Saturday, March 29, 2008
It's Been A Long Time
It's been over a year since my last blog. It doesn't mean that I haven't been biking but I have been rather distracted by a certain special someone.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
"You're Not A Good Biker If You Don't Bleed"
I went and tackled Rocky Hill Ranch again yesterday. Rocky Hill was the scene of my demise (last August) when I tried to do the Texas Chainring Massacre and utterly bonked within minutes of starting. I returned to run the course again this time with a February chill in the air.
It occurred to me that there is a hard and an easy route to enter the course. The hard one involves a long climbing slope which is the one that killed me last time. I took this route again and found myself struggling to get to the top. It's apparent that I do ok on small hills where all I need to do is a quick burst of hard pedaling. But, I don't fair too well on long inclines. Perhaps this is an area of biking I need to focus on.
I had spent and hour and a half or so biking a little over ten miles through the trails and came to a spot to rest. A group of mountain bikers (two men and two women) came up the trail and stopped where I was resting.
We made some small talk and soon they were heading down the trail to finish the course. I decided to join them since I was heading in the same direction. I consider myself a fairly fast mountain biker but these guys were fast. I took all my effort to keep up with them.
Then we came to...The Wall.
The Wall is an extremely steep slope both going down and up on the other side hence the name. The first guy made it down and up (not sure if he walked his bike up). The second guy attempted to bike up but quickly wiped out falling backwards down the slope.
The two women and I opted to take a more reasonable path off to the left. It was a wooden bridge type structure convered in a canvas of what can best be described as being very similar to sandpaper. I went first and promptly wiped out on a bump on the bridge. My left knee and shin too the brunt of the hit. I quickly recovered and made it across.
When we met up with the two men, the guy that had wiped out had a gash on his face. One of the women said, "Oh that's gonna need a butterfly" Poor fella. As we continued on the woman said, "You're not a good biker if you don't bleed!" I thought "Here here". I guess that would make me and excellent biker. Ha! ha!
Here are my Rocky Hill Ranch war wounds to prove it.
It occurred to me that there is a hard and an easy route to enter the course. The hard one involves a long climbing slope which is the one that killed me last time. I took this route again and found myself struggling to get to the top. It's apparent that I do ok on small hills where all I need to do is a quick burst of hard pedaling. But, I don't fair too well on long inclines. Perhaps this is an area of biking I need to focus on.
I had spent and hour and a half or so biking a little over ten miles through the trails and came to a spot to rest. A group of mountain bikers (two men and two women) came up the trail and stopped where I was resting.
We made some small talk and soon they were heading down the trail to finish the course. I decided to join them since I was heading in the same direction. I consider myself a fairly fast mountain biker but these guys were fast. I took all my effort to keep up with them.
Then we came to...The Wall.
The Wall is an extremely steep slope both going down and up on the other side hence the name. The first guy made it down and up (not sure if he walked his bike up). The second guy attempted to bike up but quickly wiped out falling backwards down the slope.
The two women and I opted to take a more reasonable path off to the left. It was a wooden bridge type structure convered in a canvas of what can best be described as being very similar to sandpaper. I went first and promptly wiped out on a bump on the bridge. My left knee and shin too the brunt of the hit. I quickly recovered and made it across.
When we met up with the two men, the guy that had wiped out had a gash on his face. One of the women said, "Oh that's gonna need a butterfly" Poor fella. As we continued on the woman said, "You're not a good biker if you don't bleed!" I thought "Here here". I guess that would make me and excellent biker. Ha! ha!
Here are my Rocky Hill Ranch war wounds to prove it.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Biking Pics 12-26-06
These are a couple of pics my sister took of me with my bike. It was a beautiful day today but still a bit chilly. So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get out and go for a ride.
Cold and Clipless
I'm currently staying with my mom and sister on the coast. The terrain is flat and there are no biking trails anywhere. Grrrr!! So yesterday I opted to go biking out on the county roads despite the 58 degree weather and the 22 mph NW blustery wind. I was anxious to try out my new clipless pedals and cleats.
Shimano SPD Compatabile Pedal PD-M324
Shimano SPD Compatabile Pedal PD-M324
The course I took was virtually dead into the wind. It was cold and hard biking. But after a couple of miles I changed course back into town and was now biking with the wind. At one point I was clocking 18 mph easily.
