Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day 2015 - Wood Property Knoxville

It was the fifth year that we attended the Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day - one of our must-attend bike events of the year. But this year's get together was unique in many ways. Originally scheduled for October 3, torrential rains pounded the trails for almost a week before. This meant the event that was usually the "first weekend in October" had to be moved two weeks later.

Also new for 2015 was the venue. Usually held at the awesome (but kid challenging) Meads Quarry trails, this year's TAKMB rides were held on the glass-smooth Wood Property beginner trails. Part of a soon-to-be-built park using the $100k Bell Helmets grant prize, the beginner trail was designed for exactly this level of rider. The confidence inspiring 1.5 mile trail is almost completely root and rock free, the corners are wide, the hills short and mild - think greenway "paved" with dirt. And if the "over the river and through the woods" turns out to not be your kid's thing, the parking lot is flanked by a neat little pump track. It's really neat to see adults and fun-sized kids on Strider bikes oscillating around the humps.
(note: the trails at Wood Property have not officially opened yet so you will need to wait until Spring 2016 to try it out.)

The third new aspect for this year was the appearance of my 10 year old daughter. My son has attended for the past four consecutive years, but my girl never has. To be honest, I am not sure how I convinced her but she agreed to try. It was her first attempt at "mountain biking" and she loved it! After her first loop, she suggested going again for a second time. She even gave the pump track a try (though never really felt comfortable on the banked corners.)

 

If your child ever has the desire to try riding dirt, then this is the perfect event in the perfect location. There are many kids at every age and skill level. And with all the swag like t-shirts and water bottles that IMBA, AMBC, and Bike Zoo hand out, even if they don't get the hang of off-roading, they will have plenty to take home to impress their friends.

As aways we can't thank The Bike Zoo, Appalachian Mountain Bike Club and IMBA enough for their constant support. Anybody that inspires more and more kids to love this sport, is alright with me!

See more photos on the TAKMB Facebook event page.

Craigslist Craziness (#4)

The interesting thing about this bike (other than the astronomical price) is fact that the owner wanted that monster basket more than he wanted to stop. In order to get it to fit - he moved the brake levers to the BACK of the handlebars.

Good thing there is plenty of room on that seat for your poop-filled bike shorts when you realize you aren't stopping at that first intersection.

p.s.
Oh, and if you are observant, you might notice the new name for these things. I though this section would be better titled "Craigslist Craziness"

Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day 2014 - Meads Quarry

The talk at past Take A Kid Mountain Biking days was either the weather or bugs. Before this year's event it was no different. In the past few years it had been warm and sunny. But the week leading up to the big event it had rained for almost every day. And though the rain stopped the day before so did the warm temps. Saturday morning started in the lower 40s. No bug spray this year but we did need heavier clothing.

Even though this year had more kids, the difference in age was not that great - most 3rd to 6th grade. This meant we did not need to split up. The more aggressive ones did leave the less confident behind to the first quarry at the end of Flow. 

After a quick trip into the Ross Marble Quarry and some small-talk (most about how amazed everyone was at how much work the AMBC had done to the trail), we all decided it was best to head back to the parking lot - some by the gravel road, the rest by Flow. 

After getting a few snacks and awesome Specialized swag some headed out, others headed back into the trails. But both had a great time again this year. As aways a huge thank you needs to go out to The Bike Zoo, Appalachian Mountain Bike Club and IMBA.

More photos can be found on The Bike Zoo's Facebook page.

Craigslist Quotes (#3)

Well, not really a quote but funny none the less:

What is the saying? A picture is worth a thousand words?

Hit and Run - My Experience Getting Hit by a Car on My Bike

So, it is official. I am now a member of a bike club. Unfortunately a member of a club I never wanted to be… bike riders that have been hit by cars.

