Reflection, Reparation, Repentation, Rejuvination, and Recreation

Reflection, Reparation, Repentation, Rejuvination, and Recreation
Having fun on the Midnight Beast

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Profile: Trail Builder, Rider, Shop Owner


“I came up with a new motto, Only YOU can prevent trail erosion”,  Hank wryly quips with a nod to the old Smokey the Bear saying about forest fires.

We were having a conversation about the new generation of mountain bikers, who, just like previous generations, are in need of schooling on trail building, care and etiquette. His sense of humor enables him to deal with these more serious issues, and seems to help him convey his values and opinions without alienating riders and landowners alike. He has great working relationships with the town and the abutters of the town forest, that is, they give him carte blanche  to build and maintain the local forest trails. Hank admits that the wink-and-nod relationship with the town and with private landowners could change at any moment—the forest could be “harvested”, or a private landowner could decide to develop the land. At any rate, he is a first-class  “old-school” trailbuilder –designing switchbacks, proper drainage features, wooden bridges and jumps, using only his instinctive eye and riding experience.

Hank Glowiak is the owner of Chuck’s Bikes in Morrisville, Vermont. I’ve had a few occasions to follow him on some of the best singletrack riding anywhere. On basically what amounts to the side of a hill above Cadys Falls, you can ride up that hill with hardly a grunt, rather winding up some of the twistiest, sometimes smoothest, sometimes rootiest stuff in the Northeast…..One of those rides where it’s as fun riding up as it is down….
While on vacation this July, I got to ride again with him. He’s got some unique opinions and viewpoints  about the local riding, the bike industry as a whole, and don’t get him started about politics or the redundant packaging of his egg and cheese breakfast sandwich from Thompson’s Flour Shop( I was forewarned by the owner when I went to pick one up for him after our ride)
 He’s not a board member or president of any local chapter of NEMBA, IMBA, VMBA, in fact the trails he rides and takes care of aren’t even mapped. To know of this riding area, you really have to know Hank or one of his friends. The trails are within riding distance of another huge network of trails in Stowe. the tourist capital of the state and up-and-coming mountain bike mecca in it’s own right. But just like most of Vermont, the geography plays a huge part of who you know and where you ride. Every little valley seems to have its own network of riders and trails. And every little valley is surrounded by mountains and hills that have defined the state since the beginning of time. Morrisville has always been very much a working class town. It’s a crossroads that sees a lot of everyday traffic going somewhere else. Morrisville gets some of the overflow from the ski resort visitors and those wanting to escape the mountain traffic and enjoy the countryside. Morrisville is also the economic center of the region—it has two supermarkets, farmers feeds ’n needs stores, an old-school movie theater  with all the latest hit flicks, a McDonald’s, a skate park, plenty of building contractors, no lack of wi-fi when you need it, and of course, Chuck’s Bikes, well respected in the community for providing great service and sales to bmx’ers, roadies, commuters and local trail riders.…in other words, something for everybody. The one thing lacking in Morrisville is an organized bike club. “Diversity”, another of Hank’s favorite words. “Bike clubs are necessary to draw on the diverse demographic that is biking. Some people need to ‘belong’ to a club. That’s OK ..!. but I am my own bike club. I contribute in my own ways, therefore indirectly being a part of the bike club network”. He explains that he organizes his own trail work days, but digresses that very few of the locals ever show to help. “I get folks who report broken tree branches that are hanging over  the trail—they should bring along a trail saw next time and stop and cut it out of the way…that’ll save the next rider from being impaled by a stick or losing an eye…” Talking to Hank more recently, he reported that after Tropical Storm Irene, he personally cut 33 blowdowns out of the way on one mile of trail, with handsaws!
“I’ve read  in certain club mags that ‘all trails need to be flow trails’  designed with increasing speeds in mind, but some trails just need to be old-school, renegade, twisty gnarly stuff that makes you look ahead to the next turn. Stuff that is challenging, makes you think, and reminds you how dangerous it can be. Keeps you awake. New England doesn’t always fit the models for proper trail flowyness” (One ride on the Cadys Falls trails with Hank will beat that into your rider’s mind! ) Not to say that Hank’s trails don’t flow nicely into one another…and some have that pump-track feel, even when up on the side of that hill.
“Probably 40-50 people ride these trails every weekday. Even more on the weekends and during the peak (fall)season”. But he’s happy that they don’t all know all the trails. There are some that are only known to Hank and those who follow him on a ride. A ride through the ferns to hidden, pine needley  singletrack, seeming at first glance to be virgin trail, but then obvious that these are heirloom trails, some gnarly, some smooth and, yes, some even ‘flowy’, and well-taken care of.

