Local Ride: Night Ride in the Pinebush

I've been pretty busy lately with little or no time for riding. Tonight I had to get out and ride. I really didn't want to go, just feeling lazy I guess, it was cold too and this would be a solo ride. I didn't want to take the easy way out, I am riding dammit! Was it cold? Yeah pretty cold, probably 25 degrees before the windchill. Winter is here but I would not be deterred. Started in and came across some deer. Ground was hard, crunchy in places, other places still had a dusting of snow. Trails are in good shape, hard and fast. The leaves and soft sand in some places still make corners sketchy at high speed. Not surprisingly I didn't see anyone out riding. I thought it would be more of a chore but it wasn't. After a while I didn't mind the cold so much. I enjoyed the absence of sound. No chainslap or clunky noises from my SS, just the sound of the leaves and ground crunching under my tires, the wind blowing in the trees and the rhythmic sound of my breathing. Peaceful. I did the standard loop we usually do, leaving out the cemetery for obvious reasons (alone at night, no thanks). Made my way past the cemetery loop and out of no where I see an owl take flight. It was perched in a tree right next to the trail and I probably would not have seen it had it not have flown away. I was right on top of it when it took off, scarred the crap out of me. But it was so cool to see, it was big and it flew down the trail before turning right and flying up into another tree. I've never seen one that close, such a privilege. There is a bridge out one of the trails just after leaving the powerlines, had to cross on foot. Made it back to the car, probably only rode for an hour and a half but that was enough for me. My feet were starting to get cold anyway. I am glad I went out, I feel tired but I feel good. I know I need to step up my exercise or all this healthy eating and weight loss will be all for not. Bundle up and get out there and ride, even if it's just for a half hour. Your body will be glad you did. But do dress warm.

Local Rides: Albany Pine Bush

Been riding quite a bit at the Pine Bush now that I know my way in there quite well. Trails have been fantastic and the only downer to riding there is ticks, which haven't become a big problem yet, and horses. Don't get me wrong, I like horses and afford them the best trail manners when I encounter them on the trail. But I do not like running through their piles of shit around every corner, I mean come on...dog owners have to (should also) clean up after their dogs and horse owners should too. So far the horse riders I have come across have been polite and grateful to me for showing them the right of way. How ever I am not sure everyone like the idea of mountain bikers riding the trails. Mountain bikers have always been perceived as a problem in the Pine Bush by other trail users and the Pine Bush themselves. Ask me how I know. Not sure if I am reading this right but by the way this douche bag parked right in front of my vehicle when there was plenty of parking available pretty much sums it up.

Who parks like a douche bag? This guy.

You know what, fuck you buddy, now I am going to ride there more often.

Local Ride: Albany Pine Bush, Water Tower Trails

Can't really see it but it was snowing a bit...I love riding while it snows.

Got out for an extended ride (~2 hours) at the Pinebush today. I was not sure how the trails would be but I knew there would be no need for studs so I took them off and replaced them with a pair of 26 x 2.5 Kenda Kinetics. These are very light for their size and are the Stick-E compound. I knew it was going to be slick back there and I wanted a tire with a rounded profile and a more aggressive shoulder tread. These tires, at the proper pressure, have a nice slow rebound effect, have tremendous traction, and because they are light makes for less rotational mass. This was clearly evident during climbing and I was able to make it up several hills I was not able to make it up last ride.

Trail conditions...muddy. These tires are much better in dry conditions. They have a tendency to slide off wet roots but are decent on wet rocks. They also pack up with mud unless you keep riding at a good clip. Even though they are light tires, it takes effort to keep up your speed. Probably due to the Stick-E compound and the aggressive tread. These are definitely coming off until everything dries up. I've got some other tires I wanted to try out anyway. All in all it was a good ride.

Quiet and peaceful

Fun singletrack

At the top of a big hill...one of my favorite places to be.

Local Ride: Albany Pine Bush, Water Tower Trails

Well, technically it is winter but there is no snow, hence the question mark. Some sections of ice for sure but even those are all but gone. My last three rides were in the Pinebush, on the water tower trail network. There's a good mix of single and double track so you won't get bored. Lots of opportunity for elevation gain, much more than you see on Schenectady Central Park or even the Shale Trail in Colonie Town Park. There are some technical trail features like log crossings, definitely enough to keep it interesting. Also there are several sections where the singletrack meanders along the sides of deep ravines for a little added fear factor. The Cemetery loop is fun too, good mix of flowy singletrack that climbs and descends. I'd really like to hit that place on a night ride...totally spooky. As of right now studs are not needed, just tires with goods knobbies because there are lots of leaves down which can make corners at speed pretty slick. The upside of riding in the Pinebush, because of all the sand, is that it drains well. This spot is an excellent alternative to ride when other areas can't be ridden for fear of trail damage. The downside is the ticks, the ones you find here give you lime disease and they are just plain gross...little blood sucking bastards. I am going to probably end my riding once Spring arrives because you can guarantee that with the mild winter we've had so far, they will be out in full force when the temps start to rise.



I used to ride here years ago, but stopped because I found other places to ride and other groups to ride with. Also I started to get involved with the Saratoga Mountain Bike Association so I was spending a lot of time riding in Malta, Saratoga and North Umberland. The Pinebush is a great place to ride, I am glad I came back.