I'm mobile

Well, I finally picked up a laptop. I have been wanting one for a while, but never had the cabbage. I didn't really have it this time, but what the hell.

Well this has not been the complete bliss that I had hoped it would be. Yea, it is great to be able to surf anywhere in the house or on the deck grilling supper. But, there have been some snags. The main reason I could work this in is because the plan was to be able to do work more places. I do a lot of work from home and tied down to the computer. This was supposed to let me do work more then just at home. This was the start of the problems. Good old Vista does not work too well with some programs. I already knew that Autocad would not run on here, but I was ok with that. But, my drawing viewer does not work and I have been having lots of trouble using my Quark too. I need to upgrade to a newer version of Quark and that should fix the problem. I have to work on that.

I went to put my riding program on here the other day. I searched the web and it says it is not certified to work, but several people are using it with out any problem. So, I start the install. I don't have any trouble getting it to work and run. Ha, so much for the problems. Then I felt a red spot accross my face where I was slapped with out warning. The IR device will not operate with this program under Vista. So, the convienence of having a built in IR port did me absolutly no good. So, I have uninstalled the Polar software and decided that it really does not matter. Not like I can do anything about it. I even tried to install my USB IR device and that does not have Vista drivers and tells me it is useless. So much for the complete bliss and champain flowing. I will have to settle with this just being a good way to play Texas Hold'em on facebook. Oh well, is still does the normal things.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!!!

On the road again

I have not been riding much the last few weeks. The weather or things going on have not worked out together to let it happen. Some time off is not all that bad, but I know I need to keep my foot in the door. When I heard the weather was warming up again for a day or two, I knew I had to get out. Friday was warmer, but it was rainy all day. I figured I would hold my breath and see what Saturday had to offer.

Good thing too. I woke to 65 degree weather and not currently raining. The roads were still wet, but that is better then raining. So, I suited up and headed out. I could hardly keep the grin down on my face. It was so nice to be out on the road again. Actually, just riding the bike felt good. With the trails being so wet, this is the only way it can happen.

I had a normal route planned. Nothing too hard. The wind was a little noticeable when it tried to blow me off the road. But, at the 20 mile mark I finally turned south. Wow!! the wind was really blowing. I never felt that when it was tail wind. Here I am at a long stretch of road with on heck of a head wind. There were times that it was all I could do to hold 10 mph.

I finally make it south as far as I needed to and headed back east toward home feeling completely whipped. Turns out the just over 30 mile route ended up being 40 miles. I didn't think that little change would have made that much difference. The temps were up to 70 degrees and there was a wind advisory warning out with gusts up to 34 mph!! No wonder it felt like I was rolling backward at times.

Overall it was just great to be back riding. My legs hurt and I could not be happier. Nothing like riding in shorts in December. Hard to believe since it was just 7 degrees less then a week ago. I can only hope to get back out soon.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a nice Christmas and get everything that you asked for. I am sure that I won't get everything, I just hope that I get some good stuff. I know I won't get everything because a winning lottery ticket is on the top of my list and that is something that is hard to come by. The people that have that usually don't want to give it up. Especially to me!

The first thing I would do is buy a few new bikes. Then I would have to get me a house or apartment in Brevard, NC. That would cover most of my wishes.

I hope everyone has a safe holiday season.

Time is crazy for the holiday's

Well I have not made it out for a ride since my last ride that was worthless. I have thought about it a few times, but other things have been in the way. I sure hope to get out again before the end of the year. Not sure if that will happen with the weather getting nasty. But I am sure the weather will change again as it normally does.

I hope to start getting in better shape this winter so I can start off the new year better then past years. I really don't have racing on the schedule like I do every year at this time. I normally think up a big schedule that I want to race and normally end up not racing anything. So, this year I am going to try and not do that so maybe I end up racing something. I just never know. I still would like to participate in a hundie one year. Maybe this is the year. I also know that I will be asked to ride in the RAIN ride again this year, but I really don't care if I do. I have done it and that was the goal. if I ever do it again, the plan would be to do a lot better time. We will have to see.

bottom of the barrel

I made it out to Ferdinand again for a ride. My cold finally got the best of me after coughing and stuff for the last week. I was only doing one lap, but that was hard enough. I could not get enough air in my lungs to keep me going. I thought I was going to pass out and that was just over 1 mile in to the trail. I ended up doing close to a complete lap, but I sure had to take a lot more breaks then I would have liked. I was just glad that I didn't take the SS for this ride. The granny was too much for most of the climbs. This was very dissapointing after was I just did the last weekend in Pisgah. I sure am glad that I was not in that condition for that ride. It would have been a wasted trip.

The Indiana Dino series has released there schedule for 2009. Here is a list of the races.
5/2 Warsaw: Winona Lake Trail
5/31 Nashville: Brown County State Park
6/13 Fort Wayne: Franke Park
7/5 North Vernon: Muscatatuck Park
7/26 Versailles: Versailles State Park
8/16 Logansport: France Park
9/5 Indianapolis: Town Run Trail Park

Other Mountain Bike Events
4/11 DINO Spring Tuneup, Avon
9/19 24 Hours of DINO, Versailles State Park

Too bad all of the races are a little farther then I would like. I would not mind traveling for a few, but for every race would be a bit much. Maybe I will take the 3 hour drive and check out the Versailles trail for the 24 hour race or maybe not. I would prefer to just take more trips to Pisgah for some full weekend rides. Normally the kids have something going on that would keep me from most of the races anyway.

Pisgah!!!

What a weekend!! I could not ask for much more. The weather was scheduled to be better then home, but still could have been a little cold and wet. Everything worked out and I could not have asked for much better weather. Things were a little wet on Friday, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

The whole weekend is one big blur as usual. I have a hard time remembering what trail we are on, where we are going or where we have been. The only thing that I could remember is we either are climbing or will be just around the bend.

This is what I am told we did on Friday. We started up Pilot Rock for 100 yards or so and hopped on Pilot Cove - Pilot Cove Connector/loop to 1206 - Laurel Mtn trail - Pilot Rock. It was right around a 6 hour tour. Good thing it was not any longer since we were running out of day light. It was starting to get dark way earlier then planned. It probably had to do with all of the overcast, rain and fog. The darkness made the decent down Pilot Rock even more interesting then normal. But, everything worked out with out any major problems.

Saturday was a bigger day in the saddle. The ride ended up right at 8 hours and took the lights along this time because we knew we would need them. The day was up from gauging station on South Mills River to Black mtn. - left to Turkey pen - back on and down South MIlls River to Mullinux to Squirrel gap and then back to South Mills River. That was a hard fun day. He said there is normally issues with runnning out of water in the summer, but the weather was better and no one had any issues and the lights held up. I was getting a little nervous when we were riding in the dark and I kept seeing those Bear sactuary signs. Every little noise I heard I kept thinking I was prime pickins to be some bear food. I was the slower one of the group so I kept falling off the back just waiting to be supper.


Sunday was planned to be a short day so we could head on home. The weather showed it was going to be the coldest day of our trip. I woke up cold and bundled up to handle it. The problem was it really did not get as cold as it sounded and the snow was not in that area. So, I peeled all the layers off that I could fit in my bag and just dealt with what was left.
Sunday we moved from our prime parking area and went up to the ranger's station. From there we went up Claw Hammer road to Pressley Gap - right on Black Mountain trail to the M loop. From there we went down Sycamore cove to finish the ride off. It was close to 5 hours in the woods.

There are so many trails we did not hit I can't even imagine what I would do if I lived there. I have decieded that I am not waiting 4 years to go back. I need to make another trip before the end of the mystery machine's winter tour.

If you have never been there, it is a must for any serious bikers. Pisgah puts the mountain back in mountain biking. It kind of puts all these hills around here in perspective. I just wish it was not 9 hours away.

