Well, it's my birthday too, yeah!

27, Twenty-Seven years on this here earth. there were a couple of moments when uncertainty about twenty-six crept in. now, i made it all the way to twenty-seven. i'm pretty excited about it myself.

it is a brilliant day, bright clear skies, and a comfortable 60 degrees for a high. a friend of mine, jimi basler, came in for the holiday weekend. we had fun for thanksgiving. i cooked a duck for the occasion. we just hung out and took things nice and easy for the day. it was nice not to have any big expectations or responsibilities. today we went up to horsetooth resevoir to do some climbing. this area is well known in the climbing circles. i've never been over to the crags, but i can see the groups of people making their way as i ride by this area quite often. it is really just a great day to get out and do anything outside.

jimi, e-mailed me this picture. he asked if i would have preferred putt-putt and a cake. no, indeed a day of climbing and enjoying the sunshine followed by a good pizza pie and a few pints beats miniature golf (for those of you who don't know what putt-putt is) any day. it was great to get to explore another little piece of this new home of mine. the picture is of "meditation boulder." the name is applied by whoever found and explored the area first. so, here is a little meditation on top of meditation. a big thanks to all who remembered me and helped make this a great birthday!

reading list: part 2

When In Doubt, Go Higher!

the mountain gazette! what can i say. i love it. i fell for this gritty rag a few years back when i was out here racing in colorado. i was at a hip little pizza joint in salida, waiting on a couple of slices, looking for a way to pass the time and what should i see, but a set of Chris King hubs turned into salt and pepper shakers. i knew then and there that i was in a special place. i had already had an epic day up on the colorado trail. the climb up into the trees had earned me a hunger good and proper. i could tell that this was my kind of eatery.

now, i don't remember the name of the restaurant, but what i do remember is the reading material i found lying about the place. when i found out that it was free, i was ecstatic. i love good reading. and this magazine oozes material that is biased in homegrown authenticity. all of the contributors are here in the mountains writing about the mountains, probably while looking at and dreaming about the mountains. and so, the mountain gazette is all things mountains.

they like to claim the rockies here in the middle of the u.s. but, i have found a shared sentimental thread for the appalachian mountains of my past life. western north carolina is a beautiful and very special place. both the gazette and i give WNC it's proper dues, we just agree that we would prefer to be here right now.

the mountain gazette is available in a virtual version on the web, check it out. i loved it so much that i subscribed while i was living in tennessee. now i can pick it up right off the rack. i believe that there are 10 issues a year, i have yet to have one let me down. enjoy.

i'm your firestarter, twisted firestarter

yikes, no heat!i received a gentle reminder today about what seperates us from the animals. my furnace at the house went out. it is easily the coldest weather we have had since my move. call to the landlord, no anwer, call again, no answer. i get to play with fire myself.

i ended up having to run a new bit of wire to the thermostat from the furnace. more of an electrician's job that that of a true fire starter. no need for a flint and steel here. there were a few tense moments as i was poking around in the walls and floors trying to feed the new wire cable through. there was plenty of motivation though. you can see above, the forecast was bringing in a balmy low of 15F. i was pleasantly surprised to find that i make a pretty good electrician. the whole job took about an hour with a coffee break.
it is a bit odd how dependent we have become on modern accessories. having the furnace function properly was my primary concern. could i have survived, yes. i must admit that i try and do a little better than just survive. there was a great satisfaction when that low rumble started in the basement, and a sense of utter joy as the heat began to blow through the house. it is a mighty and courageous furnace. the chill in the air was no match for its btu's. i'm not sure if i slept any better because of it. but it sure was easier to get out of bed this morning.

dirt road extravaganza!: part 2

sun. morning, 7:30 came pretty early, but i was excited and didn't mind the hour. the weather looked to be pretty cold, climbing into the 40's if we were lucky. the goal, ride from here in fort collins to the Wyoming border and back, mainly on backroads.

the group rolled out right on time, about 20 mins. late. i heard head counts between 40 and 50 throughout the day. it was a good group and a motley crew, that is for certain. all kinds of rigs were brought out for this ride. there were high end ti, custom jobs and 30 year old steel frames that looked to be resurrected from the dead. fixies, touring bikes, mountain bikes, single speeds, 9 speeds, almost everything was accounted for, but there was not much cabon in the mix.

