Yes I am really wearing my Team Waffle House hat everywhere I go. That’s the owner of Banning’s bikes, Banning Fiber-Ostrow. How cool is that name!

In an effort to decompress from my traveling and to get back into a better frame of mind I have thrown myself into cross training. And much like Silas who flailed himself to find some sort of inner peace, I am flogging myself, but with exercise. While I have been taking Pilates for a couple of years with a trainer, I have now started doing additional Pilates routines in my living room. Also I have laced up my running shoes and am clomping around my neighborhood in what might be generously called running. The motivation behind the compulsion? An effort to have a decent ‘cross season before I have to travel again.

A descent trail to train and test a ‘cross bike is the Fullerton Loop in Orange County. The Loop winds throughout Fullerton and is not particularly technical or rough enough to warrant suspension. But it is hard enough to get the endorphins pumping. And in the middle of the week it’s not too populated with locals walking, so I can hit the gas and rip through turns and power over the short inclines that the Loop has to offer. But before hitting the Loop I wanted to stop by a new-ish shop off Harbor Boulevard in downtown Fullerton, Banning’s Bikes. The buzz about the shop had crossed the Orange Curtain and reached me deep in L.A. county, so I thought I should check it out. Definitely a high-end shop. Felt, Colnago and Pinarello bikes take up the floor space, as do the required accoutrements that make up our sport. But the cherry on top is the espresso machine and the black sofa facing a wall mounted tv which was playing race videos. So if you are in the Fullerton area stop by and enjoy an espresso, relax on the sofa and watch a video. I did.

So after a successful ‘cross session on the Fullerton Loop, followed by a run, I’m home, sore from the waist down and wondering if my self flagellation will help clear my mind and keep those endorphines pumping.

Ducati carbon fiber bikes for those who want to match their motorcycle

It’s easy to kick back and forget about training on this sofa