# 2009 Goals



## Greg (Feb 10, 2009)

Nothing too specific. I just want to ride a lot. My only tangible goal is to ride 600 miles this season. Starting two months earlier than last year and probably being able to do longer rides in the same amount of time, I think it's doable. I did 305 miles last year. My first thought was 500 miles, but I think that would have been too easy of a goal.


----------



## bvibert (Feb 10, 2009)

My goals are to ride more often, launch more stuff, and pull off a wheelie drop without landing on my back.


----------



## Grassi21 (Feb 10, 2009)

I would like to ride at least twice a week.  Lacrosse is going to make more than twice a week difficult.  I also want to get my endurance up.


----------



## deadheadskier (Feb 10, 2009)

My 2009 goals are to somehow miraculously acquire massive amounts of wealth and go skiing in South America.

other than that, I got nothing :lol:


----------



## bvibert (Feb 10, 2009)

I meant to add that I also want to do more longer rides, like 15+ miles


----------



## severine (Feb 10, 2009)

Just to get out there more. I might take the all-terrain spinning class at the Y to get a head start on conditioning for the upcoming season.


----------



## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Feb 10, 2009)

Try out Mountain biking..did most of you rent a bike first before buying to see if you liked it?


----------



## Jisch (Feb 10, 2009)

I have thought a little about this today. I'm not much of a planner or goal setter. 

I have done "epic" rides every year for the last four or five years - I'd like to do two of those this year. After I do one I haven't been able to get my motivation up to do the second one

I'd like to get away with my wife for a weekend of riding/camping. 

Generally visit more new places, I tend to take the easy route and ride the same 3 places over and over

GSS - find someone who rides, they probably have a "back up bike" that you can borrow. I have several, but I think you're not near by where I live (NE CT), but if you were ever in the area, let me know, I'd be happy to take you out. I think MTB is not always an instant "gotta do it" kinda thing, it might take a few rides before you're really hooked. There aren't many places around the northeast (outside of downhill) that rent bikes. 

John


----------



## Greg (Feb 10, 2009)

Jisch said:


> GSS - find someone who rides, they probably have a "back up bike" that you can borrow.



Great advice. I did that for Grassi with my old bike. Plus it's always a good idea to head out with people who know what they're doing the first few times.


----------



## Grassi21 (Feb 10, 2009)

Greg said:


> Great advice. I did that for Grassi with my old bike. Plus it's always a good idea to head out with people who know what they're doing the first few times.



I'm glad I never took possession of that bike.  :lol:  But don't forget this gem that will resurface as a single speed this spring....


----------



## bvibert (Feb 10, 2009)

Grassi21 said:


> I'm glad I never took possession of that bike.  :lol:  But don't forget this gem that will resurface as a single speed this spring....



Badass.  IIRC, wasn't it just about a SS the last time I saw it??


----------



## gorgonzola (Feb 10, 2009)

just ride more and hit some new places, milage wise i'd like to hit 1,000 this year - i ended up just shy of 700 this past year. it should be reachable as my son is 11 and was really getting into it and able to ride longer and more tech stuff the end of last season which will get me out a little more - hoping for 3x /week


----------



## Grassi21 (Feb 10, 2009)

bvibert said:


> Badass.  IIRC, wasn't it just about a SS the last time I saw it??



ha you are correct.  soon it will be a true single.


----------



## MR. evil (Mar 3, 2009)

My goals this years are pretty simple:

Ride more 

Hit some bigger drops

Ride the hard line down Red's Rock (he also wants to get back to Nass)

and I would also like to ride the West Hartford Res to Robinson St Park (Agawam Ma)epic in the early fall.


----------



## powhunter (Mar 3, 2009)

ride during a thunderstorm.....get lost and get picked up by some german milfs in a mini van

steveo


----------



## severine (Mar 3, 2009)

powhunter said:


> ride during a thunderstorm.....get lost and get picked up by some german milfs in a mini van
> 
> steveo



Dude! You already did that last year! :lol:


----------



## Hergini Coop74 (Mar 3, 2009)

Definitely ride more.
Ride on more challenging terrain.

Attend and possibly participate in
http://www.patspeak.com/summer/bike.php


----------



## bvibert (Mar 4, 2009)

Hergini Coop74 said:


> Definitely ride more.
> Ride on more challenging terrain.
> 
> Attend and possibly participate in
> http://www.patspeak.com/summer/bike.php



That looks like an interesting event.  Someday I'd like to do something like that.


----------



## JD (Mar 4, 2009)

Hit the roll down in Waterbury.  (last year was the first year I haven't.  I didn't trust my forks, but they are at Zocchi getting rebuilt as we speak)  Ride Tonys/Tammerack/GodStreet/Kents/Billings/peak-a-view/waterfall/stoweschoolexrpess/burt trail/ranchcamp/haulroad/barrows connector/strwberryfarm/saltlick/stickhouse/zogs/townloops in a day.  Finish the loop out back.  Dial flat land 180 to half cabs.  Ride alot.  Dirt Jump alot again.


