Riding the Gauntlet

We came around the last corner on our way to the trailhead of C1, and there was the gauntlet. Two forest service trucks and a 20 man inmate fire crew. We didn't waver, but instead decided to ride right through the middle of them all. The inmates stopped their work and stared at us riding through. I felt thankful that I didn't have my tight shorts on this day. Patrick in his tights, and Ryan in his tight blue shorts, took most of the stares. From the gazes we got, you would have thought we were a bunch of high school cheerleaders prancing through in our skirts. An awkward moment for sure...

A week of snow

Ohhh what fun it is to ride, in a one horse open sleigh... hey!

Rainbows and Simooms

Today's ride started off with a pretty Rainbow, but quickly turned into a hell born simoom-like wind storm. We attempted C1 today...a climb that normally takes about 5 minutes. It took us about 20 minutes today. We had to stop occasionlly to curl up as the 50 mph wind gusts pelted us with sand and ice. Our tracks in the deep mud looked like those of a drunkard's. At one point, the wind blew Patrick into a complete U-Turn. I looked back to see him heading back down the hill...at first I thought he was deserting me. It was so hard and miserable that it was actually funny. And that's what made it enjoyable (if that makes any sense). The ride ended with a squishy mud down hill that turned out to be pretty fun. Patrick lost his water bottle at some point...maybe when he tossed his bike across the ditch. And to think I almost didn't go today.

Brrrrrr....

It was only 25 degrees out during yesterday's ride. It was cold starting out, but was actually quite pleasant once we got moving. The cold packed powder was perfect for riding on. There is nothing quite like riding down a snowy hill at 15-20 mph. You are barely in control of the bike, and a crash could come at any moment. We all crashed or spun out at least twice yesterday. No injuries though. Clipless pedals were not a good thing. They had packed up with ice by the time we hit the downhill, and were nothing more than slippery spindles.

Private Ryan

I brought the Single Speed today. I thought if I had any chance of keeping up with the new guy on the Lakeview hill climb, it'd be on this bike. I put a good lead on Todd and Patrick, but still got smoked by Ryan. I just need to lose 10 lbs, and put some semi-slicks on the single speed...then I may have a chance of keeping up.

I did beat a roadie today though. I looked back at him, and he was either smiling at me or grimacing in pain. Either way, it's good.

FNG

So the new guy shows up with his Specialized S-Works hard tail, equipped with a Spynergy wheel set and semi slick racing tires, and smokes us on the Lakeview climb. I wanted to teach him a lesson on the sandy downhill section, but was unable to, as he was on my butt all the way down. DeVito and I kept the pace as high as we could in a feeble attempt to show that we would not be bullied, but Ryan took no notice. I returned to my office dizzy and exhausted. We've all moved slightly to left in the bell curve...thanks a lot, Ryan!

New Rider!

We picked up a new rider this week. Ryan, if he chooses to continue riding with us, will probably be the guy to beat on the hill climbs. It was nice to win a few hill climbs after the Sarge left us, but I have a feeling the party is now over. We shall see next week.

Where's the rest of my pack?

Today's ride began with a coyote sighting. We just sat and stared at each other for a while. I think we were both wondering where the rest of each other's pack was. We were both solo today it appeared. I rode up Timberline via the dirt. I've always loved the back to nature experience of mountain biking, but most of today's ride was devoid of nature (the coyote was hanging out in a field in a residential area, so it doesn't count). I had nothing but my own disturbing thoughts of tomorrow's election to keep me company. I can't wait till the grass grows back next spring! Thankfully the dirt conditions were excellent, and bombing down the hill cleared my head for a couple minutes. Only the words, "Whoooo Hooooo!" crossed my mind. There's nothing more therapeutical!

First Snow of the Year

Here we see DeVito smiling comfortably under a few layers of clothing. If people realized how much fun we had riding in the snow storm, maybe they wouldn't have called us crazy (or even stupid) as we left the building.

