- Trailhead: Case Jr High
- Riders: OMMB and JD
- Miles: 4.25
- Temp: 85, comfortable
- Trail Conditions: dry, hard, fast
Notes: So I figured I would try out the Hi Fi without granny gear and see how it goes. Sort of like a single speed...well...not really, but only one gear up front (since I have a bash guard versus a big ring). I was able to do most of the usual loops without much issue. Steep climbs would be an issue, but those are pretty short around here. I began to have thoughts of removing the front derailleur and shift controls...simplify the bike. hmmmm...
Happy Trails,
OMMB
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Broken Granny - Village Park - Swansea, MA
- Trailhead: Case Jr High
- Riders: OMMB and dog
- Miles: 4.4
- Weather: overcast
- Temp: 70
- Trail Conditions: dry, yes...dry
Notes: Well it's been two weeks since I hit the trails...it's a long story...foot long. ;) I think the dog was feeling the lag too...lots of huffin and puffin. On our way out we ran into Bob and Matt (Bikeworks twins). It was good to see them again. Once I'm riding at a faster pace more regularly, I'll be joining them again. The trails were in great condition and I wasn't feeling too bad considering...certainly did not feel like a broken Granny. But I DID break my granny...gear that is. Hit down to granny gear while climbing and heard something ugly as my pedaling spun out. Broke the damn gear in half...strange. New one on order from Bikeworks.
Tidbits: Matt qualified to enter Leadville 100 by placing 30th in a 65 mile race...fun starts August 13! Go Matt!
Happy Trails,
OMMB
- Riders: OMMB and dog
- Miles: 4.4
- Weather: overcast
- Temp: 70
- Trail Conditions: dry, yes...dry
Notes: Well it's been two weeks since I hit the trails...it's a long story...foot long. ;) I think the dog was feeling the lag too...lots of huffin and puffin. On our way out we ran into Bob and Matt (Bikeworks twins). It was good to see them again. Once I'm riding at a faster pace more regularly, I'll be joining them again. The trails were in great condition and I wasn't feeling too bad considering...certainly did not feel like a broken Granny. But I DID break my granny...gear that is. Hit down to granny gear while climbing and heard something ugly as my pedaling spun out. Broke the damn gear in half...strange. New one on order from Bikeworks.
Tidbits: Matt qualified to enter Leadville 100 by placing 30th in a 65 mile race...fun starts August 13! Go Matt!
Happy Trails,
OMMB
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Every Dog has His Day - Village Park - Swansea, MA
- Trailhead: Colt Jr High - Riders: OMMB
- Miles: 4.6
- Weather: perfect
- Temp: 70
- Trail Conditions: hard pack, some puddles
Notes: Hoje um lobo. Gave Jesse the day "off", although I'm not sure he would look at it that way. He had a much needed appointment for hair and nails at the dog spa. They found one of my biking gloves in his bushy tail (I was wondering where that went). Well he is now a well groomed, bushy-less dog who is anxiously waiting for his next mud jump. Aside from overzealous briers overhanging in some places, the trails were fun and in great condition.
Tidbits: I heard a recent fact...Mtn biking is more popular in America than golf. When riding the trails on my own, I find that a little hard to believe. Just sayin...
Happy Trails,
OMMB
- Miles: 4.6
- Weather: perfect
- Temp: 70
- Trail Conditions: hard pack, some puddles
Notes: Hoje um lobo. Gave Jesse the day "off", although I'm not sure he would look at it that way. He had a much needed appointment for hair and nails at the dog spa. They found one of my biking gloves in his bushy tail (I was wondering where that went). Well he is now a well groomed, bushy-less dog who is anxiously waiting for his next mud jump. Aside from overzealous briers overhanging in some places, the trails were fun and in great condition.
Tidbits: I heard a recent fact...Mtn biking is more popular in America than golf. When riding the trails on my own, I find that a little hard to believe. Just sayin...
Happy Trails,
OMMB
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A Text Report from Mrs. OMMB - East Bay Bikepath - Warren/Bristol, RI
Text 1:
"Highlights of my ride so far: your seat hurts my butt (she borrowed my bike...her bike(s) are MIA), your bike is not really rider friendly, I saw Lyle Robertson biking, there's a guy on a quad riding in Colt State. To be continued..."
Text 2:
"Part 2: Some lady asked me for directions so I must look like I know what I'm doing, some lady must of fallen off her bike- she was a bloody mess, it was a nice day - perfect day for a bike ride. I miss pedaling. I did somewhere between 5 and 6 miles. Time for a beer! The End "
Happy Trails,
Mrs. OMMB
"Highlights of my ride so far: your seat hurts my butt (she borrowed my bike...her bike(s) are MIA), your bike is not really rider friendly, I saw Lyle Robertson biking, there's a guy on a quad riding in Colt State. To be continued..."
