Great Ride Marcus
The combination of some snow, freezing cold temperatures and a week cooped up on the trainer, led to an incredible ride last night. Mark and I headed out about 9pm to hit the Dtown trails. Before leaving the house, I did some test runs through the yard and found the traction and support of the frozen snow to be superb. I could ride just about anywhere.
Marcus showed up and we took to the roads. Where the traffic or black ice got ugly, we took to peoples front yards. We could ride anywhere and everywhere. We found a drain culvert and rode it like skateboards carving up and around the banks - until I found a softspot and got stopped dead in my tracks. We road through town, around the high school and into the woods.
It was amazing. It was like someone paved all the trails with concrete. At the first fork we chose the downhill with swooping banked turns to carve up instead of another climb. Lightly locking the brakes, you could put yourself into awesome two-wheeled drifts through the turns. At the railroad bed, we decided to climb up to the school via Marks' newest off-camber creation. This is where we ran into the first bit of treachery. The off-camber slickness sent me falling over backwards and sliding uncontrollably down the hill. It was kind of fun actually, though I had to grab something to stop before I slammed headfirst into a tree or over and off some drop.
From the school it was down the old dirt road and up and over on the yellow trail - another off-camber challenge. The dirt road was a blast with its dips, gullies and snow covered banks. The yellow trail provided another lesson in traction and brake control. Mark seemed to grab hold pretty well and rip it up nicely. My front end kept slipping from underneath me or cracking through a couple of times. If your front broke through, your bike was done. It stopped dead and threw you forward. If the rear broke through, and you didn't have the momentum to roll on, a similar body tossing fate occurred. Needless to say I went down a few times as Mark rolled on. I chalked it up to him being heavier and having better tires for our fun. He was running 26" 2.5 Weirwolves up front and an Octopus out back. Damn things nearly left ruts. My Exiwolf up front and Motoraptor out back didn't seem to get the same cut in the surface. Or maybe I'm just rusty. Who knows?
Done with the yellow trail, it was time to suffer on Mark-d'Huez. The first half is a relentless series of switchbacks taking you up to the top. Once at the top it's quick up and downs across the slope to the rutted dirt road downhill finish. The bottom half of the switchbacks kicked my ass. I fell a few more times, banged my knee and tweaked my wrist. Mark again rolled along like he had chains on his tires. Then the tides turned. I think I just got angry and focused my concentration, but I passed Mark on a slip in one of the switchbacks and powered on. I dabbed a couple of times, but otherwise powered my way to the top with little incident. I even had time to sit on a log, take a few swigs of my Cytomax/Tanqueray mix and wait for Mark.
Though only riding it a few times now, I think the Spot is half goat.
At the top of Mark-d'Huez I let Mark take the lead down the first and worst descent. Again, his exhibition of traction was phenomenal, so I headed down. At first it wasn't so bad. Things were rolling/sliding smooth, then my front sunk and over the bars and down the hill I went. Get back up, ride a little farther, then loose the front again - not sinking but completely sliding out from underneath me. A few more repeats of that process and I made it to the bottom. We road on to the Sonoco lands.
At Sonoco we decided to go up Clay and finish with the Middle climb. The first half of Clay things were going well, then all traction was gone and we were down. Even Mark lost all hopes of grip and fell flat on his face sliding off into the thorns. Precariously we walked (smashed the heels of our shoes through the ice) the trail to the near end where traction was found once again.
After Sonoco it was onto Skelp Level. The way the trails swoop across the hillsides in a roller coaster flow makes these trails a favorite regardless of conditions. I was giddy with anticipation. Didn't last long. Mark railed it and I fell. I tried everything. I thought maybe I was using the brakes too much, so I let off. A couple of turns it worked. The extra momentum in the turns forced my tires to dig and grip. A couple of turns it didn't. There was nothing to grab and I slid. Wham! On the ground again. By this time, with all the falling and sweating, I was getting pretty wet. Wet in 20 degree weather means cold - not yet, but it was coming.
The other side of Skelp Level is climbing. Again the Spot took over, I passed Mark and cranked my way out of there unencumbered with traction issues. A jaunt through town, a temptation to stop at Victory, and we were on the Struble trail headed for Marsh Creek. The Struble trail is a cold flat 3 mile paved rail/trail. People had tried walking/running on the center of it in the snow, but the outside edges were otherwise smooth. Mark took to the left and me the right. Here's where we started killing each other. The pace quickened, the cranks spun and we pushed to the end. My quads burned and throbbed, but my lungs had plenty of air. The base training is working I thought to myself. I couldn't hear if Mark was breathing heavy, but knew by his pace he wasn't hurting too bad or backing off anytime soon. Onward we plowed our way to the end, then climbed Dorlan Mill to the entrance of Marsh Creek. At the top we stopped, took a few swigs of winter concoctions and dropped into Marsh Creek.
It was late, we were getting tired and I was getting cold. We hit the Sole trail climb up to the resevoir, headed across the frozen tundra of the fields and rode out. After 27 miles I got home a little after midnight. Too tired and beat to make the Sat. morning ride and too tired for that post ride beverage. It really was a great ride. A winter epic for sure.
