Ahem, this post has been taken over by me, the aforementioned daughter, Sweet Girl. It has been a long and hot day, this my 28th birthday. She could not come up with anything to write, so here I am, and here I go. It is way past her bedtime, and we need beauty sleep. Especially since she once again wants to go and ride on that new bike trail she just discover, and get eaten alive by mosquitoes in the process. It is Metro Diner time, as well as RAM (Riverside Arts Market) time tomorrow. We shall see how everything goes, but I do believe that this will be all before my mouth runs away with me, or my fingers more the less. Dizzy has decided that it is time to go to bed, and so we must all listen. She is a demanding dog, and the moment someone gets up, then that's it, EVERYONE must get up. Happy trails. TTFN
SG
Showing posts with label mountain biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mountain biking. Show all posts
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Favorite Things Friday - Mountain Biking......
It's not really fair to call mountain biking a "favorite" of mine, except for the fact that it occurs on a bicycle.
I was forced to take to the trails today because my beloved Jezebel (my road bike) is still in the shop. I didn't want to have a "zero week" on my cycling log, and I had 66 more miles to make my June mileage goal, and I just missed the feeling of cycling after almost a week off the bike.
The state park right across from where we live has some awesome mountain biking trails. They are well-maintained, constantly being redeveloped and upgraded, and they have something for everyone who loves mountain biking: roots, rocks, death-defying downhills and kick-butt uphills, hairpin turns (that just MIGHT throw you into the lake if you don't negotiate them properly, not that such a thing would EVER happen to me a couple of years ago), and some narrow passages between trees that you would swear your handlebars wouldn't go between.
Rozmo and I planned to ride the whole network of trails a couple of years ago. I looked at the maps online and found there were 12 miles of trails (there are more than that now). I remember thinking to myself, "We usually ride 50 or 60 miles. Maybe we can just ride the whole trail network TWICE to get our miles."
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
It was all I could do to finish the whole thing the FIRST time, and we didn't even ATTEMPT something called the Monster Mile. Mountain biking is just that different from road biking. I spent part of my ride today thinking of the ways they are different, and while I had an excellent outline prepared in my mind, I'm sure I will leave something out due to the fact that I didn't stop my bike and write the ideas down at the time.
Equipment
Obviously the bike is different.
This is my mountain bike, which I also refer to sometimes as my "el cheapo" bike. Because I don't do a LOT of mountain biking, I didn't want to sink a lot of money into it. I'd rather save those dollars to buy MORE black spandex shorts for my road bike that look like all the other pairs of black spandex shorts I already have.
I bought this bike at one of the big box sports-themed stores for about $59. (Contrast that to Jezebel, for whom I had to add on a couple of digits, and neither of them was a "1".) It serves its purposes, which are infrequent mountain biking expeditions and riding around campsites when Hubby and I go camping in the RV. The seat is wider, the handlebars are flatter, the tires are wider and knobbier. Something you can't see, especially from this angle, is that there are 3 chain rings (we used to call them "sprockets), which adds some gears I don't have on my road bike. The lower gears come in handy for climbing those steep hills on the mountain bike trails.
I'm not sure if this comes under "equipment" or "clothing," but that thing on my back is called a Camelbak (that's the brand name, but just like Kleenex, it has come to refer to any similar device). My mountain bike doesn't have water bottle cages on it (although there is a place for one), so the only way to carry liquids for rehydrating is on my back. I fill mine with ice and then top it off with water, and the water stays cool for most (if not all) of the ride. It feels a little heavy putting it on at first, but I think it's just because I'm AWARE of the weight because I'm wearing it. I would be carrying the same weight in liquid if I had water bottles, they just wouldn't be on my BODY. If you're not familiar with a Camelbak, it has a tube and a bite valve that is easy to pick up and drink whatever amount of water you need at any given moment.
I don't typically use a Camelbak, but mountain biking requires it. I also use one when we ride the Silver Comet Trail because there are such long stretches with no access to water. I have also learned to use it when I map long, winding routes in Mississippi that appear to avoid whatever stores might be in the area.
I don't have a mirror on my mountain bike, because they aren't typically needed. If a bike is behind me on the trail, either I hear it way before it gets to me, or it's irrelevant because there's no place to pass anyway. The only time I missed my mirror was the short half-mile on the road between our subdivision and the entrance to the park. You'd be surprised how many times I looked where my mirror would have been if I had been on my road bike. And in just half a mile! I had to turn right onto a BUSY state highway and then an immediate left into the park entrance, and I kind of freaked out about not having a mirror. So I pulled into a driveway on the right and waited until traffic was clear in both directions.
