12/29  End of the road?  You reach the top of a long climb after many a long stroke, trying to stay in your comfort zone, looking forward to a relaxing cruise off the other side.  Life like a fixed gear ride can keep you on your toes; once you reach the top there is still hard work just to get back from where you started.  No coasting.  There is bit of fear and uncertainness of what lays down that road.  You refocus, plot your line cautiously and go for it.  Sure there will be some suffering involved, along with that unsure feeling that something will blow you apart at any minute.  But you just keep on keeping on and before you know it it's all behind you.  Then it gets better.  Better than it could be if it that thing didn't take you out of that box.  Out of the box is where you will see something bright on the horizon.  ( no, not the chemtrails )

12/30  Saturday's ride up and down 900' of forest hardpack definitely took me out of my box and gave me the confidence to remove the rear "emergency brake" on Sunday for my longest and tallest fixed gear ride ever.  The rear rim brake was re-assuring when things got steep and/or fast but, instilled a certain disconnect with the machine - more of an operator rather than a part of it.   It's a Zen thing.

Joey led out the route from Elkins to Parsons and back along both banks of the Shavers Fork. 

Otter Creek Wilderness in the Monongahela National

Nice lay of the land newest favorite NYD loop.  Next step up the loop ladder is Davis, WV.  That would be a delicious dirt 100 miler with Sirianni's Cafe at a high half way point.  or a two day back and out shuttle first dealio  hmmmm  dirtpacked  roads  railtrails  bigclimbs  trail  Blackwater Canyon  dreamy  early season  Potenial

  It was good seeing these guys riding strong

happy new year

Mac Henry Mandi Jed & John

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road trip

...twas Tuesday EKy under rt7

Bushwhacking, being very quite.  Good time of the year to discover and explore those little hidden gems.

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...90% is just showing up

12/24 posse!  yup 6 knowledgeable mtb'ers set off for a 3 hour time lined steady gunning romp in the woods. 

krisp blue xmas eve morning

 Blue Sulpher Road - KT - Adahi - KT

this is all I wanted for Christmas

thank you everyone

...do you see a pony?

Nate Bowe from Asheville NC to KT

too late for a mulligan

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gear = check

12/23  turns out days like these are not too far between.

...out after the clearing skies.   soil samples conclude wet more than muddy.  soft.  32x16 a bit stout

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12/22 The darkest day of the year

makes the turn into Winter

daze like these

are too far between

...strange things on the road  ?

yes truly strange around here.  First off, just seeing another rider while out riding.  Second, the fact I was able (while a road bike) to reel in any rider with a cadence.  Lastly and most of all, a lugged steel fix gear .  I spoke on approach "nice ride" trying not to startle.  Freaked the guy out totally.  Made re-contact minutely, before traffic and the approaching interchange drew attentions away.  Blew the light and opened a gap and kept it rolling it the vapor lock b-line for the house.  Maybe not the most socialable interaction, but an encouraging one

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GRATUITOUS PORN...

just what we have between our legs

. 

...Dwayne's all rounder.  I have disc envy.  And yes that is a triple of pure pleasure!

...felt like the first time.  didn't mean to bust the cherry.  such a dirt ho

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12/21 Friday night fix

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DUES

12/16  good ride  You know that phrase at the end of the ride thanks for the ride man expressing gratuities for hospitalities along the way.  It was not even appropriate, multiple long stretches of head down silence accompanied this suffering.  It was said that it was interesting.  Maybe I shouldn't be encouraged that way.  JUST a 2hr 25 mile standard base route that works prevailing winds to the back then takes advantage of long secluded hollers.  Get pushed up the road and make the roundabout turn away from painted roadways.  Chill  keep the core oven stoked, high spin low trajectory work hard not to go too fast not hard enough WoW I am covered in snow mental meltdown #1.  Pull it together for the head wall to the ridge for the full faced exposure and a wet wind chilled descent to before another tack out of the 40 mph gusts.   Secluded wet freezing dirt mud track adjustment and maybe this wasn't so bad...

  Another headwall  yeh I am warm delivers the ridge top and the weather window slams down on wet extremities hard and fast.  Feels like the only thing holding my frozen digits together is two layers of gloves.  Turn the route down for the low sheltered line and have to stop mid-descent due to meltdown #2  the sensation of  brake levers severing my fingers at the last digit.  Stop again at the bottom for meltdown #3 windmills to work the circulation - cars pass by look nonchalant - not hopelessly pathetic then push off for the last 5 miles for me and about 8 for Andy.

last elevation gain, the end of the ride is near.  obtain a sense of gratuitous interesting reality thanks man 

Big dues payment in the bank - keep this in savings, reap the dividends for a long time.

