Tinker Tinted Sunglasses

Ever since I got hooked on MTBing Tinker Juarez has been a bit of a hero! The whole super-endurance thing is what really inspires me, anyone who can ride solo for 24 h and still function on any kind of level is pretty special. Add the appearance, kind of "lovechild of a mid 1990's Perry Farrell and a present day Keith Richards", and the guy clearly "rocks" in every sense of the word.

Well, I am fairly relaxed by the fact that I will never achieve the level of Tinker, and whilst seeing life through his eyes is an impossible dream I have achieved the next best thing. I am now (at least on occasion) seeing life through Tinker's sunglasses!! I visit his website (www.tinkerjuarez.com) fairly regularly to read his race reports and noticed the "stuff for sale" link. Well, both the house in CA and the Cannondale Synapse were a little beyond my means at the moment however the sunglasses were a definate maybe - especially as my lovely wife (MLW) has now banned me from wearing the pair I've been wearing for the past year. She saw pictures of me at this years 12 h of Lodi Farm Race (race report to follow) and told me I looked ridiculous in the glasses I was wearing. Bearing in mind I was wearing a pink dress in the photo but MLW chose the glasses as the focus of her scorn added weight to her argument!

Long story short I opted for a couple of pairs of WileyX glasses from Tinkers very own personal stock and after some very cordial emails and correspondence with the guy himself I am now happily poncing round in Tinkers old specs! Have to say Tinker was a Gentleman as well as a biking legend! Very friendly in all communication and a pleasure to do business with.

Despite the arm situation (see last post) which has improved but still precludes any MTB fun the "Tinker shaded specs" did inspire me (combined with a level of boredom that had me wanting to chew off my own right arm by Sunday) to get out tere and do a 25 mile road ride - God I'd forgotten how bloody painful road cycling was - and then to drag a somewhat nieve friend on a night trail run around Patapsco State Park. Night running is not as fun as biking but heck when it is the only game in town it'll do at a push. Ran for an hour over logs and through 3 or 4 streams past the ruined houses to recreate a real Blairwitch Project vibe. I had a great time and my friend conceded it was "at least an adventure".

Cheer - ride on ride strong

Dogzbollux

S**t Happens!!

Well as they say s**t happens. Having ridden my bike all bloody winter in the cold as soon as the weather gets better I bloody injure mtself. Riding my fixie home from work when one of my pedals comes unclipped and I take a header into the pavement. On the bright side no real damage but I've separated my shoulder so no MTB fun for a few weeks.



This just means I have time to (a) dust off the road bike and get some aerobic work done and (b) actually start posting a blog like I have been planning for ages. To begin with this will be as rough as guts cos I am a complete luddite and it will take me an age to work out how to make this look fancy. Probably doesn't matter anyway for now as nobody will be reading this :)



Anyway as I get used to the technology (if ever) I will post pictures and introduce you all to me and my harem (of bikes). The basic premise of the blog will be to share my love of, and adventures on, bikes. Single speed mountain bikes, road bikes and my beloved (if somewhat fractious) fixie will all feature heavily. Other stuff that interests me, amuse me or p*ss me off will be introduced as they occur, or I can be bothered to write about them. Off now to finish swapping the drop bars for "cow horns" on the fixie to make her look more hardcore.



Well post number one in place - let's hope there will be a number two before hell freezes over.

Remember "ride hard or go home"

Cheers

Dogzbollux