South bound toward Pisgah town

I can't believe that I am actually going to be riding in Pisgah tomorrow. I can hardly wait. It has been since 2004 that I was first down there. The weather does not look too good, but it will be all smiles to be riding there again.

Three full days of riding. That should get my November miles up to where they should be or at least my hours on a bike. I just hope my sinuses straighten out by then or it will be on heck of a hacking time. Should be worth every cough.

Back in the saddle again!

I have not been on a bike since the BCBD. I have tried, but it just has not worked. With the hunting season underway and the night falling faster with the time changes, the weekly wed. night rides have started. I could not make it last week, but I knew I needed to get out this week. I have been going stir crazy not getting out.

Since I knew who would be attending, I decided to take the Giant because I know I can't keep up with them on the SS because we are riding Ferdinand. It has been a long time since I rode that bike last, but it was rolling fairly smooth considering all the things that could go wrong with it. I did figure out that I probably need to move my seat forward because I was having trouble keeping my front end down on the climbs. Speaking of the climbs, that thing sure seemed to climb slow. I don't know if it was because I could not put the power down that I wanted too or was it just because I was used to riding the SS or even the fact that I have not been on a bike in 4 weeks? Hard to tell, but probably a little of all three.

After riding tonight and thinking about the possibility of riding Pisgah real soon has me kind of thinking. I know I want to work on getting a new bike for next year, but should I get a kick ass 29er or should I get a bigger gearie that would be good for the bigger places? I know people ride SS and even fully rigid at Pisgah, but I also know they walk. I am not above walking some, but if it is a lot then that would be too much. The perfect solution would be to get both, but there is no chance to come up with that much money. Maybe I just need to grow some nads and really get to climbing the SS. Maybe not.

Winter is on the way

Man the weather sure changed last night. It is starting to feel like winter is just around the corner. Oh well, I will deal with it as I can.

I have been worthless for the last two weeks. I went 4 wheeling in WV, but I have not rode a bike for too long. I really want to get out before shotgun season opens. When that happens, I will have to hit the road.

I have been eye balling the 29ers since the breakdown. I really want to get on one soon. The problem I am having is finding something reasonable. All the good deals I find are too big. I either need a small or medium frame depending on stand over height. I checked out a few 18" bikes and they were border line too tall. I could ride it just fine, but I was not comfortable with the stand over clearance. All the other bikes that are on the cheap side are not that great. I really want something chromolly and would prefer a shock on the front. It is crazy that I can find a FS geared bike cheaper then a hard tail SS! It must be the demand.

Brown County Breakdown break down

The 4th annual Brown County Breakdown is in the books and what a day it was. There were no complaints about the weather. Nice and cool in the morning and perfect all afternoon. There were 325 people signed up, but with no shows and everything I think the starting total was close to 300. I don't have the break down of who rode what route yet, but there were several people who made it to the cabin.

I originally wanted to tackle the 100 mile route. I still think I could have done that, but it would have been a different ride then what I did. After our shakedown ride at BC two weeks ago it was decided that the 100 might be a bit much for the group. So the goal was changed to me riding the 1x1 and us riding close to 70 miles (we were going to modify the 60).

I was very happy with how I was riding. I few up to Hesitation Point despite all of the early traffic on the trail holding me up. Normally I would have just sat back and went with the flow, but the SS has a mind of its own. There are some spots that momentum is a bigger deal than others and that wore me out more then I wanted it. I did pass several riders and ended up on the ride and smile train. That was just about right and we cruised up to HP. At that point I decided I should stop there and wait for the rest of the group and parted ways with R&S.

After a little break and checking out some sweet looking 29'ers that included one belt drive Spot, the rest of the group showed up and we were ready to press on. The next section was still fun as one could imagine. From there I flowed up to the camp ground area and settled in to wait for the group.

After the camp ground we headed down the road just a little to meet up with a horse trail. I was not sure about how the horse trail would be, but it was not bad at all, kind of like a fire lane. That tied into a private trail that took us down to the cabin. The cabin was a great rest stop. There was music playing and good food to snack on. After the re-group and rest, one of the group decided that was the end of the line for him, so Jim headed back toward the park. That left Damon and myself to decide the rest of the ride. I think this was the point that we were thinking that our idea of riding Nebo back and not Combs Road was a bad idea. This was later confirmed as we made it to Maumee rest stop and decided to head in on Combs rd.

It was great to be back on Nebo. It has been a while since I rode there and this was the first time I was sitting 25 miles into the ride when I was heading in to that trail. The trail was a little harder then I remembered, but that might have something to do with how far I had already gone. I was still riding well and stretching the gap on Damon between re-group spots.

At this point the amount of riders were thined out alot and we kept running in to the same groups. One group even had a rider peal off and join us because the other group was going a little farther then we were. Before we were done with Nebo the one turned in to two other riders. That is fine with me, the more the merrier.

Back at the cabin for the second time I was beginning to wonder how well I would ride the rest of the way. A refill of liquids and some fresh hot pizza got me read to head out. I had to tell Damon no matter how hard he begged, I was not bringing the truck back to pick him up! LOL
The hill from the cabin is just brutal. Almost straight up and fairly long. I decided that I neede to walk that one. I don't think that anyone actually made it up that hill.

The trip in there there was getting a little hard to remember. All I know was I was ready for that beer at the truck! I cruised in to the pool parking lot ready for a break. I dropped my gear and grabbed a beer and sat for a spell. After I cleaned up and changed we went over to grab some of the good grub that was being served along with a few more beers. When I went and picked up my shirt and glass I found out that I won a door prize and picked up a nice pair of Salsa socks.

Overall it was a great day in the woods. I think I could have finished sooner if the re-groups would not have been there, but it was good to not be alone out here (if you can call riding with 300 other people alone). I ended up with right at 60 miles in and only walked on 3 hills. I didn't get hurt too bad except I did knee my stem once when I spun out on a loose rock.

I highly reccomend this ride to anyone! If you are not in super human condition you should at least try to make it to the cabin. I am more mad at myself then I was before about not making the first 3 breakdown rides. Hats off to all that made this ride happen. There was a lot of work that went in to this and it is much appreciated! I can't wait til next year!!!!

Back in Ferdinand

I went out to Ferdinand on Sunday to see how the train clean up was going. The forest service had all of the big trees cut and some other kind souls moved most of the smaller limbs. So, the trail was in great shape. It could use a little more rain and less leaves, but who is to complain.

With the trail being so good I would have been much happier if the legs were in as good as shape as the trail, but not today. I took the SS out being stoked as to the killer ride I put in Monday at BCSP. Granted, Ferdy is not like BCSP, but I thought my legs would have a better showing then they did. I was miserable for the whole ride! I mean the whole ride. Even the gravel road leading up to the first trail head. I thought the legs would shake out after a little and things would go smoother, but that really never happened. They got better, but that was only up to sub-par performance.

The performance was so bad it has me re-thinking about riding the SS for the Brown County Breakdown next weekend. I am not sure what to do just yet. I know if I ride the geared bike I would not be fully happy. I just love riding my SS. I also know if I am as weak as I was this ride I would be in for a very long day. There probably only a few sections that I would have trouble with the SS on this route. Most of that I don't see being an issue since we will not make it there. The other stuff I have never seen, so it is hard to tell.

After touching base with the sofa rider, it looks like the concensus is for me to ride the SS with the plan to only ride the 65 mile route. Even at that, it will be a big day on the bike. Should be a good measure for my future racing hundies. We will have to see.

Brown County State Park

I finally rode some of the new stuff at BCSP. It has been a few years since I was last there. The original two loops are a blast. They are the closest thing I can find to a trail being down hill both directions!! That is hard to do, but this trail is as close as it get's. Nothing but smiles and smooth lines.

