New Years Eve Eve Nooner

Stole a ride before the trails thawed out on this penultimate day of
2010. I'd swapped the fixed wheel off of the 1X1 so I was
freewheeling for the first time in a while. Felt good to have the
650b back on the rear but I realized quickly that I'd forgotten to
take my 20T North Carolina cog off and put the 19T back on. Oh well,
I was solo anyway so I didn't have to worry about slowing anybody
behind me down.

Belmont Woods>Rockburn Branch up the right>Ridge>Valley View
Alternate>Ridge>Valley View>Swimming Prohibited>Vineyard>CCBC (new
tree down right on the rockpile-log on the climb before the
Maintenance Sheds--challenging line around it was a nice
surprise)>Pigs Run (cleaned it all except for the little rocky rise
near the very bottom--I seldom if ever clean that f'er)>Swinging
Bridge>Cascade>Morning Choice>Log>Renegade>Nacho Mama's

Can't think of a better way to spend what will probably be the last
opportunity to ride the trails for a while. Warm rainy days in the
forecast and overnight lows too high to freeze up the trails;-(

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/61165685

$8 for 2 liters of Spring Water at the Petco

Deathstar Composter on Woot Today

Search your feelings.  Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to composting.

Man and Wife Boxing Day Ride

With Nana in town for the holidaze, Jen and I got the rare opportunity
to ride together. We saddled up in our single speeds and hit a
clockwise loop. Trails had a nice dusting in most places and were
windblown clean in others. Mostly still frozen trails except for a
few muddy patches that had full sun. Twas windy out there too, but
not too scary.

Nacho>Rengade>Log>Lewis & Clark>Cascade>Ridge (nice tail wind on the
hard switchbacks)>Valley View Alternate (freshies!!!)>Ridge>Rockburn
Branch v^v>Belmont Woods

Upon our return I noticed the dinged rim, ripped sidewall, and
bubbling tube on the rear wheel;-( Rim is an easy fix but the tire
looks unrepairable. Too bad! It had lots of tread left.
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/60803249

A Shoplifter's Dream Come True

Crap! It's Sold Out!

Those Fixie Euro Girls Have Another Winner Video Online

http://www.wimp.com/bicycleskill/
Unbelievable.  I think even Danny MacKaskill is in love with this duo;-)

Merry cactus

BB

Twas the Dawn Before Christmas

Twas the dawn before Christmas, and all through the wood
eleven bikers went pedaling with Snoop Dog in the hood.
The cars were all parked at the Landing trailhead.
Wheels rolling at 7 is what the posts said.

The log trail was first with Jim out in front.
Conditions were perfect.  What else could we want?
Most bikes were one-speeds and four of them fixed.
With a couple of geared pigs thrown into the mix.

We looped around Old Track then hit Lewis and Clark.
By that time the sunrise had conquered the dark.
A brief stop to regroup atop Norris Lane,
then descending Cascade was next for our train.

A turn to the left to climb the stream bed.
Frozen dirt made it easier than we'd expected.
We talked at the four way at the top of the rise,
and opted for Bike Buster to some folk's surprise.

"Now Baler, now Seibold, MC, Jelly, and Timmy.
On Piper, on Trevor,  Bill, Kid, Cabana, and Jimmy.
To the depths of the valley..Chase that cattle dog!
Now dash away!  Dash away!  Pedal that cog!"

A bit of play skidding thru snow in this sector,
was followed by climbing up Ridge to Connector.
The Ridge bar was not really up to the task,
as Baler was solo in toting a flask.

A dropped chain by Siebold on Morning's Choice descent,
was recycled forthwith, then down Rockburn we went.
The quick middle option proved just fast enough,
then we stopped at the branch and sessioned the bluff.

As we rode up through Belmont we were feeling so macho
that we finished things off with Renegade and Nacho.
At Landing, by all, the skinny was tried
Seasons Greetings exchanged and to all a good ride!

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/60510591

Toosday TTB Night Ride

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/60510600

XMAS is early

italian elves make the best shoes
BB

Get Dirty

Real Off Road Rollers

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKEHoA_xl-U?wmode=transparent]

Fixie Freshies

First snow ride of the season was a solo effort.  Bagged outta work early and left the house on the fixie 96ie with snow still falling.  There were some faint hours-old tracks at Belmont when I turned into the trail.  Stopped and let lots of air outta the tires.  ~20psi F and ~25psi rear.

Farm Field, Log, MC, Old Track, MC, RBB v^v, Belmont.

Most trails had faint tracks from an early rider.  Rock Burn Branch left and right sisters had seen recent action before my arrival, but I got some fresh snow on the Rock Burn Branch middle sister descent and saw a giant buck.  In addition, I took every extra credit option the trails offered and had freshies on every one;-)

Conditions were perfect.  About 2 inches of powdery snow that packed and gave good traction on the climbs.  Riding fixed my goal was not to touch the brake or the ground for the whole ride.  I only grabbed for brake once on the really steep eroded drop down the closed part of RBB by the creek.  Feet only touched the ground for 2 dabs and 3 dismounts for photos.  Still, the Shimano pedals gave expected shitty performance and filled up with packed ice by the end of the ride.

