Bull and Jake

As some might remember, my last attempt at a relatively long day on my mountain bike didn't go exactly as I had hoped. But eager to regain my reputation (even if just to myself), I was excited when Patrick mentioned planning a trip to Bull and Jake.
When our planning began, we were set to do a 2-day-intro-to-bikepacking trip that would consist of splitting up a 65 mile loop over two days. After various injuries and general anxieties talked us out of that plan, we settled on the 25 mile loop that would start and end at our campsite.

The hour and a half drive to the North Georgia mountains is always one of my favorites, but this time it had a slight nervousness tied to it. Although I was excited about learning from Coldwater's mistakes, I was also terrified of having another crash-and-burn day.

Long story short, Bull and Jake was the most fun I've ever had on a bike ever!
We started from the Jake parking lot, which meant that the ~6 mile climb up Bull Mountain was the first thing to tackle.
Despite my GPS tracking each mile, I still wasn't quite sure when we'd start the terrible ascent. I'm really good at just blindly following the trail leader (usually Patrick) and not asking a whole lot of questions. Pat laughed at me when I finally asked when the climbing started. We had somehow gotten 75% of the way up the mountain without me really noticing. Awesome!
That was my first major confident booster of the day. The second one came once we reached the top and the descent began.
The descent down Bull is basically just a "hold on to what ya got" adventure. With very few technical areas, there's endless opportunity to keep gathering speed on the way down the mountain. The hop from singletrack to some rutted out fire roads makes it all the more fun!
Once I reached the bottom and caught back up with Patrick, I was ready for anything!

The rest of the day was, naturally, a bit more challenging. I made the mistake of looking at the elevation map, seeing Bull, and dismissing all of the other much smaller ascents. Turns out, what they lack in overall height, they make up for in steepness. Jake Mountain is filled with several short climbs and descents. Before you have a chance to catch your breath from the last downhill, you're back to climbing.

Going the direction we went, the ride ends with a quick creek crossing. Apparently, the water can oftentimes be thigh high. We got lucky with calve deep water during our visit and, being February, that was good enough for me.

Three miles, a couple of hike a bikes, and audible sighs later, we were back at the car. I was stoked to have had completed my first IMBA epic and even more stoked to still be in good spirits.

Current Gear Set-Up

Within the last month, I've been working on building up my bikepacking set up. Granted, it's been a pretty easy task thanks to a mechanically minded boyfriend, friends who've been in the game for awhile, and rad online gear swap groups.
I got some of my current gear as "starter gear" so I wasn't spending a ton of money on stuff before I knew fully what I was getting myself into. Reviews are super helpful in the process of setting up, but some things you just aren't sure what you'll need until you're actually out experiencing things for yourself.

I'll be working on doing full reviews for all of my current set up as I get more wear on them, but in the mean time, here's a comprehensive list of all the things I'm using.

Camping:
Sleeping pad: Nemo Astro Air Lite
Sleeping bag: Mountaintop Ultralight - this is a piece that I'll probably upgrade eventually, but it's perfect as a cheaper option if you're camping in mild weather & aren't ready to commit to a higher priced bag

On the bike:
Handlebar bag: Revelate Designs Sweetroll - mine is an older version that I bought second hand, but same idea
Seat bag: Revelate Designs Viscacha 
GPS: Lezyne Micro GPS
Pedals: Race Face Chester & Crank Brothers Candy 1

On my body:
Shorts: Mountain Khakis
Jersey: Specialized 
Gloves: HandUp

Dingo Cross - Dahlonega, GA

The race at Camp Merrill this past Sunday has been easily my favorite race to date.
Despite somehow sleeping through my alarm, waking up two hours late, and getting to the venue just 15 minutes before our race started, Dingo Cross was the most fun I've had on a bike all season.

Definitely one for the mountain bikers of the group. The course featured nine official barriers, including multiple log jumps, a muddy run up, a gravel pit, a creek crossing, and your every day barriers that I'm sure have an official name that I don't know. 

Although I don't think I'd want the stress of almost missing a race ever again, part of me is thankful that my first race lap was my "pre-ride." Had I been given the opportunity to scout out the course beforehand, I probably would have psyched myself out too much to properly concentrate during the race. Even when not faced with an official barrier, the course tested everyone's handling skills. From a sandy off camber remount to several deeply cut ruts, there wasn't any time to let your guard down.


