Skull Rock

Our Sunday road ride turned into a mountain bike ride. Kristy and I hooked up with Jeff, Amy, Dave, and Anke, and headed up into Ash Canyon. I really enjoy the weekend rides. The weekday rides are so rushed with only an hour to ride. It's a nice change to just hang out, stop and talk about the trail, plan new trail sections, take pictures,etc. Plus, if you screw up a section of trail, you have the opportunity of going back and giving it a second shot.

The highlight of the ride for me was the new upper section of single track. It was a 1st gear grinder with a strong headwind out of the west. The chilly southwest wind kept the precipitation up higher in the mountains, giving the mountains above a misty look. The trail conditions were excellent, still wet from the previous night's rain. The sand was wet and fast rolling, and there were only a few slick clay sections that caused a little bit of a surprise.

After we completed the climb, we headed down to the new Jackrabbit singletrack. In it's 3rd or 4th revision now, the trail is starting to flow really well. The end has been extended almost all the way down to the bike path now. Once back at the bike path, we did the Combs Canyon climb, and took the Rail Road Grade back home.

Then there's skull rock. Since the quotable helmet has been removed from the trail, a new totem was required to warn weary cyclists of the large, obvious rock at the end of the postal route. It's pretty cool looking, so it may be lost to scavengers soon. Enjoy it while you can!

Quotable Helmet - Safe

The quotable helmet has been removed from the mountain, and is now under the careful watch of two vicious dogs. We can all rest easy...

I've Gone Pro!

I've gone pro! Flickr Pro that is... There are 526 pictures on our Flickr page now, and I've even meticulously categorized them for your viewing ease. Here's a link to the Photosets Page.

Stumpjumper WSD FSR

As you may have read in the previous post, Kristy and I traded bikes yesterday. I was able to get a full 10 miles on her Womens Specific Design Specialized Stumpjumper FSR.

Kristy's bike is just a hair small for me, but is still big enough for me to ride it comfortably. Since we had a few road miles to get to the trail, the first thing I did was lockout both ends of the bike. The rear lockout definitely felt firm, but not like a hardtail. You can still feel a little movement.

When we got to the trail, I put the rear shock in pro-pedal mode, and unlocked the fork. The first section of the V&T RR Grade has some rocky sections, so it was a good test of the suspension. Both ends of the bike have five inches of plush travel, and allowed me to keep pedaling hard through the rough stuff. My five inch travel freeride bike (Kona Coiler) has much firmer suspension, and isn't near this comfortable in the slow stuff.

Another cool thing about the bike was the center of gravity. Even though it has the long travel suspension, I still felt like I was sitting low on the bike. It turned very quick in the tight twisty singletrack sections, unlike my Coiler that sits very tall and requires a lot of body English to do the same turn. The Stumpy is also seven pounds lighter than my Coiler. A very noticeable seven pounds! The shorter top tube, and light Fox fork made wheelies a snap. I was having fun with that all day. On the return trip, I took it over a couple double jumps. It felt easy to jump with the more upright riding position. Don't worry Kristy...I didn't case it, or taco the back rim! I stuck the landing...

So what makes this bike a WSD? A comfortable seat (I'm jealous). A shorter top tube. The color? Not so much...I wouldn't mind a bike of the same color. Skinny riser bars..24.5 inches wide to be exact. Too skinny for the frame size really. In fact, Kristy just ordered up some Race Face Atlas riser bars this morning. 27 inches wide, 1.5" rise.

Oh, and what's up with the picture you ask? That's me at the 2006 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington. Since I was testing a WSD bike, I thought I'd show off my muliebral side!

Hmm.... a 29r Single Speed?

So the other night Jeff and I were on the Internet for hours looking at frames. We decided it would be cool to get a 29r single speed frame. That way the bigger tires would soften the bumps a little while keeping the front end light too. After looking at many frames we kept coming back to this Karate Monkey by Surly. I really liked the frame and it comes with a matching fork. You all know how I like to match.

I could run the bike single speed, geared, 1x9, rim brakes, disc brakes, put a rack on it, run just about any tire width...it's very versatile! And the price is right...

And Jeff just pointed out that the initials for Karate Monkey, KM, match my initials!

Going Single!

I have wanted a single speed for a while now, but would I be strong enough to ride it? That has been the big question on my mind, so I decided to try out Jeff's bike first. So yesterday, we switched bikes. I rode the Inbred and Jeff rode my Stumpy. After we adjusted seat heights we were off. Other than the Inbred being a bit long, it was a nice fit. We did the RR Grade, an easier ride, perfect for my trial. We headed through town towards the bike path when Sandie asked me, "how do you like it?" At this point it was great, I was able to keep up with the group and felt comfortable pedaling. I was still apprehensive because the true test would be on the climbs.

