Paying the "Mountain Bike Experience" Forward

My 8 year old daughter has been asking why her mountain bike doesn’t have front “springs” like her sister’s bike, or like mine. So last week I ordered a set of inexpensive suspension forks for her and installed them on her bike. The resulting smile and new found enthusiasm for riding her bike was well worth the $40 I spent on the forks. Plus my older daughter and I had a good time working as a team installing the new part. It was a fun afternoon of bonding with my girls, and the result was that we all smiled at our part in the project, my eldest daughter for being able to help work on the bike, my younger daughter because she now had a bike with front “springs”, and me for seeing the smiles and feeling the bonding with my daughters.

I also realized something as I worked on the bike and saw the resulting joy that was created. I realized that most mountain bikers feel pride in this sport, and that in turn manifests itself as the desire to help others feel that same joy and satisfaction. In fact, I think if you ask most mountain bike riders if they would help someone get started riding, the answer would be that they would be more than happy to assist. I think this is because mountain bikers ride, not only for the exercise and enjoyment of riding, but also for the social aspect too. Many times you will see mountain bike riders in pairs or larger groups talking and pedaling along with big smiles and good attitudes and saying hello to everyone they meet on the trail and completely enjoying the shared experience with their friends.

After helping my daughters with the forks I could also see that it is the responsibility of us more seasoned mountain bike riders to help promote our sport and get other people interested in riding. It is important that we help our sport grow and that we help new riders understand the rules and etiquette involved in being a responsible mountain biker. It is also our attitude toward riding that will show the new riders how much fun it really is to get out and sweat as we pedal up a hill, or race down after that long climb (in a legal and controlled manner, of course). We are integral in the future of the sport, cultivating the enjoyment of new riders, and creating the image that other ‘non-riders’ see when they meet us on the trail. We need to teach technique and social skills, while preserving the fun and adventurous spirit that was originally found by those crazy guys racing clunkers down Mt. Tam in Marin County.


So if you ride a mountain bike, keep in mind what it is that you enjoy about our sport and remember to pass this enjoyment along, either as support for other riders you meet, or as a positive attitude towards those that have yet to appreciate the pleasures of this great sport. By passing on your experience and enthusiasm you will be helping to create positive mountain bikers...who will pass on what they learned from you to the next generation of riders!

Why Forums can be a VERY Negative Experience (but survivable)

Last night I decided that I would join the forums for a mountain biking website that I am, or maybe was (the jury is still out), a big fan of. I thought it would be a good way to speak to the people that have the same interests I have in regards to the lights that I sell. So on I go, I quickly find a forum that is dedicated to “Lights and Night Riding”, and I proudly ventured to suggest someone take a look at ZigLights.com.

What a mistake that turned out to be. I quickly realized that the forums there were more of a gladiatorial arena, the weapons being words and narrow minded attitudes. The people that replied to my suggestion could not get over the fact that the light head for the ZigLights systems uses parts from a Chinese made light. I explained that I did use those parts, but if they did a little research on the ZigLights website and Facebook page, they would quickly see that my lighting system is far above the Chinese light in quality, reliability, and performance. Alas, my words fell on deaf ears. The replies ridiculed my answer with obvious lack of thought, intelligence, and understanding of what ZigLights was trying to do for the mountain biking community. I continued for about half a day, giving answers that were courteous and informative. Again, every answer I gave, trying with all my might to be professional, was given a rude answer. I realized that my best option was to bow out of the forum, wishing everybody a happy riding experience.

I vow never to return to ANY forum.

The saddest part is, for a time after conversing with the negative forum dwellers, my positivity and hopeful outlook for ZigLights.com was shaken. My hopes that everyone would be enthralled with how much effort and thought I put into my lights dictated how my attitude would react to the negative forum replies. I predetermined my own downfall. Instead of entering the forum with a completely open mindset and being willing to maybe accept that many people have a need to bring others down, I entered it with my head held high and with the thought that everyone would be clapping me on the back for my dedication and hard work. Of course I know that many people will not like my lights. But I suppose I expected to be treated the way I try to treat everyone else, with respect and constructive input.

