Upcoming Projects

The planets of our solar system have alligned and are causing odd effects in West Virginia. It is still on/off snowing, and somehow I have an increased amount of time to start new projects.

Projects List

• New Book
• New Repair Stand
• Mountain Bike Cross Training

That is right, I am done with Bill/Carol McGann’s Tour de France books and have moved on to Joe Parkin’s A Dog in a Hat autobiography. I have heard positive things about it, but I have barely delved into it, so no review of it yet…

Great Cold Weather Reading

I found an interesting DIY blog with a makeshift repair stand out of a Speaker Tripod, pony clamp, and some cut iron pipe. I have started on it, but waiting on parts to arrive.

Here is a link to the instructions: http://afajarito.blogspot.com/2010/01/diy-portable-bike-repair-stand.html

I know the pipe is in backwards... just waiting for the other pieces...

Lastly, I’ve been off searching unknown lands while more than a foot of snow is covering the untouched area of many trails. I think I found a really nice downhill run with little climbing needed to get to it. (Lots of climbing with the damned snow being ever so present…)

Sadly, my tires cut through the snow like a knife

It is almost the end of winter, so I hope to start a few more projects before I become too busy with life and being out on the road. Wish me luck.

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This Land is Your Land. This Land is My Land.

Many of you already know, I use many MTB trails that are on land not classified as public property; I’m sure many of you do too. West Virginia does not have the Freedom to Roam acts that England and Wales do. Land is protected under the rights of a property owner, and they can do just about anything they want to do with it. This can mean sad times for us trail riders when we go back to an area after an extended amount of time and find the land barren, or mangled into unrecognizable terrain. By all means, if the landowners truly own the land, then there is no problem with this except that feeling in your gut.

What? Did you feel a little bit of yourself die; like this trail was somehow vicariously yours? Is that the legendary beast of cyclist’s entitlement bearing it’s ugly little head? This is an unfortunate example of how nearly all cyclists have some how taken their status of being a second class citizen while on two wheels and formed something out of the grudge created by everything allegedly opposing them. When we’re faced with a trail vanishing or being plowed for construction, how often do we put ourselves in the other person’s place? Or how often do we become angry and self-righteous? We as cyclists are always looking for tracts of land and facilities for our use, but as these rights are given to us, it is time to accept some responsibility and pack up shop when the doors are closed.

There will always be more trails and public pathways that can be utilized in our lifetime. Just because someone is trying to make a living or earn a dollar for tearing up their own land doesn’t mean you have the right to retaliate.

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