A Mobile Man-Cave

Yesterday the PCRs played “follow the leader” again and allowed Big Man (why do we do this to ourselves time and time again) to select the course.  We started late, trying to attract the splinter group, members of which enjoy their beauty rest (you know who you are Lloyd and Jensen), but alas 6:30 (a.m.), when the day is half over, is still too early for them.  And Mr. MBA was also a no show.  His excuse was that he had to participate in yet another taxpayer subsidized boondoggle to South Korea, attempting to show his graduate students how other countries conducts business.  Hey Prof, there is a lot to be learned right here in the great US of A, which has been a world economic juggernaut for some time.  We hope you packed on some pounds so we can keep up with you.

But we picked up some new riders whom Big Man was willing to make members, without even without consulting the rest of us.  We are desperate; our numbers are dwindling!  Membership, therefore, has a low bar—a bike, heart beat and a willingness to put up with a bunch of MAMILS (middle aged men in lycra, okay, post-middle aged men.)   It did not take long for Arch Egbert (the newest member to be drafted into the group) to conclude-after jawing with members of the squad, traveling at the speed of molasses while trying to miss potholes, multiple stops at Maverick Stations, pauses for photo ops (see below), Big Man serenading bikers with pony tails, Craig Bruner pontificating on Zen and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance, and Craig Hale dominating the conversations—that the group is really a Mobile Man-Cave.  We now know why the Big Man likes recruiting new members.  It’s because he enjoys taking them to visit such places as Porter Rockwell’s statute and telling stories.  He knows that to those with whom he has ridden to such sites in the past (Scott, we do remember that we have been on the same route at least a hundred times, and heard your stories about all of the sites along the way at least two hundred times) he sounds like white noise.

We struggled to the top of Traverse Mountain, where we paused, again, and Sexy Legs delivered an inspirational TATS.  It had something to do with people with small portfolios who become depressed by comparing them to those with large ones.  In some instances, as you can see below, some of us would prefer smaller portfolios.

“Ego training contributes to a self concept that makes us shrivel into a feeling of insignificance at our meager portfolio in contrast to those who have achieved more.”  

by Wayne Dyer

The Dentist flashed his big smile and encouraged the group to eat Snickers bars.  It is rumored that has stock in that candy company so he can make money from his patients coming and going.

It was another great ride and a beautiful day.  Just 116 days to LOTJA

YIPPY SKIPPY

Tip of the Week - What's A Speed Wobble and What Do You Do When You Get One

Riding in fashion is KEY 

 It's always a GREAT DAY when you can stop and visit with Porter

No two are the same, No two are alike.... (Can you guess who is Sexy Legs?)

 Love These Mountains

Mr. MBA did a little off-roading this week and wants to sponsor a PCR ride out of the country. Here are a few pics from his adventure. Note the sign he has ordered to post on curbs in the Holladay area.

 They give bikers their own lanes to ride across a bridge and along the waterfront

SWEET!

Watch out for CEMENT PILLAR

(Hale if you hit this, I'm not sure you would be riding 3 canyons)

Photo of the Week

by Scott Wood 

(Joe Rich's Mom's viewing, she was a colorful lady and I'm sure ordered this)

Big Mountain, Big Men, Big Ride

Yesterday was a ride of vertical. Some went 4,544 ft and others went 5,707 ft. Either way, it was a ride to test your legs. Prez. Hale has found new life in his legs as he is now "doping" with his "SportLegs" We welcomed the younger legs of Dr. Gordon Smith, former neighbor to BIG MAN, until he got tired of his white noise and moved to his mountain mansion.

Mr. MBA gave one of two TATS as we discussed the price of wheat you would charge if you were the captain of a ship landing on the shores of a place where people were starving, knowing you have what they need and their is NO competition.  What do you do?

The second TATS was a tribute given to our dear friend Jon Cook, who passed away last week. Prez Hale, as always, recited the following from memory.

To an Athlete Dying Young

by A E Housman

The time you won your town the race 

We chaired you through the market-place; 

Man and boy stood cheering by, 

And home we brought you shoulder-high. 

Today, the road all runners come, 

Shoulder-high we bring you home, 

And set you at your threshold down, 

Townsman of a stiller town. 

