Pack Rides

Pack Rides has moved to greener pastures!

2013-02-18T18:40:00.002-06:00

Okay, folks ...

Just to ensure everyone is in the know, Pack Rides and femme's desk have all of their new stuff posted on Sibling Synergy. (Click the embedded links to get there.)

I was experiencing loads of trouble with blogger, after google upgraded it's interface that we (Alicia and I) moved all of our work to Weebly, which we are HUGE-WHOPPING HAPPY WITH!

Yes, the change has been a breath of fresh air, and Weebly has blogger beat six-ways-from-Sunday!

We're so happy we've relocated, and merged our businesses.

The actual blog posts here, and on femme's desk (blogger) will remain. But, the new material, as well as the entirety of the Pack Rides Gallery has been copied to the new Pack Rides! home on Weebly, and will remain there, unless otherwise notified.

However, since Weebly is so very interested in keeping their customer's happy, I doubt we'll be changing website hosts again any time soon.

So, thank you for bearing with us for our updates and we'll see you on Weebly!

femmeflashpoint

Finally, some saddle time!

2012-08-06T11:56:00.003-05:00

DFW weather just won't give us a break. The temp has remained in the triple-digits since Nee arrived in Texas, a little over a week ago. We've had loads of work to get done while she's been here, and with the weather being so hot, we've been hard pressed to get any exercise, let alone any cycling done, while she's been here.

We attended a writers' conference last Friday and Saturday. She liked it, and I couldn't wait to leave. Sunday, we made an overnight trip with Ma to Wapanuka, Oklahoma, for a visit with our Auntie Kay, and some cousins.

Boggy Park

The visit was great.  Auntie Kay always makes for excellent company, and the cousins are a good deal of fun too. I live closer and get to see them more often than Nee, so for her, it's a rare treat.

Sunday evening, she and I scooted over to Boggy Park for a bit of squatching and to scope out some bike trails. Auntie's house isn't far away, and 'though she said she'd never heard of any squatch activity in the area, we wanted to go anyway.  The history of Boggy Park is interesting, and so is the history of the cemetery that borders it.

I'd promised my packmates to investigate any bike trails in the area, and since we had woods and water, we decided we may as well do some squatching too.
The squatching was interesting, and we did manage to find a new ride spot for the Trinity River Pack.  It's a little more than a two-hour drive from DFW, and easy to get to.

Bodark thorns.

The woods at Boggy are dense. The weather has been hot in Oklahoma too, so we had the entire park to ourselves, other than a brief visit with the park caretaker and his wife. It's a bit lacking in water, and in some areas, near the bodark trees, there are thorns on the ground long enough to pierce a tractor tire. (Okay, I'm stretching it a bit, but really, they're more than long enough to easily flatten mountain bike tires.) Nee stepped on one that went all the way through her sneaker-soles, and it took a good amount of wrenching for me to work it free of her shoe.

I admit, I have no desire to ride this park in warm weather because the area is a prime habitat for rattlesnakes, copperheads and scorpions. Trekking into the woods there will have to wait until much cooler weather. I hate to admit to cowardice, but femme doesn't do snakes, scorpions or spiders. I'm not real keen on cougars or bobcats either, and the area hosts both of these sorts of cats as well.

Nee's spare wheels - a Huffy 18-speed with front and
center shocks.

When we returned to Texas, we spent the next several days working from morning-'til morning on our new collective website. We're still not finished, but we've made great progress. Hopefully, we'll be able to let it go live in another couple of days.

And after a week of no exercise, other than chair-swapping at my desk, we finally broke away for a short ride. We were both hoping to do the single-tracks at Gateway, but the temp was still pushing at 105 by late afternoon, so we waited until 7 in the evening to go, and opted for a short ride to the Fort Worth Stockyards along the Trinity. Nee hadn't yet ridden on the Trinity, so it worked out well.

Packing her Schwinn Sidewinder on the plane was going to be more trouble than it was worth, so she decided to buy a spare mountain bike when she arrived here, in Texas. We picked up a Huffy 18-speed, for a great sale price of $80 at the Walmart on Beach St., in Fort Worth. I can't say that I enjoy shopping at this location, and I go there as little as possible, but I can say that I'm impressed with most of the cashiers. In fact, I feel sorry for them. This location is nearly always busy, the lines are long, and they never seem to schedule enough staff to handle the customer load efficiently, which puts those who are working in a difficult situation due to having to deal with customers who give them grief for having to wait so long to check out. That's a management issue, not a cashier issue.

The cycle Captain at Wally-World on N. Beach.
If you've got a question, go to him, 'cause he's probably
got a good answer to it.

One employee in particular is awesome. He works with the bicycles and is as helpful as it gets. He's good with customer service and he seems to take a great deal of pride in his work. He even checks with customers to see if the bike needs any adjustments before they leave for the check-out area.

I was impressed with the guy's knowledge on bikes, and after talking with him, was even prompted to send Schwinn an email, letting them know of the flat-issues I'd been experiencing with my Sidewinder. Dawn, the customer service rep who responded to my email, was awesome, and is not only sending me a free resolution to the problem, but has assured me she will report the issues to the Schwinn quality assurance team to prevent it from happening in the future.

Huffy's been around the cycle-scene for a long time now, and though I'd never trade my Schwinn for even a higher-end Huffy, but for folks who are looking for an inexpensive bike, Huffy's not a bad choice at all. In fact, I'm way impressed with their Panama Jack cruisers. If I weren't a loyal Schwinn fan and was interested in buying a cruiser, I'd be inclined to go the Panama Jack route and buy one. For Nee, who was in need of a spare bike for guests to ride, Huffy provided a great option.

The only problem she's encountered with the bike is some handle-bar slippage. We tightened the ring on the bar-mount before we left on the longer ride, but before the ride was finished, it was loose again. Our Sidewinders have a front and rear tightening screw on the bar mount. The Huffy has only one, and it won't tighten enough to prevent the bar from sliding sideways in the loop when hard-ride pressure is being applied.

Other than the handle-bar issue and the ride being shorter than we prefer, it was a good trip. Nee enjoyed the scenery, and got several photos along the way. We also had to stop a couple of times to make way for some other folks using the trail, but neither of us mind giving way to horses.

Here they come ....

There they go ....

She also got to see some of the mess I've been fussing about, regarding trash in the Trinity.

With the water levels so low, we encountered more trash than usual. It's been there all along, we can just see more of it because it's closer to the surface during drought.

Thankfully, we only came across one dead fish, and the rest of the animals we saw in the water looked healthy.

I was hoping to show Nee the pretty little waterfall along this part of the trail, but, there was no water flowing over the rocks today. Whatever trickle was making it through, must have been moving below the waterfall area. Both ends of the river have water in them, but the northern stretch looks more like ponds in a dried up river bed, rather than a real flowing river.

This section usually has water flowing completely through it, but not today. The small waterfall is usually just past
this dry area, but for now, it's only dry rocks.

When the water levels diminish, the trash is more easily noticed.

To the left is shallow water, probably not ankle-deep. To the right there's still enough water to allow the turtles and fish
to dive out of sight when someone steps to the edge of the walkway.

We didn't ride onto Exchange or Main, but we did do a few turns in the livery's parking lot. The Stockyards is usually bustling with tourists on Sundays, even with the temps are soaring. But, by the time we arrived in the area, the southern section, behind the buildings was quiet.

We saw only one girl working her horse on the barrels in the back corral, the other horses were quiet, and munching hay.

Jared, the Trinity Pack point-rider is still under the weather and wasn't able to come with us for this outing. The rest of the guys were readying for a wedding they're having to attend tomorrow, which left Nee and I to do the trail alone.

We're hoping to get some ride time in on the Lake Grapevine trails before she goes home, and hopefully, the rest of the pack will get to ride with us when we go. None of us have ridden Grapevine before, but, per the videos we've seen of the trails there, posted by other riders, the place looks like it will give us a decent challenge.

A working train trestle en route to the Stockyards.

Saunders Park near the Fort Worth Stockyards

I'm happy Nee got to see at least this part of the Trinity River ride. Now she'll know what we're referring to when we tell her we've been riding on the Stockyards' trail.

This is the trail that I was worried might turn Andrew off on off-road cycling, but thankfully, he's still enjoying our rides at Gateway. It's not a bad trail, but it for sure doesn't offer anything to anyone looking for a challenge. However, if a rider wants to get in the dirt and is lacking for time, it's at least got some interesting scenery along the way, even when the river's low.

That's it for this one. I'll let you know how the Grapevine ride goes, and hopefully we won't have to wait long to check out the trails there, from our saddles.

God bless you, thank you for the read, and please don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Dirty Rails and Newts' Tails

2012-07-12T21:35:00.003-05:00

The Trinity River Pack has been on two outings in the last two days. I've crashed on both trips and am beginning to think I might need to put training wheels on my Sidewinder.

