This weekend, the family made its way back to Pittsburgh to enjoy a little family time and catch a family reunion on Sunday. Since I was going to have the entire day to myself on Saturday, I decided to take the Giant with me and do a little riding. After carefully reviewing all of the trails available, I decided on North Park. It had the most information on line in terms of trail maps, and helpful hints, and it was also the closest to my in laws house.
I was on line at Pennsylvania Dirt and found this blog about one of the best ways to ride NP, so I decided to follow Shred's advice and give it a try. Since I was going to be riding this by myself, I wanted to make sure I had a good map and reasonable directions, just in case I got lost. Turns out, Shred had some pretty good thoughts on how to ride this.
This was also the first time I got to try out the new set up on the rear end. I upgraded to a Shimano 11 34 cassette. It was a bit different than the stock 11 28 that came with the bike, definitely better on the climbs. It just took a little time to get used to using different gears when going down hills and during ridge rides. It was however, awesome to not be constantly fighting the gear slipping that had been plaguing me for the last two months!
The ride itself started out with a bridal climb straight up the hill, followed by a nice trip around the golf course. Some single track through the woods followed by some nice little up and downs and then back across the road onto some serious ridge riding. This section actually had me hiking the bike a bit, as I am a bit out of shape due to lack of riding. Some nice trails, then back across the road onto some more trails circling the golf course. From here, I crossed over onto another series of trails and started some serious switchbacks up the N Ridge trail. I met up briefly with some locals on niners (single speed rigids); got some tips and was then left behind on the hills. This trail was a pretty sweet ride, lots of ridge riding and a few nice downhills. Also hit a couple rock gardens on a down hill which provided some sweet opportunity for some jumping, then into some more awesome forest. Did I mention all of the animals? Deer, squirrels, birds, ground hogs, chipmunks, more deer and I think quite possibly a bear (ok, maybe it was me making all the noise and not actually a bear). This sweet trail led back across another rode to another trail system, which had an awesome double downhill that I bombed! At the bottom, there was more trail to be had, but quite honestly, I was not quite sure where it was, I was getting a bit tired, and I was actually a little lonely. So I jammed to Park roads back to the parking lot and called it a day. All in, 16 mile ride, not sure of elevation change, and a nice energizing ride!
Showing posts with label Rides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rides. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Kennerdell & Two Mile Run PA Rides
I made the trip back to Pennsylvania this weekend to attend a funeral for a family member who had passed last week. Since I was going to have a little free time Saturday morning, I took the Giant with me to get a ride in. My parents live next to the Kennerdell trail, and they are only about 30 minutes from Two Mile State Park, so I decided these would be my destinations for the weekend. I spent the week researching the trails, printed off a few maps, and decided on a plan of attack. I also had my bike tuned up during the week so I was excited to get out and see how it was riding.
I started my day with Two Mile since it was the furthest away and on paper seemed to be the most fun. After parking at trail head where I was the only one there (I guess I should have realized something up) I started out on my attempted ride. I found entrance to trail and started off on rocky hill climb. 5 minutes in, and I realized I was in trouble. First of all, the bike was not working well at all. The "ghost" shifting and slipping that had been bothering me for the last month, had not been fixed. Not a good thing when you are playing on hills and rocks! However, chain issues and all, I soldiered on. My mistake, as about a mile or two in, the trails started to be difficult to follow. Every where I looked there was a side trail leading off of the main trail, and quite honestly, the map became completely useless. I road around in circles for a while, until I was able to figure out the trail system a little, but by then I was completely frustrated with the trail and the bike. I ended up getting a little over 8 miles in, but this trail system just was not fun. No flow, rocks, and soft track which made it very difficult to get any speed. I got back to the trail head ( I was still the only person riding) and made my way towards Kennerdell.
