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.
With all the rain and wind we’ve had lately the leaves are mostly down and I expected another ride of picking my way through the woods, trying to follow the trail and not hit any rocks lying in wait to flip my doofuss ass over the bars.
As l entered the trailhead I noticed right away that someone had been raking the trails…. I could see dirt!! About a half mile up the trail I could hear the tell-tale sounds of a leaf blower and before I knew it, I was up on one of the friendly trail gnomes that keep the trail spanky honking on his leaf blower. Between the noise and the fact that the dude had earphones on, I mouthed a thank you and gave him the thumbs up as I passed.
I would run into two other gnomes further up the trail and again expressed my gratitude for their work. I would guess that about 70% of the 16+ mile loop is leaf free, making for some fine, saddle squashed, pickle tickle type riding.
Confessions of sorts…
Remember the Superfly 100 9.8 SL that my shop owner friend let me demo last month? Well, he wasn’t completely keen on it as his personal bike and was willing to sell it if he could. Turns out he could. I am a sucker. I am also a sucker with an amazing wife who was willing to let her deadbeat husband embrace our debt ceiling. There’s really nothing like selling one full suspension 29er to pay some debt off, only to buy another fucking one and get back said debt…and then some. Fuck it. I’m 42, I’ve got no job and no future at fucking all, I might as well do whatever it takes to make the ride better until the end comes 1.
I didn’t have the bike totally dialed in for my personal tastes yet, so I figured one lap and done would have to be good enough today. Then go home, pick up the El Mariachi and its newly rebuilt Reba (and new lowers, thank you Rock Shox) at Mo-Mo along with some ESI Chunky Grips, then go home and get the cockpit dialed in with my grips, bar ends, etc.,
Really hope the weather allows me to get back on the trails tomorrow with shit the way I want.
With about 3 miles to got in my ride I passed a few riders, turns out it was the Trail Gnomes! As I passed, we exchanged hellos and I said thanks for all their work on the trail. They said no problem, they were done for the day and it was time to ride. Then one dude yells out “Hey, nice bike man!” I said thanks, but I have to admit I was sort of embarrassed about it.
This the first bike I have bought in a LONG time that didn’t come from a sponsorship deal, or through an industry “bro deal,” even though there was still a little bit of “bro dealing” going on with this one. Still, I am the “I love this bike so freaking much, but not sure I should have bought it” guilty phase of the relationship. Now I just need to pay for it.
For the record, when I picked up my El Mariachi the dude says “That is a sweet ride dude.” More embarrassment….