For the first time in months, I actually had on a helmet. That turned out to be a good thing, because the tree I encountered wasn't interested in giving way when I smacked into it.

I was tailing Andrew, who is still in the learning phase, and riding at reduced speeds. Another cyclist came up behind me, and I moved off the trail to let him pass. The soft dirt and leaves on the trailside yanked my front tire hard enough to pull me in the wrong direction. Next thing I knew, I was hitting a tree then scrambling in the dirt. The passing cyclist kept riding, but did ask if I was okay. I'd have said I was fine even if I'd broken something. It was a tiny bit humiliating trying to untangle myself from my bike, lol.

For the record, I didn't break anything, and didn't even dent my helmet shell. However, I can admit to my ego being a bit bruised.

As I said in the last blog, I lost my little Sony while touring the Fort Worth Stockyards with some friends recently, and trying to get decent photos without it has proved to be a hot mess. I bought another, higher end Sony, for my sister a few months ago, so she could have it as a back-up on photo shoots. She does raw photography in the Wabash Valley, and has a very good camera, but, as cameras go, when you take a lot of photos, a back up is always a good investment.

Skywalker and I had come across some impressive Sony's in a shop recently, while bike browsing, and I have intentions of purchasing one from there, but haven't made it back to the shop yet. In the meantime, I needed something to take with me on pack rides, that could serve as a decent alternative until I decide which new Sony to invest in. I picked up an inexpensive little Vivitar, on which the packaging stated it has a telephoto lense and recording options, as well as a motion inhibitor. It's compact, purple (they didn't have a green one), and the packaging assured me it was (in simpler terms) blonde-friendly.

The Vivitar "Fail-Cam"
For only $19.99, the joke will be on you.

As the good Bishop McCool would say, "LHM!" That translates to, "Lord have mercy!" No kidding, I'd been flat out duped by what I read on the packaging. The Vivitar is absolutely the worst camera I've ever used. No kidding, the poor thing is beyond terrible and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless you're into giving gag-gifts. If that's your game, by all means, buy one of these. You'll love it!

Other than my new crashing routing, and the foul-Vivitar issues, the last two rides have been fun. We'd intended to ride today as well, but I went to bed with a migraine last night, and though I'd doped myself to the gills to get rid of it, I maintained it through the night, into the morning, and spent most of the day continuing the pain meds and lacing them with benadryl. This evening, it's finally given way to "Ahhhhh - Relief!". But, we're too low on daylight to load up and head out for a ride, so it will have to wait until next week when I'm off again, and hopefully headache free.

Trail-side above the Trinity, a few feet from the collapsed area, which is to my right.

Jared and Skywalker, checking the cliff side near the fallout spot.

We are happy to announce that Jared, our point-rider, is back with the pack after several months of being without a ride. He's outgrown his Raleigh-Hybrid, and though he's been shopping for a new ride, he'd not yet found the one he wanted to invest in. In the meantime, Skywalker and I found a used 28" Diamondback that's worked out well for him until he decides which new cycle to buy. So far, the Diamondback's been holding up really well, so he won't have to be in a hurry to make a decision on a new purchase. After he upgrades, we'll still have the Diamondback for a spare, in event we have a tall bike-less guest who wants to ride with us.

He was the first to check the new trail we'd found the day before yesterday, that we were in hopes would get us to the river edge, near the rapids. But, he rode it through and discovered it's only a short trail that loops back onto the main trail, that leads along the cliff. We've only seen one access to the rapids area, which is a hiking trail, that isn't cleared nearly well enough for cycles, and it drops nearly straight down, about 25 feet, through close brush. None of us are willing to ride it, so for now, we're stuck with only viewing the rapids from higher up. It's frustrating, because the ground below looks like it would be really fun to ride on.

Still no passable path to get below the tree line.

This sign (and a few others in the park) has been a thorn in my side since we first started riding Gateway. It's a public park, funded by taxpayers. Years ago, this walkway was put in, that leads to the Trinity River bank below.

They spent some impressive taxpayer money to build the thing, and then they've let it sit, cordoned off to the public (who pays for it) because they won't maintain it when flood water dumps debris onto it. At this point, it's been sitting for so long, the dirt deposited from rain has built up on the lower end, high enough to be level with the guard rails. In parts, the entire ramp is totally under foot after foot of hard dirt, with weeds growing up between the foot boards. Someone recently tore down the "caution tape" that was stretched across the opening. It wasn't us, but I admit I'd not have minded if it HAD been us. Someone else just beat us to it.

Gateway Park is (for the most part) fairly well manicured. It's the only park in Tarrant County (that I know of) that provides off-road cyclists both intermediate and advanced trail areas to ride on. The soccer fields have awnings in the bleacher areas. They also have a sizable fenced in dog park, and even frisbee-golf areas, with paths through the woods to give the game a bit more interest and challenge, but I've seen no bathrooms or water fountains in any of the areas I've been in. Also, there are large stretches of walkways in the wooded areas that are fenced off. Big signs are attached to the fences, like the one in the photo above, to keep people away from the loads of collapsed concrete walkways that have fallen away towards the river below.

If officials aren't going to ensure that the park is maintained effectively, then they should stop collecting taxes to pay for it. People are willing to volunteer to pitch in and help, but not if they're having to pay to have the work done, and still spend their own time, doing the work themselves.

That makes as much sense as hiring a lawn service, who sits under the tree sipping lemonade and watches you mow the lawn you've paid them to mow for you.

Lukas and Andrew were looking at the Trinity, past the end of the fenced in walk, when Lukas said, "If I were a millionaire, I'd BUY Gateway!" I appreciated his sentiments because it's a truly beautiful spot in Tarrant County, and much of the scenery off of the main paths is stunning. If I ever produce enough best sellers, I might buy the place myself, and just give it to him. It's a good guess that if the boys were turned loose with some machetes in this place, they'd have the largest mountain bike park in the U.S., with mile after mile of awesome trails. They're the generous sort, so they'd ensure the walkers, joggers and horse riders had plenty of areas to have fun in as well. I'm not so sure they'd be inclined to not plant loads of trees in the soccer fields, but, since park trees keep getting torn down by the acre to accommodate soccer fields, I'm not inclined to feel bad about it.

Andrew and Lukas

On the plus side, these are McGuyver's kids. I have no doubt if Gateway were left to their disposal, mountain biking in Fort Worth, Texas would be taken to a whole new level. These guys would be adding swinging bridges and ravine jumps, and only Heaven knows what else their big imaginations would come up with to include. Andrew would probably design the entire thing on Minecraft first, then pass out his blueprints saying, "Make it so .... "

If you're a gamer, and have never played Minecraft, my advice is DON'T!! It's horribly addictive, and once you start, you'll have a terrible time pulling yourself away from it and back into the real world. Andrew is a genius with this game, and has even updated a texture pack for the game that has to date been downloaded over 5,000 times.

Click the picture logo to get to Andrew's texture pack download.

The guys presented this game to me a couple of months ago, and no kidding, it really is as addictive as I've emphasized.

A bend in the river at the end of the wooden ramp.

The boys and I have found all sorts of garbage discarded into the Trinity River throughout the park area. Much of it is heavy stuff, and we've no idea how they even hauled it in to get it to the site where they dumped it. It leaves me wondering again, how wildlife survives in the water with so much pollution in it.

It's a shame for more than financial reasons. Gateway offers an abundant area that would be an exceptional learning ground for students on field trips, or even a simple walk with their families through the park.

There's a huge amount of wooded areas, where small forms of wildlife are present. Numerous variations of flora are easily accessible, and of course, it's a superb place to learn how to ride a bike. (Grin!)

Maybe the Trinity Pack should invest in tee-shirts declaring, "Clean Up Gateway!" It's a thought, but I'm almost certain I couldn't get the rest of my pack mates to agree to wear one.

As for "fauna", Andrew and Lukas discovered a teeny-tiny life form hopping around near the path yesterday. In fact, it hopped right into Andrew's glove. The picture was taken with the Vivitar-Fail, so my apologies that it isn't more clear. My replacement cam is on the way, but hasn't arrived yet. Once it's here, I promise to be again providing better photo coverage of the pack's outings.

Our new friend, the Blurry Newt! (Compliments of Vivitar's fail-cam.)

That's it for today's post, and our thanks to you for the read!

God bless you, enjoy the trails, safe riding, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

A little blood, a little rain, and a little armadillo ...

2012-07-11T23:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's ride at Gateway marked three new events for the Trinity River Pack.

One: It was Andrew's first ride on single-tracks in the woods. And he did great! Beyond that, I was hugely relieved that he actually had fun. I told his mother last night (Jen Hall) that I was thrilled over Andrew having a good time riding dirt, in the woods. After his first outing, and his admission that he didn't care for the dirt road section of the ride to the Stockyards, I was worried he'd eventually move toward being a skinny-tire pavement rider. To my elation, yesterday marked a turn around, and he sincerely enjoyed the adventure in the woods at Gateway Park.

