|   Night Riding Rocks!! Redux | Fast Eddy
Sep 9, 2003 11:25 PM | |
Went for a ride down in Sycamore Canyon tonight with the regular group. We have such a blast, and tonight was even better than usual! We hit the trail at Wendy and Potrero around 6:30. My computer wasn't cooperating, so I bypassed it and left it in the car. My 35w bulb and my 4.5ah battery are only good for about 90 minutes without it, but it was a full moon.
We dropped down the "the black bitch", took a right at the Y and a left on the singletrack that parallels Sycamore Canyon Road. We took a vote, and I lost my bid to climb the Backbone singletrack, and we went almost all the way to the beach and rode up the Overlook fire road instead. Last time I rode up it, I walked some. Nothing doing tonight. I cleaned it all! The moon came up while we were eating and enjoying the orange and purple sunset at the overlook.
At the top we all agreed to continue up to Guadalasco (photo below, it drops north). I've climbed it a couple times, but my previous bids to come down it have all met with some resistance. It was sweet and fast, about two miles of switchbacks 8^), if a little bumpy on my rigid bike. I surrendered first place to Doug due to arm/hand fatigue. Bummer. The two of us waited almost five minutes at the bottom for the rest of the group to join us.
We took a left into Wood Canyon, checked out the spooky houses, and climbed the bitch's little sister by the light of the moon. We finished off the dirt with my first trip down Art's Trail, which was nice, but too short.
As always at Sycamore, you have to climb the bitch. It's about 1.5 miles of paved road that must climb almost 1000'. I hate that bitch even though tonight she was kind to me, and let me climb her without walking. I think it was my first time. Bitch.
We got back to the car around 10:30, and Albert said it was 25 miles.
Once back here at Mo-smell 6, my low-rent home-away-from-home, I scored a fine double meat In and Out Burger, they gave me extra fries, both were hot and crispy. I picked up a lime at the liquor store and some ice from the machine to go with my left-over Tecates. After a long hot shower, I will sleep good.
Night Riding Rocks!!! Thanks gang!
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| I agree, it rocks, however........ | old Oi Punk
Sep 10, 2003 5:10 AM | | ....do not do a solo night-ride! Especially if you watched too many horror movies as a kid. I tried a solo night ride at about 11:00 p.m., full moon to boot, and after I got into the deep woods, I started seeing things. A lot of what I saw was real, like deer darting across my path, racoons glaring at me from the trees and weeds( their eyes LOOK EVIL when reflecting the light). Now, you know the deep woods allow NO moon light in, so all you can see is what your lights are pointing at. In addition to a headlight, I also had a helmet light so I could see where I was looking. After about 15 minutes of deep woods riding, I was scanning like a lighthouse, if my neck would have allowed it, I would have done 360 degree scan! I kept getting this feeling something was running up behind me!!! The I heard a sound like running feet, like a dog, or A WOLF!!! That did it, I am usually not a fast rider, but I made it back to camp in HALF the time it took me to get to that point! I had GOOSE-BUMPS the size of GEESE! From now on, I ride at night with someone, I have too fertile of an imagination to ride in the deep woods at night, by myself!!! Otherwise, night riding IS a blast! A few friends will help scare away those Booogy-men!! |
| Spoooooooky Solo Rides..... | Ricko
Sep 10, 2003 7:10 AM | | I know what you mean about the shining eyes and stuff, it's creepy as hell but I LIKE IT! Scaring up a deer 10 feet away from you sends some serious shivers up and down your spine when you're riding with someone, but when you're solo....YAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Most times I ride with at least one other guy but occasionally I go solo. I'l tell the wife "I'm heading out to the west woods to pit myself against the headless horseman!"...she gives me a concerned look and tells me to be sure to take my cell. |
| yeah | JimC.
Sep 10, 2003 9:32 AM | | the fire roads up above Vancouver, where we climb without lights, is filled with critters dying to chomp on you. I thought I got over that goose bump thing at age 8, guess not.
I'm pretty sure there's a cougar in there somewhere :o|, no wait, and a few bears!!
Jim |
| In spite of the scare... | old Oi Punk
Sep 10, 2003 9:48 AM | | ...I know I will do a solo nght-ride again, kinda like the roller-coasters that scare the piss out of you, but you jump right back in the line and do it again! Addiction to adrenaline makes us do weird things. The biggest carnivores in the woods I was in are coyotes, so I am sure I would not have been a midnight snack for any fanged critter. I do, however, have the imagination of an 8 year old( Even though I am 41 years old,but it helps a lot with my teaching 2nd graders!;) |
| Killer ride.... | Joe Steel
Sep 10, 2003 5:19 AM | | Sounds like you've hooked up with a good crowd down there Ed. Great ride.
I'll likely be solo this winter. My night ride crowd has turned into a bunch of PW'd homos. Come to think of it, my weekend crowd has too. Hmmm.....maybe it's me? |
| It's not you. How old are you? | Fast Eddy
Sep 10, 2003 9:31 AM | |
When I was about 35, all my riding buddies dried up. I came here for new ones.
Did you ever come up with any info on the new NR lights? |
| Zeroing in.... | Joe Steel
Sep 11, 2003 5:48 AM | | On 40!! Ouch!
You're right though....I've gone through several "waves" of constant ride buddies. In my twenties, the group dried up getting married. In my early thirties the group dried up having kids. In my late thirties they've gone on to pursue careers ~ WTF!? Can't people just be happy bumbling along?:-)
How could they NOT ride?? I don't get it.
Anyway....No new news regarding the new NiteRider. Looking at Lume right now (pretty sweet), but will likely get last years NR HID at the "deal" price. (That is, if I decide to part with my Digital Pro 12E that still seems to be working well)
I'm still struggliing though -- I like the versatility of the dual beam (variable light levels, no rapid on/off issues, etc.), but I want the long burn time/hella bright unit too. |
| I want... | Fast Eddy
Sep 11, 2003 10:27 AM | |
a Niterider HID and an LED light of some kind. The CatEye 5-LED that pops up on the right side of MTBR seems like a deal. That way I have a complete backup, including batteries, and 4 hours of bright light + 12 hours of low-beam.
The Lume review I read said it had a narrower beam than a L&M. If that's the case, I wouldn't get it. We compared a NR and an L&M head to head that night in Sedona, and the even beam of the NR was way better than the spotty L&M. |
| Night riding is great! | imjps
Sep 10, 2003 7:44 AM | | A great way to work off the stress and hassles from work. I am lucky that I got some buddies that like to do this kind of riding. I love it when the ground fog comes sneaking in. HID lights are a must. I upgraded to one after my old, tired, trail rat went out on a wicked descent right before a small drop off. OTB, cursing at the light, I had to suffer the from the laughter of the rest of the crew for the remainder of the night.
jps |
| turn out the lights.... | Hollywood
Sep 10, 2003 8:14 AM | | isn't that a Teddy Pendergrass song? Anyhoo
nice write-up. sorry I missed the ride. Sounds great, and I've never gone that route. Instead I took the fixie down the bike path, got a flat, and had to hitch a ride in some dude's truck back to my car :(
I've done some night solo rides and the wildest/spookiest thing is to stop somewhere really dark, turn off the lights and just sit there and listen. Yikes. Time to go!
see ya Thursday nite
HW |
| I night solo a fair bit... | DSR
Sep 10, 2003 1:43 PM | | I find the spookiest time to be loading and unloading the car. For some reason, just standing there alone in the dark is pretty freaky. Flatting also sucks. Net-net, it's a total thrill though! S |
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