Learned

Old dog.  New tricks.  All that jazz.

Saturday my buddy Sean came down to Charlotte and we snuck in a little ride before he had to "conduct some business."  He really did have some business to attend to... quotes just felt right.

Anyway, months back Sean and I partook in the Tour De Charlotte (I in the mass of riders, Sean as a racer) and he got a brief taste of BYT.  I figured it was time that he got a proper tour of the joy that is BYT.  Since the Glow Worm was getting some brake love at my LBS, it was time to pull out the HiFi.  I had to rinse off a nice thick layer of concrete dust from the bathroom remodel and throw on a saddle and some pedals... but soon it was looking ready to ride.  Let me tell you, forks that move are WEIRD!!  Even in the parking lot I was like "woah, this things dips and dives!!"  I got over it.

Armed with our cameras, we hit up the trails.  We were just messing around, filming briefly here and there, enjoying the trail and all the recent improvements (crazy big drop/launches right off the start now).  Unfortunately, our ride got cut short as one of Sean's cleat bolts decided to abandon ship making clipping in/out impossible.  As BYT has been known to inflict pain from time to time we decided we better bail before he snapped an ankle or tore a ligament.  

What Sean did see, he loved!  We got through about half of the trail, so it wasn't a bad introduction.  He went ape shit over the poo tracks - imagine that...  We'll get out there again, for sure.  Maybe next time we'll be able to compile enough footage to do something with. 

Oh, I almost forgot to talk about the new trick.  So... there has always been one boulder that I haven't been able to conquer.  You know the one... it's after the tight squeeze through two rocks into a quick up, pass by the run-off drop, around the bend and BLAM, there it is!  Anyway, I've always stalled out on it, no matter what line I attempted to take.  Sean set me straight.  And on my first try with the new vision in my head I killed it.  No longer will I have to dread the boulder and put a foot down.  

Rockin!

when social is

too social.

We were FINALLY able to get in a ride ON a trail after all the constant raining we've had.  We hit up BYT.  It was in pretty good shape, all things considering.  A few wet spots, a little slickness out there, but definitely good to go.

I got over to the trail real early with the idea that I would get in about an hour or so of riding before the group ride.  That was, until, I realized I had left my jersey at home.  It being a social ride, I couldn't just wear my t-shirt as I'd need something for the post ride festivities.  So, back to the house - right in the thick of traffic - to get my jersey and haul ass back to the trail to make it on time for the ride.  No extra riding : (

Had a good sized group with a couple riders having never ridden BYT before, including one who hadn't been mountain biking before!!  For those who aren't local, BYT would have to be our most technical and challenging trails around.  It's the kind of trail that can beat you down physically and mentally.

The group split up from the start with the idea that we would meet up periodically throughout the trail.  Before the first meet up spot there was a flat.

As soon as he landed you could hear air blowing out of his front tire.

Luckily another rider (on a 29er) had a spare 26" tube to get him back up and running.  The flat fix pulled the social group back and left the fast guys itching to go... so they went.  We made our way through half the trail out there before it was getting a little too dark out in the woods and we decided to make our way out to get food and beverages.

It was great seeing everybody since I haven't been out in what seems like forever... but I stayed out way too late.  Getting up this morning was hard on both my mind and my body... good thing I'm basically just watching training videos on the new computer system for the school all day - fun!  

Sonya

Sonya Looney is in town!

There is a shop ride scheduled tonight with Sonya Looney that TheMutt reminded me of at yesterday's race.  For some reason I was thinking that the ride with her was on Wednesday.  So today doesn't work out as well for me schedule wise to make the ride at 5, and 5:30 is pushing it - Sonya might see me changing in the parking lot!

Of course, the weather is now coming into play.  As you see from the picture above, Sonya has been welcomed to NC with rain.  The trails around Charlotte get rather particular when rain is involved and they often go into hibernation, so I'm not sure the ride will be on with last night's rain and the predicted thunderstorms this afternoon.

Then you have my legs.  My legs are feeling a bit beat after the race yesterday (which I will get into tomorrow).  So the decision is: do I bring my bike to work with the chance of it getting a nice long shower on the back of the pterodactyl as I drive around Gastonia and let the dice roll as to whether the ride will be called off or not OR do I just call it on account of my legs and try to sneak into the Dirt Divas' meeting tomorrow to meet Sonya there?

I like the third option as it also involves a side of fried pickles.

Stop whining!!

Stop F'n whining!!

Seriously!

People are going completely f'n mental on the local forum regarding a shortcut put in on a local trail.  If you like, you can check out the action.  Or, I can save you the time.  A short cut was put in and now people are going nuts.  I get it.  There is a certain level of pride associated with this trail - it's hard.  It doesn't avoid terrain, it uses it.  I appreciate that to the fullest.

I also get that yeah, not all trail networks need to cater to beginner riders.  We are fortunate enough to have a ton of trails around - so beginners can ride here and there, and work their way up to the more difficult trails.  Makes sense.

BUT.  To go nuts because a short cut was added is a bit much.  Nothing was detracted.  We can all ride the full trail and smash a PBR after to earn all the hipster points we need.  Here is the kicker.  I rode the trail for the first time today after reading some of the virtual poo flinging and I can get why some people would rather not ride this section.  I'm not going to skip it personally... but I can see why it isn't appealing.  It is a grid - legit square grid of.... how shall we say...  well I'm not sure what it is.  Best description (sorry I didn't grab a photo) would be tiny rail road tracks sans cross beams that are raised above the surrounding swamp.  In reality - seems like a tight grid network of sewers... hence the Poo Tracks moniker.

So yeah, its interesting.  But after crossing back and forth down these poo tracks you kinda just want to get on with the ride.... I get it.  But, it's a unique feature for sure, so it's part of the trail system.  Will putting in a short cut around this make the entire trail that much easier that beginners will start flooding the trails... HELL F'N NO.  People really need to stop flipping out man and start riding the trail.

As I type this someone added a poo track segment for strava.... awesome.  I'm guessing it's a passive aggressive move - as nothing of the trail shows up on strava.... whatever.

All I know is that I loved it out there.  So much reminded me of riding back up north.  Just trails kicking your ass.  I actually had to work out there, and work I did (as well as I could on tired legs).  But it's a trail that will certainly bring me back for more.  To work harder to clean the sections I couldn't quite conquer on my first time out.

I did manage to take a few pictures while out there... certainly not enough though.  Right off the bat I was loving how the trail was "carved" out of the surrounding vines that invaded the ground... it looked awesome!

For any features they had, and they had a handful, they were marked and had an alternate - which was nice.  Some of them probably didn't need the alternate - but again that returns us to the argument above... so we'll stay away from commentary there.

looks as though most ride the feature... as you should, it's nice and wide.

another sweet, wide log/tree ride

I just love old cars in the woods.... dunno why?

Come on, that's just an easy one!

new stuff

Loch Ness perhaps?

Steeper ramp than it appears

I'll tame it soon enough