Personal musings of Brian De Groodt. Reflections on life, mountain bike racing, motorcycles, outdoor life, beer and anything else I can think of in the moment. Currently in my home state of California. Destination unknown.Tumblr (3.0; @degroodt)http://www.degroodt.com/<a href="http://www.openforum.com/articles/armed-with-confidence-and-a-drive-to-succeed">Armed With Confidence and a Drive to Succeed</a>: <p>Now here’s a story of determination.  Black in segregated America in an historically white business, living in the back of a Crown Vic for three years.  That’s drive!</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/18016175812http://www.degroodt.com/post/18016175812Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:30:35 -0800<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz8wcwnyuJ1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>My First Professional Photo Credit (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/17442561617http://www.degroodt.com/post/17442561617Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:17:20 -0800<p><a href="http://animalsbeingdicks.com/post/16863294220/ewe-shall-not-pass" class="tumblr_blog">animalsbeingdicks</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k497/animalsbeingdicks/abd-203.gif"/></p> <p>No one crosses a sheep picket line. NO ONE.</p></blockquote>http://www.degroodt.com/post/16900506802http://www.degroodt.com/post/16900506802Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:52:58 -0800<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxwconmJYE1qe31lco1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxwconmJYE1qe31lco2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p><a href="http://lightningfires.tumblr.com/post/16809956237" class="tumblr_blog">lightningfires</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><em>soo high.</em></p></blockquote>http://www.degroodt.com/post/16852083641http://www.degroodt.com/post/16852083641Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:22:02 -0800<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv2uzhwAId1qbiu5fo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://fuckyeahgirlsandbikes.tumblr.com/post/16637993975/modcloth-maison-scotch-fall-winter-2012" class="tumblr_blog">fuckyeahgirlsandbikes</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://modcloth.tumblr.com/post/13211184346/maison-scotch-fall-winter-2012">modcloth</a>:</p> <blockquote></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.scotch-soda.com/en/collection/campaign/category/women">Maison Scotch</a> Fall/Winter 2012.</p> <blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>http://www.degroodt.com/post/16649033355http://www.degroodt.com/post/16649033355Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:34:08 -0800<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly8598oyKO1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>#Motorcycle (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/16319803460http://www.degroodt.com/post/16319803460Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:58:19 -0800motorcycle<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly28m3i2Q11qa9pnro1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.degroodt.com/post/16137684681http://www.degroodt.com/post/16137684681Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:09:19 -0800<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly2iyjqpgL1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>More <a href="http://www.returnofthecaferacers.com/2012/01/cafe-racer-girls-026.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheReturnOfTheCafeRacers+%28The+Return+of+the+Cafe+Racers%29" title="Return of the Cafe Racers">here</a>.</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/16137651266http://www.degroodt.com/post/16137651266Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:08:42 -0800“<p>The most vital element for the future of our cities is that <span class="pulled">the bicycle is an instrument of experiential understanding.</span></p> <p>On a bicycle, citizens experience their city with deep intimacy, often for the first time. For a regular motorist to take that two or three mile trip by bicycle instead is to decimate an enormous wall between them and their communities.</p> <p>In their cars, the world is reduced to mere equation. “What is the fastest route from A to B?” one will ask as they start their engine. This invariably results in a cascade of freeway concrete flying by at incomprehensible speeds. Their environment, the neighborhoods that compose their communities, the beauty of architecture, the immense societal problems in distressed areas, the faces of neighbors… all of this becomes a conceptually abstract blur from the driver’s seat.</p> <p>Yes, the bicycle is a marvelously efficient machine of transportation, but in the city it is so much more. The bicycle is new vision for the blind man. It is a thrilling tool of communication, an experiential device for the beauty and the ills of the urban context. One cannot turn a blind eye on a bicycle - they must acknowledge their community, all of it.</p> <p>Here lies <span class="pulled">the secret weapon of the urban renaissance.</span></p>”<br/><br/> - <em><p>- Kasey Klimes, <a href="http://secretrepublic.com/post/4608802363/the-real-reason-why-bicycles-are-the-key-to-better">The Real Reason Why Bicycles are the Key to Better Cities</a></p> <p>via <a href="http://www.underpaidgenius.com/">underpaidgenius</a></p> <p>(via <a href="http://smartercities.tumblr.com/">smartercities</a>)</p></em>http://www.degroodt.com/post/15699718244http://www.degroodt.com/post/15699718244Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:43:57 -0800<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx4u5dt2ZB1qa9pnro1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://anchordivision.com/post/15133352671/capt-kellys-dry-goods-and-merchandise-check" class="tumblr_blog">anchordivision</a>:</p> <blockquote><div> <p><strong>Capt. Kelly’s -</strong> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/CaptKelly">Dry Goods and Merchandise</a></p> <p>Check out these awesome leather belt clips. They are a great price too and some of the leathers are from Red Wing Boots and other re-usable leather.</p> </div></blockquote>http://www.degroodt.com/post/15155921305http://www.degroodt.com/post/15155921305Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:54:17 -0800<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx2o06UqOU1r7nrxfo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://bicyclestore.tumblr.com/post/15124535344/happynewgear">bicyclestore</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Happy New Gear</p> <p><span class="tumblr_blog">illustration: </span><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://www.magnificentoctopus.com/post/15081324312/happynewgear">magnificentoctopus</a></p> </blockquote>http://www.degroodt.com/post/15155835996http://www.degroodt.com/post/15155835996Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:52:45 -0800<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx418fAY1Z1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Happy #new Year! (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/15119487066http://www.degroodt.com/post/15119487066Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:07:27 -0800new<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwjk5zCNYo1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>#christmas #tree (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14553319599http://www.degroodt.com/post/14553319599Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:46:47 -0800treechristmas<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwfprqaobu1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>#santa (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14442862722http://www.degroodt.com/post/14442862722Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:57:25 -0800santa<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwff9s1Ql41qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Merry #Christmas (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14431547118http://www.degroodt.com/post/14431547118Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:10:40 -0800christmas<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwezdeOjQA1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Don’t Worry #Exercise (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14414562134http://www.degroodt.com/post/14414562134Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:27:14 -0800exercise<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw9qhwL1SG1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>#Sunset 12/14/11 (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14281505847http://www.degroodt.com/post/14281505847Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:27:32 -0800sunset<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw5ji5yxoG1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Storm Watch 2011 (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14170726704http://www.degroodt.com/post/14170726704Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:06:04 -0800<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw0tg0HYyk1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Roscoe’s (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/14048316802http://www.degroodt.com/post/14048316802Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:52:47 -0800<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvw9wngTsC1qar55to1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Hop Steps #beer (Taken with <a href="http://instagr.am">instagram</a>)</p>http://www.degroodt.com/post/13925229149http://www.degroodt.com/post/13925229149Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:22 -0800beer