Sounds harder than it is... BUTT I have to actually complete the ride first haha. I'm worried about a mid-ride Zion climb honestly. There will be no PRs in the making of this ride.
Moon Shadows are Evil
- Thread starter stb222
- Start date
Sounds harder than it is... BUTT I have to actually complete the ride first haha. I'm worried about a mid-ride Zion climb honestly. There will be no PRs in the making of this ride.
Yes as long as they come on a CAAD or something im game!
My bike doesn't have a spot for a rear der so I'm SOL.
oofa!
can't believe you went out in that. saw Caroline from HG made that loop on sunday. not sure which group she was in. hoping there is a nice 3 days of dry heading into this...
pretty sure you'll gap us before the climb up hollow.....ss dave, rick hasn't ridden in a big group, and i be xxl atm. But looking forward to saying hello.
can't believe you went out in that. saw Caroline from HG made that loop on sunday. not sure which group she was in. hoping there is a nice 3 days of dry heading into this...
pretty sure you'll gap us before the climb up hollow.....ss dave, rick hasn't ridden in a big group, and i be xxl atm. But looking forward to saying hello.
Pre Hell
In response to not doing my normal amount of riding BECAUSE babies, I attempted to up the intensity of my riding in the weeks because the original HOH date. While I was disappointed the original date was cancelled due to snow, it gave me 2 extra weeks to whip my ass into something that resembled the form I would like to be in and with the onset of some nicer weather I was able to start throwing down some harder stuff. The scale has started being nicer and I am now reaching the lower 160’s again, which is good that it isn’t going the other way. But with only 5-8 hours of saddle time, there wasn’t much I could do to address the obvious lack of anything past the 1.5 hour mark, but it isn’t like I was doing long ride pre-baby so I guess it isn’t that much different.
In riding related baby news, they are now sleeping from 10pm to 8am consistently, so this opens the door for pre-work rides. This is bittersweet as it is my preferred time to ride because I can do longer rides and it is before whatever SHIT is going to happen that day but now I am back to darkness and colder temps (damn it, it was in the 30’s on Monday when I rode but the full moon made up for it) just when the lunchtime temps are starting to be nice. Oh well, I can still do lunch rides but at least I can ride in the morning if know lunch isn’t going to happen, which wasn’t an option a few months ago. I can also get back to my rides more in the low hills than what I can touch at lunch as my climbing is what has been hurt the most from my current riding. That being said, after 7 months of getting up at whatever hour and sleeping until 6:45, I am having a little trouble getting back in the swing of early rising so my rides haven’t been much longer. MEH.
HOH
In the week before HOH, it was one of those weeks where it seems I could ride whenever and I took advantage and did some harder rides to keep the lions moving , had a double day and maybe over did it a tad. I get up that morning and feel on the sluggish side and the coffee I had in my house tasted like poop. I was going to run out and get some but time was at a premium. Get out of the house without waking everyone and chill riding to the start. Do my best to avoid the wind and am semi-successful. See @jdog and Bob outside and then checked in. While putting my number on, I watched some guy strategically placed enough stuff in his pockets for a 3 day ride and thought there was no way he could get anything out of said pockets after they were packed .Back outside, I am not seeing anyone and am standing in the second group. I see @rick81721 from a distance and then the rest of the mtbnj crew but I don’t see rick by the time I make my way around the barrier. Take the annual “kevin is real” picture with @BiknBen, @capers, @pooriggy, @SpartaBard, @ChrisG and @Chris26er, @cem is there somewhere too which has been the fairly consistent HOH crew the past few years (thanks @BiknBen!) and settle the discussion of how to say my last name (222) to which @ChrisG apparently was correct.
