My addictions.....

When did I get so addicted? Was it that summer at camp? Nah. What about that time I got lost and bonked hard 15 miles from my car? Nope. Could it have been that time I jumped the drainage ditch? Addiction is a nasty to word to most. Alcohol addiction, drug addiction I never had those problems. I got hooked on something different. I have been addicted for the last 10 years, and maybe longer than that now that I think about it. It was never a steady addiction. It would come and go through the years like the season changes. So when did I start this strung out bender? As early as I can remember it started with a old BMX

Insert Wayne’s world flashback

I loved to ride around my neighborhood, and cause trouble with the other hooligans. I had the mandatory BMX bike, no helmet and an attitude. It was great for a while. Then I saw “Gleaming The Cube” with Christian Slater and all thoughts turned to skateboarding. My Bike slowly started it’s long descent into bike heaven. It’s bearing seized, the chrome bits flaked and rusted, and before I could rescue it from it’s slow painful death I had to put it out of it’s misery. Sure the bike had given me some nasty scrapes, numerous pedal bites and a scar from that time I tried to jump the drainage ditch. But that BMX bike and I had some really good memories. Pedaling around the hood, spontaneous ring and runs, oh and that time I got the scar jumping over the drainage ditch.

After the death of my trusty BMX I was burned. The relationships I tried to form with other bikes were not the same. Something was missing. I dabbled in different sports and activities until I got my first mountain bike. A 1999 Gary Fisher Tassajara. It was to small for me, the rim breaks were shot, and it creaked every time I turned the old pedals attached to the creaky BB. It needed a lot of TLC but I was addicted. I rode it everywhere. I took it with me to summer camp, the beach, and anywhere I could find a road or a trail to ride on. That old Tassajara gave me a more than a good time. It started the addiction that I now have today.

I did not know how addicted I would get until I started working at my current job, some years later. Wilderness Adventure was the best thing that could have happened to me at that time in my life. My bike was not getting ridden much. I had put on a tiny bit of weight. “And by tiny, I mean like 50lbs” and I was jaded by the real world. My new job offered me the lifestyle I needed to get fully addicted. I was now in an environment that promoted bikes, working on bikes and teaching people about bikes. I was hooked. And I needed more. Enter my now best friend. I did not know what being obsessed with bikes meant until I met Jake. Maybe obsessed is the wrong word. It was creepy, and strange. But for some reason I wanted to be that guy too. I dragged my wounded Tassajara to Jake so he could work on it. I was spending most of my paychecks to replace everything on a bike that needed to be put out to pasture. Before long I was looking at new bikes and flashy new parts. My own obsession had begun.

50 some pounds lighter and more years that I want to think about later, here I am. My old BMX has been long gone, and the only thing left of my tassajara is the vintage frame on the wall. I am sure the BMX has made it’s way into the worlds of many other kids in various forms. Born again after being melted down for scrap. I hope at least a small part made it back to a bike, or a part of a bike. I have owned many bikes since. Some I have loved, and some I have loathed. I am more obsessed than ever. My friends and relatives think I borders on creepy and strange, but still obsessed. Airborne has allowed me a new way to be obsessed. Not only can I be obsessed with my bike, and what I do to it. But now I am privy to a world I never dreamed. It’s the drug I crave, on a daily basis, and there are no pesky side effects like death to worry about. Us two wheeled junkies from bonds with the machines of our addiction, Like a John Wayne and Dollar or The Loan Ranger and Tonto. The addiction is not only a personal one. It can spread to a group. Drinking the MTB Kool-Aid gets you membership to a support group for your addiction, scars that will bring back fond memories and a revolving need to be out on the trails.

