thanks to daylight savings time and the absence of rain, the posse was able to partake in an after-work ride for the first time in what seems like ages. the pace was moderate slow, the conversations were many, and the fancy new bikes were all on display.

we rode mostly as a pack. the pace would ebb and flow. often we would find ourselves riding in close proximity, only to separate as we encountered the natural features of the trail. while we haven’t ridden together in awhile, each posse member possesses the skill to participate in this type of group ride.

… or so i thought.

i decided to tail Squeaky Angry Bees (AKA MonkeyWench) as she ascended a particularly technical portion of trail. i’m not sure exactly what happened next, but she suddenly decelerated and my attempts to adjust to her erratic behavior resulted in a less-than-spectacular crash. my wounds were impressive (see fig. 1). i’m fairly certain amputation will not be required.

fig. 1

as the rest of the posse arrived on the scene, heated debate ensued.

why did she stop?
was i riding too close?
should i have chosen another line?
did we intentionally endanger each other?
does she need training wheels?
will things ever be the same again?

time may heal all wounds, but i’m not sure if this rift will ever be bridged without the benefit of public debate.

Starring Fatleg, Tulip, Monkeywench, and featuring Ricky, Jo, Gina, and Roel.

Today’s ride at Laurel Hill (a.k.a. Prison View Estates) also happened to be the maiden voyage of Monkeywench’s new Ventana 29er Mean Green Singlespeed Machine.  And although the drive started out with grey skies and a light drizzle, by the time we reached Lorton, the skies were … well, still grey, but at least things were dry!  We met up at the parking lot with fellow riders Ricky, Jo, Gina, and shortly we were joined by Roel.  Ricky led us on a mind-blowing clockwise loop, mindblowing because our simple Log Posse brains only function well by calculating how to ride in one direction.  But function we did, in a ride that had us eating Ricky and Tulip’s dust, and had Monkeywench’s legs shooting flames due to the 34-18 gearing on the new bike.  And what better way to end a ride than with pizza?  Looking forward to the next one, guys & gals!

Plagued by bizarre weather and horrible skin rashes [not (s) going (t) to (e) mention (v) namess (e)], the Log Posse finally got started on a group ride. In fact, we had two special guests joining us today. A big thank you to Matt and Thomas who braved the shirtless but hairy Tulip who led the the majorrity of the ride today at Laurel Hill. And, we had the distinct pleasure of running into two of D.C.’s mountain bike superstars, Ricky and Jo, along with fellow Single Speed Outlaw, Kathy. Always nice to see friendly faces.

Ah, the season seems to be finally beginning. While most of the trails are not in ridable conditions yet, we all have a certain sense that our weekends will soon be jam packed with trail riding schedules.

And with that said, the Posse has taken an unusual start to this years season. Four out of five Posse members were riding rigid single speeds today. What  will the rest of the season hold? You will just have keep your pants on to find out. Or just take them off. Doesn’t seem to make a difference, anyway.

-fatty

Tags: Log Posse, Single Speed Outlaw