Muddy summer days, bikes and dental cleanings...

As the end of summer approaches I look back at some of my favorite mountain bike rides. The Wilmington area received a lot of rain this summer, sometimes for days on end. As a result, the trails were very muddy all summer long.
While riding muddy trails is highly discouraged due to all the erosion that can be created, one of our area's best trails can handle mud very well and is often open even after it has rained.

The picture below was taken after a few muddy rides.

It reminded me of the importance of regular dental cleanings. Every 6 months at a minimum, as recommended by the American Dental Association.
What would happen if I continued riding with my chain and drivetrain looking like that? Premature wear,  diminished enjoyment and expensive repairs come to mind.
Much like teeth, which if not professionally cleaned periodically, will certainly end up with the above problems and much more.
A new chain can be purchased easily and inexpensively, new teeth can't.
Hope you all had a great summer! ---Daniel

Stand up paddle surfing in the mountains of North Carolina

George Vanderbilt never imagined he would have surfers cruising through his property when he chose to build America's most famous mansion on the outskirts of Asheville, NC. He also did not realize the impact on outdoor recreation he would make when he donated thousands of acres to what is now Pisgah national forest.
This past weekend we got to experience both the Biltmore and Pisgah National Forest from Vanderbilt's perspective, but with a twist.
We went to Asheville and brought not only the customary mountain bikes, but also two stand up paddle boards. The idea was to ride singletrack in Pisgah one day and paddle a class I stretch of the French Broad river the next.
We can climb up to the top of the mountain before plunging downhill on our mountain bikes. We could not, however, paddle 7 miles up river in order to flow down river. After a little bit of research we found just what we needed.
Asheville Outdoor Center is a great outfitter that provides shuttles up river on the French Broad. The staff is super nice and very knowledgeable at the same time. They provided us with valuable instruction (very needed despite our experience surfing stand up paddle boards in the ocean) and very, very important safety tips,as rivers are a lot more dangerous than the ocean - the first ever stand paddle boarding fatality was on a river.
Running the French Broad on paddle boards was an amazing experience. We were able to sprint, cruise leisurely, go down rapids, SUP yoga, surf standing waves and even have a picnic:)
Big thanks to CB Surfshop for the amazing C4 ten-thirty paddleboard and Asheville Outdoor center
We highly recommend this trip...and so does Jennifer Lawrence from "Hunger Games"!
(Photo below taken by Asheville Outdoor Center when Jennifer Lawrence and film crew went paddling with them)

Getting ready to begin

 Shuttle vehicle

Surfing small river wave

Another wave, small but very fun

100 year old barn in the background. Part of Biltmore

Biltmore house in the background

 

Another Mountain trip..

This past April we decided to go back to the mountains. 

The Forecast couldn't make up it's mind, calling for snow but also for warm temperatures??? Not knowing for sure what we were going to find, we decided to bring snow gear and bikes. Cool thing is, we got to use both. 

We had several inches of snow the first half of the trip and nice sunny skies with warm temperatures for the second half. I don't remember ever being able to snowboard one day and mountain bike in shorts and a jersey the next - Too much fun!

The picture below sums it all up. The previous day we were playing in those snow capped mountains (visible in the picture, across from the lake) This day, temperatures were in the 70's and trails were dry.

Super Downhill Mountain Bike racing

We sure don't race enough to be a mountain bike team...Our last race was in the fall of 2011. As fun as it was, we just haven't had the time to train for another race. When a new type of race was announced at Paris Mtn. South Carolina I knew I had to sign up. The race was supposed to be "mainly downhill", known as a  Super D. How hard could that be?
Raceday consisted of several shuttle runs to the top of the mountain for pre running and a really fun downhill course. I was placed in the "masters' category and placed mid pack in the end. The climb before the downhill proved to be too much for me.
Thinking the race would be mainly downhill, my training consisted of mainly cruising trails and hitting jumps, etc. I did not think I would have to climb- To my surprise, I did. Fitter "older" riders just flat out killed everyone, as their overall fitness prevailed, even on a "mainly downhill" course.

2 lessons were learned that day:

- Even downhill racing requires training and aerobic fitness.
- Older cyclists rule. Had I raced with the "young guys" I would have come in second place...40 is the new 25!

Enjoy the pics!

This is the first thing I saw when I got to the race.

Loading the shuttle truck

Pre race meeting

On the way to the top of the ridge. I didn't think I would have to pedal once I got to the top. I was wrong..

One of the Pros. He is going a lot faster than it shows in the pic

Had a great time and will be back next year!

Daniel and Bucky trailriding RDU..again.

This trail probably has the best variety of Cross Country and Technical Mountain biking in the Triangle area. Location undisclosed as this is a secret trail (even though it's location has not been a secret for a long, long time).