The bike holds great memories of good times with my best friends. The rides that went wrong or the ones that never seemed to end. It shapes my future in the form of trips, and what part I need next. It also quite possibly saved my life. Getting my lard butt out of the easy chair and onto the saddle. It’s the corner stone that some of my best friendships and relationships are built. I have no plans on quitting my drug of choice any time soon. I am sure there will be a time I need to wean myself off it. For now I plan on getting strung out on my bike as much as I can. The addiction grows stronger every time I throw a leg over my 26” delivery system. Now where did I put my helmet?

Oh where is my toothbrush

Mountain Bike Riders are a strange breed. We are, thrill seekers, always looking for a good time and something to remember. Sometimes the most memorable trips are the one’s that begin with something forgotten. Your multi tool, patch kit, spare tube. it can say a lot about the type of rider by what you carry. Take myself for example. I carry a pack full useless stuff ! I came to this realization today, when I searched through my bag on a mission to find my toothbrush.

Many Riders choose not to use any bag. If they do, they use a under the seat type o deal. XC or DH days, I bring my trusty Dakine Nomad. Perfect for all occasions! Please don’t judge my bag by the full face straps on the back. Here is what I have in my sack. I have not added or taken anything out. this list was created real time as I extracted the entrails of my bag.

• Gorilla Pod “flexy Cam mount”
• 1 pair Smith sunglasses and bag
• SRAM 9speed powerlink
• Misc metric bolts (3)
• 1 Quarter “25 cents”
• 4 -2.5” wood screws. “left over from building a trail feature”
• 5-16 penny nails “same as above”
• Demon Dirt Hanky
• 2 beverage coozies “one for me and one to share!”
• Shock pump
• 2 patch kits “ one park tool and one G.I.
• Small adjustable wrench
• 2.1-2.35 kenda tube
• 2 tire levers
• 14” section of rubber tubing. “your guess is as good as mine”
• Topeak Mountain Morph pump “the best mobile pump ever”
• 5 large zip ties
• some Luna chews and camelback elixir tabs
• Park tool MTB-3 multi tool
• A ball cap. SRAM or STIHL
• Also My toothbrush which I did find

I will sub in and out some other fun bits depending on season, bike, and length of ride. On longer riders I will add a small first aid kit, and more food. As a Flight Crew Member I always try and bring my GoPro, memory cards and 1 or 2 small cams. Every ride is different and every ride can tell a story if you take the time to capture it. When weather may be a factor I have a number of different rain shells and layers I may bring. Like I said this is no definitive list. It happens to be what was in my bag right now. Every riders pack is unique. They will range in size, and preparedness. Some bags may have the tools to fix any mechanical on any trail. Some have the tools to keep you alive for days. And some very lucky packs, will hold the tools to fight tooth decay, and the gum disease known as gingivitis.

Want to know more about what other riders take along in their bags? Check my friend and fellow Airborne Flight Crew Member Jerry Hazard. Click me and I will take you to Jerry's Bag. Better Yet, if you have something strange or useful please let me know about it and why you use it.

"I was built for this"