But, the trail workers have been very busy since then. They have added Hesitation Point Trail, Campground connector trail and they are trying to finish up the expert loop. Let's just say I was not disappointed with the new stuff. Both directions of Hesitation Point and the campground trail are a complete blast!! There are some wood bridges, rock gardens and rock bridges thrown in between the smooth ups and downs just to keep it interesting. So much of the trails here are just like riding a roller coaster. You can pump the back sides of the dips and curves to keep enough momentum that it seems like you never pedal.

The new expert section is like nothing I have seen in the area. Technical sections and very tight singletrack sections that have big consequences. This section is not done, but what is done is great!! This section is not reccomended for beginners. There is some true bike skill that is needed to make it through this part. Even with skill, I am sure there will be more then one *oh shit* moment.
Here is a link to a video that is some of the expert section Some areas were not completed yet.

Expert Trail Video

Note: Don't be fooled by how easy Ron makes this section look.

The picture above is one of the rock bridged that are optional sections of trail.

The complete trail with Hesitation Point and the campground trail rode both ways, the ride was 35 miles of smiles.

Damn you Ike!!

I took the 1x1 out to Ferdinand on Saturday for a quick ride. I was not sure of the condition of the trails, but I really needed to ride. The ride didn't get off to a good start. The first section of singletrack had a tree down right away. I moved it out of the way and continued on. Not too far down the trail I found another tree down. I moved what I could and noticed that just up the trail was another one down. So, instead of riding, I just pushed my bike a few feet and proceeded to work on the next tree. I could not clear everything, but it was down to only a few sections that you actually had to get off. So, back on the bike and rolling again it looked as things were starting to go good. Then I felt something and noticed my front tire going flat!! Probably all the debis that I was plowing over. I worked my way to a little clearing that was just up the trail, but not with out moving more sticks as I went.

I made quick work of the tire and was off heading down the trail again. Still plenty of sticks all over the place. The next section of fire lane was not too bad, only a few more big trees down. I still moved the bigger stuff out of the way that I could not ride around or over. It was a good ting I had my SS since I did have one stick that stuck right in the back stay and surly would have ripped a derailleur off. I was then bombing down a hill with clear sailing ahead. Something grabbed my bike and slowed it down a lot. I found myself up close and personal with my front tire and both hands off of the bars. I looked around a little bit waiting on my big crash, but after it didn't happen right away, I figured I should just sit up and grab the bars again. I felt real lucky with that one!! I felt even luckier after the pain started to settle in where I hit my stem. I then realized that 2 more inches lower and I would have had my bits scattered all over the trail. Sheesh!

I proceeded to cross the road and head down fire lane 7. Not too far down the trail there was another tree down, but I could clear it with out too much problem. The trail was in fair condition after that. Still a ton of limbs down, but only one or two places I had to do a lot of work. Right near the end of the newer section of trail that ends up at the house, I ran in to a wall of trees. That section was in real bad shape. Probably 8 to 10 trees in a real short section of trail. Good thing it is close to a parking area.

After I worked my way around all of the trees and down to the shelter house, I figured out that it took me 2 hours to go 5 miles. How is that for some good average!! I was on somewhat of a limited time schedule and was wore out from moving all the big trees that I decided to take the dreaded road back to the car. So, I was greeted with the nice and steep road climb toward the camp ground and then the gravel road back to the car. Over all it was great to get out even with all the hastles. Next time I will have to pack a folding bow saw in my pack.

I am sure there is still plenty of work to be done on the other trails, but they will have to wait another day.

Wind blew the weekend away.

Well, the wind from IKE really messed up my plans for a ride. The schedule was to ride Ferdinand on Sunday with the SS and see if last week was a fluke. Now I guess I have to wait another week to find out. I could go out Wed. night, but I still have a lot to pick up in the yard. Tons of sticks and limbs laying all over the place. If my yard is like that, I am sure there are more trees down across the trail. If so, that will make the next ride really suck.

I have gone and done it. I am signed up for the Brown County Breakdown. I registered for the 100 miler, but we will have to see how the day ends up. We will need to keep the pace to finish in the allotted time. Also, I am still kicking around the idea of riding the SS. I know there are a few places with some hills, but it is all just riding.

Single again

Well, after the bike crying in the corner for so long, I finally felt guilty enough to take the 1x1 out for a spin. Sunday I took it to Ferdinand for what I thought would be one heck of a suffer fest. I have not been off road more then then twice in the last two weeks since Feb. Taking the SS to a place that is not the easiest was probably not as good of an idea as it could have been.

Well I started out and not too far in to the trail I was still in agreement that I was in for some serious pain. But, I really wanted to get that bike out and I was in for the long haul. I decided to hop off and walk up a short but real steep washed out section because I know how much it normally takes out of me to climb it. I was liking my shock being back on the front. It is not much, but I was riding better then with the rigid. As I finished fire lane 6/keyana section the smile was still going strong. But, I was not sure how long the legs would last. That section hurt more then I thought it would. The good thing is that fire lane 7 section is a blast!

I decided to just take it easy when I needed it and stopped for a breather a few times too. When I got to the top of the new section I decided that I should head up fire lane 1 for my favorite fire lane out there. This section is not part of the trail, but I really think it should be. I know it takes out the one technical section, but it is too much fun to miss.

At this point I was done with the easier stuff and came down to the field where the Dino races start. I really hate the section right after the field, so I decided to do it old school and head out over the dam and enter the trail section there. I wimped out and skipped the real steep trail section and took the fire lane around, but that is nothing out of the ordinary. I really surprised myself on the back side of the lake by not walking anything!! There are a few hills in there that were not easy at all.

I then dropped in to Foxey hollow feeling good about the ride so far, but knew the end was not easy either. I rode the first part with out a problem. After the creek crossing section and was not sure how I would fair on the next hill. Being a two stage hill, I took the time to catch my breath in the flat section and shocking myself, I climbed the second section of the climb. I am not sure if I have ever climbed the second section of that climb all the way. I kept climbing everything and was feeling really good about it. I hit one section that I know I never climbed on my 1x1 and thought this might be the time. Well, I did make it up most of the hill and just about fell over. So, I had to walk the very last part of the hill. As I was walking I looked at the trail and said to myself, what the heck are you doing walking this section when you just climbed that hard section? So, I hopped back on and climbed the rest of it.

I actually only had to get off of the bike two more times and one was a root section where the bike stopped while climbing. I felt really good about how I rode and looking forward to the next ride to see if I can do it again.

On the road again....

I was back on the road last weekend. I knew I was running tight on riding time and since I would much rather ride with someone then by myself, I decided to join a group that I heard was going out. I am not sure how good of a decision it was, but it was a decision. It was good to ride with some of the guys I have not road with for a while.

Over all it was a great ride. I did end up with a little sunburn and very tired legs, so it must have been a good one! I knew going in to this, the group I was joining usually rode faster then my normal group. That is not always bad. In fact, next year I want to spend much more time with these guys and my legs will be even stronger. The ride ended up being right at 60 miles. We also climbed a little over 2600 ft of elevation gain. Those two numbers alone define it as a good ride, but the fact that my average ended up just under 20 mph means we were flat out flying. If the road didn't have some of those hills, I would not be that shocked about the speed. But, on some of the flats I looked down when I was pulling and we were running 23-26 mph. That is way faster then normal. But, I like it!!

The 1x1 has been calling me lately. Enough that I have put the shock back on the front, the new seat post and changed seats. It looks sweet and ready to hit up the trail. I still have not put in too many miles on the carbon bars I put on there this winter. I hope to get out on it this weekend. We will have to see with all the soccer games scheduled.

I also see that I am slowly getting close to 1000 hits. Some times I feel like I am the only one reading this. So, if you are reading, please take the time to post a comment and tell me what you think or at least give me some encouragement to keep putting stuff on here.

