Epic Holiday Ride

Epic Holiday Ride
Originally uploaded by aham23.

While on a semi camping holiday in central Illinois with the In-Laws I decided to mount up and hit a local trail. Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Park has 25 miles of mountain biking single track. My goal was to ride the 17.4 mile loop.

Uh, yeah, I said goal and I didn't make it. I barely even found this State Park. It was out in the middle of no where. After I found the park and the trail head I got right to it.

This was my first singletrack ride with the new CrankBrothers Candy C SL clipless pedals. Yes I was attached to the damn bike. Well, I was for about ten minutes. I missed a poorly marked turn and went to stop to turn around when I realized holy shit I am clipped in and not moving........BAM I fell over. I laid on the ground still attached to the damn bike. The rest of the ride was "un-clipped." Several minutes after this fall I went flying over the handlebars when the front tire dumped into a covered hole. No injuries, just good fun.

The singletrack was rough and not nearly as used as Chicagolands. It was overgrown in spots. It followed a lake and weaved in and out of the woods. That part was cool. I only saw and got passed by one other rider. No other peeps were seen.

At the ten mile marker I got a flat. Not the front but the rear, which is a bitch to change or fix. Well, so I have heard because I did not have a spare tub with me to try. Yep, 7 miles to go and I was walking.

While walking it began to rain, I picked five ticks off my lower legs, I lost my riding glasses, and I developed bloody blisters from walking in my new riding shoes. The blisters hurt sooo bad I could no longer walk, but I had 3 miles to go. Nothing like finishing the trail in pouring ran with a totally flat rear tire. I am sure I need a new rear rim now?

The epic ride and walk took me over 3 hours when it should have been more like 2 hours. Plus to top it all I have poison ivy on my arms and legs!! Good times.

Epic Bike Ride Out. Later.