The End?

I let my subscription to Motocross Action expire this month and now I hear that Cycle News has quit print publication. That leaves Dirt Rider as my only moto magazine and I have never really enjoyed reading it that much. The weekly delivery of Cycle News used to be a big deal before the Internet and all of the TV coverage that moto now enjoys. It seems like I am in the minority but I like to hold my reading material in my hands, flip through it, and look at the pictures. It's just not the same as clicking on the pages on this screen.

I have a framed first edition of Dirt Bike Magazine that I purchased at a news stand in Jacksonville Fl. in 1971 and a stack of later editions from the 70s into the 80s. Some of the articles are 2-3 pages of text, written with an easy style, and a sense of humor. That was back before the days of motor homes and enclosed trailers. I liked it better when it was kind of a niche sport, not so Nascar.

The MTB races and rides remind me of what moto was like in the early days. You have a few who are taking it serious but most of the riders seem to be just in it for the fun. The pits (do you call them that?) are relaxed and it's hard to be too aggressive out on the trail with another rider when they can talk to you while you ride. Not all disciplines of moto have gone glitzy. There is still enduro racing which draws a more relaxed and friendly crowd. Unfortunately land to have these events on has gotten hard to come by so they end up using wet areas or trails that have been beaten to death.

Maybe it's not the end of the moto deal for me. I still have a bike and some good places to ride. People who know me will tell you that I do this every so often, quit riding one type of moto and get hot on something else, only to go back to the first thing eventually. But I am happily stuck on this bicycle deal right now.

We rode FM Wednesday, TB Thursday, and again on Saturday. Sunday afternoon we rode FM again and I expected to get tortured by RS and Charismatic CS but it turned out to be a moderate pace (for me) and a nice way to wrap up the weekend. Rupe and I are looking forward to the race this weekend and now that I have some idea how it all works I am not nearly as nervous as I was before the first round.

The new Specialized Sport shoes I purchased last week are much lighter and don't soak up water as my Shimano MT 41's did so I'm looking for at least another minute off my lap times.