Bend Beyond

Just some visual stimulation that may or may not have anything to do with the last few months, bikes, coffee & food. It's a gamble. #bikeskeepmehonest 

Fake Blues

Hey Everybody, time to get back into this blog-shaped thing. Let's start off with Saturdays. Not Saturdays in general, but this Saturday; today. 

I awoke to two cats fighting in my driveway. I've been more startled in my life, but this was a damn close second place. I swung my leg over my abused, but dearly adored road bike (which is now sporting some recently purchased, pre-abused Mavic Kyrsrium Elites)and headed over the bridge to the coffee box. A positively gorgeous sunrise greeted me as I spun along the ocean in a light, to medium coma (read: actually addicted to coffee. Actually.) 

I was suddenly jolted from my mellow cadence by a familiar explosion of air from my rear tire, joined by the sound of my new-to-me Kysrium rim shaking hands with a piece of rebar. Not rhubarb, as in the pie, but rebar, as in the hard as fuck metal rod. Thanks cast iron, death rod. I took in my surroundings and placed myself at exactly half way to work. No more, no less. Decisions... I chose to run: the contents of my stomach like custard in a plastic bag, jostling to and fro as I stumbled like a zombie in tap-shoes, in the morning light. 

Work happened. Much caffeine and a delicious BLT & Fried Egg Wrap was consumed. Man fuel. Maple glazed bacon. Not a joke. Synapses fired and revealed the stashed tube and tire lever in my pack. Woops? Flat fixed. Works ends. Ride begins.

In short, I ended up pedaling through one of the most exhilarating road rides of my short existence. I fought the wind for almost 25 miles and it rewarded me on the way back. My legs, or "meat levers," as they have become known, felt like magical robots. Full circles of powerful, even, fluid pedal strokes pushed me into a blissful head space. The weight of my daily grind and impending life decisions rocketed backwards out of my mind as my uncertain gaze of the day narrowed into a purposeful tunnel of clarity. Time on the bike was paying off. My legs felt strong. A strange smile crossed my face and never left. Happiness had to be this - I was sure. 

Towards the end of the ride, I cruised through a flock of idling cars, most of which contained people who were not nearly as happy as I was. In a sincerely sick way, I got a good amount of pleasure out of this. No apologies to be made. Shoot me. 

My day had done a full 180. Things wrapped up with burgers on the grill and a Rogue American Amber Ale in my hand. Gosh darnit, life can be sweet - Cheers. 

Dome Lid

Here we are, first bikemuse review ever. Let's see how it goes. Any wagers? I've got one buffalo nickel that says it's along the same lines as all my other posts; A.D.D. laden and a bit off 
topic. 


The lucky product which has claimed the title of 'First bikemuse Reviewed Product Ever," is POC's Trabec Helmet. With a mission statement like, "...to do everything we can to possibly save lives and to reduce consequences of accidents, for gravity sports athletes, by developing and renewing what personal protection is all about," I expected something pretty good to come out of the shiny white box that arrived at my door. 


Being from Sweden, I was expecting a Volvo-esque fit, something boxy and modern, perhaps minimalist and definitely eye-catching. For the most part, I just about nailed it. What popped out of the pearl white mystery box was something beautiful. This helmet represents POC's first foray into the XC/AM world and all those meatball-fueled, brain-bucket engineers over there have something special on their hands. As you can see, I got the XXL version, to fit my massive information container. 

What drew me to the POC Trabec, other than the awesome color choices and AM styling, was their EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) shell with an extra layer of aramid fiber grid woven into the mold. Strong shit. I know nearly every helmet, whether it is POC's or a Wal-Mart brand is held to the same CPSC Impact Standard, but I have to believe that all these extra layers and do-dads add up. 

I am pretty frugal most of the time, but I didn't really care to find out whether a cheap helmet holds up the same as an expensive helmet when being sandwiched between my head and the Earth. That being said, here's what's in the box.

A baller carrying-sack and some extra padding and a sticker or two. My knee jerk reactions were: this is way lighter than I thought, much more blue than I had expected and that I should have splurged and got the matching gloves. I popped open the retention system and slapped it on my head. I was blown away by the coverage and feel. It feels like it is holding my head, around the back, front and sides, not just resting on top. Also, the tension holding everything in place was not focused on one or two points, but evenly distributed around my whole cranium. It is stupidly easy to adjust (with or without gloves) and the super comfortable, moisture wicking pads were instantly kind to my skin. I feel protected. Suddenly the $130 I spent on my life felt worth it. 

I am coming from a large Fox Flux, which has been great and saved my head in a few spills, although it simply did not fit well, no matter how hard I tried. It put an enormous amount of pressure on my forehead when tightened correctly and felt like it was always sliding backwards. Here are a few shots for a size comparison. They also weigh about the same (within a few grams of eachother). 

So far, I have logged two rides under this beauty; one damp and cool and one hot and dry. On the latter, my upstairs got pretty dank and moist. The Trabec doesn't have an enourmous amount of vents (16),but doesn't really need any more, especially for coastal riding. If you live in the desert though, this is worth considering - also don't get black. 

The bottom line is that I feel safe in this little fella. I don't have to think, "Damnit, I'm going to eat it off this drop and my helmet has already slid back over my head, revealing my pale mellon to the terra firma." It is also visible from space (color wise), so I feel OK about riding on the road - although, if we know anything about dumb people behind the wheel, it's that they will remain dumb people behind the wheel. Fingers crossed. So far, from what I can tell, it is worth every wooden nickel.  

Also, I listened to this whilst writing. And drank some delicious black coffee.

Happy Trais.

Visions of Your Reality

I suppose it's time to start figuring things out.  My subconscious is peeking through, bubbling to the forefront of my mind and constantly reminding me that there is so much to see, so much to do, mistakes to be made and experiences to be had. It's becoming time to say goodbye to my faithful trails, my church, my place of worship, the holy grounds upon which I have sacrificed blood and sweat. After thousands of miles ridden, hundreds of insignificant worries and regrets forgotten, dozens of stitches and more than two decades, it is time to put rubber to dirt elsewhere. If I could pin down what I am chasing, I certainly would, but here I stand, unable to explain what I want, where I want it or how I will get there. The concrete truths I am relying on are simply fleeting moments which entrench themselves in my emotional fabric and are sown deep into my mind. Off I go. Long live the ride. 

"I don't want to be a rusty suit of armor, or a tumbled out forgotten castle in your mind, I just want to be a twisted willow, so I can leave your shallow thinking far behind."

Grassroots

Some homestyle, cross country lovin', from me to you. [Watch in HD for enhanced viewing pleasure.]

Video Vednesday

This put a huge smile on my face. The flow in here in unreal. Nice Blur LTc too.


Here's to hoping to get out tomorrow.



Also, a little cross country action headed your way. This guy makes it look easy.. 

Because My Clothes Have Holes in Them

Dear Die-Hard bikemuse Readers, 
      
     How would you like some swag to represent your favorite blogger and bearded mountain bike companion? Please leave a comment or feel free to e-mail with a simple yes or no answer (or a complex, "Yes, I want 19 of these gem-boats."). I am open to design changes, as these glorious shirts are for you, the dedicated and ultimately stylish bikemuse reader. 

Loaves and Fishes,
Erik

As a parting gift, please feel free to watch this. Love the soundtrack...