-b
Marcus showed up and we took to the roads. Where the traffic or black ice got ugly, we took to peoples front yards. We could ride anywhere and everywhere. We found a drain culvert and rode it like skateboards carving up and around the banks - until I found a softspot and got stopped dead in my tracks. We road through town, around the high school and into the woods.It was amazing. It was like someone paved all the trails with concrete. At the first fork we chose the downhill with swooping banked turns to carve up instead of another climb. Lightly locking the brakes, you could put yourself into awesome two-wheeled drifts through the turns. At the railroad bed, we decided to climb up to the school via Marks' newest off-camber creation. This is where we ran into the first bit of treachery. The off-camber slickness sent me falling over backwards and sliding uncontrollably down the hill. It was kind of fun actually, though I had to grab something to stop before I slammed headfirst into a tree or over and off some drop.
From the school it was down the old dirt road and up and over on the yellow trail - another off-camber challenge. The dirt road was a blast with its dips, gullies and snow covered banks. The yellow trail provided another lesson in traction and brake control. Mark seemed to grab hold pretty well and rip it up nicely. My front end kept slipping from underneath me or cracking through a couple of times. If your front broke through, your bike was done. It stopped dead and threw you forward. If the rear broke through, and you didn't have the momentum to roll on, a similar body tossing fate occurred. Needless to say I went down a few times as Mark rolled on. I chalked it up to him being heavier and having better tires for our fun. He was running 26" 2.5 Weirwolves up front and an Octopus out back. Damn things nearly left ruts. My Exiwolf up front and Motoraptor out back didn't seem to get the same cut in the surface. Or maybe I'm just rusty. Who knows?
Done with the yellow trail, it was time to suffer on Mark-d'Huez. The first half is a relentless series of switchbacks taking you up to the top. Once at the top it's quick up and downs across the slope to the rutted dirt road downhill finish. The bottom half of the switchbacks kicked my ass. I fell a few more times, banged my knee and tweaked my wrist. Mark again rolled along like he had chains on his tires. Then the tides turned. I think I just got angry and focused my concentration, but I passed Mark on a slip in one of the switchbacks and powered on. I dabbed a couple of times, but otherwise powered my way to the top with little incident. I even had time to sit on a log, take a few swigs of my Cytomax/Tanqueray mix and wait for Mark.
Though only riding it a few times now, I think the Spot is half goat.
At the top of Mark-d'Huez I let Mark take the lead down the first and worst descent. Again, his exhibition of traction was phenomenal, so I headed down. At first it wasn't so bad. Things were rolling/sliding smooth, then my front sunk and over the bars and down the hill I went. Get back up, ride a little farther, then loose the front again - not sinking but completely sliding out from underneath me. A few more repeats of that process and I made it to the bottom. We road on to the Sonoco lands.
At Sonoco we decided to go up Clay and finish with the Middle climb. The first half of Clay things were going well, then all traction was gone and we were down. Even Mark lost all hopes of grip and fell flat on his face sliding off into the thorns. Precariously we walked (smashed the heels of our shoes through the ice) the trail to the near end where traction was found once again.
After Sonoco it was onto Skelp Level. The way the trails swoop across the hillsides in a roller coaster flow makes these trails a favorite regardless of conditions. I was giddy with anticipation. Didn't last long. Mark railed it and I fell. I tried everything. I thought maybe I was using the brakes too much, so I let off. A couple of turns it worked. The extra momentum in the turns forced my tires to dig and grip. A couple of turns it didn't. There was nothing to grab and I slid. Wham! On the ground again. By this time, with all the falling and sweating, I was getting pretty wet. Wet in 20 degree weather means cold - not yet, but it was coming.
The other side of Skelp Level is climbing. Again the Spot took over, I passed Mark and cranked my way out of there unencumbered with traction issues. A jaunt through town, a temptation to stop at Victory, and we were on the Struble trail headed for Marsh Creek. The Struble trail is a cold flat 3 mile paved rail/trail. People had tried walking/running on the center of it in the snow, but the outside edges were otherwise smooth. Mark took to the left and me the right. Here's where we started killing each other. The pace quickened, the cranks spun and we pushed to the end. My quads burned and throbbed, but my lungs had plenty of air. The base training is working I thought to myself. I couldn't hear if Mark was breathing heavy, but knew by his pace he wasn't hurting too bad or backing off anytime soon. Onward we plowed our way to the end, then climbed Dorlan Mill to the entrance of Marsh Creek. At the top we stopped, took a few swigs of winter concoctions and dropped into Marsh Creek.
It was late, we were getting tired and I was getting cold. We hit the Sole trail climb up to the resevoir, headed across the frozen tundra of the fields and rode out. After 27 miles I got home a little after midnight. Too tired and beat to make the Sat. morning ride and too tired for that post ride beverage. It really was a great ride. A winter epic for sure.
-b
posted by JenBob at
9:49 AM
4 Comments:
Bitchin' man! I have been riding my cross bike w/studs and xc skiing a little. The winter can never rold you back. I think my mtb is part goat too.
nah dude. I think it's you that's part goat.
It is hard to discribe the snow right now down here. as long as it is cold there is a frozen glaze that is super quick.
Tooooooo Much
Dad
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