profilingfiles

Yes this is an incredibly lazy post. But think of it as an opportunity to get to know me better. My soon to be submitted WVMBA profile:

Name.
Montana Miller       

Hometown.
Greensburg, PA

DOB. 
1/26/91

Racing Class.
Single Speed

Favorite preparation method for coffee.
Espresso with a touch of milk

Oldest piece of cycling equipment that you're still using.
1980’s BCA frame. It’s almost 11 years older than me.

Favorite color.
Lime green

Sponsors.
Smartparts

All American Paintball Park

Twin Six

Favorite Race Course. and why.

Big Bear. The rocks remind me of Laurel Mountain where I learned to ride.

Current bike you are riding.
Suspension free Niner One9

Fixed gear BCA

Career Highlight or favorite moment on a bike?
Not enough of a career to highlight yet. But the time I rode my unicycle to work was nifty. There were plenty of open mouths and shouts of encouragement from the driving types.

Favorite food.
Pancakes and cereal

Favorite movie.
Revenge of the Pink Panther

What is on your iPod right now?
Some dust and a pile of papers.

And a little Swedish power metal.  Nothing gets the heart pounding like a few thrashing, out of tune Swedes. 

What year did you start racing?
Fall 2008

If you could take your bike and ride anywhere on the planet where would you go?
I’d do a tour around Europe and down into Italy to play a few games of bocce. It would be swell.

Your hero?
Will Kellogg  

29" or 26"?
29

Lance or Lemond?
My moneys on Lemond in a fight, but I’d rather take Lance to dinner.

Would you eat an earth worm for $100?

Hells yeah. Deep fried or in a salad?

Favorite bike you have ever owned?
My Niner. It’s a pretty color plows over small children with aplomb.

Shout out!...

Thundercats! Hoooo!

hot french toast

I really want to get out to the Creek to Peak race in Elanor this weekend, because it looks like a really sweet course. Lots of climbing, plenty of switchbacks, and from what I can gather from descriptions of the 12hr that just happened out there, plenty of rocks. But Elanor is four hours away as the Grumbler grumbles, and grumble gas is expensive. Meh.

From Drop Box

I hate this headset. It is the bane of my commuting existence. It sucks. Did I mention that I don't like it? 

It refuses to stay tight for more than 200 miles, after which the fork begins to wobble under braking. Then when I try to tighten it the fork binds up when I turn. And I thought that threaded headsets were supposed to be more bombproof than threadless. Bollocks.

I really need to ditch the whole thing and get a crosscheck fork and 1" threadless.

In other, more joyous news, I made the picture section of the Tour de Lake, here, and here. (and no, i did not intend to hyperlink that entire sentence.

across the hills

I put in abute 61 miles and 2 pounds of beef this memorial day weekend. (45 on Saturday, 0 on Sunday, and 18 on Monday. i keed about the beef. but i did eat a lot of cupcakes.)

Saturdays ride was something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Many moons ago, a friend informed me that it was possible to start at Laural Mountain and ride to Hidden Valley and Seven Springs ski resort. The road, it was said, was dirty. 

I had never really looked into the actual route one would have to take until Friday. But when I did check my handy all inclusive map of the Forbes State Forest system, it became clear that a route to the ski areas would rather simple to follow.

Bright and early on Saturday (2 pm) I loaded up the Grumbler and headed for the mountain. I parked at the far end of the park's parking area, and started toward Beam Run Trail. Along with being a mountain bike route, the trail is still an active logging road.

 

From Drop Box

Hurray for the Burea of (de)Forestry!

I kept trundling along the trail until I came to a section of exposed slate.

From Drop Box

At first I rode passed the big rock, but I had to turn around. I raised my fist in the air, shouted "Tally Ho!" and charged up and down the thing, pretending that I was in Moab. Good fun.

After Beam Run, I took a few connecting fire roads, some that I had never been on, and rode down to a little bridge that crosses over the turnpike. If that turnpike did not exist, Forbes would be a nice, uninterrupted stretch of wilderness. But I guess somebody is in a hurry to get somewhere.

Beyond the bridge (which is a bitch to get a bike across. stupid bike/ horse control barriers) I had never ridden on any of the trails. It felt really good to be unsure of where I was. It was uncharted territory, (although I was carrying a chart of the territory) and all of it was mine to explore. I think that is something that has been missing in my cycling. I've been so focused on the ride, that I have forgotten about the destination. It felt like an accomplishment when I came off the mountain trails and rolled into Hidden Valley. Maybe some bike packing is in my future.

I reversed my course without an issue, and instead of riding Beam Run, took some of the technical single track through Laural Mountain. I rolled up to the Grumbler with a flat tire, and 45 miles in 4ish hours. My average was 11 mph for the day. I think I'll be ready for the Stoopid 50.