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.  

2 v 0

Our national treasure known as Thom P posted up a little video today (which I can't share here because he's got some magical properties that bar me from figuring out how to embed it here...) that reminded me of something I wanted to mention.  If it hadn't been for the big TP, there would be no post today - so a round of applause for Thom.

What I wanted to reflect upon were my thoughts on the adjustment of going from a full suspension ride to a fully rigid one(9).

First big adjustment: NO front suspension.
Might sound harsh, but this was actually a welcomed change - weird I know.  On the Big Worm's maiden voyage I felt that the lack of front suspension helped me connect with the trail better and get into the berms with more confidence and speed.  On a trail going up or maintaining elevation there is no need for the front suspension - one can just loft the front tire over menacing roots and rocks.  Going downhill it's not so bad either.  Again, give your front end a little love and pick those lines quickly and precisely and you're good to go... sure your arms seem to get more of a workout than usual (which may be a function of lazy riding on the dual suspension) but it hasn't been a huge adjustment.  Or, maybe it's the big tractor tire I've got on there that helps.

So, when do you miss the front end suspension.  Haven't been missing it too much.  The weirdest riding experience sans front end suspension is when hitting little gully dips in the trail... you know, where the trail sharply dips and immediately comes back up at you.  That has been an interesting experience to ride without the front end soaking that up.  I've had to relearn the handling of those situations on the fly - and let me tell you, that can be a scary thing to learn at full speed.

Second big adjustment: the back wheel bounces!
My first impression was that I LOVE not having rear suspension (in some applications).  Climbing is even more fun then it was before!  That isn't a joke, I like climbing.  Not gravel grinds or forest roads that go on for miles on a super annoying incline that just keeps you in misery for extended periods of time.  But technical climbs that force you to motor on and find your way through the crap to get to the top - super sense of accomplishment!  I can look back and think to myself, I just laid a whooping on that trail - sucka!

The switch from dualie to zero has forced a change in positioning on the climbs.  You know, cause with one gear I'm standing more.  Inherently there is more balance to consider and weighting issues to ensure traction on the rear tire.  With the fully I would sit and spin more to account for bob.  I've experienced some loss of traction already on roots due to me being up and out of the saddle trying to fly up a hill.

But where I miss my rear suspension is in the gnarly stuff that the suspension would just eat up - allowing my rear wheel to stay grounded.  With nothing in the back, I actually have to think about the back wheel.  That's something I didn't realize until I felt the rear end go squirrely on me as roots and rocks were tossing my rear-end towards the sky.

Mind you, none of these are gripes... the Glow Worm is a super fast and maneuverable bike.  All of these "issues" can be overcome with rider adjustments.  They are just differences.  Do I love how on the HiFi I can point and shoot a decline over roots, rocks, and drops without too much concern - sure.  But I equally (if not more so) love the speed, connection, and "flickability" of the Glow Worm.

The Glow Worm keeps me focused and on my game cause the Glow Worm don't play!

turtles, beavers, and birds

I did get a ride in on Friday.  I was taking the Glow Worm out because it's fun as all hell, and the HiFi was still dirty as all hell.  I wasn't sure where I was going to ride... I figured I'd skip Sherman Branch because, even though I know it's singlespeed heaven, a 20 would be just to small out there so I decided to hit up Colonel Francis Beatty to see how I would fair out there.

Recently the trail gnomes had been out to conduct a mass root removal... blah.  I guess I understand the motivation to remove roots that people are riding around, thus causing the trail to widen... but still...  I haven't ridden the trail enough to miss the roots that were taken, although I could see evidence of their removal by the orange spray paint where they marked them, the new gouges in the trail where the roots once where, and in some cases, the roots themselves just chucked to the side.  Ride wise, didn't make a damn difference to me.

I rode 3 laps out there.  Probably would have only done two, but I lost my bottle.
AGAIN.
Same.  Damn.  One.

When I was cleaning and filling my bottles that morning I did notice that this lost bottle seemed a bit soft under the hot water.  I dunno if the damn thing is just too soft and pliable with old age that it wiggles itself out of cages... or if I just hadn't gotten him all the way in my NEW cage, thus presenting us with a case of user error.  In any case... I guess there were still enough roots out there combined with the rigid set up to rattle my bottle out.

On the second lap I tried to keep my eye out for the bottle, but no luck.  Third lap, I stopped a bunch to check out "suspect" areas of the trail... nothing.  The whole time I was just hoping to see my bottle so I could give it a big middle finger before snatching it back u and retiring it to gatorade duty around the house.

I did, however, have a little nature show while on the trail.

