Riggs and Murtaugh

Oh you don't know who I'm talking about? Odd...they're only two of the most solid movie buddies of all time. Riggs is the nutjob with a wicked Bon Jovi feathered cut...a loose cannon who plays by the rules...his rules! Murtaugh is the thinking man...he wants to do a good job, by the book, eyes on the future. One lets his emotions dictate his choices while the other exercises caution and judgement. Invariably, they pick up some of each other's habits and tendencies. Murtaugh begins to loosen up a little and take some chances while Riggs can think past the 'moment'...but still won't trim that awful hair.

Lolly mentioned to our former GA neighbors that we had this blog and I received an e-mail this morning asking why 'the guy who introduced you to MTB hasn't been mentioned.' Fair enough, J-chizzle did 're'-introduce me to MTB and, you could argue, introduced me to real mountain biking proper. The kind where you are 30 miles from the parking lot, running on fumes, eating GORP, and having a blast! From our first real ride at Chicopee Woods where I went OTB 2 times and had about three mental breakdowns from the exertion I, er, exerted? to our last ride a few months back. Good times, fosha!

Being newbs to the MTB scene we, I think, took for granted the awesomeness of the trails we had at our disposal in North GA. Chicopee, the 1996 Olympic course at Conyers, GA, Tsali, Dauset, Yellow River in the beginning...and later, the old Norba course at Helen and Ft. Yargo.

Those trails will teach you how to ride.

...they will also teach you a little bit about yourself...what you are made of. J-chizzle calls it 'I.F.' and I think I would call it stupidity if I called it anything. Most people who mtb don't do it for long. It's just too dang hard. It just doesn't fit in with our instant gratification society. It hurts! ...and we love it. I've seen people break down on the trails, just give up...it's not for 99.9% of the population. I'll take you riding sometime...even let you set the pace...you won't like it.

The GA MTB scene was very diverse. You had leg shaving XCers, rail thin endurance riders, hairy SSers, 100 litre camelback and every tool you can carry newbs, weekend warriors...it was incredible (much more so in hindsight). J-chizzle incorporated a bit of 'em all. He was only like the GA state BMX and 20" cruiser champion like 28 years in a row and could handle a bike with the best of 'em. Riding with him, pushing myself to keep up, wanting to best him on the trails...made me a much better rider. I had to ask myself repeatedly, "Why am I doing this?" And the answer was always, "Cause it is so freaking incredibly fantabulously FUN!"

Yo J-chizzle - protect ya neck.

This picture was from a race we did in Feb. 2006. He got 1st and I came in 2nd...but I am taller.