You'd think that a testosterone-inspired young guy event — like riding a mountain bike for 56 miles — would lead to testosterone-inspired young guy talk. Like about, well, I don't know — cars. Or recent drinking exploits. Or babes. Instead, for the first 45 minutes of our epic, 4 hour, 33 minute and 19 second ride we discussed faucets.

"I hate Moen," Alan said with a passion that might once have been reserved for a subject like Vietnam, Nixon or anyone over 30.

Geez, we're getting old, I thought.

Alan Nechemias (left) and me before the Birthday 56 (above) ..
... and after (below). Alan just looks like he's holding me up.

Which was exactly why we were riding at Umstead State Park on Saturday: we were getting old and we were celebrating in our own peculiar way. Alan turned 56 Saturday, I'm 52 today. We decided to add our ages, divide by two, and ride the average of our new ages — 54 — on mountain bikes. A fitting epic observance for two guys desperate to keep Coach Father Time from benching us. Physically, at least.

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This week, TORC announced the Triangle MTB XC Series, a series of five mountain bike races at local venues, culminating with the championship in September. On the eve of the first race — tomorrow's Little River, Big Race at Little River Regional Park — Sean Callihan, the man behind the series, answers a few questions about the series and offers insight into what else may be in store for local mountain bike racers.

Q: Where did the idea for the Triangle MTB XC Series come from and who's behind it?
A: As you know there are some great local trails, including some relatively new ones such as Carolina North and Little River Regional Park. We (TORC) wanted to hold a couple races to highlight these trails. Happy Fun Racing had been putting on a race at Lake Crabtree County Park the past several years and Middle Ring Racing ran a race at Harris Lake last year. We all got together and decided to combine these races and run it as a local series.

The five-race Triangle MTB XC Series begins tomorrow (weather permitting).

Q: Tell us about your background as a race organizer, including the races you organized with the Cyclopaths.
A: I’m not really sure I would consider myself a race organizer. I just have a passion for racing and going to racing events. Some people have asked “why should I come to a race and pay to ride a trail I can ride for free?”. My answer is that it is just a different experience at a race. Whether you are racing for the first time or the fortieth time, there is just something about lining up with other riders, setting out to see how well you can do, and sharing the experience with your friends once it is over. Your goal might be to just finish the race, beat a previous time, or try to make it to the podium. Or maybe it is just to come out and ride with others who enjoy mountain biking. It really doesn’t matter as long as you are riding and enjoying the camaraderie that occurs at these events.

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A jogger enjoys the Hinshaw Greenway this afternoon.

When Allen de Hart is out and about discussing his "Trails of the Triangle: Over 400 Trails in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Area" ($12.95, Blair), the second edition of which came out late last year, he always has especially nice things to say about the Hinshaw Trail. His words reflect his entry in the book: "From the distinguished Hinshaw Greenway and its dark deep forest, the relatively new trail extension offers sunshine on an artistic pedestrian bridge over U.S. 1/64."

Indeed, the 1.4-mile Hinshaw Greenway is one of the Triangle's older, more established greenways, offering passage through a lush forest. We can see how it's one of Allen's favorites.

Check out our list of favorites in next Thursday's Life, etc., section, and keep an eye out in the next few days for the launch of our new greenways site on www.triangle.com. I'll keep you posted.

A year and 362 days ago, when I turned 50, I thought it would be good to celebrate with an epic athletic feat. A century bike ride immediately came to mind, though why I'm not sure: 100 miles is certainly epic, but there's no particular significance to the "100." (Yes, 50 x 2 is 100, but then I'd have to justify the 2.) I found myself in deep thought over the matter; before I knew it, it was mid-June.

Last year, my adventure buddy Alan Nechemias and I discovered our birthdays were a day apart. (How do close friends of nine years take so long to realize that their birthdays are back-to-back? Must be a guy thing.) "We should do something epic to celebrate," we agreed. If coming up with something appropriate for a simple 50th was a challenge, imagine the challenge of trying to salute both 51 and 55. I think we ended up getting Chinese take-out and doing bike maintenance.

This year, I 'm done over-thinking. Alan turns 56 Saturday, I turn 52 Sunday. We decided to add our ages, divide by two and mountain bike the average in miles. Saturday morning we plan to shove off at 8 and ride until the odometer hits 54. (We tried to get our friend Branson Kimball in on the deal. His birthday is May 14; he'll only be 40, which would have made the ride five miles less painful.)

No rules, really. I reckon we should vow to stay on natural surface; rolling up cheap miles on paved greenway seems disingenuous. We'll probably do a loop or two at Crabtree, maybe explore one of the ... lesser advertised networks nearby. Mostly, we'll ride at Umstead. Likely, for at least half the day. Then maybe we'll pick up some Chinese.

