Riding Skinny Tires

My roadie/commuter is ~20lbs of steely goodness.

So, a few weeks ago, my buddy Jeremy mentions a road ride out of a church here in Fuquay Varina on Monday nights.  Even though I had a big ride that Saturday (62 miles), I thought it might make for a nice recovery ride (and I have heard how road miles are good for endurance racing), so I joined in.  Naturally I was the only rider on a SS, and only Jeremy and I were were riding steel framed bikes.  I was thinking, "Man, these riders need to HTFU!" (o.k., not really, they were all very nice...and they were roadies, go figure!).  I was told by the organizer I should start with the 'C' group because of some of the big hills.  Surely this is because I am on a single-speed, I mentioned I don't really road ride, and honestly, I do not look that impressive.  I did my best to act like I was hurt by scrunching up my face like a just stubbed my toe.  I said, ooh, 'C' group?  Uh, I think I will at least start with 'B' group.  The B group was broken into two, so I took off with the first group for what was to be a ~24 mile ride.
I must admit, being that this was my first real road ride (other than commuting to work and back), the ride was pretty tough.  I was able to maintain a good cadence that kept me between 19-23 mph and I ended up leading for most of the ride.  Because it would hurt to slow on the hills, I powered up each one with everything I had, only to find that I had left everyone behind and then had to wait for them.  A couple of riders were having a tough time keeping up, causing us to slow and wait.  Eventually, we could see the 2nd 'B' group coming up behind us.  I hope I did not sound like too much of a jerk when the two started to fall behind again and I was told we should wait for them...I replied, that they should just fall back to the 2nd group so we can ride on.  Eventually we powered our way back to the church and finished the ride at an average of ~17.9.  Definitely could have pushed harder, but then I also had plenty of rest time, so who knows.  Maybe next time I try 'A' group, but I have a feeling that (as usual), I have no group, and will hopelessly by lost in some void between 'B' and 'A'.  Maybe I can make a B+/A- group for others like me.  Well, next time I will likely try the 'A' group, but they did average over 20mph.  Oh well, you don't know until you try.  At least I would be able to start the 'A' group ride with my steel framed brotha Jeremy. (until they drop me like a bad habit).
Lookin' forward to it. 

HTFU! Last SM100 Training Ride

So lately I have been calling my weekly endurance ride the HTFU Ride.  If you don't know what it means, well, it means Harden The "Freak" Up!  Sure, not everyone uses the word "Freak", but hey, my mom might read this.

26", 29" and 36" oh-my!

Today was the last of the Shenandoah Mountain 100 (SM100) prep rides.  We had the biggest turnout (12 riders) and I rode the most mile (71) ever for a training ride.  Sure it was hot (mid 90's) but hey, if you can't handle it, then you, sir or ma'am, need to HTFU!

The route consisted of 11 miles of some of the Piedmont's best single-track, followed by 20 miles of quadruple track (Umstead fire roads (~1000ft+ climbing every ten miles)).  This was done twice, with some hilly green-way miles thrown in the mix (in full sun) to get over 70 miles).


Highlight from today's ride:

• Mass confusion during the first Umstead lap.  I guess I should have told everyone we were crossing the river for an out-and-back on Cedar Ridge.  As the kids say, "My Bad"

•  A lot of Umstead eye-candy.

• A Black Sheep 36er that rolled through the first half of the ride.  Pretty impressive considering it was his first "real" ride on that beast.

• Me realizing that I had a plenty of small slimy chunks of mold floating around in my half-empty water bottle.

• 12 people started the ride.  Four names beginning with the letter "M" and four with the letter "J" (honorable mention to the letter "B" with two names)

An example of the joggers throughout Umstead.

• Eight, yes eight single-speeders. 

• Did I mention all the Umstead eye-candy.

• Three riders (all on single speeds) finished the ride...my odometer showed 71 miles. 

• In spite of the heat 90+, there was very little complaining.

Good Times.

