Facility Bike Club Expansion Team

It was my INTENTION to ride every day this week. However, with a little girl who got sick and had to stay home. A client that could only meet me at noon. Various other reasons, Today was the only ride I could make. But man was it a good one. As John Lennon once said "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." Today life was really good. The ride expanded into an almost two hour tour of Ash Canyon. We started early, at 11 am. It was Sandie, Ryan, Mike, Kathy, Jon and I. We rode up the dirt road past the water towers. The sun was shining and the air was crisp. The trail was packed from all the recent precipitation. Ryan of course was way ahead and I was pedaling hard to try to stay at least within sight distance. This caused me to get my heart rate up and good blood flow going as I tried to have a conversation with Mike without gasping too much. We made it to the top of Deer Run and Jon and Sandie had to go. Mike, Ryan, Kathy and I decided to keep going up and do the creek trail. We were the Expansion Team.... Our mission? To inspect the Ash Canyon Trail System for Safety and Security in what could be considered a hostile environment of Bears, Coyotes and even beer drinking Jeepers. With our mission cut out for us we did the creek trail and found it to be safe. Upon completing that trail we split up again. Ryan went down and did the " Sandie goes Postal" route while Mike, Kathy and I went back up the fire road and climbed the Baldy Green trail. Aaaaaaah! it was a splendid climb! Cant believe the day! It was cool and crisp and the traction on the trail was the best ever. We all STUCK that climb. Switchbacks and everything. The ride down was also mind blowing. A most excellent day! Now, back in my office. I have given myself the " office Bath" with my wash clothes and pit juice. Dressed back up in my Mortgage Guy clothes I am off to shake hands and kiss babies with prospective clients. Little do they know I am an FBC special agent who completed a much more worthy mission earlier in the day... Fall Riding at its finest.

Welcome to Bear Country

The planning of today's ride began in the early morning when Jon alerted us to this Nevada Appeal article about three bears that were captured in Carson City. We figured that these must be the three bears we've been hearing about that have been spotted on the Ash Creek trail, a mother and her two cubs.

Here's a video of the bear capture in Carson City:



So we figured the coast was clear, and time to hit the Creek Trail today. Which we did...with no megafauna encounters. I didn't see any animal tracks along the way, and I whistled periodically to alert the canyon dwellers of our arrival. (Later, Scott and I would discuss the merits of bear whistling. Does this summon the bear or send them running?)

This is where the story gets interesting. I got a call from Brent on my cell phone. Since I work in a basement, I had to go outside to take the call. Our conversation was garbled, and I ended up calling him back. When we had a clear connection, Brent asked me how to get to the Ash Creek trail head. It's somewhat secret, and the location is only given to those who are worthy. Brent had a good idea of where I was telling him to go and hung up.

About 40 minutes later I received another garbled cell phone transmission from Brent, "static static static BEARS! static static static". I ran for the door to the outside again to take this call. It sounded somewhat urgent. I figured if Brent was being mauled by a bear, he probably wouldn't be calling me to tell me about it. Still I was a bit concerned.

When I had a clear connection, Brent told me that he and Chili Dog had just dropped into the canyon and scared a momma bear and her two cubs. The two cubs went running, and momma was looking for them. In the end, Brent decided to back track instead of agitating the bears further. So while he didn't get to ride the creek trail, at least he got to see some wild nature pretty close up.

It is said that the bears were released in the Carson Range, so it's possible these are same bears that were captured just the day before. Who knows?

I'm sure Brent will add some details to this account...

H.O.T. !!!

The weather has been ahead of schedule pretty much all year. We've already hit temperatures in the triple digits, something that doesn't usually happen until the end of July. Today's lunch time ride was baking with almost no wind. Breathing felt like sucking on a hair dryer! I would've gone through both water bottles, but the water was air temperature by the end of the ride.

The best times to ride right now are early morning, and the evening. Last night we went to a party at the Simpson's house up in the Timberline area. There were enough riders to make a good group ride, so we took off from the house, got a good ride in, and finished just in time for a good BBQ and fireworks.

Kristy also tackled the Ash Creek trail on her single speed. The trail is in beautiful shape, but is still quite challenging. The challenges are made even more visually challenging by adding the steep drop offs for most of the trail. Nevertheless, Kristy did a great job of surviving her first run on the trail!

