What I Did Before Work This Morning

07.25.2013 | 11:08 am

A Note from Fatty: I’m incredibly proud to announce that as of last night we hit the 100% mark of the $26,978 goal for the WBR fundraiser. This unusual number indicates that — even without Trek Matching — Friends of Fatty have raised $400,000 for World Bicycle Relief in less than a year. 

And with Trek Matching, we’re well beyond that $400,000 number.

So, first and foremost today, I want to thank you for your generosity. I’m overwhelmed, and very grateful to see how much good you people do.

Next, I wanted to say that the contest to win the Trek Madone Project One / ENVE / SRAM dream bike is still in full swing, and will be ’til the last day of the month. So if you haven’t donated yet, you still can, and you should. Because someone is going to win this bike, and it might be you. 

Also, you might win one of the eight very cool prizes from The Feed, including the one we’re announcing today: A 3-month subscription to The Feed, which means you’ll get a $19.99, 14-piece box of food each month for three months. Plus, you’ll get a 16-serving container of Fluid Chocolate Recovery mix, a $31.99 value. 

And in short, there are still plenty of reasons for you to go donate

What I Did Before Work This Morning

Most mornings, I get up at 5:00am and work on this blog ’til it’s time for me to go to work, at which point I swivel my chair 90 degrees and start typing on a different computer for my day job. (I may have the world’s shortest commute)

This morning, however, I went on a ride with Rick Sunderlage (not his real name) and Dug, on some of the trails in American Fork Canyon.

I do not regret this decision.

Rather than write much of anything today, then, I think I’ll just show you a few photos from my ride, then sit back and let you envy me.

IMG 7010
Before the ride. Sunderlage is itching to go; Dug needs a rest.

IMG 7015
Our local trails do not suck.

IMG 7022
Nor do our views.

IMG 7012
Sunderlage: Game face.

IMG 7011
Dug: Game face.

IMG 7016
I took this picture specifically to show that I got somewhere before Sunderlage did.

IMG 7023
The sky was blue, with very few clouds. Yes, I really took this picture.

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Dug summits the Mud Springs climb, a trail unusually rich in Pain Pellets

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A selfie after the Mud Springs Climb. I’m happy, because I had my suspicions about something. It turns out I was correct.

IMG 7038
Yes, this is the view from the ride that is fifteen minutes from my house. 

33 Comments

  1. Comment by blinddrew | 07.25.2013 | 11:13 am

    The view from my house is a set of rail yards. I am officially envious.

  2. Comment by ScottR | 07.25.2013 | 11:34 am

    Envy… check!

  3. Comment by kyle. | 07.25.2013 | 11:35 am

    you could get to the ocean from my apartment in 15 minutes if you averaged 28 mph and didn’t hit a single light. another way of putting it is, there’s no way you could get to a view that nice within 15 minutes of leaving my apartment.

  4. Comment by New Zealand Ev | 07.25.2013 | 11:37 am

    Where I live in Christchurch, NZ, I also have gret views up in the Port Hills that are only about 15 min away from my house. So I can easily relate to your views. Only difference right now for me is winter here and frosty right now, however days are getting longer and spring will soon be here. Thanks for the pics and great views that you have!!

  5. Comment by Scott | 07.25.2013 | 11:50 am

    Nice KOMs

  6. Comment by Michael | 07.25.2013 | 11:57 am

    Dude, I haven’t seen an upclose face shot in a while. Or if I have, I haven’t noticed. YOU ARE LOOKING LEAN!

  7. Comment by Liz | 07.25.2013 | 12:08 pm

    Ahhhh, aren’t you and the Hammer cute with your KOM/QOM on the Mud Springs Climb.

  8. Comment by Uncle Rico | 07.25.2013 | 12:10 pm

    Were your stem and front wheel aligned?

  9. Comment by TMM | 07.25.2013 | 12:34 pm

    That Sabrosa is the prettiest thing I have seen since my wife left for work!

  10. Comment by rich | 07.25.2013 | 12:41 pm

    hating you right now…..eventually I’m sure it will mellow to just a severe case of envy…

  11. Comment by Nic Grillo | 07.25.2013 | 12:42 pm

    I must say that I do envy the quality AND quantity of trails available to you. However, I humbly submit that while I don’t have anywhere near the quantity of trails here on the coast of L.A., I may be able to compete quality wise. As evidence, hereby submit footage of my Friday morning ride. Yes, that is the ocean below the cliff we are riding on. Once you watch it, and decide that you can’t live without the chance to hit up said trails, feel free to call and set up a visit…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXJHXYsnCOc&feature=plcp

  12. Comment by Nathan Vandenbroek | 07.25.2013 | 1:01 pm

    Fatty, if I didn’t love you I would hate you.

