The Past and Future

"Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening." Barbara Tober

Well, have to say we broke from tradition. NEMBAfest was held for the first time at Bear Brook State Park on October 4th....and it was a great success! There were about 30 vendors, 350+ riders, and lots of fun to be had! Chuck Webster, the local GT rep, was there with the 2010 demo bikes. After the riding, I spent time talking with him about the bikes and even rode the Zaskar.....nice bike, but I still prefer the Marathon. I think this will become an annual event, at least for a few years.

This weekend we will be installing 3 bridges in Bear Brook at part of a Recreational Trails Program grant that I applied for. This grant uses federal dollars to help build and repair trails. These 3 bridges are located on a beautiful trail around a pond by the campground and have fallen into disrepair. The hard part is going to be carrying all that lumber into the site.....about 1/2 mile on trail!

Hoping we get lots of volunteers and have a fun ride and BBQ afterwards!

The End....

"God is great, beer is good, people are crazy."....some country singer

Yes, I've found myself listening to country music again. I find it funny and trite, and typically upbeat, especially compared to pop music. And this got me wondering.....are people who listen to country music generally happier then those that don't? And taking this a step further (follow my logic here), are people who are more conservative happier than those that are more liberal? (this is making the assumption that people who listen to country music are more predominately in the South and those in the South are more conservative). It does seem that more liberal minded people are always worried and predicting doom and gloom. On the other hand, conservatives generally don't think there's a problem and resist change until the problem blows up in their faces! So enough of my ponderings....

There have been a couple of ends this week. On Sunday I completed my final race of the season at the Fort Rock Revenge. Rain moved in overnight and the course was wet and slick. Because of the weather, the race was small. I was once again very pleased by how well the Marathon did in those wet conditions. I finished first overall for the women.

On Monday, when I returned from my morning run, I noticed my horse (Rosie) was down in the pasture. When I got to her she was in obvious pain, breathing very hard, and barely able to get herself upright. I put her to sleep and she is now buried in the corner of the pasture. I've had Rosie for 18 years, and she's seen me through multiple life changes. She was a constant in my life.....I feel as though I'm free falling a bit without her.....

But life goes on, and this week I've been busy working on the organization for NEMBAfest. This is the first time it's been held at Bear Brook State Park, and I'm in charge of organizing volunteers and marking the loops. I have lots of people helping me and I truly appreciate all the effort everyone has put into this. The weather is looking up for Sunday, so I'm hoping we have a great turnout and lots of fun.

And then it's back to the real world.....

A Month of Racing, Riding, and Fun!

"I don't know about you but I was put here to live and love. So, what if I don't do it like everyone else does. They say, I'm out on the edge, I"m too willing to risk every bone, every breath, they say, all I am is a crazy dream. Like it's a bad thing." Gary Allan

Wow, a month without posting.....guess I have been having too much fun! Let's see if this old dog can remember all those rides.....

Holly, Peter, Norie and I went to the Kingdom Trails on an absolutely beautiful Wednesday in early September. It was my first time up this year and they've done lots of work on the wet areas. We rode Tap and Dye and then climbed back up to do Tody's Tour.....and we still couldn't tell which was better! Peter, Norie and I also rode Sidewinder twice. Guess the Marathon Pro makes for easy climbing!

Over the Labor Day weekend, John, Norie, and I met Tammy at Killington to do some downhilling. I rode the GT Force. John and I actually rode to the top of the mountain (only ONCE, thank God!) and did sample some of the black diamond trails. I managed an endo on one that zapped my courage. Norie also went down hard on her head on the double blacks (she's an animal), so I think we're not planning a return trip any time soon!

On Labor Day John, Carl and I (the three members of the Bradbury Mt race team 4 Nuts and a Chipmunk) went to Millstone for some hard miles. Again the trails were stellar! We all did our best to keep up with each other!

John and I then met up with some NEMBA folks for a ride at Leominster the following weekend. We had a great ride until my flex bone on the GT broke while I was trying to impress some guys getting up a steep, long climb! Of course these things always break at the top of the climb! So I nursed the bike back down the hill and then took John's flex bone and put it on my bike. He was able to make one for his bike the next day at work, and then he worked with some wonderful folks at REI to get another shipped for the Bradbury race the following weekend.

