...at Least I'm Enjoying the Ride

Good Friday Ride

2009-04-10T18:35:00.010-04:00

Met Evergreen Andy and headed out to some local trails that I had never ridden before. We started the ride around 1pm knowing that we had a pretty good chance of seeing some afternoon rain. We rode an unnamed trail for an hour or so, rode for a minute on the road, and then entered the Beaver Dam trail system. At Beaver Dam, we rode a pretty fast lap on the south loop and then back out to the road. We returned to the car via the same trail we came from in rainy conditions. We got to take a bunch of pics and some video. I will post up more info on the loop from Andy's fancy GPS later.

The trail was very diverse. Some sections were rocky...

Lots of bench cut...

Some cool rock bridges and creek crossings...

A good amount of fast hard pack...
Paralleling a creek (on the left)...

Running the ridgeline of Falls Lake...

Me climbing a steep, technical section (click play)...

Andy climbing another steep, technical climb on his singlespeed. This angle does not do it justice.

The trail was great. Flowy and fast with some great trail work. We are supposed to have rain until noon tomorrow.

Spring Break

2009-04-09T18:43:00.006-04:00

It's been a busy week trying to tie up loose ends in my classes before Spring Break. I haven't posted in a few days but I've been spending a good amount of time outside on the trail...

Monday: No ride

Tuesday: 3 laps at the home trail in the evening.

It's almost 8 when the sun goes down...

There is pollen everywhere, its like riding through a cloud of yellow haze. It also sticks to tires...

The pollen is so thick, you can see tracks of it on the bridges...

Wednesday: 3 more, same place.

My new setup. Riser bar from a flat bar. Regular, round, ODI Ruffian Grips instead of Ergons. I like it, the riser is great and a good change of pace from my singlespeed with a flat bar and bar ends. I liked the Ergon grips but I was starting to think about them too much; the angle, position, etc. Mia is indifferent.

Thursday: Trailwork

I finally got around to fixing this rut at the end of a steep, fast, downhill. It had gotten so deep that it almost sucked in your front tire. Notice the stopped up drainage on the right.

I cleared out the leaves and muck, dug out the rut and rock armored it.

I had to really dig out the center and bury the rocks in the mud. They needed to be anchored more than the recent rock bridges I have been building because riders will hit this part with a ton of speed. A loose rock could be bad news. I covered the rocks with some muck and tamped it down so the muck would act like mortar. I will report later how it rides.

Feels good to be on Spring Break.

Lazy Sunday

2009-04-05T18:19:00.005-04:00

A special guest showed up after dusting off his bike...We rode a lap at the usual trail...its just so easy to ride from home to the trail. Walter tearing up a switchback.

Log ride---watch Mia come in and shoot out in front as I come off the log...
(click 'play' to watch video)

It was a hot day. On the way back home, Mia protested and laid down in the soft, cool grass until she was ready.

We ate lunch and I went out for some more at the same place. Like I said, its just so simple, no car, no loading/unloading.

Walter did pretty well considering he hadn't ridden in months. Only 2 months until our journey up to Maine, tearing up every trail we can up the east coast.

I got word that Powerhouse Will tore up his road crit this morning up in Boston. Well done sir.

She's Back

2009-04-04T21:09:00.005-04:00

After 5 days off, Mia was back rolling. I rode one lap at my favorite spot with Mia, rode back to the house with her and rolled back out for another lap at my spot and then through Umstead to another trail that cannot be named on the internet. The 100 miles of Umstead was going on and tons of people were out running and walking.

Mia beating the heat on a 76 degree day. There were still a few muddy spots on the trail. This is actually going to be my next project, rock armoring this puddle and digging another route for the water to come off the ridge. T-storms are in the forecast for Monday so stay tuned for "before and after" shots of this section. I hope mud is good for Mia's wound.

An owl shot past me and then flew up into a tree.

It's really starting to get green on the trails.

Good day of riding. Probably about 3 hours total at medium intensity.

3 days

2009-04-01T16:51:00.004-04:00

Mia is out for a week after fighting with another dog and receiving a nice bite/ puncture wound to her gut. Since I didn't have to feel guilty about riding without her, I ran the Sycamore Trail at Umstead on Sunday, rode 3 laps at the local trail Monday, and a fast, fun ride with Jef and Dan yesterday on the local trail and another fun trail which we accessed through the South Turkey Creek trail at Umstead. No camera for any of these rides.

