Beaver Dam is on Falls Lake in Wake County. It is about 40 minutes from my house, but only 20 past the museum where I take my son on Saturday mornings for volunteer duty. The trails make great use of a rolling terrain and have the best section of whoop-de-doos around. There are technical challenges in the form of roots and logs but the best part is the way the trail allows you to work hard for extended stretches to get a great workout. There are about 15 miles of well maintained trails broken up into 4 loops. The best is the South loop which is an extension of the West loop. Off of the South loop is a section marked “Drop Zone” which challenges you to trust your line and not go over the handlebars. As long as you stay back and low, and do not use the front brake or try to steer while on the downslope you feel like you are on a roller coaster. This is where I am glad I have front shocks as the transition from downhill to up is rather abrupt in several places. I had a blast. Maybe it was the fact it was an new trail to me, but this was good stuff.

It took every bit of two hours of riding to cover all 15 miles which is not an impressive average but MPH is gaged differently with the technical thrown in. I do know that the last two mile loop had me gasping and my legs burning every time I had to get out of the saddle to get up a hill.

One of the other riders tried to show me the proper technique for getting over logs. Here is a link that sort of shows the process. pages.prodigy.com/CharlieB/log.htm I need to study if for a while before I try logs over about a foot in diameter.

The ride did present some different challenges as you approached puddles and had to access whether the ice would hold or not. This was one ride I chose not to push my luck and I made the loop without falling. We did not set any speed records but it was great to get out and a new experience. With that said, I am ready for Spring!

As I type this it is 60 degrees out and the trails are calling. Alas, I must wait another day as a dozen tweens will be descending on our house very soon and hosting duties call.

The trails at Harris lake are my current favorite. Most of the trails have only minimal changes in elevation and you can stay in your seat and pedal hard for extended periods. Most of the trails are wide enough you do not have to be as concerned about clipping your handlebars on trees. There are logs to cross, roots to navigate and some switchbacks to keep you paying attention. The only negatives with Harris Lake are the distance (35 minutes) and the fact they are closed if the trails are wet. The highlight to me is the section furthest from the entrance with a series of “whoop-de-doos” that test your ability to pick a line, let gravity take over, then climb out without giving in to the temptation to put a foot down. Balance plays a key role, as does technique. You have to keep your weight forward enough to keep from going over backwards but still keep weight on the back tire. Steady pedaling helps keep the back tire from spinning, and using arms gives the extra horsepower for the short climbs. A couple sections add the complication of navigating through multiple ditches with turns in between. I have ridden them several times now so I forget how intimidating they were the first couple times.

Getting back to the overconfidence comment earlier, I took an unconventional, and with hindsight ill-advised entry into one section of the trail and found that turning on a 60 degree downslope was not in my skill range. I did recognize it soon enough to glance ahead for a landing area and then give in to gravity. I appreciated my helmet and goggles, plus the couple layers I was wearing due to the cold, and no harm was done. I used to have to check the bike to see what damage I did to the deraillier after a fall but not with the single speed. I did put on a good show for a couple other riders close enough to see. That lowered the chances of anyone following me into the hardest section of trail but probably just as well, because while I have to deal with my own mistakes, I hate to be responsible for setting up others for a hard fall.

Finally Saturday I got to get in a real ride and I remembered why I punish myself during the week.

There are several places to ride within 15 minutes of my house but the most common destination is the web of trails off Sewell School Road in Chapel Hill. The main advantage there is they are not managed by the Parks department and do not close due to muddy conditions. This was the case Saturday, but the weather was great and after the first mud puddle it does not really matter. Puddles add another dimension when riding because you can not always tell how deep they are. Losing traction is also an issue but mainly you just have to stay balanced and work a little harder. Approaching a long puddle makes you pick a line beforehand because trying to turn quickly can cause trouble. I made it the whole ride without ever stepping in mud but splashing left me pretty splattered anyway. These conditions are ideal for single speed because mud can play havoc with derailliers and chains weaving through the tensioners.

Climbing hills becomes more challenging because of the reduced traction. Letting some air out of the rear tire can help get more tread on the surface.

