Go Clipless

Wife's first mountain bike ride

I finally did it.
Got my wife out on the trail this weekend.
First time since college...gulp...nearly 14 years ago.
She's only truly mountain biked maybe 3 or 4 times.
So for all intents and purposes, this was really like a first ride.

And she's damn good too.
Great actually!
I really believe that she's got some serious potential to go far on the bike if she wants it.

She's strong...works out nearly every day.
She cleaned just about everything the trail threw at her.
She rolled over logs like they were nothing.
I couldn't believe it actually.
Showed much poise and balance.
Very light on the bike.
Learned the attack position...downhill stance with weight over the rear wheel.
Rarely needed to take a break...even after walking a short stretch up a steep hill...
She'd get to the top...take a gulp of water and say 'let's go.'

Shit she's hot.
A regular milf, if I do say so myself.
Well...from your perspective, since I already do that...but I digress.

Said she may try to hook up on some beginner rides with the other 'girls' in the area.
That would take things to a new level.
Means that she would need to get more comfortable doing things with the bike on her own.
Load bike into car...check tire pressure...reset the chain when it falls off...you know...stuff like that.
All stuff that she currently takes for granted that I will do.

The best part was that we didn't argue at all.
Well, there was that scuffle in the parking lot as she changed into her bike shorts.
Had to wrestle that thong away from her as she was convinced I had ulterior motives for telling her that you do not wear underwear with padded bike shorts.

Says she wants to 'go clipless.'
A couple more rides and she'll be ready.

She does seem to be getting a bit cocky though.
When we arrived home and I was lifting her bike off of the roof rack she said, "are my tires flat? I rode pretty hard today."

Ok, baby, you're not that good. Yet.

Don't worry...she wore a helmet on our ride. These photos are from a staged photo shoot we did in the early spring - I forgot the camera. Flirtees sent K-girl the Dirt Flirt t-shirt to try and we had one of our friends, a semi-pro photographer take some shots. Pretty cool stuff (check out more from the shoot)...if you're in the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area and want some quality photos of the family or an event check out James Harrington.

Too much friction

It was definitely one of those days. One of those days at work when everything just got in the way. One step forward. Two steps back. Jaw clenched tight. I just had to go on a ride. I hadn't even biked to work so I couldn't spin it out on the way home either.

Went to check if J-vish was available to ride. He hemmed and hawed a bit, but he was 90%. Checked in with the Kgirl to see if a ride could be in the future. No soccer for the kids, so it was a go. 5:30pm came around and I'm headed home. Called Vish to coordinate the rendezvous time at the trail. Ring. Ring. No Vish. What's up with that? Guess I'll be riding alone. Friction.

Got to the house...no one home...how rare. Got to find some fresh riding gear, clean the Camelback, check out the bike. Wait...what's that? An opened bill on the table that's late (I forgot to pay). Kgirl's going to kill me. I know where my bread is buttered so I get on the PC and shoot the bill out real fast. Friction.

Kgirl arrived home and by now it's 6:30pm.

Kgirl: Aren't you going riding?

Me (all flustered and still in work clothes): Nah, I've got to pay this bill...still have to find my gear...no...I think it's too late...it's not worth it.

Kgirl: Don't be ridiculous. You should go. It's gorgeous out.

She doesn't know it, but that encouragement made all the difference.

Still flustered...I'm now running around all decapitated chicken style. No time to clean the Camelback. Grabbed the bike. Shhhyyt...front tire is very low...clearly one of those sneaky pinch flats. No time to change the tire...I'll pump it up and hope for the best. Only riding 10 miles at Colts Neck. Friction.

Threw the bike in the car. Shoes? Check. Helmet? Check. Pump? Check. Looked around for Miss Kittin for some jamming in the car on the way. Can't find it. Friction. Luckily Kgirl had Angels and Airwaves already loaded in the cd player. Mood is starting to change...but still harried.

The light at the corner of West Ox and West Ox (don't ask)...3 minutes.

Caught at every light on Reston Parkway.

Another 2 minutes at Whiele and Sunrise Valley.

