Allroad on a Tuesday

Mike B. and I got out for a swift paced ride today. We kept it on the roads but by no means stayed on pavement. Our route for the day: From Sandy Bottom picnic area->N.C. Arboretum->? gravel->North Boundary (479M)->Bent Creek Gap Rd(479)->Blue Ridge Parkway->back to Sandy Bottom.

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Double Up!

Last evening I decided I wasn't quite done with riding for the day and got out on rarest of rare rides, a SECOND ride in one day. I started by heading down to the new greenway then rt.191. I must have spaced out and forgotten just how far it is to the parkway because when I arrived there I was not looking forward to the return trip. I made the decision then to just head North on the parkway then turn at Biltmore Forest then head on home. I caught glimpses of the city firework display on the return trip and was home just after I really broke a sweat. I kept the pace as high as possible for the entire ride.... well, except for the couple times I stopped for photos. 20.7 miles, 1631' elevation gain, 1:24 moving time, 14.7 mph average, 34.3 mph max.



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The two hour ride

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There's just something about Tuesday nights...

8 second exposure at Slate Rock. 10:30PM 28June11

or...

Up? Down?..... Up? Down? Up. Up?

or...

This is just about the best thing ever!

or...

I feel like I'm getting away with something, like, if they knew what we were actually doing out here, they wouldn't allow it.

Yes, tonight's ride was filled with memorable quotes. It was almost like one of those parties where every moment is filled with a friend making the funniest joke you've ever heard, or pulling off a stunt or prank that no one saw coming, and you find yourself caught up right in the moment of it all thinking, wow, this sure is fun... I sure am glad I'm right here, right now.

Thanks for getting out there Mike R. and Jody F.

Jody went down in spectacular fashion, as usual

I hit the deck pretty hard myself...

Mountain bikers in the age of personal communication devices:

21.6 miles of Asheville roads

Gandhi graffiti

with Mike and Kassi. I tried to get out earlier in the day but bad weather was moving in fast. I mowed the lawn instead and the rain started to really come down just as I finished up. This isn't a lawn maintenance log though, it's a ride log.... About two hours after the storm passed Mike B. called asking if I was up for a ride. Erinna gave me the thumbs-up so off I went starting at 3:40PM.

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As I mentioned, there were storms passing through so the humidity was 100% greater than yesterday but the temperature was just about the same, hovering in the mid 80's. We started with Meadow to A.B Tech because of a train passing through

Mr. and Mrs. BrownDay

but were otherwise right back on course, headed through Kennilworth to Beaucatcher.

The Beaucatcher bridge

After those as-close-to-urban-asheville-as-you-can-get-rural-feeling-roads we crossed Charlotte street and were directly on more rural feeling roads, up Sunset to Town Mountain.

Sunset Rd

Asheville from Sunset Mountain

After a short bit of TMR we were readying ourselves for that stupid road I went down Monday night, Bartram's Walk to Wolf Cove to Beaverdam. The Droid stats say I got going 45.3 mph on that descent... (min grade 20%!) and when we got to the bottom I joked that we should ride back up, but there were no takers and really, we were all ready to head home at that point. Beaverdam to Merrimon was next, and I lost Mike and Kassi at Merrimon as I got the green light at the Ingles and they did not then they had different plans (they were heading to the Bywater) so when I saw them take a right a block before and 200' downhill from where I was I decided to just head on home. I picked up the pace once I was a solo rider and hammered to WT Weaver, through the college, past the Bywater, over the tracks, over the Craven bridge, up Waynesville(where I passed a commuter like he was standing still) and home to Westville. Great ride y'all! Thanks for getting out! Thanks for the invite!

4 rides in one week!

Sophiedog and I got out today for a chiiiilllllllll paced ride. The inner loop, counter-clockwise.
We started in the early afternoon and there were trail users around every turn. Campers, hikers, fishermen, and riders were all out enjoying this gorgeous early Summer day. Temps were in the mid 80's with no perceivable humidity. Perfect conditions.
The climb was going by quickly when I ran into the first group of riders I knew. They told me their plans for the day and just as we were parting ways Mr Bill G. came riding up. This man taught me more of Pisgah than anyone else.
He is responsible for showing me the light, for showing me that Yes, 5, 6, even 7 or 12 hours of Pisgah is not only possible but fun. After a long breather with Bill we parted ways and my climb continued.
I had forgotten just how tech the inner loop climb can be and relished every moment of it.

Bill had told me that he saw a huge rattlesnake out on the rock and so, of course, as soon as I got there I went looking for it. Well, all I found was the beautiful view that awaits every time.

The descent was great fun even though my fork needs some adjusting and I didn't have a pump. The steeps were steeper than I remembered and the fast sections were every bit as fast as I remembered.... so we were at the road again very quickly.
The last section of the ride, the gravel to close the loop, went by very slowly. Sophiedog the Brave was pretty whooped so I had to take it v e r y easy back to the Jeep.


Oh yeah, On the way down the gravel road a black bear came trotting across. Sweet.... my first bear sighting of 2011!

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A cautionary tale

When the universe is telling you to slow the f down, the best course of action is to do just that. I got out for a quick ride this evening over at Trace Ridge and around every corner I was reminded to slow down and enjoy, don't rush. I started at Bent Creek Gap and took the parkway to the top of Trace. I walked down to the sign and then let the newly refurbished SS rip. I attacked the first climb and the wheel slipped to one side as soon as I pushed hard.... I guess one side wasn't tightened well enough... then, on the first descent, I immediately knew I need to switch out the tires that are currently on... but I didn't listen to myself and I went down hard. I brushed myself off and hopped back on without a rest and continued the descent only to break a stick that was hanging in the trail with my face. Uuugh.
I picked my way down the singletrack and decided to try to turn the ride around on the climb. It was there that the SS did its job because I was immersed in total silence, at least as total as it can be for me. The single speed felt so.... right... like I was gliding up the hill.... also, just like that, I was at the first gate, Spencer, the third gate, then the top. 1:03 moving time, 1:18 total, including photo stops, bike adjustments, and dragging my ass out from the underbrush.


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