Last weekend was Bradbury. As mentioned, we did a 3 person co-ed team, and we kicked ass! Carl had the fastest team time, but we all were able to get times in the mid-fifties. The course was dry and fast (and dusty!). This is always a great race and lots of fun for everyone who's done it. We shared a campsite with another 4 person team and Norie, who went solo and managed 7 laps! You go girl! I rode most laps with a stuffed chipmunk on my head, so I suspect I'll be seeing lots of pictures of me on the course.....it was a hit with the kids.

Next week is the Fort Rock Revenge and then NEMBAfest. I've been really busy getting this one organzied, but it's coming together nicely. Lots of people have stepped up to volunteer. Now we just need good weather!

Summer Days and Summer Rides

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." Ambrose Redmoon

But sometimes that judgement is wrong, and getting up that big rock face, or riding down that big roller, was better to be feared than ridden!

Lots of good riding since the last post! Went to Mt Holyoke in Amherst, MA for the first time. The trails were dry and very well built. We rode the more technical section off of Batchler Street that at times had me off the bike. Met the CT folks there and Dave Plain was our ride leader.....great job showing us around despite the mosquitoes!

This week I took a few days off and rode at Bradbury Mt in Pownell, MA and went to Backcountry Excursions in Parsonsfield, MA. Cliff has been leading rides out of this place for 15+years and has built some fabulous singletrack! He has an agreement with the timber company that owns 9,000 acres of land abutting his. This is where he has free rein to build the trails. To help preserve the trails, Cliff only leads rides.....there is no self-service riding here like there is at Kingdom Trails or Millstone in VT. But this is exactly what keeps these trails in excellent condition! Well worth the trip.....you can find him on the web....

The Southern NH chapter of NEMBA is gearing up to host NEMBAfest this year. Last Wednesday I met with Philip Keyes, the executive director of NEMBA and Greg Preville, the park manager at Bear Brook State Park, to go over the details of using the pavilion. This is going to be an excellent location to stage NEMBAfest! We're going to have vendors, demo bikes and BBQ....who could ask for more.....oh yeah, and some great trails to ride. Check it out at www.nemba.org. After the meeting, Philip, Holly Carson (friend extraordinaire......OK I'm still trying to win her friendship back after having given her fire away to the guy at the next campsite during Great Glen) and I went for a great ride. After some dry weather the trails are looking good!

There will be a ride this Sunday (August 30th) at 8 AM at Bear Brook (meet at Hayes Field). After the ride we will have a cookout and meeting to discuss NEMBAfest and also get dates for our fall trail days. Hope to see everyone there!

12 Hours of Great Glen

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember amateurs built the arc. Professionals built the Titanic."

And I did try something new. John and I did the 2 person 12 hour race at Great Glen. A couple of year ago I was on a 4 person 24 hour team. Have to admit that the 12 hour was harder. With both John and I doing sub 50 minute laps, there was just not enough time to rest.....but just enough time to let the muscles set up into concrete! I also found it hard to eat. I do admire those solo riders......

The race was great! Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend! The course was full of wildflowers and blueberries. The views to Mt Washington from sections of the course were breath-taking! Because of all the wet weather this summer, the race officials shortened the course and did LOTS of work on the wet areas (thanks for trying guys). But, alas, after so many riders cross a mud bog, it's bound to get bigger and deeper. The "plunge" at the end of the course posed its own hazard. There was absolutely NO braking on this one. I found that I had to come to a complete stop at the top of it and then just point and shoot the bike down it. Of course on the last two laps the deep rut at the bottom posed its OWN problem! I managed to ride it every time.....impressive given that on my forth lap I was sure I was going down. But something or someone (my guardian angle?) kept that bike upright! I vowed that I was going to walk it on the next lap.....but.....it can't be that hard to ride, can it?!?

