|   BV and Fast Eddy take on the night - Henry Coe ride report: | Biking Viking
Feb 25, 2002 12:25 PM | | "Strangers in the night exchanging glances" riding familiar terrain at night makes you feel like a stranger in a good way.
We turned our lights off and climbed the fire roads in silence through a landscape bathed in silver moonlight. The only sounds in the night were my creaky XTR cranks and the coyotes howling in the distance. We had just left the Dodge mothership to explore this strange planet on our two-wheel pods not knowing what strange life forms to encounter. Naked oak trees stretched their twisted arms and fingers towards a starlit sky the night was as beautiful as only the night can be and we were riding through it.
But, it all started Sunday morning. Ed and I had planned to ride Coe Sunday night pending his post-company party conditions, but I woke up with a bad cold and could barely crawl out of bed. Now that's unfortunate, I thought - I haven't had a cold since April last year even when my two germ buckets bring nasty stuff home from school, I've been able to avoid getting anything of it (I know, it's all the microbrew). But I guess that start of race season and eye-ball popping interval efforts makes the body more susceptible to that kind of shit.
I was hoping to get a call from Ed too hear his voice rough from drinking smelling old tequila all the way through the phone from Morgan Hill that he was going to blow it off. I would not I adhere to FP's "death cancels".
He didn't call.
I don't get to nightride much because I don't live in a free count(r)y. One option is Mission peak in Fremont, a half hour away on a Sunday 1.5 hours on a weekday. Mission Peak is mostly steep fireroads where the main challenge is to not run into the cows sleeping on the trail. I think the responsible citizens of Santa Clara county should protest against the authorities robbing them of the ability to go out in the forest on a moonlit night. Home of the Free my ass I'd trade my freedom of speech for the right of being out after dark - if that's what it takes.
Anyway, sick or not, I wasn't going to pass on this opportunity so I showed up at Ed's house around six and loaded his unbelievably dirty hardtail on my roof. A significant portion of Annadel State park was stuck to the framework of his bicycle. We took off for Hunting Hollow.
I was still sick, so I set the alarm of my HRM very low just to make sure the ride wouldn't kill me and my preparations for the Sea Otter. Ed, still on a slight margarita buzz, was OK with a slow ride.
We rode up Coit road and I jumped high in my saddle as Ed called out. My immediate thought was "mechanical" but it turned out he'd almost run over a citizen of this distant planet. Ed has substantial knowledge of this planet, but his claim that "these guys are really rare" turned out to not be true. I scraped a fair amount of salamander body parts out from the underside of my saddle last night.
We rode along slowly and chatted in a low voice and my HRM would occasionally go "beep, beep" on the steeper sections. Luckily, Ed had to take a few "margarita stops" to clear his head and keep his half-digested dinner in its container. That gave me some break to blow my nose, cough up some slime and send it flying in between the oak trees.
Ed says he doesn't like climbing I told him it's an acquired taste. Do it enough and you will come to love it. Maybe it was the low light, or he just looked at back me with a very puzzled look. Oh, well.
I was enjoying myself so intensely on the fireroad climb, I'd almost forgotten the great singletrack awaiting us. We paused for a while at the start of the Coit Spring Trail while we plotted a strategy for dealing with wild pigs, who according to Ed frequent this sector of the planet. We planned that whoever got attack would lift his bike and sink the teeth of his big chainring into the scull of the attacking lump'o bacon while the other one would try to blind it with his light. Unfortunately, we never got to test out our defense strategy but planning this stuff is half the fun.
We descended Coit Spring trail, which is a single as a singletrack can be. Kristian's front tire on his Bullit wouldn't have fit in the narrowest sections of this great trail. We went fast, and I resisted the urge to hammer in the big ring since I needed it to be free should I meet a pig.
The trail was surprisingly wet.
After this little foreplay, the ecstasy was released as we bombed down the narrow, rocky, twisty Grapevine trail. This is an awesome trail to ride in the day at night it is spiritual. Not better than sex, but pretty darn close and I don't get to do it very often narrow, rocky, twisty trails at night that is.
Then I made a surprising discovery by HRM went beep, beep for the entire section of Grapevine who said that downhill riding isn't exercise?
Ed had given up avoiding the salamanders but suddenly he called out behind me. I turned around and found him having a seemingly interesting conversation with this native guy. I say seemingly, because I know very little of the language on this planet.
Up on return to the mothership, we loaded the pods on the rack and flew down Hot Springs Road a fun road to drive at night when you can use the entire width of the road to straighten out the turns.
It was the best nightride ever and even if it prolonged my recovery it was still worth it.
Thanks for the good ride, Ed.
BV |
| excellent post and photos, BV. | Stick
Feb 25, 2002 12:36 PM | | LOL at the 'Land of the Free' comments. My sentiments, exactly. If I want a 'legal' off-road night ride, I have to drive nearly 40 minutes down into Philadelphia and risk having my car broken into or worse. All that because the people of rural/suburban Bucks County feel that the woods are too dangerous a place to be on a bike after sunset.
