Donut dry run?

Today was supposed to be the day for the dry run of at least some of the Donut Derby, sans donuts. Donut need any practice there! Weather proved to be anything but dry. Nice thing about road riding is there is no run. Met Cody in the parking lot, asked a few questions, found out he expected an easy 18mph average and I skedaddled. Drove the first part of the course. Appears to be mostly flat, shouldn't be to tough out of the gate. Made it to the park with only a few wrong turns. It had stopped raining for the most part so hopped out of the HEMI and on to two wheels.

Rain started up about 5 minutes later, lightly at first, then progressed through the rest of the ride. Cody had said, water is water, guess he had a point. Had to adjust the seat up a bit at the bank about 1.5 miles in. Some pain in my right kneecap and to reading led to the quick fix. Went up about 3/4 inch and it made a world of difference. Had some problems at 2nd turn, then again at 3rd turn and 5th turn. Added about 3 miles to what it should have been so that was good. Some decent hills on the wrong turns tested the quads a bit. About 8 miles in i felt myself turning into a machine and just pedaling without thinking. Loved it. Shoes were filled with water, I need to get different socks for sure. Can't wait for the shoes to come in, they would have made a world of difference. STILL no update on the UPS site since departure in CA. I really hope they come tomorrow like it says so I can get these things broken in. Pretty much set on going with SPD pedals right away. Tomorrow would be nice!

Third leg looks like it will be tough. More uphills it seemd then the first 2, twists and turns. Plus 25 miles on the legs and it should be interesting. Going to pick up so goo when I get the pedals. have a feeling I am going to need it. It would be nice to have a little bigger 3rd front ring. Was ahead of it quite a bit and spent at least 50% of the time turned all the way up.

In all, had a fantastic time. Legs held up well, could have gone way longer, but got a little tired of the rain and the constant spray in my face and soggy shoes. Would have been even easier if I knew where I was going and could just pedal and not look at the cue and make wrong turns.

I think I am going to do the donut derby, at least give it a shot. With the confidence of today, plus hopefully the new pedals and shoes, should be a good time, one I can hopefully finish.

15.4 miles 14.7 average 1:05 of wheels turning.

37 and spinning

Wednesday night at Jacobsburg, first real ride after my birthday. Ordered the cheapest shoes I could find on pricepoint on Monday as mine are starting to literally fall off my feet. UPS still has not updated the progress since tuesday. Don't they know i need progress reports! Those timberlands have seen lots of miles and lots of good times. We'll see how these new ones do with stiffer soles. Happy $38 birthday to me. Maybe they will help for the Donut Derby.

Riding is just getting more and more fun. Another great ride tonight with fantastic weather. So much easier to breath with the temps/dewpoints down. Deraliur adjustment worked like a champ. Threw chain off of front 1 time transitionining up the little hill near the big bridge. That's what i get for downshifting both sets on the pump. Other than that, it shifted better than when new. Actually spent very little time in the small front ring. Legs seemed bulletproof. Met Matt from Dirt Devils and a few other guys. Darkness is descending faster and faster. Could have gone quite a bit longer than the 8.5 I registered. Rode home in almost complete darkness. It was pretty neat, tire tracks kind of glowed in the darkness. If I ever get some money, I will have to try and build one of those blue collar mtb lights.

Interviewed with Ebiz B2B connections for first of 3 interviews. It would be a real challenge, but seems interesting as hell. 2 other possibilities starting to swirl now, time is getting limited. SMS team apparantly finally got approval from Beck to go outside on Thursday, but not posted as of end of business friday and have heard nothing other than the grapevine gossip about it. Been there, done that, still no job so taking it with a grain of salt for the moment. Kathi put it right, I love roller coasters, but this is one I just want to be over. Something brewing in ops, weird hours, weird opportunity, need to think it over to see if I could get it to work out with Emme. Could work out really well for her, but the drunken bitch would never go for it I don't think, though she would get every friday to drink.

