Back to Riding
POSTED BY Willis on 2:38 PM under
It's been a long time since I have been able to get out and really ride. Between school, work, and training for the Columbus Cap City Half Marathon, there has been little time to get out and shred the trails. Not to mention my bikes have been a shamble of parts laying in the garage and all around the house.

So over spring break I took the time (and money) to get my Rocky Mountain back up to snuff. It took some new brakes, tires, bottom bracket, and various other changes I've been wanting to make. So this would be a totally new setup for me to test out today and I gave it one hell of a test.

With the last few weeks being full of rain and no motivation to ride, I knew taking a day off work today this was my chance. Rain was being called for later in the day so an early ride was in order.

I had been planning with Vince to do some riding today and after news that a friend of his Derek would be coming down with road bikes, I knew I had to get to the trail today before the rain came for at least one shake down ride. With plans to meet Vince and Derek at 11:30 I headed to the Athens CC at 10:30 to make a fast loop around Sells park. Having set up my tires as homebrew tubeless (PVC tape old valve stems and a whole lot of stans sealant) I first noticed the rear was a bit mushy, but other than that everything seemed to be holding up. As I started my way along the Rockhouse trail I began to notice some issues with my rear derailleur shifting that will need some later tuning, but nothing that I couldn't deal with. I used my old trusty 44T and had no problems taking care of the whole loop with only a few wet and wild spots that I sailed through with the new tires. It is an unbeileveable feeling how fast I can go up and downhill on the RM it truly is a great bike. The ride along Rockhouse was full of a few sections that I know I cleared with more confidence than last year (as a direct result of riding the new fully rigid karate monkey I built up over winter break). I bombed down the Athens Trail Rockhouse connector near the Sells park parking lot and headed down to meet Vince.

After switching to the road bike, changing shoes and re fueling (Cliff Bar + Gatorade) I headed up to the 0 mile marking and waited. Around 11:45 I got in touch with Vince and realized we were parked in different areas and I headed over to meet up with the group. After changing a few flat tires we realized Vince's front wheel keep popping tubes, so I lent him mine from the Schwinn and went to get the Rocky. Now this is where that flat rear tire would become a problem. I tried to air it up and realized that it wouldn't hold much more than 20psi before hissing it all out, so I grabbed a spare tube and we went upon our way. After keeping pace with the road bikes for a while I realized that the tire wasn't getting any better was actually getting a bit dangerous (20+mph on <20psi makes the back end feel a bit loose and my only safe option for slowing down was using the grass). So after changing my tire near the Habitat house we were again on our way. Vince, Derek, and I road a good pace, for one of us being on a mountain bike with *Alison close behind I stayed back and we all regrouped for a few more miles. Finally at around the 8.5-9 mile mark I decided I had enough and bid them all a good ride and started my solo mtbTT back to the community center.

By this time the riding on the trail was starting to show it's wear on the bike, I found several other issues I will need to work on in the coming weeks and more than anything we both needed a shower. As I approached town I took the cut-off from the bike path and headed up into town where I decided I would cut across campus and make the ride a little less tedious. Finally as I came within sight of the Jeep I decided that today was one Hell of a ride and I can't wait to do it again, maybe next time I'll add in another loop at Sells to really end the ride on a high note.

Home again
POSTED BY Willis on 7:08 PM under
Well I'm home for the holidays looks to be some good weather for working on the bikes and maybe hooking them up to the trainer (too cold for me).  I got some ideas brewing and we'll see what pans out.

Willis out!

Where have I been?
POSTED BY Willis on 10:11 PM under
Simple answer, busy.

Tuesday I leave for London where I will be at a conference to give a presentation on some of the research I have been a part of in the last year.  Riding in the last week has been great, other than a few flat tires.  I got a chance to ride a FS bike!  Really makes me want one, hopefully I'll get one in the next year. 

Willis out!

Thursday Warm Riding
POSTED BY Willis on 8:58 PM under
This morning I woke up to frost on every car and an agonizing walk (the commuter has a flat) across campus to take a test. Today was the coldest morning of the season.  Even though today started cold I was relieved to see that the forecast called for a high of 56 and a low in the 40's.  So I planned a ride with the crew for the usual 4:00Pm.  Aaron and Tyler were both out due to classes, but around 3:00 I got a call from Bryan letting me know he had a friend who wanted to come along with us on the ride.  Eric is Bryan's Climbing partner and has only been on the trail one other time.  But Bryan had faith in him and after he made it through the first few sections on a set of almost slick tires I had faith.

We had a great ride Bryan was out on his new 29er which I wish I took a picture of because it is a damn nice looking bike, and a huge upgrade.  Eric with a few changes to the tires and some confidence in himself will become a very strong rider just like Bryan is.  Bryan found out that he needed to do some tweaking but with a few small changes we'll get his bike feeling like it was built just for him.  

We had a great time and I hope Eric comes out again, he seemed to like it, those Army boys take and lickin' and keep on tickin'.  I always love having new guys show up or meeting them on the trail, and today was a beautiful day on the lake, so I got to enjoy the two things I love most about riding, the people and the scenery.  Too bad I left the camera in the Jeep there would have been some really sweet pictures of the lake today.  I hope the leafs stick around for a few more days, at least until tomorrow or even Saturday morning for the Pre-Halloween ride!


Willis out!

Tuesday Chill
POSTED BY Willis on 12:11 AM under


Today was the first cold ride of the season. With a three man team we headed to Dow Lake for a little Sundown Trail. I packed a warm set of clothes and with my Flannel Tights and Ninja hood I was ready to roll. The trail was great the recent rain/cold have treated the trail good. The surface was dry and despite the abundance of leafs there was little tire slide. Aaron lead the way with me behind and Tyler in the rear. I used my spot to take a few pictures of the Crew as well as a video of Tyler that I'll post later. With all that is going on this week and next few weeks I'll be fighting for time to ride but when I do get a chance I'll be taking full advantage of it regardless of the weather.

The Pre-Halloween ride is looking to be a good one with quality trails and it looks like a good group to be there I'll look to get more photos/videos on the ride Saturday. Look for a full ride report in the near future.

Willis out!

What day is it?
POSTED BY Willis on 11:00 PM under
The last few days have been a blur, I have been going back and fourth planning and preparing for a trip next month.  Between that and my school work I have been squeezing in my riding whenever I have a free moment.  Today happened to be a busy day but with the weather as nice as could be I had to make a trip back to Dow Lake to repay the trail for how it treated me yesterday.