Preparing for the 2011 Shenandoah Mountain 100

So last week a group of us set out on a 55 mile fire road ride.  It was hot, most bailed by 30ish miles and as usual, I finished the ride on my own.
This week the ride was going for a metric century (sounds better than 62 miles).  A group of around nine riders set out to ride 22 miles of single track and 40 miles of double track to mimic similar terrain conditions for Shenandoah 100 (SM100). 
So who shows up for this ride?  Besides dome of the usual suspects, two newcomers (for my rides) JD, who snaked a $300 titanium frame away from me, and he shows up riding it (some nerve); and get this, he rode from Wake Forest (cukoo, cukoo).  And an old pal Bret shows up.  Here is a guy I was crushing in the beginner XC series two years ago.  Now he has buffed out (P90X) and kicking my but in XC this year.  Still, this is an endurance ride, so he is in my territory now!
As usual the guys who were planning to  bail after ~30 miles set a pace faster than I wanted, but whatchagonado?  So we all kept pace for the first 11 miles of single track with the only notable events were watching one of the trail builders (let's call him Ennis), falling sideways into the water during a stream crossing (doh, rookie move).  We also ran into Mack and Brent on the tandem as they prepare for Shenandoah it is always a hoot seing those guys.  As usual, Dale was with them, riding his SS with pink streamers off the bars.  Not sure if that take a real man, or the opposite, but hey, it was entertaining.
Back to the ride:
When we hit the double track, I suddenly had a tough time keeping up with my geared brethren.  It became clear that my planned 32:19 gear choice for Shenandoah was going to leave me spinning on many sections of the trail.  It was pointed out that I am going to wish for a taller gear on the flat sections as guys will form pace lines and I won't be able to keep up.  I reminded them that flat sections (and downhills) are where I spin away and rest my legs for the climbs.  Going taller means suffering (more) on the climbs and eventually cramping.  My goal here is survival, so I will stick with 32:19 for this one.
Wow, we lucked out with the weather.  Instead of getting hotter closer to noon, it actually cooled and started to rain.  When we ducked into the single-track for our 2nd loop, things were slick, but not messy and we were able to make decent time.  At one point I slid off a skinny and luckily caught my chain-stay right where my derailleur would have been.  I grinded across the board without falling into the ditch and made a nice recovery as I kept on riding.
The last 20 miles of the ride were a grind (now with Kelly, Bret, JD and me).  Kelly kept reminding me that nothing we had ridden was as difficult as Shenandoah, and after the 60 mile mark, that is when the real climbing begins.  My legs did not feel great so I told him to STFU!  My confidence going into this event is not at an all-time high, and he was not helping.  To make matter worse, Bret, who once could not hang with me in XC, shows up to this ride just to see what he could do, and he is kicking my butt!  He and Kelly are constantly pulling ahead of me and then are slowing to wait up or I have to work extra hard to keep up.  Good for Bret, not so good for me.  How dare he show up to my ride, never having ridden that distance before, and the only thing that hurts is his butt from being in the saddle for that time-length.  Really, who does he think he is!  Clearly he did not once think of my fragile self-esteem and how I was affected by getting embarrassed by a newb.
Still, when the ride ended, I felt so much better than the previous week.  Even though the ride was longer and tougher, the weather/temp. made it that much easier.  My legs felt better and no headache.  Next week the goal is 70+.  Ouch! My legs hurt just typing that.

Mountain Biking in the Heat....Meh.

So it is hot out there; 90+ degrees with a 100% chance of sweat!  What are you going to do about it?  Sit in your air-conditioned home and complain about it (maybe watch Jerry Springer or Court tv) or are you going to go out and ride?  You already know my vote.  After all, I have always felt it is fine to ride in the heat as long as I don't over do it.  I found a decent article about just this topic.  Still, last weekend, after a 55 mile ride (that started at 7am, in order to miss the most intense heat) I had a headache for the remainder of the day. Could the heat have caused the headache?  Maybe grinding my teeth during the ride?  Maybe from the beer I chugged immediately after the ride?  Or maybe (my vote) it was not the heat (or teeth, or beer) but the lack of sunglasses.  I recall reading somewhere that being in the sun, squinting all day, can lead to headaches.  Another big ride the weekend (60+ miles), so maybe I try wearing some shades (and maybe some preemptive Advil) to see if I can fend off headaches.  If it doesn't work, I will try switching brands of beer (and drinking more of it).   