So far this season, I've placed 4th in all my races except for one where I got DNF because of a flat tire and not knowing to run the rest of the course (Whoops, rookie mistake!! I know better now!)
Overall, my team has been killing it. We took the top step of the podium on our first race of the year, resulting in my teammate, Brent, to move up a category. I'm patiently waiting for my time to cat up to the elite women's field, but wouldn't be disappointed if I have a year with the Cat 4s to get my bearings a bit better.

Every race offers a whole lot of learning that I am happy to partake in. I've already met so many amazingly strong ladies at the start line who are so ready with high fives and congratulations at the finish line. ((Cross is honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me & everyone should do it))

Unfortunately, this upcoming week is an off week. I'm already so anxious to be back in race mode hanging out with all of my favorite people.
I'm planning to get in lots of mountain biking in the meantime. 

Oh! and I impulsively bought a new bike a few days ago. We missed the singlespeed race in Dahlonega, but I'm hoping to take her along for the double header in Savannah at the end of the month. 

See you guys soon! 

Right down the Middle

I've had Sophia (my mountain bike) for a week, officially! We've only had time to take her out on one proper outing so far, but I think that was enough for me to fall in love with her.
Last Monday, we ventured out to Cochran Mill Park, a nature center about 30 minutes south of the city. They have a series of trails spanning about 11 miles and ranging in skills from beginner to advanced.
Patrick was nice enough to stick to the beginner trails with me, while our other friends went to do a couple of loops around the advanced. I know I'll get better and I shouldn't be so tough on myself after a day of mountain biking, but holy cow! those beginner trails kicked my butt.

The views that come with mountain biking are definitely worth the suffering.

Once I got my sea legs (or is it trail legs?), things were overall pretty smooth sailing. Luckily, we got to the trails pretty early so, for awhile, it was only us out there. I was thankful to have my warm-up time to myself without having to worry about running across other cyclists, hikers, or dogs. However, right after leaving this beautiful river, the beginner's loop got even more intense. We climbed for what felt like forever (it was less than 500ft over 15 miles...whoops!) over rocks and roots. I quickly found out that I definitely need to study up on my climbing skill set. I'd get momentum going, but as soon as I saw an obstacle in my path, I panicked and got off my bike. Right now, the biggest goal for myself is just not be afraid. I've only ever broken my pinky finger and the thought of getting significantly hurt is always in the back of my mind.

By the end of the day, I only crashed once. Got a gnarly chain ring tattoo on the back of my leg and the most ridiculous bruise ever on my knee when a stick tried to stab into it. There's something really humorous of being on the ground and hearing your boyfriend yell "you're okay, don't cry!" as he rushes over to you. Sometimes I think he knows me a little too well...



My only problem now is that I don't want to go back to road riding. Even my 2 mile commute seems tedious now.
We're off to Chattanooga this upcoming weekend to visit my brother for Patrick's birthday. I'm real excited to check out some new trails in a new city.

Updated - absoluteBLACK Oval Chain Rings

Awhile back, Patrick was selected as a brand ambassador for a really rad company called absoluteBLACK. They specialize in creating oval chainrings for bikes of all shapes and sizes.
And perhaps my favorite thing of being someone's partner, is sharing in their excitement when something cool happens to them. So naturally, I asked him to let me take pictures of how GREAT the new chain ring looks on his bike.

absoluteBLACK offers a variety of colors for their product, which is convenient since I've found cyclists to be some of the most finicky and aesthetic driven people when it comes to their bike. (not hating, I'm quickly becoming one of them, too!)

Patrick selected the red chain ring for his new bike, a Stradalli frame with Boyd carbon wheels that he'll be using for cross season. He's great at obsessing over the smallest details on his bikes, which always turn out looking amazing in the end result.

As far as the science behind oval chainrings, studies have been done at major universities throughout the country, concluding that, unlike traditional round rings, the oval design works better with the body to transmit power more evenly with each pedal. That means riders are able to generate and maintain higher power levels.

After about a month of riding with these new chain rings, testing out all sorts of different terrain, Patrick has said that he can definitely back up the company's claims on their performance.
Living in the city, maneuvering around traffic, means that just when you get up a good cadence, you're guaranteed to hit a red light. However, with absoluteBLACK's chain rings, he is able to pick up his speed again in no time. And as someone who is consistently riding with him, I can vouch that on this bike, he takes off. 

It's not only on the road that he's seen a major difference. He bought the Stradalli as his cyclocross bike so, naturally, he's been testing it out on all sorts of gravel, mud, and grass trails. No matter what terrain he's on, the effects from the chain ring holds true. I'm excited for him to get further into his training, and for that spring rain to come and make our training all the more fun.
He stands behind absoluteBLACK to the point that he's currently planning to switch over all of his bikes to these oval chainrings...on top of the million other upgrades he's currently saving up for, of course.

