Fall Gravel

Nice ride today.  55 miles, 55 degrees, 3200 ft vertical and plenty of quiet back roads.  You need days like this, especially after the Thanksgiving orgy.   It is wonderful to spend two lovely days with family and eating yourself silly.  But it is nice to balance that with some alone time out on the hilly gravel.

I mapped out two new-to-me gravel roads: Hidden Springs Rd and Witches Hollow Rd.  With names like that, it is impossible to resist.  How cool is it to have a road named "Witches Hollow"?  You just know a road like that has to be (1) gravel, (2) hilly and (3) scenic.  And it didn't disappoint.

We were blessed with temps in the upper 50s and bright sunshine.  It has rained buckets for 3 straight days, so this nice weather day is well deserved.  Still, we don't often get sunny warm days like this on the verge of December.  At this point last year, we already had snow on the ground.  The day did have brisk winds out of the SW which made the return trip a chore, but I really can't complain.



I honestly do get the point of Thanksgiving.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  A wonderful family.  A nice quiver of bikes and beautiful places to ride.  I wish I had more time to ride, but I do treasure and enjoy the time I get.  I am thankful to have my health and a body which can carry me 55 miles through the gravelly hills of Ohio.  And a wife who stays home with kids and puppy while I am out and about.  We do trade -- she gets her time too, but she "gets it".  I don't have to explain why I need to disappear for 4 hours on a Saturday or why I need yet another bike.  Yes, a lot to be thankful for.

Mohican Sized Smiles

Every once in a while all the cycling gods come together and bless a riding day.  This was such a day.  Yeah it was a windy, mid-November day, but the temps were higher than normal and nearly perfect (45 to 55).  Plus the hills and trees made the wind a non-factor.  

I've been neglecting the GF superfly 100 since the W101 in late July, so I thought I would give the bike some love and take it to Mohican.   Even the drive went by quickly as I arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule. In the parking lot were five guys from the Cleveland area and they looked the part of good mtn bikers.  So I asked if I could tag along with their group.  It was a good decision as their skill level was just about right for a "fun but not killer" effort.  We set out at "3-hour" pace with some frequent stops scattered in to let one or two guys catch back on.  

I admit it, I stole this pic from someone else.

Normally 3-hour pace is pretty fast for me, so I was wary about trying to hang with them.  And I feel like my fitness level is pretty low compared to earlier in the summer.  But as I was riding the pace seemed much more relaxed than what I was used to for a 3-hour loop.   My confidence was growing with each climb and fluid descent.  I was starting to get in the zone.  

We hit the bridge at Mile 11.5 in about 1:17.  It felt more like 1:50 or something, so I was surprised we were there so quickly.  When we stopped for what was likely 5-10 minutes of catch up and rest time, I thanked them for the company and pressed on alone.

Then I dialed it up.  I started working the climbs hard, not quite hammering, but definitely pushing myself in the red zone.  And I was finding loads of magic zen on the flowy single track.  Carving, flowing, climbing, catching air on the jumps.  It was lots of fun.

I killed it for the next hour and dropped back into the parking lot with 2:21 showing on the clock.  My fastest time ever and I still felt great --- like I could go on at that pace for quite a bit more.  I figure I could have made 5 or 10 minutes less time in the first loop if I had gone on my own, but I can't complain.

Then I had a tough decision.  To call it a day and end on a high note with a big smile, or go for another partial loop.  Surely I could have had more good riding but I also would have eventually hit the wall and slowed.  I decided to call it there and keep the awesome ride as a fond memory.  Besides, Laura, the kids and the puppy were all at home waiting for me.  

Did I ever mention the SF100 is just plain awesome.  

Gravel in Fall Sunshine

We were blessed with a warm, sunny late autumn day, and there is only one way to proper honor a day like this, head out on the bike for an adventure.   It was just warm enough for a long sleeve jersey, shorts, light weight full fingered gloves, and regular cycling shoes.  Laura graciously gave me five hours on this Sunday afternoon to go play, and I took advantage of it.  Jumped in the car to drive 20 miles East (save myself an hour of bikepath slogging each way) so I could get to the good stuff that much faster.  

I took the cross bike out today.  I haven't ridden this bike much in the last 9 months, preferring instead to explore all summer on the Karate Monkey single speed.  But the gravel and the climbs urged me to get reacquainted with the cross bike.  Besides, this will become my winter training tool (along with the new mukluk) so I need to get used to the flatter position again.  

After a few pavement climbs, I snuck back on to Smith Chapel which winds up a small valley between two Ohio ridges.   A right turn on to Patton keeps to the gradual valley climb instead of the ridge ascents to the left and right.  

