It will also be repeated soon. That was early Jan.

Lots of local XC/AM riding continued through until, alas, my modus-pedelarandii changed, and I started spending way too much time going DH and FR, completing the transition into a modestly respectably skilled rider of the Chairlift Supported terrain.

This continued apace, with mixed XC/AM events throughout, but nothing organized, the year.

Then, in August, my “mojo” began to fail and falter. On my first ride of my first NE vacation, at Kingdom Trails, my bike’s frame top-tube broke. Thankfully I noticed this before starting a frenetic-fun downhill and there was no harm to me, but it was a Sign and Portent. Alas, poor Niner MCR, I barely knew ye (she was just over a year old, to me, being a second-hand frame).

I then started using my DH bike in all conditions, because it was my only MTB, just swapping wheels to bring it back to something reasonable.

Then, the rest of my “mojo” drained, after a fun weekend at Plattekill Bike Park that frame was found to be materially deficient. Alas, I could not regret this. This bike (my Titus Quasi-Moto from) had shared more adventures with me than most people get with their ride, and had earned her retirement. This winter I’m giving the remaining front-tri a final clean and polish and just keeping her for wall-art.

This was the end of an era, for me. While even though thanks to the camaraderie and generosity of friends I was able to keep pedalling on dirt, and eventually was able to rebuild both bikes with new and used parts, I still have not re-found my “mojo” – where it has gone I know not.

Having this all coincide with the autumn, the time of sleep-taking and end of the life cycle of many things, has weighed heavy on me.

I have had some few, good, rides on these new-2-me bikes, and am looking forward to more, but at the moment I am found wanting.

I feel askew, disconnected.

Passion drained.

Mojo missing.

Waiting.

Waiting for the next sunrise.

Waiting for the next season.

Or, as someone else put it, looking to just keep going forward to see what is around the next bend.

I am content that 2010 is drawing to a close, and looking forward to a better 2011.

I just got some more body armor, just to get ready.

This is just one of the narrated passages that, combined with the visuals and the music, I find to have touched me in strong and deep ways much like the current of a deep running river that the movie relates to life.

A day has not gone by that my iPodPhone has not played this film for me while at work, since I got it. It may be the Winter Bike Motivator that I need this year, we shall see.

LifeCycles came out a couple weeks ago, pretty much the most anticipated MTB movie for quite some time. It is a fabulously pretty film, wonderfully built, and for the mountain bikers out there should probably be required viewing.

For those, like me, on a budget it is hard to beat the 10-buck cost of the HD version off iTunes, and for those of us with an HD TV but no Blue-Ray player that is the best way to get the best version to view.

So go scope it. Relax and enjoy it in a quiet environment. On a big screen if you can.

But good to start feeling like I can bike again in the cool and dark.

Which is important now, living on Standard Time, with Dark settling in almost before I can leave my desk at work.

I am still having a hard time with night riding. Maybe I just need to get some more magic to help myself out? I certainly red to up my game though, I have big plans for ’11 which Must Not Fail!

It’s not a bad thing really as this means that in some relatively near future I may actually be able to take out the XC skiis that we got for me last spring.

This is however going to be the first weekend in a long time that I haven’t spent Saturday flinging myself downhill at nearly reckless velocity.

Instead, this is the first weekend that I’m going to use to start rebuilding my real base mileage capacity. Saturday, in that “fearful cold” (har har) while M is tied up with the ACM Programming Contest with her students I am going to try to put something qualifying as Epic mileage on one of my mountain bikes, and on my legs regardless.

This is going to be tough for me because I am just NOT really well prepared physically for it, I haven’t been doing any major hill climbing of late, and I’m still adapting to the colder temperatures that we’re having.

Still, Epic Rides are what you make them, and they’re good for my soul.

Sunday, there’s a crew of people heading up to P-Town to work on the trails up there. I’m going to eschew another big day of cycling that is sorely needed in favor of somewhat civic duty and lending a back for the Good Leafy Fight. Of course, this means that there will be more navigable trails to enjoy over the winter. The leaf cover this fall has made some of the rides really TOUGH!

What are you doing this weekend?

What WAS wonderful was to be there when my friend Amy won her first DH race at the Vertical Earth finals at Blue Mountain on Sunday – way to go Amy!

She and her boy Dave and I had spent a lot of time riding DH this year, mostly at Vertical Earth Gravity Park at Blue Mountain Ski, but also some at Diablo Freeride Park and at Plattekill Bike Park.