Aaron and Tyler both notified me they would be interested in a ride but due to a schedule conflict I couldn't work out a time that worked for the both of us.  So, Aaron was left and luckily he could make the trip out after finishing up lunch with his girlfriend.  He brought the Kona out for some punishment and a reminder of what riding used to be like before he crossed over to the dark side...

I convinced Aaron to ride the same route that I had ridden yesterday to switch things up from the ordinary.  As we arrived in the lot a fellow rider was looking a bit lost and after a few seconds of getting the story, we found out his riding partner had come up MIA after they got separated in the woods.  Aaron let him use his phone and we got a quick description of the rider to be on the look out to let him know he was safe.  After a quick unload we rolled down the trail and off towards the dam on Lake View.  This was the casual roll out and was a bit faster today with Aaron on my heels.

After crossing the dam we went straight into the first climb and with only one minor hic-up we made it to the top and on our way.  Aaron commented that this section of the trail was much better riding the other way.  I let him know that it goes both ways we would encounter a few sections that would quickly make up for the first climb.  We both rode strong and I made up completely for my Pain of yesterday.  In the next few rides I will be focusing on a more complete control while bombing down the hills, avoiding obstacles and tapping the brakes as often.  We'll see how it all turns out, its all about the confidence, prove to yourself you can do it once and you'll never look back.  It'll be just one less thing I will have to focus on.

Willis out!

Pain
POSTED BY Willis on 8:52 PM under
As I limped my way back to the jeep today I began to think to myself why?  Why do I put myself through this pain?  Why do I keep riding after ending up on my head?  How many trees must I hit to finally realize that I've had enough?  What is this fasination that makes me come back every day?

My only answer, I love it.

Today started out at Dow Lake and a quick chat with a female professor who was getting ready to ride Thunder Bunny trail.  I had decided it would be a good day to ride my usual Dow Lake ride in reverse.  This gave me a quick 3 mile warmup to the dam and then right into the climbing.  This is my first ride with the new springs in the Fox to give a stiffer platform to start with.  I figured I would use it as a tuning ride to dial in the setting for rebound and compression.  This ended up being a less than important task for today's ride, and a more important task of staying on the frickin bike took priority.

I knew something was up when I put a foot down the first time on the initial climb which really got me discouraged at first but after thinking how technical the trail is I was lucky that it was only a foot down and not a total off the bike climb.  I trucked around the trail and had a few major incidents, first of which I can remember was at a dip where I slowed to a complete stop and had to bail out and luckily I ended up on my feet and the bike landed above me.  The next wreck happened as I transisitioned off of the bike only trail and back onto the multiuse trail where I hit a leaf covered rock that threw me over the handle bars and again I was lucky to end up on my feet.  Both of these had my head upsidedown and as I started the last section I was finally feeling like I had things together when I caught my seatpost on a tree (yes the seatpost), and flipped over the bars catching a few things on the way including my leg on the tree.

Nothing was broken, the bike was straight and working perfectly, it was just me.  I reassured The Cove that it wasn't her fault it was all me today.  I couldn't keep my head straight it was all mental the bike performed great all the mistakes were my own.

Like I said above though I love it.  I loved the pain I loved the scars, I may have to walk slowly up the stairs tonight and I can't sit down too fast but I love it.  Whether its the endorphins or the adreline I love it.  I can't wait to go for another ride.  

Willis out!

Monday Riding
POSTED BY Willis on 8:13 PM under
Monday started with 4 riders shrunk down to 3 riders started the ride with 2 riders and I finished solo.  But this was all due to happenstance no unfortunate events or anything of the sort.  At first Aaron, Bryan, Tyler and I had planned to ride, but due to a school project Aaron was out.  As it turns out Bryan was in a meeting with one of his officers and couldn't make the start time but its all good Tyler came out and could only ride the first part of the trail since he had to go back for class but he still made it out so I wouldn't be lonely.  

Tyler and I started up the Dow Lake trail from the usual meeting spot near the beach.  I let him lead since I was on the SS today for the Retro Monday ride and he was on his full suspension.  I didn't want him to be held up by my slipping tires since that seems to happen alot.  We did a nice warm-up pace with some power into the first steep climbs which Tyler was feeling shortly after that but he kept trucking along.  Luckily we had some rolling downhills to ease the pain.  After making our way through the first two sections of technical trail we ended up down at the Lake View Trail.  Tyler decided that it would be best if he headed back to the cars so he didn't miss his entire class.  

I started on my solo trek up the longer section of trail towards the dam.  As I attacked the hills I soon found out that switch bike geometries is not a good idea for longer rides.  The Cove is set up as a Long Travel Trail Bike (LTT) and the SS is a Cross Country Bike (XC).  With different angles and body positions I started to get some pains in my back but all that soon subsided due to other pains.  Pushing up the hills had really started to take it's toll and I was getting a deep deep burn so deep that it had moved up my thigh and into my hips (probably due again to the geometry). 

I finally got past the point of pain and rounded one of the last climbs to hear the sounds of the Highway nearby signaling only a mile or so to go.  This is also the start of the downhill section.  It seems that all the trails around here start with a major uphill, have a rolling middle and end with a major downhill.  This would be the same if you rode it in reverse.  The only unfortunate event of the day ended up being my first major wreck of the year.  Well it was more like my front wheel slipping and me ejecting from the bike over the handle bars.  Fortunately I was okay, only the bike had it's stem move a little but no big deal I just kept it straight and finished the ride back to the jeep on the Lake View trail.

I ended the ride and only my legs wished for some more gears and my back for some more suspension.  I wouldn't give up the SS for anything it is a real skill builder as well as a great training tool.  My legs might have been sore but it really helped with my power and keeps you pushing past the bail-out point on climbs.  Plus it makes you feel like a kid again I just need to start investing a little bit into the bike to make it a more capable machine.

Ride planned for tomorrow and the day after and well most likely the day after that.  Hopefully we can get a few more new guys out to experience a little Johnivation.

Willis out!

Thursday Group Ride
POSTED BY Willis on 7:43 PM under
With the creation of The Athens Riding Crew we had our first planned ride today. A total of four riders came out to ride on the last of our nice evenings before the cold weather hits. The group consisted of Tyler, Kyle, Aaron, and myself. This was my first ride with Kyle since he a very busy dude. Working on finishing up two degrees really takes up some time.

Riding with a bunch of fullies I was the only hardtail in the group but I'm used to that, maybe that will change in the future.  We set out for a lap of Rockhouse-Athens Trail with me at the lead Aaron behind followed by Tyler and Kyle in that order.  We did held an even pace with a few stops here and there to re-group and relax a bit/trade stories.

