Different Spokes For Southern Folks

Forgive me, but I’m still way behind.  Well over a week ago was the Southern Spokes Bicycle Festival, and I was there.  More importantly, a lot of people were there.  The weekend event kicked off with an open house on Friday evening at First Flight Bikes in Statesville, NC, which included beer, food, and socializing (in no particular order.)

Grand organizer of the event, Bike Shop Girl, is pictured up there on the right.

I brought Lunchbox along, since he likes hanging out up there (even though he doesn’t drink beer.)

Did I mention that First Flight is the home of the Museum of Mountain Bike Art and Technology?  Well it is, and we snooped around to look at the huge collection of vintage bikes and other associated goodness.

We hung out for a good while, but eventually we had to get home.  The next morning we would show up bright and early to nearby Lake Norman State Park, where the exhibitors were setting up.  There were group rides on the agenda, kicking off with a ladies-only one.

I didn’t join them, since I was busy manning the Tarheel Trailblazers tent and socializing.  I did get a few photos of the vendors out there though…

Like Cane Creek Cycling Components

And Salsa

And of course, KMC, Michelin Bicycle Tires, Suspension Experts, among others.

After the day’s festivities, we relocated to a nearby pavilion for dinner and a big raffle.  To gain admission, you had to get your hand stamped.  Lunchbox got creative with his:

Since I was a VIP, I got extra stamps to show how very important I was.

I think most everyone walked out of there with prizes (donated by the exhibitors in attendance.)  I ended up with a few things too:

New sponsor perhaps?  Hmmm.

I think it was a wonderful event.  This was the first such event of its kind here in the Charlotte area, and I would call it a success.  The turnout was great, and the weather even cooperated for the most part.  

Everyone had a great time.

I hope this event is on the calendar for next year, and many years to come. 

It’s nice having stuff like this in my neck of the woods.

I’ll Never Learn

Even though my race was over a week ago, I still feel like I owe you some kind of report.  Besides, I kinda do this for me a little bit, just so I can remember what I’ve been doing.  So yeah, here goes (what I can remember anyway.)

We got to Greensboro with plenty of time to get ready, and I actually felt pretty good.  It had rained a bunch the night before, so I knew the course would be slick like last year.  I planned ahead this time, and lowered my tire pressure a little to get some extra grip.  While I was waiting for my group to go out, I mentioned to the other guys in my class that I can’t seem to stop doing the same old shit at every race:  taking off too fast and burning out.  I swore that I wouldn’t do that this time.

We took off, and I was obviously full of shit.

I didn’t mean to get out in front, and as a matter of fact I wasn’t really riding that hard.  At the top of the hill, decided to back off a bit to make sure I didn’t wear myself out.  I dropped back to second behind Todd (the current series leader), and we made our way towards the singletrack.  Before we got there though, Jack passed me (and nearly took me out by accident.)

We hit the first climb in the singletrack, and Jack slipped.  I used that opportunity to get back in front, and rode through to get back in second.  I stayed there for a while, but I knew I was pushing too hard.  I backed off again, and dropped back to third once more.  Sensing that I was letting up, another guy went by me.  I was okay with that, since we had three laps to do out there.  One more guy went by me, and then another.  I was sitting in fifth place, and trying my best to settle in.

Even though I purposely let out some air in my tires, something didn’t feel right.  I looked down and noticed that my pressure was a lot lower on my rear tire than when I started, and I could feel my rim bottoming out on the roots.  I took it easy after that, and kept looking over my shoulder knowing I was gonna get passed again.  I never saw anyone, so I kept going as best I could.  My stomach hurt like hell for some reason too, but I was able to ride through the pain.  I passed the start finish line, and headed out for lap number two.

I was starting to feel a little better, and settled into a good pace.  I was by myself still, and I was happy that I wasn’t in last place.  The trail had dried out considerably, but I didn’t want to take the time to stop and put more air in my tires.  I just kept going with what I had and made the best of it.  As I got close to the end of the lap, I saw Lunchbox hiding in the bushes to get another photo.

I’m not sure why it’s blurry.  Maybe I startled him or something.

