New Hire, New Parts

The time has finally come to get a new mechanic here at the B-43 Worldwide Headquarters. I’ve been auditioning several potential candidates lately, and it’s been tough. Well, it’s only been tough because I don’t really have it in my budget to pay for good help, and you all know that you get what you pay for. My search hit several roadblocks along the way, but now I’ve found a good mechanic. If you recall, back at the Tree Shaker I had no mechanical issues at all. I had one of my candidates doing some wrenching for me on a trial basis, and he passed the test with flying colors. Who is this mystery candidate? Well, I’ll show you his photo to see if you recognize him:




Yes, that’s R2-D2, although he might look a little different than you may remember from all those Star Wars movies. He’s grown his hair out quite a bit, and enjoying life after Star Wars. He’s worked in a few movies since then, lending his acting talent to the latest round of Family Guy Star Wars Movies. Here’s a picture from one of those:




So, since his acting career is obviously in the toilet, I got him on the cheap. You should all know by now that cheap is right up my alley, so I hired him on the spot. Although he’s just an actor, he’s “acted” as a mechanic in those Star Wars movies. I figured that what he did in those movies was real, so that makes him qualified. As an ex-Hollywood type, he does get a little mouthy sometimes though. I have to remind him occasionally not to get technical with me, and to perform his job duties like he promised he would. His first official act in the B-43 shop? He brought me a nice, cold, frosty beverage:




Now it was time for him to get to work. I had a project for him to do, so I grabbed my beer from his robot claw hand thingy and sat back to enjoy the show. I had just returned from riding one of our local trails, and I was tired. On the way back from that ride though, I stopped and picked up some new parts for our bikes. I got a nice deal on a set of wheels for Little Miss Sunshine’s bike, so it was time to get them installed. With R2-D2 doing all the work, that left me plenty of time to take photos:





She was in desperate need for some new wheels. When I first built up her bike, I used some new parts, and some spare shit I had lying around. Wheels were in short supply, so I had to go with a set of no-name jobbies. I finally got a chance to upgrade her bike with a decent set of wheels, and she would be very happy about that. As R2 got everything ready, I took a “before” shot of her bike:



As I sat back and enjoyed my beer, that little R2 unit got to work. He removed the wheels from Little Miss Sunshine’s bike, and started removing the tires, tubes, and rotors. He ran into a little problem when he dug into my toolbox though. The mounting screws for the rotors were “star” shaped, and I only had a “hex.”



This is where the benefit of having an astromech droid comes in. He opened up one of his many trap doors, and found the right tool for the job:


And to think, I figured he was only good for fetching me a beer.

Anyway, he finally got the old parts removed from the old wheels and onto the new ones. He installed her tires and tubes, and started airing up the front wheel. I was watching while gulping down my beer, and I saw something rather strange. Part of the tire bead had popped loose, and the tube started coming out like a big anaconda. I said, “Hold on R2, that thing’s gonna blow!” As he turned his head around to fuss at me, the tube exploded with a bang.




I didn’t have any spare tubes in the shop, so I had to do a little digging. I found one stuffed in my Awesome Strap from my small, squishy bike so I grabbed it. Once the new tube was installed (properly this time), R2 aired it up and everything was good to go.



The procedure was the same for the rear wheel, minus the anaconda-like exploding tube action. R2 installed the wheels on her bike and told me to take it for a test ride. First though, I had to take the “after” photo.



During the short test ride, R2 started beeping at me. He notice that something on the bike “was not quite right” (translated from droid-speak) and that I should let him look at it. He noticed that the cranks were a little loose, so he quickly took care of it:



Sure, I was impressed at his keen eye for detail, but I wanted another beer. Instead of thanking him, I told him to grab me another one. “This time though, pour it in a glass. I’m a beer snob and I don’t like drinking out of bottle.” He quickly returned with another yummy beverage:


You see, R2-D2 even knows how to promote sponsors.

I guess this whole having my very own astro droid as a mechanic thing just might work out around here. I don’t have to pay him a damn thing, and if he gets sassy I’ll just deactivate his ass. I plan on keeping him plenty busy over the next few weeks too. I have some parts coming in for the various bikes we have around here so I’ll get to work the shit outta the little guy. All while I just sit back and relax with a beer. I could get used to this. Hopefully Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t come around looking for his droid though. I don’t think he exists anymore, but you never know.

We Had A Little Fun

Saturday was a “family fun day” on the bikes. Originally we were supposed to head out to the DuPont State Forest for a little mountain fun, but the weather forecast looked a little cold up in them thar hills. We decided instead to go over to Poplar Tent for a little local action. It was another beautiful fall day, and we were ready to take advantage of it. We even saw a cool creature at the trailhead:


It’s a katydid, by the way.

