Mohican Morning

Ryan and I made it down to Mohican first thing in the morning and got in a nice ride.  It was a little chilly when we started but we warmed up quickly.  I always enjoy an early morning ride with the light and trees in the woods.

About 45 degrees when we started.  Always

thankful for the first uphill mile on

cooler morning.

Light show!

OMBC Race Photo

During the race Saturday I remember seeing a photographer in the first rock on the state park loop.  As I rode by I thought a couple things:

1. I wonder if and where I may find his pictures online after the race?

2. I wonder how stupid of a face I could have been making as I passed by him and heard the camera snapping.

Fortunately, I easily found Butch Phillips Photography from the OMBC web site.  Even more fortunately, I didn't look too odd in the picture he posted of me. :-)

Racing.

OMBC Mohican Race Report

It's a first for me.  I've never done an OMBC race but decided to give it a go at Mohican, the second race of this year's series.  So far this year I have ridden at Mohican exactly zero times and only been on a mountain bike twice, for about 3 total laps at the Knob.  But on the positive side, I've been consistent on OCC rides and have felt pretty good. Trail riding, however, is a lot different than the road.

Trusty steed, except all those dropped chains.

Ten minutes after noon, when the expert riders rolled out, I lined up at the start line with the sport riders.  We were in for a full lap plus the trails/roads to get us to from the Mohican Adventures start line.  Shortly after leaving the start line we hit a gravel, steep uphill piece of singletrack and the bunch clogged up.  Off the bike and pushing but we were going again shortly.

Though I didn't want to go out too hard I think I may have.  I was passing riders in the first five miles only to later be passed by them.  Maybe do that different next time.  At the start line I had eaten two thirds of a Cliff Bar and I finished eating that five or six miles in.  On the downhills to the covered bridge I was feeling bold and was flying along pretty good.  I passed a couple guys on the downhill.

Crossing the covered bridge I sucked down half a GU and then started the climb. Maybe it was the aggressive downhill, but I didn't feel able to attack the climb like normal.  More likely, it's a lack of trail riding.  I felt like I really had to monitor my pace not to pop.

Coming into Trailhead B I felt pretty decent thanks to keeping it in check up the climb.  I refilled a bottle with some ice cold water.  It was the warmest day of the year so far and I was feeling it a little. I poured a bottle down my back and it took my breath away.  A handful of dried apricots and cashews gave me some good flavors.

From Trailhead B to the mile 19 crossing I was going pretty good. Unfortunately I dropped my chain about the second or third time of the day.  Something's up with my drivetrain as my 1x10 was doing quite well last year.  The Type 2 rear derailleur was doing it's thing but not today.  I dropped the chain at least four times.  The cost me five or so minutes I suppose, but I didn't get too rattled by it.

After mile 19 road crossing I sucked down another half GU and kept it truckin' best I could.  I felt like I was either going really fast or really slow, depending on terrain.  My bike handling was pretty good today.  I was keeping off the brakes and cornering well.  Some of the hills bogged me down a little.

Coming down to the campground I let a guy pass me just before a switchback only to see him crash right in front of me.  I cornered through on the inside line and he said "I'll follow you, I've never ridden here before."  Yeah, good idea.

As we crossed the bridge to campground my chain dropped again and rode away.  That one sucked as I would have liked to push to the finish with him.  After the section of trail along the campground I popped out at the start of the State Park loop.  Hmmm... I really had no idea how the race finished from here, but soon found out.

We went part way up the opening climb before branching off to the Mohican Adventure property.  There was a super punchy exit I was not at all prepared for and ended up hike-a-biking with several other guys.  Then there were a bunch of gravel roads, a sharp right I missed and had to circle back for, and some other varied gravel campground roads.  There was more racing in the campgrounds than what I expected but now I know.

I cranked down a gravel road to the finish line and crossed 2:40:XX after starting.  Cool!  My goal was to be less than 3 hours and I thought 2:45 would be a good challenge, though I had no idea how much the additional trail beyond the State Park loop would add.  I was mostly pleased with my effort and it was a perfect day for a mountain bike race!