Another video from Will's last visit...(check out the other star of the video---no wonder she is always hurt)

Wet Ride

2009-03-28T16:44:00.003-04:00

I was feeling so jealous of the hardcore crew out in Pisgah that I had to ride. It was drizzling on and off but conditions were not terrible, wet but ridable.

This rock bridge is really doing the trick. Notice the drainage at the top-center of the bridge, I fortified it with rock the other day so that it wouldn't get clogged up. The rocks keep you just over the puddle.

Mine were definitely the only tracks on the trail today...
I came home very muddy but the ride was still pretty enjoyable---not Turkey Pen/ squirrel gap, but better than nothing.

I may do a road/ dirt road ride tomorrow.

Just squeezed in a ride

2009-03-27T15:25:00.006-04:00

Unfortunately, I will not be joining the crew in Pisgah this weekend due to circumstances out of my control. Will came in town yesterday afternoon and we somehow managed to rent him a sweet Trek Fuel from the Bicycle Chain and get out for some riding at my favorite spot. It was drizzling on and off throughout the ride but conditions were surprisingly good. We experimented with some video...

Me pumping the rhythm section...

Will climbing and descending a fun section...

Will riding the newest bridge...

Will on the rock jump...

Riding in Miami

2009-03-25T16:05:00.006-04:00

I flew down to Miami this past weekend and got to do some riding. I rode at Markham Park in Fort Lauderdale. Markham is a great trail system built on the back fill from dredging of the surrounding lakes. The trail has pretty good elevation changes with some steep, quick climbs and some fast, technical downhills. The stakes are high at Markham as much of the trail is coral rock. The trails at Markham have tons of traffic and as a result, face big erosion problems. The trail builders do a great job of fixing these problems using some pretty slick techniques.

I was lucky enough to ride Markham Sunday and Monday, both mornings after overnight rain. In Miami, riders pray for rain to firm up the terrain, they are accustomed to sandy soil conditions. With temps in the mid-70's and tacky dirt, I probably rode two of the best days of the year out there. Below is near-perfect soil conditions...

Before the ride, I was forced to watch a 10-minute safety video. It was pretty amusing as I knew the two narrators well--I have been riding at Markham for close to 15 years...

After receiving my Rider Card, I rode 2 laps. There is always high competition at any trail in Miami, the sheer number of riders mixed with the Miami machismo make for some good dog fights (which I don't like to lose). After my laps, I cruised around to take some pics...

A cool bridge. The trail hits this bridge at a pretty high speed and the line makes an S-turn. The idea is to ride the outside edge of the turn and then maneuver to slide through the two trees. Very cool, very fast. I bet EMS has had to respond to this section of the trail more than once.

Typical look at the singletrack. Pretty smooth, concave (from erosion), white, chalky, coral-type rock. The trail is usually sandy but on this day it was perfect...

There are lots of obstacles and fun features all over the trail. All have ride-arounds but the tough line is usually the faster line---as it should be. The pic below shows a rocky drop/ roll on the left with the ride-around on the right.

The "Jet-Ski climb" below has eroded so much that the trail builders had to use concrete...

The climbTo a switchback
Back down

The next series of Pics are from the DNA bridge a twisty, turny, banked bridge that appeared on the cover of Bike magazine a few years ago.

Good riding, especially for Florida.

Arrived back in Raleigh on Monday night and did a big 3 hour ride on my trail and some other area trails on Tuesday. Rain for the next 4 days.

Beat the rain...

2009-03-19T18:31:00.003-04:00

Mia and I rode 3 laps at our favorite spot. Conditions were good, still muddy in some areas but definitely rideable. We saw a few other riders out.

Only 1 pic today...

We got home just before the wind and rain came in.

Couldn't help myself...

2009-03-18T18:32:00.005-04:00

I rode 2 laps on my single speed and it really wasn't too bad.

