About 3 hours in Frick Park.

So the “training” for the Wilderness 101 begins. The ride consisted of going up the double track from the hollow (ummm, Fire Road Trail, maybe?) to the Meadow, then riding back down via singletrack. Trail conditions were superb–dry, but a bit tacky. The top section of Iron Grate was really amazing, with the little white blossoms from the trees covering the trail like snow. I managed to ride several sections of trail I had walked in the past, and that felt good. I’m realizing that my skills are better than I think they are. I spied a few other drops that I should try and ride before the 101, too.

I dropped air pressure in the tires (WTB Exiwolves), and that made a huge difference on the roots and rocks (though I did manage to get a tiny puncture, though the tires wasn’t flat until this morning). I feel much better about my decision to forgo a suspended fork. The new Ergon grips also felt good, though I had a bit of thumb cramping during extended braking efforts. I’m still on the fence about getting mechanical discs–the V-brakes seem to be powerful enough, I’m just curious if the discs would be easier to pull over the course of 100 miles. I’m also seriously considering bar ends. The Ergons help a bit, but the extra position for longer climbs would be good to have. The drivetrain of the Redline is in serious need of overhaul (particularly the BB, which complained loudly during uphill efforts), but given that it’s a single speed, that’s not a big deal.

Posted on 2 June 2008