The LBJ That Never Was

So, when I was initially shut out of the LBJ 100 due to the 12 hour online sellout (I mailed mine, oops), I had the bright idea to just do the ride a week early with a few local riding buddies that also didn't get in. I was pretty lax in the recruitment department, but I thought I had some pretty firm probables with Hugh and his brother Roy. That was up until about a month and a half ago. Roy decided to put his house in Grand Rapids up for sale to test the waters and contemplate a move to the west coast. Less than a week later it sold. So Roy's moving to California and has to pack up all his stuff, he's out. But you can always count on Hugh being up for a 100 mile ride in the woods, right? Normally yes, but not if he's got a couple of cracked ribs. A couple of weeks ago (while riding with brother Roy) Hugh took a nasty slow speed spill at Fort Custer and cracked said ribs. I know that guy can put up with some serious pain and discomfort, but I also know from experience that any sort of rib injury makes any sort of mountain biking a pretty painful proposition for at least a month (especially mountain bike rides in the 9 to 10 hour range). So it's just me and the LBJ. Before we even left, I had already decided to ride two laps for 66 miles. About halfway through the first lap on Saturday I decided one would be plenty. So my weekend of 100 miles in the woods turned out to be 50 instead. 33 miles on the LBJ course Saturday, and 17 on the VASA Singletrack yesterday. All in all it was a good weekend. Sarah and I got to take the new (to us) camper out for it's first trip this season. We got some good riding in, and we got to have a late lunch/dinner at Short's yesterday. Oh yeah, funny sticker on the pump at BP I noticed on the way down Friday.



WNR this week on the NCT off Thumb Lake Road. Latitude 45 is hosting a ride, and Secret Steve hooked us up with the invite. Call or email the shop to rsvp/reserve a demo bike. Hope to see you there.