On to lap three, and I was getting bored.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing this series for so long, but I kinda get tired of riding in circles for multiple laps.  Honestly, I just wanted this shit to be over.  My rear tire wasn’t losing anymore air, but the pressure was still too damn low.  I had a good lap though, and no one else caught me.  Well, that’s not totally accurate.  The pro/expert classes took off minutes after I passed through the start/finish line, and eventually those super fast guys caught me.  It wasn’t without a fight though, because I rode pretty hard for a while to keep them at bay.

My little ride with those guys made that lap go by much faster, and I was happy for it.  I was tired as hell, but my legs felt good.  Making my final approach to the start finish line, I stepped it up.  The last section before the end was on a greenway though, and I nearly collided with a family on bikes that didn’t see me (or the rest of the people out there racing.)  After narrowly avoiding a crash, I sprinted towards the finish line. 

Once again my kid was there with the camera.

I ended up finishing in fifth place, which I guess was okay.  When all the points were tallied, I remained in second overall in the series.  I only have a lead of thirteen points over third place though, so the next (and final) race in the series could be interesting. 

If only I would’ve worked a little harder during the year to keep me out of this predicament…

So yeah, I still haven’t learned shit.  You would think that after all these years of racing I would figure out how to keep myself from burning out.  I’m not that worried about it though, because I still manage to end up okay.  I may not train for races, but when I’m out there I still give it my all.

I guess that’s all I can ask for.

I Didn’t Mean To Be Gone So Long

And I’m sorry about that.  Lunchbox and I took off for D.C. last Sunday (after my race), and we were supposed to be back here by Wednesday.  The plan was to have a fun trip attending football practice for our favorite team, visiting family, and sightseeing in our Nation’s Capital.  I guess you figured out by now that we ended up staying longer than planned.  My great uncle passed away last Monday while we were there, so we decided to extend our trip by a few days to spend more time with the rest of the family.    

We did get to see him before he passed away, and I’m thankful for that.  He was a great man, and I’m happy that he was a part of my life growing up.  When my grandparents took me to Virginia every summer, we spent time at his house and it was one of my favorite places to be.  Even though he’s no longer with us, I have many fond memories of him.  He will be missed for sure.

I have plenty of catching up to do here on the blog for sure.  A race report from the Southern Classic Series race in Greensboro, the Southern Spokes Bicycle Festival, and even some things we did while we were in the D.C. area.

Even though I was gone for only a week, I’m really exhausted.  We crammed a lot in a short amount of time, but I’m glad we stayed up there as long as we did.  Now that I’m rested up, I can get things back to normal around here.

See y’all tomorrow.

I Have A Few Things Going On

This weekend is shaping up to be a busy one.  After taking a long vacation and finally getting back to normal, shit is gonna get crazy. 

First things first, I guess.

The Southern Spokes Bicycle Festival starts tonight, and continues throughout the weekend.  Tonight I’ll be at First Flight Bikes for the open house, and nosing around in the Museum of Mountain Bike Art and Technology.  Since I only live a short drive away, I’ll forgo the camping at Lake Norman State Park to sleep in my own bed for the night.  I’ll return the next morning to the state park for a day of socializing, bike riding, and other buffoonery.  While there are also events scheduled there for Sunday, I have something else on the calendar.

The Southern Classic Series series is back, and this is the second to the last race.  The Sizzler in Greensboro should be fun, but I’m having a hard time getting motivated.  Last year I broke my chain right at the start, and posted my first-ever DNF in the series.  I don’t remember much of the course, except that it was pretty slick and had a dangerous (when wet) bridge.  I busted my ass on that bridge when the chain broke, and that probably ruined my experience.

I’m giving it a go, mostly because I’ve invested so much in the series so far.  I have a chance to medal in the overall standings when it’s all said and done, but I’m not sure if I can hold on.  I’m not feeling super serious, especially since I just came back from a really fun “race” in Vermont.

Do you think that they will have aid stations stocked with liquor?

Not likely.

After the race, Lunchbox (yes, he’s back in town finally) and I are heading up to Washington, D.C. to attend training camp for the local football team and to visit our family.  We’re supposed to return in the middle of next week, so I should resume blogging duties around Thursday or so.

