INVASION OF THE GIANT SPIDERS

Mountian biking is always an adventure, especially a night ride when even the most familiar trail becomes a challenge. So I was more than excited to be heading back out onto the trails at night after my enforced vacation. I mounted the Nite Hawk Viper bar lights on the 29er monocog, chucked it into the "Bollux-mobile" and headed for the trails, via the liquor store - to purchase the required post-ride libation.



With several of the usual suspects out of town or otherwise tied up it was just George (on his Dos-Niner) and me heading out at around 9-30pm. My helmet light appeared to be playing up - but with the bar light (and no other bloody choice) we set out regardless. George took the lead to make the most of his superior lighting set up and we were cooking along quite nicely when George suddenly lets out a cry of "holy shit" and promptly falls off his bike! The reason it turns out is a bloody great spider perched right where George was about to plonk his front tire on a log. The camera is called for (as I've never seen a spider this big in the "wild" before) and I'm even brave enough to put my hand next to it for scale - George suggested my head but on reflection that wasn't going to happen.



After the spider sighting we cover a short loop on the HC-side (of Patapsco SP) and head to the more challenging BC-side. On the entrance to "the Monestry trail" George hits some rocks pretty hard, losing some skin and bending his rear derailleur hanger, resulting in some ghost shifting, but we quickly regroup and enjoy a nice climb. then it's the usual route (very similar to where I went on Sunday am). There is noting of note really (except that we saw another monster spider sitting on a log) until we cross the stream just before "Patarini" hill when my bar light breaks off it's mounting - BUGGER! For the rest of the ride it is me in front with my headlight (producing no more than a vague orange smudge on the trail ahead) and George behind trying to light both our ways with his NiteRider.



All goes swimmingly however, even down Buzzard Roack - which I hate even in the daytime (not a bit DH fan). I walk some of it, especially that bloody scary drop off at the end. Then we head back to HC-side, take on the Cascade - stopping for a group photo on the way and a gentle ride back to the vehicles. With the light issues slowing the pace we don't get back to the cars until midnight. So we crack open a beer each and George (ever the sophisticate) produces a flask of mojito (rum cocktail) complete with fresh mint - this is the life! Half an hour is happily spent chewing the fat and then it is back to the real world.



Oh, BIG UP for Nite Hawk bike lights by the way. I emailed them this morning and explained in a very hazy fashion what had happened to my lights and asked if they sell a spare part to fix it. Not only did they respond within hours to my email - they correctly identified the bit I had broken and are sending me a replacement part gratis! Now that is customer service! Bear in mind this is an inexpensive set up (approx $80) and I've had it for 2 years or more. If you need an inexpensive set up for night rides this might be for you; 10 watts of power and 2.5 hour burn time.

DOPERS SUCK!!

Well with the "Tour"only weeks away the eyes of the world are again focused on the truly corinthian spirit of the great sport of cycling. In my dreams! As ever the biggest stories around in cycling at the moment revolve around not "who can do what?" But "who has taken what?" With the string of my former cycling heroes that have fallen foul of doping (either proven or heavily suspected) I find it hard to assume the innocent of any rider now. How sad is that?

Now, I like to think of myself as a reasonably pragmatic person, so drug taking in professional sport was always a tricky area for me.

On one hand, I’m a pretty honest kind of a guy who abhors cheating in anything. I played rugby for many years and whilst I often pushed the rules as far as I could get away with and did ascribe to the general philosophy that “if the referee doesn’t blow his whistle then no rule has been broken”, this is a very different philosophy to that of someone going out intending to break the rules (and the spirit) of the game. So doping from this point of view is easy to denounce. These are guys that knowing that they are breaking the rules of the sport, are breaking them anyway with the sole intention of gaining an advantage over their more honest peers and that’s fairly low behavior!

On the other hand, in professional sport these guys are not (as I was when I played rugby, and am now when I cycle) really playing the game for fun. This is their job! It is what pays their bills and supports their families. As such they have a commitment to themselves, their employers and their families to be the best at what they do as they can be. Especially as their performance is so easy to measure, in terms of time/distance/results and that these metrics dictate how much they get paid (or even if they get paid). I am a scientist and I chose to work in science because (i) I enjoy it and (ii) I’m reasonably good at it – the same reasons most professional sportsmen/women are doing what they are. Now fortunately for me there are not really any performance enhancing drugs for scientists – but what if there were and they were illegal? Would I take them? Honestly I don’t know – it would probably depend on the circumstances. If my performance was suffering and my position was being threatened by other younger scientists who I knew were taking the drugs would I allow myself to lose my job rather than take the drugs? And if I knew that the best scientists in my field were taking these drugs would I not feel that I had to take them as well in order to compete? Bearing in mind that the alternative would be a second rate career and financial hardship that would impact not just me (and my whiter than white conscience) but also my wife and kids! A hard choice and not one I think it is easy to castigate someone for falling foul of.

