In Loving Memory to Chris MacDonald

April 8,1971 - July 17, 2008


On the Death of the Beloved
By John O’Donohue


Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or might or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the altar of the heart.
Your mind always sparkled
With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glowsAnd music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again.

In Loving Memory

Chris MacDonald
April 8, 1971 - July 17, 2008

Pictures!

I take lots of pictures. Most are crap, some are cool.

Here are some I like

Wicked Twisties

Hayden Lake Road, where 35mph is too fast.

This is the most fun I've ever had in 2nd gear. I can't believe I'd never heard of this run, and it's just outside my backyard! A down and back around the lake loop full of decreasing radius, off-camber, flipflopping turns.

Got chicken strips?

I've been practicing my "ready-aim-fire" reminder to set up and carve through corners, and there is no lack of opportunity to test it out here. Unfortunately, many of these corners are harder because you can't see the other side of the corner, and usually, there's another corner right after it. And another. And another. The "fire" and the "ready" blend with the "aim" and there's not much demarcation between them.

I've also learned alot about trail braking which is making my turns smoother and faster. If I don't roll off the gas to Zero and keep it at about 5%, I can use my rear brake to take up the slowing energy. I can more finely modulate my speed (especially for those ones that get smaller and tighter as you go) and I'm quicker to exit because the throttle is already engaged.

There are many ideas and opinions about trail braking, some do it all the time and others are horrified at the thought of it. Like most things, I have to get a first hand taste to see how I feel, so far I can see the benefit from lightly incorporating it into my riding style. Its still one more thing to think about when I'm walking the razor anyway, but like anything else it will become second nature.

Cornering Smoothly - Ready - Aim - Fire!

Another blog I visit reprinted an article that reiterates the importance of smooth cornering technique. Cornering smoothly will not only save your life but make the ride more satisfying. I've spent the last few rides being mindful of the fundamentals as I continue to strive to be a better rider (and have more fun). A "ready, aim, fire" mnemonic works well for me.



Ready

• Look as far ahead as possible
• Slow down/speed up as necessary
• Stabilize the throttle

Aim

• Look as far ahead as possible
• Determine your line and apex
• Lean and steer

Fire

• Look as far ahead as possible
• Execute your plan
• Reset to "Ready" after the apex

You will, you will, you will - you will go where you look. If I look as far ahead as possible, I gather the maximum amount of visual information available. In a corner, I find that if my eyes follow the white or yellow lane striping, my tires will track to that line. If I look as far ahead as possible, I don't need to know exactly where the line is, because I'm not following it - I'm following the road. The lines become the parameters of your path and not obstacles in your path.

Stabilizing the throttle makes a huge improvement to my cornering confidence because it stabilizes the suspension. Rolling on the gas shifts weight to the rear. Decelerating shifts weight to the front. I want my only contact with the ground to be consistent and reliable, but that consistency changes depending on how much work either tire is doing. Having them do about the same amount of work each - and not suddenly more or less - allows me to predict very accurately how they will perform and how much more work I can add to them during the turn.


When I began riding the twisties, I used to dive and stab at the lane's edge. I was constantly adjusting my trajectory during the turn so as not to go off the road or cross into oncoming traffic. I did that less when I picked up the habit of looking as far ahead as possible. Still, I tended to creep too close to the edge in the middle of the turn and had to let off the gas, hit the brakes or steer away. My apexes were too soon. Recently, I have to consciously aim for a spot after the middle of the corner. When I do this, I reach the inside edge of the lane right as the corner is opening up. I can take corners noticeably faster and find myself less concerned about straying out of bounds