Time Machine

I remember the day well. I was sitting at the desk of the health club I was working at (OK, it was more of one of those Nautilus "clubs" that were all the rage in the late 80's/early 90's) reading the newest issue of Winning magazine waiting to get out on my steel Trek road bike for another training ride.

Bob Harrington of Wayfarer Bikes struck up a conversation asking me about my riding and we chatted about general bike geek stuff. Then he asked THE question... "Have you been mountain biking yet?"

Mountain biking? Really? LeMond didn't mountain bike... Hinault didn't mountain bike..Indurain, Delgado, Roche... none of them! "This mountain bike thing is just a fad... it'll never last", I argued. Well I stubbornly agreed to try it out and I've been hooked ever since (even quit the club and went to work for him for a bit). I was a bit off on my "fad" prediction, huh?

Fast forward a few years, I moved up toward Hartford to live with my college friends and drink beer and ride and race mountain bikes. I actually got pretty good at both. My favorite place to ride was Penwood State Park. A pretty darn technical place to ride. Fun place, but for what ever reason, haven't been there in years...

Well today I hit Penwood up again and boy did that place take me back. It was like I traveled back in time. I felt like I was 23 again riding my Kona Kilaua with it's SoftRide stem, Umma Gumma tires and wearing my Bell V1 Pro helmet. Tearing up the trap rock covered single track seemed so naturally to me again. Back then all I cared about was riding and partying so most of those "training rides" were often done hung over. My metabolism allowed me to eat anything I wanted, drink copious amounts of beer and still weigh in at 170 pounds and ride hard the next day. I didn't have a care in the world except to pay the rent and have fun.

Well back to reality, I'm sitting here typing this taking Advil, icing my knee, 25 pounds heavier, wife and two kids, cancer survivor, dealing with bills and wondering if I'll ever race again....
It was a fun trip back in time today... everyone should try it...

I've got the moves like Jaggar

That was the song that I couldn't get out of my head today... annoying, but appropriate...

Headed out to a new to me place in near by Cromwell today called "Hyland River" State Park. I've heard alot about this place having ramps and stunts and such and I was pumped to explore... Got home from dropping the kids off, put on my best free-rider Lucas/McKenna baggy shorts and off I went with the Goblin.
"Nice place, but where the hell are the stunts?"... I've got the mooooves like Jagger...."

Neat little place tucked between the golf course and the river so there were some cool scenic over looks of the mighty Connecticut River and lots of fun twisty stuff.... but still no stunts... what the hell?

Ever since the Death of Racer Boy, I feel like I've been re-invented on the bike. This was the first ride in quite awhile were I really had fun. Didn't care about how fast I was going, clearing a hill, bike parts, blogs or pics (much to Airborne's dismay, I'm sure). Just a fun time in the woods by myself. Hell, even the knee and ankle even enjoyed the ride.
But where the hell where the stunts? I've got the moves like Jagger...

So if you live in the area and looking for a fun quick ride, great place to go, hit me up for directions. I wouldn't go out of your way to go there to ride, unless I missed something.

Got home and looked up some reviews and pics of the area and where the stunts were... The reviews were from 2003... DOH! I may have to sneak back in there this fall and re-build some of them... stealth mode...
Still a fun time because I've got the moves like Jaggar....