Riding Indiana Singletrack

It's been a long cold lonely winter, as they say, little darlings.  Spin class (excuse me, Mr Copyright, that's "Indoor Cycling" to those who haven't bought into the franchise) is fine, but after a while it starts to suck the brain out of my head. 

Last week's warmth was a wonderful relief after too many weeks of snow.  Now mind you, I like snow better than slush and ice, but enough's enough! When I was riding sportbikes, "PMS" meant Parked Motorcycle Syndrome.  It was that time of year when everyone got a little grumpy, and argued about which oil or tires were best.  The same thing happens in the cycling community, but I'm not sure what it's called.

Well, to co-opt another famous line: Free at last, free at last, thank god I'm free at last!!  We got out on our mountain bikes for the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association's "Thirsty Thursday Urban Ride Downtown" in the past few weeks, and I even got a few miles on the road bike last week, as well. Wow, does it feel good to have the wind in my face again. 

Judging by the number of people in Bicycle Garage Indy's store on the side in Castleton (and our Greenwood store, to, I assume), I'm not the only one. People are more upbeat, and are talking about plans for rides big and small. 

I discovered a new favorite pair of cool-weather gloves (see my previous blog) , and am re-discovering my cool (not COLD!) weather riding gear.  ...And I'm jonesing for some new tires and maybe some wheels. 

BGI's big Spring Expo Bicycle Sale is this weekend, and I'm surprisingly excited! The prospect of long days in the saddle is a bit daunting, but the energy of being surrounded by excited cyclists is contageous. We have over a thousand bikes, and will be putting up our biggest tent ever (150% as big as the store!).  It's so big that we're going to use the parking lot back by the movie theater (immediately to the West  of our store, due North from the light at 82nd & Dean Rd.).  ALL the bikes will be in the tent, and everything else-- cycling shoes, jerseys, bib shorts, bike helmets, bicycle tools... whatever you need(!) will be in the store.  We're even going to have trolleys to shuttle folks back and forth!

We're going to be closed on Thursday to prepare, and we'll be going full bore from then through the weekend.  See ya there!

Ah, mountain biking...! It's great that "monsoon season" has finally abated, and we're able to ride Indiana's stellar singletrack again.

Right across the river from BGI, Town Run Trail Park is Indianapolis' only public trail system.  It's seven miles of rolling sweetness. The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association's volunteers have preened it to within an inch of its life, and all the mud holes, fallen trees, and even the stinging nettles have been banished.  The trail is firm and dry, with just enough moisture to offer perfect grip.

I haven't been riding "enough" lately, and found myself over-braking out of distrust for mid-corner traction. ...Then I'd pitch the Trance into the corner and rail though, obviously -well- within my limits. Sweet! (I love my bike!!!)  I'm not sure what heart rate or O2 zone I was running, but I was able to have a sparse conversation and my peripheral vision never narrowed. Just a comfortable romp in the woods. 

Few wildlife sightings... Trail was too busy for the deer to come out to play.  I did see a great blue herron in the gravel pit lake at the south end of the trail, across from BGI. And the wildflowers were stellar! Purple coneflower, daisies, queen anne's lace, and something blue I can't name.

Last night, the HMBA's Bike 'n Brew Tuesday gathered a goodly crowd. The parking lot at TRTP was full, but as usual, the trail swallowed us all and it was quite possible to ride an entire 7-mile lap without seeing another rider.  Word spread (via the crew gathered at the picnic table) that B&B would convene at the Moon Dog "whenever you're done riding." Some folks had already left before I got there, but at one point our table grew to about a dozen, including some folks we'd not broken bread with before. (Welcome to Brian, Fabrizio and Kelly!)
 
Home by bed time, slept like a log, and sporting a Cheshire Cat Grin today over having "gotten one over on the world" last night: when most folks were couch potatoing, we were enjoying the ride!!!!!!!!!

Before I rode bicycles, I rode motorcycles. Well, okay, I rode bikes when I was a kid, but... 

Sportbikes are a blast, and my F3 begged to be bounced off the redline. I loved long rides on a beautiful twisty road out in the country.  I loved dragging a knee at the track. It was a great adrenaline high, and the amount of focus it demanded was a welcome break to the stresses of the day-to-day.  But ("and"??) I hated city traffic, so I "got the heck out of Dodge" every time I threw a leg over. It was soooo refreshing to enjoy an afternoon in Brown County, or a week in the Smokies.

Then my doc and I had a heart-to-heart about my heart. It about broke my heart. My cholesterol was over 325, and I needed to elevate my heart rate with something other than adrenaline. ...Oh, how I hate exercising!  I tried running, I tried going to the gym, I tried and I tried until I very nearly cried.

