Burrrrrrrrrr................

The weather spoiled us over the holidays that's for sure! We had one really cold morning the day of Thanksgiving but beyond that it has been great! We'll that all changed! The rain came and with it came a cold front. Now it's cold....

Time to bundle up and tough it out! After getting in 4 full days of riding I have taken 2 days off. So tonight I am going to get back out. All I have done for the last 3 weeks is ride the mountain bike so tonight I am going to get the road bike back in action! As I write this I have the lights charging and when the sun goes down I am gonna hit the road for a night road ride.

I already rounded up all my cold-cold riding gear so I it's time to get tough! Be a man! Blah!Blah!Blah!!!!! Stay tuned for a full report tomorrow!

On to other things, I forgot my camera today and I really had a few good shots for this post too..
First was big pill of riding clothes: I knew everybody would get a kick out of a pill of clothes! Second: it was a shot of my kids new LETTER... Letter you say, yes a letter! Cody got his letter for his letter jacket! To a kid this is a very big deal!

his school is light blue and white colors

Being my kid he took his girlfriend with him to the banquet. He was the only one there with his girlfriend! Hell I think he is the only one on the team who isn't scared of girls! I bet I know who will be wearing this jacket before it's over!!!!!!!!!!!

On a roll..................

Until now! I was on a roll, I pulled the unheard of 4 straight days of riding, that never happens! With a wife and 2 kids it ain't very often I can get out of the house to ride that many times. But with the holiday and being of work I managed to make it happen! Then what happens, it starts to rain!

I had my rest day yesterday and was really planning to hit the road tonight. I thought the rain was going to be gone by now, it ain't! We are supposed to have a storm roll through here around 12 noon. That's what they are calling for anyway, so that means it will hit this evening. Besides that the soccer banquet was changed up for tonight instead of last night so BAM! I am screwed again!

I have a master plan I am working on! I don't want to spill the beans just yet, a lot depends on things I have no control over. Luck! I might be lucky I might not! But I have a plan! Hence the reason I am trying to step up the riding so early in the year.

If it I am "lucky" I will be traveling a thousand miles from here for a race most people would never even consider doing. That my friends is all I can share right now, except for these pictures! I would be seeing a lot of this if if I am "lucky".....................

2-Wheels And A Turkey.................

I love 4-day weekends! Especially when it's a holiday. Yes, Fred's dead! He was great turkey and he performed well, we were proud of him! He came out nice and juicy and was ready when everyone got there. We had the house full of people and the kids played hard. Little Wriston, my chicken farming nephew had a ball playing with Chase, and Cody. So I guess you could call it a success!!!

I rode everyday and ran myself in the ground! That was my plan so I guess I can call that a success! I rode Uhwarrie twice and Sherman branch twice. Thursday I rode with Glen and Alex first thing in the morning! When I say first thing I am talking we meet at 8am over there! If you know me, you know that just don't happen very often! But it being Thanksgiving day I had no choice if I wanted to ride.

man down!!!!!!

I was glad I went because Glen pulled a classic! He did the old "stop and can't clip out of his shoes" trick! What made it so funny was where he decided to do it at. Right on the side of a hill and fell down the low side! After we found out he was alright we laughed like hell! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, he ended up about ten feet down the hill side!

all the leaves are down now!!

So overall I had a good holiday, got to see some family I haven't seen in awhile and had good food. Even went to a movie with the wife. Oh yea, even got in a little shopping!! I hate shopping!!!!!!!

His Name Is Fred.........................

World meet Fred! Fred meet world! Every year, much to the dismay of my family, I name our turkey! This year his name is Fred, he came from the Butterball Family! They seem to be nice parents, every year they raise their young to be about 13-14 pounds and then send them out to meet the world!

Fred

We found him hanging out in the big play pen (freezer) at the local Wal-Mart. He and all his brothers and sisters where just hanging out waiting to be adopted. I was looking for the big fat one with low self esteem but they all seemed to be about the same size! So I based it on the location in the playpen. He was hanging around in the bottom and looked like he really wanted to get out so I dug deep and brought him to the top!