On the RR Grade I was surprised to find that it was a little easier pedaling up the hills, as long as I charged them with a little speed. The front of the bike felt so much lighter than my mountain bike. This bike just wanted to fly up them. It was kind of exhilarating! I didn't realize how much difference a couple of pounds make on a climb. Felt like I was on my road bike, kinda sorta. I also found that I needed to balance a bit more, to get my momentum going on steeper sections of the trail. Usually, I would just down shift but that wasn't an option. I did miss my suspension a little bit on rocky sections, however I don't know that I would want to add any weight on the front. I really liked the front light. I even climbed a couple of hills, that I rarely make on my Stumpy. Amy and I had so much fun we decided to do the route again, as the rest of the lunch bunch went back to the office. We also ran into Kathy and Mike while on the ride, it was good to see them!

I had a blast! I can't wait to get my own.

If a girl endos in the woods but nobody is around to see it...

I am riding along down the Deer Run minding my own damn business when all of the sudden my bike comes to a complete stop and I am flying over the bars. I lay there for a minute trying to catch my breath and then hop up to see what the hell caused such a thing to happen. This was my first endo. You see endo-ing is one of my biggest fears of riding a bike. So much so, that I am a back-breaker meaning, I hardly ever use my front brake to avoid this horrible fate!

Back to my story, so I look at the trail and can clearly see the indentation in the ground where my front tire stopped suddenly but there is no apparent cause for this to have happened. No rocks, no logs, not even a twig, nothing! Dazed and confused, I try to hop back on the bike and catch the group. It won't go anywhere. I check the back break thinking maybe the pads are stuck on the rotor or something. Nope, they are fine. Then I look at the front tire and notice that the skewer is stuck in the rotor! I can't get it out and am just concerned with catching the other riders so I start walking the bike on it's back tire and leave the front one in the air (a trick Kathy taught me while we were hike-a-biking at our daughters soccer practice).

Finally, I see Kathy in the distance coming for me. She has a look of concern on her face. I tell her what happened, she removes the weeds sticking from my helmet and then turns her attention to the bike. She takes off the tire and hands me a piece of something. I ask her what it is and she very casually says "a piece of your fork" I start to FREAK. I say "WHAT?" "No it is not" and then she shows me the void that piece had left on the fork. She takes off my tire and gets the skewer loose and puts the tire back on. We figure it is safe enough to ride slowly back to work. So that is what we do.

The damage? The fork down something-or-other (the hookey thing that holds it to the tire) is broken off much like this and the rotor (disc brake) is bent or warped. I call my mechanic (also my husband) and have him stop by my office after work to assess the damage. It is his opinion that the fork failed or broke which caused it to twist and suck the skewer into the rotor and causing the bike to come to a sudden stop. He also thinks it has been cracked for some time. He gets on the phone to Fox and tells them what happened and arranges to send the fork back to them. We are hopeful that this is a warranty issue being that the bike is less than a year old and I weigh less than 100 pounds and do XC riding not dirt jumping! We are also trying to get the warped rotor covered by Fox. I will update everyone later on the status of that as things develop.

We arrive home and Brent asks if I need anything to which I respond "yeah, a stiff drink" he tries to give me whiskey but I refuse and decide on some Smoking Loon Cabernet which I proceed to almost finish all by myself. I guess I was more shook up by all this that I expected to be or just thirsty, whatever.

My mechanic then took an old Rock Shox Sid fork he had laying around (thanks to Bill) and installed it on my bike so I won't even miss one day of riding. He called our buddy Todd who drives for Fed Ex and got a box delivered to pack the fork into. He packed it all up and then took it back to Todd to ship out to Fox today. I am hopefully going to have the replacement by this time next week.

Physically how do I feel today? Like I got hit by a truck. I landed on my head and left shoulder so obviously my shoulder hurts, a lot. But for some strange reason, the entire right side of my body from my ear lobe to my lower back hurts. Oh, and it hurts when I cough. I am pretty sure I did not break a rib or puncture my lung....

Ride on...

Roadies

Jeff, Amy and I did a lunch time road ride today. Our road bikes have been a little jealous, while our mountain bikes have been getting all the action. We did two tough climbs today, the first one started up King's Canyon road. We had a fierce headwind which made the climb difficult and slow going. Usually the reward is in the downhill, but today it was not the case. The wind came through the canyon from both directions in gusty bursts, so it was hard for me to let loose. At the bottom, we did a quick time check. We decided that 15 minutes was enough time to get across the valley to Lakeview, and still get Jeff back to work on time.

