mountain bike monday - Spot comes out of the doghouse!

He's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Well, it's been a long while since Spot was out on the trails! We were trying to think back to when we got MUTT. I think it was in the early Spring sometime! Actually, this is when the blog comes in handy! It was in April. So, it's been a while since Spot was out!



Back when I got MUTT, Dynamo had to strip most of Spot's parts off to build him up. So, Spot sat in the garage in pieces. Building bikes up takes time and money! And, remember...the lighter the components, the more expensive! So, my Stan's Crest wheels went on MUTT and the wheels that came with Spot orginally went back on him. And, let's just say...they are a little heavy! I can definitely tell the weight difference between Spot and MUTT.



So, out on the trail Spot and I had a little talk before starting. We agreed to be patient with one another. If you'll remember...my Spot is a belt drive single speed. So, that means one gear! And, after riding with 9 gears since April it was a little difficult at first.



Some of the hills that originally gave me trouble, but hadn't for a while, did. But, I am a better rider now, so I did notice that I attacked the hills differently...I knew when to stand, and I felt more powerful than when I first took Spot out a long time ago.



I did a lot of talking to myself and Spot. Amazingly...I rode faster than on my geared bike. That always happens. So, I've confirmed my conclusion that I always knew. GEARS MAKE ME LAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I knew that I had gotten a little slack on the flats...not pushing as hard as I could. I knew that I was loafing a little. Yes, because I didn't have that "I feel like I'm gonna throw up" feeling inside often. But, yesterday I remembered what that feeling felt like and I knew I had to shape up.



But, my ride was still pleasant and fun! My legs aren't too sore today, but I know that in order to continue growing as a rider and getting stronger and faster, I am going to have to get out there and ride Spot more often. I think I need to alternate between him and MUTT.



If you'll remember...last winter I was riding 30 miles on Spot. Yes, one gear...30 miles! Off road! Gears have ruined me. And, imagine if I had 30 gears like some people. I only have 9 on MUTT, which is too many for me! I think I'm going to change out my back sprocket on MUTT to make the gearing a little tougher. Correction...I'm going to ask Dynamo to change it out!

The simplicity of yesterday's ride was awesome. I caught myself several times moving my thumb to shift, but then realizing quickly instead of shifting I had to pedal pedal or stand! There's no resting on a SS! It's just easier to keep pedaling and keep the momentum going. Otherwise, the big 29 inch tires will feel like a ton of bricks to get moving again!



Many thanks to my Dynamo for getting Spot back out there! He's quite the bike builder! We did build Spot up piece by piece. As it always goes in the swapping of parts...I ended up with a sweet component for my MUTT....I got Dynamo's fork from his MCR!! He says I always make out good in these exchanges. It used to be that he would be able to sell things as he swapped, but now that we are both riding, I'm always willing to take the "hand-me-downs"! So, finally, we have all 6 bikes ready to roll! Remember...there's a bike for every purpose. And, the MCR frame will be going up for sale soon too...so we'll be all set...FINALLY!! Rome wasn't built in a day!

Greenin' Up

Finally, the yard is green! The trees are green! And...it's getting pretty again!

I thought I'd share a few photos from our yard! All of the irises are blooming. Along with the rhododendrun and columbine.

The daisies are blooming too...

There's a little head forming on the broccoli...

Of course when the ham saw I was taking pics she had to get in on the action...

This pose is the best, though...

And, of course, Kermit had to sneak in a pic too! Bikes are everywhere around here you know?!?!

Mountain Bike Monday - MBM's Birthday Ride

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was in the 60s with lots of sunshine and buds on the trees! Before we left for our ride we saw this beautiful monarch butterfly on one of the flowers on our patio.

Yesterday was MBM's birthday! What better way to spend your day than with your two friends, Dynamo and Dirt Diva! :) At least we think so, but we're biased of course!

We met MBM at the park and did a nice spin on the Lakeview Trails. I, of course, rode Kermit since Dynamo's still working on my Spot bikes (yes, that plural reference was a hint at what's to come).

There were a few signs of spring, but for the most part everything is still pretty brown in the woods. Here's a pic of a little bridge/crossing. There are quite a few of these on the Lakeview Trails at Pocohontas.

In the above pic, you can see that MBM was the leader at this point in the ride. I told him that since it's getting warmer, it's time for him to take the lead occasionally. Today was practice for that role. Plus, it was his birthday! The leader's job is to spot the snakes. This is not a duty that I particularly want after last year. I ALWAYS lead and as a result I ALWAYS get the cobwebs in my face and ALWAYS see the snakes first. This is not good for the heart, I promise!

So, this year I told MBM that I would lead until I saw the snake (and, trust me, we'll see one), and then it will be his turn for the rest of the season.

There are lots of cool logs that experienced riders can test out on the trail. What I like about these trails is that at most points where there are challenges, there are two choices...a beginner and an experienced option. So, as you get better you can try the log if you want or just keep rolling by.

The lake had a couple of fishermen today. At the scenic lookout where we always stop on Lakeview 3, we snapped this pic.

