Normally my big weekend adventure posts that span across a day or two usually include a bunch of photos but for some reason we didn't take any pics last weekend. Why we didn't I'm not sure, we had cameras on hand. I guess we were just having too much fun and forgot, sorry. I do have some to share that I forgot about from the previous weekend but I'll get to those later.
So where was I.... oh yeah, Tsali, I ain't gonna lie we didn't put in a bunch of miles on the bike Saturday, after riding Thompson and Mouse Branch we opted for a shower and lunch/beers on the river banks of the Nantahala river. The NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center), if you've never been there is like a small village in itself all centered around the river and whitewater. We've grown attached to the two funky little restaurants that sit on the river banks. The have pretty good food but the local brews they have on tap and the kayak action going on just a few feet from your table is what really draws our attention. We ran back to camp, swapped out sweaty, stinky lycra, grabbed the dogs and headed over to the NOC. Moonshine and Jackson love to play in the water even though it's ice cold. While Melinda stood in line geating lunch I took the dogs into the water to play. There were a couple of kids collecting rocks off the bottom and stacking them up on a larger rock just off the waters edge. Moonshine, who has a thing for rocks was watching the two kids very closely. Before I knew it she started snatching their rocks they were laying out to the side. After a minute the kids realized what was going on and gave me the stink eye.
While we were having lunch on the banks of the river with the dogs a group of guys practicing swift water rescue for the local rescue squad caught our attention. They were pretty cool to watch, especially their techniques for pulling someone out of the water in class 2 and 3 rapids. I noticed all of them were wearing helmets with their names or nicknames written on duct tape on the front of their helmets. In one particular rescue they had their biggest guy, probably pushing 300 lbs., with the nickname "ham sandwich" or "hamburger" stand facing up stream while the rest of the guys ducked in behind him in two lines. Ham Sandwich was wide enough that the rest of the guys could stand behind him and stay out of the current. They all kind of leaned into him to keep him upright against the flow and walked sideways out into the river to the person who they were rescuing. They grabbed the kid up tucked him in behind Ham Sandwich and carried him back to shore all as one unit, Ham Sandwich diverting the rapids around the group.
Sunday morning after we ate our weight in free pancakes we loaded up and headed back to the NOC for an appointment with some whitewater. It's been a long time since I rafted the Nantahala so I really couldn't remember the difficulty but everyone said it was pretty tame so we opted to go unguided. If things got slow on the river we figured our lack of experience might make it a bit more entertaining.
more later..........
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
trip to Tsali
I probably should have broken my last post up into 2 or 3 but I honestly didn't think I would write that much. The more I wrote the more the details started coming back to me. I hope it wasn't too boring and full of a bunch of grammatical errors. Usually Melinda will let me know if there is and will make me fix them.
Last weekend we took a short camping trip down to Tsali for a bit of singletrack action with our local mtn bike club. About half of the group made a weekend out of it camping at Tumbling Waters Campground and the other half drove down for the day on Saturday.
We usually opt for the Tsali campground which is located right at the trailhead but the last time we were there it seemed that the campground was in need of some maintenance. The bath houses were in bad shape as were the campsites and it was difficult to drive through the place with out dragging roof mounted bikes through the low hanging trees. Since we've had such a hot summer we decided to stay at Tumbling Waters for a little something different, that and the full hookups in each site for only a couple of dollars more. We've stayed there once before but it's been a while and back then we were still tent camping as were most of the rest of the crowd that weekend. This last weekend the place was packed full with large campers. They squeezed us and our little 16 foot ECO in between two, 25+ footers. The campsites were alot smaller than we are used to, putting our neighbors sewer hookup right next to our picnic table.
The close proximity was really my only complaint, Tumbling Waters and it's owners are great. The campground and bathrooms are clean, shaded and there is a nice stream running along one side of the campground. We really weren't bothered by our neighbors noise with the sound of the stream just a few feet from our site. Another nice thing about Tumbling Waters is that the owners cook breakfast Sat and Sunday morning free of charge for their guests. I would definitely go back but I might request a different spot, I could give up the stream for a little more room especially with two large dogs laying around.
Saturday after breakfast we loaded up the bikes and drove over to the trailhead and met up with the rest of the group who were day tripping it. We opted for Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop since the right and left are usually what we ride when racing there. The trails seem to be in a little bit better shape since the formation of a local SORBA club.
The ride was a nice casual pace for the most of the day and everyone seemed to be enjoying the trails and just having fun. I can't remember what sparked it, probably me, but a little smack talk started up towards the end of Thompson Loop. Before I knew it someone said something about a race to the end, probably Mr Dillow and of course I obliged. We cruised along for a bit until someone said go and we were off. Of course the prize for the winner, a cold beer paid for by the loser at lunch. Things started off kinda slow at first, I'm not sure if everyone as taking it too seriously until Andy stood up and stomped on the pedals leaving us all in the dust. That right there sparked a full on race and it wasn't long before Abby joined in on the trash talking. As we tried to chase Andy down Abby pulled ahead really digging deep as we flew along the singletrack. I jumped on her rear tire wondering how long she could keep her pace knowing the trail was getting ready to point up hill. I decided to wait and see before I made a move not wanting to waste all of my energy on the climb. I was aboard the JET which isn't an awesome climber but I knew we had a nice, long and rough downhill at the end. That's where I hoped to catch Andy. As we turned a corner and the hill revealed itself I guess Abby wasn't expecting it and she blew up allowing me to get by her with only Andy to chase down. By then he had put a sizable gap on us and I had a feeling it would be hard to reel him in.
The cool thing about the JET, especially after the recent upgrades is it has really boosted my confidence on the downhills, something I really needed. I really opened it up once the trail pointed downhill and tried my best to catch Andy. I made up alot of ground on him and reeled him him pretty close but ran out of trail and took 2nd. They always say races are won on the climbs and I'd say that's true. That's why the JET is my fun bike and the AIR9 is for racing, what little I do. Lately the JET has become my go to bike, I've had a ton of fun riding it.
Since I've already written more than I thought I would I'll stop for now so not to bore anyone to death and save the rest for later.
Last weekend we took a short camping trip down to Tsali for a bit of singletrack action with our local mtn bike club. About half of the group made a weekend out of it camping at Tumbling Waters Campground and the other half drove down for the day on Saturday.
We usually opt for the Tsali campground which is located right at the trailhead but the last time we were there it seemed that the campground was in need of some maintenance. The bath houses were in bad shape as were the campsites and it was difficult to drive through the place with out dragging roof mounted bikes through the low hanging trees. Since we've had such a hot summer we decided to stay at Tumbling Waters for a little something different, that and the full hookups in each site for only a couple of dollars more. We've stayed there once before but it's been a while and back then we were still tent camping as were most of the rest of the crowd that weekend. This last weekend the place was packed full with large campers. They squeezed us and our little 16 foot ECO in between two, 25+ footers. The campsites were alot smaller than we are used to, putting our neighbors sewer hookup right next to our picnic table.
The close proximity was really my only complaint, Tumbling Waters and it's owners are great. The campground and bathrooms are clean, shaded and there is a nice stream running along one side of the campground. We really weren't bothered by our neighbors noise with the sound of the stream just a few feet from our site. Another nice thing about Tumbling Waters is that the owners cook breakfast Sat and Sunday morning free of charge for their guests. I would definitely go back but I might request a different spot, I could give up the stream for a little more room especially with two large dogs laying around.
Saturday after breakfast we loaded up the bikes and drove over to the trailhead and met up with the rest of the group who were day tripping it. We opted for Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop since the right and left are usually what we ride when racing there. The trails seem to be in a little bit better shape since the formation of a local SORBA club.
The ride was a nice casual pace for the most of the day and everyone seemed to be enjoying the trails and just having fun. I can't remember what sparked it, probably me, but a little smack talk started up towards the end of Thompson Loop. Before I knew it someone said something about a race to the end, probably Mr Dillow and of course I obliged. We cruised along for a bit until someone said go and we were off. Of course the prize for the winner, a cold beer paid for by the loser at lunch. Things started off kinda slow at first, I'm not sure if everyone as taking it too seriously until Andy stood up and stomped on the pedals leaving us all in the dust. That right there sparked a full on race and it wasn't long before Abby joined in on the trash talking. As we tried to chase Andy down Abby pulled ahead really digging deep as we flew along the singletrack. I jumped on her rear tire wondering how long she could keep her pace knowing the trail was getting ready to point up hill. I decided to wait and see before I made a move not wanting to waste all of my energy on the climb. I was aboard the JET which isn't an awesome climber but I knew we had a nice, long and rough downhill at the end. That's where I hoped to catch Andy. As we turned a corner and the hill revealed itself I guess Abby wasn't expecting it and she blew up allowing me to get by her with only Andy to chase down. By then he had put a sizable gap on us and I had a feeling it would be hard to reel him in.
The cool thing about the JET, especially after the recent upgrades is it has really boosted my confidence on the downhills, something I really needed. I really opened it up once the trail pointed downhill and tried my best to catch Andy. I made up alot of ground on him and reeled him him pretty close but ran out of trail and took 2nd. They always say races are won on the climbs and I'd say that's true. That's why the JET is my fun bike and the AIR9 is for racing, what little I do. Lately the JET has become my go to bike, I've had a ton of fun riding it.