clothing matched the eclectic mix of bikes. wool seemed more prominent than spandex and nylon. it was a good day for wool. helmets were rare, beanies and stocking caps were not. sweaters, scarves, gloves, knickers, tights and smiles were the order of the day.

the roll out was slow and easy. we rolled along for awhile, then we would stop and regroup, then roll a bit more. there was a bit of a tailwind to push us along as the sun was making it's way over the plains. as we got out of town, houses and cars seemed fewer and fewer. a little push and we were on the dirt! i was having to restrain myself, i normally don't ride nearly this slow, but i was having fun, meeting a few folks, really everyone was nice and having a great time.

about 15 miles from the turn around, we were at the junction of CR80 and HWY287 regrouping. someone flagged down the red bull girls as they sped by. they pulled a u-turn and came back to treat the group. my first and last red bull happened right there on the side of 287 with fifty-something miles to ride on a cold and windy november day. it was a nice gesture though. the funny thing, is that this really isn't the kind of crowd to be into the whole redbull thing. this is more of the roll your own smokes, live on coffee types.

we pushed on up the highway to CR37. here we turned towards red mountain granite canyon, the WY border and a surprise treat of hot cider, cheese and bread! (a big THANKS! to the kind soul who drove these out) this was the hilliest section of road, all dirt and beautiful views. i have to admit here that the roadie in me came out, i won the state/county line sprint, uncontested of course. i don't think this crew even knew what my deal was. it is hard to let something like this go, it is a double line after all.

now, WY was considerably colder than CO. not only that, but WY didn't even bother to put up a sign. so in my book, and according to the signage, we went to the colorado border or at best the larimie county border. all the same, it was cold, windy and snowing at the turn around. i waited longer than i wanted to, but i wanted a bit of a group to ride with as the tailwind of the way out had turned into a headwind for the ride home. we made a decent crew of about five. there would be no more regrouping for me the rest of the day. i was a horse turned towards the barn. the slower than usual pace meant that i had been out in the cold for quite a while longer than anticipated. at one point, around 30 miles to go, the group turned into 3, then one with about 12 or so to go. i had a great time, met a bunch of friendly faces and saw some crazy bikes. 84 miles round trip. i have a feeling that there were some tired bodies that dragged themselves back home much later that afternoon.

more pics here http://homepage.mac.com/mark.bishop/PhotoAlbum1.html

local landmarks

here is a shot of horsetooth rock. round here we have funny names for landmarks. one is called gray rock. real creative, huh? so, this one looks like a horse's tooth, kinda. maybe you need some peyote to get the full effect. all the same, this is a local landmark. you can see horsetooth from just about anywhere in town. the area around it is a public park and open space. there is hiking biking and rock climbing all up in this place.
this is the devil's backbone. again, it is home to a public open space. lots of these in the area. thanks colorado, i love tax dollars at work. it is a fun landmark, about 15 miles or so from the house. in the late sun it shines all kinds of purty colors. one of my routes home follows this for its full length. i don't know much about this area for activites. this is just outside of loveland, the town directly south of us.

dirt road extravaganza!: part 1

sunday, sunday sunday! this sunday starts the cold toes, simple cycles bike tour. there is an super cool, uber-hip, cycling counter-culture that is prevalent here. around town there are many hip cats and cool chicks ridin round on old cycles that have been resurrected. quite a few fixed gears (town is really flat) cool old cruisers and touring bikes of all sorts as well. so, these guys have gotten organized enough to do quite a bit with themselves. one of the events coming up this weekend has stemmed out of that culture.

the first ride in the simple cycles, cold toes, borderland cycling series is an 84 mile group ride up to the wyoming border and back. many of the back roads here are hardpack dirt, and this series seems to focus on finding as many of these as possible. i'm all 'bout it. this is the perfect time of year for these rides. the mornings will be cool, the sun will feel good and the traffic will be almost non-existent. i plan to keep the blog updated as this series progresses. so, stay tuned.

neti pot

ok, this one is kinda weird. but, i have had a great introduction and thought that i should share this. i believe that everyone can benefit from this, especially cyclists.

i have been having trouble with my sinuses over the last year. for the first time in my life, i am suffering from allergies. i always thought that allergies were just some sort of nuisance and really nothing to take seriously. therefore, it is fitting that i now suffer through them. allergies really are debilitating. i understand that they vary in severity, the affects on me vary. at their worst, i had a hard time doing anything except coughing and blowing my nose. i became really good at both of those activities. i was frustrated by modern medicine, it really only addresses the symptoms, and the idea of taking shots for years seems impractical and burdensome.

