Larkin' About

The Nomad is at the shop having a few bits and pieces replaced ahead of this coming weekend's SoNoMas race (I know.. I know... I had a crazy moment a while back and signed myself up for the sodding thing.) Anyway. While the Nomad is out of action, me and Chris took our weekly night riding to Fort Mason for some concrete based trickery. Right on my doorstep and full of great progression features, it's a great place to get familiar with throwing the Jackal around.

I love my new bike so much - it's awesome! So stiff, twitchy, nimble yet burly when needed. And it's a joy to cruise around on as I soak up the San Francisco sun. The perfect birthday gift to myself ;o) Chris has great trials skills. Mine are at infant stage. But I'm getting a good feel for loosening up on two wheels - which is why I bought the Jackal in the first place. J-hops, track stands, drops and rear wheel lifts are all coming together slowly but surely. And my wheelies and manuals are getting there. It's amazing to feel that weightless point where the bike balances perfectly on the rear wheel. So satisfying. I'll keep at it and see how it improves my dirt riding. In the meantime, enough with the fun. It's time to run myself ragged at SoNoMas......

Days of the Jackal

Here she is! My new steed! The Santa Cruz Jackal in lush seabright blue. I've been thinking about getting a cheeky DJ bike for a while now. Not so much for the dirt jumping, but more for cruising the urban landscape and pulling a few stunts. I figured it'd be a good way to learn a few trail transferable tricks and provide an easy way to get a bit more riding in each week. So last week I went down to Santa Cruz and picked up this burly beauty.

Today was the maiden voyage so me and Chris took to Crissy Field to catch some rays and session some concrete features. As Chris skillfully flung his Inspired 4 Play around, I felt like a complete noob pulling a few manuals and bunny hops. I have a looong way to go. But there are tons of progression features right on my door step, and every step up and tail whip I master will improve my dirt riding on the Jackal's big sister. Short, twitchy and nimble, I love my new bike. It's so responsive. Every move, hip twist and weight shift gives instant feedback - on both good and bad technique. It's a great learning tool, and loads of fun. Plus, being in an urban setting means you're never too far away from a nice beer garden and a few cheeky Coronas ;o)

Rockhopper

Another weekend sees another day out with a few hundred other riders all joined in the collective competitive spirit of MTB racing! This time it was the Rockhopper Race in Vacaville. The race was to take place at Lagoon Valley Park. Open, grassy and full of rewarding, flowey singletrack and punishing fireroad climbing. Me and Chris signed up for cat 2, which meant two 9 or so mile loops with about 1600ft of climbing. A decent ascent, but still less than 20 miles of dirt overall. Even in my less than race shape I figured I could have a decent crack at it.

As we queued for our bibs it was announced the start time of the XC race was to be until delayed until 11:30, meaning we'd be riding during the hottest part of an already sweltering day. Once we got geared up, strava'd up and sunscreened up we set off in waves across the start/finish line and headed out into the heat. The race started with some twisty climbing and a little descending, followed by a steep, dusty descent before opening up to some more flowey singletrack. A great way to thin out the throng. I opted to switch on the Nomad's propredal to help with the climbs on a not very technical course. Lap 1 and the steed didn't feel right. Skittish and unsure I was convinced it was the different cush setting rather than my own nerves, so I went back to normal and all felt well again. I'm really starting to notice how subtle changes like this can really affect the bike's handling. A good thing as it means I'm becoming more connected to my riding.

The course was a lot of fun. A few steep sections and some chunky rocks here and there threw in some interest on what was otherwise a fast, smooth and flowey track. The climbs were tough though. Mainly fireroad, we were left exposed to the brutal heat of a Californian summer's sun. At the end of lap 1 Chris - sensibly - bailed. We'd already tended to one poor girl who had collapsed with heat exhaustion. I was determined to crack on though. I need to whip my arse into shape and it's days like this that will help that along. So as I crossed the start/finish, I pushed on into the searing heat and tinder dry dirt for a second punishing lap.

My second lap was actually better than the first. I really settled into the riding, acclimatised to the heat and found a low gear that I could more or less comfortably grind on the climbs. I left nothing out on the trails though. By the end my quads were squirming with cramp and I felt wrung out. Perfect! As I crossed the line for a second time I felt great. Pleased with my riding at least, if not with my finish time (around 2:30 hours - hardly race pace but a decent ride pace.) Also, I felt the benefits of the BetterRide course yet again. On the switchbacks I used good techniques to clean the uphills and smoothly rail the downhills. And on the steep, loose and dusty descents I had full control under braking whilst others skidded uncontrollably with arms locked out and worried looking faces. Money well spent yet again! And money in the bank in terms of getting back to bike fitness. Tomorrow, I'm out on my new bike for some urban shizzle..... I'll post pictures soon so you can see her. She's a beauty!