It was a nice, easy-paced ride. We skipped a few of the optional trails, and did just enough of the trail to have fun. Little Miss Sunshine hasn’t been there in a few years, but you wouldn’t know that by the amount of fun she was having:



We rode a lot of the trail, but we were really there for some of the cool features. We came up on a nice little ladder thingy, and we were all ready to ride it. Little Miss Sunshine went first:



Followed by Lunchbox:



It was time for my favorite feature out there, the teeter totter. Little Miss Sunshine had never done this before, so Lunchbox and I spotted her to get her comfortable on it. After several successful attempts, she was ready for me to photograph her:



Lunchbox was next. He’s ridden this before, although it’s been a while. He took to it like a duck to water:



I had to go next. I love riding the seesaw, so I played around on it several times. Here is one of them:



After playing around for a bit, Little Miss Sunshine decided to try to get creative with the photography skills. She risked her life and crawled under the teeter to get into position for some great shots:



After a few death-defying passes, she got a couple of good shot of Lunchbox and I:





She didn’t get squished either. In fact, she was laughing the whole time. It was fun, but we had to move on. After riding the trail a bit, I found another fun structure to play with:



Next up was the famous (well, famous to us locals anyway) Gravity Cavity. After a little convincing, I got Lunchbox to give it a whirl:



Little Miss Sunshine was ready to try it too. I explained to her how easy it was and what she needed to do and she was ready to go. I went down to the bottom in hopes that I would catch a good snapshot. Off she went:



Yeah, it doesn’t look quite right, does it? She took the wall a little too high, tried to correct it, and slid down the side. After untangling her from the bike I checked to make sure she was okay (after checking her bike first.) She got a little scraped up, but that didn’t stop her from riding the rest of the trail. It hurt a lot, but she toughed it out. The next day it looked like this:



A fun day of riding for sure, with only one minor injury. I like the fact that she gets right back up and rides after a crash. Everybody crashes at one time or another, so don’t laugh because you could be next. A lot of people won’t get right back up and ride right after falling down, so that just shows how tough she is. I think she really enjoyed riding Poplar Tent, so I bet that we’ll be heading back out that way really soon. I know I will be, especially since I’m in need of another night ride. Stay tuned.

And, We’re Back (To Kid Stuff)

I got out on the bike all weekend, so I’ll work my way backwards. Yesterday it was time yet again for the Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Ride. This was our usual friendly get-together, and we met up at the always fun Sherman Branch. It’s a favorite of the local mountain bike scene, and that includes the little ones. We had a pretty good turnout, and the weather was perfect. We gathered up and headed out on the trail. Instead of narrating every single detail of the ride, I’ll let my photos do the talking (they are worth a thousand words, after all.)













Of course, Lunchbox was the ride leader:





Even the Junior Chili Man came along again:





We had plenty of “big kids” on hand to help the little ones:





We hit the usual obstacles, and some kids needed a helping hand:



And some didn’t:







Lunchbox decided to show the youngins how to hit the more difficult stuff:



We took a few breaks here and there, and everyone had a good time:



When it was all over, it was snack time. I know the kids like riding the trails, but I think they like the cookies even more:



I can’t say it enough. I love these kids rides. The kids have a blast, and it’s fun to get new people into this sport. Watching these kids ride their bike reminds you of how much fun you are supposed to have on two wheels. I guess this is a reminder that maybe we shouldn’t all take ourselves so seriously.

Be On The Lookout

I know, it's Saturday, and I don't normally post stuff on here on the weekends. In this case though, it's kind of important.


See this?





This is the Dirty Party Cycle's bike (also called the Dirty Party Cycle.) It's a 2006 Giant Pistol. Some jackass broke into his shed and stole it while he was away at work.


My pal The Dirty Party Cycle would love to have his bike back, so I thought that I would put it up on here to get a few extra eyes out there.


If you hear or see anything, shoot me an e-mail at TheMutt AT gmail DOT com and let me know. Thanks.

Finally…I’m Done

Yeah, this is the last installment of the Tree Shaker saga. After dragging it out the last few days, I’m ready to give you the conclusion. I know it’s a little odd that the report for a 12 hour race has taken three days, but whatever.


I had completed 5 laps for a total of 45 miles at this point. My break was a little long again this time, but I knew I had to rest up enough to be able to finish my 8 lap goal. I ate another sandwich, drank two more bottles of the old people milkshake stuff, and drank plenty of Gatorade. I figured I had just taken in about 1200 calories after lap 5, so I knew that would be enough to keep me going. I headed out on the trail for lap 6, ready to bring it home.


Lap 6 was a little different than the rest. I felt okay, but I was starting to make dumb little mistakes on the trail. My mind was in a haze (thanks to Jimi Hendrix for singing through my headphones to remind me), and I was kind of on autopilot at this point. I slid off the trail on a couple of fast descents, and narrowly avoided getting up close and personal with a few trees. I was still trying my best to leave it all out on the trail though, even if “it” was my own blood (or bike parts.)


