Am Lumberjack. Am Okay.

After ten nights of Cough Couch sleeps, I had to ride... some dirt.  I'd been on such a fine roll.  Weeks and weeks of getting to the mountains for long rides with good people.  Other than Thanksgiving weekend, I think I'd had six or seven in a row.  A superb way to get the legs ready if I am indeed going to do The Whole Enchilada on January 11th.

Wait, something more important than me is afoot.  Recently, HandUp Gloves released their "cycling vest."

Now, let me say this about that.

I've been wearing sleeveless flannel shirts for more than five years but probably less than ten, somewhat out of mother necessity.  When a flannel shirt of mine would give out at the elbows, I could no longer wear them at work.  I feel even more like a hobo (than usual) walking around with giant holes in my shirt sleeves.  So, to get a little more life out of them, I would cut the sleeves off and use them for cooler weather rides in the winter.

You can tell me that it doesn't make sense, but I do have to put some thought into what I wear in the winter time.  I never ride with a hydration pack, so I have very little room to store any clothes I might shed as things warm up.  Thus, arm warmers, tiny hats, vest, base layers, beanies, buffs, bandanas, knee warmers... all the options are heavily considered before heading out on the trail.  Sleeveless always means that a small opening lets a lot more air flow through the front of the shirt and across my core than something with sleeves.

A day like this past Saturday?  We started in the high 40s and ended up in the low 60s.

A five man repair on a flat tire, a twisted brake lever, and a loose headset.

The zipper on this thing is full-on genius.

I've never been fortunate enough to have sleeveless flannel with anything other than buttons, not even snaps.  Getting more or less ventilation usually meant taking off a glove and fiddling with tiny buttons.  No longer.  Zip down on the climb up Sycamore Cove and back up on the fly when the trail turnt down.

My only disappoint is the uninspired name, the Zip Up Vest - Red Flannel.  How is this not the Lumberdick, Lumberdicky, Dickerjack, Dumberjack, or something clever and slightly attributive to the tiny man that had be the inspiration for this item?

Dunno.

Anyways, I love it.  Either you get it or you don't.  You're not my problem.  I am.

Back to the ride...

I finally hit the drop on new Black Mountain that I always ride past not remembering that was the line I wanted to try.  I guess that's one of the benefits of hiking up from the bottom and being able to scope it out instead of hitting everything blind with a shitty memory.

Such a great day with friends in the woods.  Black, Avery, and Sycamore.  26 miles with 4,300 feet of climbing (and descending, woot).

Bill Nye hitting one of the controversial big boy gap jumps on Black Mountain.

Suck it, illness. 

Now to see if I can get all or at least most of my ducks in their rows over the next two weeks and get my ass going for The Whole Enchilada.