We felt a few sprinkles of rain along the way but decided to go for it anyways. I am glad we did too. By the time we were ready to head up Lakeview, the goo (Power bar Jell) that I sampled at Amy's house before the ride, had kicked in. Let me just say that my body isn't used to caffeine, so the double dose made me feel like, I was all hopped up on Mountain Dew. I couldn't believe how much easier the climb felt. Usually on my mountain bike, I am praying for the final stretch. Today, I found myself sprinting to the end.

Personal note to self...
caffeine = fast, fun
no caffeine = slow, miserable

Captains log supplemental....
I got a big kick out of watching Jeff suffer a little last night. He said, "man am I tired, that was like two lunch time rides in one!" I just snickered and said, "oh so your tired huh," as if I wasn't. I have waited a long time for this day. I remember many times where he has done circles around me, or even climbed to the top of the hill and come back to meet me. I just look at him in disgust when he can easily carrying on a conversation, while I am struggling to breathe and trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes.

Lookout honey....here I come!

Facilitubbies?!?

Today was even warmer than yesterday! I wore my shorts, and light duty long long sleeve jersey. Once underway, I felt like I could've gone with a short sleeve! We had a rather large group today, including our other FNG, Scott. The warm weather has brought out all the hibernators. We had a great pace getting to the dirt, and everyone was climbing very strongly. We regrouped at the top of the Deer Run and prepared for our descent.

Once we regrouped at the top of the Postal Route, we agreed that the next checkpoint would be the beginning of the new trail, "Jackrabbit". When I got to the end of the Postal Route, I started looking for the spot where I face planted a couple weekends ago. And then there it was...very near my impact crater...The Quotable Helmet. The trailside curiosity stopped me dead in my tracks. Hanging off the front of the inscribed helmet was the Red Teletubbie, "Po". I carefully observed the Quotable Helmet from a distance, not wanting to disturb this rare artifact.

Once the rest of the gang had arrived at the helmet, someone said, "Hey look...there's a note on it!". Ah yes, there it was...a rolled up pink message in Po's circular chapeau. I didn't see it earlier. One of the gang started to read it, and then said, "It's addressed to you, Jeff...". "What the...?!?" I thought to myself, or even possibly out loud. As I read the message aloud to the gang, I began to realize what was going on here. A memorial-like helmet at the same location where I broke my visor and dented my helmet. This could only be the work of the....Potters...

Shorts!

Much of the country is frozen today, and a lot of tough cyclists reported that it was too cold for even them to ride due to the dangerous wind chills. It was quite the opposite here today. It was in the 50's by noon, and we got to wear shorts* today! There was a mixture of shorts, knickers, and light weight tights in the group today, and the feeling was very liberating!

Also of note today was the performance of one of the FNG's. Randy, who's starting on his 2nd week riding with us, completed the Lake View Loop on his first try! I gave him the option of riding out the V&T Rail Road Grade, and we'd pick him up on our way back. Instead, he opted to do the hill with us. I expected him to turn around in the first 100 yards of the Coombs Canyon climb, but he surprised me and kept going. Every time I turned around, he was still there! When I got to the top of the road climb, he wasn't very far off, so we waited for him. He finished off the remaining dirt climb, and headed down the thrilling sandy downhill that leads to the Rail Road Grade. All the way back to the office, he kept pace with the group. He may need to be tested for performance enhancing drugs come to think of it...

(*Note to Alaskans: "Shorts" are shorter versions of pants, that stop above knee and expose a fair amount of leg flesh. Shorts are enjoyed by many in warmer climates for their cooling effect.)

Bike Wash

This weekend was a rest weekend. Kristy was out of town, so the boy and I were left to fend for ourselves. Saturday, the boy and I rode down to the Shady Grove Coffee Company for drinks and a few games of Connect Four. Later in the day we drove up to the Sierras for a long soak at Grover Hot Springs. I soaked and stretched in the hot mineral bath until my body became rubberized.

Today we were treated to temperatures in the 60's! I put on some shorts and decided to wash the bikes. This would be an easy task for most people. It's quite an undertaking for me though. I got to most of them... Some bikes were pretty dirty, as it's been too cold to get the hose out. I had a big smile when I saw how shiny they were underneath all the dirt and grime!

Timberline Loop

Today I got to ride with Kathy and Kim on the Timberline Loop. Most of the gang was away doing other stuff today. I'm so glad that I took my heavy bike home, and brought in my hard tail! We had a good pace up the 1,000 foot climb. I had to stay in the middle chain ring the whole way just to keep up. This would be no church social! When we got to the top, I was anticipating catching my breath and getting a sip of water. Instead I heard the Santa Cruz and Titus up-shifting for the downhill. We would rest later.

