January 11, 2009

  • 450 Club Bobcat

    Another Sunday and the typical crew want to ride the road or the trainer but not the MTBs.   This is an opportunity for me to do another one of the 450Club rides.    Good thing that the Sunday ride starts at 7:00 so at least that doable, but really on the edge of what I would really want to do.   In any case I figured I wouldn't post this on Velocal cause,  No one is gonna show anyway, and just in case I don't wake up in time I'm not committed to this insanity.

    So it's really dark at 6:10 when I packed up the car and left the house.  I was a bit weary from enough sleep but I am sure I will come out of it after it gets light and I am riding.    I arrive a bit early and the gates are closed at Bobcat ridge at 6:45, so I decide to go back down the road to get a picture of the moon..... Well that didn't' work out but it did kill about 15 minutes and when I went back the gates were open and Doug Cutter was there from the 4:50 boys.  It wasn't long until  Rand,  Yann, Michael showed up and it was time to ride.  Oh,   Word is that Steve Lacey broke his collar bone Saturday, so he won't be here!    N

    The temperature is 27 degrees and that feels warm, especially since there was 0 wind.    We begin the climb at a civil pace and stop to stretch and whatever before the real(tm) climb is to begin.   Michael hadn't ridden in a long time and he was a hurting puppy.  He was OK with us leaving him, but Randy  hung back with him from a while. 

    The climb up is rather brisk with Yann and Doug having an easy time of this pace that forced me to breath hard.  I was able to hang on the parts that weren't technical.   I was amazed how easily  Yann and Doug cleaned everything on the way up, even taking some hard lines that I would never have even considered anyone riding.  These guys were riding this stuff at a good pace and just walked up these rocky switches etc. like they were not even there. Sure I could clean these too, if I rested and had a few do-overs.   School was definitely in session today and  I was paying attention to lines even though some of them I would never consider riding.

    We did stop a few times on the way up to check out some mechanical stuff and to regroup, take photos and what not.    There was some time pressure for Yann, so we did need to keep moving.   We weren't able to go all the way to the fire road before we turned around but that's fine.  Randy turned back at this point with way too much work to do.

    Now it's time to make the descent and School I am sure will be in session again.     Yann leads and Doug is next followed by me.  Yann is flying and checks out!  I am following Doug and he is taking some Sic lines that  I won't do but I am able to keep up with him on the common path.    I was pleased to be able to watch Doug's lines.   At some portions I think I was faster, and once I let him get 50 yards ahead so I could reel him in.    Could be that having a 5 inch bike is a big advantage.   

    Half way down Doug flats and we fix it.     Later on  Yann flats and then breaks the valve stem and it's "Rinse Lather Repeat".    It's kinda cold standing around and I am shivering at times, but it;s not too bad.   Before long we are off and running again.  Doug takes the lead and Yann is on him like "White on Rice".    It isn't long before he goes around Doug and checks out!    I would have liked to follow Yann a bit more as I am sure his lines and bike technique were sweet.     I did notice some interesting bike lean angles he was using , but I didn't get to see them long enough to put any of this to use.

    Yann is all packed up by the time we make it down!  We chat for a bit.  I still have time to ride a bit more.  Doug asks if I riding here and I say yes.   Now I am thinking,  Hey, I'm close to Devils backbone, so why ride here when I can be there in 15 minutes....