O.K. so there are two sides to the story – isn’t that a shock! But in the end I have come to the conclusion that as the title suggests DOPERS SUCK. My epiphany can last summer visiting family in the UK. Just so happens that one of my nephews has gotten the biking bug, specifically road cycling, and I was psyched about the prospect of a few days riding with him. We ride three days on the trot and there are several times when I am just desperately trying to stay on his wheel – the guy can ride! He is fourteen! And kicks ass!

On the last day of my visit I am talking to my nephew’s dad about cycling and how good my nephew is. I mention that with the right coaching he really could be a very good cyclist, perhaps even “professional good”. My brother-in-law says “yes I know, but I am trying not to encourage it too much”. I am aghast! Why not, he loves cycling and appears to have a real talent. Then my brother-in–law drops the bomb “because if he goes into cycling seriously there will inevitably be the temptation and pressure to take drugs – and I don’t want him put in that situation”. THAT SUCKS, and I know he is right. So that’s what really gets me about the drug taking in sport in general and cycling in particular. Not only is it robbing the current clean cyclists of a fair chance, and robbing the spectators of a genuine sport but it is stealing the future from a whole generation of future cyclists who can’t pursue their dreams without compromising their health, ethics or their chances of success. DOPING SUCKS, DOPERS SUCK and the only suitable punishment for willful use of performance enhancing drugs (we are not talking trace levels of stimulants in cold medicines here) is a life long ban from ALL professional sports. Yeah David Millar if I had my way sonny you would never be allowed near a bike again! Whinging Scottish git!

"Billy-No-Mates" Solo Ride

A I mentioned in a previous post I like the social aspect of riding with friends, but I can also be an antisocial b*****d who just wants to ride! Having seen the doc about my shoulder on Tuesday and being reassured that I'm not going to make it worst by riding (the docs actual word were "no you won't make it any worse - the damge is already done" - I'm going to like this doc I can tell) and having really felt the benfit of the NSAID's I've been taking for the past few days I felt it was time for me to go solo on Avalon and see just how the shoulder would hold up. Solo meant I wouldn't have to wait for anyone - but on the other hand if thisngs went pear-shaped noone would be left waiting for me.



With it being Father's Day and my in-laws also being in town (all the way from "Old Blighty") time was not a huge constraint. I pack the "Bollux-mobile" with the 29er monocog and hit the trail from Landing Road at just before 8 am. Decided the Cascade was the way to go - this is the opposite way to the direction I usually ride which makes for a nice change. First log is a bit bigger than I would like without anytime to warm up but no hassle and I skip over it without incident. A minute later and disaster nearly strikes. Feelin' good and ready for an "epic-ride" I take on a small obstacle off to the right of the main trail and make as big a dogs breakfast of it as possible. It is nothing at all, a few small logs rolled together - I go over it every ride, this time I guess I'm going too fast, and instead of riding over it I catch some air and then glance the end log on the way down. Lovely! For about two seconds it's all dead cool - I'm scooting along doing a nice "nose-wheely" then I'm not - straight over the top and into the trail. Learnt a lot - shoulder holds up great, gravity is still working, I need beeter padding in my gloves.



