Two Wheel Blogs

This is not a rant, it is a simple statement of facts. The trails were very steamy today, and I was sweating constantly. The rocks were slick as all hell, and the hard packed single track was greasy. I really felt like I was not "on" today and when the going got tough, I slid hard into a tree. I did not go down, but I sustained this little "character mark".

It would be really easy to blame some of my tools today. My tires are nearly bald and were not gripping anything other than the pavement leading up to the trail head. My grips (I should say bar tape) got soaked before I even made it to the trails, and became very difficult to hold onto. My gloves which should have helped me hold onto the grips, must be from a bad batch of Pearl Izumi (I love Pearl products, but every one of these Gel gloves has dropped the pads and flattened out in short order...Hopefully this otherwise great company will redesign these gloves). These gloves were like strapping on a stick of butter to rest between your hands and the bars (cushion is temporary, and becomes very slick once you warm up). Finally, I blame my glasses. These things do not allow my face to breathe on hot humid days...at all. I had to take them off shortly after starting...I hate riding without eye shields (I only have 2 eyes, and when they are gone, I think my riding will really suffer).

They say a bad craftsman blames his tools....I am going to have to think about that one...

Bad craftsman? I am not sure if I am a bad craftsman or not...lets analyze the term. Craftsman defined is an artisan who practices a handicraft or trade (profession). I have a hard time calling what I do "art", therefore I am hardly and artisan...but I guess it could be argued, since I am entertaining at times. Walk with me here....art should evoke a feeling and laughter usually indicates comedy...which is considered one of the arts. There you have it, it is safe to call me a craftsman.

Lets analyze that term further, I don't think we are there yet. Craftsman, crafts-man, crafts man. There are 2 elements here. Craft and man.

May be I was just lacking Craft today. Craft is that term I use for the ability to manage the terrain and the given conditions. There is little doubt that I was lacking something...and it can easily be argued that the trail was managing me and not the other way around.

Of course, the other half of that work is "man". Perhaps I am just not a real man? I have had my manliness questioned on several occasions, but I am not sure that has anything to do with the problems I was having today.

May be I am approaching this whole thing wrong. May be I was not the problem, and it was not my tools either. May be that tree simply jumped out in front of me. May be those rocks simply stood up on end and dumped me into the tree. May be I had no chance at all and I am the victim here?

May be I can simply claim that I am celebrating Independence Day by declaring independence from traction and ability to control my bike? That seems ridiculous, but I did a fair amount of training for this type of riding last winter by riding on ice hoping to improve my ability to stay upright in slick conditions...

Ehh, at the end of it all, I think it is best to say that I am a fair rider, but I showed up today with the wrong tools! That just makes me a poor planner. This way I can take some of the credit, but I don't have to feel like less of a man....