Solistice Ride 2009

Well the winter solstice arrived in Michigan and the biking-gods were kind! Weather was perfect, freezing for the past week, fresh snow on the ground - who could ask for more? Having talked this ride up I even managed to convince to more Okemosians to join in the fun. Hard running Mark has been night riding before and wanted to test a new light he had bought, but Bob (with whom I had ridden once at Birchfield back in late summer) had never done the night thing. I lent Bob my "proper" light and mounted my old 10 w halogen bar light on by monocog (Big Dog).

8:30 pm and we meet at the assigned place then head (somewhat illicitly) onto the trails. They are in absolutely perfect condition! Just enough tracks to help navigation in the dark - with the small puddle of orange light provided by my halogen lamp - but the majority of the snow was crunchy goodness. First sections and we take it easy, all just settling in to the unfamiliar feel of riding in the dark me for the first time fixed! Trails are not technical but with the lack of coasting it it challenging enough not to be boring. Scoot alongside the river through some mildly rooty and bumpy sections until we cross the road Harris Park. Have to carry bikes over a chained up gate suggests that perhaps we shouldn't be doing this but what the hell! Its the Solstice and we are biking.

The trail here passes very close to several "MacMansions" and a persistent barking dog puts my nerves on edge for a while until the trail pitches back into the woods and we are alone in the quiet darkness again. At the half way point (close to Meridian Road) we stop and take the required "team photo". Then we head back along the lower (and slightly more technical) trail to the steps (which are negotiated with our bikes on our shoulders cyclocross stylee).

Take in some very nice tight single track on the way back to Van Atta Road and thence back to where we started - hung a right to take in the "muddy crossing" - half way along trail is a new fallen log, slightly at angles to the trail and covered in snow. A bit bigger than any log I've tackled on a fixie but I give it a go (or three) and fail miserably each time (this riding fixed is going to take some learning). Over the frozen muddy crossing and back to the "interesting" bit of trail. Bob nearly comes a cropper into the stream but manages to save himself courtesy of a tree branch he can cling to until he has disengaged himself from the new Time Attac pedals he is using (for only the third time). Up the hill, under the log branch and we are back at the trail head.

Suggestions of a beer are made and accepted so we cruise along Dobie to Dusty's Tap Room where in our snow covered biking gear (see photo) we bemuse all the ther patrons. Fortunately without my glasses I can't really see much so am comfortably ignorant of the strange looks we are attracting.

Trip home is a bit on the nippy side, having thawed out and gotten wet in the bar but "no-one died". Awesome ride! Good for the Soul!

Happy Solstice!!

DB

Fixed Heaven!

Yeah O.K. so we've established (i) the trails lack serious technical falloffability round here and (ii) the weather's been a bit crap lately. I've whinged and bloody moaned to everyone who would listen and to many people who really don't give a c**p. Eventually Mr Malone heard enough and told me (via email) to shut up and do something about it!!!! Sensible man Mr Malone (aka Mikey, Mike Mr Bike). Suitably chastened I decided that changes needed to be made........ and that change has arrived, in the form of a nice shiny 20 tooth Tomicog. For the uninitiated a Tomicog is a thing of great beauty, it is a cog drilled so that it bolts to the disc tab of the rear wheel very inexpensively and painlessly converts my Monocog 29er into possibly the biggest baddest mtb ever! A 29er, fully rigid (ooer) fixed bloody wheel. Spent the past week irritating the crap out of my 6 year old as I spend most of our bike rides trying to do track stands on my "new" rig. Christened it "Big Dog" for good measure and aching to hit the trails (I suspect hitting the trails is a pretty good description of my first few rides on this beast). Gonna add spice back to the riding.

Oh the fun we will have!

Cheers (photies to follow)

DB

Back In The Swing

When does normality become the exception? For ages the usual routine was a Night ride mid-week and a Sunday ride. But it's been bloody ages since I have managed to do this with any kind of regularity. Maybe life is regaining some semblance of order cos for the second week running both the night ride and the weekend ride both happened. And conditions for both were absolutely freakin splendid! Midweek and although the temp crept above freezing briefly during the day (putting the ride in jeopardy for a while) by the appointed time the mercury was buried nicely in the "bugger me it's cold" region. Flurry of emails and on arrival at the appointed launch site turns out a couple of Brian's mates are joining us - more the merrier, splendid.

So the roll call for this iteration of the "oh so infrequent of late" night ride was Dave (who road with us once before), Kenny, Todd, Brian, George and DB.

All starts as it should, Small Intestine, Belmont and "up the Purple" (snicker..oh grow up!). Belting along at a fair old clip. At the crossroads we decide that the same route as previous Sunday sounds damn fine - Ridge to White and down the Hike Only section. New guys and old guys vying for bragging rights so the speed down White is higher than usual - not to my taste at all! Over to BC side and it's time to take on Soapstone, trails are very conducive to climbing - hard and no loose surface. Still involves a lot of out of the saddle anaerobic effort but the climb is completed just before my heart explodes. regroup at the top and work out it's a night for climbing! So the aim is down Vineyard, up House of Pain then down Mission Impossible - EPIC!

Vineyard passes in a complete blur - the guys are up for it tonight and it's all I can do to keep in sight of their lights as they hurtle away from me. Fortunately House of Pain is a great leveller - I can push my bike as fast as the next man! Stupid steep at the bottom, fun going down but virtually impossible up, some loose stones make the steep section even tougher as spinning back wheels add to the torture. Second section is almost doable then the upper third, more gentle (but still a heck of a climb) feels like a holiday in comparison to what we have just endured. Regroup again, and hit Superhighway to Mission Impossible, at the junction though there is a change of heart! Instead of Mission Impossible we take the re-routed Patarini Hill to the the top of the Hillside section and then the group splinters, George and I opt for Tunnel Trail (now "officially" closed - sign up and everything) whilst other favor staying on official trails. But you know how it is, within seconds on George and me starting on Tunnel we are joined by Brian and Todd - just couldn't resist this trail. It's been knocked about a fair bit in attempts to close it with a few obstacles being made just about unridable - result is that each of us take one trip over the bars in the first half of the trail. With ice and snow George is only one who takes on the big rocky section and then I opt for discretion and walk a fair bit of the very steep leafy descent. At the road we head to the bridge then take the steep route to the right of the waterfall, Brian absolutely crushes the first (and steepest) portion of the climb and is still cranking away on his Redline SS 29er when he gets to the stoopid rooty section. Gets as close to riding it as anyone I have ever seen. At the top of the hill pause for the (now routine) group photo. Down the rocky stream bed descent and Brian mentions to me that although he has ridden bikes for over 20 years with some guys, and only just over a year with me, that he has seen me fall off my bike more than anyone else he knows - Cheers Brian!

By now legs are fried, lungs are seared and thirsts are well developed. Talks of extra sections are quelled and we take a direct route back to the cars and beers. Fantastic Ride! Longest of recent times and fast ads we have gone for an age. Couple of beers and it's time for bed.

Sunday came and with it a lonely ride for MLW and me! Were suggestions that may be five of us, but with the Bollux-house thermometer reading 17oF when we left I didn't hold out much hope, and so it proved.

MLW was a bit leery both of riding just the two of us and riding in such cold conditions. We took on the "big loop" from Landing - Small Intestine has again been removed and "Not Trespassing" signs erected - so we took the old route up to Belmont Road. Fist 15 min were pretty hard on the hands but once we got some body heat going all were happy. Along Ridge two guys rode on MLW wheel for an age - despite her offering to let them pass. I thought perhaps they were just enjoying the view but the reason became apparent after a brief stop to catch breath at the top of one on the hills, we set off ahead and they just disappeared! So not (as MLW though) so much trying to pass MLW - they were desperately trying to stay on her wheel!

