Money in the Bank

I heard a phrase on today's ride that really clicked for me. Always a day late and a dollar short, it was new to my ears, so please humor me if this is old news. This weekend has been another miserable dreary non bike friendly weekend with rain all day Saturday. Sunday was gray overcast, windy, and bloody cold....for springtime. I came "that close" to bagging the ride for the day, but somehow talked myself into at least making an effort to show up at the start.

The only sound in the parking lot heard above the howling wind was the sound of chirping crickets....it was that deserted. Well, maybe I exaggerate. Damyankee, Rlaz, and Park were the only ones ready to ride. I reminded myself that sometimes you have to go through the motions regardless of how you feel about it. Just get on the bike and before you know it, you will be done and happy to have gotten in a workout. Come summertime you can reap the reward of consistency and discipline. I still didn't have to be happy about it, and I wasn't.

My crusty shell broke slightly as we headed out through Paulding County. Perhaps this wouldn't be too dreadful. I can endure 3 hours of riding, I've been through worse. That's when Damyankee made the statement that registered on my radar. His view of today's ride was that "this is money in the bank." Yes! Yes, indeed. What a perfect way to say it.

If you make a small deposit every week to your bank account, after a while there will be a sizable reserve available to use for fun things. That's what I was doing today, putting a little down, adding to my account. A bit of work now that will hopefully pay off later.

Many a ride during the winter and early spring classify as "money in the bank," but I'm laughing all the way to the bank. Pretty soon, I'll be withdrawing alot of buckaroos to buy up a heaping of Fun! In fact, I've been purchasing some snippets of fun for quite some time. You can read about our adventures over at the new site, My Life on a Bike. See you at the bank!

Staying Warm

Being cold is an issue I deal with frequently, especially on our bike rides in the wintertime. Most guys with which I ride do not seem phased by colder temperatures, and I truly wish being cold was merely a state of mind for me. The fact of the matter is, I am always cold and when I am cold my body does not function very well.

During our trips to Italy, one the highlights is a visit to the sauna. Europeans know how to do saunas and it is a heavenly experience. Having a my own personal sauna was always a pipe dream and never considered an option. A few months ago, I popped into a bathroom remodel warehouse and noticed some saunas on display. Mumbling to myself how nice it would be to have one, the salesman launched into his pitch of how affordable these models were.

My interest was piqued and I endured his speech. He described this unit as being an infrared sauna, something of which I was unfamiliar. What truly intrigued me was the $1,000 price tag. Back in the solitude of my own home, I did some internet research to learn more about infrared and far-infrared saunas. It was very interesting.

Here is an easy to understand explanation of far-infrared from High Tech Health:
Far infrared is a band of electromagnetic energy, just as visible light and ultraviolet light are. The difference between visible light and far infrared is that we cannot see far infrared. Far infrared is experienced as heat and this is how the heat from the sun reaches the Earth through the vacuum of space. Far infrared differs from ultraviolet in that it affects the body differently - far infrared is not harmful to the body in anyway and does not lead to sunburns or skin cancer the way exposure to ultraviolet can.

What makes far infrared so special is how it is absorbed by the body. It is in sharp contrast to a band of energy called near infrared that is also experienced as heat. Near infrared energy is absorbed only on the surface of the skin. It is experienced as a sharper heat sensation. It is also what is emitted by the heat lamps you see warming hamburgers at the local fast food restaurant. Far infrared, on the other hand, is absorbed into the body up to a depth of 1 and a half inches. It is experienced as a softer heat sensation which is quite enjoyable. It is this experience that people enjoy about sun bathing. It is also this particular property that enables superior detoxification. By being able to penetrate into the body, it is able to mobilize toxins that other forms of detoxification just cannot reach (chelation does not have this ability).

There are plenty of companies touting far-infrared saunas, but the one that interested me the most was Sunlight Saunas, because they offer a portable sauna. With limited space in our house, a conventional sauna is not feasible. However, the unique portable Solo System appeared to be a good solution for our space issue. I mulled this over for a few months while searching other brands. Filling out a quick info form on the Sunlight website immediately resulted in a call from the area representative and an email with lots of information. There is no pricing available to view on the site. You have to fill out the online form to receive the price sheet by email.

