First Pump Track Session

A "hang" and a "session" are pretty close to the same thing: Bikey friends getting together, nerding out on velo minutia, fully enjoying each other's company, laughing, smiling, eating something fun, tossing down a coupla brews. The only subtle difference is that at a hang, everyone breathes normally all night long and at a session, someone goes anaerobic about every two minutes. On average.

Don't even think for a minute that this is a bad thing. I'm not sure that there exists an activity in the history of the world where pain and pleasure are so hopelessly intertwined.

John's got a great recap here and I'm once again too tired to string much corherent narrative together, so this will mostly be another picture dump, but I just have to say a coupla things first . . .

I'll take plenty of solo laps, but this crazy track won't be much fun if we can't share the love. This first "session" was VIP-only. These are the guys who stepped up and believed when there was nothing in our yard but a lawn. There are always plenty of people around to tell you why you shouldn't or can't do something - these were the guys telling me I SHOULD, I CAN. They deserved to ride it first and I wanted to reward them accordingly with cheap beer and cheap food, and then hand them shovels. John, Joe, Jake, Glen, and Jeff (who couldn't make it tonight). Glen's kind of the odd man out with a name that begins with G. What's up with that. Seriously, tho, big-big thanks, guys.

Second, Patty is so, so, so awesome for having some faith in this totally insane vision of mine, letting me tear the hell outta our yard and spend hundreds of dollars on dirt and all the other things that are necessary to make this happen. This whole deal won't work for me at all if it's not something that she enjoys, and I think she had fun tonight and is starting to get a glimpse of how great backyard sessions could be, and I am so pleased about that.

And then last but not least, I wished out loud about some different pedals a coupla days ago and tonight John and Joe both showed up with those particular gifts. And I didn't even know I was wishing for a 24" cruiser and Glen showed up with that. I'm pretty overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends tonight.

Okay, I guess I narrated a bit after all. So what's new. Finally, pictures then.

Christmas in May

I get the sense it's a semi-permanent loaner, as long as it gets ridden



The current in-house pump-trackable stable.



This section was a mes - over the course of the night, it got straightened out more to Glen's (and my) satisfaction.

bumpy

 John going fast

The least useful bike is doomed to become the beer holder

Roxy rode up the hill from 19th to session with us.

I think maybe John's okay with how things are working out.

dogs

Somehow Patty happened to capture the one moment where everyone was workng all at once.  Major accomplishment, with this group.

Yeah, that's bbq smoke. Rad.

Tommy, who was more often on the track than the pile

dirt shot. plain and simple