End of an era - I quit my mountainbike club

This is somewhat of a very sad post. I have decided to end an era by quitting my mountainbike club. It´s a bit difficult to say I got mobbed out, because it is more complex than that. So I won´t rant on endlessly about it. I do not belong at all, and to that effect I decided to no longer belong, if you get my meaning. I founded the club together with JanDark and MountainMaik. I designed the logo (stone drunk on a handkerchief) together with Jan some 13 years ago and contributed a lot to the concept. I invented the name in the first in 1989.

We did this all in memory of a laid mutual friend of ours, Ollie, who died in an accident in China while doing an apprenticeship for Osram (nothing to do with the corporation, however, he died racing a scooter after having a beer too much and wearing no helmet). We founded the whole thing because it was one of his final wishes. It was a great thing, and after an initial period that required a lot of work (from which I never really recovered), the team took off. We shared a lot of great rides and BBQs and fun and races and stunt riding. We explored the woods and rode epics and short fun rides, and it was just as if we could change the world. We made grand designs to small detail to actually change the world... at least Jan and I did. And at first we managed quite well.

But the ratrace did not stop at the gates, so to say, and it entered the whole thing. I fought. But when I realized my efforts where ignored, I at first quit my position as second chairman, for I did not want to have any part in the turn the club took. I realized my visions (social work, working with difficult and "normal" kids alike to bring them together and create rookie riders, workshops and the like) could not be realized with the team, which was at that time run exclusively as a CC-team while stating otherwise by also addressing freeriders, downhillers and dirtjumpers and the would-be, newly arising enduro discipline of mountainbiking. I fought. I lost. Business as usual, and I did not give up, and slowly, but finally the club adapted to modernity and nowadays there even is an enduro squad actually doing some races. Of course this was not exclusively due to my efforts, Jan again had a big part in it, and all of the young guns that came by.

They gave me honours and credits for that, for they had the misconception I did this for my personal prestige, when all I wanted was to discuss my vision. I put a lot of energy into this club, and, fact is, I had a burn-out last year. I have worked on that, but the constant sabotage and plain ignorance by certain important members of the club did not help me having energy. Please do not get me wrong - I do not whine about this. It´s like it is.

And I am sad, that´s all. It was some 25 years of aspects of intense living that now come to an ugly end. Business as usual, that´s what it is. But I simply lack the energy. I feel too tired to try to fight on for a doubtful success. I am 42 years old and have not time nor mind nor patience for toodling around. Yeah, of course I have a midlife crisis, as everyone has, but I believe it serves the purpose of setting crooked things straight. It is a chance.

Zee Aylienz have cost me dearly, but I have learned a lot by it. Of course the whole deal rendered my motivation for mountainbike riding nearly zero. I fought against it, because I still believe in it being a good thing. And I hope I am ready for a fresh start, for myself and no one else. I have ordered a new frame and will get a new fork set up. To my own devices, and noone´s else.

And the energy I have will go into projects that deserve it. Zee Aylienz don´t anymore.

That´s not to say I wish them any ill, and I hope they put up to the challenges they are faced with. I can´t resist stating that I predicted their momentary "crisis" and was ignored, but I hate to be right, so I´d gladly learn they are capable of coping with it. I sincerely wish the club the very best.

I have learned by experience that I do not belong at all. I say the wrong words at the wrong time to be liked or even heard, I speak my word, whether anyone deems it appropriate or not. Not for me, that´s one thing I don´t get right still. But I have learned that what passion I have I shall keep to myself and my loved ones from now on, and for projects that want it.

To the folks from the club who read this: I wish you happy trails, I hope to meet you on the trail and I hope that we can simply laugh it off and do some shreddin´.  

"Tut Euch nicht weh..." (take care!)

Goodbye.

