Warrior Creek – Reloaded

Just like my tour through the building of DeFeet International’s headquarters, I’ll be working backwards through my adventures from the last few days. On Monday, I had the pleasure of returning to the Kerr Scott Trail System, to take another crack at the trail I rode in the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek “race.” This time though, I had a new weapon: my new 29er, The Big O. Armed with that and my camera, I decided to try to do a little trail review.



I left the B-43 Worldwide headquarters bright and early, just after Lunchbox headed off to school. This was a solo mission, and a much-needed “alone” ride. I was looking forward to experiencing the trails without the pressures of a “race” and also to see if in fact a 29er would make a difference on those super-fun trails. I arrived on site and got ready to go.


I did a slow warm-up through the parking lot, and hit the trail at full speed. I planned on riding normally, but stopping along the way to photo-document the crazy shit I saw during the race. My first stop came up a little quicker than expected:



Yup, this is the famous bathroom where I made a pit stop on my third lap. Do you remember that? Well, since it was such a long drive to get there, I decided to stop in again. This time though, the toilet worked fine. That’s good, because I didn’t think to cram a plunger in my Awesome Strap for trailside plumbing.


After my quick pit stop, I continued down the trail. Even though I spent six hours riding it the last time, there were still parts of the trail that seemed unfamiliar. I was familiar enough though, to fly through the trails at crazy speeds. My new big wheels were fast indeed. So fast in fact, that I felt like I was moving a little quicker down the trail than I wanted to. Maybe it was because I wasn’t used to clown wheels, but I grabbed a handful of brake on more than one occasion.


Up ahead, I saw one of the many trailside decorations that puzzled me throughout the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek. This time though, I snapped a photo with ye old camera:



I’m not sure of the signifigance of that particular rock, but it was indeed entertaining. I continued on again, hitting the tight, twisty singletrack at a high rate of speed. After a few quick bermed turns, I saw the bridge that nearly threw me off the trail on my last adventure out there:



I know, it doesn’t look crazy or anything, but I was making dumb mistakes the first time out, and I had my bike flailing all over the trail like an epileptic chicken. No close calls this time though. After that photo I continued on to the funniest trailside décor, the bar:



It was at this point that the only other rider I saw that day passed me by. He asked if I was okay, and I simply said, “Yup.” I had no time to explain that I am a nearly world-famous bicycling blogger and I was there for a story of epic proportions. Off I went again.

The next notable part of the trail was when it opened up to a field. After spending a considerable amount of time in the woods, it’s kinda cool to ride a little out in the open. I stopped for another photo op, and to take it all in:



Once again I hopped back on The Big O and continued my fast pace. Soon after, I came across my most favorite thing out there: a tight, twisty, super heavy-duty bermed roller coaster-type section. I had to stop and get a picture of this one:



Since it was so fun, I climbed back up and did it several times. Not wanting to keep this fun hidden from the masses, I set up the timer on my camera to catch a few “action shots.”





After playing around for a bit, I got going again and discovered a disturbing trailside creature up ahead. This thing kinda spooked me, even though it was probably put in place to ward off evil spirits.


Who knew that voodoo was alive and well in the mountains of North Carolina?

I kept on going, wondering if I had paid the proper amount of respect to the voodoo trail thingy. Would it come back to bite me in the ass? I kept on pedaling through the trail, trying not to stop for fear of some curse catching up to me. Even though I was slightly terrified, I decided to stop at the second (and most challenging) rock garden. I made it through this thing during the race, and I was successful yet again (despite a potential voodoo hex I may have acquired.) I decided to snap a few photos of the Wicked Garden after I cleared it, in hopes that I could properly document its gnarlyitude (yep, made that one up.)

This is looking back towards the direction I came from:





After the rockin’ garden, I made the obligatory pass through the pit area from the race, and headed back into the trail. I made a wrong turn at one point, but I enjoyed the extra mileage. After about fifteen miles, I exited the trail back where I started. I didn’t have all day to be there, so I decided against another lap. I loaded up and headed back to Charlotte. On the way out, I decided to stop and take a photo of something that puzzled me every time I go ride up there:




Hmmm, a business center out in the middle of nowhere? Just what I would need if I was a traveling business man/mountain biker in need of connectivity. I guess I could have done this blog post right after I finished riding, but they appeared to be out of “business.” It looks like they are no longer connected to whatever it is that they were supposed to stay connected to.

