MO7S

Inflection Point

2012-01-25T23:03:00.001-05:00

"Would you like something to drink with dinner?"

I had just gotten home from work. I have been feeling pretty lazy and soft lately. Sitting at my desk earlier in the day I had daydreamed of a quick ride to clear the cobwebs. Now it was 7:00pm and Ruth had asked the innocent question, unwittingly putting me at the fork in the road. There were two possible paths for the evening, now I would have to decide which to take:

Path #1 - Go for a ride Temps were still fairly mild (33°). Sure it was wet and normal trails would be the consistency of peanut butter, so I'd be forced to ride the Struble into town. And back. Oh and yes it would be dark. And it would be lonely (wingmen in short supply on a Wednesday night).
Path #2 - Have a glass of wine and put on some music. After dinner kick back for some board games, possibly catch some John Stewart. Maybe if I was lucky, even doze off on the couch after Sara went to bed.

"No, I think I'll just have water" I heard myself say.

A couple hours later I found myself riding across the dam toward the Struble, in the cold, and dark, and wet. Alone. But the fresh air and exercise felt great, my head was clearing and I was feeling just a little bit less soft.

On the way home is when it happened. As I crested the hill by the farm I nearly hit a deer. Literally. It just stood there staring at me and didn't make any effort to move out of my way. I hit the brakes, my wheel less than a foot from her. I moved slowly to turn off my lights, amazed that she had't bolted. She was looking straight at me and I reached out slowly. I could feel her breath on my hand, but she would not let me touch her. She slowly stepped back, cautious but also curious. I tried to lure her back, but she took a very slow meandering path back toward the treeline, never in much of a hurry, but never quite taking her eyes off me either.

By the time she was gone, my eyes were adjusted to the dark so I treated myself to one of night-riding's rare pleasures - a lights-off ride the rest of the way home.

Once again it is proven, you'v got to play to win.

Single Track

2012-01-21T10:39:00.001-05:00

Just about as single
as a track can get...

That track is about as single as you can get, unless you are riding a unicycle.

The fresh snow and rabbit tracks, and the "cotton in your ears" sensation you get with fresh snow in the woods was really beautiful this morning. But the wet snow made for a pretty tough ride. There was enough snow that I had to stand up to push through it (single speed) but that would unweight the rear wheel and I would lose some traction - two crank turns to make one crank turn of progress.

But what a welcome break from all the mud and slop of the last month. Really spectacular. God I love the seasons.

Chris

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."
-- John Muir

Martin Luther King

2012-01-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

Overnight temperatures of 12° guaranteed fast trails for today's Martin Luther King Day ride. I needed all the help I could get. Two months of crappy riding conditions (slop) have left me in pretty sad shape. Hoping for a real winter and more 12° nights...

Review - Winter Riding Shoes Boots - Shimano MW81

2012-01-16T19:53:00.004-05:00

Shimano MW81 (569g)

ITEM: Shimano MW81
PURCHASED: from Brands Cycling and Fitness in December 2011
PRICE: $229
RATING: VERY GOOD

After five years of pulling a pair of tight fitting neoprene booties over my riding shoes, the convenience of slipping into a pair of MW81s is awesome. I have only ridden 3x with them and not yet below the mid-20s, but they seem to be plenty warm (though not quite as warm as my riding shoes with the booties). Unexpected weight bonus, they are considerably lighter (569g each) than my Shimano M086s with Performance booties (743g each).

Shimano M086 and
neoprene bootie (743g)

Sizing was a little tricky. Web site and customer support said to go with same size as the M086, but turned out the MW81s were too small, I had to go one size bigger. This was not a "thick sock" issue, the foot bed fit was different. Once size bigger fixed both problems.

All around I am thrilled with these, now if only winter would get started (has been very mild so far). I would definitely recommend these, just be careful with sizing.

Skunked

2012-01-07T20:10:00.000-05:00

Skunked twice in two days.

Saturday morning -
Closed for deer culling

Whenever we visit the inlaws in Maryland I take the opportunity to sneak out early and hit the awesome trails at Schaeffer Farm.

Saturday morning I ran into the second day of a two-day organized deer harvest. I considered riding anyway in my bright green jacket but figured if I got winged by one of those hunters I would not had a leg to stand on. Skunked. Off to Starbucks.

Sunday morning -
Closed due to trail conditions

Sunday morning I snuck out again. Early. This time the park was closed due to wet riding conditions. Skunked again. I considered riding the trails anyway, but the law-enforcement--per-capita down here is pretty high, so I thought better of it and rode some pole-line trails instead. Brutal on a single speed but hey, I was riding and it was on dirt.

A Knife at a Gunfight

2011-12-17T10:40:00.004-05:00

Beer presentations were all functional
but only one burned

"I don't see what's so great about standing around, outside, at night, in the middle of December, drinking beer from a toilet." I could not dispute the technical aspects of her argument, but somehow the more sublime aspects of last night's bonfire were not resonating with my daughter...

The evening started with the customary ride. After climbing the new Quarry Bypass into the park and pausing to share a flask of Root, we dashed across the park to The Bobsled Run. Mindful that KO was on his wife's beach cruiser and not wanting any drama to delay the start of the bonfire we (thought we) bypassed the rock garden by the ruins. But it turns out our pack of 10 riders had bifurcated and of course KO's half detoured straight into the rock garden. Somehow the bike and rider survived and we regrouped at the top of The Bobsled Run for some more Root and the mad dash to the comfort of the beer and the bonfire. The Bobsled descent was punctuated with a lot of woo-hoo's, a little cursing, and a couple of busted spokes on MS's SFurly. Watching the lights of the last few riders snake down that trail was magical, one of those rare scenes that only occurs on night rides with large groups.

Knife at a gunfight? KO wife cruiser
with kickstand and book rack

Random note: We started with 10 riders and ended with 11. That never happens. Generally if we start with 10 riders we are lucky to end with 8. Good mojo last night.

Back at the bonfire, the chili was bubblin', the beer was chillin', the best beer presentation entries were being scrutinized by the judges. Both entries scored high on functionality (seems to be a theme at these bonfires). The DBDC entry looked vaguely familiar, scored high for incorporation of Wet Wipes and imaginative use of vulcanized rubber accents. The Porcelain Goddess entry scored high for classic lines and it's "upper deck" potential. Stiff competition but the judges job was easy because in the end only one entry burned ("must burn to win" provision in contest rules). MM took the title in '11.

Planning for next year commenced during this morning's cleanup and yes, some changes are in store for '12. But for now we'll just celebrate the memories of '11, starting with this Bike Rider Bonfire and Beer Exchange Fun Quiz:

1. You know the best beer presentation contest at the annual Beer Bonfire and Beer Exchange has reached new lows when the judge's discussion centers around:

A) Gooners and Upper Decks
B) Nessies and Groovers
C) The smell of burning vulcanized rubber
D) All of the above

2. At the '11 Bike Ride, Bonfire, and Beer Exchange RV caused a stir by

A) QuestioningHermosa Tours' use of the Groover
B) Admitting that he had once "glassed" a guy who wasn't using a groover
C) Never walking farther that 15' from the bonfire to relieve himself
D) All of the above

3. This morning the neighborhood awoke to see MR's contest entry

A) On the roof of his house
B) In the back of his truck
C) Trailside overlooking the brandywine
D) Next to the firepit

We'll close this post with some wisdom from last night's ride:

Never Bring a Knife to a Gunfight...unless of course the gunfight is a mountain bike ride, and the knife is your wife's beach cruiser.

Happy Holidays,

Chris

Inverse Proportion

2011-12-11T11:27:00.001-05:00

23.5 degrees Fahrenheit at
7:58am eastern standard

This time of year with the frequent freeze/thaw cycles can be difficult riding. Oh sure, a little mud and blood spices up any ride, but slogging through persistently soggy trails can become a bit of a drag.
So it is widely held in mountain biking circles that this time of year, trail conditions and temperature are inversely proportional. That is to say, the colder the better. We tested that theory today. When we rolled at 8:00am the temperature was 23.5°, trails were wicked fast, grip was outstanding, and frost crusted bridges provided some welcome pucker factor.

Let's delve into this inverse proportion thing.

If the following:

F = the fun factor and
T = temperature

Then mathematically speaking:

F = 1 / T

Now let's apply the universal mountain biking "fun" constant of 100 because everyone knows that mountain biking is at least 100x as much fun as anything else you could be doing (except of course what TP wasn't doing this morning because he was mountain biking). So then:

F = 100 x 1 / T

That pegs today's fun factor at 4.35 (100 x 1 / 23.5). If today's ride is any indication, then a fun factor in the 4s is pretty darn fun. I checked the blog, and in 2009 we rode a fun factor in the 14s, that sounds almost illegal. But if we take this to the logical extreme (T=0°) then we are just a couple dozen degrees from INFINITY! Now wouldn't THAT be fun?

Chris

"Keep riding, Nancy. It's just water and dirt."
--- Huck And Roll

Answers to The Questions

2011-12-04T12:05:00.001-05:00

I can't wait to see what questions get answered at this month's Bike, Bonfire, and Beer exchange. Following are some burning questions that got answered last year :

1. MM's entry in the Best Beer Presentation contest was disqualified because:

a) Someone dropped a deuce in it while he wasn't looking
b) The material in the magazine rack wasn't "edgy" enough
c) It wasn't sacrificed to the mountain biking Gods
d) The TP was scratchy because of the stickerse) all of the above

2. Last year RV brought some contraband that had to be confiscated so we could relax around the bonfire. What did he bring?

a) A jar of home made "Mountain Dew"
b) A baggie full of Mauwie Wauwie
c) A baggie full of fireworks
d) iPod video "The Opening of Misty Beethoven"

3. You know for sure that Jenn'a older sibling really likes you if:

a) She has a beer duct-taped to her hand
b) Her toes are pointed toward you
c) Her toes are pointed away from you
d) All of the above

4. You know it is cold at the annual Bike, Bonfire and Beer exchange when:

a) People start burning blowup dolls to keep warm
b) Beer cans start spontaneously exploding
c) None of the above
d) All of the above

Can't wait...

"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how."
--Dr. Seuss

Winter Rides

2011-12-04T11:42:00.001-05:00

Morning frost in the sunligh

Winter rides are special. The trails are (mostly) still frozen, fast, with great traction. Brilliant blue sky. Trees in the open fields cast silver frost shadows on the grass. The air is crisp and cool and I am comfortable in shorts with a couple of light layers on top. When I stopped to take this picture, I could hear a cacophony of water droplets falling from the trees (frost melting).

Sometimes that's how it is. Spiritual. Peaceful. Sublime.

Chris

"Cycling is like church-many attend but few understand"
-- Jim Burlant

"I Have a Plan"

2011-11-21T19:48:00.001-05:00

On Friday I got this enigmatic text from my daughter: "Wat time r u going to b home? I have a plan."

I have a plan...

...I figured what possibly could be better than starting the weekend than with a 15 year old that has a plan? And I was right. Her plan was to produce a music video and she told me that she would need the following:

Three video cameras and a couple of tripods
Direct access to some of my biking buddies
A few hours with me in my biking clothes
My unwavering trust and commitment to her vision

It was fascinating being a bit player in this mysterious master plan - watching her interview my friends, direct me to "bike up that hill", and setup and take down cameras and tripods. She even convinced my wife to drive the car around the neighborhood car while she took time lapse pictures from the passenger seat.

Sunday afternoon she hunkered down in front of her computer - clicking like mad and occasionally laughing out loud. That evening she proudly shared her rough cut edit with me, and what had been a whirlwind of seemingly disjoint activities suddenly came into sharp focus. It's really quite remarkable when you throw yourself at the mercy of your kid and they reward you with something so creative.

Chris

"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how."
--Dr. Seuss

Even When it Sucks, It's Fun!

2011-11-06T21:13:00.003-05:00

I knew it would be a beat down. Oh it started off innocently enough early Sunday morning. Six cars in the local bike shop parking lot. Crisp cool air, lots of bikes, and freshly baked oatmeal cookies. But there was no kidding myself, it would be a beat down.

An hour later we were at Fair Hill and six thousand acres of sweet single track was begging to be ridden. And ride we did. After a couple of hours and of awesome single track, some modest attrition, and some scenic rest stops (throwing banana peels in front of other riders), I was hanging off the back of the pack - barely. My tank was more empty than full and my legs were talking to me. The beat down phase was commencing. At three hours in, my thighs were past burning...now they were like cement, on the verge of cramping up completely. Yet while my body was screaming at me in protest, my mind wasn't listening because it was having too much damn fun...

...is that weird?

Chris

"Suffering has a luminous beauty, and cleanses the mind in much the same way a wildfire clears an overgrown forest."
-- Mike Ferrentino

“Art is suffering."
-- Squidward Tentacles

Happy Endings

2011-10-26T20:17:00.001-04:00

Someone forwarded an email to the biking group - a coupon offer from a LBS for "Bicycle Therapy" (tune-up, inner tubes, and accessory discount). Following are priceless excerpts from that short-lived email thread:

AF> Don't know this shop but thought some of you could use this ["Bicycle Therapy" ad]

CD> I signed my aluminum hardtail bike up for a "happy ending" therapy session. They said it is totally legal and that my bike would ride like a Moots Ti frame afterward...

MM> Yeah but after a few minutes it's gonna want to take a nap

MR> This can't end well...

AF> It only lasted 2 minutes anyway

I just thought that thread deserved to be immortalized (or banished into oblivion - whatever it is that happens when things get posted on this blog).

Chris

"Beware of all enterprises that require a change into Lycra"
-- Unknown

Lord(s) of the Flies

2011-10-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

The GPS had given up half a mile ago. I was 200 miles from home, somewhere in the forests of central Pennsylvania. The driveway was empty. Nobody answered my knock so I stepped inside the cabin. Lots of taxidermy on the walls - no doubt there would be a gun in here somewhere.

I saw some R/C stuff on the table and relaxed a little. (Rob had talked about bringing some toys). I was 60% sure I had the right cabin, but that would be little comfort staring down the barrel of a shotgun held by an irate hillbilly homeowner. I slipped up the stairs and peered into the kitchen...and when I saw the Peanut Butter Captain Crunch I knew I had found it. The Chalet (and The Cabin). Base of operations for over a dozen Downingtown area mountain bikers on their annual pilgrimage to the trails of Raystown.

Friday night festivities started that evening with carb loading at Boxers Pub. It was kind of like home, the Y-bike still hanging over the bar, and the young waitress was still sporting those dreads. After dinner we strolled over to The Cabin to visit the other half of the crew and get jacked up about tomorrow's ride. Martin laid down the law by calling for a 9:30am departure, and so we tucked ourselves in at The Chalet before midnight with dreams of mountain bikes and buff singletrack dancing in our heads.

The Chalet was stirring at sunrise. Two pots of coffee, a pan of pumpkin breakfast thing-a-ma-jiggers, and a monster breakfast fritatta later, we were loaded up and knocking on the door of The Cabin. It was 9:20am. By 9:21 it was obvious we had a problem. The Cabin was in a different time zone (some still jockeying for the bathroom), probably hours from saddling up, so six of us headed to the trailhead.

The Raystown trails are deceptively fast. Long downhill runs that beg you to go a LOT faster than you should, and are loaded with back-to-back rollers and whoop-dee-doos determined to throw you over the handlebars. The combination is lots of speed, short duration flights, giggles, and smiles. We rode the outer loops, all left turns. I can;t remember the names of all the trails but we finally got the whole crew together at The Hydro Loop. After high-fives, some snacks, and a few laughs we rode the loop. Fifteen minutes of mountain biking awesomeness with excellent flow and bermed turns that swept down near the lake and through loamy pine groves. It is an old growth forest, so the sight lines are fantastic. From a pure flow perspective, this is probably the best singletrack I have ever seen anywhere. We hammered the heck out of that thing.

After lunch some of the guys took another spin on the west side of Seven Points Road, while others (myself included) spent the afternoon at Rothrock Outfitters ogling at the Salsa Mariachi frames and Pugsly demo bikes. Later that night we drifted over to The Cabin for a bonfire, warmed ourselves with Root and Snap and whatever else was on hand, considered the flammable nature of magnesium bike frames, burnded about 2 cords of wood, melted a beer bottle, and marveled at Jesse's ability to speak "french" in her sleep.

On Sunday we were back on the bikes, hammering that sweet singletrack before the long drive home.

It was sort of a "Lord of the Flies" meets "Race Across the Sky" weekend. Is it weird that I'm already dreaming about next year?

Chris

“Like dogs, bicycles are social catalysts that attract a superior category of people”
- Chip Brown

P.S. As much as we enjoyed the "toilet seat up" format for the weekend, the wives contributed in big ways. Like supplying us with loads of high-carb home cooking (think Fritatta, breakfast bread, lasagna, etc). And by giving us the go ahead to waste a perfectly good weekend acting like a bunch of 12 year olds.

Grass Roots

2011-10-10T09:17:00.000-04:00

Apparently word is spreading. Beer and bikes at the overlook. Last Friday's happy hour drew riders from as far away as Vermont!

...well...A rider...

...but still, that's pretty respectable for a grassroots BYO happy hour in the middle of the woods.

I had been pushing the pedals for about an hour before the meet up. With eight guys there was plenty of banter and I was mellowing on the beer and contemplating a relaxed ride home. But Don and his chrome plated Biamchi singlespeed from Vermont were creating quite a stir in the group and before I could do the mental math (Beers + Dusk + NoLights = TimeToGoHome) we were racing for the Double Bonus Loop.

Boys will be boys.

Chris

Fortunate Accident

2011-10-09T18:05:00.000-04:00

Sure, summer promises endless days of awesome riding. Early morning sunrise rides. Short sleeve sunset rides. Beers on the overlook. A seemingly endless supply. Hard to beat.

But autumn beats it. It's not even close. The cool and dry weather is perfect for long rides, and we're in pretty good shape after a long summer of riding. The sun is intense but stays low on the horizon, creating dramatic shadows in the woods. The sightlines and views improve, and the leaves are like colored confetti covering the forest floor. The sweet smell of the leaves is intoxicating, and the knowledge of winter just around the corner adds a tinge of urgency to every ride.

