To Clean or Not to Clean

 Might I make a suggestion? You're under no obligation to take it, just hear me out. You are probably aware of a certain holiday coming up next weekend, and while I hate to propagate (not quite the correct word, but I just had a beer and that's the best I could come up with) ethnic stereotypes, I know there will be some beer drinking associated with this certain holiday. Many of you might make an effort to seek out an Irish beer to go with your corned beef, your Irish banger, or maybe just a thick slab of soda bread slathered with Irish butter (fish and chips wrapped in newspaper would be ideal to me, but I have no idea were to find that locally). Guinness, if you can find it on tap is unbeatable, but... that bottled Guinness you might find in the market... just not the same. The other day I happened to find this Malting's Irish Ale by Sullivan's Brewing Company of Kilkenny (at the Whole Foods on Baseline, if you wanted to know where) and, though it pours from a can, it is far superior in taste to the bottled Guinness. Just my St. Padraig's day suggestion. If you're going to have a pint, make it a good one. Anyway, on with the ride...

While riding out there today, someone said "you need to wash your bike!" I knew it had been a while since last I undertook that chore, but I didn't think things had reached a point that any collection of dried mud was particularly obvious. I continued with my ride Out There, walked most of the uphill switchbacks, marveled at a couple quick-flowing streams, overlooked our perennial lake, absolutely railed the trails back down through the wash and, unremarkably found my way home again.

While enjoying said beer, as mentioned above, I put the Scott Scale up on the repair stand to check out the dirty rig. Not bad, I thought, a few collected specks of dried weeks-old mud just to make it look ridden, and I unclamped it without a single wipe. 

Scott Scale, San Antonio Creek and Mt. Baldy (Joat)

the Great White of the Wash

little stream through the willow thicket

lake overlook

inundated 

too clean, or too dirty, what say you?