dreadedmonkeygod . net

I had a great ride last night. The weather was perfect, and even though my legs were sore and a bit sluggish, they still powered me up the Rosewood trail with no problem. But a few technical spots (most notably the switchbacks above the fire road heading east on the Los Robles Trail West) just weren't happening. Couldn't keep my butt on my saddle. Couldn't find the smooth torque when I needed it. Couldn't, couldn't, couldn't.

But I'm getting far smoother around the switchbacks, and picking much better lines. So I'm gonna go ahead and think that while I may have burned a few too many matches Monday and Tuesday, I'm getting stronger, and my skills are improving. Next week, I'll be a powerhouse! Or something.

As a cyclist, it's easy to get sucked into the "better gear" mentality. I watch riders with full suspension roll smoothly over rocky sections that catapult my butt off the saddle and think, "If I had a bike like that one..." And I shop for jerseys online, looking for faster-wicking, better-fitting, cooler-looking designs.

But at the top of Rosewood, I met a kid who'd rode up on a Schwinn in jeans and running shoes and a baseball cap, just to look around. And I got completely smoked on the woop-de-doos by a guy on a fully ridgid bike in denim shorts and a t-shirt.

Bottom line: whatever you have is good enough. The single most important factor in the performance of the bike is the rider. Get out there and have fun!

(Map: "Rosewood & Space Mountain")