i have been practicing yoga for the last couple of years. it started off as a form of exercise, working on flexibility and core strength. as i progressed it became more of a spiritual practice. when i was leaving knoxville, a friend of mine (shout out to kelley davis: please notice proper usage of e's) gave me a book about yoga from the himalayan institute. inside was an abundance of great information, including the ancient form of nasal wash using a neti pot. well, the photos look funny and the idea seems painful and absurd, so i had to try it. also, i was having recurring respiratory infections. check out this link. http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/Shopping/ProductInfo.aspx?code=TANP_CR i have just started using this method, but the effects are amazing. i don't think that this will solve my problems, but i do believe that it is helping my body naturally reach an equilibrium and work towards healing itself.
now, as a cyclist this seems like a great idea. especially for competition. the results of just one wash are similar to the effects of the breathe right dilators seen on athletes across the spectrum. the solution is just a saline mixture made at home. you put the saline in this little pot and pour it in one nostril and it flushes out the other while your head is tilted forward and down. it helps the nose clear itself out and perform properly. the saline reduces the amount of moisture and flushes out the congestion, especially from sleeping. the technique takes a little practice, it is easy to send water up into your sinuses. but, once you get it down, it only takes a few minutes. this practice goes a long ways to help me with my allergies, i can see that it would help a great deal with a cold or flu, the season is upon us. anyways, give it a shot if you want.

p.s. check out that great enamel job, GO VOLS!

cycling in copper

as i love all things cycling, it is fun to see others' interpretations of this sport. sometimes it is difficult for me to share cycling with others who do not share the same passion as i do. as with many things in my life, i take cycling about as far as i can. this is beyond the comfort range of many of my friends and family. this is not boasting, rather, this is an honest look at myself and my relationship with others.

all that said, it is quite fun when others find a way to meet me in the middle. this usually comes about through the understanding or expression from me that i really do love all things cycling and don't need to be in the middle of a hectic criterium to experience this love. my sister, sarah, recently gave me a house warming present that is a wonderful way to share cycling. she is excellent with aesthetics. her taste is refined through exercise. we both appreciate good form, all be it in different ways.

sarah found a bronze statue in a little shop near her home town of manhattan beach. as you can see, it is of a cyclist. she immediately thought of me. i must assume a few things here. i would imagine that she was attracted to it of her own accord first. the lines and form of the structure are pleasing. it is well made and shows the craft of the artisan. sarah likes to surround herself with things that she likes, much the same way that i have bikes that i like. i love that these things came together and we were able to share an appreciation for each others talents and passions. besides that, i think the statue is great. the rider looks to be giving it hell. there is nothing relaxed or nonchalant about his position or expression. i love to see how fast i can make a bike go myself. i broke the 60 mph mark the other day. i think that this statue represents that feeling well.

sarah, thanks so much for the gift. thanks for thinking of me.

reading list

with the winter months upon us here in colorado, i thought that it would be fun to share some of my reading material. these might serve others well. the dark and gray days of winter offer more time to hang out with a good read in the comforts of the indoors. i miss having people to talk to about my reading, so if any of you out there find something that you have read, are reading, have started reading, etc. and want to talk about it, let me know.

let's start with something heavy, heavy: Ayn Rand's, Atlas Shrugged. it is heavy in that you need a forklift to carry it around for you and it is heavy in that it is Rand's philosophy of individualism. this book is quite hard to take lightly, no matter how you look at it. fun facts, according to the library of congress, this is the second most influencial book of all time, second only to the bible. i'd say that is a pretty significant feat, especially considering the age discrepencies.

i loved this book. it gave me more than enough to think about. it is very well written and she does a beautiful job of telling an interesting story within the framework of a philosphy. it is one giant collection of anecdotes put together to describe her world view. Atlas Shrugged was written as an answer to the questoins that The Fountainhead raised for many of its readers. it is considered the essential read for the individualism movement that Rand is mostly responsible for.

Atlas Shrugged took me a little while to break into, but i reached a tipping point of sorts and it really started to come together and became difficult to put down. for me, this is important when taking on a book of this size and importance. Rand was able to maintain her style and composure throughout, a difficult task i can imagine. I highly recomend this book and winter seems like the perfect time to take it all in. You might consider a lighter read to offset her depth until you can really get into the story.

More to come, stay tuned.