Since I've already written more than I thought I would I'll stop for now so not to bore anyone to death and save the rest for later.
Monday, July 25, 2011
triathlon re-cap
What can I say other than I'm a slacker, well not really. I totally meant to write a lengthy post reflecting on my first adventure in a triathlon last week but my work week decided otherwise for me. Last week was one of those weeks that makes you think seriously about whether you chose the right career path or not. I'm not going into details about what went down but I'll just say I definitely earned my money for the month of July.
So the triathlon, well it's been so long since it happened I've pretty much lost interest in telling the story but I feel I owe it to somebody who might have read my last post and actually came back the next day in hopes of finding a recap so here goes.
A group of us met up to pre-ride the race course Friday night just to get a feel of what exactly we were getting ourselves into the next morning and I'm really glad we did. It was raining when we pulled into the p-lot and I told everyone else they were welcome to skip the pre-ride in favor of a more dry environment at the local mexi joint but no one backed out. The course was all off road, slick, rooty and included about 5-6 bridge crossings that were moss covered and slicker than penguin doo-doo. Most of them were also positioned in the middle of a turn which required you to dismount, tip-toe carefully to the other side, and make absolutely, positively sure your rear tire was clear of the end before either foot touched a pedal.
The course consisted of a 3.5 mile trail run, a kayak portion that circled the lake which was small before returning back to the short but nasty slick trails for 2 more laps on the bike.
Saturday morning the race started off in the rain and thankfully my pre ride in the rain the previous night paid off so I kind of knew what was expected. I toed up on the line, checked the GoPro, it was working, and waited for the start. For some reason a majority of the racers opted to start a bit further back and I wasn't sure why because I knew I had showered that morning. I stuck to my spot because I knew once we hit the woods, passing would be tough and I would rather be in someone else's way than trying to pass a slower runner in treacherous conditions.
When the flag dropped I took off at a bit faster pace than I knew I could handle. My goal was to be in the top 5 when we hit the tree line and I think I was close. Once in the woods I settled into the pace I knew I could sustain and tried not to think about the guys in front of me who were shrinking in the distance. As we ran along I focused on staying up right over speed, I didn't want to take myself out of the race too early with a fall.
About 2 miles in a guy came up behind me quick and breathing hard. I waited for him to ask me to pass but the question never came. I waited some more and then offered to let him by as he was really on my heels. When no answer came I turned, looked, and saw he was plugged into his IPod. Stupid, I figured if he really wanted by me he was going to have to unplug and talk to me so I ran on at my pace not bothering to give him any room.
After a couple of minutes of breathing down my neck he fell back almost as quick as he came on. I'm still not sure what happened to him but he proceeded to repeat this ridiculous performance three more times. After the 3rd time he fell back I didn't see him again until we passed each other on the lake, he was still plugged in.
The kayak portion of the Tri was probably the most boring portion of the race. I didn't gain or loose any positions, my boat was not the slowest but it's far from a race boat. When I reached the first turn around point I realized the buoy was a milk jug. At first I wasn't sure if that was my destination or just a piece of trash some redneck had left behind from a fishing trip but I saw nothing else so I circled it and headed to the other side laughing a bit to my self.
Even though the kayak portion wasn't my favorite section it did allow me to take an inventory of who and what I was up against. The duo folks skipped the kayak portion and the way the paddle section was set up I had to pass everyone who was in front of me which to my surprise was only 2 people putting me nicely in 3rd.
As I circled the second buoy I watched 2nd place finish his paddle, 1st long gone. As 2nd place climbed out of his boat he made the mistake of just standing there watching two older guys pull his boat from the water. I smiled because I knew I had just a gained a few seconds on him. When I pulled in, I jumped out of my boat, threw off my life jacket, handed off my paddle and took off running all in one swift very uncoordinated motion. I may have looked like an idiot but I was moving and not standing watching. My legs felt like 2 dead weights, I guess the run had done them in and after sitting still in the boat they figured their job was done for the day. Fortunately the run to my bike was short but just long enough to get them awake for the ride.
I felt pretty good considering what I had already achieved and felt I had saved myself for what was my strongest portion of the race. The mountain bike portion of the course was the same as the trail run but 2 laps. It was a short ride but with all obstacles, 7.5 miles was all I had energy for. Within the first mile of lap 1, I passed 2nd place, he was dismounting for a bridge crossing and rather than wait on him I opted to ride across right in front of him adding a bit of salt to the wound I had just opened. After that I never saw him again.
By the end of my 1st lap I felt the cramps setting in on my calves. Every time I tried to jump back on my bike and throw down the power one of my calves would lock up. I was drinking as much water as I could but trying to stay upright on that course and drink at the same time was a chore. In hind sight, I should have put a water bottle in my boat.
I pretty much knew my chances of catching 1st place were slim so I just concentrated on being consistent and having fun. The second lap went by smoothly and was pretty much ridden entirely in the rain.
I held onto my 2nd place finish and was just as happy for the podium spot as I was with myself for finishing.
So the triathlon, well it's been so long since it happened I've pretty much lost interest in telling the story but I feel I owe it to somebody who might have read my last post and actually came back the next day in hopes of finding a recap so here goes.
A group of us met up to pre-ride the race course Friday night just to get a feel of what exactly we were getting ourselves into the next morning and I'm really glad we did. It was raining when we pulled into the p-lot and I told everyone else they were welcome to skip the pre-ride in favor of a more dry environment at the local mexi joint but no one backed out. The course was all off road, slick, rooty and included about 5-6 bridge crossings that were moss covered and slicker than penguin doo-doo. Most of them were also positioned in the middle of a turn which required you to dismount, tip-toe carefully to the other side, and make absolutely, positively sure your rear tire was clear of the end before either foot touched a pedal.
The course consisted of a 3.5 mile trail run, a kayak portion that circled the lake which was small before returning back to the short but nasty slick trails for 2 more laps on the bike.
Saturday morning the race started off in the rain and thankfully my pre ride in the rain the previous night paid off so I kind of knew what was expected. I toed up on the line, checked the GoPro, it was working, and waited for the start. For some reason a majority of the racers opted to start a bit further back and I wasn't sure why because I knew I had showered that morning. I stuck to my spot because I knew once we hit the woods, passing would be tough and I would rather be in someone else's way than trying to pass a slower runner in treacherous conditions.
When the flag dropped I took off at a bit faster pace than I knew I could handle. My goal was to be in the top 5 when we hit the tree line and I think I was close. Once in the woods I settled into the pace I knew I could sustain and tried not to think about the guys in front of me who were shrinking in the distance. As we ran along I focused on staying up right over speed, I didn't want to take myself out of the race too early with a fall.
About 2 miles in a guy came up behind me quick and breathing hard. I waited for him to ask me to pass but the question never came. I waited some more and then offered to let him by as he was really on my heels. When no answer came I turned, looked, and saw he was plugged into his IPod. Stupid, I figured if he really wanted by me he was going to have to unplug and talk to me so I ran on at my pace not bothering to give him any room.
After a couple of minutes of breathing down my neck he fell back almost as quick as he came on. I'm still not sure what happened to him but he proceeded to repeat this ridiculous performance three more times. After the 3rd time he fell back I didn't see him again until we passed each other on the lake, he was still plugged in.
The kayak portion of the Tri was probably the most boring portion of the race. I didn't gain or loose any positions, my boat was not the slowest but it's far from a race boat. When I reached the first turn around point I realized the buoy was a milk jug. At first I wasn't sure if that was my destination or just a piece of trash some redneck had left behind from a fishing trip but I saw nothing else so I circled it and headed to the other side laughing a bit to my self.
Even though the kayak portion wasn't my favorite section it did allow me to take an inventory of who and what I was up against. The duo folks skipped the kayak portion and the way the paddle section was set up I had to pass everyone who was in front of me which to my surprise was only 2 people putting me nicely in 3rd.
As I circled the second buoy I watched 2nd place finish his paddle, 1st long gone. As 2nd place climbed out of his boat he made the mistake of just standing there watching two older guys pull his boat from the water. I smiled because I knew I had just a gained a few seconds on him. When I pulled in, I jumped out of my boat, threw off my life jacket, handed off my paddle and took off running all in one swift very uncoordinated motion. I may have looked like an idiot but I was moving and not standing watching. My legs felt like 2 dead weights, I guess the run had done them in and after sitting still in the boat they figured their job was done for the day. Fortunately the run to my bike was short but just long enough to get them awake for the ride.
I felt pretty good considering what I had already achieved and felt I had saved myself for what was my strongest portion of the race. The mountain bike portion of the course was the same as the trail run but 2 laps. It was a short ride but with all obstacles, 7.5 miles was all I had energy for. Within the first mile of lap 1, I passed 2nd place, he was dismounting for a bridge crossing and rather than wait on him I opted to ride across right in front of him adding a bit of salt to the wound I had just opened. After that I never saw him again.
