Renewal

Many things are running through my mind! Firstly, we have a new president. Wonder if he rides a bike like the guy he replaced? I've heard he likes to shoot hoops ... maybe getting a bike will improve his game.
Yesterday I ventured out on the American River Parkway. It felt good to be on the bike and due to the forecast of rain I went a little faster than usual. All my concentration was on mechanics today. Spinning the pedals without bouncing on the saddle. A few fast sprints, where I pushed up to almost 24 mph, really felt good. The last sprint was to make the left-turn arrow at McAdoo. Made it!
The parkway is greener every time out there. We haven't had lots of rain, just enough to make it green and beautiful. On the other hand, the river is lower than I've seen it in the eight years since moving to Folsom. While pedaling, my thoughts were about how badly we need rain! We need it to nourish the land and everything that grows. We need it to fill our reservoirs so there is sufficient drinking water for the region. We need it to wash away all the dust and dirt from our roadways. So, late yesterday afternoon, the rain came. It is still raining today and it is expected to do so for the next few days. A good start ... but so much more is needed!
This is a season of "renewal" for me too as I have decided to get back to organized cycling events. The past couple of years I've been in a drought too. A cycling drought that is. Yes, there has been plenty of riding both on and off road ... but no fun rides with oodles of other people. Everyone is so excited at these events. The riders, the organizers, and certainly the volunteers. Each ride has it's own personality as do those involved with the planning and execution of the various events. Some are hilly and many have mountains to climb. The good news is that you are rewarded for the effort pedaling up by beautiful vistas and long fast downhills!
Yep, it is a time for renewal. A time to climb on the saddle and go. More time enjoying nature and more time enjoying the ride with other like minded folks.

Where Does a Circle End?

Just about all the posts on this blog have been about mountain biking. That is kinda funny since I've always been a "roadie!" It began in the mid-70's when I purchased my first "road bike." It was a Centurion LeMans and I probably rode about thirty miles that first day. Riding from Huntington Beach to Seal Beach and back I felt the wind in my face and the exhilaration of sprinting along Pacific Coast Highway. Upon being transferred to the service center in Huntington Beach, I became a bicycle commuter as I rode from our home each day. The Levis, boots, and long sleeved shirt was a far cry from the cycling attire most of us wear today!
After moving to Yorba Linda, my trusty Centurion was posted to hook in the garage and there stayed until the late 80's. There was a new bike shop up the hill that had repaired my Centurion on a couple of occasions. Riding with my neighbor, Dennis, typically resulted in some mechanical breakdown thus the trips to the shop.
One Saturday, I went down to the Orange County Fairgrounds for a "bike fair" and found my dream machine. A beautiful Raleigh with what I called "click shift." Up to now, all the bikes had what was called friction shifting where you had to move the lever and wait for the gears to change. The click shift was just that, click it and shift it. Nice.
Shortly after that visit, Pete at the local bike shop (LBS) hooked me up with a beautiful Raleigh road bike. Before long Dennis and I were flying down to Huntington Beach and back on Saturday mornings. We'd stop for a break near the pier and Denny would have a cup of Joe and I'd grab a Coke. Ah, the good life. We kept riding together and then in March of 1989, along with Elizabeth and Susan, ventured to Solvang for our first century ride. It was a cool and damp morning as we left the hotel for this 100-mile bike ride. Overall, the ride was uneventful but it set in motion a desire to do more of these organized events. Over the years, Denny and I completed ten or so of these together. What great fun!
So, I'm on this training ride one day on my Raleigh when it starts acting funny. I've had broken spokes before and thought that was the problem. An inspection of the rear wheel showed all was well. I lifted the bike and spun the wheel and it was perfect! Getting back on and heading out the wobble got even worse. This time I checked everything and to my surprise found that the lower tube in the real triangle had cracked and separated. Bummer!
After a call to the bike shop, I was rescued and told that the frame had a lifetime warranty and they'd get me a new one. A couple of days later they advised that this frame was no longer in production so they'd ordered me a new one. It was going to cost $85 for the new frame ... the new $950 frame! Wow! The new Raleigh Team frame was outfitted with a full Sachs drive train. At that time, Sachs was making a road group named "New Success" and it was made by Campy. In fact, it was identical to the Campy Chorus. Once built, this white beauty became my steed for many great rides. It is still in the family and I use it frequently for indoor training.
In 2004 we'd been living in Folsom for a few years and I had become well acquainted with the LBS-Bicycles Plus in old town. Near the end of the year, I opted to purchase a Specialized Roubaix Pro. This is a full carbon fiber bike with a Shimano Dura-Ace drive train. It is light and just right for many years of riding on the American River Parkway and wherever else I might venture. The Roubaix and I have completed a number of metric centuries (62-miles) and numerous trips up and down the bike trail. Every time I ride my bicycle I am uplifted by the beauty of our world. The time on the bike also provides opportunities for reflection, contemplation, and thoughtful prayer. Yes, riding my bike is a fun and healthy thing to do. It is also a very peaceful and spiritual experience as well!
To answer the question posed in my title ... the circle keeps going forever you just have to get on the bike and turn the crank!

