The kids

So I've been trying to organize my season - still haven't pulled out the calendar... but I already know that this month is looking like a busy one with bike related events.  Since I'm a complete mess, let's talk about something that is going down for sure...

Kids racing bikes!

Charlotte has it's very own youth league and this weekend (Sunday March 16) is the kick off to the 2014 season.  Folks have been looking into getting mountain biking into our high schools as a legit sport, and the Charlotte Youth Cycling League is a great first step to getting some movement behind that initiative.  I'll admit it, I've slacked in getting something going in my own high school this year, but as the youth season is about to start maybe it's not too late for me to try to drum up some interest.

If you are local, like bikes, want to give back to the sport and invest in our future, then come out to North Meck  and lend a hand.  Races start at 10:30 with an all new "skills clinic" free to all racers from 9:30-10:30... great introduction to racing for first timers!!

Ready, Set,

GO!

Yesterday was the last day ay my job.  Yesterday evening was the first "meeting" for my new job.  I'm back in the schools and I'm SUPER PSYCHED!!  I'm trying not to get too excited, but so far everything about this school sounds great!  They are adding onto the school as we speak, which includes a sparkling new office for myself!  You might call it a "rebuilding" year on a lot of fronts for the school, so I'm excited to be able to start fresh there and build a program to best support or students and families.

Enough of that, let's get to the important stuff.  First off, they have a mountain bike club already!  I had planned on seeing if there would be interest in one, but I just found out they already have one, sweet!  Starting a mountain bike club was something I had been thinking about when I was back up in Massachusetts, but with the impending move on the horizon I never did it.  So I'll definitely get involved with that on some level.

There are also some local and VERY local trails to the school.  North Meck is just up the road, and Granja del Pescador (Fisher Farm) is local as well.  But, in the school's backyard is a long forgotten trail that seems to get very little love, Huntersville Athletic Park.  I got up for my meeting with some time to spare so I thought I would poke around a bit since the last review on singletracks.com was in 2011.

Well, they have a sign for them, so there has to be something there!  I went out for a walk to check out what was there and I was immediately surprised.  The trail was well taken care of and included some nice short elevation changes complete with roots!  About halfway through the first trail it dawned on me that I should be tracking the trail with my Strava phone app.  I waited until I got back to the parking lot because I had already bypassed some options and figured I'd have to go back in.  Plus, I didn't want my track to start in the middle of the woods.  Anyway, it was for exploration sake so I guess it didn't really matter, but I wanted a clearer idea of what I was working with.

Ok, from that view you can't see a damn thing.  The right loop is just that, but there was a sort of "sewer" line cut heading to the back of my new school... easy access?  But on the out and back towards 21 the trail just kinda petered out.  Looks like a great opportunity to either bushwhack to find the old trail, or blaze one myself.  Here is a better view of the opportunity using the strava track on the satellite view.

Looks like there would be room to explore between the neighborhoods and 21.  It's not a long trail by any means.  You can see I walked 1.5 miles.  Might be able to squeeze 2 from the existing stuff, and if I can "find" more between 21 and the neighborhoods we might be looking at 3-4?  Just might be a nice easy outing for the mountain bike club with enough in the trail to help kids work on some skills and techniques.

Oh yeah, and I'm on summer vacation now!!

Holla Atcha Boy

things fall apart

I've had so much to say - but haven't been able to say it.  And that's no fault of yours, so I apologize for leaving you all alone the past two days.  Can you ever forgive me?

I wasn't able to be here Monday and Tuesday because of training.  No, not race training, work training. I'd MUCH rather be stuck in the garage on the trainer than at work trainings.  Although, I will say this one thing... at least the trainers were entertaining.  While the work training threw off my schedule and I was unable to find the time to get my posts done a lot of things will be left out or otherwise truncated.

Last week a number of things took the opportunity of riding away from me in a big way - so I made up for it Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  I almost made it out Sunday but my brother had a friend visiting for the weekend and I attended the farewell "brunch" instead of riding solo.

