It Begins Again

The search for the perfect mountain bike. N + 1. Although in this case N isn't really changing since I'm parting out my hardtail. There's also another saying, "as the number of bikes owned increases so do the odds that none of those bikes are working correctly".

As of this moment that rings more true than ever. I bought a new saddle for my road bike, but it didn't fit the seatpost. So, I swapped it for the seatpost on my single speed, but being a setback post, it puts me too far back on my road bike. Also, my road bike seatpost is too short for my single speed. On top of that, my hardtail is completely disassembled in my bedroom right next to 2/3rds of an old steel road bike. It's starting to look like a bike shop in there. Seriously. Tools in one corner, frames/wheels in another, small parts in a third corner, and a bed somewhere in the mix.
#firstworldproblems

On the positive side, my new fork arrived. It's bigger, stronger, and lighter. I've come to the conclusion that if your going to have multiple bikes, they need to be different or at least serve different purposes. A short travel hardtail is just too similar to my rigid bike, but there's also another problem with hardtails. A rigid bike can corner well because it slides predictably; both wheels have similar traction. But with a hardtail, the front wheel has better traction than the rear. One can equalize the traction by increasing the spring rate or increasing the compression damping at the loss of some of the benefits of suspension. In theory, a full suspension bike should have better and equal traction front and rear.

I'll be ordering the wheels and frame in the next month or so. I should be able to get it dialed just in time for next race season.

Driving a Rickshaw

"Do you have, like, really strong calves? I bet you have strong calves. Your going to get soo many girls!" (I can only hope)

- Drunk college girl riding back to the dorms 

Driving a rickshaw is quite an interesting and enjoyable experience, not to mention profitable. In other cultures it's seen as nearly rock bottom for unskilled manual labor. In Oxford, it's seen as a novelty and a convenient mode of transportation. 

When I first got the idea of driving one, I was afraid it would ruin cycling for me. I thought I'd be too tired to do regular fun rides. But, after the first month of driving, I've realized I was afraid for nothing. My mind wants them to be the same, but they're far from it. A bicycle (specifically a racing bike) is light and agile. It accelerates well and leans into the corners. A rickshaw is big, cumbersome, slow, and heavy. The only similarities are the open air and pedalling. 

The rickshaws I drive have an electric assist in the front wheel that helps to maintain momentum. At first I wanted to think that I was contributing the majority of the propelling force. But after some experimenting and having two batteries die on me, I've realized that, at best, I contribute 10 - 15% with the other 85 - 90% being electric or gravity. In a flat city, I might be able to get by without electric power, but in the hills of Oxford, it's an absolute necessity. I can barely pedal an empty cab up hills; there's no way I could haul people up these hills. 

Some people are sadistic though, "Let's see if this scrawny kid can pedal 1000lbs of fat redneck up University Ave!"

Two of them ended up pushing, and I got paid $20 for less than 10 minutes of work. Fortunately those are few and far between. I might just say no next time though.

For the most part, it's as easy or as hard as I want to make it. However, I have noticed an increase in power on my mountain bike. If Oxford was flat, I'd look into investing in my own cab and truly working for myself. A smoother drive train would be nice. I'm not sure I want to invest in the necessary electric components though. I do plan on swapping in my own saddle and maybe pedals too.

I'll be chronicling some of my experiences and observations of driving a rickshaw so stay tuned!

Strava

I have to admit, I'm liking my new phone more and more. It's quite convenient to do so much with one device - tracking ride data, playing music, taking pictures, etc. Strava is probably the app I've been most excited about, to see how I stack up against other riders. I also found it to be quite motivating.

With the storm of the year looming just hours away, I set off to find empty trails - a good time to test the Strava waters. I didn't target any specific segments, just rode the normal training loop at semi-race-pace. I did fairly well considering the trails are covered in leaves and pine straw. Towards the end of the ride, I tried riding over a fallen tree a little too fast. I got the front wheel over fine, but the rear popped up too high and sent me over the bars. The landing knocked the wind out of me but no cuts or bruises.

Looking at the individual segments, it turns out that the guy with the most KOMS (King of the Mountain) doesn't even live here any more. Hopefully, we can get the trails cleaned up in another month or two to get some faster times.

