PhillyMTB

I joined a few guys from Philly Mountain Bike Crew for a ride through the Wissahickon last night. The ride was labeled as "fast, few stops" and truthfully I was apprehensive about whether I'd be able to keep up.

I rolled down to Valley Green at 5:30 and after about 15 minutes, six us of us headed out on the trails. We were soon stretched out on a long hill and happily I could see I was going to be able to hold my own. There were a couple guys that kept me pushing most of the way but it was a pace I could handle.

For the most part we were on some very familiar trails until we got to Lincoln Drive. We crossed the Drive at Rittenhouse Town and onto a strip of trail that I have run many times but never biked. After a 1/4 mile a sudden left hand turn took us onto a long stretch of singletrack that I'd never been on. It reminded me a lot of the twisty trails off of Belmont Avenue in Fairmount park but this trail was lot newer, looser, and more difficult to ride. The pace was slower but I fell to the back of the pack as I tried to negotiate a much more technical trail. I had two very low speed falls that left me no worse for wear.

After about 10 minutes on this trail we emerged where we started and hopped back onto some more well worn trails. I turned off before we got back to Valley Green for a quick exit that would avoid any more major hills on the way home. I was spent. Once home I enjoyed a long shower and a big dinner.

The Fall semester starts tonight so that will be my one and only Tuesday night ride for a long while. I have class every Tues, Wed, Thurs night from now through December which will definitely put a damper on my normal evening exercise routine. I'll either have to run early or run late 3 days a week.