Recap of the rides.

Thursday - Fisher Farm.
I already talked about this a little.  But here goes another recap.  I wore a suit (more on that later).  The rear wheel fell off between laps.  Got to keep checking and tightening my shit up.

Friday - USNWC
(some) Trails were underwater.

The water had receded, but you can see the water line was up over the trail.

PR on Goat Hill, of course riding the Glow Worm.  Maybe I should race the Glow Worm out there on Sunday?  Although, the flats will kill me, but I'll make up for it on the climbs - serious inner arguments (still) going on as to which I'll race: Glow Worm v HiFi.

Swollen river in the background

Saturday - Booty(ish) Loop
Needed a quicker ride as my brother's friend was coming into town.  So after cleaning the house I hit the streets.  I didn't take the time to map out a route, because that can be a time suck for me, so I started on my "normal" "nice side of town" ride and stumbled into the Booty Loop.  I'd always been riding it "backwards" so I jumped on in the right direction and cranked away the miles.  There was a sweet water fountain out there on the route.

This is the second time I've seen citizens put up a water fountain in front of their homes (there is also a sweet water fountain in front of a home on our new street).  People down here rock.

Last night was the social ride.  I got out there early for once and hit up two "fast laps" before the group assembled.  But that wasn't before I found this.

Yup, the front chainring was loose as can be while still remaining on the crank and I was missing a bolt.  Perhaps that was the "gears popping" sound I had heard while out at the whitewater center.  I guess I need to tighten shit up on the regular.  I tightened the remaining bolts and was good to go.  I checked my seat as well since I KNEW that had been creaking and tightened it up.  The Glow Worm was silent and fast for the group ride, just the way I like it.

Lesson Of The Week - Check Your Shit.

Big Biking Lesson - Beer isn't an option when bike building, it's a requirement.  Proper torque can not be achieved without proper beer muscles.
 

Strava angers germans

Media Fridays

We'll post videos or photos that will hopefully inspire trail shredding weekends.

I hit up Fisher Farm yesterday on the Glow Worm.  I was in the area, actually right down the street from North Meck, but figured since I haven't ridden Fisher in a while, and North Meck is already singlespeed approved, I'd give FF a try.

Well, the trail must have sensed the strava engines revving up in the parking lot, because a tree "took one for the team" and went down across the trail, hanging about 3 feet high.

Of course I'm not hitting the trail with the sole mission of getting PRs and reaching for a KOM.  This is all just a transition leading us here: Angry Hitler

But, even with the obstacle present, and the necessary dismounting and walk around, I was still able to pull PRs for the trail.  Maybe my fitness has just been improving since the last time I rode out there in who knows how long... but it seems wherever I ride the Glow Worm I've got a new PR.  Coincidence?
  

Oh, and the bit of random?  After my second lap I stopped back at the pterodactyl and as I was leaning the bike against the bike rack the back wheel fell off!!  On that lap I had noticed a strange modulation and sound coming from the rear brake - but assumed it was just mud in the pads.  Nope, I guess the wheel was loose!!  Tightened up the bolts and the wheel was good.  I guess I need to keep checking everything to make sure it's snug as I break the Glow Worm in.  

Ok, so not super ride inspiring... but if you are local, hit the trails while you can.  Looks like more rain this weekend.  

Two in One

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous.  I already had plans to hit up a night ride sponsored by the Trailblazers, and led by Chris, but I couldn't pass up the day.... I figured something "easy" would be nice, so I hit up Sherman Branch.

My garmins told me that the average temp for my ride was 75.4.  75.4 in January.  Yeah, I don't miss the northeast.  Sherman Branch is a fun trail.  It has three sections, that I guess you can pick and choose from to string together your ride, but I look at it as one giant loop - so nothing gets left out.  I wanted an "easy" ride, but that isn't to say that Sherman is a boring easy trail.  It is a fun trail for sure.  But it is a super singlespeed friendly trail - so no big climbs or super technical sections.  It's a fun, fast, bermy, flowy trail. 