Green Slime Tire Sealant

Two: Lukas got his new Mongoose beast on single-track for the first time, and he reports that it grabbed and maneuvered as well as he'd hoped it would. The only thing he's decided to switch out on the Goose is the saddle. He said the Goose's saddle is really good, but his Schwinn techno-gel saddle still beats it in comfort. (I had to smile at that. Schwinn quality perseveres again, lol.) My concern about the Goose was that I wasn't initially impressed with the tires. We'd forgotten to pick up Green Slime tire sealant when he bought the bike, and I honestly thought it'd not make it through the first outing without sustaining a flat.

Much to my surprise, the tires didn't loose air, or sustain a puncture on the first ride, which is in an area that is known for causing flats. And to add to my suprise, when we loaded yesterday, the tires were still tight with air. My Sidewinder and Andrew's Ranger (both are Schwinn's) had to have "air lifts". Skywalker was cheesin' over that. And he once again asked me if I'd consider to divorce Schwinn for Mongoose, but for now, I'm maintaining my loyalty to Schwinn. However, I really was impressed with the Goose's tires holding up far better than mine have.

Andrew - bike guarding.

If you've had issues with flats, and haven't tried Green Slime, I have to say, it's one of the best investments I've ever made. The stuff is spectacular, and was recommended to me by a friend who's a quad-runner enthusiast. It's inexpensive, and so far, I haven't had a flat since I put the stuff in my tires. We treated two sets of tires with it for $6 and some change. It's easy to put in, and one application has been sufficient. My tires continue to loose enough air between rides to warrant refills, but I haven't gotten a flat while riding even once since using it.

Three: I wiped out. It wasn't an impressive wipe-out. The boys still have me beat on those, but I did loose my seat, and made a one-point landing on my right foot. My left foot got tangled in my bike frame, and it took a good bit of hopping and twisting to get it loose and get my bike back on it's tires.

That's the first time I've dropped my Schwinn all the way to the ground, and thankfully, I didn't even get a bruise from it. I did come home bleeding, but that was due to some briars getting wrapped around my ankles. I ended up off the track, and into the briars due to a duet of little armadillos that caught me by surprise. They were really cute, and although they spooked me (I was afraid they would run into my bike) it was the first time I've seen armadillos in the open, that weren't road-kill. Next time, I'll be on the lookout, and hopefully get a good photo of them, if I can keep from scaring them into the brush.

A track that excited us, until we discovered it only
led to the road.

Skywalker and I got excited when we realized a trail that's been closed since we first started riding Gateway was finally reopened. We'd heard that it ran cliff-side along the Trinity River, which borders some of the park, but had been closed for over a year due to trail collapse. But yesterday, there was no flourescent ribbon barring out way, so we headed in to give it a try. Lukas rode point, and we kept Andrew between us. When the Fort Worth Mountain Bikers Association says a trail runs cliff-side, they mean it. That means, no guard rails, just a steep drop. If you veer off the path, you'll be hoping you and your bike can fly, 'cause the drop in that park is about 60 ft. from the cliff to the river below. But, before you'd hit water, you'd hit dirt and rocks.

We made it a long way in before the trail disappeared. It had broken away from the cliff, and we ended up having to turn around, and head back the way we came. That's generally a no-no on single-track trails, but there was nothing else we could do. In that area, the woods are way too thick with both trees and brush to navigate with cycles.

If we could manage to get to the bottom of this hill,
there's an impressive river stretch with rapids below.

We were disappointed but still glad we'd investigated it as far as we could. We also discovered a new trail along the way, that will get us down to the river side. From the higher trail, we saw the first set of natural rapids in the Trinity that we've come across so far. They're not deep, and certainly not huge, but big enough to be noisy, and make a whole lot of splashing. We plan to check out the new trail our next outing, which will hopefully be today or tomorrow.

Before we finished the last of the third set, we decided to cut it short and head back to the lot. The light was fading in the woods, and I didn't want it to be dark before we finished. That proved to be a good decision, because halfway back to the lot, the wind kicked up, the rain began to pour, and the sky was putting on a lightening show.

So close, but not yet accessible.

I didn't mind the wind or the rain, but the lightening was enough to spook me into as fast of a pace as I could manage without leaving Andrew behind. We got loaded as fast as we could, and headed for home through some impressive spots of deep water. When we got back, we had to wait an hour before the storm let up enough for us to unload our bikes.

No one came home with anything other than scratches, bruises and wet clothes, so we're chalking it up to another good ride.

That's it for this one, and my apologies for the poor quality with the photos. My friends, Ronda and Mike, were in for a visit from Illinois recently. During a tour of the Fort Worth Stockyards, I lost my little Sony, and I was reduced to using my mobile phone's cam for this trip. I'll have the Sony replaced soon, but the mobile was all I had at my disposal for this one.

God bless you, thank you for the read, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

If you've got a pic of you and your bike, send it on! We'd love to post it in the Guest Gallery! You never know, one of these days, you might actually meet us up with on the trails.

femmeflashpoint

Mongoose Fever

2012-06-17T05:29:00.000-05:00

"No, I like my bike. I don't wanna switch out."

Luke Skywalker seemed adamant to keep riding the cycle we'd picked up for him over a year ago at a second-hand store. The paint was scuffed. The saddle had been reduced to a couple of puffs of padding hanging out from under the torn casing. The back tire had an impressive slash in it, and both of them were worn enough to need replacement. We took it home anyway, for about $23.

McGuyver and Lukas replaced the tires and saddle, and with a few adjustments, some fresh lubricant, and a clean up, they managed to make the thing rideable. After riding it on his first outing, Luke seemed to bond with it, and has enjoyed a lot of mileage on his recycled-Magna since then.

Lukas and his Magna

Jared, our point-rider, is now 6'3", and has outgrown his cycle, a 27" Raleigh hybrid. The Raleigh gives an awesome ride. It's smooth, and can kick out some impressive speed for a larger-tired cycle, but it still can't hang onto the dirt like a mountain bike can.

Jared pushed it to the limit a few months ago, and it dumped him in the dirt while riding the advanced tracks at Gateway. He didn't get injured, but the front rim was bent enough to need replacement. Afterwards, he decided to upgrade to a taller cycle better suited for advanced off-road riding.

Jared and his Raleigh hybrid

I asked Lukas if he'd considered switching to the Raleigh when Jared purchased new wheels, and suggested he might like it if we switched out the hybrid tires on it, and put on a set with bigger teeth, and no speed-strip in the center. That's when I got the sincere rebuttal that he was sticking with his Magna.

I was impressed that he maintained his loyalty to his old bike as long as he did. But, it deflated and blew away last week during a trip with me for some ride supplies. We came across a new 29" Mongoose mountain bike, with a sleek frame, a center-shock and disc brakes. No kidding, the boy nearly had drool sliding down his chin while we took a little time to check it out. He caved in and brought it home the next day. I think he made a good choice in the switch and a reasonable investment. He's outgrowing his Magna, and the Goose will give him a better ride that fits his height.

It's a sweet machine, and he was eager to ride it, but the weather wasn't cooperating. The evening before he brought it home, our clear skies from earlier in the day had disappeared behind some fluffy, dark clouds hosting a lightening show. The next morning our neighborhood woke up to a sprinkle of rain, that turned into a drizzle before forming into an all-out downpour.

Seth and Elizabeth stopped in our neighbor's driveway
to let me get a pic of them before they headed out
into the drizzle for a short ride in the neighborhood. The used bike works
well, and is only in need of a bit of maintenance and a scrub-up.

Texans say, "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute." Thankfully, the saying is accurate most of the time.

During the intermittant drizzle, Seth and Elizabeth decided to take a cruise around the neighborhood. Luke and I had picked up an older model 28" mountain bike a few days before, and Seth wanted to take it for a test ride.

The rest of us waited a few more hours for the weather to break. I wasn't willing to be riding near water with a threat of lightening. Thankfully, the weather broke shortly before noon, so, we didn't have to spend most of the day waiting out the storm.

Luke pulling the tags off of his new Mongoose

We'd decided to forego the single-tracks at Gateway, because that ride marked Andrew's first official ride with the pack. He hasn't ridden much, and he's got a new Schwinn Ranger.  We chose to ride along the Trinity paved trail until we could veer off on the dirt fire-road that leads to the Fort Worth Stockyards. It's wide and provided Andrew some ride-time on dirt that was a less technically-challenging surface, so he could get in a bit of practice with balance and acquainted with his new wheels.

For most of the pack, we have about as much interest in riding on pavement as we do watching paint dry. Torres and Kim don't seem to mind what sort of surface they ride on, as long as they get to ride.