----------



## RENO (Mar 5, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Try out Mountain biking..did most of you rent a bike first before buying to see if you liked it?


I went to Vermont (Killington) for the first time in the Fall of 92 and saw the lift served mountain biking and fell in love. As soon as I got home I bought a used mountain bike for $50. It was a Diamond Back Topanga with no suspension. One of the best bikes I ever had. Thing was a tank. Took it to Killington, Mount Snow and Snowshoe West Virginia. I don't do a lot of the really crazy downhill stuff. Mostly like singletrack. 
You have some great riding nearby at Jim Thorpe PA. Even though they closed a bunch of trails (idiots), there's still some good riding. You could rent a bike from Blue Mountain Sports in town and they can point you to some nice trails riding right out of town...


----------



## gorgonzola (Mar 6, 2009)

...and were going to have lift serviced mtb right here at goood ole bleu mt this summer - woo hoo! depending on how it all shakes out i might add my first mtb race onto my list of goals and run a super-d at  da blue!


----------



## sLoPeS (Mar 29, 2009)

i wanna do the "Tour de Talcott" this season.  starting at the Farmington Ave side of WHres and riding up to Tariffville.  figure its about a 3+ hour ride with a good amount of vert and its fair share of techyness.  dont know the total miles, maybe 15-20 (one way).  build up to an out and back...

other than that just ride a lot.  check out some new trails around CT: Case, Trumble, Middlesex, Tyler Mill.  more downhilling (would like to hit up Jiminey).  I found a bunch of awesome trails in the MRV/Burlington/Stowe area that i didnt get to ride last year, so those are on the hit list.  pretty much got my bike set up, so no real big upgrades except for switching out the front brake with a hydrolic.


----------



## Greg (Mar 30, 2009)

sLoPeS said:


> check out some new trails around CT



There's a group of us that ride Nassahegan all the time. Add that to your list too.


----------



## bvibert (Mar 30, 2009)

Greg said:


> There's a group of us that ride Nassahegan all the time. Add that to your list too.



I'm already all over that.  

I'm looking forward to another WH res ride too, especially we're with someone who knows where they're going....



bvibert said:


> Nice picture sequence Jisch!
> 
> Slopes, do you ride a MTB?  If so, where do you normally ride?





sLoPeS said:


> ya dude........WH rezzzzz.  pretty good tour guide if u wanna do a loop.  great hour+ ride.....hill climb, slick rock/wanna-be moab stuff, techy rock sections, downhill, meadows, stunts its all in there.  hoping to start my mtb season next week!  you know...mtn bike mid week, ski weekends, god its awesome.





bvibert said:


> I'd be up for a WH rez ride.  I've only ridden there a handful of times.  I'm sure you'll make a much better tour guide than I was when I helped lead the AZ crew through there.
> 
> You should come ride with us at Nassahegan in Burlington sometime.  It shouldn't be too far for you.





sLoPeS said:


> im down for a nass ride, its really close to work (bristol).  did a ride there last year but it wasnt anything to write home about.  did hit that devils kitchen area.  would like to clean that next time.
> 
> 2knees---got lost in the paug for like 3 hours one hot humid day.  ended up down by the river.  some good stuff in there.  no shot in hell im hitting that flight sim!  u see the cliff drop in there next to it?  crazy stuff.





bvibert said:


> Nass covers a lot of terrain, the devil's kitchen area is just a small part of it.  There's some good climbs and fun downhills, also some stuntery mixed in here and there, not a ton of really techy stuff though.
> 
> We'll give you a proper tour at some point.
> 
> Pat I'm in for some more Nepaug rides, I'll video tape you hitting the Flight Simulator, but that's as close as I'm getting.


----------



## sLoPeS (Mar 30, 2009)

greg, id throw nass on my list but its already been checked off.  i prolly only saw 5% of the place though, so u guys can give me the proper tour.

bvibert, we'll def do a WHres lap.  not sure what uve ridden in there, but theres some fun stuff for everyone.  bunch of different trails so u can change it up as u ride.

ive been craving the dirt lately, need to get my bike back this week.  after work rides starting next week?  i hope so...


----------



## Greg (Mar 30, 2009)

sLoPeS said:


> greg, id throw nass on my list but its already been checked off.  i prolly only saw 5% of the place though, so u guys can give me the proper tour.



Yeah, there's a lot there. Nothing too nuts, but just a huge network. Good for high mileage rides.



sLoPeS said:


> ive been craving the dirt lately, need to get my bike back this week.  after work rides starting next week?  i hope so...



You mention the pickle park, uh, I mean Tyler Mill. I will be down for after work rides out of there starting around 4-4:15 this season. I don't know it that well yet, but it's not too big. Keep an eye out for the brokebackers though...