The wild box turtle.  He was a big mother.  But a shy fellow.

I don't know how he saw me on the camouflaged Glow Worm.

 Then we had evidence of the magical and mysterious beaver.  I didn't see any evidence of him out in the water... but he's been chewing on shore for sure.

That tree will put a serious hurting on the stream if it falls.

And then we had a slow moving bird of some sort...  just high stepping it in the water

Hanging out on one leg

Overall, the riding was fun.  Yes, there are some "rough" sections on a rigid out there.  Especially on some of those rooty, drop ridden, eroded sections.  But everything was rideable.  I mean, I did feel like I got an arm workout by the end of it, but it was fun.  By the end of lap 3 I was just fine with riding the 20, but there were enough sections that I just wanted more.  I even ghost shifted where the singletrack dumps you onto the road for a quick jaunt.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the singlespeed ride style.  Time to get more cogs and start pushing things.

Oh... I will share this gem with you before I leave.  On Annie's birthday we went bowling (her call - it was fun) and we had some food at the alley.  Apparently this place has been highlighted on the Food Network or something...  So anyway, apparently at TEN Park Lanes the menu doesn't always match the bill.  I ordered the pulled pork plate.  But I paid for something completely different.

How did she know we were from Boston?

55

Annie's Birthday, Cinco de Mayo, and rain all combined for a ride-less weekend.

Boo

So, everyone get's the day off.

Come on

Media Fridays

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

You knew it was coming.  And, if you didn't... well know you know.

Natalie Portman Rap - The Lonely Island - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

I'm riding somewhere today... looks like everything (or pretty much everything) should be back open so I'm gonna get out there with the Glow Worm and tear some shhhizzz up.

For anyone that doesn't have dirt access... go get it!

Funeral Cycling - Summit Bully from Derek Dix on Vimeo.

plans

How does one come back from a post like the one we all experienced here yesterday?  I dunno.

I really don't know.

But, not knowing what I'm doing here hasn't stopped me before... soooooo.  Here we go.

The weather yesterday was "better" but still not hopeful.  I couldn't imagine trails would be good to go, so I didn't even look to see if there would be ride opportunities out there.  Apparently there were, and I missed out on the beer ride beer.  eh.  That's what happens when you get bored and lazy at work.

On a brighter note, we seem to have an opening date to this magical new Teeter that's been slowly growing down the street.  Yeah, it's exciting (or not).  But, it does bring us to my first plan.

And that plan is to utilize the 4300 by turning it into a grocery bike.

How will the transformation come about?  Yeah, I dunno.  Maybe I'll throw a rack and a basket on it.  Maybe I'll get a trailer.  Oh the possibilities.  We shall see.  But with the grocery store being so close, not to mention the CM, an errand bike would be nice.  Plus, it'd be nice to breath a little life back into the 4300 - since little wheels are silly for dirt applications and all.

The other plan... well, I'm not going to share that just yet.  It's a biggie, but not sure how close it is to being a real possibility, so I'll let it sit in the background for a bit.

Short and sweet.

Oh, and in case you are wondering - I haven't heard from Natalie Portman yet.

Natalie Portman

I'm not going to say it's a daily occurrence, but I know you've wondered to yourself:

"Self, how does Eastwood's brain work exactly?"  

Today (thanks to the foul weather we've been having) I will shed some light on that important, and haunting, question.



The force of a bicycle crash is 64.
That is to say, if we were putting force on a scale of 1-100, a bicycle crash would consist of such a force that would be rated a 64.  I, subsequently punch with the force of a bicycle crash if my fist makes contact with full extension of my arm.  If I were able to make contact prior to full extension, therefore putting more weight into the punch, I would punch with a greater force then that of a bicycle crash.

How do I know this?  

Natalie Portman told me.

huh?

It's true.

I punched her in the face.
I punched her in the face and she let me know that I punched her with the force of a bicycle crash.

I was pretty impressed since that wasn't even the full force of an Eastwood punch.
I also, of course, knew that her assessment of my power correlated with a 64 (on a scale of 1-100).  Because, everyone knows a bicycle crash = 64.  Duh?

they tried to hide it with shadows

Yeah, that was a dream I had last night.  Welcome to my head...

Here's a song about (?), or at least titled for, Natalie Portman.

And let's bring it all back... kinda.  She rides a bike.

I guess she feels she doesn't need to wear a helmet since she already survived my (dream) punch

To Natalie Portman,

If you ever become aware of this, please do not be offended.  Rest assured, you completely understood that I was only doing what I needed to do to survive in the post apocalyptic world we found ourselves in.  You respected me for this, and we became good friends after the punch.