Smart lad, to slip betimes away 

From fields where glory does not stay, 

And early though the laurel grows 

It withers quicker than the rose. 

Eyes the shady night has shut 

Cannot see the record cut, 

And silence sounds no worse than cheers 

After earth has stopped the ears. 

Now you will not swell the rout 

Of lads that wore their honours out, 

Runners whom renown outran 

And the name died before the man. 

So set, before its echoes fade, 

The fleet foot on the sill of shade, 

And hold to the low lintel up 

The still-defended challenge-cup. 

And round that early-laurelled head 

Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, 

And find unwithered on its curls 

The garland briefer than a girl’s.

Tip of the Week = 14 Reasons Why Cycling is Better Than Running

YIPPY SKIPPY

Who's dumb idea was it to ride up PineCrest after Big Mtn..... Mr. SportLegs??

Photo of the Week

Secret Waterfall? - by BIG MAN

DesignBuildBLUFF Graduation

Last week's ride was in a place not many of us have been to. It was the Hole-in-the-Rock Pioneers that settled this place. Mad-Man Max and 12 other U of U architect students have spent 13 weeks, 3 weeks at a time, building "Cedar Hall"

The Making of Cedar Hall

Congrats Max and welcome back to civilization.

  

 Cedar Hall

 Mexican Hat

The Goosenecks

Contrail

This Could Be You

For those that slept in this morning, you missed another epic ride.  After all is said and done, it isn't how you start, but how you finish that makes or breaks your day, and the three finished in style.

The weather report had warnings of thunderstorms and gusty winds destined to ruin any chance of a comfortable ride. Coach Craig, woke up at 5:30 AM and listened to the wind howling outside.  He started to question the wisdom of the ambitious if not illustrious leader BIG MAN, who wanted to leave at 6:30 AM (Coach Craig, you're not alone) Reluctantly, the Coach caved into peer pressure and arrived at Prez. Hale's at 6:30 sharp.  To his surprise and delight the dark grey clouds had passed over our sweet valley and loomed over the mountains and canyons to the East. (Never question the BIG MAN)

Bucking a stiff headwind, the group headed south for the Dimple Dell Loop. Spirits and conversations were lively as usual.  Prez. Hale was quick to remind the 3 amigos that it was his "birth-week" and today was his last day as a 58 year old, which BIG MAN quickly spoke up and asked, "if you're the youngest, why are you the slowest?"

Like most of BIG MAN's rides, the group detoured to journey the path less traveled and to view AND read the plaque documenting the 1st tavern/brewery in Cottonwood Heights. As you will see, pictures were taken to share with the non-riders, or is it just BIG MAN's way of taking a break every 20 minutes? 

After climbing "Jack and the Beanstalk" Coach Craig and BIG MAN sang Happy Birthday, in harmony, to Prez. Hale. A fellow female runner came by and applauded the two. (True Story) Prez. Hale, from memory then gave the TATS for the day.

One ship sails East,

And another West,

By the self-same winds that blow,

'Tis the set of the sails

And not the gales,

That tells the way we go.

Like the winds of the sea

Are the waves of time,

As we journey along through life,

'Tis the set of the soul,

That determines the goal,

And not the calm or the strife. 

--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

With 20 plus MPH winds at their backs, the return ride was an all time PR. However, the breaks were still working good enough to make a stop for a Saturday Waffle, where again the BIG MAN encouraged those waiting to join him in another round of Happy Birthday. 

Tip of the Week = How To Fix Back Pain Cycling

YIPPY SKIPPY

PS - Note NEW feature, "PHOTO OF THE WEEK"! We encourage all of you to submit pictures. 

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second" 

 ~Marc Riboud~

 Happy Birthweek

 No Friends On Powder Days

 How many of you have seen these before??

 This is why we ride

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Light House - by Nancy Jensen

Kim Briggs Memorial Ride

A few of the PCRs met this week on Thursday, April 21st, the one year anniversary of the passing of our Captain. It's hard to believe it's been one year and what better way to remember this GREAT man than to take a ride up our favorite canyon, Emigration. It was only appropriate that we meet at the "truck", which we we had done so often.

