How getting into the “zone” takes such a delicate balance of spending the right

amount of time in the head and enough time focused on the trail. Often, the words to

a song I just heard will pass through me as a mantra, or I’ll squeal motivational words

in Spanish. Releasing these litanies helps me to relax, and encourages

me to stay on the brim of my thoughts as well as what’s in front of me. And, indeed,

I had a Funky Good Time last week at Brown’s Camp with James Brown.

¡Ya vamos!

Lessons in Riding, with Rama

Technical climbing is, let’s just say, my Beast of Burden. I am constantly working to improve it, and as a result, tend to be constantly frustrated by it. Our hometown trails are not heavy on the technical moves, so I don’t often get dedicated time in the saddle for improving my skills. Relative to Sedona Shredding, that is.

So far my Sedona education can be reduced down to this: What looks difficult to even walk up can be ridden up by the climbing-savvy rider. My jaw drops regularly here as I watch these talented folks conquer the most heinous slopes. I am learning that it requires not only strength and balance, but mental focus and commitment as well.It’s not always physical. Slow, steady pedaling, spinning in the granny gear can get you far here with minimal exertion (pacing myself: Beast of Burden #2).

Lessons from the shred master, Rama Jon include slow pedaling with a good cadence and thinking about technical climbs in this way: They are Just Like Riding Up a Sidewalk. Any advice coming from a man with 30 years of mountain biking experience is worth taking, and is going to be right on the money.

Sure enough, the Sidewalk Theory works. As I always say–in yoga and in riding–our bodies can do all of this stuff with a little training and discipline. It’s the mind that holds us back. The trick is to trick your busy little brain into thinking you are riding up a sidewalk, smooth and easy. And that’s just how it will feel, even the rockiest, gnarliest section of trail.

Shredding the Red

Because of the lessons from the Guru-I-didn’t-know-I-was-looking-for (in one of the Meccas of Mountain Biking, go figure), my climbing has improved dramatically, and not just the technical skills. The slow pedal theory is working for me–I always tend to push huge gears on climbs and just burn myself out early on! I now have tons more energy and not-as-trashed legs.

I try to get behind Rama on every ride here, and follow his lines and just watch him, trying to match his gearing, cadence, and rhythm. It is challenging, but I feel it paying off. I feel really lucky to be surrounded by inspiring and willing teachers. Biking, like anything else, is a lifelong learning process. Once we realize how much room there always is to learn more–on and off the bike for that matter–we open ourselves up to incredible opportunities and experiences that we otherwise might not see.

Peace and Red Rocks,

Val

Anyone who has spent time on a bike knows how amazing it is to have such a connection to a piece of equipment. You learn how to handle it through corners, and how it will respond to your weight. Much like a relationship, you learn each other’s likes and dislikes, and create a third existence (manifested on the trail) when you work in accordance with each other.

Perhaps the subtle sounds of spring birds, my breathe and the crunching of the trail made my heart swell, but I had to stop for a moment, look through the forest and recognize how great it is to shred.

Party Van, with Pickle Fork and Trailer

The ‘Party Van’ came from Tucson yesterday, filled to the gills with people and bikes, and ready for some serious shredding. Normally, we might have joined in on the Sunday Club Ride in Sedona, but like Gabe said, “When the Party Van rolls through town with the pickle fork (nickname of the rack that can hold several bikes) on it, just get in and don’t ask any questions.” So, that is what just what we did.

Rolling 13 deep, we drove up the winding road through the cliffside town of Jerome to the tippity-top of Mingus Mountain for a few thousand feet of downhill back into the town of Cottonwood. The gate at the top was closed, so we humped it up the road to the Mingus Launch where the Maverick trail takes off to the east. Lucky for us, there were hangliders getting ready to put the launch to good use, and we got to see them soar off the mountain top! And then, we launched ourselves off  the  mountain, on a trail carving through boulder fields at the top, switch-backing down about 1000 feet with some great traversing across the scrub slopes (full of unforgiving, pokey plants: crashing not advised!). The final few thousand feet were loose, steep and rocky through even more intimidating cacti and sharp rocks. Fun, you ask? Oh hell yes!

Launching off the Mingus Launch

Coasting into town on the road, we loaded up the Party Van again, and went for Round 2 of the Mingus Shredfest. This time, we did double the mileage, half the braking, and twice the pedaling, on a much more cross-countryish trail once we cleared the heinously steep downhill start. The trail was literally an average of 1′ wide, cut into the steep mountainside. One wrong twitch of your wheel, one unfocused eye and you could be sent off the edge. It was one of those trails that was as mentally exhausting as it was physically demanding–if not more.

People tend to think that downhill riding and shuttling is just about coasting downhill, easy peasy. My friends, this is not the case. I am more worked over today than on a cross-country ride twice it’s length (we rode 20 miles yesterday)! You stand up, quads working, the whole body working the bike (indeed, my upper body is the sorest part today), you are going ripping fast, and your reflexes have to be lightning quick.

Black Canyon Trail

The thing about Downhilling is you do pedal and you can get a good workout!

Reporting from Sedona, I am happy to be in the company of Red Rocks and bikes-o-plenty! We are staying at the Sedona Bike and Bean, and I am watching a group of about 30 kids get ready to go shred as part of a school field trip. That’s what I call education; I dream of a day when all kids get to go mountain biking during school hours as part of their curriculum!

Be well, and Happy Trails!

Val