That's lemon Gatorade this time;-)

Back in the stable.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/59891435

Jen's Single Speed Gets a Disc Up Front

She took the new setup on a maiden voyage this morning in 17 degree weather.  Had a much easier time than the old rim brakes that were icing over after the first creek crossings.  Tomorrow dawn she should be hitting snow covered trails on it.

It's a mullet braking setup---front disc/rear V.  Replace the stock Monoclog fork with an old Bianchi SISS fork.  BB5 160mm brake and a SunDitchWitch wheel on a Cannondade house brand hub.  Forgot to weigh before and after.  I suspect the Bianchi fork is a tad lighter than the Redline, but the wheel is considerably heavier than the Paul/WTB wheel that was on there before.  And disc and rotor outwiegh the Tekro V's by a bit too.

Freshies:-) WYWH

Yellow trail
BB

Unofficial Trail Map - Pataspco Valley State Park Avalon Area

Enjoy

Garmin Connect Update - Bing + Terrain View and More

From http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/12/the-latest-on-garmin-connect-terrain-view-compare-activities-like-buttons.html
Will be interesting to check out the changes later today.

First Bootie Ride of the Season

Coldest ride of the season so far.  Kept it short cuz many were planning on riding Wed night too.  Me, Baler, W, Jelly, and McNeely all on freeze proof SSs. Surprisingly, the Farm Field, Renegade, and Log stream crossings had very little ice.  But the Belmont Woods stream crossing was thick-skinned with Jelly on ice-breaker duty and me riding his wheel hoping we weren't gonna go for a dip. 

Broke my cleat clean outta my right shoe on Nacho....grrrrrrr!  Seems like it's a common problem with this POS DiraDora Nashbar deal.  It's too bad.  Aside from smelling like cat piss when wet, I loved those shoes til today;-(

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/59833351

Phallic-shaped rock discovered in Maryland

Are they sure it's a prehistoric d1ld0?  Looks kinda like a schist to me;-)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40641337/ns/technology_and_science-science/

oooooo the claw

BB

Two Fixings and One Fisting - Off Road PVSP

Past week's rides.  All at dawnish time of day

Sunday 12/5 - Fixed

Stole a ride before the Rockburn Park MORE Trail Maintenanceness.  Nagy broke a carbon bar end off.  Can't recall the other attendees.  Big stoopid silly steep trail from Ridge down to Swingin Bridge was in order.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/59039478

Tuesday 12/7 - Fixed

Stole a ride before work.  In attendance:

Snoop (with SuperDog cape).  CBC, ebae, XX, YDT, nagy, Baler, BB, Trevor, W. 

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/59039471

Saturday 12/11 - Fisted

Big group.  Lots of meetups and peel offs.  At one point we had BB, Baler, Trev, Seibold, other Jonathan, Mike, Mike, Fran, JK, Fabs, Kid, Timmy, McNeely, and W.  Nachoes, Ridges, Valleys, Vineyards, Comm Colleges, Nuns, Cascades, and such.
Good timez.  One flat.
Cold enough to turn the 8 speed into a 3 speed thru the first creek Xing.  I rode the Fisticuff with new crank setup.  Felt schweet.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/59430606

Perfect For Sleepwalking Campers

For Folks with No Fingers or Wrists

Ouch.

Deja Vu

Humf!  Maybe they're "downgrading" back to Google Maps;-)

Hack to Get Google Maps Back in Garmin Connect

Someone did an extension for Chrome that changes maps back to Google
while in GC. https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/fbeiifjiimghhaijicmdphhpockpbldc
It works, but not in the Player Mode or in maps that you embed in
other websites.
I'm hoping someone will make one a Firefox extension that replaces
Bing Map with Google Map in any open page on any site.

Disappointed with Garmin Connect update

I wondered why the maps looked browner all of a sudden.  I also hate that the track is red--just like all the other roads around the track.  Most of all I miss the "Terrain View".  See the other Garmin Bing Map Haters comments here.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=667350
Go back to Google Maps, Garmin, please!

Friday Dawn Patrol 3/6 Fixed

6 of us riding in the dark in the park.  3 of us Fixed.  Finished up with some Nachoes.

IMG_1856.MOV
Watch on Posterous

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/58801629

Black Saturday Fixie Morning

Met Baler at 8:20 in order to get to the CCBC tennis courts by 9 for a
fixie off road morning ride. Made it there on time but had to bail
around 9:10 cuz ride organizer wasn't there yet and dudes were still
wrenching and getting dressed anyway. Ahhhh, to be young and put the
"single" in Single Speed.

Me?? I had to be home at 10:15 to make it to church with the family.

Cleaned the triple log on the Santee Branch Nun's Trail on the fixie,
but no one was with me to see it;-( Felt good to fix
around in the woods again.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/58801635

Oscar

BB

Black Friday Night Lights Road Ride

Tambos hosted another FNL (Friday Night Lights)

Highlights...

• Hikers smoking pot on trolley path


• Riding thru the park in the dark


• Top of Bonnie Branch. Me, Baler, and Matt pushing even with each other. No one attacking though. Just when there coulda been an attack for the summit there's a sound from behind. "On your left, on your left" over public address system. Expected it to be a cop, but it was a pickup truck full of twigs.


• Bevvies and snax

 

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/58801643

Mike's B-Masters # at Rockburn Cross

That's worth a call up!