Frosty training

Sunday, I headed west for some secret mountain training in the GW. Crossing over Afton on 64 west I noticed the tops of the mountains around me were frosty. All of the valley floor was snow and ice free, but up here the trees still looked touched by Jack Frost.

Photo credit: Mike Coco

My Lynchburg riding buddy met me at the White Oak lot, where we both noted that it was a lot warmer than we expected. 40 degrees did seem a lot warmer than the expected 30. We set out on Tillman and headed for the old school festival trail on Narrowback.

While climbing up onto the ridge, it became clear that this mountain was still frosty at the higher elevations. Patches of trees were covered in a thin coating of ice that was slowly melting. The scene was like riding through a crystal forest. A sporadic rain of ice pellets peppered the trail and our backs as we rolled across the ridge. It was very pretty and some unique riding conditions for sure!

BTS Bonus Ride

Got a call this morning from Toddy G wanting to sneak out for an early ride before the weather rolled in.  I told him the best I could do was 11am since I had a 9am meeting.  He hit me back up - see you at 11.  We decided to ride the cross bikes on the trails and Todd hooked me up by picking my bike up from the shop on his way over.  This was Toddy G's first trail ride on his cross bike and he was looking a little skeptical about rocking out Forest Hill on the skinny tires. 

After we left the house and were making the left onto Dock Street, there was a dump truck just heading in the same direction.  I yelled at Todd to jump the the back of the dump truck and proceeded to nail it in order to catch the draft.  I got a sweet tow all the way down to Shiplock Park before dipping off onto the Capital Trail.  I looked back briefly and saw Toddy G a few car lengths back.  It seems he did not quite catch the draft, all he caught was the downdraft of the truck directly in his face...  He tried to catch on the entire way, but it was not to be.  Needless to say we both started the ride with a one mean interval.

It was a fun ride over to the trails and we proceeded to run a lap of Forest Hill.  We also took some time out to discuss the VAHS race we are putting on in April.  We looked at the course layout and how we could change it from years past.  As it started to rain harder, we had to head back as Todd had a meeting and I had to get Mason early from school because she is on exam schedule. 

So it looks like Toddy G has once again taken advantage of the Bonus BTS ride!

A TCX kind of day!

BTS # 4

The day started with me and the boys heading to meet up for trail work. They're 7 & 9 years old. A little young for back breaking trail work you say? Nope! These are my boys! Little Toddy Gs! They've been splittin' & stackin' firewood with me for a good 2 years now! So I knew they were up for the challenge. They jumped right in there, got in front of the trail cutters and started gathering trash into bags. So much trash bottles, cans, bags, papers, old clothes, pots, pans, broken dishes, hub caps, cell phones, broken lawn chairs, even a hand gun!!! Thankfully someone else discovered that!!! It was  quite obvious that someone thought that this hillside was their own personal garbage dump!!!The boys were appalled by all the trash. River my oldest son asked me "Papi why do people throw all their trash in the woods"? I had no answer for him.

They worked hard filling bags with trash and dragging them up the hillside to the stone wall. They had the trail site cleaned up in a little over an hour. Next they both eagerly grabbed a rogue ax and started bench cutting the trail in.

They worked like champs for a solid 4 hours, and seemed genuinely excited about soon being able to ride this very trail they were helping to build. They even asked to come back next weekend and do more trail work.

The showing of volunteers on Saturday was pretty awesome! The trail was totally cut in when we left to ride at 1:00. Paulito showed up with like 20 pizzas and was still working when we left to ride!!!

On to the riding!!! We left out of the Reedy creek parking lot and headed east on Buttermilk. River and Bluesky were proudly sporting their new jerseys. We then headed over to Bell Isle of course to hit the skills park. River doesn't shy away from the techy challenges and always insist on trying the rock garden under the service road bridge.

We then rode around on all the trails up top. I was pretty sure after working 4 hours and riding what they already had that they would want to take the service road back to Reedy creek. Nope! Even though it meant carrying their bikes back up the stair tower(their bikes are heavier than mine) they wanted to "ride the trails"!!! So we did and I couldn't have been prouder of them. BTS #4 was an awesome day for the Green boys. So much that we'll be glad to host it again next weekend!!!

Call out to the team next week bring it!!! Work & ride after!!! If these boys can do it can't you!!!???

BTS#3

Dave Hardisky hosted BTS#3 a tour of the monster cross course. When anyone offers to lead a ride out there I'm always willing to tag along. I love riding out there but aside of a few sections I'm pretty much lost in that forest.

