a mountainbiker's roadride

I just got in from another intense feeling roadbike ride. This time around it was more gravel road than pavement. The multibeast performed flawlessly. doyouwannaknowwhatsalotoffun? descending 1206 to NMRC in the 53 bigring on 25 skinnies. That's what's a lot of fun.

From Bent Creek Gap->Blue Ridge Parkway->NC276->FS1206->FS5000.


Just under 33 miles, 5500' climbing, 15 miles pavement, 18 miles gravel, 2:40 time out. F Yeah!

There were a number of moments when I thought 'The roadbike is the best tool for this job':
1. Climbing the parkway from Bent Creek Gap to Wagon Road Gap.
2. Descending NC276.
3. The flatish sections of FS1206 to Bradley Creek.
4. Any time the gravel roads were going up.

and.... there were two moments when I thought 'am I crazy?':

1. Descending to Bradley. It felt like I was holding an aluminum baseball bat and it was being hit by 10,000 hammers in some sort of demonic-anti-rhythm.
2. Descending 1206 at God knows how fast and I hit a long stretch of brake stutter bumps around a corner. My vision blurred out, my front wheel was floating from side to side and it felt like I was on ice in an out of control sled. Yeah.