SSCX and a busted Seatpost

Last weekend, on my way back up Old Farm Road I noticed what appeared to be trails on either side of the road so Sunday I headed back to check them out.  Banging a right at the barn the trail cuts diagonally across the field and then there is a stop sign?  I turn right and I am on an old road that dead ends in someone's back yard.  Headed back the other way then crossed over the tracks and into the next field.

Following the periphery of the next field there is a fork, left is more grass trail and right is single track.  I go for the singled track and it's really good, only I wish I had put on bug spray and I wish I had my mountain bike.  I pop back out on Old Farm Road and cross over into the next field.  Coming around the bottom, it turns west and climbs.  I did most of these trails as much as possible to get the lay of the land and next time I come back I am going to create a better circuit, sans single track.

On the other side of the river I rode 4 laps around the eastern field and then headed up to Fairfield Hills for a few laps on the trails at Nunnawauk Meadows. 4 laps in one direction and 2 more in the other and then I headed back down through the lower fields near the doggy park.

As they say, I was just riding along when I heard a snap and my but slipped back off the saddle and oh shit!  Now, before you go start shouting warranty, warranty, I bought this seat post off Amazon through some shady, off shore remarketer who was selling factory seconds or perhaps even knock off parts.  You get what you pay for, is all I can say.

OK, I am 5 miles from home, guess I am riding home doggy style.  It's going pretty good although my quads are killing me.  I try to lightly sit on the saddle because riding the top tube is killing my nuts and then it just comes off.  My neighbor happened to be driving by and offered assistance but I told him I got it.  Shoving everything in my back pouch I rode home.

If it wasn't for the ice cold, and I mean ice cold PBR in the fridge I think I would have been a lot more bummed out but the beer helped a lot!

Looks Like I am not the Only One

On Saturday I was driving down Oakview Road after my Son's Soccer game and noticed a new Open Space marker and kiosk that I have never seen before.  I wanted to ride with Elliot in the afternoon but he wasn't feeling it so I headed out on the Bianchi San Jose for a quick jaunt.  

Rode out to this new trail off of Oakview and headed down it. I had heard about it from a friend and rumor had it there was bridge over the Pootatuck connecting this trail to the trails at The Hills.  The trail head was covered in wood chips with some nice benches. Wood chips on a trail is the worst thing in the world and riding on them felt like both my tires were flat. I pressed on but found no bridge. 

There were some trees down over the trail that made for some good barriers to hop over in true Cyclocross fashion and then I found a sign pointing down the hill to the community off of Oakview Road, which was actually up the hill.  I was kind of hoping that the trail might wind around Newtown's version of Duck Dynasty into this over grown field next to the highway but and then the trail just ends.  Play the Prices Right loser horn.  All I could do was turn around and head back the way I came.

I rode back to The Hills trying some new stuff here and there that I definitely need to ride again, only in the other direction.  Coming out of the lower field I took the dirt road that runs behinds the Dog Pound which ends in a single track trail that then splits.  The trail to the right goes straight up the hill and there is no joy in attempting that climb on 42:17 gearing and the trail to the left, which I tried, was a little better but I ended up running up it any way.  

From there I rode up to the water tanks for a loop on the Naunawalk Meadows trails and then back down the Rec Trail.  I wanted to hit the trails on the other side of the tracks but was out of time and needed to head home so I rode down past the dog walk and up Old Farm Road.  There are mowed sections on the fields on either side that seem like trails that I want to hit again sometime.  Rounding the last barn before Queen Street on the Right of Way, I encountered another guy on Cyclocross bike heading the other way who remarked as we passed "Looks like I am not the Only One!"  I shouted to him:  "Get Some!"

Gravle Serendipty

For my 50th Bike Commute I rode the Cannondale to work and was planning on a big ride after work on the way home, assuming I left early enough. I had envisioned riding to Glover Street and then back on Pumpkin Hill and knocking out a good 35 miler. Due to a mechanical issue, somehow a chain link split and was causing the gears to skip, I had to limp home settle for 30 miles commute.

George who lives in Newtown

My original intention Friday morning was to ride in the morning on the Bianchi, swing by the bike shop and drop off the Cannondale and not commute, however, waking up Friday morning the Give-a-Shit meter was in the red, the night before I stayed up too late working on Lipstick's drive train for a Single Speed conversion that I bagged the morning ride and figured I could hop on the Cannondale after I picked it up from the shop and bang out a good ride.

However, late in the morning my manager came into my office basically told me to take off early for the holiday weekend.  With the Cannondale in the shop I hopped on the Bianchi when I got home and went out to ride 30+ miles on the Bianchi San Jose.  What luck!  I now have all Friday afternoon to ride. After hitting some of the trails at Fairfield Hills, I popped out on Mine Hill South and caught up to George who was riding a sweet Bianchi Eros.  At first I thought he was a bike commuter with that pack on his back but he was just out for a ride a beautiful Friday.

I contemplated riding the Orchard Hill Trails but forgot to put bug repellent on and wasn't sure how bushy those trails might be so I stayed to the basic loop down to Monroe, past Guske Pond, and back up Hattertown Road and then to Boggs Hill.