Rain, finally!

I can’t say that rain spoiled our ride today, it actually felt nice. The Asheville area has been so dry for so long we were needing some moisture. The road work that is being done along South Ridge Road is now wet down and is mushy under ones tires. That just adds to the physical part of biking, right? About the time we started up Hard Times Road the rain began. It wasn’t a hard rain, but a nice drissle that was just enough to make your glasses fog up. There weren’t many people out riding today so the trails were not crowded.

I find myself every week wondering, what am I going to add to this that might be helpful to other mountain bikers. I feel like I am so new to the sport that I still have tons to learn and what could I offer?

Well, the new web site that I am putting together will have more informaiton that will be helpful for the mountain bikers that are visiting Asheville for the trails and culture. I am a life long resident of this area, so if there is one thing I do know is where to stay and where to find a good meal. This web site will be small to begin with, but will grow over time… isn’t that how everything works? Anyway, I will keep posting to the blog. This is fun and will still be a fun way to informally express our trials and triumphs on the trials around the area. If there is something you would like to see on the site, that you aren’t finding on other mountain biking sites… let me know, I will try to incorporate it the best I can. I know what I am not finding out there and that is why I decided to start my own site. Keep pedaling!

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Tsali – Right Loop

Right Loop
Length: 13.9 miles
WNCMTB Trail Rating: 5 wheels
Difficulty: Upper side of moderate
Brief Description: This trail picks up from the parking lot just past the bathrooms and bike wash station. As you begin on the single track stay straight. This trail also follows the edge of Lake Fontana, but it is higher up on the mountain, so you do not have the nice water views in the summer time that you do on the left loop but don’t let that deter you from riding this one. The single track is sweet and can be compared to a roller coaster ride. There are a few water crossings and some muddy spots, but that is all a part of mountain biking right? This trail weaves in and out of several coves along the lake.
Some of the mountain bike races held here are ridden in the opposite direction, so keep your eyes open for riders coming the opposite direction because many people ride this trail in reverse for training leading up to races. This is a dangerous occasion if you meet someone flying down the wrong direction so keep this in mind while you are out there riding.
I will replace this description with a better one when I ride it again. I rode this trail the weekend of the 12 Hours of Tsali race and rode the Right Loop in reverse, so my account is backwards since that is the one and only time I have been on the trail. So check back, I hope to ride it again in a few weeks.

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Good vibrations….

Well, today was another wonderful day to be out and hitting the trails. The trail that I wanted to post about today was South Ridge Road. This trail has had some construction happening along its length. The Forest Service has been replacing culverts along the road for better drainage, which in the long run will be better, but right now it is really sandy and dusty with plenty of bulldozer tracks to add some vibration to your ride. I was thinking today about what I could write about and this is some information that needs to be out. This can be tricky to ride in and your wheels might go out from under your rear-end pretty quickly if you don’t expect that next turn to contain newly laid road bond. Ride with care and enjoy, this will be much nicer when it gets rained in good.

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Mountain bike reviews

Here are a few reviews that I found on the web (www.consumersearch.com) on mountain bikes, entry level and advanced. Personally, I ride a hard tail Haro mountain bike. I am very pleased with its performance. I traded up from a rigid frame GT (no suspension) and boy what a difference. Here are a few other bikes that are rated really well and would make your ride just that much better.

Specialized Rockhopper Series (Est. $500)

Hardtail mountain bike. This Specialized bicycle is a long-running favorite in reviews, and it continues to get strong support from online owner-reviewers. This entry-level hardtail (front-suspension) bike emerges from a crowded field of very closely matched competitors that also includes the Trek 4500 and the Gary Fisher Marlin. Hardtail trail bikes like the Rockhopper are the best type of mountain bicycle for most people, since they’re made to balance light-weight (for easier uphill climbs), durability and comfort for long rides. The Specialized mountain bike weighs about 30 pounds, with an aluminum frame. This flexible bike comes in six different sizes, and a women’s frame is also available.

GT Avalance 0.5 (Est. $1,000)

Hardtail mountain bike. The GT Avalanche mountain bike scores with experts, who say this trail bike is a perfect example of how cutting-edge technology trickles down to more affordable bikes. Reviews say the Avalanche bicycle is a great bike for advanced-beginners looking to trade up. The GT competes in a very crowded field, which also includes the Norco Sasquatch and the venerable Specialized Stumpjumper, both of which are particular favorites of mountain-bike enthusiasts. The GT mountain bike comes in five sizes, with upgraded components over the Specialized Rockhopper.

Schwinn Mesa (Est. $300)

Budget hardtail mountain bike. Hardtail, front-suspension bikes are the most common type of mountain bike, and they are less expensive than full-suspension bicycles. Because you can upgrade most components on bikes, it’s possible to get a good quality frame (like that on the Mesa), but upgrade the other parts later. Reviews say the Schwinn bike’s lower-quality components won’t take a beating, but the frame is solid, making it a good choice for those who want to spend less at the onset.
(Just a bit of advice, spend the extra $ to begin with and don’t go this route. You can get a good bike from a bike shop for $300)

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Items to have on hand

Here are a few items that can make your ride more enjoyable and safe. Pack what you need and maybe what you don’t think you will, because you never know. You need to remember that you need to be prepared for whatever you may encounter along the trail.

Bicycle Gear
1. Two water bottles and carriers
2. Camel Bak or other hydration pack
3. High energy snacks
4. Sunscreen
5. Insect repellent
6. Small tool bag mounted under seat
7. Security lock
8. Portable pump

Tools and Supplies
1. Compact screwdrivers to fit bike
2. Wrenches to fit bike parts
3. Tire tools
4. Spoke wrench
5. Spare tire
6. Spare tube
7. Tube Patch Kit
8. Chain rivet tool
9. Spare chain link

First Aid
1. Antibiotic spray
2. Antiseptic spray
3. Tylenol or Advil
4. Benadryl
5. Sterile gauze pads
6. Nonadherent dressing
7. One-inch adhesive tape
8. Ace wrap
9. Tweezers
10. Bandage scissors
11. Irrigation syringe
12. Cell phone

Clothing and Protective Gear
1. Biking helmet (Don’t be a brain donor)
2. Cycling shorts
3. Cycling socks
4. Shirt made of moisture wicking fabric
5. Fleece (winter riding)
6. Rain/reflective jacket
7. Cycling shoes (make sure you can walk or hike comfortably in these as well)
8. Wrap-style sunglasses

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GPS and mountain biking

I know that many of you have probably heard of geocacheing with handheld GPS units. These are hidden boxes (usually) that have published GPS coordinates on the web at www.geocaching.com. You can do a search and find some local caches and then grab your GPS unit and head out to the trails. We have done this a few times, and it is fun and a good way to take a break from those uphill climbs that are so numerous in WNC. You can plug in the coordinates to the cache in your GPS, and you use the GPS to tell you which direction to head in when you get close to where the cache is hidden. I like to look at it like a big game of global hide and seek.

You can also use your GPS to find trails or even map trails that you have hiked or biked. Turn your unit on and put it in your Camel Bak and start riding! Try visiting one of the links on this site, www.travelbygps.com. This site give you gps coordinates for trails all over, and you can even send in some of yours for the webmaster to publish. If you really want to get technical, you can convert the files from the travelbygps site to a Google Earth format and view your trail in Google Earth, seeing all the terrain as it really is. Pretty cool stuff.

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