truespode
Moderator / Wheelie King
- Jun 30, 1999
- 7,984
- 251
I was planning on cancelling this trip but thanks to the prodding of some good friends I reconsidered. Boy am I glad I did.
We went up to Crumpler, West Virginia and let me tell you the old joke about the toothbrush being invented there must be true. If it was invented anywhere else it would have been called a teethbrush.
Sayin?
Seriously, everyone we met were very friendly, helpful and appeared to be hard workers.
They are definately the salt of the earth.
We stayed in a cabin near Wagon Wheel where all we had to do was get up, gear up and ride off. It was really cool.
The cabins were nice. They had hot water, 6 bunks, tv, stove, microwave, refrigerator, a/c and a heater.
We got up around 9am or so Saturday morning and it was raining. Being from South Carolina I associate rain with slick owl snot. This was no the case in West Virginia but it took about 10 miles before I stopped over gripping and being scared I was going to slide out when I touched the brakes.
We got the bikes going and headed down to Wagon Wheel for breakfast. We just drove up, ordered and ate. While we were there the indigent lifeforms, a.k.a. ATV riders, showed up. There must have benn 50 or more already. Some had helmets which surprised us and a few did not have beer coolers which surprised us even more :)
The first trail we did was the water trail and there was about 100 creek crossings. Ok, maybe not that much but there was a lot. We came close to sinking the bikes in one creekbut overall they were easy to cross.
I was loving the water trail. I was hoopin and hollerin most of the way through there. I was getting soaked and the water was streaming into my boots but I didn't care.
Well, at least I didn't care for the first 2 hours of riding. After that it got a little uncomfortable but we still rode it out.
We tooled around on some back roads, did some hill climbs, went on a railroad crossing and through a railroad tunnel that was so dark all we could see was the light at the end of the tunnell (yes I finally found the fabled light). We all hoped nobody stopped ahead of us and were scared to stop ourselves for fear of being hit.
We road over the railroad bridge and could see down 100 feet. The trusses were only a few feet wide and one wrong move (like an ill-advised wheelie - sayin?) could send your loved ones to an early collection of your life insurance.
We then got back to Wagon Wheel, filled up and headed to town. On our way we got to ride some roads. The twisties were fun but then it got a little boring. I decided to try and do a wheelie and wound the bike up, lightly tugging on the handlebars and then I noticed the curve was right ahead. I chopped the throttle and locked up the brakes and promptly slid out. I dinged my pipe, bruised my thigh, minor road rash on my arm, scraped my knee braces (thank goodness for those) and jarred my back a little.
After that scare most of the road went really well until. We ate at a KFC which was the classiest joint in town. Sayin?
After a quick gas up we headed back. We couldn't take an old way that was blocked off by the coal company so we asked some locals for an alternate route. Some kid who liked to ride on the side 2 wheels of his ATV told us of an alternate route. We hit it and it was fun for a few miles then it turned to torture.
Two really rocky hills had us cussin that little bratt! The rest of the trail was not tight but it was not well ridden so we had to duck a lot of trees and pray that the trail would come out where it should.
After that we got to some really cool and fast trails that were a blast. It all headed back by Wagon Wheel and back towards camp. First we had to stop at the Stairway hill climb. There was about 7 climbs with about 6 feet in between each for a run at the next hill. It was really cool and pretty slick. I made it up, called it a day and really enjoyed a hot shower!
The crew that went are some of the best people I've ever met. Keith was the youngest of the bunch and we made sure he washed the laundry, washed the bikes and did all the menial things. Sayin?
Seriously, Keith was cool. Fast and smooth on his 450 and really fun to bs with. He loved to hit the mudholes on the rear wheel and going as fast as he could.
Pat was the leader of the pack. He did wheelies everywhere. It did not matter if the trail was a road width or tight single track. If we didn't see him on the rear wheel he was not around.
Dean was riding a KDX and only Edwin held that against him. Dean was cool and had his 220 singing on some of those hill climbs. One time I passed him on a coal road and then we hit the pavement and I got shellshocked so backed it off just a tiny bit and then Dean FLEW by me!!
James was Mr. Maintenance. He did a fork seal, oil and just about any mechanical thing we could think of except adjust the chains. Pat took care of that for Edwin's XR400 at a gas stop. The trick is he only used a small Craftsman plier lock. That took some serious stregth!!
Edwin was the master of the grill. Tobin made the patties and they were about a full 2lbs of meat!! Edwin cooked them up and we all made sure we ate as much as we could fit.
Saturday night Pat decided to cook up some drunken Turkey. He felt bad for the Turkey's being drunk by themselves so he promptly joined them :) It wasn't too long after that before he was needed some Gummy Bears.
Sayin?
Sunday came too soon. So did the pain in my back :( While everyone else geared up and headed out James and I loaded up and headed home. My back needs a little adjustment from my friendly neighborhood chiropractor and I'll be good to go.
Overall we did 100 miles on Saturday. Next time I'll be ready for more and another century on Sunday!!
On a scale of fun between 1 and 10 with 10 being the highest this trip went to an 11... yes an ELEVEN! This trip has an ELEVEN!
Sayin?
Ivan
Pics
Minor Roadrash
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-002S.JPG
I hurt my bum
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-001S.JPG
Braces saved me from serious injury
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-003S.JPG
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-005S.JPG
Bark Busters saved my levers
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-007S.JPG
Bent header
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-009S.JPG
Doesn't look as dirty as it really was
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-011S.JPG
We went up to Crumpler, West Virginia and let me tell you the old joke about the toothbrush being invented there must be true. If it was invented anywhere else it would have been called a teethbrush.
Sayin?
Seriously, everyone we met were very friendly, helpful and appeared to be hard workers.
They are definately the salt of the earth.
We stayed in a cabin near Wagon Wheel where all we had to do was get up, gear up and ride off. It was really cool.
The cabins were nice. They had hot water, 6 bunks, tv, stove, microwave, refrigerator, a/c and a heater.
We got up around 9am or so Saturday morning and it was raining. Being from South Carolina I associate rain with slick owl snot. This was no the case in West Virginia but it took about 10 miles before I stopped over gripping and being scared I was going to slide out when I touched the brakes.
We got the bikes going and headed down to Wagon Wheel for breakfast. We just drove up, ordered and ate. While we were there the indigent lifeforms, a.k.a. ATV riders, showed up. There must have benn 50 or more already. Some had helmets which surprised us and a few did not have beer coolers which surprised us even more :)
The first trail we did was the water trail and there was about 100 creek crossings. Ok, maybe not that much but there was a lot. We came close to sinking the bikes in one creekbut overall they were easy to cross.
I was loving the water trail. I was hoopin and hollerin most of the way through there. I was getting soaked and the water was streaming into my boots but I didn't care.
Well, at least I didn't care for the first 2 hours of riding. After that it got a little uncomfortable but we still rode it out.
We tooled around on some back roads, did some hill climbs, went on a railroad crossing and through a railroad tunnel that was so dark all we could see was the light at the end of the tunnell (yes I finally found the fabled light). We all hoped nobody stopped ahead of us and were scared to stop ourselves for fear of being hit.
We road over the railroad bridge and could see down 100 feet. The trusses were only a few feet wide and one wrong move (like an ill-advised wheelie - sayin?) could send your loved ones to an early collection of your life insurance.
We then got back to Wagon Wheel, filled up and headed to town. On our way we got to ride some roads. The twisties were fun but then it got a little boring. I decided to try and do a wheelie and wound the bike up, lightly tugging on the handlebars and then I noticed the curve was right ahead. I chopped the throttle and locked up the brakes and promptly slid out. I dinged my pipe, bruised my thigh, minor road rash on my arm, scraped my knee braces (thank goodness for those) and jarred my back a little.
After that scare most of the road went really well until. We ate at a KFC which was the classiest joint in town. Sayin?
After a quick gas up we headed back. We couldn't take an old way that was blocked off by the coal company so we asked some locals for an alternate route. Some kid who liked to ride on the side 2 wheels of his ATV told us of an alternate route. We hit it and it was fun for a few miles then it turned to torture.
Two really rocky hills had us cussin that little bratt! The rest of the trail was not tight but it was not well ridden so we had to duck a lot of trees and pray that the trail would come out where it should.
After that we got to some really cool and fast trails that were a blast. It all headed back by Wagon Wheel and back towards camp. First we had to stop at the Stairway hill climb. There was about 7 climbs with about 6 feet in between each for a run at the next hill. It was really cool and pretty slick. I made it up, called it a day and really enjoyed a hot shower!
The crew that went are some of the best people I've ever met. Keith was the youngest of the bunch and we made sure he washed the laundry, washed the bikes and did all the menial things. Sayin?
Seriously, Keith was cool. Fast and smooth on his 450 and really fun to bs with. He loved to hit the mudholes on the rear wheel and going as fast as he could.
Pat was the leader of the pack. He did wheelies everywhere. It did not matter if the trail was a road width or tight single track. If we didn't see him on the rear wheel he was not around.
Dean was riding a KDX and only Edwin held that against him. Dean was cool and had his 220 singing on some of those hill climbs. One time I passed him on a coal road and then we hit the pavement and I got shellshocked so backed it off just a tiny bit and then Dean FLEW by me!!
James was Mr. Maintenance. He did a fork seal, oil and just about any mechanical thing we could think of except adjust the chains. Pat took care of that for Edwin's XR400 at a gas stop. The trick is he only used a small Craftsman plier lock. That took some serious stregth!!
Edwin was the master of the grill. Tobin made the patties and they were about a full 2lbs of meat!! Edwin cooked them up and we all made sure we ate as much as we could fit.
Saturday night Pat decided to cook up some drunken Turkey. He felt bad for the Turkey's being drunk by themselves so he promptly joined them :) It wasn't too long after that before he was needed some Gummy Bears.
Sayin?
Sunday came too soon. So did the pain in my back :( While everyone else geared up and headed out James and I loaded up and headed home. My back needs a little adjustment from my friendly neighborhood chiropractor and I'll be good to go.
Overall we did 100 miles on Saturday. Next time I'll be ready for more and another century on Sunday!!
On a scale of fun between 1 and 10 with 10 being the highest this trip went to an 11... yes an ELEVEN! This trip has an ELEVEN!
Sayin?
Ivan
Pics
Minor Roadrash
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-002S.JPG
I hurt my bum
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-001S.JPG
Braces saved me from serious injury
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-003S.JPG
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-005S.JPG
Bark Busters saved my levers
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-007S.JPG
Bent header
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-009S.JPG
Doesn't look as dirty as it really was
http://www.truespode.net/pics/wagonwheel/MVC-011S.JPG
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