Too Nice Of A Day

Yesterday was warm.  I think it was a record high or something like that.  Temps near eighty degrees in February?  You betcha.  Everyone was enjoying the weather...

I actually wanted to just hang out at the house and enjoy it, but Lunchbox and I had already made plans to attend race number four of the Winter Short Track Series.  Instead of setting up all the heckle props though, I made a decision based on sad eyes that stared me down when I tried to leave the house.

I brought my little buddy along to enjoy the day with me.

Carl loves going "bye-bye."  He also loves being out in public around bike people, because to most of those people he is quite famous.  Everyone loves Carl, and he loves the attention.  I'm glad we brought him, and not just because he enjoys it.


The Heckle Hill crowd was a little thin anyway.

While we didn't setup our props, we made the best of it.  We cheered, heckled, and even drank beer (I did anyway) and had a great time out there.  And more importantly, Carl felt like one of the cool kids...

I figured that the crowd was thin because the usual people that join us at the rocks were out enjoying the nice day...on their bikes.  I didn't feel like I missed out on riding because I did that the day before.

I'll get into that tomorrow perhaps.

But for now, I'm glad that Carl had a great day out.

On The Road (Again)

After more shitty weather, the sun came out and it got a little nice around here.  Since all of our local trails were closed (and I couldn’t get out of town Saturday), I thought about doing a solo road ride.  I quickly decided against it when Little Miss Sunshine invited me on a local group ride. 

“You can go, but don’t kill anyone”, she said.

Apparently this was a causal group of pseudo-roadies, which means that they aren’t super fast, but they are pretty serious about riding skinny tires.  I figured it would be a good workout, and I went into it with a good attitude.  The plan was to stay low key, keep pedaling, and try not to make fun of/piss off those serious types.  After all, I’d be out on a bike on a nice day.  There would be no reason to be a dick about it.

We took off, and I stayed somewhere in the middle of the pack.  I knew I was headed for the hills the next morning so I wanted to save my legs.  Besides, being a no drop ride meant that I wouldn’t have to stay up front.  I took that opportunity to laugh to myself every time they pointed out “road hazards.”

Yes, they pointed at the mud on the side of the road.  Why?  I dunno.  Maybe they didn’t want anyone getting their fancy crabon bikes dirty.

We rolled out of town at a good pace, and I was actually having fun.  Every once in a while I would ride in the lead pack, but they were all over the place and it scared me a little.  I’m no roadie myself, but I can at least stay in a straight line.  Finally I stopped trying to get in the pack, and sat back to enjoy a really nice day.

We rode out by the airport, which was hilly and really fun.

When we came out of the airport, I started to question the route.  We made a turn onto a really busy road.  Before I had a chance to say anything, my chain popped off.  I fished it back on there, and decided to stop for a minute to see if I could catch a plane flying by.

I eventually did.

I was there way too long.  So long that someone from the group noticed that I was gone and came back to get me.  I was already riding at that point, and while I appreciated the fact that they didn’t want to drop me I was also (just a little) annoyed.  I was hoping to sprint like hell to catch back up to the group, but my plans were foiled.  Instead, we casually rolled back to the group (which was also casual), and gathered back together to make the last push back to where we started.

In all, it was fun.  I was really happy to be out on my bike (even if it was on the road), and those roadies were pretty cool.  Well, except for the fact that they aren’t as social as mountain bikers.  No one really talked to me during the ride, which was actually a blessing in disguise.  I like riding alone, but I get bored easily.  Being in a group helped beat the boredom and I have those folks to thank for it.  I’m pretty sure I’ll get out there again with them soon. 

Just stepping back to take a look at how I ride has done wonders for me.  Usually I only break out the road bike twice a year, and I’ve hit that already.  In the long run it will help me when I get on the trail, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I’ll never be a roadie, but I’ll ride whatever bike I damn well please whenever the hell I want to.

I guess that’s what it’s all about. 

Or not.  Maybe I’m not supposed to figure it out.  Maybe I should just ride everything and see what happens.  Who knows.  I just might start shaving my legs soon.

You know, so I can feel beautiful.

I Was Snowed In

Or iced in, whatever. That's why I wasn't here yesterday. Since I'm traveling out of town every day for work, I had to take some extra time in the morning to make sure I could get out of my neighborhood.  The snow plows/salt trucks don't get back where we live, and being on a hill made things interesting.  So yeah, that cut into my blogging time.

Anyway, since it's been shitty again and there's not been much in the way of bike riding, I can talk about how I put new Maxxis tires on one of my bikes, or how I changed a tube in another bike.

Never mind. That shit is boring, so I'm using the "nonsensical crap" category you see up there in the header.  Here goes.

Last Saturday night, Little Miss Sunshine and I went to a "rock" show.  It was supposed to be 80s hair metal cover bands, so I knew it would at least be funny. The headliner was Appetite for Destruction, with opening acts of Red, White, and Crüe, and Poison'd.  I'll let you figure out the bands they cover, mmmmkay?

First up was Poison'd, which was pretty good.  You know, for being a knock off of a band that wasn't really that good to begin with.  They even looked the part.

