Post-Q1-Riding

So, today I had planned to finally get my dirt fix and do a medium-long ride: start from Fremont Older, ride up Monte Bello Rd. over to Saratoga Gap and back down Steven’s Canyon Rd. to home.

On the very first climb,  I was immediately struck with a sneaking suspicion that grew into a certainty that I would a) die. or b) not finish this ride. So I contented myself with a few laps around FOOSP–Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, explored some new territory and got some flow going on the limited singletrack there (noteworthy, because when I first returned, I had almost no flow or mojo on the bike). For some reason, horse droppings were quite a problem… It reminded me of the question of the month in one of my favored bike publications, Bike Magazine, which went something like this “If mountain bikers started pooping on the trail like horses, would we get access to more places? Horses are allowed almost everywhere, including wilderness preserves, while we get chased down by the man.” (Bike Mag Nov 2010 Ask Chopper QOM) Pondering these deep things, I went home via Monte Vista High school (nice staircase jumps) and Calabases BMX Park (still closed for rain because the City of San Jose is lame/closed for the Holidays… I just jumped the fence).

The lesson? Ride more. During my first quarter at SPU–Seattle Pacific University (located in Seattle, surprise surprise!) I rode a bicycle exactly twice. Can you say Atrophy? [#fat] I’m trying to get a bike up to Seattle for next quarter, but airline fees are pretty steep. I’m also looking at old road bikes in Seattle. Both of these solutions should help ease my withdrawal.

Coming Soon…

I haven’t posted. In a LONG time. I’m going to try to get my yearly newsletter out before Christmas, but it may end up being a New Year’s letter. We’ll see.

Pogonip

Pogonip Creek on SCB Company Blog: Read it here: http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/104bronson/?p=1030

Kirt Voreis

You know that dude riding a bike in my header? That’s Kirt Voreis riding his personal Santa Cruz Nomad in (of all places) Santa Cruz. Note the ultra-custom Rock Shox fork. Anyway, I’ve been lucky enough to meet him in person several times (I even have a signed poster ^_^ http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/1/l_ba05dedb15476fa9e18da801d1bbe0c8.jpg ) Anyway, I think he’s a pretty cool guy all around and I like to keep track of him. This season, he’s left Santa Cruz and is now riding for Specialized (See! Proofz: http://iamspecialized.com/gravity/rider/kirt-voreis/1159/ ) He’ll be re-staring his Allride Tour, which went on hiatus toward the end of his SC days. Best of luck, although I think it would be better if you were on SC

Update: Kirt is already exerting influence at the big S: The 2011 Specialized P.3 has his fingerprints all over the newly-revised geometry. Also http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2010-Sea-Otter-Classic,1254/Kirt-Voreis-2011-Specialized-P3,5952/sspomer,2

Dream Guitars

I have no idea why I have such a strong urge to put this up, but here it is: a list of My dream guitars.

1. Fender Telecaster: American Vintage Re-Issue 1962 Custom Telecaster

AVRI '62 Custom Telecaster- Surf Green

The single-coil Fender sound has always been my favorite for just noodling around. If I were only to have one guitar, it would be a Fender. I like Telecasters for a few reasons… 1. They have a neat [a little bit] wild, jangly sound; Strats are more refined and have more of a purr. 2. They’re less in pop than Stratocasters, which everyone has. 3. I just like Single Cut style bodies, and the Telecaster has this super retro 50′s look to it. It is also my (very biased) opinion that good guitars should be made in America. Also, I have this thing for 60′s era Telecasters, with the veneer rosewood fretboard– it’s supposed to lend more of a midrangy, growly sound to the instrument. Rosewood also looks way better after you’ve been playing for a few years. I also have to admit that I am very influenced my @StephenDMason from Jars of Clay, and he owns a (real) 60′s Tele. The Surf Green color pretty much nails it for me… I don’t know why, but that’s just a super attractive look. The truss rod adjuster nut being on the bottom of the neck (hidden in the neck pocket) instead of on the headstock is a cool, early tele appropriate touch. I can’t afford a vintage telecaster, so the Re-Issue looks like a [relative] steal.

2. Gibson USA Les Paul Traditional

Gibson USA Les Paul Traditional- Light Burst

Gibson USA Les Paul Standard 2008- Light Burst

The Traditional model is patterned after the Les Paul Standards of the past, before they began hollowing them out for weight and resonance. Like the AVRI Telecaster, it’s not a strict re-issue that follows every last detail of the original guitars, but it’s close enough. Les Paul are awesome because of their “Fat” humbucker tone, and their [slightly heavy] harmonic activity. It almost ties with the Telecaster for the if-I-only-owned-one-guitar spot. Gibson also has the 2008 Standard, which is a highly modified Les Paul. I seems okay, but I think I’d prefer the  Traditional even if it is heavier. Heritage Cherry Sunburst is kind of the classic look for Les Paul Standards, but it was always too red for me. I prefer the Light Burst that’s recently (okay, since about 2000) become available. Light Bursts are magic, they can look orange under some lighting and red in other places. I would probably put Gold (metal) top hat knobs and a blank truss rod cover on to complete the look.

