Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Memories...

Chad Melis slammin' the Slickrock trail in Moab -- photo D. Chase/Redstone Cyclery

I got home from the Moab/Fruita "Man-cation" Monday, and for the first time it didn't live up to its name. Don't get me wrong... we still did some butt-kicking rides, and had awesome times, but it wasn't the man-cation it's been in the past.

"Why then did it not live up to its name?" you may be asking. Well, it's because for the first time, it wasn't just a man-cation -- three women came along too! And they were awesome riders -- WOOHOO!!

Aside from the fact that the trip wasn't a total sausage party, here are some other brief highlights from the trip:
  • "The Wind" blew in -- You Cycle Works old-timers all know Damian "The Wind" Leuck. Damian now owns a shop -- Green Valley Bike & Hike -- down in the Tucson, AZ area. Those who remember The Wind may be surprised to hear that he blew in driving a huge motorhome (rented) that served as our base camp for the entire trip. It was incredible (thanks D, if you're reading this). The other surprise was the bikes he brought with him -- two Haro 5-inch travel FS rigs, and a huge GT 7-inch travel freeride rig -- a far cry from the old stickered-up KHS he used to ride BITD.
  • Porcupine Rim rocks in the rain -- The sand that usually makes life tough was easily navigable in the rain, and it didn't make the rocks too slick either. Yeah, we were super messy at the end, and my drivetrain was tellin' me about it, but it was still a damn fine ride.
  • 29ers RULE -- I was able to keep up with guys on 5- and 6-inch travel FS rigs on my hardtail El Mariachi all weekend. On bumps, drop offs and steep transitions, big wheels are a big advantage, period. I had to work hard to keep up, but I was able to do it on all but the gnarliest rock sections.
  • TEQUILA -- When The Wind blew in, he brought with him a very good bottle of tequila, which we ceremoniously demolished Saturday night. Fast forward to early Sunday morning, and me unceremoniously losing the burrito I had for dinner due to... ahem... overindulgence. It sure was fun though. I was on rare form that night.
  • Beautiful Camping -- Our campsite in Moab had perhaps the best view of the LaSalle Mountains as I've ever seen. It was amazing. We got a primo spot in the 18 Road campground in Fruita too.
  • Great riding with friends old and new -- 5 rides in 4 days. One rain ride. A little blood shed, but no injuries to speak of. An incredible mix of riders and talent. All in all, it was an awesome trip.
... and now it's back to work. But I'm back to work with a lot of great new memories.

6 comments:

cvo said...

looking forward to some pictures dude..

welcome home.

shit, I havn't seen the wind in years...

I am however gettin ready to travel. and knowing the wind. and my luck, I'm sure I'll see him in a truck stop in Ar on my way home...

you run into the wind like that...

MG said...

lol... you just might catch him then. good luck in the race this weekend cvo, and everyone else that's headed down to Ouchita (or however the heck you spell it).

cheers,
mg

len said...

you running that salsa rigid, mg? the big wheels and the lower pressure you can run really helps. running tubes on a 26er i'm in trouble if i go below 40. i've been pushing just under 30 now on the 29er (tubed) and riding rocky as shit stuff. no pinch flats yet!

Wes Williams would like hearing you dropping guys riding couches.

he was bragging he drops good downhillers riding squishy bikes when he was on a fixed gear with drop bars, but big wheels.

for all the haters, try one for more than 10 minutes on one of your real rides and then try getting back on a 26er.

len said...

and wes' story was from Moab, too. must be something out there that likes those big wheels.

MG said...

i was runnin' a suspension fork len. the 2 plates and 20 screws in my right arm pretty much demand suspension on the front for me on rough, rocky stuff.

but i didn't pinch flat a single time, and i was only running 30psi at the most. that rocks. noone on 26 inch wheels was running anywhere near 30psi, and they were all gettin' pinch flats to boot!

29ers are the shit. and salsa makes great 29ers. i'm pretty lucky to have such awesome bikes to ride.

MG said...

btw... wes williams is a stud. no question about it.