I was out cruising the neighborhood the other night. About 10 minutes into the ride I came to the main road that runs adjacent to our subdivision. Noticing a car coming toward me I stopped beside the curb far from that main road. It was dark after all and being an avid mountain biker I am always overly cautious when on the road. As he turned into my road the driver came across the road to clip the apex of the turn, almost exactly where I was waiting.

It was surreal. It wasn't like it was happening in slow motion as many often describe. It was more like someone lifted the needle on my life dropping it a few grooves in time later. The car was coming at me, then it was down the road.

As I lay in the road a thousand thoughts ran through my head starting with "did that guy just hit me? Really? He just hit me!"

No brake lights. "Did he even know he hit me?" It was dark. "Maybe he thought he clipped the curb. Surely he looked in his rear view mirror when he heard that he hit something. Doesn't everyone with a nice car look back when they hit something?"

Sitting on the curb I wondered if I was "asking for it" riding after dark. As I limped home with "Old Faithful" (my GT mountain bike) on my shoulder I was amazed at how really lucky I had been. If I had been any closer to the corner, the car would have hit me rather than folding my front wheel squashing it on top of me.

The next day amazement turned into anger. Sure, it was dark and accidents happen, but driving on the wrong side of the road? Not good. Then not stopping after hitting someone/something? Inexcusable! Our neighborhood often has older couples out walking or kids riding all sorts of wheeled devices. This driver might just kill someone in the near future…maybe even one of my children.

I felt a little better after filing a police report but everything seemed so pointless. Knowing they would probably not find the driver, not much would change.

I think part of the problem is that we all feel like things like this only happen to others. I have to admit I was one of those that felt that way. I was always overly careful when riding my bike on the road (something I rarely do). Those other bikers that defiantly ride in the road would be hit, not me. Being a dad constantly looking to use even the scariest moments to teach my kids, I of course used this as a prime example of how you can never think "it can't happen to you."

In a few weeks the bruises will be gone, the wheel replaced, and life will be back to normal. But what could I do that will remind both the rider and driver how quickly your life can change? I have a couple ideas. I will have the details in an upcoming post. Check back soon!

Budget Bike Mod with Spotty Results

Craigslist bike: $10
Hole punch: $10
Scrap sign vinyl: free
The fun of a father/daughter project: PRICELESS!

We lucked out finding this Craigslist bike: it was my daughter's favorite color, like most used girls' bikes, it was cheap and in great shape. For this project, we were also lucky because all the bike's logos and art were simply decals. Pealing them off was easy. We did however leave a few decals (the fork, head tube, and under seat) to help it look a little intentional and less home-made.

Next we used the hole punch on the scrap vinyl to create the "dots"... another fun father/daughter project-within-the-project.

After a thorough wipe-down with alcohol to remove oil and leftover decal glue, we stuck the dots on every paint chip or scratch. Then we filled in the open areas with more dots.

The final result is cute and made riding required… how else can she show off our handiwork?

Saris Bones Bike Rack Mod for Ford Focus - Making It Fit

It has been years since a new car sat in our driveway. But now a 2014 Ford Focus lives at our house. I love the look, the handling, and the mileage. There is something about a new car that makes you want take a road trip. One of the first trips I wanted to make was a trek to a local bike park, and this time, any park in the area, no matter how far away.

But as I was loading the bikes up I realized my faithful Saris Bones bike rack wasn't going to work… the two top straps pulled down against the spoiler and no amount of adjusting was going to change that. Was I going to have to spend three hundred dollars on a new hitch-mounted rack? With a new car payment, I had to at least try to come up with a work-around solution.

I could find anything in Google addressing this problem. My first thought was to lift the rack up with some sort of blocks so the straps didn't hit. But then It dawned on me, why not lift the straps, not the rack:

Adding a bar across the top will hold the straps high enough for them to sit right above the spoiler. And in order to keep the bar held tightly in place, I used two bungees pulling it tight under the straps.

So far my "system" is working well. Today I really gave it a hard test drive to the doctor's office (sick child). Thankfully both rack and son did well.