The representative has an office in Roswell, just a half hour drive for us, and said it was possible to come and try out 2 different models if I brought a bathing suit and towel. We made an appointment for a Sunday afternoon and drove out there after a long cold bike ride.

The rep, Kathryn, was kind and gracious and not too pushy. I do not like to play the "salesman" game, but put up with it since I was genuinely interested in the product. While Roger listened to her technical talk, I slipped into my suit and hopped in the one person free standing unit first.

While I enjoyed the warmth from the far-infrared rays, I could not get comfortable in the cramped space. There is not enough room to lie down, and the seated position did not allow me to relax completely. I am accustom to lying down in a conventional sauna. If I were to buy one of the free standing units, it would have to be the 4 person unit that allows you to lie down. Obviously, space and money constraints prevented me from making that purchase.

Next, I tried the Solo System. This is a unique design that allows you to lie down while encased in a "tent" sauna. Your body is covered while your head sticks out the end....like a sleeping bag!
The opening is insulated with a plastic cover attached with velcro that can be removed quickly. A towel placed over the end works much better than the plastic cover once you are in the sauna. The plastic is very uncomfortable touching your skin, and a towel serves the purpose much better. Once the sauna is heated up and ready to use, the plastic can be removed and a towel used in its place.

The modular unit can be easily broken down into 2 pieces and stored away. The brochure states that it breaks down into a lovely piece of furniture....that may be stretching it a bit in my opinion. At least it is not a hideous eye sore, but just an odd looking piece.

A separate heated Solo Pad to lie on can be purchased as well to complete the set, or you can just use the modular pieces alone. A heat reflective pad is also included to use with the modules to insulate the heat if you do not use the heated Solo Pad. In this photo, the Solo Pad is shown on top of the reflective pad.

After our visit, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the entire Solo System with the Solo Pad. Four weeks after the order was placed, two boxes were delivered by a shipping company (Anytime Delivery). Assembly was simple and straight forward.

The main control box has one cord to plug into the bottom module and a cord for the upper module, allowing you to control the heat output independently for each half. Another cord plugs the control box into a standard 120v wall outlet. On the right side of the box there are 2 displays for the heat level of the upper module and the lower module respectively. When the unit is on, the heat level indicator numbers flash constantly. When I called Sunlight Saunas to inquire about this, I was told that is normal and it will always flash. The red flashing lights are somewhat annoying when one is trying to relax, so you may want to position the box out of line of sight.

The number on the left side of the box is the time control. All numbers are easily adjusted with up/down arrow push buttons. The ON/OFF button is next to the time control. The graphics used on the control box can be confusing at first. The Round logo circle appears to be the ON/OFF button, while the real ON/OFF button disappears in its location. It does not take long to train the eyes to ignore this and learn the correct buttons to use. Once you are in the sauna, it is awkward to use the controls, so easy-to-find buttons are essential.

The biggest blunder is the Solo Pad's hand held control. The cord is barely long enough to allow the control to extend to head end of the sauna, therefore making it almost impossible to retrieve while in the sauna without having to do some gymnastics. When holding the control in the logical position (wires extending away from you), it is upside down and hard to read the numbers and make sense of keying in the functions.

In order to read the tiny print of each function and sort out what button controls what, you must turn the control around first. Little circles everywhere make it difficult to figure out which button does what, and with my bad eyesight I had a hard time making heads or tails out of it for weeks. Now, I have it memorized, but it's still cumbersome and quite a bother to make any adjustments once you are in the sauna.

Now, with those minor cons out of the way, let's talk about the pros. The best feature is the speed at which your little cocoon will become warm and toasty. I turn it on, go take a quick shower, and by the time I dry off and slip in, it is nice and warm. My sister's conventional sauna takes a solid 20 minutes to warm up and even then, it is not warm enough for me.

I realize the purpose of a sauna is for sweating out toxins, but for me it is also about heating up my core. After 3 hours of riding my bike in 40 degree weather (or worse as is often the case lately), all I can think about is getting warm again. As much as I love soaking in a hot tub, that still does not warm my core up sufficiently since it is difficult to maintain a steady temperature in the water.