It was a great day. It was nice to visit the mountain playground of Warrior Creek without the pressures of a “race.” That is one of the most fun trails I have ever ridden. Also, I’m really digging this 29er thing. The Big O was crazy fast…almost too fast. I found myself whizzing around corners at super-high rates of speed, most of the time much faster than I intended. With a little more practice, I should be the master of the 29 inch wheel, and hopefully that will keep me out of last place in any future races I do. Probably not, but it’s fun to dream, right?

By the way, today is Little Miss Sunshine's Birthday. Since she reads the crap and nonsense I put on here each and every day, I thought I should share her birthday will all of you fine readers. So, if you see her out and about today riding her shiny new road bike, make sure you throw a cupcake at her or something. Just kidding, but the best present would be to find a way for her to meet her idol, Lance Armstrong.




Happy Birthday, Little Miss Sunshine.

The Joy of DeFeet

Since I was away the past four days, one would assume that I have a lot to talk about. One would be correct in that assumption. I guess I’ll start with the most recent thing, which is my return to a place that I visited a few months ago.


Lunchbox had a boring field trip scheduled to a baseball game yesterday, so we let him play a little hooky from school. Little Miss Sunshine and I took the day off and we all headed over to the headquarters of DeFeet International to pay them a little visit. Since my last visit, I was invited by the Big Boss Man over there, Shane Cooper, to come back for a tour. Since he had just gotten back from the Sea Otter Classic and the Bicycle Leadership Conference, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t get to meet him. After a little communication via e-mail, I was all set. I informed him that I would be arriving from Charlotte between 10 and 11 a.m.


We got there a just about 10:00 on the dot, and we told the lady at the window (sorry, I didn’t get her name) that we were there to see Shane, the Chief Sockologist. I told her that he was expecting us. After making a few calls, she told me that he wasn’t there yet. He had told me earlier to call him if he wasn’t there, but I didn’t want to interrupt his morning bicycle commute. We told the nice lady that we would just browse around the outlet store until he got there.


After waiting a few minutes, I felt the call of nature (no worries, I won’t get too graphic.) When I walked into the bathroom, I got a good chuckle. I later learned that the fine employees of DeFeet take their fun seriously, starting with their trips to the bathroom.



After washing up and giggling for a few minutes, I opened the door and nearly bumped into Shane. He extended his hand for a handshake (luckily I had just washed mine), and we walked over so he could meet the rest of my entourage. He seemed very happy to have the B-43 team/family at DeFeet.


To be honest with you, I just expected a quick tour of the facility, since I knew he was a busy man and probably had plenty of work to do. However, he brought us all into his office for a little chat. I was amazed at how cool his office was. I thought it would be typical of some head honcho’s corporate digs, but it was more like Lunchbox’s bedroom. There were posters all over the place and DeFeet products everywhere you looked. Like I said before, it looked as if the fine folks at DeFeet were all about having fun. I didn’t take any photos of the office since I didn’t want any of DeFeet’s competitors to find out his secrets.


We talked for a good while about the history of DeFeet and Shane’s story. He even asked about us and how we came to be cyclists. There was a genuine interest there, and it made us all a very comfortable talking to him. Too bad I’m not all that interesting though. He even made a point to explain everything to Lunchbox, and he was very receptive to it all. You always hear people say that you can do anything in life as long as you put your mind to it, but Shane was living proof that your dreams can come true. I think that Lunchbox learned a valuable life lesson (and it was much better than going to some silly baseball game by the way.)


After talking for a while, we headed out to where the magic happens. We actually took the tour in reverse, which was a little weird for me since I have OCD. We started at the shipping/receiving area, and I was amazed at how many socks there actually were there. Honestly, I had no idea that they made everything there on site. I was in sock heaven.



Next stop was the packaging area. Here we found a bunch of employees doing all the packaging and testing. Just like my trip to Cane Creek, I thought that I would find a bunch of robots and an assembly line. I didn’t though. What I saw was each employee looking happy to be working there, and they personally inspected each product before it went out. When you buy from DeFeet, you can rest assured that you are getting the best quality products from real human beings made right here in the U. S. of A. Check it out:



I turned around and saw even more socks. These were the ones that aren’t perfect, but they are still quality socks. They are usually made available for sale either in bike shops or DeFeet’s own outlet store. I do own a few pairs of these “factory seconds” and I can attest to their quality and durability. You can save a little dough this way too, so that’s a plus.



Next up was a room full of knitting machines. Although we got an up close and personal view of socks being made, I didn’t take any detailed photos. DeFeet makes the best socks in the world, so we wouldn’t want their so-called competitors getting their grubby little hands on this information. You’ll have to settle for the “big picture.”



