I really like the Pacific Northwest. It's kind of like early spring in Wisconsin here. 40's and rain with trails itching to be slogged through. Here they don't close their trails because of snow or rain. Let's face it, if they closed trails because of rain, the nearest open trails would be down in Monterey.
It's nice to be writing about a ride. I met Clayton, a former Kona product manager about an hour north of here in Bellingham, a nice little town right at the foothills of some nice mountains with plenty of trails. He had a couple hardtail 26" wheel bikes to choose from and they were the right size, but when Scott showed up with a Intense Spider 29 set up as a single speed with a Paul's singleator I couldn't resist. I'd never ridden a full squish anything on a trail, much less one with 29er wheels. Since I was willing to buy anything I broke I thought I'd better go with a bike which would feel most like the Fe2+ sitting back at the ranch. A quick drive to the trailhead by some tennis courts and we were off up the trail. Then we kept going up. There were plenty of switch backs similar to the muddy ones at the Mt Morris race. Clayton and Scott were able to drop down to a gear that worked for them, but I was running a 32x18 which would have been fine if the trails were firmer. Still, it was business as usual for a single speeder and by the first plateau we were all together. Clayton was in fine form on his new Specialized Enduro all day, but he was a great guide waiting for Scott and me at intersections. Scott suffered by letting me take the lighter bike. His other ride is a full squish beast more suited for railing the downhills. At 39 pounds he might as well have been riding a tandem for weight. But when the trail leveled out a bit he was right there.
For the most part the trails were ridable. The tall pines shielded the trails to a degree but when we crossed the open areas it was like you see above. 6" to 18" of heavy, wet snow. But since SS's have a "running gear" I was able to keep up with Clayton and Scott. There were a few, maybe 10 other riders on the trails too, and oddly enough, 6 or so of them were singlespeed 29ers. I think I counted 3 Konas and the rest were GF Rigs. Kevin and Steve from Kona were two of them. Kevin was running a 34x22 if I remember. The bike I was on was limited by the Paul's. Any cog bigger than the 18 would start chewing the upper jockey pulley. I wonder if the Surly has a similar limitation?
So how was the ride? I give it a B+ because of my fitness. The trail would have been totally rideable if I'd been riding since the end of the season, but soccer, cross country skiing and running are no substitute for handlebar time. Not that a 20t on the back wouldn't have helped but it's not the bike's fault, or Scott's. The Intense took some getting used to but i couldn't have been happier if I was on the Fe2+. The rougher trails here dictate suspension at least on the front and blasting down the trail was velvety smooth with the Fox F29 on the front. I might have to "midnight auto" Russell's from his bike. I think it was a Cane Creek managing the bumps on the back. If I had that bike in Wisco I'd set it up a bit firmer, but then everyone would be pointing and laughing at me... for different reasons than they have now. Thanks again Scott for trusting me with such a sweet bike.
After the ride Scott ditched us to deal with his "honey do" list. I'll have to ship him a case of Ale Asylum when I get home. Clayton and I headed over to Boundary Bay Brewery for beer and food. Bellingham is a lot like the near east side of Madison so I felt right at home. BBB's beer was tasty and the BLAT (BLT with Avocado) on white bread hit the spot. Afterwards Clayton and I shook hands and parted company. I'll be back with the Fe2+ and the right gears. I'll be the one to show Clayton the way up hill. I hope. I'd like to visit the week before SSWC's for an extra fitness bump. Not that I would realistically be within sight of Jesse or Marco's rear wheels but it'd be nice to represent the BKB with my head held high.
With that I'd best get off my ass and go for a run. The clock is ticking.
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