This autumn morning I woke in the hills of western Maryland near West Virginia. After coffee I slipped out of camp for a couple of hours of awesome single track east of Accident. The trails here are spectacular - plenty of climbs and descents, rock gardens, great flow, massive stands of pine with a thick soft blanket of pine needles on the ground, deciduous forest packed with vivid oranges and reds, and stunning farmland vistas. It was heaven. Or church. Not sure which but that's what it was.

Chris

"Cycling is like church-many attend but few understand"
-- Jim Burlant

Sunshine and Unicorns

2011-10-05T21:40:00.003-04:00

Alcohol will be the answer
this Friday at the overlook.

It's been exactly one month since I last felt that old familiar feeling. The feeling of real fatigue that comes from dropping the hammer for a couple of hours.

Today's ride was especially sweet. Some faces we haven't seen in a while (Tom). A surprise pickup on the way back from the Bonus Loop (Jim). Brilliant sunshine mixed with the sweet smell of autumn leaves on the ground.

But it wasn't all sunshine and unicorns out there today. We dodged a trip to the ER (wrist) when Mike performed the seemingly impossible (and now legendary) stationary endo. Starting from a dead stop, he stepped on the crank, and propelled himself straight over the handlebars. With 108 days on the crash counter I guess we were due.

Chris

P.S. We capped the ride off with some advance Happy Hour planning. We may crank out some miles before hand, but rest assured we'll be in our spandex hoisting a few cold ones at the overlook @ 5:30.

"Safe biking is no accident"
-- unknown

Check Engine

2011-09-26T21:05:00.000-04:00

Dropped the car off at CarSense for some service this evening (state inspection, oil change, check engine light) then rode the bike home. Not thrilled with road riding, but within 0:10 I was safely off the roads and in the woods by the Bonus Loop. Another 0:20 and I was at the boat ramp, with enough time to bang around the west side of the park before heading home.

Great idea (thanks MikeR), almost makes it worth the "bend over and grab your ankles" phone call I will probably be getting from CarSense tomorrow afternoon.

Chris

"Two wheels good, four wheels bad."
- unknown

P.S. Only one out of the last six blog posts has involved a BIG ride. That's sad. I better get busy or else Allegrippis (October) will be a Beat Down instead of a Big Ride.

Maybe Too Late

2011-09-24T11:59:00.000-04:00

I got a surprise today...and I don't think it's a good one.

I was recently started getting some oil leakage, so I figured I would take a peek inside and change the oil in the lowers while I was in there. The oil is now changed. But I have a nasty wear spot on the left stanchion. Perhaps a bushing problem, but I don't have the tools or expertise to change that.

Might be too late anyway.

Chris

Kids These Days

2011-09-23T12:53:00.002-04:00

A washout is forecasted for this weekend, so I had to sneak in an "insurance" ride this morning. Glad I did it, the ride was beautiful. Banks of fog lingering in the trees and a few slippery roots/rocks to keep me on my toes. Two feet of rain since August has torn up the bottom of the Quarry Trail pretty good, be careful if you are bombing that downhill.

Tangent: In the reading room this morning when flipping through an old issue of Outside magazine I saw an article on electric assist bicycles. It reminded me of a recent experience I had flying out of my driveway only to find myself abreast of a very pleasant grandmotherly woman on an electric bike pedalling (barely) up the gentle but long Kaiser Drive climb.
Tangent on the tangent: We see few cyclists on this part of Kaiser. If we do, it is either an avid cyclist (road or mountain) or it is a teenager pushing their bike up the hill. Nothing against teenagers (I have a wonderful one of my own), but jeeze what the heck!?
Back to original tangent: Anyway there I was on the long climb through the neighborhood, riding next to grandma and exchanging pleasantries. Her bike looked like a beach cruiser and had a basket on the front and streamers on the handlebars. She was barely pedalling. I was spinning my ass off and barely keeping up. I hung in there but it soon dawned on me this would not be sustainable.

And finally it happened. We hit the plateau at the top of the neighborhood and she picked up a few mph. With 32x20 gearing on my singlespeed I could no longer spin fast enough to keep up. I watched helplessly as she dropped me, singing to herself, the pink and purple streamers flowing from her swept back handlebar grips. She waved goodbye and disappeared around the corner.

I am imagining that later that day, after her husband's afternoon nap, her ruminating about some friendly but obviously sluggish young man on a bike. "Jeeze!" she would say," kids these days..."

Chris

“I'll take the Pain and Humiliation Combo, super-sized”
- unknown

They're Like Little People

2011-09-18T16:19:00.000-04:00

Ruth has been threatening to do it. Yesterday, over my objections, I think she finally did it.

She pitched one of my water bottles.

For months she has been saying that they are disgusting. I've tried appealing to her motherly instincts by saying "it's not the outside that matters, it's what's on the inside" asserting that the inside of the bottles is clean and perfectly healthy. "They're like little people" I said.

Apparently she was unimpressed.

And apparently I will now have to start hiding them.

Chris

"Keep riding, Nancy. It's just water and dirt."
- Huck And Roll

The Light

2011-09-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

I am reminded of the mosquito in the movie Bug's Life who was drawn to the mesmerizing light of the bug zapper. "It's So Beautiful" he said. It ended badly for him, but not so for us. And in this case the attraction was beer. A stroke of genius really - we're now drinking our beer during the happy hour ride instead of after.

This time it started at the Thursday morning bus stop with Rob's innocent inquiry. "You guys doing a happy hour ride tomorrow?" I knew then that I would not be drinking alone.

Friday morning I sent the customary email reminder. I knew it would be slim pickin's since some regular riders had commitments and others I fear have sworn off mountain biking since the Colorado trip (I'll post on that in the future). But MikeM chimed in that he was stuffing a couple of Blues in his pack, so I had a sense of momentum building.

The anointed time (5:00) arrived at the boat launch. Mike was rolling in. Rob had brought Zoey (so now we were four souls). That's when Bob rolled in all smiles and ready to ride (I think Bob is always ready to ride). We headed toward the Bonus Loop and by the time we got to the totter, Zoey was a little gassed so we headed down to the new trail which has a natural hangout-and-drink-beer spot overlooking the lake...this is where we ran into JimM. Jim was heading home after his Friday ride, was no doubt thirsty, and succumbed readily to the siren call of beer by the lake.

So in the end it was six souls for the Friday happy hour. And yes it was "so beautiful." Can't wait until next Friday!

Chris

"Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for one more ride."
--unknown

Ass Handed

2011-09-05T08:29:00.000-04:00

I got my ass handed to me yesterday.

After failing to round up the "regulars" for a weekend ride I decided to join a ride posted on the dtownmtb yahoo group. Eight other riders had the same idea. That's a good size group for a mountain bike ride.

I LOVE group rides - the social aspects as well as the opportunity to learn new skills and push yourself. This ride was no different and I'm a little sad but mostly glad to say I blew up near the end of our ride. We spent the day finding climbs I never knew existed in that park.

Tangent: we decided after the ride that there is a propensity for humans to ride loops clockwise (e.g., we like right hand turns better than left hand turns). So we spent the day riding the WCMR loops counter-clockwise which meant: (1) the trails all felt new, (2) we ran risk of collision with high speed descender, and most importantly (3) we found some grueling uphill climbs.

Now I could blame my explosion on the lack of gears, but I wasn't the only one in the group riding a single-speed. The end started while climbing near the skills course. My quads started to cramp whenever I stood up on the pedals. Never in six years of riding had my quads cramped. Not once in five days of brutal climbing in Colorado. The quad cramp was disconcerting because that's a big muscle (even on my spindly legs) and I knew that if it got out of control I would be basically incapacitated (and probably in a world of hurt).

I have always carried some electrolyte capsules in my pack (schwagg from some race). I dropped a couple of them in desperation. A long shot but the only shot I had. Within ten minutes I was able to stand a pedal without cramping. I was still slow, but at least I was pedaling.

Takeaways:

I will ALWAYS have some of the Heed stuff in my back pack
I will be a much better rider if I keep riding with this group
I need to decide what bike to bring to Raystown (I love that Rig but I don't want another blowup)

Chris

The Secret

2011-08-31T13:40:00.001-04:00

Creative Playthings Bridge

This morning I went riding on the local trails for probably the 500th time. Seriously 6 years, 1-2 local rides per week, that's like 468. It adds up. So these are old familiar trails, right? I should have known better.

The lake was like glass, with some whisps of fog and a lone fisherman lit by the soft morning sun. The hurricane had left the trails soft and littered with sticks and leaves, but totally rideable. The air was cool. A cup of strong coffee was clearing my head and I was riding fast, thinking about the 61 minute lap time I had logged last week (could I come close this morning)?

I crested the hill before the Creative Playthings bridge at speed. Most of you know the drop onto that bridge is getting sketchy. A downhill log drop followed by a tight rutted downhill turn that dumps you right onto a narrow bridge. Once you are over the log you are committed...no way to stop or bail out. As my front wheel rolled onto the bridge I looked up and saw that the bridge was UNDER WATER (bridges are supposed to go OVER water). Three thoughts flew through my mind as I rolled across:

How deep is it?
Oh shit it's going to be slippery I am going down
I'll fall into 3' of water it should be a soft landing

By the time the third thought occured, I was across the bridge. A little wet but upright and still rolling. Of course I had to stop for pictures, so the 61 minute ride time would be safe. I was more cautious for the remainder of the ride, wondering what would be around the next corner. Remarkable how a familiar home trail can still throw a curve at you from time to time.

Chris

P.S. The secret to last week's 61 minute Bonus Loop time: broken seatpost. Pedalling out of the saddle for 90% of the ride keeps you movin'.

A Fast Donkey

2011-08-25T18:29:00.001-04:00

Good news, this morning I did the Full Bonus Loop in 61 minutes. That's door to door from Lower Lyndenwood. For me that's a record. Bad news I may have broken Rob's USE seatpost. I hope I'm wrong. Will look at it tonight.

This next part is going to be too much information. TMI. Don't say I didn't warn you. I got a little banged up on last Sunday's ride. So when I rode on Tuesday I layered up with a jock strap, under armor briefs, spandex shorts with ample chamois, heavy biking shorts, and a couple of prophylactic Advil. That made it bearable. For this morning's record breaking ride I skipped the Advil and the jock strap. I guess I'm on the mend...

Finally, here's one more D2M music video. It is of day five when we rode most of the Whole Enchilada near Moab. I stowed the camera during a little spritzer that day so missed the LPS section, but got plenty of Hazard County Trails, UPS, and Porcupine Rim. And thanks to G.Love (Philly born and bred) for the sound track. Enjoy.

Chris

"You're a donkey, not a thoroughbred horse. You may become a fast donkey, but you will never become a thoroughbred"

-- unknown

New Rabbit

2011-08-12T22:11:00.001-04:00

There is nothing that transports you you back to the carefree days of childhood quite like climbing onto a brand new bicycle. Nothing. So today was a special day for Mike as he pulled his spanking new ride out of the car for our Happy Hour ride. And for me once I realized his bike is actually going to make me faster trying to keep up with him.

We took a hard charging ride around the bonus loop, stopping periodically to tighten headsets and shotgun a Labatt's Blue (the new format for our Friday Happy Hour rides). Without the maintenance stops I'm pretty sure we would have set a new speed record. And KirkT's all rigid 'cross bike provided a nice contrast to Mike's showroom new Niner. How he kept that thing on the ground at the speeds we were riding I will never know.

There's a new rabbit in town.

Chris

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, quite so worthwhile as simply messing about on bicycles"
-- Tom Kunich

I Don't Remember

2011-08-11T22:42:00.005-04:00

Placeholder for picture I would
have really liked to take but
couldn't

Add this to the list of things you might see while mountain biking but definitely not while sitting at home on the couch...

As we swung into the park for our sunset ride we came upon a photographer and a very well-endowed model hard at work. She was scantily clad and was man-handling a tire iron in front of some sort of sports car I don't remember what kind.

We tried to be discrete as we cruised by. Funny since she was being anything but...

...so this Christmas if Santa brings you a Pep-Boys pinup calendar featuring a very capable-looking brunette with two middle-age mountain bikers in the background, Jim and I would be glad to autograph it for you.

P.S. Pin-up photo shoot aside we did have a great ride. Jim's battery may be low but his vision is intact. And the rust is gone after a 2 week layoff.

Goooo Riders!

2011-07-24T23:08:00.000-04:00

Oncoming biker

The siren call of mountain bike race in our back yard was too much...

..well it wasn't enough to get me to pin a number on my jersey, but it was enough for me to throw a few cold ones in a back pack, charge my lights, and head out for a midnight bike ride with Rob to check out the scene. And oh what a scene it was.

Jim was marshaling the turn down by the boat ramp. We hung out there long enough to shepard a few dozen riders through the tricky turn. It was quiet, the air was thick with humidity, and approaching bikes were surrounded by a halo of white light. But the novelty soon wore off, so we headed to the start/finish line at the top of the park. It was a behive of activity. Bikers on trainers warming up for the next race (wtf?). The race was being professionally timed, so the start/finish was well lit and festooned with an array of banners and equipment to read the riders' RF tags. Registration booths. An ambulance idling nearby. Riders and spectators wandering about waiting for the next heat.

But we knew the real action would be over at The Eddie Trail. We bushwhacked through a field to the top of the Eddie Trail and then jumped onto the race course clipped in and descending quickly toward the ruins. It wasn't long before we heard the voices and the music. Next it was the Christmas tree lights lining the single track path through the woods. And then we were at the ruins which were illuminated in relief with a powerful halogen light (generator powered). About 30 supporters sitting on the ruins/coolers and cheering us the the top of their lungs. "Riders!! Goooo riders!!" It was like something out of Alice in Wonderland. We muttered that we were spectators, ditched our bikes next to the ruins, broke out a couple of beers, and joined in the festivities. Every few minutes a couple of racers would come screaming down the Eddie Trail through the dark, into the light of the party, over a small log drop, and around a small turn, and then back into the darkness. Each encounter lasted less than 5 seconds. Those on their first lap looked quizzical - like they were seeing some sort of mirage. Those who came through on their second or third lap were grinning ear to ear.

I will never cease to be amazed and the fun that can be had with a bicycle.

Chris

Nothing To Lose

2011-07-23T11:34:00.004-04:00

I'm sure using Locktite on my bottom bracket rates somewhere high on my list of stupid mistakes (not a short list). Let's not dwell needlessly on why I did that, let's just stipulate that I did. And for the last few years I had resigned myself that the usable life of that frame was now inexorably tied to the usable life of that $30 bottom bracket...which was now trashed as result some recent on the trail field repairs.

Out at Last!

So today I decided to give it one more go and try to remove those bearings. Spare nothing. Use a hammer if necessary. After all I had nothing to lose, the frame was destined for the junk heap anyway. So I flipped the bike over, double checked the reverse threading, attached the Shimano BB tool, and leaned into it with all my weight. The tool bit into the soft aluminum. The aluminum was too soft. But I didn't care so I leaned harder, and eventually the BB came loose. Same routine on the other side.

New BB and derailleur hanger and
we're almost like new.

Perhaps it was the 103 degree temperature (probably even hotter in the garage). Perhaps it was the bailing wire and two foot steel rod I had attached to the BB tool to give me more mechanical advantage. Perhaps it was because this time I DIDN'T WORRY what damage I might do to the bike or my knuckles.

Having nothing to lose opens many possibilities.

Chris

Still Smiling

2011-07-15T18:29:00.008-04:00

New Bridge in
Sebastian's
Mudpit

I was disappointed with the upgrade to Sebastian's Mudpit.

Oh it's top quality work - a single 20' span, ramped at both ends, and rock solid. But I was fond of the old one. The tippy three section bridge made out of scrap lumber that Mike, Sean, and I installed one rainy Sunday a few years ago. The one that had recently been wrapped in chicken wire because it was getting so slippery.

Tippy Three Section
Bridge made out of
Scrap Lumber

Progress for sure, but the old bridge made me smile every time I crossed it. Sentimental I guess. A pathetic but tangible symbol that I have contributed a tiny bit to our local trails.

So imagine my delight when I rolled up to the mini-mudpit near the upper field and saw the tippy three section bridge made out of scrap lumber (without the chicken wire this time).

I smiled when I crossed it.

Chris

Diggers and Nipples

2011-07-13T04:12:00.001-04:00

Bacon and Death Cookies. Diggers and Nipples.These terms and many more are explained in my December 2008 post on mountain biking vernacular. Following are some worthy additions uncovered during our recent D2M adventure:

Catcher's mitt - anatomical undercarriage that has been toughened up from extended time in the saddle. It comes at great cost but if properly maintained is a source of great pride and enables the rider to perform superhuman feats of cycling endurance.
Short Punchy Climb - the meaning has regional variances. In the Mid-Atlantic region it does not exceed 200 feet ("short") with occasional grades of 15% or more ("punchy"). In the Rocky Mountain states it at least two miles in length ("short") with similar grades. So "short" is a relative term. And on the heels of a 7 mile climb up 10% grade at altitudes approaching 11,000 feet, the "punchy" part feels more like a Jimmy Snooka pile driver.
Wattage Cottage - Wattage of course is a commonly used measure of pedaling power output. The cottage part refers to the gluteous muscles of a well developed (generally female) cyclist capable of producing high wattages.
Six miles - Number of miles remaining in an extremely long endurance ride as reported by the ride leader. There is no correlation between this and the actual distance remaining to ride. This number is a universal constant. No matter how many additional miles are ridden, the distance remaining will still be exactly "six miles." It is a tremendous source of comfort to know you can always count on "six miles."

Some time I'll get around to merging into yet another compendium of useful mountain biking terms (like the Internet needs another one of those)...

Chris

Scratching That Itch

2011-07-11T07:42:00.001-04:00

The Amateur Men

Spectacular french countryside. The view from a low flying helicopter. Two hundred of the best riders in the world giving everything they have for over 100 miles each day. I can almost feel the burn in my legs during those blistering finishes. Yes the Tour is a great 3 weeks, but sitting on the couch watching it on a television leaves me ungratified.