Another big plus is the ability to control the heat depending on the result you wish to yield. If I want to get a good sweat, I can easily crank up the heat level and be sweating in no time. However, if I want to create more of a relaxing environment for my body, the temperature can quickly be reduced. I have also used just the lower portion of the system (bottom module) to warm up my legs and stimulate blood flow before a early morning ride on cold days. It's quite versatile!

The Solo System is more cost effective to use than a conventional sauna. Our measurements with an amp meter agreed with the statistics provided on the website of the power usage. Based on the rate we pay of 11 cents per kwh, the average use of 35 minutes per day at 1.34 kwh comes to 14 cents per hour to use. That's affordable in my book.

One thing that caused us concern when we first used it was that it caused the house lights to flicker. After buying a meter, we learned that the way it operates is by pulsing instead of creating a continuous pull. However, if the heat level is set at the highest level of 9, the pull is continuous. So now when I first turn it on, I set the heat levels at 9. Then when I get in the sauna, I adjust the heat levels to where I want them. Generally, I try to use it when nothing else is going on in the house to compete with the energy draw. We have talked with the technicians at Sunlight Saunas about this. In my opinion, this is a design feature that should be addressed. They do not feel that flickering lights are a big issue, but to me that is not something you should have to deal with on such a big ticket item.

If having the luxury and benefit of a sauna are important to you, then I recommend you investigate the Sunlight Sauna Solo System. It is an unobtrusive way to bring a sauna into your home, while not compromising the layout of your home in finding a spot to locate it. Plus, if your future plans require a move, it is not a big deal to pack it up with the rest of your belongings.

All the sauna websites make you feel as though a sauna will solve all your problems and heal every disease, problem, and blemish. While I'm not so sure that it is the magic cure all, I do enjoy it. So far, my life has proceeded as normal after 5 weeks of daily use. I do not feel any different, better, or worse. A few persons have made comments about my complexion, but other than that, nothing seems to have changed. Time will tell if I actually yield any health benefits, but in the meantime, I enjoy being warm for a change!

Come on Over

Come on over to my new site, www.MyLifeonaBike, and see what's cooking. It's still a work in progress, and the progress will be slow, but I'm going to give it a whirl. I'll keep putting reminders up here, but eventually the plan is to move over completely. That's the plan.........

This weekend was most glorious and much needed for us. After enduring endless weekends of rain and/or cold, we were treated to a pleasant surprise; two whole days of sunshine and warmth. No time was wasted in getting as much as we possibly could out of it and we had two fantastic rides.

Saturday we went back up to North Georgia to revisit the Rich Mtn Trails. Even though we were there just 2 wkds ago, everyone was eager to return. Despite the 60 degree sunny day, snow still remained on parts of the trail adding a little extra touch to the fabulous singletrack.

You can read more about the trails and our ride on my new site, My Life on a Bike.

Today's ride was a pleasant surprise for me since I did not expect my legs to work very well after Saturday's Rich Mtn thrashing. Damyankee has been leading a Rubber Mallet ride series this winter on the atlbike.org forum and the route he proposed for today's ride intrigued Raja. Wanting to take a nap more than go out and ride, I had to talk myself into joining in simply because I did not want another beautiful day to go to waste.

Fully expecting to be burdened down with acid legs, I was shocked that my legs could make the pedals go round. We got a head start on the group just to make sure that we could climb Hulseytown without being dead last and picked up the peleton of 10 riders on Old McGarity Road. From there we got onto the new route which turned out to be some fantastic rolling roads with no traffic at all.

We had the best time enjoying the views and basking in the warmth of the sun. I was thrilled to be riding with old friends (Foster) and to see some I don't get to see often (Brent, Tom, Debra). Gosh, it was practically magical.....don't mean to sound sappy, but it was such a good ride. Even Cam was on his best behavior and shattered his bad boy image for Terri.

Coming back down the Comet at the end, we saw Al and his family. I got to meet a blog-fan, Liz (friend of Cartecay Mike). In the parking lot, we saw Frenchy as he was riding back from Piedmont. Cam's parents joined in the apres ride chit chat, and we even got in a visit with old time original cycling friends, Paul and Rick, from our grassroots days.

