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.
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.
I find it amusing sad how long I can ignore the fact that spring and summer are gone and now fall is on the cusp of doing the same. Looking down the trail and seeing nothing but brown, bare trees is sort of a repeated slap in my fat face to wake up and smell the decaying bung of autumnal death and keep riding as long as I can. For soon winter will be bending me over a barrel of dark cold ass depression and thrusting its unprotected frozen phallus of hate in my general direction.
This fact was made all the more real today when at the ride’s end I stood in the parking lot talking to some friends and was getting hit in the face with a smorgasbord of gusting wind, leaves, rain, sleet and snow. Then the sun came out. Michigan weather is as psycho as mountain weather…. we just don’t have mountains.
The past “work” week did not hold much in the way of riding, just a short 15 mile mountain bike ride sandwiched in between 1.5 hour workouts at Maury’s. Thankfully that changed on Saturday, sort of.
When I woke up this morning, my legs–and other body parts– were so sore from yesterday’s inaugural off-season weight session at Ballstein’s, I could barely squat on the throne for my multiple morning e-vacs. Still, there were things that needed done. Like ride.
Part I, Friday
With B-Man off of school on Friday I did not expect to be doing any riding until Saturday. It turns out that Wifey decided to take a much-needed vacation day and gave me the go-ahead to go out and get some trail time in. I did not say no. Continue Reading →
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.
The “wet season” continues here in mid-Michigan with rain almost every day for the past week, including a brief shower this morning before the sun came out, but other than some wet leaves and a slick root or two you would not have known it from today’s ride. The soil at MMCC sucks up rain harder than a Vegas hooker sucks up… Rain?
This week’s weather has been less than desirable, and for whatever reason I have had a bitch of a time dodging the rain since Monday’s mountain bike ride. Today however I somehow got my ass out the door, on the road and back before the cold, steady rains returned.
Today I enjoyed the last of my miles on the Superfly 100. During my time with the bike I got close to 65 miles on it and I am pretty impressed, but it’s time to say goodbye and get it back to my friend Mike tomorrow. I should probably take him a sixer or something to say thanks for the good times.
The pic above is of a short, smooth sandy section up at MMCC. It’s one of the few places that you can ease up and take in a bottle easily. From the amount of tire tracks it looks like lots of folks have been taking advantage of the sweet fall weather we have been having.
