Finally, after a long winter…we are getting in some time on the mountain bikes. This winter has been the worst in the southeast United States that I can remember in years. We went from having no rain at all to nothing but rain, snow and cold all winter long. As alluring as the trainer is (not really), a lot of us have just been bleeding to get in some time on the bike.
Last weekend, we were greeted with sunny and 60 conditions, so we capitalized and got out for two rides that really put the hurt on. For the Saturday, fresh leg ride, we hit up the famous Bear and Pinhoti trail system in Ellijay, GA and then for the “recovery” we dropped into Chicopee in Gainesville, GA for two 20 mile days in a row.
The sled of choice…the new Specialized Enduro Pro Carbon. With it being under 30 lbs with 6.4″ of travel, I can get to the top of the hill with the rest of the light bikes and still blast down like I really wanted to. A friend of mine had to borrow the 5.Spot anyway…so it was a perfect choice for a weekend in woods. I charged up and mounted the Garmin Edge 705 to capture the action and got to work.
Saturday: Bear Creek and Pinhoti 1 & 2
Saturday was incredible. It a long overdue rip out in the mountains that brought peace back to my brain.
I was careful to start really slow with my winter legs and get into a nice pace climbing the entire ride. I already knew this was going to be one of those “slow on the climb to blast the downs” kind of ride, so I even did something I do not normally do…brought my iPhone 3GS to listen to some music along the way. Typically, I do not like listening to music as I ride as it takes away from the tranquility of mountain biking, but this time around…it kept me from pushing too hard on the climbs by getting into a rhythm early. It worked and I was able to get through the entire ride leaving everything out in the woods.
During the Pinhoti 1 climb (second hump on the Garmin Edge 705 elevation profile), I made a decision. I was going to rip the downhill without any reservations. I had been craving a mountain, xc downhill for awhile, so I was going to make this one worth it. I dropped in some fast music and started to rip. With the light, longer travel bike and my willingness to push a little bit past that edge, I was able to soak up the DH faster than I ever have in previous rides. It was surreal. Everything just seemed to work together perfectly as I worked the bike down the hill. The tires were gripping, the suspension was soaking up the hits, my body and the bike were working independently but still as one. It was almost perfect. It was one of those DH runs that you get to the bottom of and just exhale…satisfied.
Of course…all of that went to shit once I got on the Pinhoti 2 downhill, over rode and section and yard saled all over the place (also making that friend of mine on the 5.Spot lay it down). I guess every day can’t be perfect!
It was an incredible day out on the hill with everything left on the trail. By the time we got back to the cars…I was spent.
Sunday: Chicopee Woods
With our Swiss friend in from out of town and craving dirt, we hit up a more local spot at Chicopee to ride off the miles from the day before. Chicopee is your typical, local loop system with some more technical sections than we typically find in urban systems. Her parents sent everyone over some Swiss skiing staff hats…so that was a perfect picture opportunity to send home to her parents.
Sunday at Chicopee was filled with singletrack, mechanicals and changing temperatures. By the end of the day, my legs had about had enough of the hot –> cold –> hot –> cold. By the end of the ride, both thighs were ready to cramp and I was in “please don’t lock up” mode for 90% of the last climb out. Even with the pain, it was still better then a day in front of a computer screen.
Diverse Crowd Getting Together For One Purpose
One of the coolest things about mountain biking is how diverse a group of individuals can be and still get together with one common goal…ripping up dirt with small rubber knobs. Our group of obsessed mountain bikers have backgrounds ranging from ex-racers to endurance racers to downhill junkies to recreational riders. Even with the different bikes, components and styles, we are all still able to get together and shred some singletrack without worrying about who is first at the top of the climb or at the bottom of the descent.
Mountain biking is that escape from the rat race we call our lives. It is that one place that no matter how many mechanicals or issues…it is still always better than a day in the office. With sunny and 60 this past weekend…it was a much needed stoke to start the riding season off right.
Images from Laurie at MyLifeOnABike.com.