step one:

introduce new bike on april 14th. madness ensues.

step two:

decide to do taxes on evening of april 14th. instead, realize there are missing 1099 forms. drink heavily instead.

step 3:

agree to entertain french journalists on april 15th. realize that an appropriate translation for the gong show that ensues would be “toilette du temps”… realize in midst of said gong show that while standing around for hours on end while the french take pictures of each other, i could maybe shoot a few pics myself, only to discover that the trusty sony had somehow died in action. digital camera number three for the 2008-2009 season, rest in peace.

subsequently realize that taking pics of anything with an iphone sucks balls. in sour spirits, decide not to mention that the photographers backpack is sitting in poison oak.

now you might think that sniveling about riding, for any reason, is pretty weak. and you’d have a point. but then you might need to experience the perspective of photo shoot riding firsthand before making that judgement. because photo shoot riding isn’t really riding at all. photo shoot riding is where time goes to die. it’s a place where you put on bike clothes, get saddled up on awesome new bikes (and that new LT really is all that), and then go stand around in the woods. but that’s how all those cool magazine pictures end up in magazines – because a lot of really patient people are willing to stand around for a long time while a drill sergeant with a camera waits for “the good light.” i believe it was mark twain who said “golf is a good walk spoiled.” that’s sort of how photo shoots and rides go together.

step 4. redemption!:

return to factory to find cold beer and madmen, all getting amped up for sea otter. the clock is ticking on the green beast:

"looks flexy"