RR: Singlespeed Dream Moments

Paladin said:

Almost 70degF this pm, so I had to ride.

I hear ya P! Nice RR. Today is stairs day for us, but last
night I thought, "What the heck am I doing. STAIRS???" and
loaded the SS into the truck.

I plan to duplicate your route this afternoon (care for
another?), but I plan to hit that 'fun' little stretch up to
the 8th St. pking lot. OUCH!

Can't wait...

Gman

Yep, it was a great day to ride. I snuck out of work early and hit the
trail by 3pm. The last time I tried to ride these trails was almost a month
ago and most of the trails were a muddy mess. I either turned around and
choose a different route or ended up doing the cyclocross thing and ran with
the bike through the sagebrush.
Any who I pretty much followed the same route as Chris until I got back
to Crestline from Trail #4. Instead of turning right and going up the MC
lot, I went left and flew down the Freeway back to the Military Reserve
connector. The trails are super fast hardpack right now.
I decided to ride the Bucktail trail over to Shanes since I have only
ridden this trail once and that was a night ride way back in November.
Bucktail is a fun little trail that gives you one more option to either ride
to or from Shanes and you can really put together an awesome loop if you
really wanted. Since the trail is still fairly new, it was pretty
bumpy/choppy; if I had been smart I would have let a little air out or the
tires to help absorb the shock. The trail was much smoother on Shanes.
Shanes trail is one of my favorites in the Boise foothills. I prefer to
ride the loop in the clockwise direction to take advantage of what I think
is more downhill and flat terrain. Shanes has some of the tightest single
track in the area so it makes for a thrill when riding at fairly high
speeds. It also offers great views of the valley and there are very few
sections with blind corners so you can keep your speed up.
Once I got back to the Bucktail/Shanes/Ridgecrest intersection I opted
to take the Ridgecrest extension. This trail was built around the same time
as Bucktail, so I had never had the opportunity to ride it before. To be
honest I was very disappointed because I had anticiapted a neat twisty trail
similar to Bucktail, but it was just a short none technical straight shot
back to Military Reserve trails. I did however continue down Ridgecrest and
rode most of the Military Reserve trails.
I finally realized that I had rode way more than I was ready for. My
lower back and arms were shot and my legs felt like lead so the ride back up
Military Connector was a real suffer fest. I was so happy to get back on
Uncle Stans and let gravity take over. I almost made the mistake of not
taking Chickadee Ridge due to my near depleted energy level, but man that is
such a fun little section and as usual it did not disappoint.
Great day to be outdoors! I did not encounter too many bikes out until I
got back to Crestline on the return leg of the ride, however the
trailrunners were out in force. Man they are a bunch of animals!

Mike

"Paladin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Almost 70degF this pm, so I had to ride.

First ride on the new chain since breaking it and almost breaking my
neck. Felt tight. Sure. Stood up and got some locomotion going. Got
my groove back, in the flow, tight.

Man, this good weather has brought everybody and their cousins out onto
the trail. Good riders, bad riders, inbetween riders.

I'm booking up Uncle Stan's, standing the whole way, hear som wheezing
behind me near the top, and I've just pulled three other riders to the
summit. Keep going without a break, lose the posers on geared boingers
pretty quickly on the next steep pitch.

Quick ride? Long ride? quick ride? long ride? Long Ride wins and I
turn off and up onto Sidewinder. Cool, clear, dry, sun starting to
set. How awesome.

A couple miles into the climb, I hear somebody behind me, "Whatcha
runnin? 32-18? 32-16?" Huh, O Yeah, <gasp> <wheeze> 32-20. He passes
me on a black SS of some kind, and just stands up and leaves me eating
dust. Young poser!

New climbing style for me. I'm standing straight up over the seat,
arms straight, and I'm reefing on the bars mainly with my traps and
lats, pulling hard to keep the tires going up.

Finally crest out on top of the world, and behold little fleas on bikes
on various trails beneath me.

On the way down a couple of doofi going up on high-end bikes recognize
me as I yield right of way. I don't recognize them, but they recognize
the gray lady bike from the Idaho mtbr forum. Ahah.

To make a long story a little longer, book it down pretty fast, the fat
Kendas digging in like a scared cat on my leg. Get to Crestline. Long
Ride? OK, to the end of Crestline, do the creek crossing. About a
foot of water still this time of year.

Clean the miserable approach to the slap-ya-silly pitch piece of Trail
4 to the MC lot. It's tough, but so am I heheh and keep going. when
death's looking mighty good, I come out near the top and see a guy in a
trance watching the sunset from 2,500' above the valley. "Beautiful
night, aint it?" I wheeze,and go to my own private Idaho vantage point.

Lower the seat and book it down to the top of Hulls, which by now has
filled with young posers. They're all congratulating themselves and
bragging about making it this far, when old doof comes *down* onto
their parade from the high country, and thread my bike between theirs
and lay it down, making sure they can see what it is. To patronize my
eager ego, they notice the gray lady, and we chat a bit.

By now it's getting cold and the sun's almost gone. time to put her
into cruising speed and altitude and I'm booking it outta there, the
sun in my face as I almost biff it with approaching riders.

Work my way all the way back down to the Sports Utility Beater, and
home to Mamma. Why you grinnin? says she. You woulda had to have
been there,babe, says I.

