llm (lycra liberation movement)

when i got back from my big unicycling adventure, i thought i was going to be a changed man. i did have a pretty good size beard going on, and i did smell a bit more than usual, but those were both kind of temporary (notice i said "kind of"?). that's another blog.... probably "stinky-rider.blogspot.com" or "touch-my-face-one-thousand-times-a-day.blogspot.com". i think i am back to normal now...and i think the vacation actually helped.

so what is with the llm? for the past three years or so i haven't had much fun on my bike. i would put on my super hero outfit and put all of my gear together in the car and drive out to my favorite trail and ride. i would ride for a couple of hours or so (sometimes more, sometimes less) and then drive back home and unload my stuff, and go on with my day. about three years ago when i was racing, i used to do this all of the time. before work after work, during work :). most of the time however, to increase my miles i would ride in to work on my rode bike. i used to have a speed and cadence meter on my bike and a heart rate monitor on me, so i could tell just how hard i was working... i was so hooked up (literally). i just had a great thought. it would be pretty cool if one's boss could tell how hard someone is working by checking his heart rate monitor, and keyboard cadence. ... well maybe that's not such a good idea after all. most of my work would be "asdfjl;k" ..etc.

back to my story. can you imagine how much technology was being used on me, just so i can get into shape? i am sure this goes on in lots of sports and i bet it's just as silly. my kids have these bikes that cost me, maybe 200 dollars. they ride them all the time. they would just go outside, hop on their bikes and ride around the neighborhood or stay in the drive way doing tricks. they don't wear lycra, they don't have heart rate monitors, and they are having fun. maybe they aren't in as good as shape as me.... wait a minute, none of them have a gut. what the heck is going on?

let me recap here:

1. it takes me a long time to prepare for a bike ride.

2. i require a lot of side-band technologies to "help" me ride better.

3. i look like an idiot in my tight fitting super colorful jersey with sponsor names on it (by the way i spent 70 dollars for this jersey, and the sponsors didn't pay me a cent to wear their name on my torso).

4. i have to drive to most places to ride.

5. i still have a gut :(

6. i can only ride my bike when i am in biking clothes. i can't go into stores, because, one i don't like to leave my bike outside unlocked (locks are too heavy), and two, my friend steve has a pretty good rule: your bike clothes become less cool, the further away from your bike you get. we've all seen these people that don't know this rule, clicking around the super market, still wearing their helmets, looking for "energy bars".

somewhere we [or maybe it's just me] crossed the line. i'll bet the national football league is crying every night, that they can't make dads suit up in full pads, shoes, helmets and jerseys of their favorite team, just so they can play catch with their kids. i'll bet they're loosing billions of dollars, for this failure.

it took me about three years, to realize this, but i do not enjoy my form of bike riding any more. something has to change.

and that's what this blog is about :)

note: i don't know how i kept referring to the movement as llb... it should have been llm! sorry.