By the end of my 1st lap I felt the cramps setting in on my calves. Every time I tried to jump back on my bike and throw down the power one of my calves would lock up. I was drinking as much water as I could but trying to stay upright on that course and drink at the same time was a chore. In hind sight, I should have put a water bottle in my boat.
I pretty much knew my chances of catching 1st place were slim so I just concentrated on being consistent and having fun. The second lap went by smoothly and was pretty much ridden entirely in the rain.
I held onto my 2nd place finish and was just as happy for the podium spot as I was with myself for finishing.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
short post
A short post today, I have alot to say but sooo little time to say it all. This week and next are ridiculously busy for Melinda and myself. We spent the entire weekend in VA. courtesy of Andy and Abby, thanks for the hospitality guys!
Saturday I entered my first ever Triathlon which turned out to be a huge success for me personally. The weather was a total washout and if I had to guess the rain scared off some of my competition allowing me to squeeze in a 2nd place finish. The race was a 3.5 mile trail run, kayak and 7.5 mile mountain bike ride, the longest and most technically difficult portion was the mountain bike section which was my strongest suit, win win for me! The course was wet slick and kinda reminded me of a cyclocross race with all the dismounting and running I did. Staying upright on the bike was a challenge.
I actually filmed the entire race with my GoPro but haven't a had a chance to view any footage, hopefully the wet conditions didn't ruin it but we'll see. It may be next week or the week after before I get to have a look at it.
Sunday I was really feeling the effects of the run and ride in my legs, I actually had a hard time with stairs. I wasn't thinking about the Bays race and how sore I might be after the Tri and I had a feeling on Sunday my chances of making the race were doomed, that and throw in a full workday/workweek to the mix. I hoped for the best but my workday yesterday was not as low key as I had hoped, I decided last minute to skip the Bays race and rest. I did the same last year and regretted it but it meant burning vacation to do the event and I just couldn't afford it. Once again I'm regretting not going but sometimes you can't be everywhere and do everything. Maybe next year
More to come on the triathlon as I find time.....
Saturday I entered my first ever Triathlon which turned out to be a huge success for me personally. The weather was a total washout and if I had to guess the rain scared off some of my competition allowing me to squeeze in a 2nd place finish. The race was a 3.5 mile trail run, kayak and 7.5 mile mountain bike ride, the longest and most technically difficult portion was the mountain bike section which was my strongest suit, win win for me! The course was wet slick and kinda reminded me of a cyclocross race with all the dismounting and running I did. Staying upright on the bike was a challenge.
I actually filmed the entire race with my GoPro but haven't a had a chance to view any footage, hopefully the wet conditions didn't ruin it but we'll see. It may be next week or the week after before I get to have a look at it.
Sunday I was really feeling the effects of the run and ride in my legs, I actually had a hard time with stairs. I wasn't thinking about the Bays race and how sore I might be after the Tri and I had a feeling on Sunday my chances of making the race were doomed, that and throw in a full workday/workweek to the mix. I hoped for the best but my workday yesterday was not as low key as I had hoped, I decided last minute to skip the Bays race and rest. I did the same last year and regretted it but it meant burning vacation to do the event and I just couldn't afford it. Once again I'm regretting not going but sometimes you can't be everywhere and do everything. Maybe next year
More to come on the triathlon as I find time.....
Thursday, July 14, 2011
I might be crazy for not running the Crazy
Decision made, the Crazy 8's race will go paid for and un-run for me. I hear rumors that this year the race shirt will be of the Dri-Fit variety so I may swing by and grab mine since I paid for it. The rumor might be a lie or in true Crazy 8's t-shirt fashion it might be a Dri-Fit with a ridiculously ugly picture on the front ruining it but I'll take that chance.
The Crazy 8's race is cool and dumb all at the same time, cool because it's freaking huge 3000+ runners, at night, streets lined with water hose armed fans cheering you on the whole way for who knows what reason. Dumb because it's so huge it draws crazy fast Kenyans and runners from all over the country who get their trip paid for just because they're stupid fast. They make us hillbillies look like a bunch of just off the couch fat kids.
So tomorrow I'm loading up the fat tire bikes, kayaks and my trail running shoes in favor of the Bark Camp Triathlon, part of the Mountain Empire Challenge series. My first ever triathlon and race in the kayak I don't expect to be anywhere near the podium but I do think it will be a ton of fun. Neither the run or kayak portion will be my strong point but hopefully I'll make up a couple places I might have lost during the first two phases in the mountain bike ride. Luckily for me my strongest point of the race comes at the end and is the longest.
After planting the seed over a couple of beers last weekend Andy went ahead and took it a step further to enticing me into this mess by planning a whole weekend of shenanigans. Friday we'll pre-ride the race course, race Saturday then stick around to take advantage of the rest of the trails and the lake. That evening he's firing up the grill while we down some canned refreshments, cans because the BB guns will be running HOT.
Sunday the plan is to head up to the Breaks Interstate Park for some more singletrack action. I've never ridden there but I'm always game for exploring new trails and the blackberries are in season so trailside snacks might be abundant.
The Crazy 8's race is cool and dumb all at the same time, cool because it's freaking huge 3000+ runners, at night, streets lined with water hose armed fans cheering you on the whole way for who knows what reason. Dumb because it's so huge it draws crazy fast Kenyans and runners from all over the country who get their trip paid for just because they're stupid fast. They make us hillbillies look like a bunch of just off the couch fat kids.
So tomorrow I'm loading up the fat tire bikes, kayaks and my trail running shoes in favor of the Bark Camp Triathlon, part of the Mountain Empire Challenge series. My first ever triathlon and race in the kayak I don't expect to be anywhere near the podium but I do think it will be a ton of fun. Neither the run or kayak portion will be my strong point but hopefully I'll make up a couple places I might have lost during the first two phases in the mountain bike ride. Luckily for me my strongest point of the race comes at the end and is the longest.
After planting the seed over a couple of beers last weekend Andy went ahead and took it a step further to enticing me into this mess by planning a whole weekend of shenanigans. Friday we'll pre-ride the race course, race Saturday then stick around to take advantage of the rest of the trails and the lake. That evening he's firing up the grill while we down some canned refreshments, cans because the BB guns will be running HOT.
Sunday the plan is to head up to the Breaks Interstate Park for some more singletrack action. I've never ridden there but I'm always game for exploring new trails and the blackberries are in season so trailside snacks might be abundant.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
decisions, decisions
A few months ago Melinda bought me a cool sticker pack from Niner. It had a ridiculous amount of "Pedal Damn it" and Niner logo stickers. I stuck them on everything I thought would look cool and still had several left over. I put the left overs in the bike room sticker bin and every once in a while when I have a good idea I use one. I have several bike bells laying around the house so I cut one of the Pedal Damn it stickers to fit the inside circle of the bell and it looked great, almost like I had purchased them from Niner. Of course I posted a pic or two on the blog and Facebox and it caught the attention of my friend from down under, Iain. He was very interested in one and asked where he could obtain one. I told him I had made it and unfortunately weren't available through Niner.
Every once in a while Iain purchases one of the t-shirts I create through our local mtb club and with the steep shipping costs I figured the least I could do was make him one and stick it in with his t-shirt. I sent him a note and told him the only thing I required for the bell was some pics of the bell adorning his Niner out on some Aussie singletrack. He obliged and every now and then he sends me a few which I thought I would share.
They're a bit small as I'm still trying to work out the tech features of the iPhone. More to come as I learn how to use this thing.
Every once in a while Iain purchases one of the t-shirts I create through our local mtb club and with the steep shipping costs I figured the least I could do was make him one and stick it in with his t-shirt. I sent him a note and told him the only thing I required for the bell was some pics of the bell adorning his Niner out on some Aussie singletrack. He obliged and every now and then he sends me a few which I thought I would share.
They're a bit small as I'm still trying to work out the tech features of the iPhone. More to come as I learn how to use this thing.
It seems there may be a shake up in this weekend's shenanigans. I've been alternating my rides with runs in an effort to build somewhat of a running base so I don't totally suck at the Crazy 8's 8k taking place next weekend. Last night at Stir Fry over a couple of beers, Andy of all people talked me into a triathlon that same day. I've never done a triathlon but I've wanted to since my attempt at the Steele Creek duathlon. The thing that peaked my intrest about this one is this one is completely off-road. It begins with a 5k trail run, a kayak portion on the lake and finishes with a 10 mile mountain bike ride. I have been doing all three this summer so I think this could be doable for me. The only issue is that this race conflicts with the Crazy 8's 8k which I paid up for. I'm really leaning hard toward the triathlon since my Crazy 8's registration is lumped into a package deal with two other races. Skipping the 8k won't really hurt me financially since the group rate saved me alot of cash.
Doing both races in one day is out of the question for me. I have all week to think on the issue as there is no pre-registration for the triathlon that I know of. One cool thing would be if I wore the Hero cam during the race. Catching footage of the run, paddle & bike would make for a pretty cool video, something I've been lacking this year.
Friday, July 8, 2011
putting the new bling to the test
Not having ridden the JET since our trip to FATS I was pretty anxious to get out to Warriors and put the new fork and wheelset to the real test. I'm talking the sweet rooty & rocky mess that we call home at Warriors Path trails. FATS was great fun but I knew to get a real feel for how well the new bling worked I needed to really put it to the test and Warriors has just about everything I needed for just that.
