Category: cycling

I hadn’t realized it existed, but while poking around some unsigned single track at Stony Creek today I came across what seems like some older bandit downhill and freeride stuff at Stony Creek.

I made my way down some of the downhill stuff, although the ~16″ drops were a bit of a surprise. I didn’t attempt the bridge shown above, but instead just turned around and walked my bike back up the hill.

After riding around some I started heading back to the parking lot, but just after passing some folks and crossing over a small jump-like area on the double track between signs 2 and 1 I saw what I initially thought was a wallet and a bunch of ID laying on the ground. Heading back I found that it was just a Genuine Innovations Patch Kit Large opened and spread across the ground. I picked it up, posted about it on the MMBA forum asking if anyone lost it, and I’ll just hang on to it unless someone claims it.

It seems that some gnomes introduced a bit of entropy to the rock garden in The Pines at Stony Creek. When riding through there this evening I fell, hit my left knee (it doesn’t seem bad), and broke my brake lever. Good thing it’s just a cheap Avid FR-5, for which I can get a replacement from REI for $14. I have to place an order with them for a large size yellow jacket to replace the too small medium one I’d purchased, so I’ll just throw this on the order as well.

Also, coming around a corner while riding trails in the dark and suddenly seeing a child-sized silhouette in the trail with glowing eyes staring at you is a bit disconcerting. Riding alone in the woods in the dark is a bit odd and worrysome. Even the normally-cute deer are a bit frightening. I was really getting a feeling for how lost/scared one would feel if hurt out there.

Tonight’s ride was just over 29 miles, because I parked a bit further out than other folks. The distance was fine, but the cold (~50°F) was making my knees hurt. I think if I’m going to keep riding in this weather I’ll be needing some cold weather gear. It’s been suggested that I look at the Pearl Izumi AmFIB tights and either some shoe covers or cycling boots. With it getting dark so early I think a bright colored cycling vest (with lots of reflective bits) is also in order. Oh, and also some full finger or maybe lobster-type cycling gloves.

With a few minutes to spare I pulled apart the rear hub on my bike and put it back together. Why, you ask? Well, as I was checking things over before Massive Fallout I noticed a gentle rolling/rattling sound coming from the rear hub. This got me realizing that I must have knocked a bearing out of a race when reassembling the hub the last time, not noticed it, and had it rolling around inside the hub body.

Being a bearing shy isn’t a horrible thing, but I did want to get it sorted out as quickly as possible, especially as I’d put 100-200 miles on the bike since noticing the bearing. Having a full set of cone wrenches (three dual-sized ones, doing the 13mm-18mm range) and a bench vise makes this job trivial.

Also, my lower GI has now realized that the rest of me is sick and begun following suit. Fun.

Yesterday I rode in the 2008 Massive Fallout, a very large group mountain bike ride which routes through four of the best mountain bike trails in the area. I did three of the parks: Stony Creek, Bald Mountain, and Addison Oaks, riding along for most of the route with three other guys, Jeff, Rob, and Jeremy.

Per my bike’s computer I rode just over 46 miles. While I’ve ridden a longer distance in one go before, this was a much more difficult ride because of all the single track, amazingly fun climbs, etc. Here is the original map of the available routes [PDF] and here is marked-up map showing the approximate route we rode.

I only fell once, and that was during a fairly quick downhill part in Bald Mountain, where when going around a sandy curve at the bottom my front wheel started to slide out and I just went down. The only damage was a slightly scraped elbow, knee, and calf, and a slight sore thigh. Nothing bad at all. Today I’m just a bit worn out feeling still, but not sore. Still, I think I’ll wait a day or three before getting back out on the trails.

(Also: I keep thinking of getting a Surly Cross Check for riding non-mountain bike stuff. It’d be perfect for rides to Metro Beach, up the trails, stuff like that. I keep talking myself into and out of getting one, with the price of ~$1k being the biggest reason holding me back.)