Sometimes I just like to tell people about some of the things that interest me and some things that I like. So, why not write about those things here. Hopefully, I can stick to my plan of  a “3 Random Things” every week or two. So here is my first post…

one…

GripShift ESP

The original ESP rear derailleur and X-Ray shifters…Still my favorite shifter and rear derailleur. I used GripShift for such a long time. I loved those shifters. And I still do. Unfortunately, the X-Rays didn’t advance with technology. I can’t tell you what changed, but I’ve never found a shifter I liked as much GripShift X-Rays. I also remember when I first used the GripShift ESP rear derailleur. I go it on a shop pro-deal before it was on the market to the general public. Yeah, I felt special. If the original ESP and X-Ray combo was available again in a 3×10 configuration, there would be a good chance that I would be back using it.

two…

Peanut Butter Gel

Of course I have to throw a sponsor into the mix here. Hammer Nutrition Peanut Butter Gel…what a product this is. If you love peanut butter (as I do), this is a must for your fueling arsenal. It has a true peanut butter flavor, the expected carbohydrate energy of all of the Hammer gels and 1g of protein. It’s easy to ingest, it’s easy to digest and it’s easy to improve your performance. And if you are like me, you will want to mix it with Hammer’s chocolate gel too. It’s my favorite gel.

three…

“Once a cool thing is done…it cannot be undone” One of my favorite movies is Tread: The Movie. Tread is the first feature-length film about mountain biking and it stars Greg Herbold and Hans Rey. Those two guys alone is worth seeing this movie. There’s no real story here, just riding. Riding in some of the coolest places that there is to ride. There is a lot of footage of the early days of mountain biking…remember NORBA? There is no 29er…no 8 inches of plush downhill suspension…and not even 80 or 100mm of front suspension. Remember bar ends? After seeing this movie, you can also see how far technology has advanced. Whenever I sit down to watch Tread, all I want to do is ride.