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Sometimes you gotta look back to make sure you don’t run into something

Published at: 07:07 pm - Wednesday July 28 2010

A long, long time ago in a not so distant place, there was a newsletter.

It happened close to monthly and was sent out to just over 100 people who, for one reason or another, had been put in line with the Mooseknuckler Cycling Alliance. I often times got responses to those newsletters that were inspiring. It was one of the first times that I knew someone out there was reading something I wrote and gave a damn. I knew they gave a damn because they corresponded with me tell me such, often times using expletives and telling me to fuck off (not really, they were usually a thanks or a comment on how the little note had made their day).

Those times are long since past. If I remember right the last email went out sometime in 2006, but I could be wrong. The list of people who received said communique has long since been lost to the cyber logs and the email that was used to send out said newsletter has long since gone the way of, “you haven’t checked this email in two fucking decades, it’s now dead.”

The whole purpose of said newsletter was to foment the growth of a cycling community in SG. As can be read here. (I was hoping to find the article I wrote for Cycling Utah detailing our lofty goals, but there archive only goes back to now. However, I noticed that the Alliance is still listed under their advocacy group index.)

Well, fast forward. The newsletter is dead, the Alliance lives on in spirit, and the cycling community is established and aint goin anywhere. Most of them have never heard of the Alliance and that is fine by me. But most of them will benefit in one way or another by something that was published in that little newsletter so many years ago.

The reason I’m writing about any of this is that I was thinking about life, and oft times wrote about such things in the newsletter. I was remembering one particular blurp I wrote that is now lost that detailed me not caring about money, or work and just riding my bike into the sunset. It was about remembering what life was really about. Because when you’re 24 you really have it nailed.

And that’s my two bits for today.

Peace. Love. and Revolution.

Posted in: Manifesto, Useless Banter by Knuckler No Comments

Whatever goes down, must climb its ass back out.

Published at: 07:07 pm - Monday July 26 2010

The plan: Take my day off on Saturday and hike the Subway.

Strategy: Get permit, get rope, get ‘er done.

Assignments: KB get permit, Me get rope.

Outcome: Ended up hiking down the Kaibab trail from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with Bryce and Cim.

Well things didn’t go as planned for our Subway outing, basically there was no way in hell we were actually going to end up with a permit. My plan B consisted of me riding in the beautiful weather of Cedar Mountain on the Virgin River Rim Trail. Bryce and Cimarron had a different idea. I should have stuck with my original plan but somehow I allowed myself to get dragged into another death march.

The pick up time was agreed upon to be somewhere between 6:30 and 9. Naturally, I was ready at 6:25 at which point I waited for another 45 minutes for the rest of the group.

Cimarron drove. She drives fast. We got there. Bryce complained about speedy driving. We all had to pee. We stopped and peed and then drove another 30 seconds to the trailhead. No, we didn’t realize the trailhead was right around the corner. Doh!

KB and I had never been down the Kaibab trail so we had done a bit of research the evening before and had decided that our goal was the Roaring Springs. Bryce and Cim had been done the trail and were shooting for a bit more, which was absolutely fine with us. We just weren’t going to follow.

As anyone knows who has hiked down into the Grand Canyon, the way down goes by super fast, it’s when you turn around that things get nasty. As such, our trip to the bottom of the giant hole was pleasant. Everyone was jovial. Everyone was taking pictures of everyone taking pictures. Bryce took a picture of mule shit. Yes, there were mules on the first two miles of trail making for a dusty, urine and shit soaked trail. Once past the mule turn around, things were nice. The weather was as close to perfect as it could be. It was overcast keeping the numbers low and making things feel good. We trucked along making good time. Of course, there was always that nagging sensation in the back of my mind knowing that I would have to turn around and come back out. (more…)

Posted in: Uncategorized by Knuckler No Comments

Toxicity

Published at: 04:07 pm - Friday July 23 2010

What happens when you mix classically train violinists, drummers and System of a Down music? This…

I saw that over at Drunk Cyclist and had to share. Absolutetly brilliant.