So after freezing in the wind waiting for the start, we are off in the second wave. We are chilling and then I am informed that everyone else is skipping Dutchtown about 100’ before the turn where they are going straight. Meh, I am riding the whole loop so I bury myself a bit to ride this little section (which was in horrible condition BTW and really showed how horrible roadies are in the rough) and try and catch back up and I see in the fly-by that they did wait for a tad. So all week I was saying to not get caught alone on Wertsville alone given the wind diurection and while I was actually talking about the second section of Wertsville, I was left chasing down Montgomery, Wertsville and Rileyville with a solid headwind and I definitely burned a match there. Luckily, about a half mile from Rileville, I jumped on a train of two cross guys who were each roughly 7’ tall, so sitting in was nice. They towed me half way up Rileyville and I passed them to soon find @capers. I try to give him a push but that is above my pay grade, so I move on to find the rest of the group. I attack them once I find them and no one wants to play so I soft pedal and rejoin. Had a nice group for the windy death section of Wertsville, Boss and whatever that next road is and found that sitting behind Bard doesn’t do too much but he does take some solid pulls in this section. @capers died somewhere in there and I was left alone as the others waited so I just casually climbed Pine Hill where most of the group caught back up. Featherbed was the last place I was worried about getting murdered by the wind and there was a pseudo group where I could sit on some wheels. Twice the guy in front of me was pushed back by the wind and I almost crossed wheels with him but thankfully, did not. I was ready to boogy on 519 and tried to get jdog to motor pace us on the motorcycle sadly he just braaaappp’d on by. I knew there was a small climb before the rest stop so I cruised up the hill and pulled in (Side note, I thought the first rest stop was a bit too far into the ride).
Didn’t stay around long and left with Ben and Capers and put up the windsails 29 after the always teeth chattering downhill on Stompf Road.
Straight Arming for Life
On the next dirt section, Worman, @Capers died and @BiknBen stays with him to make sure he doesn’t die 4 real. So most people know my deal on these longer group rides, I usually leave everyone for dead at some point and while I didn’t plan to leave anyone for dead on this day, this was the point where it was like, ok, I just need to push the second half out. So from here on out it was see someone up ahead, catch them and move on. Everyone was either dead or dying so I was only passed by one person who said he flatted in the front group. I tried to hold his wheel but couldn’t and he was off. I would say the last 35 miles I only passed maybe 15 people, if that. Knowing the route so well I knew exactly what was coming, which is good and bad as I knew where every little bit of hill and knew Hopewell-Amwell and Lindbergh were going to be the suck. Normally these climbs, especially Lindbergh which is a “feel good” climb being that you can ride up it fastly but having it in the last 5 miles of this loop is just plan mean. I did stop to take this picture before Linbergh to document how nice of a day it was and is a place I have taken a picture from numerous times.
I chased one guy up Lindbergh and passed him right on the kicker at the end and then it was smooth sailing from there. I was c-blocked a little bit on Spring Hill by a truck that pulled out just before the downhill but going that fast still feels good at the end of a hard ride.
So that was it, another HOH in the books. As always a great day in the books. HOH always reminds me that I shouldn't be a dick online because people are normal in real life. I felt good and didn’t completely die and had some good conversations with the mtbnj peeps at the end. The ride home was mainly a death march but did a good job of not getting murdered by the wind and in the end thought that 17 avg for the century was decent.
In response to not doing my normal amount of riding BECAUSE babies, I attempted to up the intensity of my riding in the weeks because the original HOH date. While I was disappointed the original date was cancelled due to snow, it gave me 2 extra weeks to whip my ass into something that resembled the form I would like to be in and with the onset of some nicer weather I was able to start throwing down some harder stuff. The scale has started being nicer and I am now reaching the lower 160’s again, which is good that it isn’t going the other way. But with only 5-8 hours of saddle time, there wasn’t much I could do to address the obvious lack of anything past the 1.5 hour mark, but it isn’t like I was doing long ride pre-baby so I guess it isn’t that much different.
