Like A Bull In A China Shop

At the trailhead ...

Curious about how the new mountain bike trails in Ozaukee County are evolving, today I returned to Pleasant Valley Park for the first time since July 7. On that initial visit I checked out the Beginners loop, and today I got to see how it and the recently-completed Intermediate loop fit together. For me, the ride was slow! These trails will definitely reward smooth riders who keep a steady tempo. That’s not me, at least not on a mountain bike.

During an hour-long exploration of the park I completed three laps of Beginner/Intermediate, getting a little faster from the experience:

But I don’t know if I ever will regard Pleasant Valley Park as a place to go fast. Maybe I shouldn’t try to; maybe I should remain an infrequent visitor even when the entire system is complete. (I hear there are some really cool features planned for the Advanced loop.) New Fane is my principal training area and a race venue where familiarity is rewarded. Maybe I should use these new trails like I already use Glacial Blue Hills: a change-of-pace venue that forces me to use skills I might otherwise neglect, and a place where I haven’t memorized every rock and root.