Fork Me!

O.K. I know some of you have been on me to get a suspension fork but I liked my rigid fork and I did'nt want to give it up. I have finally given in and got a new squishy fork. The main reason for the purchase was due to the fact that my arms and my elbows would be sore the day after a long ride where there was some long down hills or just really rocky single track and where I live thats all there is so I thought I would give it a try again. It's been three years of riding with a rigid fork and after the first ride I realized that it was going to take some getting used to all that movement again. First let me say that forks have changed since my last one. I'm one of those who likes to set the fork and never touch the adjustments again, so all of these knobs and dials were confusing to me. I had to set the air pressure according to my weight, in the old days you just changed the bumpers in your fork and rode it. I have learned how to adjust,myself and the fork, and I think I'm going to like this thing. I have'nt given up the rigid all together it's on my single speed. So here's to suspension for now. Now I won't be sore because of the rigid fork but because I'm getting be old as shit!

Cyclocross Virgin..

Hard! We had a little cyclocross race last night here in Staunton which was just one stop of the Blue Ridge cup series and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I think I fell at least three times,it seems I don't posses the extreme balance of some people(Jimmy Deaton). I will say I had more fun than I thought I would even though I sucked badly. Bishop showed everyone how it's done and made everthing look easy. He was ahead of me then he stopped to help another rider fix their bike and then went by me like I was standing still,which I probably was, and then he past me like two more times. We were getting points for being a cross virgin and for spectators which I think I qualified for both from the position I was in. Overall it was fun and I was on my bike...Maybe I'll do it again.

Night riding season!

Fall is here and the light of day will be shorter so that can only mean one thing "night rides" will begin to be the norm. We did our first ride of the season and we had a decent turnout with 5 guys including myself. We had a newbie and a roadie and the other three of us ride anything. The new guy did well considering he only had his bike about one week. The roadie (Ron) is a really strong rider but I think he went back in time to get his bike, he had a mountain cycle circa 94. That thing is a welders nightmare and it just bounced all over the trail but he still rode strong all night. We stayed conservative in where we rode but I hope that will change and we will venture into the GWF for some of the rides. It was a good start and hopefully we will keep the people coming out unlike last year where it wound dwindleing down to no one. Anyone reading this in the Staunton, Harrisonburg or waynesboro area please feel free to join us. We will be meeting at Black Dog bikes and leaving from there at 6 pm..Joe

Assault on Liberty Mountain!

I went to lynchburg this weekend for a much anticipated race, geared not single, for me. I am still riding rigid and 29 and that will not change. The trip down was uneventful and I would have had time to spare before the race had there been any signs or markings of where the race was going to take place . So I drove down the road I thought it was on until I saw bikes and I finally found where I needed to be. I rushed through registation and hurried up getting ready,pinning #'s, changing clothes etc.etc. I was just finishing up when I ran into one of the Black dog bikes family it was Matt Trybus and it was good to see a familiar face. We talked for a moment a then lined up. Matt was riding the smaller race and I was doing the larger 19 mile race so we were not racing together so we wished each other luck and I headed off to the start line. I have to say the trails at Liberty were right up my alley ,climbing but not for six miles in a row, and technical with some nice down hills. I went off the line and into the woods in a good position with the top five or so in my age group and we were keeping a good pace but I found myself in about third and I could see the first and second place guys not to far ahead. I love to have a rabbit to chase! Myself and the guys through about sixth place all rode together trying to catch the leaders when as we were bombing down this hill we see that the TAPE was down and the trail went in several directions. We looked at each other and decided to go this way and it turned out we were wrong so we went back but as I turned around I found I had a flat tire so I reached for my tube that had been in my jersey pocket and found that it was gone. I was riding a 29er and no one else was riding a 29er that was with me so I started walking. Long story short I walked for a while until I was found by a super nice volunteer on a quad that gave me ride back down to the start area. A DNF for me which sucked because I was feeling good and for me to be so close to the front without spitting up blood was a great feeling. I love mountainbike races because of the people . I had more people than I can count ask if I was alright or if I needed anything. I even had one female racer offer me her only tube of which I declined because she may have needed it and been in the same situation that I was already in. I was disappointed but I still had fun I just hope that next year the dont just use tape but maybe some arrows as well. I read some other blogs when I got home and the same things happened to others with getting lost because of the tape being down in spots. I would recommend this race to anyone, the entry fee was $25 and you got a free shirt not bad and they had free muffins and bagels.(free is always good)

http://www.superhumanmag.com/content/view/763/92/ Check out Lance! I'm impressed it looks as though he really pushed Dave weins causing him to beat his old record.

Road ride?

I decided to finally go out for the Thursday night fast road ride. I knew I would have been dropped if it were not for my man Mark Russell who kept the slow pace I was using or dropping back to pick me up and bring me back to the others(appreciate it). The ride was fun which is not what I was expecting because I usually despise a road ride. I usually don't get to ride that much so when I do I like to make it a Mountain bike ride but last night was a nice change. First I was'nt riding by myself and it was'nt in the dirt so I did'nt feel like I was beat up. I think I will try and do this ride as much as I can it can only help my fitness and I might have some fun in the process.. thanks to the guys for putting up with me and maybe I'll be able to keep up before long..

New Snatch

I got me some gears. I broke down and got some. It's not that I didn't like the Single any more but there were just times when I felt that I needed them.(or wanted them) Will this make me any faster-no-will they allow me to keep up with the rest of the group probably not. I got them anyway . Only time will tell which will get ridden more . I would like to thank James at Black Dog bikes for all his help in getting this thing together now all I have to do is ride it. Maybe tomorrow if weather permitting..Later