Fred on a plate

His first stage in life will be the oven and then the plate. Once he makes the plate I will introduce him to all the family, they are all really excited to meet him! We got people coming from 4-5 hours away just to meet Fred so we will make sure he is dressed to impress!!! After everybody enjoys the afternoon hanging out with Fred we will pack him up and he will be ready for the final act in his career!!!

Fred on bread

That's right he will make a guest appearance as a turkey sandwich for lunch the following day! His final act will be Fred on bread! Then his career as the family turkey will come to an end!

Next year we will visit the Butterball playpen and see how they do with the next generation of little fat kids! Then we can do the process all over again, I love turkey day!!! I get to go ride in the AM and drink plenty of beer in the PM with a bunch of food and football thrown in.......PBR baby..............Happy Thanksgiving....  

Right Outta The Driveway.....................

Now, let's get to my neighbor! Saturday AM we awoke to the news, my neighbors had been robbed! Yea neighbor's 2 of them. Apparently the crooks started at one guys house and stole a few things out of his shed. Then they walked next door to my other neighbors and found his truck. He is avid hunter and had all his hunting stiff in his truck. You know how they could tell what had happened? They must have came at a very late AM time because you could see the foot prints in the frost!

We live in the country and have never really had any problems with stealing around there. Because of that we tend to be a little lazy in locking things up, untill now! Since Saturday I have been locking all the cars and everything up at night. We all have, feels kinda strange to be honest!

The kicker to all this is whoever stole it took the time to clean out all the stuff in his truck and then left the truck. Yep, the Highway Patrol found the truck less than 3 hours after it was reported missing! They left it in a gas station parking lot over in Albemarle. From our houses that is about 45 miles.

You know what, it wasn't even my truck and I feel violated!! As I said we are in the middle of the country and never have a problem like this. So when it hits that close to home it kinda makes you feel like it happened to you! What the hell.......................... 

Ouch....I Am Sore..............

I started the weekend with a chain saw in my hand! If you don't use one of them puppy's very often they will kick ya right in the ass! I went to mom's and pruned a few trees for her and hauled off a bunch of wood. Nope we have no pictures, when I have a piece of machinery in my hand that can cut my leg off I try to focus all my attention on that item. Not counting the limbs that you have falling around you.

So after that and before the soreness set in I went straight home and got the bike and headed to the woods! The evaluation continued! To make a long story short I had a flat and came home and was ready to put the new bike on Craigslist for sale. We, as in me and the Cannondale just weren't seeing eye to eye! So as I sat around and tried to drink away my disappointment with my latest purchase I started working on it.

The ideal came to me that maybe I should try to set it up more like my other bike! So then I fixed the tire moved the seat forward a little and raised the air pressure, front and back. After all that and a few beers I was ready to call it a night. I went to bed with dreams of a perfect ride in head.

Sunday am came around and off to the trails I went! About 200 yards into the woods I was already thinking hum, maybe I should have done a little tinkering sooner.. After a few miles I was starting to think I might be able to make this work after all! I was enjoying the ride and thinking of what else needs adjustment. Now that I have moved the weight toward the front end it feels like it might be a little soft. I might learn to love this bike after all.

Never fear Cannondale will persevere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yea, my neighbor's truck was stolen right out of his driveway Friday night!!! We can cover that tomorrow...............

Ok, I Took The Day Off.................

No excuses, just plain didn't feel like blogging yesterday. Most of the time I write this in the morning here at work, yesterday we were wide open for the first half of the day. By the time things slowed down I just didn't feel like doing it. I suck! Yea I know, but at least I am back today. Might have something to do with it being Friday, I am always in a good mood on Friday.

Plans you ask? Well first off I am kissing the wife's ass tonight and taking her to the Kaleidoscope Ice Skating Production! She likes those shows so for tonight I like those shows! Simple as that, world peace will be preserved within our house.

Yes we will get back to the test of the 29er! Not sure when and where I will continue this but it will happen both Saturday and Sunday. I hope to get back over to Uhwarrie and I know I will hit Sherman again. The road bike has taken a back seat here lately but it will see the light again soon. I had planned on a night ride last night but with temperature dropping so fast yesterday I just didn't have the toughness in my bones.