CDB

"Mike Kennedy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yep, it was a great day to ride. I snuck out of work early and hit the
trail by 3pm. The last time I tried to ride these trails was almost a
month
ago and most of the trails were a muddy mess. I either turned around and
choose a different route or ended up doing the cyclocross thing and ran
with
the bike through the sagebrush.> I finally realized that I had rode way
more than I was ready for. My
lower back and arms were shot and my legs felt like lead so the ride back
up
Military Connector was a real suffer fest. I was so happy to get back on
Uncle Stans and let gravity take over. I almost made the mistake of not
taking Chickadee Ridge due to my near depleted energy level, but man that
is
such a fun little section and as usual it did not disappoint.
Great day to be outdoors! I did not encounter too many bikes out until
I
got back to Crestline on the return leg of the ride, however the
trailrunners were out in force. Man they are a bunch of animals!

Mike

That was a helluva ride you did, compadre. I sat here laughing thinking
about you grunting your way out of Military Reserve after all that
riding.heheh We oughta hook up with GMan and you guys can give me the grand
tour of the Shane's/Bucktail business over there. I ride there now and
then, but not sure where I am. Shanes? Curlew? Whatever?

Now I absolutely gotta do Quarry and Tram again now that the weather's good.
Need gears and springs for that rockin taco, though.

Let's be in touch. I think the GMan's going out tonight. You guys oughta
hook up. I don't think I can swing it with family stuff.

CDB

"Gman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paladin said:

Almost 70degF this pm, so I had to ride.

I hear ya P! Nice RR. Today is stairs day for us, but last
night I thought, "What the heck am I doing. STAIRS???" and
loaded the SS into the truck.

I plan to duplicate your route this afternoon (care for
another?), but I plan to hit that 'fun' little stretch up to
the 8th St. pking lot. OUCH!

Can't wait...

Gman

That fun little stretch is always a painful buttkick for me. O well.

CDB

It would be fun to meet up and do a ride sometime. I actually rode to
and from work yesterday, but there is no way that I could have done another
mtb ride, man I was whipped! It was such a nice day that I just kept riding.

"Paladin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Mike Kennedy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yep, it was a great day to ride. I snuck out of work early and hit

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

trail by 3pm. The last time I tried to ride these trails was almost a
month
ago and most of the trails were a muddy mess. I either turned around and
choose a different route or ended up doing the cyclocross thing and ran
with
the bike through the sagebrush.> I finally realized that I had rode

way

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

more than I was ready for. My
lower back and arms were shot and my legs felt like lead so the ride

back

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up
Military Connector was a real suffer fest. I was so happy to get back

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Uncle Stans and let gravity take over. I almost made the mistake of not
taking Chickadee Ridge due to my near depleted energy level, but man

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is
such a fun little section and as usual it did not disappoint.
Great day to be outdoors! I did not encounter too many bikes out

until

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I
got back to Crestline on the return leg of the ride, however the
trailrunners were out in force. Man they are a bunch of animals!

Mike

That was a helluva ride you did, compadre. I sat here laughing thinking
about you grunting your way out of Military Reserve after all that
riding.heheh We oughta hook up with GMan and you guys can give me the

grand

Quoted message said:

tour of the Shane's/Bucktail business over there. I ride there now and
then, but not sure where I am. Shanes? Curlew? Whatever?

Now I absolutely gotta do Quarry and Tram again now that the weather's

good.

Quoted message said:

Need gears and springs for that rockin taco, though.

Let's be in touch. I think the GMan's going out tonight. You guys oughta
hook up. I don't think I can swing it with family stuff.

CDB

Hey Mike, I grabbed Alex for a ride today, and we started at CB, up
Kestrel, up to the city pistol range, up the road, cross the ravine and
up top, did Curlew's ridge and the little loop, then booked it down
what was mostly old double track to Military Reserve, tooled around
there, and ultimately back to CB.

Hurricane force winds up on top. Riding along at a 45 degree angle at
times, with gusts hitting us andknocking us off the trail. Lots of
riders out, though.

CDB

Paladin said:

Hey Mike, I grabbed Alex for a ride today, and we started at CB, up
Kestrel, up to the city pistol range, up the road, cross the ravine and
up top, did Curlew's ridge and the little loop, then booked it down
what was mostly old double track to Military Reserve, tooled around
there, and ultimately back to CB.

Hurricane force winds up on top. Riding along at a 45 degree angle at
times, with gusts hitting us andknocking us off the trail. Lots of
riders out, though.

CDB

When did you go CDB?

A buddy and I rode from his house on Warm Springs over to
the Reserve, then on that new singletrack trail over to
Shanes (across the gully from that road by the shooting
range that you took), then thru half of Shanes out to Rocky
Canyon road, up the road to the beginning of Curlew (Three
Bears), down Curlew to the other side of Shanes and back
down the new trail, up and out of the Reserve and over to
Red Cliffs on the Freeway and down to Lucky 13 for a well
deserved beer or 3.

We left about 11am and hit L 13 at 1330. I was on the Surly
and he was on a geared LiteSpeed.

I will have to admit that all the trails being chewed up by
horses when it was wet is making me consider getting a shock
for the front of the Surly.

G

Sorry we missed you. I crossed a dude on a black SS, but it was too
loud, windy, cold and steep to stop for a friendly chat among brothers!
Lots of gals out in that area, too. They had the guys beat 3 to 1.

We left CB around 230pm, and finished up around 430pm. Went down to
El Pollo Rey for one of their gut buster burritos.

Re your comment about how much fun SS'ing is, I think I'll just go with
the SS this Spring/Summer and keep the slick tires on the hardtail and
use it for bike commuting to/from work. We'll see.

CDB