And, of course no ride on the Lakeview Trails would be complete without the creek crossing that always challenges me.

The ride was great. I felt really good. It's been different to ride with gears after all this time without them. It definitely is easier when you have the option to stay in the saddle and downshift. Having gears gave my legs a rest and helped me to go harder and longer. Riding with gears will allow me to ride longer distances on days when I want to do so. Don't get me wrong...it works your legs...but different muscles. Riding gears and riding SS are two different techniques and work different muscles. There is a benefit to riding both (more on that later). I can definitely see where having ridden Spot has strengthened my legs. I can push harder gears on the MCR and don't feel as exhausted as I used to.

And...as the ride was nearing the end, we saw this tree full of pink buds! Spring has definitely sprung deep in the forest. Can you see the buds? We almost missed them!

We wrapped the first part of the ride with a little over 13 miles of singletrack.

After our ride we met up with MBM's wife, Lisa, and their girls...our adopted nieces! We rode about 5 miles of fireroad with them. Quite impressive for those girls if you ask me!

They amaze me at how well they do. And, their tires are so small and they have to work so much harder! I'm so proud of them for trying so hard and riding on that terrain.

After a nice long afternoon we logged in about 18 miles. Not bad for a day's work :)

Visit my Mountain Biking photostream at Flickr to see more photos from the day!

Mountain Bike Monday - Kermit...meet Dirt Diva

Well, Kermit and I had our first real ride together yesterday!

Isn't he handsome!!?!?!

But before that we went to church with MBM, Lisa, and the girls! We had lunch afterwards, and then MBM, Dynamo, and I headed to the park.

Here are the girls after lunch enjoying their goodies for St. Patrick's Day!

It's been a long time since I've ridden a geared bike. Talk about a change. It was a good change, though. This bike is a 20 speed with a 2 by 10 setup. This means 2 sprockets in the front and 10 sprockets in the back. The gear combination obtained by the 2 by 10 setup is supposed to have an equivalent range to a 27 speed, 3 by 9 setup. I really had fun on him. It was a great ride. The shifters are triggers, so I think that made a big difference for me. My Salsa has twist shifters, which always seemed to give me trouble. Kermit's shifters were easier, in my opinion, but it is personal preference. One isn't better than the other. 

We did some fireroad to the trails and then some singletrack. Overall, it was about 14.5 miles. A good ride! I really felt good and comfortable on Kermit. I'm super excited about him being added to our family! Right now he might be my only mode of transportation since Spot is still waiting for a part. Good thing we have backups :)

I hope you all had a great weekend. The weather was glorious. I couldn't believe that I was riding in a sleeveless shirt and shorts! I even sprayed with bugspray as a precaution, but no slithering creatures yet. Hope you all got out and got some sunshine!

Mountain Bike Monday - The Magic Carpet Ride

Here it is...

Dynamo's been waiting patiently for our newest addition to the family; the Niner M.C.R. (hence the title of the post, Magic Carpet Ride). I just love the names these companies give for their frames! His name is "Kermit" and it's quite fitting don't you think? The frames have been on backorder for a while, but his finally arrived and Carytown Bikes built it up and had it ready to go on Friday so we could have our Saturday ride.

I know what you're thinking...another bike? Do we really need another bike? Well, as I explained to my co-worker, "Each bike has a purpose." She said to me, "You're really a saleswoman aren't you?" I just laughed!

This bike is special because he will be Dynamo's partner for the 100 mile Cohutta Bike Race at the end of April in Tennessee. He really loved his Single Speed S.I.R. 9 (by the way... S.I.R. stands for "Steel Is Real.")so much that he wanted to get a geared bike with the same geometry for the big race. So, our plan was to sell his Independent Fabrication 26 inch and my Salsa 26 inch and get a geared bike for both of us to be able to ride. The M.C.R. is the geared version of that bike. We ride our SS bikes for the most part now, but there are times when gears are a must. And...this upcoming race is a must for gears.

Dynamo went out for a ride on Kermit Saturday. I met him with Spot towards the end of his long ride for a quick 9 mile spin at the park. I was so excited to try out my new wheel sets! Yes, of course Dynamo couldn't get a new bike without me getting something too! So, Spot got some new shoes!

I wanted to lighten Spot up a little and since we've been having some trouble with the rear hub, it seemed like a good time to make a switch. So, I got some Stan's Crest rims with Stan's 3.30 hubs tubeless. This took off about 2 pounds or so of weight.

The wheels did spin a lot better, but the entire ride was a little hectic because we had to constantly adjust the tug nuts and realign the back wheel. This is another issue that we're in the process of remedying, but I won't go into detail here.

The ride was good. Spot rolled well once he got rolling. Dynamo was pleased with Kermit. I even got to try him out for about 2 miles of fireroad. I know he will be a nice addition to the family! Too bad they don't make a pink SS. We really need a "Miss Piggy."

One the way from the trails we saw this in the middle of the fireroad...

I'm not sure what it was, but I thought it was so sweet! A heart for my Dynamo and I on the weekend before our big 4 year wedding anniversary!

Hope your weekend was a good one.