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 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.