The Bike Wife 1.0: Bike season to distract my brain!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Bike season to distract my brain!

In non-NZ related news, we traveled to Bend, OR at the beginning of this month for the first race of the Oregon Enduro Series. There are 5 races in the series, from Ashland all the way to Hood River. We'll likely do them all. What is an enduro, one might ask. Well, it's complicated. Even for the guys running it. An enduro is a 2 day race, that is broken into stages. In Bend, there were several climbs and decents, a fantastic ride. The timed stages are during the downhill sections. The super pedally (ie: I suck at them) climbs are NOT timed. There are, of course, some uphill sections that end up in the race, but it is primarily downhill, with plenty of fun technical rocky sections/jumps/etc. to keep it fun. And the end of 2 days, and anywhere from 3-6ish stages, all of the times are combined and there is a winner. And there is also a 4th place, which was me. Unfortunately no pictures again - remember, no one likes taking professional pictures of cat 2 women racers. Aw.

Im not a competitive person when it comes to work or lifestyle. I certainly dont try to "keep up with the Jones's" as they say. (Re: my couch, table & chairs, recliner, guest bed, & actually everything except our bed is a hand-me-down.) But when it comes to play, or at least racing sport class mountain bikes... I might be a little competitive. Like, 4th of 6? Are you kidding me? Did you forget to ride your bike and just stroll the course? Haha.. actually our times were fairly close to each other, so once again, I was in the mix. ...at the bottom. My husband got 22nd of 45 racers. But they're pro, and there were some world champion racers... so I dont feel that he is so mediocre like his wife. Ha.

So I've been motivated. Riding up North Rim (see side bar) a couple of times a week. Putting aside the excuses of the heat which has returned to Chico unwelcome, of having chores to do, folks being in town, too much wine last night. I've been riding so much that my bike keeps having little issues, and my mechanic (husband) is ready for me to throw in the towel.

Since Bend we're been super busy- work, weddings, my birthday (and a great little jaunt to Calistoga with two of my bests), and now my folks are in town. This weekend Scott's parents will be in town to help him weather proof our garage so that it can be our storage unit while we're in NZ. And then next weekend is the Ashland Enduro!

Gotta keep training!

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Bike Babble

Here's a list of terms to help decipher what the #@&*! I'm blogging about:

Berm - a turn in a trail, usually built up with hard packed dirt, or sometimes wood/rock. A berm's purpose is to allow/withstand the weight of a rider making an aggressive turn.

Chamois - the padded spandex shorts worn under loose mountain bike shorts, and never, ever on its own. Also, should never be worn a minute longer than absolutely necessary. Like a condom.

Clapped Out - and old, well used bike. It may have been nice at one time, but is now a POS.

Clipless - bicycle pedals that clip in to one's bike shoes, thus making the human and the bike into one cohesive unit.

DH - downhill; as in DH bike (more travel), or DH trail. Downhill mountain biking is gravity assisted decent down a mountain, usually with technical features like jumps, drops, and rocky sections. DH races are very technical, usually no climbing, and are only a few minutes in length.

Enduro - A multi-staged race that includes both climbing and descending, and can also include being shuttled to the top of a trail or mountain. Timed stages are usually downhill, un-timed stages uphill.

Fire Road - a large, wide open trail, usually the width of a 4-wheeler or truck, typically smoother dirt or gravel. Preferred by roadies who are trying to mountain bike.

Fork - the front end of the bike, below the handle bars. The fork compresses (see "travel") anywhere from 2-8 inches on a mountain bike , depending on the type, to allow for more aggressive riding.

Free Riding - a broader range of mountain bikers; generally used to describe individuals who build their own trails, use natural features as stunts, are creative in trail/jump building. Will hike-a-bike for good DH trail riding, will put blood, sweat, and tears into good trail building.

Full Suspension - front and rear suspension on a mountain bike: the fork in front, and a rear shock in back. Contrasts with a hard tail (a mountain bike with suspension only in the front) or a road bike or cruiser (no suspension at all).

Gap - the distance between the take off and landing of a jump or drop, ie: the spot where you and your bike are in the air.

Hucking - to commit to a very large jump, drop, or gap, usually a very large stunt.

Loamy - soft, highly organic dirt. Desirable. Not rocky. Think Oregon and Washington conditions.

MTB - Mountain Biking

North Rim - A local Chico trail that is extremely rough and rocky. Quite steep in some places, less in others, but a steady climb for several miles. There are barely any trees, and it is the bane of my existence.

Shred - to ride vigorously, synonymous with "ripping" and "killing it".

Shuttle - the means of getting up to the top of a mountain/hill where a downhill trail starts. Usually in the form of a truck, or "shuttle truck".

Single Track - a narrow trail that is approximately the width of the bike. It is frequently smooth and flowing, but it may also exhibit technical rocky sections and may be criss-crossed with tree roots. Considered the best type of trail on which to ride mountain bikes.

Super D - a long downhill race with some climbing. Not nearly as much climbing as in XC, or as long of a race. Usually Super D has more technical downhill features, and lasts 20-30 minutes.

Travel - the amount that the fork is able to compress, thus, the larger amounts of force the bike can withstand.

XC - Cross Country, as in XC bike (less travel) or XC trail (uphill & downhill). XC racing is up and down hills, and courses are typically several miles long, and can take 2-4 hours to complete.