My favorite local mountain bike spot is Soquel Demonstration Forest, a gem of a forest about half way between Santa Cruz and the Santa Clara Valley. To get there one travels southeast from the Highway 17 summit along a snakey, crumbling barely two lane road called Highland Way. It’s prone to slides and washouts, has more than its share of potholes and, while paved, drives more like a Jeep road than a freeway.
About half way out, the undulating route tilts slightly downhill towards Demo and it is here that I came upon local bike racing luminary Ben Jacques-Maynes on a training ride a few weeks ago. After catching up to him at this point—in my car mind you—I soon realized that, because of the down slope, it would be dangerous if not impossible to pass him for the next couple miles…which was actually just fine with me.
It’s not that I’m into men’s backsides or anything—I’m hopelessly hetero—but watching Ben was a beautiful thing. The stillness of his upper body and the effortless flow of his bike—into turns, over bumps, around rocks and holes—at close to 30mph—was just remarkable. I think there’s an unconscious efficiency that comes from riding a bike as much as he does…and it shows. I found myself hoping my form looks half as good.
At one point, a speeding pickup truck came barreling around a blind corner in the opposite direction and Ben dodged it with the ease and nonchalance of dodging a pebble.
Amidst all the doping hooha of the last couple Tours de France, it was a reminder that on whatever level, cycling is just a simple, beautiful sport.
About half way out, the undulating route tilts slightly downhill towards Demo and it is here that I came upon local bike racing luminary Ben Jacques-Maynes on a training ride a few weeks ago. After catching up to him at this point—in my car mind you—I soon realized that, because of the down slope, it would be dangerous if not impossible to pass him for the next couple miles…which was actually just fine with me.
It’s not that I’m into men’s backsides or anything—I’m hopelessly hetero—but watching Ben was a beautiful thing. The stillness of his upper body and the effortless flow of his bike—into turns, over bumps, around rocks and holes—at close to 30mph—was just remarkable. I think there’s an unconscious efficiency that comes from riding a bike as much as he does…and it shows. I found myself hoping my form looks half as good.
At one point, a speeding pickup truck came barreling around a blind corner in the opposite direction and Ben dodged it with the ease and nonchalance of dodging a pebble.
Amidst all the doping hooha of the last couple Tours de France, it was a reminder that on whatever level, cycling is just a simple, beautiful sport.
1 comment:
I think you DO like men's butts.
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