Usual riding partner in crime Bucky Mercado also pictured tearing it up. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nYSkPdHlSU&feature=plcp

All Mountain knee pads review

Decided that since my knees are already fragile from years of riding BMX and Mountain Bikes, I would be well served by wearing knee pads while riding MTB.
The problem was, I thought knee pads interfered with pedaling. I decided to research which knee pads would offer the best combination of pedaling freedom and protection. I decided to test the G-Forms, TLD KG5400 and Fox Launch PRO. Bought all 3 from Jenson (no affiliation with those guys, I just like them for the deals and the service) with the intent of keeping the best one and returning the other 2.
Most of my riding is on the North Carolina coast (believe it or not, we have singletrack) the piedmont (central NC) and ultimately, Western NC (one of the best places in the USA for MTB riding).
My home trails on the coast, which I ride on my 6 inch travel GT Force- are virtually flat and sandy- which require constant spinning if you want to go fast. The lack of downhills means that if you want to feel like Sebastian Loeb on a gravel road, you have to spin a lot. Kneepads could potentially cause a whole lot of discomfort with all that spinning.
The mountains have epic descents, most of them littered with jagged rocks and super fast sections. Pisgah in my opinion embodies all that AM riding is. I live for it and get up there as much as I can. I'd live there if i didn't like surfing so much.
The piedmont, which I ride occasionally is a mix of the constant spinning of the coast and the flow of the mountains. Lots of rocks there as well. All of the above regions also contain tight, winding singletrack through trees, so the potential for hitting your knee on a pine tree while going 25mph + is very real.

First pads I tried were the TLD's. My initial impression was good, but I was immediately put off by the lack of ligament protection as well as protection above and below the knee. I did not want to put up with knee pads to end up with a busted knee anyways. Like my friend Jimmy says "if you're going to wear pads, wear pads!"
Second, I tried the G-forms. Those also offered great protection for direct hits to the knee cap, actually more shock absorbent than the TLD's. It also offered a little side protection but not enough in my opinion.
Third, I tried the FOX launch pros. I had been skeptical of those pads as they seemed too bulky and good for shuttle runs only. I was mistaken. The difference in comfort between the TLD's, the G-Forms and the Fox was almost negligible! I will go as far as saying that, as counter intuitive as this sounds, the FOX just fit me like a glove. They bent better when my leg was spinning the pedals. They were bigger but did not feel much bulkier. Protection from the FOX's were exponentially greater. I just felt so much more confident, not only doing jumps but also flowing down groomed singletrack. I went on a ride without them and felt as if I were not wearing a helmet. My knees felt naked and vulnerable.
I have ridden in the mountains and have ridden my weekly 14 mile loop here in Wilmington NC with the FOX's. They rubbed me raw the first 3 weeks but got progressively better. This past Thursday I was able to complete the 14 mile loop spinning fast the whole time and did not get any hot spots or raw areas. If you stick with them and let the back of your knees get used to it, they will break in, much like dentures (I don't wear them, I make them:) or Chaco sandals.
All knee pads are going to be hot. You do get used to them. I have ridden in 90 degree heat with 80 percent humidity and did not feel any hotter than without the pads. I think that since the extra padding was on my legs and not my arms or core, the increase in heat was negligible. I did not ride any slower because of the pads.
I have heard of people placing lycra behind the knees or wearing knee warmers underneath to prevent rashes but I'm a minimalist and prefer not having to deal with those things.
In conclusion, I highly recommend the FOX launch pros, I have been wearing them on XC rides as well as pump track and AM rides in Pisgah National Forest.
My latest mountain ride was at DuPont in Brevard, NC two weeks ago.
Eastern Slickrock (granite) all the way up and some of the way down. I did not fall so did not get to actually "test" the pads. What I did do was go down that mountain with more confidence, speed and above all, flow. I was able to do cross ups off of the jumps where normally, I just jump straight. I was more relaxed on the rockgardens and I finished the ride with a bigger smile and safer knees!

The Lauch pro's on the way up..

And on the way down...video does not reflect true steepness and sketch factor of this section but gives you an idea..

Zumba on the river

While mountain biking and surfing are great workouts, sometimes there are no waves or time to get to the trail. Some of us (Amanda and Haley) resort to Zumba not only as a way to train, but also because it's FUN! Working out can be hard-but dancing is not.
This past weekend was National Dance Day. Amanda, who is now a certified Zumba instructor, had the privilege to join quite a few others, as they surprised innocent bystanders with a 2 song "Flash Mob". They basically showed up downtown by the river front, quietly set up a sound system and boogied for the crowd. Tourists and locals were treated to a killer show of Latin dance and before they could tell what hit them, the girls were gone...
Amanda will be teaching Zumba at the Coastal Tumblegym in Carolina Beach, Wed. Aug 8 and 15, 2012 @ 7pm, filling in for Zumba extraordinaire and her sensei Gina Graziani. Gina will be attending the National Zumba Convention in Florida, learning new moves and getting pumped for another year of fun! Thanks Gina for introducing so many to the wonderful world of Zumba - Eres muy chevere!!

Just a portion of the mob downtown

Some of Amanda's posse from Gina's class

Breakin' in down!

Go Haley!

Amanda's Zumba Instructor training