Insanity

I haven't been getting out for muni or snowshoeing for weeks, but I continue to workout nearly daily.  P90X has been good, but I felt like trying something new.  The Insanity workout sounded good because there's more cardio than in P90X, and muni is certainly a lot of cardio.  So I got it and I'm on the third day.

It's definitely more cardio and I sweat a lot more than in P90X.  I hate it, but I love it.  Oh wait that's P90X.  I'm sore from day two, and that made today's workout hard to Bring It.  Oh wait that's P90X.  I'll try to stick with it for a week or two, but my goal is to mix things up.  I gotta keep it X-like!  Oh wait...

Kessa's Uni

I got Kessa a 12" unicycle for Christmas.  It will be cool if she can learn.  She's certainly interested, but there aren't many 3 year old unicyclists.

I might try to build her some kind of railings like I did for Sydney.  Indoors would be best this time of year, though the floor and walls will probably take a beating.  A white tire would probably be better for our floors too.

Snowshoe Running

We've had a good amount of snowfall in the past few days and temperatures continue to be below freezing.  The roads have been packed snow for days and although I've enjoyed riding them in past winters, I haven't gotten to it yet.  Every time I consider riding I've been busy with family or home, or it's been actively snowing out.

I continue to do P90X workouts, though not sticking to the workout order that P90X defines.  My other cross training winter activity is snowshoeing.  Tonight I decided to get out and do some.  Last year I got a pair of running snowshoes from the famous Jamie Lissow.  He learned to unicycle and got into muni after seeing me on the trails.  Unfortunately for me, his comedy career took him away to Texas, but I'm grateful that before he moved he gave me his running snowshoes.  I guess he doesn't think he'll use them in Texas!

So I went out in the dark just after 8pm and ran the perimeter of my yard.  Running in the snow is hard work, though running always seems hard for me anyway.  I did 12 laps, walking 1/4 to 1/3 of each lap.  The muscles on the side of my shins were getting worked pretty hard.  I don't usually feel that in my other workouts.

After running I decided to do a loop around the neighborhood on my 29er.  I took my hat off so I could wear my helmet and about halfway around the cold air on my sweaty head started feeling uncomfortable and I got a cold headache.  I should have worn my balaclava.  The ride was ok, a bit sketchy at times but with no dismounts.

Once I was back inside I found my breathing was very tight.  My wife suggested it was asthma and the cold air can make it worse.  For about an hour or so it felt like I had a cold, but I've since recovered.  I had asthma as a child and always wonder if I'm still affected in some way, cold air or otherwise.

Anyway, I could see myself doing some snowshoe running again.  It's a good workout to add to the mix.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-12-05 at EveryTrail

Muddy Muni

My muni friend Robi came to town from Albany today.  He was here to buy a 29er from Mj and wanted to go for a ride after.  Fortunately I had vacation time to use and Dustin was able to use some of his.  Unfortunately Mj wasn't able to, but maybe next time.

It's been frozen around here for some time, but we've experienced a thaw for the past few days.  It was just over 50°F today and I knew the trails would at least be soft, but feared they might be muddy and slick.  Robi had visited in the past and we rode at Whiting and Webster Park.  Given that, I thought Bay Park West would be an ok choice.  With it's hills and sustainable trail design maybe the trails wouldn't be too muddy, despite the melting snow water and overnight rain.

Wrong. The trails were messy.  Normally I avoid riding in these conditions, but when another muni rider comes to town, we gotta ride.  There were occasional sections of trail that were just moist dirt and rode well, but most of it was wetter than we like and we left tire marks or varying degree.  Wheels spun on steeper climbs and slid on steeper descents and off the side of off-camber trails.  At times the best we could do was tread lightly and prepare for the inevitable slip.  Occasionally we actually found riding off the trail was easier and safer.  The ground leaves and lack of anything green made that possible.  Robi and I both fell on our asses on some slippery downhills, and Dustin got a nice ding on his shin, but thankfully no one got any serious injuries.  Mostly we just rode what we could and laughed about the rest.

more Red Trail rock features

Bay Park West is a lot of work when it's dry.  But today with all the dismounting, walking, and waiting for each other, I think it was actually a bit easier than normal.  We were able to cover most of the park, only missing a few of the middle trails.  Dustin had some impressive log-over moments and continues to improve.  Robi demonstrated his hopping skills nicely, and had a few record breaking mud slides.  I tried to demonstrate my hill climbing abilities when conditions allowed.

yet more Red Trail rock features

Hopefully Robi and his muni-riding wife, Liz, will be able to visit in the summer and see what Bay Park West is supposed to be like.  Maybe Dryer Rd Park too.

Aside from the good time of riding with friends, I was also glad to get out and ride muni this time of year.  I've been exercising almost daily with P90X and similar workouts in an attempt to stay fit through these cold months.  My quads were moderately sore when I started today's ride and on fire at times during it.  I hope that means I'm building more strength.

Update 2013-12-07:
Robi sent me the images below.

Robi was the only one to make it over this particular log pile. Nice!

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-12-05 at EveryTrail

Early Snow Muni

I can't remember the last November when we had snow that stayed for more than a day.  We got a few inches several days ago and it seems to be sticking.  Today looked like ideal snow muni conditions.  It was 27°F out, sunny, and no wind.  So I rode at Webster Park.

pitted trail

It didn't take long for me to remember the pains of riding muni in the snow.  If the snow isn't smooth then it's a battle.  I saw trails that were fairly smooth and rode well, and some that were pitted with footprints and could barely be ridden.  There were enough difficult sections to leave me fairly unsatisfied.  We need another few days of high traffic on the trails to smooth them out.  Maybe it wasn't the best ride, but I know conditions will be better some time, so I'll be back.  It was good exercise too.