There’s a chance we may have to stay up there a little longer due to a family obligation though. 

I’ll be back eventually, and there should be a race report when I return.

One More Ride

I can’t believe that I’m still going on about my vacation.  Somehow I still have things to talk about I guess.  Although no ride will come close to topping SSUSA for quite some time, I did get out on the bike when I got back to New York State.  We visited a local favorite, Sprague Brook Park.

Since I’ve never been there before (and Little Miss Sunshine hadn’t been there in years), we had trouble finding the entrance to the trail.  We eventually did, and discovered that it was quite rooty.

Since the little lady had been riding on the farm and with her mom on the local roads, she realized that her tire pressure was way too high for such a rough trail.

After about a half mile or so, we found what appeared to be the trailhead.  The kiosk in the middle of the woods gave it away.

The actual trail didn’t differ much from the “trail to the trail”, and it was actually kinda fun.  Long, sustained climbs coupled with fast descents kept things interesting.  Since we were out for a fun ride, I stopped to take photos every so often.

They made good use of the land, and even though we weren’t in the mountains there were plenty of fun things to do.

Little Miss Sunshine seemed to enjoy it.

There were several gulleys all around the trails, which kept us on our toes.  One wrong turn and you would fall to your death (or at least have a painful hospital visit.)

With only about ten miles of trail, it should have been a short, yet fun ride.  However, towards the end we started to get a little bored and it seemed like it would never stop.  That may have been because I was getting hungry, and I hadn’t had a beer in a while.  Since I was having withdrawals, we headed to the local beer store so I could stock up.

I picked up a few local brews, but the crown jewel of my search was a beer that has eluded me for several years now.

The Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.  At $14.99 a bottle, it’s really pricey.  But, it’s the best $14.99 I’ve ever spent.  Super hoppy (duh), but it tastes freaking awesome.  In fact, dare I say it’s more flavorful than the 90 minute version (which is way more plentiful and cheaper.)  I was surprised to find it in Buffalo, but I guess they had plenty because everyone there drinks shitty Canadian beer.  More for me.

Since that was my last day there, we crammed as much shit as possible into a small amount of time.  After spending a good amount of time with my brother in law and my nieces and nephew, the little lady and I headed to some giant waterfall up the river a ways.

We stayed on the American side.  I was afraid to cross the border for fear of Peter asking me to smuggle some more shitty Canadian beer into the U.S. of A.  I think he was watching me from high above.

We headed back to Buffalo late that night, and capped off our day with a few beers and a good meal.  The next day we hit the road back to Charlotte.  It was a great trip, and I didn’t want any of it to end. 

Especially since we stopped at brew pub in Pittsburgh on the way home.

I guess we should get out of town more often.

The Aftermath

After crossing the finish line for Single Speed USA, I was spent (remember my interview?)

The fun didn’t stop there though.  With no water to drink (and not wanting to climb down into the mountain stream for fear of not getting out), I went right back to beer.  I did my best to help finish off the kegs with Thom, Dejay, Paul, and George.

And watching Thom get his ass blown off by firecrackers…

And the subsequent “brawl” between Thom and Dejay…

After that I had to ride all the way across town to get back to my truck at the start, putting my total mileage for the day over forty.  I had the option of riding my bike to the start, and after passing by my hotel on the way I knew I had made a mistake.

After what seemed like forever, I made it.  I drank about a gallon of water, got some food, and drove back to my room to clean myself up.  It was time to hit the afterparty, where the Black Owls were playing.

Dough and George seemed to be enjoying the show…

Until George started busting out his fancy dance moves on Thom.

It was a good way to wind down.  I had a few beers (including some with Eddie and Namrita), and cut out of there to get some sleep.  The next morning I had plans to get out and ride, but I was pretty much worthless. 

Instead I did a little sightseeing…

And found some of Vermont’s finest cuisine:

Later that evening, we had another get together, and this time it was pretty tame.  More beer (including the leftovers form the keg), and Dejay even cooked us some burgers.  Before we ate though, George showed off his awesome track standing skills.

And we hung out until the sun went down (and beyond.)

Since Dicky never showed up, the kiddie pool we setup for him became a place to discard the empty beer cans.