Even though I was having troubles with the bike, I was going to tough it out and make it work. I got to the trail head, tried to adjust the rear derailluer a bit, and plotted out my lap. There were a couple locals there, so I chatted them up a bit, and got some advice on the best lap. The trail started out on a gravel fire road (fast riding) and eventually got into the good stuff. Right away, it became apparent that there was going to be some rock and roots, as well as some mud! I met a few other riders down in the woods, and got some more advise on what to stay away from, and continued on. The map worked wonderfully, and I was able to turn a 7 mile lap into a pretty fun ride, even though the damn rear cassette drove me insane. There was so much slippage going on I almost sterilized myself on many occasions. I had heard about the rock gardens here, and they did not let me down. A couple nice downhill rocky sections followed by a nasty rocky climb on ridge trail (time to push) and I was reasonably happy with the ride. I didn't do anywhere near the total miles here; I was riding alone and didn't want to journey down over the mountain to the Allegheny River without someone along for help if needed. Although I will definitely go back again someday and make sure I complete it all.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pics, although the ridge trail at Kennerdell did have some awesome views overlooking the river! Next time when I am not using GPS on phone, I will be able to take some pics. However, the fact that I didn't get pictures and had issues with the bike and the trails, the ride itself did me some good; I had time to think about my little cousin (RIP Jay) who had passed and spent some time alone thinking about a few things. I also got in a nice workout, saw some nice views and explored some new trail.
I started my day with Two Mile since it was the furthest away and on paper seemed to be the most fun. After parking at trail head where I was the only one there (I guess I should have realized something up) I started out on my attempted ride. I found entrance to trail and started off on rocky hill climb. 5 minutes in, and I realized I was in trouble. First of all, the bike was not working well at all. The "ghost" shifting and slipping that had been bothering me for the last month, had not been fixed. Not a good thing when you are playing on hills and rocks! However, chain issues and all, I soldiered on. My mistake, as about a mile or two in, the trails started to be difficult to follow. Every where I looked there was a side trail leading off of the main trail, and quite honestly, the map became completely useless. I road around in circles for a while, until I was able to figure out the trail system a little, but by then I was completely frustrated with the trail and the bike. I ended up getting a little over 8 miles in, but this trail system just was not fun. No flow, rocks, and soft track which made it very difficult to get any speed. I got back to the trail head ( I was still the only person riding) and made my way towards Kennerdell.
Even though I was having troubles with the bike, I was going to tough it out and make it work. I got to the trail head, tried to adjust the rear derailluer a bit, and plotted out my lap. There were a couple locals there, so I chatted them up a bit, and got some advice on the best lap. The trail started out on a gravel fire road (fast riding) and eventually got into the good stuff. Right away, it became apparent that there was going to be some rock and roots, as well as some mud! I met a few other riders down in the woods, and got some more advise on what to stay away from, and continued on. The map worked wonderfully, and I was able to turn a 7 mile lap into a pretty fun ride, even though the damn rear cassette drove me insane. There was so much slippage going on I almost sterilized myself on many occasions. I had heard about the rock gardens here, and they did not let me down. A couple nice downhill rocky sections followed by a nasty rocky climb on ridge trail (time to push) and I was reasonably happy with the ride. I didn't do anywhere near the total miles here; I was riding alone and didn't want to journey down over the mountain to the Allegheny River without someone along for help if needed. Although I will definitely go back again someday and make sure I complete it all.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pics, although the ridge trail at Kennerdell did have some awesome views overlooking the river! Next time when I am not using GPS on phone, I will be able to take some pics. However, the fact that I didn't get pictures and had issues with the bike and the trails, the ride itself did me some good; I had time to think about my little cousin (RIP Jay) who had passed and spent some time alone thinking about a few things. I also got in a nice workout, saw some nice views and explored some new trail.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Great Seal Ride- Awesome Rocks
Sweet ride today at Great Seal State Park. Was a bit concerned last night when we made plans to ride. I had heard about the killer hills (Barbed Wire) and was concerned that I would burn out before the race tomorrow. Additionally, I was hitting the sauce a bit, so I didn't know what to expect!
Turns out, we had a great 13 mile ride this morning. had to hike a few of the hills a bit, but it was better than killing ourselves trying to make the climb. Probably completed about two thirds of Barbed Wire, but it was fun! About half way through the ride, we stumbled across these huge boulders and tried to figure out how we could jump them! yeah right!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Indiana Mountain Biking.....Fast and Fun
The verdict is in....They know how to make mountain bike trails in Indiana! If you live anywhere near Indiana, you need to try these trails out. As Ohio residents, we don't get a lot of "flowy" trails. We have some technical trails, and some hilly trails, but nothing like we experienced this weekend!
Our ride started out with Versailles State Park, which was one of the best tracks I have ever ridden. This trail provided 15+ miles of fast and "flowy" trails as well. The only challenge with this trail system, was that it was extremely dry and dusty. The corners were extremely loose due to the dryness; however it didn't slow us down too much! We rode this trail in close to 100 degrees temperature and the humidity was nasty! With that being said, this place was awesome and 15 miles didn't seem to bother us to bad, although we did push one rider to his limits.