My GPS receiver must have gotten confused and didn't start logging until I was into the Midnight Trail.
Muni at Webster Park - 2013-11-29 at EveryTrail

2013 Leaf Blowing

Two years ago I did some leaf blowing at Whiting and Webster Park.  Last year I was only able to do Whiting. This spring I wished I hadn't skipped Webster Park because it was muddier than it needed to be.

The good news for this year is that a few of the board members of the Friends of Webster Trails took care of leaf blowing Whiting and the Midnight Trail.  So I could give my full attention to Webster Park.

I borrowed the backpack leaf blower from my friend Frank, who uses it to help clear the Tryon and Bay Park West trails.  His trail work and his allowing me to use his expensive machine are both great donations to our trail system.  Thank you very much Frank!!

Today I spent 4 hours out there and my GPS says I hiked over 6.5 miles. Due to backtracking, I probably cleared about 5.5 miles of trails.  Some areas required multiple passes, and some hills took about 6 passes.  It's hard to imagine how these areas of super thick leaves would be anything but a spongy wet mess in the spring.  I'm glad I took care of it.

Princess Leia approved of my work

I was able to clear a lot of the less popular trails that I like.  I'm hopeful that this will invite hikers to explore these and they'll get more traffic.  I think the concept works because a couple of hikers followed me onto such a trail before I was able to backtrack the more popular one.

Unfortunately it was starting to get dark and I was running out of gasoline, so I wasn't able to clear all the trails I like to ride.  There's a chance I'll return, but I'm pretty spent and expect to be sore.  I think most of the remaining trails have a significant number of pine trees.  The needles don't seem to create the same spongy mess as leaves, so it's probably going to be ok.  I wish there were a few more volunteers to help so it could all get done.

As always I was a bit nervous that other trail users might not approve of leaf blowing the trails.  I talked to a few runners and got very positive responses.  They love that they can see the roots.  Unfortunately I uncovered some wet areas that will take a few days to dry out, so the short term looks bad, but the long term will be good.

It was somewhat frustrating to see some downed trees and mud pits that really need to be taken care of.  The park rangers take care of some of these problems, but it will probably take a volunteer to get them done anytime soon.  I wish I had more time for these.

Leaf Blowing at Webster Park - 2013-11-16 at EveryTrail

Another Night Ride on the Hojack

Tonight I rode the Hojack again.  It was a few degrees warmer than my last ride.  Still I was chilly for my first few miles.

I didn't see much aside from a cat and a walker on a cross road.

It's good to keep the muscles working, though I hope to do some real muni soon.

Night Muni on Hojack - 2013-11-14 at EveryTrail

Night Ride on the Hojack

I missed out on the 60°F+ weather yesterday and didn't get out to ride.  Tonight I settled for the low 40's.  I also wanted to experience another night ride.  My last one was in February.

I rode the Hojack, starting from my house.  It started out cold and the wind was chilly.  I had a head wind as I rode west, but I still warmed up as I rode.  I had a few dismounts due to some small mud pits, and when I stopped at roads for cars.

I saw a few bunnies and a fox, and only one person walking on the road.

My lower back felt sore, probably because I've been working out more, but also because I was a bit more tense when I rode.  It was harder to relax because much of the trail was leaf covered and parts were soft, and of course it was dark.

It rained lightly during parts of my ride, and hailed for about a minute.

Night Muni on Hojack - 2013-11-08 at EveryTrail

BPW Rocks!

It's amazing how time flies and I don't get a chance to ride.  Last week was cold and wet, so that's part of my excuse.  Then late last week I did a P90X chest and back workout.  I haven't been doing any exercise other than muni, so not surprisingly, that got me about as sore as I've ever been.  So that's the rest of my excuse.  I have a strong desire to stay fit during the winter and come out strong.  Starting early on P90X is part of that.

Sometimes you feel like some rocks, some time you don't.

Bay Park West was dry despite early morning rain.  The trails were mostly cleared of leaves, but it's been filling in since the last guys went through with leaf blowers.

Over the past few months there have been some new log and rock features appearing.  It's cool to find new challenges to keep the trails interesting.

At the beginning of the month I mentioned seeing some guy at BPW in a parked vehicle, at two different parking lots.  Today at the start of my ride I saw an occupied vehicle and thought it might be the same guy.  Again I thought it odd for someone to just sit there.  Just before I started riding, the guy got out and talked to me, and he was indeed the same guy. He seemed like an average guy and asked me about muni, mentioned trials and downhill uni youtube videos, and talked about some of the history of the west bay area.  I think he's probably a good guy and quite the opposite of what I suspect of a guy sitting in a car at park parking lot.  He's more likely the kind of person you want in the area to prevent car break-ins and other crime.

I also saw a cute puppy hiking with his owner.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-10-30 at EveryTrail

BPW to Tryon and back

Today I rode through Bay Park West, into and through Tryon, and back again.  It was similar to a ride I did last year.  Though last year I hadn't ridden for three weeks.  This year, only one week, so you'd think it be easier.  It may have been, but it was still a tough ride.

On my way through Bay Park West I saw a trail crew finishing up some work. They were shoring up the edge of the big bench trail that is on blue rising up from the trolley bed using 6x6 beams.  I felt a little guilty riding through, but they were happy to have a tester.  Nice work guys!