Mine were the only tracks on the trail today... I couldn't wait to ride my new bridge. Not only does it keep you out of the mud, it allows you to keep momentum up the next climb. This view is looking back after crossing the new bridge and the old bridge.
A new tree down in one of the messiest, sloppiest parts of the trail---a real momentum killer.
My bike after 2 full laps---really not too bad for all of the rain we have had in the last few weeks. It was a pretty good ride, not the typical slog through the mud after rain. There were enough dry spots to keep up momentum. Funny how on a single speed you think so much more about momentum than on gears.

Trailwork

2009-03-17T19:38:00.012-04:00

Mia and I took a walk on the trail to assess the damage. Conditions are not horrible and its clear that the plants and trees have begun soaking in water from the ground.

The entrance was soaked as usual but draining better after the improved drainage. Look at the intermediate pool to the right of the trail that now drains efficiently into the creek...that big pool used to sit on the trail.

Some sections were wet and mucky...
Some were rocky and drier...

I finally got around to fixing a low-lying section that eventually crosses the creek. This had an awkward, low speed dropoff that killed your flow before crossing the creek and bursting up a steep little climb.

Before, looking down the trail---the way it would be ridden.

After, from the same angle--riders will ride the rocks to the wooden bridge and then across another rock bridge...

Closer up looking down the trail...

Before, looking up the trail...

After, looking up the trail...

One more close up...
Should ride nicely.

Initially, I thought the trail would be good enough to ride tomorrow but I think Thursday will be the day. Lots of spots are still very wet and muddy.

Drainage Maintenance

2009-03-14T20:05:00.007-04:00

It has been raining since yesterday morning, slow but steady. Mia was driving me crazy inside the house so I took her out to the trail to check things out. The drainage and rock bridge I built last week made such a difference that I decided to check as many "puddle" areas as I could to see why they weren't draining and walk the perimeter of the creek to open up any stoppages.

By far, the wettest section is the first section dropping down the hill. If not for the stone walk, this would be constantly muddy. There is literally a stream of water going down the hill and flowing into the creek...

Close up...

Side views...

From the entrance, the trail comes down and back up (think of a 'V') with a thick drainage creek coming perpendicular to the trail. I spent some time removing leaves and debris from the flow and opening it up a bit. I think it will make a difference.

Before...

After...
I walked the perimeter of the creek taking pictures and opening things up...

The Freak didn't realize it was raining...
Even though it was cold and rainy, it felt like a spring rain as oppsoed to winter rain. We are supposed to have more rain tomorrow but I bet the trail will dry quickly. The rocky surface, the surrounding creek, and the trees starting to absorb water are a great combination for a quick-drying trail.

Transpiration is a wonderful thing...These are the same branches pictured the other day...

I may get out for some more rock armoring tomorrow.

Gears are good

2009-03-12T19:48:00.004-04:00

I was back on my geared bike today despite the crazy sounds it was making. I turned my music up extra high and left from my secret parking lot at the top of sludge. After riding my single speed yesterday, I remembered why I love my Carver so much. The titanium feels a lot more "active" than my scandium (fancy aluminum) single speed. The bike feels like it gives when I really push into a turn and the ti seatpost is really noticeable after being without it even for one ride.

I rode down sludge and crossed the road into my favorite airport-area trail for a lap. The trail was in perfect shape and it was riding very fast. Mia was right on time at all of her normal cut-throughs, I didn't have to wait for her once. Rode the trail out and climbed back up sludge to the car. The ride took exactly 2 hours. I'm bummed about the rain in the forecast but it may give me a chance to finish an extension on the trail.

Bikes grow on trees in Raleigh...

A pic of me from a few months ago riding the same trail I rode today (photo credit "powerhouse" Will Crissman)

Last warm day for a while...

2009-03-11T18:44:00.003-04:00

Temps are supposed to drop and there will be rain in the forecast Friday through next week.

I rode three laps at the usual spot. I decided to dust off my singlespeed since my geared bike is making crazy squeeks and creaks. I realized that single spped is just plain faster, I'm forced to work much harder but standing and grunting up the hills is undoubtedly faster.

I saw four other riders out there enjoying the trail.

The only pic from the day...

Summer Time

2009-03-08T21:47:00.004-04:00

...at least it felt like it.

Rode 2 laps at New Light. Temps in the 80's. Trail conditions were very good and I actually looked forward to riding through puddles to cool off.

The breeze coming off Falls Lake was perfect...

More singletrack (Falls Lake on the right)...

