A good ride

Made myself get out and get some saddle time. Put in a 6.7 mile ride. I really do not have the nice places to ride close to my house and that hurts the motivation. I loved being able to just go and be close to some nice ridding. I really need to either get a trunk mounted bike carrier or a hitch mount for my SUV.

It was really good to get out though, but I can tell I need consistency. Consistency on getting in the saddle and more consistency on pushing my legs and lungs.

At least the views are still pretty. Even if their are not good trails close by.

Warm up

Made some time to get in the saddle. Had a nice little relaxing 6.3 mile ride. Was some great weather, and so I started this season a little late. I loved getting back on my Guardian and just need to make time more often.

The area I live is now is very flat, but it has some amazing beauty. I need to grab a trunk mounted rack so I can get out to a couple trails about 15 miles away. I am sad because I had some fun stuff really close to my old place. But that is the price of progress. I will keep exploring and maybe can find some fun stuff to ride consistently that is close.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

Just want everyone to know next year is a New Year, hoping to get in some great riding. I am putting out a 1000 mile off road goal for myself next year and hope to build on that. The house has been great and now that things have settled down I am hoping to make time to ride lots and get some great content back on this blog. I miss my rides and plan to ride lots and hope I can get my son on some rides and take the dog on some.

Need more time!

Had a quick little ride with my riding partner. She is getting more stamina as she is now a big 6 months old. Thinking I will be getting in 5-10 miles with her pretty soon! Did about 3 miles with her and she was pretty done for.

The biggest complaint with getting out to ride is I just dont have the time I used to. Owning a home just makes it more difficult to find the time to go riding!

Any ideas how to get more riding time after work and doing what is needed around the house? And spending time with my 5yr old and 3 yr old and taking care of the dog? I know just get out and ride! But wow sometimes it is hard.

New Riding Partner

Life has been busy, but I have been getting out on the Guardian. The only bad part is that my rides have been short rides around town. The main reason is I have a new amazing riding partner.

I am training our puppy to come along for some rides. Gives me more of a reason to get out and ride, but also some fun of having Piper coming along too. She is only 4 months old now so I keep the rides short and she is on leash but I am hoping to train her well enough so I can get to some open areas and have her follow and follow voice commands. She is a smart dog. So I think this will be a good outlet for her energy. And a good idea for me to keep motivated and ride more.

Review Revisited - 1 year later

I thought I would look back over my review and point out my thoughts on my Guardian after a season of riding.

The biggest question that comes to mind is, "Would I buy this bike again?"

To break that down,
               Did I have enough money to buy something better? NO
               Did the bike meet my expectations? Yes
               Do I believe I got a good value for my dollar? Definitely
             
What do I need to do now after riding? Well I need to change out my bottom bracket.  Other then that I just need to ride more.

Things I would like to change?
              I would like to upgrade the cranks and front derailleur. I am not a huge fan of the 3 cogs up front and will eventually pony up the cash and make that upgrade. Other then that I have been a huge fan of this bike.

This bike still looks good, rides good and should last me for quite a while. I am very satisfied with my purchase!

Lets get this started.

Well this was a good start to the riding in 2013. I 

should have started riding earlier but this year for some reason has just been a wild one so far. With the interest rates and housing prices we are about to close on our first house, and with my work year end is just a very busy time of year. 

I am just glad again that I bought this Airborne last year and started riding. I feel as though I am off to a better start this year then I was last year and hope to get more riding and become a better rider and in better shape after this riding season then last.

So I had to try and get a ride in before we move and then keep up the "habit" of riding every week. Although I will be busy with the house I will also have a garage  and will be able to do a little better maintenance on the bike and hope to find more rides close to the new house. So more exploring, more riding and more blogging to come.

Ah spring.....

While the sun is getting warmer the days are still short. The air is still cold but the itch is starting. Have to get out and ride. To all of those others that wish they rode more and worked less this post is for you. Hope to have some good shots from this weekend where spring is starting.

The Airborne Guardian is ready for some miles to be logged as I have had some fun little rides with my 4 year old to check on the local park. If only Airborne made a kids bike... but I know they are making the quality to impress at a price point that helps us working people be able to ride.

Happy New Year

Well I started the year off on the right foot. In the saddle for a nice little ride. Took my son to the park, had the wife pick up the son as it was getting dark and rode home on my pace.

Two great things about that. My son is doing so amazing on his bike. I am thinking the training wheels are coming off as we rode over a mile to the park. He is such a trooper and a bigger 16 inch bike is in his near future.

The second is that the first day of the year I was in the saddle. So again I am happy for my purchase of my Guardian. Last year I was thinking about getting riding and now this year it is just about how much riding I can actually do. So to good weather and lots of miles!

Here we go 2013.

Successful? Or Bust?

I had been out of mountain biking for 12 years. I played hockey, and did other activities but had not been riding. I recently have had 2 children in the last 4 years and could not continue to pay the large hockey fees and buy the equipment so I was looking for an outlet to get out and do something. To be active and have some fun.

