First Ride of 2009

I went out to the Clear Creek mountain bike trail today and started my new year by threading a little single track. The temperature was in the middle 30’s when I started, and as usual, I over dressed and started getting too hot within the first two miles. Fortunately, the trail loops past the parking area at the three-mile mark, so I ditched my jacket and got back on the trail where I came out. With all the rain we’ve had over the past two weeks, the trail was muddy in a few spots and some of the corners felt loose. It probably didn’t help that I run a Kenda Small-Block on the back, which is awesome on a dry surface, but temperamental on anything wet. This is also the first time I’ve ridden single track since the end of the racing season. I made too many mistakes and just felt sloppy.

The local mountain bike crew is doing a lot of trail work on different sections and rerouting others out there. The “Big Switchback” in the middle of the system is much harder now and there are a couple more tight turns than before. The biggest change over last year is a complete reroute of the last mile. This new section is going to be sick fast when the surface compacts a little more. This new section also adds some distance to the overall trail, making it just over 10 miles.

There is a cyclocross race in Columbia, Tennessee this Saturday I want to do, but I’m watching the weather and it looks sketchy. I will likely continue with my endurance tests tomorrow if the CX race is a wash.

Return trip to the car so I could ditch my jacket. Damn! That bike is HOT! ;)

Enjoying the first day of 2009.