# Nothing could be finer than to ride a 29er in the warming.



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Well we are out of DC and back in Florida and raring to go.

Last winter we discovered that there were endless miles of sand roads and dirt trails quite near our house in Central Florida. We tried riding them on our road bikes and we sort of could but not very aggressively.

Since we weren't riding our MTBs up in DC any more (they were snow bikes for us and we aren't going to be seeing any snow wintering here in Florida) I took the snow tires off and loaded them into the car for the long drive south (oh Lord I hate to drive).

Well, sort of.... :blush2: My old GT was in need of some serious TLC so I bought a fairly inexpensive 29er instead of dumping the dough into the GT. 

Today we headed for the Green Swamp and some of those fine soft Florida roads. :thumbsup:


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

What a nice warm day and we sure did have the right bikes for the job. We ate up that soft sand and the miles just rolled by.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

About 5 hours into it Miss M asks me, "Is that real Mountain Biking?"

"Nope," says I, "That's real riding!" :thumbsup: 

Ride your bike,
MB1


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## Icculus (Mar 14, 2007)

Thanks for posting these reports. I always enjoy seeing your adventures.


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## singlecross (Nov 1, 2006)

When in doubt... buy a new bike!:thumbsup: 

singlecross


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

What, no food pics?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

singlecross said:


> When in doubt... buy a new bike!:thumbsup:


:yesnod:


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

pigpen said:


> What, no food pics?


All we ate in 5 hours of fairly hard riding was a pack of Ritz Crackers w/Cheese.

Of course we finished off a large pizza and a big salad for dinner! :yikes:


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## yetisurly (Sep 30, 2005)

you are my hero!


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*Nice trails*

Back atcha. You are living the dream Mb. Do you know what happened at the crosses?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

evs said:


> Back atcha. You are living the dream Mb. Do you know what happened at the crosses?


I wondered about that myself.

_November 16, 2006|By Robert Sargent, Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer

Living along the shores of the Suwannee River in rural North Florida provides few opportunities to find a good job.

Many locals work at the nearby prisons. There's a cement plant, a poultry farm and other jobs -- many that hold little appeal and little chance to get ahead.

So when they got a chance to learn valuable construction skills, five young men from around Branford, a community of 750 people, jumped at the opportunity.

The close friends worked hard, traveling around parts of the state building log-cabin homes for a Gainesville contractor.

Their latest job was in south Lake County -- where all five died together Tuesday when their vehicle slammed head-on into an oncoming dump truck on County Road 474 in the Green Swamp south of Clermont.

The accident has gripped Branford and surrounding areas, where many residents are mourning the loss.

"They'll be missed -- they were young kids, and we all watched them grow up here," said Scott Alred, a family friend and captain with Branford's Fire Department, where two of the victims had volunteered.

All five men were riding in a 1996 Nissan Maxima that was heading west, passing slower vehicles on the two-lane road, when it crashed into the eastbound dump truck and burst into flames, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Shawn Bower, 23, Ronald Conine, 20, Jason Green, 25, Donald Kelly, 19, and Jerry West, 20, died at the scene. The Maxima was registered to Green.

The mangled vehicle was taken to the Medical Examiner's Office in Leesburg, where the bodies were to be identified.

News of the crash did not take long to spread throughout Branford on Tuesday night. Information was shared at a Town Council meeting.

"It's a shock," Council President Joe Cannon said Wednesday. "The biggest thing we can do is remember them in our prayers."

Some of the victims' families gathered at their homes Tuesday to share their grief.

Relatives headed to Kissimmee on Wednesday to retrieve belongings from where the men had stayed at a hotel on U.S. Highway 192.

Friends are providing support -- Alred was at Town Hall on Wednesday to help with preliminary arrangements for one of the families.

"We're such a small community that for five people to leave us, it hits hard," he said.

Conine attended nearby Bell High School. The others attended Branford High School.

They were close friends who shared much of their lives together. They enjoyed hunting and paintball, friends said._

I HATE DRIVING.....


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

I remember that FL sand. Used to chew up a drivetrain seemingly in days. Ugh. Sure is enticing, though, huh?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

wooglin said:


> I remember that FL sand. Used to chew up a drivetrain seemingly in days. Ugh. Sure is enticing, though, huh?


Can't be any worse than that carp they covered the roads with in DC snowfalls. Besides, the odd drivetrain or two is a small price to pay for all that fun!


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## MTT (Oct 14, 2005)

Never too late to have a happy childhood! I was riding my mountain bike yesterday, but the cool rain of Seattle is a little different.............MTT :thumbsup:


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

29ers rule


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## majura (Apr 21, 2007)

Florida is sure looking nice, congrats on the bike & ride


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## onrhodes (Feb 19, 2004)

That looks pretty cool, but coming from New Hampshire, I have to just say. What! Mtn biking with no hills? Florida is so flat!


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## fredstaple (Jun 2, 2003)

*What Brand jersey*

Great report as always MB1. I noticed the cool long sleve jersey. Looks like great sun protection, yet cool mesh material for venting. Can you tell me what brand those are? Have a great winter in sunny FLA. cheers


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

fredstaple said:


> ... I noticed the cool long sleve jersey. Looks like great sun protection, yet cool mesh material for venting. Can you tell me what brand those are? Have a great winter in sunny FLA. cheers


We love 'em. Better yet, they are on sale right now. :thumbsup: 

http://www.bikejerseys.com/solwhitlonsl.html


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## fredstaple (Jun 2, 2003)

*Awesome!*

Thanks for the link MB1. This looks perfect and they are on sale, what a deal.


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## GeoCyclist (Oct 31, 2002)

*Always a good excuse for a new bike!*

Dirt, Sand, and Rail to Trails are the reasons I kept my Santana Rio when I bought my Calfee last year. A quick wheel change on the Santana and my team is ready to head off the pavement.

Nice ride report!


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## empty_set (Nov 1, 2006)

A perfect ride for a 'cross bike. Minimal knobbies at medium pressure makes for a good all-rounder with pavement, dirt, sand and gravel.


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## YuriB (Mar 24, 2005)

With a shiny new 29er you'll be ready for the AZT


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

it looks funny to see you guys on knobbies.

what 29er did you get. im still mulling over whether to get one of those singular swifts that uncle fuzzy has...


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

weltyed said:


> i...what 29er did you get....


Well I thought it was a Gary Fisher Mamba but it turns out the decals are all "Trek" so I am not sure what is up with that. Not all that high end of a bike but plenty good enough for what we are doing in Florida.

Did I mention that it is big fun?


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

MB1 said:


> Well I thought it was a Gary Fisher Mamba but it turns out the decals are all "Trek" so I am not sure what is up with that. Not all that high end of a bike but plenty good enough for what we are doing in Florida.
> 
> Did I mention that it is big fun?



its part of the "gary fisher collection" of trek bikes. 
that makes two treks for you, eh? so, are they good bikes?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

weltyed said:


> its part of the "gary fisher collection" of trek bikes.
> that makes two treks for you, eh? so, are they good bikes?


They are ok but they sure aren't any kind of Waterford.


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