Back in the woods

Well I cleaned up the NRS and decided to head out to the woods and give it another try. So, after work I loaded up everything and off I went. Everything started out good. I was feeling good and climbing strong. It actually took me a little over 5 miles before I used the granny gear. That is not too bad for riding at Ferdinand. But, then I hit the back side of the lake and used it several times. I probably didn't need it for some of them, but when it is there it is hard not to use it.

No snakes to scare the crap out of me this time. That is a good thing!! I did see a nice sized deer. The one thing that I didn't miss was all of the damn spider webs that seemed to be every 10 feet. I had a few large spiders crawling on me and I really didn't care for that.

The NRS was a much more plesent experience then the Proflex was. But, I already knew that it would be. The disk brakes are easier to squeeze and that helps my bad wrist. The drive-train is much nicer and shifted accordingly. They rear shock was nice on the down hills, but I think the Proflex climbed better. Too much movement going on all the time. I will have to try and use more air next time.

My Surly keeps catching my attention, but I have been hesitent to ride it. I know that I am not in good SS shape and I don't have an easy trail to ease into shape. With me dismantling the Proflex, it will free up the shock that used to be on the 1x1. I also have a new Thomson post to put on it. I sure miss riding that thing, I just wished it had the disk brake tabs. Maybe I need to trade it in for the next size up. Then I could get a set of 650b wheels to try out.

With the extra set of wheels left from the Proflex, I am thinking about seeing what kind of gear combo might give me that magic gear for the Caloi. If I can find one that works for the road, I plan on getting a Tomi cog and try some playing around fixed. Could be interesting.

Time to bury my head in the sand.

Well, over the last few years I have become what I guess I would call a retro grouch. I have enjoyed singlespeeding just for the pure simplicity and fun. That does not mean that I do not have some newer toys. Actually, I purchased a Giant NRS to bring me some what in to the 20th century in biking. A far cry from what I had raced and rode for years. I do like the disk brakes, but some of the other stuff I could do with out. I have a fork that moves freely through the travel depending on how much force is applied to it. I thought this was a good thing, until I went over my first big log and just about ate it because my shock kept going when I didn't think it would.

I didn't like the shifting that came with it, but have since swapped out for some SRAM stuff that I do like. The biggest problem I have had was the fact that even though I didn't ride it a lot, my rear shock decided to no longer hold air. I needed a bike before I went to Colorado last year and didn't really have the $100 to fix the shock. So, I purchased a replacement shock off of evil bay. The problem was that the spacers were not interchangeable. Well, I put my head to it and ended up with a stack of washers as my spacers. This actually worked quite well and survived the whole week out west. Actually the spacers and shock is still on the bike and working.

Well, this spring I was going to do my part and stick it to the man that wants everyone to spend a ton of money working and upgrading their bike all the time. I have a 1997 Proflex 857 that I built up to ride. I figured that it worked great back then and still works good, why not use it. Well last weekend I finally got off of the road bike long enough to take it for a spin. Needless to say I was not pleased with my experience. I am ready to strip it apart and put it on ebay. Actuall it is not the frames fault. Everyone would think that an old bike like that could not stand up to today's standards, but it does climb very well and is really light.

The problems of the ride started when I was having some ghost shifting problems and my chain wanting to slip over the teeth when I put a good load on it. Then when I put it in the granny gear, it was grinding even more and ready to slip and hurt me. So, I just kept it in the middle ring and did what I could.

Then I started to hear a sound that reminded me of a cracked frame. I thought great, I just what I needed. But, it turns out that my head set was making all the noise and sounded like it was ready to explode. Top that with my rear break cable not working as smooth as it should, making my wrist hurt for the next two days. I am ready to take the plunge and buy a new bike. I really hate to, but I just think I need to. I know I could ride my SS more and get back in to shape enough to ride that bike well. But, I have plans to ride more at Pisgah this winter. I don't think I am up to that challenge. So, that puts me in the bike market with no money. Just where I wanted to be.

The only positive out of the problem is, I plan on putting my shock back on my SS to help with my wrist problems. Rigid was fun, but I have abused my body too much over the years to deal with the after math.

Brown County Breakdown

Fourth Annual Brown County Breakdown HMBA Epic Mountain Bike Ride on Sunday, October 12.

$50 Early Bird registration begins on Monday, August 11 and ends Sunday, September 14.
$65 General registration begins on Monday, September 15 and ends Friday, October 10.

Online registration closes at 11:45 p.m. on Friday, October 10.

Choose route lengths of 20, 35, 50, 75 or 100 miles!

Go to www.browncountybreakdown.com for registration, up to date information and event FAQ's.

The HMBA Century

Wow, what a great weekend for riding. I could not complain one bit about the weather. Friday night I headed up to Damon's to crash and get half way to the starting point for Saturday's ride. Well, that was my excuse anyway. It was not really 1/2 way, but it was closer. It also helped that Damon was going to ride too, so we could share the trip. I also needed to hang out with him since it has been so long since I have done so.

Friday night was great. Huge bonfire and company to chill with and get ready for the ride. The lack of sleep for the week and the time I went to bed didn't start out the ride on a good note. Damon set his alarm for the wrong time and for some reason my phone was in my pocket. I guess I was afraid it was going to fall off the bed and the dogs were going to eat it. The problem with the location of the phone was the fact that it muted my alarm more then normal and we didn't get up as planned. After we were up and moving, we got everything ready as fast as we could and headed out the door.

We were not real late, but too late to see most of the group leave the parking lot. By the time get were fully ready we were already 30 minutes behind everyone else. Not too far down the road a rider caught us and as he was passing I was told that he looked like my pace and I should hop on. So, wanting to get a good ride in I did just that. Mike was great to ride with. Being an ICS team member helped me feel like I knew him more then just a few seconds. We cruised way faster then I should have been going, but I was hanging and wanted to stay as long as I could. I knew that if I had to fall off the back I could always recover some by the time Damon hooked back up.

Well I can not complain one bit about Mike. He kept waiting for me at the top of all the hills to make sure he didn't drop me. I could ride with him on everything except the hills. I already knew that I didn't have my climbing legs that I normally have. Some of those hills were by far the steepest and hardest hills that I have road up. That should have been one heck of a jump start to my climbing training. Now I just need to hit the woods more.

Over all I rode good all day. We ended up averaging something like 16.5 mph. Not that great, but considering the climbing involved and how chicken I was to really let it all out on the down hills, it is not that bad a pace. We ended up climbing over 6000' of elevation for 106 miles. Great rest stops and good road markings. This is on the must do list for next year. The only thing I want to do different is first of all, plan ahead more and get some more climbing in and secondly, make it to the start before everyone leaves so I can see how long I can hang with the fast group.

I really need to get a copy of the map so I can head back up there and do parts of the loop again some time.

It must be getting hot

It must be that time of year again. I seems that every year around August I start to fade. I have been calling it my August burn out. This year it showed up a little early. It all starts with a few bad outings, being tired and just not having fun. Then I loose motivation to go ride. A few rides skipped and then I loose some fitness and continue down hill.

I know all I need to do is make it a few more rides to get over the hump. It is easier then it sounds. I need to catch up on some sleep. I know I have been eating more and drinking a lot more beer. My weight that has been dropping all year has gone two weeks with a small incline each week. I did hold the same weight the third week, but that is not the trend I need to be going.

I was told to go ride last night or I probably would not have gone. I think it is a good thing too. I actually didn't feel too bad. It helps that they started the ride fairly slow. I picked the pace up after we were out a bit. I wanted to see if my legs really were feeling good and they did good. Not as strong as I want them to be, but better then they had been.

I am doing the big Strassenfest ride this weekend and planning on doing the HMBA century next weekend. Both of those rides should be a good time and help break out of this funk. I guess time will tell.