Even stuck momentarily at Michael Faraday...that never happens.

Friction. Friction. Friction.

Finally made it to the parking lot. Most had finished their rides. One was late like me. He took off while I was giving my tire one last pump. Cool I'll have a challenge out there trying to see if I can catch up. With so much frustration...I dropped into the trail too hot. Nearly fell from the get go. Not good. Need to calm down. Get the flow. That's what this trail is good for...super fast.

Caught up to the rider at the bottom of the hill as his bike was upside down. "Need some help?" I held is bike while he tightened up a loose seat bolt. We introduced ourselves and decided to ride the loop together. Matt was good...in shape...and fast. He knew this trail as well as I. He led through to the cricket fields and I stayed on his ass to make sure he knew I could hang.

I led for the second half. Kept it in the big ring the entire time to keep the pace high. This was perfect. We took no breaks.

On the drive home I finally felt relaxed. Got a good ride in. Tire held up. Made a new friend. And all of the lights were green. Pop! My jaw came unclenched. Now I could relax. Now I felt good.

That's it. Can't think of anything really interesting to end this story. Kind of anti-climatic I guess. Sorry. Just had to get it out there. There's a lesson or two in there somewhere.

C&O Canal Memorial Day Ride

What an action packed Memorial Day weekend!

It started Saturday with a neighborhood yard sale. I hate yard sales. Sure we got rid of a lot of stuff, but it sat in my garage waiting for the sale for half a year. From now on, if it is determined that we no longer need something then it will be given away, sold, or thrown out within the week. I'm laying down the law!

After the yard sale it was time to get out of the 'sac (short for cul-de-sac) as we call it. Dr. P was feeling all lame from overdoing the squats two days before so we went to the shop and test rode some bikes instead of going for a real ride. I'll probably be buying a new bike in a few weeks so I'll let you know what I get when I get it.

On Sunday I began reorganizing the garage now that all of the stuff was gone to make room for more bikes and gear. It didn't take long before I was enticed on a quick mtb ride by neighbor Mike before the big 'sac Memorial Day BBQ.

The highlight of the weekend came on Memorial Day itself with a family bike ride along the C&O Canal Towpath.

The plan was to load up the bikes, drive to White's Ferry in Leesburg, VA, cruise the towpath for a mile or two and have a picnic lunch. My youngest Claire (aka Clairebear) is only five and we figured a couple of miles would be all she could take. Since we had never been there we really didn't know what to expect.

Lo and behold Clairebear was the star of the day as she toughed it out for more than eight miles of riding.

Now, if you'll indulge me for a few moments, here are some narrated photos of the day:

White's Ferry crossing the Potomac River from Maryland to Virginia. We drove across and parked on the Maryland side. Once on the ferry we were halfway across before we even realized it was moving.

I went to scope out the path and talk to the general store manager about any points of interest. While I was away Jack and Claire ate the post ride snacks - pre ride.

We rode about four miles to the ruins of an aqueduct along a small creek.

We poked around the aqueduct for about an hour. Jack wanted nothing more than to walk through the water with his new Keen's. Claire was a bit more aprehensive which is unusual for her.

Mommy (known to me as Kathy) joined in on the fun. We saw some interesting fish, a toad, and wild strawberries on our little side venture.

Kgirl wondering what's next. "I think I'll pleasure my husband when we get home." Ahem...oh...excuse me...this is a family show you say...I'm sorry I must have been daydreaming...let's get back to the story.

Clairebear wanted to lead on the way back to the car. She did a great job on her twitchy 16 inch tired bike and led us for more than a mile. The poor thing had to work so much harder than the rest of us.

She set a blistering 7.8 mile per hour pace. At one point Jack and Mommy took off and left us in the dust. Claire wanted to take a break, but I knew that we had left then a mile left. I challenged her to catch up to Jack. That was all the motivation she needed. She stood up on those pedals and mashed for 10 or 15 yards. Her legs started going a mile a minute...she settled in and hit 11 miles per hour. I thought the bike would just rattle apart.

