New Belgium Brewing’s Accumulation White IPA tastes like a glass of air with a hint of hops.
Why even bother? I refuse to believe that it’s 6.2% ABV.
Author Archives → soiledchamois
The Geek of The Tree Rings
Balls Deep In Deer
Even though Michigan is balls deep into deer season, I took a chance and rode in the woods today anyway. My local trails are on non-hunting land, but they still come close to private land and have a slight reroute to try and keep meaty bike geeks like me from getting capped in the buttocks, but it is still a bit of a risk since I think I read once that a rifle bullet can travel like 32 miles or something ridiculous like that. OK, maybe not that far, but pretty far. I left my fur riding vest and antler helmet at home just in case.
The Pic
The tree in the pic above fell across the trail a year or two ago. I pass it EVERY ride but only today stopped to take a look at its rings (mostly due to having to wiz). Pretty cool to see the rings n’at..
Fear & Loathing Lance While On The Trainer
I wouldn’t say that I have anything against Lance Armstrong (except the lying, cheating, megalomania, sociopathy and making me feel like a Goddamn fool for all those years I supported him and his teams as they doped themselves to the gills to win bike races). And I wouldn’t dare to say that Lance does–or ever has–smoked grass, done mescaline, high powered blotter acid, cocaine, or a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers, raw ether or amyls.
But I do think that he obviously got locked into a serious drug collection and had the tendency is to push it as far as he could. Only his drug collection had more to do with EPO and the like rather than Hunter S. Thompson’s laundry list of illegal, mild to hardcore and dangerous, recreational drugs.
Taking Advantage
In between my days at the gym I have been trying to get out and enjoy the dirt before the snow flies. As you can see from the ground in the pic above, it has been flying here and there but it has a long way to go before it causes any worry or would make me think about maybe regretting not purchasing a fat bike.
A Look At City Cross
I am not much of a cross racer, OK, I am not one at all. It seems I often miss “the point” of cross, along with wanting to avoid all the machismo and fisticuffs that seem so prevalent in the sport of late (at least on ‘merican soil), but I know something that looks painfully fun when I see it… like the Morvélo City Cross in Halifax, England. Check out the video from this year’s race–
Dirt Highway
Almost every trail system has one or two parts that you can either A. Recover and take in some fluids and/or nutrition or B. Put the hammer down and get all “speeder bike on Endor“. The pic above is of from my local trail system at the Mid Michigan Community College. Most of the 16-ish mile loop is undulating and lumpy with some roots and embedded rock thrown in to make your lower back feel “alive” and glad you have a full suspension (or make you wish for one). However, this particular section is currently wet, packed down dirt and sand, sort of like a dirt highway that you can get you reach speeds of 17 mph or more if you choose, before hanging a right into some slower, new trail with lots of twists and turns. Either way, it’s all good.
Dirt is always good. Singletrack is always better… whether fast and smooth, slow and rocky or twisty and turny.
The Cost Of Grips
Forest Facts
I cannot be certain if a falling tree makes a sound when no one is around, but I am quite certain that if a tree falls in a forest it will ALWAS find its way across the trail. It’s a fact.
Ignoring The Facts
I find it amusing sad how long I can ignore the fact that spring and summer are gone and now fall is on the cusp of doing the same. Looking down the trail and seeing nothing but brown, bare trees is sort of a repeated slap in my fat face to wake up and smell the decaying bung of autumnal death and keep riding as long as I can. For soon winter will be bending me over a barrel of dark cold ass depression and thrusting its unprotected frozen phallus of hate in my general direction.
This fact was made all the more real today when at the ride’s end I stood in the parking lot talking to some friends and was getting hit in the face with a smorgasbord of gusting wind, leaves, rain, sleet and snow. Then the sun came out. Michigan weather is as psycho as mountain weather…. we just don’t have mountains.
Leaves & Bike Love
After more than a week, I finally made it out on the trails. I’m sure glad I did because with winds gusting from the south at 20+ MPH I sure as hell didn’t want to be out on the roads getting blown around like a fat, lycra-clad piece of rubbish that had a date with a truck’s grill.