In riding related baby news, they are now sleeping from 10pm to 8am consistently, so this opens the door for pre-work rides. This is bittersweet as it is my preferred time to ride because I can do longer rides and it is before whatever SHIT is going to happen that day but now I am back to darkness and colder temps (damn it, it was in the 30’s on Monday when I rode but the full moon made up for it) just when the lunchtime temps are starting to be nice. Oh well, I can still do lunch rides but at least I can ride in the morning if know lunch isn’t going to happen, which wasn’t an option a few months ago. I can also get back to my rides more in the low hills than what I can touch at lunch as my climbing is what has been hurt the most from my current riding. That being said, after 7 months of getting up at whatever hour and sleeping until 6:45, I am having a little trouble getting back in the swing of early rising so my rides haven’t been much longer. MEH.
HOH
In the week before HOH, it was one of those weeks where it seems I could ride whenever and I took advantage and did some harder rides to keep the lions moving , had a double day and maybe over did it a tad. I get up that morning and feel on the sluggish side and the coffee I had in my house tasted like poop. I was going to run out and get some but time was at a premium. Get out of the house without waking everyone and chill riding to the start. Do my best to avoid the wind and am semi-successful. See @jdog and Bob outside and then checked in. While putting my number on, I watched some guy strategically placed enough stuff in his pockets for a 3 day ride and thought there was no way he could get anything out of said pockets after they were packed .Back outside, I am not seeing anyone and am standing in the second group. I see @rick81721 from a distance and then the rest of the mtbnj crew but I don’t see rick by the time I make my way around the barrier. Take the annual “kevin is real” picture with @BiknBen, @capers, @pooriggy, @SpartaBard, @ChrisG and @Chris26er, @cem is there somewhere too which has been the fairly consistent HOH crew the past few years (thanks @BiknBen!) and settle the discussion of how to say my last name (222) to which @ChrisG apparently was correct.
So after freezing in the wind waiting for the start, we are off in the second wave. We are chilling and then I am informed that everyone else is skipping Dutchtown about 100’ before the turn where they are going straight. Meh, I am riding the whole loop so I bury myself a bit to ride this little section (which was in horrible condition BTW and really showed how horrible roadies are in the rough) and try and catch back up and I see in the fly-by that they did wait for a tad. So all week I was saying to not get caught alone on Wertsville alone given the wind diurection and while I was actually talking about the second section of Wertsville, I was left chasing down Montgomery, Wertsville and Rileyville with a solid headwind and I definitely burned a match there. Luckily, about a half mile from Rileville, I jumped on a train of two cross guys who were each roughly 7’ tall, so sitting in was nice. They towed me half way up Rileyville and I passed them to soon find @capers. I try to give him a push but that is above my pay grade, so I move on to find the rest of the group. I attack them once I find them and no one wants to play so I soft pedal and rejoin. Had a nice group for the windy death section of Wertsville, Boss and whatever that next road is and found that sitting behind Bard doesn’t do too much but he does take some solid pulls in this section. @capers died somewhere in there and I was left alone as the others waited so I just casually climbed Pine Hill where most of the group caught back up. Featherbed was the last place I was worried about getting murdered by the wind and there was a pseudo group where I could sit on some wheels. Twice the guy in front of me was pushed back by the wind and I almost crossed wheels with him but thankfully, did not. I was ready to boogy on 519 and tried to get jdog to motor pace us on the motorcycle sadly he just braaaappp’d on by. I knew there was a small climb before the rest stop so I cruised up the hill and pulled in (Side note, I thought the first rest stop was a bit too far into the ride).
Didn’t stay around long and left with Ben and Capers and put up the windsails 29 after the always teeth chattering downhill on Stompf Road.
Straight Arming for Life
On the next dirt section, Worman, @Capers died and @BiknBen stays with him to make sure he doesn’t die 4 real. So most people know my deal on these longer group rides, I usually leave everyone for dead at some point and while I didn’t plan to leave anyone for dead on this day, this was the point where it was like, ok, I just need to push the second half out. So from here on out it was see someone up ahead, catch them and move on. Everyone was either dead or dying so I was only passed by one person who said he flatted in the front group. I tried to hold his wheel but couldn’t and he was off. I would say the last 35 miles I only passed maybe 15 people, if that. Knowing the route so well I knew exactly what was coming, which is good and bad as I knew where every little bit of hill and knew Hopewell-Amwell and Lindbergh were going to be the suck. Normally these climbs, especially Lindbergh which is a “feel good” climb being that you can ride up it fastly but having it in the last 5 miles of this loop is just plan mean. I did stop to take this picture before Linbergh to document how nice of a day it was and is a place I have taken a picture from numerous times.
