Invaluable

 

 

Some of the best mountain biking around.  Sometimes it's best to just get out and roll by oneself.  You get to go as fast as you want to go, and stop when you want to stop.

Live Hard

As I grow deeper into middle age my athletic focus is beginning to move away from high end performance (not that I ever had high end performance, but I sure did try for it) and move towards longevity.  When I say longevity I’m not simply referring to living to a ripe old age, but I’m more specifically interested in staying active in outdoor sports (biking, skiing, climbing, hiking, paddling) deep into old age.

Yesterday while riding the rollers in my kitchen I listened to an interview that Ben Greenfield conducted with Bruch Grierson author of What Makes Olga Run.  The book is profiles multiple world record holder Olga Kotelko who, at 95, still competes in masters track and field competitions.  Listening to Olga’s story and learning about other masters athletes such as Ed Whitlock (as well as studies conducted on modern day hunter/gather tribes) I start to wonder what makes these people tick, are they superhuman – one in a billion – or is there some common thread that links them together.

 

One common thread that I seem to be seeing is the benefits of living a hard life. Back in my childhood home of Iowa there are those old farmers who have basically worked outside all day every day since they are eight or nine years old.  They are tough and well into their seventies can outwork most modern day high school football players.  And I don’t believe that it’s simply the physical labor that delivers the benefits, it’s also enduring the cold winters and hot summers as well as a feeling of doing something satisfying.

Now I get to cycling.  Being an everyday rider is tough – at least here in Seattle where it is often cold and wet.  It takes some pretty stiff fortitude to get out there and point your nose into the wet wind day in and day out, and in my opinion this will pay off in a longer more healthy and active life.  I am trending towards the opinion that being outside in the elements is best thing that you can do for yourself with respect to living a strong, and long life.  Way better than diet and way way better than running on a treadmill in a 70 degree gym.  We’ll see if I’m right – in forty years.

Garage Band

I made a few sales and met some cool people at the Pedlar’s Fair this past Saturday, but the highlight of the day was seeing my product on folks cruising through.  I spotted three people wearing my pants.  All three stopped by and said how much they liked my product.  The positive feeling I get from people who’ve purchased my product and are out there using it and enjoying it is something that hasn’t been replicated anywhere else in my life.  In short, it’s an awesome feeling.

Starting a small business is a rollercoaster ride: one minute you’re up, the next you’re down, and I get a tremendous amount of positive energy from positive customer feedback.

Whenever I see my product out there in the world I liken the feeling I get to what I would imagine a garage band feels when they first hear one of their songs on the radio.

Going to the Show

Jason and Whitney put on yet another successful Pedaler’s Fair this past Saturday.  Manning a booth during a show is always a challenge for me as I’m not a born salesman, nor am I a natural conversationalist – once you get to know me I won’t shut up, but I tend to keep quiet around folks I don’t know.

Once again I went over the top with respect to the complexity of my booth and once again I was far and away the last guys to get packed up and out the door at show’s end.  Every time I attend a show I’m amazed by how quickly the other venders pack up and exit stage left.  I like going over the top though – I think it shows that I’m willing to put in the effort, that I’m not just there because I have to “make a showing.”

What I like most about these shows is that they give me the chance to meet folks from all walks of life who are out on the streets turning over pedals.  It’s easy to tend towards myopia, which in my case means bicycling means bicycle racing, which in fact is only a small fraction of folks who ride.  I was glad to see a lot of fabricators at the show, two of my favorites were Cyclefab, who work out of Equinox Studios in Seattle's Geogetown neighborhood, and Elephant Bikes out of Spokane.  I’m really digging their National Forest Explorer. 

Keeping the Lights On

You have to be flexible when running your own business.  If you believe in your product you have to do whatever you have to do to keep the lights on.
I believe in the future of everyday cycling (i.e. using a bicycle as an everyday form of transportation) and I believe in the future of American clothing manufacture, so I continue to supply everyday cycling clothing produced from the finest materials all cut and sewn in a small workshop here in Seattle.
I'm finishing up a six foot diameter red oak round table for Orcas Island Winery, yeah it isn't clothing, but it's something that I can do to keep Greenlite moving forward, doing what we do.

Cleaning up the top edges

Goals

There comes a time in your life when you have to be honest about your abilities, your talents, and your ambition. 

I took up bicycle racing at the advanced age of 47, and over the past three years I’ve discovered a true passion for the sport.  Over the past twenty five years I’ve done a lot of what the guardrail crowd would deem “thrill seeking,” though I would dub it more “thrill avoidance,” but none of that so-called crazy stuff has yielded the excitement of riding at 27mph in a pack during a bike race.  It’s a thrill, no doubt about it, and I seek it like a tweaker seeks a score.  During a recent race, in the heat of the fight, I turned to my buddy Paul and said, “man I love this shit,” he nodded as a little spit rolled off his chin.  I wish that I could say that I love bike racing because I win, but that isn’t the case.

 

Even if you have a passion for something there comes a point where you have to ask yourself “what the hell am I doing here.”  When it comes to bike racing I’ve decided that “what I’m doing here” is being a player.

Bike racing is a weird sport in that there is a lot of sneakiness to it.  Some would call it “cleaver riding” or “racing smart” I just call it sneaky.  Imagine climbing a mountain with a partner and you break trail all day and then suddenly ten feet from the summit your partner runs around you and starts dancing on the summit saying “I won I won.”  Well that’s bike racing.

I’ve decided not to sit in the back of bike races, not to suck wheels but instead to ride at the front, push the pace and be ready to support my teammates.  This is what I call being a “player” someone who is actively in the race from the opening whistle to the final bell.

Reputation means a lot to me (my biggest fear is causing a crash and then being labeled as “that guy”) and because I’m not going to have a reputation as a winner I want to be seen as a guy who shows up fit and ready to race and goes out every time ready to work hard and ride a legit race.

It’s all about being legit.

Goldendale Grand Fondo Part II

A couple more photos of the Goldendale Grand Fondo.  Thanks Steve.