62: TWO

I clearly remember last year following Reston loading my beloved cross bikes into my car.
Reston was my 20th cross race of the 2007 season, and I had moment of Zen thinking about the love of my cross bikes.

Over three years I had raced these bikes almost 50 times. And the further truth is that both of these frames were passed down to me during my year on the Fort Factory team. These were the very frames that Ryan rode to a 12th place finish in Elite Nationals in 2005. One of the Frames was the very frame that Wes used to win his first MAC championship in 2006. In all likelihood these cross frames had seen close to 85 starts.
Hell, after being under Wes and Ryan, my frames must have really felt like they were slumming under my fatass!
I lamented the undoubted retirement of my cross frames following the 2008 season. I was a little sad, because I love these bikes so, but also understand that they have been beaten, they deserve to be retired. I look at most bikes as a tools, as something I will use until I destroy, and then replace them. But my cross bikes, well I feel differently about them. Frankly, I have raced more on these bikes than probably any other bike I have ever owned. They are the bikes which I am most comfortable on. And although one is black, and one is blue, if I was blindfolded and jumped on them, I couldn’t tell you the difference between the two.

Although the prospect of new bikes is always exciting, I must admit on some level it was a bitter sweet…
In the midst of my search for new whips, my comparative shopping, my excel spreadsheets full of useless but albeit too important stressing of measurements, weights, prices, and good guy prices that all make up the ritual of a new bike purchase, the economy tanked and Monkey got laid off.

No New Bikes for Fatmarc in 2009.
Almost a year later, I come into the final weekend of the Mid Atlantic Season having another 16 cross races on my beloved FORTs, and prepping for a 17th. I rode around town chasing shadows the other night, all the while I thought about how good it felt on these bikes. As I chased the shadows I lamented to my friends that no matter what time of year it was, whenever I threw my leg over the top tube, the cross bikes felt better than anything I ever ride. I do love these bikes.

As I stand on the precipice of the off season, I know I have one more great ride waiting to be uncorked. One last time where I can throw a leg over my favorite bikes, battle my peers and rivals, finishing off the year with a beer and a smile.
Awesome.

Thanks to Greg Dionne for the generosity he showed me passing me these frames,
Thanks to my bikes for giving me so much joy.

respect
fatmarc