I made it down to the bay to see a myriad of migratory birds on and above the water. I saw what looked like arctic terns and gulls. I also saw ducks and another group of birds which almost looked like minitature puffins. :)
The clipless pedals make a vast improvement on pedaling efficiency in my opinion. I love em!!! I didn't take long for me to get accustomed to them. Now, I just have to figure out why my bike makes this funny noise when I'm in third (left handle) gear.
My Mountain Biking Class
This is a pic of my mountain biking class I took last September. Debbie Main was the instructor and she was really good and taught us some great techniques!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
I Was Massacred...
Um...well, I should be dead now because I was clearly massacred at the 2006 Texas Chainring Massacre. To simply put it I never even finished one loop of the race. In fact I probably only made 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile into it before I had to bail out.
So what happened you may ask. Well, it's like this. I experienced acute heat exhaustion right after starting the race. I would equate it to losing all steam and ability to exert myself on the bike. I believe this happened for several reasons.
First, I attribute it to the extreme heat of the day. Although, I felt I was staying hydrated apparently it wasn't enough. Secondly, we stood around for a good 20 to 30 minutes in the heat listening to race rules and announcements. Thirdly, (the killer for me) was that the race officials made us lay our bikes down and walk about 100 to 150 yards away and then "run" to our bikes and then start the race. That's not to mention waiting at the start line for another good 20 minutes or so in the blistering heat. I knew the running to my bike would wipe me out before I could even start the race. It annoyed me because that's why I took up biking because I'm not a good runner. When I picked my bike up and jumped on it I knew I was in trouble.
The beginning of the race was mostly uphill and that was a quadruple whammy for me. I'm not too strong on hills. It didn't take me long to listen to my body because I started feeling nauseous with cramping in my stomach. These are clear signs of heat exhaustion. My desire was to continue the race somehow, but my body had major objections. I didn't want to risk getting further and further from the start line with chance of my condition worsening. I had to make the difficult decision to return almost as soon as I began. Actually as ill as I felt it wasn't that difficult of a decision. So on the ride home I had a chance to reflect on the situation. I realize that I'm terribly out of shape and maybe this is a wake up call from God to do something about it. Perhaps, I would have fallen and broken my arm down the trail somewhere and God was sparing me that. All I know is that although I didn't finish I believe that there are lessons to learn from this. Again, I think it's extremely evident that I need to take control of my health. Perhaps over the next year I will by the power and grace of God do so. I need to lift it up to Him in prayer and definitely be proactive about it. I did get a cool t-shirt out of the race. I guess my aim is to hang on to it and if things go well maybe try to do the race again next year and wear that t-shirt as a symbol of overcoming adversity which I consider to be my poor health. Well, I thank God for humbling experiences like this. No doubt it's through them that we grow. Here's to you Texas Chainring Massacre. Maybe I'll tackle you next year!
So what happened you may ask. Well, it's like this. I experienced acute heat exhaustion right after starting the race. I would equate it to losing all steam and ability to exert myself on the bike. I believe this happened for several reasons.
First, I attribute it to the extreme heat of the day. Although, I felt I was staying hydrated apparently it wasn't enough. Secondly, we stood around for a good 20 to 30 minutes in the heat listening to race rules and announcements. Thirdly, (the killer for me) was that the race officials made us lay our bikes down and walk about 100 to 150 yards away and then "run" to our bikes and then start the race. That's not to mention waiting at the start line for another good 20 minutes or so in the blistering heat. I knew the running to my bike would wipe me out before I could even start the race. It annoyed me because that's why I took up biking because I'm not a good runner. When I picked my bike up and jumped on it I knew I was in trouble.