A hike to the Zee Aylienz annual season´s out - party

 This year again Zee Aylienz had invited to the annual season´s out BBQ, and smiths and vikings listened. We listened carefully and grinned. And met for a hike to the wonderful site of the BBQ. No looting and pillaging was allowed, so we offered help instead, to help Karo, who organized the whole thing a bit to get things running smoothly. Nick and Kathrin, and Michael and myself also met beforehand for a little bimble beforehand to smell the roses, so I packed my gear, and off I was to take the bus into the green, green woods. At the railway station I nearly bounced into Michael, whom I nearly missed... But no harm done, we arrived at the rendezvous point together and had a bit of strange conversation during the ride. The thugs on the rear bench nearly fell arse over tit when he took out his Mora to show me he´d sharpened it;-) made my day. Anyway, we met with Nick and Kathrin, and off we were.

 Into the rocks....

 Kids will be kids, I guess...;-).

 There are eagle owls nesting in the rocks, so we tread carefully and were relatively silent, except for the ruckus;-).

 Turns out Michael missed his rock climbing a lot....

 But soon we had other things to do... the terrain became a bit demanding.

 "You sure that´s the way?" "If you could tell me the way?"

 On top of the hill we had a cuppa coffee (thanks, bro!) and a cuppa tea, and a chat, basked in the sun and simply enjoyed great company.

 Then the road went ever on, we had some time to make, for rendezvous time was 1 pm at the Ranger´s station.

 Ever seen something like this at the end of October?

 Then we hit a piece of road, and, crossing it, went down into the woods to get to the forest ranger´s station. Now I know Mr. Knaup, who runs the site, which is more of a sustainability centre these days, since I was a kid living in the woods, and I was looking forward to meeting him. When we were on top of things, my bloody cellphone ringed. It was Karo, who was a bit desperate for the firewood was soaking wet and she could not get a fire started. I reassured her we would be there in no time, and we arrived well early still.

 And, I can tell you what, it was hell of an effort to get the damn fire this far! The wood was soaking wet, the tinder did not work at all, and, even if we first wanted to make a challenge out of lighting the fire with flint and stone, we simply gave in and took the cigarette lighter instead. We had little time left, before the goofs would arrive, and hungry nerds are not a good sight;-). But it was a great experience, since we worked together like a good team. Soon it was roaring wildly, and noone could complain there was no fire hot enough to roast sausages on. We will learn, however, that this is not an insurance against Aylienz complaining.;-)

 Martin is Karo´s man, and we gave him a short tutoring on how to whittle a stick. Some of you might laugh and make fun out of someone not knowing how to whittle a stick, but let´s keep things straight: It´s not commonplace anymore to know this. You have to know how to use a computer and a cellphone, not how to cook on open fire. We hope we have kindled some interest towards the topic, and I personally find it great if someone who did not know the how-do beforehand goes home content in knowing he had learned something adventurous. I hope the knowledge serves him well!

 Karo and Stevie. Stevie brought his little one, and both of them enjoyed themselves.

 This is wet timber, see?

 Then Nele arrived with a tray of beer and the goodies...

 And the goofs and Jan came in one by one after a hard ride. Jan relaxing in the sun and enjoying and "altogether too hot fire".

 No kidding, they complained the fire was too hot!;-)

 Nele having fun with a pumpkin.

 ....

 The guys and gals getting nice an toasty;-).

 Everyone was having a nice chat and sharing some tall tales.

 We got on with some cooking, and made steaks, pumpkin slices, potatoes, pumpkin stew, stuffed mushrooms and mushroom soup from the forage we brought with us, one sorry boletus and some nettles and yarrow.;-)

 The others enjoyed sausage and home-made salads.

Suddenly the mountainbikers were off towards home, but some few remaining, but in a steady trickle the were off, too. Then Olaf, Burkhardt, Tim, and the absolutely pain-resistant blacksmith hound Marie came by. We had a good time, and shared a lot of stories, both hilarious and sad, we had a beer and shared great food. The stars came out, and Nick played on his didgeridoo for us. Suddenly the world was an enchanted place, and everything made perfect sense.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye, and under the stars the last embers burned down. NIck, Kathrin and myself made for the hike down into the valley and towards home, since the last bus was gone. In the next village I simply took a taxi,  and when I was home, I went to bed with a warm feeling in my belly and my heart.

Thank you, folks, it was a great meeting!