Chuck’s Bikes carries the latest offerings from a very functional assortment of bike companies, like Redline, KHS, with Hank’s personal ride being a Transition. He’s also one of the only Norco dealers in the US…look him up at http://www.chucksbikesvt.com and on facebook or just give him a call 802-888-7642

Friday, November 18, 2011

Singletracks SEMass Chapter Update November 2011

(GoogleMap 'Eaton's Pond'....)

Lots of good news lately. The management at Blue Hills has decided to listen to some of our RMP comments—most notably the dropping of the winter ban on riding in favor of a March-only closure. This will give the trails a break when they really need it—mud season—rather than all winter, when the trails are typically frozen solid…..This is a big improvement in policy, the first real change we’ve seen in over 20 years. Another change, that was recently made official, is that the Ponkapoag(affectionally known as ‘Ponky’) section of the Blue Hills(BH) is now open—for now, however, only the ‘Green Dot Loop’(GDL). The GDL circumnavigates Ponkapoag Pond and is the most heavily-used trail in the BH. Some sections are actual dirt road shared by buses, trucks, cars, and park vehicles. A section enters the Ponkapoag Golf Course, so keep your helmet on in case of stray golf balls….You’ll encounter traffic in the form of joggers, strollers, horses (of course), fishermen, and lots of dogs. In other words, you’ll have to keep your speed on a leash for most of the GDL. The good news there is that this is the first of three-stage plan that BH  DCR management assures us that more of Ponky will be open with a year or less. And a lot of that is singletrack (WHAT? Singletrack in the Blue Hills?—yes, kids, we may finally get some!), and includes access over the million-dollar bridge over 24, with more trails on the other side. Most of the trails in consideration are either hardly used or heavily damaged by horse traffic, meaning that either way, they’re in dire need of maintenance. Stay tuned to the SEMass facebook page and yahoogroups list for progress updates and upcoming trail days in 2012.  The section east of rte 28 is still posted with no bike signs, with no legitimate reason why…. Ironically, bikers are responsible for clearing most blowdowns as they happen over there. ‘Maybe someday’ BH management will realize the efforts and concerns of local riders ARE legitimate!

…..in other local news, NEMBA was approached by the town of Braintree to  design and build new mountain bike trails in a small parcel of an old quarry area near the Braintree/Quincy line. Directly behind Walmart and bounded by an active RR line a pond and residential areas, this area is ripe for improvement. The town is rightly concerned about sketchy users including homeless, drug users and party sites. There are other areas in Braintree that local riders would like to explore, so here’s our opportunity to show our stuff and make an impression. It IS a small area, but with the right combination of loops, rocky features,  and access points, it will be fun.(the Braintree Conservation Ranger, who originally approached us and is working with us every step of the way, IS a Mountainbiker!!)
Again, stay tuned to the fb page and emails….we present to the ConComm next week, so if they like our ideas, we’ll be starting work in January, and do as much as we can this winter.

Back in September, the Foxboro crew hosted their 3rd annual MBAS event, on an awesome fall day with record numbers of riders and lots of new members! By the time you read this, the snow will be flying and Winter Buzz(my local fb page)will be buzzing with snowshoe hikes, cross country ski outings, and of course, Snow Biking. Catch the Buzz!
Hope I didn’t forget any other good news, but that’s all I got for now, as I’m heading to the NEMBA Volunteer Appreciation Night at the Harpoon Brewery.
Cheers!,
Steve Cobble  

 side note: since I wrote this, more news:

-the Harpoon V.A.N. was great, with at least 8 SEMass members present, many other chapter movers and shakers, and 12 brews to choose from.
--The Eaton’s Pond Braintree Parcel has been approved ‘in concept’ by the Braintree ConsComm! Barring any major issues, we’ll be able to start work early 2012.
---The Annual Blue Hills Toys Ride is Sunday, Dec 4th, 10 am.
Bring an unwrapped  toy for a child in need, ride like a child indeed!

Tom Waits - "Satisfied"

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Winter Buzz Crosspost


Winter Buzz
When the temps go low and the ground gets slippery and/or snow-covered, I put my mountain bike away….generally this means I while away  January and February on my indoor windtrainer trying not to be bored… The windtrainer is a contraption that allows me to turn my bike into a stationary bike. If I keep up the regimen a few days a week, I’m feeling pretty good come spring and ready to bust out of the cabin full speed ahead….
But it IS boring. And many of those days are glorious sun-shining winter days, bringing back memories of when I used to try to ride all year-round, when  I was younger. Ironically, and finally(!)the new Blue Hills  Resource Management Plan in place now allows mountain biking year-round in the Blue Hills, with the exception of the March ‘mud season’.
The past few winters I’ve discovered snowshoeing. I would say re-discovered, as I did start a collection of old-school wooden rawhide-laced snowshoes back in my early 20’s while living in Vermont. But those old-school ‘shoes needed lots of care and the leather straps generally didn’t last more than a couple of years, before crumbling away…. The last time I used my old Canadian ‘shoes, I used old bicycle tubes as bindings, to hold them on to my boots. They worked, but were cumbersome, and in most situations, the 42” length was way overkill.
As the snowshoe companies moved into the modern age, some of my friends were bragging about their new, lighweight designs that were easy to put on and didn’t fall off after every 100 feet down the trail…So I went shopping. I found the selections at my local ‘outdoors’ store varied enough—and all seemed well-made….
That was 3 years ago. Now, I own two pairs of modern snowshoes that will take me just about anywhere I want to go. Trail or no trail, the built-in crampons bite into the slippery stuff. They are light enough to strap onto my hydration pak if I find I don’t need them.
As I began to enjoy the slower pace of winter-hiking, I fine-tuned what I needed for clothing layers. Most of my bike stuff works fine for moisture-management, and an on colder days, extra outside layer gives me a place for the camera, cell phone, GPS, and snacks.
I also discovered Micro-Spikes, an ingenious invention that stretches over any boot and gives instant traction on ice with ½” stainless-steel spikes. These also pack small and light, I now consider a necessity on almost every winter hike, when snowshoes aren’t needed. Good insurance against falling on cold hard ground….
Oh yeah, and the most important thing to take care of is my feet. I wear a pair of insulated winter boots, with toe warmers. You need to keep your feet happy!
Now that I’m prepared for winter actually I look forward to it. As much as I love my mountain bike, I find that I can create a similar workout in about the same time, hiking with snowshoes or Micros.
 On a typical winter day, I can hike any of the Skyline Trail. Climbing is the most fun, and the Blue Hills vistas are always worth the effort. Rattlesnake Hill is challenging on a dry day, even more so in the snow… Deeper snow even better, to cover up the rocks and roots and allow for some ‘flotation’.
One of my favorite snow-hiking areas is Tucker Hill. Athol Path, and/or the Green Loop, mixed up with following deer tracks, it’s a good workout and gets me out there for at least 1.5 hours.
Another of my favorites is to try to follow old heritage trails such as the Great Dome Trail, which was officially taken off the DCR map a few years ago. Some un-named sections still exist, but you really need an old map to find it in its entirety. I usually don’t promote off-trail use, but when there’s 2 feet of snow on the ground,  it can’t hurt….
When there’s less snow down here, Gunstock or Cranmore areas have some great climbs…

By the time you read this, with luck we’ll be knee-deep in the white stuff. If not, it’s back to the mountain bike(yippee!) or windtrainer….
Steve Cobble


Friday, August 26, 2011

Little Ditty

my wheels are still straight and true
considering all I put them through

over the river and through the woods
over the bars, yeah I've seen some stars

though they may be to narrow and my tires too fat
they take me where I've been and where I'm at

they hold the air that keeps me moving
help me with my skills and improving

and keep going round and round 
on and off the ground

they've taken a bashing 
from all of my crashing

as far as I know the bearings are clean
I haven't  seen

the spokes are still there doing their job
the stan's is still in there but probly just a gob

my wheels will let me know when they're done
I hope that when that day comes

they don't just fold or taco-chip
but they let me finish
my latest trip


SC

Monday, June 27, 2011

Just got Back From 2.5

Just got Back From 2.5 days in The woods of maine bouncing off Roots and trees trying to rest up for a day :)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Yeeeeeehhawwwwwwww!!!

This here's a proper North Dakota YeeHaw, as demonstrated by a proper North Dakotan bombshell. 

Just got back from 2.5 days in Parsonsfield, Maine, riding Cliff Krolick's BackCountry Excursion's great trail system. Ride, Lunch, Ride, Dinner, Beer, Hot Tub, Beer, Campfire, Beer, Sleep, the wake up and do it again two more days...
Lars and I carpooled up in the V70. Only 2.5 hours north, we got there by 10:30 am Friday. A group was already out riding, so we headed out, mapless, but with GPS (Lars is a GPS-master, so we weren't gonna get lost...)Within 15 minutes we found the group and got ourselves a ride leader. Doug gave us a primer of some of the sweetest singletrack in there, including Wild Wild West, real swoopy stuff some reminiscent of Sidewinder up at KT(in fact, we learned that Sidewinder was actually inspired by Cliff's design...at least he claims that...)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Blue Hills Primer



I always introduce new riders to the park, “Nothing flat about the Blue Hills”….

That’s what I love about it. Lots of ups and downs. Climbing builds strength and tenacity, descents keep me focused on what’s down the trail. Climbing to the top of Buck Hill gives that great sense of accomplishment and worldwide view. Riding down that same trail, well, I lived through it, and it made me a better rider.
There are many miles of trail in the Blue Hills—lots of fast doubletrack, select few but fun singletrack, a few areas to practice your technique and session with friends, and LOTS of intersections. Every major intersection has a number on a tree that coincides with the map. When you’re looking at the number sign, you’re looking north. Grab a map at the Blue Hills Headquarters on Hillside Street, Milton. There are two maps available: one MTB-specific(free), one bigger color/topo that shows the entire reservation ($2.00 honor-system donation, benefits Trailside Museum).
An easy way to get to know the Blue Hills is to follow the arrows. There are two loops. Both  start at the big Houghton’s Pond Lot on Hillside street. Look for the ‘Welcome Mountain Bikers’ kiosk in the front row of the lot. White arrows take you on appox 5-mile loop on the south side of Hillside street, with not any real huge hills but challenging nonetheless. Yellow arrows cross the street and start you right out with a ½ mile climb to ‘5 corners’. This ‘eliminator’ warm-up will determine who can hang. But hang in there, that’s where the fun starts. Another 4 miles or so that will get your blood flowing nicely. Each loop will take you from 35 minutes to 1 hour, depending on fitness level. Neither is very technical, and the terrain is mostly loose gravel and hardpack.
Both loops will take you right back to where you started. A few notes: the arrowed loops are only signed in one direction—once you get to know them, try them backwards. That way you’ll see more riders…If you decide to bomb down Wolcott Path(i.e. ‘eliminator’)at the end of a ride, there are a few badly-designed waterbars that will take you out at speed, so be careful….also that same trail is a very popular trail for hikers, dog walkers, and school field trips, so look WAY ahead before letting go of the brakes…. Near the end of the Yellow, just before the last descent to the street, take a hard left,(after the last yellow arrow right) and follow that side-hill trail all the way back to the street. You’ll end up right across from the lot, and it’s a much nicer finish than riding the road back. It dumps you out onto the side of the road in the opposite direction of traffic, so again, use caution!
Once you’ve mastered those loops, start exploring. Plenty of riding there in them there  Blue Hills!
For more info feel free to contact me at cobblestv@gmail.com or 781-254-8796. And keep an eye on the SEMass NEMBA email list and facebook page for scheduled rides, and events.
 Steve Cobble

Friday, May 6, 2011

Drivetrain Formula


This could also be called:
My New Years Revolution:

After many total drivetrain replacements, I have come to the resolution that I WILL replace my chain every 3 months, or less.The chain is what causes all the cogs to wear. There's a whole set of technical jargon to explain why this happens, and the purists would refute what I am about to proclaim, but here goes--'the chain stretches', and no longer matches the teeth perfectly after a certain 'X' amount of time--kind of like when you buy a new car and drive it off the lot--its not new anymore. So prolonging the time between chain changes(say that 3 times fast) only naturally puts undue wear on the softer cassette and chainring metals. Of course the  bigger chainrings last longer because there bigger, but the granny I usually replace every coupla chains anyways. My formula goes like this:
Every three chains, one new cassette
Every four chains(or one year), new middle ring and one new granny
Every time I forget to do any of this, one new of everything, every year, except big ring. (I have never replaced one of those.) Which is probably cheaper in the long run. But your drivetrain WILL run smoother if you use the formula! AND use Phil's Tenacious oil.
Just my two Abe Lincolns. You can take that to the bank.
SteveC
(from the archives)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring is standing on the corner, reading the weather forecast...

Riding in shorts again. Or at least for a coupla days....Two days last week we were treated with mid-day temps over 60F! Friday actually was 69.4F in the shade behind my house. I got to ride locally one day and at Duxbury -- 'Deluxe-bury'  affectionately named by it's regulars who delight in being able to ride there almost year-round. Partly due to the normally lesser amounts of snow the southern coast gets, mostly due to the fact that most of the trails are just proper, whether intentionally or not, they drain well, flow nicely, ever-undulating hardly-ever-flat, and are very smooth by New England standards. Sandy at times, mostly around the cranberry bogs, which are always a great place to stop and catch up on sun and conversation....we rode just over 2 hours and clocked about 14 miles. This was officially my first group ride of 2011. Was great to ride with op rather than the solo-riding I've been doing lately. And my fitness doesn't seem to be as lacking as I thought. Usually the companionship combined with alittle healthy competition brings it up a level too. Of course, three out of the five of us were over 60, with Bill E. at 70.5! They motor along on their full-sus Specialized 29ers with seemingly no uphill effort...As I stand up and mash my 1x9er they're sitting back on their 2-wheeled Lay-z-Boys spinning their grannies and giggling....
Anyways, just needed to share that report. Today it's 35F again, yesterday it snowed, but spring is right around the corner...

Friday, February 18, 2011

60F and on the bike

Yeah yesterday was up there--45 when I started, almost 60 when I got back an 1.5 hours and 14 miles later. The redline has been up on the stand all winter, since I replaced the chain. I had also removed the 'chainstay protector' -- electrical tape--and still hadn't gotten around to replacing it, or stripping down and cleaning the bike as I always intend to do each winter. But I took it down anyways and rolled it past the remaining ice and snow out to the driveway. First few hundred yards confirmed my suspicions--that the new chain wouldn't work with the old cassette and chainring. So I about-faced and put it back up on the stand to struggle with the SRAM 'powerlink'. They should rename that 'painlink'. I couldn't undo it! There's a certain zen or mojo or flick-of-the-wrist that popping this link requires, but I guess I didn't have it that day. I've done it plenty of times. Add to that I was in a hurry to go enjoy the sunshine and a slight caffeine overload and all I got was pissed! So I broke the chain the right way (which I will always do from now on, never really understood the reason for the 'puta-link' ) and put the old one back on, and was happily on my way down the muddy dirt road again. Oops I forgot my wallet! back around the block.
Finally motoring down the road to the beach, I tried the bike-path, but it was still too sketchy and aggravating so I stuck to the road, turning up FB Parkway up towards the 'Hills. By the time I got to the gate, a half-hour had passed....wondering why it took so long and I'm so tired......I decided that yeah I'm using slightly different muscles than what the road bike/trainer and snowshoing require. Plus I only slept three hours last night. I pushed on to the top of Chick Hill, and blasted back down home. I did try a beaten snow-path, but it was still too deep and smushy with the higher temps. I was happy with just riding outside again.....
Today I snow-hiked St Moritz and some of the green loop/skyline with Bob. Foregoing the snowshoes for micros was a bad decision. Aggravation in the form of postholing and not really knowing what each step would bring, but we did 1.5 hours anyways, it was a good workout, and pleasant in the again above 50F temps....

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Other Typical Winter Morning Scenery

Off The Bike, but still all about the bike...
OK Where the heck are we? (Harold Parker Hike w/M.Lee)

same place, same question...
SS Hike on a nice January Sunday(actually it was SuperBowl Sunday) with L. Toma

St Moritz (Afternoon)

M. Ramponi and D. Belknap atop Chickatawbut

1st Day Rattlesnake Hike
Snowshoeing, it's what saved us from certain muscle necrosis this winter!!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011