Cog passion
As most of you know have been buried to my neck in wheel builds for quite some time. Every spare moment goes towards building and buying parts. E-mail replies are much slower than I would ever accept, etc.....
It is slowly clearing up though. I can see the light for sure. As a result I have started to see something else. It's an unmistakable rediscovery of my passion or the bike. Riding, maintaining, the community and the culture.
Riding is the center of the passion. Being in the saddle. Feeling the wind. Smelling the horrid BO from the college kid 3 up from you who hasn't showered or washed his kit in God knows how long. It's the sound of the tires on the pavement; the gentle resonant hum that comes from the wheels and drivetrain at speed. Climbing a hill with a gentle breeze - full zip jersey un-zipped and flapping.
Cornering. It becomes a rush. You lean, look through the corner, and then there is that moment when you commit. It's a process of giving yourself over from the illusion of control to the reality of the machine and the elements. It's that split second. In that moment I relax. I feel. I ride.
I've gotten into a lot of situations during that moment and I have always been surprised at how quickly my body reacts. I say body because at that point the mind isn't really "thinking". It's simply keeping a steady, monotone like hum going. It's not disengaged just not as in control.
Then you hear that sound. That tire sound. Almost like the sound of a wet paint roller on a wall.
You could hit the deck. You could pedal strike.
Nope....just that clenching as the g-forces wash over you.
Jump and accelerate.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
<cowbell> garble, garble, garble, garble, prime!!
"Was that the prime bell?"
"Don't know. How far are we in?"
"Was it for cake?! Beer?"
"Where's Joe?"
"Who is that off the front? Are his riders blocking?"
"Hey guys! I hear that guy is fast! You better chase him down!" *giggle*
<"INSIDE">
"DUDE!"
<"Hey Rob.">
"Hey man! Haven't seen you in a while. What's wrong man? you know you're in the wrong place if you're near me..."
That moment in the pain. That moment where you feel like you're going to explode.
That rush you feel when you finish up the ride or race. No so much a feeling of accomplishment as much as relief at the removal of the source of suffering.
I realized that I now get nervous at the line - not because of the race, the course, or the competition but because of the anticipation of the pain. No matter what it's going to hurt, and no matter what I will be back for more.