We made it a quick single loop with some bombing down hills. With some recon of a major upcoming ride I'm thinking maybe a snow ride... Do the whole loop in the snow Sell's + Dow + whatever else awesome ride.  With Retro's coming out for tomorrow it should be an interesting one.

Willis out!

Monday Suprise
POSTED BY Willis on 8:50 PM under , , ,
Since it was monday I didn't really plan on any sort of riding but instead thought about going to the Ping center to start my cross training.  Well at around 2:20PM Bryan "rigid" McClosky called me up wondering if I would be down to ride.  I have found that lately I have been somewhat addicted, no matter when, where or what I'm doing I will always accept an invitation to ride (strung out on the shit as Vince would say).  So I told Bryan I would pick him up in 10-15 mins and I through on my Bibs and grabbed a jersey and out the door I went.

After picking up Bryan we headed to Dow Lake to ride the trails there.  After Friday's ride at Dow Lake I was glad Bryan was up for something new and challenging.  Bryan and I decided to ride from the same place Aaron and I had started Friday and see how we were doing when we joined back up with the Lake View trail.  I had a meeting at 6 and needed time to take a shower and eat something beforehand.  We were riding great and as I would work my way away from Bryan I would wait and around the corner he would coming trucking up the hills, with no complaints.

We made the first section of the trail and rolled right into the second section of the trail which consisted of a section we had ridden the last time the two of us were at Dow Lake just in reverse.  This make is about 43% better since the last half the section is a slight rolling downhill section that makes for a sweet ride down to the Lake View trail.  Our time was at about 20mins into the ride with the first two sections done and a trail repair thrown in there at least another hour of ride time left.  So with Bryans approval we hit the last trail section for some technical riding.

Today I took it easy on the first two sections so I was ready for the mental pain of the final section.  But I had no idea the things I would be considering today... "What kind of poop was that?"  Thats right I just happened to look down at the trail and see a pile of what looked like mammal poo with some berry seeds in it and immediately thought better keep moving.  With the talk of some bobcats/wildcats/black bears in the area I figured it would be best if I just kept an eye out and kept right on riding.  Bryan was close behind and I kept a pace such that he was never out of sight.  Whether or not I was being parinoid or not I figure better safe than sorry, two guys on bikes look much bigger than one guy by himself.  This did however get me to look around and notice some of the hidden beauty of the area.  The leaves have started to fall and it is allowing alot more sunlight through into the forrest and the leaves also make it look like orange snow is covering the hillsides.  With the single track under us and only able to barely see where to go by following the other matted down leaves we made our way back up to some of the cross-roads over the horse trails.  This is where I informed Bryan of the poo I saw and we discussed possible animals that could have produced it all the time he reassured me that it was nothing too scary since the last time he rode that trail he ran over a Copperhead...

Ahead of us was the final downhill descent to the dam where we would follow the Lake View trail around the far side of the lake and end our ride.  However don't think that this final downhill is just any downhill it is a very technical section full of rocks narrow paths switchbacks washed out trails and steep drop offs.  What an awesome way to come to the finish, I rolled the front like I had been the whole ride taking all the spider-webs in my face but keeping an eye on Bryan.  With his lack of suspension it could be any root or small rock that could throw his bike and cause him to end up off course.  Well after finishing my descent I turned around to wait for him and about 45 seconds later I see him turn the last corner and bail out.  I thought he had lost his bike down the hill but a second later he was back on a riding down to meet up with me.  After a few words and some sips of H2O we praised the ride and finished our loop back to the Jeep.  I was on a mission I had planned to try to be back to my apartment by 5 so with us finishing the main part of the ride at 4:20PM I knew we would have plenty of time but still rolled a quick pace to allow us ample time to load up and chat at the end of the ride.

Bryan and I got back to the Jeep by 4:40PM and spent a little time chatting about bikes and other stuff like my wrestling suit... lol... We moved our conversation onto some economics and other bable in the jeep that ended with us planning for tomorrow.  It'll be Tuesday and that means a 4:15 ride, all I need to do is figure out where?


Willis out! 

Brittany Pre-Ride
POSTED BY Willis on 8:27 PM under
Brittany just finished fixing her bike and is ready to hit the trail!

Some Week in October
POSTED BY Willis on 7:46 PM under
Well I've been lacking in my updates lately but that doesn't mean I'm not riding.  Tuesday I took another new rider out for a ride.  I met Aaron about 3 years ago at the base of Morton where he complimented the old Trek and started a short conversation about his Kona.  Well after 3 years I asked him one day outside of Stocker if he had been riding. He said not as much as he wanted to since he had just gotten a new Giant Trance he wanted to get on the trails.  So after seeing him one more time I got his phone number and we planned to hit the trails sometime in the near future.

So we planned for a 4:15 start on Tuesday so some quick laps at Sell's Park were on the menu.  Aaron had never "offically" ridden around the trails so I thought it would be a great ride for the both of us.  I could size up his skill and he could get to see a new trail system.  He immediately impressed me with his bike skills.  Not only could he handle the bike well but he had the motor behind him to keep up.  We flew through the first lap and I asked if he wanted another and he said yes.  So I decided we would make it a hot lap to see how he would do.  After the first half I could tell he was strong he kept right on my wheel and I'm sure if I told him to go ahead he would have left me behind.  No problems there though I love having someone to chase.   We flew through the second lap both tripping up on the steep climb but having a blast on the Athens' Trail downhill section.

After the ride we chatted and planned to ride again soon.  Well after a busy week Wednesday and Thursday came and went with no rides, so Friday morning I sent out the Athens wide text message and with a few people busy Aaron popped up with a confirmation if he was done with his lab in time.  So we decided to hit up Dow Lake and do some trails there.  I knew of a nice section of trail but not much else other than the Lake View Trail.  Aaron on the other hand knew of a different trail head that started near the Stroud's Run entrance.  So we decided to head up that way and ride some new trails.  This trail leads to a Mountain Bike only section that hasn't been brutalized by the horses.  It is a wonderful trail with lots of logs, and trees and rocks and lots of really technical sections.  Unfortunately whether it was a lack of sleep or something else I wasn't feeling it today.  I had several times where I just couldn't keep my head straight but luckily for Aaron I let him go ahead and that way he didn't have to wait behind me.  After each mishap I would catch back up to Aaron who was riding great.  I loved the trail and can't wait to make another trip back out there this week hopefully on Tuesday.  With a week of great weather lets hope the guys are up for some riding.