We took a quick breather at the saddle above Ash Canyon, and then jumped on the new single track. It's narrow, off camber, and on the side of a steep hill. It's quite a thrill! It's still kind of grassy in some places, so my rear end was slipping off the trail when braking too hard. It is so cool to be able to ride single track all the way back to town from here!

When we got back down to the bike path, I was a little tired and very hungry. I had to head back to work, but the girls were going out for at least one more loop...possibly two. It was a good reminder that I need to work on my endurance this year. I imagine the road biking will help with that.

He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother

"The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where

But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother"

~The Hollies

At least that's what I used to sing. I rode my Kona Coiler this week, and I've forgotten how heavy this bike is! I used to pedal this bike all around, and never complain. In fact I enjoyed it. This overbuilt Freeride/XC bike tips the scales at 35+ lbs. That's 11 more pounds than my single speed, and 9 more than my hard tail...the two bikes I've been riding for months now. It was hard to load on my roof rack, hard to do wheelies on, and feels like a truck in the turns.

In its defense, there were a few really fun sections on the bike. The suspension really swallows up the bumps, and the stiff frame and front end really track well. It is kind of fun to haul butt on it.

I used to love this bike for some of the boulder strewn trails around Lake Tahoe, but I'm just not sure I feel like pedaling all this weight up some of those Tahoe climbs anymore. I'll have to test out some of those trails on my hard tail this summer, and see how bad I miss the Coiler.

In other news today, we helped ride in some new sections of trail. The new upper section is more technical, and provides great views of Carson City. Coming down is very nice too. You can pick up some speed, but you also have to be ready for hairpin turns, weaving around a few trees, and some really cool bumps and dips.

The new lower section, named "Jackrabbit", is starting to become more defined. It crosses a dirt bike section that is starting to get a little nasty from all the high horsepower wheel spin. How we'll finish this trail is still under debate...

January Nearing a Close

Today's pictures are of Kristy coming down what we call the Deer Run. I'm not sure what everyone else calls this trail...that's just our name. One day Patrick started calling it the Deer Run, and the name just stuck. I think we actually once saw a deer hoof print on the trail, so it's more or less accurate.

The Sun was out in full force today, and the temperatures were in the 40's! It was a little chilly leaving the office, but felt very warm on the climb. I didn't even have cold feet today!

I'm so glad that January is almost over. I'm hopeful that the coldest part of the year is over, and we can start looking forward to spring time. We also have an early Day Light Savings Time this year. March 11th to be exact...almost a full month earlier! Sure there will be more crappy storms, but if you can make it through January, you can make it through anything!

Sunday Ride - Washoe Valley

Today, Jeff P. took us on a 24 mile recovery ride. With the exception of a couple grinder hills, it was flat and smooth. The easy spinning was actually pretty soothing on the legs. This was also Kristy's first ride since her hernia surgery last Tuesday. She could barely get out of bed without a lot of pain two days ago, and today she did about a 1,000 feet of climbing! Tomorrow she goes to the doctor's to get cleared to resume normal activities. So she jumped the gun a little bit...

We had some more odd bikes in the group today. First up was the Santana Quint. Bill had it broken down to only a three seater for today's ride. It was just him and his two boys. You can add sections to it just like a dining room table! The middle rider was only two, and didn't pedal. He did, however, provide Bill with some excellent resistance training!

Dave was trying out Anke's new recumbent. Sure your feet are higher than your hips, and the exposed teeth of the big chain ring are within striking distance of your crotch...the machine hauls butt!

We rode to the end of Old HWY 395, and then returned to Bower's Mansion State Park. We took a little break in the beautiful park grounds while the boys played in the playground. We began the return trip, and the sun started to come out. This was much appreciated, since the forecast was for light snow!

When we got to the top of Lakeview and saw Carson City below, I started thinking about the cool descent in front of me. When we climb the road on the mountain bikes, we always see roadies bombing down the hill at incredible speeds. I've always thought it looked nuts! Well, today was time to give being a nut a try. I talked myself into staying off the brakes, and bombing the hill. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. In fact in felt pretty good! The bike felt way more stable than I imagined it would.

After descending Lakeview, we got to climb Timberline once again! It was only half way, but my legs were still protesting. We stopped at Dave and Anke's for some wonderful scones and some rest time. At one point, I was led to the inner sanctum to view Dave's 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper. The bike is all original...tires, water bottle, everything..., and is claimed to only have 50 miles on it! It was mounted on a special display rack and was draped with Tibetan prayer flags. A nice touch!

