I have several options for single tracking real close to my home. Today, I chose one about three miles away which eventually follows a pretty steep power line trail. I had not done this for a couple of years, and each time in the past, I had struggled with the steep hill, while dodging rocks and staying on the narrow trail, arriving finally at the top pretty tired. Today, I went up so easily, with lots of energy and reaching the top without even breathing hard.

Perhaps losing 20 pounds the last year has helped

Anyone who thinks single-tracking doesn't keep the mind active and stress the brain has never really done it IMHO. I love it!

Great ride...glad your making progress. Keep the small
but significant accomplishments coming.

If it's significant it's not small. Congratulations.

Thanks. At 74>75, any progress is a real plus. Going forward measurably, and not backwards. I can do single track better now than when I started riding in 1998!

losing 20lb could help with climbing?? Ya think??

I'm eight years younger than you so there's hope for me yet.

Glad to see you still ride single track - much more fun than the skinny wheel stuff.

Well done.

I cross a short path from one road to another. Even with my Trek 820, it is awful and I don't understand how people riding trails.

I understand the significant accomplishment. I think that's pretty good. Now tell us about the small accomplishment.

I've given up real mountain biking because -well- I got tired of breaking things. I can still remember walking up so many singletrack trails that I wondered to myself why I bothered bringing my bike.

Getting up a steep single track trail is not a small thing. I've been afraid to do that stuff because I'm getting um too old for it.

I think you're ready for the dirty Bismarck. Go for it and report back later, or have your widow do it

I tried the dirty Bismarck two years ago, got 3/4 around, and wanted to be put out of my misery.

My hat is off again to you, Dnvr!

Nice, very nice.

Could say it a different way: Getting around better because you are less a round.

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. - Henry David Thoreau

Keep on "becoming", Denver.

Congrats!

Well done Denver. My motto is to do as much as I can as long as I can. It is wonderful that at our age we can put effort into cycling and see a good result. I gained a 14 to 16 pounds after retiring but this year I'm on a mission to lose it. So far I've dropped 10 pounds and it certainly is noticeable. I'm a bit faster but mostly I'm climbing better and this is very satisfying.

The more I think about it the more I am impressed by the achievement. You have had lots of stress and challenges. To rise over them to take off weight and improve performance at the same time is admirable.

No doubt. If you really want to see how much difference it made, throw 20 lbs of barbels in a back pack and do the ride again.

BTW....nicely done.

Excellent Job! Wish I had something like that near me. Sucks being on the prairies sometimes

Congratulations on the good ride. Singletrack riding is definitely one of the good ways to have fun on a bicycle.