unprecedented

i rode at castlwood again today, marking my 4th off-road ride in 8 days. i do believe that this is unprecedented in my adult life.

i started the day by going to work. i don't usually work on saturdays, but two of the guys are off doing a marathon somewhere on the east coast. i felt like the remaining saturday crew may have needed help. they didn't. they did quite well, so i busted out in the early afternoon and headed for the 'wood.

i knew better than to ride at the 'wood on saturday. there were THRONGS of people. i couldn't even get to the stinging nettle...i ran into lines of people walking that way so i just turned around and headed for the hills. i managed two hours doing the classic trails, climbing moderately hard and trying to get more comfortable descending on the gravel. i don't know what has come over me, but i feel very uneasy about the ditch-like quality most of the trails have taken around here. it seems like my front wheel has zero traction. maybe hitting the deck a few times lately has spooked me, which is partly why i have gone so haywire and traveled to the trails so often.

i continue to be amazed by the homegrown. it may be 8 years old, but i still really like riding it. i am certainly going to keep a quality hardtail around, in race-ready condition. i am looking around the web for a 2001 black homegrown, because those have IS disc mounts, and my 2000 does not. plus, i like black. while i'm sure more modern hardtails are better, and i would just buy a brand new hardtail, but trek and orbea split the difference size-wise, too big/too small.