My ride was uneventful, just a lot of effort.  I rode about 9 miles.  Last year it was 70°F out, this time just over 50°F. The cooler temperature probably helped overall, though it took a bit longer to warm up.

Muni at BPW and Tryon - 2013-10-20 at EveryTrail

Whiting Green Trail Completed!

On Saturday I helped the Friends of Webster Trails complete the Green trail.  We started work on this trail in 2011 so we're all excited to be "done".  Technically we'll have more work to do as it settles and needs adjustments, most likely next year.  Plus there are a few boardwalks yet to be installed.

On a trail building work day, the volunteers are always amazed by the huge progress we make.  With groups spaced out over a distance, we don't see all that's being accomplished until it's done.  At the end of the hours of work we walk the new trail and marvel at our accomplishment.

This time I made it a point to capture the before and after with video:

Ok Ride

I went to Bay Park West this afternoon.  When I was there a week ago I rode very well and felt like I could ride more.  This time I wasn't feeling my strongest and decided to keep my ride to one tour of the park.  My lungs were burning on the start of my ride and then I felt a bit zoned out for the rest.  Technically I rode well but I just wasn't feeling it.  The 4+ miles I rode is still a good ride at BPW.

The leaves were plentiful and started to get annoying.  I heard that Tryon Park was just leaf-blown, so some of the guys are out there doing it, so that's good to know.

For my next ride I might need to head to a different park next time for some new excitement.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-10-10 at EveryTrail

Thunderstorm on the Hojack

With some rain yesterday and overnight I didn't want to ride my usual trails.  It occurred to me that riding the Hojack on my 29er might be fun.  There was an 85% chance of thunderstorms at 11am, but nearly no chance of rain on either side of it.  As 11 approached it was raining on and off.  It looked like it was done and I headed out from home.

The wet road and trail were fine.  There were some puddles on the trail but most of them could be avoided.  I cruised along at about 11 mph.  On my way back it started thundering and down-pouring.  It was actually pretty fun to ride in that.  On a trail with hills, the surface would be too slick, but this was flat.  The only downside was that riding with soaked clothes feels heavy, but it wasn't bad for a short trip.

Looking at my GPS, something went wacky on the first third of my way back.  It looks like I strayed from the trail a bit, though I didn't, and my altitude climbed from 400ft to 1200ft and came back.  I'd suspect there was some kind of weird interference going on in that area, especially because I've seen something like this before, but that was about when the lightning started, so it was probably related to that.  And maybe when my GPS receiver gets confused it has a hard time coming back to reality.

The ride was fun and I'm happy I can check off "riding a unicycle in a thunderstorm" off my bucket list.

Muni at Hojack - 2013-10-06 at EveryTrail

Long Ride at BPW

Today I rode at Bay Park West.  The cooler weather is great and I feel like I'm in good shape.  My knee didn't bother me at all, so the fall I took on my last ride didn't effect me.

Over the past few weeks the leaves have been starting to fall on some trails.  Today was the first time I thought the trails were actually in need of a leaf blower.  With all the leaves, it takes more brain cycles to read the trail surface.  I'm sure Rocket Man will fix it soon.

I saw a few bikers, one of which stopped and watched me climb a hill.  I appreciated his "that's amazing" comment.  I also saw a guy on foot looking at the trail sign when I drove in.  As I prepared to ride, he got in his vehicle and started it.  It took me a good five minutes to stretch and put some air in my tire and he was still sitting there.  I rode off into the trail.  About 10 minutes into my ride I exited the trail into the other parking lot.  The same guy was sitting in his car there!  I don't know what this guy was up to, and I don't really care, but I thought it was funny.  I pictured one of those classic movie scenes where the guy is drinking, sees something crazy, assumes his mind is playing tricks on him, then looks at his bottle of booze and dumps it out. Haha.

I had to pick up my daughter from her gymnastics class, so I rode until I had to leave.  I would have ridden another half mile, but as it turns out it was my longest ride ever at Bay Park West.  7.9 miles according to my cycle computer, 7.2 after uploading the GPS.  I think this time of year is the best because I'm in shape and the weather is cooler.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-10-03 at EveryTrail

Nice Ride at Webster Park and Whiting

We've been having awesome weather: cool, dry, low humidity.  I rode at Webster Park and Whiting today and pushed a little extra, ending up with close to 14 miles.

I took a fall in Webster Park on a corduroy crossing made of about 10 large logs.  I've ridden it successfully before, and in fact crossed it fine in one direction, but on the way back I ate it.  The area is perpetually wet, hence the need for it, and today the logs themselves were a bit slippery.  That and the fact that one log shifted must have been what got me.  I fell moderately hard, hit my left knee and got a little wet and dirty.  My knee bothered me a bit along the rest of the ride.  If I start having knee pain on my next rides I'll have to remember this.  It might be time for another Dr. Luckey fix.

I saw a good number of hikers out there.  In fact the Whiting parking lot was full and I had to park on the road.  On my second ride through Webster Park I encountered an elderly man on the Midnight Trail.  He asked for directions back to Whiting.  He has missed the trail he entered the Midnight trail on and was on his second loop.  I drew him a map in the dirt and he was grateful.  I rode out and noticed the series of nice signs pointing the way to Whiting, once you exit the Midnight Trail, so I imagine he got out fine.  Thanks to the Friends of Webster Trails for those signs.

Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-09-29 at EveryTrail

Dustin's Birthday Ride

It seems like I can't keep to a two ride a week schedule.  My excuse is the usual: busy, sick, weather.

