knucklebuster appreciation

mike

mike

iMTB Hooligan
No, not adjustable wrenches, but the man also known as Dave the Burner. The rider with the most favorable ratio of skill:BS I can think of. Unshakably mellow, humble, fast as hell...the right stuff for a trail partner.

I know many of you have shared dirt with Dave. I/we have many times, and it's always a pleasure.

Here's a big THUMBS UP to Dave for making it through last year, a tough one for him. And here's to seeing more of the man in the flesh and here in pixels.

Cheers, Dave! Hope to ride soon! Happy 2017 in advance :cool:
 
Thank you Mike and IMTBTers. I’ll take “favorable ratio of skill/BS” as a good thing :). It has been a difficult year, there were chunks of time I downright couldn’t mountainbike (or do much of anything) due to health issues, I kept thinking of that line @Mikie used to have as his signature, something like “I will regret the day I can no longer do this”. What a depressing thought….

As of now it appears I should be able to get past the worst stuff soon (fingers crossed)… . I’ve had enough doc visits, tests, scopes, and imaging done this year, If there was something like cancer the docs would have found it by now. But with the somewhat sedentary chunks of time and a limit on what types of things I could eat, and the damn meds that do what they need to but make me want to eat all the time, I put on about 25 pounds. I’ve never been this heavy in my life. I have a long way to go to get back into shape, but I’m determined to do it.:thumbsup:

Did get out with @sir crashalot this morning for a STT-Luge ride from Cooks. Didn't set any speed records on the climbs and took lots of breaks, and hurt bad on some of the steeper stuff, but it was good to get out there :):thumbsup: hoping to get back in shape and join some of the rides you guys post up next year!
 
Keep your chin up.. I had a rough year with medical issues myself and it stinks so I feel the pain there. Riding bikes helps me but with a baby at home I often chose to spend an extra 3 hours with him on the weekends rather than ride which makes it even harder. Finding "me" time can be hard but super important.

Riding up to the luge is not easy and I'd be willing to bet most Americans couldn't do it so you're still in the game, just got knocked back a bit in the endurance area. After the holidays is a good time to motivate with the new year, I'll be trying to do so myself.
 
@knucklebuster Dave! We are here for you brother. I would be over joyed to ride as much (or as little) with you to make you laugh, get in shape... you name it.
I was either blind or just didn't know you were struggling with some health issues. My signature is still the same, and there have been times I have yelled it out loud in the heat of a blazing Epic Singletrack run with buds on a favorite.

This is a place of friendship, support, and mtb camaraderie. Man if there is anything I can do, do not hesitate my friend.

Mikie
 
Glad you got out there today with me dood! like Corn said, youre still in the game and in better shape than most "healthy" americans. You still kicked my ass down the Luge! Keep it goin, ride ride ride!
on a side note, kudos to the trail elves who turned the Luge into f'in A-line. (disclaimer: I have never been to whistler. Just engaging in a little hyperbole, trail was smooth and fast, berms seemed bigger, a few more jumps/drops)
 
Anybody who has had the good fortune to ride with @knucklebuster will relate to @Mikie 's assessment of Skill:BS ratio. Dave is kind and humble and LOVES to ride. He once said he loves to ride for the sensation of riding - something I can completely relate to. So why am I talking about him like he's passed on? Sorry 'bout that, Dave...

Auto immune diseases suck. I have every confidence that you will stabilize it and get back into a regular riding routine for 2017. Looking forward to trying to catch you on the downs this year! :thumbsup: :cool:
 
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Here is to a good friend @knucklebuster :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Despite having a challenging year health wise, Dave opted to set his bike aside and bust his ass on a bunch of big trailwork days with me. Here's a shot of him resting after we finished tuning up Meadows in early February (with JB). We worked together on Meadows and the Luge, and he, @mike and I replaced the flag on top of Fossil Hill on the way to the Luge. Soft spoken, straightforward, reliable.. with a great sense of humor and a genuinely good heart, I am very much an appreciator of all things @knucklebuster. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Dave, best wishes for a great year in 2017!



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Thanks for the kind words guys! Great feeling to know I've got you all in my corner. I'm feeling better already:)

Jim @kioti, thanks, and boy was I beat that day on Meadows. I've always said trail work is harder than biking, for me anyway. Need to get out digging with you when I fully get past this stuff, for some upper body workout!

@jaime - That was a fun day at Sycamore, have to set up another group ride there soon. I usually don't do jumps but that was a good place to practice with lots of runout room and ability to progress from small to bigger. Good stuff!

@herzalot - I'm sure you know more about autoimmune diseases than you would like, and that corticosteroids suck but they do their job. This time they lead to a couple other issues which are dragging on... hope things are good on your end...

@sir crashalot - can always count on you for a low stress mellow ride, thanks, and yes the Luge was great!

@Mikie @Cornholio @Faust29 @Runs with Scissors - thanks for the support guys, hope to get out riding with you all next year!
 
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Hey, I have to add to this thread.

Knuckles, Crashnot and I rode Chiquito yesterday, and I got to appreciate a facet of the man I'd never seen. We all have days out of the groove, but I had never ridden with Dave having one of those days.

You are far from the car, have tons of the goods left to get there, and you've stacked a few times, gotten banged up, confidence waned; you're not in your top form to begin with. What happens? I've spent decades observing the behavior of partners when the Sh!t goes sideways. The guys like @knucklebuster make the grade every time. They support the team by supporting themselves, in all conditions.

You can't teach character...or can you? Dave sure put on a clinic yesterday. Pure tough and amazing fortitude. Best wishes for getting back on the spokes soon, pal. Always a pleasure :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
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