my first group MTB ride! (and it RAINED!)

[caligurl]

so all last week i was soooo excited cuz we were going on a MTB ride with the guys.... the ride was a fire road that... if you kept going.. eventually ended up at onyx/big bear... but we weren't going that far this time!

so we get ready to head out sunday morning... and as we're walking out the door.. rain :( but we drive out of it! good! we get there and get ready to leave... and guess what!? RAIN! :mad: so we head down the road (or i should say UP the road!) i was thinking "i want to go home! this is cold and wet! lol! but i didn't turn around!) we climbed.... and climbed some more.... all the while this one guy is giving me tips... and telling me to remember where the rocks and stuff are for when we are coming back downhill... it stopped raining a bit.. but we were already wet... but it didn't last.. and started raining again.. it kept this off and on all morning! plus it was cold.. at least for the desert it was cold! the average temp of the ride was 46 degrees... BRRRRR!

we got almost to the top and some of the guys split off and went a different way around... the rest, including hubby, took me a more direct (but still up) way... we got to the top and took a few pics and shivered... then decided it was too cold to wait for the other guys... (the snow level was at 6500 feet and we were at 5800 feet at the point) so we headed back down... BRRRRRRRRRRRRR i took it slow.. but got more at ease as we got further down the hill... on one steep hill that had a bunch of rocks on it.... i got scared and stopped about 1/2 way down... took a breath and started down again! the same guy that was giving tips on the way up... went down in front of me and was showing me the best lines (and giving me tips still!)

all in all it was a fun day! i could have done without the rain (or rather the cold... the rain in the summer warmth/heat would have been ok.. cuz i know it made some of the soft, sandy parts easier) but i really hate being cold! BRRRRRR oh... and i did the whole ride with no crashes! YAY!

i'm looking forward to going again.. i'd like to to this road again.... and go further (when it's not cold and RAINING!)

here's a couple of pics at the top... you can see the ominous clouds behind me!

http://caligurl.com/bikergurl/pics/MTBpipescynoct2005/MTBpc6.jpg

http://caligurl.com/bikergurl/pics/MTBpipescynoct2005/MTBpc7.jpg

(i had my rainjacket for the ride.. but took it off for some of the pics! don't i look cold! lol!)

[bikerHen]

Wow, I'm impressed! That looks like some pretty steep climbing. My very limited mtb experience says dirt hills are a lot harder to climb than paved hills! To bad about the rain. My internal thermostat is set so high these days I almost prefer to ride in the cold. But cold and wet!? Good for you for sticking it out. Looks like you have that layered look down pat. :D Sounds like it was fun though and that's what it's all about!. BikerHen

[Trekhawk]

Caligurl - good for you. :) Love the photos you look great in all your bike gear. :)

[go get em]

OHHHH!I love riding in the rain. One of my most favorite rides was in Daley ranch, Escondido, it was raining, all the plants had just turned green and not a single soul was out on the trails. It was peaceful and quite. It was cold though, so the heater went on full blast in the truck after words.
Sounds like it was fun, despite the cold. Is that Big Bear, California you are riding in? Great job on no crashes.

[caligurl]

yes... big bear california is where the road finally ended up.... we are on pipe's canyon road starting in.... hmmmmm pioneer town (yucca valley?)

we still had a few miles to go if we were to get all the way to big bear!

[bikerchick68]

cali- cool pics! I rode Sunday as well and we made it 25 miles before it started POURING! :rolleyes: We thought we were gonna make it in since we were only doing 40 miles... LOL... I had JUST cleaned my bike too... Murphy's Law (Murphy HATES ME! :eek: :D )

Sounds like you had a great ride... nice that there was someone there who was willing to help you on the learning curve, pointing out obstacles and helping show you the best line! And no crashes... woot!!!

hey go-get-em... I've ridden Daley Ranch! Used to live in Esc (alma mater is SPHS!) are you in the North County still??? My mom still lives up there on the golf course across from the mall... I'm out in El Cajon now...

[DirtDiva]

Cute outfit. ;) Actually, I've gotta get me some tights to go under my baggies or perhaps some longs to go over my liners. Another item to add to the letter to Santa... :rolleyes: Looks like it didn't get too rutted with the rain at least. Or the part in the photo didn't, I guess. I like riding just after the rain best. You don't get all cold and you can see where you're going, but there's less people about and lots of fun puddles. :D

[caligurl]

i rode the road bike monday.... it started raining on me... when i got home (again wet and cold! :rolleyes: ) my bike was sooooooo filthy! what i totally didn't understand: how did my seat... WHERE I WAS SITTING get sand on it???????????????????????????????????????

i mean i understand the back of the seat... the bag... the light... etc.. .the the seat where i was sitting????????????????????????

