Saturdays are back in

After a conversation with my wife we got Saturday mornings figured out for me to ride, I headed out and was excited to get some morning riding in. I didn't beat the sun by much on trail by 5:40am but enough to beat some of the heat. I thought about the #ilovehawes races but I think I will wait for next week. I went for a simple up and over, still not feeling strong but enjoying the ride. When I got around the Mountain I was running into alot of people. I waited for afew trains of people, maybe 3 groups of 10 or so, not too fun when the trail is so narrow but it's fine. The lot was insane, I saw the Arizona Single Speeders loading up to go and was bummed I was not able to ride with them.

Nice

It was nice to start off on the quieter Hawes side, the weather was actually quite good for late April. I was dealing with some mental demons but felt a little better, definitely not feeling my strongest, maybe allergies side effects, but I am riding on. More gnats, they've been worse so lets hope it won't!

Beat

I knew before this ride that I wasn't feeing right, I was anxious to get out and ride but when I started I just wasn't feeling right, I pressed on anyway and went to see what the river was doing. I was surprised t not find any grasses down there, I guess with out pathetic rainfall they decided to skip this year. The trees were loaded and pretty. I found a nice area along the river I have not been to. I don't know why I didn't jump in but this week I will be!

Its almost Thursday

Just keep moving

Here we go again

Third week into this neighborhood stuff and not looking forward to these rides but pushing thru it. Good music or podcast gets me thru.

Mouth breather

I went around the Hawes on this one, lot was a mess, passed a bunch of riders on my way up Alpe and then it got quiet. Ran into the gnats 1/2 way around Hawes, such a nuissance but luckily they don't bite! Definitely ate a few.....

Storm the mountain

As I got onto Alpe thursday morning I had pent up energy and decided to see how quick I could get up and down the Alp/Goat/RMR, turns out pretty fast! I am number 4 of 755 peoples. Not bad for an ugly ginger on a rigid SS! The rest of the ride was not quick but enjoyable.

weds peaceful

Peaceful ride around the hood, riparian preserve is always a treat!

Gravel grinding AKA mountain bike

Ohh another run around the neighborhood, I am surprised just how little pavement the tires touch in 20 miles. Won't be for long though, houses and commercil property are being built soon on every one of them.

Kamikaze Hummingbird

I was off for my my boring gravel monday, it's pretty nice out still and these can fill my excercise voids. I was looping one fo the crop fields and rode over some wet looking mud, I came to a halt when the clay filled my entire bike....... I had to hand clean a mixture of clay and gravel off the bike, lesson certainly learned on that one! I was riding away and felt something crash into my helmet and in my view I see something hit the ground, I was shocked to find it was a hummingbird! He was idle laying on his side, I think he wasn't doing too well. I pedaled on and hoped that little fella made it!

Hot and Dry

I pouted Saturday about getting a ride and got my way eventually and off I went into the hot mid day sun. I felt good and strong out there, it was hot but sweat just dried faster so I couldn't tell very much!

Hawes cirus

Hawes on Friday after a new trail opens I should have known better, quite the circus out there but all happy people enjoying bikes. I tore up the new trail and passed quite a few along the way, then up some twisted sister action and a little stinger action, awesome!

Two today rat ta tat tat

Spun around the mountain, after a week off the bike it felt great to get out! I took the ong way around and found two snakes along the way. One on riverview I pissed off and another on fence who just killed his lunch trailside.

Riparian rip

Another run around the crops and then shot up to the riparian, a nice touch, but very busy there.

Lets make it work

So my lovely wife has passed the boards and took a job in Phoenix for now. I was asked to stay near the house so if there was an emergency with Landon I would be nearby. Lucky for me theres alot of dirt and gravel path around so I went out to hunt a loop down. It was not exciting but better calories burned than calories ate.

SOMO

Well I had the intention of getting out to Corona and so I did Thursday. Doing so on 32x18 is not great but better than changing gearing just for a ride so I deal with it. I had a clean run down Coronoa, I didn't even drop my post. I then used up soem time speeding around desert classic bits, good ride, extremely busy, I saw it all on that ride....

Super tuck into the wind

Well it was one windy day on Wednesday, nothing to do but deal with it robbing my horsepower. GReat ride still!

3 ridges

Tuesday I set off with the idea of all three ridges. Alot got done on RMR and it's almost complete, this wekeend it's now open. Anyway it was a nice go down it, I still can't decide if I like it more or less than the other new trails but this was going to be a good test. After RMR I had a pedal back up, legs not as speedy as expected but strong none the less. I was following horse hoofs and poop and hoped I wouldn't run into the geniuses. Sure enough I saw them on the Iron Goat DH and couldnt wait. I thought I could beat them to the hairpins easily, I was wrong...... I rode behind them for 5-10 minutes as they would not let me pass knowing well I was there. I cut them off on a hairpin and thanked them for not letting me by, I was heated. Then backup for one more climb and a nice ride down High ridge until I saw those rings of a rattle snake tail, this on went right under my foot and I was like great here comes the hospital, it all happened so fast, luckily I didn't get bit, I turned around and got it off the trail and got a pic, first one of the season for me 3/30. Nice loop for alot of work under 2 hours!

Crop dusting

Well my wife went on a job interview which was great news, for me not so much, I was to be homebound so I could be near to the kiddo if for some reason he had an issue with school. So I rode round the neighbrhood which I am fortunate enough to have quite a bit of dirt roads and such to roll around. A bit over n hour of that and it was back to the house and get some stuff done.

STeel reserves

I closed up the week on the belltown. I forget how different it feels every time but in a good way, it's always ejoyable to get back on it fortunately. I did a double ridge sandwich and ran down to high horse and made my way back, great week of 5 rides!

Clouds

Clouds and great weather for the end of March, the heat is barreling in next week and I am dreading it. Beautiful ride, did a pretty demanding one, I felt 2500ft climbing by the end of it, not that I didn't have more in the tank thought!

Wheres Robbie

I was thinking about my buddy Robbie I met last year as I was at SOMO. The last time we rode here was down Geronimo where we flipped a rock for geronimo or National. He has been busy lately and we haven't rode much or this winter but last summer we did lots. Anyway he moved for his job and I was missing our good times on South Mountain. It was a good run down Geronimo, always happy when theres no icnident and bike holds up.

Healthy serving

Clouds rolled in and the weather has been very good for March. I went up on Iron Goat and then headed for Twisted Sister. The Ocotillo has turned color on us, looks like fall, I wish it was!