I posted up just about everywhere I could think of, Facebox, NTMBA forum and shot out emails trying to round up a few fools who might be interested in riding with me. I got a couple of bites and when I rolled into the parking lot I was excited to see it was packed.Unfortunately they weren't there to ride, it was packed with a bunch of trail runners trying to take over.
As we descended Darwin's down to the lake we hit some of the better rock sections full of small drops, tight turns and plenty of knar to keep me on my toes. I think if the fork did anything for me it boosted my confidence and I found myself pushing the bike a little harder than normal. It soaked up the bumps and held it's line well.
Not only was I testing out a new fork and wheelset, I was running a new set of tires. I shredded one of the Bontragers at FATS and I knew they had seen their better days. I've recently acquired more 29 tires than I have wheels to mount to them to so I decided to pull a couple from the stash downstairs in the bomb shelter. I mounted up a Geax Saguaro on the rear and a Bontrager Jones XR on the front and have no complaints about either one. They both performed great.
I snapped a few pics of the JET and the tires last night after I got home but I can't upload them yet or at least don't know how to yet. My Android phone had seen it's better days with a nice spider crack across the entire screen. I finally broke down and scored an iPhone but I've used Google's Picasa photo storage for so long I'm not sure what to use for online photo storage with the new phone.
I posted up just about everywhere I could think of, Facebox, NTMBA forum and shot out emails trying to round up a few fools who might be interested in riding with me. I got a couple of bites and when I rolled into the parking lot I was excited to see it was packed.Unfortunately they weren't there to ride, it was packed with a bunch of trail runners trying to take over.
As we descended Darwin's down to the lake we hit some of the better rock sections full of small drops, tight turns and plenty of knar to keep me on my toes. I think if the fork did anything for me it boosted my confidence and I found myself pushing the bike a little harder than normal. It soaked up the bumps and held it's line well.
Not only was I testing out a new fork and wheelset, I was running a new set of tires. I shredded one of the Bontragers at FATS and I knew they had seen their better days. I've recently acquired more 29 tires than I have wheels to mount to them to so I decided to pull a couple from the stash downstairs in the bomb shelter. I mounted up a Geax Saguaro on the rear and a Bontrager Jones XR on the front and have no complaints about either one. They both performed great.
I snapped a few pics of the JET and the tires last night after I got home but I can't upload them yet or at least don't know how to yet. My Android phone had seen it's better days with a nice spider crack across the entire screen. I finally broke down and scored an iPhone but I've used Google's Picasa photo storage for so long I'm not sure what to use for online photo storage with the new phone.
Monday, July 4, 2011
FATS Part 2: the picture essay
Sorry for the delay for those of you who were waiting patiently for more FATS details. This one is picture heavy.
We didn't take a whole lot of pics of the trails mainly because they weren't very scenic. Everything looked pretty much the same but we didn't really go for the scenery and there was plenty of that at our campsite. I think this shot was from the Great Wall trail which was one of my more favorites, mainly because it had the most rocks.
The sunset views from our campsite were amazing, we sat at the edge of our site just about every night thankful that the temperatures were going down with the sun.
We saw several of these big guys, or should I say girls, along the trail on our last day. They were laying eggs and why they picked such a close proximity to the trail I'll never know.
I think this trip was one of Melinda's better rides, she rode for 5 days straight without much of a complaint. Having the summer off has really helped her fitness. I rarely had to wait on her as she was riding like a champ all week.
We didn't take a whole lot of pics of the trails mainly because they weren't very scenic. Everything looked pretty much the same but we didn't really go for the scenery and there was plenty of that at our campsite. I think this shot was from the Great Wall trail which was one of my more favorites, mainly because it had the most rocks.
The sunset views from our campsite were amazing, we sat at the edge of our site just about every night thankful that the temperatures were going down with the sun.
We had a pretty nice section on the beach all to ourselves, for a lake beach I was really impressed.
Evidence that there were some pretty good sized catfish to be caught in the lake. This one is for you Dustin.
We usually waited until after sundown to grill our dinner. It was really too hot to do it any other way. Melinda came up with some really awesome meals that week.
If you haven't noticed I was a bit lazy and these pics are in particular order. This trail was named Big Rock, and this small section of "big rocks" were the only rocks on the trail.
Evidence that there were some pretty good sized catfish to be caught in the lake. This one is for you Dustin.
We usually waited until after sundown to grill our dinner. It was really too hot to do it any other way. Melinda came up with some really awesome meals that week.
If you haven't noticed I was a bit lazy and these pics are in particular order. This trail was named Big Rock, and this small section of "big rocks" were the only rocks on the trail.
We saw several of these big guys, or should I say girls, along the trail on our last day. They were laying eggs and why they picked such a close proximity to the trail I'll never know.
Brown Wave sign, the local club did an excellent job of pointing riders in the right direction. The maps sucked but really weren't necessary due to the excellent sign system.
We found this cool firetower on the "Tower trail", there was no access to the stairs so we couldn't climb it but there was a burnt out couch sitting underneath it.
Since I couldn't climb to the top I did the next best thing I could think of, hang upside down from the perimeter fence meant to keep people out. I guess somebody didn't like that as there was a huge hole in the fence. Maybe the folks who cut open the fence were the same people who brought in the couch, kind of as a middle finger to "the man".
Moonshine has always been the swimmer of the kids, Jackson will do nothing more that wade around.
Moonshine, for a while has had an affection for fetching rocks. Since I forgot the tennis balls we opted for throwing rocks for her.
She may not have always retrieved the same rock I threw but she almost always pulled something off the bottom.
A few time I threw the rocks in water too deep for her to touch and at first it frustrated her.
But then she figured out she could dive down and retrieve them. I've never seen a dog dive from a stationary position especially not Moonshine but she got pretty good at it and entertained us for quite a while.
I might have some more in a couple of days or maybe I'll find something else to ramble on about.
Friday, July 1, 2011
FATS: part 1
Melinda and I just returned from a 6 day trip to FATS in South Carolina. FATS (Forks Area Trail System) is an awesome trail system that is about 20 minutes north of Augusta GA. The campground we stayed at was actually in GA but only a 10 minute drive from the trailhead in SC. We left last Saturday with plans to stay through Thursday but we ended up staying an extra day because we were enjoying ourselves a little too much. We rolled into our drive 2 hours before I had to be at work this afternoon so I didn't have time to sort through any photos for your viewing pleasure.
First up I got the JET rolling with all of it's new bling the Friday before we left.
The new Fox fork was finally mounted once the wheels came in, all in white. Stan's ZTR Arch rims with Sram X9 hubs. I also scored a new to me drivetrain, not that it needed it but the deal was too good to pass up. With the new fork, wheelset and drivetrain the JET felt like a totally different bike. I had so much fun riding it that the only time I rode the AIR9 was to run the trash to the dumpster. I put somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 singletrack miles on the JET and it felt awesome!. It's amazing what a tapered steer tube and thru axel can do for a bike, not to mention a wheelset that's not bent all to hell. It's been a while since I've had a bike with a granny gear and I'll admit I'm scared it might make me a little soft. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the fact that the new chain guide system I installed a while back had to come off but the alternative is worth it.
So about the trails, FATS is like a giant roller coaster or pump track I guess you could say. I'm pretty sure it's mostly machine built with very little in the way of roots and rocks. There isn't much in the way of big climbs either, it's all about big swooping fun. Even though the trails are smooth enough for a beginner to ride with ease it would still be easy to get yourself into trouble by flying off the trail with too much speed.
One of the more popular trails, "the Brown Wave", properly named for the feeling of surfing on the bike. This was one of our favorites and one of only two that we rode more than once. I had read several articles on this trail and it held up to all of the hype and praise, I wish we had a Brown Wave nearby.
The only thing FATS lacked were technical sections, after 2 or 3 days of riding I started wishing for more rocks and roots. Although FATS was a total blast to ride I could see myself getting bored after a while if I was a local. I cleaned every trail in it's entirety at FATS the first time I rode it. I can't say that about some of my local trails. The one thing that does make riding FATS tough is the heat, it wore us down faster than a 6 mile climb. You couldn't escape it, Melinda and I were both carrying water bottles specifically just for pouring on our heads during the ride by the end of our trip.
Unfortunately I didn't get any footage with the GoPro, I decided to wait until I got a better feel for the trail system the first couple of days before filming. Once I knew my way around and what was worth shooting I ran into a dead battery problem. I'm not sure what happened, I charged them all before I left so it's a mystery. I'm sure we'll be back for more later this year or next so I'll give it another shot then.
First up I got the JET rolling with all of it's new bling the Friday before we left.
The new Fox fork was finally mounted once the wheels came in, all in white. Stan's ZTR Arch rims with Sram X9 hubs. I also scored a new to me drivetrain, not that it needed it but the deal was too good to pass up. With the new fork, wheelset and drivetrain the JET felt like a totally different bike. I had so much fun riding it that the only time I rode the AIR9 was to run the trash to the dumpster. I put somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 singletrack miles on the JET and it felt awesome!. It's amazing what a tapered steer tube and thru axel can do for a bike, not to mention a wheelset that's not bent all to hell. It's been a while since I've had a bike with a granny gear and I'll admit I'm scared it might make me a little soft. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the fact that the new chain guide system I installed a while back had to come off but the alternative is worth it.