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

i was quite surprised that mike was so helpful on the ride! i think maybe he felt like a mentor! :D he's not my fave person on road rides... but i was thrilled that he was helping me sunday! and even hubby made sure to thank him for helping me and staying back and slow with me (cuz you KNOW he would have much preferred whizzing down the hills like the rest of the guys that did eventually catch and pass us (and fast!) on the downhills!

i really can't wait to go again! as long as it's not too hard like the time with KC when i crashed! (we made sure to ask kc about me going on this ride cuz we knew he wouldn't get me in over my head a second time! lol!)

[caligurl]

Cute outfit. ;) Actually, I've gotta get me some tights to go under my baggies or perhaps some longs to go over my liners. Another item to add to the letter to Santa... :rolleyes: Looks like it didn't get too rutted with the rain at least. Or the part in the photo didn't, I guess. I like riding just after the rain best. You don't get all cold and you can see where you're going, but there's less people about and lots of fun puddles. :D

thanx! i love fox.. the little fox is too cute! i wore my leg warmers cuz my shorts had the padded shorts attached... but if we go when it gets much colder.. may just wear my tights! i couldn't believe hubby and some of the other guys were in short! :eek:

there's no ruts behind me... cuz that is goind down (before going up again) on the other side of where we came up (wow... does that make sense?) the guys who split from us came up the hill behind me... but after the pic and after we left.. we went back down the front side that we had just come up! no... not too rutted.. in some places you could just make out the bike tracks... there were 3 places with puddles.. and i went around! :rolleyes: when i'm more confident (and it's warmer) i will probably go through puddles.. but i was trying to stay as dry as i could (my poor pigtails had water dripping off them!)

[bikerchick68]

LOL... cali.. the sand on the road saddle if from the backspray coming off the front tire! I happened to be wearing red shorts Sun and when I got off the bike I looked like I'd peed my pants! :eek: :D

[DirtDiva]

You don't always have the option of going around puddles on singletrack. There's nothing quite like riding through a puddle on top of a sandpit, getting stuck and having to put your foot down into a good 10cm of water to get one over puddle prissiness. :rolleyes: Erm, not that that's ever happened to me. ;)

[caligurl]

ok.... i'm sorry... but as cold as i was sunday... i think i woulda just cried if i had to step in a puddle! :eek: :rolleyes: :cool: (i'm such a weanie!)

[SadieKate]

They don't come in fancy fashionista-approved colors but they work. I wear these in the winter when I know I'm going to have some creek crossings.

http://www.rei.com/product/4181.htm?

[go get em]

hey go-get-em... I've ridden Daley Ranch! Used to live in Esc (alma mater is SPHS!) are you in the North County still??? My mom still lives up there on the golf course across from the mall... I'm out in El Cajon now...

Yes! I'm in Oceanside. Haven't been to Daley Ranch since the beginning of spring. It was wery rutted from our unusually wet winter.

[caligurl]

They don't come in fancy fashionista-approved colors but they work. I wear these in the winter when I know I'm going to have some creek crossings.

http://www.rei.com/product/4181.htm?

:D :D :D :D sadie... i actually giggled when i clicked on that link! seriously :D :D :D

however... sometimes we have to do what we have to do... to keep dry and warm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :p

[caligurl]

LOL... cali.. the sand on the road saddle if from the backspray coming off the front tire! I happened to be wearing red shorts Sun and when I got off the bike I looked like I'd peed my pants! :eek: :D

but that still doesn't make sense... cuz it's where i was sitting! :D :D :D

[SadieKate]

Under your tights nobody can even tell you've got them on. They just look like slightly shiny socks, actually just look like your tights.

[Irulan]

You don't always have the option of going around puddles on singletrack. There's nothing quite like riding through a puddle on top of a sandpit, getting stuck and having to put your foot down into a good 10cm of water to get one over puddle prissiness. :rolleyes: Erm, not that that's ever happened to me. ;)

and going around puddles on singletrack widens the trail. It's a bike FOR dirt remember..!!

~I.

[caligurl]

ya.... dirt.. not water! it' s not a boat! :p :p :p

*giggle*

[DirtDiva]

I'd choose getting a little wet over getting up close and personal with a gorse bush any day. :eek: :p ;)

[caligurl]

gorse bush?

[DirtDiva]

Gorse bush.

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/120/2767/640/Gorse%20002.2.jpg

[caligurl]

oMIGOSH! that's pretty and scary at the same time

thanx for the pic!

[Crankin]

I have those socks and they work! I am a terrible mountain biker, but last fall we were in conservation land that was super wet... I actually made it over rolling logs in a stream, because I just went and didn't think. On the way back I crashed, right in the water. It was 38 degrees out, but my feet weren't wet.

[go get em]

I'd choose getting a little wet over getting up close and personal with a gorse bush any day. :eek: :p ;)

Ouch! Dito on that one. Have you run into one of those before?

[DirtDiva]

Not too badly. There were a few places on one of the trails I rode at home where you had to pick your line carefully, but gorse tends to just scratch rather than stab at you. If I could find you a decent picture of some bush lawyer I'd show you a plant you really want to stay away from! I've never encountered bush lawyer on the bike but I've "found" it a couple of times walking/hiking. :eek: :eek: :eek: