My new(est) bike...

...is a Bianchi single-speed mountain bike, 29'er (29-inch tires, instead of the 26-inch tires found on typical mountain bikes). I have become a single-speed convert since transitioning to a single-speed bike for my commuting in April. I enjoy it so much on the road that I decided to switch over to a SS for the trails, as well. SSs are quieter, simpler, lighter, faster. And sometimes humiliating, when you have to get off and walk up a hill.

Here are some pics of my latest rides:

The first time the tires hit dirt (at Nisene Marks Forest).

This morning I got up just after dawn and went on a 31-mile solo ride. Back to Nisene Marks Forest. This ride took me very close to the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake(http://www.santacruzpl.org/history/disaster/89quake.shtml).



Redwoods - these are just the babies. There's a big one tucked away somewhere in this forest, but I haven't found it yet...45 feet circumference.

This is the payoff after climbing 1,600 feet in five miles.


My bike in the redwoods on the downhill section.

After the ride
I drank a cold beer by the beach, studied my surroundings, and tried to figure out which of the following was more ridiculous:

1. This GI Joe-trailer-hitch-attachment on a jacked up Jeep

2. Gas prices

3. This Chihuahua in sun-goggles