New Tech

Retrogrouch - noun
1. One who is skeptical of technological developments until their usefulness and reliability have been proven.
2. One who insists on minimalist equipment that may be user-serviced.
(seemingly coined by the cycling community, just search the term with Google)

In a culture that ties self worth with always having the latest and greatest technology, it's fun to be different and use old technology even after it's been deemed obsolete. Most people seem to upgrade phones as often as possible, but for me this raises the question: how long can a phone last?

In my case study of one, the answer is about five years. Even with such impressive specs as the Motorola Quantico, the rubber buttons on the side started to dry rot and fall off. It seems self destruction is imminent. This has me finally looking for a smart phone; even though, I'll lose part of my retrogrouch identity.

While I've never gotten caught up in phone tech, bike technology is a different story. My old bike may be a rigid single speed, but it has plenty of (what was) new technology: 29er wheels, tubeless tires, carbon fiber fork, disk brakes, etc. Those were new at the time, but as anyone in the sport knows, the bike industry has been booming for the last 10 years or so.

With carbon frames, hydraulic disk brakes, fine tuned suspension, and every realistic wheel size covered, what else is left? There's a definite risk of stagnation coming over the next few years. But who knows, maybe we'll see 3d printed, complex nano structured frames and/or suspension components that weigh 1/2lbs. Or lightweight, continuously variable, internally geared hubs. Or maybe someone will finally develop a comfortable saddle.

It'll be interesting to see where the industry goes from here. In the meantime keep riding whatever's fun.

Fall!

Last week the trails were so clean, but three cold days with a constant drizzle brought down what seems like at least half of the leaves. Believe it or not, there is a trail in the picture above, just right of center. Even though I know the trail well it was not easy to follow. Lucy got on just fine though.

Surprisingly my tires are still gripping well, but I'm sure that'll change with more leaves. The weather was quite nice though.

On another note, among the mountain bike community of Oxford, this year will be remembered as the Armadillo Outbreak of '15. In 11 miles, I think I saw at least 8. I'm a little afraid for Lucy as they're probably the one animal she can catch. Fortunately the leaves crunching under my tires seemed to drown out the noise of their movement; she didn't chase a single one today.

MORCS Finale

The final race of the Mississippi Off-Road Cycling Series was a blast! Three other members of the Ole Miss Cycling team and I crammed in my little Tacoma and headed to Ridgeland for the weekend. It was one of the few times I've ever needed a double cab, but we made it work.

We arrived in Ridgeland Friday night and decided to take a tour of Jackson in one of the guy's parent's Geo Tracker, with the top down of course. We were cruising around when we stumbled upon Jacktoberfest - a music festival with lots of beer vendors. What was really amazing about it was the crowd. It was a stylish, urban crowd mostly between ages 25 - 35, and no one was sloppy drunk. (I should note that the night was young, and the beer was expensive.) It didn't feel like Mississippi. I liked it.

Saturday, we pre-rode the course, watched the Super D, and a couple of us participated in the Cross Country Eliminator, XCE, which was a short race of four participants where the top two advanced to the next round. Cat 2 put on a good competition, but Cat 1 was a shut out. After getting dropped in the first quarter mile, there was no reason to keep sprinting another mile. It was a fun idea though.

On the upside, I was surprised to see part of the Mulberry Gap crew setting up a booth and doing some advertising. It made me miss those North Georgia trails and the whole summer of 2012 for that matter. I'm trying to talk the cycling team into a trip out there.

Sunday was the main event. I had some tough competition in a field of 10. I gave it my all right from the start. I think I was 5th into the woods. 1st and 2nd shot off quickly, but I hung with 3rd and 4th for a while. I knew I was faster than 4th uphill but the downhills put a gap between us. I attempted a pass once but he sprinted to block me. I ended up passing them both when they took a wrong turn at a poorly marked intersection. I got passed and then dropped. I might've held that position if it weren't for a cramp in my side.

I backed off the pace a little to recover and got passed a few times. This all happened in the first lap. For the second and third laps, I settled into a fast but comfortable pace. I even took a beer hand-up after a rocky switchback. I felt great!