DeNOOBing ourselves-Technical training in the rock garden

 On Monday evening it was that time of the week again... a rookie and even some experienced riders came together beneath the legendary sculpture of the whirlwind brides and the sun in the "Felsengarten" Hagen (the rock garden). We exchanged some friendly talk, and then it was "shred mode on". We did some static and dynamic off-bike muscular exercises to warm up, and then we did some riding exercises.

 The defined surrounding of the location is ideal for beginners to slowly and controlledly try out bigger tasks. I had shown Andrea to ride a staircase and stopping on it, balancing on the staircase, beforehand, and she did it very well. I had made a schedule for the training, but only Andrea showed up who needed tutoring, and she already was farther than I intended the program, so we did something else: I tutored her how to lift front and rear wheel, which  ultimately led to her first bunny hop.

 Andrea also rode the stair up and learned how to lift the rear wheel out of harm´s way.

 Soon the formal training part was over, and we simply did some shredding, having fun with the unusual architecture. By the way, it was Hartwig, the father of my ex - girl - friend and all-time-best friend Anna, who designed part of it all as an ARRRchitect.;-) Thanks, Hartwig, those rollers are greatly appreciated!;-)

 This is Bear Lee catching some air. We were actually quite finished, even if riding on one spot only, but the exercises fatigue you out quite soon, especially the jumping, turning in the air, hopping and the like wear you out fast, for there´s a big amount of body tension involved. Bear Lee had been sick the whole week, and this was his first time riding. He did extremely well for that!

 I was most pleased to meet Toto again. Toto´s a really laidback and friendly guy, a competition pistol shooter, and I learned he broke the German record with the ordonnance pistol. Congratulations on that! he has a calm and friendly air about him and is always ready to help weaker riders. He knows quite a bit on pharmaceutics, medicine and anatomy, too, and his knowledge of the martial arts is frightening!;-)

Being older and having seen his share of events, both good and extremely bad in his life, he has always offered me valuable counsil, and I value his opinion above many others. Thanks, Toto!

 And, if you keep in mind, he misses half  a biceps on one side and a shoulder blade on the other which he somehow lost ;-) in a frightening crash at a downhill race, and his body is mincemeat due to ...wait.. is that twenty years???... of hardcore riding, it is a right miracle that guy rides the way he does!

We had a lot of fun, the weather kept stable for a change, we had some great chats and the right balance of jokes, mischief and serious and interesting conversation, and, last but in no way least, we did some serious shredding and gained much more self-confidence and riding skills.

Thank you, folks, it was a great evening!

DeNOOBing ourselves-and riding on the AOUEIn´s wings: A technique training tutorial

 On Wednesday, traditionally the weekly ride of my mountainbike club takes place. This week I contributed a bit by offering a tutorial, for beginners and rookies and trail riders alike. Wasn´t exactly crowded, but the quality of company certainly made up for it. BärLee, who agreed to assist me in guiding the training, Andrea, who is a very nice person with a deep personality, Seppel, and last but in no way least, Jandark. We met at the Felsengarten, which might be known to readers of my blog;-), and had a chat beforehand. It seems that not all is grand in the wonderland of our club, and we discussed about that, Jandark being the web designer and Andrea being the press consultant, Seppel and Bär some of the most active members, and myself, having started this whole mess;-). And I feel the urge to loose some words on the subject:

In the beginning, Zee Aylienz were more than just any other club. It was an idea. It was not only about buying the latest paraphernalia and having a shiny bike and tech talk and training. There were times when I had taken this whole thing way to serious, but even if  I do not do this anymore and have simplified my attitude a bit, some aspects still remain:

It is about getting out on your bike, having fun, for sure, but also taking responsibility, for freedom isn´t free. First and foremostly, the woods we ride through are not only great for the fact that they provide us with a sporting area. They are great, because they are woods, with all the animals and plants involved. We get out there for adventure, for freedom, to get out of the madness of our world, and we want to preserve this possibility, and so we have to work for the woods. We have to fight for them, for trees, while they can hate, they cannot move. We have to love the trees and animals for what they are, not what they should be. Oh, and we did it and still do that. And our team became bigger, and we started to take the madness of the outside world with us on our rides. People started to compete on the rides, and that´s not bad in itself. But they forgot they were kins and brethren in a fight for a moment of freedom and peace. They valued their ego so much their smile first became wry, when they shook hands after battling each other up or down the hill. Then the whispering started and the gossip. Then the woods became irrelevant, and the material you rode ever so much more important. More whispering started, bragging and mobbing.