Text 2:
"Part 2: Some lady asked me for directions so I must look like I know what I'm doing, some lady must of fallen off her bike- she was a bloody mess, it was a nice day - perfect day for a bike ride. I miss pedaling. I did somewhere between 5 and 6 miles. Time for a beer! The End "
Happy Trails,
Mrs. OMMB
Murphy's Lessons Learned - Village Park - Swansea, MA
Yesterday:
So I don't know if it was our extended vacation in Hawai'i, or if it was being "out of rhythm", but for some reason I decided that I would do a quick "break-in" ride and would not need my Camelback. The weather was warm but tolerable, so I grabbed a sport bottle of water before heading for the trails. Aloha, Mahola, it's all good, right? Wrong. Got over a mile out and the front tire goes flat. No problem, I have a spare under the seat. Problem, tools and pump are in the Camelback.
Lessons:
1) Fingers don't work as tire removal tools. And if they did, filling a tube up enough to ride on with only air from your lungs remains to be seen.
2) Sometimes the self sealing Slime tubes don't work (is there an expiration on them? I haven't had a flat in months).
3) Sport bottle of water is not enough for man and dog.
4) Walking your bike back to the trailhead is embarrassing...even the dog kept his distance.
Today:
Headed for the same trailhead near the lake; that way dog face could swim after visiting every muck puddle during the ride. Filled the Camelback, check the tire pressure, and off we went. Pretty vanilla ride. About 4 issue free miles. A bit odd that Jesse was not chasing anything and stuck real close to my left side. So close that my shoe actually hooked his collar at one point. I'm guessing he may be a little out of shape...along with OMMB. Aloha, Mahalo, it's all good...
Learned:
Put EVERYTHING in your Camelback and bring it! The additional weight is worth it's weight (huh?). Besides, if you don't bring it, that will be the day you need something from it. Why is that? Damned if I know. Does Murphy ride a Mountain Bike?
Tidbits: Saw the darnedest thing in the lake. Looked like a small alligator head. After watching it for at least 10 minutes I decided it had to be a log or something (also decided that I must be still jet lagged and delirious).
Happy Trails,
OMMB
So I don't know if it was our extended vacation in Hawai'i, or if it was being "out of rhythm", but for some reason I decided that I would do a quick "break-in" ride and would not need my Camelback. The weather was warm but tolerable, so I grabbed a sport bottle of water before heading for the trails. Aloha, Mahola, it's all good, right? Wrong. Got over a mile out and the front tire goes flat. No problem, I have a spare under the seat. Problem, tools and pump are in the Camelback.
Lessons:
1) Fingers don't work as tire removal tools. And if they did, filling a tube up enough to ride on with only air from your lungs remains to be seen.
2) Sometimes the self sealing Slime tubes don't work (is there an expiration on them? I haven't had a flat in months).
3) Sport bottle of water is not enough for man and dog.
4) Walking your bike back to the trailhead is embarrassing...even the dog kept his distance.
Today:
Headed for the same trailhead near the lake; that way dog face could swim after visiting every muck puddle during the ride. Filled the Camelback, check the tire pressure, and off we went. Pretty vanilla ride. About 4 issue free miles. A bit odd that Jesse was not chasing anything and stuck real close to my left side. So close that my shoe actually hooked his collar at one point. I'm guessing he may be a little out of shape...along with OMMB. Aloha, Mahalo, it's all good...
Learned:
Put EVERYTHING in your Camelback and bring it! The additional weight is worth it's weight (huh?). Besides, if you don't bring it, that will be the day you need something from it. Why is that? Damned if I know. Does Murphy ride a Mountain Bike?
Tidbits: Saw the darnedest thing in the lake. Looked like a small alligator head. After watching it for at least 10 minutes I decided it had to be a log or something (also decided that I must be still jet lagged and delirious).
Happy Trails,
OMMB
Sunday, July 3, 2011
YMMB Strikes (no longer a Blog Virgin) - Village Park - Swansea, MA
Trailhead: Swansea Library
Riders: YMMB, Jen, Dawn
Miles: No clue / short
Trail Conditions: Dry
Whoops, Yikes, & Oh-Sheets: Jen - 1 Yikes for her very first (and graceful) endo.
Notes: When a new friend shows up at your house with the most kick-ass, PLUSH, cross-country, full-suspension bike in hand (women's specific, Specialized Safire, for those of you who're asking), you know it's time for a ride.
:-)
Jen & Dawn came to visit YMMB for the 4th of July weekend with bikes in tow.
Jen, a longtime road warrior (on the bike and the stage), was/is in the market for some fat tire fun and wanted to get a taste of what all this madness is about.
Dawn, a seasoned MTB vet (with the scars and stories to prove it) was ready for anything the trail could throw at her with her pimped out bike, knee pads, & body armor (good to have, but not needed for a Swansea ride as she would soon find out.) ;-)
YMMB, on the other hand, had yet to hit the trails this season and had limited knowledge of the terrain thanks to OMMB always leading the way & YMMB not paying enough attention. LOL!
