I guess you could call this Welcome Winter Weekend. Some say “welcome,” I say “fuck it, I hate winter.”
Post Category → Mountain Biking
A Perfect Day For A Road Ride
Today was a perfect day for a road ride. Naturally, I went for a mountain bike ride.
You would think that I would have remembered the gusting 40+ mile per hour winds that rocked Michigan last Sunday and Monday. You would also think that I wouldn’t be forced to use an iPhone to take pics because I forgot my real camera on my desk. Go ahead and think those things, but you would be wrong.
The Name Fit The Bike
Mountain bike pioneer Charlie Kelly in a promotional photo (circa 1980-ish?) taken by Gary Fisher for their company– MountainBikes. According to Kelly’s personal (history packed) website, the bike in the photo was Fisher’s as he couldn’t yet afford one of the very bikes they were selling.
Back then, you paid $1,300 up front to a couple of California hippies, waited a month or more and eventually you got yourself a 28 pound, fully rigid mountain bike.
Check out Kelly’s site for a shit ton of amazing photos and information about the early days of mountain biking. It’s pretty cool to see so much history of a sport that was invented during my lifetime.
The Geek of The Tree Rings
Balls Deep In Deer
Even though Michigan is balls deep into deer season, I took a chance and rode in the woods today anyway. My local trails are on non-hunting land, but they still come close to private land and have a slight reroute to try and keep meaty bike geeks like me from getting capped in the buttocks, but it is still a bit of a risk since I think I read once that a rifle bullet can travel like 32 miles or something ridiculous like that. OK, maybe not that far, but pretty far. I left my fur riding vest and antler helmet at home just in case.
The Pic
The tree in the pic above fell across the trail a year or two ago. I pass it EVERY ride but only today stopped to take a look at its rings (mostly due to having to wiz). Pretty cool to see the rings n’at..
Taking Advantage
In between my days at the gym I have been trying to get out and enjoy the dirt before the snow flies. As you can see from the ground in the pic above, it has been flying here and there but it has a long way to go before it causes any worry or would make me think about maybe regretting not purchasing a fat bike.
Dirt Highway
Almost every trail system has one or two parts that you can either A. Recover and take in some fluids and/or nutrition or B. Put the hammer down and get all “speeder bike on Endor“. The pic above is of from my local trail system at the Mid Michigan Community College. Most of the 16-ish mile loop is undulating and lumpy with some roots and embedded rock thrown in to make your lower back feel “alive” and glad you have a full suspension (or make you wish for one). However, this particular section is currently wet, packed down dirt and sand, sort of like a dirt highway that you can get you reach speeds of 17 mph or more if you choose, before hanging a right into some slower, new trail with lots of twists and turns. Either way, it’s all good.
Dirt is always good. Singletrack is always better… whether fast and smooth, slow and rocky or twisty and turny.
Forest Facts
I cannot be certain if a falling tree makes a sound when no one is around, but I am quite certain that if a tree falls in a forest it will ALWAS find its way across the trail. It’s a fact.
Leaves & Bike Love
After more than a week, I finally made it out on the trails. I’m sure glad I did because with winds gusting from the south at 20+ MPH I sure as hell didn’t want to be out on the roads getting blown around like a fat, lycra-clad piece of rubbish that had a date with a truck’s grill.
Could, Did and Will Do Again
For some people, riding bikes is about going fast, winning and losing races. For some it’s about adventure. For others still, it’s about going places and doing things that you never thought you would or could do.
Fall, Hanging On
I had a chance to get some miles in on the trails today. The temps were the coldest they’ve been since early spring– hovering in the low to mid-thirties– the breeze was stiff and the clouds coming down from the north looked like they could piss down some snow showers at any time.