There was very little work left to finish the ride. From Dave and Anke's it was another thrilling descent almost all the way back to Jeff and Amy's. Once again, the Potters brewed some gourmet coffee, put out some tasty snacks, and allowed stinky bike riders to sit on their furniture! It was another excellent Sunday.

Not Much Sleep

I should have slept like the dead last night, but instead tossed and turned until 1:00 AM. I couldn't lay on my right side because of my shoulder. I also think I had too much caffeine from Amy's Coffee Pot. I normally drink decaf, and I was wired! I kind of felt like THIS GUY! (thanks for the link Scott!). Oh well, time to ride in a couple hours...

McClellan Peak Loop

Today I had the pleasure of being ridden to exhaustion by twin tandems. I was on my hardtail, and Jeff, Amy, John, and Kim were on the tandems.

The star of the show today was John and Kim's new Ellsworth Tandem, which they named Dr. Evil...it has a evil looking "E" on the head badge, reminiscent of Austin Powers' nemesis' infamous logo. The bike had more bling than P. Diddy's posse! SRAM X.O, Chris King, Maverick forks... My first thought when I saw the bike was "limo".

We started in Carson City, and made our way to the north side of town. We rode out Goni Road, and then began our ascent up the McClellan Peak road. It seemed like a pretty long climb, but I'm told we weren't even half way up McClellan Peak when we began our descent into Washoe Valley.

The descent to Washoe Valley was pretty cool. It was an unmaintained rocky double track, that was still pretty snowy. All the obstacles gave it a single track feel. I was constantly amazed at how easy the tandems made it down the descent. It really showcased the skill and team work of the two couples. I was wishing on occasion for my full suspension bike, but was thankful for the lighter bike on the climbs. This would have been a great ride for all the Stump Jumpers in the group! Best of both worlds...

We finally hit the valley floor, and caught East Valley road. It's a nice paved road without too much traffic, but it's pretty narrow. We had one near death experience with some inbred mountain folk in an old pickup. I swear I felt him brush my left elbow as he accelerated by us! I tried desperately to stay on the wheel of Jeff and Amy's tandem, but was finally dropped half way back to Lake View.

I caught up with the rest of the gang at the Lake View overpass, and we made our way into Lake View, over the saddle, and then down to the V&T Rail Road Grade. I was getting pretty wiped out at this point, and then I heard Jeff saying that we'd finish the ride with the Timberline Loop.

The Timberline climb wasn't too bad. I took it a little slower and just kept it in the granny gear. We lost the sunshine at this point, and I started to get a little damp and chilly. We talked a lot on the climb, so the time went by quickly. In fact, I don't even remember the steep road section. My memory picks up again when the dirt double track started. We finished off the climb, and then began another descent. The trail is on the north side of the mountain, and was still pretty icy and snowy. The tandems got a little squirrelly in this section, as the slippery trail dictated where the front end was going more than the rider.

We made it to the Ash Canyon saddle, and it was snow free for the rest of the ride. I rode Jeff and Mike's new single track that connects to the Deer Run, and the Tandems went straight down the hill to the Deer Run. I was starting to get delirious at this point, and the new single track started climbing up hill. Not too steep mind you, but I was pretty tired. It's also narrow, and cut into the side of a steep canyon wall. I was having a little difficulty keeping the wheel straight in my oxygen debt.

I regrouped with the Tandems at the end of the Deer Run / top of the Postal Run. They let me go first, since I was a bit quicker on the solo bike in the twisty singletrack. I got nearly to the end of the Postal Run, just 20 yards from where Sandie broke her ankle, and I was irritated that my helmet visor was blocking my view. I reached up to push my helmet back, and the next thing I know, the ground is approaching my face at a hundred miles an hour. I face planted and broke my visor. I stood up and immediately noticed my shoulder was pretty sore, and that my right side was full of stickers. I felt like a human pin cushion. I also noticed that there was a hiker approaching with his dog. And then I recognized him... It was our buddy Casey that rode with us at lunch for a number of years. He saw the whole thing, and assumed some rookie was out trying to learn to ride a bike.

The gang said it was time to get moving again, because we were all starting to get chilled. I almost asked for another minute to pick stickers out of my butt, but decided that riding some more was best. I had Jeff stick my visor in my pack, but left a few fragments on the trail for memorabilia.

We finally got back to the pavement, and I began extracting stickers from my body. We were soon back at Jeff and Amy's, and Amy began making coffee and a multi course meal. I could think of nothing I wanted more at that moment! Amy also hooked me up with some Advil.