From there we drove another hour west to our next stop and campsite! Not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to see we were sleeping here..Pizza, poker, and beer and oh, 6 hours of pounding rain took us through the night!
Believe it or not, there are actually some decent hills in Indiana; it is not as flat as I had previously thought. We found this out on Saturday with our next ride at Brown State Park.. These trails are set up so well and flows so fast, that you never really feel like you are climbing. At Brown County State Park you can easily ride 20 miles with very little pain of climbing, but lots of sweet jumps and fast flowy single track! However, beware of "Schooner Trail" or Death Valley as I call it. This bad boy is 4.5 miles of hell! A double black diamond trail that includes boulders, off camber ridge riding with 50+ foot drops, ridiculous log crossings, boulders, bridges, briars, sick climbs, sharp switchbacks, more boulders, eroding trails, and oh yeah, even more boulders! I couldn't even get pictures of this trail because I was to busy cursing, sweating, walking, carrying my bike on back, dodging rocks, watching out for rattle snakes, cursing, and praying that someone would put me out of my misery!
As tough as Schooner Trail was though, the rest of the the trail was the best I have ever ridden. The rain Friday night made the trail tacky but still fast and we were able to fly. We did however, take our fair share of breaks, it was 90+ degrees outside and humid as I have ever felt.
Even after the climbs, he was still smiling!
Another one with a smile after a climb!
Not sure about this guy. No smile, just all business!
A tree falls down in the woods, what do they do with it..they just made a bridge out of it!
This was an awesome two day ride. Although every single one of us is in some major pain (cramping, chaffing, bruises, scrapes, and slight dehydration, we all would do it again in a heartbeat. (except for death valley). I cannot overstate how sweet these trails are to ride. If you get the chance,take it, you will not regret it!
Our ride started out with Versailles State Park, which was one of the best tracks I have ever ridden. This trail provided 15+ miles of fast and "flowy" trails as well. The only challenge with this trail system, was that it was extremely dry and dusty. The corners were extremely loose due to the dryness; however it didn't slow us down too much! We rode this trail in close to 100 degrees temperature and the humidity was nasty! With that being said, this place was awesome and 15 miles didn't seem to bother us to bad, although we did push one rider to his limits.
From there we drove another hour west to our next stop and campsite! Not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to see we were sleeping here..Pizza, poker, and beer and oh, 6 hours of pounding rain took us through the night!
As tough as Schooner Trail was though, the rest of the the trail was the best I have ever ridden. The rain Friday night made the trail tacky but still fast and we were able to fly. We did however, take our fair share of breaks, it was 90+ degrees outside and humid as I have ever felt.
Even after the climbs, he was still smiling!
Another one with a smile after a climb!
Not sure about this guy. No smile, just all business!
A tree falls down in the woods, what do they do with it..they just made a bridge out of it!
This was an awesome two day ride. Although every single one of us is in some major pain (cramping, chaffing, bruises, scrapes, and slight dehydration, we all would do it again in a heartbeat. (except for death valley). I cannot overstate how sweet these trails are to ride. If you get the chance,take it, you will not regret it!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Broken Giant Update
Not much to report today other than the fact both Roll and Giant still do not have any answers for me on an eta for the fix on the Yukon. Most likely, it will be a couple more weeks at the earliest before anything is fixed. Since I have a potential weekend ride plan next weekend in Indiana, I thought it would be a good idea to shake things up a bit and see what I could get for a demo.
Initially, I believe I was either given bad information from the shop, or they gave me the right info, and just didn't understand my circumstances. Either way, I was told I could get a demo for a day and would have to return right away. Not very convenient for an out of town ride. So I checked with Trek and they are willing to hook me up with a Trek Fuel EX9. On top of that, they will let me have it for the weekend. Not a bad deal, since it is a freaking sweet bike!
After talking to Trek, I went back to Roll to get my Candy pedals for the Trek, and Roll offered me a deal on a Niner for as long as I needed it at no cost. However, it is a hard tail, so I need to think that one through a bit. It would be nice to be able to keep up with the guys, even though I would be cheating with the 29er!
Hitting Brown and Versailles in Indiana. These two tracks are fast! Cant wait!
Update 1: Giant will be fixed by Friday; not in time for weekend ride
Update 2: Going to take the Fuel ex9 for the weekend! Will be a sweet ride!