Easter Dirt Ride

Easter weekend and we have a full schedule.  Fortunately I planned ahead and had my bike and gear ready to go for a trip to Mohican between a soccer game and birthday party.

Ready and waiting. 

There were a good number of cars in the parking lot.  I'm guessing there were more than a few Mohican 100 racers out on training rides.  The weather was just perfect, 55 degrees and sunny, as I rolled out.

I was not certain how much I was going to ride today, but I did a better job of packing food for this ride than the last.  About five miles in a downed a GU and was feeling good vibes about going for a full lap.  My handling seemed to be on today and I was enjoying front suspension.  The gears were nice too.

Coming up to the covered bridge I met two fisherman who looked to be having a good day.  I stopped and chatted for a couple minutes as I admired their catch.

Easter dinner?

After adding some more food to the tank I started up the climb and continued to feel good.  I reached the second trailhead and was excited to see the trail ahead was open.  At this point I figured I would ride down to mile 19 and see how I felt.

 Feeling good in the pine forest.

At 19 I crossed the road and stopped for my last bit of food.  May as well keep it going now.  Within a mile I was slowing down and felt some pending leg cramps.  After a little bit of slower riding I seemed to recover and felt a good push to the finish.

It was a much better ride than my last one at Mohican and I really enjoyed the day.  It was a nice time out in God's creation the day before celebrating our risen saviour!

Tough at Mohican

Sunny and nearly 60 degrees.  The weather was nice but will the trail be dry?  I headed to Mohican to find out.

Plenty of brown leaves on the ground.

In the first 5 miles there were a couple wet puddles to be found but it was overall pretty good.  The woods felt more like fall than spring.  Lots of brown and not much green.

Spring has not yet sprung.

There were a few other cars in the parking lot with bike racks but the only people I encountered on the trail were runners.  Arriving at the covered bridge there were lots of parked cars and people hiking about.  It was a nice afternoon to be outside.

As I started up the Mt. Doom climb I realized it was going to be a challenge on the single speed.  Seems I should have packed some food to go with my water.  I kept it going the whole way but had some slow speed, low cadence pedal grinding along the way.  I was glad to make it around all the switchbacks without stalling.

Trailhead B.

At the second trail head I reached the closed section of trail and rode out to SR97.  I probably would have been wise to take the road back to the parking lot and been satisfied for the day, but I turned up the park road and got back on the trail at mile 19.

Good thing for glasses or this would've

been a direct pupil shot of mud!

The next four miles were tough.  I was pretty worn down and without energy; I might even call it a mini bonk.  Why didn't I bring food?  Not sure.  Oh well, it was still a good roll through the woods.  The rigid singlespeed mostly kicked my butt.  I was probably not riding very efficient either, as my handling skills seemed to be absent today.  I limited the damage and arrived back to the car glad for the ride!

Worn out legs!

Mohican Snow - plan B

Ryan and I went down to Mohican in hopes of some trail riding.  The roads were clear on the way down, but we have 8 to 10" in the yards.  We were hoping for some tracks to follow on the trail, but I got a bad feeling when we pulled in the parking lot.  First, we didn't park in the MTB parking lot as it had never been plowed.  Second, there were a couple guys on mountain bikes riding in circles in the lot but not heading to the trail head.  Eventually they headed out on the road.  Not a good sign.

We got out of the car and realized there were no tracks in the snow heading into the woods from the parking lot.  Was it even rideable?  We gave it a try, which the other guys apparently did not, and our progress was measured in feet.  This is no good.  After a few minutes of playing around we realized it was going to be a road ride, on mountain bikes.

Cinders on back roads.

Not having planned a route, we headed for Landoll's castle.  It quickly became clear it was a good thing we were on mountain bikes.  These roads would not have been fun or even safe on a cross bike.  There was a good layer of crunched snow.

Not much clear pavement.

It was in the 20's but staying warm was not a problem.  There was some windy beat downs from time to time, depending on which way we headed and how many trees were around.  We got in several good climbs that had me standing on the singlespeed to keep her going.  It was a good workout and felt like a longer ride than it was.  Not bad for a plan B!

Windy in the open!

