|   A few pics and a bit of a story | Fiver
Oct 26, 2001 6:54 AM | | It's that time of year again. I saw the first snowflakes of the season on Wednesday, and the temperature is dropping. It's still warm enough to ride, but the 50 mph winds of the past few days have kept me off the bike.
It's not that I don't like winterafter all, I live in Minnesota, where winter lasts six months of the year. And winter riding is great fun. Ice and snow make even the easiest trail a challenge, and it's less painful to crash on snow than on hardpacked dirt. Plus you can make snow angels at the side of the trail.
It's just that I don't want it to come so soon. Just last weekend I was riding in shorts and now the TV weathergirls are talking about wind chill factor.
Fortunately, I just got back some photos to remind me of warmer times.
frog on a switchback
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Earlier this summer, a few of us got the absolutely brilliant idea to try a 24 hour race. The local one is held at the end of August each year. We each coughed up our entry fee (free socks!) and registered as "The International Libation and Pedaling Association."
Spot the Australian
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Anyway, we eventually realized that we were actually going to need to do some training, so as not to completely kill ourselves in the race. Minnesota isn't exactly known for its towering peaks, but the race course had some good climbingabout 1200 feet in each 6.5 mile lap. Not bad for around here. We thought it would be a good idea to get to know the course a bit, and for a few weekends we headed out to ride. Our lungs and legs quickly revolted, but once the EPO kicked in we were all set.
olb kicking up a cloud of dust
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Yeah, we were fast. Real fast. We were all riding 50-55 minute lap times, and we were pumped. We were unstoppable.
Then reality set in. We knew there was no way we were going to win, and we were right. I think my first clue might have been the fact that the fast riders were pulling down lap times around 38 minutes, to our 50. I can't comprehend how to cut that much time off a lap without skipping a mile or two or strapping on an engine. And it's just depressing when a singlespeeder passes you on a climb.
frog in the trees
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But that's okay. Like I said, we knew we weren't going to win, and we didn't care. No one got hurt, and we had beer. Success. |
| Ahhh, I remember those day like it was... | frog
Oct 26, 2001 7:25 AM | | a few months ago. We've gone from needing 200 oz of water to keep hydrated, to trying to keep the water bottles from freezing. Oh well. I like it.
Thanks for the pics! |
| re: A few pics and a bit of a story | C~C
Oct 26, 2001 8:01 AM | | Where were those pix taken? Afton?
I used to live in MN... now in SoCal... I guess the a-hole thing for me to do would be to tell ya about last night's nightride... bitchen ST in the Santa Ana's and about 65 degrees... |
| Yeah, Afton | Fiver
Oct 26, 2001 8:22 AM | | Windchill close to zero right now, thanks. Depressing. |
| Yeah, Afton | C~C
Oct 26, 2001 8:40 AM | | Thought so.
I grew up in Woodbury. Used to poach Afton at night all the time, before they cut the trails. Remember when they first built those trails - they SUCKED!
I used to do the Thursday night Buck Hill series... ride the River Bottom Trail, Lebanon, Murphy, Terrace Oaks, Fort Snelling/Crosby/other Mississippi river stuff...
Where are your favs? |
| They still suck | Fiver
Oct 26, 2001 9:02 AM | | Not well-maintained at all. Lots of ruts, sand, gravel, etc. You can tell that mountain biking is still way down Afton's list of priorities.
There's some good stuff here besides what you mentioned. Some newish trails have been built in Milaca, Elk River, and Monticello that are all pretty sweet. I ride at Theo Wirth, Brownie Lake (Mpls.) and Battle Creek a lot too. |
| thanks for the memories! | ozlongboarder
Oct 26, 2001 11:12 AM | | Oh man that was only 2 months ago. Someone just reminded me that last year it went 140 days with out going above 40. We need to build an indoor trail system in an old wharehouse somewhere. The pics definately make me want to do it again next year. |
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