...

My Bike Addiction

Addictions can be good or bad...I have yet to determine if my habitual bike buying/selling addiction is good or bad. Some people seem very content with one bike forever...not me, I want to try the newest stuff all the time. I've spent both time and money discovering what works for me and what is plainly useless for me...I found I hate the so called "gravel" bikes; I still prefer a mountain bike and flat bars on gravel any day (just as I have been doing since the I started riding mountain bikes in the mid-1980s. I've also found that my preference in fat bikes is narrower fat tires (yes that is paradoxical) and I prefer very a specific geometry (which most manufacturers don't make). 

In the last few years major increases in pricing has definitely forced me to choose bikes and parts that I would want to keep long term vs. try them out. I thought I was on a roll with my Chumba bikes...I was rather determined to make the titanium Chumba Stella a long term, do everything ride...

But then I "needed" a steel Chumba Sendero for single speed only use and during my wait for the Sendero and older Engin custom steel frame pinged the radar and so it ended up in my shop. 

Then the Sendero arrived a few months later. 

Everything was good, I was all set for a long time with what I had, but the radar pinged again on a used Funk La Ruta 29+ for a decent price (something I've wanted since 2016 when I first saw one but the frame price was always just too much for me to buy one). And as expected the La Ruta hit my shop. 

Then the radar pinged once more and a Waltworks custom steel fat bike showed up at my shop. BOOM...I went from some sort of self control and contentment to over abundance. 

My poor wife can't keep up with what I have and sometimes starts looking a little google eyed at me when a box is delivered or something appears amiss in the colors hanging on the "bike wall" or when her bike is in a new position. 

The Engin arrived in March and is a super smooth dreamy ride for a rigid bike. It has an older geometry with I am partial to for gravel and forest road/trail riding. I smile every time I ride it and in fact started choosing it over my titanium Chumba Stella since the Engin is waaayyy smoother to ride. The Stella has a lot less "give" due to the thickness of the titanium tube it is made with (not all titanium tubing is friendly to ride compliance). The steel Chumba Sendero also had a nicer ride quality than the Stella but I was not overly happy with the feel of the Sendero geometry. 

The La Ruta ruined everything...a short travel full-suspension, light weight titanium frame that can be run as single speed and take up to 29x3.0" tires hit every possible interest for me. I set it up as a single speed with 3" tires...I wanted to hate it because I told myself that the Chumba bikes were all I needed and I was sure the rear suspension on the La Ruta would prove to be just as awful feeling as almost all of my past full suspension bikes. I've never kept a full suspension bike very long since with few exceptions they either feel inefficient or actually ride like a slug due to poor design.

Riding the La Ruta was dreamy smooth, pedaling is efficient even without the rear suspension locked out, it's light, corners well, goes up and down badass stuff amazingly well...I could not find a single dislike except that I would have designed the geometry a little different (like tuck the rear wheel in a bit more and slightly shorten the top tube). It made both Chumba bikes feel harsh and after a few months of debating with myself I sold both Chumba bikes and I'm currently very happy with what I have. 

Milestones

This week passed 2-milestones: 1) It’s been 2-years since I survived a brain stem hemorrhage, 2) I turned 60. 

I still have a few (permanent) side effects from the hemorrhage but nothing that stops me from living a good life. 

And as far as my age… well I certainly don’t feel 60, but to be honest I had a lot of preconceived false ideas of how the age 60 should be and feel. 

I still prefer a single speed bike and mostly I opt for a rigid fork. I read about a lot of other people my age or less going the opposite way with age (more suspension and bigger gears or e-bike) which is fine…maybe I’ll trend that direction when I feel a need to (like when I’m almost 100).  A few years ago I was faced with the reality of a near death experience…I’m happy to be here and I’m still willing to work for every moment I have left (just be aware that most if not all of my “work” is my enjoyment of life here). 

My single speed e-bike…no suspension, no dropper post and powered only by me…

CHUMBA - Ice Biking the Year End

 On December 1st I was riding in shorts over paths growing green grass (the deer and elk were happy) and my flowers were still blooming at home.

But around here one thing is predictable: Snow will come...It did and has not stopped.

So the logical solution is snow tires, studs are even better considering the ice under the snow. I don't own a fat bike this year (only because the whole supply system is a little messed up and politicized on to top it all off) so there is no option other than my CHUMBA Stella. I've found it works quite well on the ice roads.

Today's temps are 60 degrees cooler than at the beginning of the month. Gone are the December flowers, green grass, budding trees...winter has arrived as expected. I hope that the new year will bring a little more "normal" back to this world, but I'm not counting on it considering the political situations worldwide. 

Single Speed - I can't get away from it

Single speed (SS) has been part of my biking life since I was a kid when by dad fixed up this old fat tire Schwinn. At first I was disappointed that I didn't get a smaller wheeled bike popular in the late 60's. Then I discovered that once I got that thing wound up that it was a rocket ship. No one could touch me on the famous salmon pink super cruiser. 

Fast forward to the early 2000's when on a whim I bought a Gary Fisher Rig SS 29er. That bike changed everything (again) and I've not been able to break away from single speed bikes since (even though I attempted to several times, I just keep going back). 

I successfully raced SS against geared bikes for quite a few years making many people whimper as I passed them with on a one geared wonder. I've had a lot of single speeds...I get rid of one thinking "I'll be faster on gears," or "Ooh Ahh, I need that (geared) bike..." only to go back again and again to SS. Well now I'm convinced that geared bikes can be fun and have a great place, nothing is better for me than a SS.

This last summer I build up a Chumba Stella Ti as a geared bike, but after a few months it morphed into a SS, then a rigid SS and I can say I've never been happier. 

How does this happen I ask and why does SS make me a happier rider? Why are my average speeds in hilly terrain faster on the SS? I don't know, I've pondered this many times and I still don't have any good answers. The simple truth of the matter is that I love riding one geared bikes and I have no intention to stop any time soon.

Just when I’m sure…

Just when I’m sure it’ll never be “better than this” it does get better…or so it seems. I’m always in awe of the beautiful country that surrounds me, even a burned out forest. 

When I first saw the entire forest gone for miles I was initially sad that one of my old favorite riding areas was forever gone…gone as I had always known it until this day. I have ridden this area hundreds of times when I lived nearby and it was always green as far as the eye could see....this is the same area 11-years ago...

But after sitting there for a while and riding forward some more miles I found some strangely unique, incredible beauty in the disappointingly charred landscape. 

Several times I found myself sitting still scanning every detail, every charred tree, animal bones, and heat cracked rock….the intensity of this fire must have been something. Fire is truly amazing. 

I’ll return in the future to further explore my old riding areas and for now I’m thankful that my local, close to home riding areas are still a live forest.