I went 1 for 2 on the Gauntlet today. This section is especially difficult as the rocky section starts at the end of a fairly long, grinding climb...

Good ride, it took me a while to get it going but I felt strong. Ride time was roughly 2:20.

Lazy Saturday

2009-03-07T17:37:00.003-05:00

I didn't get out until 3ish this afternoon so Courtland, Dude, Mia, and I decided to ride a little at the home loop. Court hadn't gone biking in years and this was going to be a tough trail to get him back in the game.

The Dude was loving it...

Everything was good until a flat tire and no pump.

The sad walk home...

Pretty solid attempt at a tough trail. Mia and I rode 3 more laps and called it a day.

Good to go...

2009-03-06T19:36:00.003-05:00

Finally, the trail was dry enough to ride. Rode 2 laps at the usual spot.

Left my first tracks on the new rock bridge...

Looking back at the rock bridge, pretty smooth.
The woop-de-doo section was tacky and fast today.

Check out who is hiding behind the tree...

High 70's, possible 80's this weekend.

Before and After

2009-03-05T18:05:00.005-05:00

Paid homage to the trail-gods today.

Before...

After...

Dug out some drainage on the left side of the pictures above...

The view looking down the trail when the project was finished...

________________________________________________________

Before...

After...

I haven't been on my bike since last Friday, can't wait for the nice, warm weather this weekend.

Soaked...

2009-03-02T15:21:00.004-05:00

After three full days of steady rain followed by a 12 hour snow storm, the trails were as wet as I have ever seen them.

Mia and I walked the whole loop to assess the damage. The good news is that a good portion of the trail was in good shape, the bad news is that there were some deep puddles that will probably not dry out completely for a week.

There was running water on the stone walk at the beginning of the trail...

This spot is usually wet after rain despite the attempt to let the water run freely through it using the old pipe...

More standing water down the trail...

The log ride covered with snow...

The trail is, for the most part, surrounded by creeks that normally run with a trickle of water. Today, you could hear the water running...

My next project is to make some kind of bridge that crosses this section of the creek and the sandy crossing a little ways down...

These metal sheets look funny but they do a good job covering muddy sections...I don't think any trail riding will be possible until at least Thursday. We are predicted to be in the 70's this weekend.

Night Ride---no lights

2009-02-26T21:16:00.004-05:00

Mia and I rode the same loop as yesterday. This is normally a 2 hour loop but at the furthest point out, we are pretty far from the car. A mechanical or any other problem means riding up a tough climb in the dark. Mia and I got seperated and I waited for a good 10 minutes only to hear from some other riders that she was way back at the bridge pictured yesterday. I turned around and probably back-tracked 3 miles to find her. We rode out the loop and started the climb back to the car in the dark. It wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last.

The only picture I took. About halfway up the final push to the car...

A bunch of rain in the forecast for the next four days...

If this is Winter...

2009-02-25T20:04:00.012-05:00

... I'm not ready for Spring. Mia and I loaded up in the car heading to one of my favorite "after-work" rides. We parked at the highest point of a local unnameable trail and rode down to Old Reedy Creek Road. We crossed over I-40 and rode a pretty fast lap at another local favorite that will remain nameless.

A new bridge...

The builders of this trail are second to none. The trail is full of creative bridges, long swooping turns and very fast sections. The terrain is smoother and the forest is more more open than other trails in the area. Very Fast.

The trail is more than 10 miles but I think Mia may run 2-3 of it with all of her secret cut-throughs. Its a great dog trail as I can maintain a fast speed without worrying about leaving her behind.

Trail conditions were perfect, just moist enough to get great traction but dry enough to be very fast.This is also a very dog friendly trail because of all of the deep, running streams.

This is a great piece of singletrack paralleling the creek...

Mia on the other side of the creek wondering why I stopped...

We finished out this trail and climbed back up to the car, just before sundown.

Perfect day for riding. Temps in the 60's and dry. I'm looking forward to some color on the trail but not to rising temperatures.

Riding again tomorrow...

Convenience

2009-02-24T18:03:00.002-05:00

I considered driving somewhere to ride today but my trail is so close and convenient that I rode a few laps out there. We are supposed to have rain on Thursday and Friday so I'm going to ride somewhere different tomorrow. I forgot the camera but below is an image from this past Fall, adding a few hundred yards to the trail with Mia and her friend Dude.

