Catch me ridin durtay

I rode my mountain bike to work today.  I have mixed feelings about mtb.  I love riding in the trees where the wind won't bug you, but I don't like getting to and from the trails.  Have you noticed that most mtbers drive to the trail?  The main reason is a mountain bike is way inefficient on paved surfaces compared to a roadie.  It'll get you there, but you're probably going to work pretty hard before your ride is supposed to even start.

When I first got into mtb, I was super fit from racing.  So I hopped on my single speed mtb, whirlied my cranks down to the trail, did a few laps, then whirlied home.  I don't have that kind of endurance now.  Or strength.

I really like the single speed for trails, but it takes quite a bit of strength to punch it up those short steep bumps.  Jewell park is near impossible for me on the single speed, but all other trails are doable.  Like I said though, as my training/racing went away, so did my strength and endurance.  Last year I found myself driving to the trail head, riding a couple laps, then driving my sore, beat-up body home.

Well now I get to learn it all over again.  I just setup my mountain bike as a 1x9.  So I have a 34t chainring and a regular 11-34 cassette in the rear.  Plenty of choices to get me going on the roads and also not have to use my entire body to get a single gear over some steep stuff on the trail.  We'll see how that all works out.  I already made a mis-shift this morning on the way to work.  Right after a stop light turned green, I tried to push a pretty big gear, but instead, my chain popped off.  Crap.  So I moseyed over to the curb.  Nothing was broken, but I guess I can't punch it like I do on my roadie or when my mountain bike was setup as a single speed.  Very interesting.

In other news; please donate thoughts, prayers, money, bike parts, good luck, bandages, or skin to Bryan. He's had a couple of rough months so he could use any help possible.  Cause that's what friends are for.