I'll report back late Saturday, after extracting my cramped self from my SPDs. Or maybe Sunday.

Local mountain bike race impresario Sean Callihan reports the new Triangle MTB XC Series will begin this Saturday with the "Little River, Big Race" at Little River Regional Park on the Durham/Orange county line. It's a five-race series culminating with a championship race Sept. 14.

The Huck-A-Buck, pictured here in 2006, has been a Triangle staple for years.

Mountain bike races aren't new to the Triangle; Happy Fun Racing has been doing the Huck-A-Buck at Lake Crabtree for years. But this is the first series and the first racing some of the Triangle's top venues have seen. Here's the lineup:

Little River, Big Race — Saturday at Little River Regional Park
The Tarwheel — June 15 at Carolina North (previously known as the trails back behind Chapel Hill High School.
Huck-A-Buck —July 20 at Lake Crabtree County Park
Race at the Reactor — Aug. 24 at Harris Lake County Park
Leave it to Beaver Dam — Sept. 14 at the Beaverdam area of Falls Lake State Recreation Area.

There'll be racing in 13 categories, including, I'm very happy to see, High School, Junior High (uh, it's called "Middle School" now, guys) and Elementary. Great to give the kids a chance to race. Other categories: Women (Expert, Sport, Beginner), Men (Expert, Sport under 35, Sport over 35, Beginner under 35, Beginner over 35), Clydesdale (over 200 pounds) and Single Speed.
$25 for adults to race, $10 for high school kids, middle schoolers and elementary kids race free. The series is sponsored by Leith BMW.

Racing for Saturday's "Little River, Big Race" starts at 9 a.m. In a curious twist, race day registration will start at 8 a.m. at the Citgo gas station two miles south of Little River Regional Park, on Guess Road north of Durham. (Directions?)

More details later.

Susan writes with a question about the new street tattoos gracing the greenway at the N.C. Museum of Art. Susan? "Just read your blog about the tattoo on the greenway near Museum of Art. We went for a hike few weeks ago, it was a rainy day, lightly. Walking on top of the 'tattoo' was slippy. I think it can pose a danger to young kids."

I've been on that stretch of greenway a number of times since the tattoos, but not when it's wet. (A bigger concern is the gravel that spills across the trail after a good rain. Yes, if you're going the 10 mph speed limit it shouldn't be an issue; but going 10 on those descents can be a challenge — and braking on the stuff only makes it worse.)

Anyone else experiencing slippiness on the tattoos?

In my ongoing effort to use the bike for more utilitarian purposes, I come seeking advice. More and more, I find myself wanting/needing to take my laptop with me. For short distances — arbitrarily, three miles or less — I find that my messenger bag works OK. But for longer distances — and especially with the weather heating up — I'm less happy riding with this growth on my left side. It's awkward and sweaty. And, I worry about what becomes of the laptop in the event of a spill.

So I'm looking for advice on a pannier that conveniently packs a computer. It should at least be water resistant, be well-padded and cheap. The first two definitely, the latter I'm willing to budge on since riding the bike is saving me $3.55 a gallon in gas.

Suggestions?

"I'm turning up ahead on Green Level," I said to the cyclist who had suddenly — though with notice — appeared on my wheel on High House Road
"Great," he said. "Mind if I ride along for a ways?"
Which I didn't until I realized that I meant to say I was turning up ahead on Carpenter Upchurch, which he said that was fine, too, though Green Level, which is what High House turns into past Carpenter Upchurch, gets into the countryside a little faster. Which wouldn't have bothered me except that I've been riding these roads for 15 years and he, as I later learned, has lived here three weeks.
"He" turned out to be Neil Schnaak, a pilot recently released into the free agent market when the airline he worked for the in the Northeast folded. Seemed like a good time to move, so he and his wife (who grew up in Fuquay-Varina) left Connecticut for the Triangle.
Also seemed like a good time to resume riding, so Neil's been out and about, learning the local routes and committing them to memory.
"Let's turn here," I said after the Green Level/Carpenter Upchurch incident. "Here" was Green Hope School Road, and after three miles we came to NC 55. I got a sinking feeling.
"Well," said Neil, who, again, has lived here for less than a month, "we can either go left on 55 or we can carry our bikes over the railroad tracks." Green Hope School Road ends at barricaded railroad tracks just past very busy NC 55. I knew that — I just didn't ... remember.
We rode back toward town, chatting about the kind or riding we like (he's done the 7.6-mile climb up Mt. Washington, which has an average grade of 12.5 percent, about the cyclist-unfriendly traffic here, about how as a pilot he's supposed to remember things like routes and directions.
Which made our goodbye all the more suspect.
"Give me your e-mail and I'll send you some information about routes and rides in the area," I told him. Neil was wearing shades, so I didn't see his eyes roll. If they didn't, they should have. Fifteen years riding these roads and I was hike-a-biking us over railroad tracks?
Which is where y'all come in. Neil is interested in doing some group rides (he appears to be an A-B rider), seems to like hills and needs some more routes in the area, especially out of Cary (he lives near Lake Crabtree). If you have any advice for Neil — bike clubs to join, web sites to consult, newspaper columnists to read with a grain of salt —share 'em. Show Neil what a friendly biking community this is.
And help make up for my dismal performance.

