A great ride!

Just returned from pre-riding the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo race course with wife Beans and friend Veelz. It was one of those rides where everything went perfectly, and I had a big, stupid grin on my face almost the whole time. Started out in shorts with the air just crisp enough to need arm warmers. By the time I'd finished making breakfast for the Seven Bitches, it was time for shirtsleeves. If this postcard weather happens again during the race, I'd expect to see the stupidly-fit soloists and fast teams to be getting lap counts on the far side of twenty.

The trails were in great shape and the high point singletrack ascent seemed to flatten out in front of me. Just as I'd hoped, my rigid fork was perfect for the non-technical course. My wife rode the circuit stronger on her singlespeed hardtail today than she did on her full-suspension gearie last winter. Her training and caloric discipline is paying off, big time. That, and she now runs bar ends, a singlespeeder's secret weapon. Veelz, as usual, dropped me badly anywhere the trail sloped downward. He had to peel off post ride for some familial obligations while Beans and I made the requisite stop at El Charro norte. Everyone should get to know Carne Seca.

Saw a fair amount of wildlife from the saddle. A boar, sow, and pigling javelina (Tayasu tajacu Linn.) crossed the trail somewhere in the vicinity of the 3rd or 4th Bitch. There were all kinds of wintering sparrows flitting about. I have a hard enough time IDing little brown dickie birds standing still with binoculars, let alone naked-eyed, winded, and bouncing along on a trail. A spectacular red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin) circled its way up the valley above the start/finish just as we were wrapping things up. Saw one covey of Gambel's quail but no scalies. I also heard a few booms from shotguns - I hope the bird hunters and their dogs had as good of a day as we did.

All in all, its looking good for the race. Next step: pre-ride at night!