I then endure the incessant ups and downs of Pinewood trails.  It is a real leg burner, great for hill climbing strength, but you have to be wary of burning yourself out too early in a long ride on this road.   The heart rate monitor allowed me to climb in a comfort zone and save the real gas for later in the ride.





In Perryton,  I climb out of the valley hamlet on Myrtle -- great name and a narrow, barely paved farm path.

I was intent on exploring more in the area East of Licking Valley Rd.  I don't often get out in this area and there are more remote roads to explore further.

One of my great finds of the day is a new-to-me road, Church Rd.  There are dozens of roads named after churches in this area, but all of them have some other name other than just church.  So this is a bit of a novelty.  This road ran relatively flat North along a creek valley and I had to ignore delicious climbs to the ridge running along the right side of the road.

A great road that is usually just out of range is McCament Rd.   By starting my ride 20 miles east of home, I was able to put this route on my agenda.  I discovered this road on a motorcycle romp about five years ago, and now, have finally gotten to ride a bike out here.  It is a lovely road, scampering through gaps between the ridges until the flat realestate is corralled by valley walls all around.  It gives up the ghost and has to climb straight out of a valley over the ridge line.  Gravel goodness for several, uninterrupted miles and beautiful, quiet scenery.














More McCament images.
















I came back south along Aspen and would have enjoyed it more if not for the legs starting to go ... mostly on low energy.  Aspen is one of those roads that looks flatter than it really is.  It does roll up and down, but those are bigger and steeper rollers than what seems at first glance.









But as the road enters Licking County, and switches names from Aspen to Rock Run Rd, it becomes one of the most beautiful spots in all of central Ohio.  The way the narrow lane cuts through the old growth forest, the light beams stream through gaps in the trees and filters across the road,  the road falls down a gulch line toward the large stream at the bottom, it almost seems like hallowed cycling ground!

 And there is the stately covered bridge at the base of the descent ... for gravel dessert!
 

With low energy threatening to sap the enjoyment from my ride, I detoured to Fallsburg Pizza for a quick snack stop.  Then a couple of more climbs and another of my favorite gravely ways ... Priest Hollow.   What a cool name for a road.

All told, 55 miles, 4600ft vertical, and 14.6 mph.  I also got a nice treat on Saturday as Laura agreed to join me on her cross bike for a brief 90 minute spin through the northern countryside.   Thanks Laura!

John had just gotten back in town from a trip to Austin, TX.  He told tales of awesome, high desert single track.  I'll have to check it out sometime.

PA Explorations on the Mukluk

I took my new Mukluk to State College on a family visit trip and managed to sneak in a four hour ride on Sunday morning.  It is hard to decide which bike(s) to take as there is so much good riding in the area.  I feel like I could take them all and ride for a month and still have the hankering for more.   But the Mukluk is new and I was eager to learn more about its character, so I brought that.

Sunday morning started very chilly with 30F temps and frost on the car windows.  Brrr, winter is coming.  I brought some colder gear but not for 30F.  So I waited for a little bit and then dressed as much as possible to head out in to the cold.   I went to the Shingletown gap to start.  This is one of the rockiest, most technical 3-mile rock garden excuse for a trail.  The mukluk did ok, but there was lots of bouncing off the plentiful angular rocks, no match for a full susp bike that I rode here earlier in the summer.  

This area had received a lot of rain recently and a small part of the gap trail was concurrent with a stream bed.  There was one section with about 6" of muddy muck and the big tires on the fat bike went right through without too much drama.   Once I hit the fire road, I encountered a big 50 mile trail race in progress.  It was a relay and there were about 100 people standing up at the saddle, very strange.  So I dove off course down the Shingletown Rd, a grassy, fast descent.  There aren't any large rocks in this trail, but lots of small, high frequency bumps to jiggle you loose on the way down.  Again, this bike is NOT a full susp bike.   

I then turned up Pine Swamp Rd, across on 26, and started to explore more forest service roads I had not been on before.   I found a snowmobile trail, Pump Station Rd, that was a grassy, rocky climb for 1.5 miles on 10% to 20% steady grades.   I put the bike in its lower gears and went in to rock-crawler mode. I made it up the long ascent without too much effort, but it was slow going.   Once over the top of Tussey Ridge, I went down a switch-backy fire road down to PA Furnace on Rte 45.  Parts of the road are nicely graded forest road, then without warning, it turns in to a rocky jeep trail, again with an impromptu stream running down it.  I've never seen anything like this before, it is almost as if the nice road disappears in to someones 4x4 play course.   

Not wanting to ride back to town on 10 miles of road, I went back up the gap and hooked up with a long, straight, amazingly flat forest service road that ran the length of the ridge.  I dumped out on Pine Grove Mountain and made my way back to town.