(I apologize for these shots. Hubby wasn't home, so the best I could do was set the timer on my camera and then try to guess where I should stand in the 10-second interval I had before the shutter snapped.)
Clothing
I COULD wear the same clothing on my mountain bike that I do on my road bike, but I wore shorts and shirt that were slightly different. I wanted to try out my cool new "canyon" shorts, which are two pieces. The inner piece resembles traditional spandex cycling shorts, with a padded chamois. The outer shell is more like running shorts, complete with POCKETS. I was excited to have pockets on my shorts today. It's the little things that make me happy.
I also chose to wear a t-shirt, albeit a technical or "wicking" t-shirt that I got on a bike ride. We usually wear cycling jerseys that not only wick moisture but also cut down on drag, but I didn't think a jersey was necessary on the trails. Speed isn't really the issue, and if something slowed me down, it wasn't going to be a shirt.
You may not be able to tell, but I was also able to wear regular sneakers instead of cycling shoes. My road bike has "clipless" pedals, into which a cleated shoe snaps and keeps the feet connected to the pedals. Many people also have clipless pedals on their mountain bikes, and I am in awe of those people.
I almost left the gloves off, but I'm glad I put them on at the last minute. They not only pad the hands, they are also helpful for wiping sweat and keeping the hands dry so they don't slip off the handlebars.
Riding
I discovered a couple of things about riding itself that were different from road biking. As a cyclist, I am constantly focusing ahead, as far down the road as I can see, to watch for obstacles, cars, bad patches of pavement, or intersections. (I think this has made me a better motorcyclist, and even a better driver.) Riding the trails requires constant vigilance also, but the focus is on what is RIGHT IN FRONT of you. For one thing, the trail isn't visible for more than a few feet. And the obstacles, while they may be smaller, are more numerous: roots, rocks, ruts. I also had watch carefully for hikers/walkers in the park today, because I was riding the same paths Hubby and I usually walk. I didn't want to get on the designated mountain bike trails because they are tough, and there are very few bail-out options. There weren't many hikers out today, so it wasn't a problem. I did wonder one thing, though: There are signs saying bikers should yield to hikers, and I try to do that just to be courteous. But if I come upon a hiker from behind, how can I yield to her? (I guess her better question might be how I could come up from behind her and not scare the crap out of her.)
The difference in pedals also made a slight difference in riding technique, though I wouldn't have been aware of it until today. When I'm climbing a steep hill on my road bike, because my feet are clipped into the pedals, I can pull UP with the opposite foot while I push DOWN with the other. It isn't a strenuous pull, and I wasn't even aware I was doing it. I only noticed I was trying to do that because naturally when I tried to pull UP, my foot lifted OFF the pedal. Not much of a help there.
I'm not sure this goes under the "riding" category, but because I was in the state park, a lot of my ride was in nice shade. (Is that redundant when the temperature is 91 degrees?) It was very peaceful, with twittering birds and the distant drone of an airplane the only sounds I heard at times. I could also twist and wind as much as I wanted to, without worrying about getting miles and miles from home. There was a little bit of a psychological letdown when I ended my ride, because usually when I get back to the parking lot from a walk, I'm finished. On my mountain bike, I still had approximately a mile left - uphill - to ride back home. Not that big a deal.
I'm certainly not SORRY I had to go mountain biking, although those 12 miles today felt like about 50 on the road bike. It won't ever replace road cycling as my favorite outdoors activity, but I guess it'll do as a substitute.
It beats housework any day.
I was forced to take to the trails today because my beloved Jezebel (my road bike) is still in the shop. I didn't want to have a "zero week" on my cycling log, and I had 66 more miles to make my June mileage goal, and I just missed the feeling of cycling after almost a week off the bike.
The state park right across from where we live has some awesome mountain biking trails. They are well-maintained, constantly being redeveloped and upgraded, and they have something for everyone who loves mountain biking: roots, rocks, death-defying downhills and kick-butt uphills, hairpin turns (that just MIGHT throw you into the lake if you don't negotiate them properly, not that such a thing would EVER happen to me a couple of years ago), and some narrow passages between trees that you would swear your handlebars wouldn't go between.