The Trinity trail was the only area nearby where we could take Andrew that provided both on and off road paths, with minimal crash risk.  The start point on the route is paved, and when we veer off the paved path, there's a dirt fire-road that leads to the back-side of the stockyards. It's not a pulse-thumper, but it worked well for what we needed. There are no hard climbs or tight squeezes between trees.

He started out a bit wobbly on the pavement, but his skills improved a good bit during the ride. It's his first bike with hand-brakes and multiple gears.  By the time we finished, he'd learned when to up-shift, down-shift, and which brake to use depending on the incline, or flat surface. He did great, and made it through the whole thing with no crashes.

Andrew following Lukas down the fire road towards the stockyards.

The extra helmet on Luke's pack is mine. I hated to set a bad example, but it was hot, and my head is harder than theirs.

The wildlife in the Trinity is beautiful. This shot was taken along the trail that goes under (via a tunnel) the stockyards.
Last year, this tributary was poisoned, and killed every fish in the water for miles. And, I'm amazed what wildlife that lives
here manages to survive in such dirty conditions.

I don't know if it was blown in, or thrown in, but this cup is only a tiny fraction of the stuff

we see either on the surface, or under the water in this area. Not far from the cup, we found

an entire shopping cart submerged about three feet under the water. There are no shops

in the area that have shopping carts, so it was brought in and dumped, from elsewhere.

Just to the side of the lamp post, in the above photo, is where we found the submerged shopping cart.

A prettier spot on the ride. Below the bridge, the river looks better, but still has areas loaded

with discarded debris.

This part of the Trinity usually looks pretty clean, and we often see folks fishing here.

My Sidewinder, just topside of the riverbank.

Andrew on his last downhill stretch, before loading up and heading home.

Lukas and his Goose, bringing up the rear.

The guys on the last bridge between us and the Tracker.

It wasn't a long ride, but it was a good ride. When we came off of the fire-road, Andrew gave me news that had the effect of someone raking their nails down a chalkboard. He said, "I don't think I like riding on dirt. It's really bumpy."

My immediate thought was, "Ohhhhh nooooooo!!!! He's gonna grow up to be a skinny-tire rider!!"

I did my best to assure him, that he will likely get bored with riding on pavement when his skills increase. I told him that pavement riding was better than not riding at all, in event we've had rainy weather and the trails are muddy. I don't know if I convinced him, but I'm hoping he at least won't be totally turned off after his first trip through the woods.

As we were readying to load the cycles back on the Tracker, I shared Andrew's comment with Lukas. Skywalker gave his little brother a dead-pan look and said, "Well, you'd best learn to love it." (Referring to riding on dirt.) Lukas is still developing in the ability to be tactfully persuasive, but Andrew took the comment in stride.

Nonetheless, Andrew rode the dirt, and rode it well for his first time out. I'm hoping he'll develop a love for cycling, and hoping bigger that he'll love riding in the woods with the rest of us after he's done it a few times, and looks forward to the challenge rather than being daunted by it.

A little more time on the bike, and he'll be able to stand up on his pedals when he crosses the rough spots, and maybe they won't bother him so much.

I'll say a lot of prayers and hope he changes his mind.

Happy Father's Day 2012!!

Thanks for the read! God bless you, ride safe, have fun and don't forget to say "Thanks!" to a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Word From the Wabash Pack is ... "I could do with some company."

2012-06-15T10:28:00.000-05:00

It's a tease referring to the one- lone-rider as The Wabash Pack. I continue to do it because I make it a habit to be positive, and not claim the negative. I have high hopes that soon the Wabash Pack will consist of more than one dedicated cyclist!

Though she's been going it alone on the trails in Southern Indiana, Nee (Alicia), has been faithful to make as many outings on her Schwinn Sidewinder as possible. She's also been keeping me updated on how her rides are going, and taking some great photos while she's out. I'm unsure if she's being consistent with sending me the photos because I've asked her too, or if it's an attempt to make the Trinity River Pack jealous. If it's the latter, it's nearly working.

Several of us in the Trinity River Pack, here in Fort Worth, Texas, would love to have the opportunity to ride the trails Nee's been riding. We've got Gateway Park close at hand, but she's got Harmonie State Park, in Posey County, Indiana, and it truly out-does our local Gateway Park in regards to trail mileage and scenery. The Trinity River is beautiful in spots, but it just can't compete with the Wabash, and doesn't come close to offering the off-road cycle opportunities Harmonie does.

If you like to bike, and haven't ridden Harmonie, you've missed out on a great place to ride single-tracks in some awesome surroundings. I've not had my chance to take my bike on their trails, but I've roller-bladed in the park many times in years past. It's beautiful, and I'm beyond excited that they've put in mountain bike trails since I moved away from the area. My next visit, I'll be there at my first opportunity. I'll even wear my helmet!

Nee's been making an attempt to get her Sidewinder in the dirt at least three times a week, weather permitting. So far this season, she's beating me by a large measure in ride time.

I admire her tenacity in cycling by herself in the woods.  I don't recommend it, but I've done the same thing when I had no one to ride with, at least for a short time, in Virginia.

It's fun riding alone, but it's even more fun if you have good company along, and there's safety in numbers. If someone takes a spill and gets injured, it's good to have help getting back to the trail-head.

I advise taking a mobile phone, and/or a walkie-talkie, to anyone riding alone, or in a group. It just makes sense to increase your ability to communicate quickly if an emergency situation should arise.

Thankfully, I now have several enthusiastic and dependable packmates who've been great to ride with the last two years.  They give me just the right amount of friendly challenge.

We encourage one another and look out for one another.  Most of my packmates enjoy off-road cycling as much as I do. I love it when the wonder of the landscape, and the thrill of passing a previous limit isn't lost on my compadres. I wish my sister had a few of the same sort of folks to ride with in her area.

Cycling is such a great sport to enjoy with friends. It can be inexpensive, or expensive, depending on what sort of cycle and gear you want to invest in. It's not so hard to find used bicycles that are still in good shape and worth investing in, if not owning a bike is what's keeping someone who wants to ride off of the trails. If you need a bike, check the want ads and second-hand shops. Many cyclists will sell their bike when they upgrade to a new one. Those bikes can often be purchased at an easily affordable price, and will need little to no work done on them. That's how Lukas came by his first mountain bike, and he's loved riding it for over a year. He recently upgraded to a stunning new set of wheels, but I'll give you an update on that in the next blog.

The Wabash River markes the end of the trail in this spot.

Beyond the thrill of challenging yourself to maneuver along single-track trails, the scenery that goes along with off-road cycling can be awesome. That's why I always have a camera in my center-bar pack. I take photos every time we ride, and it's been worth it. I've gotten some very cool emails from some folks who were inspired to ride because of the content and photos provided in our blog. That alone is inspiration to keep going and we're always thrilled to hear that someone's started cycling because we encouraged them to.

A little over a week ago, I received an email from Jared Southwick. Jared is the author of the Marysvale Series, which are excellent books, and I encourage you toc check them out, if you haven't already. (Click the link for more information on the books.)

My thanks to the Lethal Leprechaun for giving me the heads-up on Jared Southwick's work. He was right. I love reading this guy's novels.

Jared included in the email that once upon a time, he was an avid off-road cyclist. He stopped riding after sustaining a knee injury that left him wounded and 11 miles from the trail-head. I admit, that would be the sort of thing that would probably keep me off the trails for a good while too. But, Jared was kind enough to let me know that he'd perused our pack blog and is considering to begin riding again.

See there? This blog IS doing some good! (Grin!)

An old bat-house, in need of some work, along the trailside.

I asked Jared to please email us a pic of him and his wheels as soon as he's back in the saddle, so we can include it in the Pack Rides Guest Gallery. He's promised he will, so we're looking forward to hearing the news that he's out rock-hopping and dodging the timber again soon.

Whether an easy spin around the neighborhood on a Panama Jack retro-cruiser (cool looking bikes, by the way) is your style, or if you're like my packmates and I, who prefer dirt under our knobby-tires, or (longggg sigh ....) if high-speed over paved paths on a skinny-tire cycle is your thing (gak!), the important thing is to just get out there and do it. Face it. If you can ride a bike, and aren't spending any time riding a bike, you're missing out on something special!

It's not a miracle cure for weight problems. It won't take decades off of your face. But, what it will do is increase your metabolism, and give your muscles a good workout, that will hopefully be so much fun, you'll forget that you're actually exercising.

Not that I'm biased or anything, (cough, cough), but I'd like to let you know that a mountain bike can be ridden anywhere a cruiser or a speed cycle can be ridden. It's true, they're slower, but you can still get enough speed out of them to ensure you're hair is thoroughly wind-blown before you're finished. And, off-road cycles will take a rider through some truly stunning scenery that skinny-tire cycles and cruisers can't access.

There. That didn't sound terribly prejudiced, did it? (Wink!)