  13. Comment by old guy who likes to ride | 07.25.2013 | 1:14 pm

    What do you call that single-sided thing attaching & aligning Rick’s front tire & stem? not quite a fork, per se…

    will we get a product review?

  14. Comment by roan | 07.25.2013 | 1:28 pm

    Maybe next year you could do your 100MoN only using your commute to/from work.

  15. Comment by Davidh-marin,ca | 07.25.2013 | 1:35 pm

    Dug is tired, realizing that a SS just doesn’t wear well with age (his). Time to step up to the Lefty Cannondale (mighty fine bike I do say) and save his aging joints for many years to come(again I speak from experience).

  16. Comment by Steve | 07.25.2013 | 2:17 pm

    You are a blessed man.

  17. Comment by leroy | 07.25.2013 | 2:37 pm

    I don’t mean to brag, but I rode a Citi Bike to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles this morning.

    So there.

  18. Comment by Geo | 07.25.2013 | 2:43 pm

    I, too, had a bike commute this morning. I rode away from home, did a quick 12 miles, returned home and walked upstairs to my office and went to work. So your commute may be shorter, but not by much.

    And I always hate “ride to work day” as it means I have to ride AWAY from work to then ride to it. So on that day I do my morning ride around the neighborhood (Anywhere from 10-25 miles depending on what time I need to start that day) and upstairs to work.

  19. Comment by Aussie Bryan | 07.25.2013 | 3:18 pm

    DAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGG Fatty. That is a beautiful part of the world. Yes…. I’m jealous, so mission accomplished.
    Congratz on fundraising, another stella effort.

  20. Comment by Nancy_in_MN | 07.25.2013 | 5:28 pm

    “Our local trails do not suck.” For some reason I can’t stop laughing about this little statement. As ever, you crack me up, FC.

    Even though it is not yet Friday,

    Thank you!

  21. Comment by Davidh-marin,ca | 07.25.2013 | 6:02 pm

    Fatty. I bet your ‘friends’ just love riding with you! That is when they can catch up. Are you really ‘riding with friends’ when you are constantly ahead by 1:20-2:00 minutes on a given 1/2 mi section?

    Rick: !:20 behind
    http://app.strava.com/activities/69718949#1353385856
    Dug: 2:00 behind
    http://app.strava.com/activities/69720137#1353406231

    I think you owe these guys some PIE.

  22. Comment by AKChick55 | 07.26.2013 | 12:22 am

    I’m happy to report that I too have rides like that within 15 minutes of my house, but you have to drive to the trailhead (you could ride, but you have to ride the road to get to the trails which is no fun on a mountain bike). We don’t have a lot of singletrack yet, but they’ve been building trails so we are adding more. We also have a downhill park at our ski resort. Of course, we have to worry about bears and moose so… :)

    Someday, I’ll get you and the Hammer up for a visit. :) Maybe even the kids too. :)

  23. Comment by AKChick55 | 07.26.2013 | 12:26 am

    And really, I’ve hiked the trails that you bike on many times and only run into a bear once and we both startled each other and turned and went the opposite direction. So really, our trails are pretty safe. :)

  24. Comment by Leah Roberts | 07.26.2013 | 3:18 am

    I bet you felt the burn there….

  25. Comment by Doug (Way upstate NY) | 07.26.2013 | 6:42 am

    Definitely could be worse places to be. Definitely.

    When I was in Park City last year it was really beautiful. Very very different from the mountains here in the Adirondacks.

    Both are great places.

  26. Comment by George | 07.26.2013 | 7:45 am

    Jens Voigt called. Said “I gotta meet this fatty guy!”

  27. Comment by Tom in Albany | 07.26.2013 | 8:09 am

    Fatty. I’ve only been reading your blog for a couple of years so, when I followed the link to “Pain Pellets” I was cracking up! I biffed one today on my morning commute! Ouch!

    So, the next post referenced from the Pain Pellets post was “Fighting LIKE Susan.” I wasn’t reading back then but, my heart went out to you just the same, here, four years later. It made me wonder and now ask, “How’s progress on the book you referred to wanting to publish about Susan’s and your fight? I think I want to read it though, I think the books probably full of more pain pellets.

  28. Comment by Tom in Albany | 07.26.2013 | 8:10 am

    Apologies if I should have sent the above via email or if a post was OK.

  29. Comment by daddystyle | 07.26.2013 | 8:40 am

    We have a lot in common, and not just stellar riding from our back door.

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  33. Comment by Ritters Dad | 08.2.2013 | 1:54 pm

    I lived in Sandy, UT for 12 years. Now I live just outside of Annapolis, MD. Never thought I’d miss Utah, but the memory of views from Mill Canyon are driving me CRAZY!

    Give me hillbillys over baybillys anytime.

 

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