Sunday, May 06, 2007

Damn, I'm havin' fun

For the first time in the 10 years I've lived in Alaska, I'm not feeling impatient for the trails to dry out. Oh, I'm eager to break out my Epic and hit some singletrack, but I know that day is coming, and I'm having enough fun that I don't mind waiting.

Mountain bikers have been complaining on the local Internet forum that they need dirt, and that they're tired of riding pavement. Some of them are asking for tips on where to find a dry trail.

Here's a tip: This is Alaska and it's early May. There isn't a dry trail. Be patient.

Dr. Tim prescribes a dose of road bike. Take liberally as needed. Symptoms of impatience should subside within 24 hours. Side effects may include increased weariness, premature seasonal fitness and excessive smiling.

Call me a damned roadie if ya want. I just like to think I'm a bicyclist. Any bike that fits the season is good. A month from now, I'll be grinning from ear to ear as I enjoy the plush feel of a full-suspension mountain bike. But for now, I'm happy to savor the speed of skinny tires and freakishly light frame.

Holy crap, this thing is fun.

9 comments:

photo.morgi.ch said...

My words excactly!
Like your Giant roadie.
Have fun and don't get speed-sick. ;-)

Dave said...

Amen my brotha'!

Doug said...

I agree about riding what ever suits the season. Two weeks ago I blogged about how much fun I had on my first ride on the road bike this year.

Jeff Moser said...

We can usually ride both year round here, but I don't care what season it is. I love to ride the road. The road bike can feel so soothing after beating yourself up on the trails. My fitness and endurance for mountain biking have gone up quite a bit since I introduced road biking. Nothing wrong with wanting to go smooth, long, and fast!

Michelle said...

It gives us ANOTHER reason to buy ANOTHER bike :0

Ooooohhh, green grass under those tires!

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the bright side!

bosskat said...

I just hit my first dry dirt yesterday and it was glorious. 3000 ft. of climbing with technical, high speed descents... I rode the road bike Saturday and the MTB Sunday... best of both worlds. Just go north of Anchorage about 65 miles.

daveIT said...

Tim let's get out for a road ride this weekend. I put in about 60 miles this past weekend. I'll try to keep up on my Surly with MTB gears. Maybe we should go kill ourselves on that hill we rode last year.

The Surly weighs more than my Yeti, but it feels faster with the skinny tires and no suspension.

Tim said...

I'm up for that, Dave. Somebody better round up Robbo and his Dumpster-dive Schwinn.