I’m still a bit down (hence the reason for writing this blog entry…good therapy), but I know that things will feel better with a bit of time. I still think my lights are a great product. I still think that I have priced them very competitively for what the customer will receive. And I still will not return to any forum because I don’t want to deal with the small minds encountered there. I just need to regain that positive feeling and attitude. I know...I’ll feel better if I go for a ride…maybe a nice night ride, using an awesome ZigLights light!!!

Timing is Everything! Or is it??

Yesterday I woke up late. I work the graveyard shift and it really takes a toll on my ability to get rest. So when I have a day where I don’t have to do anything, I sleep. But the downside is that I hate to sleep the day away because it is so unproductive. I had the idea that I would sleep for as long as I needed, then get up and go for a nice mountain bike ride before I would have to go to work. So yesterday I slept a long time, 9 hours. I woke up and immediately saw that time was short and my mountain bike ride would most likely have to wait, it wasn’t “the right time” for me to leave. I sat down, a bit upset that I wouldn’t be riding, and prepared to have something to eat and watch a movie. I couldn’t get over the fact that I had slept so long and had to miss going for a ride. Then a thought hit me…why couldn’t I go for a ride? Just because I got up later than I had anticipated, there was no good reason for me to not get out on my bicycle and have a good time for an hour or two, other than it wasn’t what I had planned as being “the right time” to leave my house. So I put on my gear and went for a ride….and I had a great time!

When is the perfect time? I know that many of us have some sort of plan in mind to do something, whether it is to travel, fix the roof, get an oil change for the car, etc, but we usually are waiting for “the right time”. It seems that “the right time” never really comes along, and whatever we had planned on doing either has to be done out of desperation, for instance now that leaky roof has become a small waterfall and HAS to be fixed, or we don’t get a chance to do it at all, like travel before failing health makes it impossible. Why do we do this?! What makes us keep procrastinating? Why do we put off doing fun things or fail to get necessary things completed merely because we feel that timing is a factor that should be taken into account?

I blame society’s crazy rules. We have grown up and been indoctrinated into believing that we should plan out everything in our lives. We save up for vacations, Christmas, home repairs and continually plan when those things will impact our lives the best. Yet we never seem to understand that the longer we wait, the more reasons we will find to say that the timing isn’t right. How easy it is to say, I can’t fix the roof today because it might rain this afternoon, or it is just too hot? Have you ever heard a young couple talk about when they are going to have a child, yet what is keeping them from the amazing adventure of being parents is that it isn’t “the right time”? It is because we all believe that we have to be completely prepared for whatever it is we are planning, that every detail needs to be taken into account and provided for. But we don’t know what we don’t know….and will never be able to plan for everything.

So the next time that it seems easier to procrastinate because the plan has changed or doesn’t fit easily into “the right time” idea, stop and think. Is there ever really going to be a “right time”? Or could you take control of your own life and decide that NOW is the “right time”? The more you do this, the more you will realize that anything is possible at any time. Don’t let an imaginary rule stop you from living your life the way YOU want to live it, and when you want to live it……

As for me, I think I’ll go for another ride….right now

The California DMV and Mountain Biking

So I’m going to tell you a story about my experience at the California DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)…it’s not pretty and this is a bit of a rant. In fact it is a testimony to the incompetence that the DMV seems to celebrate with the hiring of its employees. I live in the Glendale California area, and I’m not saying that I went to the Glendale DMV, but it would be out of my way to do otherwise.

I was going to the DMV to try to complete the registration of one of my motorcycles, and all that I needed to complete was a brake and light inspection. Now, just to preface the situation, I had been trying to find a brake and light inspection station (from this point on I’ll call it the BLS) off and on for about 2 years. Unable to find one locally, I fell back upon the DMV rule that said,

“Exception: When an official California brake and light station that inspects specific vehicles, such as motorcycles or large commercial vehicles is not located within a reasonable distance, the DMV will accept a Statement of Facts (REG 256) from a California repair shop certifying that the brakes and lights are in proper working order.”