3.Gretsch G6119 Chet Adkins Tennessee Rose

Gretsch Chet Adkins Tennesee Rose (G6119)

Arguably, Between the Fender Single Coils and Gibson’s PAF style Humbuckers, you really have all the sounds you need. But Gretsches are cool. Although they aren’t made in America (Fender bought them out and the high end 6 series guitars are made in Japan now), they still have this awesome twangy vibe. They’re also really big! I first became addicted to the GGS (Great Gretsch Sound) from listening to Fall Out Boy– Pat Stump uses them most of the time. Steve Mason has also been using one lately. With a compressor pedal, these things sound very unique. This one, the regular ‘Rose (there are a bunch of weird variations on the 6119) has a Bigsby Trem and those neat ‘thumbnail’ inlays.

4. Paul Reed Smith Starla X Soapbar

This one is a little bit of a strange bird. Soapbar pickups (justa nother name for Gibson p-90′s) ARE the sound of classic rock. This is the sound most people think of when they hear “electric guitar”. It’s also the sound of core punk rock (Think Billie Joe Armstrong). Les Paul Juniors are neat, but the PRS has a secret weapon: Sustainable woods. This makes the Starla a whole lot cheaper than a LPJ like Billie Joe plays. It would also be really cool to nab a regular, mahogany Starla (with bird inlays, of course) and put the Soapbars in there to get the tone out of an even better looking (and still light) guitar, but the extra $800 is a bit hard to justify just for the birds.

(unfortunately I couldn’t get glam shots of a white Starla X with Soapbars, so this’ll have to do.)

PRS Starla X Soapbar-Aged White/White

Soapbar Pickup Detail

Bass: Rickenbacker 4003

Rickenbacker 4003 Bass, Midnight Blue

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m really into the whole “Vintage” sound thing. These guys are cool because they have the neck-through-body construction and stereo output.

Amp: Matchless Cobra / King Cobra

Matchless White/White/Gold (DC-30 shown)

I can’t decide between either of these. I would order in the 2×12 format, just because Matchless gets you some nicely modified Celetions at a decent price. I might try to get a tone control modification so that I can have treble+bass interactive, but that’s not super necessary. For other sounds (Fender 6V6, Marshall Bluesbreaker etc.) I’d just build my own clone. The Matchless would be too hard to clone (have you seen the inside of one of these things!? The handwired point-to-point makes them just about indestructible.

I live on raw emotion, baby…

So today I was up at oh-dark-and-early-eight-o’clock to load all the bikes into the car. The family was heading to the 50th anniversary BBQ at Koinonia Conference Grounds, and since the camp is tantalizingly close to the upper parking lot of Santa Cruz’s Soquel Demonstration Forest (a great mountain bike destination and frequent haunt of mine, generally known as just ‘Demo’) I thought I’d sneak in a quick ride without having to climb 10+ miles up from Aptos. Today was actually the first time that I was bringing a riding partner with me, my dad. He got a baptism by fire on Braille Trail (If you get in over your head, just shut your eyes and feel your way down…). Other than really chewing up my back tire, nothing really bad happened this time. However, my back is extra sore because dad was trying to get a picture of me hopping off a large log. I had to do this 4-some-foot drop to flat over and over because the shot wasn’t coming out right. We still don’t have a decent shot of me riding Demo. After we got to the bottom, there was a 4 mile ride down Eureka Canyon Blvd to Kamp. Other highlights: Ingenious use of Wah Wah pedal on rhythm guitar during worship, and meeting a SC local named Cody who was able to turn me on to some cool riding spots in the area. Unfortunately I likely won’t be able to ride these for a while D: since I’ll be leaving Seattle (Sans Bike! Boo! Sneer!) in <3 weeks. End note: Kernie drove the whole way to and from Koinonia on 17 and Highland drive (twisty!)! For those who are wondering what the title is about, it’s from the M5 song “Wake Up Call”.

Scam Spam

Here’s an awesome scam email I received today, resplendent with grammatical and spelling errors:

From: Mrs. Christina  Waldeburg.
 
Dear Sir/Madam
 
My name is  Christina  Waldeburg I’m 75yrs old, a German Citizen.I am a good merchandise, I have several industries & companies and good share in various Banks in the World.I spent all my  life on investment and co-operate business. All the way I lost my husband  and two beautiful kids in fatal accident that occured in November 5th  2007.
 
I am a very greedy woman with all cost I don’t know much and care  about people, since when I have an experience of my difficult to  sleep and give rest. Later in the year 2008 Febuary I was sent a letter  of medical check up, as my personal Doctor testify that I had a lung  cancer, which can easily take off my life soon.I found it uneasy to  survive myself, because a lot of investment cannot be run and manage by me again.I quickly call up a cancellor to give me positive  thinking on this solution, as my adviser.He ministered to me to share my  properties ,wealth, to motherless baby,orphanage homes, people that need money for survivor both student that need money, business woman and man for their investment and for future rising.
 
So therfore I am writing this letter to people who are really need help from me both student in college, to contact me urgently. so that I can make available preparation on that, especially women of the day, who are divorced by their husband, why they cannot survive the means of feeding themselves.
 

Please contact me and stop weeping. probably let me now what you really  need the money for, and if you can still help me to distribute money to  nearest orhanages homes near your town.now am so much with God, am now  born again.May the lord bless you, as you reach me,please to remind you. I will  give more information to you as I await your response immediately.
 
Best Regards
 
Mrs. Christina  Waldeburg