Last week Sunday (8/11) did the Short Eight Loop up on the West Mesa as a warm up to doing one of the trails in the Tijeras area on Monday which would have been my first time but woke up Monday to see the Manzano Mts blanketed in clouds and rain showing up on radar. So I opted for an 18 mile ride on the West Mesa.
I had a great time while I was riding but after I finished I started to feel not so good. It wasn't until this past weekend that I felt better. I bagged the Sunday ride to make sure I was well rested for a ride on the Coyote | Chamisoso Loop outside of Tijeras.
On Monday morning I got up a little later than I wanted to but got to the trailhead before 10. I started grinding my way up the dirt road to Coyote Trail and after a bridge crossing (scary) I got tensed up and then I started to hit the loose rocks and ledges and struggled. Delbert's Trail was harder than I thought it would be as well. Complicating matters was an ill behaving seat post that would go down at some of the most inconvenient times as well as on some innocuous bumps. Then when I should have been enjoying Chamisoso Trail my rear tire went soft and then with about a mile to go almost flat but rode it out. It turns out I tore off two of the knobbies on the trail.
My actual ride time was about 2 hours and 11 minutes but in real time I was on the trail for closer to 3 hours. Despite the troubles it is a pretty ride and will do it again - maybe next week.
Yesterday I got seat post resolved and replaced the rear tire.
