Schaeffer on Sunday.

Schaeffer on Sunday
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

the weekend played it out such that Sunday would allow me to ride

the weather and the parental obligations were such that I would be available to ride Sunday morning after Lisa got back from a hike with our black dog brutus and a friend of hers from work
although I have yet to register for The Greenbrier Challenge... that race is on my radar which had me thinking that it would make sense for me to get some time on the squishy bike the Niner
the Rip Nine is the most seldom ridden built bike in my quiver... secon
d only to my Franken Fixie
best I get acquainted with the handling of this machine before I try to race

my native machine is the hard tail... over the years my single speeds have seen far more miles than any of my other bikes

Saturday rolled past without much consideration of the rapidly approaching Sunday

there was thought

there was consideration

but there was no action or preparation

I went to bed without a firm plan
I went to bed without taking a look at my bike or gathering my gear

Sunday morning came...
the boys in front of the television and Lisa was out on the trail before I got out of bed
out of bed
I woke with my coffee and tried to access my day

Schaeffer Farms echoed in my head
at the computer with coffee in my hand and FACEBOOK and BLOGGER in front of me I thought about the course of the day figuring I would give it a shot
I called Cargo Mike to see if he was available to ride

as it turned out Cargo Mike was headed out for a ride with his team mates for the rapidly approach
ing Baker's Dozen race
I asked where they were going and if I could invite myself along
they were headed to Fountainhead... I mentioned I was considering Schaeffer
without any effort to sway their momentum it was decided they would let me tag along with their ride and we would be heading to Schaeffer Farms


what follows next is UNACCEPTABLE!
COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!

so... we made contact and we made plans
it was understood that they would swing by to grab me in 30-40 minutes
so I started to get my deal together
but before I got my deal together... I had to get the boys' deal together


the television was turned off and the boys were guided to get dressed
once dressed the boys were directed to the dinning room where they were given food
then coached to eat

the modern parent and their over involvement with each action of their children
I am no different
in our efforts to do a good job we get over involved
telling our children to take their next breath
instructing them to lift each foot with each step

we script our own misery

with the boys dressed and eating breakfast I started to focus on me and my bike
still waiting for the coffee to give me that wake up call that I was waiting for

Lisa returned from her hike
then Cargo Mike showed up with Matt and Art
they were ready to ride
me... I did not have pedals on my bike... I did not have air in the tires

UNACCEPTABLE! Fricken Unacceptable!

had I shown up at someone's house and seen that
I would had walked out and invited for them to catch me on the second lap
Matt, Art, and Mike were not so rigid
they sat back and relaxed
breathing through it all

in a matter of time my bike was the fourth bike on Cargo Mike's car and we were pointed North West to Germantown Maryland for an assault on Schaeffer Farms

before hitting the woods of Schaeffer it was agreed that we would do a quick out and back on Hoyles Mills Trail
I was unfamiliar with this trail... so I was pleased to get to hit it with a guide

Cargo Mike lead the charge and set the pace... I jumped in second... with Matt nipping at my wheel and Art following close behind him
Effortlessly Cargo Mike zipped through the twists and the turns at a pace just below RACE PACE
I was able to keep pace with Cargo Mike until each and every technical section or obstacle
the rock gardens... the tightest of turns... the low hanging branches... the logs across the trail
each and any of these obstacles called out for me to hit the brakes and take things at a lesser pace
while Cargo Mike flowed through without breaking pace

which means that Cargo Mike could have pulled away from us and left nothing but his tracks in the dust to follow

we rode out with a little Cat and Mouse... Cargo Mike slowing and stopping to let the three of us catch him then catch our breath... then back on the bike... back on the trail... back to moving forward

as things often go when mountain biking
the more people in a group... the greater the likelihood that someone is going to have some sort of mechanical issues
to my pleasure... that person was not me
as I had already held up the group long enough with my ill preparedness
on this day it was Matt who would have bicycle issues
which is a tad humorous... seeing that Matt is a solid wrench

Matt was pushing his personal limits and testing his ride
even with a hang over Matt was going for it
a crash that caused some slight bleeding... then a broken chain
followed by a front flat
none of this lessened his attack

all issues were behind us by the time we finished the Hoyles Mills Trail and dipped into Schaeffer proper

there had already been some solid expenditure on that flat winding out and back
energy levels were starting to drop
it was past lunch time and the day was warm
Matt was thinking about how he had to get home and get ready for work
while I was worried that I would be out past my undefined return point
sure my permission slip had been signed... but not for a full day adventure... just for an afternoon ride

this day with its late start and our collection of mechanical had us taking a major chunk out of the day
not only was there lost time... there was also some lost intensity

we got our intensity back and we got back on the bikes
we hammered through Schaeffer
pausing at certain points so that Matt and Cargo Mike could attack the various log rides
as tempting as these things may be... they are not for me
spectating is where I am most comfortable when it comes to log rides and such
Cargo Mike approached the logs with a calculated measure that does not exist in my realm of bicycle mastery
Matt approached the logs with a vengeance that I have removed from my riding style for fear and frustration with damage to my bike and my body

it was a pleasure to watch the two riders and their very different riding styles

our time at Schaeffer was short but sweet
the trails are looking good
and even with the full parking lot it was not congested in the woods
no issues
nothing but fast rolling tires in the woods

good times for sure

Art, Matt, and Cargo Mike... GOOD LUCK AT THE BAKER'S DOZEN!

old photos... I snapped some shots
but have not glanced at the memory card yet


GWADZILLA mention of Schaeffer
Farms GWADZILLA mention of GREENBRIER
a map of Hoyles Mills Connector as provided by Peter Beers