So this is the course of action that I followed with no official California BLS within a reasonable distance from my house. I went to a nearby Honda motorcycle dealership and they did the Statement of Facts (from this point on I’ll call this a SOF). Now, you need to remember that dealerships repair the vehicles that they sell, hence a car dealership fixes cars and a motorcycle dealership fixes motorcycles…this will be important later. I know that any intelligent human being understands this, but you will see later that I was not dealing with intelligence.

So with past paperwork from previous DMV visits and my new SOF sheet from the dealership in hand, I go to the DMV to finally get my motorcycle on the road. Once there I waited in line and finally was given the chance to speak to one of the fine state licensing employees, who turned out to be a middle aged gentleman with a rather bored and vapid look about him. I explained what I needed, and what I had, and handed the whole shebang to him. He looked at the papers and I saw that he immediately threw away my shiny new SOF and began typing on his computer. Well to make a long story shorter, he typed and filled forms and typed some more and then asked for $303 from me. Now anyplace else you would receive merchandise upon payment of funds, but at the DMV you apparently get to pay for the privilege of watching them “work”. He took my check and handed my paperwork back and told me (with a thick accent) that I need to provide a BLS inspection certificate. I looked at him with my best “you’re kidding, right?” look. He continued to look blankly at me for several seconds before I pointed out that the SOF that he so quickly threw away at the very beginning of our business transaction was exactly what fulfilled that requirement. With a large sigh he shuffled through his garbage can and found the needed papers. Now, I have to say that almost the whole time that I was watching him type and fill out papers, about 20 minutes or so, there was a rather large woman (another fine state employee) standing behind him and jackjawing to another equally rotund and fine state employee. At this time he turned to the first robust woman (a supervisor) and showed her my SOF. They mumbled to each other for a few moments and she turned to me and said that they needed an official BLS certificate. I told her that there wasn’t a motorcycle BLS station within a reasonable distance from my home and so I fell back on the DMV rule that said I could use a SOF, and further explained that if she were to look on the internet at the official DMV site she could see the very same information. She promptly told me that BLS stations are all over the place. Yes, I replied, for cars but not for motorcycles. OHHHHH, she said, yeah they are hard to find for motorcycles. It seemed to me that I had won a point and that things were looking up. My buddy the paper pusher had assumed his vapid and completely blank look….

Here is where the laws of physics and logic broke down. I must have fallen into Alice’s rabbit hole because the absurdity of what I was about to go through was mind boggling!

The supervisor then told me that I needed a SOF from a BLS station. I looked at her. Hmmmm, well if I had found a BLS station, I would have a certificate….wouldn’t I?! I again explained that the DMV website explains that if I can’t find a BLS station the SOF would suffice. So captain vapid typed some more and moved his computer mouse around frantically…and they both leaned in toward the computer screen. The illustrious supervisor then read to me the definition of what a BLS station is. I told them that was not what I saw when I looked at the site and that they were looking in the wrong place. Super duper supervisor looked at me and said, “I’m looking at the DMV site right now and that is what it says.” I calmly told her that we didn’t need the definition of a BLS station, but the rule about when I could use a SOF, and that was on another part of the site. She looked at me, I looked at her, capt. Vapid stared off into space. “I’m looking at the DMV site and that is what it says“ she restated. I realized that I was not dealing with someone of even average intelligence, that the DMV hiring process seems to have struck again.

