How does this happen!??!?!? One day, I’m out enjoying a ride with my dog, the next day I am customizing a ridiculously expensive bike and picking out ulta specific parts and contrivances with interlaced interworking feelozometers to give me exactly the something I am desperately trying to get. But now, through no forethought of my own, I can appreciate the positive rebound of a VPP, the lateral stiffness of cross laced zircon spokes, and the effect a head tube angle might have on my facilitation of a rock garden, either ascending or descending.

I bought a car the other day with 1 hr of research and 2 hrs of shopping. I’ve spent about 6 work weeks researching and building a new bike; countless posts and post reviews; minutes and hours from many people have been burned in thought, dialog and consultation. I spent about an hour on the Yeti site picking my way through a review in French to see if the thru axle performed well on moderate climbs vs. a qrv axle. I spent an hour on kia, hundai, toyota, honda web sites combined and bought a car.

Upon the arrival of my new car, what discrepancies and remedies did I feel were in order for my two existing cars: Acura: deep clean and buff $250, Truck: new stereo and vacuum out the dog hair $150. My Blur desperately needs and cannot live without: new shock, wheels, disc breaks, and seat for over $1000.

How did this happen?!?!?

i was recently reviewing my training regime, which mostly sucks and is without structure. I try to ride 3-4 days a week, totalling 6-8 hrs, on whatever is fun for me at the time. since i usually go hard, its a good workout. i shoot for a 4hr ride at least once a month. other than that, i typically do another 6 or so hrs a week of weights, yoga, hiking etc. etc.

good for overall fitness, but sloppy as hell for serious cycling. hey what do I know, I basically replaced practices and tournaments with rides and kept all the cross training. i also have very much avoided structure and regimen in riding because i just want to have fun; no pressure, no losers and winners, just a good day on the bike. its probably got a lot to do with why i switch rides and styles so often: road, mtb, tech, XC, climbs, social. its also a bit of a cop-out, no matter how you spell it I am not competing or forcefully holding myself up to a standard.

beckie and I were comparing what you get in with what you get out. her marathon training hrs would be comparable to my cycle hrs, or what seems to be comparable to a Cat4 racer; Beckie said pro marathoners run 15-20 hrs a week, which is much closer to the sort of hrs good teams do. Pro riders are like 25 hrs a week?

We concluded that we are near the top of the bottom of the pack in our respective sports. YES!!!  

errr…

SHIT.

woe, the training of the all-mountain rider.