Steve Austin

Great night for a Jacobsburg ride. Weather was perfect. Unfortunately, mechanicals were not! Seemed like I was off by one shift in the rear and it kept popping in and out of gears. It was annoying, but kept going, I was feeling great. Rode the front gears to avoid the back. Made the powerline hill without a problem, but mostly in 3rd so I was whooped. About 3 miles in downshifted the rear accidentally and threw the chain to the inside. Harumpf. Popped back on and forgot about the shifting again and threw to the inside again. This time, heard the deralieur hit the spokes. Shifted into 3rd and ran back to the truck. Phil Esempio was there, bleeding in the lot. Called SVB and they closed at 7. Phil offered to help. Hanger bracket was bent and adjustment was backed out. He was a whiz. Started spinning screwdrivers and bending away at the bracket and it was whipped back into shape in no time. Took it for a test spin and it shifted better than when it was new. Put in 5 miles, 9.4 average. Felt like I could have done 15. Should be in good shape for wednesday hopefully. Hmmm, donut derby a possibility? After 6 months of scrimping, splurged on biking shoes since these are falling apart. See how they do. Free donuts and a bikeride? Yum on all fronts

Go big

Checked the trail camera tonight at the new stand. NO pictures. Put some camera helper in to see if that changes thing. Didn't kick anything out of the field on the way in. Wore the rubber boots in and that helped with the grass rash. Got out of there and headed to Jacobsburg. Backstraps in my gullet and excited for the ride. Backstraps were outstanding after sitting in the homemade rub for 1.5 days and 5 minutes per side on the grill on double hight.

GREAT ride tonight. Not a huge turnout, about 15 or so and people seemed to be showing up later than normal. Met a guy Todd who was talking about doing adventure/endurance races and stuff and wanted to go for an early warmup ride. Sounded like neat stuff. Orienteering on foor for 40 miles, riding and canoeing for 24 hrs. Sounds like exactly what I wanted to do when I rode my bike the last time. Warmup ride went about 3 miles, faster than I was used to but outstanding little ride. Did an endo that caught me by surprise when I threw a chain. Seemed to be in super slow-mo. Next think I knew I was on my ass in the weeds. Damn chain keeps going off the front rings. Maybe in need of an adjustment? Maybe it's just because i had the rear in a higher great. It's not second nature yet to throw it into a bigger front ring on downhills. I guess that will come.

Real ride kicked off as one big group. Lost the front runners after about 4 miles. Spent a lot of time in the big rings up front. What a difference. Speed seems to help out a ton on the rocks and just makes for a way better ride. Dropping front down makes it easier to transition out of downhill to uphill with way less shifting. I think the conditioning is coming into play at least partially, but there are so many little things with the bike that seem to make a huge difference.

Going over rougher terrain, the chain is making a ton of noise. I guess it is the slack wacking the frame. Maybe I need to look into one of those wraps.

It's starting to get darker earlier. Could have used a light at the end, but finished ok. Not great for riding, but starting to really get the juices flowing for deer season. Going to miss the biking, but there's several does calling my name.

Overall outstanding night. Weather was perfect, speed was up, distance was way better then the last 2 weeks and met some new people. Threw the chain off the front to the inside twice. Computer wasn't reset for most of the first warmup ride and read a hair over 12 on completion so guessing 13.5 total mileage with nearly 2 hours of pedaling.

Stands weekend

Aug 11-13, Windy Hill Farm. God I needed that, it's so weird without Joe. Stayed at Melvins. Fished Beaver Lake on friday and did some scouting for a different stand location in the pipestems. I just love that bottom corner by the intersection. Give it 1 more year and hopefully some good time in the stand and see how it produces. Found 2 different sets of 3 bear beds. Pipestems are so freakin thick with briars and raspberries. They have to be walking the roads. Chicory and buckwheat look fantastic. Corn at the top by the triangle. Chickory didn't come up for crap in the woods. Went to the sports bar in hughesville, wings were outstanding.