Finally, I dusted off my old klunker of a bike, and nearly cried again.  It hurt, I  hurt, and we just didn't get along the way we had oh so many years ago.  The three-mile sprint to class during college made my mile-and-a-half slog to Broad Ripple seem like a marathon.  Argh!

But I stuck to it, and eventually managed to start looking forward to it. And I found that instead of coming home from a motorcycle ride and crashing on the couch, I'd get back from a ride energized and in good spirits.  (My wife was happy for that!)

All of a sudden I was healthier and full of endorphines.  What a buzz! If you're reading this, you're probably already a believer.  But have you considered commuting by bike? People 'dis' Indianaolis' bicycle commuting situation, but give me a break-- the classes I was commuting to were in Chicago, of all places!  We have just celerated Bike To Work day, and Indianapolis has miles and miles of newly-minted bike lanes just aching for riders.  Getting to work with a good ride under your belt is wonderful.  As Randy Clark, BGI's owner said in this video interview "A day when you bike is just a different day."

Jim Hotchkiss, of San Diego has this to say about commuting by bike: 

I have tried to be a bicycle commuting evangelist with very little luck. The chief objections I hear are:
1. I am afraid of traffic.
2. I don’t want to get all sweaty before work.
3. I need my car.
4. It’s too far.

I usually try to encourage people to start slowly. Find a park-and-ride parking lot close to work. Drive your car to the park-and-ride with your bicycle in the back. Ride from the park-and-ride to work and back.

Once you feel that distance is pretty easy, find another park-and-ride a couple of miles farther from work. Work your way up to commuting the entire distance. Use the trolley, the Coaster or the bus to reduce the amount of mileage you commute. Just give it a try.

It really does pay dividends.

...And this to say about commuting by car:


It's a win-win!!

Call me jaded, but not many bikes really trip my trigger these days. Yes, I love bikes, but there are so many that are so "the same."  Average just isn't good enough any more. I need innovation or great design to get excited over.

Enter the Trek District. A belt-drive single-speed urban bike built to ride, not tinker with.  No grease, no shifters, no flats. And whoever dreamt up those orange rims was either inspired or nuts.  I love 'em!

What a great bike for commuting, puttin' around, or grocery-getting (yes, it's rack-friendly). Indianapolis bike trails are ready for the District!

Safety Second.

This title can lead to so many thoughts... but for now, it's because I'm thinking about helmets.  Over the past few days I've been riding on the Monon Trail, the first of Indianapolis' bike paths, and was simply stunned at the low percentage of riders wearing bicycle helmets. 

It doesn't take much to "ring your bell," and the downside risks are enormous.  All  you have to do is catch your wheel in a rut, slip in some gravel, or have a moment of inattention, and...  Oops!

Why not wear a bike helmet, Indianapolis? 

• Too fashion conscious to be seen in one?
• Can't find it?
• Just going around the block?
• None of the cool kids wear helmets?
• It's too hot?
• It doesn't fit right?

The responses to these objections are sooooo simple that they don't even bear repetition...  --You already know them. Please please please, don't slack on this!  Do you wear a seatbelt in the car? Then by all means wear a helmet when you ride a bike!  Ridership is increasing, and incidence of bike accidents will inevitably increase, too. Please don't become a statistic!

Drop by Bicycle Garage Indy and take a look at our wide variety of helmets.  From infants to triathletes, we have helmets to fit the head AND the budget.  My favorite is the Bell Influx.  It's a mid-priced helmet that offers the versatility I need to use it for mountain bike riding, road bike training, and neighborhood jaunts.  Let us help you find the perfect helmet for your uses!

It just takes a second to be safe.

It's going to be a fast ride to work, but a sloooow ride home!  I'm hoping the front will hold off so I don't have to ride home in driving rain and lightning.  I think I'll tempt fate and not wear a jacket.  It's going to be warm, and my jacket will feel like a drag 'chute in 35mph gusts!

I'm definitely taking my new headlight, though.  It'll be dark on the Monon Trail, and I've only had one chance to use my new NiteRider (no, not NightRider) SlickRock 900 lumen HID light since I got it, and that was an urban amongst the streetlights.  I'm anxious to see how much brighter it seems than my Light & Motion ARC that puts out 600 lumens.  Remind me not to point it at your eyes!

Bicycle clothing for Indianapolis' quirky spring weather is a tricky proposition. I love this jacket because its sleeves zip off and it becomes a vest. It's "warm enough" when I start off in cool morning air, and "cool enough" as the sun comes up.  Plus, when the day finally warms up, it packs small enough to stuff into your jersey pocket.

Whether you're riding Indianapolis greenways, commuting, training, or enjoying the network of mountain bike trails in our parks, good cycling gear is well worth the investment.

The jacket I have is the Pearl Izumi Vagabond, but we have a variety in our clothing department.  Come check them out!