The next morning I had to hit the road, and I was sad to leave Vermont.  It was a great “race”, drank some good (and not so good) beer, ate great food, and I met a lot of cool people.  Well, since all the cool kids ride single speeds, I guess that was easy to do.  I really appreciate the hospitality that George, Mandy, and the rest of the Vermont folks showed me while I was there.  I brought home a lot of great memories for sure.

But, I brought home a lot more than memories…

Yeah, I’ll get into that another day.

Before I forget, there is a bike festival this weekend.  Southern Spokes, is coming up quick.  I’ve been so busy, that I actually forgot to mention it.  It will be held this weekend at Lake Norman State Park, and will start Friday night with an open house at First Flight Bikes in nearby Statesville.  Saturday will be all about riding bikes, and there will be a movie and even camping.  Today is the last day to register, so head over to the website to get your name on the list.

I’ll be there, and maybe I’ll tell you some of the “behind the scenes” stuff from SSUSA that I didn’t talk about on here.

Single Speed USA Part 2

Continuing on...

At the halfway point, there was plenty of this:

The “aid station” was stocked with all sorts of booze, including beer, whiskey, and tequila (courtesy of Drunk Cyclist.)  Most people drank a lot.  In fact, we drank so much that it was hard to tell that we were “racing.”

Just ask Daisy Dukes Guy:

Or Unicorn Man:

Even Sandie the school girl got in on the action, discussing the finer points of 40oz drinking with Wonder Wo-Man:

Mandy was there, and asked if I was having fun.  I was riding my bike and drinking, so I answered in the affirmative.  As much as we wanted to though, we couldn’t stay there all day.  

A group of us took off from the rest stop…

Every single one of us drunk as shit.

We crossed the road and hit some more trails, and they went up, up, up again.  All of us were suffering, but at least the alcohol numbed the pain a little bit.  When we got to the top, there was a fun downhill section.  I flew through it, taking the worst lines possible.  I was full of confidence because I was pretty much wasted, and luckily I didn’t bust my ass.  I think our whole group rode better because of that rest stop.

We exited the singletrack into a clearing, with no course markings in sight.  We were lost…again.  Daisy Dukes Guy and Wonder Wo-Man did their best to help figure out where we were.

They took off down the hill, but the rest of us weren’t sure if that was the way to go.  We hung back and had another beer, and then we decided to back track.  We eventually rolled up on the course sweeper with a couple of other guys, and he directed us to the turn we missed.  We had a pretty good group of drunken idiots riding along trying to survive, and we rode like that for a while. 

At one point when we stopped to regroup, I happened to look down and notice something on Sandie’s fork.

That pretty much summed it all up.

We kept going, having no idea how far we had to go.  I heard someone say we had twelve miles to go, and I wondered if I could make it.  As the alcohol wore off, the suffering increased.  I decided that I didn’t want to be out there anymore, so I picked up the pace and left everyone behind.  I was hurting, but at that point I had no choice.  I popped out of the trail and into a parking lot, and I thought that I was almost finished.  I was way wrong.  I crossed the road and headed up a steep climb, full of switchbacks that seemed to go on forever.  I eventually made it to the top.

I forgot to mention that I grabbed a beer to go, and used my Awesome Strap to hold it in place.

After all that shit I still had a little more gravel road climbing.  I felt like it took forever, and there was no end in sight.  I started to think I was gonna die out there in the woods, and no one would ever find me.  Buzzards were circling overhead, wairing for me to fall over and take my last breath.

Just then, I hit a long section of really fast, swoopy downhill stuff.  It was fun as hell, but I kept wondering when the next climb would come.  I was tired, but I still had a smile on my face from all the fun stuff.

And just like that I heard a crowd of people cheering and I saw a bridge up ahead.

I had just finished the most horrible and most fun thing I’ve ever done.  Six hours in the saddle on one gear, well over thirty miserable miles, and a shitload of alcohol.  I really enjoyed Single Speed USA, and I’m glad I made the trip up there.  Big thanks to George and Mandy (and anyone else around there that helped) for hosting a kick ass bike event. 

Maybe tomorrow I’ll get into the aftermath.