Saturday was another ride with Aaron this time we rode from college park and hit some of my favorite urban spots with alot less curb jumping than usual, too many spectators.  We did make it up to The Ridges and made a ride down from the top but due to a creep in the parking lot we strayed away from riding back up and made a long ride back to the complex.  Aaron and I had another great time, less offroad riding but got to know each other a bit better, and that's one thing I love about riding.   It opens doors to friendships you might have never imagined (V, T & CK).  

Sunday was not a day without riding.  Brittany has been wanting to ride and with the weather being great I decided it would be a great day to get out and enjoy some of the fall colors with her.  We made our way over to the Union Street park to start in the shade and ride towards The Plains.  With only a goal of having a wonderful time we rode casually out about half way to The Plains and back.  Brittany did a great job of riding and with a few adjustments still to be made on her bike soon we'll be taking her out to the trail for some real riding!

With another week down only a few more until Halloween, anyone up for a Saturday pre-halloween mountain bike ride?  Maybe move it from Lake Hope to Dow Lake?  Either way I'd like to get some people together for that.  So chime in if your down.


Willis out!

Lake Hope Sunday
POSTED BY Willis on 8:22 PM under , , , , , , , ,
Sunday started like most other Sundays so far this school year, early.  I wasn't up for the beautiful sunrise, I wasn't up for the crisp morning air, I wasn't even up for those strange bird calls I heard overhead.  I was up for some riding.

With Vince, Zach, and I planning a morning start at Lake Hope I wanted to be up and as ready to ride as I could be.  I had plans to take a long underwear top to stay warm but in the confusion of packing up and getting ready I didn't even get it out of the drawer.  Instead I throw on my bibs, tights and sweat pants and hit the road.  I made a quick stop to pick up some extra water and some protein (beef jerky) at the cross-roads gas station on the way out of Athens to help fuel me on my ride.  I knew it would be a long day if I went on only my bowl of cereal.

After rallying the jeep through the hills I arrived to a full lot at the Hope Furnace, and I imedately thought "The Spoke Junkies are here"... I usually get their emails letting me know where they are riding and I always notice when they visit Lake Hope so why on this Sunday had I not noticed the email.  I didn't think anything of it since they were all on the trail already and we shouldn't have any problems riding.  There are enough trails for everyone to ride and the probability that we would ride the exact same ride is well not worth my time to calculate (I may throw a figure up there later...).  Even if we did ride with them it would have been fun.  Right at 9 Vinny and Zach roll into the lot and I can see they are both ready to get at the trail.

Zach a friend of Vince's had some misfortune while riding at Lake Hope earlier in the year and thanks to the lovely bike shops in Athens would be without a ride if it hadn't been for The Green Monster (for those with monster legs).  I let him borrow the SS and warned him he may be in for a little pain but gave him the option to switch out the rear cog from a 16 to an 18 tooth to make the hills a bit easier.  So after some quick parking lot repairs we got on our way.

Our first trail was the Hope Furnace Trail around the North side of the lake.  This was a good fast warm-up with Vince leading the way and setting a solid pace I was content with following today, I get to lead when I ride solo so its nice to see another tire in front of me besides my own.  Zach did a great job keeping up and after getting used to the riding I think he started to like it.  With our first trail out of the way we came to the base of Sidewinder and faced with a our first decision.  Sidewinder or road?

Sidewinder was dirt and the tires were fat so we ended up riding up sidewinder for a fun time.  Every time I ride it I think back to that Spring day when I first rode my mountain bike there.  We made good time and with plenty of rest breaks we pushed up to the top only expelling about 90% of our energy.  Vince lead about 90% of the way and Zach never let a gap form between us which for that trail on that bike is pretty amazing.  We got to the next major trail intersection and decided that we would go with the more fun of the two route of riding Wildcat Trail.

After ripping down Wildcat and explaining some Matrix algebra on the way we ended up down in the valley where we ran into our first group of other riders.  I let our a "bikes up" call to alert the oblivious riders that others were on the trail but still managed to startle them when they passed us.  An older rider tried to let us know we were probably heading the wrong way since the trail they had just come down was pretty steep, but little did he know that he was in for far worse of an uphill.  In fact we had spent more time coming down the hill he was about to ride up then it took us to ride up the hill he just came down.  I'm sure they made it just fine they looked to be enjoying their day on the trail.

At the top of Wildcat we hung out around the Trailhead to recover some when a large group of riders came off of Copperhead.  This was our chance to find out who these people were.  I asked if they were the Spoke Junkies and was firmly informed that "No we are CAMBA" to which I though ...You came all the way from Canada?... But after one of them finally braved up to talk to us "locals" I realized they were not saying "eh" and were actually from Cleveland (like I'm supposed to know/care what CAMBA is).  Anyway we chatted with a really nice guy who was riding what looked like a purple Gary Fischer 29er, most likely a supercaliber/excaliber or something along those lines.  Some nice bikes were in the mix and I could tell there were some tired riders.  We said our goodbyes and headed on our way back to the cars via Bobcat/Harbon/Hope Furnace to make it back to the lot.

Bobcat and Harbon were a blast and as we made our way closer to Hope Furnace Zach took the lead and well took off.  His gearing was perfect and he was flying, I had to work pretty hard just to keep up and just as I was about to crest a hill Vince comes tearing past me to take second position.  Immediately I knew "it's on!".  All three of us pushed through the fatigue of riding 15 miles 2 days in a row and you would have though it was a gold medal race for the olympics.  At least I thought so.  With the end growing near I knew I had to make my move so as we approached the last bridge a group of hikers on the other side Zach and Vince step off their bikes and I jumped off threw it on my shoulder and ran across the bridge tore past the hikers and barreled down the hill scaring a dog on my way.  Which I found out later was Bryan and his wife and their dog...  Sorry I was that @$$ who recklessly took up the trail, but I had full control and really only took up like 75% of the trail lol... Sorry Bryan.  Apologies aside I ended up racing myself to the finish and I'm sure it was all in my head but I could swear I tasted some gold when I opened into the field marking the finish.  I grabbed a few pictures and we headed home from some Jimmy John's and farewells to the couples.

It was a great weekend and I am happy that I could spend some time with Vince and Timarie.  Hopefully I will see them again soon and I'll bring the bikes home next time for some Miami County riding.

Willis out!