There's just something special in the thrill of breaching a wood line, and being suddenly on a goat trail, surrounded by a forest, or navigating a shore line with a river rumbling below you, or maneuvering across a rocky creek-bed with water spinning through your spokes. It's exhilirating!

And at the end of the trail, you'll encounter that luxurious feeling of smug satisfaction that you did it, and maybe did it better than ever before!

You know the saying, "I came, and I conquered!"

Are you feeling stoked enough to give it a try yet? I hope so! I'm working hard to get you motivated! :)

Nee's Schwinn Sidewinder - it's been a great investment!

Before I close this out and get the rest of Nee's photos posted (all of which were taken in the last two weeks during her outings on the Harmonie Park trails), I thought I'd pass you some final and important information.

Alicia has pushed through some serious health issues, and cycling is one of the things she does to combat the pain and effects of rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. At one time she needed help just to get herself out of bed and dressed in the mornings. To be around her now, it's hard to imagine just how far she's come to be able to do what she does with her horses and on a bicycle.

Her accomplishments have come about through prayer, a change in diet, and making sure that when she's able to get out and be active, that she siezes the opportunity and goes for it. I'm proud of her for fighting through the pain and discomfort that took over her life for a while, to get to where she is now. She's been a fighter since she was born, and some things never change.

My point is, if you're needing some encouragement to do something that might make a huge-whopping difference in your life, for the better, hit her up to ride with you. She's good company, and she can give you some great information and tips on off-road riding. If you're slow and out of shape, she's patient, and will stick with you on the trails. See there? You've got nothing to loose, and a whole lot to gain, if you'll give it a chance.

Another plus to hooking up with the Wabash Pack is, if you're nice, you might get lucky and Nee will take you squatching! In event you're wondering, no ... I've not been on a squatch outing with her yet. So far, I haven't been able to convince the U.S. military to loan me a tank to safely observe squatches from. I'm not sure if they're concern is that I might run over something with it, or shoot something with it. I've told them I only need the tank, and ammunition isn't necessary, but apparently it wasn't an impressive enough rebuttal because they're still saying, "No!"

Ah, well. I can't win 'em all.

Winding it up, I'd like to ask a favor of those of you who pray. Lady J., as in Joyce McCool, wife of Bishop Spencer K. McCool Sr., is scheduled to receive her first round of chemotherapy today.

The Bishop and Lady J. live near Detroit, Michigan and attend Greater Life Ministries in Utica, Michigan.

Yes. He's the resident bishop of the church and his son, Spencer McCool Jr., is the pastor.

When the word inspiration comes to mind, I frequently associate it with the Bishop and Lady J. They're wonderfully encouraging people whose friendship and ministry have been a blessing to countless individuals.

Lady J. was diagnosed with breast cancer not long ago, and subsequently endured a mastectomy. She's recovering well, and has continued to be in good spirits, maintaining a positive attitude and a concrete firmness in her faith in God through the ordeal, which I admire more than I can say.

The side-effects of chemotherapy can't be something anyone would look forward to, and I'm sure any prayers offered in her behalf will be greatly appreciated.

The Bishop and Lady J.

I have every intention of making a trip to Michigan, with high hopes of turning on my powers of persuasion to convince the Bishop and Lady J. to join me on a cycle outing. I have it on the best authority that Lady J. is tenacious and has an adventurous spirit, so I'm thinking the odds are in my favor to get her to go on a ride with me. It will definitely mark a golden moment in Pack Rides history, and I'll be sure to take pics.

Pentecostal pastors' wives have more grit than most folks give them credit for, and Lady J. is no exception.

I hope you've enjoyed Nee's photos, and if you have a chance to ride with her, I'd love to hear all about it.

I'm posting the rest of her shots at the bottom of the blog rather than putting them in the gallery.

God bless, thank you for the read, and please don't forget to say "thanks" to a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Looks like a great spot for a Sasquatch to hide. :)

For the record, Nee didn't splash her name all over her pics.

That was my doing. (Wink!)

'Til next time ... happy trails!

Boulders and bruises ...

2012-05-23T17:23:00.000-05:00

After not nearly enough ride-time this past winter, my pack-mates and I have been back in the dirt, and checking out new trails.

A recent trip to Oklahoma's Lake Murray wasn't a success, however, now that I know where the better riding trails are, next time won't be a flop ... I hope.

Kimy-Jo and I were out in search of new trails within less than two hours of getting our gear stowed in the cabin we shared with a few other friends, and the first five minutes we thought we'd hit pay-dirt (so to speak), when we found a trail head nearly at the cabin's front door.

Trail-side at Lake Murray.

It turned out to be exciting in a good way for all of 20 yards and then things went downhill, literally, and NOT in good ways.

The trail was clearly marked for cycling. It was slippery and steep and it not only had rocks, it had BOULDERS in the middle of the trail that a billy goat would have trouble maneuvering over, at least if he was trying to make it through riding my Side Winder. The rocks there aren't just big, some of them have sharp enough edges to slice through tire rubber, and they're nearly half the height of my bike. Kim wiped out twice, hard, before making it through the first half of the loop.

A rock-run at Lake Murray.
This one was rideable, but a pain to get to.

Disappointment doesn't quite cover what I was feeling every time I had to dismount and walk my bike around the obstacles. Even with that, I still ended up damaging one of my shocks enough to have to likely replace it soon, unless McGuyver can work his magic and get it to stop leaking and sticking in the down position.

I keep my saddle set high, and when I'm on it, my feet won't reach the ground. I stopped 20 yards (or less) in, and tried to adjust it only to discover that Luke Skywalker had tightened a reflector to the point that it wouldn't slide up high enough for me to lower my saddle post. Without being able to at least get my feet close enough to the ground to grab for some balance, or kick off from a few boulders, most of the trail proved to be impassable.

And, I'm by no means fussing about Lukas and his wrenching procedure. He's new at bike maintenance, and neither of us realized the reflector clamp was to tight to slide it when he put a new saddle on for me last fall. He did a good job. The saddle, nor the reflector, would budge.

Kim and I abandoned the first trail, and found a fire road not far away and rode a good ways on it, but didn't find any more single-tracks to ride on. No trails, but the views were still awesome.

Pick a trail, ANY trail, and wish yourself a lot of luck!

The next morning, I woke up with a migraine (par for the course), and Kim did some exploring on her own. Thankfully, she found some rideable trails, that are challenging but rideable. I'll have to wait until next trip to ride them myself. I was disappointed, but her finding them kept the trip from being a total loss for cycling.

We thought it was a really cute lake-side cabin.
We were disappointed. It was a maintenance shed.

I have to hand it to Kim. She's a new rider, and is still working on her balance, and she has a tendency to crash hard when she goes down. But, for all the ice packs on bruises she endures after the ride, she still pushes herself and keeps on riding, spill after spill.

Thumbs up, Kimy-Jo. I admire your tenacity!

Lukas and I have ridden twice since then. Last week we begrudgingly hite the pavement on the Trinity Trail, in hunt of some single-tracks in the main Trinity Park that Torres tipped us off to. We put in about 15 miles round trip, but never found the trails we were looking for, so we rode on concrete for nothing. However, Torres will ride with us next time we head in that direction to personally show us where to find the dirt.

Lukas and I spotted a blimp during our concrete trek
along the Trinity.

Yesterday, Lukas and I rode Gateway, and were happy to find most of the trails dried out and passable, at least in the first two sections of fast single-track. When we arrived at the bottom of the first hill of the third and final set, we found it blocked by water that was loaded with beautiful green beady foliage floating on top of it, and decided to not cross the step-posts, ride back and call it a day.

The water was deep enough that it will likely take a few weeks to dry it out, and in the meantime, it looks pretty, but both of us were guessing it was a possible snake-pit and steered clear of it.

We're pretty sure the big one on the left is the Mack-Daddy of all
turtles in Trinity Park.

There are two more areas advertising to have single-track trails that are under 60 miles away, and we hope to check them out soon, if the weather holds.

Flood water blocking our path at Gateway.

I'll keep you posted on any new outings, and in the meantime, a reminder that when I'm out and about, I always have a camera with me.

You never know when you, your cycle, or both will end up in the guest gallery!

Thanks for the read! Ride safe and have fun!

femmeflashpoint

Trinity Valley Trekking

2011-11-27T03:57:00.002-06:00

Alicia finally finally got some Texas dirt under her tires. We had strong chilly wind to contend with, but she hit it head on with her new Schwinn, and we had a blast.

The ride today at Gateway could have only been better if there had been a little less wind, and if the trails had been a bit more dry.

Paint Ball Players

There was lots of leaf coverage, and it was damp, so it made for some slipping and sliding. We also had some issues with some kids in the park playing with what I'm assuming were paintball guns. They seemed to not realize that dumping their guns and ammo in a pile on the trail, while they gathered around for a conflict conference was an acceptable thing to do. I nearly ran over a couple of them, and their little guns too. When I braked to avoid a crash, I lost too much momentum to climb the hill past them, which nearly put Alicia running into me from behind. In their favor, they apologized and cleared themselves and their G.I. Joe gear off the trail as soon as we cleared their spot.