Update on the Sarge

Here we see The Sarge in his new position as first mate on a crabbin' boat. Many would agree that we've seen a decline in interest in the Facility Bike Club since the Sarge left for Maryland in July. The waterfall fire is heavily to blame too, but I saw it coming before the fire struck. The Sarge was definitely the motivator of the group. I think he would be appalled to find the state we're in if he returned for a surprise inspection! When he's not crabbin', he's coding COBOL and drinking beer...at the same time!

"Beer day is every Friday....people just bring beer in at lunch and everyone has 2 or 3.....amazing to sit at ur desk, do ur work and sip on a brew...."

Rain

No riding yesterday or today. It hasn't rained for months, so now it's making up for lost time. I don't mind the cold or snow, but riding in rain is miserable.

Instead of seeking fitness today, I went out for Krispy Cheeseburgers with my buddy Scott. I told Scott that I was a little chilly, and that my heater never really kicked on during the drive to the burger place. He just rolled his eyes. I suddenly realized I had made a wussy-esque statement. Scott drives for UPS, and drives with no right door all day. He said his feet had been wet for 2 hours already, and he still had 6 hours to go with wet shoes. So maybe I wasn't that cold after all...

Huffy bicycles filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today. Huffy imports its bicycles from southeast Asia, including China and Taiwan, and sells them through high-volume retailers that account for about 85 percent of all wheeled products sold in the United States. It's amazing that 85 percent of the population chooses to ride a sub-standard bike, assembled by a sub-standard "bicycle mechanic". Recently, the neighbor kid brought over his new WalMart bike for my inspection. The rear brakes were not even functional! I guess they sell enough of this crap so they can afford the law suits! I did what I could do with the barrel adjusters to tighten the brake cables, but it wasn't enough. I told him that cables stretch on a new bike, and that he needed to come back over this coming weekend for a tune-up. He was very proud of his new bike, so I sugar coated it for him. He should have a decent bike for his skill level after I fix it for him.

Die Huffy Die!

Cold Weather Riding is Back!

Today marked my first cold weather ride of the season. The neoprene gloves, Gore-Tex jersey, wool socks, and long pants came out of storage today. A rather abrupt change, since we were wearing tank tops just last week.

Trail conditions were awesome! Carson received lots of rain over the weekend, and the sand was packed. We carried incredible speed down the Lakeview to RR Grade hill.

It was interesting to see all the ash in the sand washes today. The bottom of the sand washes were black with all the ash runoff. Since this was the first real rain since the fire, there's no new vegetation to hold anything back.

More bad weather lined up for the rest of the week...

Freedom Riders

"The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, and we must be contented to secure what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward for what is yet to get. It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good." --Thomas Jefferson

I thought of our founding fathers as I rode today. Not because we both wear tights with funny shoes, but because I felt as if they would want me to give the tree run another shot. I pursued life, liberty, and happiness as I pedaled into the "burn area". A blanket closure of the area is ridiculous as long as I don't tread on other people's rights...causing damage to the hillside, endangering the water supply, etc. We used common sense and stayed on the trail; our tracks barely visible in the dirt.

We used to be divided by fitness level, but it now appears that demarcation will be determined by those who choose to pursue happiness, and those who choose to ride the Rail Road Grade every day.

If you've read this far, you're probably saying, "But isn't it still illegal? ". Yes. But, isn't driving 56 mph in a 55 zone illegal? Yes it is. I guess we all choose where and when we want to fudge.

There...I've justified myself to myself. On to the actual riding stuff...

Me and the other Freedom Rider did the tree run again today. Not wanting to screw up the hill like we did last time, we prepared ourselves for the final ascent. We had to search back in our memories on how to use the granny gear, and scratch and claw our way up the hill. We prevailed, and it even seemed somewhat easy when we got to the top. On the way back down, we hit Hamburger Hill. Boy did it look scary not seeing it up close for so long. It was torn up and rocky too. We went for it, and it turned out to be not so bad. Sure we dabbed a couple times, but we got a feel for it. Biggest enemy was going too slow. We will clear it next time...