I wound up in 7th out of 10 including one DNF. I was 11 minutes behind 1st and 5 minutes behind 2nd. I think with some good training this winter I can make up that difference. My new job should provide some good strength training; tomorrow is my first day driving for Rebel Rickshaw!

No Flow.

That was the theme of this weekend's race at Arkabutla Lake. While the trail system was decent, it wasn't a very fun race course. After pre-riding it last week, I almost didn't want to go to the race. But, I figured I should support the inaugural event and didn't have anything else to do. So I went.

The trail consisted of lots of roots. Lots and lots of big roots with no smooth line to be found. The few places where you could get some decent speed weren't worth the effort due to poorly placed sharp turns and switchbacks. For these reasons, I felt like I couldn't give it my all. When it comes to racing, cornering hard and maintaining momentum is my bread and butter; that lets me ride faster than riders with more power. This course, however, was 24 miles of short sprints and hard braking. Not much fun.

The good news is that the North Mississippi Trail Alliance - our new chapter of IMBA - has recently been approved to build up to 28 miles of trail on the other side of the lake. So, future races have a lot of potential.

During the race, I held second place until halfway through the last lap. On the first lap, I kept up with the guy in first pretty well but soon started falling behind. The guy in third was on my tail the entire time and was clearly a better rider. Had he passed me sooner, he probably could've kept up with first, but I guess he was content finishing second.

I partially blame the hardtail, as the top two guys were both on full suspensions. The roots sapped a lot of my energy, and it was difficult to keep the rear end planted in the bumpy turns. (puns intended, sort of). I've only had my new bike a few months, but I'm thinking of trading it for a full suspension. Not that it'll be faster overall, just more fun.

Skool of Hard Nox 50

I managed to surprise myself last weekend when I realized that I could actually race 50 miles offroad and be competitive. I'm not really sure when it happened. Most of my training rides are 2 hours at the most. I guess after a certain point it's just about staying fuelled up and focused.

This was my first time riding the Hard Nox Trails, and while it was a great course, one lap was pretty tiring. The second lap had me seriously questioning my motives. The climbs were soul-crushing and there were enough roots to rattle your teeth out. I didn't know we had hills that big in Mississippi. With a Le Mans start, I lost track of how many people were ahead of me. I was surprised to learn at the 3/4 mark that I was in fourth. I pushed on trying to drop the guy in fifth, but eventually he passed me. Then, we both passed the guy in third, leaving me in fourth once more. I kept pedalling hard to hold my position.

In the end, first, second, and third times were ~4:00, 4:18, and 4:20 with me coming in at 4:22. The guy that got first seems to dominate every race he enters. It's a long shot, but I think I might be able to take him in the Clear Creek Challenge. I'll have the home-trail advantage; also, I've recently decided I haven't been pulling up on the pedals enough. Working on that for just the last few days seems to have helped a lot.

The bad news (maybe). My truck may or may not have blown a head gasket on the way home. The next day it smoked for a solid 30 seconds on start-up and was low on coolant. It ran fine today though. I just need to keep an eye on fluid levels and engine temp. I'll probably get it checked out next week.

Oxford: Round 2

Oxford. Something just feels right about being here. Good trails, good biking infrastructure, and lots of college students. I'm glad to call myself a student again; though, it was something I used to dread. But, I've undergone a paradigm shift. I used to think that everyone was supposed to finish college at 22, get married, have a family, yada yada, etc. Now that's been thrown out the window.

It seems wrong to ever stop learning. It took over a year of menial labor for me to realize this. Sometimes I wish I'd done a gap year between high school and college, but I doubt things would've turned out the same. There are distinct, recognizable events that got me where I am today.

I'm only taking three classes this semester: calculus, physics, and computer programming with Java. Cal and physics will be refreshers to a degree, but I'm really looking forward to programming. I've even set a goal to write a smart phone app before I get a smart phone. It may be something simple like a magic 8 ball or pong, but it'll be a challenge none-the-less.