Lunchbox and I were truly amazed at how efficiently these machines cranked out socks. Little Miss Sunshine was even more amazed than we were though. Since she does sewing and embroidery as a hobby/part-time business, she was truly impressed with the equipment used in the sock-making process. We all looked down at our feet and realized that the socks we were wearing were made on those very same machines. You can't do that these days, unless you go to China or something.


We headed over to some of the offices, where we were introduced to a few of the employees. First we got to meet Caroline (a.k.a head of security from my last visit) and she seemed glad to meet us. I was hoping that I didn’t make her sound to bad when I talked about our first trip out there. We made our way through the offices, stopping to see the folks who do the custom ordering and design. That was a neat process, but again no photos of that particular operation (let’s keep it a secret.) We then headed over to a big room full of boxes, and Shane told us that this was where they kept all the yarn.



He told us that they buy everything locally, and I was amazed yet again at how much the term “Made in the USA” really meant. The good people at DeFeet International take pride in their work, and it shows in what they do and how they do it. They provide local jobs which stimulate the economy, giving people in the community a sense of pride. They even recycle the cones that hold the yarn. Nice.


Speaking of recycling, did you know that DeFeet was the first company to make socks using CoolMax Ecomade? Of course you didn’t, because you probably don’t even know what CoolMax Ecomade is in the first place (I know I didn’t.) Well, it is a fiber that is made from recycled plastic bottles. With all of the plastic bottles that we go through here in the United States, it’s nice to see that someone is putting them to good use. That says a lot about their company, and that makes me proud to be a supporter of them.


While our tour didn’t last all day, I felt like I could have spent the rest of the day there. Hell, I could live there. The people at DeFeet International are a great bunch, and I am proud to be a supporter of them. I was really impressed with their hospitality, and I want to give a special thank you to Shane, Hope, and the rest of the DeFeet crew for putting up with a mildly-famous bicycling blogger and his family for a few hours. If you aren’t wearing socks made by DeFeet, then you just plain suck. You can buy the best quality socks for your feet that come from a place right here in the U.S.A., and be proud that you support a local company. Buying American has never been so easy.
If you missed my first link, then go back and read it. Shane is a really down to earth guy that has a passion for cycling and cycling apparel. He is all about the customer, and does everything to promote DeFeet’s products. Going above and beyond is an understatement. He truly believes in the products they make, and uses them on a daily basis. I mean, how many corporate big-wigs ride their bikes to work?



I hope we can get out that way again real soon, although I now have a lifetime supply of long-lasting socks. I really think my sock drawer is now more valuable than my bike collection.




Go check out the DeFeet outlet store, located at:


371 I-40 Access Road
Hildebran, NC
Monday through Friday from 9-4

The Rings of Saturn? NO . . . IT'S THE AWESOME STRAP

There's been a bit of a roadie revolution here at B-43. While I'm a Mtn. Biker at heart I've been enjoying 60 mile road rides for the past few weekends especially since I've found some decent trails (oops) roads to ride on. The only difference I've found so far is that when your bike gets a flat amongst nothing but citrus groves it's a 30 mile hike to the trailhead.

Lucky for me I had the tools to change the flat and a big ole' fat Awesome Strap to carry them in. While I could probably fit everything I'd ever need in the awesome strap for a week long camping trip including tent, sleeping bag, food, and firewood; what I enjoy about the Awesome Strap is its simplicity. There's no need to pack things away in every nook and cranny of a seat bag and hope you can get it closed with a zipper. Cram, strap, and done. I've signed up for the Ironman 70.3 triathlon here in Orlando and the Awesome Strap is first on my equipment list. While I did suffer a time setback because of my flat, I enjoyed the pick me up of some supple citrus thanks to the Awesome Strap. Follow the shepherd he wouldn't lead you astray: BUY AN AWESOME STRAP!

Weekend Forecast

It looks like this weekend will be chock full of cycling adventures. I’m pretty happy about that, since it’s been a while since I’ve had a whole weekend on the bike. What’s going on, you ask? Well, let me tell ya.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading over to my local mountain bike playground, Poplar Tent for a memorial ride in honor of the late Curt Andrews. Mr. Andrews (of Andrews Motorsports fame) is the man responsible for the fantastic singletrack funhouse that is Poplar Tent, which is so near and dear to us here in the Charlotte area. Since he passed away a couple of weeks ago, some of the locals suggested that we do a ride out there and stuff the donation box. The box is normally reserved for the three dollar trail fee (a bargain if you ask me), but this time we’re hoping that people give a little extra. While I’ve never met him personally, I am very grateful for such a wonderful trail, and the opportunity to ride it. It was one of the first places I rode when I moved here, and it is a local favorite for sure. My thoughts go out to the Andrews family for their loss. Come on out if you’re near the Charlotte area.


