Party Time!

I just walked in from a Father's Day ride to find my baby asleep and my mother-in-law doing our laundry. How great is that?!?!?
I'm in the market for a full suspension 29er and today I got out and tried the Specialized Stumpjumper. The route for the day: 5000->Spencer->Spencer->N.E.R.->Fletcher->Middle Fork->Upper Middle->Big Ridge->Big Creek->Res. Rd.->Wash Creek->5000.. The GPS died along the way so I don't have any stats.

 Real quick, a few thoughts about the bike: The Small fits me perfectly. There was only one time (during the Spencer descent) that I questioned that. It felt like I was on my way over the bars for a moment there. That could easily be my gunshyness showing through. The bottom bracket is a little low for my tastes, too. I think that probably will be the case with any 120mm 29er I get on though, otherwise the saddle would be too high for me to mount the bike. Positives? It's stiff. No doubt about it. It climbs like a billygoat. I cleaned all of Spencer up and Big Ridge. It's stable at speed. It's stable at no speed. It's great in switchback descents, too.

 I don't have any other real ride notes expect it was an absolutely beautiful day to be in the woods. 75 degrees with bright blue skies and fluffy clouds. It rained out there this morning so the trail had excellent traction even with the skinnier-than-I'm-used-to tires. Also, and I ran into Kym S. and her buddy twice and Matt R. startled me awake right as I was arriving at my finish.

Party Time! refers to a couple of things... The Phish song I had in my head for the entire ride and life in general. You see, I had my 40th birthday the other day and my wonderful wife threw a surprise party for me:

 and last weekend I did something completely different than riding my bike. Party Time! Party Time!

Skrillex

 

Radiohead

 

 Phish

Just say NO! to shortcuts.

I was hanging out with Wode on Sunday afternoon and he asked 'So, you going on that ride, or what? Wanna go hang out at Lione's?' I waffled back and forth until I decided I could do both.

So after about 15 minutes there I headed to Beaverdam Rd via the college->Merrimon. Beaverdam was especially busy and I was more than warmed up by the time I was at Webb Cove. I was in a near sprint at times trying to get to the turn, where I knew the traffic would lighten up.

 

Almost every time I climb Webb I think about a ride when I had just moved to town. I was standing and climbing Webb as fast as I could with my head down and sweat pouring. I looked up and an old man was standing on the side of the road with his fist clinched. He then yelled out 'Whip that mule boy! Whip that mule!!'... anyway, that thought kept me pumped and I was on the gravel then at the parkway in what felt like no time at all. I decided to deviate from my original plan and head out to the overlook for a few photos

Then decided that I was actually feeling pretty damn good and sent a text to Erinna telling her I was going big and headed down Ox Creek.

The descent down Ox Creek was spectacular. The GPS says I got going over 50mph along the way and I know exactly when it was.... when it felt like I had just hit the hyperdrive button... There is nothing that I know of like the Ox Creek descent. Well, my thought was to just head out Reems Creek to Merrimon at the bottom but then I saw this sign:

and I knew I was destined to take the long way home: Hamburg Mtn->

 Main St->Weaver->Monticello->Riverside->West Asheville.

 I caught this amazing full moon rising just before passing the ByWater

 and my legs were screaming for the last few miles. I slowed to a fraction of the pace that I was holding at the start of the ride. I arrived at home a little over three hours after I started, with the early diversion. That was a great way to spend a Sunday evening.

Feeling faster

5000->Spencer->Spencer->N.E.R.->Fletcher->Middle Fork->Upper Middle Fork->Big Ridge->Big Creek->Res. Rd.->Lower Trace->Wash Creek with Mr. and Mrs. BrownDay, Liz ?., and Maximus Supremus the Dog. 

A few very quick notes: 1. I had a VERY hard warm up. 2. The heat and lack of water consumption caught up with me quickly. 3. I felt MUCH faster on the descent today than on my last couple rides post-wreck. 4. We bumped into only two other groups of riders on this beautiful Memorial Day Monday, one was Mike R., Eric C. And Jerred C. the other was two newbies from Chapel Hill. 5. Liz is a relative newbie herself and was killing it. 6. Once I felt warmed up I felt like I could have gone another 20 miles but... 7. was very happy when we got to the car anyway. Thanks for the invite Mike and Kassi!!!

Late post

On Tuesday night I got out for a mountain bike ride on my road bike. Erinna told me she thought it was a bad idea but being hard-headed as I am, I did not listen and went for it.