Schwinn, Schwinn and a little more SCHWINN!

Alicia liked the park. She said it has excellent technical challenges without the high-hill hauling. The trails are also fairly well marked. She couldn't actually see that they were well marked because of the leaf-carpet, but it was easy enough to follow in my tire tracks.

Locked and loaded.

While we were unloading, a guy pulled alongside us in a truck and asked if I rode the park frequently. I confirmed that I do, and he asked if I'd run into any pigs yet. I had to think a moment, wondering if he meant people who I'd consider rude enough for me to deem them pigs, or if he meant oink-oink-here-piggy-piggy pigs. He meant the oink-oink-bacon-for-brekkie sort. Per ham, I mean him, there are several oinkers that have been roaming the trails at Gateway Park recently, and they've even taken up residence in an abandoned house near the park property. Much to the man's disappointment, I had to tell him that I've not yet encountered pigs of those sort at all during any of my rides on the cycle trails.

Cliff hanging.

He drove off looking disappointed but determined. He said he's wanting to catch them and keep them. He didn't have a cage in his truck, so I'm wondering what he'd have done if I'd pointed and said, "Yes! I've seen pigs in THAT direction!" Maybe his plan was to let them climb into the truck cab with him.

Nee getting shots of the Trinity below.

So far I've only seen cyclists, walkers and folks walking their dogs on the trails at Gateway. Today, Nee and I found some tiny pony prints in the soft dirt, but even those type of tracks were a first for me. And, it must have been a very tiny pony. The tracks were no wider than the width of my palm. I wish I coulda seen the pony, or donky, that made them. I'm betting whatever it was, was really cute!

Tight fit and close riding.

After we completed the three sections of intermediate trails today, we called it quits. It was pushing 1300, and I was needing to get to bed soon. However, we took our cycles back to the house, unloaded and made a quick trip to Wally-World. It was packed. But, we wormed our way through the peeps buying all sorts of Christmas paraphanalia, and discovered we were the only ones interested in cycling equipment. I picked up a new helm, because Nee insists that mine, after suffering a melt-down in the diesel-dually, isn't safe. We got two new hydro packs and some bull extensions for Nee's bars. It'll help her alot to alleviate carpal tunnel issues when she rides. At least it helps mine a lot, so I'm assuming it will do the same for her. If not ... she can hang things on them. (I'm teasing about that last bit.)

Spokes :)

Before we made it out of the shop, Nee wanted to stop to look at some camera equipment. I met this really cute and jolly guy in the photo lab. I asked if I could take his pic for my weblog and he agreed, but he kept asking me to sit in his lap. I declined the lap-time but DID take his picture and gave him my business card.

"Wanna sit in my lap?"

Hopefully his wife isn't a weblog reader or he's gonna be in a whole lot of trouble when he gets back to that workshop with the short people he kept talking about. When we left the store, we checked the parking lot thoroughly for reindeer, but didn't see a single one. I was disappointed, but not enough to climb up and have a look on the roof.

Alicia, Greg (her husband), and the Cueball (my nephew) will be leaving in the morning. (Crud!) And, I'm for sure hating to see them go. I've loved them being here, and home hasn't seemed quite so far away for the last few days.

Nee loves "parts & pieces" for pics.

Next time it will be my turn to head their way, and I'll get to take my Schwinn on a counter-initiation on some Kentuckiana dirt. Alicia says the trails there aren't as well set up, but they're a whole lot longer and the paths are much more remote.

Marsh cruise-by before the last
wooded circuit.

I can't wait!!!

'Til next time .... safe spinning!!

Our Point-man's Conquest

2011-11-06T05:41:00.003-06:00

Yesterday marked a milestone for Jared. He made it through the entirety of the advanced circuit at Gateway Park. Woot! Woot! He called my mobile to let me know that although he'd completed the circuit, he'd also wiped out and bent his front rim. However, other than the bent rim, our point man was ok, with no breaks and no bruises.

Congratulations, Jared!

Jared and Luke Skywalker after Jared's
completion of the advanced trail circuit.

Luke Skywalker and I stuck to the fast track

while Jared was off making his big hill climbs an his personal conquest in mountain biking achievement goals. Lukas and I discovered a new spot we found interesting. It was the first time we'd had access to it since riding Gateway due to it being blockaded off by the park police.

What I thought was a concrete spill-way tube turned out to be a collapsed foot-path. The ground had given way beneath it, and left 2/3rds of it dangling down the cliff side.

Lukas and I stepped out ont it to inspect the damage, and it looks as if the park is simply going to leave it hanging. In my opinion it's a bad accident looking for a place to happen. There are lots of little ones who walk with their families in the park. Without any barriers, or at least a warning sign that it's there, I think it's inviting an injury. Where we walked out on to the side that's still somewhat intact we saw where large cracks developing on that end of the broken structure as well. It looks like it might collapse like the rest of the path any time.

Collapsed foot/cycle path on the Trinity
bordering Gateway Park
in Fort Worth, TX

I'm unsure if the collapse was due to the dry weather over the summer, or from a construction foul. I just hope it didn't fall down the side of the cliff when anyone was walking or riding on it. It's about sixty-plus feet from the path to the bottom of the river gorge below.

Luke and I did the first two sets of the fast cirucuit twice, and the last set once. I've been having an issue with a cramped nerve, causing some pain down my back-side, and all the way into my calf. Riding has actually been helping relieve it. But I noticed during the last two rides that I was getting uncomfortable before we finished our sets.

The hill that marks the entrance to the advanced
trail section.

When Alicia (my sister) arrives in Texas during Thanksgiving Holiday, I'm in hopes she can get me un-kinked.

We plan to ride again tomorrow morning, weather permitting. We have morning showers forcasted for the area. If it rains and the trails get wet, we'll have to cancel.

Jared and Lukas taking a fluid break in the pavillion.

Torres hasn't been able to coincide her schedule with ours for several weeks, so, we're hoping the weather won't arrive until we've finished. Lukas and I encountered only a few short feet of wet trails last week. While we rode, we felt a few sprinkles that made it through the leaf canopy. It was such a small amount we kept riding. And, the sprinkles had stopped by the time we finished the first fast-track set.

This was our first ride in chilly weather this year. I had to break out a crew neck jersey and top it with a sweat shirt and sweat pants. I felt ok until we got on the trails, and even though I was moving, I was still too cool to be comfortable, and didn't warm up until we'd been in the park for well over an hour. I'll have to switch soon, from my gauntlets to full gloves because my fingers got cold. The good side of it is brisk weather is easier to ride in. It's a whole lot easier to dress warmer than it is to stay cooler when the Texas temps are soaring into the triple digits.

Luke - stopping on the cliff side.

The boys and I saw several other cyclists out while we were in the park. People are trying to get in as much ride time as they can while the trails are dry.

However, if this winter is like this past summer, we'll still have loads dry riding weather. We can cope with the cold, but the "wet" knocks out our access to the trails.

A little clutch of flowers Luke and I found
growing up through a thick tangle
of thorny creepers.

Jared's planning to pick up a new bike on Monday. We've finally run across a Schwinn 29" that will fit him. The Raleigh is a great bike, but it's only a 26". Kim and I found the taller Schwinn in a nearby shop, so Jared's planning to purchase it before it disappears with the holiday shopping that's already started.

Personally, I think it's a great deal. It's under $300 and it's a Schwinn. It's hard to go wrong when you buy Schwinn. :)

Have a great day and thanks for the read!!

femme

No Flat Tires & No Broken Bones

2011-10-26T14:30:00.001-05:00

Excellent ride today. No one got hurt. We didn't have any mechanical failures. The trails were dry. Woohoo!!!

Would have been a little more exciting if the rest of the pack had been able to ride with us, but there were two out from being under the weather, and one had a conflicting schedule. Jared's still recovering from blisters on his feet and Kim had an allergic reaction to the company carpet cleaner. Torres had to work.

Heading into the Hobbit Trails @ Gateway Park

That left Luke Skywalker and I to head out on our own, which was OK because we had a great weather, and a really good ride all by ourselves. We kept to the faster tracks today, maneuvering between tight trees and jumping small logs, and occasionally had those fast dips and short inclines. Riding the fast trails which are more technically challenging is my preference. Lukas likes the advanced circuit with the higher hills. I'd like them, but leaning over my bars to get up an incline takes all of the fun out of it for me. The ride back down is really fast, but the only technical challenge is to stay on the trail. There are no jumps, and the turns aren't as many, nor as tight.

Luke Skywalker re-mounting to get clear of my Sidewinder.