I chased one guy up Lindbergh and passed him right on the kicker at the end and then it was smooth sailing from there. I was c-blocked a little bit on Spring Hill by a truck that pulled out just before the downhill but going that fast still feels good at the end of a hard ride.
So that was it, another HOH in the books. As always a great day in the books. HOH always reminds me that I shouldn't be a dick online because people are normal in real life. I felt good and didn’t completely die and had some good conversations with the mtbnj peeps at the end. The ride home was mainly a death march but did a good job of not getting murdered by the wind and in the end thought that 17 avg for the century was decent.
You should try to come to some mtb races dick.
rick81721
Lothar
Great recap - I'm hoping next year I'll have some guys to ride with, would've really helped. At times I didn't know where the hell I was, just kept following the yellow/black arrows. I re-gained bearings on 29 but after that I was lost again. For some reason (should've looked at the map more) I thought we'd be on Cherry Valley for a long stretch so Aunt Molly came up as a total surprise. Hopewell-Amwell hump was mean, I seriously considered taking the easier route and going up Province Line but it was so close to end I said fuggit and kept going straight.
Nice recap. very comprehensive. I did not know that some of your crew did not ride the whole course. It was my first HoH, and I was not taking any shortcuts. Except for the high winds, riding solo was great because I didn't have to worry about blowing up and getting dropped by a riding group. I had never ridden any of those roads before, so I never really knew where I was, how long any of the hills were, or how much farther the rest stops were ahead.
I agree with your side note:
But maybe this was because my bike computer worked intermittently, so I never had a good handle on distances. Wearing full fingered mtb gloves, it was a pain to get at my phone and remove gloves while riding to check Strava or look at cue sheet that I had to keep in pocket because of winds and pot-marked dirt roads.
I agree with your side note:
But maybe this was because my bike computer worked intermittently, so I never had a good handle on distances. Wearing full fingered mtb gloves, it was a pain to get at my phone and remove gloves while riding to check Strava or look at cue sheet that I had to keep in pocket because of winds and pot-marked dirt roads.
rick81721
Lothar
So you're saying that you're a combination of Larry David, Oscar the Grouch, Triumph the Insult Dog and Debbie Downer? Seems about right 😉
Seriously, as a 20 year veteran of another forum, this place needs more Kevins and more ball busting. Just one guy's opinion
Critical Kevin
So in response to posting this thread, I was publicly addressed by the big cheese that I am on thin ice, once again.
So this always leads to some reflection on what brought this about as it is typically not a single event. Overall I think I have been pretty good with adding valuable content and adding some entertainment content. In the end, I will directly address the recent catalyst to my potential impending ban:
Short Track
Stepping back a few weeks, MTBNJ was hosting the short track series on the tail end of a very bad winter. Having ridden through all the crap and seeing what on and off road conditions were, I was pessimistic on how this could be pulled off. I also stated my objection to painting a picture that somehow these trails were in much better condition and ride-able compared to every other trail system in the state, even Wharton which was not left out of winters snowy touch. In the end the team made a crazy effort to actually shovel trails and made something out of a really crappy situation, to which I already addressed and I was called out.
Post
Oh Those GIFs
So jump forward to someone asking how to join the team to which I posted this after some pushing from more than one team member both on and off public view.
Sure this was pushing the boundaries, hence my initial hesitation but it wasn't like I was hiding from anything as I @’ed the people in charge on the response (note that the @ is an excellent addition in functionality of the site) and man was that a damn funny gif. In all honestly did @Norm and @bonefishjake not laugh at this gif? And if they didn’t, I am sure more than a few had a good laugh from it. OK, this definitely moves into the offensive to woman and conservative people so bad on me.