Talk about ass-backwards thinking.
Oh well, thanks again for posting.
P.S. You guys licked the toad, didn't you? ;) |
| Bummer about the newts. | Pete.
Feb 25, 2002 12:39 PM | | Those toads taste just like chicken.
Pete |
| Braggart | -Chip.
Feb 25, 2002 1:10 PM | | I mean, nice post/pics.
-C
p.s. - You need A)to lose your free speech for a bit in order to appreciate it more and B)better sex. (t.p.f.i.c) |
| Comments: | Fast Eddy
Feb 25, 2002 2:11 PM | | 1. Apparently, we don't need to go in search of a mtb-riding english major.
2. It wasn't better than sex, just longer and harder.
3. It was also my best night ride ever. I've ridden the same route at night before, but the moon, mud, coyotes, and other critters were definitely better than ever before.
4. One critter BV never got to see was a tiny field mouse that I lit up. He bounced around in giant leaps trying to figure out what to do, then finally remembered his hole was nearby, and ducked inside. It was pretty comical.
5. I'm sore in weird places. My stomach muscles feel like I did 200 sit-ups???
6. Note to self: remove helmet visor before riding at night.
7. I'm going back one evening this week. It was just too sweet to not do again if the weather and the moon hold out. All are invited. If you can ride as well as BV, please arrange to be slightly ill. |
| "remove helmet visor before riding at night." | CraigH
Feb 25, 2002 2:20 PM | | Try it before you take it off for good.
If you have a helmet light, the visor cuts out the glare from the light on your head.
Visors are also good for deflecting branches over your head instead of down in to your face.
Thanks to you both for posting the ride write up and pics. |
| By the magic of velcro... | Fast Eddy
Feb 25, 2002 2:34 PM | | ...it won't be a permanent mod. It was just down in my face while descending. Not too bad, but it cut out a part of whatever little light there was.
I (currently) don't run a helmet light. |
| Hey Ed, I think global warming has hit Morgan Hill. | Zignzag
Feb 25, 2002 2:23 PM | | I saw 5 or 6 parrots yesterday near Anderson Reservoir. |
| 5 or 6 together? Weird. | Fast Eddy
Feb 25, 2002 2:37 PM | | They're probably worth some $$$ if you could catch them. Where were they? We rode on the Coyote Creek Trail on Saturday. No parrot sightings though. |
| A mile or so from the reservoir towards Coe headquarters. | Zignzag
Feb 25, 2002 2:52 PM | | They were kind of smallish - not the big ones you see at the pet store. Maybe someone's pets that escaped. |
| One more comment on HID lights | Fast Eddy
Feb 25, 2002 2:45 PM | | 8. Those HID lights humble the lowly halogen. At my highest setting (12w + 35w), the HID coming from behind would completely wash out my halogens. |
| 9. Martinis love Margaritas... | elperro
Feb 25, 2002 10:57 PM | | Nice stuff senior. You would think since I am not riding, I'd be able to post the last year's worth of rise pics no?
I thought I might have scored some Xenon HID bulbs for cheap, $1, at a surpluss electronics store. After doing some research, no such luck! Xenon flash bulbs. Turns out just the bulb alone will cost you ~$100+!!! The ballasts are actually pretty simple.
Full moon tomorrow night, HOWWWWLLL!!
_EL Perro |
| Cool story and nice pics | kristian
Feb 25, 2002 2:25 PM | | I'm down to a 2.65 on the Bullit so it would probably fit now... Thanks for sharing! |
| re: BV and Fast Eddy take on the night - Henry Coe ride report: | Spike
Feb 25, 2002 6:01 PM | | Nice amphibians. Good to hear Fast Eddy, aka famous internet axe murderer, didn't off you under cover of darkness.
Keep the good ride reports coming. I only have xc ski trips to post about lately. Maybe I should post about one and dedicate it to the Norwegian teams, heh heh.
Spike |
| Thanks, I would LOVE to... | Biking Viking
Feb 25, 2002 6:58 PM | | ...see some XC ski posts.
BV |
| Thumbs up! | mugg
Feb 25, 2002 7:25 PM | | The photos turned out well. It just wet my appetite even more to do a night ride with my recently acquired NR HID light.
Thanks for the cool post. |
| Nice pics! | K-Zero
Feb 25, 2002 9:34 PM | | I'm guessing Eddy was aiming his light at you when he took your photos? Thanks for sharing your experience as always.
K-Zero |
| Don't know if he did. The flash is so much brighter anyway(nm) | Biking Viking
Feb 25, 2002 9:38 PM | | |
| Next time, could I give you my pics.... | elperro
Feb 25, 2002 11:01 PM | | tell you what happened, and have YOU write the ride write-up for me?
It read very well BV. You should consider submiting it to some rag, loco!
_EL Perro |
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