Things are finally starting up again on the biking side of things. Of course, this is as the temperatures get lower and more disappointingly as the daylight gets shorter. All this is against me as I pedal a few miles – either to work, on the trails, or for back road exploration – just to make the most of the outdoor season I have left.
With that, the orange beast of a mountain bike was built up just in time for Labor Day weekend and has been ridden a good amount since. I haven’t gotten out on an epic weekend adventure yet but hopefully that will come in the next few weeks. For now, I’ve just been doing laps on a small bit of single track just down the road from work – albeit a seven mile ride from home. Although it’s just a short loop of trail, it makes up for it in diversity of obstacles and one bitch of a hill. The trail is on the backside of a rock quarry so that gives you an idea. One lap consists of the following: nice simple single track – short but steep loose rock incline – small incline – BIG ASS HILL, otherwise known as a bluff – nice peaceful clearing – downhill – curving loose dirt and rocks downhill drop-off (CRAP!! How did I not fall?!?!?!) – downhill – downhill – sharp turn with berm that I avoid because I always fall over – nice single track – short steep rocky incline – some nice single track – and back to the start. Nothing that is really that bad anymore. I just need to work on the leg strength to push the single speed up the big hills and need to find the balance for the drop-offs and bumps along the trail. I’ll be going home to my parents and to the farm so hopefully I can get some nice flowing miles under the big wheels.
As far as the bike itself, it turned out exactly how I wanted - built like a tank and simplistic. I don’t have to worry about things breaking when it bashes into things like I would on the road bike. There’s also just something to be said for a bike with only one gear. I can concentrate on the trail and don’t have to worry about shifting and being in the right gear. Yes, it can totally suck but I like the extra challenge. My other favorite part of the bike is the hydraulic disc brakes. I don’t totally understand all the bits about them yet but it’s nice to have bike parts like that so you learn about them as you ride. If I get a chance I’ll get the camera out and take a picture one of these days.
Work has also been going pretty well – so my post from two months ago is pretty much null and void. Blame it on some “lost in the moment” dramatics. Anyway, the summer rush at work seems to have died and I feel caught up for the first time in months. Today of course however I learn that I have a boatload of orders coming from Interbike, so I’ll be busy with that for the next week or two. I’m staying optimistic for now; we’ll see how it all shakes down.