Time to start going up

I got out for a ride a few days after the Rain and I felt much better then I imagined. Then I didn't make it out over the weekend so I figured I would hook up with a new group for a Tues. ride. That was a good thing, but a not so good thing at the same time. The good thing is I have found a new group that I need to spend some time with if I want any chance at being in the shape I desire before the Tour de London. The bad thing is that they absolutely killed me! Hell, this is Friday and my legs still hurt!

In all of my years of riding I have never yacked from riding. I have been real close several times, but never actually done it. Tuesday I thought it would be my first time! I was miserable. I never saw my lunch, but it would not have surprised me at all.

The one thing that it did tell me, even though I already knew it, is that I need to do a lot more climbing if I plan on having a chance to improve my ride in the TdL.

2008 Rain Ride

Well I can finally say that I have done the Rain ride. It was a long day full of interesting moments. Standing at the starting line with clouds as far as you could see and lightning bolts all across the sky, I knew it would be interesting. The rain started a little before the actual ride started. I am not sure how long it really rained, but I was getting wet for the first 70-75 miles. If it was not raining, the road was really wet and all of the tires were making it feel like it was raining.

We started off with a real nice pace and several riders around to always be able to find groups to hang with. Just past the first rest stop (we did not stop), I was feeling the urge to take a natural break. I was not the only one, but not everyone was stopping. I could start to feel the pace taking it toll on my and figured that we better back off a little if we were going to make the whole thing. This was only 45 miles in to the ride. So the two of us let the group pull away and I started looking for the spot that I was going to pull over. After a quick break, our sag vehicle went by and pulled over to make sure if we needed anything.

After being out on our own for a little bit, there were a few guys that came along so we hopped on to help us on our way. Not too far down the road was the second rest stop. After a little stop we were ready to head back out on the road feeling much better. We settled in with a small group and everything was going good. Crossing 67 there was a rider that was almost a squashed bug. If his buddy would not have yelled at him that a car was coming he would have be a goner. Up the road from there a little ways the road was branching off to the right just down a little grade. The guys in front yelled that there was gravel on the road. We were cruising about 23 mph and the road was a little wet yet. The guy two in front of me slowed down too fast or something and the guy behind him got tangled up in his back wheel. This threw him down right in front of me. I was trying to get out of the path, but his bike kept sliding left and I could not miss it. I ran over the back of this bike and hard telling what else. Next thing I knew I was sliding down the hill and then my head smacked the road real good. After all of the sliding was done, I picked myself up and checked everything out. Nothing was broke, just some road rash a few places. My helmet didn't look as good as I did, but it was still in one piece so I put it back on with a few more vents installed. The other guy was good, so I said I needed to get back to riding before the pain settled in and I would really hurt.

Not too much farther we rolled in to the lunch stop. This was a much needed stop to re-group. We did end up staying there a lot longer then I wanted to, but some of it was needed. I changed jerseys and socks and took in a good inventory of the damage. After some food I was ready to get back out there. The section after lunch was not easy. We did not see very many groups, so we were cruising along all on our own. We finally ended up meeting up with a group of 4 and tied in with them as long as we could. Eventually we were split and we were out looking for more riders.

This continued on and off for the rest of the ride. We did stop at the last rest stop to top off the bottles and down some much needed food. From there I knew we had just over 1 1/2 hours to make it under the 10 hour mark. Not exactly where I wanted to be, but that was the point I didn't want to pass. So, we came out of there screaming and tried to make the time. We did hook up with one other guy that we were riding with earlier and we helped each other get to the end. Just before we were at the finish the other guy fell off of the pace that was being put out. Forrest said if he slowed down he just might fall over. So, the hammer was still on and the finish could not come soon enough.

Eventually we did make it up the hills and found the finish. 9 hours and 46 min. after leaving Terre Haute. I was very happy to make it in under the 10 hour mark. I am even happier after looking at some of the stats and seeing that we had an actual ride time of 8 hours and 15 min with an average speed of 20.25 mph. We are now prepared to train a little better, take some time out of the rest stops and finish in the sub 9 hour mark for next year!

Not sure how soon I am ready to get back on the bike, but I better not wait too long with some of the big rides I have planned on the horizon.

See you on the road.

Getting close now

Last weekend I made it out for a good ride. When I started my legs were not feeling very good and I thought I was going to have to call it a day early. There were only two of us, so the drafting was minimal. When we made our first stop to decide the route I noticed that we were averaging just a little over 18 mph. I was very happy with that since I felt like I was barley moving. We decided to head back toward home to ride less traveled roads.

Over all it really ended up as a good ride. We put in right at 60 miles and also hit a few hills too. Much better then what I was expecting with my legs feeling bad.

Well this weekend is the big weekend. I am about as ready as I can expect. I could have planned a little better and been ready to really tear it up, but I am happy with my condition. I am not sure how fast we will end up going, but I am fairly confident that I will finish.
I just hope my legs are good. I am busy all week and with the chance of rain, it looks like my chances for miles this week are between slim and none. I guess some rest might be good too.

After this weekend it will not let up either. I have the Strassenfest ride that is a hilly 62 mile route, but that should be easier then previous years. Then I plan on doing the HMBA Century that apparently has a lot of climbing too. All this climbing should lead up to my next section of training. I really need to start hitting the hills to prepare for my revenge on the Tour de London.
After all that is settled, I plan on doing the Brown County Breakdown 100 mile mtb ride. I guess I will have to hit the woods sometime before then.

Double up!

I doubled up this weekend for rides. At first I thought I was going to get a nice and long ride in on Saturday, but realized that I needed to be someplace earlier then I thought. So, my ride Saturday was cut short and I only put in 60 miles. Only 60 miles? It is crazy to hear me say that! Last year that would have been one of the longer rides.

I actually didn't feel too bad after Saturdays ride and decided to join another rider on their Sunday ride. The way it sounded the selected route was very hilly. I talked them in to doing something easier so I would join them. My legs were dead for most of the ride, but I was still moving fairly good. We ended up with just under 50 miles. So, I guess there is nothing wrong with 110 miles in for a weekend. My legs sure did hurt after that ride and the next day. That is the most that they have hurt for a while. I supposed it is a good thing and I hope that means they are getting stronger.
I guess I will have to see on the Wed. night ride. Speaking of a lot of miles, it is hard to believe that after tonights ride I will have over 900 miles in for he year. That is one good year for me and it is not even July!!

Time is ticking away

I have officially signed up for the Rain Ride. Now I can not come up with numerous silly reasons to back out. Our sag driver just said that they will not be able to drive this year, so I guess a sag support is still needed. I am trying to work some stuff out for that.

This last weekend I stepped back my riding some. I have had some knee pain on and off for the last month or so. I am sure that my riding is part of the problem and lack of sleep is probably the other part. The problem is with the Rain right around the corner I can't back off too much.

I finally got the wife out on her bike last night. We went out on a 20 mile loop. I think she had a good time and was not too sore this morning. I hope to get her out a lot more this year. She would be a very good rider if she got back in to it. At one time she raced for the Proflex regional mountain bike team in the expert class. Maybe we both were not exactly top of the class expert racers, but we held our own compared to the number of fast riders at that time. I don't think I will ever get to that point, but that really does not matter to me anymore. I just hope to get to a cat 5 or even 4 level some day.

My first century

Sunday morning we headed out early for a long ride. We were planning on heading out at 6 for a 100 miler. One ride had an issue on time. So, after some debate our plans were changed to accommodate everyone. The train left at 5:00 in the dark. We took some back roads toward our desired direction. By the time we needed to hit the main roads, it was getting light enough for the cars to see us better. There were a few bikes with headlights on and everyone had tail lights just to be safe. The route was changed with the plan to get us back near home for the one rider to break off when he needed.