Trail again just perfect, SWMBO was a little bothered by "trails like concrete" descriptions, but by the end she was a convert! Admitted the trails conditions were the most fun she has ever ridden. Some hills climbed that I haven't made in many months and when we got to the waterfall on Cascade it id frozen solid! Photo-opportunity or what?! Bikes are discarded on the trail and we scrabble down to stand on the petrified splash pool and get a picture right in front of the falls - magical.

Quick sprint up Cascade back to the car and the big loop has been done faster than ever before on a Sunday - we the team!

Enjoy the cold while we can - summer soon.

DB

Cool Ridin,

All bike rides are cool, night rides doubly so. But the first night ride of 2009 was to be possibly the coolest ride ever, both figuratively and literally!

With an arctic front making it's way down the East Coast the weather looked perfect! Cold as cold can be. To make matters even better Todd decided that the best way to celebrate the first ride of 2009 was to turn it into a ride from Chez Todd rather than our usual haunt Patapsco. An inch of snow during the day and temperatures never moving out of the teens just added to the excitement.

8:30 and Todd, George and "Yours Truly" are suiting up for the off, balaclavas, mittens, heat pads and shoe covers all in evidence tonight, as is Georges helmet-cam to catch all the action!

The mercury is telling us it is 14oF as we head out (same when we get back). It's a short ride through Todd neighbourhood, disturbing the local dogs and then into open fields. The trail dusted with snow and ice crystals shimmers with millions of specks of light, reflected from our helmet lights. It looks like a dusting of diamonds on the trail. For a few seconds I can't think what it reminds me of, then a dim and distant memory surfaces. It has the same look as I remember from the dwarfs diamond mine in Disney's animated version of Snow White! Quite magical.

As well as being pretty spectacular visually this field section allows us to turn the pedals over quickly (all three on SSers tonight!) and to build some body heat. First few minutes of a cold ride are always a bit painful, aching/numb toes and fingers until the core temp gets high enough to re-initiate a decent blood flow to the extremities. By the time we turn off the field and head into the woods feeling is just about returning to the digits.

After an initial leaf littered descent the trail is hardpack which is great as it allows more time to get some heat in the engine. Soon however the trail just disintegrates. mainly horse traffic in this area and the horses have done a fantastic job in churning up the trail into a mass of peaks and troughs. Now frozen hard as concrete it's like riding over a stormy sea that has been instantly petrified. The effect is a bit jarring with the rigid fork! Other sections (especially the steep sections) are eroded into deep trenches that have filled with several inches of leaf litter, hiding any and all obstacles/rocks. Dispite the trail conditions being challenging (both climbs and descents made super-difficult by the leaf litter) the mojo is in full effect and we ride without mishap for over an hour. Then enevitably on a steep descent I tense up and over the bars I go. banged my face enough to remove skin from nose and knocked the wind out of me good and proper. After squatting on all fours for a couple of minutes to get my breath back and ensure the pain in my ribs is nothing sinister I wipe the blood from my nose and continue. At the bottom of the hill George is there to record my bloodied face on video then we head on.

After another half an hour (and another trip over the bars for me -caught in motion this time by Georges camera) it's time to head back. Group photo taken to record our frigid ride and it's back a slightly abbreviated route to Todd's where venison sandwiches and a hot tub are awaiting. Life is good! Moving from riding at 14 oF to a hot tub at 101 oF is interesting - and the frozen feet complain initially. But, after 20 minutes and two beers I am wonderfully poached, to the point where I have to drape my arms outside the hot tub to dissipate some heat!

Just before midnight it is time to say cheers to the guys and head home for part two of tonights adventure.

End of Jan I'm heading to Pa for a weekend trying out ice-climbing, part of the fun involves a camp out on Saturday evening. Last year when the guys went it was 19 oF when they camped! In preparation for this I thought I'd better make sure my camping gear is up to winter camping - I've only ever camped in the summer before where heat rather than cold is the issue. Got myself a new tent (delivered Wednesday night and immediately erected in back yard) so tonight was the night to test out my coldhardiness. At home a quick trip inside to use the loo and check the temp - confirmed at 12 oF - and I'm in my new tent with thermals on, fleece on and my primaloft coat (not to mentions ski socks and fur lined slippers). All inside my sleeping bag!

I bring a bottle of beer with me but too tired and cold to contemplate this and it's abandonned in the tent. I'm surprisingly warm and soon drift off to sleep. At 2am I'm woken by a strange chirping, a bit like a car alarm, too cold to investigate I lie in my bag trying desperately to keep my heat inside as I move to get comfortable. the chirpig continues intermittently for the next two-three hours slowly developing into a painful keening screech. in the end I determine it must be some metal structure groaning as it contracts in the ever deepening cold. By 4:30 am I'm not omy beginning to feel the cold but I need the bathroom too! Ain't no bloody way I'm leaving my sleeping bag though, so I spend a fitful couple of hours drifting in and out of sleep fighting the cold and the need to take a leak. At 6:30 am I decide enough is enough and I rejoin civilization and warmth (in front on the pellet stove). Experiment a success - the gear 9and body) are up to the challenge of cold weather camping, temp outside at 6:30 am was 10 oF and the temp in my tent couldn't have been much higher cos my abandonned bottel of beer was frozen solid when I retrieved it.

Oh the fun we have!

Cheers

DB

Winter Solstice (Part 2)

Yeah, so this should have been posted before or during the Holidays - Hell life got in the way! Anyway here goes.

Having "celebrated" the Winter Solstice (2008 version) on Saturday with the Celtic Solstice 5 miler a good old night ride on the day itself (i.e. Sunday Dec 21st) seemed only appropriate. Not a usual night ride night so "special dispensation" from SWMBO was sought and duly obtained. Out went the email - in a fit of solstice-inspired exuberance, aided by a couple more "sherbets", the email suggested that in time honored fashion the gods would expect to be worshipped by way of a NAKED ride. I assumed this piece of British style humor would have been appreciated by my New World riding buddies. The deafening silence in response to my email suggested otherwise!

A few phone calls later and many reassurances that clothing would be acceptable and a ride was potentially on the cards. Then the weather and some familial commitments scuppered the plans! BUT out of the ashes of the Solstice Ride rose.... wait for it! The Solstice + 1 ride scheduled for Monday the day after the solstice.

The gods must not have been annoyed because the conditions were absolutely magical! Dry and blisteringly cold - temp measured at 19 oF at the end of the ride. Trails were solid and had a rimey grip to them that only occurs when the temp is at it's lowest. Three takers for the ride, George, Todd and "Yours Truly" DB. Thermals, winter gloves and even ski goggles were in attendance. Headed out through Belmont and up to Ridge, then down the "Old Ridge" hiking trail (White?) to the road - this trail is amazing, in both directions, but tonight with the moonlight shining through the leafless trees and visibility good enough to enjoy the trail life was good, even the shaley section (made even more treacherous by a layer of leaf litter) was fun and no injuries to report.

Few bike issues, loose chain on the faithful old monocog, which called for some speedy trail side maintenance. Too cold on the old hands to spend too much time arsing around with bikes tonight.

On a night such as this the BC side was calling and the call did not go unanswered. Up Soapstone and round the Community College loop. At the top of climb (by the Maintenance sheds) the decision was made to hit Mission Impossible - Whoo Hoo! The riding was fantastic and no falls pretty much the whole way to the log crossing. After the log things were a bit more sedate for Todd and myself as we rode less and pushed more on the technical sections. George of course tried to ride anything that looked even vaguely plausible and he fell the customary few times. The stream was frozen over in places and the waterfalls were spectacular.

