Fun kind of week this one - started well with the usual night ride, just George and me so we decided to mix things up a bit. Started at the Park N Ride and took a slightly different entrance into the park. A nice steep section had me "over the bars" in the first 5 minutes - always good to get the mind focused early in a ride. Then George decided to take us on a magical mystery tour. Perfect! We rode/pushed the bikes up Bull Run (George on his Nomad me on my faithful Redline 29er Monocog). Then navigated some trails George confessed he always gets lost in, nice technical downhill sections, logs you name it! Bunch of new trails - smashing.
Then we headed down Vineyard and hit the paved path as far as the bottom of "Double Drop" from where we did our usual route in reverse - amazing how riding a route you know well but from the other direction makes it a completely different ride.
Great ride - perfectly timed as my Nite Hawk light completely burnt out just as we were making our final climb back to the cars, two plus hours of fun.
On Thursday we had a "film-night" at the Bollux residence to show 24 solo to the Sunday ride crew. Fantstic film, a must for all MTBers, take a look at the preview http://www.24-solo.com/trailer/. Much fun had by all, food, beer and a few laughs at the insanity of the 24 hour riders - Gordo is a kin hero! Is it just me or does Mark Hendershot look scarily like Gollum from Lord of the Rings?
Saturday had me venturing to Harper's Ferry to partake in some white water kayaking with Sunday crew regular Sean (he of the Irish cycling jersey). As complete novices we were assigned "duckies" and spend three and a half hours being inept on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. Fortunately as there's been no rain this year the conditions were nice and benign, "less white water, more shite water" was Seans assessment. So no getting wet except when we chose to swim a "rapid". Hard work mind as those white water duckies do not like going in a straight line so you end up fighting the bloody thing all day.
Sunday and the usual ride - good turn out with five of us there for a spin. Doug and I took the opportunity to scoot off the front to give us time to "perfect" riding the log at the bottom of the Belmont hill. Few goes each, few successes and a few falls (just as it should be). MLW is still coming on leaps and bounds in terms of technical ability - happily taking on some pretty sketchy downhills that have more experienced riders getting off to walk. She has even manged to get herself a riding pseudonym - apparently she is "Steady Eddy" amongst several of the riders - due to her ability to just keep going at a steady pace regardless of the terrain for hours. Nice ride - just shy of 10 miles.
It is this ride that is the topic of my ire! Now I'm a pretty easy going guy (honest) and I am happy to defer to the trail maintenance guys most of the time - without them yada yada........ But the buggers are getting far too bloody enthusiastic in their pursuit of the smooth trail. They've gone and removed the "much storied" Y-shaped log at the bottom of the Rockburn Park Trail downhill! Roger me sideways! That log has been there for over a sodding year - and yes to begin with it was a real bloody challenge, but like most things/people time had mellowed her and now she was just enough of a challenge to make you concentrate but never (well nearly never) enough to take you off. Perfect bloody log then - and now just another victim of the over zealous chain saw! Didn't just clear a route though but removed the whole deal! What gives! Leave us some obstacle guys.
On that slightly pissed off note I shall leave you - good riding, and may the perfect logs in your lives never be stolen from under your fat wheels.
Dogzbollux
Showing posts with label Avalon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avalon. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
"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!!
Cheers "keep it real, keep it steel"
Dogzbollux
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!!!"
Cheers "keep it real, keep it steel"
Dogzbollux
Monday, June 11, 2007
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
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
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