Jack and Mommy decided to wait for us. When we caught up it was time for a much needed break.

Jack led the peloton for the last mile.

What an unbelievable day. The kids are growing up so fast.

Neighborhood snow riding

Ok...so yesterday I was a little bitter. Let's balance that with a bit of snow fun!

The D.C. area got socked with about ten inches of snow the other day. Truth be told, it's the first serious snow storm in these parts in about two years.

All of us in the neighborhood have been laughing at Dr.P for having bought a snow blower three seasons ago.

Today Dr.P got the last laugh.

He's been waiting for this day for years. After giving me the business for a few minutes he let me borrow the blower and the two of us proceeded to clear the driveways of about six of our neighbors and friends.

While everyone gathered in the street to sip hot chocolate, the good doctor and I began tooling around on our bikes (hey Dr.P, how old is that Jets jacket?). After fishtailing a couple of times I grabbed my helmet to set out on a longer expedition. I tried to rally the group (there are four of us in the neighborhood that ride) to head to the local trail network, but no one wanted to load up the cars, etc. Dr.P decided he would rather do his taxes then play in the snow so Jim (that's him slogging through the snow) and I headed out on the paved trails in the neighborhood (we have nine solid miles of connected paved trail).

Turned out riding on the paved path provided a singletrack like experience. It was actually easier to push through the fresh snow areas then to ride on the portion of the path where people had walked. Every once in a while I'd catch the edge of the path and slide out and have to throw the foot down. All in all it was a fun day playing in the snow like a kid again.

Speaking of kids...here's mine...Jack and Claire...hey...I'm a proud papa and it's my blog!

Father and son ride

Yesterday I took Jack out for a ride at Fox Mill Park. What a great feeling to be able to take your son out on a mountain bike ride. Jack is still a little apprehensive when he rides, but he clearly enjoyed the time out in the woods alone with Daddy. He also got progressively better as time went along. There's no doubt that the bike held him back. Even small inclines proved to be momentum busters. I can't wait for the day that he can go full on with me. I won't rush him though...or at least I'll try not to rush him. Now if you'll allow the proud papa to indulge:

Took this while riding. I kept telling Jack to look ahead and not down. Trust that the bike will follow his eyes. At just that moment I looked down at the camera...Jack came to a stop...and I ran into him at slow speed and toppled over unable to get my feet out of the pedals.

About to mount the Giant Frantic singlespeed.

Guzzling it down. He didn't believe me when I told him he'd work up a sweat. It was about 40 degrees.

Like father, like son.

Next we hung out by the "watering hole" in the center of the park. Jack's favorite place to hike and now bike!

Hey, is this thing working? Shortly after this stunning self-portrait Jack's right foot slipped into the frigid water. Time to cut this short and head back to the car.

Still with a smile on his face. Even with a soaking wet foot!

So today at dinner we were talking about getting ready for school tomorrow when Jack said, "I know what my teacher is going to ask us to do tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, what's that Jack?" asked Mommy.

"She's going to ask us to write about our Thanksgiving vacation. I'm going to write about how I went mountain biking with Daddy," exclaimed Jack.

Just imagine the smile on my face.

Schaeffer Ride and Sign Work

With the weather as fantastic as it was this Labor Day weekend, I couldn’t possibly pass a day without a ride – and when I found that Dave Magill, MORE’s trail liaison for Schaeffer Farms, was offering a ride and opportunity to do some work on the same day I just couldn’t pass it up.  In my mind, MORE offers a very attractive incentive to get out and sweat on the trails without a bike, but even without the schwag offerings and bike raffles I’m just one of those saps that love the satisfaction of giving my time to create something that I and all my brothers- and sisters-in-dirt can benefit from when it comes time to saddle up.  OK, now that we’re all inspired…let’s get on with the ride.

J-Vicious takes a bath

J-Vicious and I went to ride Colt's Neck last night for a quick loop after work. There were a ton of people in the lot getting ready for their rides. While I didn't know everyone there, I definitely recognized most everyone. There is getting to be quite the regular crowd at Colt's Neck these days.

