The weather is looking pretty nasty right now, but looks to break this evening leaving us with blue skies and 67 degree weather.

Be there!

http://www.facebook.com/events/303360129734089/

This coming Friday (and by coming I mean the one that hasn’t already arrived, as in the 24th) the monthly Alley Cat Race-esque Mooseknuckler Cup will be held. Exact details are at this very minute being poured over by thousands of tiny lemurs. These lemurs have been bred to consider every contingency and possible Hurrah! that could occur and then output a plan that maximizes said Hurrah!’s.  So far, they have ensured us that you will need a bicycle. And there might be unicorns involved but no colors have been settled upon. For the breaking updates as they break, follow the event on the Book of Faces. I assure you that it will bring a smile to your black heart.

And then, as in the very next day, Saturday the 25th there will be a Moe’s Valley trail/area clean up. This is being spearheaded, aka planned, by the climbing community. As Mooseknucklers or just plain mtbers we use the area as well and it is in our best interest to help out.

As this is not being planned/organized/spearheaded by myself or anyone that I personally know, details are a bit spotty. But here is what I know for sure. The clean up will be on February 25th and it will be at Moe’s Valley/Zen. The DMBTA Book of Faces page links to Moe’s Valley for information. What I have gathered from that website is that there will be a trail run at 9 am and a climbing competition at 1 pm. There is a video of last year’s competition that states that the previous clean up was between these two events. Using my almost-never-flawed powers of deduction, I assume the clean up will be sometime between 9am and 1pm. It would probably be a good idea to check either of those above links for more info…

As this is the closest thing you will ever see to an event flyer from the Alliance, you are more than welcome to print this post out by the thousands and paper the windows of bike shops all across the country. Or you can link to it from your website and save the trees. Or you could buy some stickers and paste the world with them. Or whatever.

P. L. and R.

Two Sundays ago, we did a multi-surface ride with Fixie, KB and Lynda Wallenfells. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ride the CX bike on a ride so perfectly designed for it. I got my skinny on by skidding down the steps on Dino Cliffs, cruising on the pavement and hammering the dirt roads.

We did a Fixie designed loop that consisted of all three of the above surfaces. We started at the Winkel Trailhead (or if you prefer the official name, Cottonwood) and headed out on Prospector. The only bike that is more fun than a singlespeed CX is a singlespeed 29′r. The skinny tires make things a bit more sketchy and you can gain some amazing speed on the smooth sections. Just don’t forget about the sudden turns. I don’t think you could have knocked the smile off my face.

From Prospector, we headed to the Dino Cliffs. I tend to ride the Cliffs on my way to Church Rocks, but riding it this direction is a hell of a lot more fun. Except of course, the sand hill. We hit the dirt road known as Grapevine and made our way to the Interstate over pass and bombed down to and across Telegraph where we hit the bike path that drops to the Virgin. We followed this for as far as we could and then did some “This Land is your Land, This Land is my Land” traversing to hit the dirt road that is the back way to Sand Hollow.

It had been some time since I had been over that way and the views were pretty awesome. The road was loose in a couple of spots but the skinnies did just fine. After the dirt road, we made it to the paved road into Sand Hollow which we followed back to the highway and made our way around to Quail Creek and to the bottom of Prospector in Red Cliffs. And you guessed it, we road the bottom section of Prospector back to the car.

All in all we did about 27 miles. It was a beautiful day and fun was had by all.

Getting back on the CX bike has kept with my whole trying not to be a pussy thing we discussed a few posts back. Long rides, rough terrain and skinny tires.

Yea, I like that combination.

Some Photo Evidence from a few rides that the Alliance has hit since the last post.

And yes I do use cheater brakes. After today’s ride, I realized that it may make them easier to use if I actually adjusted the lever so I could grab it. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

Jumping to a completely different subject, This Friday will be this month’s Alley Cat. It is a New Year’s Eve Eve Alley Cat. You can read all about it here.

The Alliance has also been busy working the “advocacy” side of the table. If you haven’t checked it out yet, hop on over. DMBTA. There will be more content soon. I promise.

