Big Bikes

NYCMTB All-City XC MTB At Highbridge Park

Time is short, lots to tell, we'll see how this goes, may be another cliffhanger. At least I got my photos edited.

As a kid from (The) Boston (Area) I had that whole Boston/New York inferiority thing going. I've made many feeble attempts over the years to get new york "dialed", finally just giving up and accepting the fact I would never quite get New York. And not really caring if I did. What I didn't realize is that to derive any kind of enjoyment from New York I had to experience it as a bike race venue.

The drive down sucked, it always does. You fool yourself that you're making great time (that although you left late, you will still be able to meet your brother at his art show in the village) but then, inevitable you get incredibly screwed in traffic. Then you get stuck in gridlocked traffic as soon as you get off the highway - and you have to pee, really, really bad (of course). And that sucks more. Then you sit at a green light, with traffic stopped on the other side, knowing that if you block the intersection, you will get a massive ticket, and some mean looking dude in a blinged out SUV, yells something in Spanish which probably isn't very nice as he peals around you, honking right under a sign that says "No Honking $250 fine". Being from (The) Boston (Area), sometimes when I drive other places I feel like I'm a wolf amongst the sheep, in New York I feel pretty sheepish...er, sheepy. Welcome to New York.

Things got better. M and I met up with her brother Ben and rushed over to catch my brother's show, which was very cool. My brother is a deeply talented, hard-working, and prolific ceramic sculptor. From there we walked around looking for a dinner spot, settling on Westville, which was amazing. Healthy and excellent. Beforehand we hit Wilfie and Nell's for summery cocktails, Gin Rickeys and Pomegranate Martinis. Afterward we sat outside a some random bar, drank a few Stellas, and people watched for a while, finishing off the evening with some slices from Joe's.

Before dinner at Westville, as we waited outside, we ordered a bottle of wine, they poured it into paper coffee cups so we could drink it on the sidewalk, very civilized, maybe New York is alright. These dudes were rockin' out on their bikes (note the stereo) , the guy in the foreground was telling the other dude about how he was "shredding an embankment" earlier. Stellas. Pizza, just for the record, you can get slices this good in Boston, you just have to know where to look. Falafel though, no chance, the closest decent Falafel to Boston is a four hour drive minimum.

Speaking of feeble attempts, that is all I have time for today. Race report tomorrow, probably going to post it over on the 29er Crew blog, I'll let you know.

-t