Initially, I believe I was either given bad information from the shop, or they gave me the right info, and just didn't understand my circumstances. Either way, I was told I could get a demo for a day and would have to return right away. Not very convenient for an out of town ride. So I checked with Trek and they are willing to hook me up with a Trek Fuel EX9. On top of that, they will let me have it for the weekend. Not a bad deal, since it is a freaking sweet bike!
After talking to Trek, I went back to Roll to get my Candy pedals for the Trek, and Roll offered me a deal on a Niner for as long as I needed it at no cost. However, it is a hard tail, so I need to think that one through a bit. It would be nice to be able to keep up with the guys, even though I would be cheating with the 29er!
Hitting Brown and Versailles in Indiana. These two tracks are fast! Cant wait!
Update 1: Giant will be fixed by Friday; not in time for weekend ride
Update 2: Going to take the Fuel ex9 for the weekend! Will be a sweet ride!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Oh Snap! Giant down!
It was bound to happen. Sooner or later, something had to give. 210 pounds of Endo, or the frame on the Giant. Today, it was the Giant and it snapped in a big way!
I started out my ride today from my garage and hit the roads a little bit to get to Alum beach! From there, I rode the top of the dam, over to the beginner course at Alum Creek. I did a half lap there, and jumped onto Phase 1. I was feeling good, and riding fat and intent on turning a good time on my scheduled 17 mile ride. About 5 miles into Phase 1, I passed a few slower riders and was really moving. I crossed a small bridge and jammed up a quick hill and then SNAP. Something went seriously wrong. I dismounted, and tried to figure it out, but I just couldn't figure it out. The derailleur was still working and for the life of me, not a clue. I flipped the bike over and then I saw it! The break was pretty clear and I realized I was pretty screwed. About 6 miles away from the house, 90 degrees and the water in my Camelbackwas running low! Even though I had the cell phone, I couldn't get a hold of Jen so I started hoofing it. I made it out of the woods and onto the rode where a fellow mountain biker picked my up and took me closer to my house. I still had about a mile and half walk from where he dropped me off, but it did help!
Still not sure what and why it happened, but it was an experience. Looks like I will be making a trip to Roll tomorrow for a warranty check up!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Vultures Knob Rematch
As you my recall, I have only been mountain biking for a little over a year. I started riding Alum Creek last year in May and spent my entire summer on P1 and P2. At the end of the season, I ventured out of my comfort zone a bit, and went riding with a friend at Vultures Knob. The name doesn't do this place enough justice. It is truly insane in terms of obstacles and down hill challenges. Last year, on my one and only visit, I made it about 5 miles, before I almost passed out (could have been hangover induced), and gave up. The course is roughly 7 miles long. At that time, I vowed I would get revenge. Yesterday that day came!
We got to the course around 9 am to beat the heat and get back for a nice day with the family. Our plan was to do two 7 mile laps and call it a day. We met up with our third rider, who actually had already completed a lap. We should have know something when we saw all the blood on his leg. As it turns out, he laid his bike down trying to go under this bridge (which by the way is straight down).
We got through this obstacle as well as may others (the glass highway, the maze, the furnace, the cradle etc. We were both feeling pretty good and hit a second lap. I guess we should have thought this one through a bit, as add in heat, tired legs, and an unfamiliar trail, and you know trouble will happen. It did! As I was leading the way down through a series of technical challenges, I was carrying a little too much speed, and took a nice trip over the handlebars. The bike ended up scarring up a tree pretty good, and I ended up in a ravine filled with mud! Not pleasant. In addition to the blood from the cuts and scrapes, the mud acted as a fantastic bug and mosquito magnet for the remainder of the ride. Quite the site and smell.
After dusting myself off, fixing the Giant and warning several other riders of the pending crash site, we preceded on and had a great but careful ride. Two laps done, no lunch tossing, and happy to have gained some vengeance on the hill that truly introduced me to real mountain biking. If you get the chance and you want a challenge, you need to ride here. Check out Vultures Knob for a piece of this action.
This last picture is a photo of the Cradle. Basically a straight drop down, bridging across a gulley, followed by a sweet uphill launch that shoots you up the hill. Best part is, the ground comes up to you instead of the opposite. Scary at first, but what a thrill.
These were not my pictures; I borrowed them from Vulture's Knob website.
