I DFL’d my first ever race, and that’s alright by me

It was cool to pop by and see people being stoked on bikes.

The world began to melt away through the mist. Gradually, there were no more trees, no more birds, no more rocks, no more sounds. The only thing I could see was the tire in front of me, the road directly under my feet as I pushed my bike, and the edge of the next curve before it dropped away to a thousand feet of nothing.

The national parks I know are a far cry from those envisioned by Edward Abbey and John Muir.

Before last weekend, I had never been to a cyclocross race.

I flashed a peace sign at the trail counter as Kristen and I crossed the beam, adding our wheels to the thousands that have taken this spin over the last two summers. I weaved over the centre line for the first time without fear. Not having to worry about some bus coming bawling around the corner and taking me out was a relief.

I’ve been trying something new.

Quiet roads and long climbs characterize the island

They promote rambling, something that I think people don't do enough of these days. They make more people say yes to good times. They are about staying out late, discovering something new and getting lost

The skies stay lighter a bit longer every day. I start dreaming up schemes to get out on the bike — most of which will never come to pass — but it's starting.

It was a place for the wayward, for just a passin’ through. It was like the old roadside towns of a past age, where the only thing to do was stop and stay a while. 

Someday the goal I have in mind would be to have a small house on a large bit of land and to work that land so that I can live comfortable on my own. Plus it would be super cool to have a fat cargo bike as a tractor.

I am going to take a long look at what biking means to me. I want to explore why I got into it, why I stayed there and what the future holds for me.

This is not about how to fix a bike. There have been countless books and posts on the subject, and for me to try and teach you how to fix a bike would be futile. I'm by no means good at it, and there are better teachers out there. This is more about how fixing a bike can fix other things at the same time.

Where you are.

We all get to that moment...

Everything feels effortless after a winter of grinding through snow. You legs are stronger now, your technique has improved. You’re faster. You can go further. You want that horizon.  

Edmonton's first bike show brought the many different bike subcultures together under one roof

At the end of it all, everything comes together.

Winter is a time for rebuilds. Here is a look at my upgrades to my lugged steel drop bar MTB

Bikeworks is a volunteer bike shop run by EBC. We went to talk to them and take photos of their shop.

On making something old into something rad

Taking a mountain kid into the desert and giving him his choice of high end bikes ends in shredding.