Mileage

Mileage means more than just one thing to me lately. Since the freight train truck I have maybe averages 15 mpg in mixed city/hwy driving and diesel here has been at 4.99 or higher since before labor day (and well over 4.60 for at least 5 weeks), I have been riding to the trailhead instead of driving. Just doesn't seem worth it to drive 6 miles then hit the trailhead and drive back. I thought to myself, " I could be getting more ride time in by riding out." So, that is what I have been doing.

I did however drive to the trailhead once this week(Thursday). But, that is because I was taking Hannah for a ride...which turned out to be her 4th time hitting the trails with me. Being her 4th ride...she still isn't quite up to being able to ride to the trail and then ride trails and ride back.

This time she was riding an Airborne Liberator (I think that is the model...it is an aluminum framed Ariborne hardtail) that I borrowed from Chris V. At 5'3...he is actually an inch shorter than Hannah, and thus his bikes fit her a LOT better than my bikes do. She really liked it. And had fun. I think I pushed her just a bit further and we did 9.5 miles total, but she wanted to ride again the next day!

Not to sure that was a good idea for her (even with padded shorts, it takes a while for the but to get used to sitting on a saddle for more than just a few mins), I offered to ride down to Ol'Factory later to grab a lat lunch after I got done with my morning ride. So, I knocked out 29.5 miles in a route pretty similar to the ride that marked my first post of the blog. Showered up and then we jumped on the bikes and rode the 1.6 miles to Ol'Factory where I had a beer and Fish Tacos for a much deserved lunch. She needed some supplies at the art supply store, so we stopped by there afterward and then we stopped at the bike shop so that I could get some supplies myself.

Today (Saturday) MORCA (monterey off road cycling association) was putting on a wildcat race, but on the trails here at Fort Ord. I was going to go out and man a checkpoint so that someone else could ride it. Again, not wanting to drive out...I rode the bike out. Turns out that Jason, who I was going to man the checkpoint didn't really want to ride. His main ride was in the shop getting the fork serviced when they banged up the stanchions. So, he had his clunker bike and some beer. So, I ended up riding the race. I didn't really ride it as a race and ended up picking up a couple of newbies. I figured I could make sure they find their way and don't get too lost trying to go from checkpoint to checkpoint. The route for the wildcat turned out to be a long one for me. 28 or so miles. By they time I finished the wildcat, I had 35 miles and change on the odometer.

Hmmm...I could claim 40 MTB miles in one day. So, with that goal in mind, I skipped the post wildcat bar-b-q and rode on home despite several offers of catching a ride back. And so I did it. Turned out to be 41.5 miles. So, with Tuesday at about 29.5, Thursday at 9.5, Friday at 29.5 and today at 41.5....that is....110 MTB miles this week. I think that is probably a personal best for me.

Hopefully all of this mileage will pay off. about another 12 days and I should be starting a two week trip in pursuit of some of northern California's finest singletrack.