Tales of a Mt. Bike Junkie....

I will begin this story with a refresher- on one of the lunch rides a few weeks ago, I broke my swing arm on my Mt. Bike at the bottom of Jack Rabbit. This instigated a complete overhaul of my bike, including a new drive train, shifters, brake pads, shock service etc. Unfortunately, during the rebuild of the bike, it fell off my el Cheapo stand right on the brand new rear deraileur! Snapping my brand new deraileur hanger like peanut brittle. I used my old deraileur hanger from the broken swing arm and pushed forward.
I was proud to annouce the arrival of my new baby on Tuesays lunch ride. It was all put together and parking lot tested. Unfortuantely, about 200 yards into the ride it started creaking and popping like crazy. The shifting was far from smooth and the bike was a MoFo to pedal. I made the best of it and listened while Jeff M. continued to use these noises to sway me towards the purchase of a single speed bike. After going at least 100% over budget on the current rebuild, the idea of having a new bike for me is not on the horizon. But, just in case hell does freeze over, you will find me at the bike shop with my wallet out. Riding Jeffs single speed while my bike was down was a total blast.
Anyway, not to get off subject. That evening, after the lunch ride I did my best to get my bike dialed in. I adjusted about 90% of the brake drag out, and re-routed a shifter cable that I routed wrong the first time. Then I met Jeff P. and Jeff Moser for the Thursday afternoon ride in Ash Canyon. What a blast! We started at Jeff P.'s and climbed timberline. Then dropped into Baldy Green. This is where I really noticed that I had not solved my shifting problems. It was horrible. KA-Chunk! Chunkchunk! the bike was on autoshift. Anticipating the exact opposite of which way I would actually like to shift. I tried adjusting the cable lenght but nothing helped. No time to worry though. Just made the best of it and pedaled down the new trail that Jeff P. cut into the canyon. Sweet! Thanks Jeff! I will be recieving many hours of enjoyment from your hard work! We had a great time talking about the future of Mt. Biking in CC. With trails like that it won't be long until Carson City becomes a destination for Mt. Bikers.

When I got home that night. I was too exausted to put anymore time in my bike. I had done all I could. So Friday afternoon I took it to Bike Habitat, where Dennis, the owner used the drop down straightening tool to gingerly straighten my badly bent deraileur hanger. He also fixed the drag on my brakes and installed my new seat post. What a guy. He only charged me $15.00 and must have spent a half hour on it. Thanks Dennis. I also must mention that the Bike Habitat is totally stocked now, compared to when it first opened. There is lots of good stuff there...

Needless to say, It was Friday night. I have to work Saturday. Sunday is my 12Th Wedding anniversary. When will I be able to really ride my beautiful new bike.... This calls for a rock star energy drink and a night ride! So the kids hit the rack. I kiss them goodnight. I go to the map software on the computer. Print out the trail that goes from the top of spooner to "The Bench" scribble a note on it for my wife to read in case I dont come home. Prep and pack everything. Kiss the wiferoony goodby and hit the road. I was on the trail at 10PM. Headphones on and my 2 nightrider headlamps blazing through the woods. I climbed and climbed. 5 miles to the bench. The bike was shifting and handeling like a dream. I stopped at the bench on this warm evening and took in the half moon over Lake Tahoe view for a good 45 Mins.
According to my calculations, If I rotate the light burn times, I should have at least another 2 hrs and 45 minutes of light left. I was totally pumped up for 3 reasons.. The energy drink, The Rim Trail, and my bike was dialed in bigtime. I decided to pedal towards the top of Kingsbury for another 45 minutes. So I pedaled and pedaled, getting into the tunes. It was now almost 1:30 AM. Well, I thought, I better turn around because if I get home too late I will be way to tired for my Saturday duties and the wifey might worry.. So I did. Then, within about 5 minutes, my main light that has a burn time of 4 hrs stopped working at 3:15! ag! I charged it up! The way I calculated it, I only had about 40 minutes left on my back up light. So I kept on moving. 10 minutes later that one went out too... Hmmm. Lucky its a warm night... So I grabbed my final trick, which was an LED light and tried to ride with that. After nearly going over the bars I figured that was a bad idea. I will begin to walk. I have 8 miles to go with my little head light. It is now 2 am. So I made a note of the milage on the cycle computer.. I covered just over 2 miles in an hr. Time to turn this adventure into a camping trip! I opened my camelback, took out my leggings and put them on. Found a nice soft spot under a tree right next to the trail and fell asleep quickly. I awakened at 4:30 to find a bear about to have his way with me... - Just kidding. I awakend at 4:30 am and the trail was just lighting up from the morning twilight. I tightened my shoes. ( I still had my headphones and helment on to help keep me warm) and jumped on the bike. Whooo Hoo! The Tahoe Rim Trail RIPS. Perfect down hill roller slope for 6 miles to the car. It was a great way to start the day. I got home at 5:45 and my wife opened one eye to look at me.... "Where were you?" Well, the mt. bike ride turned into a camping trip.. Chalk up another big adventure for the history books!