My first lap was exciting. After the 1/4 mile run at the start, I had made my way closer to the front of the pack' but there were still points in the first 2 miles that had backups with riders. After the second mile, I could feel my headset loosen. Note to self....do NOT put your fork back on yourself without knowing which way the cups are placed in the headtube! Yes....the top one was upside down! This made the first lap exciting being that I really didn't know if the fork could fall off. But I did finish and immediately made my way to the Red Jersey Cycling Tent for some neutral support. I took the fork off myself and had the guy show me how to put it back together correctly (otherwise they said I could leave it there and they would get to it in a 1/2 hour....not a choice with John already well into his lap!). After that, the bike worked flawlessly! I'm always amazed that the bike continues to shift with all the mud on it!

John and I finished first in the 2 person co-ed teams. After 6 laps I was cooked, so John took a break and went back out at 11 to finish just after midnight (30 seconds after to be exact!). We finished with 12 laps.....if we were really tough....we could have had 14 laps. But hell, we are there to have fun!

Making the Most of Cancelled Races....

Well, it was bound to happen, but the Fort Rock race was post-poned until the end of September because of all this rain. Those that oversee the conservation land that the trails are on actually cancelled the race on Wednesday. And it was a good idea.....over 2" of rain fell on Friday!

But the silver lining is that John and I hooked up with Harold Green, another GT dirt guy, and his son, Matt for a ride at Deerfield Ridge. It was a GT bike fest! I was on my Force, John was on his Marathon Team (aka Matilda), Harold and his son were both on the Zascars. So at 26.5 pounds, I had the heavy bike! Matt, being the conniving soul that he is, managed to have me ride my bike up the big climb, so he could ride it down! Although he did carry my bike up the very steep hike-a-bike section...so I can't complain about that!

Because I was looking for a bit of an epic, John and I then went to Wendall State Forest for another ride on our way home. It was my first time there, and with a little coaching from Harold, we found some great trails! Fun, seemingly endless singletrack (ok, maybe I was tired) that had enough climbing and technical features to keep it all fun! This is definitely a place I'm going to go back to.....hopefully with Harold as our ride leader!

This weekend is the 12 hours of Great Glen. John and I are doing a 2 person team. I'm looking forward to the race, although I'm currently without Marty.....front fork is getting worked on.....just hoping to have him up and running for the race!

Ten Rides in Ten Days!

OK, so maybe I'm not so good at this blogging stuff.....been over a month since my last post! Can't complain. Been busy at work. The ecomony in NH seems to be holding up nicely.

But let's get to the important stuff....the riding.

John and I took at trip down to the mountains of NC and, by stopping to ride on the way down and back, managed 10 rides in 10 days. We found some epic rides on some epic trails. Here are the highlights....

Allegrippis Trails in Raystown Lake PA. Holly and I went here and John and I covered more ground. This place is wonderful swoopy singletrack, but kicks your ass before you know it....and you're about 5 miles from the car!

Dupont Forest, outside Asheville, NC. This place has some great climbs on "eastern slickrock" and some fast, fun downhills as reward!

Bent Creek, Pisgah National Forest, NC. We had a fellow from a local bike shop map out the route for us.....and damn it was good! After 45 minutes and 2000 feet of elevation gain, we had a 2.2 mile (hand cramping, thigh burning, contiuous) downhill! And then after another climb, we descended again for about 40 more minutes!

Tsali Trail. Classic, but still fun. I rode these trails back in 1989 and they haven't changed much. Still a lot of fun!

White Clay Creek Park, Newark, DE. Again, a place I've been to twice before, but always worth a return trip. The trails were dry and fast. John and I were able to ride out further and explore some new trails....along with the stunt park area....the bridge complex with the unknown teeter/totter was the only thing that threw John for a loop! (I rode around the tough stuff!)

So with all that riding, I'd have to say I'm in pretty good shape! This weekend we are supposed to go to Killington for some downhill fun (Did I let you know I'm expecting? ..... a Force Carbon Pro from GT?) Hope it's here in time for the weekend!