Breaking Trail to Close 2013

It's the final day of the year, and I really want to go for one last 2013 ride.  The weather is not cooperating.  It's 20 degrees, 20mph wind, snowy, and a "feels like" of 6.

I pile on my warmest layers, adding an extra upper layer and a balaclava.  Wow, I haven't busted out the full face coverage in a while.  At the least I'm going to Mohican for a short loop.

Loaded up.

It's cold in the parking lot as I pull down my bike and put on overboats.  I really should have gotten fully dressed at home instead of in the parking lot.  I'm cold as I jump on the bike and start to pedal.  The first mile should warm me up.

There were no other cars in the parking lot and I'm making the only set of tracks on the snow covered trail.  By mile 1 my core is warm and by mile 2 my hands and feet are too.  Hey, this is fun!  The snow is providing some excellent traction.

Making tracks.

The wind is not as cutting in the woods.  I enjoy the sound of snow crunching under my tires.  Several miles in I look up and swear I see a rider pass.  Weird, how is someone ahead of me?  Maybe he's off trail?  There's no other tracks out here.  Snow mirage?

No problems staying warm.  My glasses are fogging from time to time and I pull the face mask under my chin.  The air is cold to breathe.  It feels better with the mask over my mouth.

I stop to take a picture and hear a rider coming behind me.  I figure out he was the mirage and was behind me on a twisty section of trail when I saw him earlier.  He complains of cold feet as I invite him to ride ahead as I take a picture.

Rare sun on this ride.

About six miles in I turn 180 to back track.  The trail is new on the way back.  I enjoy seeing our tracks in the snow and monitor how often the other guy took a different line than me, not often.  I'm also amused by how often I take a different line in the reverse direction, sometimes.

I pass another rider on the way back.  He is in better spirits and having fun.  Maybe it's the Stairway to Heaven blasting from his Camelbak.  I do not understand why someone wants to ride in the woods and blare music.  I like the sounds of the outside.  I can listen to music anywhere but only the outside... outside.

Almost back to the car.

A truck is pulling into the parking lot as I ride in.  It's some Soupcan guys.  We chat for a bit as they get dressed, in the warm truck, and I get cold standing.  I rack my bike and hop in the front seat to drink some hot coffee I packed in the Coleman thermos.  Oh how good it tastes.  Two steamy cups chase a Pro bar that Santa put in my stocking.  

I'm glad I came down for a ride despite the weather. It's a nice end to 2013!

Mohican Deer

Came around a corner in the first mile and was face to face

with a deer.  I actually had to yell "move!" before it

walked off the trail and stopped to look at me.

Found some nice fungus.

Mohican with DeLuca

Mr. DeLuca and I headed down for a Friday after work ride at Mohican.  It was Mike's first time there and he was having fun on the singletrack.

The new (to me) roof rack is working!

Out and Back

Ryan and I headed down to Mohican for an eight mile out and back ride.  It was a busy day on the trail.  We saw quite a few trail runners and mountain bikers getting in some miles before the races.

Disappearing into the green.

I did a test run with no hydration pack.  My bottles were on the bike and tools in a seat bag.  I think this is going to be my plan for the Mohican 100 next weekend.  It was noticeable not having all the weight on my back and I think this will be a positive for 63 miles of riding.

While the bike/gear setup is looking good I am still concerned about my sore left knee.  It's been nagging me for a couple weeks now.  Icing every night, taking it easy, or taking it hard have not made much of a difference.  At least it's holding steady and not getting worse.  It didn't really seem noticeable during the ride today and hopefully does not detract from my race.  One week to go.

Two bikes on the roof!  It looks

so awkwardly cool.

Mohican Lap and a Half

After last weekend's stomach limited ride at Mohican, I headed down for another attempt at a long one this weekend.  It was the first trip wit the bike on the roof of the 3 instead of hanging off the rear bumper.  The most comforting detail was the sun at my bike on the way down.  I could easily see the bike was still on the roof and had not flown off.

A reassuring shadow.

I set out on a lap and felt okay through Mt. Doom.  Like last week I was cramping around mile 19.  This was not part of the plan but seems to be a reality of the race to come unless I can figure something out.  I do think I spent too much time pedaling seated in the beginning of today's ride.  Too much food at the second trail head also caught up with me, but I worked through that without much issue.  The cramps were the problem.

