wowwwwwwwwwww...i am in the new era :)

The latest of my rides...The 2009 Fuji Outland RC suh-weet ride.


Okay..... little miss hardtail has found a new light. May the good graces of speed and inertia protect me, for I see a whole new dimension of riding in my future!
all smiles after finishing the ride...red sunset in the background.
so beautiful.

i LOve this BIkE!

I went to work today with great anticipation. Visiting all three shops on my route, I knew in the back of my mind what was ahead....this would be MY day. I arrived at the trail head with just enough daylight to get a "little taste" of what my new world of mountain biking will be all about. I took my new bike out in Laguna, at a place called Top of The World. What a great name for a place to do a "first ride" on a new bike. I truly FELT on top of the world when I jumped on and started pedaling. It's amazing how a simple bike ride can create so much excitement!! Just me and my bike made the maiden voyage...sure I saw a few people, some with pets, some with walking sticks, and a few with bikes...but it was that time of the day when the number of people and the amount of activity on the trails was beginning to fade like the sunlight in the sky. It made for a very special and serene setting for me to "meet" my new bike in motion. I did one quick loop that included a technical trail called "Rocket", which I am still slightly tentative descending, but I was absolutely amazed at how the bike just rolled right on through it all!

Full-suspension is so forgiving!

I know I make it sound like this stuff is brand new even though the rest of the world has been on it for years and I am just NOW making the switch, so forgive me for sounding like such a dork! For me it's like I have found a whole new sport, and I could not be more thrilled about the endless possibilities that exist in the world of cycling!! I mean wow...he/she who does not ride a bike is really missing an incredible part of life and a part of history in the making. In every decade "the bike" takes a giant leap with the growing age of technology, and it's just amazing how technological advancements through time keep influencing "the bike".
I am the first to admit that I am not a technical person, but this kind of stuff (hi-tech features on modern day mountain bikes) is simply fascinating...it's like it's from another world (to me anyway!!). It makes me understand why bike geeks are so geeky....these designs are SO impressive!! I just wish I cared more about all the hi-tech mumbo jumbo, it's certainly fascinating and all....but the truth is, all I really care about is riding. I'm the "touchy-feely" type, who likes to hear myself breath, I like feeling my body work with the bike, I like to feel my muscles charge and fatigue, I like to feel my whole body involved in creating motion and movement, and to feel the presence, the flow and the challenge of the natural elements that surround me. Riding is that reminder that I am indeed a part of it ALL (whatever that ALL may be), and that I am indeed alive and kicking...in a nutshell, that's really why I ride.

So, I will leave the fancy stuff to the visionary engineers and designers, but I will always ride my bike(s) with much appreciation for the minds behind the innovations regarding the bicycle. And on another note, I have to say....I STILL love my hardtail Ibis Mojo (a great innovation of her own time) and I will never part with her, but as I turn the page and explore a new style of riding (and racing!), I think this latest addition will take me there in stride, that's for sure.

Here we go yo.