So there I was. Doing the hike a bike thing up a steep shoot or crumbling shale. The Appalachian mountains are the oldest in the world, and while they are smoothed by time and weather they still have so many surprises and I am constantly blown away that I live in an outdoorsman’s playground like this. On this day I was not marveling in the slow beauty of the mountains though, oh no. I was hiking to the top of a favorite local trail. Full DH gear including baggies, long sleeved jersey (stupid idea) and backpack with a small shops worth of tools and all my camera gear. I had planned the best video ever! I was going to conquer the mountain, shred to the bottom, and get all the video I needed for an epic video. As a part of the Flight Crew I work to produce video’s for Airborne. I try and showcase the bikes that I ride and why I love them. Sometimes it can be a difficult job. But not today-- I had a plan!
I remember thinking back to that morning when my wife told me to be careful and drink lots of water because it is going to be hot. Hot! PHHHSSSS….whatever! I work outside! I do this for a living! I can handle pushing my bike up a hill and riding down, and smiling for the camera. “I was built for this”. I think those were my exact words. Still pushing I could have kicked myself. She was right and it was hot. Not desert hot. It was humid, slimy, wet hot. The kind of hot that makes you feel like you will never cool down again. No breeze, no relief. I should have turned back when I found the tear in my camelback but I couldn’t! I felt ok! I could beat the heat! Plus I have some emergency duct tape to fix the tear so it will be fine. If it leaks a bit that’s ok. “ I was built for this!”
Thinking about it made me thirsty, and a few sips later my water is gone…….wait a sec, GONE? No way. Yes way. The tear that I saw was only a small sign of the larger problem. Well that sucks. Keep pushing. “I was built for this.” I am about half way to the top, and I decide to take a breather on the side of the trail. “I hope this is not one of those days,” I think to myself. You know the days I am talking about. Nothing seems to work right. It usually happens when you have been looking forward to a ride for a long time. You get everything packed the night before and head out only to remember once you arrive you forgot your clipless shoes. NO, I was not going to let that happen. It’s ok, so I am out of water. So what! “ I was built for..……air conditioning” I get my sorry butt up and keep trudging to the top. This is important I remind myself. I decide to get my mind off the sorry state I am in. I need to think about how I want to set my shots up. I start feeling better about myself, I can see the video in my mind, I can hear the music. “Jeez it’s hot, what was I thinking about again?” The Airborne guys will understand. Maybe I should cut my losses and head down. “Jerry Hazard would not give up.” I swear I hear a tiny voice say. Uhh I am going to keep moving. I am nearly there. A long time later I finally drag my sorry carcass to the top of the mountain. 1,100 ft higher than I started my day.
Man my head hurts, what is wrong with me? Yep the dreaded “BONK”. If you are a mountain bike rider you know what I am talking about. I decide the prudent thing to do it to rest re coupe and plan my shots. “What were my shots again” I better get the GoPro out and start getting it ready. “what does it mean when the battery light flashes? UHHHHH Ok I need to take stock of my situation. No water, my head is pounding like a fat kids hand, while waiting for cake. And my GoPro has no batteries. I can still make this work with my little hand held HD and my point and shoot cam. I go on with this plan until I turn the point and shoot cam on. I find this message waiting for me “Memory Card Error”. For the love of Pete! Ok Dan breathe, I count backwards from 25 and try to calm down. I had fallen into the bonk trap. Once a Bonk has a hold of you it is hard to snap out of it. I think the bonk and that Murphy guy with the law are in cahoots.
What am I going to do? “Ride”. Now, I am not crazy, but I swear I heard a tiny voice in the back of my mind say it. You know what? The voice is right! I am not going to let all that ruin what I planned to be an amazing ride. I look down at my bike. Three quarters of my ride has been spent pushing up a mountain to this moment. All I have done so far is piss and moan about my bad luck. I forgot why I was out here to begin with. My trusty tin donkey was ready to ride, and I had not even thrown a leg over it yet. I was ready to quit before I even started. One short sweet hour later I am at the bottom. I got all my shots, I rode all my lines perfectly, the trail was in the best condition I have seen it in a long time, my headache is gone, and I feel like a million bucks! “What happened there?” I say aloud to my TAKA.
Sometimes I think we put too much into the ride. We plan and plan. We create a ride in our heads before we even hit the dirt. We lose sight of the reason we spend loads of hard earned coin on circles to turn circles. I was out for all the wrong reasons that day. We all have a ride like that sometime. I think we all need that ride to set us straight. I sure as heck needed this one. It puts things into perspective and reminds us that the ride does not have to be perfect to be a ride to remember. Even though I am dehydrated, sweaty and starving I leave the trails a much happier man. It’s funny how things happen. “I was made for this!”

Baggies and bib shorts.

