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In February, the route was announced for the tenth annual Tour of California. Almost immediately, Banning and I identified the famous Mt Baldy summit finish had been brought back to this year’s edition, after a two year absence. It required no deliberation….EWB Hooligans Ball would also be making its grand re-emergence!

An annual shop ride that explores the northern Orange County hills with riders of all levels.

When I first envisioned East West Bikes authoring a blog, I wanted it to be fresh and fun to read.

Creating just another place to read the same stuff that could be found elsewhere seemed boring and an obvious attempt at cheap web optimizing. For better or worse that goal established a tough standard to meet, but I see it as a fun challenge.

I remember my version of the cycling world of fifteen or so years ago as being vastly different than that of today. One could argue that it was better then or better today, with equally compelling arguments. Not sure where my vote is yet, although I will say that the oversized headset, electronic shifting systems, lightweight bikes, and the seemingly more level playing field of the CG contenders puts today in an advantage.

When the Tour of California shows up on Mt. Baldy, so do we. It's not every year so when it happens, we make a big production out of it and get everyone involved. 

Ironically I’m probably faster and smarter now than I was then, but yet its not about the handful of crits that I will actually participate in each year. Its about the joy and happiness that cycling brings me. Its about the balanced center that I find when I’m fit. Its about the love I have for pain and exhaustion. Its about that misty feel in the morning air on top of Avocado Crest.

Should I review a new state-of- the-art product and extol its amazing benefits over all the other competing products? Should I take a que from NYC Bike Snob and use this as my way of retaliating against all the jerk-off customers who have behaved badly in the shop? Perhaps a detailed explanation as to why Gilberto Simoni is as much artist as he is athlete, along with Museauw and so many others who have been paid to race. Should I try to start to explain why I love bikes, road bikes specifically?

No. I will tackle all of those and so many more in subsequent entries. The start needs to be why. Why leave behind a lucrative career with manicured cuticles and over the top paychecks to do something different. Very, very different.