Long Drive, Quick Visit, Totally Worth It

Hanna moved to Texas a few weeks ago, and it was absolutely time to go visit her in her new home.  She moved to North Dallas, a busy and bustling part of the world. Eli and I arrived and it was hot and sweaty, although St. Louis was actually hotter. So we took a selfie.

Hanna's new place was fabulous, although still lacking a bit in the personal touch department. I liked the place, as it was big and pretty quiet considering how noisy the Dallas area can be. Our bikes and gear took over the place, naturally. 

Hanna has the greatest taste in food, and she has been checking out the great places around her area. She found a Greek place that serves up Subway-style, where you can just pick whatever you'd like to make your meal. I ate until I had a stomach ache.  Then we went for ice cream.

I've already told you that she's a marketing maven for Wiley X sunglasses.  Sure enough, she had a couple sample pairs on her kitchen counter.  I chose my weapon for the weekend and wore these babies all the way up until she took them away from me as we left.

We got some riding in on the bike paths close to her apartment.  The area is full of them, but it does take a bit of reconnaissance to scope out the safest routes.  I did some exploring the next morning as Eli did his schooling online, and Hanna worked from her home office. Later in the day, we all went for a fun ride. She was riding as strong as ever, and even took a local QOM on a climb!  Atta girl. 

She took us to downtown Dallas on our last night there.  We had dinner at a fantastic Mexican place and I ate until my stomach hurt.  We walked around a cool part of town that reminded me of the Grove, and then we got ice cream again. 

Overall, it was a great trip. We have been missing her since she left, and it was great to be able to see her in the new environment and get a chance to see what she does for a living. One thing that hasn't changed is her commitment to her fitness. After riding together a couple of times, it's clear that she hasn't gotten any slower. Of course, she sends me photos of her recent gains from the gym. Ok, girl! You win! I used to try to keep up with her, but I've just given up and told her I'll never have muscles like her again! Can't wait to see her again. 

A Conversation with...The Hound Dog

Me: Remi! What did you do?? Mommy spent all day cleaning up the office! What is this mess?

Remi: What mess are you speaking of?

Me: All the stuffing!  What do you mean WHAT MESS?

Remi: The stuffing isn't a mess.  It was the internals of a stuffed toy and it had to be liberated.

Me: You can't just go "liberating" the stuffing out of everything.  And everything isn't a chew toy!

Remi: Alright, this isn't just about the stuffing, is it? Something has upset you. Bad day at work?

Me: REMI!!!

Remi: Can we play with the frisbee now?

Let's talk about OLD SCHOOL for a Minute

Over the last 2 years, I've been around a LOT of younger riders. A lot of the kids involved in mountain biking and mountain bike racing are in NICA, the school-age racing organization that has taken the country by storm.  So many new kids are joining the wonderful world of bikes! I've talked to many of them about "the old days" and how things were when mountain biking and racing were fairly new. The oldest photo I can find of myself was this gem from 1989. Yes, that's a cotton Nike shirt, along with cotton gloves...flat pedals...horrible helmet...and one of those old mountain bikes that nobody would want to ride today, equipped mostly with warmed-over touring bikes components. Racing in the mud was not at all uncommon, and racing on an old motocross course was VERY common. I was 22 and pretty sure that bikes couldn't get much better than this. The racing classes were more vague then, so I just signed up for whatever the top class was and lined up to race.

Things progress pretty fast in life. And in mountain biking.  Product development gave us lighter and better-functioning equipment, along with things to wear other than cotton. Lots of choices in actual mountain bike tires, not just warmed over cruiser stuff. Different component groups from numerous companies. No suspension fork yet in 1992, although they were making their way onto most bikes by then. Racing classes were Beginner, Sport, Expert, and Pro. Sometimes as Experts we were lucky enough to have a couple Pros sign up so we could get our butts kicked in really, really well. Traveling to national races, I remember having more than 60 guys signed up in my age group, and age groups were set up in 5-year increments!

Carbon fiber, titanium, suspension, lycra, sealed-bearing everything, Kevlar beaded and belted tires, V-brakes, and just after this photo from Greensfelder in 1999, tubeless tires!! Mountain biking was in full swing around the world. Cross Country races were everywhere, with at least three series going on in Missouri alone this year. Companies were still very eager to find aspiring racers and give away parts and bikes and kits. Big, big events, outside of the national races, were everywhere. Tour de Wolf in Memphis had huge cash purses and pros and amateurs alike came from all over the country to ride a flat, fast course for a chance at glory. St. Louis had the American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) race which was amazing considering how few places around the country scored the huge event. 

(Thank you to Flannery Allison for always making me look faster than I am)

 And 2022? So much equipment progress. Big wheels. Big tires. Disc brakes. Carbon fiber in every direction. Electronic shifting, some wireless even. More suspension in one bike than any 10 bikes had from 1990! Cross country racing had taken a back seat to other types of mountain bike competition over the last 10-15 years. Enduro. Downhill. All types of dual-slalom type racing. But as fun and inclusive as those types of racing are, I think that organizations like NICA have turned an entire generation of youngsters on to XC racing again.  I get the feeling when I'm at these amazing events that XC racing (and mountain biking in general) is on it's way to the next big explosion of participation. It's so exciting. I'm blessed enough to be involved in the business of bikes, and my wife and I are so pleased to be a sponsor of the Otters, the South City Composite team. And lastly, my youngest son has taken to mountain biking, big time. 