29er Online Specialized Bike Reviews

Thanks to Alex who runs the 29eronline website, I have had the opportunity to ride a few bikes in return for providing an honest review from a regular Joe.   The first bike I rode was the Specialized Camber Elite, the 2nd was the Specialized Epic Carbon.  I had fun on the Elite...it dispelled any worries I had about my new 29er build (coming August/September to a trail near you).  The next bike I reviewed was a Specialized Epic Carbon.  Ooh, daddy like!  I could go on, but why don't you just watch the darn videos?!?

Specialized Camber Elite

 

Specialized Epic Carbon

 

I hate the way I sound on video (o.k., audio), but hey, it is for a good cause.  Thanks to my thought provoking, insightful review thousand of people...o.k., dozens of people...o.k., 'you' are now more informed.

Tahoe, Rides 1-3

In order to save time (I'm lazy) and to make a long story short (rarity for me), I am throwing all three rides into one entry.

This pic does not do the view from the deck justice.  We could see a lot of the lake, with sail boats, para-sailing etc.  Beautiful!

Riding in Tahoe was AMAZING!  Though I have been to Tahoe many times, I have never ridden a mountain bike there; boy was I missing out.  From where I was staying (Dollar Point) I had access to a maze (literally) of trails.  My first ride started at ~6350' elevation.  I was lucky enough to meet a group just getting started at a trail-head at the Nordic Ski Center, and followed them up to what is called the 'Fiber Board Freeway' (old paved logging road) and then further up and onto the Tahoe Rim Trail and then up a bit further before a nice, but technical downhill.  After 18 miles, we were back to the start, so I set off on my own and re-rode most of the route just so I could remember it for another ride.  The group rode slow enough that the elevation was not really a factor (only felt it while climbing), and I ended my ride by jumping into the most beautiful lake in the U.S..  Total miles ~30.

The next ride I took the same route from Dollar Point up to the Fiber Board Freeway and then to the Tahoe Rim Trail.  From there I made the poor decision to ride the TRT up to Watson Lake.  I was told the trail was not SS friendly, and it certainly was not.  A lot of technical climbing with a lot of slow, sandy trail.  Still, I pushed on (literally) and made it to the lake and back.  Total ride was only 25 miles, but much tougher than the ride two days earlier.

Still some snow on them there trails.  You almost can't see my dirty white bike as it blends in with the dirty white snow.  Interestingly, a yellow patch of snow emerged shortly after taking this picture.

 For my last ride, I did the ride that everyone should do if they have a mountain bike in Tahoe, the Flume Trial.  To add more miles, and to make it more challenging (much more challenging than I thought), I started at Mt. Rose Summit about 3/4 up from the Tahoe Meadows trail head at 8900'elevation.  From there I bombed down Tahoe Meadows to the Flume Trail and rode the scenic trail to Marlette Lake; rode around the lake, then headed back.  It was all good until that dreaded, "What goes down, must go up" mtb rule came into play.  I was grinning ear to ear flying down the Tahoe Meadows trail...now I was grimacing ear to ear riding back up.  I realized too late that I spent so much time enjoying the scenery, that I did not eat enough calories (or drink enough water) to account for the extra elevation, and I was starting to bonk.  That coupled with many uphill areas with deep sand, made for a miserable climb.  Here I was on a 26" single-speed, on Racing Ralphs, with tubes.  I was wishing I was on a geared 29er with some beefy tubeless tires.  So I walked several sections, ate a bar and some jerky, and drank some water.  I also learned that though the temp. was in the 70's. being at that elevation, and in full sun the entire time, really takes it's toll on you, or at least me).  The ride ended up being ~33 miles of just amazing trails.  The pics do not do justice to the beauty of the landscape, but if have been there, then you know.  Looking forward to a return visit with more appropriate gear.  Great, great time.

Nice view off the Tahoe Meadows Trail, almost to the Flume Trail.

A rider I met at the trail-head was kind enough to stop and take this pic on my return.

 

Tried to take a cool pic...ended up dropping the bike on my shoulder and rode back sore, with a large dirty grease stain on my left shoulder. :(   That'll learn me!

