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!

Monday ride report

Dynamo and I had off on Monday after a weekend full of wedding festivities so that he could get his long training ride in (7 hours), and I could get some things caught up around the house.

He began his ride first thing on Monday morning, and I joined him as he was finishing up his last leg. I rode with him for about 15 miles of his journey.

The forest was so lush and green...very noticable from the last time we were there the week before. It's so amazing to be able to see the changes in the forest weekly. Since we ride year round we notice a lot of those changes that otherwise wouldn't be seen.

MUTT and I got to spend more time together. Yes, we have decided to name my new Spot MUTT. He's a mutt because he is a cross between a Rocker and Longboard. Now, I'd like to come up with a word for each of the four letters of the word so that it's an acronym. Got any ideas?

He's a really good climber. I've been so pleased with him. It was a great purchase. Spot really is feeling neglected!

I do think I'm going to have to shorten his stem though. I'd like to bring my handlebars in just slightly towards me. This will help with pulling up and going over obstacles. Remember that getting the bike to fit just right is all about little tweaks here and there.

Well, the forest wasn't the only thing lively on Monday. So were the snakes. Dynamo saw two on his own (1 black snake and 1 brown/red one) and then we saw one (black) when we were together. And, they were FAST let me tell you! Normally they are a little slow, but April and May are frisky months (if you know what I mean).

I guess when you're out there for 63 miles (Go Dynamo!) you should expect to see more than the normal amount of critters. After all, it is their environment. They were a little shocked to encounter people on a Monday during the day! I'm sure they were thinking that us bikers should be working :)

And, Dynamo finally got my lenses to stop fogging up! I'm a hot head and can't always use glasses because they fog up like crazy. We bought some anti-fog stuff and it worked great! Finally, no more mud and dust and rocks in my eyes! Best $4 ever spent!

So, until next week! Hopefully we can get in another ride over the weekend and I'll have more to report next Monday on the mountain biking topic! Stay cool and watch out for the critters!