Visual Evidence

    What radness looks like to me. Shot last week with my iPhone and a basic bike mount, it's not much, but it hopefully conveys the fun I have down this trail. 

Location: North SeaTac

Date: June 15

Stoke: High

Enjoy the ride.

-JRoy

#HeroDirt

                                                                     The good stuff.


    Ask any mountain biker in the good ol' PNW about hero dirt, and you'll probably see their eyes light up with nostalgic memories of roosting a berm or spraying soil on nearby foliage with a proper drift. There's no doubt, we here in the northwest part of the country are blessed with simply amazing dirt. Soft, tacky, pliable.... a Dirtfish's dream. Of course, even soft, plush earth has it's drawbacks, especially in a notoriously rainy region.....

                                                                         NW slop....


    It's no secret we get rain. Lots of rain, and when you add rain and soft soil, you get slop. This mud will get into everything, stick to anything, and turn the average trail into a ever-changing wipeout waiting to happen. Rain is relentless in this region for nearly nine months of the year, so unless you enjoy a short riding season, you learn to embrace these slimy conditions. It's also a fun way to re-discover your favorite trail, as well as learning to adapt to the always changing surface. Railing a rutted corner in the middle of a sloppy rain shower is more fun than it sounds. Remember, it all washes off.

                                           Learn new lines, use the ruts, and just have  fun.

                                                Soft like peanut butter, dries like cement

    I'd be lying if I said that enduring months-on-end of rain and muck in order to get my riding fix was all rainbows and unicorns. It's a pain in the ass, to be honest. the mud is hard on parts, and the constant washing breeds chain-destroying rust. Is it messy? Yes. Is it worth it? Hell yes. The skills I've learned in the muck can't be understated, and many of my most memorable runs down the trail are in the worst of conditions. Nothing like almost eating a face-full of slop 10 times, yet riding away with a smile that can't be wiped away.

                                                                 Nature's traction.


    It's all worth it, come June. When the air gets lighter, the puddles dry up, the sun comes out, and you're left with the Eighth wonder of the world. Pacific Northwest hero dirt. The above picture was shot with my iPhone last night as I was finishing my session. The cycling gods blessed me a moist day with just a touch of rain, knocking the dust down and leaving the dirt with traction like sandpaper. a truly (cliché) epic Friday evening of riding. Mother Nature's prize for nine months of patience and perseverance.

Enjoy the ride.
-JRoy



   


   

The Bike That Re-Ignited a Flame

Frame: 2012 Scott Aspect 40
Fork: SR Suntour XCM 100mm (stock- to be upgraded this winter)
Handlebar: Renthal Fatbar - cut to 690mm
Grips: Sensus Swayze pink
Stem: Raceface Ride
Saddle: Scott Aspect
Crank: Raceface Chester
Pedals: Straitline AMP
BB: Raceface DH
Shifter: Shimano 8-SP
Derailleur: Shimano Acera 8-SP
Brakes: Shimano
Brake levers: Avid
Chainring: Raceface Narrow/wide 32T (Single front ring conversion, 1x8 total)
Tires: Kenda Excavator 26x2.10 f/r
Wheelset: stock Araya w/ Scott ft hub/ Shimano rr


    This is the bike that allowed me to re-discover my love for everything bikes. This is also my "Weekend-warrior, Ridden-every-day, Beat-the-tar-out-of-it, Never-skips-a-beat" bike. I ride North SeaTac's finest singletrack twice a week and have ridden RedHook's Haul Ash road bike ride twice on this trusty steed. Judging by the spec list, I've added quite a few bits here and there since buying it new in 2012. I find it easier to upgrade as I go, rather than wait 20 years and potentially rob Fort Knox in order to have a bike I'm happy with. The common misconception in many hobbies including cycling, is that the more you spend, the better the product. Mostly this is true, but who has $3,500+ just laying around to throw down on a bicycle? I didn't. I also didn't just buy the first bike I saw. The internet is a powerful way to research, and with a "budget" bike like this, I wanted to be certain I was getting the best bike for my hard-earned dollars. Boy did I ever.

    This bike has never disappointed, not once. It is perfectly suited for the riding I'm able to access weekly, as well as serve as a temporary (fixie-build coming) road-faring cycle for two 40-mile epics.
Being from a BMX background, this was my first foray into derailleurs and suspension, so needless to say I needed a bike that would be kind to my amateur mechanical skill/antics. Again, this bike shines. No hydraulic this, or clutch that. All mechanical, user-friendly goodness. For me, at this moment, this is all the bike I need. Might that change down the road? Possibly, but in short, buy what you need to start, don't be afraid to upgrade/explore the workings of your piece. The knowledge gained will be invaluable. Fancy or not, the ride is still, just as bitchin'.

Enjoy the Ride.
-JRoy

For me, my love for writing, and my love for cycling.

The title says it all, really. I love bikes.

    Perhaps, trying to describe the feeling I get, sweating out an hour of pushing a motor-less bulky beast around town and trail to the average person would be a an exercise in futility. Perhaps though, there are a few who may understand, or maybe perhaps, you want to understand what it's like to push yourselves, working with and against all of mother nature's glory.

    I don't consider myself a "cyclist", I just love riding bikes. I love the feeling of freedom. The sense of accomplishment. The thrill of pushing myself to the limit, but above all, the shit-eating grin I get afterwards out of pure joy. Five weekdays of hard work and sleepless nights are melted away when I throw a leg over the top tube of my mountain bike and hit the trailhead. For that hour or so, I'm engaged 100% in the ride. Nature and I, working hand in hand for three minutes at a time down the North SeaTac singletrack, then back up the hill to do it all over again 4 or 5 times. Wash, rinse, repeat awesomeness.

    I ride trails, I've ridden the Haul Ash 40-miler twice, I ride bike paths, as well as the streets of Burien. Don't put me in a professional contest, but I have as much fun as a world champ from the seat of my two-wheeler. I don't consider myself a mountain biker, a roadie, a park rat, or a BMX hoodlum, although I've had experience in each of these areas, as well as others. That's the beauty of cycling, you can be what ever you want to be. One of a countless number of cycling sub-sections. Each different in their own quirky way, yet all share one common interest. The ride.

    I hope to convey on this blog, at least a sliver of what I feel on a bicycle. My experiences, exploits, builds and thoughts will hopefully shed a little light on what makes bikes so damn awesome.

Enjoy the ride.

-JRoy