Mountain Bike Monday - A lovely December day!

The day couldn't have been more beautiful on Sunday as we set out for our ride at the Park.



The weather was in the 60s and gorgeous! I exposed my white legs to the world in the beginning of December!! Yikes! I can't believe how warm it was!



We started out with the plan to do 22 miles of the Monster Cross Route!



The guys didn't have to do as much waiting for me as usual. I really think I'm getting faster and stronger.



We rolled pretty quickly together. It had been a long time since the trio had been together!



We wrapped up the day with a great ride! We all felt really good! Next week we add 5 miles onto the route!

Mountain Bike Monday

Last Thursday we loaded up the little man and headed over to the Battlefield for an evening ride!



It was a lovely evening, especially for a ride in the Charlie Chariot! It's like taking a baby around. Charlie has lots of "gear" for his ride. We have the chariot, the favorite bed, a towel, his fishy, his baby, his bone, and his hoof (yes, the last two are for chewing), leash, wet wipes, bags, treats, and water). Let's just say that he has so much stuff that the chariot is loaded down.



He enjoys riding inside (we think). He just sleeps most of the time!



With him getting bigger now we may have to elimate a couple of items from the collection.



He's ready to go once he's loaded up, so we get moving fast. The breeze is so nice on the road. I think it just puts him to sleep!



I ride behind them to let Charlie know I'm there and it's ok. He doesn't get restless, but on some of the downhills it can get a little swervy! At one point Charlie was awakened by fast speeds and the trailer weaving a little side to side. His eyes got really big and he started licking his baby!



The Battlefield is a great place to ride. There are always runners, bikers, and walkers. Very few cars make for a peaceful ride.



The wildlife is plentiful! The turkeys were all puffed up and the deer nibbling on the side of the road. Neither acted concerned of us passing by.



Most of the animals look at you and then go back to eating! We completed 21.5 miles! Charlie was so content to just ride! When we pulled up at the car we unzipped him and he just sat there holding his baby.



Dynamo got a really good workout! I finally saw him sweat a little! It's pretty heavy to pull the Chariot and Charlie. Plus, there are lots of hills out there!



I drug him out of his Chariot and got some love from my baby!



We put him inside the truck and he found his way to the back. He always wants to watch us!



He's just such a brave dog. He's not afraid of anything.

We were pleased with our ride! It was a good day with hardly anyone out.



And...on Saturday afternoon we headed over to Poco. I broke out my singlespeed Spot and we hit the Green and Blue trails! On the way to the trailhead there he was!



The trails were in good shape.



We rolled pretty quickly through. I was very pleased with Spot and I must say that I felt pretty strong.



No matter what, my original Spot is still my favorite bike. It just fits me well!



After we finished up the trails we headed down to the damn to see if the snake family was back yet for the season!



I know...we must be crazy! But, it is really neat to watch them!



There were no snakes. Nothing but a few fish at the damn.



So, we headed back to the car having completed about 8.5 miles. A short ride, but a good fast one on the trusty SS.



I hope your weekend was a good one! Have a great week!

Mountain Bike Monday - Ride like the wind

Ever have one of those rides? Or, one of those days where you just felt good?



Well, yesterday's ride was just that way for me. I felt like I was flying through the trails faster than ever before.



For once I felt like I knew what I was doing out there!



It turns out I was faster than ever. I felt stronger and more comfortable on the bike yesterday than I have ever felt.



I pedaled through the turns and used my downhills properly. I felt so strong. My legs weren't tired and I didn't complain much.



I was proud of myself.



Dynamo was proud of me too! That made me feel great!



We are good ridin' buddies! I really enjoy our time together on the bike.



We chat sometimes (when I'm not panting too badly)!



We came upon a rim hanging on the tree. Then, we noticed another one up above. So...of course we took a pic! Someone was overly ambitious to get that second rim up high.



We completed the Lakeview Trails and headed up to the car a different way.



It was quite hilly as compared to our normal route back to the car.



Dynamo says this is good hill work. Yes, he's sure right about that!





Dynamo snapped lots of good pics on this ride. I had no idea he was taking so many! I hope you can see how beautiful it was in the woods. The weather was perfect. We actually thought we'd get rained on, but we made it through just in time.



Great ride for me! Fun ride overall. We got in a great 14.4 miles!

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!