_cializ_ conquers wissa, and harts...

_cializ_? wissa? harts? what are we talking about?

the three 'late-bloomers' went to wissahickon valley last june 28 and did another grueling epic ride - 20mi exciting trail, 4673ft elev gain, 4+hrs on the saddle, and the best-tasting pbj sandwich :). and i did it with my 'old and trusted new' bike, _cializ_ ss. old and new? _cializ_ is my old specialized stumpjumper bike that i've converted to ss - and now it's a brand new bike. and i really enjoy riding it. riding ss is not as hard as some might think. i actually find it easier, even on some hard and steep climbs. on climbs, i just put my foot on the pedal and speed up - momentum helps. before i know it, i'm at the summit looking down and waiting for my buddies hehehe. wissa + ss is one fun experience.

and harts? hartshorne, of course. one of our favorite mtb trails. i never thought i could ride _cializ_ there. but i did, and was happy with my ride. giant-trance-mtb'er and i went there on july 4, and i brought _cializ_ with me. climbs were harder, but i managed. yup, i struggled (and eventually walked) in some sections (the staircase climb, the root section to the summit), but no regrets. i've proven that i could do ss-ride in hartshorne. i've enjoyed the ride - another milestone for _cializ_.

next stop for _cializ_ - chimney. and that would justify my desire to get/build a 29'er ss hehehe.

i'll put a pic of _cializ_... on my next post.