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Thanksgiving Day; More seasonal days are back on us. I mean, what's the point to ride on another 70 degree day? Sometimes those days are just too pretty to ride.

Especially with bright fresh wool hanging in the closet that is itching to be put to use. Put some pants on and go for a ride. Revel in the solitude. A little calm before storms.

Looking for the turkeys - 20 minutes to #1 - This has become an annual pilgrimage for me, leave the car behind and head for the in-laws to consume some bird and all the fixins. Digest then roll on for more of the same. Ride to eat and eat to ride then repeat. A favorite holiday thanks to the bike and having families close enough to keep off the interstate and dirt to connect the two. No hurries. No worries. Simple. Thankfully.

The transition back to the single speed has swung back around. I like that feeling. You know if you know that feeling, when you just know this is the way to roll. I am no bike hater, I like, and think I need the full range of arsenal. But what I can really dig is that feeling of setting things free and the joy it can bring when it comes back around.

now for more joy all I need is a 16 tooth fixed cog for the flip flop swing. Happy Holiday.

11/16 Friday rides are always a nice escape, putting the work week behind and looking for adventure. Hit the Kanawha Trace at Mt Zion and headed down to Fraziers Bottom. The Fall colors are still hanging tuff up along the ridges with the absence of any really killing freeze. Proceeded down through the construction zone to check out the progress. The new route 35 continues to change the landscape and the KT will go underground as the dirt gets packed higher.

11/12 Out on the wheel - to coin a phrase from my 89 year great aunt-in-law, she doesn't know how I do it "out there on the wheel". It is just one day at a time, one crank followed by another, month by month. That turns into years of conditioning and being out there on the wheel starts to be the one of the places where you are most comfortable. Living in micro moments, dealing with the challenges of getting up or down the hill your may be on. Dealing directly with Mother Nature's elements, such as surfing the wind home ahead of an approaching storm, then realizing that being wet is not so bad, as the storm swallows and drenches. Still you plod on - head held a little lower on the wheel. Its not so bad, I have been wet before, and I will be wet again. Just a little weather hiccup as the wind blows away the rain a dries off the trails, ready for another day to be out there on the wheel.

11/6 The fall spectacular is winding down - most of the colorful vista are getting blown away, but inside the dwindling canopies vivid yellows and oranges are sticking around to dazzle the senses. Don't let some new barriers in the form of cooler temps and vanishing sunlight hinder your quest for fat tire adventure, time to make up your mind to roll year round.

11/2 No more saving daylight after this weekend, making it a bit more challenging to get out. Get out when the getting is good, weekend warioring and then just squeezing in at least 2 thru the week. Shine up the lights. Start a Xmas list right here and now. The new techno LED's look very exciting, light and small enough to pack around at all times. Maybe not scorching dayglo - but getting into that functional range. It doesn't matter how brilliant your high dollar light system is if it is sitting on your bench and you are out in the dark. Really smart mounting straps for quick release to keep the bar clean. Pure vanity on my part will not allow me to keep clutter on the cockpit. No mph's, maxes, or average thresholding anything - just seat of the pants (not that is what (not that is what seat of the pants is about). There was a time when it was all measured, monitored, graphed and saved. That is a tool to use and look back on, so I know of the value. More than a weather journal that starts to get stales (like the previous post?) so I broke a rule. I broke all the Coot's rules on the 30 day ride that went downhill primarily due to some epic's that dictated staging and recouping. 22 days in the clips in the dirt was all I could mustard. A re-attempt can't be imagined till a new year roll around. It is still a dreamy goal to a mull around in the ole noggin.

Keep the higher level as apposed to just performing maintenance and a longer struggle to get back. At least 4 a week and some x training? I

Firm but slick trail conditions will keep you on your toes and hopefully the bike, choose your trail wisely, maybe the path less traveled. A good time to dust off the single speeds (if they have been idle for a while) get out and pack down some wet leaves that are coming down

10/20 Gnarled North Fork Mountain Trail; 25 miles of high line traverse, skirting the habitat of the Peregrine Falcon for dramatic overlooks and peaking fall colors. Camping at Yokums - fine food and spirits to get well primed for the early morning climb to the highest spot in West Virginia. Tomi McMillar set this 3rd annual trip in motion and this fine crew rolled it for all it was worth. Sue Haywood shares her take and Joel Maynard has even more photos of Mother Nature's splendors. Top of the World weekend! Wow. I don't want to come down.

Racing's over so what to do? This past weekend I had the honor of leading out a group of middle school riders from Clay Co. Middle School. Doug Wayne organizes field trips to different rding locales and chose Barboursville Park and the river trail for all around riding pleasure. Cool morning temperatures along the Guyandotte for the out and back then finishing on the shortcut up Pikes Peak. Fun time on the bike. Plus I learned that the river trail is "like a roller coaster", and "it's fun to breath hard". I hope these guys stick with it. Thanks to Doug for the photos and all his work with the next generation of FAT tire riders.

Dirt Derby The Movie is posted featuring Andy's camera work and some 30 riders at this years Dirt Derby. Nine and a half minutes of progressive racing footage for your armchair enjoyment.

