I woke up this morning to the sound of rain bouncing off of my roof. I got up and looked at the weather forecast. The rain was going to stop by late morning but still stay a little cloudy all day. I reached for my phone. It was an hour before my alarm was set to go off and I wanted to call in sick to work. I had recently dedicated a whole night to tuning up all of my bikes and I could grab any one of them right now and it is guaranteed to ride perfectly. Damn, I went home “sick” last Saturday to ride. Calling in today would definitely put me on the radar of The Man. I put my phone down and laid there for 45 minutes listening to the rain.
There are some trails just a few miles from my house and is like magic up there after a light rain. It is similar to a powder day or a morning of perfect waves. You can do no wrong and it feels like flying. Your tires stick to the trail like Velcro and you can go just a little bit faster. Lean it over in the corners just a little lower. There will always be another day like this, but not this day, not right now. I live for these days.
I call it hero dirt. Caveman hates when I call it that, he calls it brown pow. Call it whatever you want, I just want to ride it. I can see the mountain from my office window and it is torturing me. The clouds just lifted and I know some of my friends are up there cashing in some sick time. Good thing I put my lights on the charger before I left for work.
See ya out there.
Righteous writing
Mr. Klein has it right. That’s the exact feeling I get sometimes on the Trophy Bike— the bike’s not even there, I’m just floating along… another five, ten, fifteen miles…
this is insightful, compelling, research-driven, top-notch cycling journalism.
I call it brown pow and I have that same poster (not in a frame) in my basement. I can’t say you made the right decision, but you still have a job.
You can go just a little bit faster, lean it over in the corners just a little bit lower…
…it feels like flying cause you are flying. The bike doesn’t simply disappear, it becomes a part of you, like it responds to your thoughts, except you don’t have to think anything.
Mmm, Kudos, Dirty. I feel your longing.
Hero dirt can beat any powder day,, no waiting in line just laying them down,.,.,
So, where is Gary Klein these days?
He’s begging for spare change with Keith Bontager & Greg LeMond on the corner of Madone & Rolf St.
Giddyup
Brown pow ?? Or Brown poo ??
When it rains I go back to bed.
I’m a pussy like that.
The best thing about brown pow…it dos’nt get tracked out in 15 min.
Does brown pow get tracked out ever?
No disrespect to this Gary fellow, whoever he is, but sometimes riding is about getting from point A to point B, then back to point A to take care of your family. Again, the difference between a tool and a toy.