I Must Be Dreaming

It seems I have a not so rare condition
called Bicicletas Encephalitis

Had a dream the other night that I didn't quite remember until I saw this clip. I dreamt I was mountain biking and just decided I was going to start doing 360's off everything I could. No hesitation  no fear just started pulling them off and landing them with no problem. The dream was so real and it felt so awesome that when I woke up I thought I could do it. Haven't had a good dream like that in a while and I will probably be unable to pull these off even if I wanted to. For now I'll just watch the clip and dream on...

Geoff Gulevich - Jack of All Trades

First Ride of 2011!

20110105_SMBA Trails from John Ruiz on Vimeo.

This day was bitter sweet for me. It was my last day of vacation but my first ride of the New Year. I didn't really have much time to ride in Saratoga this past year so I figured what better way to kick off the New Year than to ride some of the most challenging terrain in the capital region. The fact that there is almost no snow back there right now is unbelievable. I hit all the new stuff too and it is awesome! Gnod, Porky Pine and Backstretch are all intermediate trails which will make it easier for more riders to enjoy the new stuff. There’s lots of flow, natural features as well as manmade bridges to add to the experience. Some also have go-arounds which will appeal to the less advanced riders. I also saw a few options which would appeal to the more advanced riders. The club did an amazing job on the new trails and it is a fantastic addition to the great trails already there. It was like rediscovering the trails all over again, reminded me of the first times I rode there.

One of my resolutions this year wasn’t necessarily to ride more often but to go on more rides that would last an hour or more. I spent 3 hours riding back there so this definitely qualifies. I can't wait to spend more time back there this year although it is a long drive. It took me about 45 minutes one way from my house in Delmar. It would probably take me 35 minutes if I left from work. Still if I can find the time the trails are well worth the while. Thanks to all who have donated and dedicated their time to making these trails great! To find out more about these incredible trails go here... www.saratogamtb.org

I took some pictures too and uploaded them to flickr. Go here to view them.

20101128 - Glacier Ridge Nature Preserve

20101128 - Glacier Ridge Nature Preserve from John Ruiz on Vimeo.

20101122 - Jet Line Trail, Cunningham Park

20101122_Poison Line_Cunningham Park from John Ruiz on Vimeo.

Trials Demo by Jeff Lenosky

I was lucky enough to drive out to Great Barrington, MA to catch Jeff do a trials demo at Berkshire Bike and Board. I took my oldest daughter, figured it would be some father daughter bonding and we get to do something involving bikes. Thought it might help her want to get into biking more too, we'll see how that goes.

Anyway it was a pretty sick show. He was kinda limited on space but he worked really well with what he had. He talked through each type of trick and then demonstrated. He did some really cool tricks with a volunteer from the crowd. I put together a video of some of the stunts he did. It's condensed to about half of the original show. Click the title above and it will take you to the video on You Tube. Still amazes me what people can do on a bike and more importantly, what a guy that is my age can do on a bike.

Jeff with my daughter Ellie

The bike used during the demo. Check out the broken spoke.

MTB Ride at SMBA 11-30-2009

Got the chance to ride with a friend on the last day on my vacation. Made it up to Saratoga and was able to ride Dam Trail which I probably haven't been on in about two years. The weather was really nice and the trails were brutal. I definitely was not ready for the abuse that trail dishes out.

20091129 MTB SCP from John Ruiz on Vimeo.

MTB Ride at SCP 11-24-2009

Decided to go for a ride while I was having scheduled maintenance done on my truck. Just happened to have the point and shoot with me too.

20091124 MTB SCP from John Ruiz on Vimeo.