It takes time to find the right part to meet your application. It is not always easy to do this. Especially when you are not exactly going to fit and forget.
The Mistress V1 has needed a chain guide for sometime which sounds easy. Till you factor in that I will more than likely be needing to modify whatever I get to meet my needs. Made even more challenging when dealing with ISCG old mountings. So knowing I will need to modify in some way it gets a little hard to consider paying $50-100 for new. So lots of stalking EBay and Pinkbike to meet my needs. With many false starts on Pinkbike's buy and sell.
Finally got my hands on a Race Face guide for $20. Once it arrived it was to the work shop to start the mods.
Lower guide parts where not needed so to work with the hacksaw we went. While not pretty it is simple and effective. After cutting a little bit of filing to remove any rough edges and such.
Next phase....mounting.
And installation of cranks with a quick neighbourhood street text.
Rode Route 66 and nary a chain drop. Did some downhill runs today and no chain drop.
Sat Sept 19th was the day of Substance Projects Kingston Cup. And is the last major event prior to Paul's Dirty Enduro aka Riding For My Love. And the way this year has gone my fitness aka waistline is not where I had wanted it to be. Okay...I admit it I am pulling the 3 months of minus 30 and being tag teamed by a line up of various illnesses because no one went outside excuse. And no I won't be posting cutsie Couch Dog Photo's as a distraction. That just wouldn't be my style.
So while I did have insiders knowledge of the trails as I spend many hours riding and doing trail work at the Farm. You never know what Substance Projects course setter is thinking up.
The half marathon course this year was 37km over the singletrack and farm tracks of the http://www.mtbkingston.ca/ system. Sounds good in theory till you add in temps of about 36 degrees celsius then add in supposedly a 75% humidity. Made even harder when you are a Clydesdale and have to work harder than the Greyhounds. In my mind this was the final race before Paul's Dirty Enduro.
Knowing the easy part of the course at Collins Lake was first plan was to be smart and save energy for Route 66 and Pete's Loop. I knew that these sections where technical especially Route 66 and alot of time could be wasted if not enough energy was saved. This in my mind is where the race actually starts.
Unfortunately screwed up in the beginning as missed the half marathon start by a minute. After a bit of mental ass kicking. Started trying to not over due the ride angry to make up time. Shortly after entering the first singletrack came upon Shannon a friend who had issues with a bent hanger. It became the bike version of the moment in Dante's Peak where the tech is telling everyone to turn around so as to not see the brute force handi work......in this case to a carbon Kona frame. After a few minutes of combat bike surgery. Shannon was back to racing albiet with maybe 4 gears. But better than a mechanical DNF.
After that back to racing. Well kind of as I had to fix a bit of a bike issue and Shannon got away. But eventually caught back up on the long bumpy farm track back. Once the road crossing was done said see you at the finish to Shannon as I could see a rider off in the distance. Maybe it's my time racing Tri and Du especially Tri as a stone with arms swimmer aka the Kenny Souza style triathlete. And being forced to pursue on the bike and run. And have it fully ingrained because my better results are when I am the hunter.
After the Soyfield it was the aid station for a slam down of coke and then into the Fun Track section. Which put us into the first half of home loop. Focused on being smooth and flowing through the track. Then it was Burbrook and a bit of singletrack and then the swamp crossing till reached Route 66. This is where the work began as Route 66 was designed by Rob to be more like a BC XC trail. So if you keep your focus the whole loops you can nail it. But under race conditions it is a whole different animal as some found out. Made it through no issues other than the right hander around the big rock screwed up the turn. No biggee.
After Route 66 was back across the swamp and through some singletrack back to Burbrook. Then a grind along the gravel of Burbrook to the climb up to Pete's Loop. After a stop at the aid station at the top it was into Pete's. Another trail of rock and twisting fun. It was after leaving the singletrack and coming round the cornfield after ignoring the timer on the bar. I finally took a look and realized I was riding faster than I thought. After stopping again at the aid station before descending the singletrack back down to Burbrook and the grind to the second half of Home Loop.
I had caught and kept close to a guy on a True North singlespeed through all of it. And looking back just before entering the singletrack could see no one behind. Huge ass gap. But about 5 minutes into the last half of Home Loop decided to let him go. I decided I had achieved the goal of the day and it being a training race for Paul's to ride smart....smooth. Though gotta say..nailed the swamp berm perfectly. It turns out this was a smart decision as on the last grunt after the DH and silo panel road. Could feel the heat and low energy levels starting to have an effect. That last hill sucked.
