Out in the park for an early recovery ride Friday, got a chance to ride with this young man:

Thought I was takin' a pic, got a video instead.

Practicing the step through dismount.

Requires balance, total commitment .......

and oh yeah ----- it helps to unclip before that first step or you'll fall hard with your bike on top of you and get covered in sand. My back was bothering me before the fall, now it's not. Voila! Instant spine adjustment.

This'd be a "ride in the park" on a MTB .............

But on a CX bike you must focus and concentrate ........

momentum and line .... momentum and line ....

and

practice,

practice,

practice........

The best bicycle add campaign ever?

You be the judge.

Makes me want to ......

um ........

ahhhhhhh.......

Go buy a handbag!?!

and we thought indoor trainers were dull and boring ....................

More at :

go to 2007 add campaign

RideOn

JB

The remnants of the ride.

Hopefully CX practice tonight will be better.

RideOn

JB

Much needed rain was drizzling all day so official Cross practice was canceled. More out of respect for the property and relationship with the City than anything else.

But I had the bike loaded up, and the running shoes (I thought) with the gear in the car ....... and it IS on the way home ........

So I went out to The Rubbish Pile anyway to get a few laps of running and some steps in.

Got there and saw the normal lot closed and all kinds of media there, Including a hovering News helicopter. WHAT? Maybe they were there to cover our practice? and didn't hear it was canceled? Cross IS getting more popular .........

Went to put on running shoes and found that in the semi-awake delirium of the morning I'd grabbed 1 road shoe and 1 running shoe. Both for the same foot. EF.

They both WERE grey, easy mistake ..... I guess.

Luckily I had some MTB shoes in the trunk. With 2 blown out ankles and 1/2 a blown out knee I HATE (that's a strong word) running in MTB shoes, even for short distances. No choice. Rode a few easy warm up laps around the whole park, then hit the steps for repeats. Got plenty of practice with mounts and dismounts. Have almost totally eliminated the stupid extra little hop I seem to want to take on remounting.

The whole while the helicopter was hovering and people were congregating, followed by crews with cameras. Then they took over part of the trail including the cross course. As I was packing it in and KJ rides up on his CX bike. He didn't get the memo .......

Catered food and (adult) refreshments made the viewing even more palatable.

The Specialized rep was on hand to answer all questions, and to take orders. Expected completion of first production run - end of November.

I'm soooo not worthy.......................

All in all a good time was had by all. Only a few puddles of lustful drool were found. It was great to see everyone out there not wrapped up in lycra.

Thanks to our hosts for their hospitality and service. There was many a drawing for many a door prize.

In case you were wondering ......... specialized shoe covers DO work over heels.

In the end the boys will be boys and

and the girls will be girls .... (and thank God for that!)

I never win a door prize ........

RideOn

JB

Getting a handle on this course, and can pretty much get around it (almost) with nary a wrong turn. Trying to figure why this is so tough (and it is) ...... I'll let you know when I do. hah








One thing for sure, that dam (blankity-blank, insert your favorite expletives (or ask Liz for some) here) walk/crawl/shuffle up is just nasty. It was harder today than yesterday. It's definitely one of those "you have to be there" sort of things. Words, descriptions, and photos do it no justice at all.




And after the first crawl you're greated with a quick descent, another short run up. a shorter ride, then the last shuffle up. So it's really like 3 slogs in a row. Really nice to hit Ridge "Road" after that is done.






Today I somehow got off track in the road section after the steep descent of Thompson Hollow "Road". Figured I could make it through without consulting the map. Wrong. Went around in circles.










It was probably just a subconscious attempt to delay the evil pain of Hogshead Rd., which wasn't too bad yesterday. A good bit tougher today. One thing for certain - the last double humper up Woodrow Rd. will make or break you. Today I was broken. I always want to get a picture of that evil beast, but cameras just aren't allowed that deep in the pain cave.





and so ends another long, hot, dry, parched, day in the big Mic. Bonked, dehydrated, cramped up at the end, but well worth it. Today I figured out why I'm up here ---

Cause I just can't GET this good of an ass whoopin' down on the island.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, we'll start the day tomorrow, with a ride, or two. ONE TWO.

RideOn

JB

Courtesy of Caledonia

Then I hear this Bra-a-a-ap, Bra-a-ap. Couldn't really get a fix on where it was coming from. I know no one could ride a moto up that thing. I look up and sure as heck here they come. 1, 2, 3 ...... 4 of 'em. Rear wheels locked up, sliding around, rocks and boulders cascading down the hill ahead of 'em.

Gotta think they were a bit more surprised at seeing me than I was at them. One of 'em ate it on the lower (steeper) half, and they all stopped. Turns out they were pre-riding also. Moto rider #4 tells me there's an enduro race there next weekend, says they ride down this thing. I tell 'im about a bicycle race out there next month, say we go up this thing. He's says "How do you do that?"

I say "One step at a time.", and keep goin'.