To prepare for this race, I'm going to have to do a lot of long, tough mountain bike rides. The majority of the course is climbing, but there is a long descent at the end. Most of the course is new to me, but luckily we live nearby so I can get plenty of practice.
I need a new mountain bike bad. My current mountain bike is a brick. It's super heavy. I will be a better and faster cyclist with a new bike. We're currently working on that situation. Anyway, Skyler wanted me to try out a different kind of bike to see if it would be something I would like. So I borrowed a friend's 29r hardtail. I soon learned that it's probably not the best idea to try out a new bike on a really long ride.
On the first Saturday of December, Skyler and I headed out for my first glance at the Traverse. The first section of our ride (Lower Holy Jim) required a lot of hiking and walking. When we got to Main Divide, I finally got to stay on a bike for a while. I then experienced "The Wall," a fairly steep portion of The Traverse. I actually enjoyed it, but I'm sure it will be a far different scenario come race day. I couldn't believe the view from the top.
That's Lake Elsinore in the background.
The last section of our ride was the sketchiest. Trabuco Trail is all downhill with lots of slippery rocks. I'm not a downhill rider, and after riding for almost 5 hours so far, my legs were tired.
Once we got down Trabuco, we enjoyed the rest of the rolling hills.
Wonder how long this car has been decomposing?
The ride ended the same way it began -- a 4.5 mile bumpy ride through the wash. The sun was set by the time we finished and I was so happy to be done. Del Taco was our reward for this six hour ride.
UPDATE: I got a new bike! Details coming soon!
3 comments:
How did you like the 29er? I have a Small Niner Air9 frame laying around if you're interested.
Thanks for the offer, fortunately I got a new bike! Specialized Epic Expert. Took it for it's first ride last night and I love it!
How was the Del Taco?
Post a Comment