Well, it's a Karate Monkey

I took my new Surly Karate Monkey s/s out to the 'wood on Tuesday night. I picked up the frame from somebody locally for $300. It was still new in the box, so I felt it was a good deal. I had enough parts lying around (sans the crankset) to build it up so I thought I'd give s/s'ing a try. Pfood keeps telling me it's the way to build leg strength.

Since I'd never ridden a s/s before, I decided I would hit the flats first and work up to climbing on the rig. Calling it a rig doesn't seem right because it weighs in on the scales around 25.5 pounds, while not light, certainly isn't beefy either. (Similarities to it's owner perhaps?) I rode the Stining Nettle trails and all of the connectors for an hour and headed for the front of the park. As I crossed under the trestle, Paul Miller passed me and we chatted for a while. As we neared the trailhead for Grotpeter we decided to take a lap on the 'race course' and headed up Grotpeter in the CCW direction. I have to say I was surprised and pleased with the climbing efficiency of the KM. I only got hung in two spots and that was due to picking the wrong line which sapped my forward progress enought that falling became an option. The rest of the climb, while a definite workout for lungs and legs, was more rideable than I thought. We climbed all the way to the top of the Rollercoaster and Paul complimented me on my ability to clean the climb and stay with him as we 'rolled towards the heavens.'

After experiencing the ups and downs of the sweet offerings of the R'coaster trail which I must admit is simply built for a s/s, we started our initial descent towards the fireroad and then to the Love trail. The KM is fitted with the stock Surly rigid fork, which means s/s at it's purest. As I discovered further down Love, it also means you might want to consider picking a smoother line, because you're gonna feel every rock, root, rut, and imperfection the trail has to offer. (I guess I should mention my theory on downhills. I don't like to go slow. If I've had to suffer climbing the hill, I figure a little reward is due. Also I like DRJ's theory that every ride is a race and I'll only get better at descending if I continue to push myself while doing so.) I quickly learned to keep a lighter grip and flexed arms to help the bike bounce off of the trail debris and minimize the impact to my wrists and arms. I was actually enjoying the ride.

As we exited at the Ranger Station, I chatted with Paul and thanked him for making a loop with me. I then began to reflect on my ride. Does this happen to everyone on their maiden voyage on a s/s? Is this how a s/s wins your heart in a relationship only to tear it out days, weeks, or months later? Let's just hope my Karate Monkey is interested in a long-term relationship free from heartaches, heartbreak, or just a swift kick in the gut.