Finally the stars aligned and I took a few hours off and rode at Bay Park West.  Today is Dustin's birthday and he joined me.  We got there at slightly different times and met up on the trails.  Like me, he hasn't been riding regularly and was battling a lack of endurance.  To some degree that's always the case at Bay Park West, but for a newer rider it's magnified by less efficient riding.  Still Dustin rides well and is making good progress.  I'm often impressed.   Is this a performance appraisal?

I kept my ride a bit shorter than normal.  Maybe next time I'll go for a bigger one.  This weekend promises to be great weather.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-09-26 at EveryTrail

Birthday Cupcakes

My lovely wife made me unicycle cupcakes for my birthday!

See them on her blog!

Cooler Ride

With a few 90 degree days and rain I hadn't gotten a chance to ride for about 10 days.  Yesterday I worked with the Friends of Webster Trails at Whiting to continue our work extending the green trail.
This morning I thought I was too sore to ride, but after some stretching I decided it was a good idea.

I rode at Webster Park and Whiting.  It was a typical ride.  I crossed paths with a group of three cyclocross riders half a dozen times at both parks, and also encountered a few mountain bikers, dog walkers, and families.

Temperatures were cooler, so that was nice.

Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-09-15 at EveryTrail

Bay Park West Routine

It's becoming a standard routine for me to take a few hours off from work, mid-week, and ride.  As usual, this afternoon I rode at Bay Park West.

At the start of the ride my upper chest felt too tight and my head was pounding, like a headache.  It's hard to muni at this park without exerting some serious effort (unless you walk), and of the five trail heads, only the one at Homewood Lane starts at a higher elevation.  Thankfully my symptoms subsided within about 10 minutes.

My plan was to ride hard.  When I had choices to take or skip the down-and-back trails, I took them.  On my second tour of the park I started to get serious lower back fatigue and my calves felt like they were going to pop on the big hills.

This was my longest ride at BPW.
6.8 miles (GPS track uploaded to EveryTrail)
or
7.5 miles (GPS track on my PC)
or
8.36 miles (cycle computer)

Just comparing my EveryTrail miles, I had previously ridden 6.5 twice, 6.3, 6.1, and or course less.  So I wasn't way over the top, but I accomplished my goal of riding hard.  Hopefully I'll be sore tomorrow.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-09-05 at EveryTrail

S6 Trophy

Several days after the Suicide 6 race I received an email from one of the Park Ave Bike guys.  He said "We recognize your outstanding efforts" and had a trophy waiting for me at the shop.  I picked it up today and was pleasantly surprised to find it was modified to better represent my sport!  I learned that Bruce, the race director, used a pair of pliers to make the improvements.  Superb craftsmanship!!  Now I feel kind of bad that I didn't stick around for the awards ceremony.  That would have been fun.

Thanks to Park Ave Bike, Bruce, and everyone else involved for organizing great mountain bike races and welcoming me despite my missing wheel.

Greece Canal Park

Unfortunately Mj was not able to join us for the Shindagin Shindig, but we decided to meetup for a ride after.  So today Mj, Dustin, and I rode got together at Greece Canal Park.  Mj has ridden here in the past but we found ourselves exploring quite a bit.  It reminded me of Webster Park in that way.  Both are county parks, and both have poor maps and poor trail markers.  Looking at the county map and my gps track, we clearly rode the blue and yellow trails.  Yet on the trails we saw red and green markers too making the map hard to follow.  Maybe I'm expecting too much but it seems rather straightforward to get this right.  Stick to one color or name per trail and using some numbers as waypoints.

EveryTrail map

The trails weren't very long but if you know your way you could probably make a few loops and ride them a few times.  There was a rather technical section on the west and south side of the blue rectangle.  It has lots of roots, corduroy logs, and some boards.  This area obviously gets very muddy sometimes, but today it wasn't bad at all.  It's been storming in the area but thankfully the rain missed this park.

Dustin had some surprising success with riding over logs, and ended the ride with a very clean rolling hop onto and then over one.  He's getting better with every ride.  Mj hasn't been riding as much as she'd like, but she did better than she thinks.  I rode fine, but I'd like to improve my hopping.

A few days after Shindagin I suddenly started having pain in my left kneecap when I walked, and I was pretty worried about it.  Pushing on the center of my kneecap hurt a lot, and walking was painful at times.  I used ibuprofen for a few days and occasional icing, and it went away.  I guess I bumped my knee at some point?  I did fall and roll once at the Shindig, but I didn't think I hit my knee.  In any case, I avoided a midweek ride to heal.  Today's ride was fine.  So hopefully whatever was going on with my knee was a small injury and not chronic.

After muni, Dustin and I went to Gates Town Park to try The Woodlands disc golf course.  It's not a great course, but we had fun.

Shindagin Shindig 2013

This weekend the family and I camped at Buttermilk Falls State Park in Ithaca. We wanted to go camping and it just so happened there was a mountain biking festival at the nearby Shindagin Hollow State Forest.  I had wanted to ride muni at Shindagin for over a year, so this seemed like a great opportunity.
I had sent a request out to the closest muni riders to join me.  Dustin was in, and Robi and Liz from Albany were too.  We all camped at Buttermilk in adjacent sites and on Saturday we rode at Shindagin.

We weren't sure what trails to ride and we were directed to the nearest trail head.  The place is huge so we only rode a small percentage of the trails.  The ones we rode were rooty, rocky, and hilly.  I enjoyed the challenge. Weather and trail conditions were ideal.  Robi and I tended to lead and Dustin and Liz were never too far behind. We rode for over 3.5 hours, but we only covered about 7 miles.  We stopped and played around on a good number of log obstacles, and as with any group ride, we tended to stop a socialize from time to time.

