Sunday, August 16, 2009

Reset Complete



Well this is a self taken shot by Geezer after getting through the Blue Ridge Brutal. He is smiling out of relief and being beyond loopy.

The veins in his forehead aren`t sticking out as far as for the Blood Sweat and Gears ride but the feeling of (wow that was hard) has left him just as dazed and confused. He either over estimated himself or under estimated the 9000 feet of not too steep? climbing. Seemed like a butt kicker to him. (and he has rebuilt carburetors and shared the meaning of life with dogs and such).

The really fine folks at the Ashe Civic Center still had pasta and garlic bread left for stragglers like this guy and it was sitting on the tail gate to be inhaled right after this shot.

All in all there isn`t a perfect way to honestly describe the ride. 40/16 gear was do-able on all but a couple of stretches of hill/mountain but as is the nature of the beast you`re screwed going up or down in the hills or that perfect combination of both.

Cramps ? of course. S-Caps and lots of liquid taken. At around 80miles especially and then they died out. Probably good that fixed gear keeps rolling along. Takes the choice of stretching legs out away. Some head wind was very good training I guess.

Could catch some other riders on the uphills and then hear them whizzing by over and over again on the other side. One rider was at about the same overall pace and we talked for about 20 miles( to the finish). Trusting what you think to a stranger that you are sharing an experience with resembles a bit what folks going down in a crashing plane might feel. Why filter your thoughts? we`re all going down. Nice to cut through the we haven`t been properly introduced crap. Very good to meet folks who are`t too shiny.

There were parts of the ride that only seemed safe from traffic in a relative sort of way - as in hey that truck or camper can`t run over and mangle all of us. Maybe that`s what minnows figure in thinking that they are safe from that big fish drawing a bead on them.

A few parts of the ride were just plain gorgeous. The stretch of the Parkway is as pretty as it gets (except maybe for the same spot in a few months).

Was I happy with the time I got etc.? A bit over 8 hours is SLOW . I have two conflicting feelings which is like an answer of sorts to the old question, "Are you bragging or Complaining?" - Very greedy and Very Grateful.



Didn`t want to eat too much Ranger Rick brand wonder gruel before taking off into the hills.

For some reason the crowd of serious cyclists getting ready seemed hilarious. Pretentious behavior lives in various forms. At least I didn`t shave my legs or switch to bladed spokes. Team superstition rides on. One person`s smooth calves = the next person`s morning diet ritual.


Thank goodness Johnny Acorn showed up. Friends are indispensable even for hardened recluses.
The cruel side of being a responsible citizen sometimes though is having priorities kick the crap out of previous plans. Even Super Man has to sleep once in a while.


So - how can this be? Just a minute ago I had this neck of the woods all to myself and now strangers are pouring in from everywhere. At least I grabbed over 9 sweet hours of sleep with a few Valerian Root capsules and a deluxe Ranger Rick brand mattress system. Coffee is made and protein/oatmeal/raisin gruel is about to go on the range.

Reset by Bike Ride












Nobody at home except that old geezer over there in that little white pickup truck (and some folks would disagree with you on that).
The Kitchen and tons of carbs to go with the dose from the day before. Reading material and a little solitude. Need to relax and rest and find a managable corner of the world to do battle. (with myself of course)
Notice the stealth tech anti theft bicycle cover over beloved fixy.



Still Nothin


One tired,stressed,frustrated,old geezer with aching lower back and bad head ache. Also the right priced motel accomodation and the Geezer suit.




Don`t Know Nothin








A pretty place to get away from it all for an evening and try to get some sleep before the big ride. No permission was granted to "camp" in the parking lot but none was denied either. One nice shady spot under a cherry tree and after folks got their packets just a little road noise. Call me cheap or frugal or just weird - works for me.


I Don`t Know Nothin bout Nothin



The Ashe Civic Center parking lot - day before the ride and during early packet pick up. Sort of a rural area? A beautiful part of the planet with some very fine people.