Back to the car after a lap I spent some time stretching and eating.  I refilled my hydration pack and worked up some motivation to head back out.  As I started a second lap, this time with the camera, I was thinking about some unique wildflowers I noticed on the way down to the covered bridge.  I decided I would at least ride that far and take a picture of them for KT.

I found the flowers and got the picture.

At the covered bridge I was really feeling junky.  Instead of Mt. Doom I took the road, which requires a pretty good effort even though on pavement instead of singletrack.  I jumped back on the trail to connect over to the second trail head.  Legs were dead, cramps were difficult to ignore, and this ride was turning into a slog.  I decided there could not possibly be a positive training effect in this condition and took the road back to the car.

This is how we roll now.

I was beat.  And hungry.  I stopped at the gas station and bought chocolate milk, a bag of cheese, and a steak.  Not a ready to eat steak but a seasoned steak to take home and grill.  It was delicious.

Recovery food, gonna need it.

Mohican Lap

The plan for the morning was to head down to Mohican bright and early for a lap or possibly two.  My ongoing stomach bug of the past week changed my plan and I didn't make it down there until 10.

Lush woods.

It was cool and there was a chance of rain but I thankfully didn't get wet.  I rode the loop and felt mostly okay.  As usual, I felt some cramping tendencies in the last five miles.

Who lost a hat?

Root surfing.

As figured, it was not going to be a double lap day.  Not eating much the past several days was not helping my energy level.  On the way back to the parking lot the Soupcan guys came by.  They had also ridden  lap and were headed down to the Wilderness Course, but my ride was done.

Soupcans heading out.

Mohican Mud

Our schedules and weather aligned.  Ryan and I headed down to Mohican for an off-road ride.

The bikes had not seen each other in a while.

The weather had been a little warmer but I did not expect to find the mud spots we encountered.  It was still a fine afternoon for a ride through the woods.  The temperature was in the upper 30's and I added a vest layer atop my wool jersey for some extra warmth.

No leaves or under story to block the views.

I tried to eat more often to keep some energy going.  At the covered bridge I ate up a homemade energy bar and we got to business on Mount Doom.

Doing some climbin'.

We cut the loop short at about mile 21 and headed back to the car via road.  This gave some opportunity to fling mud of the bikes.  They were still quite dirty upon return to the parking lot.

Wash me!

It was a good early season ride.  My forearms seemed to get as much workout as anything, just holding onto the bars.  Maybe some spring weather will show up for the next ride!

Heading home.

Hyperwarm in a Blizzard

Lately I've been tempted to buy some new cold weather clothing.  Perhaps something with the word "thermo" in the name of it, like a ThermoShield jacket or ThermoTec bib tights.  This morning KT and I had a chance to get out without the kids, thanks Grandma and Grandpa, so amongst other stops we visited a sporting goods store.  After trying on no less than six shirts I settled on a Nike Pro Combat Compression Hyperwarm shirt.  I figured "hyperwarm" was at least equivalent if not superior to "thermo".

Pro Combat?  Who comes up with this stuff?

Driving to Mohican in the afternoon, with my new shirt installed, the skies were mostly sunny and it was around freezing.  Closing in on Loudonville I looked to the west and spotted a mass of dark clouds.  For a few moments I wondered if it was going to rain before realizing it would snow at this temperature.  No worries over a few flurries I figured.

On the first, uphill mile at Mohican it's usually not challenging to stay warm and I certainly did today.  By mile two I was adjusting my outer wind layer to let in some breeze.  I guess I was feeling hyperwarm, the new base layer was getting the job done well.

Frozen ground.

Between miles six and seven I met the only person I would see on the trail today.  He was also riding a singlespeed and had ridden out before turning back to ride the opening miles in reverse.  We chatted a few minutes and headed off our separate ways.  Within ten minutes of our parting it started to snow a little as I started up the climb overlooking the gorge.  Next thing I knew it was a whiteout.

No view into the gorge, just white.  It almost

looked foggy in the distance. 