At one such waterfall it was decided that a group photo was in order - "right then lads, kit off!" was the rallying call and although Todd didn't understand the "Brit-speak" (how do I organize close captioning?) George understood and with a whoop started shedding clothes left and center! Despite Todd's pleas of "what the F and you two doing?" within two minutes George and DB were standing starkers in front of the frozen waterfall! Todd played his role in this madness by operating the camera and the rest is history.

In the time it took to take the incriminating photo the sweat on the inside of my outer shell jacket had frozen and it took a while for George and myself to regain feeling in any of our extremities!

The remainder of Mission Impossible passed in a hypothermic blur as I worked as hard as the trail would allow - mainly pushing the bike - to generate some body heat. The end of the trail as always is fun - the stupidly steep and stepped decent that Todd and I struggled to walk down with our bikes and George rode down!


Back across the swing bridge to HC and a quick jaunt across the waterfall to the Cascade trail, few more water crossings just for good measure - they sure are fun when it's that cold. And then back to the cars. At the cars I find my shoes are frozen to my socks and have to be torn way - luckily fresh clothes and shoes are waiting and then (in a departure from the norm) we congregated in Todd's automobile to make the post -ride beer a bit less of a challenge.

Ride was fantastic, trails were awesome and the gods (I hope) were appeased!

Cheers

DB

Ultramarathon Blues

"I've got those,
Can't get rid of those,
Ultramarathon Blues"

Big miles are totally failing to materialize at the moment - and this is an issue! The plan was to have a couple of 100 mile weeks under my belt by now, no such luck. Longest weeks have just about topped 60 miles. That being said I've had more long runs (over 20 miles) heading up to the JFK 50 than I've ever strung together in one training block. Trouble is that at the moment neither the mind or the body is holding up too well to the increased running milage. The early morning runs took their toll long since manifesting as tiredness/bad temper and general malaise - a real struggle in forcing myself to get up and run in the early am's. Weekend long runs have continued but mid-week efforts have gone by the wayside. Last four weekends have witnessed three hour runs and that will have to do it - with two weeks to go the right leg is painful as all hell, suggestions of a reoccurance of the muscle tear from the early season. Just trying to maintain fitness and weight and get some rest/healing so that come 22 November I will "toe the line" healthy and enthusiastic.

The long runs have generally been much faster than "ultrapace" (8-8:30 min/mile) but have left me worn out - one aspect that gives me hope is (as pointed out by a friends wife) I am not eating on my long runs and only drinking water. DOH! Almost certainly just hitting the wall due to lack of blood sugar -expecting the gatorade and food at the rest stops to sort that out come race day. This weekend did the long run at more like 'Ultra-pace" (over 9 min/mile) and took a gel midway - other than the right leg hurting felt damn good at the end.

Time to rest and heal!!

Biking has been good - last two weesk the nightride has been ACE!! All SS affairs (Brian now sporting a 29er Monocog) new trails and much fun. Latest edition saw six (count em, six) of us all 29er SSers hitting the trails - both HC and BC and riding for close to 3 hours, then berers at the cars. New trail BC side, (The Tunnel) all the good stuff represented, steepness, logs, kin great big rocks. Woo Hoo! Slippery as a slippery thing after light rain - glad I was wearing my pads cos I went down hard two or three times, but with the pads no real damage.

Sunday and MLW, Sean, Greg and DB hit the trails - Small Intestine, Ridge, and the old connector between Morning Choice and Ridge - looked like nobody had ridden the connector for a good long time, loads of virgin leaves. On a steep section MLW took a header over the bars, not too much damage but a few hours on the couch in the pm with an ice pack on a swollen knee!.

On well more running to do in next two weeks then I'm going to reast adn ride my bike(s) for a while.

Catch ya later

DogzBollux

Public Nudity!!!

Wow, this running malarky is really sucking up my time. Hence the lack of regular posts, when I should be sitting here tapping away at the keyboard - these days I am either getting ready for a run, running or too knackered after a run to do bugger all.

Not going to improve any until after November 22 either - hopefully after that the postings will resume a more regular schedule. Not that it matters apparently cos I read an article the other day that claimed the blog was "officially dead" as a phenomenon. According to this article blogging was obsolete and a waste of time - apparently it is "soooo 2004". The last comment triggered a brief moment of vertigo in "Yours Truly" - suddenly my mind went blank as I though "shit what year is it then?!" assuming that some hideous amount of time must have passed since 2004 and I must have somehow missed it!

Well training wise things were going pretty well - the trip to La Jolla allowed me to get three solid days in (though the traveling cost me a day each end).; As mentioned last post Wednesday saw me trucking away on the treadmill for an hour before hitting the local state park for a slow 4 miler in the evening. Thursday was another treadmill day - another hour and 8 miles done inside. Friday was pay dirt though!! Conference finished at 3pm meaning I had several hours of daylight to squander! Running kit on and headed into the State Park equipped with map - initial plan simple run every bloody trail in the park. Turns out it is a pretty small park! Ran down the park road and took every trail and was finished after an hour, so it was down to the beach and I thought I would simulate the JFK 50 (in miniature) by after a hilly run (and the first hour up and down the cliffs was kin hilly) a dead flat section. So I headed south along the beach towards what I assume was La Jolla. Round a cove and I'm chugging away - no glasses on so I can basically see just as far as the end of my running shoes. After 15 or 20 min it starts to dawn on me that - either all the people on the beach are wearing very pale swimsuits or............. they are not wearing any swimsuits at all! Turns out it is the latter! I am running through a nudist beach - great! I am conflicted as to whether I should "declothe" but I reckon that the risk of sunburn in delicate places is too much of a risk.

What I notice, as I run though the nudists is something I have thought during similar runs in Europe, that by the time a person is comfortable enough with their bodies' that they are willing to go naked - perhaps they shouldn't! Lots of tubby middle aged men (many with ponytails for some reason - it was like being at a naked Status Quo concert).

Oddly as I emerge from the south end of the nudist beach I run through a group setting up for a surf competition. Here the people involved are all young fit and (of course) fully clothed - seemed the wrong way round for some reason.

On my way back along the beach the nudists had organized themselves into teams and were playing (of all things) volleyball! WHY????? If you are going to be old, overweight and naked fine, but at least keep still! Don't go jumping about like an idiot after a ball - aesthetically very unpleasing, I was glad I didn't have my glasses on.

After my encounters on the beach I climbed the trails back to the road then took one last trip down the road to the beach, just so I could run back up it - fantastic. By now it was close to 2.5 hours I has been out - desperate to make three hours I ran past the hotel and ran round the neighbourhood until the 180 minutes was up. Longest run to date - hopefully around 22 miles, even got into an "ultra-groove" at the end slow and minimal effort.

Back in Md on Saturday and realized Todd's Sunday "screw football - lets mountain bike" event was the next day. Having been away for four days already I was happy to forgo this, but SWMBO was insistent that if we could make it work I should go! Happily the planets aligned (just about) and although the guys had to wait for me I made it to Todd's in time for the ride. Five takers, Todd (obviously), George, Rodger, Mark (a friend of Rodgers) and DB. Some of the trail I had ridden perviously with Todd and George as a night ride, but most was new to me. Awesome fun, wicked downhills, rocks, logs and some lung bursting climbs - managed to clock a respectable 18 miles in just over two hours before impending dark, cold and the draw of a hot tub, food and beer drove us back to Todd's. Beers were opened, the venison sandwiches (oh yeah we know how to live) were made, music was cranked up and we all got naked on Todd's back porch to hose off and get our swim suits on for the hot tub!

