Saturday, December 15, 2007

Camp Thunder, New Park

I had to get an early start this mornin to be able to travel to Camp Thunder. Travel time from The Russell Parkway exit on I-75 (Warner Robins) to The Canoe Base at Camp Thunder is 1 Hour 20 Minutes. I had posted up on the local forums that Ready To Ride (RTR) time was 8:00am.

On arriving at the Canoe Base I noticed construction had been going on. A new Pavillion and Park was built. Complete with a paved walkway and Statue. I was thinking, "Great good things are going on out here." I put my 2 dollars in the slot at the kiosk and proceeded to sign in. I could not find the sign in book. All I could find was a balled up waiver form stuck in the empty map slot. I smoothed it out and wrote my name, the date, and time on the back.

Once Adam S. and his brother Mark S. got ready and signed in we warmed up by grinding along the Flint River on the rocky road that leads to the Switchback Climb. The trail was completely covered in leaves. I could not follow the trail in some spots. I was able to ride three of the switchbacks but did not clear the others. By the time we spun to the top I was struggleing to keep up with Adam and Mark.

We were riding the "Old Race Loop". I call it that because it is the route that the race took back in the early 90's. There was a race that started from the Main Camp one year. I like the route the race took another year starting from the Canoe Base back then. It basically goes from the Canoe Base to the Main Camp and back.

Before we got to the loop down to the Main Camp and back we passed a couple nice Deer Stands. They were right on the trail and the area around had been cleared out of brush. I was thinking "This is NOT GOOD". After Bombing Down Hill to the Main Camp we Granny Geared back up the Major Climb that starts at the water tower. We continued on past the Main Camp Loop. The trail had been scraped and we passed several more tree stands ON The Trail.

We then found our way on to the steep downhills back to the river road. I knew the "Old Race Loop" way of taking the 45 Degree Down Hill, then the Whoop de Woos Trail back to the parking lot would be off limits. We took the Steep Technical Down Hill back twards the beginning of the River Road. The trail had been Bulldozed and Cleared!

Camp Thunder Trail, Clear Cut With Water Bars

GPS DATA

 

Friday, December 14, 2007

Already got some good road and dirt miles on my replacement crankset and pedals. I Will be giving them the real test this Saturday morning. I'm headed up to Camp Thunder to do a couple laps.

New Cranks and Pedals!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

On Thanksgiving Morning my 2005 HARO Escape had Catastrophic Failure (Ride Ending). I was excited about getting to Thomson early and having enough time to do several laps. As I was just about a mile in my first lap I see a pack of about 5 dogs on the trail up ahead. I'm far enough away that they don't notice me. I Usually do not get scared of dogs (1 or 2) but 5 dogs, together in a pack, in the woods, Freaked me out. I "180" and start hauling butt back out hoping they would not give chase. My adrenalin was really pumpin and I was just concentrating on not crashing and putting distance between them and me. I have not ridden that stretch of trail backwards in a long time. All the sudden my right pedal just pushes off the crank and lands on the ground. I slide to a stop and am relieved that I'm not being chased by dogs. I quickly pick up the pedal and push ride the bike the rest of the way out. At closer inspection of the pedal and crank, the Threaded Insert in the crank broke in half. Part of the insert is still embedded on the pedal threads.

I had been planning on upgrading my crank set after the first of year at my Local Bike Shop. My current set up is Truvativ Hussefelt 175mm Crank Set with Truvitiv Gigapipe Bottom Bracket. I am planning to switch to a Shimano XT 180mm Crank set and Bottom Bracket. It being just before Christmas I cannot afford ~$300.00 To get the Shimano XT set put on my bike by my Local Bike Shop (LBS).

I cannot find a replacement drive side crank that is 175 mm long so I decided to buy a cheap Truvative crank set for the time being. I ordered from Cambria Bicycle Outfitters a Truvativ Fire X Crank Set for $39.95.

My current PIVOT Platform Pedals are BOMB Proof! They came on my 2005 HARO Escape and I hate that I have to replace them. I ordered some RINGLE ZU-ZU PLATFORM PEDALS for $39.95.

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