Dirty Urban South Ride

Saturday, Mudgobbler, None, BurritoBeau, Phil and I did a dirty urban south ride. We started at the old BiLo with everyone on mountain bikes but most had more road worthy tires than knobbies. The plan was to go towards town on the greenway. Go across the new Alcoa Hwy Bridge and ride up Cherokee Bluff. Then the plan changed when Beau blew a tire. When he inflated it he tore the stem out. New plan...swing by TN Valley Bikes for a couple of tubes.

While we were there we enjoyed the services of the bar next door while Beau worked on his tire. This picture was shot on the back patio of TVB.

We decided it would be a good idea to go up Sharp's Ridge before we turned south again.





On top of the ridge we found a shady spot on an access road.

It was pretty cool to look out at Knoxville below and see where we were headed across town to Hastie.
We made Hastie (after another flat and loseing None and Phil to time). To get to Hastie we rode up Redbud at entered at Post Oak. We did all the new trail and then swung out by IJAMs and back down the greenway. A post ride meal at the new Mexican resturant with some cold cervesas hit the spot.

Got a New Neighbor Who Rides

Jaques and his wife Fran moved in next door a couple of weeks ago. It didn't take long to figure out we both rode mountain bikes regularly. After a couple of hectic weeks for me we finally got to plan a ride together.

Jaques has a beautiful Titus Racer Carbon. We decided to do a Wed. ride at Haw Ridge. We got on the trail a little before 6:00. We took off on a spirited loop around the west end along the lake. We buzzed thru Twister, barrelled down Red Shore, across the concrete bags and made our way to the Briar Loop. On the big dip on Briar there is a new rut I think. It seems that Jaques edged off the trail at the rut onto a soft shoulder. Then he picked up a stick in his front spokes. Then he tried to dig a tater patch with his face!


He must have planted very hard. All I heard was an oomph and then it was quiet. I stopped and ran back. Jaques was still on the ground. When he looked up there was a big hole on the bridge of his nose. He looked pretty stunned and out of it. We tried to clean him up a little and stop the bleeding. The blood was pouring off his nose like a faucet.

After a few minutes we got him together enough to try to get him out of the woods. We rode very slowly. After a couple hundred yards he stopped. His vision was not just right. We went on. He asked me what happened about 6 or 7 times before we got back. At that point even this dumb ole country boy knew he banged his head pretty good.

I loaded my stuff up in my car and drove him to St. Mary's in his. We walked in and as soon as we said head trauma they whisked him back to ckeck him out. Turns out he broke his nose, has a mild concussion (I'm sure he doesn't think it's mild) and some torn up lips both inside and outside his mouth.


Other than felling pretty bruised and battered and somewhat skinned and scrapped I think he is going to be fine. I'm just not sure if his wife is going to let him go riding with me again.

Ramblings

I raced the Bump and Grind in Birmingham last weekend. 500 racers turned out for a pretty cool race. Sport class did one big 17 mile loop. Highlights included some swoopy single track, a two mile climb and a descent of about 2 miles including the famous "Blood Rock!".

Blood rock was a section about 75 feet long that dropped 25 or 30 feet. It was like riding off a desk and landing on another, then off it to another and so on, all the while dodging the cracks in the rocks, baby heads and the creek running through the middle of the trail.

I met Kevin who is now living in Mobile and we camped in my tent affectionately known as "the condo. I swear it is as big as a house. The weather was hot and dry the whole weekend until we were breaking camp and the sky opened up. All we could do was pack up wet stuff. Since I have been on the road all week, I just spread the tent out on the back deck to dry a few minutes ago.

The race went OK. I started off 4th in the largest Clydesdale class I've seen in a long time. On the first little descent 200 yards in I dropped my chain. I let out a loud F bomb only to look up and see about 25 people lining the sides of the trail. After engaging my chain and apologizing to the mostly women watching, I chased. I moved from last to about 10th by sprinting through the mile or so before we hit the single track. I lost all contact with the leaders. I hate that because I always think I can ride with them at least for a while. I kept moving through traffic all day and had no idea where I stood until they posted results showing a 5th place finish.

One thing that helped me some was turning the Salsa into a 1 X 9 on Sat night. I prerode the course Sat in SS mode and saw 4 or 5 long fast sections where the SS would be spun out and slow. The course was not a particularly good track to ride rigid. My arms got pretty pumped up and towards the end I had to really concentrate on holding on to the bars. Roots and rocks, roots and rocks and more roots and rocks...ouch.

Kudos to the staff for a VERY smooth event. Lots of staff, water station on course, marshalls at almost all turns and road crossings and a couple of women at the top of the climb with a cowbell beating out a climbing rhythm!

Next week the Mouse Tail Challenge in Linden, TN. then Haw Ridge the week after.

IMBA Trail Care Crew weekend

We had a successful weekend hosting the IMBA Trail Care Crew at Hastie Natural Area. Kelley and Collins Bishop put on a fine ppoint presentation and then demo'ed proper benching techniques. At the end of the work day, they took small groups and worked on what to look for on trail layout.

Although I had been through the school before, I did learn a couple of tricks. I laid out a fair amount of the trail walking the woods by myself. A simple trick like hanging my flagging tape at eye level to get an accurate inclinometer reading was something I never thought of.