Boggs

Aaah.... it's that time of the year when I get to strap a number plate to my bars, get up early, and go join a few hundred other like minded souls for some competitive shredding. Boggs 2012 organized by the masters of NorCal bike racing - BikeMonkey. This was my first time racing this event and I was excited. The format is a relay style lapped event where team members (or solos for the masochistic) take turns to ride a 7 odd mile loop at Boggs Demonstration State Forest. 7 plus miles, and just over 1000ft of climbing on some of the loveliest, flowiest trails I've ever seen. Awesome stuff.

Me and Chris (team Limey Bastards) got up at silly o'clock and drove the 2 hours north to Boggs. Chris took the first lap and I waited, nervous with excitement for him to return, high five and then send me on my lap. The course was mainly singletrack with some fireroad climbs and one ripping fireroad descent. But it was the singletrack that really made the day. Super smooth, flowey and with enough tech to keep things interesting - I loved it. I just wish I had more fitness to fully enjoy it. Race pace? More like fat kid at the back pace for me. The first lap was fine, but by lap 2 I was feeling it. I made the fatal error of wolfing down a loaf sized burrito and then going straight into lap 3. Big mistake. My fried legs wrestled for blood with my poor intestines as they both tried to process the abuse I was throwing at them.

Having a lump of concrete in my guts didn't help my already slow climbing... but the descents were still a lot of fun. Last week's BetterRide camp was still fresh in my mind as I leaned the bike into corners and kept my stance and vision in check. I felt a big difference and a renewed sense of oneness with the Nomad as I flowed down the lovely trails. Great stuff. I can't wait to keep working on the skills and drills and see how they improve my normal weekend rides at China and the like.

I'm not sure where the Limey Bastards placed. But we had a great day of sun, bikes, dust and hanging out with good riding buddies. That's really what the racing is all about for me. I do need to get some fitness back though. Especially as Downieville isn't THAT far away....

Here's to Better Riding....

Having come into this sport at the ripe old age of 30-ish I'm at a slight disadvantage compared to the youngsters. I have plenty of enthusiasm and love for the sport, but not as much time as I'd like, or as my old frazzled brain and muscles need, to achieve a strong level of competency. So, I've taken to signing up for clinics and courses as and when they crop up on the calendar in the hopes of accelerating my learning. I've had success too, especially with the downhill and jump clinics. One or two "Eureka!" moments on a course can really help to boost my riding and get me out of a rut. I feel like my riding has been improving on it's own lately. My flow, body position and cornering all coming together slowly but surely. But it's not quite there. Certain situations still throw me off and cause great frustration. So I decided to sign up for an intensive three day camp with the guys at BetterRide in the hopes that I could finally push past these stumbling blocks and keep improving..... And hopefully keep Chris, Dave and the other fellas in my sights on our local descents!

I was drawn to the BetterRide course because it's focus is on core skills that can be practiced through drills - much like a martial art. By mastering the basics, and working at them regularly as part of a riding routine you become a more efficient, competent and therefore faster rider. Just what I was looking for. Day 1 and we were introduced to the two most important things in mountain biking ; having fun, and vision. Of course, it's all about having fun. But we were all there to learn how to improve so we can have more fun and feel less frustrated at our riding. That's where vision, as a first step, came in. By using drills and cones we were taught the art of looking ahead and tackling obstacles two or three at a time and trusting peripheral eyesight to deal with what was directly in front of our wheels. Vision techniques were then combined with a solid, relaxed body position which allowed for correct weight distribution and separation from the bike. After lunch we hit dirt, but not before instructors Dylan and Andy took us through wheelies and manuals. I've neglected to practice these skills in the past. I always made the excuse that my bike was too big and burly to learn on. Dual suspension bikes were not ideal for wheelie practice blah de blah... But after breaking down the techniques and giving demonstrations, we were soon riding the rear wheel. Dylan made a point about pushing the shoulders backwards and "throwing the monkey off your back"... With this in mind I was suddenly pulling wheelies! During the course of the weekend I kept playing with it and whenever I applied correct technique I'd manage a decent wheelie. Also knowing the (significant) difference between wheelie and manual body position means I can now work on those skills separately and hopefully get them trail ready.

