Well any way. It has been a pretty busy three weeks. Prepping for the Mountain Bike Adventure Series Ride in Wendell, Running the event - 130 riders over $1000 raised for Wendell State Forest's Conservation Fund, getting in a little riding and suffering through the mud season that July 2009 was.
Only one race, if you can call it that, during these three weeks. The mud slog at Mount Snow on the 26th. Worst race by far of the years both conditions and result 7th in the group. This race undoes much of the good we do on the trails all year. They have these mud slicked steep fall line climbs and descents that are unsustainable in great conditions. Nothing less than stupid to even try hiking in the water soaked soil conditions of this July in New England.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Fourth of July and the days surrounding!
When is the rain ever going to stop? Sounds like a trite question no? Well, it momentarily has let up, and gave us one other day since last week's race. Monday, I hit the road for Bikes-Unlimited Ice Cream Social Ride. Fun time, but I don't advise taking a 20 minute break in a ride and having a giant Strawberry Shortcake if you want to see what HR you can maintain on a roadie!!
Tuesday thru Friday, didn't even look at a bike. Rained for large parts of every day. Did make it up to Hawley for one last Thursday night Session with T. McCrumm.
Saturday, Happy Birthday USA! To celebrate a dozen or so locals met at Hawley to see how much we could ride before we ran out of energy or time. The answer, about 20 Miles of Single Track and a couple miles of fire roads just to keep us sane! Took nearly 4 hours, moving time about 3:30. Awesome group and a great ride that was much dryer than we expected.
Sunday: Domnarski's Farm Root66 Race. What a course. If I were to build a course for racing, it would be much like this. Not a break anywhere, tough climbs, rocketing descents, nice tight singletrack. The only thing I would change would be to construct about 100 yards of bog bridges to get across the muddy sections. As is, it is a great race, but really tough on the equipment.
The result? Oh yeah, this is getting old. No major mechanicals this week means I am once again in 3rd place with most of the regulars assuming their natural positions. I doubt I'll ever be faster than Matt Scherp.
Tuesday thru Friday, didn't even look at a bike. Rained for large parts of every day. Did make it up to Hawley for one last Thursday night Session with T. McCrumm.
Saturday, Happy Birthday USA! To celebrate a dozen or so locals met at Hawley to see how much we could ride before we ran out of energy or time. The answer, about 20 Miles of Single Track and a couple miles of fire roads just to keep us sane! Took nearly 4 hours, moving time about 3:30. Awesome group and a great ride that was much dryer than we expected.
Sunday: Domnarski's Farm Root66 Race. What a course. If I were to build a course for racing, it would be much like this. Not a break anywhere, tough climbs, rocketing descents, nice tight singletrack. The only thing I would change would be to construct about 100 yards of bog bridges to get across the muddy sections. As is, it is a great race, but really tough on the equipment.
The result? Oh yeah, this is getting old. No major mechanicals this week means I am once again in 3rd place with most of the regulars assuming their natural positions. I doubt I'll ever be faster than Matt Scherp.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Appleblaster/Putney Weekend - June 27,28
Since last week, I got out for a few rides, on Monday I pulled out the Pantera SS from the garage and took it up the climbs in West Hatfield over Chestnut Mountain. I figured that would be reasonable preparation for the Hill Climb in Chesterfield NH on Saturday. On Wednesday, we joined the Franklin County NEMBA/Bikes Unlimited group for a cycle through the trails in Deerfield. Pretty much the rest of the week, I watched it rain from inside.
Saturday, I had a meeting in the morning which kept me out of the Cyclecross race, but I did participate in Root66's Appleblaster Hill Climb in Westmoreland NH. Although it was a small field, 2nd place is 2nd place for us old guys right?
Sunday, rain again in the morning, but I still made my way over to the Putney School where the West Hill Shop hosts Root66's Putney Race. A great course, featuring about 1000 ft of climbing per 4 mile lap, we 50+ Cat 2s were dropped back to 2 laps in hopes of an early day. There were 15 of us at the start, and I let most of the field go for the whole shot, comfortable in my ability to pick riders off on the many climbs on the course. Things were going according to plan, and I had passed 10 of the 12 guys I expected to catch when there was this nasty snap and then silence. Sure enough I had popped a link on the chain.
I can usually get these repairs done in under 2 minutes, but today nothing went right. Chain tool, OK, pin out, OK, now how to thread this through the rear derailleur - over or under that darn tab. I had it threaded wrong for one ride before so both sides show the same wear... I guess wrong, un thread it and redo it correctly. Snapping on the quick link I look down and swear quietly to myself - I had forgotten to thread through the front Derailleur!
As the next field starts passing me, I snap the quicklink apart, go through the front and pop it together again. Damn - nearly 5 minutes and the whole field has passed me by. I hope the chain holds cause it is either drop out or put the hammer down and gain a respectable finish.
I start up, and almost immediatly catch two guys on the next climb, not too bad I'm now in 13th. Two more on the last climb before the start finish, puts me just out of the top 10. I challenge myself to finding 3-4 more. Just before the last hill, I get the 3rd guy, putting me into 8th (late comment - the first two guys were DQd - official results now have me in 6th). Not bad considering the fat fingered repair.
Because we were staying with my folks Saturday night, I had the puppy with me. Nothing brings people by the tent better except maybe free beer!
Saturday, I had a meeting in the morning which kept me out of the Cyclecross race, but I did participate in Root66's Appleblaster Hill Climb in Westmoreland NH. Although it was a small field, 2nd place is 2nd place for us old guys right?
Sunday, rain again in the morning, but I still made my way over to the Putney School where the West Hill Shop hosts Root66's Putney Race. A great course, featuring about 1000 ft of climbing per 4 mile lap, we 50+ Cat 2s were dropped back to 2 laps in hopes of an early day. There were 15 of us at the start, and I let most of the field go for the whole shot, comfortable in my ability to pick riders off on the many climbs on the course. Things were going according to plan, and I had passed 10 of the 12 guys I expected to catch when there was this nasty snap and then silence. Sure enough I had popped a link on the chain.
I can usually get these repairs done in under 2 minutes, but today nothing went right. Chain tool, OK, pin out, OK, now how to thread this through the rear derailleur - over or under that darn tab. I had it threaded wrong for one ride before so both sides show the same wear... I guess wrong, un thread it and redo it correctly. Snapping on the quick link I look down and swear quietly to myself - I had forgotten to thread through the front Derailleur!
As the next field starts passing me, I snap the quicklink apart, go through the front and pop it together again. Damn - nearly 5 minutes and the whole field has passed me by. I hope the chain holds cause it is either drop out or put the hammer down and gain a respectable finish.
I start up, and almost immediatly catch two guys on the next climb, not too bad I'm now in 13th. Two more on the last climb before the start finish, puts me just out of the top 10. I challenge myself to finding 3-4 more. Just before the last hill, I get the 3rd guy, putting me into 8th (late comment - the first two guys were DQd - official results now have me in 6th). Not bad considering the fat fingered repair.
Because we were staying with my folks Saturday night, I had the puppy with me. Nothing brings people by the tent better except maybe free beer!
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