I love my bike!  Last fall I upgraded from my Giant NRS to a Trance Advanced.  Then I broke my leg.  As of this writing, it has barely 300 miles on it, but I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of them.

Last weekend I went to Brown County State Park, and spent a great day riding Indiana's singletrack mecca.   While Town Run Trail Park is the most convenient for most of Bicycle Garage Indy's customers, BCSP is only an hour south of town, and offers fantastic trails-- truly something for everyone.  In fact, Bicycle magazine voted BCSP among the top 33 bike trails in the US. It starts with rolling climbs, and as you work your way deeper into the forest, the trails get more challenging.  But never fear-- it's what's known as a "stacked loop system," and there are "qualifiers" as you move from one loop to the next-harder.  (If fording the stream is off-putting, you probably won't enjoy a mile of granny-gear climbing either!)  There are no surprises; instead, it just builds anticipation of the challenges to come.


...But back to the bike. My old NRS was a great bike, but the new Trance incorporates Giant's Maestro Link suspension.  It lets the triangular rear swingarm float up and down with the terrain, and the rear axle moves in essentially the same path as the front.  This makes the bike handle bumps extremely well. 

One of the most amazing features that the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association's master trail builder, Alex Stewart incorporated into the BCSP trails is "the Waterfall," an S-shaped rock garden that you encounter at the top of the climb to Hesitation Point.  Not only is it a very technical feature, but you get to it after a great big climb.  My success percentage for cleaning this section has remained below 50% for the past several years. 

So, here we are at the beginning of a new riding season, and I'm still not fully recovered from last December's crash.  As I approached the Waterfall, I seriously contemplated a pre-emptive dismount. There was nobody nearby, so no shame.  But what the heck, I'll give it a go.  And 'lo and behold, I just picked my line and rode right through it! The Trance made it seem easy.

I love my bike!!

Wow, I had an epiphany last week!

I broke my leg in December, and haven't ridden my road bike in Indianapolis much since then.  I've beein doing urban rides, and I've been riding the bike trails and the Monon, but all on my mountain bike.  So, last week when I went out for a "spirited" road ride, I was sadly reminded that of the importance of bicycle fitting. 

Frank Radaker is BGI's bike fit guru.  He helped me dial in my bike for ergonomic comfort and performance last spring, and it was time well spent.  But now I think I'll be in the market for a new saddle. I've always used the same saddle on my road bike as on my mountain bike, but after last week's ride I was really sore in my adductors.  After talking to Frank, he suggested a narrower saddle, which would put less stress on my inner thighs.  I've always loved my WTB Laser V saddle, but I think I'm going to get a narrower WTB Rocket V saddle for my road bike. This should keep me on a "familiar" saddle, but one that's properly suited to my riding postition.

WTB Rocket V saddle

I had an interesting customer inquiry today.  Ernie was in the shop last week looking for a Cannnnondale mountain bike, specifically a Rush or a Rize which would be perfect for the singletrack bike trails in Indianapolis (Town Run) and southern Indiana (Brown County, Versailles, Harmonie, etc).

He's tall, and our inventory of XL mountain bikes is slim right now. I was able to check our inventory at both stores, as well as at the Warehouse, and also to see what we have on order. 

I've been "between bikes" before, and know what a big decision it is, and how hard it is to balance the desperation for a new bike against the importance of making the right decision.  So, what I proposed to him was that we build up the  XL Rush we have on hand, and rush order a Rize in the color and size that would be his #1 choice.

I checked Cannondale's inventory on their dealer website and phoned their factory, and came up with specifics of what bikes were available now, and when the other colors would be ready to ship (mostly within a week or three). This way he'll be able to test-ride the two bikes back-to-back and decide which he prefers.  Plus, if he veers away from either of these, he'll know what to expect as far as delivery ETA on the others.

Then we can go ride!!

www.dailycomet.com/article/20090321/ARTICLES/903160910/1008

Interestingly, there's a great article in a Louisiana newspaper by an Indianapolis author.  It talks about the benefits of strenuous exercise for folks who are viewing life from the top of the hill. (You know who you are!)

It talks about gradually increasing intensity, the benefits of high-impact (running) vs low-impact (cycling) on bones, joints, etc, and how much better your quality of life is when you're healthy.

I see lots of folks coming into BGI who haven't ridden a bike for decades.  Maybe they got out of the habit because they got their drivers license.  Maybe it was the demands of kids or a career. Whatever.  But now they're interested in having some fun and getting some exercise, and have decided that a bicycle is the perfect marriage of their needs and wants. (Maybe that should read "wants and needs," eh?) 

I always encourage them to get the best bike their budget will allow, because it'll be lighter, more precise, and more fun to ride. That goes for road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, commuters... everything.  Lots of these re-entry riders are surprised at how much bikes cost.  But when you consider that their last bike was bought with dollars that bought gas for $0.32 a gallon, they realize that bikes are actually cheaper than they used to be. Especially considering the quantum leaps in technology: frame design, materials, drivetrain components, and the like.

