Dan Action

Almost There August 25, 2007

I got my cx bike all together yesterday. The days leading up to it were hectic, stressful, and lonely, to be painfully honest. Work was at full tilt as I was so antsy to build up the bike, which was hinging more on Brian’s schedule than my own. Also the idea of racing tomorrow (Sunday the 26th) was looming closer still and I was nowhere near a ride-able bike even by Friday morning. Fears were assuaged when, on Friday afternoon I was there, at Circle A, turning a wrench or two setting up the new-ish ride. I decked the bike out with the new-fangled SRAM Rival shifting mechanisms. I will say that any worries I might have had about getting comfortable with a new shifting style were done away within the first five minutes of riding.

Today the day was spent in the woods riding bikes and eating huge sandwiches, two things I love very much. The newly equipped bike felt especially good under me, like a long friendship taking on new meaning. I, once again, felt fluid and maybe a little graceful at times. The ride ended with a swim in Carr’s Pond. If you’ve ever listened to Bruce Springsteen, it is a place very much like Greasy Lake, or the river in The River. Solitary, quiet, and beautiful, it is the type of place where the only access is by a ten minute walk over meandering trails. An old reservoir, the pond itself is nestled well into the woods. Only a few openings in the tree lined perimeter allow folks to get in the water, or allow the drama of adolescence to play out as it is, by nature, a perfect spot for under-age drinking, fires and promiscuity. This is what teen years burn for fuel.

No race tomorrow as my friend Mike, who offered to drive, opted for a more or less restful weekend. I’m writing this while enjoying a beer before putting myself to bed so as to go to Adam St.G’s yardsale in the early hours of the morning. I will ride in some woods tomorrow as well, it is what I love. Goodnight estranged friends, sorry I keep moving.

Moving Right Along August 17, 2007

     I missed last Wednesday’s Witches Cup race in Salem, Mass.  There was a little witchery going on with the online registration closing with only 30 or so guys signed up, then re-opened and filling up Monday morning.  Lame.  There were a couple of spots open, but I was not going to go along for the ride to risk it.  Instead I spent a much needed afternoon eating and drinking Nathan here in town.  It’s those times that get me to feeling super comfortable and able to stretch out in town again.   This weekend, race- wise, is a boring crit at Ninigret put on by Mystic Velo.  I do need the workout, and I’ll be able to go down with Hannah, which will be cool since she is riding so well right now.

I brought the ‘cross bike home to roost today, shouldering it as I rode across town to the new Circle A shop on my town bike.  Some things are going to get touched up on the frame, and I wanted to drill out the chainguard that Sugino sent us.  Everything was going well until Brian and I were trying do dislodge my seatpost.  It’s a U.S.E. carbon post, but It has a pretty good crack in it, which is why i have it. The crack was completely sheathed in the frame, but torquing the saddle so hard to free it; it just broke.  There’s nothing like a flurry of carbon dust in your face to signal disaster.  A bit of cutting and chiseling got the remnants of the old post out.  Luckily Adam had a post for me; along with a set of bars and a killer wheelset, all for a screaming deal.  Other than that setback, the bike will be riding again by next weekend.  It will have some nifty SRAM shifters on it too.  I can’t wait, I think I will spend all of next weekend in the woods.

Fever Pitch August 12, 2007

Well, I’m back in Providence.  I’ve been here for a week today. I’ve been seeing the sights, working the job, drinking the coffee, you know, living life buck mild.  The disorder of my life that has been ever-present in recent weeks is now subsiding, allowing my to focus with renewed clarity on the racing ahead.  I am, without a doubt, thankful for this.  I am working back at Providence Bicycle, upon their graces, and while it is a hauntingly familiar position to be working again, I am super grateful to be working there.  Not only because I am so acquainted with the shop already, but also to be in a shop of it’s caliber, doing what it is I do best.  Not to mention all the advantages of working at a pro level shop, such as, borrowing a Zipp 404 rear wheel for the training race last week when my Ksyrium was making some harrowing noises.

I went down to the NBX training crit with Hannah, Scotty, and Adam  last Wednesday.  I got to see a lot of familiar faces and it was even pretty nice to ride around the Ninigret course for once.  I had already done a forty mile ride in the hills that morning, so the race didn’t go great for me result-wise (I pulled off somewhere within ten to go.), but I still felt good. This Wednesday is the Witches’ Cup crit in Salem MA.. I am pretty psyched up about getting some racing in. This race will be a sort of benchmark for the ‘cross season.  The line-up, among others, includes, Mark McCormack, Tim Johnson, Jesse Anthony, and Adam Hodges Myerson.  Fun, fun, fun.  Looking forward to it.

Big Changes August 8, 2007

  I don’t quite know where to start, to be honest, there is so much to cover that it’d take all night, but I’ll give the most descriptive overview I can.

Let’s start with the fact that currently I am living in the embraces of Providence once again.  This is a very recent turn of events, a mere couple of days.  The last week and a half of living in Gainesville was a wild one, to say the least. Events through that time, one would are more aptly describe going through it all as enduring than participating in.  The events which I speak of were the series of days celebrating/honoring/ending the safeguard for the punks known as the ARK Warehouse.   Shows started Wednesday the 25th of July and ran straight through the following Sunday.  My 31st birthday also fell somewhere in that time as well.  That kind of party longevity I just don’t have any more, but I’ll be honest, I tried my best.  All I got was a lousy sinus infection.  I had a great time.  After all the festivities I went back to work to try and make some last ditch money.  Nathan had come down to visit G-ville, and was driving me and my bikes and my dog back to here; it is no small feat.  I left my shed-home and got my phlegm coughing ass into the car and pretty much  and hacked the entire way up the eastern seaboard.

My arrival in Providence was not without trepidation.  I needed to get work right away, I needed to start riding right away, I needed to get healthy fast. I had to smooth out some rough times I’d been having immediately.  My first day back on the bike went great until I slipped on  section of road made slick by some passing rain.  One minute I was upright doing 25mph into a turn, and the next I was sliding on the prominent parts of my left side.  Welcome back.