I'm taking my time looking for a job, trying to find something I don't dread. I tried a landscaping position but quickly realized the long hours wouldn't allow any time for school (or biking for that matter). I have an interview tomorrow for a groundskeeper position with the city - basically what I did in Telluride. I think it'll be a good job for this semester with regular hours and decent pay. Hopefully, I can find a way to keep the job next semester when I'm taking on-campus classes.

Lucy seems to be enjoying her home-town and the Whirlpool Trails. She got so excited running through the woods that she misjudged jumping a ditch and landed right in the middle in about a foot of water with a nice splash. Didn't slow her down though.

Moving back here has taken some re-adjusting. I'm living a semi-college life while trying to stay focused on both school and racing. I've even ordered an athletic cook book called The Feedzone to get some good ideas for proper race fuel. Fast food and beer are not the answer! I expect to be pretty busy this semester with work, school, racing, and some other projects, so this blog will probably see infrequent posts at best. But, I'll be having a good time :)

State Games

I think it's safe to say that every mountain bike racer is a masochist to some degree and that the level of pain increases proportionally with speed. In training, most people eventually hit a pain threshold and their ability plateaus. It takes a lot of will power to push past that and get faster. 

For this year's State Game's Race, relocated to the Ridgeland Trails from Butt's Park, my strategy was different than usual. This was my first XC Cat 1 race, so I decided to stay back at first to see how things played out. I was intentionally last (5th) into the woods. As the top two guys rode away, I quickly realized the rest of us were competing for third. Halfway through the first lap, I moved to fourth, then third in the second lap when the guy in front of me stopped to put air in his tire. 

The course started and ended with a really fast, open downhill section - maybe the only single track where I've used the top gear on my bike. I got near horizontal in the berms at the bottom. I was flying. I knew the top two guys were incredibly fast, but I was at least going to try to catch them. 

In the third and fourth laps I burped my front tire three times and had to really be careful during the last mile or so running on about 10 psi. It was in these laps that I passed the most people, mostly Cat 3's I assume. By this time they were pretty spaced out, and every rider I passed was just a little bit faster than the last. 

I finished in third place, 7 minutes behind first. That's a big gap! Still, my confidence is boosted now. In the next race, I aim to be second into the woods and hang on as long as I can. 

6 Hours of Clear Creek

Endurance Pace. My second favorite pace, right next to Race Pace. Endurance races aren't just about going fast, though. One must also be efficient. This means taking it easy on long climbs, maintaining momentum through the turns and going fast downhill. There's also a lot of strategy when it comes to eating and pacing. 

My "night before" plan didn't go exactly the way I intended. Seeing that I was hanging out with my best friend for the first time in six months, we drank a lot of beer. Then went to the Square and drank more beer. Following tradition, we ordered dinner from Coop - a fried chicken restaurant that delivers - also notorious for upsetting your digestive track the next day. Regardless, there must be some decent calories there, as it got me through the first few laps. The good thing that came from so much beer was that I made sure to re-hydrate. I probably drank a liter of water during the night, then a lot of Powerade first thing in the morning and finally, coffee to flush it through my system.

I knew 5 laps would've been reasonably easy, but 6 was the challenge. I didn't bother too much with the holeshot, but I also didn't want to get stuck behind a bunch of slow people. I was 5th into the woods and passed two people in the first 5 miles. My first lap was around 56 minutes, the second around 58. The third lap was 1:01 since I rode with a slower guy for a while. I kicked it back up to crank out two more 58 minute laps. This combined with two stops to swap water bottles and one stop to pee left me at 4:55 when I finished my fifth lap. By this time, my hands were blistered, my feet hurt, and I was reasonably tired. It would hurt, but I knew I had time for one more lap. 

I was running on fumes and was prepared to drain the tank, but still I bonked harder than I'd imagined. I was creeping up hills but still flying down. I've learned how to do that without using much energy. I'd saved my watered down powerade mix for the last two laps, and it was a sweet nectar of the gods. But it ran out 6 miles into the last lap. As dehydration set in, I was expecting to have a spiritual vision any moment. Nearing the last quarter mile or so, I heard a cowbell and someone yelling that I only had a few minutes left. The trail looped back closer to them, and then it was one minute left! With a last burst of adrenaline, I stood up on the pedals and hammered through the finish line with 28 seconds to spare. 

