my friends the people my team so pumped

I just got back from China and am catching up on what I missed during the week I was out of town.

Love or hate Facebook, when you are up all night with jetlag it is very convenient for catching up with what your pals (that are on FB) have been getting up to.

I am so incredibly stoked on my team mates.

A team. The team. Team mates. Your team, his team, her team. Their team. OUR TEAM.

This is often such an abstract thing with various implications and definitions. Being on a team means something different to everyone. I’ve been on, been a sponsor of and founded many, many different teams in my years in cycling. I’ve seen people come and go, teams grow and collapse, I’ve seen friendships ruined by politics and shitty behavior and I’ve seen friendships grow stronger because of cycling and our desire for something better and more beautiful than the status quo.

The best thing for me? Coming home and being pumped to see everyone, to ride with everyone and to watch my pals crush it on the bike, in races, in training and in life. My team mates appreciate the beauty in the little things, the beauty in cycling, in going hard, working hard and having fun. I love that amongst the photos of racing and riding, I get pictures of hiking epic wilderness, car engines in pieces, food and art.

This keeps me motivated, keeps me pumped and stoked to hang out and party with all of you.

Cycling is my life and I am surrounded by people that love cycling and by people that are creative, hilarious, self-aware and treat other people nicely.

I love it. I love that we cultivate this fantastic energy amongst ourselves.

There is so much momentum with the Portland Bicycle Studio team going into this cyclocross race season. I’m riding an amazing wave of positive energy and motivation here. I sound like a f’ing hippie.

Seeing all of your pictures; smiles on your faces, covered in mud and sweat and on your bikes, the photos of your cars, your pets, your pals, your lives, your travels and your adventures.

I’m gonna ride this awesome wave of stoke. Join me on it.

My team is fantastic and we are just getting this party started.

All pictures credit: Jose Sandoval. Great dude, fantastic photographer, good people.