It was Thursday or Friday’s ride that Carla suggested we ride off of Long Island… We decided on Blue Mountain but quickly changed it to Sprain Ridge… It had been a couple of years and the last ride there I seem to remember talk of revenge and better luck next time.
We headed out early on Saturday morning and about 30 miles from home I realized we forgot the directions and the trail map. The directions would be no problem… It turns out this trail is as close as some of our on Long Island trails. The difference in terrain is amazing though.
We got to the parking lot without too much hassle and set up for the ride… The place is rocky and technical…So much more fun than anything on flat Long Island. We stopped once to adjust the cleats on my new mtn bike shoes… I have a very odd superstition that when riding with new equipment something usually goes amiss on the ride… i.e. I get injured or my bike explodes. (my weak attempt at foreshadowing).
We ride most we walked some. Generally having a great time and spending most of the ride wondering where the hell we were. I tried to keep a picture in my head of the trail map (what I remembered of it).
The land is placed between two highways and was once a botanical garden. The trial builder and club (Westchester Mountain Bike Assoc) do a great job of keeping the trails very interesting yet away from any traffic noise.
After about an hour and a half we were really getting an awesome flow going… we were moving further south towards the only landmark I could remember. The stone bridge…
Somehow we managed to pass under it towards another network…
I dropped off a little rooty lip. I guess I didn’t have my weight back and I got a nasty pinch flat. It wasn’t a big deal to take a break and fix the flat. When I was through I noticed something was up with my brake. The brake is an Avid mechanical and has probably seen action on at least two other bikes. It seems the little doughnut magnet that holds the pad had disintegrated. We tried for long minutes to place the pieces back in just to limp back to the lot. I had a good idea of where we were and I did not want to end the ride.
Try as we might we couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together. I would have to ride out without a front brake…. I entertained the idea of switching the magnets from the rear but decided we would be out in quick order why bother… that was a mistake.
We put things in order and took off still in a great mood. I found a trail that looked like it would take us back the way we needed… The trail was an awesome bench cut masterpiece with copious rocks and logs thrown in. I was having a nice skills test session with only the wrong brake and my weight to stay upright. It became apparent that we were not headed in the correct direction and we would have to slog back the way we came…
We were getting tired. I called back to Carla that we should stop for some nutrition. She refused saying she just wanted to get back on track… We slogged for a bit and ended up on a ridge with a huge drop off. We hadn’t been through here before… So back the way we came… We eventually got it sussed and rode out…
All and all a great ride cut off early…
The single speed is getting hard use. My second ride on the hardtail in two months and it looks as if it will be getting an upgrade to Shimano hydros (off of another bike). I'm just glad that it didn't happen in Idaho… The bike is only about six rides removed from that trip last year… The rest of my miles for the year have been on the single speed.
I asked Carla on the ride next day if she thought we were more or less fit at this time last year. The consensus is that we are more fit this year… more fit and healthier. We discussed in length why there is such a weenie factor in mountain bikers here on Long Island… I personally think the lack of anything technical and groomed trails has driven most mad…
We will surely be making weekly trips off island… I refuse weeniedom!!!
Jimbo(san)
We headed out early on Saturday morning and about 30 miles from home I realized we forgot the directions and the trail map. The directions would be no problem… It turns out this trail is as close as some of our on Long Island trails. The difference in terrain is amazing though.
We got to the parking lot without too much hassle and set up for the ride… The place is rocky and technical…So much more fun than anything on flat Long Island. We stopped once to adjust the cleats on my new mtn bike shoes… I have a very odd superstition that when riding with new equipment something usually goes amiss on the ride… i.e. I get injured or my bike explodes. (my weak attempt at foreshadowing).
We ride most we walked some. Generally having a great time and spending most of the ride wondering where the hell we were. I tried to keep a picture in my head of the trail map (what I remembered of it).
The land is placed between two highways and was once a botanical garden. The trial builder and club (Westchester Mountain Bike Assoc) do a great job of keeping the trails very interesting yet away from any traffic noise.
After about an hour and a half we were really getting an awesome flow going… we were moving further south towards the only landmark I could remember. The stone bridge…
Somehow we managed to pass under it towards another network…
I dropped off a little rooty lip. I guess I didn’t have my weight back and I got a nasty pinch flat. It wasn’t a big deal to take a break and fix the flat. When I was through I noticed something was up with my brake. The brake is an Avid mechanical and has probably seen action on at least two other bikes. It seems the little doughnut magnet that holds the pad had disintegrated. We tried for long minutes to place the pieces back in just to limp back to the lot. I had a good idea of where we were and I did not want to end the ride.
Try as we might we couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together. I would have to ride out without a front brake…. I entertained the idea of switching the magnets from the rear but decided we would be out in quick order why bother… that was a mistake.
We put things in order and took off still in a great mood. I found a trail that looked like it would take us back the way we needed… The trail was an awesome bench cut masterpiece with copious rocks and logs thrown in. I was having a nice skills test session with only the wrong brake and my weight to stay upright. It became apparent that we were not headed in the correct direction and we would have to slog back the way we came…
We were getting tired. I called back to Carla that we should stop for some nutrition. She refused saying she just wanted to get back on track… We slogged for a bit and ended up on a ridge with a huge drop off. We hadn’t been through here before… So back the way we came… We eventually got it sussed and rode out…
All and all a great ride cut off early…
The single speed is getting hard use. My second ride on the hardtail in two months and it looks as if it will be getting an upgrade to Shimano hydros (off of another bike). I'm just glad that it didn't happen in Idaho… The bike is only about six rides removed from that trip last year… The rest of my miles for the year have been on the single speed.
I asked Carla on the ride next day if she thought we were more or less fit at this time last year. The consensus is that we are more fit this year… more fit and healthier. We discussed in length why there is such a weenie factor in mountain bikers here on Long Island… I personally think the lack of anything technical and groomed trails has driven most mad…
We will surely be making weekly trips off island… I refuse weeniedom!!!
Jimbo(san)