10/8 The sunset on top of Pine Mountain, KY; Ending another day of riding - it was a bit surreal seeing the sun fade away, I knew I would be descending in the dark with minimal light and no blinky. Riding it in by brail working the senses to the max. Ended the day after the drive home at 11:30. Where was the next days ride after four butt busting days? River trail and the sport track at the park with Jay. Ticking off only #8 in the 30 Day Ride, burning the candle at both ends. Got anything to eat? This 30 day thang aint goin to cut ut.

10/6 This past weekend in town was a change of pace out on the trails with the Anniversary Hike on the local Boy scout trail. The Kanawha trace was loaded with hikers as well over 200 scouts tackled the 32 miles from Barboursville to Fraziers Bottom. Plenty of trail for everyone. Trail conditions where smooth sailing - as good as it gets. The hard work by the Tri State Area Council and all the good things from bike bFAT have really help to wind the ribbon thru the woods.

Wow!! Lot-O-fun....Aside from the work portion of my journey, I was able to find 4 solids days of epic riding. It started in Dayton, Ohio where Huffman Metro Park offers some extremely fast, tight single track, and bridge crossings at every major creek. Obviously, they have spent lots of money on these trails. The trails are very well marked with stakes that give location bidirectionally. With 4 or 5 different trails / levels (beginner to advanced), I found myself coming out of the woods when I should have had lights! Over to bFAT, Ohhhh, oooooh, fast hard packed, well groomed trails - some leaves starting to cover the trail!! I really enjoyed the park. It will always be a place to ride. Hooked up with Mac boYes for the KT. This ride topped off the week with the most up and down, slow-fast, open, clean terrain, that one could desire! Some know what I mean? Photo and video ops took precedence. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Looking forward to another day.....Thanks to Mike for hookin me up!!

Hiked, not biked, the entire length of the Kanawha Trace in 1 day.

With Sony video camera in hand off I went.

0.0    5:55am - exit 18 Sentry Bank - touch the marker at the beginning

  1.0    6:20am - Wildcat and Mud River Road, check in and released to go

5.0    7:20am - new bridge across Little Cabell Creek

5.5    7:30am - Williams Shelter, tighten shoe strings

6.0    7.50am - out of scout camp

7.0    8:10am - old farm just before cable swinging bridge across Cabell Creek

8.0   8:30am - shoe strings wet, retighten

9.0   8:50am - near Webb Cabin sawmill

10.0   9:10am - sun coming up over the hills

11.0    9:30am - out of Canaan Land, changed socks

12.0    9:50am - Gobbler Knob, 1016 ft elevation

13.0 10:15am - lucky number

14.0 10:35am - radio tower in view to the left

14.5  10:55am - 4H food stop on Barker's Ridge just past Milton vol fire dept

15.0  11:30am - large Poplar tree

16.0  11:45am - Jenkins Branch

17.0 12:00pm - Jenkins Branch

18.0 12:15pm - Trace Creek, blacktop road starting to get warm

19.0 12:25pm - exit Cabell County enter Mason County

19.8  12:45pm - Jackjack School off Dry Ridge Rd, check in at base camp, rehydrate

20.0 12:55pm - out of Blackjack

21.0    1:15pm - out of Bear Hollow, change socks

22.0    1:35pm - Guyan Creek - gravel road - sucks

23.0   2:00pm - Guyan Creek - gravel road - still sucks and it's really hot

24.0    2:20pm - Guyan Creek - gravel road - really sucks and it's beyond hot

25.0    2:40pm - cross Mason Road towards Mt. Zion Church, blacktop made it even hotter

26.0    2:56pm - blacktop road, felt like you could cook and egg or was that my brain

27.0    3:12pm - Lookout Point, back in the woods

28.0    3:32pm - near Stave's Branch and high power electric lines

29.0    3:52pm - descent before Hell's Stairway, camera battery started crapping out

30.0    4:20pm - cross new rt35 under construction

31.0   4:40pm - last fense crossing and off Kanawha Trace single track onto Stave's Branch

31.68 4:50pm - crossed rt35 and finished, touch the marker at the end, just shy of 11 hours with video camera.

Not bad for a 47 year old guy.

7:00pm returned to Blackjack for a just reward of patches, one of a kind trail metal and a tshirt.

Will I do it again - YES
Dwayne Walters

bFAT is an informal group of riders who appreciate the land and ride for a healthy well being.

Beech Fork is mostly a single track trail that follows around the lake leading into a combination of creek bed, hill climb, and fast downhill back to the lake. Barboursville's Park has some nice runs from the top with numerous scenic overlooks from the sheer cliffs and steep drops. The flat single track that follows the river and comes out behind the lake - is where the real fun can begin or end. Click on the link at top of page - above (right or left) to see a map! The Kanawha Trace and Adahi Trails are 32 mile and 17 mile multi user trails crossing over private land. Check with the Tri-State Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America for trail information and registration.

bFAT email groupo<----click here Become a part of an e-group forum that will let all subscribers communicate (free!). Send an e-mail with the word "join" in the subject or body and you'll get hooked up with other riders, to do fun group rides, get trail info and conditions, technical advice, etc.

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A new Technical Time Trial course features Sunday's opening climb and two downhill sections that will not be ~20untry.