Never too old to learn

After having a warranty frame sitting in my house for a few months, I finally got the urge to build it up. With a superb day for trail riding, Saturday offered me an awesome ride followed by 2 days of guidance in tearing down my old GF Paragon and building up the new frame. Deciding to race Big Wheel again this year, I'm stoked about all the new stuff! More explanations later on my recent expenditures. But for the interim, pics are below.

What I learned in a nutshell:

1) No matter how careful, when doing any kind of mechanical task, you will bang your knuckles/fingers on something.

2) 5 mm is the most popular allen wrench size for the bolts on my bike.

3) Don't take too many parts out of the shifter when installing new cables. Oops.

4) Being told while building a bike for the first time, "Use some common sense" should, apparently, not spark any frustration. Granted, for the most part, Mr. Wonderful was super patient with me.

5) Some bolts get greased; some bolts get loc-tite (sp?). I still don't know which bolts should get which goop. When I asked, the answer was along the lines of, "Loc-tite the ones you don't want to fall out."

6) Last year's green ergo grips don't necessarily go with the new color scheme.

7) It's best to have your own tools and know how to use them. (This is my second endorsement of expenditures on tools!)

8) 3M tape is quite handy to prevent cable rub on the frame.

9) Having a husband that rides bikes makes for good component options from all the spare parts. (Note Bontrager xXx Lite seatpost. It wasn't mine originally.)

10) The shop is totally worth it.

Exploring new roads

Many times I like to have a destination when cycling versus doing a loop. Knowing I'm going somewhere instead of in a circle gives me more of a sense of purpose. I know, I know--It doesn't serve a greater purpose unless I'm commuting and using my bicycle for transportation instead of my car. Nevertheless, I set out to ride to Columbus on Saturday since hubby would already be over there for his own exciting adventures. And since he was taking the, um, mini-van, I could easily fit my bike in the back and get a ride home.

After getting lost last year on a quest to go to the bike shop, I knew which turned I had missed and vowed to get it right this time. Just after Gatesville, I was looking for Hoover Road. Yep--it was right where the map said it would be with the street sign turned so drivers and cyclists couldn't read it from the approaching angle. Classic.

And then I was on new roads. Well, the roads themselves weren't new; rather, I had never been on them before. I was honestly smiling from the singing frogs in the morning. It was supposed to rain, and I hadn't felt one drop. (Forgetting to throw a bag of clothes in the van before Jason left, I had a camelback on with spare clothes in zip lock bags--just in case I was poured on!) I saw some geese flying North and gobbled at some turkeys in an empty field.

The next turn was Grandview road. Matt B explained that it's gravel for only a mile or so, and I would have no trouble on my road bike on this section. What he failed to explain that this was a long, steep hill! OUCH! I was a little worried about getting a flat, but my only other option at this point was to ride the highway; and I didn't really want to do that. The steepest part seemed like my own Brummetts Creek Rd hill, but it leveled out some mid-way up and kept reaching towards the sky. Was it ever going to end? Geesh.

As I was nearing the top, I saw a sight that I thought I would NEVER see. Two road cyclists were making their way DOWN the hill. WHY???????? Why would anyone want to descend this beast? As I got closer, I heard my name. I could now see it was Jacob & Amanda. We stopped to chat. It turns out the road did turn to pavement just a few feet ahead. Jacob was showing Amanda some new routes; their plan was to go down the hill, check out the intersection, then ride back up the hill. I was invited to join them. AS IF! I think I've explained that I'm the one that always wants to take a shortcut or NOT tack on extra mileage--let alone another steep, gravel hill while on my road bike. They must be smoking crack.

Before I knew it, I was following them down the hill. My forearms hurt from braking. With the previous night's rain and some of the gravel washed away, our tires were sinking into the mud.

I brought the wrong bike, I thought.

And as promised, we turned around at the bottom and climbed up it again. My guides showed me the way to Columbus via the bike path and escorted me to the Bicycle Station. It was fun talking to them and hearing the excitement in their voices as they talked about their upcoming wedding. They are certainly a cute couple! And, I got to hear all about their new team for local (Indy) bike builder, Shamrock Cycles. I have been admiring Tim's frames for a long time--they are truly artwork with excellent craftsmanship. If you get a chance, click on the link and view his creations.

To top off my good fortune, as I was pedaling through Columbus, I saw Hubby at a stoplight on his way to the Bicycle Station to pick me up. Awesome timing.

Unfortunately, Sunday's weather didn't cooperate and I opted for an indoor ride. Boo. Hiss. But I'm patting myself on the back for doing extra work twice this week! Looking forward to Summer and dry trails. Have I mentioned that yet?

Life is good.

Ar-Kansas

House renovations, building erection, and husband's job curtailed our Summer & Fall vacation plans last year. So much to do; so little time. Thankfully, we recently bought our house--again, which diminishes the urgency of above renovations. The big projects are done--for the most part. As one of the girls on this weekend's ride asked, "So, no more going home to paint after a bike ride?" NO--the painting is done. Now it's all the loose odds & ends to really clean up. I imagine that will take another 7 years.

The house looks FANTASTIC. Mr. Wonderful really came through.

Through all of this, I was getting restless. I wanted to go somewhere--somewhere different. I'm not really in to exploring wilderness in another state on my own, and I couldn't talk hubby in to going with me. Therefore, I chose a race. With February being way too early in the season for a race, I chose a 6-hour venue and approached it with more of a "training ride" feel.