The ride started out a little slower then I thought it would, but I knew it would be a big day so I was not that worried. Two of the riders were starting to fall off the back. After we re-grouped it was decided for the front group to go out on their own. After this, our pace picked up some. We were making real good time and then one rider had a flat tire. It took us a little bit to get it changed because we were really needing a short break. I had to make adjustments to my seat. Side note: I forgot to mention that the day before this ride I put a new seat on my bike, new pedals and cleats on new shoes!! Not the smartest thing to do before a long ride.

After we fixed the flat, we were back on the road and moving good again. We made a short rest stop at the designated spot. Time was being estimated and it was decided to call for a ride to meet down the road. So off we went trying to hit the check point before the driver made it there. We made it there in plenty of time, so as we waited the riders who were continuing filled up bottles and were getting ready to head out. The 2 riders we left early in the day came rolling in. So the group was back to 4 riders to head toward home.

Close to home I started looking at my mileage and we decided that we needed a little more to make the 100. One rider bailed off with a good day in the seat. I can tell you I was really starting to hurt by then. Legs were getting weak and my body was just tired of pedaling. Those last 10 miles were horrible. Good thing we headed out for flatter road because I would have really struggled if there would have been too much elevation gain.

When I got home and out of the shower I was tired, but the feeling of accomplishment was worth more then the pain. As I laid there for 10 min. I rememberd that I needed to finish packing because I was driving 6 hours to Chicago for work in less then 1 hour!! Silly me!

After work stress relief

Well I actually made it out during the week again. I need to keep that up if I want my legs to keep improving. We went out in to wind and a cloud filled sky. We only had a few drops fall on us so it was all good. I actually could have used a little rain to help wash off all those nasty worms that are stuck all over my bike from Sunday's ride.

We ended up going out for right at 40 miles. The average was a little slow for how hard it felt like we went. We did do a few hard efforts that really took a toll on my legs, so that might have something to do with my lower average. It really does not matter, it was just good to get out.

I just hope to recover some before Sunday's 100 miler. That should be an interesting ride. I am thinking about riding to the starting point in stead of driving. I hate driving to a ride, but it depends a little on how light it is. I do not like riding in the dark during the morning hours on a road just up from my house. If I can make it past there it is all good. The only problem with riding to the start point is that it will make the ride more like 110 miles and end climbing back toward home. I guess we will have to see.

To make matters even more interesting, after our ride I have to head home, clean up and then load up to drive 5-6 hours to Chicago for work. That should be a fun drive!! Good thing is the food and stuff will be on the company.

The wheel turns around and around

Another weekend of riding down that road. Well, this weekend was a road less traveled this year. The group of guys that I have been riding with tend to do some different routes then I would pick by myself. There is nothing wrong with them, just different. This weekend we did a version of a route that I would normally do. I thought it would have been a lot more hills then it was. Don't get be wrong, it was not an easy ride, but the elevation gain was not what I thought it would have been. We only ended up with 1,815 ft for 58 miles. It was more then several of the routes that we normally take, but we have also taken routes that end up with much more gain. Two weeks ago with did a 60 mile ride or so and was over 2,200 ft gain.

Overall it was still a good ride. My legs did not feel as good the last two weeks as they have several weeks before. I still managed to ride good enough for the group. Some of the hills didn't seem to hurt as bad as previous times on the same roads. I guess that is showing my that I am actually getting somewhere this year. I know I am down 8 lbs and a pants size smaller, but I am still not where I want to be.

Work has been crazy and I am been busy with other stuff too lately, so I am sure that has effected my recovery. I just hope to continue to improve and be able to ride the Rain Ride strong. That will keep my confidence up for the rest of the year. I still have a few things on my mind that I want to work in. The hundie for the Brown County Breakdown and I want to redeem myself at the Tour de London. If that all works out and I can hold some strength through the winter, I want to try the 3 State/3 Mountain race. I hear that is one heck of a nice ride. That is all yet to be seen. The only thing I know for sure, well as sure as I can be is the Rain Ride. My personal goal is under 9 hours, but not sure if the rest of the group is up for that. 18 mph average should be a possibility by then.

Well, this weekend we are supposed to get in that century. We will have to see if that happens. We are leaving early and I hope to get done as early as we can because I have to drive to Chicago that afternoon for work. That should be a fun drive!! NOT.

Singing in the rain

Yesterday was quite a ride. After a few days of good weather that I could not ride in, I woke up Monday morning to a overcast sky and a real good chance of rain. I figured if the guys were game, I was up to it. I didn't think that we would do our planned route, but any ride would be welcomed.

We showed up at 6:30 am and the weather was holding. A loop was decided with the back up plan of if it looked like it was going to get bad we would turn around. We thought that we could make it to the outer part of the loop before the rain hit. Well it started out good. The roads were wet in spots like it just rained there, but we were not getting rained on.

We made it to the turning point and up to that moment we had not been rained on yet. It sure looked like it was going to, but so far it had not. One gentleman at the gas station heard us talking about the rain. He asked us what way we were going and after we pointed, he said 2 miles up the road it was pouring. Good thing that we were not going that way today. That section was in the original plan. So be started heading back in the direction of home with almost 40 miles in with out getting rained on. We headed up the next section of road with some concerned looks on our faces, but at that point it really didn't matter any more. We figured 40 miles in the morning were much better for us than the couch.

Next we were faced with the option of what direction to head home. One direction was a little shorter, but had a lot more hills. It was decided to take the highway back and skip those bad hills on the back road as up till now we were making some real good time even with a head wind. Not 2 miles past the turn off for the back way, we were finally rained on for the first time of the day. It didn't really last too long so overall it was not too unpleasant. Little did we know that was just the start of it. The closer we got to the next little town it started to rain more. From there on home we were rained on for most of the way. Most of the time it was not too bad, just a steady rain. There were only a few sections that it rained a little hard on us.

As we were getting closer, one rider started asking about calling for a ride home. I said at this point, I am soaking wet and we are no more then 10 miles from home. I was planning on riding it out. So, I guess he didn't want to be the only one not riding home so we all continued on. Overall it was a great ride. I wish it was not as wet as it was, but it was a good hard ride. It was easily the most rain that I have ever rode in. I just hope I didn't mess any of my bearings up.

After sizing everything up, we ended up with 75 miles and averaged right at 18.5 mph

Still riding that train

For being a so called mountain biker, I sure don't ride in the woods much. I have done almost nothing but road riding this year. Oh well, it has been fun and I have sure put in more miles that I would have waiting on the dirt to dry.

This weekend I thought we were going for a 70 miler, but when I got there the route that was picked didn't sound like it would be that long. The good thing is, it would have a few more hills to make up for the distance. It was a great day, but the wind could have been a little nicer to us. The hills sure added up by the end of the ride, but my legs were needing that to keep on the improving path. I am not sure what the group ended up with in miles, but ended up with a metric century and over 2200 ft of elevation gain. Not too bad.

This weekend we are supposed to go out for a 100 miler, but we will see about that. I hear talk about a 90 from some of the group. What does 10 miles really do to help? I figure if we are going 90, I am going the extra 10 with or with out the group. I have never done a full century. I have been close, but not complete. It sounds like I will not have a problem with that this year. The group has a 120 mile route that take when it gets closer to the Rain ride. Then again that it self is 160 miles. Sounds like a good year for miles!

The plan is to follow that ride up with a off road hundie. I have been wanting to do the BCBD since it started and this year I will be in my best shape so far. I will have to see what the schedule has on it as we get closer to the date.

Just another day

Well, I guess it has been a little while since I put something on here. I have been very busy and the days seem to run together. I have had a few good rides since the last post. Tuesday I put in a hard 45 mile ride after work. I felt very good about how I rode. I have been wondering how well I would ride in the woods. I can't believe how little I have been off road this year. When I really was thinking about it, the weather was not cooperating. Now that there were some days that I could have rode, I didn't even think about it. Oh well, I really need some road time since I plan on doing the Rain Ride this year. 162 miles is a long time in the seat. That should get me ready for anything that I can make it to this year.

