Tuesday, I broke from tradition, and did a non-gravel ride. At the recommendation of my good friend Terry Grimes I went to Story City and rode the Greenbelt Trail down to Peterson's Pits (gravel pits, does that count as a gravel ride anyways then?) Never having been on the trail I didn't know what to expect, other than the fun and rolling trail that was described to me. Right away I picked up on a tire track that looked really fresh. It looked like an out and back set, as there were two of the same tread, almost on top of each other. I thought that I might run into Paul Varnum out there. He lives at the mid-point of this trail, but I did not see anyone else out there. This trail was a blast to ride since it is almost all flat, but with a few very minor climbs thrown in. Also, the surface ranges from black dirt, to grass, to silty powder, to deep sand. Who ever said that a Mongoose Beast is not a good trail riding bike must have their trail chosen wrong. There are right bikes for certain trail types, and this pairing was a great choice. I could spin out on some parts, and have just enough grunt to ride all but one climb. I'm not too proud to walk a climb! The whole trail is in a shallow river valley, and is dotted with some wooden bridges. Many times I have seen this woodland from the interstate and always wanted to ride it, and the gravel that snakes along side it. Now I can say that I have done just so. I rode gravel all the way back, just to get some balance for the day, and to preserve the reverse ride on the Greenbelt Trail for another time, on another bike. Later!
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