Who's got Soul?

I do that's who. Things have been on the up and up for ole' Jut Rut these days. The past week has been one of the best I have had in a LONG time. Several days of great rides and good times have gone down and it is about to go through the freaking roof... Let me take you back to last week. Tuesday throw down at my house, polo was rained out so instead we hooked up and drank. I got on the computer and found that Pump Track Jim was selling a Soul Cycles single speed frame and fork for 50 bucks. It was my size, the right price and a sweet baby blue. I called him up, called it mine and went to bed knowing that I would definitely have a Mtn. Bike to ride at the Swank 65. Wednesday was dinner on the East Side with my dad for his birthday at Rumors East. Great food and conversation and a wonderful bottle of wine. The karma came back quick and I got a little surprise present of my own later that evening.

Thursday I headed to White Bluff to pick up the new frame and fork. got home and in an hour I had the new rig up and running. The crew was planning on hooking up at the brewery so I ran home hooked up with Sharp and the ride was on. The new bike feel great as soon as I threw a leg over it. On the ride to the brewery I hit every jump and gap along the way and never once felt unnatural. The crew came out in numbers on one of the first cool nights sporting the wool and we took the town by storm starting at the brewery and wrapping things up with moped burnouts by Allen Middlesdorf our new "pro racer" turned "let's ride cause it's fun" guy and bike piles at Beyond the Edge. Friday I made the trip to MOAB bikes to get a few things set up for the next adventure and I had to take a night off so I rested up for a ride at Montgomery Bell on Saturday with the crew.

Saturday morning came and Thad, Dunn, Sharp, and Danny D all made it out for a very fast paced lap at the Bell. The new Soul Cycle feels like a bike that I have ridden for years. Very fast and well balanced, handles great in the air and rips through the turns. Post ride Mexican food in White Bluff and it was home to rest up for the nights festivities. Ball Hog and Less Honkey, More Tonky were playing at 3 Crow so Thad, Troy, Manondale, Fred, Dan, and Dan's better half and friends made it out. The bands rocked and costumes were in full effect. A bike pile was created and many beers were consumed. A late night post bar breakfast (is it 5 am already?) was had and I think I ate my weight in pancakes. Big thanks for Thad bringing me back to the Manonranch for a safe landing.

Sunday I awoke on the Southside at the Manonranch. Lost keys, lost wig, and a bike with no desire to ride home the 30 miles on a single speed mtn bike in jeans. I take a ride home in the Manonvan rest up for the afternoon trip to the pump track. Massey, Dunn, Sharp and I headed west to White Bluff for the pump track at its best. An awesome day and the pump track was perfect. We paid our dues riding out there this summer in the 100 degree heat with dusty conditions so the 60 degree temps and rain earlier in the week made for a great session. Feeling the flow on the Soul Cycle and loving every minute of it the envelope was pushed till I took it a little too far but luckily the rain made the ground a little softer to land on.

A great week as you can see. Now it is off to the next adventure... Nashville to Asheville self supported via the cross bike. I have ticket for Hank III, Nashville Pussy and The Rev. Horton Heat at the Orange Peal, a class in doing Green Home Remodeling, and Ivory is bringing the Soul Cycle for the Swank 65. It's on...

Two Wheeled Therapy...

The past two weekends have been stellar. Two weeks ago the Nashville Cyclocross Series kicked off and kicked my ass. Dan "the man" Weerle threw another great event at Two Rivers Park and the boys in black showed up and took names. Thad and Dan traded 1st and 2nd on day one and two with Neumyer taking a third for the team and me wrapping things up with a sorry 5th place finish. I usually do pretty well at cyclocross but it just wasn't my day to turn up the volume and I quickly fell from first to 3rd then sat up and just threw in the towel. The course was great the day was prefect and I think that was my problem. Cyclocross races should be muddy, cold and make you wonder why you are riding a bike with skinny tires in such horrid conditions. When it's 78 degrees and sunny as hell I just can't get into it, but oh well guess with Global Warming I will have to get use to it or move to Portland. There is always the Columbia Series that kicks off in January, let's all start praying for crappy weather now so I may have a chance.