What a weekend! A great weekend of super good riding filled with lots and lots of friends. It has been a rough and stressful few weeks for us, but these weekends of riding allow us to escape to a place of happiness and joy, of real living. It's what gets me through the week. I can't imagine my life without a bike.

Tomorrow's a new day with the promise of more riding adventures on the horizon! I can hardly wait.

Another Birthday Weekend

We had another typical fun weekend of good riding with great friends!

This time we celebrated Al's birthday. If you would like to read more about it, then..........

check it out here. Let me know what you think. It's a work in progress, but you gotta start somewhere! Thanks to Robb for getting me going!!!

The Power of the Birthday Ride

There is truth in the saying, "strength lies in numbers". Everytime we have a birthday ride, it confirms my belief in the strength we gather when amongst friends. Our favorite Carebear, Mark, celebrated his 47th birthday on Saturday and called a celebratory ride at Rich Mountain.

Now, mind you, Rich Mountain rates as one of the most difficult rides in our area, if not THE hardest. Even though we have been riding this trail for 20 years, it has never gotten to the point where I take it lightly. Rich, or Stanley Gap (it's other name), deserves the utmost respect. The mere mention of its name in a crowd will elicit groans, ooohhhs, aaahhhhs, tales of horror, and even somber silence.

The ride had originally been planned for Saturday, but as usual, the rains foiled our plans. The ride was postponed till Sunday, and we prayed the weather would cooperate. January has been an unsettled month, to say the least, in regards to the weather, and we are all getting antsy, cranky, and eager to get out and ride.

In the midst of our despair, the skies cleared Saturday afternoon. A quick call was made, and we rallied around for a spontaneous Carebear Birthday Road Ride.

We were all so happy to be out on our bikes, that it did not matter whether we were on the road or mountain. I was also honored to be riding with Millhouse for the first time on the road. I am used to chasing his singlespeed down the dirt trails, not pavement. His lovely wife, Kristen, has been diligently attending spin classes all winter, so I look forward to having her join us on some rides soon.

Carebear, Tweety, Robb, Millhouse, Speedy, Regularjoe, Raja and I enjoyed a leisurely ride through the nice roads of Alphatucky taking care to save the legs in preparation for tomorrow's big ride.

On a side note, I was honored to meet Lauren this weekend. Lauren is the first (and only) female in the Cherokee Mountain Bike Club. How refreshing to see teenagers engaging in a worthwhile discipline, thanks to the leadership of their coach, Stephanie! I look forward to seeing these young riders out on the trails. Having been the only girl cyclist in my group for many years, I am especially rooting for Lauren.

On Friday, I was joined by The Caminator and Rlaz for a few hours on the road to jump start my system. After almost 12 days off the bike due to an injury, I was dreading that feeling. You know the feeling. Dead legs, no strength, no power, can't breathe, the horrible realization that you're starting over. The longer I put it off though, the more I would prolong the agony. After 2 days of riding to shake out the cobwebs, I was ready to head North for some Rich Mountain Fun.

Sunday morning looked promising for the drive up to Cherry Log.

As much as I love to encourage riders in their conquest of a new trail, I confess I am always a tad nervous with first timers on this particular route. You never know if their mental skills are up to the task and if all will emerge unscathed. Sure, Milma and Tibbs are mutha's of a trail, but they're only an hour or so of suffering. A Rich Mountain ride ain't over till it's over, and there's never any promise that all will end well.

Regularjoe conquered Rich last August on his 2nd attempt, and he was on hand today in case our first timers needed coaching. The morning air was cold down in the valley where we started, but we would warm up quickly. The ride starts with a mile climb up a gravel road leading to a 3 mile singletrack climb.

Ony was not afraid to take on the challenge of Stanley for the first time!

Another first timer was The Power of Cheese!

Emil, Clogger, and Speedy rounded out the First Timer Group. Speedy was lovin' the singletrack!

The singletrack climbs relentlessly for 3 miles cutting through the side of the mountain covered with the barren trees of winter.

Occasional clusters of rock covered in moss line the trail and brown leaves cover the frozen earth that will be mush once it thaws in the afternoon warmth.

Our tires were able to get perfect traction on this half, but it was another story once we headed back down to the pkg lot. For now, we climbed in ignorant bliss having no clue as to the slop awaiting us on the return.

