A Tale of Two Cities

When I was just a kid at U.C Santa Cruz, I discovered the City of Saint Francis. For a buck, U.C. students could take a shuttle bus between the U.C.S.C. and Cal Berkeley campuses.  So, since I found Santa Cruz painfully boring, most Fridays I would hop on the shuttle, then take BART into the City and bum around San Francisco for a day or two.  Most of the time I had about a nickel in my pocket, but the City always took care of me.  Well, the gentlemen in the City certainly did....

Years later, I discovered California AIDS Ride, a charity bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  About half of the cyclists are from the Bay Area, and during the 13 AIDS Rides I've participated in, I have made a very special family of friends there.  I have come to love the City very much; I feel comfortable there, I feel "at home".  It just fits right, you know?

Fast forward to 2012.  I had a horrible breakup.  Horrible!  It look about a year to clean up the aftermath of that nightmare; the entire relationship was a lollapalooza of poor judgment and substance abuse and I had a lot of damage control to do after it's spectacular demise.  Thank god it's now finally behind me.  And now that I'm back on firm ground, I am longing for a big change. Some excitement. Something new.  San Francisco?  Hell yeah, let's go!  Although I'd love nothing more than to fill up a U-Haul and head up the interstate TODAY, I have one more commitment here in Los Angeles through the late spring.  So I hope to be relocated to San Francisco before summer begins.

Leaving Los Angeles is going to be really weird.  I grew up in the Valley, lived in West Hollywood and Hollywood for many years, and feel very "Angeleno".  My family is here, many of my closest friends are here, and I know it like the back of my hand.  But life is a banquet, and I just feel like it's time for the next course.

So, let the packing begin!  San Francisco, open your Golden Gate.....

Rowdy Reservoir Ride

Hello Possums!

Wow, what a beautiful day in Los Angeles.  And I got to share it with a dozen or so of my friends and teammates on one of my favorite routes: the classic "Tour de SFV" ride.  From my signature meet-up spot by the tennis courts in Encino, we cruised up Balboa to Rinaldi and then over to the beautiful Chatsworth Reservoir, where many years ago I learned how to shift gears on my first ten speed.  

I love taking my riding buddies to the reservoir because it's just so beautiful!  The rolling road just begs for a good sprint.  And the mighty oak trees and imposing boulders along the route make for a breathtaking setting. 

Thanks to my teammates from New Bear Republic for coming out to join me.  And a special shout out to Rodney, who got his second flat tire ever (after getting his first with me several years ago!)  Glad we could get you safely to a bike shop, and happy you're now riding on safe new tires.  YAY!

RIDE BIKES!!!!

Palm Springs Is Flat!

 

Century season is here!  And the first biggie of the year for me is the Tour de Palm Springs.  On Saturday, February 8^th, a bunch of my friends are converging on the Coachella Valley to participate in this annual 100-mile ride.  The relatively flat and easy century (a century is a 100 mile ride, for the neophytes out there) is attended by up to 10,000 cyclists from around the world.  Cyclists of all skill levels attempt the course on all kinds of different bikes.  I’m sure some kids will do it on a fixies….  Crazy kids....

Some of you reading this will be joining me in Palm Springs next month for your very first century.  Huzzah!  Allow an old timer a few words of wisdom.  

Take your time.  You've got all damn day to get the century done, so take it.  It's not a race, and the finish line ain't going anywhere, so ride as fast (or slow!) as you feel like.  There will be a lot (!) of cyclists on the road, probably more than you're used to.  So keep your eyes open.  Assume everyone else is an idiot and behave accordingly.  Give yourself plenty of space.  And remember to eat a lot and drink a lot.  My rule of thumb is one bottle of liquid for every 10 miles (ish) but you might need more.  Listen to your body.

Perhaps most important: the after parties!  Yeah, sure, you'll be tired after riding a hundred miles.  But hey, it's Palm Springs, so you might as well get bang for your buck.  I'll be at the Tool Shed on that Saturday night (around 10) and by the pool at All Worlds all day Sunday.  See you there!

http://www.tourdepalmsprings.com/ 

9 Things About RAGBRAI That Are Awesome

The RAGBRAI route will be announced in just a few more days, and excitement is in the air.   What makes RAGBRAI so awesome, you ask?  Here are 9 things:

9. The people of Iowa are really cool!

Did you know that Iowa was the third state in the U.S. and first in the Midwest to permit same-sex marriage?  Yup!  The good people of Iowa are pretty open minded and fair.  I love the Hawkeye State, and always feel very welcome and accepted there.

8. The "pass through towns" open their arms.  Wide!

 

 

RAGBRAI is unique.  Every year the route is different, and every year we travel through a completely different part of Iowa.  Since RAGBRAI is completely self-supported, there aren't "rest stops" along the route.  Instead, the route is designed with "pass through towns" every 10 miles or so.  And these pass through towns are more than happy to welcome the 20,000 or so cyclists (and our wide open wallets).  Churches, schools, and every kind of civic group you can think of comes out to join the celebration.  Bake sales, spaghetti feeds, beer gardens, you name it.  Anything a group of cyclists could possibly need!