----------



## sLoPeS (Mar 30, 2009)

Greg said:


> You mention the pickle park, uh, I mean Tyler Mill. I will be down for after work rides out of there starting around 4-4:15 this season. I don't know it that well yet, but it's not too big. Keep an eye out for the brokebackers though...



never heard it called the pickle park, do i dare ask why?  i think tyler miller is a little far from me for an after work ride and i dont have the flexibility to get out at 4.  nass is actually really close to my office.  i can do after work rides starting at 6, either nass or the rez.  weekends ill go anywhere.


----------



## Greg (Mar 30, 2009)

sLoPeS said:


> never heard it called the pickle park, do i dare ask why?  i think tyler miller is a little far from me for an after work ride and i dont have the flexibility to get out at 4.  nass is actually really close to my office.  i can do after work rides starting at 6, either nass or the rez.  weekends ill go anywhere.



You're better off not asking. It's something you need to just experience for yourself. :-o :lol:

We do a lot of midweek Nass rides that head out at 6 pm.


----------



## MRGisevil (Mar 30, 2009)

I guess "see what's in front of me", but that's what I got the lasik for. I'm not a big goal person, because that always make a hobby seem more like a chore and then I just don't have fun anymore. So yeah, see where I'm going and what I'm about to ride in to, or alternatively, off of.


----------



## wa-loaf (Mar 30, 2009)

I'll be happy if I can get out on the bike at all this year.


----------



## Greg (May 4, 2009)

Greg said:


> Nothing too specific. I just want to ride a lot. My only tangible goal is to ride 600 miles this season. Starting two months earlier than last year and probably being able to do longer rides in the same amount of time, I think it's doable. I did 305 miles last year. My first thought was 500 miles, but I think that would have been too easy of a goal.



Kind of off to a slow start, but I think most of my rides this year are going to be 6+, even if I only have a short time window so maybe it's still doable. I seem to be riding faster already with less and shorter breaks.


----------



## severine (May 4, 2009)

severine said:


> Just to get out there more. I might take the all-terrain spinning class at the Y to get a head start on conditioning for the upcoming season.



No Y membership anymore and I still haven't gotten out on the bike yet. Sigh. Soon, I hope.


----------



## RENO (May 4, 2009)

If it would freakin stop raining for 1 lousy day we might get out on the trails! :evil:


----------



## Greg (May 4, 2009)

RENO said:


> If it would freakin stop raining for 1 lousy day we might get out on the trails! :evil:



The trails are so dry down here that the small bit of rain we've been getting has done nothing more than keep the dust down. Virtually no mud. Saturday seemed like a good day to ride and yesterday morning was cool, cloudy and dry. Perfect! Could be *a lot* worse.


----------



## Marc (May 4, 2009)

My 2009 goal- ride a fair bit and not hurt myself.


----------



## RENO (May 4, 2009)

Greg said:


> The trails are so dry down here that the small bit of rain we've been getting has done nothing more than keep the dust down. Virtually no mud. Saturday seemed like a good day to ride and yesterday morning was cool, cloudy and dry. Perfect! Could be *a lot* worse.


Down here in NJ it hasn't stopped raining except for a few hours Saturday since Friday morning and it poured yesterday and it's coming down pretty good right now too. The rest of the week looks like sh*t also except for Wednesday, but that could change too! :-x I'm hoping for a summer drought! :lol:


----------



## RootDKJ (May 4, 2009)

RENO said:


> Down here in NJ it hasn't stopped raining except for a few hours Saturday since Friday morning and it poured yesterday and it's coming down pretty good right now too. The rest of the week looks like sh*t also except for Wednesday, but that could change too! :-x I'm hoping for a summer drought! :lol:


Hey Reno, not sure where in NJ you are, but I rode Lewis Morris on Saturday, and the trails there were very dry, with only a few wet spots, which were mostly easy to get around.  LM drians very quick.

I'll be back there either Wed or Thurs after work.  Not sure exactly when though.


----------



## bvibert (May 5, 2009)

bvibert said:


> My goals are to ride more often, launch more stuff, and pull off a wheelie drop without landing on my back.



So far I'm 0 for 3...  Well I guess I've ridden more this Spring than last, but it seems like it's off to a slow start.  I haven't 'launched' anything, nor have I even attempted a wheelie drop...

The season is still young though.  I have plenty of time to work on it.  I also want to build up my endurance so I can ride longer at a more consistent speed with fewer breaks.


----------



## RENO (May 5, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> Hey Reno, not sure where in NJ you are, but I rode Lewis Morris on Saturday, and the trails there were very dry, with only a few wet spots, which were mostly easy to get around.  LM drians very quick.
> 
> I'll be back there either Wed or Thurs after work.  Not sure exactly when though.



Never been to Lewis Morris. I live in Hamilton just outside of Trenton so I'm probably a little over an hour from there? I'll have to check that out sometime. How are the trails there?


----------