Somehow, on my "easy" ride I managed to get my PR - even with a stop to clear a fallen tree across the trail.  (Maybe my fitness is getting better) It wasn't a big tree, but the angle it lay across the trail (on a fast section) made it more difficult to cross... and seeing how people tend to complain about challenges on the trail I figured I'd just get it off to the side.  But that was ok by me, made the ride feel a little more like a January ride up north.... without the snow, and bitter coldness, and constant stopping to repeat similar trail clearings this time of year.  

After the ride I had to run to the grocery store, get back home, eat something and hustle over to North Meck for the night ride.  I wasn't sure how bad traffic would be to get out there, but it ended up not being too bad.  There was a pretty good group for the ride, probably close to ten riders.  This was my first night ride in a long time, and my first group ride in a long time, and my very first group night ride... wow, that was a hand full (you know, cause I was typing and not actually telling you).  Anyway, the pace on the first lap was just about right.  Chris called it a social ride, and it was.  Good pace - you were able to chat while you rode, stops to regroup, chat some more.  At the end of the loop there was again time for some chatting and then planning on what next.  Who wanted more, and to what degree?  For the second lap we hit the trail in reverse and broke up into two groups.  A fast group and a more social paced group.  I went off with the fast group, which was fun, but interesting - since that was my first time hitting it in reverse.  

It was a great ride, and something I'm going to try to make a regular in the rotation.  It was also great to hang out with Chris a bit more out there, and talk with his wife - who offered up the Diva's services to help get Annie back out on the trails.  Oh yeah, the temp for the night ride?  66.  Yup.  

Today though... a big rainy, windy mess.  I guess that's ok since it's time to kick my own ass on the trainer.

Mini trails

Friday I went for a mid-day ride over at North Mecklenburg Park.  I'm really digging getting to hit up fresh new-to-me trails.  North Meck is one of the stops on the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series which is a race series that happens on Wednesday nights at various trails around Charlotte.  A pretty sweet idea if you ask me.

So, from what I gathered it was a short track - 3.5/4 miles long.  I was getting closer to (the shorter side of) 3 miles per lap.  So after the first lap I was worried I missed a section.  I poked around a little and used the intelligent resources given to me by my phone but it looked like I was hitting the trail correctly...  I ran through 4 laps.  It was a fun fast place.  A few rooty sections but mostly the fast buff flow I've been seeing thus far.

As I was tearing around I did have to wonder how they hold races here... there were passable sections here and there, but for the most part I could see getting stuck on the wheel of the rider in front of you for far too long.  So many switchbacks to maneuver at speed - throw in trying to jockey for position and you have a recipe for disaster.  I guess it would all come down to good communication with your fellow racers and good sportsmanship on their part to give up a line when appropriate.

As I was leaving the trails Sean texted inquiring about an after work road ride.  As the sweat poured from me I pondered the proposal.  Might be a good idea with the impending day on the lake and pulled pork to follow coming up on Saturday (not to mention the adult beverages to be enjoyed on the lake and afterwards...).  As I pulled into the driveway at TH the skies opened up and it started to pour.  Had ourselves a righteous little thunderstorm - had the whole house shaking.  So that was that, no road ride that evening.  

This week I expect to hit some more new trails.  Between looking at houses and searching for jobs I've been looking at single speed options.  Since I started riding I've always been mesmerized by the kermit green Niner One9.  Now that they've gone on to a new design the older kermit green models are on discount...  I don't know if I can justify the money that would cost, or if I'd be fast enough to merit a Niner, but that doesn't stop me from drooling!

Bare Assed

Thom P's ride - before he blinged it out in pink.

Of course there are many other bikes I've been mulling over... more financially "responsible" bikes.  And of course, nagging me in the back of my mind, do I want to drop a lot of cash on a bike that I may end up not enjoying... Although, to be completely honest I could see ABSOLUTELY loving running one speed on the trails down here.  So far everything I've faced I could see railing with a ss.  

mmmmmmm.  Don't you just love biking?