This season is over and I do wish I would have ridden even more but was it a good season? Was it a success?

I have to say yes. I started, again, on a hobby that I enjoy. I was active and was able to start the process of getting my legs and lungs working together on a bike. Yes I had some bad weeks, and some vacation, and even my first big crash, but I am so glad I was able to start mountain biking again. I want to get some rides in this winter still but it will be hard. With trying to keep the kids active and busy while not being able to get outside much it will definitely be a challenge. But as soon as I can I want to start riding in the new year. I want to set a goal of 70 miles a month. I had been trying to do 10 -20 miles a week but would miss a week and get frustrated. I need a more flexible plan.

I really have to thank Airborne Bicycles for putting out a product that I could afford that met my expectations. I knew they had put together a good bike. But until you actually get to ride it and enjoy it everything seems like just a dream. Something out there but without substance. Without a solid bike to ride at a decent price point I would not have started this journey.

And the journey at this stage is the most important part. Getting on the mountain bike, enjoying the thrill of the ride and pushing my limits again. So onward.....

Head over heels

Had a good ride but a interlude of a head over heels crash. Bike is good but I am in some pain. I was really enjoying my time going down the hill. The day was gorgeous and everything seemed so great. I was just out having fun. I am going to be riding this circle as my circuit. It is 6.2 miles with some good climbing and some fun singletrack heading down. I did find out though that when you are tired you make little mistakes.

I made one little error. I was not going fast but I was tired. Fatigued from the climb up the hill and should have slowed down even a little more. I came up to a right hand with a little rock and then a good sized drop. Instead of prepping for the drop and unweighting the bike so I could settle it on the drop and ride out I just rode through. The rock did just enough to slide the front tire a little and then the back tire hit the rock which made my momentum go even more forward. I keep playing that back over and over in my mind. I still feel like I should have been able to ride that out but nope, my momentum carried me over the bars. Took the impact with my hands and then ate the track up with my face and chest. OUCH. This is the first crash that I have ever had that hurt me more then me just hurting my pride.

This was the path to my demise! Yes this was the top of the hill and made for such a nice view. The weather was great and I was happy to be on the bike again. I have not been as faithful to riding as I should have. And now I have paid the price. Now I have a sprained wrist and elbow. So I have to made sure I have the stamina and am pain free before I try this ride again. But oh what fun it was until my experience of flying into the side of the hill.

I had to grab a parting shot of the sunset. Some beauty while I was in pain heading down the hill to rest up and heal for some more adventures.

Time Z Mountain Bike Pedal Review

I have to say I was excited when I saw these pedals for the price. I wanted something I could throw on the bike that I could use my MTB shoes and be able to clip in right away but also be able to jump on the bike and go on a ride with my son.

These pedals were exactly what I was looking for. They have a good clip in system that is similar the the Shimano SPD's I rode with before but they give a great platform for a quick run to the store or a leisure bike ride with my 3 yr old.

I have ridden around 120 miles on these pedals now and am very happy with how well they have behaved. There has not been one problem and I have used em for some big crazy climbs and descents, as well as just jumping around while on a nice ride with my boy.

Where to Buy
I am riding on an Airborne Guardian 29er and these are a great compliment to a budget friendly ride.

You can see my review of the bike here.

I give these a 10/10 for price, performance, looks, and feel.

Lovely evening for a ride

I was able to get out and get a good ride in. I have not been as good about prioritizing riding and I need to get out and continue to ride more. I am feeling the effects more this morning because I have not been as consistent as I would like. I found a little singletrack that was a fun ride. It is really bumpy though but was good to enjoy the trail.

I want to find a good circuit and I think I can include this singletrack on the way home. I can head around on the larger trail and pick this up to finish the ride. So that is my goal. Get this done as a big circuit and then ride it so I can start improving my times.

 This panorama shot shows a big curve. Comes down from the right and continues down the ridge looking over the town of Concord.

There was a fire on the other side of the hills, they had started to get it contained by the time I was out riding. Every time I get out riding I enjoy it and feel better about getting out but then it seems like I want to keep getting out but then life rears its ugly head and just seems to put lots of obstacles in my way.
Fire in the distance

Sunset Ride

 Had a nice 5.7 mile ride, finally, after getting moved and settled. We just moved in town as the rent was going up we found a better place for a better price. Was some work and took away from me being able to get some ride time in. I need to make up for my lack of riding. So I plan to go out a couple more times this week. It has been really hot here in NorCal the last week so I
waited for the end of the day to get
 my ride in and I was so surprised
 by the beauty I found.

 Its hard to see in the picture to the left but there were three deer that were looking at me as I started back home. I did some digital zoom work just to show them on the ridge(two pictures above). It was fun to see them out eating and enjoying the evening as I was.

I need to find a good circuit or route now from my new place to see how I am improving my riding and fitness. I am closer to some decent riding so that shouldn't be to hard.

