departures/arrivals

Dear John, The Pirate has left us.

No, he's not dead. He's up and moved to Albany, NY. Could this be a fate worse than death? Only time will tell. He mentioned he found a local skate park and that outdoor temperatures allow water to exist in liquid form, rather than the commonly found solid form. And speaking of solid form, I joined John for one final mtb ride at New Light, preceded by one final Biscuitville breakfast.

I give credit to John for being a powerful motivational force, advocating for dirt. Definitely not dirt on his bicycles, which were always suspiciously clean. But dirt under the wheels. I had mostly stopped mountain biking prior to meeting John, but he was always rallying the troops to hit the trails. And for that, I salute you. Also, he helped convince me that I should get a 29er and a bmx bike. And for that, I salute you. I guess I managed to convince him to do a cyclocross race, which he said was one of the most miserable experiences of his life (at least prior to moving to Albany), so he owes me one there. If anyone is reading this blog in the Albany area, give him some love.

In an unrelated piece of news, the stork delivered this to my doorstep:Just what is the significance of this puffy bike, you might ask yourself. Have I decided to one-up the hipsters with top-tube pads on their fixed-gear bicycles by adding pads to all of my tubes? Did I misinterpret the freeride dudes talking about "full squish" bikes? Are carbon fiber tubes "out" and foam tubes "in" (laterally non-rigid/vertically compliant)? Did my old cyclocross bike go on a Krispy Kreme eating binge? Is this bike psychologically unstable, posing a threat to itself and others, thus requiring padding and restraints? Oh just you wait and see...