So, i have this plant, and i got it before i went to MN Fixed Gear Classic, before i went to Tour of America's Dairyland, before i went to Superweek, and all this time that i was gone, my plant stayed behind. Needless to say, even though it needs a "medium" amount of water, it received more like, "minimal". But it still lives! My little plant is still alive, even though it is about half it's size.
And even though it is just a plant, i feel connected to it.
Just like i feel connected to my track bike. I make sure the chain tension is right, i spin the wheel, i get on it. I chase Maddie, or Pablo, or Garrison, or Tyson on the moto, all in the company of my little track bike. I love it. I can't imagine having another bike right now. I dream of adding more accessories to it. Sprint bars. Madison bars. Racing wheels. Good chainrings and cogs. A saddle, not shared by my road bike. A pair of Shimano Durace pedals for itself. How much more would it love me?
Well, it's about to love me a little more. Racing wheels! Courtesy of the lovely Cari Higgins. I am more than stoked. Soon my bicycle won't only go fast, but it will look fast too. It is going to be a good feeling rolling into collegiate and elite nationals without having to worry where i am getting my wheels from.
As far as pedals go, Ebay is becoming a common site that i visit.
And a saddle? It's waiting for me in Durango right now.
I feel it's necessary to give back to my bike, seeing that it's given so much to me.
Before cycling, i was drag racing. I love it, and i miss it dearly. It gave me something to do every single weekend, with my family. Learning about cars, racing cars, tearing motors apart, and putting them back together. There's nothing like it. I wish i still did it, but the fact of the matter is, cycling is putting me through school. Cycling has given me more than drag racing could have, in the end. Nothing can replace a college education.
I never stopped dreaming. I still want to drag race motorcycles. I still love cars. I love being able to fix my own car, work on it, or call my dad and know that he knows exactly what to do in any given situation. And working on my track bike reminds me of drag racing. Maybe that's another reason i like it so much. Wrenching, alan tools, you name it, I know how to use it. I know what it is. And I've used it on a car, and on my bike.
My parents saw a velodrome and my race on the track bike for the first time at the MN Fixed Gear Classic in June, and my dad made my so happy when he said, "i really like this. this is cool!". I know how much it hurt him when i decided to stop racing cars, and start racing bikes. I loved knowing that he was enjoying himself, and that he was proud of what i was doing. It was interesting to get my parents take on track cycling.
It helps having the support of your family, and when they understand your dreams, it helps even more. The connection between what you are doing, what you are dreaming, and your family is huge. It's how i feel connected to my bike, when i go to the track. We have a relationship, both chasing the same dream, I'm just the pilot, and with the proper equipment and my care, i can take what i have to another level. I can find a connection between what i am doing, and what i want to do. I feel the necessity to care for it, like it's my own, because it is my own.
And like my plant. It is mine to take care of, and own, and be proud of.
And some day, i hope, like my bike and my plant, i can have a national championship, of my own, to care for, be proud of, and hold.
So now, I'm going to go home, and try to revive this little plant and the life that it has left.
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