As Good as it Got

There is a great phrase I have seen on T-shirts that goes like this: "The older I get, the faster I was."

I think we all are guilty of embellishing our stories just a little. I decided when I started this blog to not make it about me, or how I did in races. That stuff is boring anyway, and what I really like talking about is the bikes and the great stories about my friends and fun or crazy experiences.

That said, please indulge me just once, because this picture brings up a special feeling I had that day it was taken at "56". I remember it very well because I had a flat tire (you can see the rear tire is flat) but just kept riding and riding. I was having an awesome day. One of those days where there is no effort, just flow. I was just doing lap after lap perfectly, putting my tires in the exact same spot, clutching to perfection, and flowing over the track like syrup. There was one little spot where I could just loft the front tire in a controlled wheelie and set it down right before a corner, tap the shifter and roost out with precision every time.

That was as good as it got. And I knew it that day as I rode, in fact it was on my mind and I knew I should appreciate and remember this day. The wave had crested. I was 19.