Cap'n Sausage Lives to Ride

Tuesday was a rather warm but windy day. I sifted through my bike bag to pick out my attire. My choices were the Jersey I wore yesterday, that was rather smelly, or this wife beater shirt that was a size too small 4 years ago when my friend Jessy gave it to me. Hmmmm It did smell springtime fresh, so I put it on.... feels pretty tight but I'm outta here... On top of that, Sandie had bailed at the last minute because it was a little too windy. Since I broke my frame AND my Seat post in all in the last month, Sandie has been referring to me as a " Lard Ass ". Since she wasn't coming, I figured I was safe from being heckled. Just suck in the gut when I hit get to the stop signs.

We met at SC and Jeff, Todd, Scott and I began our ascent to Ash Canyon. Since I broke my frame, Jeff was generous enough to let me borrow his single speed. This would be my second ride on it. As we pedaled up the street and hooked up with Jon at the usual meeting spot, I was getting more and more tuned in to the single speed. We climbed up the " fastway". Riding the single speed was awesome. It is amazing how much feel you lose on a full suspension. I was really using body english and concentrating on keeping smooth line to keep my pedaling efficient. When we got to the top of the postal route, Jeff started snapping pictures of me. It wasn't until I saw the pic on flickr that I had to laugh at how ludicrous I looked! No wonder my wife has been trying to throw this Jersey away for the last three years!
WoooHooo! Skynnaaarrd! I think I am going to keep this shirt on and go watch some Nascar! Anyway, Just as Michael Bolton doesn't let the fact that he is a terrible singer with a bad hairdo stop HIM from making the big bucks and having all the Ho's on his jock, I wasn't going to let my bad fashion choice stop me from having a fabulous ride! Cap'n Sausage Rides Again!
So we pedaled up Deer Run, regrouped as usual and hit the downhill. What a blast! My Sleek Sausage Casing Attire made me cut through the wind and feel great. The single speed felt great underneath me. The speed was slower than my full suspension, but the fun was just as good or better. We made our way down the postal route. Jeff took off first and was really pouring it on. He was outta sight when I caught up to him he had hit a soft berm and was jettisoned off the trail. He didn't fall (yet) and I passed him by. I was getting my groove on, pushing the bike through the turns, singing in my head Michael Bolton's " When a maaaahn luvs a woooman!" We regrouped and took Jackrabbit down. Jeff started in the lead again and pulled over to take some nice pics. Another fun time on the trail!




Todd and I were waiting at the bottom of Jackrabbit when Jeff decided to " Boost Out" of the final whoopdee at the end of the trail. The same whoopdee I broke my swing arm on. As I was watching his take off, the front tire washed out and Jeff full on whiped out! His arms straight out as he landed in the sand and the dust was flying. It was great. I started laughing immediately, and Jeff quickly recovered. He got up and rode to us to give us the play by play. He was smiling a great big dirt smile. His teeth and face were covered! Jeff's explanation was that on the 29er, the wind caught the front tire like a sail, and knocked him off balance... Well, my only advice is to follow my lead and wear some skin tight clothing. Back it up with 2 orders of Bacon Cheddar Potato wedges and a cheeseburger to chase it down. Don't forget to add " Sour Cream" to the wedges. Delicious.


Chalk up another great ride for the FBC. Always rich in Excitement and Fashion!

Ash Creek Trail

Last night we rode the Ash Creek trail. This used to be one of our favorite trails before the Waterfall Fire of 2004, but sadly the fire destroyed it. The good news is that the trail is back and better than before! The trail snakes through the high grass, thick bushes, and lots of trees. It makes you feel like you are far away from the city.