Sunday was better though... A trip to Land between the Lakes in Kentucky with Dunn and Elliot on Saturday night was just what I needed and still with out the Sycip the Surly Cross Check was nominated to take the trip. There are very few material things in my life that I treasure as much as my green cross check. The bike is a lot like me, it does a lot of things pretty damn good but doesn't truly excel in much other than just being a cool bike. We camped drank a lot of beer and woke up slowly by the lake. Elliot made a killer breakfast and we were off to preride the course for the upcoming Race to the Canal. The cyclocross bike showed the boys that you don't need suspension to kick some ass in the rolly single track at LBL and on the road back to the car I even made the boys hurt a little.


I spent the week getting a few things together for my next adventure, a mini tour back to Land Between the Lakes. I left my house on Thursday heading North West with all my gear loaded onto the black Cross Check. Running three gears up front and one in the rear the bike was just what the Tennessee hills needed. I had my gears for up, flat, and down and once again realized most people just complicate things by taking on more crap than they need. Day one took me through Asheland City where I crossed the river and headed North West toward Erin TN. I figured I could make it to Lake Barkey by night fall but the weather had a different plan in mind. I know really bad storms were coming and I kept thinking I would find a bridge to tie a hammock underneath to ride out the storm overnight. As darkness fell I must have looked under 10 bridges to find a place to tie up with no luck. When I made it to the lake and looked up the sky was filled with the most amazing lighting storm I have seen in years. I stopped to turn on my phone and I had several messages from friends to let me know that tornadoes were touching down about 30 miles west so I backtracked it to Clarksville and found the cheapest hotel one can find and settled in and watched the storm blow through with 50 plus mph winds and found that the area I was hoping to stay was one of the hardest hit. I guess I do sometimes make the right call when presented with dangerous conditions. The next day greeted me with headwinds for the first 40 miles or so before turning North and heading in to the South entrance of LBL. I made it to the KY state line after an hours or so of riding by the light of the moon and an amazingly clear sky. Another 20 miles or so in to KY I found a fire road that took me the the North/South Trail where the point to point race is usually held. A mile or two of rough gravel lead me to some sweet single track which I rode for a mile or so to a hiking trail to the lake where I set up camp and got a fire going. The clear sky meant cold temps and I froze the night away in my hammock with everything warm I had and my sleeping bag pulled over my head and sealed tight.


The morning light came and I arose from the hammock made some oatmeal and hit the single track for a mile or so then a good twenty something miles on the road to meet up with the boys at the north end of the park. Jamie showed up followed by Thad, Greg, and Ivory. I was done for the day but the boys when out for a lap. I relaxed by the lake and enjoyed sitting still for a few hours. As the night approached the Brandon showed up and the beer flowed freely and thanks to Thad we ate all the pasta my stomach would hold. Just to make the race a little more interesting and more difficult we also added a liter and half of Makers Mark to the mix (when in KY right). The wax was broken and shots ensued. I figured we might put a dent in it but the boys threw down as always and by the end of the night only one shot remained for the fastest Yazoo rider to finish post race. Did you ever take that shot Thad? Well the night turned out to be a blur but the positive side was I have never slept so well on gravel. Morning came quick and I awoke to the sound of a lantern being lit and watched from my tent for a few minutes as Thad went to work in the dark making bagel, egg and cheese sandwiches for the prerace breakfast. Quite hungover with almost 200 miles of riding fully loaded with gear I had no idea how my body would react. My first thoughts were to just ride it and poach the race. I figured if I did that I might not even finish so I put my money down and decided to join in the pain and suffering and see what I was made of. The boys in black showed up at the line looking intimidating as always and proceeded take of at the word go. Jamie wasted no time and shot to the front as Thad and I hung in 4th and 5th place surprisingly I felt great after a mile or so into the trail. My hangover left and my legs felt light and just as I was thinking about how I was going to go for it my rear wheel decides to slip in the drop outs. Now I have about 3mm of clearance on both sides of the chain stay considering I am on a cross bike running a 1.9 29ers tire so any slippage and you're screwed. I pull over to fix it and watch the next group of 6 ss riders past me. Back on the bike and determined to close a gap I gun it for the next mile or so only to have the wheel slip again. Guess it was meant to be a fun ride so I throw in the towel and wait for Ivory and Brandon to catch up. Not long after I run across the natural set of doubles and decide to see what the cross check is really able to take on. I clear a run up to the jump and after a weak first attempt I clear the gap on the cross check. Did I mention that I love that bike? Well, the rest of the ride was beautiful and the weather was perfect all in all it was a weekend that I will never forget. The race went well for Thad with a fourth place finish and Jamie had the win in the bag until a wrong turn took him out of contention but watch out for that boy in upcoming races.