Saturday put the pipestems intersection stand in. It was a breeze. Walked Carl's a bit and found a location for a stand right at the middle road. Nice location, not totally sold on it, but it will be new scenery. Havn't stood Carl's since Brett's stonefence stand 6 years ago and the stand at the end my first year. I needed a morning stand and this will work. Doesn't seem smart to keep screwing up that field in the morning. The inevitable stampede can't be good for things.

Put up a 20 footer for Jimbo 20 yds from my 2nd stand at the end by Paul. Great gun stand, lets see if anyone stands it. The criss crosss straps around the tree were a life saver. Jimmy A put in a stand about 100 yards downhill from Old Faithful. It's real low from the road, but if they come from the hemlocks, it's an outstanding stand.

Saw at least 2 bears back by the swamp. Mother was acting awful motherly and circled back on us. A tense few minutes with the 4 wheelers ready to rip, but no charge or anything. Really neet seeing those things.

Saturday I played monkey for Melvin and put in 2 stands. Rehashed the food plot where I fell out with a new 20 footer. Hairy as always, but got it. He closed the deal on 39 acres saturday from Rock Bottom. Gorgeous property, it's going to be thick as hell. Can't wait for the season. I need to start practicing more.

First of the Mohicans

South Mountain park to end a very stressful day. The money grubbing embodiment of evil was at the house today to take even more stuff. Imagine if she put 1/2 the effort being a mother as she did into her other more favorite pasttimes. I will be so happy to have that bitch out of my life, though I guess that won't really happen for 14.5 years aaaaagh.

Anyhow, parked at south mountain park lot and shot up and out the powerline trail to birchwood. First venture across the street and on to Mohican. First part was a piece of cake, then started getting tougher, then tougher still. Walked some over the bigger rocks to avoid bottom end damage, and maybe some personal damage. Tough trail, but definately doable with some work. At the top found Superman. Being neither a man of steel, nor terribly interested in high speed travel disconnected from terra-firma, walked a bit and rode a bit until it started into the switchbacks and steeper dropoffs I knew would be there. Someday, but not today. Part of the trail was quite overgrown, I guess it's not that frequently used for a reason. Pretty much rode out Mohican with a couple hopoffs around the bigger rocks. Initial plan was to come back cemetary trail but saw the incline i would be coming back up and was just fine with Mohican.

Took Pete's Cheater Trail on the way out. Parts were really nice and dirt path, there was a bunch of logs and smaller rock piles. I guess average was easy, but definately didn't ride it clean. Stopped off at overlook park, really nice view but it was really hazy. Rode up the road and back on to Birchwood where i left off it and back to the lot.

Back to the lot tired, but not too much worse for the wear except in the confidence dept. Keep trying tougher places and skills will improve. 4.4 miles and 1 hour of pedal turning. Probably 1.5 of ride time.

Jacobsburg Social Group

Nice ride tonight. Could have definately gone longer. Handled the small creek with no problems both ways. Amazing what water levels of 1/2 compared to after the storms will do. Rode half the powerline hill in 3rd, sucked wind a bit at the top, but made it without an issue. Did much better with the downhills, lost my chain on the one after the oyster road. Apparantly shifting to a higher gear means the front, not the back! 8 miles in total. 1 hr. Somehow a 7.4mph average, silly computers.

Got de-geeked by Liz and Dan afterwards. Apparantly reflectors are uncool :) Stripped and cool in no time flat.

Redemption

Jacobsburg social ride tonight. Extra miles at the new and tougher places definately paid off. Liz said she saw the post about me going to Bear Creek at the dirt devils forum and shook her head. She knew what I was getting into much better than I.... Weather was really hot with realfeel around 100, but ride was pretty much a breeze. Cleared a lot of obstacles and downhills I had not previously. Finally cleaned the creek after about 10 previous attempts. Uphill on the powerline was a breeze. All in all the ride I needed.

8 miles, 1:10 mins