The beginning of the race was mostly uphill and that was a quadruple whammy for me. I'm not too strong on hills. It didn't take me long to listen to my body because I started feeling nauseous with cramping in my stomach. These are clear signs of heat exhaustion. My desire was to continue the race somehow, but my body had major objections. I didn't want to risk getting further and further from the start line with chance of my condition worsening. I had to make the difficult decision to return almost as soon as I began. Actually as ill as I felt it wasn't that difficult of a decision. So on the ride home I had a chance to reflect on the situation. I realize that I'm terribly out of shape and maybe this is a wake up call from God to do something about it. Perhaps, I would have fallen and broken my arm down the trail somewhere and God was sparing me that. All I know is that although I didn't finish I believe that there are lessons to learn from this. Again, I think it's extremely evident that I need to take control of my health. Perhaps over the next year I will by the power and grace of God do so. I need to lift it up to Him in prayer and definitely be proactive about it. I did get a cool t-shirt out of the race. I guess my aim is to hang on to it and if things go well maybe try to do the race again next year and wear that t-shirt as a symbol of overcoming adversity which I consider to be my poor health. Well, I thank God for humbling experiences like this. No doubt it's through them that we grow. Here's to you Texas Chainring Massacre. Maybe I'll tackle you next year!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Muleshoe Bend
I went out to LCRA's Muleshoe Bend Resource Area yesterday. It's a 6.5 miles circuit mostly on rocky trail and through cedar trees. The trail may not seem as technically challenging to experienced mountain bikers but I found it challenging at spots. What I found annoying were the sand pits either at sharp curves or at the bottom of steep inclines. They really bog you down if you happen to stray into them. Other than that I loved the trail and it was a good work out. Luckily, rain clouds had made their way into the area and cooled it off considerably without raining much. I got lucky!
Entrance #1
Entrance #2
Bike-N-Car
The obligatory self shot pose in car window! lol
Dirty water anyone?
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Rocky Hill Ranch
This morning I made it out to the Rocky Hill Ranch (http://www.boomersrockyhill.com) which is situated a few miles north of Smithville Texas. This is a favorite spot for mountain bikers. I had ridden there once about 5 years ago but did not actually ride any of the more serious trails. Today I planned to test them out in preparation for the 2006 Texas Chainring Massacre bike race next month. Even with a map in hand, I managed to miss the turn for the trail and was making my way up the service road which is off limits to bikes (see pic). :) Duh!
I finally back tracked and got on the trail. My new Trek was handling nicely although riding with front suspension does take some getting used to. It's like riding with a large sponge between you and the front wheel. I'm still learning how to ride efficiently with it. The trail for the race is a 9 mile loop through windy, steep trails and gullies. Most of the riding is also through a thick forest of pine trees which is nice but the mats of pine needles can be very slippery when making sharp turns. I was trekking along nicely but by mile 3.5-4.0 I was getting exhausted. By then I was pushing my bike up hills because I simply didn't have the energy to pedal up them anymore. At mile 4.5 (the halfway mark and furthest point from the start) I had my first wipe out. I was going down an incline and wasn't paying attention to the tree root jutting out of the ground. My front wheel hit it and before I knew it I was thrown forward. I lay there in a cloud of dust and sat up blinking in the sunlight. It happened so fast it took me a while to process that I had just wiped out. I think I landed on my shoulder but didn't notice it at the time. Luckily, my camera wasn't damaged. I picked up my (new) bike and noticed that the chain had fallen off. The rear derailleur was bent. Not good. If I couldn't get my chain back on that meant a 4.5 mile hike back to the starting point whilst hauling my bike. Luckily, the chain went back on fairly easily after I bent the derailleur back a bit. It wasn't perfect but it worked! I eventually reached one of the more difficult parts of the trail called "The Wall" (see pic). I managed to bike down it alright. When I got to the bottom, I started to push my bike up the steep hill. Just as I got to the top, I lost my footing and fell hard on my side. Perhaps this is where I hurt my shoulder. I don't know. You know it's funny, I don't mind wiping out or falling down so much. It's just the thought of someone seeing it happen to me that bothers me the most. It's funny how were are so self conscious about things like that. It's like "Eh, I broke my femur but thank God no one saw me do it!"
So, I'm in the home stretch cruisin down this trail getting close the end and then all of a sudden "boom!" I wipe out again. This time it was because of little bumps in the trail that did it plus I might have hit the front brakes a little hard. This wipe out was the best because it literally threw me 10-15 feet from my bike. I got a nice little raspberry on my right elbow from this one.
I finished the course in about 2 hours mainly because I took my time to stop, rest and take pictures. All in all, it was a great ride and full of outdoor scenery and trail challenges. Can't wait to go back. After I got back to Austin the bike shop fixed my rear derailleur in no time. Woohoo!