I was excited about day 2 ; cornering! We spent the morning doing carpark figure of 8 drills, concentrating on one element of correct body position and vision at a time. Counter steering, dropping weight into the outside foot, getting the outside elbow really up and out and using the hips to keep on track felt really good. I could feel myself settling into a solid stance and the Nomad's front wheel behaved like it was on a rail. After some solid braking technique demos we hit Palo Alto's Arastradero Preserve to put the morning's drills into practice. I found myself hitting some of the corners a little too quickly and fell back on old bad habits to get me through. But when I did employ the new techniques I felt myself settle into a confident stance again. This, plus good vision techniques will really help me rail corners and hopefully improve my overall speed. I just need to keep doing those figure of 8 drills.

Day 3 of our intensive, sun kissed clinic and it was back to the carpark. This time rear wheel lifts coupled with wheelies and manuals to help us clear trail obstacles. And then, switchbacks. After some cone drills we hit Arastradero again to session some real switchbacks. Dylan and Andy gave some solid nuggets of information. For example on uphill switchbacks keep the chest down and vision up to keep the bike balanced as you look through to the exit. Also, gear selection should be for the tightest, steepest part of the switchback. Seems obvious but I often fail on uphills because I'm geared too high for the critical steep bit. On downhill switchbacks, again use good body position and vision, but use the brakes correctly to get through smoothly and quickly. Use the rear to scrub speed, and the front for control. Once you hit the apex, lose the front and roll out.... but don't reapply the front as it will screw up the turn by standing the bike up and pulling it off course. A small, but hugely significant tip and one that will hopefully speed up my Tamarancho descents.

I came away from the course with a few great nuggets of info that I can apply immediately and see results. But best of all, I came away knowing what I need to do, drill and practice to build a solid foundation of core skills that will really help me get smoother, faster and - more importantly (as the guys said over and over) have lots more fun!

Deja Vu

Aah... it seems like only this time last year  I was stuck on a shoot, living out of a suitcase in five star luxury and severely missing my bike. Well, given it's that time of year again, it seems only right to keep the tradition alive and miss out on Sea Otter, Shasta Lemurian and other great bike related events ... Just so I can sod off somewhere to take photos for a movie (ofcourse I wouldn't have it any other way.) This time its Hong Kong. A sprawling urban jungle where there's no time to do anything bike related other than take pictures of the dirty workhorses that litter the streets.

Ah well. I'll be back in Cali' next week where I'll be hitting Palo Alto and achieving the dream of doing a Better Ride course.... Stay tuned!

Inspired

Two weeks of rain plus dirt equals mud. So I let the Nomad gather a little more dust this Sunday and joined Spangles for some city urban riding shizzle and beers. Not quite the training regime I image will get me ready for 8 Hours of Boggs... but still, a fine way to spend a day.

Bike Skillzzz

I've been feeling pretty burnt recently. Crunch time on the next summer blockbuster means long hours right now and a frazzled brain. Riding has been good, but I've only managed once a week, at best, at one of the usual haunts. Just ticking over really. Still, when the fellas at Bikeskills announced they were putting on a clinic at Tamarancho, I had to check it out. I've been wanting to do one of their clinics for a while, and the chance to learn how to improve my Strava times at one of our favourite loops was too good to pass up. So Saturday morning, a little bleary eyed, I joined a rag tag bunch of fellow mountain bikers at the Java Hut carpark in Fairfax, ready to get my learn on!

The course was lead by Jason Van Horn and Ian Massey – two incredibly skilled riders and lovely guys to boot. We were in good hands! We started the clinic in the carpark, practicing track stands and lifting over curbs and looking at body position. This gave us a chance to warm up our Kung Fu and for the instructors to check out our rides. I’ve been having front brake woes since a recent crash on Lawndale, so the Nomad wasn’t exactly ship shape. But aside from that Ian spotted some subtle, but significant tweaks could be made to my setup to help my riding. Rotating my bars slightly forward and increasing the rebound rate on my shock meant I was set up for a more aggressive rider position, and my bike would respond better to the rough trail instead of wallowing in sag. Getting this sort of feedback and tinkering from an expert eye is one of the many reasons I love signing up for clinics like this. There’s no way I’d ever notice this stuff by myself.