Well, I had big plans about some races early this year. As the time rolls on it seems that time and money keep talking me out of doing it. I am sure if I would just do a few races I would be hooked. I know I was looking forward to the next race after the Tour de London last year and I don't think I could have road any worse with out wrecking or something like that. I guess we will see if I can actually make it to a race this year.

Big ride planned for Sunday. I think they are looking at 70 miles or so. I sure hope the weather is good.

More time on the road

I managed to get out on the road this weekend. I joined a group that was planning on a 60 mile ride. I was a little hesitant as I know these guys usually ride a fairly fast pace and the route they had in mind I have never done. Knowing I really need to ride, I decided to join them anyway and just deal with the side effects.

I showed up by 9:30 for the start time. After everyone was there the discussion started about the options. Being an outsider to the typical guys, I let them make the decisions. Well it ended up that the route was changed and I felt a little better knowing that I have rode that route before, but it was still not an easy road to ride, but they said it was easier then the other route.

It was fairly cold when we started. There were 6 of us that headed out. The pace was fairly fast, but nothing crazy as we started, 18-22 mph. I could handle that in a group. 10 miles or so in, I decided it was my turn up front. I think I held my own, but there sure was more wind up there. Toward the end of the road heading north there was one guy that was starting to fall back some. One rider fell back and road with them. The pack slowed up so everyone could catch up, but the gap was created more often as we went. Turns out he was having trouble with his hamstring. When we finally made it to the rest stop, he decided to not continue with us and head back on his own and call for a ride home.

After the rest stop the pace was picked up a little and we were cruising down the road. I was still not feeling too bad and took my turn up front. I was running 20-23 mph for a good little stretch and was starting to feel it. I should have pealed off sooner, but I saw a hill coming and thought if I peal off I will not be able to recover and get dropped. Well, I should have tried it, because I was getting dropped anyway and I already dug too far in to my reserve. It took a while, but I finally started to feel better and caught back up to the front group. At this time there was another rider that was starting to hurt and two of them fell back a bit. The pace was never really slowed up enough to let them catch up, so down the road we took another stop for everyone to regroup.

After everyone was there and ready, we took off toward home. Some how I ended up in front, but I was not feeling too bad so I stayed there. I was told to keep it 15-17 and see if everyone stayed on. That seemed like a good speed and everyone followed me home. It ended up just over 57 miles, but it was enough for me. I hope to join them next week too. I get in much better shape when I ride with them. I am even thinking about signing up for the Rain ride. I guess we will see.

TIme sure fun when your having flies.....

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted something. Not sure anyone actually noticed anyway. I have been pulled way to tight the last few weeks. Baseball practice as started, spring soccer and then work has gotten crazy, and bowling was not finished for the season yet. The times that I could actually ride usually were the days that it rained.

I did get out last Wed. night for a night road ride with a group of 8. It was a blast, so much fun that I decided to go back out last night. The normal pace for the night ride is a conversation pace that tends to move good at times. Well, last night there were only 4 that showed up and the pace increased a lot over last week. Some of that was my fault. The bugs were bad and I think I was the only one wearing glasses, so I had the lead for the first section of the ride. I tried to keep a decent pace, but it was a little faster then last weeks. Oh well, I needed a good work out.

I am jumping in to the fire this weekend and heading out with an old group that I used to ride with. The plan is 60-70 miles. The longest ride I have in this year is a 35 mile ride or so. Needless to say it should be so called "fun".

Working on the chain gang

I spend a few hours in the woods this weekend clearing trails. Everything was too wet to ride off road and I just felt the need to do some trail work. There are a few different re-routes that have been worked on all winter and with the crazy weather we have had there were several trees down.

So, Sunday morning I headed out with my chain saw to do my part. Almost 2 tanks of gas and 3 hours later, most of the trees were cleared off of two sections. I am sure there are more treed down on other sections, but they will have to wait another day. My chain was dull and I was wore out.

I can't wait for it to dry out so I can try the two new sections. They look like so much fun!!

Back in the saddle again!

After looking out the window all day, I could not take it anymore. With the new time change I was rewarded with an extra hour to be out. So, I baited my hook and casted it out to see if I had any takers that would nibble. Sure enough, one little fishy took a nibble and he was hooked, no backing out now.

So, with some what of a plan figured out, I headed home and started throwing all my stuff in a pile to throw on and head out the door. I was not sure what to wear. I was very hot at work and the temp in the car said 66 degrees. I was thinking about shorts and a long sleeve shirt, but the fish was very cold and talking about a lot more clothes then that. So he talked me in to putting a little more on my rear, but I didn't get carried away.

Long tights and a long sleeve jersey and down the road I went. Forrest was headed toward my house, so as soon as I got ready I took off to meet him half way. What a great ride it was. I was plenty warm at the start of the ride and had some second thoughts about those shorts I wanted to put on, but it was too late. We took off thinking it would be a nice and slow ride since we have not been on the road much. I guess someone forgot to tell my legs, because a little way down the road I looked down and saw I was pulling at 23 mph. It sure did not feel like it to me, so I kept pedaling. There was some good head wind here and there, but overall it was not too bad.

Toward the end of our journey, we hit a few hills that were bigger then the previous road sections. Add that to the increased head wind for that direction and we were really starting to hurt. The temps were dropping as the sun lowered and I was thankful I did not have those shorts on. We kept on the gas as much as we could, but it was more of a struggle.

We ended up with 32.5 miles and averaged 17.5 mph. Not too bad for my second road ride of the year. I sure am ready for spring to show up so I can get out a few more times.

slacker

I sure have become one heck of a slacker lately. I last rode on March 2nd. It was actually my first road ride of the year. It was nice to get out of the basement and ride the bike. I didn't go crazy but still had some fun. I ended up with around 30 miles with plenty of head wind to keep me company.

I am looking forward to the next time I can get out side to ride. The weather has been crap. Pouring rain, tons of snow and then more rain. The best chance I have at riding again will be on the road. All the trails are beyond muddy.

I did take in some sights last week. I have do fly out to Philly on Wed for work. We got our stuff done earlier on Thursday then we thought we would so we walked around down town for a little while. It was neat to see a lot of history things that I normally would not have seen. I checked out the liberty bell and Independence Hall. If I had some more time I would have made sure to check out some of that war and fort sights. Tons of cool little buildings to see all over town.

Had an argument with my girl

After seeing the snow coming down yesterday, I could not take it any more. So, I went home at lunch and plugged my batteries in and made sure the 1x1 was in working condition. I felt it was only right to choose the 1x1 seeing how I have not used it much lately and with the weather conditions deemed the best bike for the job.

So, after work I busted it to get all of my stuff together and head out to the trail. I wanted to get there as soon as I could to do as much of the ride in the daylight that I could. Right away I ran in to my first problem, downed trees. I could not believe how many trees I had to climb over for the little bit I rode. The trail was in good condition considering and I stopped to take a picture, but my camera decided to not work. Oh well.

Enough with the small stuff, right on to the start of the argument. As I was making my way up Foxey I started to get a little irritated, but I didn't say anything yet. By the time I made it to the Fire tower connector I was really starting to get upset. Thats when I could not take it anymore and started to complain. I asked why she is being so mean to me? I was ignored as she turned her nose up and looked the other way. The real fight started closer to the end of the Fire Tower trail after a few comments back and forth. I finally hit my breaking point and started calling her names and threatening to never use her again. I figured she should start to comply or at least ease up on me, but just the opposite happened. She was even meaner to me.