I used a new camera today. I recently purchased it from Kimi-Jo. It's far more souped up than my cam, but it's also harder to handle when I'm riding. To get most of my shots today, I had to dismount and click, then get back into the ride. I'd have brought my own, but the battery was down, so I took this one out to see how well it would do. I bought it for Alicia as a back-up cam, and I think for what she plans to use it for, it'll work great. But, next ride, I'll have my own cam stuffed snugly in it's spot in my pack. Every time I use it, I thank Torres for finding me a blonde-friendly digi-cam with beeps and buzzes loud enough to accommodate for my hearing loss.

Over my bars.

The recent rains had left a good size patch of mud in a field we have to traverse to get to the far starting point of one of the three trail areas. We skimmed over it and kept to the dryer parts along the sides. But, once in the woods, we encountered only a couple of places that were soft enough to pull at my back tire. They pulled my the rear of my bike far enough to the side, that I nearly lost my seat but it only lasted for a couple of seconds and I was able to compensate before it slid completely out from under me. Lukas managed to avoid nearly all of them.

Torres was so disappointed that she couldn't make the ride with us today. Since our schedules are nearly opposite these days, it's much harder for all of us to be off at the same time. But, we're hoping to get in an outing this coming Sunday or Monday to make up for lost time. A bad consequence of not riding frequently is getting saddle-sore. I'm hoping I don't wake up with it tonight when I get ready to go to work, or I'll be standing at my desk for my shift, rather than sitting.

Lukas finishing up this circuit and nearing the woodline exit.

I didn't take my hydro-pack today either. Several weeks ago, I picked up a basic Schwinn water bottle to take along when the weather got cooler and I wouldn't need as much fluid. The bottle looks very cool, and it rides in the cage great. But, when I actually tried drinking out of it, I had nearly as much of my sports drink dripping off of my chin as I did to swallow. It was pretty messy, and very annoying. Therefore, I think I'll switch back to my hydro pack regardless of the weather.

I pulled ahead and dismounted so I could catch some shots.

Lukas is coming along nicely with maneuvering techniques. He did mention that his front rim is out of line again and he's noticing it's getting worse. As good as McGuyver is, it will likely have to be replaced. So, we kept a little slower pace today, just to be on the safe side, and he made it back home with no wipe outs and no broken bones.

Lukas observing his dad during his bike upgrade.

I'm using the same saddle Lukas is using now. A Schwinn with Clear Gel Technology. There are lots of gel saddles out there, but this one has near perfect contouring for a comfortable ride. It's made a beyond impressive difference for me compared to the standard gel saddle the bike came with. The original was a Schwinn saddle as well, and even had more padding, but somehow, the contouring of the new smaller one works much better. It's the most comfortable saddle I've ever used, and that's even without the padded bike shorts I used to wear. With this one, I don't even need them. I should have guessed it would be because Lukas always rides in jeans, and even he stays comfortable on our long rides. It was a great switch that was under $30 and worth every cent. McGuyver installed the seat on Luke Skywalker's cycle when it got re-outfitted. Lukas was kind enough to install my new one for me, and I'm way happy with the switch.

Lukas switching out my saddle and adding bull-horn
extensions to my bars.

Hopefully, by next ride the entire pack will get to make it for an outing together. Hope so anyway. It's great when all of us get to hit the trails at the same time, but we've gotta be a little more careful with tailing. One bump into someones rear tire can topple the whole line like dominoes.

That aside, it's way worth it. The company is excellent and we challenge each other in good ways.

That's all I've got for you for this ride. Hope you liked the photos and commentary. If you're in our area and would ever like to come along on a trip in the woods, let us know, there's always room for more!

Email or leave us a comment at the bottom of the blog and we'll be sure to get back with you ASAP.

'Til next time!

Sometimes We Own it & Sometimes We Don't ...

2011-10-02T03:52:00.004-05:00

It's been too long since I had opportunity to make a Pack Rides entry. Not that the pack's been riding much since the last one. It's been two weeks since we've put in any trail time.

However, Monday brings a whole new week! We're slated to meet not long after sunrise, to travel some terraine. I can't wait! (Big smile!)

Last ride out, two of my new upgrades failed. First my seat fouled, and then a bull-horn extension started slipping. (Sigh) And, of course, we didn't have a tool kit. We gave up on the trails early, but still got some important exploring done while we were there. We caught up with some other cyclists riding Gateway that gave us directions on how to find a better entrance the next time we visit. That's a good thing because we're pavement-pedalling for a good ways from the current parking area to any of the trail heads. The more time we spend on pavement, the less time we have on dirt.

This spot is almost a tiny tunnel. It joins with the main path
leading to the advanced area.

The whole ride wasn't a flop. I was having fun until my seat started fouling and my handlebar gave way. But, they're minor issues that will be fixed before Monday's ride.

Waiting on me to put away the cam and get moving ...

Fort Worth Mountain Biker. Very nice guy. He gave up
his daylight to give us directions.

One of the cyclists was very cool about explaining the trail areas we've ridden and pointing them out on the map. The map was only confusing me. It made much better sense after he reviewed it with
us.

It was nice of him to break up his ride time for us as well as letting me snap his pic. :) He also warned us about Sampson Park in west Fort Worth. He said the pulls are huge and steep, and there are no fast tracks. Jared and Lukas might like it, but it's not my cup of tea.

The first of the monster hills. Down, then up, and you
reach the advanced ride section.

This was the first shot I've been able to get of this trail that's proportional and showing what the thing actually looks like. So far, it's given Jared a toss. In fact, you might still see an impression of Jared's palm prints embedded in the side of the trail. Lukas, Torres and I made it down without coming off our saddles but, barely. My back tire had trouble keeping traction, so most of my trip down it was with my front tire at a different angle from my back tire. That made for an interesting sensation and added to adrenaline rush.

The footbridge to the downs. Yup, we rode on it.

We also did a bit off off-track sight-seeing. Jared had missed the outing the day before when Lukas and I hiked with Kim to the river. We pulled off of the trail and rode around in the downs. The water is still low, and I didn't go too far into the brush. Water and brush make great snake beds, so, I parked near the trail and just snapped shots of Jared while he explored. It's not the best terraine to ride on because of the heavy grasses. They were dry but deep, and didn't provide great traction.

Jared coming in from his exploration.

I know the leaves are blocking his face, but i liked how the shot turned out any way. None of us found snakes. We didn't even hear any rattles.

Works for me!!

The grass was really dry. So dry that a lot of it snapped when we rode over it, but, we had rain only a couple of days after this ride. Hopefully, the area will have greened out a bit since then.

Nope! No snakes on this run!

Hopefully, Mark, Luke Skywalker and Jared will be able to come with us Monday. We don't know about Torres yet. It'll depend on her schedule. But, for those of us who can get out and get on it, it'll be GREAT!! We finally have good riding weather here, temperature wise. We'll be all set as long as it doesn't rain.

They were tired. We let them rest.

Alicia's been out on her new wheels, and unfortunately, she's not been able to take her Schwinn Sidewinder off road yet. Where we're lacking in rain, southern Indi is getting more than enough of it. Their trails are still mudded up, so, she's been restricted to the pavement. Not nearly as much fun, but it's better than nothing, and it's a temporary set back.

She's still managed to get some good shots on her rides. I'll post them as soon as she stops sending them in embedded texts to my mobile, and posts them to my email instead. (Hint! Hint!)

On a final note, to my cousin, Pastor Kerry Davis - very happy to hear you may be parking your Hoveround!!! If you'll snag a mountain bike between now and my next trip home, I'll meet you in the woods .... (muhahhhaahahaha!) Did I sound evil? Teasing cousin. You ride with us, and I promise we'll look after you.

That's it for this evening. Thanks much for the read!

'Til next time!

You take the high road and we'll take the rough road!

2011-09-23T05:14:00.000-05:00

New wheels in the 'extended' pack. Alicia has a new Schwinn Sidewinder. It's a twin to Torres' bike. Nee (Alicia) says she's happy with it, and took it out for a spin the first night she got it home, in her pajamas. That's impressive excitement and dedication and total disregard for the neighbors, lol!

Angelia's Sidewinder
First time on a newly discovered dirt trail.

Cycling is one of the most fun ways I've discovered to keep my blood pressure in line, keep motivitated and focused, to ward off depression, keep limber, keep my back and strength levels strong and healthy, and it was recommended by one of my doctors a long time ago. He was right. It worked! People (way too many of them) tell me they're too tired to cycle regularly, or even irregularly. My problem with that excuse is, it takes burning some energy to have energy! So, if you're tired, getting your heart-rate up a bit (safely of course), and moving around is a much better way to fight fatigue than taking a pill.

I admit, I cheat. I don't get to cycle every day, but most days I do get to put in enough workout time to break a sweat. However, in the wee hours of the night, when my eyes are getting heavy, I resort to Monster Blue and coffee. I resort to the Monster when I'm cycling as well, but that's more of a thirst issue than a fatigue issue. Although, there's been a few times when the Monster gave me the boost I needed to get on the cycle, or the elliptical and get going. Hopefully, you don't run on as little sleep as I do, and a workout will be enough to keep you on your feet and paying attention.

