It is getting to be that time of year. The humidity is lifting…the high 90 temps are dropping and pretty soon…the colors will start changing.
For some, this means enjoying the holidays with family. For others…it means the start of a new school year. You might even be looking forward to hikes in the woods with your favorite blanket, big sandwich and significant other on your arm. While all of those things are great as we prepare for fall weather…there is one thing I look forward to…
For us dedicated (ok…obsessed) fat tire’d, singletrack seeking fiends…the thought of fall means that first ride out in the woods where we can actually breathe. During the summer months, we suck up the humid air just to get a chance to rip up the trail as we watch the sweat soak up our jerseys. We do this because we can not go without our dirt fix for weeks at a time. Every now and then, we get a burst of heaven when a front moves through and we get dry air in the 80’s, but – for the most part – we are searching out that small bit of breeze that will give us relief for those 30 glorious seconds. We keep moving with the fear that the cloud of mosquitoes might just suck the last bit of blood we have left through the wet jersey that is now officially stuck to our bodies. Hell…we even get on a road bike to take care of our fix and welcome the constant wind in our face as we navigate drivers who can’t see to chew gum and walk at the same time. At least that is how it seems in the southeast United States…
We do all of this because we know we are about to hit that perfect time of year for mountain biking. It is the time when the leaves are changing colors but are still hanging in the trees. The temperature hovers around a perfect 60-70 degrees with low humidity. The soil has gotten just enough rain to stick to your rubber like Velcro but not wet enough to have standing water. When you take a breath in…you can feel the clean oxygen pumping energy to your legs. That first ride in the oasis of beginning fall equals massive power as you can not seem to get tired. You have been training your body all summer long for this ride. The blistering heat and high humidity has made you an efficient oxygen sucking machine as you power through the denser air and absorb the energy. You can hear the breeze rip through the leaves of the trees as you climb effortlessly up the hill that claimed your soul in August. That increased efficiency allows you to destroy the downhill in your quest to squeeze every last bit of speed out of the trail.
It is the fall months…and it is what we live for…
(sorry…a little excited…can you tell?)