Missed the Train...

2009-02-22T20:00:00.003-05:00

...to New Light. I was stuck putting together a desk at the house. I got out during the late afternoon for two quick laps. Some of the trees are already showing sign of Spring.

Look closely at the branches (not the bridge I have been too lazy to put in place)...

We had some rain this morning but the trail was perfect.

I hate that I missed New Light, life is tough--only got to ride for an hour.

Relunctantly Resting

2009-02-21T16:33:00.007-05:00

Rode three laps at my secret spot. I saw a bunch of people riding and enjoying the dry trail and the beautiful, sunny day. I came out from my first lap and saw two veteran locals I had ridden with last Thanksgiving. As we were talking, Evergreen Andy rolled up and we rode a lap together.

Andy killing it on the log ride...

Andy took off heading for Umstead and some other trails and I decided to ride a third lap. As I came out from the first half of the loop, Jef and his buddy Joel rolled up and I rode the rest of the lap with them. They took off to ride the same loop Andy and the other guys were riding. It took all of my will power to resist riding more with these guys but I'm trying to stay disciplined. I'm not getting ready for anything in particular, I just want to stay healthy and motivated. My legs felt good today and I'm itching to do some longer rides next weekend.

Mia was there using her normal short cuts---she could probably ride all day out there.

(Not sure why the picture is turned)

Rain in the forecast tomorrow...

Rest Week

2009-02-20T18:35:00.004-05:00

I am trying to take every 4th week easy to avoid burning out by summer (like 2 years ago) or injured (like last summer) so I didn't ride at all until yesterday (Thursday). We had some rain on Wednesday closing down every trail in the Triangle but my home loop was dry yesterday and almost completely dry today.

These two pics are from yesterday (Thursday). These are usually the wettest spots on the trail Today they were in much better condition. Crazy that mine were the only tracks on the trail today or yesterday--my Weirwolves have a very distinct mark in the mud.

Mia does not like rest weeks...

I am going to ride nice and easy this weekend and ramp it back it up next week...

So much for a restful weekend...

2009-02-15T17:23:00.007-05:00

I loaded Mia up in the car and headed to New Light, still sore from the ride the day before.

New Light is only open on Sundays due to hunting regulations--notice the bullet holes on the map...

I rode "First Loop" to a trail that connected to "Easy Street" with Mia and loaded her back in the car. Andy showed up and we rode one full lap with stops only to try or retry obstacles.

Andy rolling across a beautifully crafted bridge...

Log Ride...

We kept rolling to the Gauntlet, a tough, rocky climb with two tough moves to clear. I cleaned it on my second try.

We finished up the loop, Andy took off, and Mia and I rode "First Loop" to the end and took the fire road back to the car.

Mia was happy, she needed to get out of the house.

I am going to give myself the next two days off to rest--maybe a lap on my trail but nothing big until at least Wednesday.

What goes up...

2009-02-14T19:55:00.009-05:00

It was supposed to be a washout today but it turned out to be another warm, nice day. I decided to head down to Chapel Hill to ride a long out-and-back loop of secret trails. We rode from Jef's house--Jef lives at the bottom of a pretty big hill so there was no time for slacking.

We jumped into a trail that Jef built for probably 30 minutes. Lots of technical spots, log-overs, and steep hills.

Me climbing a rocky, technical uphill.

Lots of great trailwork out there. Many ridges had to be built up enough so you could ride them. A good amount of bench-cut.

Me (I think) coming down a nice section of bench cut.

A cool pic of me coming down what I think is the same downhill pictured above.

More great benchcut-Jef put on a trail building clinic out there. Very professional.

We shot out at an abandoned garage and rode to the next network of trails. When we got there, there were some local kids gawking at the big drop Jef had set up. (pic doesn't do it justice--pretty good drop)

Of course, Jef rolled it smooth as butter.

Another cool line--tough to see from the pic but its a small jump to a bigger jump---steep.

We hopped onto the road again to another network of trails. Check out the extremely small margin for error coming down these steps with a nice drop into the creek on the right.

2 pictures from a few feet after the steps. The trail goes to the right of the tree. The stakes are pretty high riding this section a mess up and your falling 15ish feet into the creek.