Overall the bike did great.  It is a great choice for this kind of adventuring.  Probably my full susp GF SF100 would have been a better bike, I had plenty of fun on the mukluk.   It was also nice to discover new dirt roads and trails I had not been on before.   I can't wait to go back to explore more of this area.

AEP Adventure Ride

This Saturday I took my new fatbike out for an adventure.  Two years ago, I had visited the AEP Recreation Land on my motorcycle and have always wanted to go back.  The area is a reclaimed strip mine .  It is amazing to think what happened in this area not too long ago.

 

The "Big Muskie", a single ginormous shovel, moved more than twice the material in this part of Ohio than was moved in the entire Panama Canal.  I believe the bucket, which is large enough to hold a two-story house, is still on display.  It is hard to imagine what this area was like during the heyday of mining.  It must have been an abomination and the world truly looked like it was coming to an end.  

Now it seems beautiful, but also not quite real.  It definitely does not feel like Ohio, something just seems out of place.  But if definitely is beautiful and an enjoyable area to ride through.

The area looks more like a savannah with wide open areas of grasslands.  I can't quite figure it out.  Maybe they mow it?  The grass wasn't that high.  Or maybe the soil is so mineral-poor that things just don't grow well?  I had a few moments of cutting across the prairie and the soil underneath was often very gravelly.


Lots of the area is typical gravel and dirt roads.  When it is dry, like it was yesterday, the going is quite pleasant.  I can imagine it gets pretty messy when it is wet.  Some of the area had double-track from old roads that are growing back into the prairie.  There were some areas where "bushwacking" was necessary.


My new fatbike was a real joy.  It is definitely a different frame of mind.  This is not a fast bike, and if you need to go fast, get something else.  It can go if you pedal it - I did maintain 15-20 mph on the pavement.  But going uphill it is slow.  It is a 34lbs bike afterall with very wide tires.  They worked great on the dirt and gravel.  And were perfect for the few cross-prarie moments.  There we just a few wet spots with a marshy feel; the Mukluk went right on through without problem.


But at the end of the day, there is no denying that a cross bike or a fast (rigid) mountain bike would be the perfect tool for the job here.  Fatbike was ok, but if I went with a group, I'd have to be in better shape or they'd have to be patient.

On this beautiful fall day, the area was full of outdoors people.  Hunters, campers, fishermen, and 4x4 types.  I'm glad lots of folks are out using the area.  I wonder what it is like in winter.




Here is a movie of the whole adventure:

Going Fat

I got fat this week.  My friend JG found a Mukluk at a very low price in MN.  A couple of phone calls later, and I had a 2011 Mukluk coming my way in the mail.  It arrived on Monday and I put it together that night.  The wheels are just ginormous, almost comical.  

It rides surprisingly normal.  Yes it is heavy, but if you are willing to dial the speed back just a little, there isn't much this bike can go through.  What I didn't anticipate is the level of notoriety it commands.  Everyone turns their heads and stares at you and the bike in disbelief.   I had become accustomed to being a bit more anonymous on my bike, not so with this one.  Everyone notices you.

Mount Vernon Adventure Ride

After losing another Saturday to work, I was eager to recharge my spiritual batteries in the saddle on Sunday.  I decided to take the SS Karate Monkey out -- I just can't seem to get enough of that bike.  Commuting, grocery store runs, road rides with the more sedate crowd, and adventure rides.  This bike seems happy to do it all.

This was definitely a stop-and-smell-the-roses kind of ride.  I wasn't in a hurry and had no real agenda.  I had a 104 mile route mapped out, but then decided to do more putzin and explorin rather than making time on a long century.  I took a handful of photos and quite a bit of video footage.  I forgot my Go Pro so I had to use the cell phone.

I had to stop early and take this picture.  I think the color and texture both caught my eye.  Maybe it was this picture which set the tone for a leisurely ride.  

I discovered a great series of dirt backroads near Mount Vernon.  I had a great time exploring.  The dampness from the last few days helped keep the road firm and dust free.   Just on the outskirts of town, I  encountered the "Heart of Ohio" Trail.  I didn't know that it extended West of Mount Vernon.  This is part of the larger Rails to Trails effort to connect Cleveland with Cincinnati.  This particular part exists as an overgrown foot path.  Turns out the Karate Monkey was right at home.   Apparently the trail goes all the way to Centerberg.  I'll go back later to scope the whole thing, maybe on a snow day!

After a lunch stop in Mount Vernon, I hit the Kokosing Gap Trail for a short ways.  Got bored and split off for the hills.  And hills they were, lots  of them.  Gave me a good workout on the 34x17 stock gearing.  I made a vimeo video of the day's excursions.  Check it out here.


Mt Vernon Adventure Ride from Matt Kretchmar on Vimeo.