Last ride of the season

Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 2 miles
Rode: FOMBA "Red Pine" without Log Roll.
Overall success rating: 2 out of 10

You would think that I wouldn't be foolish enough to attempt a ride after a two-month hiatus not only from biking but also from any major form of exercise, but you'd be wrong. Seeing that the sun was out today and we've had unseasonably warm weather, I decided to take the bike out for one last spin. I did fairly well warming up on my usual ride up and down the nearest snowmobile trail. When I took to the Red Pine trail it was a different story. I got exhausted very easily and spent a significant portion of my time on the trail off to the side wheezing and trying to catch my breath. One fall twisted my handlebars, so I had to break out the tools to realign them. I then quickly did an endo into a mud puddle and covered my entire left side and both gloves with dripping wet mud. I decided at that point that I had had enough. I walked my bike out to the snowmobile trail and rode back to my car, discovering as well that I had somehow managed to flatten both my tires.

The only bright point of the excursion was the fact that I used my new OtterBox for the first time and was confident that as I took my spills that my iPod would be protected.

Tomorrow I will clean the bike off, lube up the chain, and put the bike in the basement for winter.

FOMBA Trails again

Time: 40 minutes
Distance: 6 miles
Rode: Snowmobile trails and fire roads near FOMBA site. FOMBA "Red Pine" without Log Roll.

Inadequate preparation for the ride today resulted in a ride that was a little disappointing. The good fact was that my ability to pick a line is improving, so I was able to ride consistently for a far greater period of time. The bad fact was that I had not eaten enough to give me any consistent energy, and as a result I had to stop at points, not because I lost my line, but because I truly couldn't go on. The weather was wonderful however, and all in all I was happy to be out in spite of my challenges.

Another positive is that I am getting more comfortable clipping in and out of the pedals, and am learning more about weight distribution on the trail. I don't think my front wheel picked up one time while climbing.

Clipless Pedals

Stats for today's ride:

Time: 45 minutes
Distance: 6.87 miles
Rode: Snowmobile trails and fire roads near FOMBA site. FOMBA "Sampler" and "Red Pine" (but no Log Roll)

Thanks to a work bonus, I had some money to spend on some bike gear. I picked up some much-needed maintenance equipment, including a pump, and took the plunge on clipless pedals. Once again the wonderful folks at Naults hooked me up with tons of useful information and efficient service. On my ride today I split my use of the clipless - I clipped in riding the fire roads and snowmobile trails, but did not clip in when riding the actual FOMBA trails.

Earlier in the week I picked up "Mountain Bike Like a Champion" from Ned Overend. During my mystery fever on Wednesday and my two-hour trip to the doctor's office, I got a chance to read through it several times. I picked this up because it had been recommended to me on the MTBR forums. This is probably the best primer for a cyclist like myself who is transitioning from road cycling to mountain biking. Ned covers just about every aspect of choosing a bike, technique, and competition training. It is written in an excellent conversational style that doesn't talk down to the reader, and is peppered with tales from Ned's racing career to illustrate his example.

I mention this because on my ride today I used the tips and techniques in the book many times, as well as a novice like myself could use them. I almost felt Ned's voice in the back of my head telling me what I should be doing next. Thanks to what I read, with a little help from the clipless pedals, my actual trail ride was much more enjoyable and much less uneventful than previous trail rides. I got more confident with taking the bike over obstacles like small rocks and roots, as well as looking ahead to find my line rather than looking at the ground two feet in front of me. I was putting my feet down much less and actually got some flow going at parts. After hitting Red Pine I decided to ride the snowmobile trails to get my legs shook out, and was going to go back for a second try at it, but when I started down the fire road, I felt like I didn't have enough for another ride, so I headed back to the car.

Although it was threatening rain all day, my ride was dry and uneventful.