7. Say it with me: MAID-RITE.

 

Yeah, they're kind of weird, but this regional favorite is one of my favorites, too!  Every time I cross the Missouri River I start looking for a Maid-Rite franchise to satisfy my craving for this messy loose meat sandwich.  Seriously, you can't visit Iowa without a trip to Maid-Rite.  And for those of us riding RAGBRAI, we're in luck: Maid-Ride has a food truck that follows the route.

6. A Root Beer Float on a hot, muggy day is nirvana.

I have been known to wait in line for 45 minutes to get my hands on a Beekman's Ice Cream Root Beer Float on the RAGBRAI route.  One of the coolest things about RAGBRAI is that the vendors follow the ride every day, so you get a huge selection of really cool stuff throughout the event.  My favorite by a mile is Beekman's, who make their old fashioned ice cream with steam powered machines... and they even have a bike powered ice cream maker!  I'm telling you, on a day when it's 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity, ain't nothin' better than a home made root beer float.  And to "sweeten the deal" (nyuk-nyuk) they've always got a band playing for you to enjoy as you're making new friends while you wait in line, and as you savor your ice cream in the shade of a nearby tree.

5. Fireflies make me happy. 

 

One of the coolest things about Iowa in the summertime is the fireflies.  They're craziest right at sunset, and they're such cool company after a long day on your bike, beer in hand, feet up and eyes half closed.  If you didn't know better, you'd think the pops of light all over were your eyes playing tricks on you!  

4. Peeing in the corn is funny.

The soy fields don't offer tall enough privacy, but take three paces into a corn field, and you've got the perfect place to answer nature's call.  'Cuz sometimes, you've gotta do what you've gotta do!

3. RAGBRAI is for everybody!

One of the coolest things about RAGBRAI is the wide assortment of participants it attracts.  Young people, old people, elite cyclists, hipsters on fixies, entire families, people with their dogs....  And they're from all over the world, riding all kinds of bikes.  Diversity is the word. 

2. Amish baked goods are better than anybody else's baked goods.

Iowa has a population of about 10,000 Amish.   These simple-living folks will sometimes set up a bake sale along the RAGBRAI route to raise money for their community.  And let me tell you, people, DO NOT HESITATE!  I succumbed to peer pressure on my last RAGBRAI and tried the rhubarb pie and it was honestly the best I've ever had.  Amish pie.  Who knew?  And I still dream about those snickerdoodles....

1. BEER!

RAGBRAI isn't exactly a sober event.  Every pass through town has a beer garden.  People ride with trailers holding kegs on ice.  And every major brewery has a major presence on the route.  It's not like you can ride 50 to 100 miles each day with a beer buzz, but an ice cold brew with lunch in some charming little town in the middle of America is my idea of heaven.  

De-Christmasing

Hello Possums!

Christmas 2013 was among the very best in my memory, so taking down the decorations, putting away the presents, and getting everything back in order is a particularly wistful chore.  Having a baby around for Christmas changes everything (why didn't you guys warn me?!) and spending the holiday with my growing family was an exercise in chaos balanced with joy.  I enjoyed so many wonderful Christmas parties, too, celebrating the festive season with my many friends and loved ones.  And it was a particularly good year for Christmas cards: 37!  That's the most in many years, which gives me hope for the future of this delightful tradition.

Now the house looks naked and rather boring, but at the same time clean and orderly.  I suppose that is a metaphor for the new year.  A clean slate, undecorated and uncluttered, just waiting to be filled up.

I, for one, am excited about this new beginning.  Stay tuned to Brendan's Wild Ride to see how it turns out!  But for now, back to housekeeping. 

We're in!  Brendan and Yoo Hoo are officially registered to cross the Hawkeye State by bicycle this July!

http://ragbrai.com/

Resolutions

Hello Possums!

How exciting.  Another brand new year; another clean slate.  I always seem to spend New Years Day wondering what the next 365 days will be like.  I see lots of bike rides, traveling, and time with my niece and nephew ahead.  And who knows, maybe I'll find love!

So... resolutions.  Last year's list was a mixed bag.  I was supposed to save money: BUST.  And I wanted lose a bunch of weight and get back into my skinny jeans: SCORE!  So let's call it a wash.  What does 2014's list look like?  Well, I've learned that long lists don't work, so I'll keep it simple:

Ride my bike more (goal is 5,200 miles - easy!)

Quit social media (is there a 12 step group?)

and

Spend more time with Yoo Hoo

I made a big decision in the last few days that will change my life a lot in 2014.  Rather than ride ALC this summer as I always do, I will be returning to Iowa for RAGBRAI, a 7 day bike ride from the Missouri River to the Mississippi.  I rode RAGBRAI in 2010 and it was the most fun I've ever had on my bike, and one of the best weeks of my life.  Imagine seven days of cycling, beer, pie and fireflies.  Families, music, pork, and corn.  Up to 25,000 cyclists will participate in this event, the oldest and largest cycling event in the world.  I'd love to have company, so if you're into a wild and crazy cycling adventure that just can't be beat, check out http://ragbrai.com/ and register today!

Happy New Year to you all!

RIDE BIKES!!!!