Rozmo and I planned to ride the whole network of trails a couple of years ago. I looked at the maps online and found there were 12 miles of trails (there are more than that now). I remember thinking to myself, "We usually ride 50 or 60 miles. Maybe we can just ride the whole trail network TWICE to get our miles."
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
It was all I could do to finish the whole thing the FIRST time, and we didn't even ATTEMPT something called the Monster Mile. Mountain biking is just that different from road biking. I spent part of my ride today thinking of the ways they are different, and while I had an excellent outline prepared in my mind, I'm sure I will leave something out due to the fact that I didn't stop my bike and write the ideas down at the time.
Equipment
Obviously the bike is different.
This is my mountain bike, which I also refer to sometimes as my "el cheapo" bike. Because I don't do a LOT of mountain biking, I didn't want to sink a lot of money into it. I'd rather save those dollars to buy MORE black spandex shorts for my road bike that look like all the other pairs of black spandex shorts I already have.
I bought this bike at one of the big box sports-themed stores for about $59. (Contrast that to Jezebel, for whom I had to add on a couple of digits, and neither of them was a "1".) It serves its purposes, which are infrequent mountain biking expeditions and riding around campsites when Hubby and I go camping in the RV. The seat is wider, the handlebars are flatter, the tires are wider and knobbier. Something you can't see, especially from this angle, is that there are 3 chain rings (we used to call them "sprockets), which adds some gears I don't have on my road bike. The lower gears come in handy for climbing those steep hills on the mountain bike trails.
I'm not sure if this comes under "equipment" or "clothing," but that thing on my back is called a Camelbak (that's the brand name, but just like Kleenex, it has come to refer to any similar device). My mountain bike doesn't have water bottle cages on it (although there is a place for one), so the only way to carry liquids for rehydrating is on my back. I fill mine with ice and then top it off with water, and the water stays cool for most (if not all) of the ride. It feels a little heavy putting it on at first, but I think it's just because I'm AWARE of the weight because I'm wearing it. I would be carrying the same weight in liquid if I had water bottles, they just wouldn't be on my BODY. If you're not familiar with a Camelbak, it has a tube and a bite valve that is easy to pick up and drink whatever amount of water you need at any given moment.
I don't typically use a Camelbak, but mountain biking requires it. I also use one when we ride the Silver Comet Trail because there are such long stretches with no access to water. I have also learned to use it when I map long, winding routes in Mississippi that appear to avoid whatever stores might be in the area.
I don't have a mirror on my mountain bike, because they aren't typically needed. If a bike is behind me on the trail, either I hear it way before it gets to me, or it's irrelevant because there's no place to pass anyway. The only time I missed my mirror was the short half-mile on the road between our subdivision and the entrance to the park. You'd be surprised how many times I looked where my mirror would have been if I had been on my road bike. And in just half a mile! I had to turn right onto a BUSY state highway and then an immediate left into the park entrance, and I kind of freaked out about not having a mirror. So I pulled into a driveway on the right and waited until traffic was clear in both directions.
(I apologize for these shots. Hubby wasn't home, so the best I could do was set the timer on my camera and then try to guess where I should stand in the 10-second interval I had before the shutter snapped.)
Clothing
I COULD wear the same clothing on my mountain bike that I do on my road bike, but I wore shorts and shirt that were slightly different. I wanted to try out my cool new "canyon" shorts, which are two pieces. The inner piece resembles traditional spandex cycling shorts, with a padded chamois. The outer shell is more like running shorts, complete with POCKETS. I was excited to have pockets on my shorts today. It's the little things that make me happy.
I also chose to wear a t-shirt, albeit a technical or "wicking" t-shirt that I got on a bike ride. We usually wear cycling jerseys that not only wick moisture but also cut down on drag, but I didn't think a jersey was necessary on the trails. Speed isn't really the issue, and if something slowed me down, it wasn't going to be a shirt.
I almost left the gloves off, but I'm glad I put them on at the last minute. They not only pad the hands, they are also helpful for wiping sweat and keeping the hands dry so they don't slip off the handlebars.