We took this trail to another trail that rode the ridgeline of an area lake. Great singletrack--lots of creative rollers over downed trees and nice views of the unnamed lake.

We continued on to an old four-wheeler trail. There is lots of diversity on this ride--open fields, a little road, power lines, skinnys, drops, etc.

Overall, it was an amazing network of trails. I don't think I could put the whole loop together myself since many of the trailheads are hidden.

Also rode a nice spine...

Bikes sprout out of the ground in Chapel Hill..

Tons of steep, technical climbs. I was happy to be riding a geared bike and I used the granny gear several times but as Crazy Cliff from Backcountry Excursions says..."What goes up must come down" . Lots of white knuckle, technical downhill. The trail had a "backcountry" feel as it was still covered in some leaves and there were so many technical up-and-over moves. Excellent ride.

Best part...I came home and opened the beer fridge to this...

My Valenetine's Day Present. I have the best wife ever!

Tomorrow--NEW LIGHT

2 for 2

2009-02-13T19:37:00.004-05:00

I actually rode my trail on Wednesday but forgot my camera. I took a pretty hard digger right on my head coming off the log ride (picture posted on Tuesday 2/10). I lost balance and the front wheel went down to the left followed by my head.

I took my good friend "Dr."Dean's advice and began a fierce Internal Alcohol Rub with a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout chased by a few Milwaukee's Best Lights.

Today (Friday) I rode a warm up lap and a fast lap on my trail. I was 2 for 2 on the log ride this time.

Mia and I riding one of the sweeter sections of the trail paralleling the creek. (From Will's trip a few weeks ago---photo credit to Will)...Look closely to see Mia following.

Looks like rain in the forecast Saturday--may be right on time--I've been riding a lot and a solid rest day might do me well. Probably my long road loop on Sunday or New Light.

Summer in February

2009-02-10T15:35:00.001-05:00

I got a chance to get out for a nice 3 hour tour of the local trails. Temps were in the 70's and the trails were dry.

Disclaimer: Some of the trails shown will not be named as they are not sanctioned trails.

Rode a loop at my own secret spot to warm up and get Mia outside.

It was very dry and I even rode the usually wet, and slippery log ride...

Dropped Mia off .... She rides to the trails on-leash and rides home off-leash...

Rode over to Umstead and up the South Turkey Creek trail...

Left the park and rode a connector trail to the other side of Umstead Park...

Crossed over the highway and rode another connector trail on my way to the Lake Crabtree trails...

Rode a lap at Crabtree. The Crabtree trails are fast, buff singletrack with wide swooping turns. It is known as a great place for beginners but its a lot of fun to fly around. I really enjoyed my crabtree lap today especially after riding trails that are considered very technical for the last few weeks. Nice variety.

Crabtree also has a skills are, jump line and pump track. I got in a few laps at the pump track...

Thought about riding another trail but decided to head back home to eat.

Unbelievable stretch of warm weather. Its supposed to cool down in the next few days and there may be some rain this weekend.

New Light

2009-02-08T19:24:00.001-05:00

Met up with Jef, Jim, Brian, and Chris for some fun at New Light.

A lot of new work has been done on the trail since I last rode it. Lots of great rock rollers, obstacles, log stacks. Very technical trail.

Brian rolling a boulder...Jim cruising...

Me on one of the "obstacle lines"

Lots of log rollers on the trail...

Some other trail shots. The trail follows a lot of the ridgeline that surrounds Falls Lake. Incredible flow and some really fun climbs and downhills.

Jef and new Boston-transplant Chris...

We finished off a lap and grabbed some food at the cars, lost Brian and Chris and rode the second lap with Andy, Jim's dog (Mia stayed home today)...

We rode some more and then enjoyed some cold beverages with Andy (not Jim's dog) and his buddy. Andy turned on his lights and rode 12ish miles back home from the trail (hardcore)....

I hadn't ridden New Light in a year but now it will be my regular Sunday ride (its only open on Sundays during hunting season). Great trails. Ran into a bunch of familiar faces. Good times.

Riding Aimlessly

2009-02-07T18:34:00.001-05:00

Upper 60's meant shorts and short sleeves. The ground was pretty moist yesterday after a week of freezing temps followed by a burst of warm air. Almost feels like Spring conditions. My goal was between 3 and 4 hours of medium pace riding. I had no plan in particular and no time constraints.