I needed to take another line of attack. I decided to agree and then redirect…I told her that I realize that the rule says I needed to go to a BLS station, and I was not arguing that point whatsoever. But that if I could NOT find a BLS station I could use the SOF as a replacement. She actually seemed to accept what I said and looked at the SOF. At the bottom of the SOF it was signed by the service manager of the Honda motorcycle dealership. Now, remember when I told you at the beginning that dealerships also repair the vehicles they sell? Well here is where that comes into play. She looked at the signature and saw that it was a dealership that signed the document. She quickly seized upon this point and stated, “I see here that it was a dealership that signed this SOF, and when I see that I know that dealerships only SELL motorcycles.” AHAAA!!! She made such a point that she could not help getting a very smug look on her face. My jaw dropped open, my eyes stared….my mind thought “ARE YOU F’ING KIDDING????!!!! HOW STUPID ARE YOU????!!!!” I closed my mouth and I calmly explained that it is a motorcycle dealership and dealerships also repair motorcycles, just as if she took her car for a repair to the car dealership. She looked at me, I looked at her, captain vapid looked off into space.

Now I’ve found that stupid people, when confronted with superior logic, tend to let their trains of thought randomly derail and jump tracks, rather than actually admit defeat or have to think. Case in point, she immediately said, “But you need a certificate from a BLS station.” Back to Square One. Ok, so again I am going to jump forward to save time, but let me say that we went through this rigmarole several times, almost exactly the same verbiage coming out of both our mouths…and there was never any sign of her making any kind of logical or intelligent connections. At one point I actually had the gall to suggest that she call the Honda dealership and ask if they repair motorcycles. Of course that meant actually doing something other than talking to her friend, so that was out of the question. I again asked her to look at the correct spot on the DMV website to actually see the rule instead of a definition…she refused that too. I could not believe that someone could be so inept and unwilling to actually do their job that they were volunteering to look like a complete idiot.

This is why the state of California is losing money, we hire people that have realized that they don’t need to do ANYTHING and they still get a nice paycheck….which means the state then has to hire another person to actually do the work that the first person isn’t doing.

Oh, I still have to go back to the DMV…I paid $303, but I didn’t get what I paid for yet. Tell me how they get away with that?

So, you are probably asking how this relates to mountain biking. I’ll tell you. That night I went for a ride with one of my buddies…and as I pedaled down the trail the stress of the day melted away. Once I’m riding the world is a better place and I get to leave the idiocy behind…

Introduction to Zen and Mountain Biking

I was just sitting around trying to think how I might be able to help people get introduced to the amazing sport of Mountain Biking. But I also want to help everyone interested learn more about how to repair their bike, stay fit, enjoy the great outdoors on a bike, and maybe bring up a few things about having a positive attitude in life. Although the title of this blog is Zen and Mountain Biking, I need to explain that I can't officially say that I know much about Zen, except the feeling of being in the moment when I ride. The ability to not think but act instinctively and thus thoroughly appreciate what is going on around me.  That incredible feeling of escape that I feel when I am on a bike riding one of the local trails, the stress of everyday living melts away and I get to just enjoy riding.

I'll also give comments about my experiences with equipment, traveling, weather considerations, my attitudes, being a courteous rider, and being a team player when you ride with others. Or anything else that comes up. I will welcome comments and other peoples insights, whether you ride or not.

So a little about me. I have been riding bicycles for as long as I can remember. I can still remember the complete joy I had when I got my first bicycle for Christmas (literally one of my earliest memories). That old purple Kent single speed with a huge banana seat that I got in the late '70s got me started on a lifetime passion. Throughout the years I learned how to repair bicycles (I gained official experience working as a bike mechanic in a well known shop), ride better, help teach riding techniques, and even create my own product to sell (I'll add shameless plugs later). Around 1983 I bought my first real mountain bike, a Schwinn somethin' or another with no suspension and one of those crazy U-brakes on the frame where no brake should ever be. I was hooked. I now race Downhill, am the co-leader of a mtn biking group, repair bikes out of my garage, and sell lighting systems for night time riding. 

I hope you read what I have to say and if you glean just a few words of wisdom, or find something to be of help every once in a while, then I will consider this endeavor to be a success.  Remember, that the most important factor to the success and enjoyment of life is your own attitude and outlook....