I'm not ready to write about my Singlespeed World's trip. I'm afraid that, like many post 24-hour racers, I have a bad taste in my mouth about it because it's too close to feel the enjoyment at this point. Truth be told, the weekend pales in comparison to Aviemore last year, but the bar was set so incredibly high during that trip that I'm not sure anything can top it.
There are plenty of people who have good things to say about Napa and SSWC08, I'm sure. I certainly did manage to have some fun. But, I can't help but feel disappointed by the whole thing. Maybe it's my fault that I didn't find more enjoyment. I didn't go into the weekend with a sour thought about it. I was actually really looking forward to it. In the end though, Napa is not a place for the outdoorsy at heart. As a result, there was a shadow of being outsiders (pun intended) that seemed to loom over everything. I suppose this is the singlespeed way though, so maybe I shouldn't whinge about it.
The trouble is that singlespeeding appears to have died. There were lots of people there, but where were all the singlespeeders? Where were the late light festivities that take over a town? Where were the various groups gathered at the local watering hole? Where were the parades of bikes on the street at all hours? Where were the Surly boys? WHERE ON EARTH WAS THE LATE NIGHT, DOWNTOWN DERBY!? As The Most Beautiful Man in the World pointed out, Napa is not the place that a bunch of dirtbag bike riders are generally seen, and it showed.
I could have happily spent my whole time in Santa Cruz riding around the trails there that I love, and exploring new ones.
The upside of the trip was very obviously getting to see the Brit Brood. It was so nice to have everyone on my side of the pond and in an area that I am familiar with, for once. I finally got to repay a very small fraction of tour guiding and chauffeuring kindness that so many have shown to me.
And dinner at Cosentino's place (Incanto in San Fran) was...Well, Sara put it best when she said that it makes you not want to eat anything else because you know nothing will be as good.
I'm posting out of order again. I should really summarize my early August before this. Maybe I'll get round to that when I write UK Snippet #2, if there is one.
Oh, here: I was in Madison for a very long time. Then I went to California.
Hooray! Job done. More to follow.
Maybe.
Or not.
I saw sheep in Napa, so that was good.
Sheep Are Great, and Bikes Are Ace.
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3 comments:
Nothing could match Aviemore last year but the lack of a central focus in Napa was a bit disappointing. I could also have easily spent the whole week in Santa Cruz, that is a great place to spend some time.
The meal in Incantos was pretty ok too :)
I still wish we'd have been able to make it :(
Next year we're planning 3 or 4 weeks, starting at SF and taking in Oregon etc., looping back to SF, - is it feasible to pull in Durango, d'you think?
"Napa is not the place that a bunch of dirtbag bike riders are generally seen, and it showed."
Yeah, I've been thinking about this line, and similar comments by Steve Makin about it being a middle class kind of place which didn't suit bikers.
And I think you're both wrong.
Most singlespeeders are not real dirtbags, they're faux dirtbags. They're actually in a comfortable position in life playing at being dirtbags.
Napa is *exactly* the sort of place to hold the SSWC. Middle class people - middle aged well off people who can afford to take time off work and fly intercontinental just for a bike race - playing at being rebels would hang out. Midlle-class people who don't just drink wine instead of the cheapest strongest beer and cider they can get from the local Booze Buster, but who can not only tell you the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon but might make a choice based on the difference. People who can afford to have different tastes in whisky.
Somewhere that they can enjoy some nice rides in nice weather when they're not playing at being rebellious.
Singlespeeding has only ever been rebellious against other factions within cycling, not against society. Aviemore had the stuff you missed at Napa, but remember that the derby at Aviemore was held in sight of the police station - they were even watching from the windows - and did they feel the need to come out and break it up? Were the women and children of smalltown Scotland threatened by the behaviour of some predominantly middle-class predominantly middle-aged men playing at being rebels. No.
The police were watching more to make sure we didn't hurt ourselves. It's not as if a gang of real hooligans had turned up was it? It wasn't the sort of fear people experience when a bunch of real working-class away team football supporters are being escorted from the stadium to the train station when you really do feel as if it could all - literally - kick off. In fact some singlespeeders who have since complained about 'Napa not being the sort of town for us rebels' have expressed disgust to me at singlespeeders who genuinely have had hooligan pasts.
Even the hazing out on course is more reminiscent of middle-class frat boys from a John Hughes film than any real bad behaviour that makes people feel really threatened - heck the local hoodies in the park as scarier than the Surly guys even if they are armed with a six pack. Cheever in his spiky Hun helmet is actually worthy of pity rather than fear. Come on. These people are actually as soft as pussy-cats in real-life* and can't be too anarchist as they have to run a nice capitalist business. As another example Tim from Swobo is not rich, but he's comfortable on his pay off from Santa Cruz. Have you seen how many biking trips he gets to take? Trips a real dirtbag might have the time to take, but certainly couldn't afford.
Yeah, Napa. Perfect.
* I include myself in the soft as pussy cat group. I'm even worried in case you misunderstand any of what I'm trying to say and find my rant offensive rather than just a poorly expressed opinion which happens to differ from your own.
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