Interesting juxtaposition …
… at today’s public clinic at Valmont Bike Park.
Free copy of Welcome to Pump Track Nation goes to the best 100-word essay explaining how these pedals found their way onto XTR cranks.
 Thanks Adria for the sweet photo op! |
Post your essay in the comments box. Contest ends midnight MDT Wednesday, Sept. 7.
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The evidence suggests the work of a garage sale entrepreneur and a drifter. One of two things has happened and is easily be explained by knowing if the rest of the bike matches the pedals or the cranks. Frame matches the pedals; there is a biker somewhere who hasn’t talked to his mom for a week because she sold his XTR cranks to a drifter. Frame matches the cranks; there is a biker somewhere who hasn’t talked to his mom for a month because she sold his entire bike, which was then outfitted by a drifter with stolen children’s pedals.
This made me confused for awhile until I thought that this bikes owner is probably in his 50’s who used to ride some cheap bike in the 70’s and now has some money so he bought a nice xc bike and is having so much fun riding again so he now wants to get rad so he put on whatever flat pedals he had at the time to check out the fun stuff at the park and he had so much fun there that he is going to get some nice platform pedals and toss the running shoes and get some Vans and have a hell of a lot of fun.
You can’t put a price tag or a fancy marketing glossy print ad that equals the value of having platform pedals to pedal, pump or brrraap…period.
that’s 25 words
donate my prize to a kid at your next clinic.
ride on!
tc
Curse these clipless pedals! They’re messing me up! Why didn’t I bring my flats! Wait. Over there in the ditch. Most of an old Department Store bike. If I can just [loosen, loosen, loosen]. Reverse thread. Mutter, mutter. Now take off these clipless [loosen, loosen, loosen]. Reverse thread. Mutter, mutter. Now the paleo-flats [tighten, tighten, tighten]. Reverse thread. Mutter, mutter. Oh yeah! Hmmm … do I need the reflectors . . .
Today we watch as Grasshopper begins his kung fu quest. Hopper is native to the Rigid Rider family but has never truly belonged. Every time the Rippin’ Riders pass by he longs to follow. Hopper decides that if he is to ride with those that rip he must do as they do. After much scorn for his clunky clips Hopper looks to go flat, but not flat. His pedals need to pop. After only a few nights in his new home, Pump Track Nation, all the animals gather as Hopper’s pedal reflectors dance across the night in grace and beauty.
If you were to ask me (and since you are) I would say. “Those XTR cranks have a brain, ditched the pedaling aid and let it’s riders become foot loose and fancy free”.
An upgrade is an upgrade no matter the cost and a huge congrats goes to the proud “owner” who got back their FREEDOM!!!
P.S.
If I were to win (ha ha) please donate that wonderful book of yours to the proud owner who just got back their Freedom.
Well you were sitting looking for something to have people write an essay about, and you thought “Hey they could do an essay on my ‘retro platform pedals”! Or you were just drunk and put old ass pedals on your bike. Or the bike was bought without pedals and those old ass pedals were all that was available and well damn you had to ride your new steed. Or its the handy work of Bikeworks….
A few months back I came across a charity that rebuilds old donated bikes and gives them to the needy to promote health and exercise. Moved to generosity, I donated one of my old bikes hoping that some lucky soul would fall in love with cycling as I had. I could hardly give up my favorite flats though! How was I supposed to know the charity would disgrace my old steed in this manner?
Oops–did you say 100 words?
Old guy riding a Blur in the desert buggers a Shimano SPD on a huge epic and steals replacements from an ancient Schwinn Moab guarded by a a skeleton of one of our forefathers, thereby saving his sorry old cracked ass from certain death.
Editors. Sheesh.
An avid mountain biker, I always take my bike along on our family vacation. Our son was born earlier this year, and we were going to spend our summer vacation at my parents place in Lake Tahoe. In the rush of putting in the car seat, making sure there were sufficient diapers, bottles, etc. for our 6 month old child, I forgot my SPD shoes. Borrowing a neighbor’s old bike, more precisely his old pedals, I had a great time tearing up the Sierra trails dreaming of the fun I would have with my son in a few years.
(A total of 99 words)
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Thanks everyone for the awesome contributions. I’m sending Pump Track Nation ebooks to Kevin and Jeff.
Thanks for the book. I think this weekend my wife and I will go out to do some measuring. We have a full lot and a half north of us and we need to decide how much will be dedicated to the track. Our lot is unfenced and I really don’t care/ would love it if others wanted to ride it but there is always that liability issue. Would you suggest letting everyone (mostly kids) ride it as long as they have filled out the liability waiver? Thanks again for everything!
I am not a lawyer, and I can’t speak to the laws/practices where you live.
That said, if you build it safe and get waivers you should be OK. The lack of fence might be an issue; the track might be considered an “attractive nuisance” that anyone can access. From what I’m told, it’s best to have your track unavailable to everyone but the people you invite. Ask a local lawyer. …