The music was spot on, and was quite entertaining.  Not as entertaining as some of the people in the crowd still holding on to the 80s, but I don't have time to get into that.  Anyway, they played for about an hour and disappeared backstage.  While we patiently waited for the "next" band to come out, the Little Lady and I joked about how it would be funny if the same guys came back out in new costumes.

I'll be damned. When "Mick Mars" came out, I noticed that he looked an awful lot like "C.C. Deville", with different hair (and a hat.)  And "Vince Neil" looked exactly like "Bret Michaels" with a different shirt.  While it was indeed the same guys, they sounded different than when they were "Poison."  I've seen Mötley Crüe live, and these guys were right on the money.  Again, they played and hour, rocked the house, and retreated backstage.

We briefly wondered if the same guys would come out for the next set as "Guns n Roses." Nah, there's no way.  I mean, this was the main attraction, and they most certainly would be an entirely different band.  The "two" opening bands were just filler, right?  We were convinced that we would see some different people for the next set.

And then "Duff McKagan" came out.

Oh look, it's "Vince Neil/Bret Michaels" on the bass guitar.  As we watched the rest of the band roll out, we realized that it was the same guys as before, minus the lead singer that had yet to appear.  At least "Slash" looked the part.

And he could really play that shit too.

And then...

"Axl Rose" came out.  The crowd went nuts, like it really was him.

Finally, a fresh face.  "Axl" was the only guy not recycled from the previous lineups, and he was pretty good.  Then I started thinking that maybe it really was him.  I mean, have you seen what he looks like these days?

While the whole, "same lineup, diferent costumes" thing was funny, these guys could actually play music.  In fact, I'd be willing to bet that they sound better than if the real bands played a show together right now.  The tickets were cheap, the place was close to our house, and we were thoroughly entertained.  These guys played over three hours, and they did a helluva job.  I didn't leave there wishing I was backin the 80s, but I did leave there thankful that I didn't have to hear some washed up glam rock band struggle through an attempt to relive their glory days.

That was worth the price of admission right there.    

Nice Day For A Ride

It was that kind of day here in Charlotte. Pretty blue skies, moderate temperatures, and a little bit of free time. I was on call all weekend for work, but I had to get out and ride. Saturday they pretty much worked me to death, but for some reason they left me alone on Sunday. After getting in a road ride, it was time to take the kids out on the trail. I had a backup plan for the Kids Ride in place in case work called again, but I didn’t need it. I met up with Lunchbox, Little Miss Sunshine, and the rest of the Kids Ride crew at Sherman Branch.

We had a smaller group, but we still planned on having big fun. Now that my race season is pretty much over, I’m free on Sundays. That means we can make the Kids Rides a little more “regular.” We’ll keep them going until it gets too cold outside. You know, when winter starts rearing it’s ugly head.

Weather wasn’t a problem on Sunday though. It was a bit warm when we started at 1:00 p.m., but it was nice and cool in the woods. We did our usual route, but we moved along pretty quickly due to the size of our group. I did manage to squeeze out a few photos though.









That was pretty much it. Like I said, we were moving along. The ride was over before we knew it, but the kids had fun. I actually rode my singlespeed, and didn’t really have any issues pushing my 32X18 along at such slow speeds. I told y’all I planned on taking out the singlespeed a lot more, so it’s a start I guess. There may be a singlespeed only event for me on the horizon too, so I should probably get used to riding it. More on that later.


Short post today, I know. Go find something else to do with the rest of your day.

Much Better Than Racing

If you’ve been here for a while, then you’ve heard it before. Taking kids out to ride bikes is the best thing I do. Yesterday was another installment of the Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Ride, and I was glad to get back to it. I wear a lot of hats in the cycling community I guess. Vice President of my local mountain biking club, director of the local chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol, pretend roadie, pathetic racer, and even more pathetic blogger. The one of which I am the most proud is Kids Ride coordinator. Getting the youngin’s out on the trail is my greatest accomplishment. It doesn’t make me special or anything, but it makes me happy.

Yesterday we arrived at one of our most popular trails, Sherman Branch, and waited for the kids to arrive. Since the hurricane had no affect on us here locally (but did affect several of my friends and family), the ride was a go. It was one of the nicest days we’ve had around here in a long time, and I was looking forward to a big turnout. I wasn’t disappointed, because lots of little ones showed up to ride. Y’all know I don’t care for long, wordy posts on Mondays, so I’ll get right to the photos.

Here’s Lunchbox hitting one of the jumps out there:



And the rest of the kids (and grown-ups):





And of course a little “regular” trail time:















Little Miss Sunshine was there too:









We took a few breaks just to catch up and keep things fun:





Then it was back to the trail:










We had a blast. After the ride, we had the usual drinks and cookies, and all the kids were pretty worn out. They had fun, and I think I had just as much fun watching them have fun. Now that my race season is pretty much over, we can have quite a few more of these Kids Rides before winter shows up. Weather always plays a part in these rides, but I’m glad it didn’t hurt us yesterday. With a hurricane out there threatening us, I was a little worried that we might not get to ride. Irene left us alone, so I got lots of bike time in over the weekend. I’ll be back tomorrow with some more cycling crap and nonsense. You can bet on that.