After good food and conversation, I drove back to Gardnerville for a shower. Kristy took me and the boy out to an Italian dinner where I refueled some more, and eased my aching shoulder with some wine. Kristy helped my get my clothes clean, and then treated me to an awesome back massage! I must've looked pretty pitiful to get such good treatment.

Well, it's time for bed. I have to get some sleep for tomorrow's road ride at 10:00 AM. May (insert your god or deity here) have mercy on my soul!

Saturday Solo Ride

Today I had the day to myself. No kids or husband for the entire day! The first thing I did was schedule a facial in the afternoon and the second thing I did was decide to start the day off right with a ride.

I loaded up the Stumpy and the Chilidog and we headed out to Centennial Park. This ride starts out pretty technical from the parking lot with lots of jagged rocks and boulders for the first mile and a half. The remainder of the ride, depending on the route you choose, is nicely groomed single track. The one thing that makes me a bit nervous is the shooting range just below the trail. I guess if it is my time getting shot down by a stray bullet while mountain biking is a cool way to go out.

I rode for about an hour and then had to get back to my daughters basketball game which I thought was at noon but was actually at 11:00 so as I was walking in the door in my riding gear I get a call from my sister in law asking me where the heck I was. I changed out of the tights and into jeans and hightailed it over to the community center for the last quarter of the game. It was the first time in 9 years I have ever missed one of her games. She was pretty pissed.

Someday when she is an avid cyclist (that day will come) she will understand...

You May Be A Bachelor If...

Scott (aka "The Sarge") sent me this picture yesterday. Apparently the weather was so foul in Maryland that he brought his bike into the kitchen. The first thing that came to my mind was, "You may be a bachelor if...".

Scott's sister decided to go with the theme and came up with a few. Feel free to add yours to the list!

You may be a bachelor if:

1) you bring the bike into the kitchen to save it from the wind

2) You used the pull-out hose from the sink and its dish washing liquid to wash
it.

3) You used bath towels to wipe it dry leaving your girlfriend with nothing but
paper towels to dry off with after a shower.

4) You microwave a pizza and let it cool on the seat of your bike that sits in
the kitchen.

5) You string Christmas lights around your bike for a month cuz it's too cold to
ride and call it your home decoration.

Afternoon Delight

I was off work yesterday, and I was able to sneak a ride in about an hour before the sun went down. I hopped on the new road bike, and thought I'd just cruise around. I told myself to back off the pace a little bit...sometimes I find myself going too fast when riding by myself.

The temperature was pretty mild out, and I was dressed perfectly. I passed the point where I thought I might turn around, and just kept riding. Pretty soon I found myself out of town, and finally away from most everything. The road slowly climbed out into the foothills of the Pine Nut Range. It was one of those climbs that you don't even really notice.

I started to get thirsty and reached for my water bottle. All that I felt was the space where my water bottle should've been. I began to picture my full water bottle sitting next to the sink where I probably left it. I'm a scatter brain sometimes... It didn't matter too much though, as I was near the highest part of the ride.

The shadows were getting tall, and it was a good time to start making for home. It was mostly downhill all the way home, so it was Big Chain Ring time. The road out in the Pine Nuts was a dirt road up until recently. It's barely paved right now, but still was decent for the skinny road tires. In fact, it was probably better than the "bike lanes" on the roads close to town. They were covered in red volcanic sand that was put down for the snow and ice. I pulled into the garage just as the sun was going down, and found my water bottle right next to the sink!

Cinderella Ride

Today's ride was all about the women of the Facility Bike Club. It was me, Kathy, Barbara. The only thing missing was Kristy!

We rode up the observatory and then down to the bike path and then started to go up the deer run when we spotted Amy (Mrs. Postal Jeff) coming down on her new single speed. We chatted for a bit and then Kathy and Amy broke off and went to do the V&T together while Barbara and I headed back to the stupid office to stupid work - we are not bitter about it at all.

I am so happy with how the group has evolved and grown over the past year. I still remember riding by myself because I was too scared to join the group. I also remmeber how eager Barbara was for me to start riding with them. I so understand that now. I also still remember how much the guys (other than Jeff) disliked that women were starting to come along for the ride. I think they are all ok with it now though....right guys?

Chicks Rule!

Genoa to Diamond Valley

Wow. Today's ride was another great one! I'll begin by saying that this picture is from the New Year's Day ride. Kristy couldn't find her camera, and I brought mine without the memory card. Since it was such a similar day, I figure this recycled picture will do.

This was the first real ride on my new bike, so it goes without saying that I had a blast. It was nearly the same group as the New Year's group, but the pace was much faster from the get go. On top of that, we rode an extra 10 miles or so. I was very thankful for the new bike. I don't think I would've been able to keep up otherwise!

