Dirt Roads Bring Good People

"Roads bring people, but dirt roads bring good people."

When I was on my honeymoon in Costa Rica with my beautiful wife, a local gave us this reasoning as to why none of the roads were paved in the city of Nosara. I found that to be true in that quiet surf town and I found that to hold equally true on the Grand Fondue ride put on by the Bike Doctor of Frederick. 

This was not your typical bike ride. Adventure ride? Back-road ride? However you want to describe it, it was tough and it was an absolute blast. The climbs were steep, the people were cool and the views were amazing. The roads ranged from gravel to dirt to choppy asphalt. I found it hard to force myself to stop the bike and take pictures, but it was definitely worth it. This was hilly, wide open, gorgeous scenery that you simply do not get to experience every day. The mileage was around 35 and the climbing was around 3800 ft. 

I was very glad that I was running a triple crankset on my Kona Jake so that I had a very low, easy gear to bail my legs and lungs out when my heart rate was going through the roof on the three most challenging climbs. I chose to run smooth, flat proof, 32 mm Continental tires and they were perfect. Knobbies would have been too slow and anything more narrow would have slowed me down when the pavement disappeared

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The ride started and ended and a winery called Orchid Cellar. We finished up with warm mead spiced with lemons and cinnamon sticks and delicious fondue. A week after "Super Storm Sandy," the ride went on without a hitch and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The Bike Doctor of Frederick put on a great event. Maybe someday I can get out there and ride with them again.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.

Kyle

Moco Epic Report and Grand Fondue Prep

Detailed map and instructions. I still managed to miss a turn.

The Moco Epic was absolutely a blast. One of the most fun days I've ever had on a bike. I rode approximately 38.4 miles of amazing trail through 5 different parks. There was a huge variety of trail surfaces, obstacles, wildlife, foliage, elevation and more through each different area. I think I hit about 5 different aid stations, all stocking the usual carbohydrate replacing drinks, energy gels and other snacks like bananas, peanut butter and jelly, trail mix and gummy bears. But a few were really over the top. One group was cooking up bacon wrapped hot dogs and another had prime rib and pulled pork. Seriously. I wasn't sure how I would cope with riding with that in my stomach, but I probably should have tried some. I saw quite a few other people partaking and a few of them were faster than me, so it must have been the meat.

Loving the pink number plate

Everything was really well set up and organized. An amazing group of volunteers put this together and staffed the even. There were only two hiccups on my whole ride. I missed a turn where the trail passed underneath a bridge and it took us like 20 minutes to find the route again. Thankfully, I spotted a guy in an orange jersey through the trees who was on the trail. The other issue I had was with some brand new singletrack that was included in the ride at the last minute. It was extremely soft and still had grass all over the place. Not too fun at mile 27 on a rigid single speed. My legs were pretty unhappy for the rest of the ride. But I'm sure it will be great trail soon. Super for next years's Epic.

18T cog. Woodman Bill Single Speed hub.

After much debating I went with the 18T cog. I may have been more comfortable towards the end with 19 or 20, but I could have been more tired from spinning the cranks so much more for the rest of the ride. Who knows? The single speed 29er choice was a no-brainer for me. 3400 ft of climbing over 38 miles is nothing too steep. Power up the climbs and let the momentum carry you to the next one.

Cool swag.

Delicious after ride BBQ.

 The total ride time for me was about 5 hours. There was a party going on after the ride but I just stayed for a Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA and a monstrous plate of animal flesh. Yummy. If I can, I will definitely attend this event again next year. Hopefully bump up the distance. I feel like I probably could have done the longer 65 mile route, but I would much rather say that than have bailed out on the longer ride and not finish.

                                                   

The Grand Fondue is the next big ride I have planned. It's somewhat of a "road" ride, but includes small, dirt back roads and gobs of climbing. This time of year, I think this is optimal riding style and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be riding my Kona Jake. I've been taking it out pretty regularly lately and riding on the steep roads and paved trails throughout the Patapsco River Valley behind my house to get ready for the terrain in Frederick. Admission for the ride: $15 bucks and a 1/2 pound of cheese. Communal fondue and 2 glasses of mead to follow the ride. That's right up my alley, for sure.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.