So about the trails, FATS is like a giant roller coaster or pump track I guess you could say. I'm pretty sure it's mostly machine built with very little in the way of roots and rocks. There isn't much in the way of big climbs either, it's all about big swooping fun. Even though the trails are smooth enough for a beginner to ride with ease it would still be easy to get yourself into trouble by flying off the trail with too much speed.
One of the more popular trails, "the Brown Wave", properly named for the feeling of surfing on the bike. This was one of our favorites and one of only two that we rode more than once. I had read several articles on this trail and it held up to all of the hype and praise, I wish we had a Brown Wave nearby.
The only thing FATS lacked were technical sections, after 2 or 3 days of riding I started wishing for more rocks and roots. Although FATS was a total blast to ride I could see myself getting bored after a while if I was a local. I cleaned every trail in it's entirety at FATS the first time I rode it. I can't say that about some of my local trails. The one thing that does make riding FATS tough is the heat, it wore us down faster than a 6 mile climb. You couldn't escape it, Melinda and I were both carrying water bottles specifically just for pouring on our heads during the ride by the end of our trip.
Unfortunately I didn't get any footage with the GoPro, I decided to wait until I got a better feel for the trail system the first couple of days before filming. Once I knew my way around and what was worth shooting I ran into a dead battery problem. I'm not sure what happened, I charged them all before I left so it's a mystery. I'm sure we'll be back for more later this year or next so I'll give it another shot then.
too be continued......
Friday, June 24, 2011
random
Been busy lately hence the lack of posts, although I didn't get any quality riding in this week I did get down to Asheville last weekend for a Bent Creek ride with some people I don't get to ride with often. Most of my usual riding crew was outta town, doing other important stuff or sitting through weddings that had no juice.
Luckily for us the threatening rain and thunder held off until right up until the very end. Had I not lead a small group down the wrong trail which dead ended into a fence we probably wouldn't have gotten wet. We were the last ones off the trail but also the cleanest riders in our group to leave. Probably the last 3 miles of our backtracking, trying to find the right turn was in a heavy down pour. It was actually pretty nice as both me and my bike were clean by the end of the ride. So clean in fact that I forgot to take a shower that evening once we got home and it wasn't until Melinda insisted the next afternoon that I did so.
On the way home Rick conned Olga and Melinda into stopping at the nearest grocery to hunt for some beer that we can't get in TN. I scored big with 3 different New Belgiums and an Abita I've never seen. They didn't have the mix-a-six program like most stores but I got lucky and found a pre-mixed pack allowing me to get 4 different kinds of my choosing in 2 packs.
I'm off to the LBS this morning to pick up the JET with it's new facelift. This bike is going to be super pimp with a lot of white bling. Alan said something along the lines of me looking like Frosty the Snowman. The wheels finally came in and the fork is on. Unfortunately I probably won't have time to ride it today due to getting it all dialed in but we have a trip to FATS coming up where I'm sure it will see much more action than the AIR9.
FATS in the heat of the summer? Yes, having a camper with AC does make taking trips like this a bit more doable no matter what the weather. This trip is just Melinda and I with the dogs, we didn't really take a vacation alone last year so we're getting one in this year but skipping the beach in favor of singletrack.
I plan to take the Go Pro and shoot plenty of video of the riding, it's been a while since my last video.
Luckily for us the threatening rain and thunder held off until right up until the very end. Had I not lead a small group down the wrong trail which dead ended into a fence we probably wouldn't have gotten wet. We were the last ones off the trail but also the cleanest riders in our group to leave. Probably the last 3 miles of our backtracking, trying to find the right turn was in a heavy down pour. It was actually pretty nice as both me and my bike were clean by the end of the ride. So clean in fact that I forgot to take a shower that evening once we got home and it wasn't until Melinda insisted the next afternoon that I did so.
On the way home Rick conned Olga and Melinda into stopping at the nearest grocery to hunt for some beer that we can't get in TN. I scored big with 3 different New Belgiums and an Abita I've never seen. They didn't have the mix-a-six program like most stores but I got lucky and found a pre-mixed pack allowing me to get 4 different kinds of my choosing in 2 packs.
I'm off to the LBS this morning to pick up the JET with it's new facelift. This bike is going to be super pimp with a lot of white bling. Alan said something along the lines of me looking like Frosty the Snowman. The wheels finally came in and the fork is on. Unfortunately I probably won't have time to ride it today due to getting it all dialed in but we have a trip to FATS coming up where I'm sure it will see much more action than the AIR9.
FATS in the heat of the summer? Yes, having a camper with AC does make taking trips like this a bit more doable no matter what the weather. This trip is just Melinda and I with the dogs, we didn't really take a vacation alone last year so we're getting one in this year but skipping the beach in favor of singletrack.
I plan to take the Go Pro and shoot plenty of video of the riding, it's been a while since my last video.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
words of wisdom from the guys @ Surly bikes
Every once in a while the guys from Surly write a blog post that really makes me smile, today this one was one of those posts and I thought I would share.
Enjoy
If you think your bike looks good, it does.
If you like the way your bike rides, it’s an awesome bike.
You don’t need to spend a million dollars to have a great bike, but if you do spend a million dollars and know what you want you’ll probably also have a great bike.
Yes, you can tour on your bike – whatever it is.
Yes, you can race on your bike – whatever it is.
Yes, you can commute on your bike – whatever it is.
26” wheels or 29” or 650b or 700c or 24” or 20” or whatever – yes, that wheel size is rad and you’ll probably get where you’re going.
Disc brakes, cantis, v-brakes, and road calipers all do a great job of stopping a bike when they’re working and adjusted.
No paint job makes everyone happy.
Yes, you can put a rack on that. Get some p-clamps if there are no mounts.
Steel is a great material for making bike frames - so is aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium.
You can have your saddle at whatever angle makes you happy.
Your handlebars can be lower than your saddle, even with your saddle, or higher than your saddle. Whichever way you like it is right.
Being shuttled up a downhill run does not make you a weak person, nor does choosing not to fly off of a 10 foot drop.
Bike frames made overseas can be super cool. Bike frames made in the USA can be super cool.
Hey, tattooed and pierced long shorts wearin flat brim hat red bull drinkin white Oakley sportin rad person on your full suspension big hit bike – nice work out there.
Hey, little round glasses pocket protector collared shirt skid lid rear view mirror sandal wearing schwalbe marathon running pletscher two-leg kickstand tourist – good job.
Hey, shaved leg skinny as hell super duper tan line hear rate monitor checking power tap train in the basement all winter super loud lycra kit million dollar wheels racer – keep it up.
The more you ride your bike, the less your ass will hurt.
The following short answers are good answers, but not the only ones for the question asked – 29”, Brooks, lugged, disc brake, steel, Campagnolo, helmet, custom, Rohloff, NJS, carbon, 31.8, clipless, porteur.
No bike does everything perfectly. In fact, no bike does anything until someone gets on it to ride.
Sometimes, recumbent bikes are ok.
Your bikeshop is not trying to screw you. They’re trying to stay open.
Buying things off of the internet is great, except when it sucks.
Some people know more about bikes than you do. Other people know less.
Maybe the person you waved at while you were out riding didn’t see you wave at them.
It sucks to be harassed by assholes in cars while you’re on a bike. It also sucks to drive behind assholes on bikes.
Did you build that yourself? Awesome. Did you buy that? Cool.
Wheelies are the best trick ever invented. That’s just a fact.
Which is better, riding long miles, or hanging out under a bridge doing tricks? Yes.
Yes, you can break your collar bone riding a bike like that.
Stopping at stop signs is probably a good idea.
Driving with your bikes on top of your car to get to a dirt trail isn’t ideal, but for most people it’s necessary.
If your bike has couplers, or if you have a spendy bike case, or if you pay a shop to pack your bike, or if you have a folding bike, shipping a bike is still a pain in the ass for everyone involved.
That dent in your frame is probably ok, but maybe it’s not. You should get it looked at.
Touch up paint always looks like shit. Often it looks worse than the scratch.
A pristine bike free of dirt, scratches, and wear marks makes me sort of sad.
A bike that’s been chained to the same tree for three years caked with rust and missing parts makes me sad too.
Bikes purchased at Wal-mart, Target, Costco, or K-mart are generally not the best bang for your buck.
Toe overlap is not the end of the world, unless you crash and die – then it is.
Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
Yes, you can buy a bike without riding it first. It would be nice to ride it first, but it’s not a deal breaker not to.
Ownership of a truing stand does not a wheel builder make.
32 spokes, 48 spokes, 24 spokes, three spokes? Sure.
Single speed bikes are rad. Bikes with derailleurs and cassettes are sexy. Belt drive internal gear bikes work great too.
Columbus, TruTemper, Reynolds, Ishiwata, or no brand? I’d ride it.