Next race is Fort Rock on August 2nd. We've ridden there a lot this year, so I'm hoping to know at least some of the lines....or at least know where I am on the course!

Pennsylvania Dutch

"In all thing in nature, there is something of the marvelous." Aristotle

And yes it was marvelous......

Last week, my friend Holly Carson and I headed off to a little town called Wrightsville, PA to spend a week mt biking. Wrightsville is outside of York and is in a beautiful part of PA. The local mountain biking group (York Area Mt Bike Assoc.) was helpful in directing us to riding areas. The local ride coordinator, Jeremy Haag, was able to hook me up to a Monday evening group ride on the first day there.....but I get ahead of myself....

We stopped in CT before heading to PA and rode with some old friends(and John and Carl) I met on a trip to Utah. They took us to a place called Middlesex in Middletown (confusing...) to ride the first day. It was slick and tricky riding that day. Holly managed to hang herself from the China Wall....the bike lodged between two rocks being the only thing that prevented her from falling all the way off the wall! Dave Wells managed to save her....and the bike....and the derailleur....and the trip was not cut short....unless of course you take into account the fall the next day at Trout Brook that resulted in what we thought was a broken hand. But alas, just a sprain....and the riding continued!

We rented a cabin for the week in Wrightsville. AND.....the best and most helpful bike shop was located a mere 5 miles down the road! We were in the shop so often that they gave me the locals discount on a pair of gloves. I wish I could import those guys up to NH!

Monday we rode at The Lakes, just South of York. We didn't hit a lot of the singletrack, but what we found was awesome! On Monday night I rode with the locals at Rocky Ridge....some nice techy singletrack and some climbing (out of the gut....referred to by locals). Holly and I rode there again on Tuesday, but I was unable to retrace the ride from the night before.....and we definately had a long (wrong way) climb back out.

On Wednesday we drove 2 1/2 hours to Raystown Lake. IMBA has built 30+miles of sweet singletrack. Someone described it as 30 miles of a pump track, and I'd have to agree! This place is a must ride for everyone. Don't worry about suspension....you don't need it! Speaking of places to ride.....check out White Clay Creek Park in Delaware (where we went of Friday). This place is a multi-day epic ride. We have still only ridden about 1/2 of it and we've been there twice!

On the way home on Saturday, Holly dropped me off at Huntington (in CT) to ride with John and our CT buddies. Again, slick, but fun! Broken derailleur and endo in the first mile of trail....but it was better after that. I think the rocks were a little scary after all those days of riding rootless, rockless trails in PA and DE!

Sunday dawned cloudy after a night of rain, but that didn't stop John and I from driving to NY to attend the Blue Mt Fat Tire Festival. The sun come out in the late morning. We again rode with the folks from CT. We were able to get two rides in before we called it a day. Blue Mt is a great place to ride.....and I'd encourage all to attend the festival!

And now it's back to the local trails.....

The Countdown That Almost Stopped!

"Never hope more than you work." Rita Mae Brown

This past Sunday, the second race in the EFTA race series, the Bear Brook Blast-Off, took place.....but it almost didn't happen. At 4:30 on Friday afternoon, after all the arrowing (in the rain), was completed, Kelly, the race director, got a call from the State Trails Bureau saying that they were pulling her special use permit because of the wet trail conditions. This created a temporary crisis to say the least, but it was resolved without incident. BUT....I commend the Trails Bureau for taking action! Bear Brook State Park is becoming more popular and is in danger of being loved to death. I literally ran into Jen Codispotti from the trails bureau in the park this morning while I was finishing up the arrow removal. I explained my concerns over the situation and in the future we will have 2 distinct courses....one if it's wet and one if it's dry. This is a tenuous situation for mountain bikers.....if we can't respect the trails....they are going to kick us off of the state land....

And that would be unfortunate. The Blast-Off had over 300 riders and benefited a good cause....Medical Missions for Children. It seemed that everyone enjoyed the course (I was having my doubts about the length during my second lap) and the rain held off until John and I went back out to remove some arrows. And riders were respectful of the trails. We only had to remove about a dozen Gu wrappers from the trail and I'll continue to believe they just fell out of the back of the rider's jersey. (The same cannot be said for the blown tube I found on the Little Bear Trail! At least that rider left it near an arrow to help me find it!)