Having picked myself up and checked noone saw me I get gingerly back on and take a more conservative pace for the rest of Cascade and Ridge. At the big crossing (by Morning Choice) I take a left down to the road and cross the river to head up the BC-side. Decide I have to take on Soapstone as Doug (another riding buddy) told me last week he clears this "every time". I have never climbed this in one go but what the heck. I give it EVERYTHING I have and crawl uncerimoniously all the way up to the road - I am shot! I must spend 5 minutes at the top just trying to catch my breath. After the Soapstone exertion I am found wanting at the next climb and end up pushing the bike to the watertower. Then life just gets better and better, lovely riding BC-side, I cover Sawmill Branch trail and come down - after a few miss navigations (due partly to my own stupidity and some trail rerouting) Buzzard Rock. I admit I am a bit of a wuzz on some of the downhills and walk some of the sketchier bits, but ride all the uphills (that's what I really enjoy). At the base of Buzzard Rock meet up with Chris (a guy I met at Lodi) he is out for an "extra loop" before meeting up with some mates for a ride from the "Park and Ride" we shoot the breeze as we ride along the road. When we hit Vinyard I take the trail and (due to time constraints) Chris stays on the road. Up Vineyard - I love this trail, just steep enough to feel you are working but not too uncomfortable - then back down Soapstone - easier this way!



Then back to the HC-side and back up the fireroad to the Rockburn loop. Finish the circuit with a blast up to Belmont and back to Landing. Great ride - a bit hesitant on the downhills but climbed all the uphills (except the one straight after Soapstone) so can't complain too loud. Finished with 18 miles ridden in 2.5 hours and with a big stupid grin on my face. Love riding with friends, love riding alone - Goddamn it I love riding!!

"Woo Hoo! When I feel heavy metal,

Woo Hoo! And I'm pins and I'm needles

Woo Hoo! Well I lie and I'm easy

All of the time I am never sure

Why I need you

Pleased to meet you!!!"

Blur "Song 2" - how I feel about my 29er monocog



Cheers "keep it real, keep it steel"



Dogzbollux

Sh*t almost happens again

What do they say about lightening? Nearly bloody proved them wrong on my way to work on Monday! I'm back cycling after my encounter with terra firma, but the fixie is stowed safely at home right now and the regular road bike is the preferred mode of transport. Still a bit nervous and am taking it easy so when I start down the only real hill on my commute and catch sight of a car in my peripheral vision I pay atention. The car is reversing very slowing from a drive way about a third of the way down the hill and is going so slowly I assume he has seen me... But no, he just keeps coming. On with the brakes and I grind to a halt almost touching his rear fender. He just seems to sit in the middle of the road so shaking my head wearily (I find politeness or displays of disapointment work better with car drivers than anger - they have the advantage in being surrounded by half a ton of metal, so a confrontation is normally a bad idea) and edge past him on his inside with my feet down. As I get level with his passenger mirror he starts to move again! I speed up to move out of his way and he blows his horn at me!!! Bloody cheek. Politeness be damned, I pull over and throw my hands in the air - "you pulled out in front of me you idiot" I scream. The man just drives of shaking his head clearly under the impression that I am some idiot biker who shouldn't be on the road.

It is only as normality returns that I realize the site of my latest bike related near miss is exactly where I fell off a month ago - spooky. (Perhaps the guy has a point about me being an idiot biker who shouldn't be on the road).

Anyway all is well that ends well - the guy in the end drives so slowly through his neighborhood that I keep up with him for the next two miles or so. Funny thing is the whole way his car is spewing out thick black smoke and although the guy makes a number of turns he doesn't use his signals once! There is an idiot in this scenario that shouldn't be on the road, but it is not me.

MTB fun with MLW

Having returned from California - aren't those "red eye" flights fun and managed to survive Saturday entertaining the children and acting as "Mein Host" for some friends leaving party (they are heading off to Boulder CO) Sunday was looking a bit dicey in terms of MTB action. MLW was planning to head out to Rockburn on Sunday morning and we had a babysitter organized but my physical condition was going to be suspect. Around 8 pm on Saturday I got a call from Greg to announce his brother-in-law and friend of mine (Emil) has bought himself a MTB and did I fancy going along for the "maiden voyage" - well it would be rude to say no! Plans were made to meet up at 7:45 am and I even talked MLW into skipping Rockburn and heading out to Avalon with us.

Party on Saturday is a bit too much fun and so when the alarm rouses me at 7:00 am it is a "not very happy camper" that drags himself downstairs and packs the Dogzbollux-mobile for the forthcoming ride (MLW's hardtail and my SS). Pack some beer to toast Emil's newest arrival and we are set. Phone rings and it's Greg - Emil has cried off, due to some prior commitments! Nuts to him - we got beer and bikes.... LETS GO!

