Reading this brings back memories. For years I rode with a group called the Spokejunkies. It was a casual group who in general had a disdain for racing and a penchant for group rides and good eats. To this day if a long ride is not followed by some homestyle meal it just doesn't feel right.
The rituals I miss are the sessioning... well sessions. When we found a feature, we would try it over and over again. I remember a particular log that I think took me 12 tries to clean. Features would mark the rest spots where we would mother up. Features were the subject of post ride story telling. Features were the thing that got me off the couch and to the rides.
This past weekend I rode with a couple of friends and one really wanted to figure out a tricky switchback. I think she rode it 12 times and we provided coaching and support. It brought me back to that place I love of watching progression.
The problem I have is where I ride today the trails are fun but not especially challenging. I can ride from my house with access to around 100 miles of trail. But there is not a single feature I can't clean 95% of the time. What I miss is that feeling of failure over and over again followed by that just right adjustment to ride a bike over something odd.
A couple weeks ago I spotted an odd rock with a perfect backside but an off camber wall on the other side. There is not a small trail to the rock and so far only one set of tire marks across it. Unfortunately that tire mark has a foot mark in the duff next to it. I will spend most of the winter itching to get back out next spring and figure that thing out.
Jan. 5, 2024, 7:17 a.m. - Allen Lloyd
Reading this brings back memories. For years I rode with a group called the Spokejunkies. It was a casual group who in general had a disdain for racing and a penchant for group rides and good eats. To this day if a long ride is not followed by some homestyle meal it just doesn't feel right. The rituals I miss are the sessioning... well sessions. When we found a feature, we would try it over and over again. I remember a particular log that I think took me 12 tries to clean. Features would mark the rest spots where we would mother up. Features were the subject of post ride story telling. Features were the thing that got me off the couch and to the rides. This past weekend I rode with a couple of friends and one really wanted to figure out a tricky switchback. I think she rode it 12 times and we provided coaching and support. It brought me back to that place I love of watching progression. The problem I have is where I ride today the trails are fun but not especially challenging. I can ride from my house with access to around 100 miles of trail. But there is not a single feature I can't clean 95% of the time. What I miss is that feeling of failure over and over again followed by that just right adjustment to ride a bike over something odd. A couple weeks ago I spotted an odd rock with a perfect backside but an off camber wall on the other side. There is not a small trail to the rock and so far only one set of tire marks across it. Unfortunately that tire mark has a foot mark in the duff next to it. I will spend most of the winter itching to get back out next spring and figure that thing out.