Let freedom ring...

The Bobcat

Just when I thought there'd be nothing to write about today (other than kicking Todd's and Patrick's butt on the climb), it happened. Crossing the bike path near the college was an animal. At first I thought it was a dog, then a cat, no too big...it's a dog, holy shnikies...it's a bobcat! We stopped and watched him walk slowly up into the neighboring property. He must have been down at the college day care center looking for an easy meal.

Huevos Grandes

The more you get away with, the braver you get, Patrick said. True statement. Back into the burn area... Today we pedaled up rocky road (which is now red from fire retardant), and then attempted the back side of the tree run. The tree run was covered in an enormous amount of hay. It looked like the aftermath of some crazy hoe-down. I came to the quick realization that we haven't done a hill this steep in a long time. I spun up the hill until my back tire slipped and forward momentum ceased. At first I couldn't get unclipped, and almost DeVito'd into the side of the hill. I was at 100% heart rate, and had to hang over the bike for a few seconds before continuing to walk up the hill. When we got to the top of the tree run, we gazed up the deer run. Looks like it hasn't been ridden for months. I was tempted, but it was time to go. We blasted down the "V", and then headed down the fast path. We came across a hiker, and he appeared to be more than a little nervous. Patrick and I were both wearing tan jerseys with black shorts. I suspect he thought we were cops swooping in to give him a ticket for trespassing. He God Blessed us, and then we were on our way.

It looks like we're not the only ones that can't wait any longer. There were tracks of all sorts up there...horse, bicycle, joggers, and ATV. Someone has even started building rock trail markers that guide you onto the trails.

Behind Enemy Lines

Today we sent two operatives (we'll call them Mr. M and Mr. O to protect their identities) deep into the "Burn Zone". Risking life and liberty, these two operatives pedaled around a road closed sign, and climbed up the dirt road to the top of Timberline. The only witness to the trespass was a young man of about 5, watering the plants in his underpants. Here's the declassified account...

"The climb was littered with smashed hay bails. I don't think they were dropped there intentionally, they just bounced down the hill above the road. They were fun to ride through. I felt my self pounding the pedals, and my heart was racing. Not because I was tired though. I was trespassing, and I wanted to get the heck out of Dodge. We took a quick breather at the top of the climb. What was left of the pine trees didn't provide very much cover, so we deiced to get going. That's when we saw the truck coming up the road. Fortunately, the truck was going up the road to the water tower above Timberline. We still didn't want to be seen though, so we waited for the truck to turn the corner, and we took off. I was suddenly reintroduced to mountain biking. I was turning, jumping, braking, so many things that I haven't done for three months. I remembered why I decided to by a 5 inch travel bike! A minute went by, and we weren't even half way down! We were pedaling hard, swerving through some hay bails, riding a wheelie through others. The tires were biting in as we railed the high speed corners. Was this trail ever this fun? I can't remember. The trail was definitely a little different from all the dozers and forest trucks, but still familiar. Will I go back and do it again? You bet. Not that often at first though..."

Bad Luck!

Notable recent events of bad luck...

September - Bill travels to Whistler Mountain Bike Park in British Columbia...the mountain bike park by which all others are measured. Torrential Rain kept Bill off the slopes.

October 1st - DeVito travels to Washington to ride in the Mount St. Helens area. The volcano decides to become active again after 18 years.

Church Loop Closed!

After weeks of insisting that is was ok to ride in the burn area next to the Mormon Church, a new keep out sign has appeared. I was hesitant to mention this, because DeVito refused to ride this trail. I'm dreading the day when Todd returns from vacation, smirks, and says, "I told you so!". Patrick and I originally discussed keeping the closure a secret, and make DeVito think we just didn't feel like riding in that area anymore.

Welcome!

We've been riding for a number a years now, and many of our adventures have gone undocumented. Some of the details of past events are starting to become hazy, so I thought this would be a good place to keep a diary. Check back here from time to time to read history in the making!