I also had another great ride with my little guy. We rode 2.2 miles broken up half way by a Jamba Juice stop. Was a little slow at times and I am having to work on him to use the brakes rather than his shoes but he is riding so well. I cant wait to move him up to a bigger bike. He is such a champ!

Moved.....uhg

So have not been able to ride for a little over a week because of packing and moving. But our new place is in a better neighborhood and is closer to some trails.

Two positives.

So this week I have to get out to ride and make up for the last week. Hope to get some good pictures, and some great rides in.

Longest ride, fun ride

 This is my ride. A 18" Airborne Guardian. I bought this bike to get back into doing something outdoors and active so I can have more energy with my wonderful two kids. I have been trying to get in at least 10 miles a week and have been enjoying my new bike and my rekindled love of mountain biking.

I have been riding around 9 miles on a nice little loop plus another ride of a couple miles each week. This week I wanted to go further. I didnt get too much further then a thought, but it is progress. I pushed it to 10.4 miles. It was 90 degrees and baking with little shade to ride in.

Luckily I had my new hydration pack with me. I just bought a High Sierra pack for $25.00 from Costco.

Similar Product

This worked great as it kept the water cool and helped keep me hydrated. I would recommend a hydration pack as it allowed me to more easily drink on the go yet kept the water nice and cool. Very happy to have found one for so cheap.



Everything around is now shades of brown. I really wish I lived in an area that still had some lush greens. But luckily I have many places to ride and enjoy. Glad I did 10 miles. See if I can improve on that next week.

What goes up must come down.

Took a quick ride up at Briones. I really like the ride except you just climb, climb and then climb. So there are really no good breaks between getting up to the top and then heading back down. I will be coming here again though and working out some of their larger loops. But I needed more water then the bottle I had with me.

The view from up here was gorgeous though, looking out over the bay that is the Sacramento River Delta was great and I can't wait for the weekend to get back up here and do it all over again.

Riding is good

I have a nice little 8.83 mile loop I do from my house that has a few climbs and just a little bit of fun stuff. I have been doing this as a measurement to how well I am doing getting back into mountain biking and getting the legs and lungs working. I have been using Endomondo but am looking for other options that might be better. Looking at Strava and a couple others.

I rode to work last week because of some crazy work I had to get done over the weekend and then this week I did my loop again. I feel like I am back on track after the vacation being away from my Guardian.

So now my plan is to start doing some more exploring. I am going to go ride Briones, it is an area we have gone hiking numerous times, and have been looking forward to riding there. Part of this whole journey is making sure I am still having fun and improving my riding. And soon I will be heading up to Rockville. I have wanted my legs and lungs to be in better working shape when I head up there because of it being a ways to drive. I want to really enjoy the singletrack and more technical riding. I have always enjoyed the twisties and technical aspects of riding, where to weight the pedals. How to balance weight between the two contact points for the best traction to get over the obstacle or around the corner.

So I am getting into a groove and getting in 10 miles a week, but feel like I need to step that up and try and make sure I get 15 miles in each week. I continually want to progress as a rider but also really improve my fitness as I want to be a good example to my kids.

My son is really killing it on his 12" I need to keep raising the training wheels so he has to balance more and more. Going riding with him at least once a week now around the neighborhood or to the park. Now that is a great time on the bike!

2 Weeks of Vacation, bad for riding

I really, REALLY need to get a tow hitch and bike rack.

Taking my bike, my wife's bike, and my sons bike will need a rack. I am looking into getting a hitch with a Yakima or Thule bike rack as I have really liked their strap and mount systems.

I was on the bike last week for a 3.8 mile ride and an 8.8 mile ride. They really wore me out though after being away from riding after just 2 weeks. I was very surprised at the difference and am even more convinced I need to keep up with riding at the least 10 miles a week. After this riding season I want to really think about a goal for next year. Thinking around the 600 to 800 miles of off road riding. Will have to evaluate after I see how many miles I get in this year.

I hope to get up into the 400-500 mile range this year but that will include some on road rides. What I have also noticed is it is harder to get out and ride when you have wonderful children. I want to get home and spend time with them, but I also need to get out and ride. And so that is why the consistency needs to be there. Balance between riding for health and psychological well being and having enough time to work, and need some really good family time.

So Vacation was good, and now back to getting on the trails.

Best Ride EVER

Rode to the park with my son!

Now as I say rode, it was more like walk, push while in saddle, and just having my bike with me.....

BUT! This is the reason I bought my new Guardian and have been trying to get my little guy excited about riding. We started him on a balance bike and he picked that up so fast. His transition to a pedal bike has taken some time. He wants to push, although he does love to brake. Getting that back tire to skid is an obsession of his.

The fun was getting him motivated so having him ride to the park was motivation enough. Getting him home again, now that was a chore. He did not want to leave the fun of the park.

Oh the adventures we are going to have!

I do have to say on the way back from the park my little guy was doing so much better. I had more saddle time and was working on my slow balance skills. Like I said, BEST RIDE EVER!