by the way..... i got a new bike!

[caligurl]

"funny" thing is.... since i bought my hardrock.... i had wanted a pink mountain bike... NO desire, whatsoever for a pink roadie... but something about a pink "dirt" bike.... i lusted over a few.... including last year's trek hardtail and of course.... *drool* FBG's custom project one design....

i looked at every pink bike i could find.... (i had decided we really couldn't afford 2 project ones... yes.... a problem when both people on the family ride).... i finally settled on the pink and black specialized stumpy comp.... i thought it was very pretty the first time i saw it in person.... i loved it! (although i was concerned about climbing on it even with the propedal setting) plus i REALLY wanted to stick with specialized or trek cuz that's what my LBS sells and i wanted to buy from them.... (i did look at other brands..... and if i had really found something i liked better... i would have gotten it...) but then something "happened"..... and i don't know what???? perhaps it was hubby saying "make sure you REALLY want a pink bike and you are going to be happy with it in 6 months or a year"..... hmmmmmmm i wondered if i would "be able to" wear red on my pink bike (i like to be matchey matchey)

ok.... so i started looking at the other specialized (had decided i really didn't like the trek's at all by this time)..... hmmmmmm the expert was getting some great rider reviews for it's brain! and the charcoal anodized sure was sexy....

hubby had been looking at a trek.... and then started looking at the stumpy expert too.... awwwwwww we could have twin bikes if we both got experts! lol! we checked with the bike store and no large charcoal experts! OH NO! (2 smalls on the west coast, though! YAY!)

fortunately there were more inbound.... we actually got his earlier than expected! i was on my way home from work and got the call "they're built!" i started squeeling like a little girl!

hubby got off work and we left to go get our twins! YAY! we also picked up some stanz (is that how it's spelled?) and once we got home.... he stayed up til 2:30 in the morning making our tires tubeless! i got a new giro E2 (LOVE it!) some socks (skulls with a PINK bow!) new gloves with a PINK specialzied logo! i had already bought a PINK jacket! i have PINK oakley half jackets on order! (do you see a trend???? i figured i could accessorize with PINK while i'm in a PINK mood.... but when i outgrow pink.... any other color will look good with my sexy charcoal bike, too! WOO HOO!)

ok.... so here's a pic on her first ride the next morning:







the next day we went to the goat trails in palm springs and took an "official" twin picture! lol!



this pic from saturday is kinda cute... it's in "dripping cave"! we met with some others from bikeforums and did a ride at aliso woods.... this cave was along one of the trails! (i'm wearing hubby's new jersey.... it was warmer than i expected... i had worn long sleeves that were too tight to even push up... so being a gentleman OR not wanting to listen to me b!tch all day... he gave me his brand new, first time being worn jersey and just wore his undershirt all day! what a guy! lol! too bad the jersey isn't smaller... i REALLY like it!)



and here i'm being taped and didn't know it! we had all gone up a steep hill... i let everyone else go ahead so that i didn't stop them when i couldn't make it.... so they had gone on along the trail a bit and up another short little hill.... this is me coming up that hill (NOT the long steep one where i ended up *gasp* walking and was ticked at myself over it!!) OBVIOUSLY i didn't know i was being filmed! i thought hubby was taking a still pic! nope! lol! (the upload to photobucket made it pixelated)



there are LOTS more pics at these links, if you want to see!
JTNP queen valley road ride
goat trails ride
aliso woods

[rocknrollgirl]

I just got a new bike in Oct. It is so much fun....my other bikes are jealous, but whatch gonna do?

Enjoy!!!!

[mimitabby]

congrats on the new bikes! Yours needs pink grips or something, though, don't you think?
I love the picture in the dripping cave!

[caligurl]

well... i contemplated pink grips... even thought about the pink chris king head set... and even the pink candy pedals... but decided to keep HER all grey and make ME pink, instead! lol!

i did order the BG grips from specialized cuz i don't like the skinny ones that are on there... but they are black and grey!

(before we bought them.... we "photoshopped" the light silver part into pink to see how THAT would look... since i was still in PINK bike frame of mind at that time..... fortunatley it didn't look good that way.... so i don't have the expense of painting my new bike!)

[fatbottomedgurl]

Yeah for you!!! I am jealous! I have not heard a peep from Trek in the last few weeks. I think they are painting a lot of Christmas presents in the Project One shop.

Me thinks I need to take some dirt chicks to Aliso Woods. Looks neat-o!

[DirtDiva]

Nice.

[tattiefritter]

I really like the current crop of Spesh full boingers.

I looked at your pictures and saw something I haven't seen since I went to Spain in September Dusty Trails!. Jealous

I've resigned myself to our usual winter of gritty mud (poor drivetrain) and slop

[SalsaMTB]

Congrats on the new bike! Love the pics.