Relaxing in the hot tub and the realization that today is actually my 12th wedding anniversary hits me! Fortunately MLW has forgotten so my life is safe - but I cut the relaxation short to head home via the store to buy flowers and champagne for MLW - what a guy! In a bit of a rush at Safeway - need to get home. Stick my wallet in the pocket of my cargo shorts, which I have thrown on after the hot tub ( going commando as forgot the "Hanes") and set off running across the car lot. Now.... all this running has had a toll on my weight, and I am not the same size that I was in the summer when I bought my cargo shorts! Result? With the weight of my wallet and car keys the shorts are pulled clean over my hips to my knees! And I am left waddling along with the "wedding tackle" on view for anyone to witness. Fortunately I don't think I was witnessed by anyone, but i do hope that Safeway doesn't have good security cameras!!

Cheers

Dogzbollux

Massanutten Mountain Madness

Where to start?

I guess the beginning is as good as anywhere.

Sloped off work a tad early to avoid Friday rush hour misery, quick visit to liquor store to grab a six pack and then load Sean's stuff into the Bolluxmobile. Off we head to Va and a weekend of mountain bike madness. Using Sean's Garmin makes the trip easy and even with a stop for dinner at Winchester we are at the Elizabeth Furnace campground by 9:20pm. Smashing! Except they lock the bloody gates at 9pm. Sean and I have a short discussion of the options, we are pretty chilled cos we know we can camp "illegally" at the picnic ground down the road and be off before the Ranger's come calling. Just then a flashlight interrupts our chat and the old guy would is the volunteer camp warden has come out to see what we are up to. We ask if there is anywhere we can dump the car and walk into the camp ground with our stuff - old guy just says "don't tell anyone I did this, and be quite setting up" as he unlocks the gate and lets us in - What a GENT!

WE quickly select a pitch as far away from other people as possible and while Sean heads off to complete our campsite registration I put the tent up. Fifteen minutes later and we are in the tent (sheltering from light drizzle) with beers in hand contemplating the fun to come. Our conversation is interrupted (for the second time tonight) by the elderly camp warden who has come to check we have registered. He politely ignores the fact that we are drinking beer in contravention of the clearly posted NO ALCOHOL signs (I do like this bloke) but warns us that we don't want to leave our cooler outside as it may attract the "site bear", nuff said! The possibility that he is overstating the bear risk is quickly negated by the loud banging (in the not too far distance) of the aforesaid bear raiding the campsite trash cans! Somewhat nervously then we turn out the lights, stow the cooler in the Bolluxmobile and drift to sleep to the sounds of "Yogi" doing his best Keith Moon impression in the darkness.

Next morning and we are non-too quick getting our arses in gear so it is 9am before we are breakfasted, gears up and hitting the trail.

Ready to go - day one

Navigation is fool proof, blazes are clear and the trails are good! First couple of miles are pretty benign a gentle break in before Signal Knob. Then the Massanutten Trail "proper" starts and all hell breaks loose! Seriously rock but rideable trails (on which we pass two other mtbers, the only bikers we see all weekend) to start with then just too bloody steep and rocky for words! We push!

Mountain biking at its best!!

The we push some more! We are overtaken by some walkers who (i) look very bloody fit and well equipped and (ii) are taking two days to hike the 11 mile loop up and over Signal Knob! Alarm bells start ringing in the distant recesses of my subconscious. How much fun is it possible to have pushing your bike up a rocky scree laden mountain for over two hours? Bugger all. We slog away in the heat, sweat is dripping off us in buckets before we are even half way to the top, but eventually we reach flat ground and even manage to ride our bikes a bit (passing the walking group) until we hit the milestones of (i) the TV tower and then (i) Signal Knob overlook. I am quietly excited as I vaguely remember from the Bike magazine article that precipitated this adventure that the descent from Signal Knob is reported to be a blistering, rocky funhouse of an experience! Bit of an anticlimax when I realize that the descent reported is what we have just spent the past 2 hours pushing or F'in bikes up and that our route takes us down the mountain on a fireroad! Still too knackered to worry too much, just nice to be sitting on my bike for a change.

At the lake at the base of the mountain we hang a right and enjoy some pretty ridable trail until disaster strikes. Sean is dog tired and misjudges a rooty section with the result he hits the ground pretty hard on his right wrist. Nothing broken but the wrist hampers him for the rest of the day and the bruising to his thumb is enough to be painful even now. After a too short trail and then fireroad section we have to climb back to the ridge. Another 30 minute hike-a-bike up Patapscoesque mud and rock trail and by the time we are at the ridge line we are both exhausted! I honestly think that (at this point) if Sean had the energy he would have beat me to death with his bike pump for dragging him out on this "adventure". And things only got better! The ridge riding was rocky, twisting and had enough sudden short steep climbs to keep us walking, in our exhausted state, for a good deal of the time. Progress was painfully slow and the original target of New Market was looking decidedly dodgy. By 2 pm (5 hours in) we were nowhere near our projected lunchtime destination (and water fill up spot). Water was running short and things looked bad. By 3pm and things were seriously in danger of getting ugly. Out of water and we were both basically beat up. At this point all thoughts of finishing our original route were abandoned and my only objective was to get off the mountain and get some water. As luck would have it at this point the trail began to get a lot more groomed - clearly we were approaching civilization. Oh what bliss a road can b, as we stumbled out onto a "chip and tar" road that the map quickly confirmed lead down to Woodstock. From the road the valley looked like a map laid out before us and the true extent of the days elevation gain hit home. As we flew down the road at breakneck speed over corrugated sections and round several switchbacks the realization that we will have to climb back up this hill vaguely occurs, but is driven away by a primal need for water and rest.

Sat outside Woodstock Food Lion and the prospect of advancing any further is quickly quashed. We fill out bottles with water, we drink Gatorade and beer (feels good!) and eat potato chips. Then we book into the Holiday Inn Express where the nice lady behind the reception desk does not even blink as we wheel our bikes pass her and into our room. 4:30pm and our riding day is over, 6:30 (when MLW calls to see how we are) and we are both asleep. Major "boys' night out" is a non-starter and is replaced by a carry out pizza, a six pack and watching "Erin Brockovich" on the hotel room TV. I fall asleep long before the end and wake up the next day fully clothed.

Outside Holiday Inn -Woodstock -day two

Day two and it is somewhat gingerly that we head out of Woodstock, knowing that the day's first business is with the climb to Woodstock Tower (at an elevation close to 2000 ft).

Savoring the view of what's to come - over 1000 ft climb to Woodstock Tower

Over the bridge by the dam and immediately the road tilts upwards - I start my stopwatch to document the climb! On paper this looks a dream of a climb, chip and tar surface, switchbacks the kind of climb that people would pay to climb. But that's probably on a road bike, not a single speed Mtb and with a 20 lb pack on your back. The fist time I look at my stopwatch it says 5 min (and I'm already gasping). But I get a second wind and some kind of rhythm, stand for a while till the quads and back start to hurt, then sit till the calves start to complain. Then 12 min have passed, cars driving down and coming up contain spectators that all grin and give either a wave or thumbs up - and for a while I feel like a real cyclist. By 18 min I am beginning to drag - and it's time to start making deals with myself. I will pedal for 40 min then get off and rest (even if I am not at the top). At 20 min I start the counting down, but then in no time I turn a corner and recognize the trail head we emerged from yesterday! This means only about another 200 ft to the top! With renewed vigor I stomp the pedals and with the watch reading 24 min and change I have reached Woodstock Tower. I dump the bike and stagger around a bit, a big sweaty blob. Every flying insect in 100 miles is attracted to me and soon I am sat in the midst of a gently buzzing cloud waiting for Sean. As he "summits' I take the required photo to record his misery and then we head down the mountain to Woodstock Gap.