I saw some mountain bikers I knew from Park Ave Bike, Tryon Bike, and GROC.  
 

 

Dustin won the award for most improved.  I could see him getting better along the ride.  He attempted and accomplished many obstacles.  Nice!

It was great to see Robi and Liz again.  I hope the trip was worth it for them!  Hopefully there will be another Albany event this fall and we'll all ride again.

I would like to ride Shindagin Hollow again and check out more of the trails.

On Sunday we all went and played some disc golf in the town on Danby.  Dustin recently got me and a few other coworkers into it, and we've played a few times.  Robi and Liz have played some too, so it worked out great.

The family and I visited a nature center and beach on Sunday, and a science center on Monday before heading home.  It was a good weekend.

Muni at Shindagin Shindig - 2013-08-24 at EveryTrail

Rode The Patio

I rode at Bay Park West this afternoon, especially to check out The Patio.  It is definitely a nice improvement.  It's still a good workout to climb that trail but the erosion issues at this steepest section are gone, and I was able to climb it for the first time in a long while.

I saw one mountain biker who stopped and asked a few questions about muni.

Later I was charged by four small dogs that were barking their heads off.  I had to dismount to avoid running them over, and found myself surrounded.  They had collars so I assumed they had an owner, but it took a long moment before he appeared from further down the trail.  We both laughed and he moved on with his dogs, but it honestly made me rather anxious.  Little dogs still have teeth and when four of them are inches from me barking like mad, and reacting all skittish to every move I make, it feels like they're gonna pounce without warning.  The trouble is, it would be viewed as inappropriate for me to scare them away or kick them out of the way because they're owned by someone.  If these were wild animals getting in my space this would be more acceptable.  As I rode away a fifth dog ran out from the brush heading toward the owner.  That's a lot of dogs.  It's dogs like these that need to be on a leash.  Most dogs I see are not on leashes, but are awesome and behave well, so I'm fine with them.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-08-21 at EveryTrail

The BPW Patio

There's a section of trail at Bay Park West that had some erosion issues.  The GROC trail crew made the decision to armor it using some concrete rubble .  This material is abundantly available from an old dump site not far from the Homewood Lane trail head.  On a previous work day a significant length of this work was done.  This morning a group went out to finish the job.  I joined in.

There we're five of us.  The main work area was small, so a few worked there and a few did support work, like hauling stone and gravel.  We also did some other minor fixes in the area for drainage and such.

Here's a collage of the previous work showing before, during, and after:

 Here is the small section that was added today.  Since it's only a slight incline and won't be too slippery, we left some gravel on the surface that will work itself into the joints over time.

 Generally we're not in the business of paving the trails, but in areas such as this, where erosion is inevitable, it makes sense.  This section has been informally labeled "The Patio" for obvious reasons.  All it needs is a table and chairs!

I'm looking forward to my next ride at BPW to give The Patio a muni test.

Another Ride

I rode at Webster Park and Whiting this morning.  It was nothing too exciting, but good exercise.

I saw an old high school friend and his family.  I'm sure they think I'm weird.  I guess they'd be right.

Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-08-17 at EveryTrail

2013 Suicide 6

I decided to muni at the Suicide 6 mountain bike race this year.  It's a little more than an hour away at Harriet Hollister Spencer park in Canadice.

It felt a lot like when I did it two years ago.  I came to the conclusion that the first half of the lap is awesome.  It's challenging for muni with a combination of roots, rocks, climbs, and descents.  The second half of the course is much wetter, loamier, and hillier.  The change happens right when the course crosses the park road.  On my first lap when I hit this section I was sure it was freshly cleared trail.  It's not really a cut trail, just the kind of quick trail clearing that removes vegetation and debris but leaves the dark organic soil.  Not only is it top soil, but the surface has awkward little ups and downs.  This kind of trail is my nemesis and causes my lower back to work extra.  As I rode it I realized this trail was not a new trail but the same trail I rode two years ago.  I guess as far as muni is concerned, clearing a trail like this is not ideal.  Last year my lower back got very fatigued from this area and the same happened this year.

Before I finished my first lap I questioned how I could possibly do another.  My hope had been to try for three laps this year.  Now I knew that would be impossible.

After finishing my first lap I went back to my car to rest and refuel.  About 20 minutes later I was feeling like I should just get out there and do another lap.  Again, the first half wasn't so bad and I was glad my lower back was not screaming at me, though I was getting sloppy and was clearly fatigued.   And again the second half was really hard and I found myself shamefully pushing my uni up quite a few inclines.  I was glad to finish and finally be done.

The mountain bikers were all great and gave me more praise than I wanted.  The fact is, I saw so many of them powering up hills that I complain about.  I really need to try a mountain bike to see if it's so much easier, or if these guys are just super strong.

The course was really well marked with arrows, tape, mile marker signs and paint on the trail.  Nice work Park Ave Bike Shop!


Suicide 6 - 2013-08-11 at EveryTrail

Bay Park Wednesday

Just like last Wednesday, I took a few hours off from work to ride at Bay Park West.  My ride was good though I had a few more UPDs than typical.  Maybe I can blame it on the humidity or my lack of sleep.  One step-off caused me to pull a calf muscle a bit.  UPDs happen suddenly and I think sometimes a muscle reacts reflexively and too strongly, straining itself.  About an hour and a half into my ride I was near my car but decided I should push myself and ride some more.  In the first 20 feet of the first hill climb my calf cramped bad and I decided it best to be done.

