My sister's cat, Pailsey.
And her puppies, Chase and Coco have taken turns sitting at my spot on the couch...
Anyways...mountain biking...sadly, while I was away I had missed Jessie The Machine's wild Owen Sound to Wiarton ride which happened on Wednesday. Reports were that it was a crazy kind of fun. A total of 60 kms...including roughly 50 kms of technical, twisty, very rocky, rooty singletrack...connected by sections of fireroad and gravel. Not fast and flowy...yet fun, in a physically punishing kind of way. Just my kind of ride.
So...I talked Jessie into doing it again this past Sunday...(I am convincing like that). I'm not sure he was completely recovered from the ride on Wednesday...but lucky for me, he was willing to do it again.
Also lucky for me, I talked Fig into joining! (I am convincing like that). Actually, I may not have told Fig the entire truth. I told him it would be fun, and bring lots of food. (Fig tends to bonk frequently). I may have left out the bit about 60 kms, and very rocky technical...
Anyways, around 6am Sunday, Fig and I leave for Owen Sound. Initially the drive was great...Fig's yapping keeping me awake...although perhaps not totally aware. Coming out of Chatsworth, not even 15 minutes from Owen Sound...the familiar yet terrifying police lights behind me. I had apparently accelerated from a 50kph zone too early...speeding. Worse...as I pulled my drivers license from my wallet...it wasn't there. I had left it in my pants pocket as it was my flight ID in my travel from Saskatchewan. Anyways...the OPP officer saw fit to not charge me with speeding (am I convincing like that??), and only for not providing my license. $110...could have been worse.
Anyways...made it to Jessie's house before 9am...did the shuttle drive to drop my truck in Wiarton...then back to Jessie's to start the ride. We were off by 10:30am, Jessie on his fatbike, me on a Fatboy with 29+ wheels and tires, and Fig on his full sus 29er. A few kilometers of rail trail....then we were into the trails. So much fun, and as reported...VERY rocky, rooty single track...including steep, punchy rock-ups, and a massive rocky double track climb. A slip of my back wheel...resulting in me bashing my knee into the stem, had me release some tire pressure.
wounded knee
The constant rocky up and overs, and the upper body maneuvering required kept one redlined, even at the slow speeds. And, as reported...the twisty, technical sections (most of the ride), were connected by a couple of fireroad and gravel sections. What was not reported was that these included two massive fireroad climbs. Fig and Jessie were laughing at me...cuz on the climbs I inadvertently cursed DanOfSubstance as these are the kind of 'spectacular and fun' climbs he includes in his races...
Anyways, it was easy to tell that the trails were quite technical...as Fig was almost silent for the first two hours of the ride...until he got into it.
A section of trail...leaf obscured...
Then, in a steep rocky dip and up....the downed leaves must have hidden a sharp rock in the dip...and I found it. With a bang, and a whoosh of burped air from my back tire I climbed the up portion of the dip, I had dinged my back rim enough to lose most of the air in my tire.
After about a half hour of trying to re-inflate the tire (Jessie has an awesome portable fatbike pump!), but the ding was significant enough to not allow the bead to seal regardless of the repeated attempts. Finally, install a tube, pump it up to million psi to not have another pinch flat...and we were off again.
Otherwise we did not have any significant mechanicals or crashes. However, Fig did manage to unclip and run out of a slow-mo endo while his bike tumbled. His front brake then functioned intermittently which was a bit of a problem on this type of trail.
We did happen to find a few hikers. A young blonde girl seemingly in the middle of nowhere...
I don't remember mountains on this ride...
A lost looking fella, that Fig joked with about losing his girlfriend??? And a couple of older ladies walking a daschund, and admiring Jessie's fatbike. Otherwise not another soul encountered.
We did make a couple of stops to feed and water, and recover...
A stop at the top of one of the DanOfSubstance climbs...
And to check out the views....
My picture taking skills do not do this cliff side view justice. It was a huge cliff, with nothing to protect the viewer except the very small cedars on the edge to give the illusion of safety...which is why we stayed well back...
Still couldn't get the significance of the cliff in the pic...but still quite the view...
Then finally...out of the trails...totally pooched from the hours of riding and maneuvering...then a short road ride into Wiarton. What should have been a relaxing recovery to finish...but no...Fig and Jessie had to make it a race to the truck...just to make sure I was totally destroyed...
4 hours, 48 minutes of riding time. 6 hours, 20 minutes after we had started...we were done. Jessie's wild ride accomplished. All in all...a GREAT time...although I may hurt for a few days after this one.
And we managed the drive home without the assistance of any police officers. Finally home, where I was lucky enough to have Lois serve my trashed self supper and drinks...(I am convincing like that).
...topless...nope...(I am not that convincing...).
Nope...not that convincing either...
Anyways...an update on my wheel. It did survive the remainder of the ride...and took it into the best bike shop in Waterdown yesterday...BicycleWorks. Where Paul hammered it back into shape...literally...
Yes..it was a little disconcerting to watch...but it is as good as new!! Seriously, the best service in the world at BicycleWorks! No, I am not above unabashed promotion, where it is warranted. Thank you Paul!
Anyways...that's my weekend.
Now I have to go help Blaze remove his boat from the water...
And maybe fit in a ride on the once again single speed set up Raijin!
I will let you know Thursday...
Stay posted!!
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