We ended up with around 20 people. Bob Richards from TDEC gave us copies of "Trail Solutions" and "Managing Mountain Biking". Each participant received a free copy. Kelly and Collins said they had never seen free books at any of their workshops before...Thanks Bob.

On Sunday we rode the Dirty South Ride. It consisted of a stroll through Forks of the River WMA and over to Hastie to ride the new stuff and back thru BHann's trails and back thru the WMA again. I learned that my "beginner" trail wasn't as "beginner" as I thought and my "advanced trail" wasn't as advanced as I thought. Oh well, I guess we learn as we go.

Kelly and Collins took pictures and I have been promised copies soon. I'll post when I receive them.

Does it bother you if I talk while you ride?

I raced the Monkey Grinder at Montgomery Bell State Park today. My title question came from the race. I got a 4th position start into the single track. I found myself riding 3rd places' (Daniel's) wheel. Me being me, I starting talking to him...Great track...good crop of poison ivy...did you race here last year?...Soon Daniel was pushing a little too hard and went down in one of the many corners.

I went past and hopped to 2nds' wheel (Eric's). Do you know the guy in front?...what gear you running on that?...Then he slides out in a corner.

I go on by and the race leader is way out of site. I kept up a good pace thinking I might be able to catch up to him once we hit some hills. Pretty soon I spotted him up ahead. The hills section was looming and I started closing the gap. Soon I was up on his wheel...I didn't think I would catch you the way you took off...These whoops are fun...That was a cool banked turn...We went thru a g-out and at the bottom his (Mark Vickers) hand slipped off his bar at the bottom. His front wheel went dead right and he centered a 4 or 5" tree. He hit it like a cartoon. One hand and a leg on one side of the tree and the other hand and leg on the other side. That tree swayed about 8" (we are clydesdales after all) and he hung there. I thought he was hurt bad. I stopped and asked how he was and all he said was keep going. So I did. I wasn't sure he would be able to finish.

I had now talked all of my leading competition into crashing all over the race loop. I cruised in to win by about 3 minutes over 2nd. Mark was able to finish 2nd after he escaped the tree. I'm sure he will be a little sore though.

I felt pretty good all day until the very end of the race. This was my first XC win in several years. Felt good! The Salsa now has a win and a 2nd in XC and a win in a TT. Not a bad record on the new bike.

The picture is of me and Mark after they handed out prize $$.

Greenways and new wheel skill

Monday night Wally, George, Ron and I did the Big Boy Rumble greenway ride.

We started at the BiLo and rode to the new Alcoa Hwy bridge. I stopped and took a couple of shots on the bridge. I saw PeterPanic but didn't get to talk. Not sure where he went on the other side.


We rode out to Forks of the River, took a quick break and then back, barely beating the dark (Wally said "No, you won't need lights."


Here's Ron hiding behind Wally.


I learned a new skill this week. I built my first wheel.



I'm happy to report that it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I think it turned out really nice. The proof will be in the riding though and I havn't put it on a bike yet. I bought a scratch and dent Salsa Delgado rim from Harpers and used an XT hub I took off a 26" wheel.

Finally, I have been piddling out at Hastie and lack only about 100 yards having another loop open. The new section will need some benching but should be rideable by the first of the week.


It needs to be ridden. BHann has offered to lead Dirty South rides on Thursdays(?). Those rides will include Hastie, Forks of the River WMA, BHann's property and other "interesting" connector bits.

Too much driving not enough riding

Over 3000 miles driving in the last two weeks...That's too much. The driving along with a work/golf trip have wrecked my back.

Last week I spent Wed thru Sat night in Destin, Fla. We played golf every day. I used to play a lot of golf and was fairly competitive but anymore, I hurt too much after playing. I took my road bike and got in about an hour of riding in a 30 mph wind with some nice folks who lived down there.

http://www.eccyclists.com/

I got home around midnight Sat night. I really wanted to get out to Hastie Sun morning and managed to get 300 or 400 yards of trail done. It looks good. Afterwards, I rode Hastie for about an hour. I did the easy loop up and back two or three times and then rode the new part. Right now I think there is about 3/4 of a mile of the new part. There are still a few trees down that have to be crossed but most of it rides great. After Hastie, I went over to Forks of te River and tried to get lost for a couple of hours. There is some great riding at FOR. It's too bad it is "closed" half the year. I never did get lost. I did recognize some trails from following BHann's wheel thru there on some of his rides.

I didn't get to ride anymore until I got back in town Wed for the weinnie ride. I must have been rested or something because I felt great the whole ride. Climbing Rainbow almost seemed easy...whats up with that? Musta been good and rested!

Today I posted my Prophet for sale.


I'm going all in on the 29er. I really like the Prophet but it is a bit small for me at 19". I plan to take the funds and go 1 X 9 on my El Mariachi.



I'm going to ad a fork and buy a wheel set and then run my Redline Monocog 29 as a SS.

I'm going to try to get some miles in this week. I have my youngest daughter's high school graduation Friday night. A work party Saturday night at a customer's house and a race at Montgomery Bell on Sunday. In the TBRA points standing, I am leading the clydesdale class after 3 races. So, I guess I will try to go to all the TBRA races.

Tune in next week for some exciting graduation pictures and maybe some race stuff.