Thursday, February 5, 2009

February contest time...

Long day today and I'm a bit toasted.

The pile of Luvs is now two stacks high, around 45 bars total for the steelies. Gonna work on Ti tomorrow. I should be on time getting these out, somewhere in the middlin of the month.

I also almost kinda sorta finished prep on two frames going to the show. Still have a bit of stainless to braze on one of them and they'll be ready for paint. The finishes for these two coupler frames are gonna knock your socks off, unfortunately, no peeking until Indy ;)

So, for the contest. I kicked around a few ideas on what would be fun to do for y'all, and I settled on a contest this month that will help us all get to know each other a bit better.

Write a single paragraph conveying what cycling means to you.

Yep, that's it. Make it as flowery as you like or keep it simple and elegant, it's up to you. What I'm looking for is a glimpse into who you are, and why cycling is a part of your life.

We'll close off the submissions Saturday night to give every one time to look into the depths of your souls :)

Winner gets a custom matted print from the shop gallery taken by Sherrick Photography, announced Sunday evening. Remember, registered readers only...it's never too late to jump on.

I look forward to knowing you better,

rody

15 comments:

Roy said...

- being outdoor (loved that since I was small (yeah, I was small once ;-) )
- challenge/improve myself on technical level (and keep fit during the proces :-) )
- See something of the world in a different way
- Have fun (in general, not only on the bike)

Nothing Poetic and in a random order, Thanks for bringing some new Elan in these factors, very interested in other readers ideas and philosofies. Cheers and happy trails Roy

DougM said...

Being an engineer, I am not much of a poet, but... I love to be outside, on the road, in the woods, it doesn't matter, I have been known to ride laps around my house. I enjoy the workout and the testing of myself physically and sometime mentally. Cycling is hard work that is relaxing. When I clip into the pedals, the bike is an extension of my body. I feel the road, the trail, or the tree :). Plus, bikes are just darn sexy machines.

wESd said...

cycling means freedom..you know like all those Mel Gibson movies that are the exact same with different clothing...wait what was I talking about, oh yeah cycling is freedom

Nik said...

Escape:

1. run away from confinement; "The convicted cyclist escaped from a high security office"

2. remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion; "I escaped to my mountains for a few days"

stevied said...

Freedom and independence, the ability to explore new places and the same old stomping ground. The exhilaration of speed and the contentment to cruise along.
The joy and excitement of a new machine and the confidence in a trusty old one. The pleasure in meticulous tuning and the delight in dirtying it up. The simplicity of travel and the physical effort to reach a destination.
The camaraderie of the group ride and the solace in going alone.

That and a good Mel Gibson flick.
Anyone seen Apocalypto?

Anonymous said...

Groovy Bikes Ooze Class
Vintage world is quite lucky
Rody should ride more.

-MikeW

Anonymous said...

Cycling is:
A release. A simple pleasure. I've gotta have it.
Time to breathe, hard today, harder next time.
Hard work but I love it.
Those who ride know.
It's a release, even though sometimes we get lost. It makes finding your way home that much sweeter. Go again? You bet.
Endless smile.

rmb said...

Mountain Biking is a way for me to enjoy exercising and nature. It's hard for me to exercise without having fun. Sometimes it makes me feel like a kid, especially on the singlespeed. At one point in my life I spent a lot of time building cars, now I find myself tinkering more and more with bikes. So for me, bikes satisfy my need for fun, exercise and to tinker.

rich said...

Biking for me is different things on different days. I got into it to get back in shape and lose some weight...and it worked.
Some days I ride to releive stress from work. No matter how bad the work day was, a nice long ride clears the mind
Other days it's a social outlet. I have a group of friends and our weekly ride is a means of staying in touch.
And still other days I just want to get out and get lost and taking a new trail or finding a new road allows me to do that....

Anonymous said...

I remember I cried when the principal told me kindergartners were not allowed to ride their bikes to school. I did anyway. I remember my first banana seat, my Schwinn Varsity, my long-gone college commuter, my first Trek road bike, my Kestrel tri-bike, and my first Fat Chance. I remember riding my Varsity with no hands while eating a burger and fries and drinking a coke. I remember getting lost in the Rockies on my 85 fat between Aspen and Crested Butte. I remember the heat and wind in Kona. I remember how I felt when my latest frame came by FedEx last week. That is my 50 years on a bike

Unknown said...

Crash, bang, grind, $$$, OHhhhh, weeeeee!, pant-pant-pant, whirrrrrrrr, huuummmmmmm, givemeroommmm!, easeUp easeUp, crash, bang, grind, $$$, BAM! phizzzzzz, mosquitos are killing me, ready to go, pant-pant-pant-, WHeeeeeeeee, gulp-gulp-gulp, hang-on-hang-on-hang-on, goGogo!, glide, clickSnap, WHATARIDE!

cibi said...

It's all about feeling groovy.

And sometimes in autumn when I'm on a mushroom foray I can hear the gentle whisper of fairylike Mrs. Robinson...and she always lets me know where the nicest boletus grow.

IF52 said...

Bliss

MarinTi said...

Cycling is having a moment for myself. Enjoy nature, escape from the hectic everyday life. Today I saw a squirrel and some deer. My bike gets me to places, where I otherwise wouldn't have been.

b.asti said...

Hey Rody, this is basti@ Crit. Dirt

You wanna get some mtb inside from your blog follower?

In biking I nearly live for singletrails only. The more challenging, the better. And in biking I starve the feeling of effortless motion through roots an rocks. Some kind of feeling that is only possible, by accepting and adopting the nearest environmental impact. The best ride I had last year was a trail partly on the edge of a cliff with tight cornering every 10 meters that is normally dry, fast and feels like a hoizontal downhilltrack. But that time it was the worst possible rain. Every tree or bush I got in touch with felt like having a cold shower. The ground, roots, rocks and corners weren´t muddy yet but slippery as hell. So I had to give up aggressive riding. Instead it was matter of passive riding, trust, and give in in the beauty of the moment. Continuing fast but without hesitation. Effortless.
You know, I´m a little into rockclimbing too. And it is -sometimes - an equal beauty in the motion. Flowing moves with strength and concentration but without hesitation. Like giving in into the actual environment that you are faced with.
You partly have to give up the "How" of the way, but not the "where to".

greets
b.asti