After Saturday's snails paced progress Sunday has been a blur of speed and by 1am (only 2 hours in) we are on the road at Detrick only 12 or so miles from the campsite at Elizabeth Furnace. Here I shamelessly play on Sean's exultation at conquering the Woodstock Tower climb and persuade him (against all the promises he had made to himself) to head back onto the Massanutten Trail at Verch Gap. Initially the trail is great, an overgrown fire road with a few washed out stream crossings for added excitement. Soon we are back on the "Orange" Massanutten Trail and for a while the going is pretty good. Rocky as hell but the elevation gain is manageable. But I know what is ahead. The trail takes a sudden right and it's hike-a-bike time again as we crawl to the top of the ridge. Another hour and a half or so to the summit and a great view over the valley to the east - complete with eagles soaring!

DogzBollux at peak of elevation gain (day two)

At the top Sean is about wiped and for both of us progress has again slowed to a crawl. A look at the map allows us to plan a bale out route at Sherman Gap if needed and we agree that if we are not at this trail head by 2pm this is the route we will take. Progress along the ridge is as slow as Saturday - bits are rideable but long sections are not, push/ride/push repeat. At 1;40pm we hit the trail head at Sherman Gap but we are both done in again so we opt for this route and head down a seriously steep rocky trail. After the first half mile it flattens out enough to ride and we make sketchy progress down into the valley. Then sections of the trail become more Patapscoesque again and we have some fun hopping logs and even muscling up some short rocky climbs. The last 2.5 miles seem to go on forever but our wussiness is then exposed as we find a trail marker noting that the section we have just suffered on for seemingly hours is part of the Old Dominion 100 mile Trail Run! At the marker we head right toward the campsite and soon we can hear voices of children playing - civilization!! Past a swimming hole with families enjoying the late summer heat that we could to be honest done without today and then we hit paved road at the picnic area. A short hop along the road and we are back at the campground where we collapse next to the water pump, fill our bottles and drink!! Cold water has never tasted so good!! Two days of getting our asses kicked by the Massanutten Mountain Trail are complete. Old Camp Ground Guy comes out to see how we have fared and we have to admit we failed miserably in our original quest. "Well you boys have more gumption than me getting over them mountains on a bike" are his kind words and we head back to the tent and Bolluxmobile. 30 min later and the tent is in the van and we are heading out! Beers are opened as we hit the road and we listen to good old fashioned rock music all the way home! magic weekend, tough as old boots but worth every miserable second - I am already planning a second attempt at the Massanutten Mountain Trail for 2009.

In the wise words of Alanis Morissette "I recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone, I certainly do". Yes the Massanutten Mountain Trail was a "Jagged Little Pill" but worth the experience! And "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" as Homer Simpson once said (though I think Nietzsche may have said it first).

Back to Night Riding

It's been ages! Weather and scheduling issues have kept the Night-Ride group for convening for what seems like a bloody lifetime. Well that all changes last week, emails, texts, smoke-bloody-signals, whatever it took were exchanged and resulted in George, Brian and DB meeting up finally for a good old fashioned blow out.
Todd was absent partly due to some exams-thing coming up in the next few weeks but more importantly due to an ankle injury picked up during the Bike Polo escapade up at Ganoga - Bummer!
Ride started as any good NR should, with a trip up Small Intestine. Disaster is narrowly avoided as the rickety bridge is not so much rickety but more collapsed! Fortunately having got the new light i had just enough warning to both brake myself and to shout a warning to the others (close on my heals) before we all disappeared into the abyss. The section just after Small Intestine (with all the sticks/logs laid on the trail) was in pretty dodgy shape too, yielding the first fall of the night when George lost his front wheel on a log lying across the trail at about 45 degrees.
As it's been so long we were all full of enthusiasm and after a short confab decide the "Old Ridge Trail" uphill is in order. Tough, tough, tough! Fortunately we have Brian with us to show us how it is done. thence onto Ridge and a foolish decision (by Yours Truly) to take the descent from Ridge(just before the Cascade rock garden) down to the road! This descent scares me rigid in the daytime so at night I am a nervous wreck. George and Brian disappear into the gloom and leave me picking my way down pitifully slowly. This descent was the inspiration for the "SloMo Endo" post as a little over half way down I perform this little stunt to end up in a tangled mess amidst frame and undergrowth. Nothing too major though post ride checking reveals I've removed a fair amount of skin in various (some rather delicate) area of my body!
Once at the road it's over the Swing bridge and up what has now replaced Vineyard as my favorite climb on the BC side - the Convent climb! No dogs about this time to make friends with. Then it's a circuitous route to Bullrun and then we head back to HC via the waterbar and take Morning Choice back to the cars. Fun, fun, fun. About 2 hours worth of solid effort - feeling quite good (limitation of beer intake for past month is beginning to show effects both weight and fitness wise) and we have certainly earned our beer and pesto-bread "post-ride repast". Surely there should be a law about having this much fun - Oh yeah I think there probably is!

Till next time

DogzBollux

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow! Been pretty much too busy to poop the last few weeks! So time on the bike has been hard won, as as for writing about biking? Forget it!
Most productive efforts have been on the fixie-commute to work. This has become an established twice a week routine (as hoped) and is continuing to kick my ass every which way - great stuff.
Night riding only happened once - Todd George and Yours Truly - nice two hour effort. George had gone easier on the pre-ride nourishment so there was a distinct lack of technicolor yawns (which is a good thing). Unfortunately I apparently had my "Mr Fallioff" head on so spent more time than really necessary picking my sorry arse up off Terra Firma than I would have liked. Rode some trails we haven't before - including the "Old Ridge Trail" from bottom of the water bar up! Whow nice climbing and then a short price of white blazed hike only trail. Rest of the ride on trails well travelled.
Weekend rides, not so much! Family commitments and then trip to the beach put paid to these for a couple of weeks! At the beach we tried to become the "Eco-friendly Bike Warrior" family by deciding to cycle everywhere rather than take the car - child # 2 is fine and dandy on her 24 inch wheeled Specialized Hot Rock, and Child # 3 is happy as a clam (most of the time) on her tag along behind her Dad (that'd be me) on my "super-cool" (notice a hint of sarcasm?) hybrid. MLW rented a beach cruiser and we were set. First day at the beach "sans" car and a huge bloody thunder storm rolls in!! By the time the "family Bollux" is rounded up and ensconced back on the bikes the rain is coming down in sheets! The three mile cycle back to the hotel is punctuated only by the complaints emanating from child #3! "Daddy I'm never going to be happy EVER again", "Daddy I think it's going to rain forever and we are all going to drown" - you get the idea! The rest of the day was spent watching Mother Nature put on one of her more spectacular shows! Hail the size of peas (in August?!) and lightening that you could literally hear fizzing as it streaked across the sky, one simultaneous thunder clap and lightening blot that made our chests reverberate was enough to send us scooting for the safety of our room and bed. And that would have been the end of the biking adventure - if the car hadn't decided to breakdown at that point! So despite the very vocal wishes of Child #3 the biking "Bollux-clan" was back on the road for the next day!
Back in Md and have managed to hit the trails just once more - nice ride with Sean - including a traverse of Mission Impossible, but generally I'm having little inclination to write about the same old trails at Patapsco - I feel the need for adventure. So it is good that in only a few weeks Sean and Yours Truly are heading off to deepest Va for a mtb-adventure!

Enough already!

DB

Sick as a Dog!

After the recent interactions with the DNR the decision was made to change things up for the weekly night ride. Different launch point, different day/time! And the Maintenance Huts are off limits for the foreseeable future.

This week Brian was AWOL but Todd and George were back!

