Montgomery county epic.

My old riding buddy Denis led a ride up in Germantown they like to call the, well you read the title.
We met a Schaffer farms, took the Hoyles Mill connector over to Black Hills, then Little Bennet, the senaca greenway to to Senaca Park, than road back to Schaffer.
We were supposed to some schaffer, but by the time we got back the only one who actually did any of it was Denis. He's in excellent shape though. He podiumed in the clyde category last year as the sm100.
I've done some of it before but not sure exactly how much.
We had 12 people in the group. Some faces looked familiar, some people I'd only seen on the MORE forum.
This was supposed to be a training ride for the sm100. 3 or 4 other guys in the ride are also doing it this year. It was pretty good for training. Beat the hell outta laps at Rosaryville.

This was also more of shakedown ride for the Niner.
It passed.
I saw on this ride how it handles climbing rooty sections. I was in awe.
There were climbs that normally I probably would have stalled out on and had to walk.
The suspension just soaked them up, giving me the traction I needed, while letting me sit on my ass and just pedal away. And later on when I started getting tired the suspension would let me sit on my butt without throwing me off the saddle while going over roots.

I was "that guy" on this ride. An hour into the ride my tire was going flat. Rather than change it I just topped it off with my mini pump. Which, btw, I decided last minute to throw in the camel back. It would hold the air for about an hour than I'd have to blow it back up. If I was carrying the cheap mini pump that I've carried for 3 years there's no way I could of done it. I'm so happy with this new pump. Cant remember the name but I'll plug it later. The tire was a bitch trying to mount in my garage so I didn't really wanna try to change the tube out on the trail.
Now I'm beginning how much of my smooth ride was the suspension and how much was the tire that got down to 15 psi.

Ride started at 9 or so and we got back to the cars at about 4. Oh yeah, that was a full day in saddle. 48 miles. I would of like to have gotten a little more in.
There was on guy in the group that started pissing me off towards the end.
On rides, after the first few miles the riding order is usually determined.
Fast guys first. Slow guys sweep.
One guy wanted to granny up the ascents, and he really wasn't good on descents either.
If I'm stuck behind, fine don't worry about it. We're all here to have fun.
If there is a good place to pass safely, I'm on it.
I had to pass this guy a few times. Towards the end of the ride it was getting hard to pass on ascents, evan though he was grannying. He'd never offer to let anyone pass we always had to take the initiative.
Every time we would stop to regroup, he'd always come up and take a spot in the front and I'd be stuck again following his slow ass up and down hills.
Finally towards the end I'd block the trail so he couldn't get to the front.
Not sure if he caught on or not.
It was hurting my legs to go that slow.

In all a good weekend.
I did change the tube out when I got home and yes it was a bitch to mount the tire.
I think I'll take the plunge and order the rim strips to make the conversion over to tubeless.

seeyall