Was a good day as I had achieved what I set out. Never checked the
results as I wasn't concerned. So was surprised to hear I got third in the Clydesdale Category. Happy with that. Guess this means I have to start doing this thing called proper training for next years season.
The map in Mel's book is older so some trails may have changed or maybe new as I did come across some new trail that was a work in progress.
Some things are the same...the rock...the bugs....the quad track mud bogs. But some stuff has changed. Some features are gone and some sections are more overgrown.
But the rock lines are still just as hard as 5 years ago and require the same skill and focus to clean as then. You can't short cut riding here. Let your focus down on the rock lines and you eat rock. But like it did 5 years ago the Reborn Mistress ate it up.
And with the return of the Mistress, the original. Have been riding her more as she requires more strength to ride and effort as she is a burlier build. Unlike Mistress V2, who is more svelte and emphasis on going for longer with less effort. And in the lead up to Paul's this year want more strength and such that only riding the original Mistress will develop.
Focus needs focus or Eat It.
Could tell I am still getting used to the Mistress as some stuff I know I nailed before am a little rusty in skill.
Found out that there is a pump track on Brockville as well now so will have to make another trip. Also because they have a Brockville weekly races. Would be a good time to go and get a wee push speed wise.
This is a delayed entry from last week. Needed to get in some mileage specifically Big Ring Only. Of course it is 39 degrees out which makes it a perfect day for some BRO work.
Sure it might be stupid and idiotic....cue the Idiot With A Bike Theme.
Yet it will end at just under 30k of work. I get to take off my gear and have a cold beer while I recover. There is an off switch to the suffering. For Joely there is no off switch for depression. No taking off her shoes and it ends like the ride in today's heat did..
This is the third year of my campaign to raise awareness and contribute
towards breaking the silence and stigmatism of Depression. Depression
impacts on not only the individuals who are suffering through it but
also their family members. Everyday people lose jobs because their
employers don't understand what they are going through or the employee
doesn't know how to navigate the symptoms and challenges created by
their depression.
The campaign in the lead up to the 2015 Paul's Dirty Enduro I reflect on recent events and how some illnesses can be easily cut
away with surgery and a knife while depression can't just be cut away
and that little things that we all take for granted can lead to a person
going backwards even after feeling better for a long time.
My loved one has struggled with the challenges of depression. Even when
she is feeling good there is still that moment in her eyes that I worry
about. In the last year we have gone through a tremendous amount of
stress and while she has shown a brave face to the world I see how and
when she is struggling and I see her fighting to hang on to that better
place.
After several medical issues my loved one made the
decision to have major surgery to deal with it. She is currently
recovering and like her depression there are good days and bad days for
her. But what I've come to truly understand is that in a few short weeks
there will only be good days. The medical problems that had her seek
out the surgery will no longer exist and will no longer negatively
impact her life. It will be all about the amazing change to her life but
making this choice.
But her depression can't just be
cut out, that anything, any type of stress could send her back to that
place where I know she doesn't want to be. Depression will always simmer
below the surface for her and while in it's own way it may go into a
remission the chances of it coming back are great. Life has a way of creating incredible highs but it also occasionally leads to incredible lows, disappointments and losses.
She and so many others continue to need our support and our love. My goal this year is to raise $1,000 for the battle against mental illness and depression. Please support me as I ride for her and so many others like her.
On July 9th had a road trip to Kemptville and had a couple of hours available while there to ride. So packed the Monstercross to explore around. This was not a hard session it was to be some mileage in a new place to avoid boring myself with the same routes in the lead up to Paul's.
To be honest didn't expect much as judging from a look via Google Earth there wasn't alot to see. But mileage is mileage. And riding even here is new and still better than doing the same dull routes.
It also gave me a opportunity to test out the new shoes before taking them off road. And after almost 2 hours can say I never noticed them. Impressive as prior to this pair the Body Geometry insoles Specialized had used where very good at aggravating my feet.
While I tried to avoid major roads a couple of times had no choice, Man some rural roads are narrow.
Near the end I came across some what looked like singletrack. Had roots and such which I will check out the next time in that area.
The last bit was via Veteran's Way and Honour Way as these are marked.