My head is clear and it feels like my soul has been recharged. If you like riding bikes do yourself a favor and take a bike tour. There is nothing like spending all day covering ground and knowing that your adventure is powered by you. I have been reminded of a very important lesson in life and that is "LIVE SIMPLE" so much of was has caused me grief, stress, and burnout has been due to making my life more complicated and thinking that if I can get more I can then get out. That's not how it works my friends. With more stuff comes more problems and working your ass off to live for the future doesn't add up. Live for today and embrace the moment. If you want to go do something don't wait for the perfect time or the perfect amount of coin in your bank account cause that time won't come. What's in the past is in the past and what lies ahead is just an extension of what you do today so go for it now and if it's meant to be it is meant to be. I lived for three days on a bike and realized that it is time to start letting go of the chains that bind me. A big house, high overhead, the material things that we think we "need" are all just things that can pull you away from the most important things in life. Riding single speeds have proved that by loosing all those gears you can focus more on the ride when are not concerned with more moving parts and wondering if your in the right gear and always shifting from one to another when all you need is one. Be one, one with your self, your surroundings, and know that we are all one in the big picture. Life is only as complicated as you make. Keep it simple and feel the natural flow of life. You will be glad you did.

Life is keeping me on my toes these days. It seems that with each day I have a new situation to deal with. Unlike the past few years where each new day meant dealing with surprises that came via an overwhelming work load. This year it seems that surprises are more the emotional (real life) variety. Relationships, career choices, and lifestyle suddenly all seem to be in question. I can remember when it was all so easy and so clear. Those days seem to gone for the moment and I am feel like I am swimming in surf unable to get out past the pounding waves that just keep coming. If you have ever been surfing in powerful waves you get the picture. At times I am tempted to just turn around and go back to the safety of the shore and other times I want to make it out to the calm water past the breakers and catch a new wave and see where it takes me. I don't mean to bring anyone down as this is a bike blog and not some blog where I sit in front of my computer and pour out my feelings for the world to see. But riding bikes and my life have a lot to do with each other and as I have learned more about myself I realize they are two things that are almost inseparable. If you really have a passion for riding like me and rest of the Yazoo Crew you realize that the choices you make in life have a lot to do your passion. As you will read below I have had two recent losses that emphasize that fact that my life and riding bikes are intertwined.

The hardest test of late has certainly been the loss of my three year old wonder pup Indie. This dog was as cool as they come and from the moment I saw him I knew he was going to be an incredible four legged riding buddy. Indie lived for the days that I would come home, start packing up the bike gear and give him the look to let him know he was going to hit the trail with me. On the trail he was light and agile constantly picking unconventional lines over fallen trees or through thick brush so he could take the lead. Riding with the boys Indie would sometimes hang back and other times lead the group ride. Playing in the water, running wide open at the disc golf course, or just laying beside me Indie always had a look on his face that let you know he was happy and full of life. He was smart and well behaved but unaware of the rules of the street and it was a car that lead to his early exit from this world. Indie brought me great joy and with his loss comes great sadness. In his passing I have once again been reminded that every time I hit the road on a bike that I need to be very aware and that when it comes to encounters with cars the car always wins. Be safe out there boys... Indie would want it that way.

