Gordon College Trail Update

Went on my first real mountain bike ride of the season today.  I know, I've told you I rolled for a short while on dirt last friday, that I went out last weekend to Bradley Palmer (and pushed through the snow most of the time).  So maybe this would technically be the 2nd.  Whatever.

Gordon/Chebacco trails are muddy in places, but ride-able.  There IS surprising snow in spots, which appears and goes away for no discernible reason.  But on the whole, the trails around the ponds and through the woods, even, are clear.  Since all DCR managed parks are off-limits until April 15, that makes this an attractive option. 

Shade

Had, honestly, a miserable ride at Bradley Palmer today. Spent most of the time pushing the bike through deepish snow. When I started it seemed the trails were semi-clear, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

I did get a chance to watch the ice on the river break up a little bit, and that was sort of mesmerizing and cool- but for riding, I'd keep your distance, for now, from BPSP.

My theory is that the snow is shaded by the trees and so doesn't see the melting we've seen over in Peabody and in other surrounding, less tree-lined, communities.

When I finally got to a road, it was a rain-saturated, uphill, dirt road. Sapped the legs a bit, and they didn't have a whole lot to start off with.

It can only get better.

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Hello Readers,
that seems presumptuous, but if you're reading this, I guess you are a reader after all. 

If by chance you were led to this blog by the MBB app, and enjoy what you've read there, or here, and you would like to read even more of what I've written.... (deep breath)

Check out (and "like") my "Rob Kristoff's Writing" page on Facebook.  I've posted a lot of the sermons I've written and links to some other writing of mine.  Worth a look.

Thanks for your interest!

RK

Spring Tires

Well, I've put on the spring slicks on the commuter bike, and cleaned the mud off the fenders.

It's like a law of the Assyrians- it can NEVER be reversed!  Spring must come now.


Let's hope.

First Dirt!

So on friday, with water in all forms all around me (can't say enough good things about fenders), after school, I went for a nice long ride, did some exploring around Peabody.  I'd seen a trail from the car, and tried to follow it "beyond the gate".  It was covered with pine needles and lots of fallen branches but nice.... for about 100 yards, then immediately turned to about six inches of snow.  I don't know how it was so abrupt, but there I was, walking along.  Another short section of bare ground, and I came to what was either a very shallow pond, a very deep puddle, or just snowy/icy runoff.  And on the other side of it all I could see was a fenced in building. 

But still- first dirt riding this year!  Felt good.

Eye Candy

The best coverage I've found of last week's North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show has been from either:

www.prollyisnotprobably.com
www.singletrackworld.com

or

www.dirtragmag.com


It seems that singletrack magazine has the best explanatory captions.  So much of the photos on the net are just shot after shot of unidentified bikes....

One must remember, of course, that these are highly polished bikes with paint jobs that cost as much as their frames in some cases.  Riding a bike is so much more important than collecting one.