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riding is so much better than not riding
13 comments:
I grew up in Bayside, Queens. One of my favorite things to do was ride dirt bikes (BMX) through 360 acres of woodland known as Cunningham Park. It was only 3 blocks away from my house. How could I not. To a kid, 360 acres is humongous and almost endless. It's a wilderness and I should get lost in it as such. Oh, there were lots of good times I had with my friends in those damn woods. We built tree houses, bunkers, BMX race tracks, hang out getting drunk on Bud nippers, fires, more fires, "now that's a fire" fires, trying to get the girls to go for "hikes" and even my very first smoke fest. I lived a lot of life in dem woods.
Wait a second. Is Mike on some sort of memory lane trip. Did he take too much yohimbe root? Is he smokin' crack again? What gives? Okay, more background first...
About 10 years ago I moved back to Bayside after doing a 7-8 year tour of Manhattan and NJ. What a relief to get back to suburbia. I can ride my bike again. Yeah! Ah, the parks. They're awesome! Oh shit, all these Asians. Where'd they come from? Nevermind. Anyway, it was and is great for the psyche. Try to understand the feeling of "coming back home" you would get if you were in my shoes. Not hard to fathom, right? So put that in your back pocket for the rest of the story.
Last year around May-ish, before I got my moto license, I played a little joke on my friend Tina. She's been trying to get me to buy a moto for a couple of years now. Ever since I mentioned my family owned King Cycles and road raced at Bridgehampton, she was relentless in trying to convince me to get into it. Well, right after I mentioned signing up for an MSF BRC class, I told her I bought 2 Hondas dirtbikes! ....bicycles that is. Heh. Cheapos Toys-R-Us were selling for less than a buck a piece. I couldn't resist. I had the perfect excuse too... I have acres of woods to ride around in right by my house. What the fuck. Let's see if I can still dirt and what kind of condition the trails are in. So starts my rekindling of dirt rides. I must admit, since the Duc, I haven't had time to dirt much. But times like this, when my moto's out for a service interval or what not, I would play in the dirt or maybe on the old Vanderbuilt Parkway.. Today was such a day.
First I started the day off with a "let's dust off the cobwebs" ride through the old Vanderbuilt Parkway (I haven't ridden my road bike in about a year). The one Robert Mosses bought from the Vanderbuilts in 1933 (the first concrete parkway in the US). Now a bicycle/joggers path. 6.8 mile sprint to get the heart rate up some. Nice. Not too many joggers or walkers. Then off for a couple of games of paddleball with my friend Chris. Espresso hour at Gabriella's for a cool down and a bit of girl watching. Then the big surprise today, and reason for this post...
Cunningham Park for some dirtin'!!!
Little did I know that the Parks Commissioners, in conjunction with C.L.I.M.B., have lovingly built me my very own mountain bike trail. How nice of them. 7 miles of awesome track! And dirty! Very dirty. Why thank you very much. I was in heaven for all of the 3 hours I was exploring. Amazing fun! If you guys every dig your mountain bikes out, check out these trails. It's a must.
Mike... the more I learn about you the convinced I am of what a great judge of character I am!
But seriously folks, I'm glad our paths have crossed and I'm also glad that the other SKDMRKS have taken to you as much as I have. As you may or may not know, the SKDMRKS crew was founded on a solid base built of anything and everything bicycles. Mostly mtn biking, but also brakeless fixed gears.
At some point very very soon, I'm gonna have to stop riding my Duc until I can afford the service. Until then, I'll be back on a bicycle and you know for sure I'll be trying to get you and the rest of these folks out on a ride...
i'll ride with you guys...on my bmx doin' mad wheelies!
brrrrrraaaaaaappppppppp!!!!
I thought you guys would be in the Adirondacks this weekend. By the way, Eric. They're holding her hostage till Monday. Never got the pick up call yesterday. ...which was a blessing in disguise.
I gotta tell you, after bike riding that much yesterday, I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be this morning. But still I'm badly out of shape. I was huffin' like mad on those trails. The smoking doesn't help either, but I still can reverse the lung/air capacity deterioration in a few weeks, I'm certain. I'm going to try and keep a promise to myself. At least 4 days a week on the Vanderbuilt doing sprints and 1 in Cunningham getting dirty.
You might appreciate this little vintage thang, Eric.
A pic of my old hag I bought in the mid 80s. A Centurion LeMans (unfortunately not the Cinelli)...
http://scalcione.us/listen/CenturionLeMans.jpg
Pshh! I can't ride around on a 24" anymore. Have a good laugh. Here's a pic of one of the Hondas I bought last Spring....
http://scalcione.us/listen/Honda24.jpg
Having shocks is fun. Too damn heavy for trailing though.
Wheelies...Brrrrraaaapppp! lol You know the good part, Alan, we don't have to ride staggered! Ha! *chuckles*
Please check my "Duc Talk: Drivetrain" post for a follow up question I just remembered.
Wuf!!! Just finished another 2 1/4 hours doing the East trails. Loops 1, 2, 3, & 4. The main "easy" or green circle marked trail as well. That's a good introductory trail to blow out the cobwebs. What freakin' fun!!!
Got a little carried away at one point. I crashed after a bad landing off a jump. Almost broke my thigh bone. I hit the dirt so hard, I bent my handle bars! LOL Jeez Loiuse! I gotta be careful. I can't be breakin' bones at my age.
I so have to do this with you guys.
i ain't got no bmx bike, only dirt steed i got now is my SS rigid 26" el penguin helped me put together awhile back, but i'll ride that thing anywhere baby! when we going?
I have Sun, 8/12 open, Mark. Let's see how the weather holds and if anyone else is interested as the week progresses. I'm not sure logistically how it would work though. Riding your bikes all the way to Queens, then romping on the trails, then riding all the way back would be a hard one. Specially if you're a little rusty on pedals. I wouldn't want to do it myself.
wow, i'll be working sun, getting off duty 5-6pm. i have a truck w/ a bike rack, so i wouldn't be riding all the way out there (i wonder if there's not a train station nearby tho'). i wouldn't be against trying to make it there for 6pm, getting in an hour or two of twilight riding and then maybe some adult beverages to quench or thirsts. i'm definitely out of bike riding shape tho'
Closest train (aside from the LIRR) is the F on 179th St., Jamaica. If you're driving, there shouldn't be an issue with parking. Tons of it.
Evening would work. There'll be a couple of hours of light left.
Neat.
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