Having resigned ourselves to a HC restricted ride the challenge was to make the ride interesting in some way. Normal way to infuse a potentially dull ride into some kind of challenge is either spped or distance. I'm in no mood for speed (tonight or ever!) so distance it is! I suggest an EFI ride. The idea is to cover "Every F'in Inch" of bike trail HC side (excluding trail leading to the road) in one ride. Todd, ever the prosaic one, just wants to ride his bike and doesn't need a stoopid reason to do so - but of course George buys into it immediately! Once in the Park discussion begin about the best way to hit EFI of trail, the issue is the "threaded" regions where the trail breaks into three or more branches that all end up in the same place. With an almost immediate resignation that we will fail - but fail gloriously - we decide just to ride! Tick off Small Intestine, and the Belmont Hill. After the water we head left up the steep rooty climb. AT Morning Choice however, for a change, we hang a left and tick off the Derelict house portion and the Roller Coaster section that takes us back to the main drag from Landing Road. Another discussion and we take a right down the lose rocky descent back to Ridge, thence to cascade, including the climb to the Railway ties and back to Morning Choice. Not even half way yet, but it's obvious that George is "not in a good place". Too much spaghetti and meat balls pre-ride apparently!

"Better out than in"

Once he has "lightened the load" somewhat George is feeling better but not stellar so the original plan is further doomed to failure. Still we plough on gamely heading (not on the usual loggy section) to the stream before taking the New Trail and heading back to the Belmont Hill for round two. This time we take the newly reopened climb up Rockburn Branch and head out on Ridge. Hitting the Connector trail to take us back to Morning Choice, thence Old Branch Trail Loop and then back to the Loggy Section. By now over two hours have elapsed and our resolve has deserted us, replaced by a desire for beer. Over the water after the loggy section and disaster strikes! In the dark I pick an appalling line through the water and hit a ridge on the far bank, I get up the ridge but stall at the top. Todd in "hot pursuit" hits my back wheel and is unceremoniously dumped into the water - he is not best pleased, especially as the mud at the bottom of the stream is somewhat fragrant (and not in a good way). Fortunately we are minutes from the cars and a change of clothes. Heading back to the final water crossing Todd stops suddenly to view some stags in the trees, George and I speed on it anticipation of alcohol.

At the cars although food (yet again) is available there are no takers - tonight's efforts (again over two hours and nearly 15 miles) has taken it's toll. The much anticipated "20 miler" can't be that far in the future surely?!

Cheers

DogzBollux

Close Encounters

After several rain delays the night ride was on. Very limited participation, due to work and family commitments among the group, with only Brian and me arranging to meet up (a little later than usual) to hit the trails. Nearly didn't happen though.

I was in fine mood as I approached the launch site - nice weather and the first proper test on my new light (after the previous weeks debacle). Windows down (no A/C in the Boluxmobile) ad radio turned "to eleven" listening to DC 101. Just as life can't get any better "Champagne Supernova" erupts from my car stereo speakers!!

Woo Hoo, I'm in heaven! Bike on my car, dressed in Lycra and Oasis blasting out.

"Slowly walking down the hall,

Faster than a cannonball.
Where were you,
When we were getting high?"

Singing my little heart out and probably not paying enough attention to what's going on around me, cos when I look in my rear view all I can see is a Police Car doing a good impression of the Blackpool Illuminations!! Sirens blaring (though not loud enough to drown out Oasis) and lights a-flashin'! I have absolutely no idea how fast I am going (though a swift peek at the speedo suggests only 35 mph), I signal and pull over and pray!! "Please don't stop!!"

Fortune smiles, as it transpires that I am not the object of this particular policeman's wrath (tonight at least), he blasts past me and off into the distance in a matter of seconds. With that little excitement over I am in no mood for any further encounters with authority tonight!

Brian and I launch shortly after 9:30pm and in a change to our usual routine we eschew Small Intestine and instead head straight to the Belmont Hill, over the road and down the gravelly descent that is made more interesting by the four or so small drops (all less than a foot) that even in daylight can catch an unsuspecting rider off guard. The new light performs admirably and we scoot down this section rather more speedily than I am used to. Over the top and through the water before I know it - I try riding along the log on the left, only managing about two feet of it before I ride off. It's been a long time since I actually tried that trick so it's good that the old confidence (or is it stupidity?) is returning.

At the rooty stoopid steep uphill Brian takes the direct route and I trail further on to take the easier route. I fail to make even this and Brian shows me how mtb riding should be done my crushing the tough line! Over the top and before we know it we are at the "four way" junction - now I have a plan! we take Ridge but half way along we hang a right down the "hike Only" trail - come on it's bloody dark! How many hikers are there likely to be tonight? Fun, Fun, Fun - the trail is all swoopy, rocky, rooty goodness. Bit of leaf litter to keep things interesting and a nice narrow section at the end bordered on the right hand side by a fair old drop!

At the road we head over to BC side and then along the paved path the other side of the river to the "Convent Climb" - my new favorite climb. Thru the tunnel, thru the rocky water and up we go - rocky and relentless. About two thirds the way up I'm slightly startled to come across a small dog in the middle of the trail I call "Hi Dog!" as I pass and the animal seems friendly enough. At the top I wait for Brian to arrive, and when he does he has our new K9 friend in tow. We have a quick chat about what to do with the dog and after concluding (i) it is not thirsty (ii) it looks healthy enough and (iii) it is wearing a collar we guess it is simply a dog from a local house out wandering. So with a swift "goodbye" we head off towards the Community College loop.

DogzBollux and new K9 friend

All is hunky dory until we reach the top of the rocky climb to the maintenance huts! Just as we hit the crest lights come on in a truck inside the compound! BUGGER. Being knackered after the climb I'm a bit slow extinguishing the light, but once it is off we stand still in the darkness. Lights flash through the trees in front of us then a voice over a tanoy announces "we know you are in there.... go back the way you came!" Sounds like a plan to me! We decide discretion is the better part of valor and descend the rocky climb without light, stumbling over roots and logs and swearing quietly. At the bottom we regroup for a little discussion.

Brian - man of mystery (and poor illumination)

Decide best way back is up to Soapstone and a stealthy little ride on the road back to the Water Bar. All goes without a hitch and despite now having two close encounters with authority in the space of three hours, all is good. At the top of the water Bar and Small Intestine beckons - take the trail over the stick laden trail and then as it is 11:55pm decide that right onto the New Trail and it's big logs will take us into tomorrow. Despite Brian trying to kill himself on the last water crossing we get back to the cars at 12:10am tired, but happy and without a ticket. Another 2 hour plus ride and after a couple of friendly beers time to say "goodnight" and head home to bed.

Smashing!

DogzBollux

Best of Times, Worst of Times!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

Some bloke called Charlie wrote that! He was talking about the French revolution (apparently) but may as well have been describing the past two weeks (since my last entry) in the Bolluxsphere!

Mtbing has been at an all time low - just one measly ride in 14 whole F'in days! OK it was a decent enough sojourn around the usual trails on Patapsco (even discovered some illicit renegade trail - but enough of that), but it was still the only action the Monocog has seen, just not good enough that man!!!

On the up side, the fixie is seeing more action than any time in recent history! With the "young'uns" out of school an agreement has been negotiated between MLW and me (aided by the high gas prices - every cloud!) that a cycle commute twice a week was acceptable! So for the past three weeks the fixie has seen the light of day at least twice a week! And the benefit in terms of leg strength is already being felt! Average speed up form a humble 16 mph (10 mile route) to a thoroughly average 18 mph - but hey heading in the right direction.