"A Bike Trail Runs Thru It"

Those of us fortunate enough to live in the greater Sacramento area are blessed with a wonderful outdoor resource. The American River Parkway is an east/west playground on both sides of the American River. While the river extends easterly beyond Folsom Lake, the Parkway boundaries stretch from Old Folsom to Old Sacramento where the American spills into the Sacramento River.
Along the river there are numerous parks, golf courses, swimming holes, and an abundance of wildlife. At Nimbus Dam, there is the fish hatchery which provides lots of fun for all when the Salmon are running.
My view of the river is from my bike. Traversing the American River Parkway by bicycle provides a fantastic vista of all described above. Today, for example, I stopped to take a photo of men fly fishing in the river. The way they line up in the water in what seems like a predetermined formation is amazing! I've never been fly fishing myself but it sure looks like these guys are loving life by wading into the water and slinging their respective lines out. The weather man sure provided a beautiful day for them!
Things like this are so exciting to see. I don't go too fast anymore and am always ready to stop and take a photo of a deer, squirrel, snake, or fisherman. One of these days, I will get out there with my big camera and take some shots of the bike riders.
While riding today, I thought about returning home and tapping out an entry about the riders I see on the Parkway. It was going to be colorful in description and language. Well, the ride was so awesome that I elected not to waste the time or blog space on dishing out my word picture of the various cyclists. Suffice it to say that we are all out there enjoying what the Creator has given us. It is really unimportant whether one is fast, slow, skinny, large, on a $10,000 bike or a $10.00 bike.
The realization that right here in the middle of Sacramento County is this beautiful verdant green paradise where we can enjoy so many different activities is in itself an unbelievable blessing! From the rich and famous, to the homeless person trying to find shelter, to the rest of us average Joe's, the American River Parkway is a wonderful playground for all of us.

"What Lake"

Several years ago when our son Mark visited Folsom for the first time he was making fun of Folsom Lake by exclaiming "what lake!" In those days, the Folsom Dam Road was still open and after driving across the dam, he said "there really is a Folsom Lake!" Over the years we've been boating on the lake and when I ride up to Beal's Point on my road bike I always take a break and enjoy watching all of the fun people are having on the lake.
Well, today I again rode the trails of Granite Bay and was amazed at the lack of water in Folsom Lake. It seemed even lower than my last ride here almost two weeks ago. Certainly there were plenty of mountain bikers, joggers, walkers, and horseback riders out there today. It was a beautiful blue sky day in northern California and with the sun shinning folks were out enjoying nature. Awesome!!
Since I was late getting to the start point today I missed most of the kids. Did see a couple of them out there as I looped around seeking the least challenging route around. The bike handled flawlessly and I took the time to snap a few shots of some of the more technical parts of the trail as well as some shots of the lake ... or should I say puddle!
The bottom line for today: Mark, your comment would be perfect today. If we don't soon gets lots of rain everyone will be saying "what lake?"

After the Rain

If it is Saturday and I am not working ... I'll be out trying to keep up with the Folsom High School Mountain Bike Team. Impossible!
Today, at 0900, the group met in Old Folsom for single track loops around Lake Natoma. An impressive group for sure as we pedaled through town towards the old bridge. Once across, the fun began.
Did I mention that it rained Thursday night and Friday? So in addition to the nice firm trails, we were blessed with an abundance of muddy puddles. One of the girls cried out, "my butt is all wet." They all laughed and kept going ... a little mud wasn't going to deter this group today.
The hills are green and with the sun shinning brightly, it made for a wonderful ride. Of course, I lagged behind as usual but really had a great time. After leaving the single track and entering the paved bike trail, I met two couples riding. They were taking photos of each other so I offered to take one of the four of them. Nice shot on the wood bridge near the aquatic center.
From there I took a combination of off-road and bike trail. Arriving back at the parking lot with both the bike and I covered with mud signified that today's ride, while difficult, was fantastic.