After the carpark drills, it was time to hit a few key Tamarancho features to go over some fundamentals. I still struggle with tight uphill switchbacks but seeing good technique demonstrated and explained helped a lot. Keep the front wheel wide - as wide as possible and apply power on the apex to overcome the incline and set up for the exit. Getting out of the saddle and using trackstand balance also helps – something I’m guilty of not doing enough.  We then did some corner work. I’ve started to feel my cornering slowly come together over the past few months, but watching Ian and Jason carve and rail made me realise there’s still a few key ingredients missing. Jason explained the importance of a low, exaggerated stance. Keeping your head and weight low allows you to push the inside bar, and therefore the front wheel into the dirt. It also sets you up for a nice pump out of the turn. After a few attempts I could feel and hear it. My front tyre making a satisfying sound as it bit into the trail. This also seems to be the key to hitting downhill switchbacks with speed too. Following the guys, I was amazed at how quickly they railed the tight curves. The same dropping, carving and pumping motion was the secret. I definitely feel inspired to get out and  work on it for myself.

After working on some of the trickier, technical features of ‘Rancho – including the big rock (still didn’t clean it… but at least know the theory of how to clean it) it was time to head back. A spirited descent back down Alchiemist finished an awesome day of learning. I wish my head wasn’t quite so fried from working so much. But some golden nuggets of info managed to stick. I’m just itching to get back out on the bike and put them into practice!

Funday

Every now and again I like to relieve my trusty Orange hardtail from it's commuting duties and go for a decent spin around the city. With my Nomad in the shop having brake work done, today ended up being one of those days. Recently primped and preened with some nice, slimline tires and awesome little "Exposure Lights" commuters, the Orange is looking like a true urban warrior. And she's still  a heck of a ride. Sometimes what the soul needs is to get out, enjoy the fresh Pacific air and lay down some miles just for the pure fun of riding a bike.

2Bliss

Well, working in the moovies is all well and glamorous, but it can cut into the riding a bit. And its that way at the  moment. Still, it's not completely stopping me from getting out and hitting the dirt, and we've managed to get some quality riding in recently - check the Strava over there on the right for "stats and deets." Also the weather has been pretty outstanding. Whilst the folks back in England are wrapping up against the freezing sleet, I've been riding in shorts and a jersey and worrying about sunburn.

Me and Chris have been getting out and visiting our favourite haunts. Annadel with Jaime last week, and Skeggs today. I managed to fry my legs by adding an impromptu double front side loop to my Saturday China Camp ride (owing to a forgotten pair of riding glasses left at the top of a descent, remembered at the bottom. Joy.) So that, coupled with some heatstroke meant Skeggs' brutal climbs were extra unpleasant today. The descents were fun, but felt short lived..... Partly due to cooked quads but also due to riding some of them faster than normal (thankyou Strava for the info!)

The Nomad has been tuned up the wazzoo and is feeling fantastic. I managed to find some great flow at China Camp this weekend. Although the parkie with the speed gun didn't bother to write me a ticket so there's still work to do there. But I've had a new rear wheel, bottom bracket, Shimano rear mech and shifter, fork and shock rebuild PLUS I've gone tubeless. The enthusiastic fellas at Big Swingin' set me up with tires full of goop. I'm not sure if the finer qualities of ditching tubes will ever be noticed, but it's nice having the option to drop the PSi and play with that. For now I'm just happy to get out when I can and hope to build up some strength for the upcoming Shasta Lemurian and Boggs 8 hour races....

McLaren Bike Park

The McLaren Bike Park is an exciting prospect for us NorCal riders. Somewhere to play and practice in anticipation of hitting Northstar, Whistler and the like. It's a great project so me and Chris decided to bung them a couple of quids and become founders. You can do the same HERE ..... Go on, do it for the kids!

Bloodshed

The first night ride of 2012 was something we'd been looking forward to all week. Me, Zach, Dave and Paul met at the usual spot, gave eachother manly welcoming hugs, and headed up Iron Springs road to the familiar Tamarancho loop. After an epic shred session at Annadel the previous Sunday I was pumped to hit the dirt. Mother nature had other plans though. For some reason things didn't feel quite right. Maybe my lights were slightly off kilter, or my tires were too pumped after a recent tune up... or I just wasn't in the zone. Either way, as I lined up 'rancho's infamous Serpentine drop in my beam, I suddenly washed out and dropped like a sack of shite. I'd neglected to sport my awesome Fox knee pads but managed to christen my brand new riding jacket with some nice jagged rips down the arm. Joy. A little ways down the trail Dave hit the drop before careening into a rut and going arse over teakettle into the shrub. Bloodied and bruised, we decided to call it a night and headed back into Fairfax for a beer. We'll try again next week....