The sun was great today, but the cold biting air was brutal. Most of us had full face protection, and I was wishing for goggles a few times. Halfway through the ride, we stopped at a little store in Woodfords, CA. It has a mountain lodge feel to it, and had a wood stove with a warm fire going. I so much wanted to stay in there and thaw out my feet, but it was time to get going. The last couple miles were in the shadow of the mountain, and we were all chilled to the bone by the time we got back to Genoa. We chatted for a bit after the ride, but soon all jumped in the cars and blasted the heaters.

One of the great things about today's ride was the people. I haven't known anyone in the group for very long, but felt comfortable around them as if I have. Jeff Potter and I had a talking showdown. I think I won though, because he made me shut-up for one of the big descents. Probably a good thing, considering the speeds we reached. Jeff P. hammered the pedals all the way down the descent. I elected to coast and get a feel for the way the new bike handled. The new bike was much more stable feeling than my old touring bike. It'll be a thrill once I gain the confidence to go so much faster.

Kristy made me really proud today. I really think she's found her calling in the road biking. I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me, but finally admitted that she was just out riding me. I'm going to have to step it up a notch!

Shadowfax

"Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East."

Ok...maybe it's not that fast, but it's pretty fast. I took it out for a spin this morning, and got a feel for it. Later, I took it back to the shop for some adjustments, and some water bottle cages.

Tomorrow we have a 40 mile ride planned, starting in Genoa, heading to California on Foothill Road, looping through Diamond Valley, and then returning to Genoa. Can't wait!

Note: If you didn't get the quote above, you're probably not a nerd. It's a quote from Lord of the Rings. Shadowfax was a grey/silver stallion, and could run faster than any other horse in Middle-earth. Anyone? Hello?

Trek 1600

As promised, my new bike was ready by 5:00 today. Since the bike shop is in Gardnerville, a half hour away from work, Kristy picked it up for me and brought it home. When I got home, I ran into the house to find my bike waiting for me in the living room. Come to think of it, my single speed is still outside on the roof rack. Probably saying, "Uh, yeah...it's freakin' cold out here?!?" Anyway, I took it for a spin up and down the road. I was very pleased at how quickly and effortlessly it accelerated. The 10 speed rear cassette seemed to shift forever!

After dinner I took off the reflectors and floppy toe strap pedals, and bolted on some Shimano SPD pedals. The front brakes weren't lined up too well, so I got on the Park Tools website and figured out how to adjust U brakes. Turns out to be very simple...just one screw!

I'm going to bring it back to the shop tomorrow to ensure a proper fit, but I think it felt pretty good as is. It will probably only need minor adjustments. I don't think the stem will need to be swapped out, but we'll see. I was riding in the dark in complete euphoria when I tested it, so I may not have noticed any problems.

It's kind of hard to see the color of the bike in the picture, but it's gray on the bottom of the tubes that fades to a white on the top of the tubes. I also really like the straight blade forks...they look high tech and fast.

Complete test with some real road miles this weekend...

A Little Warmer

Yesterday was a bit warmer. On the uphill anyhow... The downhill still required full zip up to prevent freezing your flesh.

It's been hard dealing with the cold, both emotionally and physically. Today's bright sun helped out with the emotional part. The sky was so blue, and you could see for miles. A welcome treat after some of the gloomy days we've had lately.

I was concerned that with warmer temps we'd have a mud fest, but the trail conditions were quite nice. Slightly moist or frozen dirt provided quick rolling and great traction.

The snow is still thin and crisp and fun to ride on. I was swerving around the trail looking for snow to blast through.

The route of the day took us up Ash Canyon. It's a long steep climb, but is pretty smooth and packed down. The fire and logging crews improved the road after the 2004 Fire. It's less fun to ride, but gets us up the hill faster. The downhill was almost all single track. Sandie even got to visit her crash site for the 1st time since her accident.

Today looks like it will be similar...it may even be above freezing by ride time!

Gone and Done It!

I've been wanting to do it for a long time now. I finally laid down the cash for a new Trek 1600 road bike! It should be at the shop and ready to ride by Friday! You can bet there will be pictures and reviews galore in the near future.

Please be warmer this weekend, please oh please oh please.....

Hypermilers

Normally I wouldn't write about cars on a bicycle blog, but a recent article in Mother Jones magazine really caught my attention. There are only a few of us that can live without a car, like it or not. But if you're stuck driving like I am, you should at least make the most of it!

