BMX

Crane Estate-Ipswich Weekend Get-Away

If you're viewing on an iPhone or iPad, go here!


Jean and I went ALL THE WAY to Ipswich for a weekend get-away, by staying at the Inn At Castle Hill at Crane Estate. You don't need to go far to have a great weekend. The weather was perfect for walking around the grounds of the Crane Estate and for going ALL THE WAY to Willowdale for some mountain biking. It was quite a nice, relaxing weekend. Enjoy the pics above!

Cape Cod 2014

If you're viewing on an iPhone/iPad, go here.

Misc from AMNH in NYC

If you're on an iPhone or iPad, go here for the pics...




Okay, while walking around the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, I saw plenty of interesting stuff... But as you can imagine, it's not the easiest place to take pics... low light, no tripods allowed, glass between you and everything and SWARMS of people. Anyway, I took *some* shots thanks to my camera's super high ISO rating...

NYC City Streets and Scenes 2014

If you're on an iPad or iPhone, go here...

Perspective2

perspective2 from David Alden on Vimeo.

Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Department Store Bikes

I'm NOT a bike snob. I think that any bike that any person has is a good bike. I've seen many, many, many inexpensive bikes with decades of service, miles and miles of history, and with the right rider, used more proficiently than any boutique bike.

That being said, department store bikes are crap, and it's an insult to any consumer that bike companies even try to market these bike-like contraptions. Forget the fact that most bikes in department stores are assembled in a manner to make them--at best--a bitch to ride--and at worst--considerably dangerous to ride.

Kingdom Trails

I used to hit Kingdom Trails in Vermont several times per year. The 3+hr drive, each way, wasn't really a problem, and trails are awesome. But, over time, other priorities came up, my schedule changed, and I just haven't gotten up there as much any more. That's a shame, because the riding is amazing. I HAVE been up there a few times over the past couple of years, but I don't think Jean has been up for at least two years... that finally changed this weekend.

Great Glen Mountain Bike Trails

I hadn't been to Great Glen for many years... I think the last time I was there was when a buddy and I raced in the two-man single speed category in the 24hr race. My back seized up sometime in the weeee hours of the night, but we still somehow pulled off a 2nd place finish. Anyway, from what I remembered, the trails were pretty fun, and I thought it would make a good destination for Jean and I...

Late Summer Old School BMX Jam

If you're viewing on an iPhone or iPad, you'll have to go here for the pics...

2014 Flatland Fracas

Rick MacDonald did it again--pulled off another great event! The slideshow below won't come up on iPhone or iPads, so go here.

Otherwise, you can read about the event on Flatmatters and check out some other pics on Tables & Fables.

XLV

Forty five? ... How did that happen? Getting older isn't great, but there's really no good alternative. And while there are many aspects to my life that I could focus on here at this junction (family, career, etc), of course, I'm going to focus on my renewed and continued passion for BMX.

WTY-Vet Ramps

Some pics from Kevin Robinson's K-Rob Festival, from Veteran Ramp. If you're on an iPhone or iPad, follow this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/106830954281038650735/WisdomToYouth2014VetRamps?authuser=0&feat=directlink

2nd Annual MDI YMCA Acadia Half Marathon

Perfect weather and a beautiful course--that's how I'd describe the 2nd Annual MDI YMCA Acadia Half Marathon. I'm certainly not fast, but I had a good time, and Jean and JoAnne finished strong--all in all, a great day! The video is a little bit wobbly, as you can imagine, running with the camera doesn't provide the most steady images... oh well, enjoy!

http://www.mdiymca.org/index.php?page=acadia-loop-half-mara
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/14/me/Jun1_Acadia_set1.shtml
https://www.facebook.com/events/176050095923033/

And, by the way, Jean chose this race because it was "flat"...

Some Big Shoes to Fill

There are many ways to measure success in life. Fame and/or money are two of the standard measures most commonly used in today’s society and I’ve often held both in disdain. 

Success, in my mind, has always meant being a good person, helping others, and showing plenty of love to those around you. So with that in mind, the most successful person I’ve ever met was also one of the most humble; a quiet man who’s actions truly showed who he was in his heart and soul. That man, I’m proud to say was my father, Ralph Cronin.

Without getting into details, I didn’t get to know my father until fairly recently. We had been learning a bit about each other, and by all marks, he seemed like a good guy. He’s got a great family, he worked hard, he volunteered in the community, and he took time off the be with family and loved ones. But there was more. More than I could have ever imagined. Read more...

BMX Trickery

Despite what you see at about :55, I DID ride out, but I was a little too aggressive in my "trimming" of the video. Although, I did liberally edit some stuff at around 2:00...