zs3889

My ride to work everyday. Tomorrow is Monday, so I get to ride again YAY! When you live in Salt Lake City, everywhere you ride it's beaUTAHful!

WNG

Wow, sounds like a great adventure, and you did it in such undesirable weather/temps. Too bad you don't have photos of the journey. Being born and raised in NYC, I love the urban exploration. And like you, I put off too many things to do when I was still there, and now regret it. If I ever get back there for a visit, I have a lot to make up. I may have to pack a bike as check-in!

WNG

Some wonderful photos! Nice to see a lot of you are getting out, Spring is around the corner. Florida looks really inviting.

@non-fixie very nice job on the $100 Clunker Challenge entry! I wouldn't have known if you didn't mention it.

We must be getting some of the same wind as @seedsbelize, as it was gusting around 45 mph yesterday. I took to the dirt again to explore more of the Hawes Trail.
It meanders eastward and up between two mountains/hills. The day didn't start off well, and it turned out to be an omen. Initially, I got confused as to where the trail began, but verified with the help of another rider that I took the correct trail. It was a difficult and steep trail, VERY steep. I managed to eventually climb 1900 ft to the top and took in the views. But the wind up there was at its worse. It blew my bike over 2x while trying to take a photo. Chipped a fresh paintjob and dinged the top tube.


Climbing higher by WNG555, on Flickr

Made it to the top! by WNG555, on Flickr

2014-03-15 Hawes Trail-018 by WNG555, on Flickr

There wasn't enough time to continue so I headed back down for a very white-knuckled descent. It was quite exciting. I completed the ride by returning to the Hawes/Pig Trail that was my initial visit and attempt at this foolish fun. This time I was heading the opposite direction, which was a descent and tackled the tough sections with more grace and technique.


2014-03-15 Hawes Trail-034 by WNG555, on Flickr

2014-03-15 Hawes Trail-030 by WNG555, on Flickr

2014-03-15 Hawes Trail-026 by WNG555, on Flickr

I was cruising along briskly on a mild turn on relatively smooth dirt. That moment I broke my concentration and relaxed by looking up at the nice view in front of me.
I was focused on the Sun shining off the mountains instead of the pile of loose jagged rocks on the left side of the trail! My front wheel tucked in from under me and I found myself going over the bars! In slow motion...as I watched the rocks and I close in distance....OH FUDGE! Except I didn't say fudge.
I hit with a thud! Palms, and right shin. I jumped up from the adrenaline. I assess the damage in frustration. I survive the difficult portion, but crash 100 yards from the trail head on a relatively easy turn that a child could do. :-P
The bars and brake levers and bar-ends took the brunt of the fall. My right shin was swollen and turning blue and green. I was bleeding from my left knee, and right palm and thumb was in pain. A group of hikers and a black lab were coming up the trail. They stopped to offer me help and to see if I needed an ambulance. I stood up and my right leg could take the weight, and told them I'll be OK.


2014-03-15 Hawes Trail-038 by WNG555, on Flickr

2014-03-15 Hawes Trail-037 by WNG555, on Flickr

I straightened the levers and rode on to the trail head and took the shortest route home....which was more off-roading on the TRW Trail. I guess it wasn't the best plan. But I was having one of those days. I traversed the less difficult trail without trouble, just more tired than usual. I pulled into the nearest gas station to clean my wounds.

Upon reaching home, I spotted the strong winds had blown off a tarp that was covering my stuff. I leaned my bike against the property wall and went to tie down the tarp. A gust of wind picked up a plastic lawn chair and struck the bike. The bike crashed to the ground on the drive side! As I picked up the bike, the new saddle was torn open as it fell down against the cinder block wall. Talk about insult to injury. I was cussing like the native New Yorker that I am. I blame it all on the full moon. Like the song, there's a bad moon rising. :-P

The bike is sidelined for needed repairs and paint. No more riding for me as I heal up. When you're feeling a bit off, it can sure affect your day. Angry with myself more than anything. Not one of my better ride reports. Overall, it's really small potatoes, at least I wasn't seriously hurt and made it back on my own.

northbend 

Sheesh WNG some days it's just better to stay in bed..

Kobe 

We all have had those days WNG, heal up and get back on the horse. If it's any consolation the pictures are beautiful and at least you got a picture of the Giant before the falls.

WNG

^ LOL! Yeah, at least I have photos to prove how new and shiny the bike used to look.