The benefits: New trail, already marked, other people will be there, guaranteed a longer ride than I'm used to.

The cons: Long drive, hubby wasn't interested in going, and I have to pay money to do it.

The benefits outweighed the cons.

Thankfully, Mer went with me; someone else was as crazy as me!

Leaving on a Thursday, we departed for the 9.5 hour drive to Hot Springs, Arkansas via Terre Haute to I-70 to I-57 to I-55 to I-40, etc. This drive was SO easy--no big cities, no traffic. What we did see was birds--particularly, hawks. Seriously, we saw a hawk for every mile we were on the road. (Ok--maybe I'm exaggerating some.) But people we have talked to since the trip recognize the I-57; I-55 segment as Hawk Alley. After a couple of hours, we were no longer phased by seeing the bird of prey.


But we did go on and on and on about the most enormous bald eagle we've ever seen also sitting in a tree along the road. It made the otherwise boring drive a little more enjoyable.

Arriving in Hot Springs, we quickly learned this place was not the tourist destination it once was. Two things bring tourists--spas & horse races. We later learned that all but one of the natural hot springs have been funneled into the bath houses, where one can pay big bucks to get skin treatments. Woo hoo! Mer & I decided sweating through 6 hours on the trail while drinking as much water as we could would do our skin just fine.

Friday we were able to pre-ride the course despite the threat of rain that never came. What a superb 10-mile loop! Most of the trail meandered through pine forests and offered a little bit of everything as far as mountain biking goes. With over 1,300 feet of climbing per lap, it was 80-90% single-track with rocks, roots, fast sections, twisty sections, uphills, downhills, & pine needles. It was some of the most fun I've had on a mountain bike.

And, yeah, that's a landfill in the middle of the course. We were riding around a landfill.

Anyway, Friday afternoon allowed us to "tour" Hot Springs. Sadly, there was nothing we really wanted to see. We strolled up and down the historic district declining cheesey opportunities such as "The American Gangster Museum" and the "Hot Springs Aquarium." While these sounded neat, the buildings themselves were quite sketchy lending no credibility to their attraction.

We stopped to see The Arlington Resort & Spa, a hotel we snubbed our noses at in favor of The Hampton on the other side of town. I snapped a pic of the Al Capone's car in the lobby.






Just a block away was the sole hot spring in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

But one of the weirdest and admittedly the creepiest attraction was the Wax Museum. Quite honestly, we didn't care to venture in here either. But I did snap a couple photos for the pleasure of my readers. Granted, the URL above is probably a lot better.

By now, enough time had passed to go back to the race venue to register. Serendipity fell upon us when we met Robert, who specialized in massage therapy, chiropractic services, Active Release Technique, and many other designations. For $20, I was relieved of all the aches from tender spots associated with training. For me, this is my right shoulder blade and left ITB. Without telling him where, this master proceeded to troubleshoot and heal, at least temporarily, these aches. In addition, I received some kind of massage from a vibrating device that looked more like a belt sander. INSERT JOKE HERE. Say what you will, this was AWESOME!

Afterwards, we both praised Robert and lazily headed for the van, we decided to get some grub. Near the hotel, the dining establishment below fulfilled my meat cravings when I ordered both Beef Brisket & Pulled Pork. Instead of the usual ketchup and mustard condiments, the tables all had containers of 6 sauces with which to douse the selected meats. Mmmmmm.

Finally, race day was upon us. From a local's recommendation, we decided to hit the Pancake Shop which supposedly had the best pancakes around. Negative, Ghostrider. Straight from the 50s (or some other parallel universe--much like the rest of the town), this diner was strange. When the waitress brought my plate she says, "Darlin', you're gonna wanna butter and cut that pancake before you put syrup on it. Otherwise, you'll have syrup in your lap, and I'm gonna laugh my butt off."

How--HOW--how does one respond to that? Doing as instructed, I was disappointed to see and taste the worst syrup I've ever had. Perhaps I should have stuck with the Cinnamon/Brown Sugar pop tarts in my race bag.

OK--so, now it's race time. Lemans start. Yes, we get to RUN to our bikes before starting the lap. This helps break up the field before entering the singletrack. Again, negative. I was towards the back and still had a traffic jam at the first bridge crossing. I spent the next 3 miles weaving my way up through people. It was a super fun lap and also my fastest.

Not knowing how to pace myself for 6 hours, I slowed way down on the 2nd and 3rd laps; Meredith and I rode together most of the time. At the end of the 3rd lap, I downed half of a Pepsi and tried to cram as much food as I could at the pit stop area. Sadly, my 3rd week of coughing came through and I started spraying the area with half chewed pop tarts. Yes, I was sick for a week, the cough continued. It only happens when my heart rate is up, so I wasn't too worried about it. The cold never lodged in my lungs, and I was lucky to not get a sinus infection. Water, water, water!

I carried on for a 4th lap and picked it up a bit again since I knew it would be my last. Sadly, I didn't meet my goal to get 5 laps (results), but I did meet my expectations of riding medium hard, riding consistently, and having a blast! The trail was SO MUCH FUN, I was smiling much of the time. I also wasn't ashamed to get lapped by 3-time 24-hour world champion, Rebecca Rusch. It was a great, well-organized event, and having the sun out made my weekend complete.

Topping off the trip, on the way out of town, we spotted the only thing I would have paid money to do. If only......