I love it that Randy Clark (Bicycle Garage's owner) encourages us to take the time to help our customers explore their potential riding patterns so we can match them with the perfect bike.  It's really gratifying to have someone come back in a few months and say "I really love my bike!"  And even better is the person who says "I've fallen in love with riding, and now I'm ready to add an even better bike to the stable." That's when I know we've helped someone rediscover the joy of riding a bike.

I was reminded last night that there's a huge difference between road riding and mountain bike riding.

I broke my leg just before Christmas, and haven't been doing any road riding since.  Well, no road-bike riding, that is. I've been doing plenty of 20+ mile urban rides on my mountain bike, and now that spring has sprung I'm back on the trails. But it's been four months since I've done a hard road ride.

That changed last night.  And it was hard on me.

We started off at a quick pace, 25+, trying to catch up with folks that started 5-10 minutes ahead of us. That was fine for a while, but my lack of conditioning reared its ugly head after about 5 miles. I was fine on the flats (for once I was glad Indianapolis is on the glacial plane), but had no oomph for the hills. At 10 miles I bailed from the fast group and took a short-cut. 

Just shy of 20 miles I found out why: I started getting really uncomfortable. Cramps from my quads to my calves to those odd-ball muscles around your hips.  Argh!!  Then the deal-breaker: As I got more tired, I spent more time on the saddle rather than standing up cranking.  And I started getting really saddle-sore. I mean really really sore. As in "I can't sit on these muscles any more" sore.  I was glad to be only a couple of miles from the end of the ride.

Once I was back at the car, I started feeling the damage. Just lifting my leg to change my shoes put me in a world of hurt. The muscles on the inside of my groin were screaming at me! Now, 12 hours later, I can tell that I've strained my adductors on both sides. They'll heal, but it drives home the difference between grinding out miles in one position versus the same amount of miles and aerobic effort on a mountain bike, where you're changing your body position all the time.

It seems odd to think of road biking and mountain biking as being so different, but they obviously place different demands on the body.

I'm going to chase down Frank Radaker, BGI's bike-fitting guru to see if he has a magic wand for me, but I think I already know the answer: I'm the same person I was when he did my fitting last summer (and I instantly gained 1.5mph over the 20 mile CIBA-Butler loop!), but I'm out of condition.  I'll start stretching, strengthening, and riding my road bike more regularly. I'll warm up before jumping into a 25mph paceline. I'll do those boring routines we call "exercises." 

This isn't the fun part of the season, but the pay-off will come.  Hopefully sooner, rather than later!

In my last post I included a link to the HMBA's article re: Freeze/Thaw cycles & Indiana's mountain bike trails.  Being somewhat of a Luddite, I failed to make it a live link.  So that you don't have to copy & paste the URL, here you go: www.hmba.org/index.php

In short even though the trail seems hard as concrete, Indiana's clay soil holds water.  Water expands when it freezes, which separates the tiny pieces of soil. When it thaws, there are gaps between the particles.  Plants love this because it makes it easier for young roots to penetrate.  But it also leaves the soil ready to absorb even more water. ...Another overnight freeze, and the cycle repeats.

By Spring, what was hard as concrete last autumn has become softened to a consistency akin to peanut butter. (Jiff Extra Crunchy!) When you ride through it, it sticks to your tires and you leave ruts. Even if it's not sticking to your tires, you can leave what we not-so-fondly call "pizza-cutter ruts."  Those hold water, and as we've all seen mud begets mud.

So, aside from flooding, falling trees, and the like, THAT's why trails like Town Run Trail Park get closed for extended periods in the winter and early spring.

Be patient, grasshopper.  And spend your days riding hard surfaces, or (even better) volunteering on the Trail Care Crew at your favorite riding locale!

--M

PS: And for those of you who didn't resist riding in Peanut Butter mud... Have you noticed that your shifting is not as crisp as before? ...That your brake cables drag? ...That you can feel (even HEAR!) your chain go "cruuuunch" when you twist it sideways between thumb and index finger? Congratulations, you've just  qualified to become a repeat customer at the  BGI service department!

It's early spring, and Indiana's mountain bike trails are recovering from the ravages of winter's freeze/thaw cycles.  I'm always anxious to ride this time of year, and have to rein myself in from jumping the gun and riding on too-soft trails. Doing trailwork is fun, but there's plenty to be done without creating ruts that hold water that get churned into mudholes that people ride around that makes the trail wider that necessitates repairs...  Argh.

There's a great article on the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association's website at http://www.hmba.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=59&Itemid=1

Or stop in at BGI and we'll walk out back where you can see good sections and bad sections firsthand.