My contribution
I've returned to riding my bike regularly again. I seem to have taken last year off a bit, not riding as much and not posting much. But over the Christmas break I had 2 weeks off from work, and got back to riding about 4 times a week. I vowed to carry that over into the new year, and I've been diligent in commuting into work by bike 2x per week. That leaves the weekends for fun rides.
Normally I commute with my cyclocross bike, and at the end of the week I left it at Arizona Bicycle Experts for a major overhaul. The bike was telling me it was time. I have a billion projects to get done before this year's motorcycle racing season begins, so I decided to let the experts handle the work on my bike. That way, the bike would get fixed, I could continue working on all of my motorcycle projects (fiberglassing my own bodywork takes some time), and I was supporting a most excellent LBS.
I usually hit Fantasy Island on the weekends. I can ride there from my house via a connection of residential streets, alleys, and fire roads. The cross bike is my favorite bike to ride there. It makes the singletrack more challenging, and I love the quizzical looks I get from mountain bikers as I pass by and descend down The Shaft with my skinny tires and drop bars. I can clear everything on that trail with my cross bike. This weekend I would have to ride the hardtail instead, as the cross bike wouldn't be ready until Wednesday.
The fist thing I noticed was the seating position. I am so used to being hunched over with my hands on the hoods of the cross bike. Second, it felt like I was pedaling and not going anywhere. A great illustration of the difference in rolling resistance between the bikes. I cruised along the fire roads, reacquainting myself with the hardtail. We proceeded through the gate to Fantasy Island, and it took me several tight turns to remember that I was on a mountain bike, and not the cross bike. I could also plow through a lot of areas that I would have to slow down for on the fully rigid cross bike. I started pumping the pedals harder and harder, and riding the trail faster and faster. I knew the trail like the back of my hand, and knew exactly what turns were coming up and where the rocks in the trail were. The cross bike makes me slow down and think before taking a section, but the mountain bike allowed me to hammer. I decided that I would do the loop without stopping. I was in a hammer mood. Perhaps it was the suspension fork and the better brakes of the hardtail. I don't know. All I knew was that I was going faster down this trail than I had in the past, and I didn't want to let up.
I passed by groups of riders on the side of the trail. I gave them a quick "hi" and a smile that said I was having too much fun to slow down and chat. The sun felt good, and my body absorbed the energy. I'm a native desert rat, and can't stand cold weather. But this day it was warm and in the upper 60's, and my effort on the bike made it that much more enjoyable. I descended down The Shaft, not bothering to touch the brakes or slow down. The hardtail ate it up, and I carried the momentum up the other side. The half pipe was my favorite feature with the mountain bike. I dropped in and carried speed as I carved the turn on the bank of the left side of the pipe, and then the right. I had much more exit speed on the hardtail, and flew over the jump exiting the pipe. This caused me to be launched much higher than expected, but I landed the jump perfectly and continued to hammer up the climb out. I held the hammer pace to the north entrance of the trail, which is a popular gathering place for riders. I slowed down a bit as I passed by groups hanging out there, but didn't stop and continued on.
I love being a solo rider. As a group rider, I would have had to stop at the trailhead to wait for the group, or catch up to those that were ahead. Then, of course, there would have been the chatting that would have ensued, causing me to loose the momentum of my hammer fest. But I wasn't in a group, and I could simply continue with my ride. I was getting tired at this point, so I slowed the pace a bit to rest, but didn't stop. As I came down a hill, I could see another rider entering the downhill of a section ahead of me. I finally caught up to the rider, and she pulled over to let me by. "Good morning" I said politely, and she returned the greeting. I noticed that the woman was older, maybe in her early 50's, and she too was enjoying the trail alone. I hoped that one day I would be like her when I was that age. In shape enough to continue riding, while still daring enough to find the fun in a solo ride.
By the time I reached the flag, I had found my second wind. I peeled off to the right, taking the Valencia trail back to Valencia road. I had this section of trail all to myself, and didn't come across any other riders. I carved through the tall cholla cactus, instinctively sticking out my knee on the inside of each corner. Riding my bike helps to improve my racing. It reminds me that I need to look through each corner, and look ahead to where I want to go, rather than staring at the front wheel. I guess that's why I never took to road riding. I end up staring at my front wheel while on the road, and just think about my legs making circles. There's much more that I need to react to while on the trail, kind of like roadracing. All decisions are made in a split second, and become instinctive during a race on a 300 lb motorcycle. I think I thrive on that type of environment. The faster I ride the trail the faster I need to pick a line and make a decision. Sometimes I can't see where the trail goes on the other side of the cholla. Rather than slow down, I trust that instinct will take over and I'll quickly remember where the next turn will be right after the tree of cactus.
I roll into the driveway, still out of breath from my hammer fest. I had done the loop without stopping, and it felt great. I was able to finish a full 20 minutes faster than I would have on the cross bike. The rocky sections tend to slow me down on that bike, while the hardtail allowed me to fly through. I decided that on my next free weekend, I would take the cross bike to Fantasy on Saturday, and the hardtail to Starr Pass on Sunday. I've got to start letting the mountain bike out more to play.