Happy Saturday

Fort Saskatchewan Hub Destroyer

The good news is the bridge construction hassle looks like it is off for the time being and I could resume parking at Turner park. A far better parking spot than the boat launch for me anyways. They still have the bridge blocked off and it looks good to cross, I am sure some safety bullshit excuse is behind that one. Like a missing railing or part of the floor structure missing. oooooh scary. 

It was perfect conditions on smooth ass trails that looked like some sort of advanced alien spaceship of a trail groomer went through. It was pretty cool and fast rolling. Both ends going east and west of the boat launch were groomed with this nice little groomer they must have. 

It was both ends ridden after exploring some newer trails on the cool west side that everyone rides. Train In Vain was ridden for the first time and it was like someone was obsessed with Flat Pete and the trail turn arounds were insane. I was not able to make it on a couple turns and blamed the bike. I will probably ride it in the summer but honestly you cannot beat the original old singletrack so I will probably stick with riding that instead of all the new stuff unless I work it all in which is what I tried today. 

The morning ride was great. My hub did blow up after it showed sone signs on the ride with Jason. I was surprised at how fast it went today as the bike was running smooth for the most part until I started coming home after taking the bridge pic. The bike became unrideable as everytime I stopped pedalling the chain would slack forward and I would have nothing once a quick hill would come up. I retreated to the paved and the hub completely was done by then. Some walking was done until I learned if I pinned the cranks enough it would catch and I could lightly pedal back to the Jeep. 

The shit bike will be called into service as I was hoping to head out more before work. Yes there was panic happening when I knew the hub was done.

come on… open er up

some of the newish stuff happening here, god bless em

people are pure garbage

Beer Friday. Eighty Eight Brewing & Chartier, Sugar Shack II

Yes we cannot figure out how to use Roman numerals on a Mac computer so the title of this review is not properly representative of what Eighty Eight Brewing and Chartier had in mind and for that I am sorry. Instead you got a couple of 'I's' and  am sorry as I have tremendous respect for this great French restaurant known as Chartier which we have right here at home in Beaumont. 

Which kids, is a tremendous delight. The history of Beaumont restaurants since we moved here in two thousand and five has not been great. A highlight in living in Beaumont in the early two thousands was when the Boston Pizza opened. Good Lord you had never seen a town fall head over heels over a new restaurant like that before. It was like the allies liberating a small village and the villagers crowding the allied soldiers. The town had gone insane Myself included. 

Then along came Chartier. A very charming French restaurant with now nationwide fame in magazine top ten lists for amazing food and it never disappoints. Now the restaurant scene in town is fine for the size it is with Chartier being the King.  Eighty Eight Brewing out of Calgary had teamed up with Chartier to what I imagine was to make the most French Canadian beer ever described as a blueberry grunt dessert stout with Canadian maple syrup being a feature. Yes I would say very Quebecois. 

We poured into our Way Gretzky glass as we anticipated a great beer and it wa properly poured into the great ones mug, know what I am saying? 

A pour happened and it was a truly glorious lonebiker beer pouring experience. A dark looking mean spirited beer filled up the glass but its appearance was not what you expected it to taste like. This one is quite sweet and it did take a bit to warm up to but once you get into it it is very enjoyable. A rush of rich dark chocolate toffee with a maple undertone made this beer what they intended it for, to be treated as a desert. 

Yes it is heavy and I would not recommend more than one. It is a nice beer to have after dinner which essentially what this is for me and it is perfect. It is a taste explosion so be forewarned and I could see it being an issue with some chumps. Book a spot at Chartier and have one of these for desert. Think I might do that before they are gone. It's pretty cool having an amazing restaurant just up the road from us.

This beer gets 4 suds out of 5. 

 

Hey Jason, Been a Little While

 It was January the twenty third of 2018 when I had the last one on one ride with Jason This ride right here.. It brings me great pleasure to announce that this day the 13th of Friday the year of our Lord Two-Thousand & Twenty Three a meetup with Jason happened yet again. 

It was a Jason meet up so a fun time was expected including an early meet up at Mill Creek pool which was not surprisingly requested by Jason, I have gotten into the lonebiker routine of mid afternoon to late evening starts now going on forever. It is good to get out of the routine sometimes and do something like this so when I saw the time request I was in.

Meet at 7 you say? Fuck ya Jason. 

It was cold as we went down the paved to start out, A left turn took us into Old Timers for some singletrack and in the dark morning coldness I was loving it. The cold morning weather did end things in a hurry and after a Walterdale crossing we found the Tawatinå and headed home after hitting the Trap and Hulk Hogan. A trail I have ridden for years and never knew or I guess cared it had a name. It is a fun trail downwards and the climb going reverse isn't bad at all. 

Hell ya Hulk Hogan. In the end a good meet up with an old friend. 

Flat Pete Turnaround

 Getting the cobwebs worked out after another rough work week and this ride was a ten out of ten on the "oh that was just a delight" scale. It will in no way make any sort of ride of the year lists but it certainly won't make the worst rides of the year list.

Phew! 

I was worried. It was a very rare Terwillegar start as I wondered where I could go to get the blood flowing and have it be nice and easy not hunkering down and climbing lots of hills. You know? I wanted a pussy ride. Fort Saskatchewan was my first thought but it can be hit or miss in the Winter and I assumed the east side trails would be pretty much untouched. 

Terwillegar was the winner and a ride around the outside bend with an ending in Oliskew on the log trail and the Pete's was quite enticing. You know, nice and quick and staying out of those pesky hills. It was a perfect start to the week off. 

The snow was ok but a bit loose on some of the corners. Annoying fat tire ruts on the small ups and downs make me wonder why.  The Pete's were fun as always and Logarythmic was its usual better winter self. A pre ride brake bleed had me in safe hands with those Avid Elixer brakes keeping me in complete control of those deadly Flat Pete trails.

ha ha ha, fook me I'm funny. 

Great little ride kids!

Top Rides of 2022

It was kind of hard to pick a true top five because I had some pretty top notch rides throughout the year.  It was a short span though, pretty much from June to October with no Winter rides making the cut. 

 #5. June in Berta

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One of the most insane storms that I have ever got caught in close to Concordia University. The clouds were out in the beginning but I had greatly misjudged them . Sewers were shooting up water. Cars had just stopped driving in the middle of the street. The hail hurt and was relentless as I tried to find shelter after climbing out of the ravine. 

#4 September The Great

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Just an all around great ride where everything came together quite well kind of unsuspectedly on a route that is heavily ridden. 

#3 Science Park Redemption

I never liked this part of the valley and this ride it totally kicked ass. The creepy old men were there sitting in their vehicles again and I believe once they all finally leave the Science park will one no more.

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#2 The Murder Tree Diaries

All amazing on an amazing bike. Everything just came together perfectly here. on a night shift tun=rn around yet! Say whaaat?

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#1 Rainy Day Exploring

This was the one. I think this one tops last years ride of the year too. I have fears of turning into a full time gravel rider as I get older and older and these are the rides that will do it. The weather was terrible but I finally rode to Fort Saskatchewan from the valley and it was quite memorable. 

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2022's Three Worst Rides

 The uninspired and sad attempts for a bike ride of the last year.

2:30 PM

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Annoying text messages asking when I am done right when I started after leaving late for something I had hoped would have been a lot better. Disorientated, tired and confused I should have just stayed home.

Operation Suckfest

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Some more super cold to super warm winter weather which created some super shitty singletrack. I did attempt a ride on a trail that has the most sun exposure so there is that.

Millcreek Soul Crusher

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Just lame on all levels. No energy paired with no inspiration on a nice day. I hate these rides.