The fun started with a u-turn about 15mins into the ride to go back home for the 15mm wrench that is necessary to remove the Surly's rear wheel in case of a flat. I took the extra half hr in stride and figured I would just take the rest of the ride as it came. If I could not finish the whole thing, so be it. This was the first time I probed the eastside trails to make this come together so the ride time was only an estimate and I only had about 4 more hrs of sunlight after my 2nd departure.
I ended up linking the single and double track frequented by dog walkers, yoga moms, and west nile virus to a short stretch on the blacktop followed by a climb up lefthand to the heil turn off. Once on heil, I made my way up the trail and to the top of the main loop at a 32x17 exchange rate.
The scene out west was nice and the late afternoon sun was warm. I was able to ride the newer wild turkey trail for the first time and I must say, they did a much better job on building this section of trail than the rest of heil. I have ridden this short jaunt all of two times since inception due it's unappealing short mileage but I must say that the fixed gear ridden from town, added the missing ingredient to make this a worth while mission.
Smooth running singletrack from the top. This section was most welcome after the rock filled climb. Riding a rigid fixed gear for over 4 hrs grinding through rocky trail sections will play tricks on your body.
I stopped about a mile down from the top at this section and noticed a couple walking back down the trail far ahead of me. I grabbed a little food snapped a photo while relaxing for a minute. After putting the camera back in my pocket and getting ready to head down the trail, I hear a Chewbacca type groan coming from a WNW direction. Half knowing and half doubting, I keep my mind on my money and continue to strap back in as if this sound was normal. I catch up to the couple a few hundred meters up the trail and they proceed to inform me that they were told by another cyclist 10-15 mins earlier, that a bear cub was spotted up ahead on the trail we were on. This would explain the deeper voiced wookiee I heard in the woods and I informed them that said cub's mother was most likely behind them according to my auditory GPS system. Admittedly, I did feel a bit better knowing there were slower bipeds in the vicinity and the male half of the couple started making comments about how at least I have the capability to out run a bear on my bike. This may very well be true but as long as I am stopped talking to them, I am just another potential obstacle between mama and baby. I am just over halfway through this hussy of a ride so I begin moving again as his half joking comments fade behind me as quickly as the sun begins to drop behind the divide.
I begin to take on technical sections and curb speed via the fixed skid across the flat rocks. I feel guilty that I have locked it up in the dirt a couple times when things got sketchy, so I have been attempting to strategically lock it on the rocks when I need a little extra braking power. I run a front disc brake so its not like I am ripping up the trail like some skid racer 1st year mtn biker.
I did get a couple curious looks from people when they saw what I was riding but to each their own.
I got out of the trail at sunset and headed back. I rolled up to the house just before 9pm and my legs were feeling worked. It was a sweet ride that was made even better by the fact that I rode from my house to get there.
As the Outlaw says, keep the rubber side down.
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