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| The clubhouse at the start |
We got to the course around 9 am to beat the heat and get back for a nice day with the family. Our plan was to do two 7 mile laps and call it a day. We met up with our third rider, who actually had already completed a lap. We should have know something when we saw all the blood on his leg. As it turns out, he laid his bike down trying to go under this bridge (which by the way is straight down).
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| Expert bridge obstacle |
We got through this obstacle as well as may others (the glass highway, the maze, the furnace, the cradle etc. We were both feeling pretty good and hit a second lap. I guess we should have thought this one through a bit, as add in heat, tired legs, and an unfamiliar trail, and you know trouble will happen. It did! As I was leading the way down through a series of technical challenges, I was carrying a little too much speed, and took a nice trip over the handlebars. The bike ended up scarring up a tree pretty good, and I ended up in a ravine filled with mud! Not pleasant. In addition to the blood from the cuts and scrapes, the mud acted as a fantastic bug and mosquito magnet for the remainder of the ride. Quite the site and smell.
After dusting myself off, fixing the Giant and warning several other riders of the pending crash site, we preceded on and had a great but careful ride. Two laps done, no lunch tossing, and happy to have gained some vengeance on the hill that truly introduced me to real mountain biking. If you get the chance and you want a challenge, you need to ride here. Check out Vultures Knob for a piece of this action.
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| Cradle, picture says it all. |
These were not my pictures; I borrowed them from Vulture's Knob website.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Practice Lap For Alum Creek Race
In case I haven't mentioned it yet, I have been training aggressively( at least for me) for my first mountain bike race in August. The race will be at Alum Creek State park and will consist of novice, intermediate and expert groupings. You can probably guess which one I am racing in...Since I haven't done this before, I do not know exactly what to expect, so I have been training hard so I don't make a fool of myself.
Monday morning, I was able to get out about 7 am and get a ride in on what will be the lap for the novice riders. It is basically a 12 mile trip starting at Alum Creek Beech, crossing over the top of the damn to Africa Road, a half lap around the intermediate trail by P1, one lap around P1, back around second half intermediate lap, then back across damn and finish back at the beach. Let's just say, it was a nice ride this early in the morning, especially since I got it in before the heat and humidity rolled in. The only problem, was that P1 was still a mess from the Saturday rains.
Not knowing what to expect, I was pretty damn happy with my time, given the trail conditions and the earliness of the day. My ride partner didn't show for the ride so I had no one pushing me. Maybe next time I will be able to ride a little harder and stretch myself now that I have a time to compare against!
I will not finish dead last in this thing!
Monday morning, I was able to get out about 7 am and get a ride in on what will be the lap for the novice riders. It is basically a 12 mile trip starting at Alum Creek Beech, crossing over the top of the damn to Africa Road, a half lap around the intermediate trail by P1, one lap around P1, back around second half intermediate lap, then back across damn and finish back at the beach. Let's just say, it was a nice ride this early in the morning, especially since I got it in before the heat and humidity rolled in. The only problem, was that P1 was still a mess from the Saturday rains.
Not knowing what to expect, I was pretty damn happy with my time, given the trail conditions and the earliness of the day. My ride partner didn't show for the ride so I had no one pushing me. Maybe next time I will be able to ride a little harder and stretch myself now that I have a time to compare against!
I will not finish dead last in this thing!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Mohican Quickie
Fourth of July weekend continued to provide great opportunity for some sweet riding. After my 26 miles I put in on Friday, four of us from the Back Room Coffee Racing bike team got together and took a trip up to Mohican State Park. At the time of our departure, we were getting dumped on pretty good by rain, but we decided to take a chance and make the hour 20 minute drive up north to see what we could get into. 2 cars, four guys, and hopes for a nice ride. Since we had two cars when we got there, we decided to shuttle and do 15 miles, instead of the entire loop. The rain was still coming down off and on, and we thought it would be muddying up the trail a bit.
Of we went, with me in my usual spot in the rear. With a start at mile marker 15, right out of the gate we got into some sweet riding through pine forest. Believe it or not, it was actually fairly dry and really really fast. It was fast right up unto the road crossing at 19, where we had to cross a wooden bridge coming out of the woods. The wood on the bridge was like Ice and Rob crashed out big time, actually breaking shifter, as well as clips on his shoes. After 10 minutes or so of makeshift engineering, we got back on the trail and started up our first real climb. To be honest, I was still feeling pretty damn good, and was rolling pretty good. I wasn't keeping up with Kato and Rob, but I was hanging in strong with Mark.