“Have you ever been on a cross bike?” That’s the question that kept cropping up every time I mentioned my new Airborne bike. “Not really, but I have been on a road bike once.” That was my only answer. As a Mmember of the Flight Crew we are given bikes to test, ride, and review. When the guys at Airborne asked me what bike I would like, without hesitation I decided on the Delta cross bike. Sure I got a lot of hassle from friends on why I chose a bike I didn’t really know anything about. I am first and foremost a gravity rider. Sure I like a good climb, but my true passion lies with DH and technical AM descents. I have to admit, even though I was excited to get something different; this time in the form of the Delta. I was nervous about getting the bike, and getting the designed use out of it. I know what to do with a gravity bike. Give me a trail, I can point it down and fly. I know the movements, I trust the tires in the corners, and I know how the bike will react over terrain. But a rigid bike on gravel, or pavement-- Tthat’s a different story.

Well a few short days later, a big box with a Airborne logo was on the back porch at work. I hastily opened it up and got to assembling the Delta. After about 45 minutes I had it pretty well dialed in and ready to ride. I could not wait! After swallowing my pride, and donning my new Airborne Road/XC kit, I grabbed the Delta, adjusted the saddle as best as I could, and started cranking to the nearest fire road climb. The first thing I noticed was my body position. Now this may seem, pretty obvious, to most everyone. But to me it felt ridiculous! Hunched over the bars in lycra, with my pockets stuffed with gu, and stinger chews. Who was I kidding? This is for the birds. But I asked for it and I need to give it a fair shot. I kept cranking. After about 30 min on the road I found my way to the fire road I was looking for.

My next discovery included the stiffness of the frame and the acceleration you get with a fully rigid frame. Strange riding position aside, this was not bad! I started really feeling confident heading up the road. Keeping tucked, I kept cranking up and up. Why did this feel so good? I almost felt like I was betraying my beloved gravity bikes that were sitting back at work longing for a ride. I swore to myself I would ride them later. As I am heading up I started losing steam, so it was time to give the Apex 2X10 a workout. Shifting slowly back up and spinning my way to the top I felt great! Gaining altitude and confidence all the way. The Apex group was awesome. I had only read about it, or got feedback from buddies that had used and researched the product. They were not kidding it was fast shifting, and really intuitive to use. “Double tap” I love you. Just another nice surprise the Delta was hiding.

Well feeling like a changed man I get to the top of my climb and take a break to do some thinking. It climbed great, was fast on the road, and stiff! So far so good. But now I am heading down. How was this bike going to handle heading down the fire road and a shortcut over a small trail back to the road? “ like crap” I think to myself. But I have gotten myself into this and I need to get myself back down. So I start heading down the hill. Now this is no speed machine heading down the gravel road. The steering was sketchy to me as I am used to 700 to 780mm between the bar ends. It felt like I was holding onto a ludicrously small set of bars. This was no fault of the bars, but more my own naïve CX bike experience. It was hard to get myself to trust them. But I pushed past the awkward feeling and kept rolling.

If I thought the small bars were odd, the saddle up my chamois in the turns was down right invasive! I never really was able to trust the bike fully in corners on gravel, and I am sure it showed as I crept onward down the mountain. Aside from my awkwardness the bike was a nice surprise! Even though I am a self labeled “gravity rider,” I started getting into this ride. What would my DH buddys think? The last test for me was the Standard Virginia single track. Smooth in the flats, random shuts of rock, and rooty throughout. Needless to say for feeling like I was on a road bike, it rocked my view of what a cross bike is. It was stiff, predictable, and down right fun to ride. I never have seen myself as a CX type of guy, I am not a big climber, and I feel strange when I am in lycra. This bike has changed all that. Wether you are a “gravity guy” a “XC climber” a “AM ripper” or any other of the hundreds of bike rider classifications; a bike like this can add to your training, fitness, and of course fun. It has become a part of my regular rides. It’s reliable, fun, and a unique experience. So I urge you other self labeled “gravity guys” to give it a shot. Your DH, AM, and FR bikes will not hold it against you. I promise.