Posted in: Useless Banter by Knuckler No Comments

Weather first, and then all the news…

Published at: 08:07 pm - Monday July 19 2010

I’m not one to shy away from hot weather. After all, I’ve been rocking the 100-115 degree days since I was a spring chicken. I have a feeling I’m more reptile than mammal, after all when it gets too hot for me my skin falls off and I grew more… But today, today was hot.

I have been struggling to drag my ass out of bed in the morning. Today was no exception but I was determined to ride to work. I pulled myself together and got out of bed right around 7:30, a half hour past when I would have liked to get up. I felt tired, a bit too tired, but I wanted to ride. I geared up and headed out. It seemed the ice I had put in my bottle was gone before I even hit the road. I didn’t feel too hot but I didn’t feel good. I made the ride, but then I stopped.

Once at the shop and stopped, it felt like my temperature went straight through the roof. I began to sweat profusely. I doused head in wet water but couldn’t get cooled down. I stood in front of the AC dripping wet and felt like I was gonna fall over. Then the fatigue set in. My ass was dragging for another hour or so. Even after a Mtn. Dew to get things moving.

Damn this heat!

In political news, the Red Rock Crew has determined that the move by Arizona to make racial profiling legal, is actually good for the nation. What we discovered, after minutes of debate, was that Arizona was secretly planning to get all the Skinheads to move their where their ideas had been validated and they could begin to hunt darker skinned folk legally. Once all the Skinheads have moved to Arizona we will simply hand it over to Mexico. At which point, all the Skinheads will become “illegals” and be forced to mow Jorge’s lawn for him and pick Maria’s lettuce.  This plan is genius when you think about it. It rids us of the Skinheads and allows Kharma to play out its role by making haters the hated…

It has also been determined that there is absolutely no problem we can’t solve, as long as we are given the chance.

In current events, I did payroll and had to try and read an entire TPS report that had clearly been the victim of a recent BP (Bryce Pratt) coffee spill. Luckily, we were able to cap the coffee before any further damage was caused. In a happy ending, for a change, I was able to read said report and pay Dan for what he had done.

In advocacy related news, Cimarron busted her gut and got Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association proposal in on time. We got plenty of comments so all of the SRMA’s should at least be considered. For those of you who haven’t been privy to this process, the entire county of Washington’s trails, roads and public lands are being “zoned” if you will, putting many of our local trails in peril. The DMBTA got together in a matter of weeks and we have been able to bring the mountain biking community together so that the BLM is impressed with what we have done. Back to the proposal, we obviously submitted requests to keep everything we already have, incorporating Greater Goose trails and Guacamole into the official trail list. Hidden within the proposal are the two mesas that I have been eyeball fucking for the past few months. So if we can stay organized and on task, we will be able to keep all of our awesome trails, but may be able to grab some more future trails as well. If you aren’t already following us on the book of faces, do so here. That reminds me I gotta email the dude who is gonna build our website…

Didn’t find the email, hopefully Cim can help me.

Out.

Posted in: Breaking News, Manifesto, Master of the Obvious, My Commute, Trail Work, Useless Banter by Knuckler No Comments

Spenser Mehr Just Won Big

Published at: 05:07 pm - Saturday July 17 2010

Photo by Cory, see comments.

Spenser Mehr, who races for Red Rock, just won the National Expert Downhill Champion, and I’m his wrench.

I know, it’s the rider not the bike, but I feel pretty stoked to know that the guy who only lets me work on his bike just got crowned the best in the nation in his category.

Congrats Spenser! You deserved it.

You can see the results here. He is Mens Cat 1 25-29

Out.

Posted in: Breaking News by Knuckler 2 Comments

So I got a new bike

Published at: 08:07 pm - Wednesday July 14 2010

That’s right cheese eaters, I got a new bike. What’s it to ya?

