The weekend definitely began on Friday night…it involved 1 glass of sake, 1 martini, 2 beers, a glass of wine, Embers, walking an hour in pointy heels back to the car across the Hawthorne Bridge, realizing I left my keys in my purse which I had given to Alex who went home, and coming home at 4am. Not very typical for me, but major fun. Yes, it did meant that I missed the team ride on Saturday… I regained consciousness around 10am, ate something then passed out on the couch until noon.
I dragged my sorry, headache-ridden self onto my bike to pick up my car and look for a new bottom bracket for my cross bike. I had an appointment for a 2 hour class at Gracie’s Wrench, a place to learn how to fix yer junk. Wow did I get a lesson! She showed me how to take apart my drive train to clean it (and sweet jesus did it need it), replace the bottom bracket (same), and fix my brakes. Apparently I installed them all wrong (whoops). Now I just need to get a shop to overhaul my front hub, replace the cables, install some perma-fenders, and maybe get some new tires, then it should be gtg for winter riding. I may re institute the 32×50 as well, since I won’t be needing my cross gearing until late next summer.
Sunday I went out with some peeps for some mountain biking. YES! Finally, I had forsaken my mountain bike for cross, and I finally got to get back to the single track. I rode up towards the plain of abraham, despite the snow on the sides of the road; we rode through some isolated patches of it, but it wasn’t really a problem until we were about an hour into the ride, when the trees thinned and the snow was about 3-5 inches deep. We trudged for a while, it didn’t get any better, then rode (sledded?) back down. SO MUCH FUN! Holy cow. Snow biking rules, it really teaches you to ride in ruts, without consequence.
Then we rode Siouxon, where I stepped it up a notch and attempted to keep up with them for a while on the lower section and rode SUPER fast (for me). I think if I keep riding with fast people and actually try to stay up with them, rather then just letting myself be dropped back, I could actually get into this mountain bike racing thing.
This week I have Thurs-Friday off…you know what that means? BIKING! Oh, and Thanksgiving too. Thursday a social road ride, Friday mountain biking (?), Sat team tide, Sunday MORE MOUNTAIN BIKING! So if you’re interested in any or all of the above, let me know!
Hi. I found your blog through Heidi Swift’s blog. Mt Biking in the winter can really tear up the trails due to loose mud. Please be careful of this and go easy on the mt biking in the winter, and definitely no drifting or sliding around corners. (never really a good idea.) Let’s keep our pristine trails rideable.
Of course, i don’t ride trails that are insanely wet/muddy, and I never slide corners. Generally it seems hikers do worse damage, stepping around mud puddles eroding the trail (been on wildwood in the winter?)