I just hope I heal quick, I am a bit sore this morning. I just want to get back out there before it gets too hot next month. The desert is green now and picturesque.
It truly is intoxicating and ruggedly beautiful to be riding in this environment. I've only rode less than half the trails and can't wait to explore the rest. I shot a few videos of this outing, they're posted to flickr, along with more photos from the day.
I'm improving at this mtb-ing stuff. Can't make an omelet w/o breaking a few eggs.

rootboy 

The Northern Sonora is a beautiful place in March. You lucky guy, WNG. Nice pics.

WNG

Thanks rootboy! Yeah, it's gorgeous scenery and temps right now. I'm grateful to be able to experience all this and one of the top ten ranked areas for best mtb-ing in the USA. Discovering this is 15 minutes from my front door, priceless.

Italuminium

60 mm tires on the commuter means all the gravel roads are now game too on the daily grind.


Untitled by ctjr, on Flickr

non-fixie 

Thanks, WNG. The pink bar tape should have been a give-away. I hope?

BTW, great pics! Good luck with the recovery of bike & body parts.

northbend 

a nice ride into work today. The moon was very bright casting shadows on the road. I like that

northbend 

I saw mud puddles

and Wallobys

on the way home from work today..

Vonruden

Nice pics Northbend...that is one sweet ride!

billnuke1 

I didn't!
I worked!
It's too cold!

gomango

Great pics.

What a beautiful bicycle.

I managed 31 miles today on the Fargo before the snow started.

Yet again.

I don't recall seeing Wallobys, but I did see a half dozen bald eagles.

Migration has started.

JJScaliger

I rode about 18 miles down on Pine Island at the in-laws.





I need new and bigger tires for these dirt roads in the groves and nurseries.









down the canal for another fishing expedition






Rhode Island seems a million miles away right now!

Oldairhead 

Well, not exactly today but yesterday. Southern Utah, mid 60's, no wind, very nice day. Bike is a 1991 Sancineto.

timber_cruiser

It was such a nice day today that I took my Basso off the wall rack and went for a ride up the canyon near Salt Lake City.

Vonruden

Nice Basso!

With the salt off the roads I was able to break out the Land Shark...had a smile on my face the entire ride.

WNG

Such nice shots from the Florida coast!

R3tired

all nice pics and stuff. i need to move... sure we have free medical but we can't ride a bike (enjoyably) for 6 months of the year...

Lamplight

For the last couple of months, every time we have decent riding weather here it's when I'm at work. Today was beautiful, and I wasn't at work, but I was sick. But it was so beautiful that I couldn't resist. Not wanting to make myself even sicker, I just took a leisurely spin on some back roads in the hills behind my apartment. But I found a secret pond!

Roger M

The first day of spring was pretty nice in the NW, mid 40s and some sun. I got out for a couple hours. The longer days are sure nice.

Vonruden

Nice ride Lamplight!

Roger, very nice pics. Those look like some sweet country roads.

Lascauxcaveman 

Many of you may be familiar with the $100 clunker challenge tread. The very silly people among you may even be participating. I know I am!

So my ride today was taking my clunker for a 100km jaunt, to fulfill the contest's 100km mileage requirement in one fell swoop. (Never mind I'd previously done about 70km on that P.O.S. already).

So I planned to catch the 7:45am #14 bus about a block away from where I work and ride that thing to the end of the line, the next town west of my town, fortuitously about 100km away, Forks, WA. The 15-year-old girls among you will at this point of my narrative be going "♥ SQUEE! ♥ OMG !!! ♥ SQUEEEEE!" because that's the setting for the famous Twilight teen vampire romance novels that are so well known and beloved among your demographic. So... without further ado, Live the Romance!

Forks bus station:


Downtown Forks:


Chills? I know!
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Well, Forks is a very small town, so lickety-split, I find myself on Hwy 101 eastbound for about 30 miles of this:

Pleasant but kinda boring highway riding, no serious hills, but a lot of very loud logging trucks passing by at 60+. It's too bad those lousy hippie enviro-weenies completely ruined our local logging industry, because I only had about fifty million board feet of China-bound lumber pass me by on my way down the highway, on their way to the port of Port Angeles.

The road crosses the beautiful, fast-flowing Sol Duc River several times:


And an occasional cafe or roadhouse:


And at about Milepost 218, if you're a local, you'll be savvy enough to crash this gate, which takes you on about a mile of logging road:


Which takes you to a very nice and brand-new hike/bike trail to Lake Crescent:


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