New Lid

Man, I thought I had something to say tonight. Now I'm pretty sure I'm going to blurt out a couple random things then trail off and fall asleep on the couch. First random thing, I got a new helmet. My old Giro Atmos had developed three defined cracks, rendering it beyond useless. If I had taken a direct hit, I would have been dead or worse. I could have spent the rest of my days with the intellectual capacity of a Brussels Sprout (but how would we know the difference?) Hey! Save it, I'm making fun of myself here, no need for you to chime in.

Now I don't remember taking a hit that would have cracked it like that. There was that time I woke up next to a parked car wearing lipstick and Lederhosen while I was on my way home from Redbones though.

So I ordered a new Team helmet. It's a Trek Sonic Helmet. Which is just as light, or lighter, and every bit as ventilated as the much more expensive Atmos. I'm a good salesman huh? And, as you can see form the above photograph of my very scientific testing process, it is actually much stronger. "Sonic smash Atmos - Smash!".

Got my hours in today on the bike, which cut into my writing hour(s). Went out on a shop ride with some of the boys from The IF Elite Team. They're doing these rides every Thursday night out of our Newton shop at 5:30. The pace is brisk and steady, but not brutal. Maybe 20-24MPH and not very hilly at all. Check the Event Calendar for details. It was nice for me to ride with these guys. They made me realize I'd been neglecting my spin. Being surrounded by five Cat 1's who can pedal a bike way the hell better than you'll do that to an octagon pedaling clod like myself.

After we looped back to the shop I threw my pack and lights on and kept on rolling out to Weston, Lincoln and Lexington. As I turned down Trapelo road the moon was huge and orange and hanging low in the sky over the city. You never know when you're gonna see something so god damn beautiful, it'll blow your silly, little cycling socks off. Guess you just have to keep getting out there and pedaling until it comes along.

Ok, what really happened to the Atmos. The Sonic didn't smash it. It carried it off while I wasn't looking, wrestled it under the hydraulic lift, and crushed it alive while it laughed maniacally. I'm hoping I can harness the evil power of the helmet and wield it against my enemies.

Racing Saturday down in Connecticut (one of those words I'm always psyched to spell correctly the first time, I usually want to double the n and the t's, like Mississippi, Connectticutt) at The Hopbrook Dam. I'll have my race report on your desktop first thing Monday. See you then.

-t

Photo Cred: Jason WG

The Man With Two Helmets

Ya see, I had to get a newer new helmet even though I had bought a new helmet just a few days ago. I will now tell you why in such a convincing manner that you will not think I am King of The Douche Bags. At least for a day. OK, maybe just the morning. My expectations are probably still too high.

I bought the new helmet because my old one met an untimely demise. Note to self: Do not check your helmet in a soft bag at the airport. I'm sorry, but the folks who tell you that wearing cracked helmets is A-OK and that the malevolent helmet companies (who put addicting drugs in their products to make you crave them fortnightly) tell you not to because they want to sell more helmets are probably the same people who don't wear their seat belt because they are afraid of getting trapped in burning car because they couldn't release the belt. I saw that episode of Chips too. However, it did not influence my motoring safety habits.

Are they locking antlers like two Elk vying for dominance.
Or are they going SMOOCH! You decide.
The comments on the photo up top there are just too damn obvious, I'd probably just leave that one alone.

After the Hop Brook Dam race I got several comments regarding my lack of a pink helmet. How I was virtually unrecognizable without it. Thing is, I didn't know I could get a Trek Sonic in Pink...until it was too late...not to spend more money on a helmet I don't need. I hadn't clicked on the link to the proper Thom P. helmet because it was listed under "WSD" helmets. I'm going to let you in on a little secret here; the only thing WSD about these helmets is the pink paint. They measure the same 56-60cm as the MSD helmets. They don't have pink straps like my old Atmos and the box doesn't even have a butterfly on it. Quite manly. Chuck Norris would wear one. At least if Glen Beck told him to.

Part of my justification was that I am going to be leading kids rides for NEMBA soon (maybe this Saturday if we can pull it together. Sorry, don't know what's with the extreme linky-ness today). Sometimes pink helmets are confusing for kids and (ignorant) parents alike. I want to spend time teaching kids Mountain Bike skills, not forcing a discussion on tolerance of people of alternate sexual persuasions, or people who appear to be of alternate sexual persuasions (because they wear pink helmets...and have streamers on their bikes...and listen to Bronski Beat).

I want to explain how to wheel-to-wheel logs without hitting your chainring, and avoid having to explain why implying that someone is gay is not inherently funny. Next time you hear someone make a joke like that, change the word "Gay" to "Black" and see how it sounds. And if you don't get it then, you are beyond help.

Oops, actually got serious for a second there. Won't let it happen again.

I was going to talk about how I got my XR-1's mounted up Tubeless and the P.O.W. like weight it has brought the Superfly called Precious Thing down to, but it's late and I've yammered enough tonight. See you tomorrow.

-t