On the trail we ran into a bunch of guys that we have seen before; Marcus, Gonzalo, and Josh. We started sharing trail stories while resting in the clearing on Carpers Farm Way half way through the loop. The five of us decided to do the full loop instead of turning back. The eastern half of this loop needs a good four or five days after a soaking rain to dry up...and even then there are several mud holes. Well the trail was in pretty good shape on this day.

We bobbed and weave through Mirkwood Forest, raced on the gravel road that leads to Browns Mill Road, and practiced a few stunts when we encountered them. One of the highlights was when J-Vicious decided he would cross a small section of the stream with a steep embankment. I smelled trouble so I whipped out the Canon SD300 to record some video...have a look.

Click the image below to view a streaming video or download it to your computer. It's only 27 seconds and about 3 megabytes in windows media (.wmv) format.

After a ride like that J needed a beer. Luckily he had planned ahead and picked up some Shiner Hefeweizen at Whole Foods before the ride. We all grabbed one from the cooler, but of course he had forgotten a bottle opener. Ahhh... but not to worry J's Vicious Cycles frame has a bottle opener welded onto the frame. We knew he came in handy for some reason!

Swimming in Difficult Run

J-Vicious, Clint, and I decided to meet up on Sunday for a 'ride with no restraints' (e.g. no time limits from the spouse, work, night-fall, etc.). The plan was to meet up at the entrance to the Colt's Neck trail behind the ice arena in Reston at 10 o' clock and ride to Great Falls park and back.

Given that it would be one of the hottest days of the year (heat index of 105), I packed some extra energy gels and filled the bladder to the rim not knowing how long we would ride. I threw the trusty C'dale on the roof and headed out. When I got to the arena parking lot, however, I was the only car there...

Legally speaking at Schaeffer Farms

This past Sunday morning Dr. P stopped by to coordinate a ride. He had some chores to do in the morning so we decided on a ride in the afternoon. Thank goodness, as I was still recovering from a late night out the night before. We debated between riding Fountainhead or Schaeffer Farms in Maryland (a full review to follow shortly), and settled on Schaeffer as neither of us had been there before.

We knew Schaeffer was a popular mtb destination, but were amazed at the number of riders in the small parking lot when we arrived. I would say there were nearly as many riders starting their rides (around 2:30 pm) as had ended. There was even a group that was tailgating after their ride.

Jack Attack's first MTB ride

After a morning ride at Greenbrier (more on that in another post), I came home to spend some time with my family. Well my four year old daughter was at a friends, my wife was running on the treadmill, and Jack (my 6 year old son) was playing with some remote control cars. So I decided to take Jack on a ride through the paved bike paths in the neighborhood.

Jack readied his 20" wheeled Giant Frantic singlespeed first and reminded me to get my helmet. (I don't know why, but after a ride like at Greenbrier it just seems like overkill to put on a helmet for the neighborhood bike paths. Nonetheless, he was right and I capitulated.) Jack led the way around the various ponds. We stopped and looked at beetles, a rabbit, and the speed of the running water through the streams. Suddenly, we came upon a dirt path that was hidden behind some brush just off of the paved path leading into the woods. "Is that singletrack I see!" Well it was not much, but I thought that now was the time to introduce my son to mountain biking.

Jack has seen me come back from rides with scrapes and bruises so he has been a little nervous about the idea of mountain biking. This little stretch of trail was perfect to overcome the fear. It started with a descent that was a little much for his coaster brakes so I told him to walk his bike to the bottom. He watched me descend the hill and he thought it was so cool. Next there was maybe 100 yards of flat singletrack that we both rode with him leading the way. He was having a ball.

There were several small logs set up one after the other with about four to six feet between them. Obviously put there by some kids that were trying various stunts. I showed Jack how to do log hops, but he could only make it over the smallest of logs (ever notice that kids bikes are even heavier then adult bikes?). Although, the logs were no more than six or eight inches high it was actually a challenge to get over the approximately eight of them that were lined up so closely together.

We rode home and Mommy snapped this picture of the proud single speeder.