Tubeless tires are pretty cool. So are tubes.
The moral of RAGBRAI is that families and drunken boobs can have fun on the same route, just maybe at different times of day.
Riding by yourself kicks ass. You might also try riding with a group.
Really fast people are frustrating, but they make you faster. When you get faster, you might frustrate someone else.
Stopping can be as much fun as riding.
Lots of people worked their asses off to build whatever you’re riding on. You should thank them.
Enjoy
If you think your bike looks good, it does.
If you like the way your bike rides, it’s an awesome bike.
You don’t need to spend a million dollars to have a great bike, but if you do spend a million dollars and know what you want you’ll probably also have a great bike.
Yes, you can tour on your bike – whatever it is.
Yes, you can race on your bike – whatever it is.
Yes, you can commute on your bike – whatever it is.
26” wheels or 29” or 650b or 700c or 24” or 20” or whatever – yes, that wheel size is rad and you’ll probably get where you’re going.
Disc brakes, cantis, v-brakes, and road calipers all do a great job of stopping a bike when they’re working and adjusted.
No paint job makes everyone happy.
Yes, you can put a rack on that. Get some p-clamps if there are no mounts.
Steel is a great material for making bike frames - so is aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium.
You can have your saddle at whatever angle makes you happy.
Your handlebars can be lower than your saddle, even with your saddle, or higher than your saddle. Whichever way you like it is right.
Being shuttled up a downhill run does not make you a weak person, nor does choosing not to fly off of a 10 foot drop.
Bike frames made overseas can be super cool. Bike frames made in the USA can be super cool.
Hey, tattooed and pierced long shorts wearin flat brim hat red bull drinkin white Oakley sportin rad person on your full suspension big hit bike – nice work out there.
Hey, little round glasses pocket protector collared shirt skid lid rear view mirror sandal wearing schwalbe marathon running pletscher two-leg kickstand tourist – good job.
Hey, shaved leg skinny as hell super duper tan line hear rate monitor checking power tap train in the basement all winter super loud lycra kit million dollar wheels racer – keep it up.
The more you ride your bike, the less your ass will hurt.
The following short answers are good answers, but not the only ones for the question asked – 29”, Brooks, lugged, disc brake, steel, Campagnolo, helmet, custom, Rohloff, NJS, carbon, 31.8, clipless, porteur.
No bike does everything perfectly. In fact, no bike does anything until someone gets on it to ride.
Sometimes, recumbent bikes are ok.
Your bikeshop is not trying to screw you. They’re trying to stay open.
Buying things off of the internet is great, except when it sucks.
Some people know more about bikes than you do. Other people know less.
Maybe the person you waved at while you were out riding didn’t see you wave at them.
It sucks to be harassed by assholes in cars while you’re on a bike. It also sucks to drive behind assholes on bikes.
Did you build that yourself? Awesome. Did you buy that? Cool.
Wheelies are the best trick ever invented. That’s just a fact.
Which is better, riding long miles, or hanging out under a bridge doing tricks? Yes.
Yes, you can break your collar bone riding a bike like that.
Stopping at stop signs is probably a good idea.
Driving with your bikes on top of your car to get to a dirt trail isn’t ideal, but for most people it’s necessary.
If your bike has couplers, or if you have a spendy bike case, or if you pay a shop to pack your bike, or if you have a folding bike, shipping a bike is still a pain in the ass for everyone involved.
That dent in your frame is probably ok, but maybe it’s not. You should get it looked at.
Touch up paint always looks like shit. Often it looks worse than the scratch.
A pristine bike free of dirt, scratches, and wear marks makes me sort of sad.
A bike that’s been chained to the same tree for three years caked with rust and missing parts makes me sad too.
Bikes purchased at Wal-mart, Target, Costco, or K-mart are generally not the best bang for your buck.
Toe overlap is not the end of the world, unless you crash and die – then it is.
Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
Yes, you can buy a bike without riding it first. It would be nice to ride it first, but it’s not a deal breaker not to.
Ownership of a truing stand does not a wheel builder make.
32 spokes, 48 spokes, 24 spokes, three spokes? Sure.
Single speed bikes are rad. Bikes with derailleurs and cassettes are sexy. Belt drive internal gear bikes work great too.
Columbus, TruTemper, Reynolds, Ishiwata, or no brand? I’d ride it.
Tubeless tires are pretty cool. So are tubes.
The moral of RAGBRAI is that families and drunken boobs can have fun on the same route, just maybe at different times of day.
Riding by yourself kicks ass. You might also try riding with a group.
Really fast people are frustrating, but they make you faster. When you get faster, you might frustrate someone else.
Stopping can be as much fun as riding.
Lots of people worked their asses off to build whatever you’re riding on. You should thank them.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
dancing the bike room jig
There has been alot of moving and shaking going on at "riding with dogs" headquarters. When I say moving and shaking I'm referring to bike frames and parts. With the acquisition of not 1 but 2 Niners this past year for me, Melinda has been long over due for a new bike or frame or whatever. I've been on her to find something new but in a mostly male dominated sport there just aren't alot of choices out there for women. Half of them are spec'd low or have foo foo paint jobs and Melinda just doesn't like foo foo color schemes. After much discussion and an attempt on a demo Niner she decided to stick with the BMC but this years model. Rather than buy the whole bike, she just went for the frame and swapped over all the parts. She's been upgrading parts and really has her bike decked out. It's easily the nicest spec'd bike in the bike room.
After a couple of days of riding the new frame she complained about smacking her pedals on roots and rocks she had not previously hit. After a bit of over due research we realized there was a bit of a geometry change in the frames. Her new bike was set up to run a 120mm fork and her old frame a 100mm. I made another call to the LBS and she now has a new Rock Shox SID on the way, wow!
I spoke of moving and shaking and it's not all been on Melinda's side of the room. The JET is in the process of a facelift as well. I did a bit of researched, asked alot of questions, thought about it and then re-asked some questions and then made the call to replace the current Reba SL fork with a new 2012 Fox F29 RLC 15mm thru axel fork with the Kashima coating, I love saying that word, Kashima, it just rolls off the tongue. Anyway the part in question was my Mavic wheelset, I wasn't sure if it would convert to a thru axel but after many questions I was told it would. Well, the fork came in and I immediately went to work trying to convert the front wheel to accept the thru axel but it was a no go. I'm not placing blame anywhere so don't anyone get huffy, I should have done my homework a little better and I wanted and needed a new wheelset anyway so what the hay.
After much debating and pricing I finally placed an order, then today I changed that order to something slightly different but I'm gonna wait until the wheels get here before letting the cat out of the bag as to what.
Until then the fancy Kashima will have to reside here on the couch.
Since my discovery of the crack in my road frame yesterday I've given some thought to what to do in my predicament. I'm not making any decisions yet mainly because there is too much going on in the way of upgrades to the fat tire bikes right now but I have had my eye on a certain steel frame made by Surly for a loooong time.
I've had a soft spot in my heart for the Cross Check for sometime but due to my lack of CX racing and commuting I've never pulled the trigger on one. Maybe later in the summer if I pull a couple of overtime shifts I might be able to acquire one of these bad boys and swap over the parts from my road bike. I know it's not a true road bike but I'm not a true roadie either. I don't race on the road nor do I do metrics or centuries or anything like that. A frame like this for me could be a road bike, a commuter, and a singlespeed/geared CX bike.
I'm not making any decisions, I can't afford to right now but who know what the future holds, I'm just thinking out loud. Man that Robin Egg blue looks weird and cool all wrapped up in one big ball of steel. I like weird and cool.
After a couple of days of riding the new frame she complained about smacking her pedals on roots and rocks she had not previously hit. After a bit of over due research we realized there was a bit of a geometry change in the frames. Her new bike was set up to run a 120mm fork and her old frame a 100mm. I made another call to the LBS and she now has a new Rock Shox SID on the way, wow!
I spoke of moving and shaking and it's not all been on Melinda's side of the room. The JET is in the process of a facelift as well. I did a bit of researched, asked alot of questions, thought about it and then re-asked some questions and then made the call to replace the current Reba SL fork with a new 2012 Fox F29 RLC 15mm thru axel fork with the Kashima coating, I love saying that word, Kashima, it just rolls off the tongue. Anyway the part in question was my Mavic wheelset, I wasn't sure if it would convert to a thru axel but after many questions I was told it would. Well, the fork came in and I immediately went to work trying to convert the front wheel to accept the thru axel but it was a no go. I'm not placing blame anywhere so don't anyone get huffy, I should have done my homework a little better and I wanted and needed a new wheelset anyway so what the hay.
After much debating and pricing I finally placed an order, then today I changed that order to something slightly different but I'm gonna wait until the wheels get here before letting the cat out of the bag as to what.
Until then the fancy Kashima will have to reside here on the couch.
Since my discovery of the crack in my road frame yesterday I've given some thought to what to do in my predicament. I'm not making any decisions yet mainly because there is too much going on in the way of upgrades to the fat tire bikes right now but I have had my eye on a certain steel frame made by Surly for a loooong time.