The day started with temperatures in the low teens, but by the time we met to ride at 10:30 it had more than doubled. Still cold though. Bar mits and booties were a necessity for the start of the ride.

We started out by knocking out the middle loop 1st and then on to the main loop. Dave knew every turn. We even rode one of the new pump tracks. No issues or mechnicals. All in all it was a great day to ride!!! Thanks to Dave for leading me around Pocahontas. Next time hopefully some more folks will show up.

Short Rides Shorter Chains

Sun's out, temperature is above 40, chain's lubed.  First ride since who knows.  Rides have been few and far enough between  that the trail feels new every time.  So much trailwork being done.  New rocks to hop, berms to carve, mud-patches to wash out in.  Only a few mudpatches out on the poop-loop.  The work there is amazing.  2 miles of pump-track action, and so dry.

It looks like a highway is going in on the upstream side of the Manchester wall.  A 20' wide swath has been turned to mulch, presumably for the connector trail up to the belle island bridge.  

Damon initiated this thing.  Jeff and I have very nice wives that watched the babies.  Paul was too 'sick' to ride.  Outside Damon's apartment we wrapped our toes in neoprene and complained about 'ice-crotch.'  There's a market out there for a windproof cycling cod-piece.  Heading east in the shadow of the flood-wall was a slow awakening for stiff legs recently subjected to a half-assed, early-morning, New Year's Resolution-style squat and lunge regimen. 

The Slave-Trail connection to Ancarrow's Landing is a nice carve session now. I feel guilty having so much fun on a trail commemorating so much really un-fun stuff. 

A few other cyclists enjoyed the Poop-coaster with us.  The berms just rail so hard.  

Happy as shit we determined Forest Hill was next.  Barely made it past Canoe Run park.  A bomb went off inside my rear derailleur.  Chain jammed tight between cogs and spokes. Shattered cage, bent hanger.  While I disassembled, bloodied knuckles, shortened chain and reassembled, Jeff and Damon turned trail-detective.  A derailleur-height gash on a rock revealed there was no bomb, just an unfortunate lean of the bike.

A make-shift single-speed roll back to Damon's included revelations about the retarding effect of political correctness on expressiveness, and the need for a new rear wheel.  Today's 9.8 miles got expensive. 

Evidence:

A trip to Coqui is in order.  Need gears. Need a wheel with less hop. Need a straight hanger. 

Stay safe out there. 

BTS #1

 BTS (Bonus Ride) #1 happened on Thursday...  You may ask yourself how you did not know about this ride since it was not posted anywhere but that is just BTS for you.  Bad news is that it involved Toddy G and it was a really cold ride.  New for 2015 - if you are riding downtown mid-day and hit me up to join you, instant BTS Bonus Ride!  If I cannot make it, that is just the luck of the draw.  Just the first of many surprises in store for the BTS this season.  Now get out there this weekend and go score some points.

Congrats to Dave, the first person who offered to lead a BTS ride - 50 points.
Also bonus points to certain riders who have made orders with with I9 or Schwalbe.

 

BTS 2015

BTS 2015 coming at you.  Goal #1 this year is to try and find someone who can beat out Toddy G & Plassman.  Not only are you looking at the prize of supreme cycling fitness, you are setting yourself up for some super primo swag.  DPR is going all out and the prizes will be well worth all the suffering.  Rules are slightly tweaked so please read below.  Lead a ride and get a leg up on everyone else.  Game on!

Points:
30 - MTB Ride
25 - Road Ride

25 – Cyclocross Ride

20 - Run

Bonus Points:
5 - BTS write up on blog
5 - Pics included in write up
5 - Ride Leader
10 - Raining
10 - Night
10 - over 5 DP riders
15 - MTB ride >30 miles
15 - Road ride >50 miles
20 - over 10 DP riders
20 - Temps below freezing
20 - Snowing
25 - chance gathering of 5 or more DP riders on trails
50 - Over 15 DP riders
50 - Pre-season race (frozen Cross, Monster Cross, Southern Cross)
DOUBLE POINTS - only one to show up at any event
TBD - Epic Rides (50/50, super bowl ride, pantani ride, etc.)
TBD - Supporting sponsors

Demerit Points:
(-50)  Riding on muddy trails
(-50)  Crashing teammate on road
(-20)  Not wearing a DP kit (for those who have them)