I especially wanted to push myself because the Suicide 6 race is Sunday and I'm considering it.  It's a mountain bike race at Harriet Hollister Spencer Park in which you ride as many laps as you can in six hours.  I rode this race two years ago.  I'm glad I have this blog to look back and read what it was like.  It was tough on my lower back and quads and I managed only two laps, and headed home well before the event was over.  Maybe I should ride this year and try to do three?  It's nice to think I'm strong and better than two years ago, and I bet I am, but by how much?

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-08-07 at EveryTrail

Give Me a Sign!

I rode at Webster Park and Whiting today.  I especially avoided riding anywhere too difficult.  My last ride at Bay Park West made my quads so sore it's been painful to walk for the last few days.  I could use a few more days before I do that again.

I had a good ride and pushed to ride a bit farther, ending up with 10.5 miles.

I think it was toward the end of last year that I saw some 4x4 posts at many trail intersections in Webster Park.  Sometime in the last week the signs were put up on these posts.  I have been waiting to see how the county would label the trails.  It's always been confusing in Webster Park and I thought they might come up with a better system.  It turns out the new signs don't change how the trails are labelled, but rather point the way to points of interest.  This will probably help a lot of people find their way around the park, but it still kind of makes it hard to reference many trails.

Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-08-04 at EveryTrail

BPW = Big Punishing Workout

I vacated work for a few hours and rode at Bay Park West this afternoon.  As always, my heart got close to bursting and I saw stars.  It may have been a bit tougher because of my month hiatus, but I did have a great ride.

I saw 4 or 5 individual mountain bikers and got lots of positive comments, which doesn't hurt.  I kind of like when someone rides behind me but keeps a distance.  I can tell they're interested in seeing what muni is like, so I try to do my best.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-07-31 at EveryTrail

Back In The Saddle

It has been a full month since I last rode.  I got sick and the cold took a week to move from sore throat, to head congestion, and finally to my lungs.  I had an annoying cough.  Even after the cough was gone I still felt my chest was tight at times.  Temperatures and humidity were high up until about a week ago anyway.

So finally I got back to riding and went to Whiting and Webster Park.  Unfortunately I forgot to bring my helmet and decided it would be best to go back and get it.  Whoops. Once I got back and started riding I found I wasn't rusty at all and had a strong ride.  I saw a lot of hikers and runners, including a coworker.


Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-07-27 at EveryTrail

Firemen's Parade

This evening the girls went out to the Webster Fireman's kiddie parade which precedes tomorrow's parade and festival.  The kids wear costumes.  Sydney rode her unicycle, and so, dressed as a unicorn.  Kessa rode her tricycle, and so, dressed as... a unicorn.  She could not be convinced to be a triceratops.  Oh well.

In other news, I've was sick for a week with common cold symptoms, and have had lingering chest irritation and "tickle cough".  So I haven't been riding.  Most of the past few weeks has been very humid and extremely rainy, so I haven't missed much.  Maybe I'll get out this weekend.  There's trail work at Whiting on Saturday.  Not sure if I'll do it.

2013 Chevy Sonic

Also, I bought a new car and got rid of the old one.  That's not really muni related, but my old car had my muni sticker on it.  I'm not sure if I'll put another muni sticker on my new car.

Ride and Anniversary

This morning I rode at Whiting and Webster before heading into work.  I wasn't feeling very aggressive and found myself stepping off on hill climbs I normally make.  Not all rides can be awesome.  Still, it's good to get out and see the trails in the morning.

I noticed the overgrowth in Webster Park is starting to get bad. I consider some trails basically closed for the season.  It's too bad there isn't a trail crew for Webster Park like the town parks have.  After Webster Park I rode in Whiting and appreciated the work The Friends of Webster Trails does to keep the vegetation from encroaching onto the trail.  The mud pits are back in Webster Park too.

This afternoon I got an email from my wife.  Happy Anniversary!  I almost forgot today is my four year unicycling anniversary.  I didn't feel like doing my annual ride down the driveway, but we did have cake!

Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-06-25 at EveryTrail

Whiting Trail Work - Extending Green

This morning I joined in on  the Friends of Webster Trails trail work at Whiting Road Nature Preserve.  We worked on further extending the green trail north.  Some of the new trail extension had already been cleared, but the trail needed benching.  There were a group of boy scouts that helped extend the clearing of trees and brush.  I worked with the core group of guys who are usually there to do the dirty work, benching and cutting the new trail. We made great progress but it will take several more work days to finish.

Tryon... meh

Dustin and I rode at Tryon Park this afternoon.  We started at the Tryon Road parking lot and rode our own paces with the plan to meet up at the green trail.  Knowing I'd ride faster, my plan was to add the purple loop to my route and then try to catch up.

I didn't really enjoy my ride as much as my recent rides.  I think I forgot how difficult some parts of Tryon are.  I dismounted more often than I like.  I also didn't really feel my strongest.  I've been staying up too late and  haven't been getting enough sleep lately, and today I went to Good Smoke for lunch and ate too much.  Mmmm... brisket burger.

In any case, after getting started in the parking lot Dustin and I separated.  After I rode the purple loop, I got back on course to catch up to Dustin.  Eventually I was at the green trail with no sign of Dustin.  He doesn't know Tryon well, so I figured he had likely made some wrong turns.  We had expected that might happen, but with cell phones we'd reconnect.  Unfortunately he didn't answer my calls.  I rode around the green for a bit and tried calling again.  Nothing.  I decided to backtrack.  I occasionally called for Dustin and tried calling again.

