Heaven is Harleywood

I am not a patient man.  Five and a half hours of dealing with Friday afternoon traffic on I-64 and I-81 have made me even less so, but as I ascend the hill at Harleywood Farms just outside of Bristol, VA, (stopping only briefly for a rather skinny cow that crosses my path), my mood improves.

Round 5 of the Virginia Championship Hare Scrambles Series is this weekend.  It promises to be a good one, because there is a 4 mile "pre-ride" of the 8 mile course on Saturday, for the nominal cost of $10.  Who wouldn't want a chance to learn half the course before racing it?

I mounted a new front tire Thursday night and plan to mount a new rear after the pre-ride.  Changing tires is one of my least favorite tasks, ranking right up there with trying to get the KIPS valves lined up properly on an E-model without chucking the cylinder across the garage, (did I mention I was not a patient man?), but there is nothing like a new set of knobbies.  I opt for the IRC Volcanduro Intermediate Terrains because they are not terribly expensive, work well in almost every condition and have a decent lifespan.  Sure it would be nice to have extra wheels with tires mounted for any terrain, but who are we trying to kid here?  I've just spent the last week fixing my boots and gear with Shoe-Goo and safety wire.  Forget shoestring, this race budget is dental floss.

But it's worth it.  Just to be here.