Women's Start

Sunday's Iron Hill Criterium in West Chester on the other hand had all the drama. Being right there on the rail, feeling the breeze as the riders blow by. Jumping back as two riders crash at full speed into the wrought iron fence in front of me. An emotional dispute in the pit. The crowd cheering as a local rider from Shirk's Cycling Team pulls ahead and wins the men's class. I am really not much of a roadie, but I have to say the criterium is a awesome way to see a bike race as a spectator.

But alas, I was still a spectator. I still have the itch. Must get out and ride in the dirt today. That is the only real way to scratch the itch.

"Put some fun between your legs"
-- unknown

It's in the can

2011-07-10T09:08:00.000-04:00

The first video is "in the can" as they say. I guess I should thank The Edge for his contribution, but frankly the seven other guys who were pushing the pedals up to 11,425 feet deserve most of the credit. Here's to you guys!

Patton's Bridge

2011-07-06T21:06:00.001-04:00

The bridge at bottom of the Sole Trail got a capital upgrade and a name ("Patton's Bridge"). The sign - not visible in this picture - is wedged between those two trees. Nice upgrade, the drop onto the old section was going to mess me up eventually.

Chris

All Meatloaf All The Time

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

The D2M gang gets loosened up on Porcupine Singletrack

My father told me to always save the best for last. For example choking down the lima beans before savoring the meatloaf.

But as I begin to wrap up D2M with this post (the best one of all) I realize that there really were no lima beans with D2M. It was all meatloaf. With gravy. And the reason it was all meatloaf was because of the cast of characters that took this journey (leap of faith really) with me.

They brought a sense of adventure. They brought the Taj and Groover bingo. They brought the mutiny, Sheep Dip scotch, and a lot of laughs. They brought "Claus Van Traup" and "Glenn Armstrong." And the cracked helmet, and a naked girl to follow to Moab. They brought the magic, and I will never forget that.

All meatloaf all the time.

"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how."
--Dr. Seuss

McGiver McFee

2011-07-04T11:44:00.003-04:00

I was skirting the edge of the uranium mine Superfund site when I heard (and felt) an explosion.

A bang actually, but it was loud enough to startle the other riders. Flat. A nasty one, this was a 6" tear along the tire bead. Now I've done my share of field repairs - flats, broken chains, busted derailleur hangers - but this one looked a game ender (at least until we could find the van).

Matt promptly emptied his backpack and got busy. About 15 minutes with a tube of superglue, duct tape, and some plastic scraps from a spiral ring notebook did the trick. We aired it up and it held. Matt said he was confident it would hold but suggested I ride "carefully." Which I did...for about 20 minutes but then we hit some awesome singltrack and rock gardens that left little choice but to ride full on. Which I also did. And the tire held.

So add duct tape, superglue, and some plastic scraps to the seatbag inventory. And some ingenuity.

"Is that a spanner in your packet, or are you just happy to see me?"
-- unknown

Bite Me

2011-07-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

I left my sweat soaked CamelBak outside my tent on night three. Apparently some nocturnal critter was looking for a salty snack, and took a few hunks out of my hydration bite valve. Yes that's the part of the hydration system that goes in your mouth. There were no bike shops within 100 miles, so I got to finish the trip with this one...in my mouth.

"Keep riding, Nancy. It's just water and dirt."
-- Huck And Roll

Luminous Beauty?

2011-07-02T12:00:00.001-04:00

Conserving energy during lunch break on day two.

Some of those long painful climbs were actually the most beautiful moments of the trip. Even in the granny gear they required every ounce of strength I had for every pedal turn. These climbs were endless - half an hour, an hour, or more even longer before I could coast for just a few seconds.

I remember the sights, smells, sounds, and emotions of many of those climbs like they were yesterday. Day one climbing Bolam Pass with the two Mikes, day two riding KillPacker flats with Kirk and Jim, and day four riding up toward Geyser Pass with Sebastian and Dave. During these long climbs, small groups of 2-3 riders seemed to cling together for moral support (it certainly wasn't drafting at 3 mph).

There were few words exchanged. The laughter and light-hearted banter had died long ago. All energy was devoted to turning the pedals, grinding away thousands of feet of altitude one crank turn at a time. Each crank turn an effort. All I heard was the labored breathing of the riders right next to me. Occasionally one of us might get in an extra crank turn and inch slightly ahead. The group would respond, drawing their energy from the lead rider. Or we might sense one rider was fading and the group would ease up slightly allowing the struggling rider to recover. This dance would naturally switch off as individual energy levels ebbed and flowed. Long periods of concentrated silence, each rider tuned in to those around him.

And so it went for mile after mile. All the while surrounded by mind-boggling scenery, brilliant sunshine, and fresh smells of Colorado high country.

It may seem odd to hear this suffering described as a beautiful experience. But it was beautiful, I think for three reasons. First we were each on a personal journey discovering abilities we never knew we had (physical, mental, and emotional). But it was the camaraderie of the shared experience took it to a whole new level. For me it was almost euphoric.

"Suffering has a luminous beauty, and cleanses the mind in much the same way a wildfire clears an overgrown forest."
-- Mike Ferrentino

What Works

2011-07-01T12:00:00.002-04:00

My Junk

Five days in the mountains. Bikes, equipment, packing, what to bring, what not to bring, what works what doesn't?

Fixing lunch for the road

I packed pretty well. Used 90% of what I brought, and didn't miss much. Big wins:

Synthetic underwear - can't believe it took me this long. Always fresh and breezy, almost like going comando except with some help for the boys. A+++++
Arm warmers - as Glenn said "modular clothing is awesome." He's right.
My own bike seat - this where "the rubber meets the road" so to speak. Best to do it with a familiar friend.
Chamois Butt'r - awkward the first few times you use it but an ounce of prevention...
Baby wipes - five days in the bush, I'm just sayin'
Journal - just a few minutes each evening around the campfire, priceless

Friends, campfire,
and a bottle of scotch
made for a memorable
night four.

Of questionable utility:

Leg warmers - didn't use, maybe it was Dave's "Flash Dance" comment
Winter gear - didn't use, but would have been nice if weather hadn't cooperated
Beer and liquor - we went way overboard (8 cases beer, bottles of burbon, scotch, rum, vodka). For an event this physically demanding you just don't have the time or inclination to drink 5 beers a night. However scotch is a different story...

I've got my list, checked it twice, ready for another go....

The Company You Keep...

2011-06-30T12:00:00.010-04:00

One goal for this trip was contact. Contact with with our environment, with each other, and with our guides. That's why we avoided some interesting hotel based trips. The restaurants, bars, TVs, and cell phones would be an unwelcome distraction. This trip required FULL IMMERSION. meals around a campfire, showers under a tree. A sleeping bag and a tent.

The Hermosa trip format and in particular the guides ensured we got the full contact experience without having to compromise. Camp was setup and the fire lit when we arrived at camp each evening. Expert preparation and fresh ingredients meant our meals were first rate. And helpings were healthy, we never went hungry.

But the guides were really the secret sauce.

Matt McFee is the mastermind of the operation and has assembled a winning format and a great team of guides. His navigational skills and lunchtime stories of the Continental Divide Race were eclipsed only by his performance in the Angelina Jolie game and his expert chamois cleaning tips.

We only had a few minutes with Peter Basinger as he shuttled us to the start on day one, but he had some great stories of racing in the Iditarodtrail invitational, a 24hr mountain bike race in Alaska where he found a racer who had been mauled by a grizzly (she survived), and the trip to NYC to be interviewed by one of the morning talk shows about the bear incident.

Apple Cobbler, yum!

Lisa Lieb ("Angie")added a high energy feminine touch to the adventure without upsetting the dynamics of eight guys on a "guys trip." At first I was dubious about the mixed gender dynamic, but she mixed it up expertly. She ran a fantastic kitchen, tended to some gnarly injuries, and put some guys in their place when they needed it. She walked the line expertly. Oh and she is a kick ass rider.

Glenn Shoemaker ("Glenn.P.R") was our cowboy poet. He was knowledgeable about everything from the lifecycle of the desert gnat and herbal remedies to chiropracty and fine whiskeys. He was a wealth of excellent advice, never preachy, gently offered in prosaic fashion. We learned to listen attentively when he offered wise advice about "building monuments" and being careful about places where "someone might get your stuff." And he was ALWAYS there if someone was suffering and falling off the back of the group, distracting them and keeping them positive.

And finally, Delila the black and tan coonhound and Arthur the newfoundland were a great touch. Originally they did not plan to be on the trip but we insisted that they join us because we think dogs are awesome.

"That bike chick sort of digs you but is not looking for a beginner"

-- unknown

"RIDE HARD, live easy"
-- unknown

Size Doesn't Matter...

2011-06-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

...at least it didn't tonight.

I took the Turner Burner out for tonight's ride. First time since Colorado. This is a legendary XC bike but the 3.6" of travel didn't seem like much as I bounced on the bike in the driveway. Not after riding that big 5" RumbleFish in Colorado. But it was just the ticket on the twisty buffed-out singletrack of MCSP.

Might be a different story at French Creek or Wissahickon...

...but tonight three point six inches was plenty.

"If the world were a logical place, men would ride side saddle."
-- Rita Mae Brown

Groovin'

2011-06-29T12:00:00.005-04:00

Our Groover had a view and a two drop maximum.

The view was of the snow-capped La Sal mountain range in the distance. Unobstructed by houses, trees, or even window glass. It was straight up. A big money view.

The two drop maximum meant you had a 50% chance of having to empty The Groover. Very high stakes. Add eight competitive guys, and you've got yourself a sideshow of epic proportions. Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer type of stuff. "Who just went?" "Did he really go?" "Where is 'so-and-so'?" Head fakes. Guys sneaking to the Groover at four in the morning.

In the end I was 0 for 2. I would have liked another go at it to improve my percentage, but on the last day we raised the maximum from two drops to three. In my mind the price of failure was too high, so I held out for modern facilities on night #4.

But (a small) part of me still misses that Groover and that money view.

Know Thy Route

2011-06-28T12:00:00.007-04:00

Trip data from Andy's GPS unit (includes a map track) is available online. For guys who were on the trip, if you zoom in on the map track I swear you will remember every rock and switchback as if it were yesterday.

Total elevation gain for the trip was 17,732ft and total loss was 22,642ft. Don't interpret this to mean it was a downhill ride. We did a LOT of climbing on every day except #5 (see elevation graphic). It takes many hours of hard work to climb a few thousand feet, but only a few minutes of high speed descent to burn it all up. So even though we netted -4,910 ft of elevation this trip was totally dominated by climbing.

I believe the dip around mile 65 was lunch on day #3, the steep climb out is the beginning of the infamous afternoon "shit show" grind-fest. I'm still studying topo maps to determine how steep was the climb-out for that afternoon sojourn.

Elevation over mileage

The 38.5mph max speed is from day#2 descent to the reservoir. If you've ever gone over 35 on a bike then you know 38.5mph is wicked fast. It can leave a pretty good rug burn if anything goes wrong. It focuses the mind in a hurry.

Some possible gaps in the data due to a battery issue on day #3.

Enjoy.

"Know then thy route, presume not signs to scan; The proper study of mankind is maps."
-- Albert Augustus Pope

Little Dots and Spots

2011-06-27T12:00:00.002-04:00

These spots itch like crazy

That's the back of my heel/calf area. It itches like a SOB. Just about everyone who went on the D2M trip has them. And today I found out what they are.

Chiggers.

Damn chiggers.

They are some sort of minuscule larvae that attach to you and liquefy your flesh so they can drink it. I thought my dog was disgusting when she ate horse manure. That's nothing compared to chiggers.

Damn chiggers.

"All I see is little dots, some are smeared and some are spots."
--David Byrne

Sleeping With Your Junk

2011-06-26T20:14:00.000-04:00

My feet in the
White Clay parking lot
without cycling shoes

I slept with my junk all week in Colorado. Every time I woke up, it was right there. So I'd pack my tent and sleeping bag, put on my junk, climb on the bike, and ride. Day after day.

Simplicity.

Except today at 6:00am when I had to load my junk in a car and drive an hour to White Clay...only to find I forgot some important junk. Like, my cycling shoes.

It was so pathetic even Mike and Andy didn't have the heart to abuse me.

So instead of riding the sweet flowy singletrack of White Clay I ran errands at Walmart and Home Depot.

"Go Big or Go Home"
-- unknown

Big Five Inch

2011-06-25T15:10:00.000-04:00

Took the Rig for my first ride since Moab. Just to loosen up.

The big five inch...

Impressions:

Too many hikers. I don't think we saw anyone on the trails the first four days of riding in Colorado and Utah. I like that.
Really good air. There is 4x the oxygen (per volume) here than at the top of Bolam Pass. We were not acclimatized for Bolam Pass. Big difference.
Didn't miss the gears really, but did reach for the shifter out of habit.
Pucker factor. Didn't register at MCSP.
No rear suspension was weird. Not much front either since I filled the Reba with too much oil. I got used to the RumbleFish with 5" of plush travel front and back. Not that I needed it today, but I missed it. I started hopping up and down on the Rig and nothing much happened.

I really do miss that big five inch.

"29 and single"
-- saw it on a t-shirt once

You Will Not Regret It If You Live

2011-06-25T09:55:00.002-04:00

This was an adventure with all the commensurate risks and rewards. Mountainous terrain and excessive speed contributed to both crashes. With downhills measured in miles instead of yards and altitude drops measured in thousands of feet instead of hundreds, it is no surprise we were riding at excessive speeds for long periods of time. Speeds unheard of on our east coast trails.

Nurse Kitty cleaning up Sebastian.
He'll have some good bacon from
that one!

Sebastian's crash occurred after a particularly gnarly section of downhill where the trail smoothed out. From behind, it looked like his front wheel had hit a large rock - the bike stopped and he flew a good ten yards down the trail, sustaining a couple of nasty scrapes but thankfully no structural damage. Luckily he was thrown forward and not sideways where there was no trail, only air (you get the picture). Oddly we could not find any obstructions on the trail - final analysis concluded that the rear wheel was off the ground approaching turn when both brakes were applied, resulting in instantaneous endo. Possible contributing factor was that brakes on Sebastian's own bike at home were soft (needed to be bled).

Conclusions: On descents keep weight back and use front brake judiciously. Switching from soft to firm brakes may contribute to misjudging stopping power.

Nurse Kitty checking
Dave before granting
him access to the cooler

Dave's birthday crash had speed and some additional complicating factors. It was at the end of a very very long day, and we were nearing camp and a cooler full of beer. We were about 3 miles into an 8 mile descent. It was a similar stretch of trail, very fast, flat, and smooth when Dave just inexplicably disappeared in a tangle of bike, legs, and dust.

Tangent: It was strange seeing the crash from about 100 yards back. The violence of the crash was apparent. Legs and bike tumbling down the trail. Arms flopping. Dust flying. I've been there, I know. But from where I was sitting it was utterly silent. No noise, no pain. A strangely detached and frankly disturbing perspective.

I was first on the scene and as is customary asked him if he was ok. He said "no." David never says "no." A quick assessment turned up a cracked helmet and a left shoulder that hung considerably lower than his right...because his arm had been wrenched out of the shoulder socket. Nurse Kitty promptly got busy assessing the patient and trying to work the arm back into place. In the end, Dave was able to work it back in and elected to ride the remainder of the descent (albeit a little slower). That my friends is one tough customer.

Conclusions: On descents keep weight back and use front brake judiciously. Increase the margin for error (slow down) if you are on the back end of a grueling ride.

Jim after tangling with
a barb-wire fence and
"cleaning" the wound.

Jim's mishap was not so much a crash as it was a miscalculation. Treat barb-wire with utmost respect. Get your tetanus shot. And please please do not fill your mouth with water and spit on your open wound in a vain attempt to "clean" the injury. Your mouth is one of the most bacteria infested parts of your body. You are actually better off urinating on it than spitting on it (urine is sterile). You get the picture.

These incidents and numerous other minor bumps and scrapes confirmed that indeed this was an adventure not a video game, that that the human body is glorious and capable of many amazing things, and most importantly it may be the mind that is the real wildcard in all this. Who would have thought?

"All problems in mountain biking can be solved by going faster, except the ones that are caused by going too fast."
-- unknown

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live."
– Mark Twain

“Pain is temporary, glory is forever”
-- unknown

Colorado Chronology

2011-06-24T10:03:00.012-04:00

D2M Team on way to Geyser Pass.
It would be a very long day.

Technically D2M is history. A few scrapes and bruises linger as friendly but fading reminders of our recent adventure. But other effects will reverberate for a lifetime – rugged and remote countryside conquered, extreme conditions endured, perceived physical and mental limits sorely tested and exceeded – and best of all we experienced it as a group.

Now, how to immortalize the epic adventure in words and pictures without overwhelming the writers or the readers? We divide and conquer...the same way we bagged Bolam Pass...one switchback at a time. We will start with the requisite chronological treatment to baseline the scope of the trip. But there many non-linear themes that colored the entire adventure. Rather than muddy the chronology, we will follow up with posts exploring these various themes - some very practical like field repair, what happens when rodents and insects come calling, the numbers , bikes, and gear. Other topics more ethereal like the difference between pain (bad) and suffering (good), friends and acquaintances, and heeding nature's call.

The possibilities are endless, so let's get started with the all important chronology...

DAY ONE - BOLAM PASS

One of a shitload of switchbacks
heading up to Bolam Pass
Distance: 26 mi
Climbing: 4,300 ft
Max altitude: 11,425 ft
Pedaling time: 4.5 hrs
Crashes: 0
Mechanicals: 0
Dinner: Coconut curry chicken, steamed rice, fresh spring rolls, chocolate fondue

Lunch then a nap

Day one started at the Durango Mountain Resort where we fit our bikes, got our 2 minute briefing on bike safety and satellite transponders, and then promptly began what would be a long warm-up climb climb of 2.8 miles. After a short break on some "Secret Single track" and lunch in the flower-filled Hermosa Creek Valley we began the final assault on Bolam Pass. The first 3 miles of the 9 mile uphill assault were a teaser, the last 6 miles were for real - loose, rocky, and extremely steep. A short break at Celebration Lake near the top of our climb was sorely needed, as the last 2+ miles to the pass was hike-a-bike through knee-deep snow and ankle-deep melt-water. The payoff was considerable as the pass offered a breathtaking 180° vista of Lizard Head Valley with Hermosa Peak and SlideRock Ridge in the background. A Pull off Glenn's flask (Eagle Rare Bourbon) didn't hurt either.