It Was Too Nice Not To

The weather has been so freakin’ nice around here lately. I had to get outside, but not because of the weather. Since I am supposed to be “training” now, the plan was to ride for three days in a row. It all started Friday after work, when I met Little Miss Sunshine at the U.S. National Whitewater Center for some mountain bike action. After a long week at work, it would be a much needed ride. In fact, it was kinda like therapy. Speaking of therapy, this guy could probably use some:



Wow. I mean shit, wow. What the hell else can I say?


We hit the trail, ready to ride the week’s stress away. Little Miss Sunshine tried to avoid getting shocked under the giant power lines on her way to the trail entrance:



There’s not a whole lot to report here as far as the ride goes. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it did make up for all the work-related woes that one suffers from. How about a few more photos:





Did I mention that the weather was perfect?



Yes I was there. You can see my shadow in the photo above, right? I feel kinda weird asking people to take my picture just for this blog. Besides, you see enough of me around here anyway.


In other news, I broke something else:





That is my WTB Rocket V Seat. Back during the Winter Series finale, I noticed something strange while I was riding. I finally got a chance to conduct a further investigate, and discovered that I had broken the plastic parts of my seat. I guess all that extra blubber I put on over the weekend finally had an effect on my equipment.

Since I didn’t really like that seat anyway, it wasn’t a big deal. Even though I am a Clydesdale, I still have a narrow ass. That little seat wasn’t good for it, so I had been looking for a new one anyway. I ended up going back to something I'd used in the past.



The WTB Pure V. Not the fanciest seat in the world by any means. It’s a little wider, and a helluva lot more comfortable. It might weigh a little more than what I had, but I don’t really care about that. It doesn’t hurt my ass when I ride, so it is the winner. Big thanks to the folks at REI here in Charlotte for their help in obtaining a new seat for The Big O. My ass thanks you, and so do I.

We All Did It

Wait, this was from the afterparty.


I guess I should start from the beginning. On one of the most gorgeous day of the winter so far, the whole Charlotte crew here at B-43 got out to race in the Winter Series. Well, except for the Dirty Party Cycle, who was getting his ride on at an undisclosed location. Anyway, the day started with me getting to play first responder, as one of the riders in the beginner class had taken a nasty spill on one of the jumps out there. It was time to use my Bike Patroller skills.


As Little Miss Sunshine got ready to race, I got word that a racer had done down, and someone said he was unconscious. I rushed out onto the singletrack with my medic bag, and tended to the wounded cyclist. He had slammed hard on his head, but when I got there he seemed to have his wits about him. We walked him out of the trail to the awaiting professional medical aid, which checked him out further. He decided that he was well enough not to accept a ride from them to the hospital, but later I learned that he didn’t remember the crash, or the walk out of the woods up to the start/finish line. He would end up being okay, minus some cuts on his face and a dented helmet.




Anyway, Little Miss Sunshine started racing while this was going on, and I managed to get out there while she was hitting the singletrack. She was enjoying every bit of this spring-like day.



As the race went on, she was doing well. I tried to get photos from all over the trail, but my late start gave me few options. Here’s another shot of her on the approach to the start/finish line.





And just like that, she was done. Even though she had to race against some professional roadie women out there, she fared well. I think she ended up in 5th place, and she was pretty happy. That was just the beginning, as the next rider up would be the only junior member of B-43.





Yep, Lunchbox made his season debut, and this event would mark the first time his new 29er would see the race course competitively. When the signal was given, his nerves were brushed aside and he took off as fast as he could.





Even though he is new to the whole 29er movement (and clipless pedals), he handled the first lap like a champ. I rode up to the sidewalk area, and caught him speeding down to the start/finish line.





I decided that since he always gets out on the trail to capture photos of me racing, he deserved to see some photos of himself rocking the singletrack. He was pushing his big wheels as fast as he could, and putting on a good “tough guy” face for the camera.





I hurried to the rock garden, hoping to catch him on the same lap (I cut through the fire road to beat him there.) This photo is blurry, but that was probably because he was going so fast.




I rushed back into the singletrack, and this time he was so tired that he didn’t bother to put on a “racing face.” It didn’t matter though, because he was giving it all he had.





Maybe it was because he didn’t properly warm up, but that lap really did a number on him. He recovered quickly though, and pushed it through the berms to stay competitive.





Again, I cut the trail to catch him on the same lap, and caught him climbing the fire road towards the final downhill section to the start/finish line.





After that, it was one lap to go. I cheered him on, and took my place at the finish line to celebrate his first race finish of the season. He was so happy to finally be finished with this race, as you can plainly see in this photo.






Yes, there are lots of photos here. That’s partly because I took quite a few, and also because I am too lazy to use the English language to describe everything that happened out there. Since today’s post was so long (and full of entertaining photos), I’ll cut it off here and come back tomorrow with my own race report. I can’t promise that there will be as many photos (since I was racing and could photograph myself), but maybe I’ll make it slightly entertaining. See y’all tomorrow. Same bat time, same bat channel.