Started out at my home trail for a lap with Mia. (She would not have liked my leaving her home all day while I rode). It was still pretty slick in some spots.

I dropped off Mia and headed over to Umstead Park. I climbed the South Turkey Creek Trail and exited the park heading for some unnamed trails.

After about a 5 minute ride on the road, I arrived at the trailhead.

These unnamable are about 5 miles of fast, flowing singletrack.

A few images of the trail...

A new rock bridge across a creek...

...leads to a beautifully bench cut climb on a very steep slope (the pic doesn't do it justice)

I finished up a full lap and headed back into the park, descended South Turkey Creek, climbed the big climbs on North Turkey Creek Trail, went left on the Reedy Creek Trail and stopped off at the lake for some food...

I figured everything else was muddy so I decided to take the Reedy Creek Trail back to the road and go for another lap at the mystery trail shown above.

Polished off another lap at the previously unnamed trails and descended South Turkey heading for home.

Ride Time 3hours and 30 minutes.

I'm hoping to get out to New Light tomorrow with Jef and some others.

TGIF

2009-02-06T19:14:00.000-05:00

Couldn't have scripted a better Friday. Met Jef and Scott at my house and rode 2 laps at my spot. Good to see Scott venture out of the Hillsborough/ Chapel Hill area.

Jef riding the ridge that parallels the creek.

Scott getting rowdy on a bridge

We fixed the rock jump and Jef tested it out....it works.

Scott on a technical descent

Great Friday ride. Should be a great riding weekend.

...and of course, my partner in crime was there...

After the ride we enjoyed a few IPA's. Good times.

Cold but dry

2009-02-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

Temperatures were in the low 30's after work today but Mia and I were up for a ride at our secret spot. Against my better judgement, I ate a recalled Clif Bar with potentially salmonella-filled peanut butter. I'm getting a little tired of riding my home trail so often but everything else is either wet or closed. This weekend should be in the 60's and dry so I'm planning long rides Saturday and Sunday. I do feel spoiled though, riding a pretty good loop without having to load the bike in the car or deal with park rangers squawking about off-leash dogs.

We rode 1 lap to warm up and 1 lap at speed, then home for some Yoga For Cyclists. Laugh if you want to but after some injuries last Spring, I am a believer.

The image below is a switchback we built last winter follwoing the long ridge cut I showed yesterday. We had to fortify the side with logs and rocks and bench cut the right side to make it a smooth uphill turn.

No other pics of note today. I'm ready to ride some new trails. (Tough life, I know)

Dry Enough

2009-02-03T18:39:00.000-05:00

Rode 2 laps at my home course. We had rain last night into this morning but conditions weren't too bad.

This is from a section near the creek. Probably the worst mud out there. Mine were the only tracks out there today.

Mia was ready to ride as usual and was unphased by the few muddy spots. Difficult to see from the picture but to the left is a steep drop off into a creek. This section is mainly quick drying bench cut.

Looking down at the creek from the ridge.Trail should be dry tomorrow and a great weather forecast ahead.

Ride time: 1:30 from my front door.

Super Bowl Sunday--Tour de Raleigh

2009-02-01T18:30:00.001-05:00

Weather in the 60's. Mia and I rode a lap at the home trail. Mostly Dry. Pictured is the rock armoring we put in last winter.

Dropped Mia back at home, switched to my cyclocross bike and rode towards Umstead Park

Exited Umstead and rode a few miles on the Black Creek Greenway into Cary. Lake Crabtree is on the right of the picture below.

Rode on the road for a few and re-entered Umstead from another entrance. Rode another 8ish miles in the park and onto another greenway. Pictured is the new pedestrian bridge over 440.

Finished out this greenway until Meredith College and rode on fairly busy roads back to the Crabtree greenway and back home.

Total ride time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Actually 1/31/09

2009-02-01T11:08:00.000-05:00

Mia and I rode 3 laps at the home trail.

Temps in the 40's. Very Sunny. Great day to ride.

The new section, only a month old, is tracking in well.

New addition to the new section.

Mia rode all 3 laps and was ready for more.

My second ride on my new MOOTS SEATPOST.