Recently, this had become better again, and this is the reason I agreed to do something for the club again. Mountainbike riding has given me so much more than just getting dirty or about performance;-). It has taken me places in the woods and mountains I would have never experienced without a bike, but more important, it has taken me places in my soul I would never have discovered. I could rant on endlessly about the concept of flow, and I have done so on other occasions and other blogs. If you want to understand what drives me, look here. I have experienced flow myself, not only in mountainbiking, but also in ex - tempore poetry and musical sessions, and I looked at myself in awe, wonder and gratefulness at being alive. And while I have no right to lecture or even tutor anyone on that topic, I want to give something back to the world. The fact that flow is not limited to sports and not even to an activity, gives me hope to bring back a tiny bit of magic into this deranged world, for the concept of flow shares many characteristics with the feelings described by adepts of most any religious concept. That said, and keeping in mind I do not want to lecture anyone or create a dogma, this concept best speaks for itself when experienced, and that´s not easy. Mountainbiking is not "the" way to experience it, but it is one way. But just as Satori is not being experienced while you struggle and concentrate on techniques, but only after a period of constant practice, when the moves involved have become second nature, it´s just about the same with flow, which in my book, IS the same.

Since this experience not only has made me very happy, but is also crucial to the transcendent experience of forest environments, and since this experience is at least beneficial to the understanding of the original idea of the club, "zee aylienz", I currently feel the urge to pass it on. Of course, there is also a bit of wishing to be understood involved, but first and foremostly, I believe that many of the current challenges in the club or even in society might be won if we had something to believe in. In that, our club is a mirror of society in the whole, and, hey, I cannot save the world. But maybe I can try to do my friends a favor, eh?;-)

Flow is no sorcery. It´s just a phenomenon encountered after a bit of training after all, be it music or mountainbike riding. What anyone makes out of this experience, is not my business. What I can contribute, however, are plain old training and some tricks this old dog learned;-) on the trail. I must also mention that I owe a lot of the practical side of the tutorial to Elmar Keineke, with whom I once made a tutorial for kids from a poor social background together. Also, he always had some giveaways for the kids courtesy of his employer at hand, and thusly, I can´t thank him enough.

Okay, now talk is cheap, and we quit blabbering also, and made for the location. Since only Andrea was present who needed tutoring, I did not do it systematically, but simply tried to answer her questions. First we did some sort of warming up, nothing fancy, really, just riding the simpler stuff, and then we got to the point where the rubber meets the rock;-).

 Bastian analyzing a rock garden section that was not exactly smooth;-).

 After surveying the terrain, which importance can´t be emphasized enough, Jandark made up his mind to ride the bastard. It is crucial that you get the ride in your mind before you actually do it. You have to visualize yourself riding this or that line succesfully. If you cannot do that in your mind, that´s when you have to say "No". This is even more important than  actually doing it, but doing it out of control. "Those who fight and run away live to fight another day", as the old saying goes. If you feel uneasy about it, don´t do it. If your buddies yell at you or call you a coward, let them talk, it´s your spine fracture, not theirs. It´s more important to know when to say "No" than doing it under pressure. But also ask yourself if you really can´t do it. Look at it at least three times, walk the section and analyze the line. Remember that the path down the hill is always the same as the water will take. Sometimes you must modify this general rule of thumb, but most of the time it will help you.

 Jan walked it. He paused. He touched this stone or that. He looked at it intently, then breathed, and said "I will do it". And did he make it? BOY, did he!;-) Look at the picture: Jan keeps his strong foot on his front pedal. Also the cranks are level with the ground. That way he can control  the ride with his strong foot and does not risk hitting a rock with his lower pedal, which might even result in a crash with a nasty air trip over the bars and stopping on your cheekbone.;-) Clearance is crucial in this situation.

