Old Road Jersey Found

I came across this while packing for our move. One of the only jerseys I still have from my road biking days. This jersey is probably 20 years old but still in good condition. This was for use on colder days and is thick and warm. Wish I could still use it but the fit these days is more akin to a sausage casing than a jersey on me.

Used Crank Brothers Mallet M's

I scored a pair of silver Mallet M's from a co-worker for 25! Barely used and in great shape. Said he had some pedal to shoe interference whidh made them difficult to clip in. I have a set of the same pedals in red that need to be rebuilt. At least now I can send them back and use these in the mean time. I love a good deal!

Colonie Town Park Ride

According to the Capital MTB calendar it was supposed to be a co-ed Luna Chix ride but I showed up to find an all female troop. Ah well, I don;t mind riding by myself...again. I've been back there plenty of times but I am still not sure of where all the trails go. It didn't matter, I had no agenda...just to ride...so I did. The trails are in great shape, really dry and fast. There are quite a bit of leaves and sticks down which made cornering at speed tricky. Lots of rocks and roots back there to so I was doing my best to hit and kickers at speed and get some air. These trails are really fun on a full suspension bike

Colonie Town Park Trails

According to the Capital MTB calendar it was supposed to be a co-ed Luna Chix ride but I showed up to find an all female troop. Ah well, I don;t mind riding by myself...again. I've been back there plenty of times but I am still not sure of where all the trails go. It didn't matter, I had no agenda...just to ride...so I did. The trails are in great shape, really dry and fast. There are quite a bit of leaves and sticks down which made cornering at speed tricky. These trails are really fun on a full suspension bike. Lots of rocks and roots back there to so I was doing my best to hit and kickers at speed and get some air. I was trying to ride some sections as fast as I could as well as rail the corners. I guess maybe I did have an agenda. I also found the point at which my tires brake loose in a corner. I didn't go down but I did have to hit the brakes. Probably the most exhilirating part of the ride. That and the rock jump at the entrance of the double track trails that lead to the boat launch along the Mohawk River. I love hitting that at speed. Clean entry, smooth take off and nice transition. You can get some serious air on that. Have to get some video next time. I rode the trails down there which aren't real exciting but they can be ridden fast which is fun. There is one section that runs along the Mohawk which is pretty rocky and rooty. It's fairly difficult, so it's an accomplishment if you ride the entire line without dabbing. After exiting this trail, I played on the rocks by the pavilion and then went down to the boat launch just in time to see the sun setting. A nice ending to the day.

CX at SCP

Took the Monk out for some dirt time. Definitely liked the 700C wheels on the trail but had to keep the speed down for fear of pinch-flatting. The bike handled really well back there and the only problem I had was the pain in my arm and the lack of cush.

Labor Day Red Oaks Ride in Schodack

I got the chance to get out and ride on Labor Day. Since it was kind of last minute I didn't get the opportunity to hook up with anyone else so I rode alone. I don't really know the trails in Schodack, now called Red Oaks by the regulars. But I got a map from my friend Chris Roe, and I have ridden there with him a few times so I figured what the hell.

I got there about 2p and was surprised to not see very few cars there and only one with a bike rack. Not even sure if any of them belonged to people riding. Anyway I started off from the park and ride and tried to follow the normal Tuesday night route. I did my best to follow the map, which was excellent by the way, but I did end up making a few wrong turns. No worries though, I was able to back track and the map kept me going in the right direction.

The snake was unharmed

The trails were dry and fast but newly fallen leaves were everywhere. I guess it's that time of year...already (sigh). I managed to bunny hop a small snake last minute and avoided crushing him. As thanks he allowed me to take his picture and then I moved him off the trail.

Last time I rode here I brought my singlespeed. Gearing was good for the climbing but the rigid fork really hampered my ability to actually cruise at a good clip without loosing control. Plus with my injured elbow, it hurt like hell. I decided to use the Switch this time and man what a difference. I can really carve stuff on this bike and with 6 inches of travel I had plenty of cushion for the pushin'. It does come with a weight penalty so climbing was a chore but not impossible.

My trusy steed.

The strangest trail out there has to be House of Grouse. Not because of any super technical climbing or twisting switchbacks...but because of the male Grouse that is protecting his nest. That thing is FEARLESS! Everytime I go through there he chases after me on my bike. This time I was ready for hime, but where was he? Typically he is at the trail head or close to it. Maybe I was going to get away with not seeing him today I thought. Even though I knew he was there and was looking for him, out of nowhere he swooped down from the trees and attacked my helmet. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and for a moment there I thought he was a hawk. I had seen two flying through the woods just 20 minutes earlier. I let out a yell something like "oh shi..." and went down. He didn't knock me down, I just lost my balance trying to avoid him. Man was I pissed but I guess I can't blame him. I flung a few obscenities his way and I was off again. He followed me for a few minutes and then I lost him...more likely he gave up. Man did I feel like a fool. One of the times I was glad to be alone. I must have looked ridiculous at that moment. Have to laugh about it now.

The diving board

There aren't that many man made features out there other than some bridges but the trails are well built and offer a variety of challenging singletrack. The climbing is probably the biggest distinction of this trail network. Riding here often will definitely up your fitness level. I hope to get back here and ride a few more times before hunting season starts and these trails become off-limits until Springtime. This is a great trail network and having it so close to where I live is always a bonus since my riding time isn't what it used to be. Being a responsible husband and parent can do that. Even if I don't get to ride there often, it's nice to have such a great place to ride so close to home. Thanks to Chris and everyone who put the effort into bringing those trails back to life. Keep up the good work!

 

CX at SCP

Took the Monk out for some dirt time during lunch at Schenectady Central Park. Definitely liked the 700C x 45 wheels on the trail but had to keep the speed down for fear of pinch-flatting. The bike handled really well back there and the only problem I had was the pain in my arm and the lack of cush. The rear end is super stiff so it climbs awesome but unless the trails are super smooth single track, this is not the right bike. Still a fun ride though.