Ride kept going and we finished the first 9 in good time, dodging the rain and thunder all the way. Since it was rainy and humid, I was having some troubles with the grips, and actually they were spinning on the handle bars, which made it a little tough to hang on. Again, we did a little more engineering, and decided to make the mile and half climb to start the next 6 miles. Pace slowed down considerably here, with Mark really struggling on the hills. Again, I was still feeling pretty good, and kept pushing him along. Completed the climb, caught up with the other two and we moved on through the rock gardens around mile marker 3. Let's just say I hate this section. Just too technical for me, but I got through it! With 3 miles to go, we cranked it up a bit and hammered home to the finish. Nice downhill to finish, with some technical bridges and a few jumps. All in 15 sweet miles and that would have been awesome, had we stopped at 14.99 miles. As I came out of the woods and into the parking lot, some kids in the woods yelled out and spooked me a bit. I locked up the brakes and all hell broke loose. Next thing I know I am all twisted up in nasty little crash next to the parking lot. To quote Kato, "that can't be good"! Well fortunately, no major damage, little tweeks on the front tire and brakes, and back in business. I guess a little blood never hurt anyone!
I guess I learned a couple valuable lessons today. First, I simply cannot ride as fast as the others. Second, bridges are slippery. Third, tie straps and duct tape our a must for any tool kit. And finally, keep concentration to the very end! Anything can happen!
Of we went, with me in my usual spot in the rear. With a start at mile marker 15, right out of the gate we got into some sweet riding through pine forest. Believe it or not, it was actually fairly dry and really really fast. It was fast right up unto the road crossing at 19, where we had to cross a wooden bridge coming out of the woods. The wood on the bridge was like Ice and Rob crashed out big time, actually breaking shifter, as well as clips on his shoes. After 10 minutes or so of makeshift engineering, we got back on the trail and started up our first real climb. To be honest, I was still feeling pretty damn good, and was rolling pretty good. I wasn't keeping up with Kato and Rob, but I was hanging in strong with Mark.
Ride kept going and we finished the first 9 in good time, dodging the rain and thunder all the way. Since it was rainy and humid, I was having some troubles with the grips, and actually they were spinning on the handle bars, which made it a little tough to hang on. Again, we did a little more engineering, and decided to make the mile and half climb to start the next 6 miles. Pace slowed down considerably here, with Mark really struggling on the hills. Again, I was still feeling pretty good, and kept pushing him along. Completed the climb, caught up with the other two and we moved on through the rock gardens around mile marker 3. Let's just say I hate this section. Just too technical for me, but I got through it! With 3 miles to go, we cranked it up a bit and hammered home to the finish. Nice downhill to finish, with some technical bridges and a few jumps. All in 15 sweet miles and that would have been awesome, had we stopped at 14.99 miles. As I came out of the woods and into the parking lot, some kids in the woods yelled out and spooked me a bit. I locked up the brakes and all hell broke loose. Next thing I know I am all twisted up in nasty little crash next to the parking lot. To quote Kato, "that can't be good"! Well fortunately, no major damage, little tweeks on the front tire and brakes, and back in business. I guess a little blood never hurt anyone!
I guess I learned a couple valuable lessons today. First, I simply cannot ride as fast as the others. Second, bridges are slippery. Third, tie straps and duct tape our a must for any tool kit. And finally, keep concentration to the very end! Anything can happen!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Biking with dad!
Took a ride Friday morning with my dad on the Olentangy Bike Trail. I wasn't sure what we were getting into. He hasn't really ridden much, he's up there in age, and it was going to be hot. However, since the trail is mostly covered by trees, and it is paved, we thought what the hell, let's see what we get into. We got onto the trail by 7:30 and started our trip.
It took awhile for the heat to get too bad, so we actually made some good progress. After cruising about 8 miles, with some awesome scenery, we realized we were close to the Ohio State University. Since I have never been, we decided to keep going and check out the stadium (the horseshoe). Good call!
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| The Horseshoe Took some more pics....... |
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| More Shoe |
Then saw this sweet bridge...
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| Cool Bridge by stadium |
Then took this pic of dad posing in front of sweet bridge....
Then completed trip back with nice 10 mile roll back up the trail. Little slower, but still a nice ride.
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| Dad posing with his big ass seat |
Passed this awesome fishing lake on the way back, stopped and took a few more pics!