As usual, we started out as a group and the stronger riders were soon to leave the not so strong in the dust. This too, was something we had done often. Once at the summit, the BIG MAN attempted to get the group to cooperate for pictures. (Kim your leadership skills were greatly missed)

Sexy Legs, Tow Truck Moesser, Coach Craig and BIG MAN set an all time record on the decent down the canyon to the cemetery to meet the ladies for additional memories, toasts, and chocolate milk.

Kim, we MISS YOU GREATLY and appreciate your ordering a nice warm spring day (82) and turning on the sprinklers as not to let us linger too long.

PS - A special thanks to little man and Dr. J for organizing the ride and Vicki and the ladies for the chocolate milk

 

 Guys, guys, look over here

Here's to KIM!

Just like Kim to keep us hopping

13th Annual - Bandit/Deadhead Marathon Ride

Yesterday's ride was started off with a little Italian lesson, by Prez. Hale. 'festina lente', means literally 'make hast slowly', this translation also sounds a lot better than 'hurry slowly'. What it really means is, 'be quick, or be left behind'. Sexy Legs was not paying attention to the lesson and was taught the meaning as he demonstrated to the thousands of riders what happens when you slowing ride across railroad tracks and your wheel gets stuck and DOWN you go. However, he was 'QUICK' to get up and was smiling.

The starting time was early, the temperature was a little chilly, the route was a little different, and the BIG MAN was taught, that if you are not quick, you RIDE BY YOURSELF.

Tip of the Week = How To React To Potholes Cycling

YIPPY SKIPPY

 Start with the end in mind

 If your normal riding buddies leave you in the dust, find some cute ladies that will pull you in

 BIG MAN, where have you been?  We've been here for 10 minutes

 The ORANGE Helmet Bearded Bandits

SPRING RIDING IS THE BEST

(This artistic shot is for Dr. J's camera class)

“All Hope Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here….”

The Nine Circles of Hell described in Dante’s Inferno pale in comparison to Hale’s 10 Hills to Hell!  Saturday, BIG MAN relinquished command of the PCRs and let Prez Hale suggest the route of the day.  So at 7:30 (an hour set to entice the Petunia PCRs to come), those of the PCR’s who are not shrinking violets took off to ride up Emigration Canyon.  They rode BIG MAN'S 7 to Heaven (Wood, you need to go back to the first grade to learn math again; it’s really 9 hills.  Of course, Mr. MBA, a former CPA, will tell you that 2+2 is whatever you want it to be) plus riding to the top of Pinecrest.  If Dante had joined us his Inferno would have included a tenth circle of hell—the 16 percent climb at the end of Pinecrest.  During this journey we discovered why BIG MAN is the team photographer: he needs lots of breaks when the going gets tough.  

Billy Goat Bruner is back in form.  He was king of the summits, all ten of them.  Speaking of billy goats, we almost hit one that hangs out by where the Moon and the Sun was located descending Emigration Canyon.  We had a special guest appearance by Prez Hale's younger, but less good looking, less hair, not quite as smart and not in all that good of shape for being 10 years younger, brother Craig.  He abandoned the group mid-adventure.  And we got a glimpse of Antione and his better looking half ascending Emigration as we rolled down.  

Sexy Legs gave us one of the more memorable TATS as we panted at the end of our last summit.  He quoted Mark Twain who wrote: “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”  While the hardy PCR souls who participated in this week’s journey forgive the pansies who stayed at home, we remind them of Dante’s warning: “They go by turns each one unto the judgment; They speak, and hear, and they are downward hurled.”  Inferno, Canto V.  Be forewarned that your muscles are atrophying and your waistlines expanding (i.e. little man, you may no longer be worthy of that moniker)!  And here is additional motivation for little man to get out: as the scales tips ever higher when you climb upon it, your chances of ending up at the back of the pace line with the BIG MAN increase, where you will listen to his white noise forever!   

Get out and join us next time! 

Tip of the Week = Cyclist Demographics - Just Who is Riding

YIPPY SKIPPY

 There was discussion on whether we should really ride this next "Hill to Hell"

 Yes, the water is starting to run and when you're in last place, ALWAYS STOP to take a PIC

BIG MAN stopped to reminisce as he talked to the owners of Grandma and Grandpa's old cabin

 The old bunk house has been remodeled

Here's a few more PCRs that were out leaving the BIG MAN in the Dust