Here’s a photo from my last trip out there:



On Sunday, we are heading out to the next Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Ride. This time we’ll be heading down to Matthews, NC to ride at Colonel Francis Beatty Park. The weather looks like it will be great for this one, so I’m hoping we get a lot of riders. I’m happy to get these rides back in full swing again, and I’m sure the kids are too. We’re just doing our part to get kids outside and on bikes. These little ones are the future of our sport, so the more we can do to get them out on the trail the better.

In other news, Little Miss Sunshine has officially gone on a “real” road ride. She thoroughly enjoyed it, so it looks as if her mountain bike riding may be in danger. Watch out, Tigger.


This just in, LMS has gone the way of the roadie:



Next week I have something different in store. I know I said that I have a trip planned, and that’s still all I will say for now. I should have plenty to talk about next week when I get back. I’ll be taking a few days off from the blog, so I will see y’all back here on Wednesday. Now, go ride!

Looking Ahead

Since I mentioned the upcoming Charlotte Mountain Bike Summer Series, I started looking ahead on my race calendar. It appears as if there is another six hour race in my immediate future. The Grind On The Greenway is Saturday, May 8th down in Fort Mill, SC. While I usually work as a volunteer for this race, this time I’ll be “competing.”


I actually enjoy doing the volunteer part of these bigger events, but it will be nice to actually be out on the race course as a participant this time. Little Miss Sunshine and Lunchbox will be on hand to volunteer though, so things will run smoothly. I always liked mingling with the racers before and after the big events, but I always felt a little funny not racing in them. I usually provided first aid and mechanical assistance on the trail though, along with photos and encouragement. Lunchbox actually takes better photos though, so he will be happy to have that job back. I guess my days of being a cheerleader are over for now too.


Next week, I have a visit scheduled with some really cool people (cycling people of course), but I won’t spill the beans just yet. Let’s just say that it should be very interesting, and hopefully I can get some good blog material from it. I’ll be taking LMS and LB along as well. Lunchbox hasn’t been there before, but I know he will enjoy it. What? I’m going back somewhere I’ve already visited? Yes, but you’ll have to figure it out on your own, or wait until next week for the report.


In other news, my neighbor, friend, and all-around funny guy The Chili Man has joined the blogosphere. Yes folks, he’s decided to tell the world all about what the world tells him. Even though he’s just getting started, I see a lot of potential for laugh-your-ass-off reading material. I’ve heard quite a few of his stories, and now you can too. You should be warned though; it can be a little edgy, since he hears all kinds of shit during his tours of duty. I try to keep it somewhat tame around here, but he is going all out. I like his style.


Check it:
Vic’s Bitch and Pitch



See y’all back here tomorrow for my weekend preview. Peace out.

Big Wheel Blues

Two weeks. That’s how long until the next part of my “season.” Yep, it’s that time again. Our super-fun local racing event, the Charlotte Mountain Bike Summer Series starts on April 28th. I’m looking forward to it, although I will be moving up to the next class this year. While I’m sure that my new class will be full of sandbaggers that should move up as well, I’m ready for the challenge. My usual crew, The MadSS and the Space Cowboy will be moving up as well, so at least we can compete against each other. I even heard a rumor that the MadSS will be running a geared bike for the series. That should make it interesting. Maybe I should cut back on the beer for the summer.


While I don’t really expect to blow up my class with my awesome racing ability (although I will indeed be more Awesome this summer), I figured I’ll at least have some fun along the way. Riding my new 29er should make me a little faster, but I’ll be doing twice the distance as I did in last year’s series. When all is said and done, I’ll probably be fighting my way to a mid-pack finish overall. That’s good enough for me,as long as I go down swinging. This should be an interesting race series. I have a few other events coming up as well, but I’ll talk about those when they get closer.


Well, since I’m trying out the big wheel 29er thing now, I thought I would bore the shit out of you with it. You know, beat it into the ground and such. During the week, I’m stuck inside most of the day with no chance to ride my new giant wheels. I’ll do the next best thing though, and give you another installment of my Internets Art Collection. Yeah, it’s lazy time again, but deal with it (call this a “cheat day” if you must.) There are a few things in the works here at B-43, but for now I’m just sharing some not so quality entertainment. Hey, I can’t write a top-notch blog every day. Shitty posts like this one will give you something to compare the good ones to. It’s been a little while anyway, so here you go.



