Happy Thursday

Yes I wussed out because of the weather. Snow and cold hit us but it was light but the cold air mixed with April Alberta wind made things kinds shitty lately. 

So other than walking our two bear like dogs I stayed indoors. Maybe a ride tomorrow or a beer review or a ride/ beer review. I could be that guy who packs his IPA with a beer mug riding his gravel bike to a special beer drinking spot. I even have the beard and everything.

Actually that sounds like a pretty fuckin spot on good idea…

Will see what tomorrow brings. If it's cold I ain't having it. 

First Dry Singletrack Day 2024

In a weird flex I took the Rocky Mountain bike out for the first singletrack excursion of the year. Yes the very same bike that I threw in the bushes and stopped mid ride to put it up for sale like a whiny baby online. 

I guess this was my way of saying sorry. With things a bit tight there is still no chance of bike upgrades this year so I decided why not? Let's see if it can still earn it's keep. For the most part it did and that fun feeling of floating over everything is quite cool. With all the technology since I got the Altitude I could not imagine how nice a new full suspension behemoth would feel. 

Sigh.. 

The bike handled handled ok from  Old Timer to Walterdale where I crossed and reversed direction I rode through the scene of the crime ride killer that happened and across the Capilano Bridge and back to Old Timers. I toyed with the idea of Mill creek ending things and I downvoted it and I don't know why. I was still real good energy wise.

The bike was fine other than skipping on any hard power climb which made me walk up most steeps which was super lame. Still though one of the better rides of the year so far. All the good stuff was ridden today and it was quite great. 

April 16th was always my official singletrack opening day since I was 17 and it stuck. We are not far off again and judging the trails today we could have been riding them possibly two or three days earlier than today.

The Moots has gotten me quite excited. Giddy up. 

A Bitter Disappointment

It was a ride in the making all week long after Tuesday's roll through Leduc and then Wednesday's fun Cameron to Fort Edmonton run. I had planned on a big ride out throughout the city and river valley. 

I had planned on sixty to eight but I think right in the middle somewhere in the seventy km range would be quite respectable. I started at Wagner High school for a different change and avoided the ever so tempting Mill Creek and followed the valley line until it made a hard left towards the ski club.

I kept going straight towards the Ewok area and took the paved and feeling very good so far and knew it was going to be a great day.

I crossed the cutest river crossing in Edmonton and passed through Dawson park and climbed up into the trees and did not have any clue which way I wanted to go. 

* Keep going straight? 

* Climb out into town? 

* Make an abrupt U turn and maybe find that old haunted hospital?

*  The singletrack seems ready. Explore some of the good stuff?

All that ended abruptly when my front tire quit holding air and I had to spend about an hour trying to seal up a split near the valve stem. It was a very annoying process and yes my pump did go flying into the bush at pone point. 

The spirit of the ride was dead. Plus I didn't trust my shitty patch job so I knew I had to split for home which was fine cause the whole ordeal was ridiculous. On the plus side it looks like the singletrack is open in most areas which drastically changes tomorrow's plans. 

A shame about this one though. Saturdays have not been top notch since starting the new job and I know they will turn around. This would have been the first top notch Monday to Friday Saturday ride. 

Stupid tubes... 

no tire leavers which i found later in my enormous pack but an ipod did the trick

this stuff looks ready kids! boo ya! 

 

Cameron to the Mighty Fort.... Edmonton

 

I might have mixed up the days on which I planned these rides. I should have done this yesterday and Leduc today to cool down. My thoughts on the drive to Cameron Heights which were kind of proven wrong. I did change destinations mid way through and instead of the planned power line cancer trail I chose Terwillegar gravel multi use cross the river and see where I ended up.

The thought of the climbs out of Whitemud ravine made my decision easier but I was scared of mud and wet spots. Terwillegar was fine but I took a chance on the outer Fort Edmonton riverside trails and there was too much mud for my liking. The tracks through the mud told a different story as it has been ridden quite a bit.

I climbed out and rode through residential back to Powerline and crossed for my fourth river crossing of the day and that ice looked pretty mean so careful out there kids. 

A definite plus factor from yesterdays cold and windy lake run. I need more river valley time. 

too much of this at fort ed. multi use for me

Not So Straight Around a Couple Lakes

 

ooh ya baby look at those sexy legs. Ladies and Gents if you start looking at my legs and are having serious thoughts about why you are with your now questionable beloved knowing this little rascal is out and about I have news for ya.

This little rascal is married. 

Oh fuck me guys I'm sorry... I can literally smell the cringe coming off that. It started out as a joke and I don't know what the hell happened but it ended serious. Thats where the self made pet name came from. .

A ride around Leduc which I know all too well. An added bonus of showing exposed skin for the first tine in twenty-four was top notch (see above idiot boys comedy routine.) The backwind pushed me hard and I caught some e-bikers and was Dodge Ramming their ass for a bit cause I didn't have a bell. I backed off and had a potty break to let them drop out of sight.

The ride westward was headwind galore and a tad miserable. Once I got in the trees things were fine and I was inspired to ride around the cool airplane park named after some goofy politician where I think it should be an air force war hero from the Leduc region. 

But hey... I'm an idiot. Just look at the first three short paragraph/ sentences of this post. 

Hopefully more rides will be happening. Be careful of combustibles folks. The fires have already started.  

Straights Again

 

With things melting from the last tiny snowstorms we had I have been staying off the bikes and took the Octane One out for the out and back to Eagle Rock as things would be nice and dry. 

I prefer telford Lake to this cause I don't like the constant threat of someone in an escalade smoking me from behind because they were texting. Really no close calls on the four times I rode this route but I just don't like dealing with cars.

Straights

A ride that may become more routine on here just like the Telford lake run. Telford lake today was tempting but I assumed it would be wet and possibly snowy and icy after that snow storm last week. 

I knew this would be dry but the only problem... 

Vehicles coming up from behind you on a narrowish road. That could be the main reason Telford Lake always wins. This run from home to Eagle Rock and back has happened before and will happen some more. 

Nothing too crazy with little turns. The decapitated doll head was the odd highlight. 

Actually no. That bike is super cool and was the highlight with the doll head coming in at a close second.