Mendocino Mobbin'

Last week I took a trip to Mendocino to enjoy the ocean, kayak, hike, ride bikes, and be around my buddies/classmates. This trip was mega rad and one of the more enjoyable trips I have had.

Day 1.

The first day started out with a flat tire on the van. and with 4 more hours to go on the road, a flat tire didn't help. After fixing the flat and grabbing some In-n-out, we were back on the road. Finally we arrived in Fort Bragg and camped close to the beach in a State park. The beach was great the first night and the sunset was pretty amazing. We cooked up some pasta and garlic bread and kicked back to a fire with S'mores and Jiffy Pop.

Shendo puts on the donut

Enjoying the sunset

Day 2.

On day two we had a few activities planned, kayaking and some hiking near the waters edge. The kayak rentals were right near a cove that was connected to the ocean. Some picked single kayaks, and some chose 6 person skiffs. We kayaked down the river for a few miles and turned back. The water was green and blue and really beautiful. Most people got some decent amount of sun and looked pretty red.

Midway down the river

After the Kayaking we returned to the campsite and relaxed. Shendo and I went riding by the beach for a little bit before we went on a beach hike.

 Shendo getting some tricks on the bike

After dinner in downtown Mendocino most of us were exhausted and chilled by the fire before retiring to our tents (or the van)

Day 3.

When I woke up on Thursday morning, it was apparent that we had received some rain in the night.

Most of our clothes were pretty wet, so a trip to the laundrymat was needed. After a few ours of waiting in a coffee shop, our clothes were fresh and dry. Those of us who went into town returned to the campsite. Dave, Shendo and I went riding on an amazing trail called "Manly Gulch" the terrain resembled a rain forrest. It was some of the best riding I have experienced. After the 3 of us returned to the camp, all of us went to ride horses on the beach. I hadn't ridden a horse in years, but I enjoyed it. after an hour of horsin' around, we headed back for the last night at camp.

Riding on the beach

Day 4.

We packed up in the morning pretty quickly and were back on the road home in no time. The trip was a super good experience for me and I am stoked for next year. 

Here's a link to the video I made from the trip; http://www.pinkbike.com/video/379770/

Bike Swag

There are many different fashion statements you can make while on a bicycle. This post will go over some of the many styles you can achieve, on or off the trail.

Road Bicyclists
To look like you're a serious road rider, you need to achieve this look. First, shave your whole body, even your head. Wear spandex shorts and shirt, preferably with beer logos on them. Ductape electrolyte packets to your bike and be sure to wear clip in shoes. Yell at mountain bikers and drink coffee nonstop. If you don't own an expresso machine you're a fake.

BMX
If you wanna look like you tear up the skate park and look real hood, you must follow these steps. Don't wear a helmet, wear a beanie or a trucker hat. Wear the tightest skinny jeans possible, and gauge your ears as big as you can. Wear skate shoes and baggy t shirts. Ride in front of cars and piss people off.

Mountain Bikers
Lastly, if you want to be the coolest of bike riders, you must dress like a mountain biker. Flannel shirts are a must. Goggles and a helmet with a long visor are also needed. Designer shorts that cost $200 and socks with beer logos on them. Wear gloves and a camelbak.

Choose your fashion wisely, you want to fit in the scene. These fashion statements can be costly, painful, and sometimes you might look like You're in a Halloween costume.

Why UCI sucks

UCI (Union cyclists international) has made bike racing so much less cooler. They have put their restricting,lame, and un-rad hands all over bicyclists.

Let's start out with where UCI comes in. In order for any race to be official in any way, UCI has to approve the race, and the race vendors have to pay loads to make their race official. A UCI official must come to the race and oversee the whole event. This costs money and is a hassle.

Not only must you get UCI involved to make your race official, but you must obey "official sanctioned UCI rules". For example in California, the UCI rules state your tires cannot leave the ground during cross country practice. How restricting is that? Not only is it bad for vendors,but if racers want to race in most races they must have a UCI license, which can cost 70 bucks a year. That doesn't seem like much, but for the average rider, it can add up. The more professional you are, the more you have to pay.

Basically UCI is a mega corporate company that is out to steal every racers money and make stuff complicated. Their moto is "cycling is our passion", if they actually were passionate maybe they wouldn't be such Nazis about the basic fun of riding/racing your bike.

The best races are local,non official races where there are no limits on how fun you can make your race. UCI races doesn't involve alcohol, nudity, or huge parties on the track. And that's part of the bike scene, sanctioned or not.