Anyone interested in doing a night ride tomorrow? Drop me a line. I may become interested if there is the right kind of persuasion.

Now a jam for Prattipuss.

I may be crazy but it seems that he once told me that he couldn’t stand to build houses for ass holes he would never meet and that never made an effort to say thanks. Great song.

Remember to get the skinnies out on the dirt and to keep it hard.

Peace. Love. And Revolution.

The group split twice. Danny and I ended up riding back to the car together only to find that his truck was gone. We first thought that was because Kim had taken the girls home but the note you see to the left explains the real reason. They made it back just a few minutes after we got done.

So the short of the long, a good time was had, and some work got done on the trail.

Photo evidence.

I hope to see more of you out next time.

Moving on.

In community related news, Fixie has officially started at the shop freeing me up to do other things, like not spending 10 hours every day at the shop. This also meant that I got to ride after work today because there was still light in the sky when I got off. So Dave and I headed on over to what used to be known as the Rhythm and Blues but I have renamed, since I have that kind of power, the Dichotomy of the Rhythm and Blues.

I enjoyed this little ditty. At 2.5 miles, it’s not really much of a ride, I did two laps to say I had rode, but it is a good work out. I found myself either on the brakes or mashing on the pedals. There isn’t much in between for this trail. Hence the addition of Dichotomy to the name. I would recommend this for anyone who wants a quick after work ride or is just sick of everything else in the area. It has its own flavor and it is fun, just come prepared to replace some pads afterward.

In related news, I have now had some good rides on the “prototype” tires. And I am impressed. More so with the front Ground Control tire. It rolls fast and corners like a champ. The Captain is no longer my choice of tires up front. The Fast Track in the rear rolls just as fast as the old version but seems to hook up a lot better in the loose stuff. I have only lost traction a few times on steep climbs, and that’s on my singlespeed. Definitely impressed and I’ve found my new tire combination. Not that there was anything wrong with the last set I had. These tires definitely don’t suck.

And to end this post off, a little reminder that we will be rocking the streets of SG this Friday. Meet at the Main Street Garage and come prepared to bust a lung. We will be invading Iggy’s when it is all said and done.

I think that is all.

Out.

Firstly (or just first, whatever you prefer), The Mooseknuckler-mobile could be seen in the parking lot of the Hard Rock Hotel Friday night. It was there with the sole purpose of transporting the Berg and me to the Swinging Utters/Dropkick Murphys show that was to happen that evening. The show did happen and we enjoyed it.

I learned a few things from this show. A) it is enjoyable to wear one’s kilt to a Dropkick Murphys show. I was complimented no less than a dozen times. B) it is wise to keep one’s kilt under control at said happening due to the groping females that apparently can be found in Vegas. C) moshing is fun in said kilt.

On top of those most important lessons learned, I also discovered that stickers in casinos tend to be removed quite quickly, unless they are attached to one’s person.

There were a couple MCA stickers present the next morning, one notably attached to a photo in the hall of some famous singer. I don’t recall which cause I didn’t care.

Secondly (or just second, your preference), I came away from this experience a little bit worse for wear than I would have hoped. When the Swinging Utters left the stage, KB and I bailed for some water. At which point I noticed that it was more difficult than usual to walk on my right foot. As the nigh progressed so did the pain. By the time the show was out and we, Kim and I, had our requisite potatoes, I could barely walk. KB and I limped, or better said, I limped while KB witnessed my pain, back to the room.

I struggled to sleep and when I arose for the nightly feeding of my pet lizard, I almost fail down every step to the restroom which happens to be where I keep my pet lizard when on holiday. By morning things felt a bit better but the pain still has yet to cease. I can walk pretty good, I can still ride solid. Although I dabbed for the first time in quite a while on the steps of Prospector. I currently have a dull ache that increase to sharp pain when I roll my foot just right.

On top of the injured appendage, my right arm was quite sore as well. Apparently raising my angry fist in solidarity for that long can cause some soreness. So, I hope you can all learn from my lessons and not make the same mistakes as I. Remember, when at a punk show always bring your arm brace to hold your angry fist in position…

Once my headache wore off, which was Sunday morning, I went to work. Working is only important in as much as it allows you to ride. I rode after work which was nice. The Mooseknuckler-mobile was seen at the bottom of the JEM just before 4 o’clock. We met a good group of people and enjoyed an easy pace ride around the trail. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope that that sentiment is not lost in what I am about to say.

