[Inline version available here: http://tinyurl.com/q43p6]
Allaire State Park, NJ
Given some of the recent events that have taken place in my biking life,
I decided it would be a good idea to just get away on my own and release
some of the angst that has been building these past few weeks. I
figured a ride on my own would allow me to concentrate on my own riding
technique and not have to worry about others around me. Don't get me
wrong, I like riding in a group, but I just needed to chill out a bit.
This way I can go as fast or slow as I want and not have to worry about
anyone else. I chose Allaire State Park because it was far from the
rest of the world, I know the place well, there are some very steep
short climbs that would challenge the SS, and I could shoot myself out
of a cannon on the flat twisty sections.
It was 24F when I hit the parking lot and just a few cars. The sun was
warm as it starts to do with spring coming, so it really didn't feel all
that bad. The wind was starting to pick up though as was called for, so
I knew it would feel a lot colder when I was done and sweaty from the
ride.
I start off hitting the usual suspect downhill to the river. I love the
drop-offs that the poorly designed water bars have created in this
section. Fun stuff and not too hard on the body even on a hardtail SS.
It seems more fun on a 26" bike though as the 29er wheels don't fly as
high. I make it to the bottom and this section that is usually mushy,
is frozen solid. Very nice!
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3358.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3359.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3360.jpg
The frozen trail really lets you pick up the speed but I knew it
wouldn't last long as I would have to climb out of the river valley
soon. Not a sole in sight as made my way around every turn. What made
me sad was the amount of widening that has taken place in this section.
This park has plenty of mileage on trails that are never muddy, so why
do they insist on riding the muddy section when it's soft? Thankfully,
the summer sees light traffic in this park and it should recover.
Onto the climbs out of the valley. This pics don't show how steep it is
and my shoulders were killing me when I reached the top. Although I
have the power in my legs, I need my upper body strength to make it up.
Maybe I didn't learn how to do this the correct way but it feels like
I pull my self up the hill. Hey, whatever works. The exposed roots
don't help on these tough climbs, either.
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3361.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3362.jpg
What goes up certainly must go down again.
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3363.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3366.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3367.jpg
Well after some more tight twisty greenery lined singletrack I turn into
tunnel of fun. Another favorite section of mine with drop-off after
drop-off. This time I launch the bike and clear two drops. Woo hoo!
First time I've done that. Of course, once again it puts me at the
river bottom and I climb again leaving me at an eroded lookout area. I
figure this is as good a place as any to be humble and think. So I do.
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3369.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3374.jpg
I climb a little further to the "high country". LOL!
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3375.jpg
Then point my front end down to the low country and take the sandy chute
to the bottom.
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3376.jpg
Now on the other side of the park I can let things rip! Just some great
flowing fast singletrack over here. It's hard to go slow in this
section and I don't. When people see the 24/17 gearing on my SS, they
look at me like I'm cray. How do you ride that, the ask. I say it's
really an ideal gearing for this area. It lets me open up without
spinning like a hamster on the flats, gives me just enough torque to get
through sand, over log piles, and it's not that bad for a short climb
when you have momentum. That's the part the geared riders just don't
get. One of the things that really get my goat is a geary in front of
me grannying it up a short hill at 2 miles an hour. That causes me to
practically trackstand behind them on the hill and makes it a lot
tougher to complete the climb. I had none of that trouble today!
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3377.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3378.jpg
I take a detour to the pits, just to see if anyone is playing. Nope.
So I think about this drop in:
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3379.jpg
http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/lam/IMG_3380.jpg
Nah. Not on the SS. Maybe on the new bike, we'll see. Of course, it's
easy for me to say that now. I'll chicken out when the time comes.
So it's down the pine tree lined trail at top speed back to the car.
Twelve miles in about 1:15. Wow, that's one of my fastest times. I
stand by the car and I am feeling really pumped. The legs are strong,
no hard breathing, plenty of time left in the day. WTF, I do the whole
thing over again! Twenty four miles of solitude goodness and I never
saw another person on the trails.
I think I'm better now, but I still have some hatred for certain people.
It'll go away with time, though. Oh, and lots of riding!
--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws