Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Framed Bikes

 It all started when I purchased my first fat bike, a Framed Minnesota 2.0. In the four months that I have been learning to ride, this bike has proven its quality. Since I have started riding in late March, I have taken this bike on extremely rugged terrain and it continues to prove the quality of Framed bikes. Being fairly new to riding single track I have crashed several times and each and every time I have fallen I have gotten up with my bike in one piece. Framed makes bikes that are extremely durable, reliable and on top of that they have a fresh look. During the past four months of nonstop riding, the only thing I had to do with my bike is oil the chain and tighten the cables, which the common maintenance+
needed with any bike you buy. I have been extremely impressed with how well this bike has held up and it doesn't show any sign of stopping. If I had to buy another bike today I would definitely stick with a Framed bike. Words can not say enough about Framed bikes.



Sunday, May 29, 2016

New experiences

Back to back days on the trails is a great way to start a weekend. Today I went out biking the trails with a family member, I had not yet gone on some of the trails I went on today but it was definitely a great experience. After the rainy trip I had experienced yesterday it was nice to see the trails dry. I had planned on climbing the trails up to the bluff yesterday but the weather had changed my plans, but today was a great day to climb up to the overlook on the bluff. Not only did we climb the bluff but we also did our normal loop which is around 10 miles. With the climb up the bluff and our normal loop it ended up being 13 miles. 
Finally reached the top of the bluff

The trails going up and down the bluff were a bit more technical than I was used to but I managed. It was definitely worth it once I saw the view from the edge of the overlook. It's such a beautiful sight as far as the eye can see. Sometimes I wonder why I am climbing up the bluff because of the difficulty but as I reach the top it all comes back to me and I realize why I always try to make it up to the overlook every time I hit the trails. I have never seen anything else like it, It is truly gorgeous, its mind blowing. I love these trails no matter rain or shine, they are always fun to ride no matter what and they provide me with a new experience every single time I ride them. Today was also my first time trying out my Gopro while riding, it worked out great, we both got some awesome footage of the ride. All in all today provided me with several new experiences and I love experiencing new things because if you don't try new things in life it won't be a fun ride through life and after all you only live once. 


Saturday, May 28, 2016

Weathering the storm

I started my day off with a few eggs and a piece of toast for breakfast to prepare for my bike ride. Afterwards I oiled my chain up and put air in the tires of my bike and was headed off towards the trails.
I had checked the weather prior to leaving for the trails and there was only a slight chance of rain for the next few hours, so i figured i would have enough time to get a good ride in. I had finally reached the trails as it was hard to contain my excitement since it has been awhile since my last ride. I then proceeded to unload my bike, put on my helmet and then i was off.




I had gotten about 3 miles into the ride when I started to feel light rain falling from the sky, at the time i didn't think much of it and continued forward on my adventure. As I kept moving forward I had noticed the rain was steadily getting heavier, at this point i didn't really have many options because I was about halfway through my ride, so it would have been the same distance to get back either way. I kept moving                                                                    forward.




The last few miles of my ride it turned into a full out thunderstorm. The trail conditions were decreasing as I continued to ride. Eventually the trails turned into flowing ankle high streams. At this point I was starting to get frustrated with the weather and trails, but after a bit of thinking I realized I can't look at it negatively because that would ruin the entire ride. I have learned in my life that even when things may not go your way that you have to find something positive to look at because when you think positive, positive things will happen.I was nearing the end of my 10 mile ride and the weather finally decided to let up, by this time it already looked like I had gone for a swim and there were times on the trails where it felt like I was swimming.Although I got soaked I learned a lot from this trip. I had learned the value of persistence and determination, and how it always pays off in the long run. This ride taught me to keep pushing forward even when things get a little rough because the light is always at the end of the tunnel. In the end this was one of my best rides and a memory that will last forever.
Show less