Apparently the Look 566 had reached its end, which is to say it was time to sell it. Mr. Gurr pointed to the 585 and said why don’t you build that up? Well, I hadn’t thought about it. But as usual, once the suggestion is made the wheels get moving and pretty soon there is a new bike. It’s a wonderful program that most shop rats are on…

So I pulled down the 585 frame in white, ordered me some parts and waited for everything to show up. The brown panted Santa showed up bringing me all things Italian. I spent a couple of hours wrenching and magically a bike appeared.

Yup, that's it.

You are correct in noticing the Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed attached to the pretty frame. Again the notion of suggestion runs strong. I had wanted the new Ultegra but Mr. Gurr suggested the Chorus and it was a done deal. Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of Campy components, not because they don’t work but because they are uber expensive. Plus finding replacement parts, such as super hard to find things like cassettes, can take months, in comparison to being able to find anything you could ever possibly need for your drivetrain on the city corner. With this in mind, let me tell you how awesome the Chorus group is.

It’s pretty damn awesome. I’ve never been one to ride on the hoods for very long. I usually move forward to shift and then move back, but with the Campy hood I have ridden almost exclusively up top. The ergonomics of the shifters are quite phenomenal, at least for my hands.

I also decided to finally not use my Speedplay pedals and opted for the new Time IClics. Now I understand how dumb it is to name anything I-whatever, but these pedals are the absolute easiest in terms of engagement and exit. Step on, step out. That’s it. No thought needed.

Of course, these are my initial thoughts. I built the bike on Tuesday, rode it yesterday, and woke up too tired today. If anything changes I’ll let you know.

Moving on.

Jon Stewart is a fucking genius.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
An Energy-Independent Future
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I saw this video and it made me wish that journalists that didn’t just make fun of the news could report that well. He always asks the right questions and juxtaposes them next to the answer. It’s genius. There is no other word for.

Speaking of independence. In the past bit, I’ve ridden to work more than I have driven. And it has felt awesome. I realized that six miles is really not that far to go and with that huge epiphany getting on the bike has become sooo much easier. Except for today, of course, when getting out of bed was like climbing K2.

In unrelated news.

I rarely comment on professional sports, and even less on professional cycling, but I would like to stick my tongue out at all you Lance lovers. So suck it!

Now let me explain before you all start sending me bombs. I think Lance has achieved things that are extraordinary. Does he dope? Probably, who doesn’t? The reason I don’t like Lance is because of all of you. That’s right Lance sucks because his fans suck and there is no way to have an intelligent conversation about a race with them without referring in one way or another to Lance. These fans are exactly like Dave Mathews Band fans, who, despite the fact that all of his songs sound the same, will argue to the death that he is the best damn singer/song writer to ever walk the face of the earth. Did I mention I hate Dave Mathews Band…

And to close, I raise my glass in honor of Lt. Colonel Henry Blake.

Just to mess with you.

Out.

Posted in: Master of the Obvious, Mooseknuckler Pics, Reviews, Useless Banter by Knuckler 1 Comment

Finally, a vacation

Published at: 08:07 pm - Tuesday July 13 2010

It was KB and I’s one year anniversary yesterday… I will wait for the applause to subside.

So, I took some long over due time off. We headed up Cedar Mountain last Wednesday and just got back yesterday. We had a hell of a time. The weather was absolutely amazing and we got a few good rides in. And most importantly, I relaxed for six whole days. Hurray for me…

If you didn’t get your popcorn before you started this read, I’ll give you a minute to get it ready, this may be a long one.

We arrived at our chosen campsite Wednesday evening around 5. We set up camp. KB cooked some pasta, I got the fire wood gathered and we settled in. The temperature was right around 70 degrees and the slight breeze brought the sent of rain and a bit of a chill in the air. We checked the weather and there was thunderstorms forecast for every day until Sunday. Stoked…

KB chillin by the camp fire.

As forecasted, the clouds opened the next morning. It only sprinkled for a few minutes but that sound was a symphony in itself. There is definitely something special about the sound of rain on the canvas of a tent while you’re in the mountains. (more…)

Posted in: Alliance Rides, Group Outings, Mooseknuckler Pics by Knuckler No Comments

A mish mash of mashed potato stylings…

Published at: 07:07 pm - Monday July 05 2010

Just so you are not disappointed when you reach the end of this here blog installment, I do not speak of mashed potatoes at all. Except for the title of this post which has nothing to do with the body.