Riding With Vince
POSTED BY Willis on 9:01 PM under
Today Vince and Timarie came down fir a visit and some riding. So with not much of a plan Vince and I decided to start at my usual location and ride from there. After warming up on Rockhouse trail and finally making it up that hill I alway talk about we decided to make our way to Dow Lake. With quite a few miles in today we decided to skip the trail back and use the road which put us at 3.5 hours in the saddle today. Tomorrow we plan for an early ride that I'm sure will be full of stories since it is a Lake Hope ride. If you are familar with my other Lake Hope rides you would understand. So look for a more informative update in the next post.

On another note what the hell is with the saying "that's bananas" I'm young and hip and that is definately not a cool saying so I hope it fades fast or maybe we are doomed to live with it forever!

Willis out!

Posted with LifeCast

New Toys!!!!
POSTED BY Willis on 8:15 PM under


Posted with LifeCast

It Rides Too!
POSTED BY Willis on 8:12 PM under


Posted with LifeCast

Today
POSTED BY Willis on 7:06 PM under , , ,
With mid-terms coming up fast I needed to take some time to myself and get a good hard ride in.  Not to mention that I really wanted to make it up that stinking hill.  So the plan was sit through class for the day then see if I could entice anyone into a ride.  Everyone was busy with class so I planned to take The Cove out for its last ride with Shimano components (about time).

I set out for some solo laps expecting to see a few other riders on the trail I had my eyes out.  Despite seeing cars in the lot on my first lap I was by my self only passing a pair of hikers coming down the Rock-house Trail.  On the first loop I got to my hill and unfortunately between slipping on the roots and being frustrated with my shifting I ended riding half way up slipping riding back down and doing it again.  But I was still unsuccessful.  But I was not done.  I went for another lap.

Lap two was spirited I was getting warmed up and the shifting was doing better but not perfect.  So I started up the hill and immediately had problems, a root at the base of the hill would either push my front wheel to the side or cause the rear tire to slip.  After 5 tries I finally found my line and made it over, I think 99.999...9% of it was mental.  Since I made it up that part but ended up riding into a tree that is no where near the trail.  Once again all mental but through the cursing at the bike and myself I made it to the top of the first hill and got it back together to power it over the last hill to the top of Athens Trail.  After making it to the bottom of the trail I checked the time and it was only 4:30!  With all the slow downs it only took 1hr to do two laps.  So I figured I have to end this era of The Cove on a good note and decided for one final Hot Lap.

The last lap was a good one.  I powered the whole way and I had a debt to repay to that last hill, so with out missing a shift I didn't look up and rode like it was a flat trail and made it all the way to the last technical section where once again the loose dirt got the better of me as I slipped off my right pedal and ended up letting out some choice words since I was so close I'll have to end up changing my line since this one seems to not be working, but who knows maybe with some proper shifting I'll be able to make it no problem.

I ended the day with 3 laps with a total mileage for the day near 15 miles on the Mountain bike.  Had it not been too close to 5 I would have done another lap but we can leave that for next week.  With Vince coming down this weekend Hopefully we can get some good riding in. ;)

Willis out!

2-4 Tuesday
POSTED BY Willis on 11:13 PM under , , , ,
After spending the weekend at home I had put of riding yesterday to spend some time working on projects. So today while going home from class I ran into Tyler, who lives across the hall from Brittany in her apartment complex, who rides mountain bikes. We had talked earlier this year about getting together to ride so I figured what time better than the present. After sorting out a starting time I told him I would be back at 4PM to get thing going.

Since Tyler rides a full-suspension bike I decided I would be better off riding The Cove today than messing with the single speed. I knew I needed to take care of my chain from this weekends ride, and removing the big chainring, but they were both easy parking-lot fixes.

Eventually we got on the trail and suffered through the first climb but the trail is moderately flat for the first half until the climb to Athens Trail. We were rolling smooth Tyler's bike really let him climb great being able to just power up hills I am used to waiting at the top of. We rode a moderate pace which kept me under control and both of us comfortable. The both of us made it all the way to the Athens Trail climb without stepping off the bike (except for a water break). So I had a good feeling about today and not to mention I had a set of gears today.

The hardest part of this climb for me initially is to make the turn into the climb, at an almost full 180 degrees I usually end up riding off the trail or needing to stop and re-adjust. Today however I made the turn successfully except I had slow so much that Tyler ended up having to bail out behind me but quickly got going again. The next major milestone for the climb is a small kick up next to the second tree with a few roots, but the gears were there to keep the tires moving. With a huge smile on my face I had made it up the first section now for the technical part. The next two sections are not steep, but very technical. The first is a tree's roots that without proper planning can have you spinning a tire and blowing your climb but I have been planning my line for the last three rides so this one was cake. The final technical section of the climb is another set of tree roots that have a deep dip and some very loose dirt that ended up claiming my victory today. I picked the low line thinking I would sit down to put the weight down but it didn't help I was forced to step off. Had I been alone I would have ridden down to the bottom and do it again. Like Crilli said sometimes it takes more than one ride to really understand a hill/mountain so this leaves me a new goal for the solo ride. 100% completion forwards then time to work on the backwards route.

On another note, I have some secret weaponry coming Friday (mountain bike related)...


Willis out!

The Wedding Part 2
POSTED BY Willis on 10:49 PM under , , , , ,


Brittany and Me before the Wedding
Chris and His Arm Candy
Vince and Family
The Men
Timarie and Family
Love Stories...
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Francis

The wedding was beautiful I couldn't have dreamed of seeing something that fit the two of them more perfectly than what happened today.  It was an honor to attend and I can't wait to build more memories with the two of you.

Congratulations!

Willis out!

The Wedding
POSTED BY Willis on 10:10 PM under , , , ,
Awesome day to ride!


Looking Good!
Chris and the Highlander Jersey

This weekend I came home to Troy for the union of two of my friends.  Over the last summer I have grown closer to both Vince and Timarie than I ever imagined.  Ever since parting ways at graduation I never thought I would see either of them in my life again but that was foolish of me.  I must first say the two of you have opened my eyes to a whole new view on life, love and well life...  So to be invited to witness their union as a family was an honor that I had to take them up on.  So Friday Brittany and I set out on our adventure to come back to Troy.

I had been out searching for their gift when I overheard on the radio friday afternoon that 33W was closed at the Athens/Hocking county line due to a major accident.  So my plan was to take 50 to 35 and end up in Dayton, but Brittany insisted on finding another way to Lancaster.  So after using Google maps to plan the route I was set to take 56 -> 328 -> to 33.  But since this was an adventure it wouldn't be so easy.  We made our way on 56 past Lake Hope and finally we passed the first section of 328 but Google maps insisted I make a left onto 328N so we kept going until we found 328 at  left turn and took it.  After driving through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen we found out we were really on 328S and Google maps had told us wrong, we should have taken that right.  But luckily I pulled out my WLMS (Willis Location Mapping Service, really just a map with my compass) and found out we were only about 5 miles from 93 which would take us back to 33.  So no need to turn around and we kept on trucking.  Finally after some sweet roads and fun driving we ended up in Logan and back on 33 and eventually home.