All in, 20 miles, nice ride and great time spent with dad! Looking forward to our next adventure!
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| Sweet lake along the way |
Sunday, June 26, 2011
First bike trip with my son!
Today, I took my son for his first official bike ride with daddy! Granted, he is still rocking the training wheels, but it is still a bike and he was wearing his new biking gloves (like daddy's)! We rode the Olentangy bike trail, which if you haven't ridden, you might want to. Very scenic ride, with lots of different things to do along the way. The trail itself is about 18 miles long, although we only hit probably 2 miles (he is 4). We did get to play in a couple play grounds, and we even took the bikes out on to the skateboard park and had a little fun! Just keep in mind, that the turn around point is key, although it is relatively flat, you will have to ride back to vehicle! All in, great day, that ended with stop at Skyline Chili!
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| We found a play set on our ride! |
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| Olentangy River |
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| Admiring the wawa! |
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| Throw rocks in wawa? |
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| Hill climbing |
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| Resting under the bridge |
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| Bridge to bridge |
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| Swim anyone? |
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| Skyline chili time! |
My goal!
Yes, I am just beginning my biking experience, but this is my goal. I want to ride this race!
2011 Whiskey Off-Road endurance mountain bike event & festival from Epic Rides on Vimeo.
2011 Whiskey Off-Road endurance mountain bike event & festival from Epic Rides on Vimeo.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Back in the Saddle Again
After a couple of weeks off recovering from Mohican and traveling to weekend getaways, I was able to get back onto the saddle again and get a few miles on the Giant! Wow, time off plus high temps and humidity make it tough to get things going. Gasping for air, and tight muscles made a short ride very painful. The missed gear and tumble onto the rocks didn't help much either and a smashed front shifter was the result. Not to be denied some free time to ride, I did get back on the saddle again, and was able to get about 12 miles on the bike Saturday morning. Something about riding in the morning just makes things easier for me....too bad it has to be raining right now, or I would be riding, and not writing!
looks like it might be a roadie/neighborhood ride today!
looks like it might be a roadie/neighborhood ride today!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
First Spokejunkie Ride of the Season
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages. The first Spoke junkie ride of 2011 is set for April 30th at 11:30 at Mohican State Park. Many riders from all over will be converging on the 24 mile loop to get their ride on! Unfortunately, it has been raining for what seems like two straight weeks, so I am not sure what condition it will be in. The trail does drain well, but how much can one trail take. If you are interested in riding, check out the Spokejunkie site for more details. Riders of all skill level are welcome, as there will be many different groups heading out on different loops. Come on out, I look to see you there! Look for me, I will be the guy bent over losing my lunch after the hill at mile marker 14!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Mud Ride
Wow, what a difference a little mud can make on a ride. A simple ride, 6 miles or so, turned into a painful and grueling ride, as I had to fight the up and downhill battles with mud. Many people shy away from the mud, which is actually a good thing, since it does rip up a trail pretty good; I just couldn't help my self yesterday. The family was gone, the sun was out, and nothing to do until the hoops started. So after an aggressive 2 hour game of basketball at 8 am, I returned home, geared up and hit the trails.
6 miles and an hour later, I was finished and completely exhausted. The mud makes things completely different from what one is used too. I had to work twice as hard with the pedals, and sliding all over the place on the side of hills is not very fun! A ride that usually takes me a little over a half hour, was doubled simply by the conditions. My goal of this ride was to take some awesome photos of the lake; however I was working to hard to even take the time to snap anything off. Not sure if it was the ball in the morning, or the ride in the afternoon, but the legs are burning this morning and I feel like I did something productive towards my health (too bad i boozed it up after-words).
As I sit here this morning, typing this post, drinking a cup of coffee, and looking outside at the sun shining, there is only one thing going through my mind. Hopefully, common sense will set in and I will remember how bad the conditions were, how much I cursed, and how important it is to let the trails heal! Stay home and get some work done! Yeah right!
6 miles and an hour later, I was finished and completely exhausted. The mud makes things completely different from what one is used too. I had to work twice as hard with the pedals, and sliding all over the place on the side of hills is not very fun! A ride that usually takes me a little over a half hour, was doubled simply by the conditions. My goal of this ride was to take some awesome photos of the lake; however I was working to hard to even take the time to snap anything off. Not sure if it was the ball in the morning, or the ride in the afternoon, but the legs are burning this morning and I feel like I did something productive towards my health (too bad i boozed it up after-words).