I coasted to my truck, in a daze, and heard someone say, "Dude that was awesome! How are you not vomiting?!" I might've hurled if there was anything at all in my stomach. That day was definitely in my top 5 for extreme exhaustion.

When I finally wandered over to the race pavilion, I learned that I was the only person to do 6 laps! I was shocked. I never expected to win this race, my first Cat 1 race. I'll admit it felt great. I was tired though. Too tired to drive back to the coast. Too tired to work Monday. So worth it. 

Going Fast

With my recent upgrade to Cat 1, I've been training. Hard. My old race pace is now my training pace. I've reached speeds that I didn't think were possible. And I still need to go faster. Cat 1 races are generally 50% farther with top lap times 12% faster than Cat 2. Fortunately, going fast is self-perpetuating. The faster I go, the faster I WANT to go. 

Riding at race pace is a completely different experience than "normal" riding. I find I'm having to unlearn some concepts I was taught by the rigid single speed. Things change when approaching Mach 3. Obstacles become a blur. I no longer focus on finding smooth parts of the trail. Instead, I focus on setting up for the next turn like a billiard player thinking ahead for the next shot. Maintaining maximum speed through a turn involves finding the most traction and holding that line. Roots be damned. Strangely, quick steering becomes a moot point. It's all about flow. It often feels like I'm going break my bike hopping it over logs, root clusters, ditches, and whatever else without bothering to slow down. It's a rush. I'm addicted. 

This infection is even spreading to my road biking, as it's easier to train on the road after work than drive to the trail. However, my comfortable, *cough*30lb*cough* road bike isn't great for intense riding. I've got my eye on a Flyxii road frame...just as soon as I recover from my last spending spree. Still, it's a whole lot cheaper than brand names. 

By this point I'm sure most people feel compelled to say "be careful", but the truth is, being careful is incompatible with racing. I'll do my best to keep it rubber side down though. 

Dust 'n' Bones

Yesterday's race was more like Mud 'n' Bones! Two hours before the scheduled start time of 3pm, the trail was in nearly perfect shape. Damp enough to be tacky, but not slick. At 2pm, however, the sky decided to dump buckets of rain for 20 minutes or so, then continued to drizzle off and on. The race was postponed till 4pm and cut short due to so much mud. Cat 2 and 3 only did one lap consisting of 8 miles, while Cat 1 did two laps.

This was my first time racing with gears and wasn't sure what to expect. Sizing up my competition at the start line, I noticed they all had racing tires - not so good for mud. I was thankful I had some bigger knobs and knew that would be a big advantage as this course mostly consisted of roots and wooden bridges with a lot of mud in between. I carefully selected my starting gear, key for gaining the holeshot, which I did. I usually can, but holding on to it is another story. The longer the race, the more strategy needed for pacing, but 8 miles is basically a sprint. My competition stayed on my heels for the first mile or so, then slowly slipped back. By the halfway point, I knew I had a good lead and decided to back off a notch. I was still riding fast, but I quit taking as many risks. I passed several single speeders and the back of the Cat 1s who had started 2 minutes ahead. I crossed the finish line ready for another lap, but the race was over.

I ended up getting 1st place overall for Cat 2 with a time of 48:15. I had over a 1 minute lead on the rest of the pack. Not trying to brag, but honestly if felt too easy. Still, the top Cat 1 lap times were around 42 minutes. I can't imagine shaving 6 minutes off that lap. It might be my last victory for a while though; I applied for a Cat 1 upgrade today!

The Time Has Come

The carbon hardtail 29er is coming soon. I'm aiming to step up my racing, and my current steel hardtail is too heavy. It might seem crazy, but 20-30 mile races are won and lost by a matter of seconds. A few extra pounds can be a significant disadvantage.

The new frame is an FR-202 sold by Flyxii. There's no telling who makes it, but most likely it's made right next to the big name-brand bikes in the exact same factory and sold for a fraction of the cost - like 1/5 of the cost. Structural quality seems on par. It might be a tad heavier, but hopefully, that can be attributed to it being over-built. The only issue I found was a little overspray in the headtube, but that can be corrected easily enough. While this bike will have multiple gears, I won't stray too far from the name of this blog. The rigid single speed will be up and running soon enough, though I have to cannibalize it temporarily.