While driving I received a voicemail from Timarie that I really couldn't hear so when I got back in a service area I called her back to find out Vince was looking to ride Saturday morning before the wedding.  After letting them know I didn't bring a bike but with The Cove at home I said I would be down to ride anything, and we planned for a 9AM ride time.

After waking up around 7:30 I got to Vince's around 9AM with The Crew ready we decided to head out for the ride.  Vince and I were on our Mountain bikes but this was not a ride for speed, this was a quality ride.  


After spinning around for about 13-15 miles we landed back at Casa de Vee Tee.  Timarie was just leaving to head to Brookville to prepare for her big day.  After discussing some departure and arrival times I decided to hit the road so Vince could prepare for his big day.

Willis out!

Fat Tire Wednesday
POSTED BY Willis on 11:52 PM under , , , ,
With no early class on Wednesday I sent out another txt message tuesday night to line up a group for a morning ride. I got a single response from Bryan who said he was in.

So I woke up around 9 and decided to relax until around 10 to meet Bryan at 10:20. So after picking him up we headed to Sell's Park to ride the Athens Trail system.

We were rolling good and after passing a set of hikers I was feeling great, but knew Bryan who was battling a cold would soon need a rest so I pulled over and we chatted a bit and got back on the bike. A few minutes later I rode past two downed trees with their root balls exposed and a few seconds later heard Bryan's derailleur slap against the frame and figured he was close behind so I stopped to chat a bit but no Bryan. I headed back to find him standing next to his bike. He let me know he had taken a spill which after the ride he realized he had hit a root end-oed and slid on his side back first into a tree.

After a few minutes and making sure he could feel everything we were back on the trail. I could tell Bryan was feeling timid about riding so after the downhill sections I waited for him to catch up to keep him going. Not only was he sick and just had a wreck but he was riding a fully rigid Trek from the early 90's that is in desperate need of new tires and a set of pedals (I think I said that about monday too). But seriously the kid has some balls to do what we do on that bike and never complains he only asks for more.

I'll be hitting up the trail again tomorrow solo and then it's home for the Vee and Tee Wedding and the return of the Cove to Athens.


Willis out!

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Monday Riding
POSTED BY Willis on 11:22 PM under , , , ,
A few days late but I started the week off with some MTB action.  I sent out an Athens wide TXT message to my riding friends (well only 3 of them) that I was looking to ride at 2:30 since I got out of class at 2.  Well I got 2 no go's and one conformation so we planned to head to Dow lake for a lap around.

I've only ridden this trail once before and it was full of wet spots where it dipped down to the lake as well as being pretty well tore up from equestrians using the trail.  The first half of the loop is a very fast and low section that rolls right long the side of the lake.  A few climbs keep the heart rate up and quick downhills to keep the blood rushing.  My riding partner Bryan was riding a fully rigid Trek 6000ZX from the early 90's.  Last year I gave him a tune up and a set of my old tires but he is in desperate need of a new set as well as some clipless pedals.  Even though these are temporary fixes for the bike it will make his current riding experience much more enjoyable.

I was rocking the single speed like usual it was showing some signs of wear so looks like I'll need to give it a once over before the next ride.  After a few hairy downhills on the second half of the loop I only bailed out once but that was mainly due to trail damage from the horses.  We made it to a new section that went back up the hill and lead to some really great technical riding.  It was so much fun that I have decided to make it my solo training course and just ride it back and fourth until I get tired on my solo rides.  It mixes technical single-track with some interesting obstacles that keep you on your toes.  Well that's all I got another MTB session tomorrow (Wednesday) morning with Bryan maybe I'll come up with a more entertaining story after the ride.

Willis out!

S.S.S.R.
POSTED BY Willis on 1:43 PM under , , ,
Today was a great day to ride (what day isn't).  But I decided to take the Single Speed out for a Solo Ride (S.S.S.R.).  I packed up Purple Haze and headed to the other side of town to Sell's Park for some good ol' mountain biking.  


I headed up the usual way taking Rockhouse Trail blasting up the first climb (better than I ever had).  I was riding great the trail was extremely dry and has definitely seen the recent weather.  I last rode this section of trail in the Spring when it had been in great shape minus a few moist spots, this time it was the exact opposite dry with lots of roots and rocks exposed with lots of debris across the trail.  I was flying down the trail making it up every climb and pumping the flat sections.  I had just been thinking to my self "who needs gears?  I'm riding great".  When I made the turn to the final hill up Rockhouse trail to Athens Trail.  And I had to get off and hike up the hill, way too steep for 32x16 probably too steep for my other combo of 32x18 but I'll try that next week.  I don't think I've ever made it up this section even on my geared bike so I wasn't too bummed about having to walk.


After making my way onto Athens Trail I flew the rest of the way back to the Trailhead and after passing the only other person on the trail a man and his dog I had a serious decision to make.  It had only been an hour and I was still pumped to ride so do I make another loop?  Every time I find myself asking that question and I choose to ride or do something I hadn't planned on I end up breaking something or something goes wrong.  So against my better judgement I hit the trail again.

I decided to ride the same trail I had just ridden only in reverse, I haven't ridden this way in at least 2 years so it was a welcome change.  I had to hike the first hill but I knew that going into it.  It was another great ride but I couldn't help but notice some of the damage to the trail and some even found a downhill trail that someone has decided to add off the trail only adding to the damage.  The only reason I am dwelling on this is after I finished my ride I ran into a guy in the parking lot who mentioned that the Athens City Recreation Manager had been out to the trail and was seriously trying to consider what they would be doing with the trail system.  So without some proper care it may end up getting closed down.  So even though it ended on a sad note the ride was awesome and I couldn't had asked for a better afternoon.

Willis out!

Hour Escape
POSTED BY Willis on 4:21 PM under
In between class homework and meetings I squeezed an hour of time to ride today.  I flipped on my 10//2 jersey and headed out for some Athens county beauty.  I really just meandered around taking roads I thought looked fun, and I ended up going exactly where I wanted to go.  There was a road I had been on before, but I had turned around.  So I had made my way out to Athens County Rt. 80.  This road was beautiful, it not only was in a great setting, but it rolled surprisingly well and had some hills mixed in for some real flavor.  Other than that it was really just another Athens County ride with hills and dogs keeping the ride interesting.  I time trialed the last 5 miles and even though I didn't sprint I did pick up the pace for the finish.