I enjoy this trail the most when I get in my own little zone, not concerning myself with other riders or trying to keep pace. It seemed to also be the MO for everyone else. I like to look back on the trail and see each rider in their own little world making their way up through the trees. How many cyclists can you find in this pic?

RaceyTracey has ridden Rich a number of times, and she has no problem holding her own against the guys. We were the only female contingents in this sea of males, but we're used to it. That's why we're so tough;-)

Just when you think you cannot climb anymore, the top finally appears. Victory, for now. Ony was stoked over making it to the top of Stanley Gap. A few more climbs to go, but first, some nice long downhill.

The Downhill! There's plenty of downhill at Rich. This is what Raja lives for cause he has a need for speed. The Fox rp3 had just been PUSHed and was getting a test run today. I was hoping against hope that this would make him happier with the MotoLite. It certainly didn't slow him down. Nothing does.

Our roadie friend, Brian, had called at the last second to see if he could catch a ride with us. We were thrilled to have him join in, and he wowed us with the ease at which he flew down the hills (and flew UP the climbs).

Tweety is a diehard downhiller, so he brought his Santa Cruz Bullit for the ride. He never even felt the first rock or root, I'm sure.

Robb was sporting a new Rocky Mountain Slayer.

This was the latest in the lineup of bikes he is reviewing on his website, Mtb Trail Review. Whenever I asked him how he liked the bike, he would grin and say "I love it, everything about it is great!" Judging from how he was flying down the hills, he was lovin' it!

Everybody was riding in top form, and no crashes were to be had. Thank goodness! Rich Mtn can dish up some nasty spills if you get in over your head. Regularjoe has come a long way from where he was almost this time last year when he rode here for the first time.

We continued on down towards Deep Gap before heading off to the Flat Creek Loop. Paul is no stranger to Rich.

Neither is cRASh. Although he did not live up to his name today, fortunately!

As we started the climb up to Flat Creek, the rest of the birthday crew joined us. Carebear's Dedicated Athlete teamates, Brian, Shane & Tim, rolled up on their singlespeeds, barely breaking a sweat after chasing us up and over Stanley Gap. Millhouse was happy to have SS company, and we all secretly called them freaks behind their backs. These guys are crazy!

Brian Bell took off up Flat Creek with the Dedicated Athletes right behind him. Somehow, I found myself riding behind them and decided to enjoy being in their presence while it lasted. They weren't going all out race pace, but I still had to focus in order to stay on Flatfender's wheel. I reminded myself that their bikes were feather weights compared to my 28lb MotoLite. I was also carrying a loaded camelbak AND 3 lb camera on my 115 lb body, while they had nothing on their svelte muscle chiseled bodies. Well, all that was supposed to make me feel better about my lack of physical fitness, but it only made me more aware of the small child I was carrying on my back.

My motivation was to be with them once we hit the downhill. Flat Creek's downhill is super rocky and technical and lots of fun when you have good riders to chase. But the real mystery for me was to see them pull off this descent on hardtail/rigid bikes. Insane, I tell ya, downright crazy. These guys ain't right;-)

At one point, the trail is basically a creek bed of large rocks and water. With the cold temps, it was now a trail of ice. The ice was beautiful and I wanted so badly to stop for the great photo op this would be of riders coming through the rocks and ice. But I did not dare break stride and lose the train. I was having waaaaay too much fun riding behind Tim and Shane, watching them pick their way smoothly through the rough trail. NOW I was really appreciating my 5" travel Titus and the fact that my eyes were not bouncing out of my head. I could hear Tim shouting out comments; something about having a hard time keeping his eyes in their socket.

At the bottom of the long downhill, the trail takes a left turn to lead you to singletrack climbing back out.

This climb is relatively short and one of my favorites. It's beautiful. The racers took off, and my wasted little legs did their best to get me to the top. Carebear was keeping a fast clip, and I could not catch him. None of us could! But we were still enjoying being out on our bikes on the dirt.

Back at the trailhead, we congregated to discuss our options. Raja was ready for more, but my legs were fading. The loss of muscle over 2 weeks was sorely showing, and inwardly I was questioning my ability to get back up and over Stanley Gap. Most of the group was still eager for more, so I dared not back down and show any weakness. I was pleasantly surprised at everyone's eagerness to keep on exploring. The power of the Birthday Ride was starting to kick in.