I have a Tuesday ritual. Drop off my daughter at horseback riding, then go a half mile down the road to Duke Forest. I used to bike there each week for an hour but I am trying to run once a week. The loop is about 4.5 – 5 miles and has good changes in elevation for our area. I usually go left at the loop because sometimes the concrete bridge is under water when the creek is up. If you go right at the intersection and 3.5 miles later come to a flooded bridge, you have a longer way to backtrack unless you want to stop, take off your shoes and wade across. Depending upon the weather there are quite a few people out there. I usually pass (going in the opposite direction) 8-10 runners, several walkers, a couple bikes, and less often a horse or two. Today I only passed two runners and two dog walkers.

I guess it is partially the fact the running does not give you any down time to catch your breath, but after about 30 minutes of running I am usually gasping pretty good and glancing at my watch way too much. My fastest time on the loop just under 38 minutes which is why I estimate it under 5 miles. I run about 8 minute miles on level ground but the slowdown on the uphills seems to outweigh any gains on the downhills. I feel like I should go as fast as possible on the descents but it really pounds the joints. Anyway, my goal today was 40 minutes which has been my average lately. At the halfway point I saw I was ahead of the pace and felt pretty good. I couldn’t leave well enough alone so I lengthened the stride some. As usual, at about 30 minutes I was hurting and the tank was almost empty. I resigned myself to the pain and kept chasing the corner or the top of the next hill. I did get back at 38.5 minutes so I am happy with that. I wish I could run at a moderate pace and go longer but either my running form (or lack of), my compulsion to go faster, or some obscure energy robbing muscle I can’t develop limits my running meter, and maybe that is why I have found a more comfortable home on the seat of a bike.

The trails there are mostly intermediate with some advanced. In this case advanced means steep and rocky/rooty but only for short stretches. Much of the portions marked as easy are the most fun to ride because you can build up some speed and get a pretty fair workout. Take any trail marked easy or intermediate and double your speed to challenge your technical skills. The trails are well maintained and use the terrain to its best advantage. The elevation change from highest to lowest is probably not more than a hundred feet or so but you go up and down several times during the ride to make the most of it. The usual obstacles are scattered around, logs (mostly 8-12 in. diameter but a couple larger, several 2″x8″ boards across ditches, quite a few dirt mounds and a few wooden paths with banks and mounds built in to add variety. Parts test your ability to navigate through trees with minimal handlebar clearance. This was the undoing of my clean ride during the second loop. I used that as a opportunity to look up through the trees at the blue sky and enjoy the moment. I have found the cushioning is one of the fringe benefits of wearing a hydration backpack.

Only saw three other bikers but the afternoon will probably be more crowded since the weather is so nice.
Other than the limited mileage, a good trail.

Riding on a trainer can be tedious. Making a game of it keeps my mind occupied and helps keep me motivated as well as track progress week to week. Each time I start I set an overall calorie usage goal. Lately that has been one hour and 800 calories. I don’t know if the bikes tracking of calories is accurate but it does not matter if it is fairly consistent. I gauge progress at several points along the way and calculate if I have to step it up or not. It usually comes down to an extra painful final 5 minutes to just squeak past the target.

Once a week on intervals, once a week on consistent resistance for endurance, and once a week riding the trails for a couple hours and my legs and heart are up to any challenge. If I could stop eating so much I would reap even more benefit from my workouts. Unlike running, I don’t find a couple extra pounds to be that big a factor for biking unless riding in an extra hilly area. This is also why bike weight, within reason, is overrated.

Front shocks fall under the category of acceptable concession to comfort. Different riding conditions may negate the need for front shocks and may influence the decision.

Shedding all the gears but one takes some of the machinery out of the bike and makes the riding more pure. The bike is also easier to maintain and is less prone to damage.

I have nothing against gears and enjoy riding my road bike. When on a long outing on a road bike I try to maintain a consistent cadence and output by utilizing all the gears. My objective usually is to travel as far and as efficiently as possible. Mountain biking is all about having fun along the way. Destination and distance are secondary to the ride. It adds the element of technique so you do not notice the fatigue as much. Without the gears, navigating steep/long hills is the biggest change. The workout is more like interval training than marathon. You spend more time standing up out of the saddle since the granny gear is not an option. While the most common suggestion is to attack hills as fast as possible to avoid losing momentum that is not a long term solution. More on that another day.

That is my intro. Next ride is a couple days away.