i think i found my calling!! i wanna be a pro mountain bike racer..

[vash]

ok..i am kidding. i am too old, too slow, to "big boned".

BUT, i walked past my roadbike this morning and jumped on my mountain bike. i rode several miles to get to a trailhead. quick sip of water and i started the grind up. all that road riding seriously takes the pain out of spinning up a hill in the dirt. i didnt give my granny gear any love until the switchbacks at the top. knee was feeling great..then i got lost in the oak tree canopy. i kept going up until i heard voices.

great..a bunch of high school kids on mountain bikes. i asked them where the eff i was..and one guy said we were near the top (some tower). he then told me there are five ways down and tried to explain it. he ended it with..ride with us to the top and i'll just show you. his friend said, "yea, follow us old man". hahahah..first time i've been called that. i replied with, "yea..whatever. at least i didnt need my mommy to buy me my mountain bike" we laughed and took off. it was fun and i am lucky i didnt snap a hip. i kept up with the group of punks..got my bearing at the top..and flew down.

i have forgotten the siren's song of a downhill single track...root balls to get "air". scooching down off the back of my seat to push my front tire down some rut mathematically too steep to succeed..it was so much fun.

bottom line. i think mountain biking is better exercise for me than my roadbike. i was huffing and puffing, heart beat waaaay up there..sweating rivers. i'm doing it again tomorrow.

there were wild turkeys everywhere. i made gobbling noises with my mouth an inadvertently challenged a flock. i can do a "brack brack brack"with my mouth that mimics a hen in heat. they came running!! all puffed up. i got nervous and blasted off..hate to get my butt spurred by a tom turkey. awesome day!

good to be alive.

[vash]

i live over there.

[Jim Bremner]

I miss riding. Need to get my knees in better shape.

I used to ride on Tuesday mornings by myself so that I could get my mind straight. In El Morro State park there's a loop that I used to do. One morning I startled a big buck from his bed. I was doing 35-40 mph and for 100 yards Iwas along side of hime untill he weny away from me. 1/2 later I'm grinding up a hill caled "Elavator" at 3mph. A turky vulture was gliding along with me at eye level for 5 minutes just out of arms teach.

By the way, your Oury grips on your bars.. There's a chance that they came from my warehouse.

Jim

[85eurocarrera]

Not to mention the Mt bike crowd is generally a lot friendly group.

Drop the Oury grips for some ergos.

[cantdrv55]

Where is that trail?

[jhc]

I love mountain biking. You have inspired me to go, I haven't been out yet this year. This is a picture of my old jekyll, I have since moved the components over to a single speed frame set up. Oh and BTW after ten years of going once a week or so my buddy and finally signed up to do a race. We got lapped by those "kids".

[azasadny]

Cliff,
You need to write a book about your adventures!!

[notmytarga]

I love nice trails, ups and downs, climbs, descents and views. Lots of trails near my home or a 10 min drive away and BLM seems to add another 20 miles of trails to a ridge each year!

Trails - BLM, Redding Field Office

Here is a video I put together when I got my GoPro camera - a nice crash too!

DayBreak Mountain Bike Ride - YouTube

Crash at 2:10

[ZAMIRZ]

Nice grips. I've got the reds on mine

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

By the way, your Oury grips on your bars.. There's a chance that they came from my warehouse.

Jim

Great grips - been using them for years!

angela

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by azasadny

Cliff,
You need to write a book about your adventures!!

Or combine them. Pig hunting with a bow while on a bike carrying overnight camping gear.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Or combine them. Pig hunting with a bow while on a bike carrying overnight camping gear.

I hunt off my mountain bike. The other hunters laugh at me. But I can cover a lot of ground that way, especially with a fast running dog, upland and dove hunting! I also take the bike duck hunting and deer hunting. It is much easier to bike a deer out than to drag it!



My mountain bike is a dull black Trek with black spokes and rims. I bought it with that color for this purpose. It is almost as quiet as walking and the deer almost ignore it, as the hills I hunt are busy with mountain bikers all the time, not with guys sneaking around on foot in camo!

G

[Dantilla]

When on the road bike, it's usually because I have a destination. It is a tool to get from point A to point B.

The mountain bike is pure fun! I start acting like a 12-year-old kid after riding the mountain bike for a bit.

Over the last couple years I've spent far more time goofing off on the trails.

[porsche4life]

Jealous of those trails... Everything out here is too flat...

[vash]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Jealous of those trails... Everything out here is too flat...

I heard a comedian once say about OK. "it's so flat, if you stare at the horizon you can see the back of your own head"

[porsche4life]

Its not that bad, but all the hills are more rolling, enough to make road biking have some b*tch uphills, but nothing interesting on the MTB....

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by aigel

I hunt off my mountain bike. The other hunters laugh at me. But I can cover a lot of ground that way, especially with a fast running dog, upland and dove hunting! I also take the bike duck hunting and deer hunting. It is much easier to bike a deer out than to drag it!



My mountain bike is a dull black Trek with black spokes and rims. I bought it with that color for this purpose. It is almost as quiet as walking and the deer almost ignore it, as the hills I hunt are busy with mountain bikers all the time, not with guys sneaking around on foot in camo!

G

This is hilarious. I have never seen that done. You might need a rear view mirror if u did that in the Canadian Rockies. Bear sees deer, bear chases deer
and handily outruns the bike man carrying the deer!
Happy trails!

[VincentVega]

I love riding in the woods, makes me feel like a kid again. Makes me feel like a fatass too, I used to be a contender, I used to be somebody!! Still fun though. I need to ride more.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

This is hilarious. I have never seen that done. You might need a rear view mirror if u did that in the Canadian Rockies. Bear sees deer, bear chases deer
and handily outruns the bike man carrying the deer!
Happy trails!

LOL - that's of course just a picture from probably Maine or Alaska? If I get a deer on the bike it gets boned out and packed in my backpack, which is much nicer to ride with than to hike with. If close to the car you can also put the saddle inside the cavity and tie the front legs to the handlebar. Just can't ride it well sitting on top - more of a push setup.

G

[algs911]

I raced as an expert cross-country for years. Lot's of fun. I still do it, but no longer have the desire to race.

Here's a shot at my local trails (Santa Cruz, CA area). I talk the whole way down, which is annoying to some, so SOUND OFF! Alan's MTB ride - YouTube

Also, don't give up just because you think you're "old." I have had the pleasure of riding with Jim "Sully" Sullivan (first MTB World Champ). GalbraithMt.com Snapshot Views: First World Mt. Bike World Championships, Durango, CO. He was REALLY fast even well after he turned 40. SUPER nice guy.

I also had a chance to race cyclocross against Thomas Frischnecht (second photo). I got some great shots of me in front of him (when he came around to lap me! LOL).

Point is, cycling is something you can do well in to old age. I plan on riding until I die. Generally speaking, MTBers are great people. Racing is also a load of fun, no matter where you place. You'll always find a group in your fitness/skill range to race with/against. Some of the most fun races I've had were when I "bonked" and just had a great time.

Al