I finally back tracked and got on the trail. My new Trek was handling nicely although riding with front suspension does take some getting used to. It's like riding with a large sponge between you and the front wheel. I'm still learning how to ride efficiently with it. The trail for the race is a 9 mile loop through windy, steep trails and gullies. Most of the riding is also through a thick forest of pine trees which is nice but the mats of pine needles can be very slippery when making sharp turns. I was trekking along nicely but by mile 3.5-4.0 I was getting exhausted. By then I was pushing my bike up hills because I simply didn't have the energy to pedal up them anymore. At mile 4.5 (the halfway mark and furthest point from the start) I had my first wipe out. I was going down an incline and wasn't paying attention to the tree root jutting out of the ground. My front wheel hit it and before I knew it I was thrown forward. I lay there in a cloud of dust and sat up blinking in the sunlight. It happened so fast it took me a while to process that I had just wiped out. I think I landed on my shoulder but didn't notice it at the time. Luckily, my camera wasn't damaged. I picked up my (new) bike and noticed that the chain had fallen off. The rear derailleur was bent. Not good. If I couldn't get my chain back on that meant a 4.5 mile hike back to the starting point whilst hauling my bike. Luckily, the chain went back on fairly easily after I bent the derailleur back a bit. It wasn't perfect but it worked! I eventually reached one of the more difficult parts of the trail called "The Wall" (see pic). I managed to bike down it alright. When I got to the bottom, I started to push my bike up the steep hill. Just as I got to the top, I lost my footing and fell hard on my side. Perhaps this is where I hurt my shoulder. I don't know. You know it's funny, I don't mind wiping out or falling down so much. It's just the thought of someone seeing it happen to me that bothers me the most. It's funny how were are so self conscious about things like that. It's like "Eh, I broke my femur but thank God no one saw me do it!"
So, I'm in the home stretch cruisin down this trail getting close the end and then all of a sudden "boom!" I wipe out again. This time it was because of little bumps in the trail that did it plus I might have hit the front brakes a little hard. This wipe out was the best because it literally threw me 10-15 feet from my bike. I got a nice little raspberry on my right elbow from this one.
I finished the course in about 2 hours mainly because I took my time to stop, rest and take pictures. All in all, it was a great ride and full of outdoor scenery and trail challenges. Can't wait to go back. After I got back to Austin the bike shop fixed my rear derailleur in no time. Woohoo!
My gear
Entrance to Rocky Hill Ranch
Funny art
Nice view from the trail
On the service road where I didn't belong! :)
Cool spiderweb
Pine trees
The trail-1
The trail-2
Taking a break
An unfortunate biker
The Black Trac (Cool!)
The Grind-1
The Grind-2
The Wall-1 ("If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you
have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?")
The Wall-2
I survived!!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
New 2006 Trek 4300 Mountain Bike!!
Woohoo, I got my new bike today! I'm really stoked. It was the last one in stock. It's a Trek 4300 mountain bike. It rides smooth and I love the front fork suspension and the rapid fire gear shifters. It really is a different ride from my old, heavier Schwinn. I plan to test it out tomorrow at the Rocky Hill Ranch MTB trail. If all goes well, I'll be participating in the 2006 Texas Chainring Massacre race being hosted there next month. So, tomorrow is a chance for me to get familiar with the trail. It's supposed to be a 9 mile loop. I think my new Trek is definitely going to make a difference. Oh, and I won a free Power Bar from a Trek scratch off. It has definitely been my lucky day!
Here are my bike specs:
Here are my bike specs:
| Spec Name | Trek 4300 |
|---|---|
| Frame | Alpha SL aluminum |
| Fork | RST Gila T6, 80mm-travel |
| Rims/Wheels | Bontrager Camino |
| Hubs | F: Aluminum R: Shimano RM60 |
| Tires | Bontrager ACX, 26 x 2.2 |
| Crankset | SR XCC-150 |
| Chainwheel | 42/34/24 |
| Front Derailleur | Shimano |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Alivio |
| Rear Cogs | SRAM PG 830, 8-speed: 11-32 |
| Shifters | Shimano EF50 EZ-Fire |
| Handlebars | Bontrager Crowbar Sport |
| Stem | Bontrager Sport |
| Brake Levers | Shimano |
| Brakes | Tektro Alloy linear pull |
| Pedals | Platform |
| Saddle | Bontrager Select Basic |
| Seat Post | Bontrager Sport |