We crossed Aska Road and climbed up Green Mountain. Once at the top, we descended down to the Long Branch trail and flew down that at warp speed, eventually dumping back onto Aska Road. A nice mile long climb up Aska, and we were back at Deep Gap pkg lot.

All we had left was a 3 mile climb up Stanley Gap and then a nice 4 mile descent back to the cars. Sounds so simple. My legs were killing me, and had no umpf in them. I was envisioning having to hike-a-bike the entire 3 miles.

As we plodded up the gravel climb to the trailhead, I started whining to Regularjoe. Well, bless my soul, instead of whining back, he began to dish out the tough love speeches I have been preaching to him over a year. He reminded me of some things I had told him that were of help in tough moments like this. "I said that, really?" It was a nice splash of cold water in the face, and I swallowed my own medicine as we made the turn up the steep climb.

And just like Regularjoe said, things kicked in, I dug deep and found something somewhere to keep my legs going round. One pedal stroke at a time. It was slow, but I made progress. In fact, I was surprised to round a turn and realize this was the top. Thanks, Joe. The power of the Birthday Ride in action. You give a gift of wisdom on one ride and it keeps going round to be used over and over again.

Clogger and Carebear had long since dropped me on the climb, but I did not mind the solitude. I was enjoying being out on the trail, lost in my own little world, focusing on my pedal stroke and breathing. Once at the top, Clogger was waiting. I told him to go on and I'd wait for the rest of the crew. I know all to well how mental one can get when on a new trail for the first time. Being alone for too long is not always good when you don't know where you are, and I wanted to be their connection back to civilization.

I made sure to wait at the top of the climb, so I could holler down and assure any riders that the top was just ahead. The last pitch is a bugger and really steep. I've only made this climb twice in my lifetime. Today was not one of those times.

A few nasty roots were the only thing standing between us and the last downhill.

Millhouse is a rock star in my book. Anybody that does Rich Mtn on a singlespeed deserves a medal, or psycho analysis. (I'm just jealous I can't do it)

By now, the ground had thawed and created a nice sloppy trail for us to descend. Things were tricky and a few riders had some unplanned dismounts, but nobody was hurt. We survived the entire ride only to get muddied up in the last few miles. But we sure had a blast!!!

A treat of homemade Rocky Road Bars were in order. We rode 22 miles and climbed 4100'. And we did it with a little help from each other. The power of the Birthday Ride is strong!

I am very proud of the first timers! Rich Mountain is a toughie, and you have to be real tough to stick it out. Well done Emil, Brandon, Ken, Ony, and Mike!

There is strength in numbers, at least amongst us. I ride with a fine bunch of folks.

Happy Birthday, Carebear! Thanks for sharing the Power of the Birthday Ride!

It Doesn't Take Much

It doesn't take much to entertain me and my friends when it comes to a bike ride. We don't need mountains, beautiful vistas, or epic trails to have a grand time together. Of course, we would prefer to have all that, but sometimes Mother Nature throws a wrench in our plans. Rather than be defeated, we make the best with what we have. Take a group of good friends, add mountain bikes, mix with zippy singletrack, blend together for a couple of hours, and it will yield a deliciously fun ride.

Regularjoe's second attempt at a birthday ride got scrambled yet again thanks to the eternal rains we have been "enjoying". Instead of going north to Bear Creek/Pinhoti as planned (where it was raining), we decided to gamble on beating the rain by heading northeast to Chicopee Woods in Gainesville. Our gamble paid off.

All the cool kids were there, and FarmerG even brought some party favors. Homegrown loofahs! Ain't that cool? I sure am glad he decided to skip the WBL roadie ride to come play with us mountain bikers. Thanks Greg!

Our friends are cool like that. It has been nice to reconnect with Greg after all these years. We began riding with FarmerG in the early 90's and have alot of old memories to share. It has been refreshing to see the mixing of our old friends with our new. We're all very different, but we all seem to get along so well. Mountain biking must be a timeless sport.