City Of Joy from daniel fiantok on Vimeo.

I stole this video from Stevil over at Allhailtheblackmarket.com, one of my favorite blogs. Of course, just behind this one. It is a video of Critical Mass riders rolling, something fierce.

Now Stevil, who, again is one of my favorite bloggers, disagrees with where Critical Mass has arrived. I would emphatically disagree with his disagreement.

I am a pacifist, in that I don’t believe in the use of violence to get my point across.

I do believe that conflict is necessary as a catalyst for change. If we are always avoiding conflict then we cannot voice our opinions, cannot exercise our rights, cannot get people to notice and we cannot create. It is through conflict that change is wrought.

Critical Mass focuses on this conflict.

Most people who disagree with Critical Mass disagree with the conflict that it creates with other road users, but isn’t that the point?

If the only reason to ride in Critical Mass is to create “safer roads” then it is an invalid activity that should be left for dead. On the other hand, if it is meant to foment revolution, to stand up to the tyranny of the automobile and create a world where bicycles rule, then it is the most valid thing that is being done for the cause as of now.

Enough of that.

In completely unrelated news…

KB headed off for the Land of the Prunes this weekend. In preparation she finally pulled out the iPod I gave her two years ago to take with her. I had to show her how to use iTunes which I have refused to re-install on my computer. We downloaded it on hers, and it took forever to get anything going. So I bought a new computer. The only reason I am telling you this is because I now have a computer that allows me to edit photos at a reasonable speed and things should be good to go from here on out. I should be able to have the guidebook in printable form by the end of the month. Kick asssssss….

For the first time since I went digital with my photography I actually sat down and went through my pictures, at least most of them. Having Photoshop that actually works made the whole thing a breeze. I forgot how much I enjoyed taking pictures. Hurray for me.

Below are a few that I liked for your enjoyment.

And your latest installment of Making Cycling Difficult.

Big d had a 4th on the 4th celebration last night that was quite enjoyable. I rode my knobby road bike to his house knowing that I would get to ride it home. Well, keeping it between the lines was a bit scary. Now the only reason you would want to ride a bike in this state would be, of course, to challenge your handling skills and to ensure that they are top notch. I thought I was going into the canal for a swim a couple of times, but I kept the rubber side down the entire way. As far as I remember, I didn’t hit any children, pedestrians, equestrians, cars, houses, or anything else that I wasn’t meant to hit. Apparently, I was really enjoying myself because I rode right past my house. If I hadn’t reached telegraph I probably never would have realized I had missed it. All in all, it was a good time had by all. If you would allow me the luxury of speaking for everyone present.

Peace. Love. and Revolution.

Posted in: Group Outings, Making Cycling Difficult, Manifesto, Mooseknuckler Pics by Knuckler No Comments

Monday

Published at: 06:06 pm - Monday June 28 2010

If you don’t think Utah has any good beer, you are sorely mistaken. Below is my recovery drink of choice tonight. And what am I recovering from? You might ask. Work. I worked today so now I must recover my sanity. I did get a bit of really good news that will help my sanity but I can’t let it out until August. If things go the way I was told they would, we will be having a huge party…

image

Moving backward in time, let’s check out the weekend. Yes it was one hell of a weekend.

I got Andy to work Sunday for me so that KB and I could tag along on a little canyoneering adventure. We arose around 6, got the goods ready and headed over to Hollywood’s house. Seeing that I have no gear for this sort of thing, he lent KB and I a couple of harnesses. He laid out the game plan and off we went.

A couple of hours of setting up shuttles, taking potty breaks and driving down steep, gnarly dirt roads, we were finally hoofing it down a canyon, Orderville Canyon to be exact. We had been promised adventure beyond our wildest dreams. What we got was pretty damn close and had an added bonus of watching Kim scream and try to run through any water that was more than ankle deep, which there was quite a bit.