The GT tent was full, as Peter DeSantis, Harold Green, and I were sharing the same tent. We had lots of visitors, helped by the fact that we had some extra chairs, Peter brought some watermelon, and the results were delayed because of protests.

As for my personal performance.....I definitely cashed in on my "home course advantage" card! Not wanting to go out too quickly at the start, I found myself caged in on the first piece of singletrack, but managed to pull myself into what I thought was the front of the pack. So wasn't I surprised when I caught a glimpse of a woman in front of me. She was MUCH stronger than me on the open trails, but I was able to reel her in on the singletrack. We were joking afterwards that I wasn't unable to sneak up on her because my bike had this awful annoying squeak the entire race! She'd pull ahead on the flats only to be summonsed again by the squeak.....something akin to a horror movie scene! I was pleased with my time (2:20) and my finish (first over-all....even beat the elite women!) But then again.....it was my course.....

Only one expert rider was able to break the 2 hour mark....and just barely....1:59. I guess the course was a little more challenging than last year? But then I didn't race the course last year.

I'm already starting to think about the course for next year. Those that know me realize that for me variety is the spice of life.....so look for changes in next year's course.

Holly and I are off to CT and PA for a week of mountain biking next week. I've been in e-mail contact with Jeremy from SAMBA and he's offered to send us to the sweet singletrack in PA and even possibly lead us on a few rides. I'm meeting up with some old friends from a bike trip in UT to ride this weekend in CT. Hope the weather holds and we can sample the best PA has to offer!

Chasing the Coyote

The day dawned dry and sunny in NH, but as we made our way to the race in Fairlee, VT, just over the border, the clouds started to thicken and the rain started to really come down before the Cat 2/Sport riders moved off the starting line. The Coyote Hill Classis is just that....a classic. Some big climbs with some killer fun singletrack downhill....and mud! There is something different about the mud in Vermont, something that makes it pack down in your tires and makes running in it something of a comedy show (yes, I was off the bike, a lot). But I still love that course!

By the time the Cat 1/Expert riders started the sun was out again, but the course was now ridden over with a slick coating of mud. We did 3 laps (about 5-6 miles each), allowing plenty of opportunity to "master" that tricky section. The GT Marathon Pro "Marty" excelled at this race! I used all the travel and was thankful for the Kenda Karma tires...they rolled and gripped with the best of them....and no pinch flats despite running low pressures. And the shifting was flawless despite all the mud caked in the derailleur and the cogs!

This race was one where everyone just rode their own race. At the beginning of the downhill on the first lap I moved into the first place position in my age group (second overall) and never saw another woman again on the course. I finished in 2 hours and 8 minutes, a mere minute slower than first place overall. I'm pleased with the race I rode, glad that both myself and the bike withstood the less than ideal conditions!

Next Sunday is the Bear Brook Blast Off, the second of the EFTA races. The course is in great shape after having put in some corduroy in some of the wet spots this past Saturday. John, Dave Maz, Dawn and I will be out arrowing on Friday. The course was a little longer than anticipated....14 miles for the novice and 25 miles for the sport and expert. I think we'll still be seeing sub 2 hour times though.....Hope to see you there!

Blogging is Better

Here I sit, doing anything but make that phone call.....even writing on my blog is better than having to talk to John O'Conner, the contact person at Merrimack Valley Trail Riders. You see....each year the MVTR holds the NH Classic Charity Motocross Ride to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and each year about 500 motorcycles use trails in Bear Brook and Pawtuckaway State Parks in NH. I've been able to keep the motorcycles off the hiking trails for 2 of the past 3 years. Last year I just let them ride.....and did they hear about it. There was a big outcry from the mt. biking community about the destruction of the trails. Unfortunately, it seems as though that cry fell upon deaf ears. They are planning on using the same trails this year! I'm all for the ride, don't get me wrong. I just feel strongly that they need to stay on the snowmobile trails, trails reinforced to withstand motorized traffic, and stay off the hiking trails. And so here I sit, pondering the call, working on my blog.

