Coming Up

Night riding will soon be a reality!!  So I finally came to a decision on a light...  and it's on its way!!  Initially I was heavily investigating some options from NiteRider.  I was settling in and accepting the price and dropped a NiteRider Pro 700 Race in my pricepoint shopping cart.  Then, out of nowhere I got a reminder email from REI about their Labor Day sale going on.  Now, I SWEAR that they had trainers on sale and I was ready to pull the trigger on the CycleOps Fluid 2 but when I revisited their site there was no trace of that being a sale item... the hell??  No trainer, but they did have lights, so I perused their offerings and something caught my eye...  on a whim (meaning only about an hour of online review, research, and comparisons) I had a CygoLite MityCross 400 coming my way!!!  

The initial estimate was that I'd receive the light on Monday 9/12.  I thought that was perfect timing... no new toys to distract me prior to the Landmine Classic.  Then, yesterday I happened to get a wonderful email informing me that the light would be at my doorstep on Thursday 9/8 - for those of you still on summer time (or is it just me that gets on "summer time?") that is TODAY, yeah boooyyeee!!

MityCross 320 & 400 from Cygolite on Vimeo.

As Annie mentioned, I'll be sure to fill you all in on how this bad bay performs on the trail.  Having never ridden in the dark before I won't really have anything to compare it with... other than it's ability to keep me from totally destroying myself on the trails at night.

Monday Greater Boston NEMBA is holding it's monthly chapter meeting, and I think I might just go.  I've wanted to attend in the past, but never actually made it... mostly because I was on "summer time" and didn't realize I missed Monday altogether...  But I feel that this meeting is especially important as the DCR is revealing it's final Resource Management Plan for the Fells.  For those of you who ride in Massachusetts you know how crucial this is.  For those of you not from the area here's a brief history of the Fells, which is a Reservation super close to Boston.  

The Fells has been super stringent with mountain bike access for the past 25 years.  NEMBA has been working hard to gain equal access and debunk some of the crazy claims that other users (The Friends of the Fells, cough, cough) make to try to keep mountain bikers off the trails.  Since I have known the Fells bikes have been limited to fire roads and one loop that consists of about 15% singletrack.  To say the least, riding legal riding is limited.  Knowing how contested things have been for so long I've always kept to the designated mountain bike accessible trail and roads.  I can't say all riders have, and from what I hear the not so legal stuff is killer... but others have worked far too hard and too long to get us rights for me to throw that all away so I can shred some singletrack.

Over the past year or two the DCR has been assessing trail use by holding public forums for groups to voice their concerns, has collected many surveys from users and local community members, and have conducted surveys throughout the Reservation to examine the sustainability of trails and soils throughout the area.  They've seemingly done their due diligence throughout the process to hear everyone's concerns and desires and on Wednesday 9/14 they will be sharing their final Resource Management Plan.  

I figure it's high time that I get active and do something to help gain further access to the resources we have here in Boston.  I ride here.  Now I race here.  Time for me to pitch in so we can all keep on riding here!!  I'm excited.  I'm hopeful.  But I'm new...  I know there have been many before me that have worked hard and stayed positive only to be shut out year after year.  Let's hope things are different now... and if they aren't, well I want to be there for the planning of the next step.