After a short nap, we descended the other side of the pass into the San Juan National Forest. The descent down a sometimes gnarly double-track dirt road was loaded with washed-out ruts and rocks the size of bowling balls. When we rolled into camp the kitchen was setup, chairs were arranged around the campfire, beers were iced, and a large tray of appetizers was ready and waiting for our crew of exhausted and hungry bikers.

Killpacker Flats

DAY TWO - LIZARD HEAD

Breakfast: Starbucks coffee, OJ, blueberry pancakes, bacon, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit
Distance: 30 mi
Climbing: 4,000 ft
Max altitude: 10,100 ft
Pedaling time: 4.0 hours
Crashes: 0
Mechanicals: 0
Dinner: Grilled steaks, parmesan risotto, asparagus, apple cobbler

Snacks at the cabin

This day started with a 3 mile climb from camp to Killpacker Flats and some more killer scenery (a Colorado "flat" is roughly equivalent to a Pennsylvania "Mountain"). We took a break at a rustic log cabin right out of a John Wayne movie, and then started another very long climb up Black Mesa Road to top out at 10,100 feet. More rest and refueling, and we launched into an 8 mile descent to Ground Hog Reservoir in the shadow of Lone Cone (clocked at 38 mph). After some snacks and a dip in the reservoir (snow melt was refreshing at 40°), we headed to camp in the desert.

The desert

This was our first truly primitive camp (no facilities, no people, no nothing). The scene was other-worldly, like something out of a sci-fi movie. The snow-covered La Salle Mountains were visible in the distance (Moab on the OTHER side). It was an early night with everyone thinking about another big day ahead of us.

DAY THREE - THE SHIT SHOW

Breakfast: Starbucks coffee, OJ, fritata, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit
Distance: 40 mi
Climbing: 5,000
Max altitude: 10,678 ft
Elapsed time: 7.5 hrs
Crashes: 1
Mechanicals: 5 flats
Dinner: Custom burritos including fresh cilantro and guacamole, s,mores

Moab is on the OTHER side of those!

Today's ride was broken up into two stages. Before lunch we rode some long rolling desert flats where I experienced an explosive flat next to a Uranium Superfund Site. 6" gash along the tire bead, seemed to be a show stopper, but Matt managed to fix it with some superglue, duct tape, and scraps of plastic from a spiral notebook. Amazingly it held fast for remainder of the morning stage including a "short punchy" 1500 ft climb to ride some awesome Colorado rollers. Red dirt then green dirt. Diving turns on an abandoned mining road. Fast and technical. After a long descent into the Dolores Canyon through some rocky gnarl, we had our first truly violent crash of the trip. Sebastian was lucky to walk away with some bruises and a bloody elbow and knee (not sure he would agree he was lucky though).

Whiskey and a Shit Show

The after lunch stage started with a steep punishing 200 yard climb through loose dirt and rocks directly into a rain storm. We geared up for the weather and then began what would be a sustained and difficult 14 mile climb. Kirk set his stop watch and we were pushing pedals for 2.5 hours before we were able to coast for just a few feet before recommencing climbing. The unrelenting climb did have some spectacular views of Paradox Valley and an impromptu "Shit Show" when Oates and Riley got tangled up midway through the climb. Ride finished with the La Sal Mountains noticeably closer and a short descent to camp at Buckeye Reservoir.

DAY FOUR - THE LONG WAY HOME

Crossing the line

Breakfast: Starbucks coffee, OJ, blueberry pancakes, bacon, fruit and granola
Distance: 28 mi
Climbing: 4,200 ft
Max altitude: 10,200 ft
Pedaling time: 4.5 hrs
Crashes: 1
Mechanicals:
Dinner: Fresh salad, chicken pancetta, pasta, and red sauce, fresh baked chocolate/raspberry cake

Woke up to the sound of rushing water in the creek 25' from my tent. After breakfast we struck out for the CO/UT border and started what would be a mentally and physically challenging odyssey to Geyser Pass. The day would include some backtracking (500' of the climb done 2x for good measure), a portage around a beaver pond, and another 1+ mile hike-a-bike through the snow in Geyser Pass. The views were spectacular as we climbed the shoulders of the La Sal Mountains toward the pass.

Hike a bike at the beaver pond

We crested Geyser Pass around mid-afternoon, and once we regained rideable trails we began a high speed eight mile descent down some wide-open single track toward camp east of Moab. Given our fatigue and the speed potential, it is probably a miracle we had only one crash on the descent. Unfortunately it was another bad one, resulting in a dislocated shoulder for one rider. But with some manipulation by Lisa (our guide) and some grit from the patient, Dave was able to "relocate" his own shoulder and finish the ride to the bottom of the hill.

Approaching Geyser Pass
and still smiling

This was to be the last night of the trip, so after dinner we parked ourselves around the campfire at Warner Lake and got started on a fresh bottle of Sheep Dip blended scotch. Being the rennaisance men that we were (and are), we did not stoop to merely passing the bottle. Instead we engaged in high-brow drinking games like "new names for interesting body parts", "new names for interesting body functions", and the always classic "Angelina Jolie game." We wrapped around midnight with the Taj team absorbing the brunt of the punishment (and the scotch). Long live Glenn Armstrong and Claus Van Troubt.

DAY FIVE - THE WHOLE ENCHILADA (ALMOST)

At the top of UPS
Breakfast: Starbucks coffee, OJ, EggsMcHermosa, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit
Distance: 25 mi
Descent: 6,200 ft
Max altitude: 9,520 ft
Pedaling time: 2.5 hrs
Crashes: 1
Mechanicals: 2 flats

After four days of climbing, we would finish the trip with a full day descending some of the best single track anywhere. We started with a very short (and the only) climb from camp to the Hazard Country Trails. This was wicked fast swooping singltrack through meadows, scrub forest, and the occasional rock garden. This was a lesson in gravity, as releasing the brakes for just a second or two could accelerate you instantly to crazy-stupid speeds. These trails alone were worth the trip, but after a short spin on the Kokopelli trail (double track) we picked up UPS (Upper Porcupine Singletrack).

On top of the world, but not
getting too close to the edge...

While Hazard County was a rocket sled ride, UPS was relatively slow but technical single track over slick rock and finely packed red sand. It dodged and weaved along the canyon edge, occasionally swooping within a could of feet of the edge to ensure we kept focused. The slick rock has amazing gripping qualities, enabling us to ride some mind-bending stuff, one of them an impossibly steep 45° descent down a 40' stretch of slick rock. Into a cactus patch. Adrenaline pumping now!

Lunch with a view

Next was LPS (Lower Porcupine Singletrack) which again was completely different from the previous stretch of trail. LPS was large slabs of slickrock protruding from the ground, with tire swallowing gaps and large drops (inches to feet) between slabs. While UPS was all about flow, LPS was all about balance and picking a careful line through this maze which continued for miles.

Overlooking the Colorado River

Eventually, LPS emptied out into Porcupine Trail proper where we took a minute to collect ourselves. Glenn advised us to pay attention on this last stretch. Glenn is a master of giving very good advice in a very subtle fashion. When asked about level of difficulty for Porcupine Trail he said "well on a scale of 1 to 10, you've ridden some 4s and 5s. We'll see some 6s and 7s. And a few places where if you're not careful 'someone will get your stuff.'" We must have looked puzzled. Glenn said "you know, like your family...because you won't need it anymore." Message received. Time to pay attention. And he was not kidding. This lower section which ended at the Colorado River was some of the most scenic trail we had ridden yet, and with a serious pucker factor as parts of the trail passed within INCHES (not feet) of the edge. The kind of edge where if you catch a pedal, "someone will get your stuff." I doubt I will ever again regain the focused zen-like state I experienced when riding, dabbing, or walking some of these sections.

It's good to be alive

We finished at the bottom of the canyon next to the mighty Colorado River, exhausted by five days of hard riding, an adrenaline laced last day, and the knowledge that together we had all pushed ourselves far beyond our perceived physical and mental limits. And had fun doing it.

The trip of a lifetime.

"If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you're lucky enough."
-- unknown

36 Hours

2011-06-12T18:18:00.003-04:00

Tent, sleeping bag, and pad
are already in Durango.

I am having trouble concentrating. In 37 hours I will be boarding a plane to Durango Colorado for a week of mountain biking bliss.

I have pre-shipped my tent, sleeping bag, pad, and a big honkin' tube of chamois butt'r to Durango. I have charged three cameras and wiped ten memory cards.

These are the parts
where my body
touches the bike

I have taken my last ride.

I have packed my favorite bike seat, grips, and pedals. You see these are the parts where my body will be touching the bike. My body doesn't have the time or the inclination to "get acquainted" with new contact points. Not when riding singletrack seven hours per day for five days.

I have packed all my gear and tonight will unpack and pack it again (my roll-on is over the size limit, so I am preparing to have roll-on confiscated).

I pickup SF at 4:30am Tuesday morning and we roll into our next big adventure.

I am stoked.

Getting Over It

2011-05-30T21:27:00.001-04:00

Danger. It's what was on my mind. And that's dangerous.

With Durango just 15 days away my greatest fear is getting banged-up on a practice ride. There's always that chance when mountain biking, but generally you're thinking about how to clear that log pile or rock garden or drop or whatever. You're not thinking about what happens if you don't. That may sound like a fine line but really it's a big fat one because the body tends to follow the mind. Think about landing it and you land it. Think about falling and you fall.

As of Friday, I had three crashes in as many days. Not biggies but they could have been. One I can blame on a dog that jumped in front of me as I was coming off the first Sole Trail bridge - nobody to blame there really. But the next two were avoidable and only happened because I was thinking about not crashing.

Bad mojo that I have exorcised through technology. I happened to watch this awesome 50 second video on the Contour web site. Now let's be clear I am never riding anything as extreme as this trail. Not even remotely close. Ever. Except in my dreams. And while watching the video I am riding that stuff. I am nailing it. I think I watched the video 10x. Next time out on the bike I hit it harder, had more fun, and most importantly thought about landing and not about crashing. I was cured.

But there is another type of crashing that has nothing to do with mental state and has everything to do with equipment state. And that's what happened to Sebastian today (video 0:27). While my mental problem was cured, his equipment problem was about to bite him. I think some fresh Stans tire sealant may have prevented his front tire from burping and instantly decompressing right when he needed it most - dropping down onto the Creative Playthings bridge. I'd estimate he flew 15' horizontal and 6' vertical (down) before landing in a heap (still clipped in) by the side of the bridge. I missed the crash but at least caught the aftermath on video.

Tangent: Speaking of falling while clipped in, there is also some amusing video (video 1:30) of another rider (don't know who) doing just that out near the bonus loop. Classic and funny because it's happened to everyone who uses clipless pedals. Which raises another question - why do they call it "clipped in" if they're clipless pedals?

Anyway I finished the ride with a rapid descent of the Blue Trail, letting the Turner eat up the roots and rock gardens of that sometimes gnarly descent. It felt so good (I was 2.5 hours into the ride at this point) that I rode back to the top of the park just to bomb Blue again. And I could have easily done it a third or fourth time except I was already overdue at home.

So I am clearly not thinking about crashing anymore. I am just thinking about Durango. Twenty-four-by-seven.

Chris

"Little hand says it's time to rock and roll."
- Bodhi

Rough Start to a Banner Ride

2011-05-15T21:23:00.000-04:00

Rolling into Skelp Level lot after
that miserable climb that
we all love to hate

Today's ride was all rain no shine. A persistent drizzle, standing water, mud, wet roots and rocks. A 7:30am start time. On a Sunday. Real Villa Fund Raiser Dinner Dance material.

Granted it was a rough start. DC waiting in the parking lot sitting in his warm dry car looking out at the drizzle on the lake. Was that disappointment on his face when he saw us ride in? And MR who was still in bed (email snafu) and had to saddle up and ride in his PJs (almost).

But this group would not be dissuaded. We rode for a solid 3+ hours. MCSP and HH.

It was actually a banner ride. We made good choices (avoiding slippery wooden bridges). We saw joggers in unique and interesting poses. And we saw what is probably the funniest thing a biker gets to see: a fellow rider rolling to a controlled stop at a busy intersection and then promptly falling over while clipped in to his pedals. We've all done it, and we've all seen it, and it's funny every time. And this time was a bonus, because the cause was a missing cleat bolt, and I just happened to have a spare in my seat bag (MY and DC I think you owe me a beer for that one).

Oh and we saw SF's unbroken string of soap box derby wins broken by MY coming out of nowhere on a much too fast descent of the cinder road. There's a new boy in town now...

Chris

"Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Take a man mountain biking and he realizes fishing is stupid."
-- unknown

Freeride

2011-05-14T16:07:00.002-04:00

The Giant factory trailer was parked at the Marsh Creek boat launch. Under the tent were about 40 spanking new rides. 26ers and 29ers. Hard tails and full suspensions. Cross country and trail. Pick your ride, toss them your driver's license, and ride.

I've always wondered what happens when you combine big wheels with the handling of a full-suspension frame. Five minutes later I was clipped in and spinning down the Lakeside Trail on a brand new Anthem X 29er. This was a unique opportunity to test ride a bike on familiar trails.

Dislikes

DT Swiss rear hub was way loud. Probably a deal breaker for me. I love silent hub on my GF Rig and the subtle sound of my wheels rolling over dirt.
Hydraulic brakes - modulation better than mechanical but if you grab too much brake you're going over. Combined with maintenance issues (bleeding, etc) I just don't think they're worth it.
Pedal clearance - I caught a pedal a couple of times, would have to double check pedal clearance if I were considering the bike.
The weather (drizzling).

Likes

Rolls effortlessly through rock gardens
Nimble handling, suspension active even while braking
Pedaling platform, stand up with no bobbing
New bike, professionally maintained means crisp shifting
A free ride

Bottom line: This was a great marriage. Seriously considering flipping a couple of my current bikes for a 29er full suspension.

Chris

"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how."

--Dr. Seuss

The Big Questions

2011-05-10T21:57:00.003-04:00

Lakeside on the New Bonus Loop

Solo ride this morning. Time to ponder the BIG QUESTIONS.

Why it's fun to be first:

See wildlife before it scares off
Pick the line
Pick the pace
Navigate

Why it's fun to sweep:

No cobwebs in your face
Follow someone else's line
Focus on riding instead of navigating
See the action (close calls and crashes)

Did I miss anything??

"Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for one more ride."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

On The Rocks

2011-05-07T17:21:00.001-04:00

Close call today. Two actually.

But one was a downright scary.

Sunoco Property (new clubhouse?)

MY took a spill off the Creative Playthings bridge reportedly uttering "I'm OK" even before he hit the muddy ground. Somehow he emerged from the woods squeaky clean even after the roll in the mud. We'll call him "Teflon Mike" from now on.

SF hit hard on the rocks near the ruins at Harmony Hill. I was in front and it sounded bad. The rider who was following SF later whispered by my ear "I don't think I would have gotten up from that one."

Urban art

These brushes with disaster are part of the game. The knowledge of what can happen focuses the mind, and that's a big part of the attraction of this sport. We just always hope the bumps and scrapes don't leave a permanent mark. So far so good.

The long grind up Skelp Level was sublime as always. JA led the way with AF on his tail the entire way. I on the other hand was avoiding the burn at all costs and felt perfectly content grinding it out in a low gear. That earned us the right (and the elevation) to bomb the awesome Black Trail downhill before tackling the Three Little Pigs (wet roots and all) and heading back to Marsh Creek State Park by way of the old Sunoco property (see pictures).

A trip around the Bonus Loop left me with 3.5 hours of pedaling. Short of my 6 hour goal for this week, but I am feeling strong and after a two week taper will be itching for some Durango singletrack.

Chris

"To stop or not to stop, that is the question; the light is red, but my heart is green."
-- unknown

Morning eXpresso

2011-05-06T08:35:00.001-04:00

Sitting on a stationary bike while Watching POV bicycle videos seemed like it would be about as gratifying as SM's holiday blowup doll. The one with the big belly button...

...but there it was in the hotel fitness center. An Expresso machine. Maybe it was the 5:00am stupor, but it called out to me. It's a stationary bike with HRM, shifters, steerable handlebars, and a plasma video screen that displays an interactive computer generated cycling POV.

I chose Monkey Mountain from the list of 20 courses (level of difficulty 3 out of 4) and started pedalling. At the start it appeared I was in a strung-out breakaway with 5 other riders and so I found a comfortable gear and set my sights on the lead rider. After about 10 minutes I had fallen 2 positions back and I was actually getting PISSED OFF at myself and these computer generated cyclists.

Yes I was sucked in.

So I picked a monster gear and stood up. Within a minute my aggressive move had reeled in at least 5 riders, my heart rate was pegged in the 170s, and the crowd was going nuts. But to my astonishment another 5 riders came into view around the next bend. So either the early hour and elevated heart rate were impacting my cognitive ability or this damn Expresso machine had an unlimited supply of lead riders to throw in my face. But this was shot at fame so I threw everything I had at this machine for 45 minutes and finished exhausted and drenched in sweat.

I never would have gotten that workout on a traditional stationary bike while watching ESPN or reading USA Today. The silly idea really worked. I'm still not sure if it would stand the test of time (2-3x per week over the course of a long winter), but I was impressed:

Variety of courses with varied scenery
Workload and shifting in response to the terrain is very cool
Ghost rider so you can race against yourself

Suggested improvements:

Mountain biking please! Add some single track options.
Terrible seat. Needs more traditional saddle, not that big squishy one.
Drafting. I tried it but didn't sense any improvement. Resistance should drop ~20% if you're in a draft, and if you hit the rider in front there should be a price to pay (1 minute penalty).

Can leg shaving be far behind?