At about the 4 mile mark, some guy slowly passed me and we exchanged some pleasantries. When he went by me, I tried to hang onto his wheel to keep me moving. Barrelling down a long, twisty downhill section, I took a turn too sharp and slid out on the trail. I was still clipped into my pedals, so my right leg took the brunt of the fall. The guy that just passed me was up ahead, and I heard him ask if I was okay. I mumbled, “Yeah”, even though I wasn’t sure if I was okay. I quickly hopped up and checked to see if my bike had sustained any damage (that’s the first rule in a crash, check the bike.) Since I crashed on the derailleur side of The Big O, I feared that I had broken something. The drivetrain was good, and the only damage I noticed was this:



My Cane Creek Ergo 2 Bar End had suffered a minor scrape. No big deal. As for me, I suffered a little more of the scraping. With my leg trapped under the bike as I fell, I had some nice road rash action. I didn’t take a photo on the spot, but the next day it looked like this:



I know it doesn’t look like much, but it stung like hell. It wasn’t enough to make me think about stopping the race, so I quickly hopped on my bike to finish the lap. I took the rest of the lap a little more cautious, and I survived lap 6. I was now at a total of 54 miles, and I was close to the end.


Now it was time for some night riding. This was one major reason that I wanted to “race” for 12 hours, so I felt extra energized. I installed my ghetto lights on The Big O and my helmet, ate a little more food, and sat down for a few. I briefly thought about hitting up the medic (Little Miss Sunshine) for some first aid, but my lack of better judgement prevented me from doing so. My leg was stinging pretty bad at this point, but the joy of getting to ride at night quickly made me forget about the pain. I headed out in the darkness for lap 7.


I couldn’t go as fast as I normally would, since I could only see as far as my lights would let me. I didn’t need to crash again, especially in the dark. I had this huge, silly smile on my face since I was riding in the cool night air, and it felt great. I kept seeing all sorts of shit out on the trail, like weird shadows, woodland creatures, and imaginary people. I’m not positive, but I think I saw this guy in a creek near the trail:




Seriously, that’s what it looked like anyway. I was most likely hallucinating, but it was fun as hell. It was so peaceful out in the darkness with only a little light to guide me on the singletrack. I thought, “This is why I do this crazy shit. It’s so much fun.” After a few close calls with some suicidal rabbits, I exited the trail and headed up the now dark, gravel road to the pit area. Lap 7 was in the books.


The time was 7:55 p.m. The cutoff for the last lap was 8:30, so I couldn’t rest long if I wanted to get out for one final lap. I had no idea where I was in the standings, but that didn’t matter anyway. My personal goal was 8 laps, and I was so close to making it. I thought, “After 63 miles, what’s another 9?” After one more tasty Ensure, I headed back to the start line. I talked to Little Miss Sunshine for a moment, and told her I would be finished soon. As I tried to step over my bike to ride away, my left quad cramped up and I fell over. Of course, a bunch of people started asking, “Are you alright?” but I was fine. That was the only instance of cramping I had experienced at that point, so I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I massaged my leg for a minute and headed back out.


I’d like to tell you that I remember lap 8, but I really don’t. Well, the only thing I clearly remember is that I saw more weird shit in the woods. Since I was pretty loopy at that point, it helped pass the time. I was singing out loud to the songs on my mp3 player, and enjoying the nighttime air. With about 2 miles left in the lap, two riders came up behind me. We were the last people out on the trail, and we were all near the end. I approached the gravel road one final time, and I was so happy. I crossed the finish line after 12 hours of racing, and I completed 72 miles on a mountain bike. My goal of 8 laps was met, and I was pretty proud of myself. Aside from the crash, a little lower back pain, and the mystery leg cramp I suffered before lap 8, I was in pretty good shape. I packed up my stuff, changed my clothes, and headed over to the awards ceremony.





Apparently, some baby pumpkins had entered the race and did quite well. I didn’t fare so bad either. Although I didn’t get a podium spot, I managed to claw out a 7th place finish in the solo 12 hour class. I didn’t care about that though, since I was basically in a race against myself. I dug into the beer cooler and rewarded myself for my effort (actually I rewarded myself a lot.)


Mmmmmm.


It was a good night, and a good race. I can’t wait until next season. The details of this recap may be a bit fuzzy, but the fact that I completed my first solo 12 hour race was a huge accomplishment for me. The best part (other than the night riding) is that I didn’t suffer one mechanical issue. No flats, no broken parts, nothing. Even though I was totally prepared with a fully loaded Awesome Strap, I never had to use it. That made the whole thing a success right there.


I won’t be back here tomorrow. I got sucked into some stupid out of town meeting for work, and it will cut into my blog posting time. I’m sure to get into plenty of shit over the weekend, so I’ll be back here bright and early Monday morning talking about something other than the Tree Shaker. That’s good news for you.