The snow flakes were big, wet, and numerous.  The view into the gorge was filled with snow, nothing could be seen.  In very little time the ground was covered and it was not letting up.  I decided to turn back under the assumption riding was going to be slow and dicey.  It was.

Deciding to turn back now.

With my tire treads packed with snow it was hard to crank the singlespeed uphill and keep traction.  After  spinning out a few times and putting a foot down my cleats packed with snow too.  Now it was difficult to clip into the pedals and I spent some time banging my feet against a tree to knock the snow pack loose from my shoe soles.  Otherwise, it was really scenic riding in a suddenly changed woods.  A white blanket had been laid down.

On the way out (top).  On the way back (bottom).

For the longest time I didn't see any tracks from the guy I had talked to just before the snow hit.  The snow had been so steady it filled in his tracks.  Eventually I started to see his tread pattern in the snow.  The white stuff had stopped after depositing a couple inches.

Following a track.

Arriving back to the car I was ready for some food.  It hadn't been a long distance ride but I put in the time, especially with slower riding in the snow.  It was a good test of my new shirt and it did well!

Recovery chocolate.

...


I pulled into the garage and took some gear into the house.  A surprise met me when I came back to get the bike off the rack... I guess that's frozen road spray from the drive home.

Chunky looking wheel.

Oh this is going to be fun to clean.

Warm Woods, Cold Road

Went down to Mohican for a ride this afternoon.  It has been a while since riding a mountain bike and I chose the Karate Monkey for this ride.  I thought an eight mile out and back would be a good ride and would fit within the family schedule of the afternoon.

The temperature was right around freezing and it was windy, but I figured it wouldn't be too hard to stay comfortable in the woods.  I put on some layers, loaded the bike onto the back of the car, and headed to the trail head.

I was soon rolling out of the parking lot and into the woods.  Oh yes, the first left hand corner to start the ride... wham!  I managed to drastically oversteer myself onto my face and crash within the first 45 seconds of the ride.  Maybe I forgot how nimble the monkey rides.  I jumped back on and pretended nothing happened.

Leaves down but no snow today.

About 3 miles in I stopped and let some air out of my tires.  Ahhh... so much better.  I was getting bounced around and knew I had a few too many pounds of pressure.  About 8 miles in I reached the road and was supposed to turn back.  Instead, I talked myself into a quick descent to the covered bridge and climb up Mount Doom.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.

The downhill to the covered bridge was cold!  With no pedaling and a constant wind in my face I was chilled by the time I reached the bottom.  No worries, the climbing will heat me up.  And it did.  Two times I stalled the singlespeed on uphill corners.  I guess my legs were not ready for it but it was a good workout.

Before long I reached the second trail head and scooted over to SR97 for a ride back to the car.  I then learned what cold really felt like.  Despite zipping up and tightening wrist cuffs and hunkering down, I was frozen by the time I reached the car.  The fast downhills on the road took their toll.

Blasting the heat on the drive home and a hot McD's coffee brought me back to comfortable.  It was a good ride for this time of year, especially on the singlespeed.  I think I will feel this one tomorow.

Fall Fell at Mohican

It's been a long dry streak of spinning the cranks on a bike.  A stomach flu that came and went and came and went and came and went has had me out of action.  Today's agenda was to get down to Mohican before the deer gun season lights up and blow out some cobwebs.

Where does the trail go?

The leaves were disguising the trail making for interesting riding.  It was not possible to pick through the terrain, just roll and go.  The air was crisp but it was warm for mid November, just above 40 degrees.  It sure felt good to be out in the woods.

Just before turn around.

I rode out about 6 or 7 miles before turning around.  At this point I was content to get some mild exercise and hopeful to not trigger a relapse of illness.  Just before turning around I came upon a squirrel hunter.  It was the first time I had talked to a squirrel hunter out at Mohican.  We talked about how crazy deer gun season is down here and both agreed it was best to avoid the woods.

Dropping fast.

The sun had dropped below the tree tops but not yet below the hillsides.  I knew It was going to get dark quickly in the woods so I rode steady back to the start glad to have been rolling on two wheels again.