I ended up getting all the way back to the parking lot, and seeing his truck but no Dustin, I decided to head back again, this time taking some of the alternative trails.  Most likely he had tried to ride down some steep hill and fell off a cliff, landing on his back with his feet over his head.  It happens.

But then I wasn't far in when I got a text.  Yay!  He was alive.  Ultimately based on his descriptions of what he saw, I found him.  He had in fact taken a wrong turn, but rode some good trail nonetheless. His phone was just acting up and couldn't receive or make calls, but texts were working fine.  It was time to leave, so we rode back to our cars.

Next time we'll probably park where we can start at the green trail and ride from there.
Muni at Tryon - 2013-06-20 at EveryTrail

Dustin's Clicky Unicycle

For weeks Dustin's KH 26 unicycle has been making a clicking noise.  It seemed to be getting worse over time.  It's rather annoying and we've both been concerned something was going break or get ruined.

One time before riding, I had tried tightening his crank bolts to the right torque.  That didn't help.  Neither did tightening his bearing holding to spec.  Yesterday Dustin stopped by in the evening and we tried some more ideas.  Before getting too technical, we swapped seats and posts, and then pedals but none of those helped. It wasn't the typical pinging noise I've heard from spokes, but still I tightened all the spokes 1/8 of a turn.  No help.  That was all we had time for.

Later I read a lot of messages on the unicycle forums regarding what sounded like the same problem.  There were many suggestions.  This evening Dustin stopped by again and we worked on it some more and pretty much did everything that was suggested.

First I wanted to further eliminate the possibilities of spokes rubbing. Sometimes spokes make noise when they flex and rub against each other.  So we worked thin plastic spacers between every point where two spokes crossed each other.   The clicking remained.

Then we removed the wheel and took everything off the hub spindle: cranks, outer spacers, bearings, and inner spacers.  On the way home from work I had stopped at AutoZone and borrowed a bearing/gear puller.  It was the first time I'd used a bearing puller.  I'm not 100% sure it was the right model for this application, but it did work fine.  On one side of the hub the inner spacer was very tight and had to be carefully pried off.  The other inner spacer came off with no tools.  I assume this was just because of manufacturing tolerances, though I did file some very tiny spurs on the stubborn spacer.  It still didn't go back on easy, so I doubt that did anything.

With the inner spacers off we noticed some tiny metal filings at the connection between the spindle and hub body.  It looked more like something left over from manufacturing than something generated from friction.  After cleaning everything up we reversed the process.  One forum suggestion was to lube the spindle before putting the spacers and bearings on.  We did this.  We also swapped parts from one side to the other.  Why not.  To seat the sticky inner spacer and the bearings I used a deep socket of the right size and hammered.  I'm not sure if a press is normally used, but this technique worked fine.

After putting the wheel back on the frame and tightening the bearing holders to spec, it was time to put the cranks back on.   First I cleaned the crank holes with a toothbrush.  Then I greased the spindle splines.  I have never done this before because grease seems like a bad idea for parts held together mostly by friction, but apparently it's a not uncommon.  I tightened the crank bolts, put the pedals on, and it was time for a test ride.

Guess what.  The clicking is gone!  So, what was the fix?  It's hard to tell what specifically did it, but for now Dustin and I are glad that annoying click is gone and hopefully gone for good.

Prune in June 2013

The vegetation is growing quick this time of year and it sometimes needs to be cut back from the trails.  This morning I joined a trail work party at Dryer Rd park in Victor to do just that.  There must have been about a dozen of us.  We broke out into groups and spent a few hours walking the trails and cutting away offending vegetation.

Afterward I rode.  I followed the Fat Tire Festival coarse for one lap and then made a few more laps of whatever interested me.  I enjoyed powering up a lot of hills and the many twists and turns.  I probably would have ridden a bit longer but I ran out of time.

Muni at Dryer Road Park - 2013-06-15 at EveryTrail

Syd's Schoolwork

With the school year ending, Sydney has been bringing some of her schoolwork home.  Her excitement for unicycling shows.  Here are some examples.

  Do you know what a unicycle is?  A unicycle is a metal form of transportation with one tire.  It is used for races, exercise, or just fun.  A unicycle could have handlebars just for something to hold on to or for beginners to get a feel for it.  Some beginners use training wheels.  Beginners can also use a bar to start or to practice.  All unicycles have a wheel with a tire and spokes.  Some people buy a Shlumf to make it go faster.  To make it go faster, on it there is a gold button and a silver button and when you push the gold one it will go faster.  If it is already on the gold button press the silver one to slow it down to regular speed.  That is just a little things about unicycles.  Do you want to try to ride a unicycle now?

 Awesome!  This one was posted in the hallway on the class bulletin board.  I imagine teachers and parents reading this and rolling their eyes.  "Silly kid. Shlumf? Magic gold and silver speed buttons?  What an imagination."

Her blue uni and the gray bars

When I was about 5 my dad was riding his unicycle and doing tricks.  I asked my dad if he could buy me a unicycle.  he said "sure".  So we went inside and we went to ebay.  he found a blue unicycle.  I told him to buy it. he bout it and about 1 week later it came. When it came I was so ecsided.  So we went out side.  I got my helmet on.  later my dad found gray bars.  We put them on little stands.  Then he helped me up.  he held my hand and we walked.  We got to the end.  then we went back.  he said "I'm going to let go." and he did.  I held the bars.  he said "your doing it".  I said "I am".  I was so exsided!  then I got off.  I sat down and though how much balens and hard work I had been doing.  I couldend bellev it.  I was so happy.  I got back on and started to go faster and faster and better and better.  I was doing it.  but then my dad went insid to get a snack.  I said to my self, "maybe I can get up all by my self."  So I got my foot on the pettal and got up.  I did it.  I couldent get my self going but I can get on by my self.  that is how I spend most of summer, spring and somtimes fall!