Meanwhile Mr Running Sean (not to be confused with Mr Biking Sean) is all hot to trot for the JFK 50 this year!! With him getting the "grand permission" from his respective SWMBO, MLW was forced to concede and grant me a day pass to have a go at this little romp. Fan-bloody-tastic! The reality of this commitment however is harder to stomach - long miles throughout the Maryland summer! So for the past two weeks we have been hardening ourselves by getting used to the inevitable "sh*t it's early" runs. Headlamps on, rising at 4:30am to hit the road at 5:00am giving us enough time to saunter round 15 or so miles before the 7:30am roll call at "swim team".

All in all a real dearth of mtb-fun but plenty of other stuff to keep me entertained!

Then this weeks night ride hoved into view Whoo Hoo! Gonna be a classic! I've just caved and purchased a "proper" light - a rather spectacular Light and Motion unit!!!! Got my Monocog back in original condition- rear wheel picked up from LBS with new free hub in place. New hydration pack - bigger pockets to allow multi day rides (more of which in later posts - I hope) and to top it all off a full bloody moon!!!!!!

New launch site and new company (Jon the gatecrasher). So George, Brain, Jon and DB at the new launch site - how much more fun could we have? Brian's bike is playing up from the off, over the first big log and problems are obvious. I turn to see what's up and Brian has already removed his back wheel - never a good sign. After a brief discussion we conclude Brian's free hub is playing up (ring any bells?) and will probably be O.K. but we decide to head back to the cars to get some lube to make it run more smoothly. Two minutes later on a small rooty uphill as I attempt to crank over a large root there is a "pop" and I literally fly over my bars from a standing start!! I assume I have snapped my chain - but no! Bloody F'in freehub (new, just installed, only half a mile on it) is knackered and spinning freely!! Ride over for DB! Push bike back to car swearing loudly and my "magical" nights riding is over! At the car I swear some more, rack my bike, say Goodnight to the guys as they head back out onto the trail and then I head home!

As I am heading for bed at 11 pm I reflect (somewhat sourly) that the guys are probably still riding and having a blast! Oh well there will be other nights with full moons and good vibes.

Cheers

DB

And then there were five!

New technology is messing me about! The guys from the night ride have started using this new fangled texting lark to organize the time/launch point. Yes I get the texts, and can probably even access them and read them, but that is dependent on me actually turning my cell phone on! Not going to happen!



So I didn't find out until midday (when someone kinding emailed me) that the ride was on for that evening! Great and shit at the same time! Always great to be heading out for a night ride, shit cos I'd assumed there was no ride (missedthe frantic text messaging) and so had commuted to work on the fixie! Result i turned up a bit late for the ride and with tired legs! Guys had done a 30 min small loop before heading back to pick me up and......... there is a new face! Excellent! Brian has brought his friend David along! As we head off I notice immediately the ride is different. Looking round I realize everyone else is on a shifty! That together with David's desire to show what he can do and the other guys wanting to show david what they can do means that the pace is red-bloody-hot. I just try and holdon at the back and hope to the gods that the pace will slow at some point!



No Small Intestine tonight, but head down the Belmont Hill and up the steep slope after the water - I am gasping like a stranded fish and so no "extra point obstacles" for me tonight, just try to keep it simple and stay in touch. The group consensus at the four way junction is that the BC-side is a must and George wants to hit House and Pain and Double Drop. It is decided that the best route is along Ridge and down the fire road to the Swing Bridge. All along Ridge the pace remains absolutely sodding relentless - I am miserable and paying for the previous weeks excesses. The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that once we hit the bit climbs across the Swing Bridge we will all be pushing! By the time we hit the Fire road I am so far behind Todd has stopped to make sure I am not lost! Oh the embarrassment!



Across the bridge and George opts to go for the climb up Double Drop! We take the road to it's base and I let everyone head off in front in the knowledge that my pedaling time will be very short on this hill. As it turns out it is short for everyone, so within a minute we are all off our bikes and forming a merry little line of bike pushers! As the trail becomes more ridable we remount and soon I am riding in splendid isolation again - legs just don't have the kick needed to attack the combination of grade and obstacles. At the top of Sudden Impact Todd is waiting again to show me the way. I try (I really do) but this descent kicks my butt every time, steep as anything and with wicked drop offs that are just itching to catapult me over my bars. Add to this the knowledge that the trail always ends (for me) in the ignominy of having to walk down the last uber-steep section! I limp down, well last and almost a defeated man! Heading back along the road and as we discuss the next move a mad idea takes shape - up House of Pain and thence to Mission Impossible! Fortunately by the time we hit House of Pain I seem to have recovered my climbing legs, to a degree at least. Todd leads the way but I am able to hold my own in second - even manage the big step up at the base of the climb. At the top we regroup, for the first time tonight not for my benefit, and head for the Superhighway. Now Ladies and Gentlemen, for those who have not tacked this section, it is fun! It is a gradual down slope made fun by the fact that the surface is a mass of fist sized rocks. The effect is of a sadists cobbled street, rigid single speed anyone? Beats the living poop out of you!



As we enter the Superhighway George (who is on point) shouts to me that the new log that was built up isn't now. I didn't even know there was a new log! When it hoves into view it is a doozy. Big and lying over the aforementioned jagged cobblestones. George of course makes it look easy and there does in fact appear to be a reasonable ramp up made of small logs. Riding fast and feeling brave I give it a go - FOOL. Turns out the uphill side is ramped but the downhill side isn't! My front wheel takes a dive for the ground and I sail, not so gracefully, over the bars!Fortunately though the effect is quite spectacular the result is no more significant than a bruised palm on my left hand. David starts to mumble at this point that we may in fact be absolutely bloody mad!



On to Mission Impossible and the going is pretty good - David goes over his bars once as do I but no injuries and after our falls we decide to be more circumspect for the rest of the ride. At the end of Mission Impossible the ridiculous final descent (rocky, rooty and kin steep) is taken at speed by George (who clearly has his "foolish head" on tonight), Brian starts to take it on but aborts half way down when he realizes the enjoyment to imminent death risk ratio for this particular section is too low. After witnessing Georges performance, David is now confident in his earlier prediction concerning out mental state. The rest of us just walk/slide down the trail to the railway bridge!



Then it is time to head back towards beer. Back over the Swing Bridge and up the fire road onto Ridge. Just after the Cascade rock garden we regroup (Brian having some bike issues) to decide on the way forward - down the steep rock, or the "mans' route" up and over the rooty section. George doesn't give it a second though and launches himself bodily at the rooty section. George is on form tonight! Front wheel jams and he is thrown forwards and almost over the side of the trail down the 15 foot drop, fortunately one of his shoes doesn't come unclipped and his bike -snagged in a tree - stops him falling too far. After this little excitement the rest of the ride is fairly innocuous, Cascade, Lewis and Clarke and then New Trail for finishers. another solid 2 hours effort (2.5 hours for those who went before me).

Back at the cars and the party begins! Beers (as usual) but yet again the ante is being raised! Todd produces some cake and not to be outdone George has brought along two loaves of bread (one cheese and one garlic). So now the night ride is catered! Just settling down to our post-ride repast when we are joined by a biker riding home after his own night ride revelry. Jon (member of the SSOFT) is heading home from Columbia on his fixie after a night riding with a different group. Never met, but hey! Night riders and fixie riders are one big happy family - so he joins us for a beer and we spend the usual time chatting and plotting/planning future rides. Soon enough time to go home so we bid each other a weary farewell and head off back to reality!

Till next time

DogzBollux

Sorry For The Inconvenience!

As of now, usual service is restored!







O.K. as you already know I have the tendency to be a bit of a lazy Bastard - but things have really gotten on top of me. You know work, family stuff (in-laws here from homeland) etc., not enough hours in the day.