Chris

"Beware of all enterprises that require a change into Lycra"

-- unknown

Review - SPD Pedals - Shimano M520, Forte Carve, Ascent Terra

2011-05-02T17:08:00.000-04:00

Shimano M520

ITEM: Shimano M520 SPD Pedal
PURCHASED: from Performance Bicycle in 2008
PRICE: About $35
RATING: POOR

ITEM: Forte Carve SPD Pedals

PURCHASED: from Performance Bicycle in 2010

Forte Carve

PRICE: $35

RATING: EXCELLENT

ITEM: Ascent Terra SPD Pedals

PURCHASED: from Performance Bycicle in 2010

PRICE: About $20 (clearance)

RATING: GOOD

Ascent Terra

Both the M520 and the Terra make it impossible to use an adjustable wrench to loosen or tighten the axle bolt, because the pedal body does not leave enough room for the width of an adjustable wrench. You much use a crescent wrench or specialized pedal wrench. TSA recently confiscated my 15mm crescent wrench so this has been an aggravation recently, and seems like a silly design element.

Tension Adjuster on M520

Furthermore, the tension adjusters for the M520 are prone to coming loose because they rest in a small recess in the underside of the pedal clamp, instead of using a standard bolt through the pedal clamp as in the Carve and Terra. Once of these buggers did come loose on my M520s and it was a real pain getting it back together.

Tension Adjuster on Carve

I've also had issues with the pins than run through the pedal clamp and springs. These pins seem to work themselves loose on the M520s and if you don't fix them periodically, the pedal will basically come apart probably 1/2 way into a long ride. You can see they are working loose in the picture of my M520s.

Rust/Pitting on Terra

I purchased the Terras as an extra set for my rarely ridden road bike, so I can't really complain but I should point out the rust/pitting occurring on the pedal clamp surface. Probably related to cheaper materials.

Regarding the bearings, I have not had any problems with any of the pedals although all 3 seem to have a tiny bit of play.

Finally I'd like to point out that none of these designs is particularly good at clearing mud or snow, it is almost always an issue during snowy rides. I would like to try the Crank Brothers design but since it uses a different cleat type I'd have to use a different pair of shoes with those pedals, so I haven't made that change. I've also heard some concerns from fellow riders on durability with those pedals.

The Last Laugh

2011-05-01T21:08:00.000-04:00

Putting our heads together
on some trailside bike repairs

"He who laughs last laughs hardest." We laughed hard all morning (and cried on some of the climbs) as we retraced the path of the infamous 2006 Blue Marsh Death March. The Death March blog post puts a positive spin on a very long day when some young(er) riders learned what it means to bonk hard 17 miles into a hilly 23 mile loop ride with no bailout options.

Like 2006 we had a couple of mechanicals including a busted chain but the difference this time was better conditioning, fewer wrong turns thanks to Mike "Everything Sounds Like Katy Perry" Miller, and for me at least my bonk-proof provisioning.

Hoping this one doesn't stick...

In the end we shaved about 1.5 hours elapsed off our 2006 time and while nobody suggested we add the 7 mile ski slope bonus loop, it was a good tired when we cruised into the parking lot shortly after 12pm. We finished at Ganly's with Guinness drafts and burgers.

This was no death march.

"Great things are done when men and mountains meet. This is not done by jostling in the street"
--William Blake

A Gamer

2011-04-23T15:52:00.001-04:00

Down But Not Out

Not the video kind.

No, this is the true gamer. An original.

The kind who is "all in" for the June Durango to Moab epic and subsequently bangs up his knee while skiing in Utah (or at Villa Fund Raiser Dinner Dance, we're not sure). At any rate he gets MRI films on and promptly limps over to his MD neighbor for a quick interpretation.

MCL tear.

And then he texts me "Grade 1 or 2 tear and NP for Moab." And I believe him.

I think that's the definition of a gamer.

Chris

Bike Bike EAT Bike

2011-04-17T21:47:00.002-04:00

I really need to start taking the picture
before I eat it. This big ol'
clay pot of love was awesome!

That's a solid 6.5 hours for the week. Over half of them were today when four of us made the rounds:

Bike from Sugars Bridge to Harmony Hill, ride HH
Bike to Marsh Creek, ride MCSP*
Bike to Ricon Tarasco in Downingtown, eat some amazing mexican food**
Bike to Harmony Hill, bike HH again (a little)
Bike to Sugars Bridge (uphill)

...or more precisely Bike Bike EAT Bike

That about sums it up.

Chris

* Near catastrophe at the stream crossing on the bonus loop. Soft stream bed and big rock conspired to eject a rider over the handlebars. Disaster narrowly averted. 3 inches to the right would have been a different story.

** Oh my God is was a big clay pot filled with simmering stew of chicken, steak, chirizo sausage, onions, and hot peppers. It was literally bubbling when the waitress set the pot on the table.

Improvisation

2011-04-10T21:12:00.000-04:00

Kirk wrestling his bike
in the Muck Pit

The sound of an aluminum Klein frame clattering through a rock garden reverberated across the lake. It was loud enough to turn the heads of two fishermen in a boat 30 yards offshore. We were 10 minutes into the ride...

Dangly Limp Derailleur

...luckily the crash was followed by a hearty (albeit nervous) laugh from Kirk, and we took his bicycle wrestling act to a muckpit out by the Bonus Loop.

The fun was just beginning. On the backside of the bonus loop I picked up a stick which twisted the cage into my rear spokes and ripped my rear derailleur clean off.

We got right to work by removing six links from the chain and rigging the bike as a singlespeed in less time than it took Kirk to play U2's "Walk On" and Springsteen's "Long Walk Home" on his iPhone. The result was a very tight chain and I fully expected it to rip apart after a few crank turns, but to everyone's surprise it held together.

Modification still holding
strong after an hour of riding

It was a bigger gear than I would have preferred, but it was nice to be singlespeeding again (I haven't been on my Rig since we started training for Durango). In fact after we finished the ride on the east side we took it over to the west side for about 20 more minutes of riding.

In the end today's abbreviated ride left me behind on training for the week, but feeling pretty good about on-trail mechanical improvisation.

Hot Tub Concoction

2011-04-03T21:43:00.003-04:00

Antonio sessioning the log on
the Bonus Loop

Here's what happens when you ride hard for 2 hours and 45 minutes then plunge into a 104º hot tub to continue planning for the June 2011 Durango to Moab trip...

...your blood vessels dilate, the blood pressure in your brain drops to about 60/40, and you concoct a brilliant revision to your training program:

Since our rides in June will be 5-6 hours of pedaling in 6-7 hours duration, we will increase duration of Sunday rides to max out in early June at 5+ hours. "Practice like you play" as they say...
Schedule the rides now. Move them around to ensure variety. Locate them to accommodate increasing durations and intensities We are all busy people, pre-scheduling just makes sense.

Kirk sessioning the same log

So after our 3 hour ride and hot-tub soak I did the only thing that made sense. I went out in the sun and drank beer and played kickball with the kids (and dads) for 6 hours, then came home to tap out this blog post. And here is what I came up with:

Date	Duration	Location	Depart	Start	End	Home
10-Apr	3:00	Harmony Hill	8:45 AM	9:00 AM	12:00 PM	12:15 PM
17-Apr	3:15	Marsh Creek	9:00 AM	9:00 AM	12:14 PM	12:14 PM
24-Apr	3:29	White Clay	8:00 AM	9:00 AM	12:29 PM	1:29 PM
1-May	3:45	Brandywine	8:30 AM	9:00 AM	12:46 PM	1:16 PM
8-May	4:04	Fair Hill	8:00 AM	9:00 AM	1:04 PM	2:04 PM
15-May	4:24	Wissahickon	8:15 AM	9:00 AM	1:24 PM	2:09 PM
21-May*	4:45	Blue Marsh	8:00 AM	9:00 AM	1:45 PM	2:45 PM
29-May	5:08	French Creek	8:30 AM	9:00 AM	2:08 PM	2:38 PM

I've fixated on a 9:00 am "clipped in and pedals spinning" schedule, increased Sunday ride times by 8% each week, cranked in the drive times (from Lyndenwood), and calculated estimated time of return to facilitate scheduling and family planning. I think that's pretty damn impressive.

Now we can quibble about start times and whether it is possible to ride 3 hours at Harmony Hill. I suspect we will shuffle locations and maybe repeat a couple to make this work, and we do have a rest week 5/1 to consider, but that sort of discussion is A-OK because that's a productive conversation that gets us closer to Durango.

Note also that 21-May is a Saturday ride. A ride is organically organizing via the Pennsylvania forum on MTBR for that date, and that's just about the time we need to bang out a long ride. Where better than Blue Marsh (remember our first time)?

Oh and the hot tub produced one other minor breakthrough. Our recruiting efforts have moved yet another rider from unrated to "47-50%" probability for the June trip. That is a ways from 100% but is real progress and would make it 8 riders total and that my friends is exciting news!

We'll see how this "hot tub concoction" looks in the morning after a good night's rest...

Chris

"Chasing records doesn't keep me on my bike. Happiness does."
-- Lance Armstrong after his third Tour de France victory

How can I optimize my health at altitude?

2011-04-02T05:00:00.006-04:00

Post shamelessly excerpted from the Institute of Altitude Medicine website. Thank you IAM.
--------------------
An overnight stay at an intermediate altitude such as Denver (5280 ft) or preferably a bit higher prior to further ascent into the mountains is very helpful.

Staying hydrated is important as it aids your body in acclimatizing.

Avoid use of alcohol or sleeping agents of the benzodiazepine family, since they both suppress breathing and result in lower blood oxygen. Other sleeping pills like Ambien or Lunesta do not affect breathing at high altitude and are safe. Avoid over-exertion for 1-2 days after arrival to altitude.

[MO7S commentary: I prefer the word "moderation" to "avoidance." I use avoidance with influenza and mean people. In all other matters I think moderation is a better alternative]

Acetazolamide (Diamox®) taken 24 hours prior to arrival to altitude and the first 2 days at altitude is 75% effective in preventing AMS. It speeds up the acclimatization process in the body, stimulates breathing, raises blood oxygen and increases urination.

[MO7S commentary: ...and possibly improves tolerance for alcohol.]

Gingko biloba, according to some studies was effective in preventing AMS when started 5 days prior to ascending to altitude, at a dose of 100 mg twice a day.

Avoiding exposure to viral illness such as coughs and colds will improve your chances of staying healthy.

[MO7S commentary: See! I told you!]

When traveling consider wearing a mask if exposed to someone with a severe cough. Use proper hand washing and good hygiene to avoid transferring germs.

Altitude Myths

Myth # 1 - Don't drink caffeine at altitude.
We don't know where this false assumption came from, but likely from the fact that caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you pee). The concern is that it could dehydrate you and contribute to altitude sickness. This concern is unfounded unless you drink pots of black sludge coffee a day and little else. In reality, caffeine stimulates your brain, kidneys and breathing, all of which are helpful at altitude. And for those people who drink several caffeinated beverages a day, stopping abruptly can cause a profound headache. See Dr. Hackett's article on caffeine and altitude.

[MO7S commentary: Thank you, thank you, thank you!]

Myth #2 - Diamox masks symptoms of altitude sickness.
Taking Diamox to prevent AMS will not mask symptoms. It works on the same pathway that your own body uses to help you acclimatize. It is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor which makes you urinate a base chemical called bicarbonate. This makes your blood more acidic and therefore stimulates breathing thereby taking in more oxygen. It speeds up your natural process of acclimatization and if you stop taking it you will not have rebound symptoms. It is one of the main medicines doctors use to prevent and treat acute mountain sickness (AMS).

Myth #3 - Physical fitness protects against altitude sickness.
Physical fitness offers no protection from altitude illness. In fact, many young fit athletes drive themselves too hard at altitude prior to acclimatizing thinking they can push through the discomfort. They ignore signs of altitude illness thinking it can't affect them because they are fit and healthy. Everyone, regardless of fitness, is susceptible to AMS.

Myth #4 - Drinking extra water will protect you from altitude illness.
Staying hydrated is important at altitude. Symptoms of dehydration are similar to AMS. In reality you only need an additional liter to a liter and a half of water at altitude. Too much water is harmful and can dilute your body's sodium levels (hyponatremia) causing weakness, confusion, seizures, and coma. A good rule of thumb to assess for hydration is to check your urine. Clear urine indicates adequate hydration, dark urine suggest dehydration and the need to drink more water.

Myth # 5 - Children are more susceptible to altitude illness.
Several studies have shown that children have similar rates of altitude illness as adults. No evidence exist that children are more susceptible to the altitude. If your child is otherwise healthy and the basic rules of acclimatization are followed they will likely do well at altitude. Children do get altitude illness and the main challenge in those very young is that they can't communicate their headache and other symptoms. Excessive crying in a baby the first 1-2 days at altitude could be altitude illness. Children with AMS bounce back quickly with treatment as do most adults.

Over the Hill?

2011-03-27T20:45:00.001-04:00

June 14th we head west to check the next item off our bucket list: a five day point-to-point mountain bike ride from Durango Colorado to Moab Utah. This trip will be an adventure loaded with surprises and with a sense of accomplishment for a bunch of middle-age east coast flat-landers. We put a lot of work into selecting this particular trip, so I thought I'd share the details for anyone else who might be considering something similar.

We started by recognizing that certain bucket-list items will be more difficult to pull off than others in another 5-10 years, primarily due to physical demands. So we prioritized this trip over some other bucket-list items (e.g., offshore sailing).

Last fall, with some consultation, I developed selection criteria:

All singletrack all the time
Private tour for our group of 6-8 riders (all good friends, compatible group)
Point to point - the sense of accomplishment is appealing
A destination with epic scenery and world class vistas
NO HOTELS - looking for full immersion with no distractions
All play and no work - we focus on riding not logistics
Accommodate a variety of skills and abilities
Excellent food, and lots of it

A few evenings with Google and I had list of candidate trips. Over a few beers we shortened the list to:

Hermosa Tours - great fit with tour operator, "luxury" camping a big draw
Sacred Rides - great fit with tour operator, ability to hit all the best rides
San Juan Hut to Hut - big sense of adventure, provisioned cabins
Boreale Biking - Yukon very appealing, great chow, Yurt with bike powered blender was a big draw

Our criteria were very demanding so each option entailed some compromise, but after contacting some of the operators we proceeded with building a five day itinerary for June '11 with Hermosa. We then locked six riders and settled back to enjoy the holidays. On New Years day '11 we began training for our custom Colorado to Moab trip:

Day One: Advanced singletrack on the Colorado Trail, Intermediate on Hermosa Creek Trail, standard route on dirt road. These options give you anywhere from 30-50 miles the first day. The day ends with a downhill to the camp.
Day Two: A very pretty 40-ish miles past the Lizard Head Wilderness into Uncompahgre National Forest and our camp at Miramonte Reservoir.
Day Three: We work our way along the rim of Paradox Valley and then into Utah near day’s end. As we enter Utah we’re be making our way up the east side of the La Sal Mountains. Mileage today is about 35.
Day Four: we continue climbing up the east side of the La Sal Mountains toward Geyser Pass. It’s good to take our time today and not push it too hard. This is an underrated part of the route for no other reason that people just don’t go here! True solitude. We end the day high in the La Sals ready for a big day 6. About 30 miles.
Day Five: The Whole Enchilada. 28 miles of some of the best mountain biking in the world. High alpine singletrack all the way to the Colorado River 7000 feet below. Must be ridden to be believed. Shuttle back to Durango after the ride.

Like any event of this magnitude, the training and the run-up are great fun. We're just getting started!

Chris

"Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed." — Charles Schultz

Fair Hill Bliss

2011-03-27T14:39:00.001-04:00

14 miles of Fair Hill bliss. Temps in mid-30s. Sunny. Fast trails.

I rode the old Iron Horse. It is quick and nimble, but beats the tar out of me. I think we'll be switching to the Turner Burner for the next ViFRaDD ride. Kirk brought out the old-school Klein (great to see him back), Mike on the Trek Fuel (no longer squeaking), and Antonio on the new 1x10 Specialized. Doble tore it up on his all-rigid Niner with a 19T on the back. We're gonna need to flatten his tires in Durango.

Ride capped off with post-ride soak in Kirk's 104º hot tub. Oh my god.

Feeling pretty strong for this time of year. Training is going well, but most importantly having fun being on the dirt after a long winter...

"Breaking" News

2011-03-25T19:09:00.004-04:00

Another mountain bike rider
cheats death as his MRDBS
maintained ride disintegrates
beneath him.

Another Local Mountain Biker Cheats Death on MRDBS Maintained Bicycle!

You know the story. Bike needs some work. Mike offers to help. He's an avid rider, talks a good game, and has a really nice workshop. Surely he knows what he's doing. "That would be great, I'll drop it off tonight with a six pack."

And everything looks right once he's finished. The crank arm is connected to the spindle. The fork goes up and down. The bike has a seat. "Thanks Mike."

It might be a day, a week, or a month later when it happens. But it generally happens. The crank arm comes off during an uphill grind. The fork starts spewing oil while riding up the sole trail. You're driving down route 30 at 70mph a bike wheel flies off the top of car. Or your seat simply falls apart mid-ride.

This could be painful, but it wasn't.
It's just funny.

You can't get your money back, and the beer is long gone (it was gone before a wrench even touched the bike). And you can't get mad. Why would you? This is the stuff that legends are made of, and it's why you'll see a discrete sign out on the Bonus Loop marking the beginning of MRDBS' ascent into immortality.

You can't make this stuff up!

HD Glory

2011-03-20T22:04:00.002-04:00

The birthday cam came out today.

The birthday cam is a Contour GPS high definition helmet mounted web cam that my biking buddies bought for me for my 50th birthday. You see I am a mountain biker and a geek and they knew it would be the perfect gift...and they were right.

So today when seven of us headed to White Clay for a nice spring ride, I strapped on the helmet cam to document the fun. These guys have no idea how much I appreciate their thoughtfulness. Seriously.

But they also have no idea how much they (should) appreciate my thoughtfulness for skillfully editing the video before posting it to YouTube. Because you see I forgot I had the camera on. And I went into the woods to, well, relieve myself. And the camera caught everything - and I mean everything - in it's high definition glory.

You won't see that part in this video.

But you will see seven grown men having a hell of a time riding bikes in the dirt.

I am so lucky in so many ways.

Thanks guys.

Old Girlfriend

2011-03-18T09:18:00.005-04:00

She was like an old girlfriend. Familiar but different somehow. No more pitchers and the jukebox had more of a hip-hop edge to it. But the crowd was friendly (at least at the beginning) a Nate the Bartender was his old gregarious self.