It's fun to look back on the last 35 years, at least from one man's perspective, and see how far we've come. But it's more exciting to see where it might be going.

Reaching for Goals and Getting Them

First off, let me tell you how proud I am of my three kids. Tyson is in his last year of college at Fontbonne on a 100% baseball scholarship. Hanna has moved to Dallas for an amazing marketing job at WileyX Sunglasses, her first job straight of college. And the youngest, Eli, has set his sights on becoming a great mountain bike racer. It's not their accomplishments exactly that I'm proud of.  It's their drive. It's their tenacity. It's the idea that their lives are going to be better because of things they've worked hard for.

This weekend was the kickoff of the Missouri NICA race season for 2022 at St. Joe State Park. The school-age mountain bike racing organization keeps growing and growing. The Beautiful Mrs. K and I tagged along to watch Eli race in his first Varsity class race. At the end of last year's NICA season, Eli vowed that he would make the podium in 2022.  He's worked hard at this goal and has made incredible improvements in his riding.

As we've come to expect from NICA races, Sunday morning was buzzing with excitement and the crowds were huge. 400-ish kids, more teams than ever, and a big, big group of people hovering over the start line to see the Varsity kids take off. So encouraging to see this many people at 9am, when the racing would go on for the different classes for 6 more hours!

I actually struggled to get a shot of Eli in the starting chute, as the spectators lined the snow fencing. He had a third row start, which is not bad for him as he is a very fast starter. I held my breath for 18 minutes, waiting for his first lap to be over and he came through in great position. Two to go. After the second lap, he still had great position and was looking strong when I handed him a water bottle. One to go.

If there is anything I've learned about having kids, it's that hoping for the best for them is the most painful and glorious thing in life. My hope for my kids is that they reach whatever it is that they want the most. I stopped breathing again when I saw Eli swing out of the woods and onto the pavement for the run-in to the finish.  He had a very good rider just a few feet from his back wheel.  Eli is a super strong sprinter so when he flew onto the grass toward the finish, I yelled LIGHT IT UP ELI!!! and that's exactly what he did. His huge effort was enough for a solid 4th place. I could breathe again.

No words.

There are moments in life I won't forget. This podium shot is one of them.

Great job, Eli!

 

A Trip for Work with Some Fun Sprinkled In

After a VERY early morning flight Tuesday, we arrived in Salt Lake City before 10am. A quick UBER ride up through the mountains and we arrived at our hotel with an AMAZING view of the Park City mountains. This was from our balcony.  Imagine looking out at this every morning...

Obviously, with temps in the low 70's and almost no humidity, the Beautiful Mrs. K and I were completely energized! So we took a selfie. Actually, we took a lot of selfies.  

Yet another selfie. But that's not all we did. Even though we look like we're cute tourists enjoying the fresh mountain air, we were actually there for a reason: Work.

We were in Utah for The Big Gear Show. It's a trade show for outdoor brands, lots of which are bicycle-focused. We wanted to take a look at trends in the industry, as well as some specific brands that we were interested in. We had an eye on E-bikes, one of the fastest growing segments in cycling. It was an eye-opener, both for how good some of the new E-bikes are, and how bad some of them are. It's important to know the difference!

The NBDA (National Bicycle Dealers Association) were there and were a big part of the show. At one point they highlighted South Side Cyclery, and gave our store a 1-year membership as a scholarship award. We were flattered and humbled.  Thank you!

Once the two days of meetings and appointments at the show were over, we had a day and a half to ourselves. Obviously, we were going to make the most of this. I mean, like, Deer Valley and Park City? We're mountain bikers, right?? So we rented some bikes and bought lift tickets and off we went. Riding the lift up to Silver Lake, we caught some awesome trails below us. This photo is of a killer fast section into a berm that we actually rode THREE TIMES.  Oh yes, we rode the Green flow trails.  Imagine 4 miles downhill on a trail similar to the new Bluffview jump line and you kinda get the picture.

Halfway down one of our runs, the Beautiful Mrs. K was ALL SMILES.

We eventually made it around to checking out the more XC-oriented Mid-Mountain trail. It was more or less undulating, so it was flat-lander friendly but seriously overgrown.  You can tell where the heart and soul of mountain biking lies here, and it's not really XC.

One last look at the lift station and the beautiful surroundings before we headed back to Deer Valley.

Walking around Park City later in the day, we ran into a group of St. Louisans! Actually, half of this group now lives in the mountains of the west. We stopped for a drink and had a great time. They had a week of riding together and were talking about their last day to come. It was so nice to randomly run into people we knew 1500 miles from home!

