Fire is the Devil's only friend....

So yes, there is still a solid part of me that likes cars...specifically my rx7, which I miss and is waiting for me to return to it...someday, and this video always brings it back out in me...that, and Liew having lots of Top Gear videos....

Last night's ride was cold, slick, and wet. It was rad though, not sure why it takes me most of the ride to get in tune during the winter, but that is how it goes. That being said, I crashed a few times, and was sluggish for the first 60% of the ride, and then I got my crap together. The New Bontrager 29-3 tires hook up really nice, and tubeless is such a nice ride. 38 and soaking wet will toughen you up for sure. Sucked the energy out of me and I was a zombie until about 10 AM this morning. See the following video...


By the way, the lifetime warranty on Darn Tough socks is the hotness.

And since I'm now completely done with my Master's Degree, and super duper-duper stoked about it, here is my all time personal Jake number one. 

After about a month and a half of transient-ness I'll be heading back to Virginia and taking a job with Shenandoah Mountain Touring, which is best described using the word - "Dragonsauce"

With that in mind, I think this is suitable...

Had a good time hanging out with Robbie and James tonight. Thanks for dinner and drinks yo!

The Last Two Weeks

The past two weeks consisted of lots of driving, lots of eating, lots of great riding, some climbing, plenty of good company, went from Morgantown, to Lynchburg, to Fincastle, to Harrisonburg, to Raliegh, and back to Morgantown, and it was one heck of a good time.

 Some Pre-Turkey riding at Candler's

 

 Road Riding with Lemma!

 Climbing too!

 My car was loaded down with funtime goods...

The Rodeo even tripped 190K during my trip

Chris Scott has some good pics of our rides early last week: http://chrisscottistan.blogspot.com/

Today I turned in my bound copies of my thesis and my final signature form = alll done!

Graduation this Sunday - w00t!

Turkey and mountain bikes

Well yet another thanksgiving has come and gone; along with a great deal of food and time that should have been put to better use. But even though I didn't get much studying done we did get in several good mountain bike rides over the very extended weekend.

Thursday morning Jake and I met a few people at Candler's Mountain for some turkey preparation riding. We rode with Brandon, Ben, Ryan and Bob for a couple hours and then headed back to the parking lot past the Snow-flex. While I think this place is kinda cool, i dont think that i will ever take it in...looks like super rug burn waiting to happen (maybe I'm just a snob). Upon arriving back to the car we ran into some other mountain biker friends and went back out for another hour. Then of course we stuffed ourselves with all sorts of delicious eats and visited with family.

Friday had big plans for all day epic road riding along the parkway and what have you, but nature intervened with cool temperatures and absurd wind gusts, thus we decided to alter our plans. We met Scott and rode the trails at Falling Creek park in Bedford; this was my first time on the trails and i will say that despite the cold and leaves the riding was great. We capped off the ride with a southpaw in the parking lot (well inside jake's car in the parking lot).

And for a change of pace we decided to go on a big mountain ride on saturday instead of the typical sunday. It was a little chilly in places and toasty warm in the sun in others. We drove down passed Glasgow and parked at the Locher parking area rode up a horse trail to the Sulfur springs trail, which crosses the AT a couple times, and rode down the Balcony Falls trail which forces you to get in some great switchback practice. We capped this ride off with a Starr Hill Pale ale and left over chicken biscuits from Mitchell's...awesome. We were able to get off the mountain just in time to make it back to Liberty Hall to catch yet another Thanksgiving; more delicious food. And to finish the night off in style the Hokies caught fire in the 4th quarter to defeat the wahoos for the 10th time in 11 years.

Sunday was spent relaxing in preparation for the weeks to come, we got a traditional breakfast and played some cards with the grand-rents and some quality folks.