Sometime over the weekend will be a trip to the grocery store! Got turkey day coming at us fast! We will have a house full of people and a belly full food. Since it's at my house the remote will be mine! Football, football,football..............

 Today we are going in a different direction. I didn't do any riding last night, I cleaned the wife's van for her and basically did nothing the rest of the night. I wanted to see my boys play basketball (Kentucky Wildcats) but damn the game didn't start till 9pm! I must be getting old because I knew if I started watching the game I wouldn't get to bed till midnight. They won though, beat Kansas 75-65. That makes me happy. I love college basketball, can't wait to go see them this winter in South Carolina.

Next, the kid and I got this trail cam the other week and put it down on Richardson Creek behind my mother-in-laws house. So far we have a few deer pictures and one raccoon. Nothing big yet but hope to have a good picture before long. We ain't no hunting family but what the hell I like the trail cam. It makes the kid happy!!

organized

Next I like this picture, I stole it off a site somewhere. If I had any drive I would clean my garage up to look like this! My garage is the total opposite, a wreck. After seeing this it makes we want to at least straighten mine up! Anything would be an improvement over the current status.

Last but not least, I don't know why I like this picture but I want a classic pump! Every bike shop needs a classic pump! My garage might not be a classic bike shop in the true sense of the word "classic" but it damn sure qualifies as a mess. Why not put a classic pump on the wall. It will probably work better than a new one!!!!! Have a nice day...

i like the wooden handles

Evaluation Part 2...........................

Ok the big ride of the weekend is over and Sunday came and went. Yes I rode the new bike all weekend, Uhwarrie Saturday and Sherman Branch Sunday. Last week when I first got it I rode at Beatty park for 2 nights. That makes 3 different places and types of terrain I have tried so far.

Beatty is the roughest place and kinda tight with not many climbs. Uhwarrie is now more like a groomed mtn trail with plenty of climbing and a lot of fast sections, exposed off chamber rock faces and fast fire roads included. Sherman is a rolling easy trail with a few quick climbs and a lot of what I call "just rolling along sections". It has some mileage to it, but that is about it.

Now my take on the 29er. If I had to race tomorrow I damn sure wouldn't take the 29er! It has it's pluses and it is easier to ride for sure. Hence the reason so many beginners seem to like them. To me it is less responsive and sluggish out of the turns. Just no snap! It is more stable on the downhills and it shines like it's on a stage when you are on a fast fire road, but what you pay for that just doesn't seem to me like a fair trade.

Yes it carries more momentum on an easy trail but I feel like the trade off isn't worth it. I can hold on a little tighter on a fast fire road and still get to the bottom just as fast. I tend to have a lower back problem and when I have to stand for a long time my back hurts. On the 29er you need to stand a little more, I don't know if I can make that happen on a regular basis. I can get away with staying in the seat longer on my 26.

So right now I tend to think it might be more me than the bike! I like the bike, don't get me wrong but my riding style seems to fit the 26 more than the 29. The damn thing will hook up like a freight train in the turns and the more aggressive I ride it the better it seems to perform. I tend to be the type of rider who spins more than trying to use big gears. The fork on the thing is fantastic! I like the way the lockout works, that's my favorite part.

Stay tuned for part 3......It just might be the sorry ass who is pushing the pedals......LOL.... 

Uhwarrie: The Bomb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's the bomb! What a difference a little love can do! I went over Saturday to the grand opening and had a great time. I was rather impressed with the production they made out of it. They had food catered in and had a raffle of several products. I didn't win anything but it was still fun to watch the give away.

The turnout was huge! I was really surprised at how many people showed up. Uhwarrie is in a central location for a lot of folks from a lot of different directions. The word was out for sure! People came from everywhere. I have never seen that many people over there, even at a race.

Now for the trails! What a difference, they are fantastic. I was kinda skeptical of what they were gonna do, I consider Uhwarrie one of my personal favorites. But I am totally happy with the changes! I always liked the rugged untouched feel to the place. It was not very beginner friendly that's for sure. But that's what made it cool! They still have a lot of work planned for the place , but now they need more money. Time to apply for more grant money!

