Motocross kids

While cycling has taken a break this saturday we were still busy doing something fun and interesting. My son Robbie and I went down to Orangeburg to get the new(used) honda CR250R that I had been looking at and talking about for the last couple of weeks. I wanted to get another motocross bike to ride with the kids on theirs and it finally worked out! I sat them up on it while on the stand and took their picture. Then they got side by side an it looked like Evie was the mini-me! Anyway they loved it and were in awe of the new Big bike.
I too was somewhat in awe of it when I rode it the first time and realized that I had not ridden a full blown motocross bike this fast in a very long time, the thing is a BEAST! Fast isn't the word, scary more sums it up; but by the end of yesterday after playing in the field with it I finally got used to the power and could relax a bit. After about 20 minutes though my arms pumped up so bad I had to get off of it for fear of hurting myself. More cycling stories to come next week, but for now the motocrossing will have to do.

February 5th Paris Mt. Swamp Rabbit adventure!

Our first climbing adventure started out in downtown Greenville at the Swamp Rabbit trailhead near the center of downdown. We headed north on the trail and spun our way to the Sunrift Adventures outfitter store in Travelers Rest. We stopped for a relief break and then headed south again. We had it in mind to divert to the Altamont Rd. route over Paris Mt. Jim and I were actually reluctant to do so but at the risk of being ridiculed severely by Stephen we did it anyway.
About half way up the climb I was well aware of why we were so reluctant, it was hard! This time of year isn't normally climbing time for me so I was feeling it bad along with my partner in pain Jim "The Package"(little inside joke). When I hit what they call "the wall" I stood up in the pedals and gave it all I had, which wasn't much. We finally made it to where Stephen and Stephen(Big Bird) were, Jim and I were cooked like grilled chicken! We made it though. We decided that there was some satisfaction in being 200lbs and still being able to climb in February. "Being able to climb", used very loosely here.
The descent began after we all stopped for the two pictures shown here as evidence that I am not a liar. I being a confident and normally fast downhiller tamed the steed due to wet sandy roads. Then it happened!
On the way down I noticed two other cyclists coming up the mountain seemingly as fast as we were going down. It was George Hincapie himself, all decked out in BMC glory with another guy(no disrespect intended to him, but we were descending)whom I didn't recognize. It was my 4th Big George encounter since my cycling began 5 years ago. Exciting stuff for a nobody like myself, and of course, the others...hahaha!
Our day came to an end after that when we safely arrived back at Stephens' truck. The day was a success, complete with a George encounter! What more could a flunkie ask for?

February 2nd Windy Ride

I took off from the house this morning hoping that the wind would slack off a bit as the day went on, but I was wrong.
My motivation came from thinking of just how bad I wanted to ride well this spring and all of the upcoming events that I didn't want to trail at the end of the group. My training this year has been sporatic at best due to the awful weather we have been having here and I just didn't want to make excuses for myself. Lord knows I wanted to stay on the couch and be a veggie-burger.
The ride went pretty well though in spite of 25mph gusts and 15-20mph sustained winds. I burned more than expected calories for the time out and that was positive also.
Coming up in april, on the 2nd, I am directing the first "Foothills Flyer" cycling event from our church, Golden Creek Baptist Church near Liberty, SC. The event will feature a metric-century and a half-metric. The long route will feature the well-known Dug Mountain climb that ascends up from the little Eastatoee Creek on Roy F. Jones rd. Then the Bob's Place climb out to Hwy 178 back down to Hwy 11. the short route will have more of the same great scenery without the big climbs.
We will have full SAG support and staffed rest stops with food and fluids along the way. T-shirts and a cookout meal will be provided for the riders after they return from their journey.
I am proud and delighted to be able to put a nice ride together and hope many will participate. The proceeds will benefit our youth program and will help in making sure that the kids of our area have something positive to do.
Click on the Active.com tab in my links to go to the registration for the event.