The inbound leg was memorable for the sprint down the Champs-Élysées (a.k.a. the Duck Ponds) and the multiple breakaways during the dash through town to the hitching post in front of Chelsy's. "You guys are going in there?" said the 14 year old couple hanging out with their infant child in front of the tavern. I guess we were an unusual sight down there - seven mountain bikers with all our gear and dressed in assortments of spandex and baggy pants.

Fine Art

But once we got through the awkwardness of it all and shoved the birthday boy (Sebastian) and the Chelsy's newbie (Antonio) through the door, it all felt very familiar again. The private back room was available for us to stash all our gear (helmets, camelbacks, lights, gloves, jackets, etc). The beer was cold. The air was smokey. The bathrooms were disgusting. The Chelsy's crowd was blue collar and friendly. And so we settled in for couple hours of easy conversation and laughter.

But once we killed the Flying Fish draught (yum, and yes we killed it) we noticed the hour was getting late and the crowd was turning a little ugly so we ordered our traditional round of parting shots, toasted the birthday boy, and cashed out our $88 tab. We were a little flabbergasted by the amount (seven guys, two hours, beer, shots, and only $88?) so we left Nate like a 50% tip and made our exit.

WTF?

And so began the MTBUI phase of our evening (thanks Antonio). It starts with the getting on the bike part. After 3-4 beers and a round of shots, it always feels odd to be climbing aboard a mountain bike. At night. But once back on the Struble the pace line formed quickly which is ironic because at this point we are the last people that belong on a bike, much less a wheel-to-wheel pace line hurtling down the Struble in the dark at almost 20mph.

Once off the Struble and back on the dirt in MCSP, we lined up for the traditional soapbox derby race from the top of Dorlan Mill road. Seven riders wide, and full contact, this is always a barrel of laughs and generally a win for Sebastian. This time was no different. The return leg was also punctuated too many breakaways to count - near the end of the Struble, up Dorlan Mill road, up the backside of the dam, and the obligatory sprint for the Peterson Mailbox (BTW I am resurrecting the Peterson Mailbox Talley on the blog).

Home by 11pm and I presume we all stuck to our pinkie-shake-promise outside of Chelsy's to NOT take a shower when we got home (although I will admit I did put on a long-sleeve t-shirt and long pants before climbing into bed).

All in all a great night, I rated it a 148:
   43 (minutes each way)
   +17 (mph on the pace line)
   +88 (tab at Chelsy's)

See you on Sunday...

What's In YOUR Seatbag?

2011-03-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

For the record, here is my essential gear list...as if anyone really cares:

Spare tube
Zip ties (MacGyver material)
Tire levers (you should be able to remove tire without them, but sometimes...)
Adhesive patches in case you flat the spare tube
Missing link for SS where shortening chain is not an option
Multi-tool with chain break (don't cheap out, you will depend on this tool)
Pump (I prefer to CO2 since problems are rarely "one and done")
Cleat bolt because if you lose a cleat bolt you are hosed
Toilet paper (about 10' in baggy, not pictured)
I probably should also wrap some duct tape around the pump shaft (more MacGyver material)

There you have it. Now what I am missing, really?

Fund Raiser Dinner Dance

2011-03-06T17:04:00.003-05:00

South Shore ice and fog

Today's recipe for an incredibly peaceful morning: solo ride in a slow warm Sunday drizzle. But that's not how it was supposed to be. Here's how it got started:

UNNAMED RIDE COORDINATOR (Tuesday March 1st at 12:40pm):

"Every Sunday 9:00am meet at my house, driveway, cul-de-sac. Rides TBD around Thursday (local or road trip). Key here is the ride is always on, same time, place, whomever can make it. Rain, shine, heat, storms we ride (Moab will not guarantee good weather either). Every Sunday, always at 9am, no questions."

UNNAMED RIDER (Sunday March 6th at 8:04am):

"In.

See you at 9:00am."

UNNAMED RIDE COORDINATOR (Sunday March 6th @ 8:43am):

"Way too banged up from villa fund raiser dinner dance"

Durango to Moab is going to throw a lot of shit at us. Mountains with 11k foot altitudes, consecutive 30+ mile rides, weather, injuries, mountain lions, mechanical breakdowns, and more. But thankfully there will be no fund raiser dinner dances on the itinerary or else we'd be in real trouble!

Wake Up Call

2011-03-05T16:07:00.000-05:00

Rode Harmony Hill today. First real hills I have seen in probably two months of hotel fitness centers and an occasional milk run at Marsh Creek.

Yikes.

There is something to be said about "bike" fitness. I didn't have it. I rode the technical uphill sections like a 3rd grade schoolgirl, caught a pedal and almost went down on the black trail, and was totally gassed after barely an hour of riding. Granted it was 100% anaerobic and I've been focused entirely on aerobic training, but still it was very alarming. Not discouraging (I know I'll get it back) but alarming because I don't have much time...June and the rocky mountains will be here (or more precisely I will be there) in three short months.

It's on.

Awesome Sh*t Ride

2011-02-26T07:15:00.000-05:00

Travel schedule is out of hand, I‘ve slept in my own bed for 1 of the last 9 nights, and will get just 1 more in the next 6…if I’m lucky. Needless to say I haven’t seen much saddle time recently, so when I had a free hour this morning I jumped at the chance for a quick ride even though conditions were awful:

Grey sky with rain in forecast
Cool 31 degrees
Soft ground made it feel like I had two flat tires
When not riding on soft ground I was on glare ice

But (and this is a “BIG but”) I was on a bike and the bike was on dirt, so it did my heart and soul a world of good.

A Breath of Fresh Air

2011-02-13T19:54:00.000-05:00

Could have used one of these today!

What a welcome break from the indoor trainers and treadmills!

Three of us (Sebastian, Antonio, and I) rode, pushed, and carried our bikes across the fields of MCSP and then rode the Struble to the covered bridge and back. Full suspension worked well on the packed and rutted snow/ice sections, but I have to say Antonio's brand-spanking-new Specialized 29er hardtail looked pretty sweet and the lack of rear suspension did not seem to slow him down at all.

And of course the return leg through Downingtown included a stop at Rincon Tarasco for some authentic Mexican food (and music).

Highs forcasted this week to be in the 40s and 50s...with any luck the trails will turn from treacherous ice into glorious mud, we can say goodbye to the asphalt and texting soccer-moms and return to the woods where we belong...

Chris

Review - Dinotte 200L

2011-01-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

ITEM: Dinotte 200L lights
PURCAHSED online from Dinotte in 2007

PRICE: About $300 (was a gift)
RATING: Excellent

I got a couple of the 200Ls. One 200L flood for my handlebars to light the ground immediately ahead and another 200L spot for my head to shine some light wherever my eyes are pointing. I got the 4 cell lithium ion battery pack for the flood and the 2 cell pack for the spot.

I've been using these lights for three seasons now. They throw a lot of light and the beam patterns are good. This was a huge step up from my NightRider halogen setup. I have friends with HID and they definitely throw more light, but they are so expensive they just have one unit. I think I am better off with the two units for the money, even if they are not quite as bright as HID.

The dual setup is great - the bar mount throws a wide beam directly in front of me and the shadows help in depth perception. And the helmet mount is always pointed where I am looking, which is more than I can say for my handlebars. The dual setup is also great for redundancy - in my case when a friend forgot to fully charge his light, I was able to loan him one of mine so we could ride back home safely.

The mounts are elegant in their simplicity (this translates to reliable), but the bar mount could be difficult to align if your bars have any sweep to them. This was easy to fix by taking off the bars and dropping one of the rubber bands around the steerer, then putting the bars back on (see photo).

The cable connections are solid and weatherproof. One of the cables on my setup can be tough to disconnect but this is a minor inconvenience. After 3 years of riding, one of the wires began to fray where it enters the light housing. This was because I was mounting the light on the bar and the battery on my top tube, so the wire was constantly flexing as a rode. I fixed it with a dab of epoxy and I now fasten the batter to the stem so the wire is no longer being stressed.

The batteries are extremely light, especially after the NiMH I had with the NiteRider. Dinotte does say that battery performance may vary, but I am seeing way less run time than advertised. My run times are closer to 2 hours than the 8 hours they advertised. Not sure if this is how I am charging / discharging the batteries, but Lithium Ion are not supposed to be as finicky as NiMH, so this is a disappointment.

I had a bad cable in the original shipment so called Dinotte. They were extremely pleasant and dropped a new cable in the mail that same day, no questions asked. When you are spending this kind of money on mail order equipment, it is good to know they will stand behind their product.

STRENGTHS: Construction, Service, Versatility of dual setup

WEAKNESSES: Cable can be difficult to disconnect, battery life not what I expected

Both Ends

2011-01-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

Mike and Andy on Drunken Sailor

We had no idea what conditions would await us today. Sure we knew it would be chilly (20° at ride time). But what about the trails?

It turned out they were just about...well...perfect. If you have ever seen machine groomed trails at a XC skiing facility, then you have a sense for the trails today. The single track was 12-18" wide and well packed. Grip was 8/10. The only real problem was a couple of frozen stream crossings (and a frozen Camelback).

We had to ride in a narrow envelope. Downhill or off camber turns had to be ridden flawlessly, and straying even 2" off any of the single track would shut you down in a hurry. It took almost 2 hours to do the Lakeside Trail and Bonus Loop, but we must have seen 15 other riders out there, and at least 10 of them were grinning ear to ear.

Wide Section of Singletrack

We rode without mishap until we left the safety of the single track to visit some ice fishermen. Ice fishing at Marsh Creek is nothing like the scene in Minnesota. Here it amounts to a lone fisherman or two sitting on a bucket in the middle of the lake staring at a hole in the ice, probably wearing a pair of electric socks and sipping from a flask. Very Zen but... Anyway when we spotted a pair with a special hut/yurt type thing, power auger, etc we decided to investigate. There was just enough snow covering the ice to make it ridable, or so so we thought until one rider went down. Hard. Instantly our mountain biking instincts kicked in and we laughed as hard as possible without going down ourselves. Eventually we inquired to be sure the victim was OK. I've been on both ends of that - laughing at someone else's misfortune, and laying there in agony listening to the laughter from others. I guess we've seen enough crashes - none of them life altering - so we can afford to be light hearted about it.

Hopefully it stays that way.

Review - Performance Booty

2011-01-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

ITEM: Performance Winter Booty
PURCHASED at Performance Bicycle in 2008
PRICE: $20 on sale
RATING: Excellent

Neoprene uppers and rubber sole with cutout for cleat. You actually cut out the opening based on your cleat type. These booties zip on over your riding shoe. They are size 14 and barely fit over my size 12.2 shoe, so as a rule of thumb you should probably add 3 to your shoe size when purchasing these.

They have served be well through 3 winters of riding in snow, mud, and temps down to the single digits. Once you get into the low-teens my feet still get a little chilly, probably because there is not much between my foot and that cold metal cleat bolted into the shoe. I remedy this by stuffing one of those chemical type mitten warmers into the booty before I ride on a particularly cold night. I suppose a $300 riding boot would be warmer, but at $20 this is pretty good value.

STRENGTHS: Inexpensive, warm, dry
WEAKNESSES: Sizing is tricky

When Less is More

2011-01-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

I've maintained fitness but no matter how much or how hard I ride, I see little improvement in my cycling performance. How can this be? Well if I am to believe dozens of medical and fitness professionals who have published on the Internet, it'd because I've been neglecting my mitochondria.

And I believe EVERYTHING I read on the Internet.

Here is how it goes. If you're aerobic then your mitochondria are using oxygen to burn fat (virtually unlimited supply). If you're anaerobic you have outstripped your body's aerobic ability and instead of burning fat you are burning sugar (limited supply). So we need to develop our aerobic capacity in order to reduce fat and empower our bodies to go long distances.

I learned today road riding that the aerobic zone is a very low heart rate. Much lower than we are accustomed to when mountain biking. We need to slow it down. This will burn fat (instead of sugar) and develop improved aerobic capacity. Remember, LSD.

Six Things I Learned on a Road Bike

2011-01-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that road riding could make your smarter? Road riding! Just back and here is what I learned:

The aerobic zone is very little effort, in fact it's hard to work that little
Riding my SS has created some bad habits (attacking hills)
It's probably not practical to train aerobically on mountain bike / trails
I should have three rings on my road bike
The idea of a CX bike makes a lot of sense right now
People are nice

My goal today was 45 minutes of aerobic exercise and to not get hit by a texting soccer mom on Creek Road. I failed at the first goal because it turns out to be very difficult to keep your HR in that narrow aerobic zone. In one hour of riding I logged just 33 aerobic minutes. Seemingly any level of effort would push my HR above the prescribed limit. While in the aerobic zone, it felt like I was barely working and could have ridden like that all day. It was effortless. I welcomed the hills because it was an opportunity to push a little...but every time I pushed even a tiny bit my HR crept up over 75%.

So for training purposes I need to unlearn the SS habits of attacking hills and probably need a granny ring in order to keep HR low on those hills. And frankly the MTB trails may not be the place to train (it was hard enough keeping HR down on undulating roads, it would be near impossible on mountain bike trails).

Now on to the CX bike thing - I think there might be merit in trading the road bike in on a CX bike. Why? Well I'm not, don't want to be, and never will be a dedicated pace-line type roadie. For me road riding is an occasional change of pace and a way to stay in shape during the off season. Perhaps I will try bike touring at some point, but aerodynamics and counting grams is not important to me. A CX bike - with a more relaxed geometry and beefier build - may be more comfortable and appropriate for touring and I could bypass some of the soccer-mom-infested stretches of Creek Road by hopping some singletrack for a few miles.

And speaking of soccer moms, I did achieve my second goal of not getting hit by one. In fast I was impressed yet again by the wide berth given me by automobile drivers - maintaining safe distances and letting me roll through intersections. I know I am just one soccer mom away from the ditch (that's why I don't like riding roads) but I think it is worth pointing out that 99.9% of the populace are generally nice people.

Maxed Out

2011-01-15T18:14:00.000-05:00

I justified my new HRM as tool to help re-tune my body for the back-to-back all-day rides we'll be doing on DtM.

It arrived last week. I immediately strapped it on and laid on the couch watching to see how low my HR would go. I got it down to 44. With some Pink Floyd and a glass of Glenlivet I'm sure I could get closer to 40.

Anyway that was entertaining for about 11 minutes, and the burning question still remained about how high I could get it. So today when Sebastian, MikeY, and I headed out into some sketchy riding conditions, I would get my chance to find out.

I had my first shot at the bottom of the Sole Trail. I sprinted up the access road until my heart was ready to explode. I glanced at the HRM and it said "NOREC"... WTF??? No idea what that meant, but the box said this thing would register peak HR so I figured I would sort it out after the ride. One more sprint through the horse farm. I glanced down at saw it peak at 176 before I exploded.

Are we having fun yet?

Once home I opened the manual and learned my peak HR was reportedly 180. I will re-evaluate on my next ride, but for now it looks like my aerobic range is 99-135. I think it will be difficult to keep my HR down that low but at least I have a plan now.

Scotch or Seltzer?

2011-01-11T22:28:00.005-05:00

Tuesday. An early business dinner. And a snow storm. What to do? A glass of scotch and dinner then head home to the couch? Or a glass of seltzer and then head out for some snowy single track?

"Seltzer with a twist of lime please"

Ride conditions were, well, outstanding. When we rolled at 8:00pm, we had about 2" of the white stuff, temps were in the high 20s, and tires hooked up well in the wet snow. Downhills were a different story. To say the Yo Eddy trail was "sketchy" is an understatement and the price of a dab was compounded by snow-clogged cleats. And with so much snow in the air, head mounted lamps were blinding so we just used the bar lights.

By the time we wrapped around 9:30 there was 3-4" of snow in spots and there was no evidence of trails anywhere. The pedaling was pretty tough...and we were fried...but it was the sweetest misery you can imagine (and imagine you must if you weren't out there).

Chris

Review - Performance Windstopper Gloves

2011-01-10T05:01:00.000-05:00

ITEM: Performance Windstopper Gloves
PURCHASED at Performance Bicycle in 2007
PRICE: $20 on sale
RATING: Excellent

My existing pair of insulated gloves were too hot and too tight fitting, and I found it difficult to taker them on/off during rides when I wanted to take a picture or otherwise needed some dexterity. So when I saw these gloves on sale I grabbed them, and now they are the only gloves I wear in the winter. If riding in the low-mid 20s my fingers will be a little cold for the first 10 minutes but then they adjust and I am totally comfortable. They are loose fitting so easy to take off/on. In the teens I will also wear a pair of thin wool inserts but honestly I don't think it makes much of a difference.

I have enough dexterity with these gloves to turn my light on/off and I don't notice any problem shifting with these gloves. There is no padding in the palm area but I don't miss it. The gloves are showing some wear after 3+ years of winter riding, but that is to be expected.

These gloves are $40 at local Performance Bicycle store, when they go on sale I will probably nab another pair.

STRENGTHS: Warm, Durable, Easy On-Off
WEAKNESSES: No padding

Things Are Shaping Up

2011-01-05T01:00:00.002-05:00

I've spent some holiday down time reading and web surfing regarding training and conditioning. The amount of material out there is intimidating but I've been able to distill three key concepts that I think we need to understand AND USE to prepare for Colorado this June:

Heart rate. Yes, it's pounding out of your chest at the top of the Quarry Climb (that's probably your max heart rate), but it turns out that number is critical for training purposes. You need to know that number and how to take your pulse. More in a moment.
Periodization explains why I make little progress riding at Marsh Creek. I have my favorite 1 hour loop which I ride 3-4 times a week in the spring. I've even done it 2x in a day. With the amount of miles and hours I have logged over there, I should be on the podium every year. But I'm not, ever. Every program on bike training uses periodization, which explains my lack of progress. More on this coming...
Diet. As we computer geeks like to say, garbage in garbage out. And when you are stressing your body with a training program, it's even more important to feed it the quality calories it needs.

So now I’m going to go deep enough on these topics to make us dangerous. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how deep to go. Too much and it becomes overwhelming, fast. Too little and you're unable to apply it to get results. So here we go...