I rode the JEM, it was enjoyable, but I find it to be kind of boring. It’s a trail that by itself I will probably not ride again, outside of Frog Hollow, for quite some time. Unless of course there is a bitchin’ group ride to be had and then I will be obliged to ride.

Anyways… Not that you need them at this point but here’s a couple of reminder for you.

Sunday October 23rd meet at the White Trailhead of the Goose for some trailwork and bitchin’ group ride.

Friday October 28th will be the first MCA sponsored Alley Cat race in a few years. It will be fun. I promise.

P. L. and R.

Be there!

Actually, let’s start with the things that have happened, which as you can see from above, I did some riding. Yup, I don’t recall what day of training it is but some True Grit training was had this past weekend. This make two weeks in a row where I have rocked the singlespeed for more than a ride around the block.

That last statement in conjunction with the fact that after about 45 minutes on the bike on Sunday, I realized how much singlespeeds don’t suck; means that it has been wayyyy too long since I have been out on the one geared love machine. The more I pedaled without thinking about the seatpost going up or down, or that changy thing moving around to mess with the way my bike rode, the more I just relaxed and pedaled, push, pull, circles… pedaling. It’s all about riding. Loved it.

While we are on the subject of one geared love machines, the rumors that I have been spreading are true. There will be the first Mooseknuckler Alley Cat race in over three years this month. Actually, the 28th of this October of our lord’s year 2000 and 11. Meet at the Main Street Garage at 9. We will ride, rally and herd all those cats into the alley. After which we will descend on some unsuspecting food establishment and have some brews, root or otherwise.

Another cool place to ride a one geared love machine would be the Goose on the 23rd, which is in two Sundays. We will be meeting at the trailhead around 10 am to do some trail loving with Mr. Prathers from the BLM who lovingly put up new signs for us a few months ago but would like some help finishing the stickering. And we all know the Alliance is great at stickering things.

I also plan on writing another post some time in the next month, or week, or day. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m sure you will all stay at your computer screens biting your nails in anticipation.

I now leave you with a love song…

A love song that I love, isn’t that sweet.

I am now going to go do some of this.

Gettin' drinks out of the ice chest

Which may or may not lead to this.

Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to buy some stickers or click on the links that are on the right side of the screen. Or not, whatever you are into…

P. L. and R.

Pedal Driven will be happening soon. You need to be there for two reasons. It helps support DMBTA and it will be fun.

Tickets are now available for purchase at Red Rock Bicycle Co. and Over the Edge Sports. Tickets are going for $10. Four of those dollars will go directly back to DMBTA which in turn will use those $4 to make our trails even better. Hurray for us.

Remember, the whole thing happens September 16th starting at 6 pm. Plan on coming to the pre-show for live music and other cool stuff. The screening will happen at 8 followed by a night ride and an after social at the Red Rock Service Center.

I think that covers it.

Out.

In celebration that the day was of the variety that is followed by off, the Alliance got out and did some riding. Before I continue, I appologize if anybody didn’t get a text, or if you got the text, showed up early and were too impatient to wait. I did send out a text but my phone limits me to ten recepients per text and I was having a good time at Casa Dona Maria and by the time the first text was sent out I had completely forgotten what it was that I was supposed to be doing so the second text never left. So if you didn’t get a text you were unfortunate to have been lumped into the group that would have gotten that second text if I had a longer attention span.

This bar should not be empty.

Anyways…

The Alliance met at the Green Valley trailhead at 11 sharp. Actually, it was closer to 11:20 and there was little about our group that could be described as sharp, except for the coolness in the air. We headed out and climbed up the wash and did the Barrel Ride with the trail maker himself, Sir Pratt. It was just cold enough to warrant a good base layer and maybe a jacket but warm enough that my toes never quite got cold and my hands felt good all day. We all climbed to the top of the trail. At this point the girls, KB and Cimarron, had to go to the point and did so via the dirt road. The rest of us headed downward toward the funner sections of this ride. We even stopped in the middle and did some playing around on the drops.

