You've got to want it.

I've been riding, but I just have not been writing about it. *SHRUG* these things happen. Here are the highlights. Mid June I was cranking up a hill in Wilder Ranch. I had adjusted my derailleur and replaced the chain because I had had shifting problems. PANK! The chain snapped. I had to ride about a mile back to the car. Fortunately it was all down hill. I replaced that chain and STILL had shifting problems. I determined the cassette had been warped. Presumably from the amount of torque someone my size puts through the drive train. I replaced that. First ride on the new cassette, the chain bounced off a cog on the derailleur and wrapped around it. When I pedaled I pulled the derailleur up over the cassette. Total goner. I replaced the Shimano drive train with a SRAM X.9 drive train and have been nothing but happy with it. I've been doing more rides. Rides, that last year left me gasping, have gotten easier. Sections of trail that used to give me trouble I fly through without thought now. Sections that I used to walk I usually make it through. Occasionally I get in over my head, but usually it just means tipping over. No biggie. I was riding up a hill in town last night and something occurred to me. A little over two years ago I tried to rid up the hill on my old mountain bike. I got, MAYBE 1/5th of the way up it before getting off and pushing. The act of walking up the hill was hard and I had to stop and rest a few times. Last night I just spun up to the top. I could feel the burn, but I knew that my legs had a long way left in them. My lungs were barely straining. I pondered how much better shape I am in now. I've lost over 40 pounds since I started. I know I've gained a lot of muscle mass. I've a lot more energy than I used to. It's taken a lot of work. Pedaling up ANOTHER hill, one I would have never even tried before, I could feel my legs burn and lungs working hard. I wonder what sort of brain damage kept me going, because frankly, the sensation sucks. When I got to the top I was very proud of my progress. I turned and started back down, thoughts still playing in my head. I've seen Lance Armstrong quoted as saying that to be a good cyclist you've got to like pain a little bit. Maybe that's true, but the conclusion I came to is that you've got to want it. Really want it. If I didn't I'd still get a stitch in my side and be winded after a mile of flat land. I used to stop twice in my 5 mile loop, and not it's a warm up to a "real" ride. Funny how things can change.

And for no reason, all the bikes I can remember having in my life. I wonder if there are pictures of these out there.

-The Red Bike - My memories are vague, but I suspect Cindy might have had it before me. It was, in my mind, my first bike.
-The Black BMX - I think Dad bought it for me at a flea market. I don't think I had it very long. In my mind it's flat black, with white.
-The Evil Kenevel Bike - It was white with a coaster brake. I loved that bike. It had a banana seat, fenders, and molding to look like a motorcycle. I learned to rid two wheels on it, and rode it into the ground.
-The Mongoose Moosegoose - This is THE bike of my childhood. I remember crashing it on my first ride around the corner because I had never used hand brakes. Chrome frame and black mag rims. I rode that bike a lot, and crashed more times than I can remember. I am drawn tot he idea of single speed, ridged mountain bikes with the though of recreating the feeling of rides on that bike.
-The blue Schwinn Varsity - Bought it from and add in the news paper. It served me well through Junior High. I would ride to school with my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. No hands the entire way unless I had to stop.
-The Red Schwinn Continental - This bike was older than I was. It had belonged to Dad before me. I believe it was bought new when my folks move to Hollister, before either my sister and I were born.
-The Green Schwinn Frontier - MY first mountain bike, though it rarely saw trails. I used it in San Luis Obispo, primarily for exercise (Though not enough) and later when I was delivering furniture to save money on gas. It was a good bike. Cleaning it up one day started my current obsession with cycling. I was trying to ride it on trail, it just wasn't really meant for that.
- The Trek 6700 - My first real (and current) mountain bike.
-The Centurion - Bought for 5 buck, cleaned up and traded for a frame and fork.
-The Trek 520 - My road/commute bike. It is a fantastic bike, and fun to ride to work.
-The Roach - Just a frame right now. I intend to build it up to run to the store, etc.

-Badger