I've had a soft spot in my heart for the Cross Check for sometime but due to my lack of CX racing and commuting I've never pulled the trigger on one. Maybe later in the summer if I pull a couple of overtime shifts I might be able to acquire one of these bad boys and swap over the parts from my road bike. I know it's not a true road bike but I'm not a true roadie either. I don't race on the road nor do I do metrics or centuries or anything like that. A frame like this for me could be a road bike, a commuter, and a singlespeed/geared CX bike.
I'm not making any decisions, I can't afford to right now but who know what the future holds, I'm just thinking out loud. Man that Robin Egg blue looks weird and cool all wrapped up in one big ball of steel. I like weird and cool.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
my road riding season officially started and ended today
I stated earlier in the year that I planned to ride my road bike more this year and I was serious when I said that. I had a small itch to ride the road, very small. So small that I haven't scratched it until today. I had most of the day off today and I was trying to think of something easy to do to give my legs a rest but yet I didn't want to waste the day and not ride. I decided the time had come to take the road bike down off the wall and take it for a spin.
I have contemplated selling it a couple of times this summer but kept talking myself out of it thinking I would regret it. I knew I had to get out and ride it to see if I had been missing anything. I decided to do just a short ride and work some of the soreness out of my legs and try to just have fun. The thing about road riding for me is it's hard to free your mind and just ride, I'm constantly watching and listening for cars. In the woods I don't have to worry as much about this because if I come into contact with something it's my fault.
As I rolled out of the parking lot it and onto the road I went through a quick run down of all the shifty bits and brakes, everything worked smoothly and flawlessly. The good thing about road bikes is, the parts last so much longer and take much less abuse.
I wish I could say I fell in love with road riding all over again but I didn't, I didn't hate it but there was nothing there that made me want to ride more and more. I actually found myself thinking about my mountain bikes and some of the new upgrades I doing to the JET. I imagined my self slicing through the woods, leaning my bike into bermed turns, getting small amounts of effortless air off of rocks and natural dirt jumps and splashing through creeks. Yeah I'm truly a mountain biker at heart, if I was told I could only own one bike it would be one with fat knobby tires, no doubt about it.
As I pedaled along I tried to immerse myself in the road but the pavement never really changes like the trail does. There are no berms, roots, rocks or wooden structures. Occasionally you'll run across some rough or broken pavement, maybe a dead raccoon but riding on skinny tires pumped up to 110 psi really makes riding over anything but smooth pavement suck.
As I cruised back into the parking lot where I left my truck I decided one ride was not enough to give up and sell my bike. It would take some time to get back into the groove and get a feel for riding the road, then maybe I will enjoy it more.
As I lifted my bike up onto the bike rack I gazed across the frame admiring it's sleek lines when something caught my eye. I took a closer look at the top of the seat stay just above the area where the carbon meets the aluminum and wiped the road grime off the paint. I'll be damned if there wasn't a hairline crack all the way around the top half of the tube. I couldn't believe it, just when I thought I was going to re-open an old door it was slammed back into my face. Suddenly I felt that feeling of despair when you loose something special. Even though I've neglected my road bike for the past couple of years I still like to ride it and any thoughts of selling it to fund another mtn bike or some bling bling parts were washed away in an instance.
Now I'm left not knowing what to do with my situation, I really don't see myself spending any money on a new frame anytime soon. With all of the new upgrades to mine and Melinda's mountain bikes there is just no room in the budget. That and once the transformation of the JET is complete a new road frame would get passed up all summer and just collect dust on the wall.
I guess for now I'm just going to hang the broken bike on the wall until something speaks to me.
I have contemplated selling it a couple of times this summer but kept talking myself out of it thinking I would regret it. I knew I had to get out and ride it to see if I had been missing anything. I decided to do just a short ride and work some of the soreness out of my legs and try to just have fun. The thing about road riding for me is it's hard to free your mind and just ride, I'm constantly watching and listening for cars. In the woods I don't have to worry as much about this because if I come into contact with something it's my fault.
As I rolled out of the parking lot it and onto the road I went through a quick run down of all the shifty bits and brakes, everything worked smoothly and flawlessly. The good thing about road bikes is, the parts last so much longer and take much less abuse.
I wish I could say I fell in love with road riding all over again but I didn't, I didn't hate it but there was nothing there that made me want to ride more and more. I actually found myself thinking about my mountain bikes and some of the new upgrades I doing to the JET. I imagined my self slicing through the woods, leaning my bike into bermed turns, getting small amounts of effortless air off of rocks and natural dirt jumps and splashing through creeks. Yeah I'm truly a mountain biker at heart, if I was told I could only own one bike it would be one with fat knobby tires, no doubt about it.
As I pedaled along I tried to immerse myself in the road but the pavement never really changes like the trail does. There are no berms, roots, rocks or wooden structures. Occasionally you'll run across some rough or broken pavement, maybe a dead raccoon but riding on skinny tires pumped up to 110 psi really makes riding over anything but smooth pavement suck.
As I cruised back into the parking lot where I left my truck I decided one ride was not enough to give up and sell my bike. It would take some time to get back into the groove and get a feel for riding the road, then maybe I will enjoy it more.
As I lifted my bike up onto the bike rack I gazed across the frame admiring it's sleek lines when something caught my eye. I took a closer look at the top of the seat stay just above the area where the carbon meets the aluminum and wiped the road grime off the paint. I'll be damned if there wasn't a hairline crack all the way around the top half of the tube. I couldn't believe it, just when I thought I was going to re-open an old door it was slammed back into my face. Suddenly I felt that feeling of despair when you loose something special. Even though I've neglected my road bike for the past couple of years I still like to ride it and any thoughts of selling it to fund another mtn bike or some bling bling parts were washed away in an instance.
Now I'm left not knowing what to do with my situation, I really don't see myself spending any money on a new frame anytime soon. With all of the new upgrades to mine and Melinda's mountain bikes there is just no room in the budget. That and once the transformation of the JET is complete a new road frame would get passed up all summer and just collect dust on the wall.
I guess for now I'm just going to hang the broken bike on the wall until something speaks to me.
Friday, June 10, 2011
tough as iron and skull fragments
Every once in a while a group gets together and does a backcountry ride in the mountains of VA. Iron Mountain they call it and the name is fitting. It's a tough place to ride up and down. This year I've managed to make it twice which is really unusual for me. A majority of the time the ride dates are set on days I work and with the limited amount of vacation I usually have to pass.
I'm supposed to be racing the H8R in Knoxville this weekend but after a date change by the promoter AGAIN, B-Rad my teammate had to bail due to work. I hope this trend does not continue, I would like to step on the podium again and maybe for the overall. I tried rounding up a fill in for B-Rad but that didn't work so I decided to pull out myself and do the Iron Mtn ride with all of the crew.
Watching the thread on my local forum the rider number kept growing and growing. After it was all said and done I added one more and we maxed out the shuttle at 13.
We had a good crew rolling with us with a wide variety of skill levels making for a fun day on the mountain and no big push to hammer the whole way. We took plenty of stops, took pics, ate PB&J's, talked to horseback riders and had a good laugh at Chris's mismatched kit.
Our first attempt at this ride earlier this year was cut short due to 6 inches of ice covering the fire road ascent to Skull's Gap. There is nothing like a long steep fire road climb straight off the shuttle with no warm-up to get you moving. As we reached the top and waited for all of the crew to regroup we noticed Fat Tony and Sean were missing. Rick announced they were just a 100 yards down the road working on Sean's brakes. Andy and I decided to ride back down and see if we could be of assistance. 1000 yards later we still didn't see any sign of them and almost turned around until they rounded the corner brakes squealing. Andy layed hands on Sean's brakes and commanded them to be quiet and they did. Once he was rolling smoothly and quiet again we climbed back to the top and began the singletrack descent. As we descended I realized why it was named Skull's Gap, it was because of all the skull fragments littering the trail from previous riders who's skill wasn't up to par. The trail was rough, rocky and demanded your full attention or you might find yourself going head first over the bars adding to the collection of skull fragments.
The first, fast smooth fire road descent I noticed just how bad my rear wheel has gotten. My plan was to ride it until it bit the dust before rebuilding it. As the rear end of my bike developed a slight shimmy I decided that time had come.
On Iron Mountain the climbing while not really that long can be rough and steep forcing you to dismount and hike-a-bike often. The descents are worth it but I found myself working almost as hard going down as I did going up. Just staying on my bike and keeping my line became tough. Some descents my arms and hands ached from the beating they took and the constant braking. I'm sure my brake pads are toast now.
At the beginning of the ride I packed as much water as I could hold in my Camel Bak and in water bottles not knowing halfway through the ride we would have a water stop. Next time I'll drop about 5 lbs and only bring what I need.
About 3/4 of the way through the ride I was thinking about how lucky we had been with such a large group and no mechanicals and then it happened. A stick grabbed ahold of Andy's derailleur and decided to go for a ride into his rear wheel. Fortunately the only thing that was destroyed was his derailleur hanger. After some serious trail side work that included trying to straighten his hanger with a rock, Andy finally converted his bike to a 2x1 and rode what he could and walked the rest.