Riding
I discovered a couple of things about riding itself that were different from road biking. As a cyclist, I am constantly focusing ahead, as far down the road as I can see, to watch for obstacles, cars, bad patches of pavement, or intersections. (I think this has made me a better motorcyclist, and even a better driver.) Riding the trails requires constant vigilance also, but the focus is on what is RIGHT IN FRONT of you. For one thing, the trail isn't visible for more than a few feet. And the obstacles, while they may be smaller, are more numerous: roots, rocks, ruts. I also had watch carefully for hikers/walkers in the park today, because I was riding the same paths Hubby and I usually walk. I didn't want to get on the designated mountain bike trails because they are tough, and there are very few bail-out options. There weren't many hikers out today, so it wasn't a problem. I did wonder one thing, though: There are signs saying bikers should yield to hikers, and I try to do that just to be courteous. But if I come upon a hiker from behind, how can I yield to her? (I guess her better question might be how I could come up from behind her and not scare the crap out of her.)
The difference in pedals also made a slight difference in riding technique, though I wouldn't have been aware of it until today. When I'm climbing a steep hill on my road bike, because my feet are clipped into the pedals, I can pull UP with the opposite foot while I push DOWN with the other. It isn't a strenuous pull, and I wasn't even aware I was doing it. I only noticed I was trying to do that because naturally when I tried to pull UP, my foot lifted OFF the pedal. Not much of a help there.
I'm not sure this goes under the "riding" category, but because I was in the state park, a lot of my ride was in nice shade. (Is that redundant when the temperature is 91 degrees?) It was very peaceful, with twittering birds and the distant drone of an airplane the only sounds I heard at times. I could also twist and wind as much as I wanted to, without worrying about getting miles and miles from home. There was a little bit of a psychological letdown when I ended my ride, because usually when I get back to the parking lot from a walk, I'm finished. On my mountain bike, I still had approximately a mile left - uphill - to ride back home. Not that big a deal.
I'm certainly not SORRY I had to go mountain biking, although those 12 miles today felt like about 50 on the road bike. It won't ever replace road cycling as my favorite outdoors activity, but I guess it'll do as a substitute.
It beats housework any day.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Got My Butt Kicked but I Didn't Lose.....
I returned today to the scene of my mountain biking humiliation from last week, determined that a measly little 12-mile biking trail would NOT get me down. Besides, Rozmo came over to mountain bike and kayak, so there was no getting out of it.
We did the whole trail, except for a couple of sections labeled "Monster Mile (Advanced)." I already KNEW I wasn't advanced; I didn't need a section of trail to make it transparent.
I was completely demoralized toward the end, when I kept thinking we were back to the starting point and we weren't. And when we DID reach the end, we still had to ride back to my house. It was only another half mile or so, and it was PAVED!
Mountain biking is for the young, not the young at heart. I hurt in places I didn't know I had places. Today's ride was harder than any day on BRAG, and it ranked right up there with a century in 100-degree heat. It's odd how DIFFERENT the hurting places are after mountain biking compared to road biking. For example, my lower back is killing me, and my neck may never be the same. My HANDS hurt, fercryingoutloud, most likely from the DEATH GRIP I had on the handlebars.
When we first started talking about doing this trail ride, I remember thinking, "Twelve miles is such a short ride. Maybe we'll do it twice."
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I had another "I'm-afraid-I'm-going-to-faint-right-here-on-this-trail" episode today, at the top of the same hill. I think I'm allergic to climbing that particular hill. Because today I clearly had enough water, and I still got all woozy and dizzy.
After mountain biking we took our kayaks back over to the park. I wasn't really up to it at that point, but it was okay because all we did was paddle to a little cove, tie our kayaks to tree branches, drink a beer, and talk. Not much work involved at all.
I won't say I WON'T ride the mountain bike trail again, but I can assure you it won't be this week. Next time, however, I'm finding a bail-out path.
It can't compare at all with what I was doing all day on this date 26 years ago. Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!
We did the whole trail, except for a couple of sections labeled "Monster Mile (Advanced)." I already KNEW I wasn't advanced; I didn't need a section of trail to make it transparent.
I was completely demoralized toward the end, when I kept thinking we were back to the starting point and we weren't. And when we DID reach the end, we still had to ride back to my house. It was only another half mile or so, and it was PAVED!
Mountain biking is for the young, not the young at heart. I hurt in places I didn't know I had places. Today's ride was harder than any day on BRAG, and it ranked right up there with a century in 100-degree heat. It's odd how DIFFERENT the hurting places are after mountain biking compared to road biking. For example, my lower back is killing me, and my neck may never be the same. My HANDS hurt, fercryingoutloud, most likely from the DEATH GRIP I had on the handlebars.