A homage to the 2002 Winter Olympics was erected about 100 yards from our hotel.  Of course, we couldn't let this occasion pass us by. Of course, we took a selfie.

Friday was our last day in Utah.  Our plane didn't leave until quite late, so we took the awesome FREE public transportation and checked out the massive slide at the Park City resort. These goofy little carts are actually quite fun. No joke, you go downhill on these things at like 20 miles per hour for a couple minutes.  You have a funky brake handle that actually works, but Deanna and I told ourselves we wouldn't use it at all and let it fly. She got caught behind a total sandbagger, but I had a completely free run.  Probably good, as she tends to go a little overboard with things that go fast. We also strolled through old-town Park City, where they were setting up for a big art show before heading to the airport.

I think I'd like Lambert Airport a little more if the views were as good as those at Salt Lake.

Big Day Out, Missing a Little Somethin'

 Yesterday was a big day for me. Eli asked me to go on a long road ride with him.  Or maybe I asked if I could go with him? Not important :) But we did set out on an unusually cool morning, keeping a really good pace and hitting a few hills before coming home through the mean streets of the city. 47 miles later we were done.  He went way faster than me downhill (50mph!!!), and sprinted past me up Adams, so there's that. And you know, I was tired.  Had to do some chores around the house, too.  Then I noticed the sad face on the Beautiful Mrs. K.  I knew what that was about.  She didn't want to ride her mountain bike by herself.  I gathered myself up, drank a Monster Mean Bean, and said: "I'll go with you to Cliff Cave if you really want." The frown turned upside down and off we went.  Again, great weather, and the trail survived the weeks storms incredibly well. That was TWO rides in one day with TWO of my favorite riding partners....

But there was a little somethin' missing.

My other favorite riding partner has peaced out and now resides in Dallas.  I'm sure there are going to be tons of group rides that she can attend, hundreds and thousands of new people to meet, and countless adventures to be had. However, it would have been quite the TRIFECTA had I been able to ride with my THREE favorite riding partners yesterday.

It's a VERY Hanna kind of Day

Since Hanna is such a fitness buff, it made sense that she eventually decided to do a Triathlon.  I mean, she runs, she bikes, she works out. Every. Single. Day. After some scheduling conflicts, she signed up for the sprint triathlon in Kirkwood.  A great choice for beginners. She convinced a few of her GNO riding partners to do it also, and a couple more were already planning on it.

But you know what she doesn't do much? Swim.  Here she is, resplendent in her tri-suit, nervously waiting for her turn in the water. How much does she ride and run? Every day. How much did she swim before this event? Umm....

Splash into that water she did! Good form! Powerful strokes! Refreshing water! Go Hanna!

Quite a while later, she emerged from the water. Like, a long time later. Still smiling here, she said "I'm not a very strong swimmer!" I said, "I know! Now get on that bike and do what your best at!"

She jumped onto the Hellcat and blazed the course. She was the 2nd or 3rd fastest woman on the bike segment. No surprise to anyone who has ridden with her.

A very fast transition to the run, I could barely make it to the run segment to catch this photo.  "I'm not a very strong swimmer!" she told me again.  "I know!" I said. "Go tear up this run course!!"

That she did.  She made up a great deal of time on the bike, and more time with a solid run. Guzzling a cold bottle of water, she said, gasping, "I'm not a very strong swimmer!" And again, I said, "I know. But you did very well and we're very proud!"

The entire crew finished strong and had very few hiccups. It was awesome cheering for them. Hanna's mom and grandmother were there cheering, too. Family support in sports is so important, and we had a lot of that today. 

After the triathlon, we had a party planned for Hanna's graduation from Mizzou.  Not that the weather really cares about our party plans. As it turns out, it was also a going-away party.  She's taken a job in Texas with a sunglass company, WileyX. Great for her, but it's going to be hard without her around.

The woman of the hour, making me look good.

She chose a Carrot cake from her favorite St. Louis Bakery.

We had the get-together at Rockwell Beer Garden in Francis Park.  The Beautiful Mrs. K made the arrangements and tons of people showed up to wish Hanna well. 

So talented, she can even cut carrot cake with a flimsy plastic knife.  And yes, that's her participant number, written on her arm with a sharpie.  That's hard to get off in the shower. 

We were so happy to have her Girls Night Out friends show up for the party. Such a fun-loving crew who will miss her huge smile (and her dating advice).  Hey, who's the Chippendales model in the front??

Eli has shot way past Hanna in height, but these two have grown very close over the last year and Eli is very sad to see her go. Tyson had to miss the party as he was in a baseball tournament.  I wish he had been able to make it, and I wish I had a current picture of them all together.

I was able to get these three together! Hanna has so many people in her corner that love and support her. Lots of blended families are a mess, but we are all so fortunate that this one is not. She has moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers...all of them love this girl to the moon. I wish my girl the best of luck and hope for the best that life has to offer.  But it doesn't mean I'm not super sad to see her leave.

Thank you for all that cheered her on at todays event, thank you for all that came to wish her well, and a big thank you to the Beautiful Mrs. K for putting together a wonderful party.

Love you, HGK.