Mountain Bikes, Bass Guitar, and other stuff I like

Cleaned VMT on the SS going clockwise! Also did 2 Dwellings .;About 13-14 miles in about 1 hour 20 min Had a much-needed massage yesterday. It had been about 6 months. Was complimented on how flexible I was. Then came home and did P90X Chest and Back. Niiiiice

Took the singlespeed out to Blanket's to let it break me in further. Had to fairly strong Dwelling runs to start and was extremely stoked to clean Van Michael going counter-clockwise. I haven't cleaned it on my geared bike in a while! Hurl Hill was a big challenge and I really had to push. I think there was a good tail-wind too Ha! The gear ratio is 32-20 which I understand is good for Blanket's. Finished up with grunt and grind on South Loop. Total time about 2 hours 15 min and approx 17 miles.

Bought a Trek 29er singlespeed today and promptly went out to Blanket's to let the bike break me in. I have been considering this purchase for about a month debating whether or not to convert my current bike to a singlespeed or just buy a new one. What attracts me to singlespeed is the simplicity of the bike and from what I've been reading, an almost zen-like experience when riding. I loved how quiet it was with no chain noise to speak of really. It is a pure bike and hopefully will deliver pure biking bliss. Weather was threatening today so I waited in the parking lot for 15 minutes but no rain. It began raining as soon as I hit Dwelling and it was flowing streams of water down the path. Not much fun! I felt horrible for bringing my brand new bike out on its first ride and it turned out to be a slop-fest but that's life in the outdoors. I also forgot my gloves so I had a deathgrip on the bars and they were slick. I also wore my clipless shoes on flats! Ha, that was ...

Another satisfying ride at Chicopee . This place never leaves me for wanting more. There are about 30 miles worth of trails with something for everyone, featuring fast,fun, and flowy loops and also rocky/rooty loops with punishing climbs. I rode about 2.5 hours at a relatively slow pace only covering about 22 miles. Carrying the 15 lb pack really weighs me down but it's good for strength and endurance. I also tried to stay in the middle rings on front and back, around a 2-3. At least it gets lighter as the ride goes on with the loss of fluid. Today I was focusing more on good cornering, especially downhill cornering. Not rushing things at all and riding at a rather deliberate pace. Good thing the trails were deserted. It's difficult to keep my weight back through a downhill corner yet push down on the inside bar to give the front tire more bite. Ran the tires at about 30 PSI which seemed to be an adequate pressure for today's trail conditions, which were mostly tacky and...

First day back on the bike was a good one. It's the cure for what ails me. I dialed it back a lot and took it slow through corners, trying to regain my confidence. Downhills were really conservative and climbs were done in big gears which drove my lower back nuts. Really concentrating on technique through corners trying not to over-steer and using body english. I rode for about 2 hours and could really feel that I had been off a bike for 8 days. My legs were fresh but they didn't have much endurance. I rode about 16 miles. I always forget how much upper body strength is needed for mountain biking. My triceps and shoulders were really screaming today. Trail conditions were nearly ideal after some recent rain. A lot of grip and very little powder. This morning did some trail work. SORBA Woodstock had a last minute post o Facebook about this party. Helped build a wall ride at the bottom of the new downhill area at Blanket's. I'm not really a downhill rider but it...

Wounds healing nicely and scabbing over. I'll spare you pictures, unless requested. Ha! My legs are still recovering from a deceptively arduous trail run on Sunday with Renee. I have this nagging cramp/sore spot in my right calf that won't let go. It began after pedaling big gears on my 29er which I did in an effort to prep myself for going singlespeed. The woods are an offshoot of Boling Park in Canton. It was surprisingly remote. I believe it is called the Sutallee trail. The trail is confusingly marked with orange, yellow, and gold markers! It is gorgeous out there though. I saw an awesome owl and the owl saw me as well. It was stirring to have a bird like that regard me in the woods.

Here's a thoughtful, easy-paced film about a dysfunctional Japanese family dealing with the loss of one of their sons, who died trying to rescue a swimmer fifteen years ago. The film is not overly depressing, as one would expect, but instead gives us pause to reflect on things that really matter in our lives. It's not clear if the family's dysfunction was present before or after the tragedy. There's a familiarity to the story, in that Japanese films tend to deal with death and how it affects the family rather straightforwardly and without melodrama. Such is the case in Tokyo Story by one of Japan's greatest filmmakers, Yasujiro Ozu. Each family member is dealing with this death in their own way. The father, has shut himself off from everyone. The mother nervously chatters about the house with her daughter, perhaps not knowing how to express grief. The one most affected is the brother, who has palpable guilt and regret. He is ashamed for not becoming a do...

Past few times out on the bike my front wheel has washed out. The trail has been powdery/loose in both cases but I blame mostly my riding technique. It seems that instead of leaning, which one should do at high speed, I'm trying to turn the handlebars too much. It's discouraging because I feel my technique has advanced considerably over the past two years. I know experience is a great teacher but I can't help but feel like I'm regressing some here. Bad habits are hard to break. Common biking wisdom suggests that we crash on trails most familiar to us, perhaps because we are so casual and too loose. This one particular section I wiped out a few weeks ago on but it was more of a harmless 10-foot butt-slide that only ripped my shorts. Now I'm forced to convalesce and heal my wounds. My body probably needs a break anyway. Already looking forward to the next ride. I want the chance to ride the section smooth and fast with confidence. Until next time -J VMT crash

The 11-mile course took me 1 hour, 06 minutes, 41 seconds. I have heard that the course was 12 miles and 10 miles but no one seems to know how long it was really. My wife Renee did the running portion of the duathlon at 5 miles on the Dwelling loop. I felt good heading out of the gate, confident and calm. Not nervous, just ready to do well. Took 4 days off prior to the race to rest up. Blanket’s is my back yard trail so I was extremely familiar with the course. Earlier this year I had finished the Van Michael, Dwelling, and South Loop in 1 hour 18 minutes. There is little time to get warm and in the groove before getting to some steep climbs on Van Michael. This trail is a cardio beast but has nice,rewarding downhill. It is fast, flowy and not overly technical (rocky or rooty). One aspect I couldn't have predicted were the amount of racers on the trail in front of me. I figured most everyone would be off the course. It was an exercise in bike handling, confidence, and comm...