Two Wheel Tuesday: No Bite

"What the heck, man, don't you know how to ride?" He didn't say it, the man walking up the trail, but I bet if he had that is what the thought would have sounded like. Ed, the only other rider from the Two Wheel Tuesday mtb group, politely said nothing. 

Still without a seat post on the mountain bike, I had brought out the Ibis for a little cyclocross run through the park. Mind you, having learned a lesson the last time I tried this, not the usual full loop, just enough of the "less rocky" sections of trail to make a worthwhile evening. For most of its length the trail along Puddingstone is pretty fast on a cross bike, but right at the end, just before the dam you swoop down this slight rise and into an easy righthand bend, a bend filled with loose rock and a few ruts. In that stuff my front tire, not much more than a glorified wide road tire and lacking the knobs of the rear tire, just has no bite. Without that bite and traction, the wheel preferred a straight line rather than the turn I wanted, which meant a little off-trail riding, into and through a nice expansive patch of dried up thistle and other pointy things. Pretty funny after the fact, and just part of a worthwhile evening which drew to a close with one of those terrific beers of the La Verne Brewing Company.

good sized TWT road group...

but they didn't get this view from up on Fatt Hill