riding into the heat of july

[north woods gal]

Emily, we're forecast to have our typical once a summer heat wave later in the week, too. Usually once a summer, we hit 90 or at least close to it for a couple of days.

Today was just gorgeous, though. Been getting reports of a good wild blueberry crop, this year, so headed back on the MTB trails, again, to see what I could find. Good excuse, anyway, as I have been very much in a MTB mood for awhile. Just something so darn beautiful being way back in the woods on a bike, no traffic, no noise, just wild trails, deep woods and lakes to keep you company. No blueberries, but raspberries, galore, though most are still green. Saw a flock of Wild Turkey hens and a doe with twin fawns, too.

Been all enamored of the big wheel/wide tire trend in mountain bikes, of late and, yes, there are advantages. Took my old standard 26" Trek MTB out, today, and, have to say, though, there are still things the old standard 26ers can do better for me than the new bigger wheel/tire formats.

On the unforgiving, twisty and spooky up and down single track, did better with the 26" Trek than with any other bike, this week. A good old 26er still gives me the best control on the tricky stiff as long as things are firm, underneath. (When things get loose and sloppy, things do get a bit spooky. Also have to be careful with obstructions in the trail because there is lower clearance with a 26er.) Managed to get up some climbs with the 26er that had me stalling out with the bigger wheel and tire MTBs, this week (the fat bike was really hard to push up the steeps.) Also, didn't overrun turns the way I sometimes do with the bigger wheel bikes, again, that fat bike being notoriously slow get turned for me.

Anyway, I still think that for us gals, the old reliable 26er is still a practical choice for our strength levels, compared to bikes with the bigger, fatter and heavier wheels and tires as far as control, at least when it comes to hitting the steep stuff as well as the very precise twisty stuff (though I have yet to try the new 27.5 bikes). The old 26er is still a very useful bike for me. Just an observation.