On the other fronts, training and preparing the course for the Bear Brook Blast-Off is going well. The course is set and is going to be really fun for the race! Novice will do one lap, sport and expert 2 laps, the elite 3 laps. The course is at least 85% single track! If it doesn't rain, it has the possibility of being the best race of the season.

This weekend I"m planning on racing and helping out at the Coyote Hill Race. Tom Matherson and his wife Gabby run Coyote Hill Camps in Fairlee, VT. They are wonderful folk and have an absolutely wonderful program at the camp. It's been a few years since I've ridden there....looking forward to the downhill!

Day Off

Finally....rain allows 1 day off the bike! Been riding and training hard this week, along with lots of trail work getting ready for the EFTA race in Bear Brook on May 31st. I'm in charge of putting the course together and as such I'm a bit anal about the condition of the course. I've always loved a course that's fun, challenging, but rideable...and that's what I hope to create for the Bear Brook Blast Off. We had a great showing of support at the trail maintenance day on Saturday. We had over 20 people thanks to the members of the NH Quarter Horse Association. We cleared off a large portion of the trails, and everything could go "as is" for the race, but I'm picky! I hope to ride the course with the race promoter, Kelly VonRuden, tomorrow to iron out a few details. You can keep yourself posted by visiting www.bearbrookblastoff.com for details. Hope to see lots of you at the race!

As for the local riding....new trails behind the hospital in Concord. A great section of downhill with beautifully constructed bermed turns! A few technical spots, one of which threw me over the handlebars.....AGAIN! I"m beginning to think "Marty" is throwing me off for fun, much like a horse....but alas....I'm sure it's just the rider!

The Yips

"Another one bites the dust. And another one down, and another one down..."

Ever had one of those rides where it doesn't matter how wide the bridge is, you ARE going to fall off of it? I've had two such rides.... No worries though, "Marty" is fine. He landed in the water once, while I made it to the stream bank, but nothing serious. The bridge, on a lesser used trail in Horse Hill Preserve, was sketchy at best, but.....

My second fall, at Yudicky in Nashua, was off of a narrow ramp going over a large tree. The ramp I rode up was much wider than the one going off the other side. Rode up, saw the downside ramp, grabbed brakes, and rode off the side and fell into the bushes. The bushes sustained crushing injuries....

So now I have the yips.....you know....when everything suddenly looks scary to ride on the bike, even the stuff you've done a million times! And then it's yips squared when it happens two days in a row....

But I'd have to say, I've had some great rides this week. The trails in the area are drying up nicely, and lots of trail gnomes have been out cleaning them up. (THANK YOU!)

Harold Parker in Andover, MA is great. On Wednesday we rode on the Jenkins Road side....more technical and rocky. "Marty" was great until the near dark flat (I"m still dealing with the thorn issue in the rear tire....) On Saturday went to Tucker Brook in Milford. Most of the trails had been cleared although we found a section that suffered immensely from the ice storm. Milford was one of those towns without power for almost 2 weeks this winter, so it's no wonder the trails need work. But Tucker Brook is a must ride. A lot more trail there than it appears on the map. If you look closely in spots (when you get to places that a trail should be....)you'll likely find one! My first ride there last summer did cause me to ride some trails the WRONG way.....trails that were definitely built to ride downhill! On Sunday we rode at Grater Woods in Merrimack. Tom Vallincourt has built some sweet trails in this area.....the milliped, the salamader, and now the eft trail. All sweet, twisty singletrack with some challenge thrown in here and there. Probably about 4 miles of trail total, and if you go out and back, it makes for a good ride. I've never seen a map of this area though..... On Monday John and I rode at Yudicky (as mentioned above). Another GREAT place to ride. About 1 1/2 hours of riding if you do all the trails. Again, a lot of nice twisty singletrack with a few more challenging trails with some stunts on the other side of the road. I first explored this area using Peter DeSantis' book "Get Out and Ride". It a good place to start....

Don't Eat Poop!

"I used to be disgusted. Now I try to be amused...." Elvis Costello

Let me tell you about my morning ride. I decided that despite the cold temps and the wind I would enjoy the sunshine and ride in Bear Brook State Park before heading off to work. The park still has lots of areas of ice (mostly on those downhill sections where you would rather not encounter any ice!) and sticks and branches from the winter ice storm, but the trails are otherwise in amazing shape! On a pleasant downhill section of trail I got a small stick stuck between my front derailer and my rear tire. Thought nothing of it....stopped, removed stick with gloved hand, and proceeded to wipe my nose with the same hand....mistake! I just wiped dog poop on my nose! NASTY! Proceeded to find large puddle, wash off glove (the beauty of Gortex) and face. As I was doing all of this I was reminded of the sage advice of a veterinarian regarding how to avoid parasites....."Don't eat poop!" I'll be weary of any unexpected weight loss after this mornings encounter!

This past weekend, John and I headed over to Franklin Falls in Frankin, NH on Saturday. These trails also had small areas of snow and were still soft, but overall the trails were in great shape. Franklin Falls is a fun place to ride and the Central NH NEMBA chapter has done lots of work building some excellent trails. They are fast and flowy, but still have some short steep climbs to get the heart rate up. I'm having some trouble adjusting the rear shock on "Marty". There seems to be very little difference in the firmness between fully open and ProPedal 3. I'm experimenting with pressure. Right now I'm riding it at 150psi (seems like a lot for someone 115 pounds!) I'm going to try to contact a GT techie and find some guidance.

On Sunday, we rode at Harold Parker in Andover, MA. We rode what I refer to as the "middle section" and found some muddy spots. There has been a lot of work in there since the Wicked Ride late last October. We spent some time working on the technical stuff. The GT goes very well in those conditions. I'm still very pleased with it's climbing and descending, especially over technical terrain. It's easy to ride and very forgiving. (Thinking of you, Hoss) John and I are looking to head over there again after work on Wednesday. This time we're heading to the Jenkins Road side to really beat ourselves up!

Looking to get some long rides in this weekend. The weather is supposed to be dry and relatively warm this week, so the local trails should dry up nicely. Maybe we can try someplace new.....

Down to Business

"Some they do, and some they don't, and some you just can't tell. Some they will, and some they won't, and some it's just as well." Supertramp

Been doint some riding....go figure! I now realize that I'm going to have to put in a lot of miles to have a respectible finish in the expert catagory. On Monday I was out in Bear Brook State Park. The singletrack trails still have lots of ice and snow in places, so I took to the snowmobile trails. Wow, talk about a hard ride! The trails were like riding on the beach! To say the least, harder than my planned recovery ride. On Wednesday I went out on the road bike with my good friend Holly Carson. I don't think I rode that bike last year.....but after putting some air in the tires and dusting the cobwebs out of the spokes, it was good to go! We did 30 miles of cold windy riding. But Holly showed me a great route with plenty of hills.

Tonight after work my plan is to ride over to the hospital trails in Concord, do a short loop in there (they are relatively dry for this time of year!) and then combine with a rode ride and another short loop in the Upton Morgan Town Forest on the edge of Concord. Hope not to run out of light....

Long Live the Queen

Sunday evening and I'm resting up after my first race as a member of the GT dirt coalition, the King of Burlingame Time Trial, held in Charlestown, RI. After all was said and done, there was a crowning of the King and Queen, and yes, last years reigning Queen still lives.....and it's NOT me! I managed a second place finish (or last, depending on how you look at it!) in Expert Women with what I thought was a respectable time of 38:04 (this by the way would have beaten the winning time from last year!) The winner however crushed me with a time of 34 minutes and some change! This was the first time I've ever done a time trial and it was fun! The course was challenging and I appreciated every inch of travel on the Marathon Pro (aka Marty)....he saved my butt a few times on course! Marty is fast and responsive and I think we are going to have a wonderful time together this summer.

April Showers

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else." Ben Franklin

(I wonder if he minds being called Ben....or is he one that would have preferred the more formal, Benjamin.)



Took the day off hoping to get a nice ride in, but instead the rain relegated me to a run. I went to Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, NH to run. The trails are still FULL of snow! Some of the trails are going to need some serious clean up.....the debris was covered by snow quickly after the ice storm. I'm hoping to get a clean up day with Southern NH NEMBA set up for May 3rd.



With all this rain, I decided it was the perfect day to make a cake. My dog agreed with me. Unfortunately (for me) the dog decided that the cake was fair game in the front seat when I went in to buy cat food! Maybe she just knew it would slow me down in the time trial this weekend....( I was trying to post the picture, but it won't let me.)

Now On to the Training

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." Robert F. Kennedy

I can only hope that when I dare to go "brakeless" down that downhill it doesn't result in MY death! But my hope runs high when I'm riding "Marty".....very stable on the descents. I"ve got the bike fitting me better and had a great ride last night at Harold Parker in Andover, MA. We rode in the area by the State Police barracks and it had been raked out and all the roots and rocks were dry....absolutely hero conditions! It was fortunate because I was willing to try to test my skill on the bike and see what both I and it can do. The front end is easy to get up and over things and that front and rear wheel stick when going over stone walls and log rolls. I'm still working on the best position to climb from.....

John and I are going on Sunday to the King of Burlingame time trial. It should be fun.....I'm looking forward to about 40 minutes of pain.

More Riding, More Trails

"It's possible to own too much. A man with one watch knows what time it is, while a man with two watches is never quite sure." Lee Segall

Can the same be said for bikes????? Although, I do seem to be enjoying my GT so far.

Rode on Saturday on the Cape. Fun 3 hour + ride! "Marty" was great! We had a thorn puncture flat on one of the bikes.....have to be careful at the Trail of Tears....lots of pricker bushes.

Was able to ride in Merrimack, NH at Horse Hill on Sunday. The ice is mostly gone and the trails were amazingly dry for this time of year. I went back out this morning to rake out a few of the trails in the rain.

Looking forward to the race on Saturday! I've got a new seat post and bars on the GT, so it's fitting me better. I'm excited to try my first time trial!

Off to the Races

As part of the GT Dirt Coalition, I received my GT Marathon Pro (aka Marty....all my bikes get names) on Saturday. Went to ride at the Private Reserve in Bedford, MA on Sunday. WOW! What a bike! The bike is very stable and descends and corners very well. It climbs well and that back wheel never leaves the ground. I'm really impressed with the I-drive. I have the Fox RP 23 on a couple of my other bikes and with the I-drive you never feel the pro-pedal....just don't need it! My only problem at this point is the sizing. At 5'3" the small is too long for me. I'm in the process of changing the seatpost, the stem and the handlebars to fit me better. I've taken it on a few road rides this week and am slowly working out the sizing problem (we still have about 6" of snow on the local trails at this point, so road riding is the only option unless we drive at least an hour South).

Saturday Peter DeSantis (another member of the GT Dirt Coalition), myself, and a few others are heading down to the Cape and the Trail of Tears to test out the new bikes. I'm sure we'll get plenty of pictures from the ride!

I signed up for the Burlingame Time Trial in RI April 4th. I liked the idea of a 7 mile race, especially since the rest of my races are going to be 30+ miles at the expert level. I'm looking forward to the training and the racing....it should be a great year!

Riding the Cape

A couple of weeks ago we did a group ride at Otis on the Cape. It was great to get back on the bike! I rode the Niner RIP 9, which was WAY too much bike for the place. Needless to say it's 30# got heavy after about an hour! The trails were great! Frozen ground with no snow and only a few patches of ice. The next day John and I went back to the Trails of Tears. Due to multiple different problems, we arrived without a map for our first ride there. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to navigate as long as you have the sun, the highway, and the sound of the gun club to guide you around. Again, the trails were in great shape, although there was more ice in places that at Otis. We are planning on going back this weekend. I will be bringing a lighter bike though.....

It's too cold to think about mountain biking!

Trying to learn this blog Sh--
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