I parked at the entrance to Gauging Station Rd and started with Gauging Station to South Mills River trail. I did have an motive for the ride, I needed to clean up the final bits of Kenda tape that marked the Pisgah 111K race course. I figured that the only section of real singletrack would be over quickly and that the bulk of the ride would be on gravel and pavement soooo.... the road bike was my best choice. Well, Erinna's words rang true as I tried to get a sip of water while on the singletrack. I was instantly down. Uuugh. Wake up Eric!

 I continued with more caution after that and picked my way all the way to Buckhorn Gap without a single knobby on my tires. I also picked up what felt like 100 pieces of tape along the way.

 It took me much longer than anticipated to get there because of those two facts. Once on Clawhammer road the Allroad bike was clearly the correct choice. I hauled down that hill with a smile on my face the entire way. Once at the Horse stables I took a little break and made a new friend.

 He was a little skittish (who wouldn't be when visited at 11:00pm or so by a smelly guy with a light on his head?) so I took off after just a few minutes. I had a decision to make once at 477. Up the gravel or down to the pavement? I decided the pavement was a better choice.

 Instantly upon arriving I noticed something that I did not like. The painted-on-the-pavement numbers that I followed a few weeks before now extended all the way to 477. I knew 1206 was at number 150. I was at 500. Every 100 feet or so I would see the number click downward.... slowly...

 The ride to 1206 was not very strenuous, just long. It seemingly took forever to get to my next turn. Once on 1206 I was wishing for a can of coke or a caffeinated gel or something, I was getting sleepy.

 I arrived back at the Jeep just after 1AM and texted Erinna to let her know I was off the bike and coming home. Thank God I didn't have a flat or light issue or anything like that along the way. The ride had taken much longer than I had expected and my first day back to work was the next day and as it stood, I had to be there 5 hours after I got home. However, I did achieve my goals: Get a big 'ole ride in on my last day of vacation and complete the in-the-woods Pisgah 111K cleanup.

2012 Pisgah 111K Mountain Bike Race Results!!!!

Thanks Everybody, for a great weekend of racing!

