It was a frosty afternoon, just below freezing with no wind, so I decided to take Winston out for a mountain bike ride.  I’ve been working on a sweet little loop in the woods at the end of our cul-de-sac, and it’s mostly finished.  Three weeks ago the whole area flooded, so much of my loop was covered with debris.  Slowly I’ve been uncovering the hardpack below, moving deadfall, and trying to navigate between the giant mud bogs that were created when the Green Brook jumped its banks.  The ground has been frozen, so I’ve been able to ride once or twice each week, covering the same loop so many times that the trail is getting pretty well defined.  It’s great to be able to shoot out the door for a quick hour in the morning before work and never be more than a mile from home.  The whole loop is about 1.5 miles, with a nice mix of singletrack, some small drops, a little bit of rock, and a few dirt jumps.
Border Collies are amazing dogs, lightning fast for a short burst, but they also have the endurance to run for miles.  When Winston goes with me on these rides, he’s a whirling dervish of energy - I’m not sure how he can sustain it as long as he does.  Today we rode for a little more than an hour.  The temperature rose above freezing, and within a few minutes everything was wet and muddy, including me and Winston.  Then suddenly, my rear derailleur shattered, and we came to a grinding halt.  Fortunately, we were only 200 yards from the house, so it wasn’t a long hike out.

I’ve owned the DBR V-6 Team for 12 years without so much as a flat tire, riding it all over the Rockies and Cascades and east coast singletrack.  But bike technology has improved in so many ways - shifting, suspension, carbon frame construction, disc brakes, and pretty much everything else.  I’ve tried selling the V-6 a couple of times, but I can’t get enough for it to justify parting with it.  It’s a gorgeous machine.  But since I’m departing the bike business, I’ve been stocking up on equipment, and today I finally gave in and ordered a replacement.  After racing the Specialized Epic Expert Carbon at Leadville last summer, I swore I would get another one in the proper size (the old one was one size too small, and my back paid the price.)  I think the 2010 version is one of the best looking bikes ever built, and a fantastic replacement for the V-6 Team.

Can’t wait to get out and play!  (Neither can Winston.)

Posted by Geoff on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 7:18 pm.