Rode partially around Marlette Lake until some guys warned me the trail I was about to hit was not SS friendly.  They were pretty convincing, so I headed back to the picturesque Flume Trail.

The Flume Trail signage as I return from Marlette Lake.  Seemed to be a popular resting spot for many.

The Carson Valley on the opposite side of the ridge from Tahoe.

That cool water is looking pretty good right about now.

Relaxing with my thoughts...unfortunately, I don't have many thoughts, so it was a short break.

Riding away.

Because one shot of my arse is not enough, here is a close-up for you sick'os.

You though Bin-Laden was dead?  You are wrong Infidels!  He is alive and well sporting a freshly shaved head and shredding the trails at Tahoe's highest summit!

The best way to end a ride in Tahoe?  Duh, head straight to the beach and join the family for a swim.  Ahhh, so refreshing.  Good Times!

Auburn Ride #4 & 5

Ride #4
For this ride, I thought I would try ride #3 again.  I had fun bombing 3.5 miles down to the Confluence where many trails start, and saw a group getting ready for a ride.  Four guys, three in kits looking like they should be in the Tour D' France.  I struck up a conversation and they were cool about me joining them, but as always, I was immediately intimidated by the cool matching kits and shaved legs.  Fortunately, one guy was not wearing a kit, and I was glad to see the hair on his legs...I thought, maybe I had a chance to stay with this guy.   As soon as they started, I was in trouble.  The ride started with a mile of flat, sometimes technical trail on a ridge and they quickly left me behind.  When we hit the climb ~2.5 miles of up, up, up, I started gaining on them but quickly realized that I no longer had the 'Contador Bounce' as I was climbing and thus had to really gut it out.  I eventually caught two of them.  One of the riders, the only one on a SS (GF Rig), turned and said (in a surprised tone), "Hey, your still here?!?".  I told them I would hang on as long as I could, but not to worry about dropping me.  I continued my pace, and like true roadies, they were  not going to let me pass, so we  eventually caught the first two guys.  They stopped at the top of the climb, seemingly un-winded, to chat.  This allowed me some time to recover before hitting some rolling single track (Connector Trail).  Once again they quickly dropped me on the single track, but halfway though, I passed two of them like they were standing still...because they were standing still.  One guy had flatted which gave me the opportunity to catch the group and then rest at the end of the trail (4 miles).  Still, despite riding hard, I was struggling.  My legs are not use to so much riding, climbing and full sun.  Unlike NC trails which are mostly shaded, there is little escape from the sun.  In spite of dry heat (no real humidity), 90+ degree temps in full sun wears on you.  I decided to let these burners go and do a different ride.  I rode back to the Confluence, hit the relatively easy/moderate Quarry trail (follows the river) for an out-and-back, and then up Stagecoach and home (3.5 miles up).  Still a good ride with over 30 miles.  Interestingly, I felt great going up Stagecoach which made me think I was a chump for not trying to stick with 'The Kits's.  I could have kept catching them on the climbs (or when they flatted) and maybe stayed with them the enter ride.  I am bummed for not pushing myself harder, but I was having a tough time gauging my fitness knowing I had a long climb to finish the ride.
Cest' la Vie.

Back down, down, down Stagecoach...

under the bridge on the Clementine trail...

climb up, up, up, to the connector trail to the Forest Hill Divide Loop Trail...

fly though this on the bombin' downhill...

noticed an old quarry with a cool looking cave (look carefully) just off the trail...

hit the bottom of the trail and rode across the confluence and up hwy 49...

and hit the Quarry Trail which was thankfully flat for a stretch.

Rode up a steep incline to part of the old quarry area (and met some nice hikers)...

and then rode down to the cave.

Rode a ways past the cave before turning around (Quarry Trail is an out and back trail)

And then began the long climb up Stagecoach...

  

 

Up, up, up to the start (at the In-laws house).

 Ride #4
Same as Ride #1.  Snuck out early and was in constant fear of getting attacked by a mountain lion or bear (both have been seen in the area in the early morning)...but somehow survived.  Now a week off before hitting the trails at Tahoe Baby!!!