Dare I say it? I have had a tame few days. I enjoyed a long ride on Saturday, and it was long over due. I experienced the peace that only exhaustion can give me. It was my first big week of miles, since before the trip to N.C.. It feels good to get off the porch.
Bump and Grind looms on the horizon, like an enemy ship, blocking the sun. I am not ready for a lap of Oak Mountain, much less the new longer lap. I am not throwing my hat into the "skirt bet". I hope you don't mind if I sit this one out. I wouldn't consider going at all (now that the Bike Chain Crew is all but a memory) save for the hard work and battle ready status, of Lil W.B.. He has put in the miles. He is bucking in the chute. Thanks, in no small part, to riding with Lil Mingo. He and L.M. are all cycling friends should be. They always ride hard. They always laugh, and you have to peel them off their bikes when the dinner bell rings. The group (formerly known as Bike Chain) could learn a thing or two from those boys. Seriously, can you make one ride a week for the crew? I know you have young kids, new girl friends, jobs and whatever the f^#$! Give Momma a night with the girls, cut the yard, GROW A PAIR! You are all grown men, use your talents to negotiate.... ONE RIDE A WEEK! Either that or lets get some beer and burn the jersey's, shorts, socks, stickers and all the other shit, that filled up the space where the rides used to go. I'm not pissed, I just miss the old days. I had two young boys, two jobs and a band of knuckle heads to manage, when I started riding with the crew. I did dishes, laundry, made dinner (whatever I could) to earn my miles. Negotiation is simple; find out what they want, and give it to them. Nuff said, I'm stepping off soap box.
I used to train all week for crew rides. I lived in mortal fear of those rides. Those days are gone forever. If it wasn't for Lil W.B, Big and Lil Mingo, Worm and Slade, I would have hung up my pistols.
Hey remember that time?
Nope.
W.B.Z.N.
14 comments:
Thank you for saying what I've been thinking to myself for months. I'm afraid you may be right, that Bikechain/Bikeposse is on its last leg. I'll keep wearing the orange and black in hopes of a resurgence.
Man, you guys kill me! I've been through 10 of these, "the crew's all gone" phases over the past 20 years. In reality, who's missing? Silk has bowed out, as he is want to do every so often. Marcus had a kid, and come on now! Did you for one second think that he would not throw himself into fatherhood with the same all or nothing vigor he had for racing? There's nothing wrong with that either. He'll be back. He's disappeared 4 or 5 times over the past 10-15 years. Spanish Mackerel, I'll give you. I really don't get it with him. I guess WB called it. Once he got a girlfriend, it was all over. Kent hasn't ridden in many years, so I don't really think of him as missing. More like Lil Ronnie, he just lives out of town and comes to rides on his vacations.
So who's missing? Jim, Zak, myself, we're all riding more or less as much as always. Longshanks is riding more than ever, just on skinny tires. Some of the outliers have moved on, but the core is still around. For that matter, WB, your focus has shifted over the past month or so, to coaching your offspring. Again, nothing wrong with that, but that means you're just as missing as these other culprits. Soon enough, though, that boy will be ready to roll with the big guys, and the ranks will swell again.
Reality is, the crew has an ebb and flow, just like everything else. Just keep sitting in the line up, enjoy the serenity, and wait for the set to roll in.
As always you are the voice of reason...werd. ONE RIDE A WEEK. I can put that together. I am not slamming anyone just saying...hook up with us on Saturday for two hours. Cut out early. Bring your kid and start with us. Do what it takes and wear your colors.
Now that your forces are weak I will launch my robot army! Bwaa-ha-hah-ha-ha-haaaa!
Well said WB, I can remember a time when I would work midnight to 8 am, complain about being tired, but still get out there cause I wanted to be there, not to mention, soccer coaching, practice, dance recitals, piano and on and on. Plus working overtime, doing the yard work, feeling proud when the crew tooled by my house on the ride and I could show off my great front yard. All during that time I found a way to ride, if I was not working on a Saturday and the boys were riding, I was there! If that meant I spent the afternoon shopping, then that's what I did! Please show up at the BUMP, I need some validation of all this racing I been doing!
Good Post. Gotta say that Jim is hauling the weight of BC right now. He and Zak are the most consistent that I know of. Not that Chris isn't solid, he's just had some goings on lately. The three D's (Dan, Darien and David) well..One is now a runner, one is a mechanic/new dad with manic cycling urges and the other is way too fast to be riding with BC all of the time. As for me, yeh I hate missing the rides. I'll be good once I get our addition completed. I can at least do a once a week ride.
Fast, slow, it can be a recovery for the fast guys, a cross training ride for the runners. Even God took a day off. It's only two hours and I need some crew pressure right now. I am getting slower by the minute doing the coach Dad duty. I love watching my boy get faster but I need me some crew time....and a flat brim BC hat
I understand WB, I am getting slower all the time!
BTW, nice chain break tool for breaking the bikechain. Funny story about the BC hats. Did you want those before Christmas?
you're right... but this rut is so deep!
80/20 rule always applies. 80 percent of this post and comments are right, 20 percent is off. I'll say that I never see Bike Chain dying. It continues to grow in my brain. I've not been around but that's cause I'm having trouble finding a center. Big props to all the crew for keeping it going and doing all the little extras. I hope to find out soon about my job and either direction has me on the bike more. I'm always out on Saturdays. Sundays are good for me.
It would be cool to see a consistent Sunday ride rolling again. I can't make every Sunday, but I can make probably 50-80% of 'em...unless of course we apply the 80/20 rule....
tonight, we have membership discounts for you; what size shoe do you wear?
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