CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
The view from the saddle, leaf covered singletrack.
I've been riding mountain bikes for 30 years and it just doesn't ever get old. I feel as good on the bike...no better than I did back in 1982. Sure there were the years I was racing in the late 80s and 90s and I was faster and more fit, but just riding feels so natural to me now. I learned to ride with very little wasted effort, to flow down the trail. The racing did that, but it was the countless rides I did in the mud and snow and up and down mountain trails that have given me the skills that I use today. I learned more from riding slow tough trails then I did blasting down the trail at warp speed. That's why I say ride slow to go fast.
"BEAR" > 1987-2001
The rest of the MTB story is about my dog named "Bear", half Black Lab half Golden Retriever, 75 pounds of muscle. My dog (god spelled backward), Bear could run 30 miles in a day with me and my bike. Back in the days before riders were afraid of mud, those were my favorite days. After a ride I would hang my bike in the garage and let the mud drip off the bike and I would have to rinse Bear off outside because he would be covered with mud. I taught him to run alongside me and drink my energy drinks as we traveled the trails. Bear would jump up and start whining with excitement as soon as I said " do you want to go for a bike ride".
Winter mountain bike riding was also a thrill as I would ride the frozen snowmobile trails in the dark. Bear loved running in the winter. I remember one night that I left the truck, probably around 1989 or so. It was the dead of winter about 10:30 at night and the temps were about -18 degrees F. It was so cold that I would have to hop off the bike every so often and jog along my bike just to keep my feet warm. I started out with a bandanna over my face to breath warmer air. I had to be careful with Bear also breathing the cold air. It was a great ride and adventure that night, was out about 2.5 hours. I will never forget that ride. Bear had frost all along his back from his breath and I got back to the truck not wanting the night to end. It is like that with many of my adventures...like a great hockey game where 2 teams are so closely matched and they go into overtime and you don't want it to end, but you know it will be a great effort that will win it. That's how a good ride is, don't want it to end, but when it does it is time...
I rode through this patch of light in the woods and had to stop and lean the Salsa in the spotlight.
The Steele Horse...
Bike light is mounted and ready, still had several miles to travel on the singletrack to get back to the truck.
Used the flash in the dark at the trail intersection before the final stretch back.
A Labatt Blue was appropriate with the temps in the 30s when I got back to the truck. Changed out of my riding clothes and into a hoody and warm clothes. Topped it off with a sandwich and a cold one...GOOD TIMES!!
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