Also posted this unrelated to really anything other than I found it when looking for a gif for something else and at first glance thought it looked like @Norm.
So here we are
From what I remember, these are the recent things, outside my history of being a/an [Insert your preferred term for me here], I did an assessment here for you if you like, which I am not sure there was a conclusion.
I am not going down that self-assessment track again but I do offer the reason why we come here:
Information on trails / bikes / training / etc.
Connection to the cycling community
ENTERTAINMENT
Sure, the first two are the core foundation of why someone would search out MTBNJ but in the end, entertainment value is a huge part of why someone posts their training in blog form as it is a way for people to learn and follow them but also it is something to take our minds away from whatever we are working on / doing. I think some people can appreciate that even though they may not think that entertainment is part of it. So posting the negative people article is obviously not 100% serious as I am sure one can get along perfectly fine without negative people but is that the reality of life? No. It just simply isn’t. Sure you can choose to ignore it, but that doesn’t make it go away. I also don’t embrace it but I will not ignore that I am a critical person and I think I have something to offer with that in both information AND adding some entertainment / fun / ball busting to a thread. I will note that I am not completely disruptive and I am not out their trolling threads and just bashing random stuff. The responses I have I either have some history with the topic or person or have something valuable to add. So I push the boundaries of a reasonable good board member at times but overall I think I play the part that others don’t want to because they don’t want to be a “dick”. Honestly I think I add a good perspective with the history of the types of riding I do/have done, the bikes, gear and clothing I have tried and my tell-it-like it is approach. Take that for what it is.
The end of the beginning
I have no idea what that sub-title means but I think it makes me sound like I know beyond what I can see as I type here. So to directly respond to the one more and gone forever situation I find myself in, I only ask one thing, that it is a forum decision. If I have become so toxic to MTBNJ in such a way that I simply add nothing but and disruptive / bad / offensive content, by all means, put up the wall; however please make it a decision based on the majority decision of the active members of the MTBNJ forums and not simply that I pissed off the boss. I am not out to please nor piss-off @Norm with everything I post and I don’t think he expects me to do that but if the people speak; I will rid this place of myself.
With that being said, I appreciate those who see my posts for what they are and have made that know both publically and off the site. You are the ones that get it.
So in response to posting this thread, I was publicly addressed by the big cheese that I am on thin ice, once again.
So this always leads to some reflection on what brought this about as it is typically not a single event. Overall I think I have been pretty good with adding valuable content and adding some entertainment content. In the end, I will directly address the recent catalyst to my potential impending ban:
Short Track
Stepping back a few weeks, MTBNJ was hosting the short track series on the tail end of a very bad winter. Having ridden through all the crap and seeing what on and off road conditions were, I was pessimistic on how this could be pulled off. I also stated my objection to painting a picture that somehow these trails were in much better condition and ride-able compared to every other trail system in the state, even Wharton which was not left out of winters snowy touch. In the end the team made a crazy effort to actually shovel trails and made something out of a really crappy situation, to which I already addressed and I was called out.
Post
Response
Oh Those GIFs
So jump forward to someone asking how to join the team to which I posted this after some pushing from more than one team member both on and off public view.
Sure this was pushing the boundaries, hence my initial hesitation but it wasn't like I was hiding from anything as I @’ed the people in charge on the response (note that the @ is an excellent addition in functionality of the site) and man was that a damn funny gif. In all honestly did @Norm and @bonefishjake not laugh at this gif? And if they didn’t, I am sure more than a few had a good laugh from it. OK, this definitely moves into the offensive to woman and conservative people so bad on me.
Also posted this unrelated to really anything other than I found it when looking for a gif for something else and at first glance thought it looked like @Norm.
So here we are
From what I remember, these are the recent things, outside my history of being a/an [Insert your preferred term for me here], I did an assessment here for you if you like, which I am not sure there was a conclusion.