The latest break up involved my favorite bike. Though it almost feels silly to talk about after contemplating the loss of a beloved friend but as any real bike enthusiast knows, you get attached to these welded tubes of steel. When the bike feels like an extension of yourself it is all the harder to let go. The Sycip has been from one end of the country to the other. It has seen some of the best trails in the US and never asked for much except a little lube. It has always come back wanting more than I was able to give it. Well, that was until I pulled up to meet Thad for a ride on Saturday at The Hameltoe. Ironically Thad was commenting on how cool the bike design was and even went on to say that a Sycip might be in his future. As I am responding with the comment that it has been my favorite mtn bike ever and that I love everything about it I throw a leg over it only to hear a weird sound like something was loose. Headset? no. Rear wheel? yes. A quick tighten of the rear wheel things are good right? no. Still feeling loose and I still hear a strange sound. A closer inspection revels what I never wanted to see a broken tube. The good news is that the boys over at Sycip are on it. A call to Nor Cal on Monday morning and the bikes in the mail with a promise that I will be reunited with my newly painted ride asap and in plenty of time for the next big adventure (aka Swank 65). Looks like the cross check is going to get one more chance to prove itself at the Race to the Canal in Ky next weekend. I just wish Indie could make the trip...

Vegas Baby, Vegas...

Long time no blog. The Yazoo Crew has been having all kinds of fun lately and my liver hurts. Having this much fun is not easy, it takes a toll on you. People ask me so what's been going on so I guess I need to put the word out.

For one Bike Polo has changed the way I look at Tuesday nights. The crew has been at it for over a month or so and the game has proved once again that I can never stop finding new ways to have fun on two wheels. Yea, a couple of people have made trips to the emergency room and bike parts have been sacrificed but we keep coming back for more the the games are just getting better as our skills improve. Give us a call if you want in on the action and we might give out our top secret polo court location. Oh and newbies have to fight the manondale in a cage match to see if you have what it takes to play polo with the big boys. Props to the Seattle Bike Polo Crew we hooked up with in Vegas (thanks for the street hockey ball, it rocks) and hope to see you see you at a Polo Tournament on the left coast.

The Firewater 50 was three weeks ago. Don't let anyone tell you that North Georgia is anything but bad ass. The crew had a great showing and the trails were great. We did what was basically a long group ride with about 10 Yazoo Jerseys making the 50 mile birthday ride on single speeds (with one fixie, you are sick Hodge). A throw down the night before the ride made us all dig deep during the 7500 ft of elevation gain but the ride was worth it and we were treated to a great post ride cookout and party.

North GA was so good to me that I had to go back for more two weeks ago. Ivory and I packed up Friday night and drove to Chattanooga to hook up with Jamie. Saturday morning we headed back to the scene of the crime from the week before and explored a few trails that we didn't hit the week before (Thad, I think Pinhoitti 1 was better than Pinhoitti 2). In Yazoo fashion we had a few beers in the lot post ride then it was off to Atlanta, GA for some rock n roll with Queens of the Stones Age and cocktails. Partied till the sun came up and limped back home to TN.

48 hours later the Yazoo crew is on the move again with Dan H., Sharp, Jamie, and Jut on a plane to Lost Vegas for Interbike. While the details of this outing are a little hazy it is needless to say that the Yazoo Crew made the most of Vegas. Sharpie sold a ton of socks, Jamie pushed the pimped out Lynskeys, Dan did what Dan does, and Jut spread the word on events to come and tried to get to find a place to crash during the SSWC next year in Nor Cal. We kicked it with some badass people while we were there and had a ton of fun. Two bike races, 6 bottles of whiskey, a free Nashville Pussy Concert, a ton of cool bikes and gear to look at. Special thanks to Stobin, Jace the Ace, Ben T, MOAB Mark, Doug at http://www.scalleycat.com/, Soulcraft Sean, Yuri, and everyone else who made a soulless place like Vegas fun for a few days.

Lots more in the works for the fall. Look for the crew at Bald Eagle Challenge, Nashville Cyclocross series www.nashvillecyclocross.com and the Swank 65. See you on the trail or at the pub...

Cheers,

Jut