There are two exercise states that are important to understand. We've experienced both and I think we need to do a lot more of one, and less of the other for the next few months. They are aerobic and anaerobic:

Aerobic is the physiological state where you feel like you could go (almost) forever. Your heart rate and respiration are up and you are comfortable. In this state, your body is able to burn fat calories in addition to carbs. We all have ample supplies of stored fat, but fat burns slowly so to stay aerobic for a long period you must do two things: (1) teach your body to be an efficient fat burner and (2) keep your exertion level moderate. If you push too hard, you will become anaerobic...
Anaerobic is when you "feel the burn" (think top of the Quarry climb). This is the physiological state where there is not enough oxygen to burn fat. As we all know it is sustainable for short periods only. At these times you are rapidly burning precious carbohydrates for energy. These carbs are precious for two reasons: (1) they allow you to perform these spurts but also (2) they are limited in supply. Power Bars can only do so much, you cannot ingest carbs fast enough to keep up with your body's demands, so these anaerobic spurts must be carefully managed.

Now the riding we do for fun is fairly infrequent especially in the winter. It is usually about 1-2 hours and is focused on the anaerobic side of things. That's the nature of riding hilly terrain. We very rarely ride longer than two hours and when we do, we are totally gassed because we've been so anaerobic and frankly our aerobic conditioning is pretty poor.

Our ride out west will entail rides 2-3x that long, on successive days, so we need to train for that. It is the aerobic training, the stuff that allows us to go the distance from Durango to Moab, that requires time and discipline and some counter-intuitive techniques. Basically we should spend most of the next 6 months slowly building an aerobic foundation. Bike training geeks call this LSD for Long Slow (or Steady) Distance. The idea is that you are logging lots of time at a moderate exercise level to train your body aerobically, teaching it to burn fat (instead of carbs), building up tendons, joints, and capillaries to support the long sustained output you will require later in training and on the trip.

Now on the periodization. The point here is that doing the same routine over and over just makes you better at that routine. So I can ride my favorite loop at Marsh Creek like a champ, but throw in a different hill or a longer ride, and I've got nothing. Randomizing your routine is an improvement, but there is no goal. Periodization is the best of both worlds because it mixes things up and has a goal in mind. Periodization also incorporates the critical concept of rest. Rest is when your body is actually reacting to the exercise and getting stronger.

So let's pull some of these concepts together in a practical way.

Be aware of your heart rate. Calculate your max heart rate (MHR). You can do this by sprinting to top of the Quarry and taking your pulse, or by doing some simple math (220 minus your age). Now calculate your aerobic zone as 55% to 75% of your MHR. And your Anaerobic zone will be 85% to 92% of MHR. We'll monitor our heart rates during exercise to be sure we're in the right zone. For example, when training for aerobic you don't want to go over 75%. And this is the counter-intuitive part - if you push too hard during an aerobic workout (and go anaerobic) you will do two things:

Stop burning fat and start burning more carbs. YOU NEED TO TEACH YOUR BODY TO BURN FAT.
Compromise your next workout. By pushing too hard, you won't get the full benefit of the next workout, and you'll lose the benefits of periodization.

So put away the single speeds, and ride but ride easy. If you feel a burn, you are pushing way too hard. Learn to monitor your pulse. Think LSD.

Develop a schedule for periodization. The schedule will gradually escalate in intensity through the end of May. Generally it should include a rest day after every workout day, and a rest week every fourth week. Rest days don't have to be couch days (you could stretch, do yoga, lift, etc.) but it should not make you tired for the next day's scheduled workout. Rest weeks are not sedentary, we just cut back on the duration and intensity. Here is general program I lifted from an excellent book called Bike for Life - How to Ride to 100 by Wallack and Katovsky.

Phase 1 - Base

Type: Long, slow rides
Duration: 3 months (Feb-Apr)
Intensity: 55% to 75% of your max heart rate (max heart rate is 220 minus your age)
Key is to ramp up miles and pace slowly, less than 10% increase per week. Be patient. Hold back. Fight the urge to sharply increase activity. We are teaching the body to burn fat. Push too hard, and it will quickly transition to carb burning. A basement trainer or doing some road (flat) riding may be the key here. None of us are fans of mixing it up with cars on the road, but there are lots of good bike trails in the area (Struble, Schuylkill trail).

Phase 2 - Build

Type: Shorter, faster rides, more hills
Duration: 1 month (May)
Intensity: 75%, with progressive intervals ranging from 85% to 92% of max heart rate
Maintain and continue to build aerobic capacity from phase 1, but start building speed and power. Tools are hill climbing, sustained hard efforts, and some short high-intensity sessions. We are trying to raise our anaerobic threshold higher (higher and higher heart rate before you feel the burn & go anaerobic). Generally this threshold is around 85% to 92% of max heart rate. Will also continue some long efforts so we don't lose the aerobic conditioning from phase 1.

Phase 3 - Peak and Taper

Type: Continued fast rides, but shorter in duration
Duration: 1 to 3 weeks (June)
Intensity: 75% with intervals at 85% to 92% of max
Relax, but not too much. You're at peak fitness but not well rested. For that we must back up the volume but stay sharp. Maintain intensity but back off the volume by 30% each week for high intensity rides. Shave duration off the long Long Slow Distance (LSD) rides.

Cross training. There are a lot of good reasons for this, including balanced fitness (biking does little for upper body or core) and just having some variety. Weight lifting and yoga are recommended for bikers. Weight lifting is weight bearing (biking is not) so builds stronger bones, and it also allows you to focus in areas where biking is weak. Yoga is key for flexibility (biking is spent in a poor hunched-over posture that is bad for flexibility). Frankly I'm not sure how to fold this all into a training plan and keep it manageable, but I'm going to try, somehow.

The last area I'll mention (this is getting long already) is diet. It is critical to be providing yourself with the fuel to get good workouts. This means the right number of calories, and they should be "high quality" calories. So a piece of fruit instead of chips. Watch out for alcohol - them emptiest calorie around. More on this later, pay attention to this and remember don’t go overboard on dieting - you need enough quality calories to have effective workouts.

I have created a spreadsheet tool to help build a customized plan according to the principles outlined above. It incorporates goals, periodization, rest periods, etc. Input cells are highlighted in yellow. I have plugged reasonable values into those fields (IMHO), but feel free to fiddle with them to see how it affects the overall plan... I based it on the 5½ month plan in the book (“Bike for Life”), so to peak as we board the plane in mid-June we would have to start training at beginning of February. If you plan to start sooner (I do) then suggest you just train at the week 1 levels until then. Remember, LSD to build the base and burn fat (not carbs).

Finally, it's a long dark winter and I think it could be motivating to keep track of our progress together. Maybe a wiki or shared spreadsheet or something. It would take little extra effort (5 min per day to enter your information), but I do think it might be a good way to track progress and harness the competitive spirit in each of us for the better. I will look into this.

There you have it! Now go enjoy your last few days of overindulgence...

Pipsqueak

2011-01-03T20:00:00.005-05:00

Damian climbing aboard

This may be the only blog post you will ever see here featuring an L39. Why am I blogging about a Czechoslovakian military jet aircraft? Well this particular one - nicknamed Pipsqueak - is the reason I missed the ride this morning. You see, I got a call last night from my neighbor Damian who was scheduled to fly Pipsqueak today, and he had lost his videographer and was wondering if I would step in. Which I did. Gladly.

So needless to say, it was a pretty amazing day. After Damian completed his aileron rolls, barrel rolls, and a 5G loop over the Chesapeake bay, we poked around the airport hanger to lay our hands on an operational Mig-21 and an almost operational Mig-23. Amazing machines. And sobering when you think about the history of those aircraft.

Sunset ride by the lake

So it was quite a day, but even after all that, I managed a one hour sunset ride and Marsh Creek. The contrast between the L39 and my hard tail mountain bike was striking, but it always feels good to saddle up, elevate the heart rate, and get a little dirty even if it's on 200 year old technology rolling along the ground at about 8 knots.

Chris

MO7S Gear

2011-01-02T07:09:00.000-05:00

Santa brought me some official MO7S gear that I never knew existed.

One of a kind.

Can't wait for warm weather.

Go West Old Men

2011-01-01T00:01:00.008-05:00

ep·ic [ep-ik] noun - an episode in the lives of men in which heroic deeds are performed or attempted: the epic of Scott's expedition to the South Pole.

Agreed "heroic" may be pushing it, but for half a dozen middle-age dads on the east coast who spend much of their lives behind a desk or shuttling kids to lacrosse practice, June is looking pretty damn epic. That's because 164 days from now we head west for five days of mountain biking and camping under the stars in the rocky mountains.

The idea has been germinating for a while, and with my 50th birthday staring me in the face took on a sense of urgency last summer. We looked at over 20 itineraries from 7 different tour companies, and settled on a custom trip from Hermosa Tours. We chose Hermosa because the fit felt right, we liked the camping format (versus hotels), the point to point itinerary, and the van support which allows us to focus on riding while Hermosa focuses on humping our gear from place to place. Oh and the food - Hermosa has clearly put a lot of thought into this.

We designed a five day itinerary that starts in Durango Colorado and ends five days later in Moab Utah:

Options include advanced singletrack on the Colorado Trail or intermediate on Hermosa Creek Trail. Day ends with downhill into camp. Mileage 30-50 miles.
A very pretty 40-ish miles past the Lizard Head Wilderness into Uncompahgre National Forest and our camp at Miramonte Reservoir.
We work our way along the rim of Paradox Valley and then into Utah near day’s end. As we enter Utah we’re be making our way up the east side of the La Sal Mountains. Mileage is about 35.
We continue climbing up the east side of the La Sal Mountains toward Geyser Pass. This is an underrated part of the route for no other reason that people just don’t go here! True solitude. We end the day high in the La Sals ready for a big day 5. About 30 miles.
The Whole Enchilada. 28 miles of some of the best mountain biking in the world. High alpine singletrack all the way to the Colorado River 7000 feet below. Must be ridden to be believed. Shuttle back to Durango after the ride.

The ride will be physically demanding for us east coast flat-landers. Six to seven hours and 30+ miles is more that we have done on a mountain bike, and we will be doing that on five consecutive days. And the altitude (day one takes us through 11,000 feet) adds a huge wrinkle.

Little know fact: There are 40% fewer oxygen molecules per breath at 12,000 feet than at sea level.

So we have loads of work to do and my new beater bike will be a big part of that. Training will be a big part of the next 164 days, and my blog posts will turn towards things like conditioning, outfitting, nutrition, altitude sickness, and tour operators instead of the usual drivel about local trail conditions and biking mishaps.

"It is the most selfless way to see the world around you. There is no gasoline, no power steering, and no seat belts. You move forward as one should move through life: by sheer will and determination."
-- author unknown

Remodeling

2010-12-30T22:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I remodeled two bikes. Bikers like to talk about builds as in "this is my second build for this bike." A build is a biker's nirvana. It's when you hand pick every component for a bike, and then you build it up from scratch. It's a labor of love and the result is your dream bike. Bikers talk about builds like parents talk about honor role students.

I have never done a complete build, but I have done some remodels. Like moving bars and seats between bikes, replacing a fork or crank, and converting a bike to single speed. Yesterday I did my latest remodel, resurrecting my silver Iron Horse from the parts bin. Yesterday I put gears on it, added a spanking new crank, and voila I now have a perfectly ridable hard tail.

So today I took it for a shake down ride in the snow. Trail reports were not encouraging, but the trails turned out to be in good condition. Not great, but not bad. It was the type of riding that keeps you on your toes, and forces you to use good technique especially on uphills and off-camber turns. And Silver was a great ride, no issues except it appears I've contaminated the brake rotors with some lube since I was unable to lock up the wheels even downhill on the snow. We'll keep an eye on that.

So now I have a winter beater bike with gears (and marginal brakes), which is great timing. You will understand why when I make an exciting announcement on New Year's day.

Oh and someone went chainsaw crazy and removed the horse-back-rider-scraper-offer at the top of the Sole Trail. And yes the horses were out in force...

Mix It Up

2010-12-24T07:36:00.003-05:00

I have a bothersome tendency - maybe it's human nature - to ride the same trails, the same way, time after time. You find a route you like and you stick with it because. well, you like it. Except that after a while you you're bored by it and you actually don't like it. But you're riding it, again.

Yesterday at White Clay, we did many of the classic routes but we mixed them up a bit. We rode the Goat Trail downhill which I thought gave it more pucker factor. The Cork Screw (can only be ridden one way) was interesting as it was covered in leaves so you really had to trust there were no surprises (logs, rocks) hidden underneath. And we hit a bunch of trails in Middle Run which I hadn't seen in years.

Norman Rockwell Scene

And by taking these new routes, we ran into a memorable Norman Rockwell scene: three dads and their kids playing hockey on a small frozen pond out in the middle of the woods.

It's more interesting this way - mixing things up - and I think it's better conditioning when your body doesn't know what's coming next (or at least isn't "used to" it). I'm going to do more of this in 2011. Be less of a lemming.

Burrito Illegal

Oh and we did another very un-lemming-like thing. We ended at Rincon Tarasco in Downingtown.

So one reshuffled White Clay ride, three "Burrito Illegals" at Rincon Tarasco, and six Rolling Rocks later, we were pretty darn pleased with ourselves...

Chris

P.S. And speaking of mixing it up, we had a real "Super Star" song mix for the ride to Delaware. What a bunch of animals we are...

RIDER DOWN

2010-12-22T22:00:00.007-05:00

Andy was ginning up a Chelsy's ride for Wednesday night, but I had already committed to a Thursday morning ride at White Clay, and I wanted all my marbles for that ride. Plus they were parking their trucks in Downingtown so they could end the ride at Chelsy's. I thought that was more like a Shirley Temple ride. In a real Chelsy's ride, we stop in town mid-ride. That was we have the always entertaining ride home after Chelsy's.

The phone rang around 9:00 and I ignored it. I was very comfortable on the couch with my daughter, and not particularly interested in getting an earful on the phone from a bunch of well-lubricated mountain bikers. Eventually I found my way to the phone and out of curiosity checked for messages. Here is what I found (and yes it was in ALL CAPS):

RIDER DOWN. WE'RE AT THE STRUBLE TRAIL AND LYNDELL DRIVE. THIS IS NO JOKE.

The message was from Andy and it was about 30 minutes old. I called him and learned that Jim's carbon fiber bar had failed catastrophically on the Blue Trail descent to the Struble (we call this section "The Bobsled Run"). He had obviously crashed pretty spectacularly. Mike was already down there loading Jim and his bike into a car, and they weren't thinking hospital...but there would be no Chelsy's for Jim tonight.

I am reminded of the adage that with carbon fiber components you get "strong, light, and inexpensive - pick any two." It sounds like Jim got a good deal on some lightweight components.

Anyway I'm glad Jim is OK and sorry for missing the call.

Chris

Gaining Some Lost Ground

2010-12-19T17:49:00.003-05:00

Carving the Bonus Loop

With Friday night's bonfire, Saturday night Christmas caroling, and the seemingly endless supply of home made cookies available in our house I have lost some serious ground over the last 48 hours. Mike and I decided to reclaim some lost territory with an early afternoon ride.

It feels like we gained a lot.

Views were pretty spectacular, about half the lake is now frozen. Trails were fast and frozen for the most part, but soft enough to add some pucker factor to the fast hillside descent by the Dorlan Mill ruins. Ran into some other bikers, including MikeM and Mark on the Lakeside Trail and an enthusiastic foursome whooping it up on the teeter. Carefully hopscotched around some black ice patches on the rocky climb.

Now I think I'll have some cookies and watch the Eagles game...give back some of the territory I just gained.

Chris

Disaster (Narrowly) Averted, Again

2010-12-18T23:51:00.004-05:00

The bonfire was laid, most of the provisions were staged, and the trail to the firepit was lit by kerosene torches that KO had thoughtfully placed every 20' along the treacherous 25° downhill section. Four years worth of experience were paying off with a smooth running operation. Who would have thought that near disaster would strike before we even saddled up for the opening event?

Site of the Near Disaster

KO was shuttling some last minute supplies to the bonfire site. He was on a 4WD ATV pulling a toboggan loaded with firewood, propane, and kerosene. The downhill section was tricky, and the toboggan clipped one of the torches, dumping about a quart of burning kerosene into the dry underbrush. We fought the spreading fire valiantly, trying to stomp it out with our feet and then to smother it with the toboggan. Luckily, and to KO's credit, have had included a fire extinguisher in the load of combustibles and was able to extinguish the fire before it become a headline.

Kirk's Colorful Custom Light Setup

With disaster averted, we hooked up a couple of loaner lights and KO rigged his custom light setup. Eleven riders shoved off in the 25° temps for the obligatory loop down the Struble, up the Quarry Trail, and back down Blue Trail for the mad dash "home" to the comfort of the beer and bonfire. One rider defied physics by riding in shorts and two left-hand fingerless gloves. While we had no "mechanicals" we did have one "electrical" (a dead light) through a nasty section of railroad ties, which resulted in a front wheel twisting 90° and sending one rider flying after jamming him in the stomach with the bar end. That's basically a punch in the stomach, followed by a body slam onto the frozen ground, all in total darkness.

8' Bonfire

We completed the circuit and were greeted by DC on our return (he had a busy day). We ignited the fire (flames estimated at 8' high), commenced aggressive rehydration, began devouring the pot of piping hot chili that MR had lovingly prepared the night before, and then settled in around the bonfire.

I know a lot of people were there to see the much ballyhooed fire jumping contest, but it never got off the ground. It's always a challenge to find someone to kickoff that particular competition, and with AS out and MR retiring early, we were utterly lost. But this is an industrious lot, and it did not take long to find a new mind-numbingly-stupid activity to fill the void. It had something to do with improvised fireworks, and it culminated in a glowing mortar fragment bouncing off JR's chest, leaving his eyes as big as saucers and a neat (and no doubt hard to explain to the wife) burn hole in his sweater. Luckily we closed that chapter before anyone got seriously disfigured.

