Friday, February 19, 2010

Homer Does Singletrack

I could barely hear the dull roar of the IH-45 traffic through the dense pine forest. It was like a dull, but lingering, memory, reminding me of my sudden good fortune.




Under mostly grey skies, there were rare moments of celebration when golden light appeared through the trees.





The twisty singletrack was littered with exposed tree roots. The climbs were short, but steep, and my A. Homer Hilsen handled them well. Shifting into gears lower than I normally use, I picked my lines with patience, precision, and ease. I was surprised at how well the Col de la Vie 650b tires worked even in shallow sandy and muddy areas. I remember thinking, that if I were encountered conditions that required a different bicycle, I’m not sure I’d be interested in riding a bicycle there anyway.




As I wandered deeper into the woods, and farther from the interstate, I remember climbing one of the longer climbs. I remember only the sound of my breathing as I rolled silently on a pine needle pathway, only to be startled by the sudden sound of my freewheel after reaching the crest.


It wasn’t about winning the race. It wasn’t about fitness or speed. It was about wandering through the woods on a refreshingly cool winter day. It was like hiking, but with more “flow”.


7 comments:

  1. That looks very enjoyable. Where's the trail? IH-45 and pine trees indicates Sam Houston National Forest, or east Texas, anyway.

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  2. Beautiful! Looks like a lot of fun, and I'm impressed the AHH handled it so well. Impressed, but not too surprised.

    It's nice to see some trails, ours have been buried under 10" of snow for a while, and today a lot of that melted, so they're going to be a muddy mess for a while ...

    I have taken my Long Haul Trucker on a few trails and it handles quite well, I imagine the 650b CDLV tires do even better.

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  3. Nice ride. Great write up. Wonderful bike.

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  4. Chris,
    I don't know if you have posted about your riding single-track before but this was an awesome write-up with lovely photos!

    Glad you had fun!

    Peace :)

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  5. Nice trail and great photos. Just the sort of stuff I enjoy on my road (cx) bike.

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  6. very, very nice, both in the woods and in Austin. Good to see someone out in that thing called sunshine.

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