Big

for the record and local knowledge

32 degrees 40mph gust from W (and S) wet snow squalls

rt60 (east)

mixed up bonus cul-de-sac sections

Kilgore Creek (north)

Johns Creek ridge (south)

Mill Creek (north)

Barkers Ridge (west)

Lower Creek (west)

Yates Crossing (south)

rt60 (east) for the wind to my back

rt60 (west) for Andy's last weather assault

+25 miles 2:15 minutes

12/15 Gobbler Knob gravel  Standard Base Route (high line)

12/8 a bright new perspective! - $7.99 orange tag special.  Comes with flames.  "Great for driving at night"  wtf?

12/8  wuz good fuzz

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Don't take what you love for granted - they can go in a heartbeat.

Dear mountain bike advocate,


If you have any interest in the New River Gorge National River (NERI)
please take a minute to copy and paste a comment (or write your own) in
this critical stage of the planning process.  Unfortunately, a sudden and
unexplained ban on bikes in 50% to 80% of all Park Service property has
been written into the NERI draft plan.  Mountain bikers need to be heard
at this stage to try to reverse this ill conceived notion.   Please
forward this to any other interested parties.

Just copy the following letter- go to the comment form linked below the
letter (keep trying...this website is not accessible all of the time),
fill out the required fields, paste the letter with your signature and
send off before December 17th or the end of the year.

Thanks,
Matt Marcus
West Virginia Mountain Bike Association, Vice-President
International Mountain Bike Association,  WV Representative

P.S.  Please Cc. info@blackwaterbikes.com  with your comment if possible.


Dear Don Striker,

West Virginia has been one of the top mountain biking tourism destinations
since the introduction of mass produced off road bicycles in the early
1980's.  West Virginia has been ranked as the number one State for
mountain biking by the International Mountain Bicycle Association (IMBA)
and has ranked in the top five since the rating system was introduced.

Mountain biking's popularity in West Virginia has benefited us by
promoting community health, healthy lifestyles, economic development and a
respect for nature.  In addition to these perceived positive influences is
the obvious fact that mountain biking currently contributes millions of
dollars annually to the New River Gorge area economy.

Mountain biking is popular in West Virginia because it is a quiet, human
powered and environmentally sound activity that allows us access to
backcountry experiences.  Mountain bikers support the concepts of a
thru-the-Gorge trail with off road links from the river to the gateway
communities and stacked loop trail systems envisioned in the General
Management Plan (GMP) drafts.

The trails around Fayetteville and in the Glade Creek area near Beckley
are of particular importance for mountain bike access to the Gorge.
Steps to permit biking on single-track in New River Gorge need to be taken
immediately, independent of the GMP.

Backcountry designations need to include bicycles instead of exclude them.
 The sudden and unexplained ban on bicycles in 50% to 80% of the New River
Gorge National River (NERI) as outlined in all of the draft options is
unacceptable.  The public has not been given any logical reason for this
exclusion and, according to the planning team, it is not backed by any
comments or studies.  Furthermore, cycling groups and businesses must be
included in any discussion concerning bicycle access in backcountry and
Wilderness.

The mountain biking community wants to start a dialog with NERI management
on GMP development, bicycle access and backcountry and Wilderness
designation.  Hopefully the problem of the sudden and unexplained bicycle
ban and the short comment period will not cause major problems in the
future.

Sincerely,



Here is the link:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?parkID=259&projectID=11040&documentId=20930

 

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12/6 Got to grab days like these.  Kristal skies and a fresh frozen layer of icing.  Right in the middle of the big muddy Ohio River Valley on a little hour and a half piddle.  Towed the line off the main drag, away from the weekday traffic and followed the river, keeping it flat as a flapjack.  Found a bonus 4 miles of isolated snowpack up and back on Shady Grove road.  Amazing myself once again of the super connectivity feedback that the fixie revels.  Slow it goes, focus on the form and the skills.  Float some serpentine lines and work the drifts like an Arab

another pose - same ole scene

downtown Pomeroy, Ohio

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Pump Track? Pump this and think of Evel.

 Never did really get a big kick out of watching someone fly thru the air and maybe crash and end up in a hospital for days and months.  But that was a unique man.  Master of hype?  He put his money where his mouth so give him some credit.  I won't say no more . 

    more... 12/1 rocks movie

Single speed Andy (as he is known in these parts) emerges from lake William for a rare sighting. 

sparing words & photo-hypothesized

 3 more days

whose whats wheres and Y's

cures for sanities

\bike bFAT

Beech Fork Association of Trails

Barboursville's Fun Awesome Trails

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.

for more info  admister @ bike bFAT