Kyle

Sometimes You Have to Mix It Up

It's been raining all week, humid and muggy, but not too hot. I have been trying to get out on the trails since I got home from a trip out of town on Monday night. Dirt jumps? Soaked. Downhill trails? Like a slip-n-slide. XC trails? I'm not going to be that guy, widening trails to avoid puddles and putting huge tire tracks in the trail by riding when it's wet. So what am I supposed to do? A 25.4 mile ride on the BWI Trail, that's what!

This is exactly the reason I bought this bike and it has served me well. When the trails get too muddy, it's perfect to get the legs pumping a little bit. I've also used it as a commuter. I rode it, while living in our old condo, on a 15 mile round trip commute 3 times a week with a full backpack. It was a great way to start the day and I never had to worry about parking. I also ride it on singletrack and it really keeps me on my toes. It doesn't take much for you to feel something on the trail with 35mm tires.

The bike is a 2009 Kona Jake. Entry level components with Shimano Tiagra shifters and what-nots. Not too bad, though. I have had no problems with anything on this bike at all and I've had it for 2 years now.Sure, it could shift smoother or lose a few grams, but it doesn't bother me, considering the application I use it for.

http://mocoepic.com/

It was also a good ride for me to do considering I am riding in the Moco Epic next weekend. There are several distances from 25 to 65, but I chose the 38 mile ride. I am regretting not going for the metric century, but I am not that confident in my current fitness level, so maybe I'll try it next year. It was good to be able to pedal for a solid 2 hours like it I did today. I'm feeling pretty good about the ride next weekend and I plan on snapping a bunch of pictures to put up here.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.

Kyle

Fixed Gear Off-roading

This afternoon I went out for a ride on my Nashbar rigid 29er in Patapsco State park. I have had this bike for about 3 years now, and it has always treated me well. It was my only bike for a while, so it's been on every type of trail I dared to tackle. It's been ridden in at least 6 states and on 3 IMBA Epic trails. Not too shabby for a mail order, made in Taiwan, single speed.

The frame is aluminum, the fork is chromoly steel. The front wheel is a Velocity p35 with WTB Exiwolf rubber. I'm a huge fan of that rim. The extra width gives the tire an even greater contact patch on the ground and makes it fairly stiff but its not too heavy. The rear wheel came with the bike and has lasted a long time, considering the loose bearing, no-name hub and no-name rim. The rest of the build is an Easton Havoc seatpost, WTB Silverado saddle, Easton EC70 MonkeyLite bars and FSA V-drive single speed crankset. The front brake is a Tektro IO and the back brake...

Tricked ya! I'm not sure what made me want to do this. Any new kind of riding is exciting to me and I'll try anything as long as the cost and "certain death risk factor" are not too high. I was thinking about the logistics of trying to ride a bike, unable to coast, over a log. I would never have been interested in a new wheel to try this, so I was wondering if I could use a standard mountain hub. It occurred to me that is you could bolt on a cog instead of the rotor, you would have an instant Fixie. Unfortunately, I was not the first one to come up with this idea. I missed out on a chance to make my millions! Hundreds? Dozens of dollars, at least!

However, it did mean that after a couple of quick Google searches and some phone calls, I discovered Tomicogs and was able to pick one up locally. 5 minutes to take off the brake and rotor, bolt on the cog, wax my mustache and I was bouncing around my driveway like an idiot, wondering what I had gotten myself into.

It really is an interesting feeling not being able to coast. If you forget, you could be in a world of hurt. I have ridden about a hundred miles on this bike with this set up, and have had my fair share of sketchy moments. I really like how the bike feels more connected to the trail, or perhaps I feel more connected to the bike. I think it makes it more fun to climb a root covered, rocky hill. But I haven't gotten the guts to ride over anything taller than about 6 in high. I also don't like the feeling of sitting down and trying to spin the cranks on a fast downhill section. But, in contrast, I love resisting the cranks while standing on something a little more technical or a switchback pointed down. It's a totally different muscle group and gives me that jelly feeling in my legs after a much shorter distance than if the bike were set up as a single speed.