MM Entry

MR Entry

SM Entry (burning)

Of course, in addition to the adolescent behavior traditionally exhibited at this event, we enjoy more cerebral pursuits. Like the best beer presentation. This year's entries were well executed and covered a lot of ground:

Entry #1 - Jenna's ample cousin Delila (beer in hand thanks to KO and a roll of duct tape) was strong in the category of "anatomical curiosities." The cerebral element came to play when the disoriented group realized the only reliable way to find your way is to "check which way the feet are pointing." Everyone agreed this was a profound and useful insight,
Entry #2 - A festive comic-book themed beer rack was a welcome G-rated counter balance to entry #1.
Entry #3 - the combination porta-potty/beer cooler complete with cup holder, DBDC monogrammed toilet paper, magazine rack, baby-wipe dispenser, and mountain bike tire accent on the movable lid.

If the competition were based on points alone, entry #3 would have won hands down, but alas the "must burn" requirement was not met by either of the last two entries, so the title was awarded, on a technicality, to Entry #1.

The remainder of the evening (and morning) were consumed primarily by bike porn (guys gushing over TH's long travel fork), KO's uselessly frozen elastomer fork, and the occasional exploding (frozen) beer. Temperature at this point had dipped to 15°. We reluctantly threw in the towel around 3:00am.

Thanks to everyone who braved the elements last night, and especially to MR for the most awesome chili, to MM, SM, and MR for their competitive and creative spirit, to KO for letting us trash his back yard, and to everyone else for riding bikes in this stupid cold weather, and making the event memorable.

Chris

"We all get it in the end"
- unknown

Friday's Line Up

2010-12-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

AccuWeather predicts a balmy 30 degrees at the 8:00 departure time, loaner lights are charging for Dougerty and Vermeil, the garage lights have been on pretty late at the McLaughlin residence, and we've got a good count for Friday's descent into the depths of debauchery Bike Bonfire and Beer Exchange. With any luck we will rival last year's turnout of 17 riders...and let me tell you, the sight of all those headlamps bobbing and weaving through woods at night is truly a sight to behold. But then again the sight of an incinerating plastic blowup doll is pretty impressive as well...

Anyway I have heard encouraging news from SF, SM, KO, TP, MR, RV (and son), MY, DM, MM, RI (and others), CD, and DC (hopeful but a lot going on with move).

Others have been kind of quiet, either planning a sneak attack or hoping to fly under the RADAR (on the couch). I would be remiss if I didn't call out a few notables: AS, JA, AD, BG, MH, and Jenna.

Everyone feel free to turn the screws on the notables, I shouldn't have to do all the dirty work.

That's all for now.

Chris

Just About Perfect

2010-12-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

Forecast for Friday

Well if you like firm fast trails for riding, crisp dry conditions for bonfiring, and below freezing temps for keeping your beer cold then I guess this forecast looks just about perfect for Friday's Bike-Bonfire-and-Beer-Exchange-Palooza.

We'll rally behind Kirk's house at 7:30pm so we can clip in and start spinning at 8:00pm. Feel free to drop off your gear ahead of time (it's a bit of a hilly hike from the cul-de-sac to the bonfire site by the creek). Let me know if any questions.

Oh and don't be the guy sipping merlot at the neighbor's or warming the couch at home on Friday night. No, don't be that guy.

Chris

Harmony

2010-12-12T07:17:00.001-05:00

Harmony Hill with just enough mud and death cookies to keep you focused. There was a price to pay for straying off the left side of the trail.

I'm learning to ride gears again. My riding frequency is down and the SS is beating up my knees. It really is amazing what a difference in riding style, you actually forget how to ride gears effectively. For example I keep forgetting to stay seated and spin through the uphill technical stuff.

I came here yesterday to avoid the hunters. The trail network has really blossomed over the last few years, and it's only a 10 minute drive (or a 30 minute ride). More Harmony Hill in the near future...

2010 Bike Bonfire and Beer Exchange Fun Quiz

2010-12-01T20:58:00.002-05:00

Following is the 2010 Bike Bonfire and Beer Exchange Fun Quiz. All characters, companies, products and events described in this fun quiz are fictitious, and no similarity with any real persons or entities, living or deceased, is intended or should be inferred.

AS's wife knows that if AS goes to the bonfire that their dental deductible will be paid before the end of December.

True
False

DC took the fire jumping contest to new heights when he attempted to jump the bonfire:

With two feet
With a bicycle
With a garden tractor
While soaked in kerosene

In the last two bonfires MY has:.

Laughed and Cried
Laughed and Danced
Flown and Danced
All of the above

Last year MH impersonated Dr. Henry Kissinger so that he could:

Bring world peace
Be first in line for hot chili
Throw Jenna into the fire
None of the above

At the 2007 bonfire MR left the party early (and mad) and was about to walk into his house when he decided to go back to the bonfire to take a swing at one of the other riders.

True
False

The ladies panties that CD gave to SM as a gag gift were actually from :

CD's wife
SM's sister
Both CD's wife and SM's sister
The Cougar at Chelsey's

The day after the 2008 bonfire when MR could not find his Best Beer Presentation contest entry, he accused MO7S of destroying the family heirloom. He was upset because of the rule that all entries must burn to be eligible. Where was the family heirloom?

In the fire pit (ashes)
Somewhere east of Downingtown in the Brandywine Creek
Safely stashed in his truck parked in his driveway
None of the above

The "MRDBS" sign nailed to a tree on the Bonus Loop stands for:

MR's Deep Brain Stimulation
MR's Drunken Bike Shop
MR's Drunken Brain Stimulation
None of the above

One of our riders MM was nicknamed "DB4." In his case "DB" stands for

Diamond Back
Douche Bag
Double Black-diamond
Diarrhea Bubble

TP's commitment to mountain biking is suspect because:

His other bike is a motorcycle
His front fork is a lefty
All of the above
None of the above

What was The Cougar's opening line at Chelsea's?

"You guys from around here?"
"Is that a spanner wrench in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"
"I'm no spring chicken, but I am a cougar! Grrrrrrr!"
"I need to get me some Irish meat and potatoes!"

DM purchased a bike off eBay "because it looked cool." Too bad for him because this bike has an unfortunate tendency to:

Debit his PayPal account
Fold in half when traversing uneven ground
None of the above
All of the above

Match the rider with the riding outfit or accessory that they DID wear on at least one ride:

Riders

Outfit/accessory:

Flesh-tone leotards
Bootyliscious booties with pink trim
Skate-boarder helmet
Wool sport coat
Green polka-dot union suit

SF is one of the few with a trail named after him. This trail is called:

SF's demise
The Bonus Loop
SF's mud pit
Sidewinder

KO is considered an anti-social mountain biker because he:

Brings rotten wood to the bonfire
Rides while listening to an iPod
Won't chew tobacco (except once in the BVIs)
All of the above

After someone crashes RI has been known to say:

"Pain is temporary, glory is forever"
"Chicks dig the dirty ones"
”I’d rather have a brother that was gay than a cousin that was a roadie"
1 and 2

Please click the comment link at the bottom of this post to record your answers. The winner will get a free ride with SM to the windowless Video-X-Press in Malvern to shop for party favors.

Announcing the 5th Annual Bike Bonfire and Beer Exchange

2010-11-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

This note is to officially announce that the 5th Annual Bike Bonfire and Beer Exchange will be held on Friday December 17th.

We'll kick off the evening with the requisite night ride through Marsh Creek State Park where, if the past four years are any indication, we'll experience frozen fingers, mechanical breakdowns, and if we're lucky a couple of spectacular crashes during the mad dash back to the security of the beer and the fire pit.

Upon our return, we'll ignite a massive pile of kiln-dried kerosene-soaked lumber and settle in for a long night of holiday story telling, holiday beer drinking, holiday fire jumping, holiday tooth chipping, and general holiday debauchery under the stars. There is even talk of setting up a holiday bike skills course so we can increase the odds of a holiday broken collarbone.

And finally the namesake beer exchange. This is where we memorialize the evening with the signature "best beer presentation" contest. As you will see from previous years' reports the competition is stiff and the bar is raised (or lowered depending on your perspective) each year, but the winner earns much exalted alpha-male status at a years' worth of block parties and backyard BBQs. Even last year's runner-up - who lost on an technicality - is now a local legend.

More details to come on what to bring, exact time, contest fine print, etc. Also note we can scrounge up a few loaner night lights, bicycles, and helmets (all required) if you let us know far enough ahead of time. All you really need to worry about at this point is:

Informing your wife that you'll be sleeping on the couch that night (if you're lucky) and
Planning the theme for your beer presentation (let your brain stem do the thinking here)

Chris

P.S. In case you want to see how "low" you can go with the contest or just get stoked by reading about the previous years' events, here are the ride reports:

2009 - dancing clydesdale
2008 - flying clydesdale
2007 - nothing good happens after 2am
2006 - defiled again

A Terrible Night

2010-11-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

Steve hasn't been on a bike in almost a year. Not since Jenna bit the big one. Yet he decided to climb back onto a single-track night ride with a persnickety rear derailleur and failing headlamp. Now that is true mo7s style!

And thanks to Jim for the personal send-off at Pinecroft and Kaiser. That was a first!

By the way it was a spectacular moonlit night, mid 50s. A terrible night for couch surfing, but most excellent for biking...

"Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for one more ride."
-- Unknown

Double Trouble

2010-11-21T18:31:00.003-05:00

It was sad and hilarious at the same time.

Andy set a blistering pace. Bob said he was "riding it like he stole it." To his credit Andy was committed to keeping us on schedule to hit 19 miles of highlights in two hours - the Fox Pen, Crack Head Bob, and some new trails from the Jamboree. I managed to ride his wheel for about 15 minutes then dropped back to the #4 (out of 5) position where I belonged.

The GPS was acting a little finicky so there were frequent stops to consult on navigation. And then Andy would get a sense of urgency to make up for lost time. The result was a series of furious 10 minute dashes punctuated by 2 minute stops to consult the GPS and scratch our heads. Interval training. Sort of.

The sad part was that our #5 rider was suffering off the back and EVERY time we stopped and he caught up with us Andy would immediately shove off for another frantic dash with zero opportunity for #5 to unclip much less catch his breath. But the hilarious part was that EVERY time we stopped and #5 caught up with us, Andy would immediately shove off for another frantic dash with zero opportunity for #5 to unclip much less catch his breath.

Luckily #5 saw the (sick) humor in this and suffered oh so gracefully.

The ride home was glorious. Four of is in the F150 King Cab with seat heaters all around. Let me tell you a seat heater after a 2 hour beat down feels awesome. We had a beer and checked out MikeM's back yard skills course, and then MikeR and I headed back to the 'hood and as I was unloading my bike I got a text message from Jimmy. Something to the effect of "heading out for a ride after I finish my sandwhich, anyone want to join me?" There I was all suited up with my bike but...my legs were screaming NO!

So I said YES.

And so Jim and I cranked out a short ride at the lake, my legs screaming I TOLD YOU SO the entire time. But it was spectacular just the same, brilliant sunshine and low 50s.

So now here I sit on the couch, fire crackling in the fireplace, football on the big screen. I think I'll have me some Ben and Jerry's Half Baked GUILT FREE.

Chris

"Art is suffering."

-- Squidward Tentacles

It's Got Soul

2010-11-12T17:30:00.002-05:00

Confetti on the Bonus-Bonus Loop

I won't be near a bike for the next seven days so I figured I would sneak in a quick ride today. The trails are covered with a soft golden carpet and out on the Bonus-Bonus Loop there is a sprinkling of pinks and reds which makes it look a lot like confetti.

I am so lucky to see amazing stuff like this in my own back yard. I wonder how many people live within 5 minutes of this place and have no idea?

The Sole Trail's Got Soul

On the way home, I stopped on the Sole Trail to document the trail's namesake. I actually like to think of it as the Soul Trail as in Souuuuuuuuuul Train which as you know is and always has been "the hippest trip in America." I think the Sole Trail is pretty hip too...

21 and Loving It

2010-11-07T17:15:00.001-05:00

Two of us broke the rule yesterday and lived to talk about it, so I expect we'll be breaking the rule again in the near future. You know, the rule to never EVER fiddle with your bike the day before a race or big ride?

Let's start with the ride. It was the 5th Annual Fair Hill Mountain Bike Jamboree. A few hundred local mountain bikers turned out in spectacular fall weather for guided rides, food, beer, bike schwag, games, and to enjoy the generally awesome mountain bike mojo. Weather was crisp 40° with brilliant sunshine when the "B" rides started at 9:00am. Shorts weather!

We hit a few new trails and some of the old favorites. It was impressive to see our group of 25 winding through woods (I can only imagine how awesome it would have been at night) and an opportunity to size myself up with the "B" riders (there were "A", "B", "C", and beginner groups). In the end I think I would have done better bringing up the rear in one of the "A" groups, but we saw plenty of awesome singletrack and some fast flowing downhills that had us grinning ear to ear. Unfortunately we lost our sweeper 10 minutes into the ride and our guide bonked about an hour later, so the 2nd half of the ride slowed down until we finally bid farewell to our guide and finished the ride ourselves.

Post ride festivities started with a bowl of hot home-made mac & cheese and a nice greasy bubba-burger. We washed it down with a Dogfish Head and hung around hoping for the games to start (in particular the Huffy Toss) but by 1:00pm the siren call of the shower, couch, and Eagles game was too much so we threw in the towel.

The ride home was spectacular with that Dogfish seeping into deeply fatigued legs, a 12" turkey hoagie to keep the burger and pasta company in my belly, music playing in the warm car, and the spectacular horse country rolling by outside. Frankly I would have happily driven all day long, but there was that couch thing...

Sign me up for next year.

"Hitch your bicycle to a star. Or a roof rack on a car"
- unknown

P.S. Oh yeah, the rule breakers:

Doble moving spacers on his rear wheel, wound up with ball bearings rolling around on his garage floor. Somehow he slapped his rear hub back together and it seemed to work perfectly fine today.
I had better luck, installing 21T cog on my SS. It's amazing what a difference a 5% reduction in gear inches makes to a pair of 50 year old knees. 21 and loving it!!

Twenty-Two Percent

2010-10-09T08:09:00.002-04:00

Everything pointed to Noble Canyon as the “must do” ride in the San Diego area. I was heading west on business so I brought my gear with me just in case. Unfortunately it was raining when I arrived (never happens in California according to the song) and forecasted to continue for most of the week. It was beginning to look like an epic missed opportunity.

...but I had come so far and as the week wore on I couldn't bear to write it off, so on Thursday afternoon with drops of rain on the windshield, I grabbed a rental bike and headed east into the mountains to see what the heck might happen.

Rental bike: powder-blue Specialized Rockhopper with hydraulic brakes, X.0 tranny, and the oh so cool Specialized “brain” running the rear suspension.

I was encouraged as I drove through 4,000 feet and the clouds began to thin. By the time I arrived at the trailhead in the mountains, it was a perfectly blue sky and temps in the high 60s. And here I was with my gear and a demo bike at the bottom of Noble Canyon. Things were looking up, literally!

Turnaround at the halfway point

Noble Canyon is typically ridden as a downhill using cars to shuttle to the top via an unmaintained service road. No doubt this has something to do with the 1,700 foot climb from the trailhead. According to the well-inked mechanic at B and L Bikes, if I decided to ride my bike up the service road I should be advised the grade would be “healthy” and hit 22% in places. So I figured that before I saddled up I would drive some of the service road just to see what 22% might look like...

…well 22% looks pretty intimidating. But that was nothing – nothing – compared to the exposure on parts where the road chiseled into the mountain side. The fun factor was wearing off quickly - even though I was driving a tiny subcompact rental it felt like I was at least 2’ wider than the road and about to topple 1,000 feet over the edge (no guard rail) to a dramatic demise in the canyon below. So I found a turn around and sheepishly made my way back down the trailhead to fuel up, saddle up, and ride back up the service road under my own power to find the renowned Nobel Canyon trail.

I was in granny gear most of the way and once I found my rhythm, I was able to take in my surroundings and even managed to hear the birds overhead between gasps for air. The vistas were incredible both looking up (almost 2,000’ of climbing) and looking down (the ride started at 3,700’). And I will never forget a downright scary hornet’s nest with a huge swarm hovering at the entrance - I immediately went anaerobic in the granny gear in order to get some quick separation.

Alpine meadow near the top

The road was no less scary now that I was on a bike, but it did mean I could hug the mountainside and keep at least 6’ separation between me and the precipice. I took numerous stops along the way to refuel, catch my breath, take a drink, and to consult the map. I was beyond the stretch I had driven in the car, and getting lost here could be a real problem.

I had planned 3 hours for the climb, but after 90 minutes of climbing (from 3,700’ to 5,400’) I found the top of the storied Noble Canyon trail. I took a break for lunch (powerbar), drank in the incredible view, then clipped in and began the descent for which I had worked so hard.

Cactus on the left, nasty fall on the right

I thought the descent would take half the time of the ascent, but recent rains left already technical trails downright treacherous in sections. And the price of failure was high – either a long night waiting for help (or mountain lions) or a mercifully quick fall over some exposed edges. In the end, the descent lasted over 1 hour and took me through the most diverse range of terrains and climates imaginable. At the top it was alpine meadows with huge pine trees, mid-way through the descent was classic chaparral and cacti, and then I rolled out at the bottom into desert scrub. And the terrain was everything from buff singletrack to steep switchbacks and serious rock gardens.

Cattle gate at the bottom

The biggest surprise of the descent was the unique pungent aromas - floral, sweet, spicy, and earthy. They were strong and distinct. I couldn’t name any of them, but I remember at least a half dozen of them. It was like riding through a candy store of fragrances.

Taco stand

After returning the rental, I figured I should get some sand and salt water between my toes so I headed to Torrey Pines State Park to catch the Pacific sunset. Little did I know I was 10 minutes away from yet another once-in-a-lifetime experience. I would witness the rare and mysterious green flash...which was ironic because I had been talking about the green flash with some colleagues just a day or two before. As the last bit of sun dipped below the horizon, it turned from deep orange to bright green for about the last 1.5 seconds as the disk disappeared below the horizon.

Dinner!!!

So with Noble Canyon and a green flash in the bag, what better way to end than by grabbing dinner at a local San Diego taco stand? Maybe it was my appetite or the Corona, but that $9 dinner platter was the best mex meal in recent memory and was the perfect ending to an epic afternoon.

Chris

"Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for one more ride."
-- unknown