RR (WR): A humbling experience

I am from Noerthern Ontario. I am used to hills, Granite, trees, dirt,
swamps, all the great eastern Canada stuff.

I now live in Victoria BC. Need I say more?

Going up 400 feet, and back down, in about the span of a km, is odd. And
painful. These things called m-o-u-n-t-a-i-n-s that you have out here, even
the little ones, are not even close to anything I ever have rode before.
Well, if you take what I have ridden before, and then make the hills
steeper, and longer, ok, then it would be simular.

I went to a place called Mount Work - Hartland Road Mountain Bike Park. The
easy stuff was worse thn the hard stuff I have been on, the hard stuff, I
didnt even hike in that. Hills are over 45 degrees. Wet trail surface, +10 C
day, all was adding to my humbling.

I rode about 5 KM of the park, if that. Most of the routes i took, I walked,
likely 75% of the trails.

I have a POS Department store bike, and although it did not give me
problems, except for the front forks and the handle bars went out of
alignment. I twisted it back, and tighened everything up as tight as i
could. I did learn why go full suspension, and what disc brakes are meant
for.

I am only out here likely till May, and plan more rides. If I stay here
longer, I would be getting a good bike, and use this one for going around
town.

I will likely be going to Halifax NS.

Anyone out here in the Victoria area wanna teach me to ride on these things
you call mountains?

(still recovering from the workout.)

Micheal Artindale

On Feb 11, 1:28 am, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:
I am from Noerthern Ontario. I am used to hills, Granite, trees, dirt,
swamps, all the great eastern Canada stuff.

I now live in Victoria BC. Need I say more?

Going up 400 feet, and back down, in about the span of a km, is odd. And
painful. These things called m-o-u-n-t-a-i-n-s that you have out here, even
the little ones, are not even close to anything I ever have rode before.
Well, if you take what I have ridden before, and then make the hills
steeper, and longer, ok, then it would be simular.

I went to a place called Mount Work - Hartland Road Mountain Bike Park. The
easy stuff was worse thn the hard stuff I have been on, the hard stuff, I
didnt even hike in that. Hills are over 45 degrees. Wet trail surface, +10 C
day, all was adding to my humbling.

I rode about 5 KM of the park, if that. Most of the routes i took, I walked,
likely 75% of the trails.

I have a POS Department store bike, and although it did not give me
problems, except for the front forks and the handle bars went out of
alignment. I twisted it back, and tighened everything up as tight as i
could. I did learn why go full suspension, and what disc brakes are meant
for.

I am only out here likely till May, and plan more rides. If I stay here
longer, I would be getting a good bike, and use this one for going around
town.

I will likely be going to Halifax NS.

Anyone out here in the Victoria area wanna teach me to ride on these things
you call mountains?

(still recovering from the workout.)

Micheal Artindale


You just answered all of my questions posed in the baggy shorts
thread, barney.

JD

You just answered all of my questions posed in the baggy shorts
thread, barney.

JD


Barney?

I am not purple or big

Micheal Artindale wrote:

You just answered all of my questions posed in the baggy shorts
thread, barney.

JD


Barney?

I am not purple or big


Is that a fishhook and leader I see hanging from JD's yap,yup now he
really looks like a large mouth bass!

On Feb 11, 2:28 am, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:
I am from Noerthern Ontario. I am used to hills, Granite, trees, dirt,
swamps, all the great eastern Canada stuff.

I now live in Victoria BC. Need I say more?

Going up 400 feet, and back down, in about the span of a km, is odd. And
painful. These things called m-o-u-n-t-a-i-n-s that you have out here, even
the little ones, are not even close to anything I ever have rode before.
Well, if you take what I have ridden before, and then make the hills
steeper, and longer, ok, then it would be simular.

I went to a place called Mount Work - Hartland Road Mountain Bike Park. The
easy stuff was worse thn the hard stuff I have been on, the hard stuff, I
didnt even hike in that. Hills are over 45 degrees. Wet trail surface, +10 C
day, all was adding to my humbling.

I rode about 5 KM of the park, if that. Most of the routes i took, I walked,
likely 75% of the trails.

I have a POS Department store bike, and although it did not give me
problems, except for the front forks and the handle bars went out of
alignment. I twisted it back, and tighened everything up as tight as i
could. I did learn why go full suspension, and what disc brakes are meant
for.

I am only out here likely till May, and plan more rides. If I stay here
longer, I would be getting a good bike, and use this one for going around
town.

I will likely be going to Halifax NS.

Anyone out here in the Victoria area wanna teach me to ride on these things
you call mountains?

(still recovering from the workout.)

Micheal Artindale

Welcome to the west. We likes em big out here...

CDB

Welcome to the west. We likes em big out here...

CDB


I noticed. I am curious as to what would happen if I attempted some trails
that are on some of the high peaks.

Micheal

wizardB wrote:
Micheal Artindale wrote:

You just answered all of my questions posed in the baggy shorts
thread, barney.

JD


Barney?

I am not purple or big

Is that a fishhook and leader I see hanging from JD's yap,yup now he
really looks like a large mouth bass!

I think you mean "large-mouth
ass".

On Feb 11, 6:16 pm, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:
Welcome to the west. We likes em big out here...

CDB

I noticed. I am curious as to what would happen if I attempted some trails
that are on some of the high peaks.

Micheal


You would probably blow off, just like the lightweight you are.

JD

Micheal Artindale wrote:
I am only out here likely till May, and plan more rides. If I stay here
longer, I would be getting a good bike, and use this one for going around
town.

A good bike will make them easier. Not much more doable, just easier.

The good news is you should be able to get in shape by May if you ride
regularly. That's just how cardio training works. You pick a challenge
that's harder or longer than what you're used to, it sucks, sometimes it
really sucks, then you do something like it again in a few days. You do
a little better. Repeat. Eventually you're riding up those mountains
that whipped your ass earlier.

This applies whether you're Lance Armstrong riding the amazing mountain
climbs of Europe, or Rosie O'Donnell dragging your fat ass off the couch
for the first time. Remember, mountains don't get easier, they just get
faster.

--
Lynn Wallace

If FDR fought fascism the way Bush fights terrorism, we'd all be
speaking German now.

On Feb 11, 7:16 pm, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:
Welcome to the west. We likes em big out here...

CDB

I noticed. I am curious as to what would happen if I attempted some trails
that are on some of the high peaks.

Micheal


As somebody mentioned, you build up to it. Our annual get-together in
the mtns of central Idaho that draws folks from several states almost
always has well-meaning dupes who think the riding out here must be
the same as riding back home, but they get up to 9,000 feet, with a
few hour long climbs at 300 to 500' per mile, and the party is
definitely over.

We had one guy one year that we almost had to carry out the last 4 or
5 miles, and it took a loooong time to finish that ride. Most all of
us ran out of water, because the prepared ones shared with the others
who wouldn't believe my instructions and figgerd they could just wing
it.

Same with Moab riding, (and presumably Fruita). They're such famous
riding destinations, that mediocre riders come out and bring their
kids and are shocked at how danged tough everything is. Some even
die. I hear Moab's cut in a few easier trails so the Barneys won't
be so spanked and angry when they finally get there and find that they
can't hardly ride anything.

Welcome to the west...

CDB