In conclusion, I like riding fixed gear off road. I don't love it, but I will definitely do it again. I think it will be very useful over the winter when things get a little slippery.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.

Kyle

Rockburn Skills Park

I've been riding this new park pretty frequently since it opened. The first time I hit the dirt, I was hooked. This style of riding it totally new to me, which just means every time I clear a jump or rail a berm that I hadn't yet, it's that much more fun. The park was a huge effort by several groups including MORE, IMBA and Howard County. I've come out a few times to clear debris and throw some dirt around and that's how the trails are maintained: volunteer hours.

Today, I was so amped to go ride, I hastily fastened my bike to the rack and lost it turning into the park. Luckily, it's pretty sturdy and survived with just a few scratches.

There are 3 lines and a pump track to ride here. The first is a beginner friendly flow line, then a bigger jump line with 3 decent sized tabletops, and the third consists of rocks, logs and more rocks. On my Dismondback Assault, I stick to the pump track, the flow line and the jump line. The rocky line is best attempted on my Kona Coilair.

It's a perfect fall day. The dirt is dry but not dusty and my tires are rolling fast.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.
Kyle

Homebase

What a full and happy garage! The problems with getting too many bikes: Which one to ride? and Where to put them?

A grill, a garage and a place to sit. What's missing?

How about easy access to sweet singletrack? Yes, this was a prime factor in our decision making process when home shopping.

Quick preview shots of the stable. Some fine steeds, here. One missing. Marzocchi is rebuilding a Bomber 55 on my Kona Coilair. More on that later, of course.

A ride I don't have to pedal. Sometimes you have to get on the highway. And everybody needs a good bike rack to explore new trails.

I had to start somewhere. I'll talk more about each bike and get the camera into the woods to check out the trails soon. It's about 70 degrees and sunny out, so no sense sitting on a computer!

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.
Kyle

Introduction

Howdy.  I'm Kyle and I'm a bicycle addict.  Oops, I meant "enthusiast".  Addicts go to meetings.

I'm not sure when I really became a cyclist.  It could have been when my Grandpa Ed took me to Lefluer's Bluff State Park in Jackson, MS and I zoomed down the wide paved path with no training wheels.  It could have been when my brother Craig and I would explore our neighborhood looking for hills to ride down and mud puddles to splash through.  It could have been when my parents bought me a Schwinn Frontier that had 21 speeds and a front shock with a trick matching helmet for Christmas.  Maybe it was when I made my first bike upgrade to that very bike at The Bike Shop in Ridgeland with a sweet set of toe cages.  As a 12-year-old I went on a ride with some really cool older kids at some trails they called Lil Colorado off of Lakeland Drive.  My toe cages caused me to eat it hard in the parking lot, but I rode all afternoon anyway.

Perhaps my real problem, obsession, or hobby started in the fall of 2009 after I left the Navy.  I bought a Cannondale f7 at Chain Reaction in Augusta, GA and really started hitting the trails.  Another argument could be made that it was my wife's fault.  She set me up with her supervisor at the time, Todd, in the Spring of the following year.  For the next 6 months or so, more days than not, we would ride.  We talked gear, trails, races, clothes, tires, frames, brakes, suspension, shifters, and snacks.  And we rode our bikes.  The riding scene is really cool down there and I have many great memories from that summer.

So I may not be sure when biking started for me or where it's going to take me, but for now I'd like to write about it.  I'm going to post about the bikes I own, the bikes I want, the stuff I like, and the stuff I break.  I'm going to show off the places I go, things I do, and the people I meet.  I ride, build trails and work on bikes and I plan on talking about all of it.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.  This is a project for a class I am taking so it will be up at least until the end of my semester, but I would love to keep it going strong for a long time

Thanks for reading.  Enjoy the ride.
Kyle