From what I have read and understand they plan on doing a downhill course next. They feel that would have the biggest impact as far as bringing more people to the park. Here's where I have mixed feelings about all this. If you read this blog very often you know we like to take the pop up camper over there and camp at the trail head. It has always had a remote backwoods feel to the place.

Hence the dilemma, if you build it up more people will come. Next there will be more rules and regulations, and next thing you know; my favorite backwoods camping area will be gone! I know I am probably being paranoid but-----. But they have done one hell of a good job on phase 1. If you have a chance go check it out! You will go back I promise...

Grand Opening................

Tomorrow Nov-12th, the grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony is tomorrow for the latest phase of the Uwharrie Ride center. Yep, I will be there! I love to ride over there and have talked about the place a few times here in this blog. It is a lot rougher and more unkept than most trails in this area. When I say unkept it is just more natural than a lot of the groomed trails.

They have had a professional trail building company over there for the last few weeks. The work is complete and they are going to have all the big wigs from the local chamber of commerce there to celebrate the completion. From the looks of the pictures they posted it looks like they did a good job.

I got all these pictures from the web. Looks like fun to me! I will get some pictures tomorrow and put them up next week! Have a good weekend.

16 Years...................

I will continue with the new bike evaluation tomorrow. Today is a much bigger subject! On this day 16 years ago we had our first kid! Yep today is Cody's birthday!! My baby boy is growing up way to fast!

I was driving a truck and heading through Wadesboro on my way to Lilesville to get a load of sand when I got the call. Karen was gonna have the baby! It was raining and kinda cold out, typical fall day kinda like today. I turned around and headed back to Charlotte and about 6pm that night we were parents!!

It's kinda funny how I still remember exactly where I turned around. It was a pretty significant time and it stuck in my head. Happy Birthday Cody!!!!! We love you........

Evaluation To Continue................

That was different! It was the first time I have ever ridin a 29er, so with that thought in my head I hit the trails! Everybody's favorite park "Beatty" provided the test facility. I intentionally didn't put a computer on yet because I want to get used to the bike before I make any judgements.

First judgement: Damn is seems like a big bike!

Second: I haven't ridin a hard tail in years!

Third: I can already tell it hooks up better than a 26in!

Forth: I got to cut down the bars! Way to wide!

Two laps in the day light one in the dark. I am getting used to riding by myself at night so I wasn't looking back behind me the whole time. That made a difference, I did hit one tree but it was still day light. I did cheat and look at the clock before I left the parking lot so I would have some ideal of my time.

 My first observation was the size of the bike, it seemed a lot bigger than my full squish 26. I wondered how it would turn once I got to the black diamond section. Within a mile I had my answer! These bikes have been around for several years now so of course they have the bugs worked out. The geometry is spot on! It turns as sharp as any bike I have ever ridin!

Again, I haven't ridin a hard tail in years. It takes a different style of riding, you have to remember to kinda hover on the seat when it gets rough! You tend to get a little lazy on a full squish and I have been riding one for several years. Hence I am lazy......

As far as hooking up, Beatty gets a lot of sand build up in the turns and Sunday when I was there I was sliding a little bit. Last night on the 29er it was yank the bars and hang on. It hooks up plain and simple! That was a pleasant surprise! That brings us to the bars? My 26 has bars that are 25 and a quarter inch wide. The new bike has bars 27 inches wide! Two inches wider and that's a lot!!! Once I cut them down it will be spot on.......

Verdict: I like the bike and the ride, if I can make it happen I will be in the woods today. Oh, don't know the exact time per lap but I rode 3 laps in a little less than a hour and a half. That would put me at my usual pace, funny thing is I felt a lot slower and didn't seem to work as hard at it.....Hum????

I Know...............

I know sometimes I get behind, I have good intentions of staying on top of this. Sometimes it just gets a little behind! Since last Thursday I haven't had a lot going on, and I haven't had my camera on me. I have to get better at that! How am I gonna relate things without pictures.

