Karen’s Resolutions
One 2010 resolution is a modification of a resolution I made for 2009, to read more books and fewer magazines: this year I’ll try not to stay up so late reading books. Turns out chapters tend to be longer than articles, and that makes it harder to quit at a reasonable hour. Of course the book I’m reading now, Relearning to See, will also help with a corollary to that resolution—to not strain my eyes so much.

An always-looming resolution is to finish various projects I’ve started around the house. One big one is to attempt, at least, to fix our TV, which has been broken for a couple months. (I wish I could say we’ve just gone without this whole time—we did spend a couple of pleasant evenings reading , drawing, conversing, and the like, then we broke down and borrowed a TV from a friend. Football and hockey seasons goin’ on.)
Television repair sounds pretty daunting, but a little bit of searching turned up a website for Sony enthusiasts, www.agoraquest.com, that offers thorough advice on fixing TVs and other items produced by this brand. First order of business is to learn how not to get shocked by any transformers or anode caps or stuff like that.

18th dyeContinuing on the media front, I’m resolving to go out and enjoy more live music in 2010. There was a whole series of shows and events that I didn’t make it to in 2009, to my lasting regret. 18th Dye (in Cleveland, not Pittsburgh, but one of my favorite bands, woulda been worth the effort), Pterodactyl (who I discovered when my band played with them in 2008), TV Ghost (new and interesting), Rush (Amanda made it to this one), a Who tribute show, and other awesome stuff went unattended by me. There were some unavoidable conflicts mixed in there, but some of the missing out was due only to perceived tiredness on my part. Going to see a band is a lot like going on a ride—you may feel tired and grumpy and not at all like riding (or watching), but once you get out there, all that bad attitude tends to get washed away in the rush of singletrack (or good music).

Karl’s Almost Resolutions
I’m not the kind of person that generates a specific list of resolutions. My gig is focusing on the big picture.

I’m blessed to earn a living working with bicycles—blending work and play into a tasty melange of ain’t life grand stew. In that sense, the big picture is looking pretty rosy. For the most part, I don’t sweat the details.

However, there is always room for improvement, right?. Arguably, the secret to life is figuring out which details are worth twiddling with, and which ones are just fine left alone.

So with all that as a backdrop and a disclaimer, I resolve to make 2010 a year of discovery. I will explore new places. Do things I’ve never done before. Get lost. Find my way back home…

I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve yet to ride Allegrippis, so a trip there is a high priority for 2010. Maybe a trip to Canada—haven’t been there for a long time. Mont-Sainte-Anne is hosting the UCI MTB World Championships. Road trip, anyone? I rekindled my love for touring in 2009 when I reviewed a touring bike, and I’m already trying to line up a dirt-road-worthy test rig for 2010. I see exploratory touring in my future, mwaaaah!

I resolve to teach this old dog some new tricks. I will improve my riding, challenge myself in races, and ride (and rise?) above middling mediocrity. The “off season” is a great time to ride indoors and work on skills. Hit the jump lines and become more comfortable in the air, and more fluid on the bike. Heck, I’m long overdue for buckling down and really learning to ride a wheelie. With some absolutely fantastic WVMBA series races so close to home, there’s really no excuse for missing the classic courses at Big Bear Lake, Coopers Rock and Davis (not to mention a few others). Might just have to go back to the Mohican 100K and see if I can improve on last year’s performance. See you out there!

karl at rays

Frank Wuerthele’s Goals for 2010
Hmmm, let me think:

  • Ride from Pittsburgh. PA to Washington, DC (via the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal trails).

  • Compete in three DH races.

  • Complete the installation of the soon-to-be-famous “Horseshoe Loop” Trails at Seven Springs.

  • Tour de Cure: Ride the 100 miles loop and raise $1,000 for the cure.

  • Commute via bicycle to Dirt Rag / Bicycle Times HQ at least once a week

  • Write a story chronicling my entry into and passion for gravity riding.

jeff on Great Allegheny Passage