Ride from Landing - take MLW to see the jumps section (Lewis and Clark) and then we hit the trails in ernest. At the first major fork we meet up with Dan and Joe (see previous) and join forces. As a group of five we ride like little kids, grinning and laughing for best part of an hour. Head up to Belmont and down the rocky downhill. I'm leading and from somewhere behind I hear "F**K - where did the ground go?" Sorry Joe I forgot to warn you about that bit.

Everyone survives andwe end up doing a pretty reasonable ride - Dan and Joe have to bag it around 3/4 the way round due to time commitments but MLW, Greg and me do the "long circuit" that takes in the Ridge and Cascade trails back to Landing. MLW is a fully fledged MTBer and taking on stuff I never thought she would - Excellent!

Back at the car we drink our beers and toast Emils new bike in absentia. Then it's back to the real world for a while!

Well nice weather has finally hit the trails and it's good to see more bikers out there doing their thing. In the winter the riding is fun and I quite enjoy the solitude but the social aspect to MTB in the summer is a bit special. Of course every good thisng has it's cost and I notice a good deal of "trail widening" and the origination of alternative (mainly easier) routes as a consequence of the increased rider numbers - and possibly the use of the trails by more neophyte riders. Now I don't want to start soundiong like someones grandad but this does make me a little sad. New trails cut round obstacles is just plain bad news, similarly highway straight cuts through previously twisty sections. I know people of all abilities use the trails (and applaud this) but if an obstacle is above your level just get off and step over it - don't cut detours round it. God knows I have sections of the Ridge/Cascade that I never manage to ride, that's why I keep going back - once a section is easy it's boring and time to move on. Let's not widen the trails, tough technical single track is what we want - otherwise I would be riding my road bike.

O.K. rant over - shoulder's a lot better by the way1

Cheers (Emil get your arse out on that new bike of yours)

Dogzbollux

Sunny California

Well I’ve spent most of the last week in California, specifically at the Stanford Sierra Conference Center in Fallen Leaf not a stones throw from Lake Tahoe. Life is hard! Officially I was there to attend the National Plant Lipid Cooperative annual meeting – science being what I do when I am not riding my bike, or should it be riding my bike is what I do when I’m not doing science? – I’ll leave that decision to you. Either way I was looking forward to an opportunity to get some good hilly trail runs in, the conference leaves the afternoons free for recreation and with the bike left at home running was the next best thing. The only fly in the ointment was the fact that I neglected to check the weather before I traveled. Average temperatures for June are in the 70’s however on Tuesday and Wednesday the actual temperature was in the 40’s and low 50’s with frequent snow flurries. Felt a bit silly in the short sleeved shirt!

For Wednesday I decided a run up to “Grass Lake” was in order, described as a moderate hike of only 6.3 miles I reckoned maybe an hour 15 perhaps. Checked with center staff who assured me even given the snow it would be safe as it is only an 800 feet climb to Grass Lake. Seemed a pretty safe and easy break in to running at an altitude higher than I am used to. Starting at 6300 feet at the convention center that still meant a final altitude of 7100 feet, fairly high for a Maryland resident. The unexpected weather conditions mean my shorts and T shirt packed for running feel a little inadequate, there is nothing for it I will sacrifice my only warm jacket (my thin fleece, which was only packed as an afterthought due to the chilly Maryland morning when I left for the airport at 4:45 am on Tuesday) to keep me warm on the run.

The run started flat along the road bordering Fallen Leaf Lake this was deceptive and short lived at the firehouse I turn right and the climbing begins. Pretty bloody brutal straight up a road that deteriorates in condition until at Lily Lake it gives up completely and turns into a gravel path then a forest track and finally a rocky mountain trail. On the way I pass a deserted village that has been converted to a campground, then the going gets serious, rocky with steps cut into the boulders. Fantastic fun especially as the snow keeps coming down in brief flurries. I have been warned by one of the local guides that the stream crossing may need some creative thinking. Well I reach it and it’s no big deal, a few of the stepping stones are submerged but wet feet are no big deal. Easy peasey! Well nearly, another 200 yards and I find the stream crossing he was actually talking about. Pretty fast flowing stream with no semblance of a way across. The choice is simple turn back or wade through. Given the snowy conditions there was only one sensible choice – so I waded through, the water was deeper than expected, reaching mid thigh but was surprisingly warm (thank God I am wearing shorts and not long running tights). After the water the path, which is pretty much covered in snow in places, continued to climb and twist up several sets of steps. By now I am three quarters of an hour into the run and still no sight of the lake. As I have told reception at the conference center that if I don’t return in 2 hours to “send someone to come and look for me” I am beginning to think that I must have missed the lake (come on less than 4 miles in 45 min!) and that I’d better head back. I decide to give it another 15 min and if no sign of the lake then I’ll just retrace my steps. Well a few more twists and turns and there she is - Grass Lake. Worth the effort. I can’t find a way round so I just head back the way I came. Down is much faster than up but I realize I am pretty whacked as I catch my feet on small rocks and roots on occasion and only just avoid falling.

