I have been meaning to put up some pictures for a while but have been so busy that I haven’t really had a chance to sort through them. However, I just went through a few folders this morning and dug up some cool pics of my bike that I want that I want to share. These were take at the single track in Sullivan Canyon about a month and a half ago. Enjoy!

Woo-hoo! Check out this stylin’ bike!

Here’s a close-up of my new bicycle seat. I love it because it looks so sleek and is surprisingly comfortable.

That blur is me flying down the single track!

Stayed tuned for more pics in the next few days!

We are planning to head out of town on a little bike trip this weekend in spite of the ridiculous gas prices, and I am really looking forward to the trip. My new bike seat is working out great, and my brakes and lower bracket were just replaced so I am feeling adventurous and ready to investigate some trails a little further from home.

I found a really cool site called Bikely that has great information and bike route maps, but I think PIC has a route in mind he wants to try. PIC also told me that he’s going to teach me to change my own bicycle tires in case of a flat. I wonder if that means I will also have to start carrying my own bicycle pump. Oh well, at least I will be learning a new skill!

Looks like this holiday weekend will be filled with lots of local activities. I think that maybe we’ll do some bouldering at Stoney Point, but I can’t see traveling much further than that at these ridiculous gas prices. At least the rising gas prices will help put a curb on some traffic though - that’s one way to help the environment!

Thankfully we have access to a lot of great biking opportunities here in Santa Monica, like Sullivan Canyon and the bike path on the beach. I cannot help singing the Three’s Company theme song whenever we are on the bike path, but luckily Partner-in-Climb claims not to find this behavior too embarrassing. However, we tend not to ride the bike path too often, and maybe that it part of the reason. The other part of the reason may be all the people who disregard the “Bicycles Only” signs and use the path as a sidewalk, creating a dangerous situation for bikers and walkers, but who can say.

It is also a bonus that it is drizzling right now and it’s supposed to be much cooler this weekend than it was last weekend. I was sweating buckets by the end of our ride last Saturday! I also rapidly depleted the water in two bottles, so now I am thinking it’s officially time for a CamelBak. Luckily, my Memorial Day holiday starts early and I can make a trip to Helen’s or Performance this afternoon to pick one up.

I am hoping it stays damp and hazy through tomorrow, because this is my favorite kind of weather to ride in. The trails don’t get really muddy and soft, but there is a nice cool mist and it adds a sense of adventure to even really familiar trails. Riding up the Westridge-Canyon Back fire road without sight of the usually expansive vistas somehow transforms the experience and makes it more focused. You can’t see the road ahead or behind, you have no way to gauge how far you have gone or have to go, and so you are really forced to be in the moment and commit to just accepting what lies ahead as it comes. It makes it really fun to come upon a slight downhill and cruise down it when you aren’t expecting any temporary relief at the moment. It’s like a great surprise. Sigh. Too bad I can’t hit the trail right now!

Only 5 hours til the weekend! Happy Memorial Day!

Tomorrow, May 16th is National Bike-to-Work Day! Save the environment, gas and your money while getting great exercise by riding your bike to work. Check out bike to work week info from:

• Bike to Work Week 2008
• League of American Bicyclists
• California Bike Commute

Don’t forget your bicycle helmet, and bring a bike light if you will be riding after dark.

There was a really bad bike accident at Sullivan Canyon this weekend. We apparently arrived just moments after it happened, because emergency vehicles blew past us while we were getting on our bikes. We briefly talked to one rider who said he was asked to call 911 because a biker was down and that fall was so bad that his helmet had been cracked. We rode down a little to see what was going on, and met an off-duty Mountain Bike Unit rider (MBU) who told us that they were clearing the area for the helicopter. He mentioned a few more accident details, and it didn’t sound good at all. I really, really hope that rider is OK. An on-duty MBU soon came down the trail to set up a barricade to prevent hikers and bikers from approaching the accident site. We didn’t stick around too long after that.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Sullivan Canyon can be a dangerous place, but I want to reiterate. By all means have fun, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be cautious. Don’t over-estimate your ability, or under-estimate the terrain. This accident happened only around a mile from the lower entrance to the canyon, but the emergency vehicles were stuck about 150 yards away from the accident due to the rugged trail.

Here’s some information on building a great bike first aid kits and bike safety in general:

• Utah Mountain Biking has DIY first aid kit instructions, plus a great first aid index of injuries
• Bicycle Touring 101 includes homeopathic remedies
• Bike Safety Tips from WebMD
• 10 Ways NOT to Get Hit by Cars from BicycleSafe.com

I finally had the chance to take my new bike out for a good long ride on Saturday and it was SOOO much fun. I ended up crashing and/or falling several times, so I am nicely bruised up today, but it was well worth it. We took the Westridge Fire Road to the overlook, which has fantastic views of Santa Monica, downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. From there, we rode down the single track into Sullivan Canyon, and that’s where the real fun started.

I have these bike shoes that clip into my pedals, which was nice on the uphill and on the long flat stretches before we dropped into the single track, but the clips became a real pain on the way down into the canyon. I was able to stay unclipped most of the time, except for when I lost momentum going through a stream and began to tip to the left. I went to set my foot on the bank beside the stream in order to regain balance; of course at that moment my shoe clipped right into the pedal and I went crashing down onto the bank knee first. Thankfully the bank was covered with many cushy plants and not thorny ones, although my legs are also pretty scratched up and I am not exactly sure when that happened. I felt like I was watching myself go through this scenario in slow motion. I ended up laughing because of how absurd it was, even as I was falling.

Once I was back on my bike, it was only a few more miles before my next “incident.” The trail is owned and maintained by the gas company, and there are a some gas company pipes sticking out of the ground at random intervals. I have walked this trail many times and knew the pipes were there, but for some reason the were freaking me out while I was on the bike. Every attempt I made to avoid the pipes was an overcompensation that sent me careening into another obstacle. At some point, I busted up my right knee and it started bleeding, but I couldn’t tell you how it happened. I was covered in so much mud that I didn’t even notice half the scratches and bruises until after I showered later that day.

In spite of all the falls, it was tremendous fun and I can’t wait to do it again!

I did find out a couple of things about Sullivan Canyon and Westridge Fire Road since my trip there on Saturday that I should mention for safety reasons:

–people have reported seeing and hearing cougars (or mountain lions) in the area!

–there have been bad (even fatal) bike accidents on the trails!

Sullivan Canyon and Westridge Canyon Back provide lots of great biking and hiking opportunities, but remember: safety first!

Check out this video from Sullivan Canyon!

This weather is really getting to me. I feel SOOOOO unmotivated. I half-heartedly agreed to go biking and possibly climbing this weekend, but I have a feeling it’ll be one or the other, and most likely biking. My bike just got a much-needed replacement tire, and I am really anxious to try it out. I think it’ll be really fun to muck around in the mud for a bit.

But today, i feel like doing nothing except crawling up under a blanket and watching TV. Ugh. Wake me up tomorrow.