Another Workout at BPW

This afternoon I rode again at Bay Park West with perfect weather. It's quite a workout there.  Last time I rode there my quads were sore for the next few days.  It makes me happy to know I'm pushing myself enough to get sore.  Today I rode mostly the same trails and the same distance.  I will be interested to find if I get sore again.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-06-12 at EveryTrail

Muni with Dustin

Today I rode at Whiting and Webster Park with Dustin and his girlfriend, who rode with us on a bike.  Dustin continues to get better at muni.  We stopped a lot, talked, and tried some hills multiple times. Over about 3 hours we rode about 6.5 miles.

Muni at Whiting and Webster Park - 2013-06-09 at EveryTrail

Villainous Heist

I stumbled upon this video again and don't think I've ever posted it.  I thought it was entertaining.

Villainous Heist from Lukáš Pečinka on Vimeo.

First Ride at BPW This Year

I took a few hours off from work to ride at Bay Park West.  Weather and conditions were great with a temperature of 65°F.

It didn't take long to be reminded how much of a workout these trails are.  Still, I felt like I rode strongly, making most if not all of my climbs.  My lower back did get tired.

I saw a few mountain bikers I know.  One was listening to music with earbuds.  He was stopped for a minute and, like happened recently, he couldn't hear me as I approached and was talking to him.  I think I'd be startled if I suddenly turned around and saw someone standing next to me.

Muni at Bay Park West - 2013-06-04 at EveryTrail

Hot Humid Morning

As expected, temperatures reached 88°F today.  To beat the heat I rode this morning before going to work and it ranged from about 67°F when I started to 75°F at the end. The humidity was about 90% when I started, and dropped to about 75% at the end.  It actually felt hotter at the beginning.  I want my cooler temperatures back!

The trails were wet from yesterday's rain.  A few spots in Webster Park has significant standing water and mud pits.  The bugs were bad especially near the stream.  I'm sure I was the first visitor to most of the trails this morning because I cleared a lot of spider webs with my face.  It was a bit annoying.

I took some pictures of the big downed trees I can't clear and put them on a map.  I'll try to pass the locations on to park maintenance people with the hopes that they'll clear them with chainsaws.

Muni at Webster Park and Whiting - 2013-05-30

Another Ride

I like to log all my rides, but sometimes it's just a ride without very much to mention.
I had a good ride at Webster Park and Whiting.

Muni at Webster Park and Whiting - 2013-05-26

Hojack with Kyle

(over the shoulder blind video frame)

Today I rode the Hojack trail and my son Kyle came along with me on a mountain bike.  It was a bit chilly out and the winds were strong, especially as we rode west.

It was a fairly uneventful ride.  Though on the way back there was a woman jogging in the same direction we were riding.  She was in the middle of the trail so as we approached her from behind I gave her a "hello" warning, expecting she'd give us some room to pass.  She was listening to music and didn't hear us, so I repeated my "hello" getting progressively louder and closer until I was basically yelling at the top of my lungs right behind her.  No response.  What the heck!  I dismounted and ran up along side her pushing my uni until she finally saw me and took her ear-buds out.  I told her I had been yelling to alert her and she must have her music way too loud.  I'm sure she could tell I was pretty irritated though I was smiling and laughing about it.  She apologized, also smiling, so hopefully she didn't feel too bad. We passed her and moved on.  Seriously though, if you're gonna listen to music in public you should be able to hear what's going on around you.  Personally, I like to hear the sounds of nature and even suburban noises as I ride.  In more twisting trails, hearing is important to avoid turning a sharp corner and running into someone.

Muni on Road and Hojack - 2013-05-25

Sessioning Hills at Whiting and Webster Park

I rode at Whiting today with the intent of sessioning a few of the harder hills.  Last year I climbed every hill at Whiting at one point or another.  Today I made progress, but still didn't make it to the top of many hills.

At Webster there's a hill that has several routes.  The harder one has been covered with thick leaves since last fall.  I spent some time kicking the leaves out of the way to clear a narrow path and exposing the roots.  I was happy to climb it first try.  I'm also reminded how much better it was when I did some rogue leaf blowing two falls ago.  I should probably do it this fall.

It was a hotter day than we've had, at about 77°F, and I could feel it.  Still, I rode a decent amount and had a good time.

I had another injury, but it happened before I even got riding.  I walked into one of my pedals when my unicycle was behind my car and got three cuts that were bleeding.  Nothing too bad.

Muni at Webster Park and Whiting - 2013-05-19

Hojack Family Ride

My daughter Syd has been wanting to go for a bike ride on the Hojack trail.  Today was a great day for it. My wife and little one joined in too.

I rode my geared 29er, figuring I'd need some speed to keep up with the bikes.  It turned out not to be necessary, what with my Syd not really into endurance and my wife toting my 3 year old on her bike.

About halfway through the Hojack, Syd was ready to turn back.  I continued on, the family turned back and we met back up later. They stopped at North Ponds Park.  On my own, I felt like I was really moving.  It was a nice ride.

Muni on Road and Hojack - 2013-05-18