New! Bike! Day!

 I have been nearly bursting at the seams waiting for mail day to deliver my new bike. After a week that felt like an absolute eternity, she's finally here!

2016 will be my first full year of riding, my first year of training, and my first year racing the cyclocross season. I wanted a bike that I could swap the tires back and forth for road to off road. I ended up getting the Felt F85X. I couldn't be happier with my decision!

First things first, she is absolutely gorgeous. When I saw the picture on Felt's website, I wasn't entirely sold, but felt like I was "settling" for a bike with good components in my price range. After seeing her in person, she easily would have been my first choice all around. Whoever was in charge of the paint scheme did a killer job! All the little turquoise details hidden around her frame continue to amaze me. 

She has a full Shimano drivetrain that shifts like an absolute dream. I've never had handle bar shifting before and now I see what most prefer it. I've been able to gear a lot more efficiently on rides.

I've never had a ~new~ bike before. I think even as a child, all my bikes where either hand-me-downs or some sort of second hand. Which was completely fine! Before July, I couldn't have cared less about cycling. All of that changed when Pat bought me my first thrift store bike...

I am over the moon with my new bike. We got in a quick little 11 miles today, just to break her into some mud and road conditions. Almost crashed attempting my first bunny hop onto a curb, but I managed to get a couple of killer moving dismounts in.

I'm anxious for the weather to keep getting better and to get even further into my training.

New Bike Day!

When Bri and I were on vacation in California, I found a crazy deal on a Specialized AWOL frame back home. As soon as we got back, I polished up the ole Trek and put her up on Craigslist.  I slowly started building this frame up, and I'll admit that I went a little crazy over the tiny details.

I picked up a set of Salsa Cowchipper bars from my good buds at Loose Nuts Cycles. I decided I wanted to use spent shotgun shells for the bar plugs. I went to Stoddard's Shooting Range to see if they had any spent 12 gauge shells, but they had none available. They were super helpful, and set me up with my own shotgun to shoot. 5 rounds later, I had my bar plugs and was ready to go.

I went with a Thomson seatpost and stem, there really was no other option to consider. Thomson makes the best bike parts, and they are a Georgia based company!

When I first started plannIng this build, I had a few products I wanted to try for the first time.  One of my favorite newer products is the ESI R.C.T. bar tape.  It is a 100% silicone bar tape with no adhesives.  It feels just like their Chunky mountain bike grips, and went on super easy.  When riding off-road, it has been amazing!

I added a Mash SF donut top cap for a little touch of flair.  The other product I was super excited about was the Spurcycle bell. While they aren't cheap, they really are worth it. Designed and manufactured in America, it is an item that I know I will have for life.

For the drivetrain, I did a full Sram Force1 hydraulic spec. I matched a 42 tooth chainring with an 11-36 cassette.  It gives plenty of climbing gears, while still having some sprint gearing.  Matched with Sram's centerline 160mm rotors, the brakes are some of the best I've ever ridden.

For the wheels, I got a pair of Stan's NoTubes Grail Pro wheels.  I added a set of the new Teravail Cannonball 700x38 tires, which have been incredible in gravel.  The detail I went the craziest over, were the wheel decals.  The stock decals are red and white, and were just too busy with how sleek the rest of the bike looked.  I found a company from Sweden called Slik Graphics, who made the custom decals. After ordering and going through the design process, it only took about a week for them to arrive. I highly recommend them for any custom decal work.

The bike came together beautifully, and I am head over heels with the ride.  I took it out for a 60 mile maiden voyage, with a ton of climbing and some off road sections.  The bike is stable, but still can be nimble and really shred off road. I can't wait for long days on fire roads and gravel paths. Next up, I am getting frame and seat bags for multi day bike trips.  This build truly was a labor of love, and I'm eager to see where it can take me.

A Quick Hello!

Hey! My name is Brianna. I'm the person behind Granny Gear Press along with the occasional help from my boyfriend, Patrick.

I started Granny Gear as a place to sell my cycling gear for every day bike explorers. I make everything from bags to caps.
I'm self taught in the industry of making so I'm constantly testing out new patterns, designs, and ideas.

When I'm not making, I'm racing my first season of Georgia Cyclocross with Loose Nuts Cycles, exploring new mountain bike trails, or just wandering around town.

This blog is a sort of visual journal for daily adventures and the drawing board for new products.