end of an era

 

The S.S.W.C.05 State College P.A I swept the race course with a big group of riders after the last racer peddled off. This is a rock garden at the first bail out point, seven miles in.
I almost cleaned this section, I went over sideways and slammed, bruised the palm of my hand.
I hung out and watched people try it ,this Dirt Rag rider Justin, was the only one I saw make it, riding a fixed Surly cross-check with Panaracer tires,45's, cleaned it very smoothly, it was neat to watch. No one should ever doubt the capabilities of a bicycle.
This is a section of ridge trail that's very rocky and seemed to go on for a couple of miles.

Red Man

Todd Layton and I went to P.A Saturday and had a fun two hour bike ride.
It was super dusty,one down hill I was in the back and the dust was blown up to seat level,I couldn't see the trail at all.
The boat dock side seems to stay wetter in the rainy season and not as dusty in the droughty season, there is a really cool tunnel that goes under I-83, all four lanes plus shoulders and middle strip,so it's kinda long and has like six inches of moving water in it, and pretty dark, its a fun challenge.
Then you go through about twenty minutes of ridge like trail, it rolls and climbs and twist, its a really fun trail when your in your "zone".
Then we did some trail we hadn't ridden in a while, and finished up with what has been dubbed "the cheap one",like a forty of malt liquor,its cheap and delivers a strong buzz. We have to hike a bike this short wall and then it might be 3/4 mile down hill when its all over , the first half is the best with rollers and easily gained speed,you don't have to pull up to get a nice little air,Layton pulled up, and went down hard! Scraped his right side up good, opening up a nasty tear on his elbow, hit his head, his visor on his helmet was hanging off, I was afraid he dislocated something but he's o.k nothing internal, should have taken a pic.

Welcome to the family

I picked up this used 05 Bianchi S.A.S.S from a link sent to me by the Outlaw, thanks Joe! My long time m.t.b. crumbled apart the day before the s.s.w.c.05 and I have been pretty bummed since. I saw this and it was cheap enough so I bought it. It had a mazaroochi dirt jumper lll on it, a behemoth of a fork, and a bent rear caliper that I didn't notice until I got home, that was lame he should have told me(the seller) and some stock parts that I wanted to change. Finally I got it together with the rigid fork that originally came on the bike ,my seat and post ,handle bar and grips, I also put my panaracer fire tire that I was runing up front on the K.H.S on the back, and kept the original Motanoraptor on the front.
First ride was yesterday at Lake Red Man.It's been almost a month since I've ridden a m.t.b. and I was loving it!Riding this bike around the yard getting things adjusted ,it didn't feel so good, not bad just not great, but when it hit trail it was different,I like it a lot, and it's so nice to have a new stiff frame and disc brakes too.
I think yesterday would have been a great day to paddle out in O.C from what the coastal weather reports were saying, It broke my hart to see the web pictures and not be able to go. I had a family thing to attend that evening, nothing a good bike ride couldn't fix.

Just returned from our annual trip to southern N.C. This pick is from Oak Island/Long Beach area, after two days of strong south winds the surf settled into nice form. From here we headed north to Kure, Carolina, Wrightsville beaches.Up to the Ceder Island ferry to Ocracoke then Hatteras Island and home.