As I hit the road section, I put my foot down and said I was just taking the road back and hanging her up. She did was not happy with that at all!! So, as I cruise down the road, I keep hearing something about taking the trail on the left and then the one on the right. I heard something about it not being her fault, it was mine for leaving her sit for so long. After I passed the first 2 trails up, I think I even heard her call me names like wuss and stuff. I continued on down the road and things seemed to be better, I guess it was just the riding on flatter ground that did the job. Well, low and behold she talked me in to taking a left at my last option for trails before the car. So, I drop in and have to turn on my light. What a joy! I was treated to some of the best snow covers sections of trail and night riding in the snow made it even better.

As I am cruising down the trail I start hearing whispers to take the next left and extend the trail sections. I guess I was having so much fun that I forgot all about the names I called her and next thing I knew I was taking a left. I was immediately met with tougher trail conditions and colder air. I continued on because it was not that bad. Well, I remembered all of the names when I hit the first hill!! Damn she makes me hurt.

All in all I really don't know who won the argument. I think we are both right. If I used her more, it would not be so hard. So for now, I guess I will have to leave it at a love hate relationship. Maybe some more time it will be come more of a pleasurable one. Over all it was a great ride first snow ride of the season and the first night ride of the year. Only 25 degrees, but sure was fun for all the pain.

Tour of Cali

I have been trying to watch all of the coverage on Versus on the current race. I am still a stage behind, but good thing I have my DVR to save the next day's race for me. I have been trying to not look at places that would tell me who has won or who is in the lead. I would rather see it for myself.

Now, I am not a big road racer. I have only had a road bike for the last few years. But, one thing I just can not understand is the fans. What kind of dumb asses are out there watching these races?? Get the hell out of the way!! If you really like bike racing, then why must you be the one who causes somebody to not do as well as they could? I know, the thought of being on TV is too strong for some, but I just can't understand the running next to the riders or all that. I would not want to do that one stage in the le tour where the mob of people are on the road and just get out of the way in the nick of time.

Granted, I did like the dudes huge rack on his head!! That was something else. He also must be in good shape because he did put in one hell of a run, but if that rack would have caught one of the lead riders, I think I would have had to beat the crap out of him before I continue with my race.

I guess it is a good thing I am too dam fat and slow to ever have to worry about that! I prefer to stick to the races where the racers are the ones wearing the funky stuff!!

sup?

Well, I am not sure what is up with me. Other then I have not been riding enough. Damn weather can't make up its mind if it is winter or spring. We went from several day's of ice storms to 40-50 degrees this weekend and now it is 35 and supposed to snow! Go figure.

I have been on the trainer a few times, but not near enough to really make a big difference. I have been trying to figure out what events or races I plan on doing this year. There are several that I would like to do, but I am not sure I want to jump in to racing that much again. I should just take more trips to Pisgah instead. I am supposed to be making a trip that way soon, but I can't get the country boy to give me any dates that he can go.

I am also trying to save up for a 29'er. I am not doing such a good job of it right now, but I did give up beer for lent, so I should have a lot of money show up extra some place. I just don't know what I will end up getting. I really want to pick up at Shamrock Cycles frame, but not sure I will be able to save up enough money for that. I really need to get some stuff up on ebay!!

I do have a few side jobs in the line up, so if they ever show up I should be good to go.

24 Solo

Well, I have finally seen the movie. I liked it. It was very interesting. There were lots of good riding shots and I feel it did a good job of trying to get the feel of actually being at the race. I was getting excited near the end with the possibilities of the catch even though I already knew who won the race.

I can not believe how much pain some people put there body in and don't stop. I have always wanted to do a 12 or 24 hour race to see how many laps I can do, but it would not even come close to what these guys do. I always pictured taking some breaks and stuff.

Still, not too bad of a way to make a living. I guess every job has its bad days, but a bad day riding is better then a good day working!!

Time keeps on tickin, again

Well my so called training has been a little weak lately. That is not saying much. If it is weak from what I was doing, then it is really bad!! I tried to ride the other night, but both of my floor pumps went out on me. I know, I could have used one of my c02's or my hand pump, but I really didn't feel like wasting 2 cartridges or blowing my arm out trying to pump a tire up to 100 pounds.

It seems that I might want to really start working on training some more. I have been talking about entering a team in the Pisgah MTB Adventure Race but I don't know if it will happen or not. I am scheduling a trip down there with in the next month. I have a lot to learn about that place if I plan on surviving that race.

New training plan

I think I have stumbled upon a quick any effective training plan that anyone can do! All you do is spend an evening puking 80% of your guts up and then craping another 10% of them out. So you actually end up with a net loss of 90% of your guts. Imagine how much weight you can loose like this!

To add to this you alternate between shivering and cold sweats all night so your muscles contract and eventually start cramping. Now not only did you loose some precious weight that will help conker the toughest hills, you have completed a good work out for all of your muscles.

The only down fall I have found to this plan is it does require a rest day or two before you can recover enough to get back on the bike. But, how can one complain after such a good work out.

So, I hope everyone goes out had tries this great new plan tonight! It is a blast!

More ditch diggging

I went out to the forest and did some more bench cutting this weekend. The new re-route is getting close to being done. I can only hope we actually get some weather that will allow me to ride it.

We have another section to work on after this section is done. I am looking forward to both sections being completed. The other re-routes that have been done over the last two years has make a huge difference in the fun factor for my normal trail. It is not just because it is different, the flow is so much better.

I was going to try and get a road ride in Sunday, but I woke up to rain and some snow trying to make its presence known. I guess I need to hit the rollers again tonight. Oh well...

Trail work

Well the weather warmed up this weekend, but it brought along some rain with it. Saturday I did some trail work at Ferdinand. There are two re-routes that we want to get done this winter. Bench cutting is one heck of a good work out!! I am sure I will be out there all the weekends I can until the work is done.

I really should work in some of my own trail work. I have a lot of potential in my back yard, but it needs some work. The trail I have now is a little on the short side, but if I would add the sections that I want to add, it could be a lot of fun. It would also be a good place to get the boy to start trail riding. Maybe this will be the year! what ever.....

The Proflex is looking real good now! I put the new skins on it this weekend. That sure does make it look good! All I need to do now is adjust the brakes and then line up the levers/shifters where I want them. Then I will be ready for a good test ride. I'll put is on my scale to night and see how it fairs compared to the NRS. Not that it really matters what it weighs, but I am sure it will be lighter, just not sure how much.

getting closer

Well, a few more parts showed up for the Proflex and I ordered a set of Conti's for it too, so that should just about finish up what I need. I cleaned up the cranks and set up the shifters and brakes. I think the brakes need a little adjustment yet, but that will wait until I have the tires on. It is actually starting to look like a bike. I am ready to test it out as soon as I get tires put on it.

That might not be as easy as I would like. The problem is the weather has been too cold for me lately. I guess I need to just man up and go ride. But, night rides with the temps below 20 does not excite me. I think this weekend is supposed to be a little better, so maybe I can get out with the sun up.

One issue I might have is being torn between what bike to ride. On one hand I have the Proflex that I am excited to test out and on the other I have my SS looking at me in disgust for leaving it sit there for so long. I really want to see how well I can ride it. I know I have a lot of work to get where I want to be with my riding and it it even farther to get there on my singlespeed. Oh well, I guess we will just have to see.

Here it is just a few day's into the new year and I am already backing out of some races. I do have the itch to do a hundie or at least the short version of one. Money and the lack of confidence that I will be ready in time is trying to talk me out of doing one. The Fools Gold is the race I wanted to do because it is later in the year, but the total cost for me to go and take the wife is a higher then what I can spend on a race. If I could find someone from around here that is going that might make a difference. The Mohican looks like my best bet, but I would need to register by the end of next week. It is also the end of May, that just seems so close. I guess I could be ready in time?

I wish Kentucky would get some of their races listed. That is probably the best bet for me to hit a few regular XC races. Right now the schedule is full of good looking road races. I hope that I have find some dirt in there someplace.