sailing...but still talking about riding
SAILING...BUT STILL TALKING ABOUT RIDING
What do mountain bikers do when they are not mountain biking? The immediate answers that come to mind are: sleeping, eating, sipping a latte or a Red Bull, maybe scarfing down mounds of spaghetti or simply working the day job.
But these things still have one common element. That is, even when not riding, riders talk about riding. It turns out when you are trying to forget about mountain biking for just one afternoon, you find yourself planning a ride!
This past Sunday, in Baltimore, it was 85 degrees, muggy and sweaty under a cloudless sky and only along the waterfront was there a whisper of a cooling breeze. It was a great day not to ride, because I had ridden every day of the prior week.
I felt it coming on, like a tingle in the back of my throat; I was just about to get sick of riding.
So, we decided to go sailing. Our sailboat, “Indifference”, is about fifty feet long and she’s always in need of paint and varnish but we squeezed aboard the decks buckets of ice cold beer, spring water and ginger ale. Watermelons. Chips and salsa. Wine and cheese. Couple pounds of steamed shrimp. And about 25 day sailors, most of whom happened to be mountain bikers.
From the Mast of Indifference
Out on the bay the temperature breezed down to a very pleasant 75 degrees.
The city front in contrast, shimmering in wavy heat, passed us by in slow motion.
Bob Marley was there for a while, as was Jonny Lee Hooker, and Santana, too.
Dozens of other white sails lazily zig zagged around us.
Power boats from bow to stern, top heavy with bikinis and body builders rumbled along in a parade.
We sailed from the Inner Harbor out to the Key Bridge and back swinging by Fort McHenry, Fells Point and five hours later back to our slip in Canton at the old Tindeco Wharf, which was once one of America’s largest manufactures of tin cans for tobacco and breath mints, the historic brick building converted now to million dollar condominiums, health club and doctor’s offices, and a palm tree-lined Tiki Bar.
And I spent the whole sail talking with Donald, the owner of the local bike shop, Fleet Street Cycles; and with Dave Duval, Regional Trek Team XC and bike messenging honch; with Bridey, a downhiller I first met in Hawaii back in ’99 and who has been living here in Charm City for the last few years; with my two brothers Dave and Chris; with Steve from D.C., with Jeremy who used to live in Marin; with one banged up motocrosser and with everybody else on board talking… about riding.
Lots of Riders
Favorite rides. Brutal rides. Rides we always wanted to do. Bike set ups. N.O.R.B.A. Doping. Bonking… And a ride for tomorrow.
That tickle in the back of my throat has gotten worse. I don’t know if I am any better for the sail. We were all supposed to be taking the day off from training, and we spent the entire time chattering about trails. I’m going to bet that today’s ride is spent gushing about the sail.
What do mountain bikers do when they are not mountain biking? The immediate answers that come to mind are: sleeping, eating, sipping a latte or a Red Bull, maybe scarfing down mounds of spaghetti or simply working the day job.
But these things still have one common element. That is, even when not riding, riders talk about riding. It turns out when you are trying to forget about mountain biking for just one afternoon, you find yourself planning a ride!
This past Sunday, in Baltimore, it was 85 degrees, muggy and sweaty under a cloudless sky and only along the waterfront was there a whisper of a cooling breeze. It was a great day not to ride, because I had ridden every day of the prior week.
I felt it coming on, like a tingle in the back of my throat; I was just about to get sick of riding.
So, we decided to go sailing. Our sailboat, “Indifference”, is about fifty feet long and she’s always in need of paint and varnish but we squeezed aboard the decks buckets of ice cold beer, spring water and ginger ale. Watermelons. Chips and salsa. Wine and cheese. Couple pounds of steamed shrimp. And about 25 day sailors, most of whom happened to be mountain bikers.
From the Mast of Indifference
Out on the bay the temperature breezed down to a very pleasant 75 degrees.
The city front in contrast, shimmering in wavy heat, passed us by in slow motion.
Bob Marley was there for a while, as was Jonny Lee Hooker, and Santana, too.
Dozens of other white sails lazily zig zagged around us.
Power boats from bow to stern, top heavy with bikinis and body builders rumbled along in a parade.
We sailed from the Inner Harbor out to the Key Bridge and back swinging by Fort McHenry, Fells Point and five hours later back to our slip in Canton at the old Tindeco Wharf, which was once one of America’s largest manufactures of tin cans for tobacco and breath mints, the historic brick building converted now to million dollar condominiums, health club and doctor’s offices, and a palm tree-lined Tiki Bar.
And I spent the whole sail talking with Donald, the owner of the local bike shop, Fleet Street Cycles; and with Dave Duval, Regional Trek Team XC and bike messenging honch; with Bridey, a downhiller I first met in Hawaii back in ’99 and who has been living here in Charm City for the last few years; with my two brothers Dave and Chris; with Steve from D.C., with Jeremy who used to live in Marin; with one banged up motocrosser and with everybody else on board talking… about riding.
Lots of Riders
Favorite rides. Brutal rides. Rides we always wanted to do. Bike set ups. N.O.R.B.A. Doping. Bonking… And a ride for tomorrow.
That tickle in the back of my throat has gotten worse. I don’t know if I am any better for the sail. We were all supposed to be taking the day off from training, and we spent the entire time chattering about trails. I’m going to bet that today’s ride is spent gushing about the sail.
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4 Comments:
Marla,
How'd you get your boat to Baltimore, MD. I thought you lived in CA?
Mark and I sailed it from California to Baltimore, MD last winter- it was pretty epic.
For the whole sordid story, check out my upcoming book- The Road Century Book, to be released Spring '06
Marla,
I'm going to be in the Bay area in August and was wondering if you could suggest some fun singletrack trails in that general area. I'm a strong rider most days and I'm looking to experience some Cali riding.
Thx alot
Marla,
Thanks for inviting my friends and I on the sailboat ride around the Baltimore Harbor. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to ride with you on that Tuesday, but I hope you had fun that day. Hopefully on your next visit we can ride Gambrill.
- Joe G.
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