[redhot3368]

Hey Cali!!
Congrats on the new bike!!
Pretty sweet!
I have that same pink Jacket!

Enjoy your new bike!
Karen

[caligurl]

thanx, everyone!

i'm SO wanting to go ride it again this weekend.... but darned accident-prone hubby.... hurt his ribs at aliso woods so not sure he's gonna be up to riding this weekend... i'm SOOOOOOOOO hoping (unlike road riding where i'll get on the ruby and just GO.... the mtb is all in desolate areas and i'm really ascared of getting hurt or something.... so i'm not up to going on any of the trails alone!)

karen... i LOVE the pink PI jacket... it's the perfect shade.. and the grey... well... i love pink and grey together... and since my bike's grey... it ties it in! lol!

if i was independently wealthy i'd have gotten a pink helmet, too... so that when i'm wearing pink... i would have on a pink helmet! but alas... my practical side took over... cuz i do have red... and blue... and brown color clothes.... and it would have irked me to wear a pink helmet with those (especiall with the red! lol!)

i'm so ocp... even on the mtb!!!!!!

[caligurl]

I really like the current crop of Spesh full boingers.

I looked at your pictures and saw something I haven't seen since I went to Spain in September Dusty Trails!. Jealous

I've resigned myself to our usual winter of gritty mud (poor drivetrain) and slop

oh ya.... our bikes wer SOOOOOO dusty after each of the rides... at aliso... a worker in a truck asked to go ahead of us and joked he was going to leave us "in his dust".... literally! heck... even the other bike riders kicked up a cloud of dust!

i think i prefer dust to mud though.... i'm still kinda prissy!!!!! (but it was fun seeing all the dust on my clothes! felt.... free-ing!)

[Thistle]

Caligirl, you and your bike look gorgeous! and twin bikes - very cute

One of the guys at work is in the process of buying a new mountain bike (serious one, $4000) and i asked what colour it was... he said "charcoal" so i told him that's fine it will allow you to change your accessories, eg you can spice it up by wearing pink dont think he understood at all

[Jones]

Caligirl,

Congrats on your new bike it looks like you had a great time breaking her in, and I think you are right pink accessories are the way to go.

My DH and I got MTN bikes this summer and have been to JTNP a few times to ride, how was Queen Valley Rd? Was there lots of deep sand? Any info on MTN bikes rides in your area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Jones

[caligurl]

Caligirl,

Congrats on your new bike it looks like you had a great time breaking her in, and I think you are right pink accessories are the way to go.

My DH and I got MTN bikes this summer and have been to JTNP a few times to ride, how was Queen Valley Rd? Was there lots of deep sand? Any info on MTN bikes rides in your area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Jones

queen valley is uber easy.... basically flat (no hills... some slight elevation changes)! NO soft sand! as a matter of fact... we did this twice in a row a couple months back and i swore i wouldn't ride it again! lol! however it was the perfect first ride for the new bikes! and it really is gorgeous... i'm used to road riding on the main roads.. but you do get a different perspective of the park on the dirt road!

now the geology tour loop... there is where you get some sand issues! darn it all! cut it's REALLY REALLY pretty in there! but that loop has a LOT Of car traffic and it really loosens the sand! once you are down in there... it was fine the day we rode it (they had just graded it)... but even with the traffic that day... the climb out was miserable and a walk fest cuz of loose sand! we parked at the geology loop area... crossed the road to queen valley... took that all the way to barker damn (rode around a bit there in hidden valley) then came back on the other road (instead of going to the left back on queen valley... stayed to the right).. it comes out on the main road and you have to turn left to get back to the car..... but it's a short time on the road!

another area is the "goat trails" in palm springs/cathedral city. you park at von's at 111 and gene autry... and climb on in! (you have to carry your bike around the gate)... the climb in is steep... i haven't been able to ride it without stopping or walking yet ("funny" thing... i've climed roads as steep on my roadie.... so i finally "get" that dirt is different!) anyways... once you get in there... there are fireroads... singletracks... just all over! very cool!!!!!

there's other places starting in palm desert... but i've not been to them so can't speak on them!

over at MTBR a couple of gals just did the... oh... what's it called????? *totally blank* ugh! the dirt road/mtb ride down by the cottonwood entrance of JTNP.... they said it was doable.... i want to go check that out some time soon too! and will post my experiences with it once we finally do!

those are really the only three places within the park (queen valley, geology, and the cottonwood ride) until congress gets off their duff and signs the bill for the other mtb area!

[caligurl]

Caligirl, you and your bike look gorgeous! and twin bikes - very cute

One of the guys at work is in the process of buying a new mountain bike (serious one, $4000) and i asked what colour it was... he said "charcoal" so i told him that's fine it will allow you to change your accessories, eg you can spice it up by wearing pink dont think he understood at all

men SO don't get it, sometimes! lol! it's ALL ABOUT THE ACCESSORIES!!!!!!