SS 26" ride

Date: Dec 31 Wed
Weather: 31F, breezy
Mileage: 20
December mileage: 232
Year to date: 3273(+2 for that Kroger run the other night)

I'm all tapped out on all these damn blog entries. Time to get a life. Well, right after I load some pics for this morning's mtbike ride in Cherokee and Seneca. To build from yesterday's experience, the first and best to report is that I found my wallet. At school. Just like the wise wife suggested . That certainly was a glorious way to start the day, wallet in hand and the need to go all the way down to Otter Creek removed from my torn, ravaged, idiotic psyche.

Today's mtbike ride was really quite interesting and quite fun. After doing some trail riding on the LHT, the Crosscheck and mostly on the C'dale 29er, today I got the Redline Monocog out of the stable. I am an idiot and seem to collect bikes for a variety of reasons and the Monocog fits a certain experience, or a need at that time. I sold the previous C'dale mtbike and had stopped trail riding, instead choosing to 'cross. I then decided that I wanted to dabble on the trails but was never going to go full-on aggro. Hence, I found the option at C'Ville in the guise of a $400 singlespeed, stripped-down Redline. I've used it rarely since buying it, but occasionally it is the bike to use for the situation. To wit, last winter during the 9" storm the Monocog with big, beefy tread was the only bike to use in those conditions. Of course, anyone can/could say that having a whole bike for 1 "big" event per year is ridiculous, and they are/would be right. And yet today the Monocog is the bike I grabbed for a spin through the parks. Here are a couple mentions for those who might want to inspect things a bit more:

Cherokee Park Trails reviews
Bicycling article

What I really enjoyed about today were first, that I did just about every single trail in the park. Because the Monocog has platform pedals, the ability to jump off and walk what I need to encouraged me to do everything I could find, whether rideable for my skill level or not. If not, I just jumped off and walked. Secondly, the bike just did it right today. Yes, the C'dale 29-er has huge tires to clear trees and a big-ass front fork to help with drop-offs, but on the rigid SS Monocog I think I cleared about as much today. Because of its upright position, super-stiff frame, and smaller tires (26"), I was in tune with the bike the whole day; it felt just right on the tight and twisty trails that Cherokee/Seneca provides. With no injuries, no broken things, and a multitude of trails ridden I would say that I finished the year in 4-star fashion (with 5-star reserved for epic days, which this was not).

And I've decided I'm too lazy to post more pics. My dear readers will have to be deeply satisfied with my scintillating narrative style. And for the year of 2008 I rode 3275 miles, my best by just about 500 miles.

'07-2777
'06-2573
'05-1418

Looks like an upwards trajectory. I think the one goal, 'er, resolution is to ride 4000 miles for '09. Of course, it would help to not be so fat, so some sensible food intake would help that effort. And actually riding in the Spring would too. We'll see how this next portion of life unfolds.

Happy New Year and a Year of Peace for all my readers!!

Comments

Marla said…
Happy New Year to you,too!

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