This article is a story about "hypermilers", a group of people that take fuel efficiency to a whole new level. The amazing part of the story is that they are using standard cars with no modifications! One guys is getting as high as 59 mpg in a plain old Honda Accord (not a hybrid). During one of their contests using hybrids, they were getting 120-180 mpg! It's all in their techniques. Some techniques sound too dangerous...like drafting an 18 wheeler with the engine off...but some are techniques we can all use in our daily driving. CHECK IT OUT!

Warm Feet Cold Heart...

Over the weekend Brent and I did some shopping and I found these socks called Storm Socks at REI. They were about $25.00 so I figured I would test them out. Last weeks below 20 degree temps really made keeping my feet warm a challenge. I even use toe covers AND booties on top of that and still my feet are always painfully cold. I could handle cold but I am talking pain here - that kind of cold. I also had bought those chemical hand warmers and was going to stick those in my shoes and then the box says some crap about DO NOT PUT IN YOUR SHOE - ESPECIALLY A VENTELATED SHOE TEMPERATURES COULD REACH 165 DEGREES AND BURN YOU. Evidently they are air activated. Oh well, I guess I can put them in my gloves as they were intended.

Today's temp was about 30 degrees and the sun was shining with no wind. Last week it was about 16 degrees every day, the sun was not shining, and it was breezy. So we will have to take that into consideration. The socks are much like an extension of my winter tights. They are fleece lined and feel like the same material as my tights sort of a wetsuit type feel. They are a challenge to put on since they are foot shaped you have to maneuver your foot into them and then get your heal in. We won't go into what a challenge it is to get my winter tights on after they come out of the dryer. Anyway, the fleece feels nice on your feet and your toes have a little wiggle room.

I watched the clock on the ride and normally at 30 minutes my toes start to ache as the bitter cold sets in. Today was a different experience though, it was nice and I never even felt the cold until maybe the last 15 minutes of our hour or so ride. I think that is due to the persperation of my feet or something. Even still, it never got to the aching stage that is just sucky and so hard to recover from. When I took them off (also quite challenging) there was some moisture inside. I am not sure if that is because I have booties on top of the shoes and it was trapping it in or what.

Bottom line, these are some pretty cool socks. I will update my review when we are again below 20 degrees maybe my tune will change. Although, I am pretty sure it does not matter what you have on your feet at those temps it is just cold!

Third One Down

Well I guess I've been waiting for the shoe to drop. I mean, the two of the other female riders in our group have gotten hurt. Who is next. Well I'm not hurt physically but I'm not sure how much longer I will be riding with the group. My position was eliminated with the Department of Information Technology and I no longer have a job as of Feb 12. I truly believe that if a person is of value to an organization, that organization will find a place for them. I guess that is why I feel so hurt. I guess I wasn't providing enough value. OK, enough feeling sorry for myself. Now it is time to look to the future. I have had so many phone calls from people I work with directly both at the Department and Vendors who have said they either have possible opportunities or will help me locate something. I am hoping that what feels pretty bad at the moment will become an opportunity.

Desperate Attempt

This year, I have my whole winter wardrobe dialed in except for my footwear. No matter how comfortable the rest of my body is, my feet still get cold on the really cold days. Friday was in the teens, so before lunch I started looking around the office for things I could put in my shoes to keep my feet warmer.

I'm already wearing wool socks with a neoprene booty that goes up past my ankle. I definitely feel the warmth on the top of my foot, but I can also feel the heat being sucked out of the bottom of my shoe. I can just picture in my head the heat running out of my foot, through the cleat on my shoe, into the pedal, and down the crank.

So anyway, I looked at my coffee cup from Shady Grove, and it had a foam insulator sleeve. I scotch taped the thing to the bottom of my insole, right above the cleat. I used my other foot as the control subject...no foam. Now I'm not sure if it was my imagination, but I swear it felt just a little bit warmer under that part of my foot that had the foam. I still couldn't feel my toes when I got back from the lunch time ride, but it gave me hope. I acquired a sheet of thin packing foam, and I plan to make some insulation out of it, using my insoles as a templates. Stay tuned for the results...

Or...if anyone has a better suggestion, I'd love to hear it! I really don't want to buy $300 winter cycling shoes for conditions that only last a brief time of the year!

16 Degrees and Loving It!

It was 16 degrees out (or so) for the ride today. It was snowing, and the fresh powder was light and dry. This made for perfect biking conditions. Not so good for humans though...exposed flesh turned red and painful if exposed. We had to trade hats, headbands and vests throughout the ride to make sure everyone was comfortable.

On the way back through town, a photographer with an expensive looking camera started shooting some photographs of us riding. He said he was from the local paper, and took our names. It might be fun to see ourselves in the paper...

When we returned to the office, the water in my water bottle had turned to slush!