A "real" big-wheeled bike.


Lots o' wheels.


Clown bike?


Ladder bike (for clowns?)


Old school big wheel bike.


Modern-day big wheel?


Got skills?


Gangsta big wheels.


Big wheel ferris wheel.


WTF?



I’ll be back with more fresh stuff soon…I promise. Thanks for playing.

Won’t Get Fooled Again

I used to say never a lot. I would never do this, never do that, etc. A few years ago, I said I would never wear one of those silly-looking cycling jerseys. Of course, once I tried one, I understood why the racer boyz wore that crap. Back on our usual trail in Florida, we actually used to laugh at those rather odd-looking characters in their spandex, with their super-seriousness and all. “Look at that guy,” one of us would say to the other. We were out there in our t-shirts, cargo shorts, and flat pedals in the hot Florida sun.


When I moved here to Charlotte a few years ago, I saw a lot more people in the “tights” crowd, and I quickly learned that most of them weren’t a bunch of serious, pompous-ass douchebags. They were pretty good guys (and gals) that knew the benefits of cycling-specific clothing. I eventually learned as well, and started wearing jerseys every time I rode. I even did it without being serious at all. Yeah, I try real hard at this stuff, but I’m all about having fun. Now I look back and say, “I shouldn’t have said the word never.”


The same thing happened when I saw people using clipless pedals. Sure, I understood the benefits of them, but I just couldn’t see being “stuck” to your bike. I saw many people having mishaps while being clipped in, and that discouraged from even considering the use of such pedals. I watched as nearly everyone I knew (including the Dirty Party Cycle and Mr. Shepherd) simply just fell over when they came to a screeching halt, and I wanted no part of that shit. I said never, no way. I’ll keep riding flat pedals until the end of time.


Well, it didn’t take long before I changed my tune again. Mr. Shepherd and I got into a discussion with a local bike shop employee a few years ago, and I listened carefully. I tried to keep an open mind, but I still had images in my head of the many crashes and fall-overs I‘d witnessed over the years. Besides, those fancy pedals and shoes cost big money, so I couldn’t see spending that kind of dough to injure myself (I got enough of that on the bike without being attached to it.) After that particular conversation, I read an article in one of the mountain bike magazines that was about trying clipless pedals for the first time. I eventually caved in, and I was successful. To this day, I’ve never had any kind of mishap because I was clipped in. I later learned that I was an exception to the rule, since everyone usually falls for no apparent reason. Again, the word never should not have been used. I’m now trying to convince Lunchbox to give them a try. He’s actually considering it.


Here’s another one for you. About four years ago, Little Miss Sunshine, Lunchbox, and I went to watch a triathlon. While I was an avid mountain biker at the time, I had no interest in being a triathlete. We went to watch our pals Mr. Shepherd and Señor Oeste compete in their first one. While I thoroughly enjoyed watching my friends swimming, biking, and running, I again said that I would never do such a thing. In fact, I thought they were a little crazy for trying. Somehow though, I got the idea in my head to try a tri (no pun intended) last year. I ended up doing two, even getting third place in my most recent one. It was such a great experience that I plan to do at least one every year from now on. Never doing that crazy shit? Sure.


Where the hell am I going with all of this? Well, since I just drank the Kool-Aid (thanks for the comment Space Cowboy) and jumped into the world of 29ers, I thought that this might be appropriate. I actually didn’t use the word “never” when I talked to others about trying big wheels though. I usually just pretended like I wasn’t interested. I eventually let my true feelings be known to Brian over at Middle Ring Cycles when he insisted that I take out one of their demo bikes. I told him that I was afraid that if I tried one, I would like it. To a retail business owner, that was music to his ears, but I wasn’t giving in. Even the regional rep from Niner Bikes who happened to be at the shop that day got in on the action. I still didn’t give in, but it was at that point that I started seriously considering building up my very own clown-wheeled bike.


As you can see from yesterday’s post, I did in fact get on the 29er bandwagon. So kids, the moral of the story today is, “Never say never.” Well, except that one time. By saying I would never do something, I kept a whole lot of opportunities from coming my way. Who know what’s next on the horizon. Maybe I’ll start shaving my legs so I can go faster. Yeah, right.