New Year Revolutions

Started my third year of Californian riding adventures with a couple of gut busting rides around cherished local haunts. A jetlag induced sleep coma put paid to any plans I had for alcohol fueled NYE revelry. So, having escaped a hangover, I met up with Aaron for a spin around China Camp. I couldn't escape the effects of my three week Chrimbo binge though. Jeezus it was tough. Mind you, we did do a much longer ride than normal. The lack of funding has left China' ranger lite, so the "secret" trails are becoming more apparent as bold folk start to more obviously branch them from existing routes. We checked some of them out, adding a good few miles of nail bitingly narrow descents (so narrow I feckin walked more than rode) and some fun, steep swoopy stuff.

Holiday Monday and my fat kid at the back status was established once again (clearly evident in the Strava shizzle over on the right there.) Me, Aaron (stoked to have taken delivery of a lush new carbon Stumpy so is riding everyday like a grinning fool) and Zach met up for an extended Rancho loop. Riding from Greenbrae to five corners on Tam, we then descended to Deer Park onto the usual Rancho loop. I suffered the whole ride with shattered, abused quads and a few extra pounds of xmas sludge hanging around my middle. But we had a great ride. The first of many for, what will hopefully be, another awesome year of NorCal shredding!

Las Vegas!*

*of the North (of England.)

Not much dirt to be ridden around where my folks live. But a diet of 9000 calories a day, consumed on the sofa watching tv, needs some sort of offsetting. So I took a ride down the prom to get the blood pumping. Riding into gale force winds keeps the heart rate up, and a few drops down concrete stairs adds a bit of fun. But I'm ready to climb aboard the Nomad and hit some Cali' dirt soon. Just need to plough through a few more cakes and chocolate bars first. Lay down some insulation ;o)

Fasties and Pasties! - The 4th Annual Christmas Ride

My 100th post! Woo hoo! I'm suprised I've managed to keep this going for this long. But as it turns out, writing this blog is quite good fun and a nice place to stick my pics. Plus some things are worth continuing with. Including the Annual Christmas Ride! This year was the 4th year we've done it. The line up changed a bit, and the venue was different. But we kept the traditions alive by getting in some quality blighty style riding, some (Thai) curry and plenty of cups of tea and biscuits.

This year we decided to hit the Forest of Dean trail centre. After a decent full english carb load and mug of tea we geared up and hit the M4 in convoy. I've been eagerly anticipating a ride here. From what I'd seen on the googletube the trails looked amazing. Plus I was excited to dust off my English Rose hardtail and take her for a spin.

The UK is getting spoilt with some amazing trail centres. National parks are embracing the business mountain bikers bring and providing epic trails and fantastic facilities. As awesome as northern Cali' is, we have to fend for ourselves and fight for space with hikers and the like. At places like the FoD you have miles of beautifully manicured trails, bike shops, showers (for you AND the bike) and somewhere warm to get a chip butty and a hot brew before the drive home. Lush!

We managed a couple of laps of the centre's XC routes. Mellow climbs intermingled with some swooping, flowey descents kept everyone grinning. The Rose is such a joy to ride. As much as I love the Nomad, it is a bit of a barge... Having something shorter and twitchier made for a nice change. After a few miles of rolling singletrack, we hit the final descent for a spirited run back to the car park. Full of burms, whoops and really satisfying jumps, the mud wasn't enough to stop us from shredding hard and finishing feeling knackered and happy. Great fun. As ever, I can't wait for next year's!

Dirty

Spangles has shied away from the dirt for much of this year. A big shame for those of us who like to shred with the fecker, and for his dust covered Stumpy. But he's not lost his love for bikes.... Or at least I think this is a bike. It has 2 wheels and handlebars... but no seat!?! Whatever it is, it looks bad ass and a LOT of dirty fun.

Soquel Demonstration Forest

We're well into December  now and the final ride of the year (in Cali' at least) came and went this weekend. Almost hard to believe another year of Northern California riding has come to a close. And what a great year it's been. I've had a few injuries, surgeries and a long stint on the east coast. Time away from the bike that simply fueled the fires of my passion for the dirt and made the riding all the more sweeter. We also got to experience Whistler for the first - and definitely not the last - time. And whilst the racing was sparse, what I managed to partake in was awesome. This year's Downieville was so epic I still get chills thinking about it.