Well I'm wasting time and I got a meeting to go to so.

Willis out!

Busy Busy Busy
POSTED BY Willis on 10:50 AM under
I've been nothing but busy since getting back from Highlander.  With school starting to get going and trying to find time to ride/work on the bikes I have been trying to settle down.  Highlander was an amazing trip full of excitement and well not much could have been better.  I'm glad that I was invited to go.  I learned a few things like gearing is a HUGE part of riding up hills, and that the small chainring actually has a purpose (who woulda thought).

The ride was an eye opening experience, from the first hill to the last I got to know myself and my bike just a little bit better.  I found out that I need to get a 34 tooth chainring before the next mountain ride, and that I can make up any hill on my bike you just have to want to see the top.  I found ways to look past the pain and how to avoid looking up the hill as to not see how much further I had to go.  The ride was only a third of the story with Friday night/Saturday morning shenanigans, and Sunday's cross wind a weekend like that could never be duplicated.

For a recap of the ride it went a little like this:

Hill
Flat x 4
Big Hills
Flat
More Big Hills
Flat
Crazy Down Hill
Flat x 2
Finish

Most of the day seems like a blur with only the ride up Bopple/Gannet, The Gravel Road Coasting, Slitter, and The Ride In still fresh in my mind I'll do some play-by-play action.

Bopple/Gannet:
Prior to going to Highlander all I can remember is the talk of Bopple.  Bopple this Bopple that, so I knew I was in for some steep climbing when Craig told me we were coming in hot.  After riding along the lake and nearly missing being smashed by a cement truck we see the first incline.  Dobo takes off and I decided I would ride my pace but he gave me some motivation.  I kept him at a constant distance and on the last kick-up a family cheered me on as I stood to begin closing the gap.  After passing the stop sign I kicked it into the big chainring to slow down the heart and see what I had left.  As we screamed down the downhill we took a right then Craig caught up and we started the climb of Gannet.
Gannet really isn't a hard hill, but after just doing Bopple it would make for an long 2 miles.  At the base of the hill Craig let us know he thought he had a flat and we would need to wait for Big Tim to catch up since he had the patch kit and we were running out of tubes.  But after a quick inspection he decided it must have been a groove in the road since he wasn't losing any air.  This gave me a chance to move into the little chainring and begin the climb.  Dobo was once again out front and I just kept my pace turning the slowest cadence I could with out stopping.  Craig and I rode to the top together and I even got a door prize.  After arriving at the summit the smell of cliff bars and bananas kept us pumping up to the rest stop for the re-group and return of Rhino.

The Gravel Road Coasting:
Sometime after the climbs we were on a fast decent with Rhino Dobo and I riding together when we come to a gravel road.  Dobo took it easy but Rhino and I started down the hill which was just you standard chip and seal, but after a few ups and downs we hit a real gravel road with nothing but dirt and rocks.  I was riding near the center when Rhino let me know he wanted the line I was on so I let him in since he is a much better descender I figured I would follow him down and where ever we had to go.  I had a blast holding his wheel from the flying downhill to the pass we made on two riders it was amazing.  We eventually made it back to pavement which eventually lead down to our next rest stop before Slitter.

Slitter:
The last Big Hill and probably the most memorable was Slitter.  After our final rest-stop Craig gave me the layout of the hill letting me know that it wasn't a constant climb but had some low grade sections to "recover" on.  Slitter starts as a left turn and it goes straight up (similar to the hills on MTHD's Mayhem) but it keeps going up and up.  Looking up you can only wonder where the top is since the low grade sections looked like the top as you approached them.  Finally Dobo made it to the top and thankfully he stopped to cheer us on up the hill and let us know where the top is.  I crested the top and went back to see Big Tim smiling the whole way up the hill.  With only a crazy downhill and one hill to go I was ready to see the finish.

The Ride In:
After riding with Dobo as much as I could up the last hill we recovered at the top and waited on the final road back into the start.  When Rhino comes up behind us and I hooked on his wheel and headed for the finish.  I don't remember much other than the Deer crossing signs and how nice that Cane Creek hub looks.  As we neared the finish I pulled up next to Rhino since I knew we had the same gearing if we were going to sprint I figured it would be more fun to do it side-by-side rather than slingshotting past him.  We didn't end up sprinting but we did see Timarie and Chris waiting taking pictures of us coming into the finish.  A few minutes later Viper came flying down the road with Craig Dobo and Big Tim coming up a little later.  While waiting I told Rhino I didn't get a flat the whole ride and so he reached down and let air out of my tires letting me know that now I have a flat.

With the trip over it's time to go back to school.  It was a great time and can't wait for the next trip.  

Willis out!

Crazy Trip
POSTED BY Willis on 9:41 PM under
Today began as usual wake up early and go to math class. But after that I had to go and get in the jeep and head to Columbus to head out to New York for the trip to Highlander. I arrived late with Big Tim Craig and Dobo waiting in the Green Machine and Vince Chris and Timarie waiting in the Baru. We flew out of the meijer parking lot and on our way.

We thundered on and after some hijinx we made it to New York with not many problems. The problems started on the way to dinner with Craig as the navigator we were going off of his memory which consisted of remembering a tree. But after a U-turn and some decisive manuvers we made it to Koozies a great Italian restruant that had some killer food. After eating I needed to visit the bank and that's where the fun started.

We were flying up the street looking for the Chase bank that we spotted on the other side of the road so we flip a left turn onto what looks like a road but we soon found out it was a railroad and almost ended up riding the rails. So we flip around and Tim dropped me off as the rain started to pour down. I ran up to the door and found out it was locked now soaking wet I hustled back to the van and the door handle slipped out of my hand as the Green Machine pulled away (haha). I get in and Tim says before I could say anything "they told me to do it!". So I let out the obvious "I hate you guys" and laugh with everyone. So we pull around the alley and I see an ATM that I ran out to and got the funds and ran back to the van where I busted my head on the door sill and fought off the headache. As we all giggled about my misfortune I rubbed my head as we made I back to the hotel and sitting here watching the riding videos from 2 years ago thinking of tomorrows pain to come.

Willis out!