I must admit I stood there, on top, and fear swelled up in me. But I knew I had ridden this before, and even if the rain had caused some severe erosion in the past few years, it was still the same trail. So I breathed into my stomach and concentrated on my sternum. It helps to count to three when breathing in and to five when breathing out to calm down. If you cannot calm down, call it a day and walk it again.

I managed, for I knew I could do it, and I rode it myself. Bastian, however, was a bit injured still, and simply called it a day. Got the gist, that this is crucial;-)?

 Then I tutored Andrea showing her how to ride on slippery terrain, such as loose gravel. The trick is frightening at first, but works: Most people tend to use the rear brake more than the front. But roundabout 80% of braking force is applied through the front brake. If you use the rear brake exclusively on a steep slope, the rear wheel will lock up, and you end up on a sleigh ride down the hill, becoming ever faster and losing control. The trick is to use the front brake. When the rear brake locks up, and you start to skid, don´t panic. Just open the brake for a fraction of a second to allow it to make a half revolution to get new grip. Always look ahead of you, about 15 m to the front. The bike will also always follow the direction where it´s pointed, and that´s the direction of your head. You can try that out in an empty parking lot: Ride a straight line and the explosively turn your head in one direction. When you follow with your knee on that side, you will already have a half turn, aim your elbow around the bend and the bike will turn. The only limit is the wheelbase of your bike! Also remember to have all your braking done before any bend: First you slow down with your front brake, and use the rear brake only halfway through the turn.

Keeping that in mind, you can figure out to look at things and objects you´d rather avoid might end up in a desaster. So, don´t program your mind like "oh, don´t hit that rock", but go like: "steer to the right side of that rock". Look  where you are aimed. MESSAGE!;-)

That said and done, you can experiment with your mind a bit. put on two different socks, say one with pink polkadots and one with yellow. Ride a straight line on the parking lot. Then think about the pink polkadots.

When riding around a bend at high speed, and not through rocks that might need more clearance and pedals level with the ground, your balance and speed is greatly enhanced by weighting the outside pedal. You can even experiment with all your weight on the outside pedal, taking the inside foot from the pedal. That  way you can ride out 360 degree-bends with little to no braking.

 When Andrea saw Bär Lee jumping the staircase she immediately went: "I want to do that, too!". To float down a flight of stairs, you have to unweight the front wheel, but be careful. First experiment with the balance point. Dismount your bike and set it on the rear wheel before you, holding onto the handlebar. Then push the handlebar diagonally back, down and then away from you, resulting in a push of the rear wheel away from you. You will notice that there is one point where little to no force is required to push the rear wheel  away from you. This is the much sought after balance point or manual point. Keep in mind that the curve diagonally back towards you, then down and away from you describes a dynamic curve, like a whiplash-line (MESSAGE!;-)). This curve is not only crucial to lift the handlebar in the so-called "floater drop" down a staircase, but also to the wheelie and bunnyhop. But, also keep in mind, that there are dangers, too. If you do not adjust to the manual point, you might fall off backwards, onto your spine, and this would be serious. First and foremostly, use appropriate safety gear and carry a first-aid kit. A daypack with a hydration bladder serves the purpose of spine protection quite well for lighter trail applications, but if you want to go big, always wear a motocross or freeskiing spine protector.

But there´s also one simple technique you can use when overdoing the quest for the holy manual point. Try out dismounted, with your bike before you, to push your bike over the balance point, and then pull hard on the rear brake. The front wheel, following the braking impulse, will immediately come down.

When practicing lifting the front wheel it is first crucial to lower your saddle so that you can at least sit on it while both of your feet comfortably sit on the ground. Roll at medium speed. The piece where your fork sits in the frame to meet the handlenbar is called a steerer tube, and there you can find a badge or something. Go down into a crouch, while you push your elbows out, and while doing so, lean forward, so that you can see this badge. Pull back/up, down and forward in a whiplash line motion. Imagine a whip going through your motion. The front wheel will go up, but not much. Now repeat the procedure, but this time roll at a medium speed (both pedals level with the ground and your strong foot on the front pedal) standing up as high as possible, then crouch down explosively in a whiplash line motion. KEEP! THAT! FINGER! ON! THE! REAR! BRAKE! LEVER!;-) You will be surprised at how easy the front wheel goes up. Also, practice the wheelie and dismounting off the back in a stress situation.