On the way down I am struck by how steep the trail is, no wonder the outward trip took so bloody long.

Round trip in a little less than 1hour 30 – including a detour which cost me about half a mile and probably 200 feet in wasted climb. Feel great after a shower though how I will manage the evening session of talks without falling asleep will be interesting.

After “crushing” the run to Grass Lake something more challenging was on the cards for Thursday. Even with the sore legs from Wednesday’s exertions the decision was made to take on the trail to Gilmore Lake. This trail follows the same trail as for Grass Lake for the first 2 miles or so then heads off up the mountain climbing another 1200 feet in about 2 miles. All in all it is listed as a “difficult” 8.4 mile trek climbing 2000 feet – just what the doctor ordered!

Knowing the trail for the first 2 miles made a huge difference and I was past the junction to Grass Lake before I even realized it. Then the trail as expected took a fairly severe upwards trend and I climbed thin rocky and often stepped paths for the next 1.3 miles. Must admit I had to stop and walk occasionally to catch my breath and wasn’t 100% sure I was going to make it. Suddenly I came to the next trail junction and I knew it was only just over half a mile to the lake – nothing was going to stop me now. The odd snow drift across the path made going interesting but in no time I was at Gilmore Lake. Took the obligatory photos to prove I actually got there and then headed down. The trip up took just about 1 hr 10 min and the trek down a little less to finish in a thoroughly average 2 hr 8 min (less than 4 miles an hour, wow). Still being a ex-pat Brit having dragged my sorry arse up to 8200 feet above sea level is quite an achievement – put into context by the fact that this is over twice as high as anywhere in the British Isles!

I can look forward to the “Black Fly in My Eye” trail run in New Hampshire in a couple of weeks (a 15 K trail run) safe in the knowledge that pretty much whatever they throw at me in terms of elevation I should be able to cope.

Cheers

Dogzbollux

Life is Good(ish)

Well it's Sunday (3 June) and just over two weeks since I took a header riding my fixie. THe shoulder has been far more painful than I had anticipated and as a result I have been a "bear with a sore head". But at last things are looking up a bit. This morning for the first time since my close encounter with the asphalt I managed to get out onto the trails on my MTB. Yippee! As a rather sedate ride was in the offing I was accompanied by MLW and two of my friends who are just getting involved in MTBing. A "social" rather than a "balls to the wall" type ride was the order of the day. I'm riding a rigid 29er monocog so I was heartily unsure of how the shoulder would hold up. In the event no worries!



Headed off from Rockburn Park to take in some of the more low key trails. Plenty of roots but no logs or climbs to speak of. After a couple of sedate miles MLW announces she is bored and wants to head into Avalon, what a girl! With my shoulder aching but not giving anything like the aggravation I had expected I was like a little kid, hooping and hollering like a banshee. Fortunately when my over-exuberance finally got the better of me and I "endo" I am far enough ahead of the others to get back on my bike and MLW not to be any the wiser.



Into Avalon (across Landing Road) and we do a short circuit heading west. Over the water up the other side and turn left to do the section I know as the loggy bit. Where the trail splits to give a choice of a short sharp rocky uphill or a nice big "over the log and straight up" I take on thelog and for only the second time ever clear it. Then it's over the water again and up the grinding uphill. Joe anounces half way that his legs are shot and needs to stop. On assessing the situation we trealize his saddle is far too low - a relic of his BMX days - and with this sorted he is a "new man".

After one short lap Joe and Dan head back and MLW and I head for a second installment of the same loop. As I clear the "big log" for the second time today (only the third time ever) I let out a rather over-enthusiastic cry of "Yeah I own you big boy" - fortunately there is no one around to hear.

Fun ride, confidence recaptured, all is right with the world and yes my bloody shoulder aches like a f**ker (worth it though).

Cheers, remember steekl is real ( just bloody heavy)

Dogzbollux