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Back On The Bike
POSTED BY Willis on 7:56 PM under
After missing yesterdays Wednesday worlds with the cycling club I decided that getting out of class early tonight was a sign. After stopping at Brittany's I went home to grab the Cow jersey and hit the streets. I decided to roll out my usual route past The Ridges and up my first Athens county climb of the new season. As I crossed Richland bridge I narrowly avoided a colission with some dumb blonde who decided the left turn had a right-a-way to oncoming traffic. But with that avoided I prepared for the turn when I see a fellow cyclist ahead and he made the same turn so I quickly made up the gap and introduced myself only to find out this was a kid I had run track with. Intact he was a training tri-athlele from Miamisburg (read that Goose I may begin some tri training). So we chat between the hills and I kept his pace while working up the hills in the big ring to work on some power. After riding some tar and gravel roads he was on the second half of his ride so I decided to keep riding and told him to email me to ride another time.

So luckily I was near one of the best roads in Athens county. County road 22 it's a great road that begins with a slight uphill and it never stops it goes up up up then down and back up again sometimes steep and sometimes gradual. But it goes on and on for several miles and it is a low traveled beautifully paved road with no pot holes at all. The locals are great too only the ocassional guy letting me know how good I look in my spandex. Only one dog decided to challenge me to a dual that ended with me putting him into the wall (not really just unclipped and then flew past him). I then had to decide a new way back since I planned to ride the road in reverse I kept on my route from a year ago.

This particular almost made me quit a year ago I was lost had no map and hadn't ridden the 10 miles I rode today before so it was a moment for me. I was feeling great and was enjoying the sounds of nature with the bugs creating the soundtrack to the ride I kept an awesome pace and never let the cadence drop. I rode into The Plains and up to 682 with a decision to make do I ride the bike path into town or be daring and keep the hills on with a trip down 682? Well if you know me sometimes I like some pain so 682 it was and after riding through the blip on the map I flew the hills with some fast motorpacing behind a truck who did his best to try to lose me but I made it my sprint.

I finished the night with a great dinner with Brittany at Miller's Chicken and now to prepare for Highlander.

Willis out!

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Parking Lot Tune-up
POSTED BY Willis on 1:24 PM under


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First Few Days
POSTED BY Willis on 11:52 AM under
Back to school...  So far the schedule has been great only 3 classes this quarter and I'm done by 2 most days and 4 on others (minus meetings at various times).  I started off the week right keeping up with homework and doing my best to be active.  Monday Brittany and I took a ride on our mountain bikes.  She still needs some adjusting but hopefully we will get that all sorted out soon.  Tuesday I had an intense session of frisbee with the roommates which I think got me burning more calories than I really expected.  With rainy weather yesterday and my classes taking up most of the day I plan to hit the streets today on some skinny tires.  There is a club ride tonight that sounds promising an ol' run what you brung type of event so we'll see if I can squeeze it into my meeting schedule with professors wanting to meet at awkward times of the day we'll see what happens.

Willis out!

Crazy Trip
POSTED BY Willis on 12:30 AM under
Saturday started like the last few Saturdays I can remember way too early. Who else do you know that sleeps in all week but gets up early on the weekend?

Well after packing and saying my goodbyes I hit the road with 100 miles ahead of me. A quick pitstop at Tim Horton's for a some fuel and I was good to go. Wish I could say that about Purple Haze. We were making good time as I merged onto 70 and just pass the 201 exit I let off the gas for a acond only to hear clunk clunk clunk so I imedately go into survival mode check the gages and lights nothing out if the ordinary and I slow east on the gas only to hear the clunking stop and a tremendous roar come from the mighty I-6. Well I knew it was the exhaust so I make a b-line for the 202 exit and pull into the shell expecing to see the muffler gouging a trench into the pavement.

After a quick inspectioni noted that the muffler had been poorly installed with a weld failing at the point where the old system (header to cat) and the newer parts (cat back) joined quickly I decided I needed to get to an auto zone for some clamps and exhaust tubing to fix this minor problem only thing is the best answer I could get from anyone was a "maybe down the road just don't quote me on that" from the shell cashier. So I ripped down the road looking for all over while trying to fill my dad in on the incident. I ended up going to Wal-Mart and picking up speaker wire and some zip ties to atleast hold the muffller away from hitting the driveshaft (the source of my clunking).

20 minutes and 15 feet of wire later I was ready to hit the road. It was still loud but bareable. Until while passing a car the pipe moved and I imedately began to sound like a straight piped diesel truck but I had to continue for I was now late and had a game to make it to.

I finally arrived and made good time with a stop in Hillard I still made it in decent time. After done quick shuffling of cars we finally set out for the Ohio State vs. Ohio U game and would make it to our seats after another adventure midway through the third quarter. It was exciting to see those Bobcats have the Buckeyes on the ropes I mean they better do good I had to give up Track for there budget increases (still a little butter about that).

The rest of the day was smooth sailing and it was a great day outside plus I got to spend it with Brittany so even though I wasn't on the bike it was a great day!

Willis out!

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What Now?
POSTED BY Willis on 12:25 AM under
To start today I began a task of planning my trip back to school. Although I needed to take the day to pack I just couldn't focus I found a few thing I needed and fumbled around until I decided to go get lunch. Shortly after lunch Vinny called and asked if I planned on riding and I assured him no matter the weather I would be at his house by 5.

After arriving at casa de Vee and Tee and hearing about Tee's flat tire and some about her rain ride we set out for the ride which I can't remember what we talked about just thinking about the ride and the rain. We arrived early around 5:30 and hung out in Purple Haze and I thought we may be doing a two man ride but like clockwork White Lightening came rolling into the lot with the Puppet Master Egg at the wheel. Then out of the west came the Big Green Machine packed full of riders. Tim, Andy, and his brother Matt were here to ride. After a few more minutes T-bolt rolled in.

As we started the ride I took it easy I still need more confidence for wet roads but slowly I started to work into the line. The ride was fast and made my legs feel like Jello but I knew it was the last ride for the Home Season and did what I could to finish hard.

After the ride we talked and I enjoyed the company of T-bolt, Egg, and Viper. Who have each made my summer one of the most enjoyable times of my life so far. As I drove home from Vinny's I couldn't think of what I was going to do Dio was on WTUE and it hit me that my summer was over and I had just finished my last ride.

Egg has been a great inspiration to me with his help as a cyclist and as a friend I have taken a new outlook on life. I could write for days about Egg but he already knows. T-bolt the retro man has inspired me to write these blogs I'll keep them up to date so my progress can be tracked with graphs and fancy color charts. I really love the classic bikes I'll come back just to see what other rides you got in the stable. Viper who I never thought I would see again after graduation has taught me many things one of which is never to say never. Much has changed this summer and I have my friends to thank now let's get ready for Highlander.

Willis out!

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