Now to the floater drop. Andrea rode the staircase first, at least ten times. We also practiced stopping on the stair, and riding slow, but this time we hit the stairs at ever-increasing speed, and Andrea realized the front wheel always became lighter with increasing speed, and that she had a tendency to land on the front wheel. Since it were just three steps, that was not a problem. But when hitting a larger staircase or natural rock drops at high speed, this can send you sailing over the bars. This is the reason the Gods made the floater drop;-). You use it to lift your front wheel out of trouble, and to land with your rear wheel first. This way, the impact is taken away from your weaker arms and transferred into your stronger legs, and the process of the bike dropping from the rear onto the front takes the force out of the impact additionally. But you have to take care that your front wheel is a bit higher than the rear always. This you can achieve by leaning back in the air. If the front wheel gets to high, tip on the rear wheel just enough to lower it. Diving the front wheel is a technique only applied when there´s a slope landing involved.

 It simply was a great experience, for different skill levels of riders simply rode together in a very friendly, heart-warming atmosphere, tutoring each other and simply having a ball. Bastian, in spite of his injury, did quite some dropping down himself, and must I go on endlessly about the skill level of Bär Lee?

I mean, that guy rides for but, .... wait, is that two years...?! Here, he´s airing it out in style. It´s great to hang out with those gals and guys, for it helps me improve myself also. I hope I have made clear, that we did that together. We are on a quest. It´s not only the quest for "bigger is better" and the ultimate fun. But we also seek the truth in a world of lies. I don´t know if mountainbiking is the correct means for it, but then I do not care. We are freaks, but care for each other, and we try to discover a new world, for the old one is wrecked to pulp by banksters, politicians, priests, and liars.

I also hope I have made clear that it´s not just mountainbiking for me. It´s the woods and the real world I want to discover. I have been force - fed lies all of my life, and never believed in them. Now I hope.

Summer Fair for Zee Aylienz-Love, peace, happiness, rubber, chains and pain*ggg*

On Saturday, I was doin´my club a favor and was at the summer fair of zee aylienz (the aliens) as a blacksmith. Kinda fitting, for they have some flames as an emblem, and a mythology that fits (The death of my best friend and I created it, and it has a lot to do with me being a fan of Telesphoros. Watch this space...)

 Funny, though. One particularily witty*ggg* member of our club, who´s an aylien since some three years or so, addressed me in a very humourous manner and meant to strongly reprove me for not wearing any logo jersey or t-shirt. I had to laugh and informed him that I made the sketch for the logo in 1998 when I was drunk as shit on a handkerchief. It was Jandark who made a logo out of that scribbling, and that´s the reason people can now act the Gestapo with me in the first place. No problem really, but it made my day*ggg*.Other than that, the weather was fine, I had a load of coffee, wafers, BRATWÜRST!!!!, salad, and it was all delicious, and nice people came to gather around the forge. Funny, how people always linger around where the smoke is rising and find the reek of anthracite coal "delicious". There were many kids, and I forged my first heart with one of them:

 And it gave me ideas...;-) and more projects to make.

 Lukas came by to forge a "G" for his sweetheart, Gianna, who was busy selling cake and wafers and sausages, salad, coffee and the like that day. My respect goes to all those members who actually contributed to the event being a great one!

 Jandark and his lovely girlfriend, Julia, busy taking pics and falling severely in love;-). Bro, good to see you´re happy! See his pics for more impressions of the fair here.

 Lukas at the forge.

 ...and with a little help by the smith, this came out.

 Then he set out to forge an "L" all by himself. Good outcome, dude!;-)

 This, in turn, inspired Julia to forge "something pagan";-), a double spiral, all by herself. This was her first try at blacksmithing, and she did very, very well.

 Some big brutes;-) completely demolished the bouncing castle. But they seemed to have fun*ggg* kids will be kids, I daresay*ggg*:

Then the bands played, but I was still being busy. I had a lot to do, and it was good fun I had with the kids, the big ones as well as the small ones. Working for the club does not seem to be a waste of time always. And, folks, if you´re being nice I´d even consider linking you again*ggg*.