The morning started with breaking into OMMB & ATK's house and shed to "borrow" a couple bikes for YMMB & Jen. Really digging the "alarm" that scared the bajeebees out of me after I opened the shed. Although, I suppose that's what it's there for, and lucky I know the code. :-)
Jen was like Goldilocks on ATK's bike as OMMB & ATK (who were vacationing in Hawai'i) had already had visitors that came and switched seat heights, etc. on some of the bikes in the shed. I wonder what their reaction to the shed alarm was?!?! After a little trial and error, ATK's bike for Jen was "just right".
YMMB opted for the "extra" bike and took the 29er out for his first time on the trails.
Bumped into Bob from Bikeworks at the trailhead and caught up for a little while. He warned us that it was buggy and to just keep moving.
We probably only spent 30-40 minutes in the woods, but it gave Jen enough of a taste to spend a good amount of the post-ride afternoon searching eBay for a Women's Specific, 29er, Full-Suspension bike (a tall -expensive- order as she soon discovered!).
Ended up finding some of the fun, windy (as in twisting, not blowing from the sky), singletrack stuff, so it made for a fun, quick ride.
BTW, the 29er eats up those old, crumbled fieldstone wall crossings as well as treefall that blocks the trails. Not sure that OMMB is allowed to have this bike back. LOL!
Jen chalked up her first 'Yikes' as she endo'd on a descent; Dawn & YMMB kept giving her pointers throughout the ride, and she's hooked.
We did some bike swapping toward the end of the ride so that Dawn could try out the 29er for a minute and bumped into a very fashionable rider who was kind enough to snap this photo for us (though, he was a bit winded and shaky as you can tell from the super-in-focus (NOT) pic).
All in all, a good introduction for Jen and a great time with new friends with tires in the woods. Looks like we're going to add a couple new friends to the SMGR before the summer is out.
:-)
Peace.
YMMB
Riders: YMMB, Jen, Dawn
Miles: No clue / short
Trail Conditions: Dry
Whoops, Yikes, & Oh-Sheets: Jen - 1 Yikes for her very first (and graceful) endo.
Notes: When a new friend shows up at your house with the most kick-ass, PLUSH, cross-country, full-suspension bike in hand (women's specific, Specialized Safire, for those of you who're asking), you know it's time for a ride.
:-)
Jen & Dawn came to visit YMMB for the 4th of July weekend with bikes in tow.
Jen, a longtime road warrior (on the bike and the stage), was/is in the market for some fat tire fun and wanted to get a taste of what all this madness is about.
Dawn, a seasoned MTB vet (with the scars and stories to prove it) was ready for anything the trail could throw at her with her pimped out bike, knee pads, & body armor (good to have, but not needed for a Swansea ride as she would soon find out.) ;-)
YMMB, on the other hand, had yet to hit the trails this season and had limited knowledge of the terrain thanks to OMMB always leading the way & YMMB not paying enough attention. LOL!
The morning started with breaking into OMMB & ATK's house and shed to "borrow" a couple bikes for YMMB & Jen. Really digging the "alarm" that scared the bajeebees out of me after I opened the shed. Although, I suppose that's what it's there for, and lucky I know the code. :-)
Jen was like Goldilocks on ATK's bike as OMMB & ATK (who were vacationing in Hawai'i) had already had visitors that came and switched seat heights, etc. on some of the bikes in the shed. I wonder what their reaction to the shed alarm was?!?! After a little trial and error, ATK's bike for Jen was "just right".
YMMB opted for the "extra" bike and took the 29er out for his first time on the trails.
Bumped into Bob from Bikeworks at the trailhead and caught up for a little while. He warned us that it was buggy and to just keep moving.
We probably only spent 30-40 minutes in the woods, but it gave Jen enough of a taste to spend a good amount of the post-ride afternoon searching eBay for a Women's Specific, 29er, Full-Suspension bike (a tall -expensive- order as she soon discovered!).
Ended up finding some of the fun, windy (as in twisting, not blowing from the sky), singletrack stuff, so it made for a fun, quick ride.
BTW, the 29er eats up those old, crumbled fieldstone wall crossings as well as treefall that blocks the trails. Not sure that OMMB is allowed to have this bike back. LOL!
Jen chalked up her first 'Yikes' as she endo'd on a descent; Dawn & YMMB kept giving her pointers throughout the ride, and she's hooked.
We did some bike swapping toward the end of the ride so that Dawn could try out the 29er for a minute and bumped into a very fashionable rider who was kind enough to snap this photo for us (though, he was a bit winded and shaky as you can tell from the super-in-focus (NOT) pic).
All in all, a good introduction for Jen and a great time with new friends with tires in the woods. Looks like we're going to add a couple new friends to the SMGR before the summer is out.
:-)
Peace.
YMMB
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