Speaking of old friends, we ran into Tom and Belinda in the parking lot. Good people, they are. Also saw Don, one of our original mountain biking buddies. We logged many an hour training with Don, and it's as though time never passed when you see a good friend like that. I cannot imagine our life without cycling. The friends we have made through the years is a precious thing to me, of which I shall never take for granted.

Our newest friend, Millhouse, was sporting a new fork on his previously fully rigid singlespeed and we were all anxious to hear what he would have to say about it.

Whilst waiting for some of the sleepy heads to arrive, some of us zipped off for a quick warmup on the Lake Trail.

Let me translate "quick warmup" for you....chase Raja & FarmerG as they fly off down the trail. Nothing like a sprint to get you warmed up. It was cold out, and I was wishing I was riding San Felasco with Martina enjoying 78 degree temps and sunshine. No sun for us today. Cloudy and gray with rain on the way. But we weren't going to let those stupid clouds rain on our parade. It's Regularjoe and Robin's birthday ride!

As the herd starting rolling down the trail, I was captivated by the sight of the long trail of riders snaking through the woods.

A fast pace was set (surprise surprise) and we all did our best to keep up with the leaders. SkidSteer did not seem to be having any trouble!

Millhouse was mumbling in front of me as he tried to get used to his new fork. I hear rumors he almost did an endo, but I missed that, darn it.

New signs have been added at Chicopee as well as some super fun trails. I will always remember the work partys here digging out the ZigZag trail, but I must admit, the new trails are much better. Flying Squirrel is the Bomb!

We zipped,

and we raced,

then regrouped just in time to chase again.

There's nothing like singletrack to bring a smile to your face!

There were no Christmas trees or mystery trails to explore, and no sheriffs to summon on today's ride. Just good old fashioned trails to ride

in the company of good friends.

And the weeeeeds! Can't forget the weeeeeds for Kate!

Oh! And the food! Don't forget the food!

Yea, it doesn't take much to entertain us! I love the simple life, the simple life and my friends. It doesn't get any better than that.

Southern Abenteuers

Since living in Switzerland, Jeff and Becky have experienced countless exciting adventures, or abenteuer, as they call it in German. Kate is particularly famous for leading some grand expeditions climbing countless mountains for hours on end, perfect for Jeff's insatiable appetite for adventure.

Back here in our slow Southern universe, we do not travel far for abenteuer fun, because it doesn't take much to entertain us. No energy is wasted looking for fun, for it seems to follow us everywhere we go. What began as gray dreary start to the New Year has turned out to be a barrel of non stop fun and abenteuer.

Ever since I climbed Haleakala on Maui in the rain, the weather has been nothing but yucky and mucky back home. I am beginning to wonder if I will ever ride again with the sun shining down upon me. But I have been diligent and ridden on these gloomy days pretending I was in Maui climbing to the sun.

We had a brief reprieve on New Year's Day and woke to an odd shiny object beaming rays of light on the trail. With all our friends scattered here and yonder, it was looking like we would not get in a traditional New Year's Day ride. At the last minute, a small group was rallied and we gathered at Blankets to ride.

We rolled out of the parking lot with Cyclesmith, Robin, bikeaholic, Barry, Alexis, Speedy, CliffordBRD, Tim, and regularjoe. Right off the bat, Tim set a blistering pace with Clifford and Barry keeping chase.

I was feeling unusually spry that day, and gave it my best shot to keep up. My lungs were searing, my heart was bursting, and my legs were on fire. Tim was blindingly fast and hammered us into the ground. It was fantastic! I'm normally not keen on race pace rides, but since my body could somewhat deliver, I decided to go with it.

Hammering intensely while trying not to throw up, I reminded myself why I stopped racing. It's not that I mind suffering. I just like to suffer on my own terms. If you put a race number on me, I will turn myself inside out until the Finish Line. There is no backing off. But when hammering amongst friends, you know eventually we'll all stop, regroup, laugh, and do it all over again. It's an adventure!

The only one not enjoying the New Year Adventure was Raja. "Did you have a good ride, honey?" I asked him. "No, the MotoLite rear end is just too harsh. I'm stripping it down tonight," he replied.