Luke Skywalker and Jared.
First time on bikes at Trinity Park, Ft. Worth, TX

There's my cycling speech and why anyone who is able to do it should at least tryyyyy it!! Toss a few friends with adventurous hearts into the mix and it makes for the perfect icing on the proverbial cake! And, the adventure isn't always found on the bike saddle. You can actually get off the bike, and have a look around when you find something interesting to explore. Imagine that!

We found a cliff. :)

I have so much fun with my packmates that even a bad ride is still always a good ride, barring injuries, lol. If you're worried about injuries, my advice is stay out of the woods. Find a nice smooth piece of pavement somewhere and a touring bike, and you shoujld be fine! You can still manage an injury on tame pavement, it's not nearly as likely as it is on the hobbit trails through the forest, jumping logs, whizzing between trees and climbing in and out of ditches. Of course, you don't necessarily have to be on your bike to get injured. You just gotta use some sense and practice a little caution.

Torres and our youngest pack member,
her daughter Anjolee. 7 years old, six mile ride.
Breaking them in young! She did great!

I asked Nee (Alicia) to send pix of her ride as soon as she had chance to take it out for it's first spin. Wish we could have been there to ride with her, or she could have been here to ride with us. Either way, our pack's not picky, we just love to see someone back in the saddle and then applaude and cheer while they improve in skill and physique!

Alicia's Schwinn Sidewinder
Hoosier Natl. Forest

I remember the trail in the photos she sent. Several of us used to rollerblade here. Alicia said she couldn't ride the dirt trails because of recent rain. Trail rules (on any trail) no riding when they're wet. It fouls them up and the Bike Police will get you!

For me, it's a whole lot more fun to blade on these trails than cycle, but that's only because of the pavement. They have a couple of wicked little hills through this section of paved path. It was always a big thrill to watch David Mason go flying down them, while I stayed behind looking for something to hold on to so I could slow my speed. Most of us had fast skates. (Some of us still have fast skates. *Wink*) I don't mind skating at a moderate speed, but fast on a downhill is not my thing. I think I've had that little phobia glitch since the skating incident in Evansville, when a Mason twin, who shall remain nameless (see above).

Alicia's Sidewinder.
Heading down the bike/skate/walk path.
Hoosier National Forest

My point is, skating is great, but on dirt, a bike is more fun, and vice versa for pavement. I'm excited about my sister's new wheels and can't wait for the opportunity to get to ride with her, in the dirt, like the good ol' days when we first started cycling, back in Virginia.

Poor Farm in Ashland, Virginia is still the best park I've ever ridden, and sadly, I think they tore out the beautiful woods and trails there to make room for more ball fields. Luckily, there are still very good areas to ride in Virginia, and Alicia says southern Indiana is coming right up in the ranks for great mountain biking trails as well.

Luke Skywalker making friends with the local fauna.

Another great thing about cycling, not only is it an adventure in terraine and environment, it's a great way to make new friends! Ok, probably not with skinny-tire riders. They're fast, and they're rude, and they seldom have time to talk. And, why would you wanna be conversing with fast/rude peeps anyway? But the fat-tire riders, they're easy to get acquainted with, at least most of the time. They're great for giving directions and trail advice too. And those two riding genres aside, the cruiser-clan's pretty friendly as well. They're never in a hurry to get anywhere. They're just happy chatting and pedalling along, and if you want to slow down and catch your breath, they usually have no problem with you riding along side them for casual conversation. I'm still on the outs with most of the skinny-tire riders. Cruisers don't ride where I do, but they're nice when they pass us on the trail so they get a thumbs up for good sportsmanship!

Torre's and her Sidewinder.

Ok, I'll save the rest for later. Thanks for the read! Any comments (pro or con - we don't mind as long as they're not rude) are welcome!

Thanks for stopping by!!

New Riders In The Pack!

2011-09-16T02:43:00.000-05:00

Had a fun ride today with some new friends at Gateway Park in Fort Worth today! Kim Hayden and her son Mark, joined us for the first time this morning. Kim works with me at ATX, and it was her first time for off-road riding single-track trails. We've only known each other a few weeks, but she was so easy to make friends with, and has such a bright and positive personality, we got along well right from the start. And, after getting acquainted and trading information on favorite hobbies, of course, cycling with my pack mates came up. Next thing I know, Kim asked if she can come ride with us, and shortly after she's bought a brand new Schwinn and all the equipment she needs to go with it.

Kim & her Schwinn

I have to tell you, for her first time out, she chewed it up and her Schwinn did great! Mark's bike is a Jeep Cherokee (yes, you read that correctly), and wow! Hot bike! No kidding, it really is - right down to the disc brakes! I didn't even know Jeep made cycles, but after seeing his, and how it performs, I'm nearly ready to cheat on Schwinn. I won't, but the Jeep cycle is some impressive competition.

We kept to the beginner and intermediate trails on today's ride. Kim had been worried we might ride too fast for her to keep up. As it turned out, it was us having to keep reminding her to slow down, lol.

Mark's Jeep Cherokee with disc brake system

But, try as we might to keep her safe, she still managed to succumb to her first wipe out. It was a truly impressive one! I reallllly wanted to take a pic, but she might have smacked me, and Mark and I had our hands full trying to disentangle her from the tree stumps and her cycle just to get her back on her feet.

Last time we rode this park, Jared and Luke Skywalker took center stage with wipe outs. Jared made it through his uninjured, but Luke Skywalker came home banged up, scratched up and nursing a fractured hand. Thankfully, though Kim's crash was sizable, nothing was broken on her or her cycle. It always makes for a much better outing when no one gets hurt.

We also found some new spots to explore today. The 'park police' have opened up some areas that have been closed since we first started riding there. One of them is an area that would be a marsh, if Fort Worth wasn't still enduring a massive drought. Still, it was new territory for us to investigate, so we parked our wheels on a descending bridge, and hiked our way to the river bank. I was so relieved that no bugs tried to hitch a ride on me, and I didn't see any snakes.

We haven't ridden this park enough to be overly familiar with it. Luke Skywalker and I pretty much failed in excellence as tour guides. We remembered enough to be able to warn our new friends about the steeper dips and climbs, and tight spots where the trail runs tight between trees, but we had trouble remembering where to find the trail entrances.

With the first relief from triple digit weather in months, the park was overflowing with visitors today. Luckily, most of them were playing in the dog park with their pets, and the leftovers were playing soccer. We saw a few others cyclists, but most of them were heading into the advanced riding area, leaving the intermediate trails unclogged.

Jared and Torres didn't ride with us today. Jared had a bout of insomnia last night and was just too fatigued to make the trip. Torres being AWOL was my fault. I forgot to text her to let her know about the ride. She wasn't happy with me about it either, but thankfully, she's the forgiving sort, lol.
Hopefully, I'll get my interview done early tomorrow, and finish up a couple of articles in time for us to get in a ride with her when she finishes her shift at Laurel Land.

When we finished this morning's ride, Luke Skywalker and I had to make a shop-run, to find a replacement bladder for his new hydro-pack. When we finished, and got back to our neighborhood, Lukas re-outfitted my Sidewinder with some upgraded equipment that I've had for weeks, but haven't had the time or the know-how to put on yet.

My sidewinder is now outfitted with a new saddle and bull-horns. I took it for a short spin to check for seat adjustment, and wow .... it felt like I was riding someone else's bike, lol. The new bars are wonderful, and the new saddle is much more comfortable and way less bulky than the standard Schwinn saddle it came with. The new one is a Schwinn clear gel with a more narrow back and horn. The new gear made for such a nice change, I was ready to pack the bikes back in The Dually Beast and head back to the park. But by then, I'd been awake for pushing 30 hours so decided I should probably call it quits for the day and get some sleep. I'll wait until tomorrow to try out the new stuff where it counts.

The spectacular weather had cyclists of all types and ages out for rides today. A couple of them were kind enough to let me snap some pics of them while Lukas and I were running errands.

Touring bike - pretty ride

A Dad and his girls out for lunch at Fuzzy's

This one I found parked in front of Henry's store. I'm pretty certain it's antique. Whoever rides it takes good care of it. Not a single rust spot, tires in good shape, and no tears or cracking in the saddle or on the handle bar grips. The paint didn't have any scratches on it either.

That was it for today's pack ride. If you'd like to see the entire photo collection of our outings, you're welcome to view them at facebook.com/femmeflashpoint in the Pack Rides photo album. It's an ever developing collection with some great ride shots in it.

TempoJunkee beat our pack to the helmet cam video footage of riding Gateway. Click his nic to watch the video. He did a great job on it, and hopefully, you won't feel motion sick while viewing the footage.

Thanks for reading, happy trails and stay safe!