This Sunday we took to trails new, and I took the Nomad back to it's spiritual home - Santa Cruz. The fellas at Big Swinging Cycles closed shop for the day and lead a caravan of bike laden vehicles down the coast to check out 'demo (Soquel demonstration forest.) I've heard of this popular place before and have always been curious about it. But I've neglected to check it out as it seems Santa Cruz is best ridden with people who already know where the gems are. So this was a great chance to ride some gnarly trails and get the maximum fun out the day with people who know the place well.

20 odd riders strong, we climbed road, then single track to the trailheads. We started on the Pig and Bacon trails. Steep, twisty and covered in leaves and debris from the recent storms. These trails were a challenge. Fun, but hard to really let go and shred as the front wheel kept washing out as it fought for grip on the trail shrapnel. After another climb, we hit more solid dirt - Ridge. Steep but tacky with some fantastic single track and rutted, rocky sections to test the mettle. I've been getting my mojo back recently after the ankle injury and this was a good reaffirmation that I can tackle the gnarlier stuff and enjoy it. Awesome!

After we climbed the fireroad once again to the trail heads, we hit our final descent - Braille. Known for it's steep, fast, burmed and super flowey singletrack, Braille is also littered with free ride features that invite the brave to sample. I chose to be cautious on the bigger drops and jumps. Not knowing exactly what the landing is like, or how far away it is, always freaks me somewhat. So I took it easy and vowed to come back and session the trail some more. But the large drops and rooty sections were a fantastic test of the Nomad's 6 inches and my own willingness to grin, hold on, and try to ease off the brakes.

Santa Cruz is known to have burlier, gnarlier and beefier trails by Marin standards. 'Demo is a prime example. I can't wait to go back and ride some more of it's delights. I bought a trail guide book on the way home. Turns out we barely scratched the surface.... Looks like I'll be taking the Nomad back there a few more times when I return from my England xmas trip :o)

Turkey Ride

I've been riding in the states for almost 3 years now. Traditions have started to form. This Thursday it was time to honor one of those traditions : The Thanksgiving Turkey Ride (or "Turkey Trot," or "Appetite Seminar" depending on how and where you hear about it.) Essentially a few hundred of the areas mountain bike enthusiasts descend upon Pine Mountain to grind up steep, rocky fireroads - congregate, drink booze and then rip down more fireroads back to Fairfax. Excellent fun!

The weather forecast for the morning's fun was dire. We braced ourselves for a punishing wet ride in hideous rain. I didn't mind too much. It gave me a rare chance to sport my nice, new Gortex waterproof costume. Last year's ride was bitterly cold, so we layered up in anticipation of that too. However, as we hit the java hut rendezvous, we were pleasantly suprised to be gearing up in crisp, foggy but mild and dry conditions.

After the initial road climb we hit the Pine Mountain trailhead. The first few climbs are fairly brutal at the best of times. Plenty of rain and a few hundred bike tires before us ensured these weren't the best of times. Thick mud snaked up and ahead for miles as we wheezed and cursed our way to the top. I didn't have much faith in the descents being great either, given how sloppy it was. But thankfully I was wrong. The mud kept speeds in check somewhat, but the conditions made for challenging, and grin inducing riding.  Great stuff. I'd forgotten how satisfying it is to have the bike slip and slide underneath you but somehow stay upright enough to hit the massive puddles and drift - moto style - through them!

Repack was closed for action. Probably just as well.... I saw Rosson caught in a mud slide one one descent. Hilarious, but on the super steep Repack, we'd all be sliding into oblivion and it would've been carnage. After 20 odd miles and almost 3000 ft of climbing we hit Porcupine all the way back to Fairfax. Plastered with mud, grinning like fools and ready for an afternoon of self indulgence and self loathing ;o)

Fall

In the American sense that is. Luckily I've been staying upright for the past few rides. It's the season for cold, crisp and occasionally rain soaked riding at the moment. Over the past few weeks we've been hitting our favourite haunts. An awesome, speederbike-esque ride at Annadel with Jaime and his new uber-lite S-Works hardtail. A fantastic shred at Skeggs where Dave broke in his new Enduro. And a cheeky Tamarancho loop where Chris demo'd (and subsequently put on order) a sexy new Yeti SB66. So, the crew is getting tooled up with sweet new rides and the burning enthusiasm for the sport gets ever stronger. Last week we hit 'rancho for a night ride and amassed 7 riders! Aubrey came along too and was still cranking even after a mid ride puke stop!