With just a little over 4 miles to go we reached an intersection that split us up. Once choice was to turn left, descend Beech Grove to the Creeper trail and ride the remaining 4 miles into town or go right, climb for about a mile and then descend singletrack into town. Chris and a couple others decided to go left while the rest of us stayed right. As we stood at the intersection trying to figure out who was going where Chris and I started trash talking about which way was the better route. It was finally decided that we would each take our respective trails and race to the cars back in town, the loser had to buy the winner a beer at dinner.
The green flag was dropped and so was the hammer, me climbing him descending. Anthony told me before we started that he thought our route was faster but I wasn't too sure. My legs were toast from all the climbing, hiking and descending but I dug deep and cleaned it. The trail followed the ridge for a while on some of the smoothest singletrack we had ridden all day. I pushed as hard as my legs would allow enjoying every inch of the trail knowing I had chosen the best route no matter if I won or lost. As the trail began to drop off the mountain it the smooth trail turned ugly. The faster I went the more I bounced around, by the time I reached the bottom my arms and legs were screaming. There were several creek crossings near the bottom which I crashed through splashing water all over me. It felt nice and helped wash some of the mud off that I had accumulated over the ride. I popped out of the woods onto the asphalt, locked out the squish, ran through the gears and put the hammer down pointing the JET in the direction of town. The JET is not really known for it's speed especially on asphalt but the only cars that passed me were the ones going the opposite way.
As I rounded the corner I stood up trying to scan the parking lot for any signs of Chris. At first I didn't see anyone but the closer I got there he stood with a big smile on his face. He pulled in 30 seconds before me and as promised I bought his first beer.
I'm supposed to be racing the H8R in Knoxville this weekend but after a date change by the promoter AGAIN, B-Rad my teammate had to bail due to work. I hope this trend does not continue, I would like to step on the podium again and maybe for the overall. I tried rounding up a fill in for B-Rad but that didn't work so I decided to pull out myself and do the Iron Mtn ride with all of the crew.
Watching the thread on my local forum the rider number kept growing and growing. After it was all said and done I added one more and we maxed out the shuttle at 13.
Shuttle? Yep, I had a co-worker looking over my shoulder as I was uploading pics and he asked if I was shuttled to the top of the Creeper. What? This definitely was no Creeper ride!
We had a good crew rolling with us with a wide variety of skill levels making for a fun day on the mountain and no big push to hammer the whole way. We took plenty of stops, took pics, ate PB&J's, talked to horseback riders and had a good laugh at Chris's mismatched kit.
Our first attempt at this ride earlier this year was cut short due to 6 inches of ice covering the fire road ascent to Skull's Gap. There is nothing like a long steep fire road climb straight off the shuttle with no warm-up to get you moving. As we reached the top and waited for all of the crew to regroup we noticed Fat Tony and Sean were missing. Rick announced they were just a 100 yards down the road working on Sean's brakes. Andy and I decided to ride back down and see if we could be of assistance. 1000 yards later we still didn't see any sign of them and almost turned around until they rounded the corner brakes squealing. Andy layed hands on Sean's brakes and commanded them to be quiet and they did. Once he was rolling smoothly and quiet again we climbed back to the top and began the singletrack descent. As we descended I realized why it was named Skull's Gap, it was because of all the skull fragments littering the trail from previous riders who's skill wasn't up to par. The trail was rough, rocky and demanded your full attention or you might find yourself going head first over the bars adding to the collection of skull fragments.
The first, fast smooth fire road descent I noticed just how bad my rear wheel has gotten. My plan was to ride it until it bit the dust before rebuilding it. As the rear end of my bike developed a slight shimmy I decided that time had come.
On Iron Mountain the climbing while not really that long can be rough and steep forcing you to dismount and hike-a-bike often. The descents are worth it but I found myself working almost as hard going down as I did going up. Just staying on my bike and keeping my line became tough. Some descents my arms and hands ached from the beating they took and the constant braking. I'm sure my brake pads are toast now.
At the beginning of the ride I packed as much water as I could hold in my Camel Bak and in water bottles not knowing halfway through the ride we would have a water stop. Next time I'll drop about 5 lbs and only bring what I need.
About 3/4 of the way through the ride I was thinking about how lucky we had been with such a large group and no mechanicals and then it happened. A stick grabbed ahold of Andy's derailleur and decided to go for a ride into his rear wheel. Fortunately the only thing that was destroyed was his derailleur hanger. After some serious trail side work that included trying to straighten his hanger with a rock, Andy finally converted his bike to a 2x1 and rode what he could and walked the rest.
With just a little over 4 miles to go we reached an intersection that split us up. Once choice was to turn left, descend Beech Grove to the Creeper trail and ride the remaining 4 miles into town or go right, climb for about a mile and then descend singletrack into town. Chris and a couple others decided to go left while the rest of us stayed right. As we stood at the intersection trying to figure out who was going where Chris and I started trash talking about which way was the better route. It was finally decided that we would each take our respective trails and race to the cars back in town, the loser had to buy the winner a beer at dinner.
The green flag was dropped and so was the hammer, me climbing him descending. Anthony told me before we started that he thought our route was faster but I wasn't too sure. My legs were toast from all the climbing, hiking and descending but I dug deep and cleaned it. The trail followed the ridge for a while on some of the smoothest singletrack we had ridden all day. I pushed as hard as my legs would allow enjoying every inch of the trail knowing I had chosen the best route no matter if I won or lost. As the trail began to drop off the mountain it the smooth trail turned ugly. The faster I went the more I bounced around, by the time I reached the bottom my arms and legs were screaming. There were several creek crossings near the bottom which I crashed through splashing water all over me. It felt nice and helped wash some of the mud off that I had accumulated over the ride. I popped out of the woods onto the asphalt, locked out the squish, ran through the gears and put the hammer down pointing the JET in the direction of town. The JET is not really known for it's speed especially on asphalt but the only cars that passed me were the ones going the opposite way.
As I rounded the corner I stood up trying to scan the parking lot for any signs of Chris. At first I didn't see anyone but the closer I got there he stood with a big smile on his face. He pulled in 30 seconds before me and as promised I bought his first beer.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
let the summer begin
Wow, I hadn't realized how long it's been since my last post. So much going on, on the home front there hasn't been much time for blogging. One adventure with Melinda after another and 2 weeks have flown by. Normally this time of year we are in the middle of some big project on the house but this year we lucked out with a decent tax return and some insurance $$ from the recent storms so we've called in some hired help. These are projects out of my league anyway, roof, gutters and driveway, my skills are only so limited.
Slowly but surely Melinda's back has allowed her to do more and more although she's been careful not to push it too far. She's been putting in some miles at the trails on and off the bike.
Our last trip to Warriors we almost stepped on this guy. I don't know how we got so close without seeing him because he was pretty big and moving our way. I had to run him off with a stick just so Melinda could get into the truck.
Slowly but surely Melinda's back has allowed her to do more and more although she's been careful not to push it too far. She's been putting in some miles at the trails on and off the bike.
Our last trip to Warriors we almost stepped on this guy. I don't know how we got so close without seeing him because he was pretty big and moving our way. I had to run him off with a stick just so Melinda could get into the truck.
Last Wednesday B-Rad, Wondergem, the Beast, Jesse and myself all ascended on Buffalo Mountain for a late evening ride to the firetower. It was a punishing pace to the top trying to keep up with those hammerheads but I managed. One on top we climbed the newly reconstructed firetower and took in the view and setting sun. Well, we didn't actually wait for the sun to set but it was close. Ben was without lights so we made for a hasty decent. I'm not sure how he managed but he lead the whole group down the mountain without lights in the dark. I guess he really knows that place well. Once we rolled back into town we pulled into B-Rad's pad for some post ride refreshments, Sam Adams & PBR, what a great combination. I think I may owe Brad a couple now.
Thursday Melinda and I switched gears and headed for the Holston River for some paddling. This was Melinda's first whitewater experience and she loved it. I'm not sure I will be able to get her back out on the lake after that. The Holston doesn't really offer alot in the way of rough whitewater but it was plenty for two kids in rec boats and no spray skirts. Once we were through the first set of rapids we had to stop and empty out our boats. Melinda had taken on several gallons of water and was sitting waist deep in her boat. I guess it may be time to invest in some skirts especially if we keep this up.
I've been moving some blog links around on the right, several of the local blogs have really gathered dust, I can't say much for mine but several were 3-6 months old so I deleted a couple, moved a couple down the list and added another to the list of folks I don't know but like to read. It's seems like they are my only real source of entertainment anymore. I don't know how some of these people have the time or the subject matter to blog 5 days a week and keep it entertaining but they do. I could never pull it off.
On the race front it appears as if GRT Racing will be a no show at the H8R. Due to a last minute date change by the promoter again, B-Rad had to pull out unable to get off work. I looked for a replacement but couldn't get anything nailed down so I'm opting to use my time off for a big fun group ride with all the homies up on Iron Mountain. I'll probably get in close to the same amount of miles as this ride won't be cut short due to icy conditions. With a crew rolling 15 deep this could be very interesting.
No Hero cam this time I think I'll probably just shoot some normal pics. I've been there and done that with the video, that and I won't have time to get my gear ready to roll before we head out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