When we first started talking about doing this trail ride, I remember thinking, "Twelve miles is such a short ride. Maybe we'll do it twice."
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I had another "I'm-afraid-I'm-going-to-faint-right-here-on-this-trail" episode today, at the top of the same hill. I think I'm allergic to climbing that particular hill. Because today I clearly had enough water, and I still got all woozy and dizzy.
After mountain biking we took our kayaks back over to the park. I wasn't really up to it at that point, but it was okay because all we did was paddle to a little cove, tie our kayaks to tree branches, drink a beer, and talk. Not much work involved at all.
I won't say I WON'T ride the mountain bike trail again, but I can assure you it won't be this week. Next time, however, I'm finding a bail-out path.
It can't compare at all with what I was doing all day on this date 26 years ago. Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
I Will Never Make Fun of them Again......
Hubby and I see mountain bikers at the park all the time, and we like to make fun of them. Actually, Hubby makes fun of cyclists in general because he knows it rattles my cage. Every time we see a mountain biker bloodied and scratched up, I say, "Well he achieved his purpose today. They consider that a badge of honor."
Today I decided to take my new (cheap) mountain bike over to the park and try the trail out for myself. Rozmo has been wanting to ride over here, and I wanted to know the right way to go and be able to tell her what to expect.
In my case, expect to have your ego bruised and battered.
Luckily, that was ALL that got bruised and battered, because after I had ridden 3 miles of the 12-mile loop, I figured out where I was and made a beeline back to the truck.
It's not just the hills and the hairpin turns. It's the damn tree roots. Those mountain bikers LIKE those.
I had a few close calls, having to put my foot down to keep from falling. A couple of times the trail went BETWEEN two trees, and I wasn't sure my handlebars would fit. There was one place where there was an incredibly steep downhill. We all know how much I love downhills. I screeched to a halt at the top of it, because on the other side not only was there a steep uphill, but it was treacherous with ruts and tree roots. I finally rode down it -- reluctantly -- braking the whole way because I didn't want to start up the other side with any momentum.
People do this for FUN? Why don't they just stand in the street and have people throw rocks and bottles at them?
Another close call involved a hairpin turn right next to the lake. Only by the grace of the cycling gods did I avoid riding right into the water.
It didn't help that my seat came loose at about the 1.5 mile mark. It didn't break, but it wasn't tight enough, so it wouldn't stay level. Never mind that I wasn't using it very much, because I had to stand up on the pedals to climb the hills. It was a good enough excuse to tuck my tail between my legs and put the bike back in the truck.
I refuse to be defeated. I fully intend to go back and ride the other 9 miles of the trail. Including something indicated on the map as...... Heart Attack Hill.
Isn't that all of them?
Today I decided to take my new (cheap) mountain bike over to the park and try the trail out for myself. Rozmo has been wanting to ride over here, and I wanted to know the right way to go and be able to tell her what to expect.
In my case, expect to have your ego bruised and battered.
Luckily, that was ALL that got bruised and battered, because after I had ridden 3 miles of the 12-mile loop, I figured out where I was and made a beeline back to the truck.
It's not just the hills and the hairpin turns. It's the damn tree roots. Those mountain bikers LIKE those.
I had a few close calls, having to put my foot down to keep from falling. A couple of times the trail went BETWEEN two trees, and I wasn't sure my handlebars would fit. There was one place where there was an incredibly steep downhill. We all know how much I love downhills. I screeched to a halt at the top of it, because on the other side not only was there a steep uphill, but it was treacherous with ruts and tree roots. I finally rode down it -- reluctantly -- braking the whole way because I didn't want to start up the other side with any momentum.
People do this for FUN? Why don't they just stand in the street and have people throw rocks and bottles at them?
Another close call involved a hairpin turn right next to the lake. Only by the grace of the cycling gods did I avoid riding right into the water.
It didn't help that my seat came loose at about the 1.5 mile mark. It didn't break, but it wasn't tight enough, so it wouldn't stay level. Never mind that I wasn't using it very much, because I had to stand up on the pedals to climb the hills. It was a good enough excuse to tuck my tail between my legs and put the bike back in the truck.
I refuse to be defeated. I fully intend to go back and ride the other 9 miles of the trail. Including something indicated on the map as...... Heart Attack Hill.
Isn't that all of them?
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