I am not going down that self-assessment track again but I do offer the reason why we come here:
Information on trails / bikes / training / etc.
Connection to the cycling community
ENTERTAINMENT
Sure, the first two are the core foundation of why someone would search out MTBNJ but in the end, entertainment value is a huge part of why someone posts their training in blog form as it is a way for people to learn and follow them but also it is something to take our minds away from whatever we are working on / doing. I think some people can appreciate that even though they may not think that entertainment is part of it. So posting the negative people article is obviously not 100% serious as I am sure one can get along perfectly fine without negative people but is that the reality of life? No. It just simply isn’t. Sure you can choose to ignore it, but that doesn’t make it go away. I also don’t embrace it but I will not ignore that I am a critical person and I think I have something to offer with that in both information AND adding some entertainment / fun / ball busting to a thread. I will note that I am not completely disruptive and I am not out their trolling threads and just bashing random stuff. The responses I have I either have some history with the topic or person or have something valuable to add. So I push the boundaries of a reasonable good board member at times but overall I think I play the part that others don’t want to because they don’t want to be a “dick”. Honestly I think I add a good perspective with the history of the types of riding I do/have done, the bikes, gear and clothing I have tried and my tell-it-like it is approach. Take that for what it is.
The end of the beginning
I have no idea what that sub-title means but I think it makes me sound like I know beyond what I can see as I type here. So to directly respond to the one more and gone forever situation I find myself in, I only ask one thing, that it is a forum decision. If I have become so toxic to MTBNJ in such a way that I simply add nothing but and disruptive / bad / offensive content, by all means, put up the wall; however please make it a decision based on the majority decision of the active members of the MTBNJ forums and not simply that I pissed off the boss. I am not out to please nor piss-off @Norm with everything I post and I don’t think he expects me to do that but if the people speak; I will rid this place of myself.
With that being said, I appreciate those who see my posts for what they are and have made that know both publically and off the site. You are the ones that get it.
Quite honestly you have been more then helpful on more then one occasion for me, where we never met. Yet you have offered true kindness. I never think of you and wish you would just go away, in fact I enjoy your post. I look at it as oh Kevin is being Kevin just like Iggy is just being Iggy. Different personalities our just they are. I still can't figure out what was so bad about your latest post unless Norm is so caught up in shedding negativity that only kittens and puppies in beds of flowers are allowed in here. Maybe the ones who are so offended should give it back to you and let you know what a complete jerk you sounded like instead of hiding behind a PM or a text button. Just my opinion.
rick81721
Lothar
I am a relative newbie here and people probably don't care what I think but here goes. Kevin and I had our differences earlier but I have since grown to really appreciate his input and humor. As a newcomer to cycling as well Kevin has given me (publically and privately) excellent advice that has really helped my enjoyment and appreciation of this sport. As I have alluded to in previous posts I am a long-term (20 years) member of another unrelated board, and one of the key reasons I've been a member so long is that the community is a lot of fun and a significant amount of said fun comes by way of ball busting - anyone and everyone. Life is too short to get offended by things posted on an internet board, especially when there is not malicious intent behind it. If Kevin is banned I think this would be a lesser place. In summary:
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/54339246.jpg
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
I take a shit ton of abuse from Kevin and i know he is trying to help and point out things to save me from myself in his own dick way. He does pick and choose when he is that way and I find it extremely amusing even when I am the target. So if I think it's funny, I'm good with it and I'll even play along for the sake of entertainment. If I don't think its funny - I'll either retaliate or ignore him for a while.
Either way, the short time I know Kevin, he is good peeps in my book
For every positive person, we need a negative even if it offends people. That is reality and what makes the world turn. And it's healthy to have some out of line stuff happen - BUT - make sure you apologize.
Vote to keep STB222
Either way, the short time I know Kevin, he is good peeps in my book
For every positive person, we need a negative even if it offends people. That is reality and what makes the world turn. And it's healthy to have some out of line stuff happen - BUT - make sure you apologize.
Vote to keep STB222