Pity really cos the night ride last week was something close to epic! Now epic, as an adjective, is a little overused these days in the mountain bike fraternity. Personally epic describes a ride that is measured not in miles, but tens of miles and elevation gain in thousands rather than hundreds of feet. Against this background the last night ride wasn't epic - but it was damn close! Todd was a "no show" so George, Brain and DB made up the "three Musketeers" that assembled, in remarkably timely fashion, and launched onto the trails just after 9:30pm. Small Intestine for starters - got to love that! Now, it occurs to me that as the trail naming scheme I use is somewhat abstract (in that it doesn't coincide with any designation found on any map) I should perhaps describe the trails ridden in greater detail. To do this for an entire ride would be tedious in the extreme, so I'll parcel out the descriptions amongst future posts. For now a description of Small Intestine will suffice.



As the mane suggests it is fairly short (probably less than a mile in length) very narrow and bloody twisty. Although there is very little in elevation gain or loss the feature that makes the trail so much fun is the logs! Not big but loads of them!! Every ten feet or so there is a log to negotiate. Combined with the tight twisty nature of the trail this means there is almost no way to maintain flow or momentum. As a result it is a workout from start to finish, working the shoulders lifting that front wheel as well as the legs. Fun is enhanced mid-way by a section of small logs over a boggy patch and then a rickety bridge of small logs. All in all a joy to behold!



After SI we take the usual route down Belmont Hill and up the recently re-opened climb that formed part of the "6 hr of Patapsco" course. At the four way junction we decided BC-side was "a-callin" so we set off down the Water Break. Just across the river as we were about to emerge from the short riverside trail section car lights stopped us in our tracks - the dreaded DNR? The car slowed and parked at the exit to the trail we were on, not a good sign! Lights were extinguished, no panic though - soon as the Ranger gets out the car and heads into the trail we will simply "hightail" it out the other direction (sounds like a plan). Then to make matters interesting a second car pulls up! Could be in trouble now as our "friends" the Ranger's could potentially block both ends of the trail - HUM! At this point with minimum lights we retrace our steps (whilst Mr Ranger is planning their strategy) and then ride "sans Lights" back to the Water Break. Up we go! Always fun.

At the top I take lead duty and lead up Morning Choice, past the derelict houses thence on to Old Loop Trail and back to Cascade (via the decimated Lewis and Clarke). Head down Cascade, up the left fork "rocky climb" to the old railway ties. Brian becomes the "Decider" at the top of the climb and opts to head left down the sketchy downhill to the road. At the road nerves return - in case of a second close encounter with DNR. Lights off and we ride stealth to the swing bridge and over to BC-side.

George is in true fighting mood tonight and takes the lead up House of Pain - woo whoo! By the top we are all pretty spent but having a blast. We pause for breath and to plan the next installment, Community College loop to Soapstone meets with universal approval. Sweet riding tonight, we all look like we know what we are doing for a change! No technicals no falls and soon we are scooting down Soapstone - George takes on the big log at the top of Soapstone two or three times but hell - tonight it's not happening! Brian and I just ride the chicken run round it and spent our time laughing at George's antics!

At the base of Soapstone and it it time for stealth number 3 - ride in blissful darkness under the bridge and as no car lights are visible we light up and head for the site of our earlier sighting of the DNR. As we enter the trail we ride past 9and almost into) a group of young guys apparently night swimming in the river! We are just about to shout out warnings about our earlier DNR sighting when we realize these guys were probably in the cars we saw an hour or so earlier! DOH!

Back to HC-side another heart pumping, leg burning climb up the Water Break and it is time to think about heading back to the cars and beer. Rockburn Branch, up the Belmont Hill and it's time for Small Intestine in reverse! Big fun in either direction. At the end of Small Intestine we regroup and "synchronize watches" turns out it is five minutes to midnight! What to do? Only one sensible call - lets head left onto the New Trail and make sure we ride into tomorrow. New Trail with all it's big logs still fails to induce a fall - tonight we can do no wrong! and before we know it we are back at the cars - 15 miles and 2 and a half hours - as I said "almost an epic".

Beer and chat before heading home tired and wearing big grins! Tomorrow will be tough at work. Next week I miss out as I'm on vacation but hopefully the 20 mile night ride is only weeks away! Top F'in Notch

Cheers

DogzBollouz

FULL HOUSE!

With the weather still seemingly in schizophrenic mood opportunities to ride have been few and far between of late. Despite this the regular(ish) night ride was convened and as luck would have it, for the first time in many months it turned out to be a "Full House". Todd, George, Brain and yours truly DB all present and correct. Launch site was PNR for a change and George announced early there were "trails out there that needed riding". So we were on a mission!

Todd took the lead early and lead us down one of the many Soapstone options. Despite me having freshly installed batteries to maximize my lighting there were a couple of dicey moments early on when lines that would probably been either avoided or walked in daylight were taken on at full speed because I didn't see then in time! With each avoidance of disaster my confidence grew and by the time we hit the bottom of the opening descent I was in gung ho mode!!

Up the fire road climb to the road and thence to the water tower where a quick regrouping was called for before the descent to the Community College loop - we were crushing! Big surprise was the removal of the big log just before the wall gap! whoa those chain saws are hungry at the moment! Although my early form was good by the time we hit the rocky climb to the road atop House of Pain I was "out of my zone" and the others had to wait for me at the top! Todd was having a few seat post issues again! So waiting for me was not completely lost time.

Here began George's mission! Super Highway and then a funky little left turn onto Pig's Run. Never done this so another inaugural ride in the dark. i knew by reputation that this would be challenging but as it turned out with the exception of a couple of sections most of the trail was navigable. Course George considers any trail 100% navigable and throws himself bodily (several times on occasion) at all sections, even though tonight he is sporting the 29er SS rather than the Nomad. Indeed Brian is the only "shifty-demon" tonight as the other three of us eschew the "new fangled trappings of multiple ratios". Having survived a virgin ride down Pig's Run there is only one option - UP the ANTI! Or rather up Mission Impossible! MF this is a tough trail! Much pushing - the sign at the bottom announcing it is "Hike Only" is redundant as I can't foresee anyone actually riding their bikes up the first section - vertical bloody rooty climb! Once we gather on a trail that has some semblance of ridability we mount up and push on. First log and George hops over - me? Not so much! Make complete dogz breakfast of it and complete a rather spectacular endo, just about managing to stay on the trail rather than disappear headlong down into the stream far below. There is silence for a couple of seconds as I gingerly extricate myself from both my bike and the vegetation I end up in - then Brian asks "can I laugh now?" I'm fine! Grins all round - no harm no foul. We pick our way to the Eatough log crossing then George announces he need to change his left crank! Yep he just happens to be carrying a spare. He removes a very nice - but clearly knackered White Industries crank and replaces it with his spare. What to do? Decide that this piece of used/abused but still beautiful biking flotsam deserves a special resting place. At the base of Patarini Hill I install it in the Log Shrine that overlooks the stream.

Up the hill and I take the lead deciding on Double Drop as a way down rather than Sudden Impact. Just as we hit the final sketchy downhill we meet two female walkers (with very inadequate flashlights) ascending! Fortunately they see/hear us before we see then and we pass in the night without incident and no more than a quick "hi there".

Along the road - quick jaunt up Vineyard and then Brian takes over, instead of back to the Water Tower we skip left down the hill and up what possibly forms part of Bull Run. Some pushing, some riding, fun downhill along the ridge and we are back at the base of the Mile Smile. Over two hours riding under our belts and close to 10 very challenging miles covered with no real damage. At the top of the Mile Smile the third "mechanical" of the evening occurs as Brian snaps his chain - resulting in us pushing him along the road back to the PNR.

Back at the cars, beers and much discussion of the power of the text message! This may well end up the dominant route of communication betwixt us night riders - HUM! All I can say is "Spr?"

BB4N

DogzBollux