Proof 1.

Proof 2.

After playing around for a bit, we dropped the rest of the way off the mesa. After all, we had another trail to ride, the Zen.

Baby Face had some things to do that correlated with the traditional holiday and turkey genocide so he bailed. KB had the dogs in tow and took them home as well. The other four of us headed up the Zen at what could be described as a good pace. It could also be described as crawling. It all depends on your perspective. We pedaled up the mesa and enjoyed the views and then descended the mesa where I got my first flat on the Enduro. We’re getting close to having that thing broke in I just need to break the reflectors off…

For still imagery, check the gallery at the end.

After said adventure had come to a halt, I was done for the day. I had no desire to attend any kind of turkey dinner, especially seeing that I don’t eat turkey. And I was quite tired. Even though we only went twelve miles, I was done. Those two trails are tough in their own respects but laced back to back are a good long ride.

My left knee hurt all last night. I thought it a good idea to not do any spinning today, so KB and I took the dogs up to what I am now calling Harrisburg West. We hiked around this mesa for just over an hour. We were met by plenty of stunning views and an overall impression that yes, in deed, we do need to build a trail here.

I did gps the route we took today and hopefully we will be able to get back out and get this approved and up and running soon. There is a lot of potential and the 360 degree views of the area are enough reason to get out and find a way up this mesa.

P. L. and R.

I have been struggling to drag my ass out of bed in the morning. Today was no exception but I was determined to ride to work. I pulled myself together and got out of bed right around 7:30, a half hour past when I would have liked to get up. I felt tired, a bit too tired, but I wanted to ride. I geared up and headed out. It seemed the ice I had put in my bottle was gone before I even hit the road. I didn’t feel too hot but I didn’t feel good. I made the ride, but then I stopped.

Once at the shop and stopped, it felt like my temperature went straight through the roof. I began to sweat profusely. I doused head in wet water but couldn’t get cooled down. I stood in front of the AC dripping wet and felt like I was gonna fall over. Then the fatigue set in. My ass was dragging for another hour or so. Even after a Mtn. Dew to get things moving.

Damn this heat!

In political news, the Red Rock Crew has determined that the move by Arizona to make racial profiling legal, is actually good for the nation. What we discovered, after minutes of debate, was that Arizona was secretly planning to get all the Skinheads to move their where their ideas had been validated and they could begin to hunt darker skinned folk legally. Once all the Skinheads have moved to Arizona we will simply hand it over to Mexico. At which point, all the Skinheads will become “illegals” and be forced to mow Jorge’s lawn for him and pick Maria’s lettuce.  This plan is genius when you think about it. It rids us of the Skinheads and allows Kharma to play out its role by making haters the hated…

It has also been determined that there is absolutely no problem we can’t solve, as long as we are given the chance.

In current events, I did payroll and had to try and read an entire TPS report that had clearly been the victim of a recent BP (Bryce Pratt) coffee spill. Luckily, we were able to cap the coffee before any further damage was caused. In a happy ending, for a change, I was able to read said report and pay Dan for what he had done.

In advocacy related news, Cimarron busted her gut and got Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association proposal in on time. We got plenty of comments so all of the SRMA’s should at least be considered. For those of you who haven’t been privy to this process, the entire county of Washington’s trails, roads and public lands are being “zoned” if you will, putting many of our local trails in peril. The DMBTA got together in a matter of weeks and we have been able to bring the mountain biking community together so that the BLM is impressed with what we have done. Back to the proposal, we obviously submitted requests to keep everything we already have, incorporating Greater Goose trails and Guacamole into the official trail list. Hidden within the proposal are the two mesas that I have been eyeball fucking for the past few months. So if we can stay organized and on task, we will be able to keep all of our awesome trails, but may be able to grab some more future trails as well. If you aren’t already following us on the book of faces, do so here. That reminds me I gotta email the dude who is gonna build our website…

Didn’t find the email, hopefully Cim can help me.

Out.