I'm hoping to race Cat 1 soon, but I'll still be Cat 2 for the race next weekend as there's an application to advance to Cat 1 with requirements of placing twice in Cat 2. It's been a while since my last race, so it'll be good to see where I stand. I can't help but feel like I "peaked" during my last semester of college, but getting beat by riders twice my age gives me hope that there's always room for improvement.

The Swan Song to this Adventure

As luck would have it, the house I was renting sold, and I had to be out by April 1st. However, I wanted to work till the 8th to finish out the winter season. I'm sure I could've found a place to crash for that week, had I wanted to. Instead, I opted to move out on the 28th, store my big stuff at work, and sleep in the back of my truck for a week and a half.

At first it was strange not having "anywhere" to go, but I got used to it. I rode my bike with Lucy, went out to eat, and sometimes, stayed at the shop to shower, use the Internet, cook, etc. No one else stays late, so it was easy to go unnoticed. I even slept in the parking lot. For the weekend, I went south to Cortez to get in some Colorado mountain biking. It'll probably be the last time for a while.

I've come to realize that being homeless isn't always obvious. I was curious what my minimum comfort level would be, and I think I would at least need a slide in camper. I need a place to relax and cook, as well as a place to sleep. I would also need a source of heat, though I've been fairly comfortable even with temps into the twenties. I'm looking forward to staying put for a while and buying some things I've put off for the sake of moving ease, such as: a waffle maker, french press, other cookware, and of course more bikes.

Good-bye Colorado

The great experiment: mountains v. ocean. For me, the ocean wins out. Of course that wasn’t my only reason for coming here, and it’s not my only reason for leaving either. But it was a great curiosity of mine after college, and I never would’ve known had I not come to the mountains.

While the mountains are more than amazing in the summer, the warm weather is brief, and winter is quite the buzz-kill. Bike trails are only ride-able for three to five months depending on elevation and snowfall. That’s not going to do it for me. I’ve also discovered that snow sports really aren’t my thing. It seems that skiing is largely just a status symbol, like owning a house here. Hopefully I’m wrong about that, but the cost to fun ratio seems way off. I like the challenge of going uphill and the freedom to go just about anywhere that biking gives me. If I intended to stay here longer, I’d look into fat bikes and/or cross country skiing. Still, riding dirt seems more fun, hence my recent trips to Moab and Fruita.

My other big reasons for leaving are education and a career. I’ve realized that a “fun” job just isn’t enough; besides, the right coworkers can make just about any job fun…or not. I need to reach my intellectual potential, and I certainly can’t do that shoveling snow or in the parks and rec field for that matter. Although I could get in-state tuition in Colorado now, I miss home too much to stay here that long. I’m planning to return to Ole Miss for a degree in science/technology, though I’m not sure what type of job I’ll be looking for just yet.

There were things I needed to do, that couldn’t be done back home. It’s hard to put them into words, but I think I’ve done those things. I might could say I needed to “find myself”, though I still don’t know what that really means. But, I’ve got a better idea of what I want in life, and I’ve gained a new perspective of what home is. I think I’ll like travelling more as a hobby than a lifestyle. I’ll try to remember to post here when I do travel. It seems that everywhere will have problems whether they’re social, political, geographical, or climatical, most likely some combination of the above. I’d just rather deal with the problems of the South and enjoy the positive aspects.

Cutting it Close: Fruita, CO

Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted here. A lot’s been going on, just nothing post worthy. Recently my weekends in Colorado became numbered (I’ll explain in another post), so I decided to head up to Fruita for some mountain biking. I meant to take some pictures, but it’s difficult to adequately capture the beauty of the desert with a camera. My desert pictures always seem dull. Fruita is only a few hours from Moab, but the trails are quite different and more varied. In general, Fruita trails are less technical, which means more riding and less walking. I like that.