So, the frame lies naked and rejected in our living room (I call it the fancy closet because it's filled with bikes and such instead of furniture). But alas, Raja the ultimate internet searcher, has found reports of success with PUSH from other MotoLite owners with similar complaints. The bare Motolite now awaits a soon to be PUSHed rp3 in hopes that it will ride the trails again captained by the man who knows no fear!

Our encounter with the sun was short lived and 2009 resumed with clouds, drizzle, and rain. We were supposed to have a special mtn bike ride Saturday celebrating Robin, Joe, and PJ's birthday. It was also the one year anniversary of when Regularjoe crashed Robin's birthday ride and became our new fast friend. But the rains had ruined our plan, and the ride was postponed till next wkd.

I was not amused and wanted to ride, rain or not. It took some poking, but eventually I was able to herd up some cyclists ready for adventure as I was. We were not disappointed. Notice anything odd about this picture?

You know you're in for a fun day when somebody first pulls out a Christmas tree and then a bike! In all the excitement over Speedy bringing the holiday decorations, Regularjoe locked his keys in his truck. The plot was thickening.

Al, Jdubbya, PJ, Raja and I were rolling on the ground with laughter, while Regularjoe and Speedy ignored us. It just got better by the minute.

Regularjoe finally relented and called the Sheriff to bail him out, so to speak. By now, Al and I had enough pictures to keep us photochopping through 2010 and we had not even started the ride.

The fog was thick, but it did not dampen our spirits. Regularjoe was finally free, and the ride could begin.

Equipped with our mountain bikes, we were not phased with the nasty conditions. When we weren't cracking jokes and laughing our heads off, we managed to actually ride.

Over cool bridges,

and off onto dirt roads,

we planned to do the Mixed Loop course, until it started getting a little too muddy. From the looks of this hardpacked gravel road, we knew Johnny Monk would be a mud fiesta.

So, with a change of plans, we hopped back on the paved road and made a game of it.

Time for us to take our friends to Hulseytown.

Hulseytown is a looooooooong road climb on super rough pavement with the KOM ending by this cemetery. Thus, I call it the Col di Cemeteri.

The fog wasn't lifting one bit, but the temps were rising nicely. Raja started the climb from the back and managed to chase everyone down, taking the KOM.

We explored some dirt roads off Hulseytown.

I won't go into the details, but the Thong Trail had us laughing!

We got real adventuresome and tried to find a trail that Crockett had told me about earlier that day.

Not having a clue as to where we were going, we felt like kids again playing in the woods.

With the exception of me and Raja, everyone present on the ride is a parent. Ranging from 2 kids to PJ's big litter of 5 young uns', I think they were all enjoying being a kid themselves for a day. We did not really care where we were riding, as long as we were riding, we were having fun!

Reaching a crossroads, we put out an SOS on the phone to Crockett. Maybe he can figure out where we are and tell us which way to head! At the last second, before we rode off the cliff, the phone rang with Crockett on the other end. He didn't have a clue as to where we were! Oops, guess this wasn't the trail about which he was telling me.

No worries, we heard some dirt bikes and worked our way through the woods towards them to find the road. More fun was had bringing it home, and we laughed our way through 3 hours of a fantastic Abenteuer.

Regularjoe and PJ got in their birthday ride afterall. Happy birthday, my friends.

The next day the weather was, guess what.....still dreary and rainy. That didn't stop us from getting out for more riding fun. Tweety got us together and we struck out from Alphatucky in search of a good workout.

Robb, Regularjoe, Speedy, RaceyTracey, and Psychobilly rounded out the group.

We enjoyed a tour of the beautiful roads of Alphatucky. In between hill climbs and sprints, we laughed and played and had a good time. How can you not have fun when you ride with a guy in an outfit as fine as Mattycakes? Is that Euro cool? I'm not sure yet.

I've said it a millions times and I'll say it again, my friends are the bestest. We take care of each other. Whether it's getting you back on your feet when you've fallen down or cleaning your bike, they will do whatever it takes;-) I love 'em.

2009 has started with a bang. If the past few days of abenteuer-ing is any indication, then this year is going to be off the charts. Fasten your seat belts, move away from the doors, and please keep your hands inside the vehicle.

This train is about to leave the station! I look forward to riding with you all in 2009!

Here's a link to the pictures from our Abenteuer, or you can just watch the slideshow here.