Get your popcorn hand out of your knuckle pouch and take a ganter at the proof fotografico.

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Rob "Hollywood"Girouard leading the way.

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KB giving Kim a little encouragement.

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One of the waterfalls.

I thought I was gonna have to leave you all hanging at this point. The site wasn’t loading worth shit and in my recovery state of mind, I wasn’t about to try and fix it. Luckily a quick save and reboot has rendered things corrected.

Moving on.

Here is video proof of Kim’s technique for crossing murky water. I have to admit that me laughing in the background is more funny than her running.

Well, seeing that my connection speed has entered dial-up slow. That’s it for now.

Out.

Posted in: Group Outings, Mooseknuckler Pics by Knuckler No Comments

I wax poorly poetic, polemic and longwinded

Published at: 10:06 am - Friday June 25 2010

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I hate decisions. Why can’t we all be nomadic and wander through life like star crossed lovers bound to eternal solitude. Why?

I don’t have the answer to that but I did make some decisions. Of the which I am not at liberty to discuss right now but I would like to talk about what motivated me to decide what it is that I decided. (Do you think I could be any more ambiguous?)

First up, I have not been happy at work as of late. I was stuck in the proverbial rut from which few find escape. I had been thinking about this for some time, KB and I had talked about options, but for now I am where I was. One thing I had realized is that I had pretty much ceased to write. Nothing in Cycling Utah, both of my blogs were dead in the water, I missed writing. This is why you are now seeing more consistent posts from the Alliance Headquarters and you should see my first article to be published in months in July’s Cycling Utah with stories coming consistently from here on out. That little light of when I stick my fingers on the keyboard (there is no pen and paper any more) and watch the letters appear on the screen as they pop out of my mind, that little light was the start to saving me…

Then a miraculous thing happened on Wednesday, something that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Mr. Gurr rode to work. I’m not sure why that was such a big awakening for me but it was one of those moments when everything you’ve been looking at smashes into your forehead and you find what you were looking for was right in front of your face. I then proceeded to ride my bike to work on Thursday. I guess it reminded me of the why behind my work. It also reminded me of a time when apathy was low, militant ideals of cycling and how it can save the world was high and if anyone of us drove to work, it was a travesty. Ah, to return to those times…

I think I will try.

On to bigger and better news. It was Paul’s Befday.

So we celebrated at Wing Nutz last night which coincided with the Nutz Blues Night. Good music, good folk, okay beer. We can hope for everything but two out of three aint bad.

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Paul having his, oh shit, wasn't someone else paying for all of this...

Don’t eat your popcorn too fast, cuz we’re moving on from here.

It was a few years ago when I went through a huge analysis of my life, my impact and where and what I wanted to be. The journey ended with me declaring my sovereignty, getting a tattoo and preaching DIY to everyone that would listen. Well the years have passed, the tattoo has faded, but DIY is bigger than ever.

Once KB and I moved back to SG we were able to procure residency in locations that have allowed us to have gardens for the past two years. I was super stoked about this (I wish the old site hadn’t crashed and lost everything so we could reference those thoughts and posts from the wonder years). Last year I watched the garden but wasn’t actively involved like I should have been. This year, KB planted and I watched, but then I started to take it over. And I am ecstatic that I did. I love my garden and love walking into my back yard and picking food, wonderful food.

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Today's Harvest

Of course, KB and I can’t eat all these organically, locally grown veggies. If you want some let us know. I can even deliver to the greater SG area…

Here’s your Really?!? moment for the weekend.

For any of you who may have shown up for the Wednesday ride, I apologize I didn’t make it. The meeting, that I was assured wouldn’t last past 8:30 went till 9 and there was no way I was going to get out to the trailhead in time. My sincerest of apologies, I hope you rode without me.

Peace. Love. and Revolution.

Posted in: Group Outings, Manifesto, Mooseknuckler Pics, Useless Banter by Knuckler No Comments
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