As I sit here this morning, typing this post, drinking a cup of coffee, and looking outside at the sun shining, there is only one thing going through my mind. Hopefully, common sense will set in and I will remember how bad the conditions were, how much I cursed, and how important it is to let the trails heal! Stay home and get some work done! Yeah right!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Alum Creek P2 First lap 2011
Today I was able to finish off my weekend season opener with a 6 mile trip around Alum Creek (p2). This little jaunt should normally take about 40 minutes, but I had some friends go with me today and it was their first time out for the year, so it took quite a bit longer. That being said, things were pretty decent. My legs held up, even though I did 9 miles on Friday morning followed by 24 yesterday. I can't say the same for my friends, as they did struggle a bit. Regardless we all had a good time and got some exercise in as well. We had a few crashes, we actually completed a few obstacles previously not attempted, and probably had the laugh of the year. About 4 miles in, while waiting for friends to catch up, I found a ridge over looking the lake where some Kayaks were hanging out. From my perch up high, I was able to see they were drinking some beer. As I sat there, they drank some more, and finally my friends caught up. Apparently they didn't know we were perched up there, or just didn't care because the blond in the Kayak paddled out to an island, and preceded to drop her drawers. Although we may have seen the "super moon" last night, I think it is safe to say we saw a better moon today! Of course, knowing me, I did get pictures, just trying to decide if I should share! Oh the joys of mountain biking!
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| Wow, it's gonna be a long day |
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| Back Coves |
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| Rest, one of many |
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| should have saved the energy |
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| conquered first hill |
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| no comment necessary |
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| this bridge curves |
Mohican Conquered
Finally, finally, we were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather today without worrying about the trail conditions. Mid 50 degree weather (although it was in the 30's at the start);what an awesome day for a ride. Sunny, no wind, dry conditions, and riders everywhere! Even the bikes held up fairly well, given the limited maintenance they had received so far.
In case you have never been, Mohican National State Park is a state park located half way between Columbus and Cleveland, and it has been consistently rated the best mountain bike trail in Ohio. All in, there are 24 1/2 mile of unbelievable single track trail system that includes challenging climbs, fast down hills, and awesome ridge riding. Oh, the scenery not to bad either! If 24 miles are not for you, there are ways to ride this with 6 mile, 9 mile and 15 mile loops so you can get a taste of what Mohican has to offer. (up until today, this has been my option)
All that has changed, my friends, I can now say I conquered this madness. Ok, maybe not conquered, but at least completed. It only took a short 5 hours, but we knocked out the 24 miles with daylight to spare (love spring) and energy to kill. Well, maybe not so much energy, but a man can dream, right.
In case you are wondering what exactly Mohican has to offer, below is just a few highlights.
Some pics of the ride
In case you have never been, Mohican National State Park is a state park located half way between Columbus and Cleveland, and it has been consistently rated the best mountain bike trail in Ohio. All in, there are 24 1/2 mile of unbelievable single track trail system that includes challenging climbs, fast down hills, and awesome ridge riding. Oh, the scenery not to bad either! If 24 miles are not for you, there are ways to ride this with 6 mile, 9 mile and 15 mile loops so you can get a taste of what Mohican has to offer. (up until today, this has been my option)
All that has changed, my friends, I can now say I conquered this madness. Ok, maybe not conquered, but at least completed. It only took a short 5 hours, but we knocked out the 24 miles with daylight to spare (love spring) and energy to kill. Well, maybe not so much energy, but a man can dream, right.
In case you are wondering what exactly Mohican has to offer, below is just a few highlights.
- 1 mile climb out of the gate
- awesome pine forest ride
- small but annoying rock gardens
- long and technical climbs
- quick downhills
- technical downhills
- awesome views (even a covered bridge)
- 2 mile climb at the half way mark ( my nemesis)
- more pine forests
- steep but short climbs
- animals
- hunters (watch out in the fall)
- well place jumps
- more freaking hills
- awesome flowing 1 mile and half finish
Some pics of the ride
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| Just getting started, blame it on the clips |
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| Manny to the rescue |
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| Crash site |
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| back on the saddle |
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| whats down there |
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| no clue who she is, love the shirt |
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| birds didn't show up |
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| water is moving |
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| water under the bridge |
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| swim anyone |
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| everybody enjoying the day |
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| wasn't me this time |
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| don't fall down the hill |
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