JD proud of temporarily de-balling Riley
The older DogA couple of old dogs (me and Jeffy) got out for a few good rides this weekend. Saturday was a singlespeed road ride through the North Nash highlands. The 76 degrees, party cloudy, perfect fall weather in the midst of August was a gift. It's been a long time since I've been cold while riding. That "do I need arm warmers" feeling is freakishly strange in the midst of Summer in TN. A steady headwind kept us cool and working steady as I took Jeffy and his 42x18 gearing around some of my favorite steeps. A couple brews, some home cooked black bean and rice burritos, and the Tour of Ireland made a nice post ride recovery session.
Old dog teaching new dog tricksI had swapped wheels and gearing on the Rigor for the road ride and needed to swap out the wheels early this morning before we rode, luckily JD is the perfect early alarm clock allowing for plenty of time. Joe and Hannah had kept me out late by taking me to the Corner Pub for a brew and food before the Cannery ballroom where the Long Players were playing the White Album. Pretty cool show but not really worth the $20 entry in my book. The backing band for Denny Diamond (The Longfellows) played several Beatles covers at the Denny Diamond show last weekend and were much more interesting to watch and enjoy. They had an engaging and raw energy to their set vs the more sedate reproduction of the songs as close to the original as possible. Still, it was cool to hear the whole White Album played in it's entirety live. Oh, and go see Denny Diamond if you ever get the chance. Good stuff.
J5: Faster than a speeding 8 week old Puppy!So, while testing out the bike on my way to the barn where H., Dish, and JD were hanging, I got a pleasant surprise (the best kind of prize), JD is showing signs of being a natural trail pup. He followed me all around the yard, the drive, and the field. The shots above are post ride today, Hannah took some pics and video of the little punk running along practicing for his days as a trail companion. Which, at the rate he's growing, won't be too far off!
low rye-derI'd also changed up my handlebar position before Saturday's ride too. The new fork had raised my bars and I was noticing some weirdness on extended road rides. So I removed some lower spacers and flipped the stem bringing the front end lower like I like it. Saturday it made all the difference on extended climbs. The bike felt back out of my way and my shoulders felt nice and relaxed. Great for the road, but that doesn't always translate well to the woods.
Wendy, Hannah, and Maria before their 3 laps
So Sunday Jeffy and I again met up but for some dirt laps this time. The bike instantly felt better in the twisties. My weight felt more balanced between the front and rear and I was able to stay off the brakes and hold speed in and out of the turns easier. Lofting the wheel over logs and rocks was just as easy as before the swap. Perfect. Seated climbing felt better too. Score. Though on lap 3 (again with this 3?) I was riding Jeffy's wheel a little close and not paying full attention and got surprised (not a good kind of prize this time) by a 2" diameter sapling that hooked my bars and sent me hard into the dirt at speed enough to spin me 180 degrees and slam me back first into the ground with a loud thud and grunt of rushing air being forced out of my lungs from the impact.
For those of you that know Jeffy know Jeffy don't stop. Jeffy stopped. Luckily I was fine. Again crashing with speed and velocity proves to remain injury free. Worst is my neck as it's tight from a little whiplash-esque action as my helmet took a hell of an impact at the occipital protuberance. Best impact since Heartbreak Ridge '06.
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