I had a plan to ride Saturday but things kinda got crossed up and I never made it. Sunday came and I went out for a few laps at Beatty, 3 to be exact. Lately there has been a discussion on the Tarheel Trail Blazers about this trail, about roots! A bunch of complaining, we ride bikes in the woods and people are gonna bitch about the trails! I think it's called mtn biking!!!

Anyhow I went to see what the fussing was about? Guess what, I rode my bike in the woods and had a great time! You know what I ran over roots too! I know that must be hard to believe that you would encounter such items on a dirt trail in the woods but it happened.

My take on all this would be the crowd here in Charlotte are a bunch of wimps!! That or they are just so bored they would rather sit at home and whine about riding than go riding!! I like rough trails and smooth ones. I call it use, the older a trail is the rougher it tends to be! If I wanted to ride a green way I would, but I don't I want to ride a bicycle in the woods on rough trails!!

One last thing! I bought a new bike !! Cannondale Flash2 29er alloy! With a Lefty front fork! We bad now! I have never ridin a 29er but that's about to change! Full report tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Night Ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By myself! My buddies all cancelled, and I was on my own! First time I have been in the woods at night by myself. That was weird, I think I ran into about 20 trees, I was looking over my shoulder. I swear you pedal faster when you are out with nobody around.

looks like its day light!

I went to Francis Beatty park and did 2 laps. when I started it was still daylight, although dark was fast approaching. At that time of the day it is starting to get dark in the woods, so about 4 miles in it was. Most of the way around the park you can hear them at the soccer field and basket ball courts. But when you get down in the bottom behind the dam it gets real dark.

I had the bar lights and a helmet light so I had plenty of light. With the helmet light you have the battery in the back of your jersey. At one point the power cord came unhooked and I was standing there trying to get it hooked back up. I was sitting in the middle of the woods wishing I had brought a flash light, fiddling around in the dark when it dawned on me I had the bar lights sitting right in front of me. I kinda felt a little stupid! I thought, damn I ain't to smart sometimes!

I will defiantly do it again, it wakes you up for sure! The only time I had the crap scared out of me was when a deer jumped up and took off through the woods. That sounded like a herd of buffalo, how they can run in the dark like that is amazing!

They have a group going to night if the rain holds off. If it is a go I am going, it would be neat to ride with a large group. The most I have ever ridin with was about 4-5 people. From what I understand they had about 10 people last Thursday. Stay tuned!!!!!!

One last thing! I have talked about the Great Divide mtn bike race a few times , how much fun it would be to do that race! Well you know what I might be to scared to do that! I thought I was a tough guy, but to be in the Rocky Mountains all by myself on the continental divide! My name ain't Crickett! Yep she is the friend of mine who has done that race for the last 2 years! She's just a little thing too!!!! But she's tougher than I am!!

What A Way To Start The Day......................

If you read this blog very often you have heard me talk about my buddy Kelly. We have been riding for 20 years together and friends just as long. If you know me, I am very competitive and so is he. When we ride together it ain't just a "ride", our rides involve a lot of trash talk! Most people wouldn't understand this, most "friends" slow down and enjoy a ride in the woods.

Don't get me wrong he and I enjoy our rides together, we just do it a different way. It's called push, we push each other till we are ready to puke and then the trash talk kicks into high gear! There are times when we come out of the woods side cramping and doubled over in pain! But with a smile a mile wide! Sometimes he makes me mad as hell with his mouth and sometimes I know I piss him off just as bad.

As I said I wouldn't change riding partners for anything, and I hope somebody can relate to having a partner who can push you just as hard! Now for the start of my day! I came in this morning and found out his plane has crashed! Yep he is a pilot and he wasn't flying it. Thank god everybody who was on the plane is OK. They landed and the brakes failed on the plane, they slid off the end of the runway. Everybody had a few minor injuries, from what I understand one of the pilots had a broken arm, that was the worst part.

As you can see the plane is pretty much totalled! I don't know much about planes but that one looks like it won't be flying anymore!

I called his wife to find out if he was alright. That's how I found out he wasn't flying it! Again thank god everybody is fine. But damn he scared the shit out of me. I look forward to the next ride that's for sure!!!