Redlined

     The logging our neighbor has been doing on and around our trail is finally complete! They cut out a lot of trees. It’s a huge mess since they left all the tree tops piled up everywhere and rutted up a lot of the area while dragging the trees out. They widened a lot of our trails into access roads so we will not be using much of our old singletrack again. But the changes do make for an opportunity to redesign and make something different. We have been riding the trails here for 18 years so I suppose it is time for some change. 

     They got awfully close to my house with the logging. I could see them out of the kitchen window going right up the edge of the property line. They did hurt some of our nice wooded view, but it is intact for the most part. They just had to grab one last tree along the trail that we just added in the zone we thought they wouldn’t log. The one tree took down two other huge trees which they left laying across the trail. It took a few hours, but we got that cleaned up and have our current loop clear for riding. Now it’s time to evaluate the other land. I know we will not be using the back hillside where about half of our previous trail was located. The entire hillside is covered with debris that is 15 feet high in places. I don’t see any of that area being usable for many years.

     Our trail uses land from my house, my parents’ land and also the land of five other neighbors. One did the logging and another just bought a tractor and has been cutting “access roads” into his property. He doesn’t just clear a path wide enough for his tractor to get through, but goes so far as to dig down into the ground about six inches as he goes. He has widened our trail beyond recognition in some places. His land is now riddled with these access roads where he goes in to get wood for backyard fires. Once we realized he was doing it for firewood, we just took some of ours over to his house and suddenly the trail modification stopped. I’ll just have to keep him stocked up in the future.

     We also have a neighbor that has been cutting down cedar trees along the side of the trail. He’s disabled and wanted to walk the trail to keep his blood pressure under control so we let him go back there. I have no idea why he is cutting down the trees, but he always seem to pick the ones right on the edge of the trail and cuts them off two feet above the ground leaving a big stump. Our trail has existed with minimal issues for the most part over the years, but now it seems to be constantly changed by something going on. It's their land so they can do what they want. No matter how wide they make it or how many trees they cut down I am still very fortunate to have a place to ride right out my back door. And for that I am grateful.

     With cross racing wrapping up locally, it was time for us to start our own racing here at home to have fun and stay in shape over the colder months. Dina and I did the first race just before Christmas weekend on a cold day. December has been really cold this year and we have suffered plenty already. After finishing with the home cross race, Shannon and I hit the road for Indiana to spend Christmas with her family. We got to Elkhart late on Friday night and were up early to hit the trainer on Saturday before everyone got up. I actually got in a lot of riding this year and managed to not gain any weight at all over the holiday season, which is something I have never been able to do before.

     We made it up to Michigan to spend a day with the part of the family in South Haven and had a big dinner get-together. Shannon’s brother, Jake, has a farm in Galesburg that we were able to stop by on the way to South Haven. It was cold and snowy, but we spent some time outside playing with his goats, ducks, chickens and horses. Jake and his wife, Brooke, have a lot of animals on the farm. It’s a cool little place.

Chickens and ducks at Jake's farm

This horse stuck its tongue out for the picture

Lots of eggs for Jake to collect from the chickens

     We also made our way to Lake Michigan when we arrived at South Haven and I walked up onto the ice-covered pier. It was really cool to see how the waves and spray off the lake accumulates on the cold rails, making for a big ice wall. It doesn’t stay that cold long enough in Tennessee for us to build up ice accumulation like that.

South Haven pier

Ice build-up on the handrail of the pier

     There was quite a bit of snow on the ground during our trip, but the roads were clear so I headed out for a road ride one afternoon. It was chilly on the headwind sections and I had to plan my route with some weaving around to be able to stand being out there for three hours. I tried to get on the gravel roads that I found last year, but they were a slushy, muddy mess so I only did one of them and then stayed on pavement the rest of the ride.

Snowy views on my Indiana road ride

Snowman

The gravel roads were a bit messy

     The 7+ inches of snow on the ground disappeared in a few hours on our last full day in Indiana. Rain came in with some warmer temps and washed the snow away completely. We got home to warmer weather and visited with my family to see what everyone got for Christmas. My Dad bought my Mom a Specialized Era. It’s my Mom’s first 29-inch mountain bike and so far she really likes it. She’s already going much faster around our trail at home. I can’t wait to see what she thinks about it on other trails in the area.

     I ended the year with more cross. I did three practice races on New Year’s weekend here at home. The weather was warm, but raining so cross was the best option for a good workout unless I wanted to be inside on the trainer all weekend. New Year’s did not treat me well though, as the frame on my Redline Conquest Pro cross bike broke. I heard a ping during my ride and thought it was a spoke in the rear wheel. I got off and inspected, but did not see any broken spokes. On the next downhill, I could hear rubbing and see that my wheel was not aligned right. I stopped to check it, but couldn’t see anything wrong with the wheel or frame when I was off the bike. Next downhill, same thing. This time when I got off I twisted the wheel and then the frame opened up and revealed the crack. It was a clean break right in the corner of the rear triangle at the derailleur hanger. I’ve always had frames brake at welds, so this was a first for me. This bike is a 2006 model so it has seen more than its fair share of miles, but still I am sad to see it go. Now I’m on my old 26” Sette Serum carbon hardtail for my cross races. I’m using it instead of my Epic because it is better for carrying and I don’t mind riding it in any weather condition. 

R.I.P. Redline Conquest Pro

The break was right at the derailleur hanger and dropout

     A wrap-up of 2016 is coming next, followed by my plans for the upcoming season and a cold first race of the year at Montgomery Bell. Thanks for reading!