Yesterday we hit Pine Mountain. A training ride ahead of next week's Thanksgiving mass ride. Zach introduced us to some epic singletrack. Tight and flowey with some rooty technical sections and severe switchbacks to test the skills. Our plan is to go back and session them some more. We hit some rocky stuff too. I tripod legged most of it. My mojo has definitely suffered on the bigger, sketchier stuff. My ankle fracture is completely healed, but my brain needs to get the memo. I keep pulling up short when I see big, rocky trails and it's frustrating. I've done stuff like it before - no worries. I've worked hard to see lines through that kinda shit and not freak out, so I know it's just a mental funk I'm in. Humbling, but annoying that I have some work to do to get back to where I was before.

Still, I'm slowly improving in other areas of my riding. Each weekly loop around 'rancho is improving my technical Kung Fu. Every solo ride at China' helps my cornering and flow. Im slowly taming the Nomad steed and making it my own. And those epic, runaway train descents induce the best grinning lunacy, leaving me excited for the next opportunity to hit dirt and keep on learning. :o)

SF Bike Expo

Me and Chris checked out the SF Bike Expo today. After wading through all the bling'ed up lowriders and painfully cool hipster fixies, we found ourselves out in the fresh air with this awesome spectacle to keep us entertained :

Having a Ball...

This weekend I found myself in pastures new : Joaquin Miller State Park in Oakland. My first time venturing over to the East Bay and my first time riding with Paul - a fellow MTBer who I met at China Camp last week. Joaquin Miller is small, but has a fair selection of intermingled single and double track. Also, with climbs like "The Wall" and trails called "Sunshine" you know it's going to deliver it's fair share of pleasure and pain.

Paul is an extremely relaxed rider. Totally at ease on his steed it was very cool to follow as he wheelied and manualed through the lush redwood trails. We we're exploring somewhat as neither of us knew the park very well. We got a good couple of hours riding in though, and next time we'll be better prepared to link up the trails and find some good flow. However, one guaranteed fun descent is the Cinderella trail. The Disneyesque name is somewhat misleading. This is a gnarly, fast descent with rooty drops and awesome jumps. Definitely built for the brave, but you can safely ride it at whatever pace suits your mood. We hit it a few times and with each descent I tackled more of the jumps and drops with grinning abandon. Not all of them though. Incentive enough to go back and session it some more.

 I finished the weekend with a 'Rancho loop. My plan was to session some of the trickier switchbacks and features that always trip me up on our night rides. The Nomad was freshly primped and preened with fettled gears and new tyres (shaving about 3 stone off the bikes weight.) Unfortunately I wasn't quite as prepared. My head just wasn't in it for some reason. Tamarancho can be a cruel beast. At times it brings out the best in my riding but other days, like today, it seems to expose my worst. And it pokes and prods until I feel like I'm going backwards in my skills progression..... Once I'd fumbled through the technical crap and finally hit some flow on B17 my feckin' contact dislodged so I could barely see.... Aargh.... Frustration. Still. I was out in the sun, hitting dirt. And the final descent down Alchemist was a lot of fun. However I did end the ride kinda wishing I'd gone to China instead to hit the flow section. Ah well. Any time spent at 'Rancho is all money in the bank. Frustrating or not. One day I'll conquer that feckin' 8 mile loop......

Rehab

My ankle is on the mend. Which is good. I've missed a fair few rides and was starting to lose my mind, but luckily nature took it's course and slowly put my foot back to good use. A timid ride around China last weekend, and then a slog up Tam with Aubrey yesterday. My foot feels strong. Unfortunately my lungs and legs don't... but the fitness will come back. Just need to keep getting out there.

Today I did a cheeky little 10 miler around China Camp. I missed out the backside (lots of ruts and such to abuse a rehabbing ankle... not a good idea.) But I lapped up the flow section. I treated my ears and brain to a playlist of my favourite bike p0rn tunes and had them cranking as I lay down shred on tacky trails. The past week's rain plus my childlike grinning enthusiasm proved to be a good mix. Short, but one of the best rides I've had in ages. We're hoping to get the night rides back on the schedule this week too. And then everything will be all back to normal again :o)