My first stop was the Kokopelli Trail System. These trails have some pretty technical spots, especially when you ride them in the wrong direction like Lucy and I did right off the bat. After a good look at a map, we found a much easier trail. By the time we finished, we’d been riding for nearly three hours, and Lucy was getting pretty tired. I dropped her off at the truck, grabbed a snack, and headed back out for what was supposed to be a relatively easy fifteen mile loop: Mary’s Trail to Troy Built to the frontage road back to the trailhead.

Somewhere around mile eight I came to a fork in the trail and a sign with words too faded to read. There are many trails cutting off to the right from Mary’s Trail, so I went straight thinking Troy Built was a few miles further. After three or four miles, I hit a dead end in a cattle range. By this time, there was just over an hour till sunset. I hightailed it back to the fork, and upon closer inspection of the sign, I could just barely infer that the direction I had gone was private land. I’m not sure why the sign had an arrow pointing that direction, since no one should be going that way. I continued on in the other direction, eventually reaching a sign that only had arrows for Lion’s Loop and Mack Ridge written in permanent marker with no reference to Mary’s Trail or Troy Built. I remembered Mack Ridge from the map and knew it went in the direction I wanted to go but was more difficult and might take a while. I decided to go for it anyways to avoid getting lost again.

Mack Ridge ended up being my favorite trail in that system. It was technical but fairly fast. I got back to the frontage road just after sunset and back to my truck with about six hours of riding for the day. That’s a lot of riding even when you’re pacing for it, which I was not. I usually carry a light if my chosen route is long or not yet determined, but that day I didn’t since fifteen miles on a heavily used trail system shouldn’t be that difficult. I think I’ll start carrying one anytime I’m somewhere new, regardless of route difficulty.

As is now customary, I went to the local brewery, Suds Bros., for a killer hamburger and some craft beer. I slept for nearly twelve hours at my campsite just out of town. The next I day I hit the North Fruita Desert for some smooth flow trails that were much better marked. I rode there for another five hours before heading back home, exhausted.

Mountain Bike Mecca

If I wanted to spend my weekends turning a wrench, I would’ve bought a jeep. Nevertheless, my truck was incapacitated for two weeks due to worn out inner tie rods and steering rack mount bushings. So, with those replaced, new tires, and an alignment, she was finally drivable again. Almost handles like a sports car now! I headed to Moab for a mini-vacation and to get away from my roommates who have become even lazier since getting Direct TV.

My first stop was the Amasa Back Trail System. In the parking lot, I met some hipsters from Boulder who were just about to go ride their early 80’s, coaster-brake clunkers. I decided to tag along, since I wasn’t familiar with the trail. It was a casual ride as one of the guys was new to mountain biking. The other, I’ll admit, was a pretty good rider, even with his old tech.  As we were riding back at sunset, we got to watch the other part of their group base jump from a cliff called Tombstone. It was scary just watching. We talked biking and base jumping over some PBRs before departing. Quite an interesting way to start the trip!

The next morning, I rode more of the Amasa Back System, then headed to Porcupine Rim for an afternoon ride. These are some of the most technical trails I’ve ridden in a while; I probably crashed half a dozen times, even though I was riding cautiously.

For the third day, I went for something easier. Poison Spider is a jeep trail that ends with an awesome view of Moab. Most of it was fairly easy, though there were some highly technical rock sections and a good bit of deep sand. I really wanted to ride some more, but by this point I was sore, scraped up, bruised, and slightly sun burnt with it being near 70̊. Instead, I concluded the trip with a stop at the Moab Brewery for some fish tacos!

It was a great way to spend the weekend, especially with the lousy snow conditions in Telluride. Lucy had a great time too, even though it was a little warm for her winter coat. I’m looking forward to more trips there this spring, before it gets too hot!

Future Plans

This seems like a topic that comes up a lot. As of now most of my plans are up in the air, but I am certain of a few things.

 

I’m fairly certain I’ll be moving again soon; Moab, Durango, and Chattanooga are my top considerations. Telluride is great, but it’s too expensive, too remote, and too cold.

I also want to step up my mountain bike racing. I can consistently place in the single speed category, which is essentially Cat 2, so it’s time for Cat 1. I’m pretty excited about it, even though I expect to be mid-pack at best. I’m also building a new bike for this. I’m aiming for a geared carbon hardtail but will have to borrow some parts from the single speed for a while. I recently bought a 1x10 drive train and put it on the Inbred for now to step up my training.

