Saturday morning I headed over to Stoney Creek to meet up with some teammates for the Massive Fallout Ride. I found Ed, Mark L., and Derek and we chatted for a bit then made our way over to the trailhead for the mass start. We must've gotten there a couple minutes late because the big group had already taken off. Oops! No worries though. There were many riders still arriving and getting ready.
It was a gorgeous fall morning with cool crisp air, colorful leaves covering the trees and trails, and bikes everywhere. We all headed out towards the Pines. The trail was in great condition, dry and fast. After the Pines, we climbed up Mt. Sheldon where there were lots of riders talking and taking in the views (some of us were catching our breath!). Into the Roller Coaster... After a minute I lost sight of the guys but could hear voices and bikes bouncing across the trail throughout the woods. About halfway through, I caught a glimpse of another Cycletherapy jersey and got excited thinking I was catching up with the guys! I was working hard, but that motivated me to push harder. Soon, I realized they had slowed down a bit behind another group. Oh well, I got to feel fast for a minute :)
After the Roller Coaster, we left Stoney taking the dirt roads to Paint Creek Trail. The trail was full of people taking advantage of the great weather. It was cool to be surrounded by so many active people. We headed north and took a little break at Mark L.'s house to get some water and a little snack. Then, back on the road to Bald Mountain. That was my first time riding at Bald Mountain and I loved it. It was a fast, open trail with some steep bumpy downhills to keep you on your toes. I rode through with another group of friendly riders who pushed me to keep up when I started getting tired. My teammates patiently waited for me outside the trail and we sped off to Addison. I've riden Addison once before, but didn't remember it being as hilly as it felt now. Maybe I was just getting tired... I was working pretty hard to keep up all morning! Though it was tough, Addison was my favorite trail of the three. It seemed to have the most variety. Enough climbing to make you work and some fun downhills to make those climbs worth it. After the trail, legs burning but still smiling, I headed towards the pavilion where everyone was enjoying chili and hot dogs. From there we split up and I enjoyed the scenery on my leisurely ride back to Stoney. It was a well organized event and it seemed like everyone had a great time. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.
This weekend, some of us will be racing Peak to Peak, Grubers and others will be racing cyclocross. Good luck to all!
The races at Lake Orion High School are always a fun competitive atmosphere. Our team showed up to the event ready to race and help promote the sport(s) for a good cause. The race day started out very cold and dark and the weather only got worse. On the last lap for the Advance and Sport group(s) the rain decided to make things a little more slick. By the end of the last lap it was a steady down poor. The rain did let up for the start of the Citizen group and by the time we left, well, the sun was out! Congrats to Joe from the Bells MTB team for taking first overall. And congrats to Bryan U. and Mark L. for taking first in their groups!
