MTB Photo Dump

I've been riding all the time but blogging less. I don't think there's a reason other than staying busier than usual. And if I'm going to slack on something, blogging loses out to family, work and riding. But here's a quick photo dump of this past week's rides in the dirt.

 Get out there.

There it is...

There's that Kentucky winter. Windy, forty degrees and rainy. Good to see you, old friend.

Get out there.

Family Fat Bike

photo from Moray Fat Bike

Go check out Moray Fat Bike and look at his family fat bike build. It's incredible. I'd love to run this bounciness on a long-bike setup.

Get out there.

If You've Thought About Bike Commuting...

Do it this week.

You should give it a try this week while the weather is cool but not cold and those leaves are perfectly in their fall pigment. If you try bike commuting this week, there's a good chance you'll fall in love with it.

Get out there.

Put a Bird On It

I'm guessing it has something to do with migration patterns, but there are an unusual amount of birds hanging out with me on my commute these days. Yesterday morning, they flew from tree to tree in large groups, sticking with me the entire way.

They would all take off, causing a huge rush of leaves to fall down, then fly a hundred yards up the road and land in the trees ahead. It was awesome to see. As soon as I would get closer, they'd leave their perch and do the same thing again.

Any bird experts out there? Why am I noticing so many right now?

Get out htere.

This is Winter

I'm starting to get good reminders that winter is coming. Today's reminder: wetness. Winters in Kentucky are wet. Always wet. We don't get much snow but we get plenty of precipitation. This is the time of year that I have to start wearing one pair of shoes and bringing another. This is when I put wet clothes on to ride home at the end of the day because they didn't dry while hanging in my office. This is when the smell of wet horse manure floods the nostrils on my biggest climb.

This is my winter.

Get out there.

Exploring Around Home

A few weeks ago I started exploring a new area of roads I had never been on before. When you're on your bike, it's easy to stick with what you know. I had gotten into the bad habit of riding the same routes over and over again for the sake of simplicity. What eventually happens (at least with me) is that you get bored and have less desire to go out and ride.

With a little motivation, I began to seek out new roads, dead end or not, to have a better understanding of what's around my house. Saturday, I went out for a 20 miler, and saw some beautiful landscapes.

Many of the roads are like this; one lane, zero traffic. This, however is an example of an unknown road leading to nowhere. I pedaled hard up a mile long ascent to eventually roll up on a closed gate. On some days that would be frustrating. But it wasn't bad. Leaves are changing colors and new sights are always engaging to the mind. No big deal.

This bridge was at the bottom of a massive hill. It's probably the fastest I've ever gone on a bike. I actually got a little nervous. But here at the bottom is a beautiful scene. Everything out here is private property. But I'd love to cozy up with these people and start squatting here for lunches and whatnot.

Here's a shot from standing on the bridge. This creek runs all over the area. I must have crossed it 15 times on this one ride.

Lots of climbing around a creek, though. The photo above is a hill I had just climbed. It drops off in the distance, but went on for another half mile or so.

This ride made me love the Cross Check. I've been putting so many miles on the LHT, that I've forgotten what it feels like to have a more nimble bike under me. It accelerates so much faster and climbs with much more ease. Honestly, I've thought about replacing it with another LHT. This ride had me wavering on that idea.

I'm appreciative of my Kentucky home when I have rides like this. It's a beautiful place to live.

Get out there.