As devastating as the Waterfall Fire was, I think it has actually improved this area. Before the fire, the brush was too thick for a good route through the canyon. The area is a bit more open now, and there are many natural obstacles that provide challenges along the way.

Jeff P. and I rode the trail once, and then we ran into Keith and Josh. We rode back up and did the trail again! We had planned to hit the Ride of Silence in downtown Carson City after the ride, but a couple mechanical problems tied us up for a bit. Josh suffered a broken chain, and I had a flat tire. It was also the first time I got to run the Postal Route. I didn't want the guys to come back up the hill looking for me after I had my flat, so I ran down the trail to what is sometimes a checkpoint on the trail. Unfortunately, the guys had ridden down the whole trail, and didn't know what had become of me. They were riding back up the trail just as I was finishing my tube change. Oh well...they got to ride the Jackrabbit trail again. I don't feel too sorry for them!

Wednesday Night Ride

By the time we got off work Wednesday night, the skies had clouded up, making it a lot darker than it should have been. I met up with Jeff P., and he suggested we go up the Hobart road, and loop back down into Timberline. I hadn't done this climb since the early 90's, and Kathy and Sandie did it back in November. My memory and stories of the ride brought up visions of a painful climb. Not wanting to appear a sissy in Jeff P.'s eyes, I said, "Sure! Let's do it!".

When we finished the asphalt climb and were about to begin the real climb, I shot an energy gel. Man those things work good! We began the first gear grinder climb, and were both pleased that the sand was a bit wet. Jeff P. tells me we would've been pushing the bikes in some sections otherwise. We were able to ride the whole climb, only stopping for a couple pictures and rest breaks for me.

The downhill was a steep single track, that had a few downed logs laying across it. The single track ended at a fire road that was crazy steep. I'm glad we were going down it, and grateful for the fresh tire I had just put on the back. The fresh tread saved my butt a couple times when trying to avoid some deep ruts. We dropped down quite a ways to a road I was familiar with. From here it was another 1,000 foot descent back to town. We finished up around 8:00, and it was getting pretty dark. Just enough time to drive home, eat, and go to bed!

Bring Me My Mutton Musket

It's been great having the sheep around during the rides. It takes you far from the office to be riding in the mountains among the animals. As cool as it has been though, there is just one thing that is getting a little out of control. All the sheep poop!

There is sheep poop all over the trail. You try your best not to hit it, but it's unavoidable most of the time. The tires were getting packed up with the stuff. The rule of the day was no smiling or mouth breathing at speeds over 5 mph. I still had some stuck in my tire treads upon returning to work. I don't think there was too much odor to it, but then again I don't remember any visitors this afternoon either.

So I got to thinking on the way home from work...what kind of tire is best for sheep poop? An open tread? Semi-slicks? A WTB Timber Wolf may do the trick!

Marcus has been bringing his camera along on the rides too. He got some good action shots like the one on the right here. There are a few others on Flickr.

Russel's Revenge

Years ago, we named this climb "Russel's Revenge". Scott was the first one in the gang to make the climb without stopping, so we gave him the honors. The hill continues to get steeper at the top. Right when you are almost ready to give up, there is a choice between whoop-de-dos and a slippery off-camber side. There is more traction on the side, but you must sprint through it so you don't fall into the whoops and spin out.


Todd displayed the common side effects of Russel's Revenge. Severe oxygen depletion and nausea.



The view from the top ain't bad!



I rode again after work and got to see the trail in a different light.

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!

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.

A Week of Mild Weather

We've had pre-winter weather this week. Enough rain to moisten the sand, but nothing more. Temperatures are in the 40's at ride time. This picture is taken near 5,500 elevation. As you can see in the picture, the snow level is much higher. Snow Valley Peak, the mountain above Kristy's head, is 9,214 feet tall. Carson City is in a Rain Shadow, so it's normal for all the precipitation to stay on the other side of the Sierras. Soon there will be snow though. Until then, I'm enjoying the perfect dirt conditions. The sand is packed down, and the tires are hooking up. You can really fly through the corners!

Secret: Just to the right of the tree behind Todd, is the start of another new trail. It needs to be ridden in. Duty calls!

Here's another picture looking down Ash Canyon towards Carson City. It's a pretty steep climb to get to this point, but the downhill is all fun singletrack, making it more than worth it.