Overall:
1. Sam Koerber 6:57:15
2. David Wood 6:57:16
3. Garth Prosser 7:05

4. Morgan Olsson 7:08
5. Ross Clark 7:09
6. Derek Gentry 7:15
7. Art Odell 7:19
8. Adam Engell 7:21
9. Jason Morgan 7:23:06
10. Alex Hawkins 7:23:39
11. Rich Dillon 7:24
12. Dan Meigs 7:31
13. Peter Joski 7:34
14. Russell Henderson 7:40
15. Zac Avant 7:44
16. Greg Turner 7:49
17. Mark Sackett 7:54
18. Adam Steurer 7:57
19. Jason Willis 8:00:32
20 James Wiant 8:00:54
21. Carey Lowery 8:02:43
22. Andrew Jones 8:02:57
23. Scott Smith 8:04
24. Kym Schifino 8:06:12
25. Robert Peerson 8:06:20
26. James Pittman 8:07
27. Matt Lough 8:09:17
28. Watts Dixon 8:09:19
29. Jon Cartwright 8:10
30.Ben Barnard 8:12
31. Ryan Taylor 8:16
32. Scott George 8:18:09
33. Dung Le 8:18:15
34. Brian Hackathorne 8:20
35. Ben Poss 8:21:22
36. Steve Bennett 8:21:25
37. David Olson 8:22:48
38. Colby Waller 8:22:49
39. Van Mixon 8:27:24
40. Nicholas Kindt 8:27:39
41. Lisa Randall 8:28
42. Dennis ****z 8:34
43. Eric Sauer 8:35
44. Brian Nicholson 8:37:35
45. Matt Rice 8:37:37
46. Marvin Masson 8:38:17
47. Ryan Allen 8:38:25
48. Steve Schumaker 8:41
49. Dave Holmes 8: 45
50. Mike Tiano 8:46
51. Yuri Eliashevsky 8:50:07
52. John Dove 8:50:51
53. Curtis Burge 8:52
54. Ryan Cook 8:53
55. Elizabeth McCalley 8:55
56. Alex Harrill 8:57
57. Ryan Sigsbey 8:58
58. David Lamond 9:01:41
59. Matt Fusco 9:01:58
60. Nate Helms 9:01:59
61. Zack Morrow 9:02
62. Ross Dowswell 9:04
63. Britt Farthing 9:05
64. Patrick McMahon 9:08:04
65. Nevin Lambert 9:08:25
66. Alex Ransom 9:12
67. Elisa Otter 9:13:18
68. Andrew Martin 9:13:20
69. Tony Zaffino 9:17:11
70. Mike Brown 9:17:51
71. Matt Schumaker 9:23
72. Jim River 9:31
73. Mike Kennedy 9:34
74. Thori Wolfe 9:335:30
75. Jon Angermeier 9:35:57
76. Togie Gwyn 9:38
77. Barry MacDonald 9:40:02
78. Scott Ramming 9:40:17
79. Kip Clyburn 9:41:17
80. Behjamin Wiegend 9:41:34
81. Paul Stahlschmidt 9:42
82. Scott Sidener 9:43
83. Andrew Atkins 9:44:05
84. Stanley Crocker 9:44:07
85. Jeff Fodi 9:46
86. Crispin Del Nero 9:49
87. Chad Banner 9:51
88. Asa Marshall IV 9:53:07
89. Allison Grainger 9:53:41
90. Ted Stoddard 9:55
91. Katie Miller 10:00
92. Kevin Satterfield 10:03
93. Tony Diede 10:08:03
94. Joe Collins 10:08:26
95. David Vance 10:10:30
96. Britt Warren 10:10:31
97. Sherry George 10:10:33
98. Randall Tuttle 10:12
99. JD Daubs 10:16:38
100. Jerud Crandell 10:16:50
101. Leanne McCann 10:18
102. Jay Ferguson 10:21
103. Scott Mcgraw 10:22
104. Chris Neubert 10:25
105. Rob Coulter 10:26
106. Ryan Wilson 10:27
107. Joel Koontz 10:28
108. Laura Gleason 10:38
109. Francis Corbin 10:39:03
110. Blake Turner 10:39:48
111. Kevin Arnish 10:47
112. Scott Talbert 10:49
113. Kaysee Armstrong 10:50
114. Cameron Frasier 10:51
115. Mike Pierce 10:52
116. Brian Seedy 10:55
117. Zeke Lilly 10:58
118. Jenna Walker 11:00:40
119. Landon Poteat 11:00:51
120. Kevin McCauley 11:57
121. Terrence Gleason 11:16:17
122. Chris Joice 11:16:18
123. David Gerrer 11:17
124. Jason Leonard 11:20:02
125. Damien Rodulfo 11:20:04
126. Beau Bethel 11:20:32
127. Thomas Johnson 11:22:22
128. Scott Trenor 11:22:27
129. Trey Schwalb 11:24
130. Jana Morriss 11:25
131. Bruce Burgess 11:28
132. Luther Papenfus 11:34:43
133. Chris Davis 11:34:46
134. Nick Holshouser 11:39
135. Steve Hlinak 11:40
136. Mark Overby 11:42:35
137. Randy Jones 11:42:36
138. Layla Billowitz 11:47:44
139. Laura Geotz 11:47:54
140. Brian Bradley 11:54:22
141. Patrick Roberts 11:54:23
142. Greg Bell 11:57
143. Daniel Ballard 12:02
144. Tim Kingery 12:15
145. Michael Bucking 12:26:30
146. Kim Gorelik 12:26:31
147. Scott Lewis 12:26:32
148. Jarret Peek 12:41
149. Rob Keener 13:08
150. Angela Reed 13:11
151. Jennifer Jenson 13:17
152. Chris Dusack 13:25

OPEN MEN:
1. Sam Koerber
2. David Wood
3. Ross Clark


OPEN WOMEN:
1. Carel Lowery
2. Kim Schiefino
3. Lisa Randall

MASTERS over 40:
1. Garth Prosser
2. Morgan Olsson
3. Art Odell

SINGLE SPEED:
1. Rich Dillen
2. Zac Avant
3. Mark Sackett

CLYDESDALE:
1. Brian Nicholson
2. Mike Kennedy
3. Stanley Crocker

Feelin' Good.

Tonight I went on a fun fun fun ride. I started at the river overlook on the parkway, climbed to Bent Creek Gap, descended Bent Creek Gap Road, then meandered back to the Jeep via Hardtimes connector, the paved road, and 191.

 I felt really good for the entire climb. The mile markers (all 6 of them) clicked by very quickly. I had the ipod in one ear and the gps software was keeping me up to date. I climbed the first 5 miles in 35 minutes. The second 5 miles included the gravel road descent (which I took no risks on and took a photo break at the tunnel) and it was done in 25 minutes. The third almost 5 miles took 30 minutes. Not bad.