Author: No Tools

  • Amateur Hour, Part Deux…

    Fifteen on foot and fifteen* on wheels posted at Mary this morning in between raindrops.  A couple few 2.0’s made it out despite the early hour, and two FNG’s got named.  

    The cycling went a little something like this:

    Out the back and down Cary.  Dive into Windsah Fahms, and out via Portland.  Douglasdale.  Hang a right and boogie down to Byrd Park for a lap around and between the lakes.  Get rained on like a champ.  Over to, and around the lake with the fountain in it.  Climb up to Boulevard and roll, en masse, respectfully following all prescribed traffic laws.  Left and down Ellwood, disregarding said laws.  Back to Mary via Grove.

    Some things of note: Firstly: high marks to first-timers, children, and otherwise fit dudes who just don’t spend time on bikes.  Thank you for coming out, because riding bikes is rad but riding bikes with other people is way, way radder.   Secondly: high marks to ALL riders for their adherence to Rule #9** — riding a bike in foul weather means you’re a badass.  It poured for a little while, but the stalwart and stoic PAX honey-badgered through it.  I didn’t see that coming, but am glad ain’t nobody noped out because of weather.  Finally: extra high marks to Kabota for bringing out the sled with the kiddie seat on the back.  If you take your little one out on that thing, you’re a good dad, dude.

    I’m going to suggest that this sort of thing happen more often, if for no other reason that it was a lot of fun.  While the RAMM Gears Faithful always get in a good workout when we’re all spandex-and-Strava’ed-up, there should be more to Friday morning than that.   Maybe once a month would suffice, maybe even just once a quarter?  Just again, though, please.   I hope others feel the same.

    Before I forget, from what I heard at the coffee pot this morning, the runners did “the Carollon Route”, whatever that is.  TYA and Swirly did “Patterson backwards” and Bleeder tried to kill LugNut but thankfully didn’t succeed.

    Please remember that all PAX have a standing invitation to get bikes dialed in at No Tools’ Coffee Emporium & Bike Shop.  Rates are reasonable (IPA) and hours are by appointment (don’t forget the IPA).   Find me at @bvay on Twitter.

     

    Announcements: Humpday Happy Hour is coming up… Roller Coaster Run & Kubu Kuba Dos.  Lab Rat says listen to Soundcloud this afternoon.  Dirt Church is Sunday before 8am at Courthouse Church of Christ (will be all gravel this week).  BT will be racing Bleeder on jet skis next week.  Maybe there’ll be video?

     

    * Shout out to the brother who posted with the little 2.0 on the bmx bike.  Things weren’t shaping up as planned and they waved off on Cary before Malvern.  Anyone catch his name?

    ** see here for The Rules but don’t take ’em too seriously. 

  • Dirt Church. Let’s make this a thing for realz.

    For the last four weeks or so, some PAX and some other dudes have been meeting Sunday mornings to make Pocahontas State Park’s newest trail system their collective b*tch.   Meeting at the Courthouse Church of Christ before their first service, we put ourselves in a spot to warm up (1.7 miles of gravel before hitting the trailhead) and to save on parking fees.

    The Thang:

    Fendley Station Trail and Loop A (gravel) to Sunsetter (a rad flow trail) to Bell Lap Return (also… rad) to Blueberry Hill downhill (even radder).  Escape out to fill bottles and then up to the Morgan Green Trail (old school leaf-covered single track) and then back to finish Blueberry Hill Return.  Then a single lap of the wackiness that is Freight Line, and then more gravel to the car.    18-20 miles depending on whether you had to turn around to find your friends or not.   900 or so feet of climbing.

    Notes:

    Sure is a lot of fun being on the Pocahontas trails these days… we are truly blessed to have access to the MTB resources we have!  YHC has ridden many of the Commonwealth’s trail systems, and gladly stays close to home.

    Very glad these guys came out to continue the month-or-so-old tradition that is “Dirt Church”.  We’ve been kinda doing this every Sunday for a while… Mr. Roper and his homie and I started it one week, and then add Mongoose joined us for another… Then Lab Rat came with a friend, and Wheelie was there once and Johnsonville was there…  you get the idea, and I forget the details.

    This week, we prepped via group text, and rolled out at 0800.  We warmed up with gravel.   I think everyone dug Sunsetter (YHC’s fave in the system).   We picked up BT’s homie, Nate, up the hill (these days, you can almost ALWAYS find someone you know at the top of the Swift Creek Trails) and dragged his ass around with us.  We went down the hill, over the creek, through the woods, and back up.   Good stuff.   I think BT has a little MTBer in him… we will see.  Best part of today’s ride:  NO ONE DIED.

    We all know we all have limits.  The best part about riding mountain bike trails with friends is that we can always push ourselves to these limits, or beyond them, and become better riders, regardless of fitness and skill level. Ride your bike.  Just ride.

    Dirt Church should be continuing going forward.  Sundays at 0730 or 0800.  Two hours of trails with bailouts available for the time-constrained.  YHC is always glad to Q anytime.

     

  • Amateur Hour… RAMM Gears this Friday. Pre-blast?

    Amateur Hour… RAMM Gears this Friday. Pre-blast?

    A couple of weeks ago, Phonics told me that this Friday, August 3rd, was to be the date for RAMM Gears, Amateur Hour, Part Deux (see https://backblasts.f3rva.org/2018/06/15/peloton/ for reference) and he asked me to put together a route.  Of course, my reaction was “F* YEAH… More dudes on bikes!”.

    If it’s truly the case, and this Friday is to be the second edition of the “run-what-ya-brung, dig-out-the-1990-something-Trek-and-come-ride”, I’m your guy, and I’d like to open it up to 2.0’s if they can make the early hour, unless there are objections.  I’ve got a route in mind, and plan to tune it for maximum satisfaction for those who can post.

    Additionally, if your old bike needs a some touching and loving before Friday, give a brother a holler (best to tweet at @bvay).  I actually do own tools, and have a deeply seated love for that bike you bought in college and haven’t touched since ya got married.

    I want to see you on your bike.

     

    No Tools