The First Ride

Anticipation grows as I approach the entrance. After a few missed turns and a miscue on the directions, I am finally at Chenango Valley State Park. It is my first time visiting and I am banking on the stories I've heard about it being dry even in the wettest of times. 

Riding in a new place is kind of like a first date (for me at least) - lots of anticipation, knots in my gut, and much trepidation. I am hesitant to really put the hammer down on trails I don't know so I take it easy for the day. I decide early on to get to know the trails before showing my hand. If one word would describe today's time spent riding it would be lackadaisical. I spent almost seven hours at the park and my computer showed three hours and 40 minutes of ride time. This was good in some ways because I feel I have a good grasp on the trails but it also means that I really didn't ride as hard as I could have. But being that the park is an hour and a half away, I'll probably be back, especially when things get soggy here in the 'cuse. 

The trails were very PA-esque, with lots of rocks and some roots mixed in. Overall, there wasn't too much climbing and many of the trails can be mixed together for some interesting loops. I found the Rocky Ridge trail to be pretty interesting - up, down, right, left, roots, rocks - all the makings of some good challenges. The Gully Trail was the only place I decided to walk down due to the steep slope and rocky terrain. Probably could have made it but better safe than sorry when riding solo. I took a nice lunch break at the beach, enjoying the cheese sandwich from Mom and a Pepsi from the concession stand. 

I think my brake pads are getting thin so it is time for an overhaul. I spent Saturday morning cleaning my mountain bike from last weekend's swamp ride - that's probably what helped the pads wear out sooner although I am going on the third season with them...

Trying a new image viewing setup because of the volume of pictures I took.

All in all, a good weekend of riding - 70 plus miles total, 7 hours, no flats. I am going to need a few more of these to prepare for my trip to Kingdom Trails with my brother in a few weeks.