After more than a year of menial labor, I know that I want more in life. My brain has been turning to mush, and I plan to reverse that. I may just make it a hobby to study things that interest me, or I may end up taking classes. That largely depends on my next job.

I still have a goal of living on a sailboat someday. But, it’ll take at least two years to save up for a good one. In the meantime I’ll focus on racing and education.

Winter Doldrums

I finally understand the definition of winter. It’s cold. It’s snowy. It’s dark when I get to work in the morning, and it gets dark again before I leave. It’s good that I work outside; otherwise, I wouldn’t see the sun for four days. It’s difficult, though, to make myself go outside on my days off. It’s much easier to be lazy (and warm). Last weekend, however, we had an unusual high of 45, so I felt obligated to venture out for a road ride.

For the first eight miles, I questioned why I liked riding so much. It had been so long, I honestly couldn’t remember. My legs haven’t lost much strength, but my cardio fitness has plummeted. It was around that eight mile mark, that I finally warmed up and started the climb up Lone Cone Rd. I shifted into a low gear and zoned-out for four miles before the road flattened and the pavement ended. There, I stopped to rest and take in the complete silence of the country road. The sun was warm, the ground was covered in snow, with the exception of the road, and the stillness of the surrounding land was incredible.

I speed downhill at +35mph, the cold air of the shaded hill biting my face. When I got home, the “runner’s high” effect lasted until I went to bed. I felt the best I have in weeks and not at all guilty about drinking a beer while grilling pork shoulder. I road just over twenty-six miles; my longest ride since October!! Getting out to ride in the winter can be tough, but it still beats not riding!

One Year in Colorado

Happy New Year! A year ago from today, I arrived at my new home in Fort Collins. Five months later I moved to Telluride. Six months after that I moved to Norwood, thirty miles away. That’s a lot of moving for one year, but it’s been a good one. I set out from Mississippi with specific goals in mind. Some I met; others, not so much. I can’t say I’ve had any big revelations, but there have been some small ones.

Two of my goals were a decent job and financial independence. For the most part, I’m there. My job in property maintenance can be mind-numbingly boring at times but is great in every other way. I like that I get an upper body workout from shoveling snow. I’m also glad that I’m not in customer service; though, it is annoying when people think their dog’s poop is recyclable. I find it ironic that I went to college so that I wouldn’t be a ditch digger, and yet, I dug three last summer. We don’t have to work THAT hard though; it is government after all.

Through my jobs here I’ve learned that while I do like some interaction with people, I don’t want to deal with their problems. I’ve also learned that I’m project oriented. I like starting and finish things rather than doing routine tasks. Another thing I’ve realized is that “doing what you love” is crap. Do what you’re good at, so long as you don’t hate it.

Another goal was to make friends. I was just starting to make friends in Fort Collins when I moved to Telluride. Here, I was instantly friends with my roommates, but then they moved. I’m friends with some coworkers now, but recently I had to switch to the opposite schedule. So, kind of a bummer there. I definitely don’t fit in with the typical snowboarder crowd; though, I do find them amusing.

I also had a goal of dating more. Moving to a ski town certainly didn’t help with that. I had one date in Fort Collins that was awful, and two dates (with the same girl) in Telluride. But, that didn’t go anywhere either. Kind of failed to meet that goal. An adequate female population will be a priority when deciding where I go next which, by the way, will be sooner rather than later.

While Telluride is an awesome place geographically, I’ve developed a strong dislike for rich people while living here. You pretty much have to be a millionaire to own a home here; however, a lot of those are merely vacation homes. Meanwhile, there’s a housing shortage for average folks, forcing me, and many others, to commute an hour or more each way. Also, it’s too cold here. I’m ready for summer already!

I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m even less certain about what I want in life now. I love travelling to new places, but I also miss home. I see no way to have a good balance of both. The paradox here is that one must travel know what home is. Another paradox I’ve discovered is that nobody really wants to mountain bike in the mountains. There’s not enough oxygen, and the climbs are brutal. Rolling hills and low elevation are much more conducive to biking.