So we're trying to have a nice conversation Friday night around the pool when —
Is the dog up in that tree?
— we hear this barking coming out of the trees. Sure enough, there it is again — barking. Coming out of the top of a tree directly overhead. (And yes, it was a dogwood. Still ... ) We glance down and Peyton, our corgi/lab/beagle hybrid, is firmly on the ground with ears perked. She seems equally perplexed. With each bark, her head switches from cockeyed left to cockeyed right.

"Do you mind?"

Before long, there's a somewhat similar response — from somewhere in the pool. Dogs in trees? Dogs under water? (We're drink near beer, btw.)
The kids grab flashlights and begin scanning where the pool cover starts earning its keep — the waterline that all winter has kept leaves and ooky water out of the half-filled pool. A flashlight scans — then quickly does a doubletake. There, amid the decomposing leaf litter, is a little fella belting out a tune with his throat fully distended. Looks like he's blowing a Bubbleyum bubble out his neck. We stand three feet up and stare; he holds his ground, unperturbed, in the spotlight. He's on a mission, and he's not about to let some bipeds ruin his amorous evening. Eventually, we realize this and, red faced, do a slow retreat. Meanwhile, the barking tree frogs are barking up a storm.
This little guy we've been spying on, though, doesn't seem to be making noise compatible with a barking tree frog. It's more your classic "ribbet."
Can anyone tell from this somewhat blurred photo who our amphibious friend is?
And how we can get him and his coming spawn out of the pool?

John Provetero doesn't view himself as a bike commuter: "It's more like a nice bike ride that happens to take me to work, and back." Here's a quick profile of John in our series of snapshots on folks who commute by bike — sorry, folks who engage in a nice bike ride that takes them to work and back — in conjunction with the SmartCommute Challenge and Bike to Work Week, which is next week.

Name: John Provetero
Age: 49
Where you live: Garner
Where you work: near Poole Rd. / I-440
Bike you ride: 1980 Silk Hope (gears) or 2006 Rush Hour Pro (fixed)
No. of years commuting: 3
No. of times a week you commute: 1 - 3, weather dependent
Distance: 12 miles one way
How would you describe your route? Neighborhoods, tolerable secondary roads, one busy road (Garner), greenway for ~5 miles.
Biggest logistical challenge you face- Leaving stuff at work (water, clothes) the day before. Also watching the weather while at work.
How you've dealt with that logistical challenge: Usually I can manage to leave what I need at work ahead of time, if not I carry it in a messenger bag when I ride.
I can leave early if the weather dictates, but I have been caught in thunderstorms before.
What you love most about riding your bike to work: It's not like I'm "commuting", or rushing to work in my car - it's more like a nice bike ride that happens to take me to work, and back.
Best bit of wisdom you could share with the beginning cyclist: Make plans and try it, it's not that hard. Once you do it a few times you figure out what you need / don't need, and that just makes it easier to do.
Any other thoughts? Take the long way home.

Yesterday, I said I'd be back today with more on our teacher workday escape on Cox Mountain at Eno River State Park. Well, there's been a programming change. That will now run in Fit! column in the May 11 Arts & Living section of the N&O.

An adult frolics in the Eno River as it rounds Cox Mountain.

And no, the fact that it's supposed to be sunny and in the low '80s today and rain tomorrow has nothing to do with the fact we don't have time to tell you about Cox Mountain.

Well, maybe a little.

Our profiles of bike commuters — in recognition of the ongoing SmartCommute Challenge and Bike to Work Week — continues with Mike McBrierty and his ride on a fixed gear bike from his home in Chapel Hill to RTP. If you're a commuter and wouldn't mind sharing your experience — and thus perhaps giving an inspirational nudge to an aspiring bike commuter — e-mail me and I'll send you a Q&A. It's quick and easy. (Though there are no prizes.)

Name: Mike McBrierty
Age: 34
Where you live: Chapel Hill
Where you work: Biogen Idec (in RTP)
Bike you ride: For commuting, usually my fixed gear bike built around an old Schwinn Prologue frame
No. of years commuting: on and off for 12 years
No. of times a week you commute: 2-3
Distance: 11 miles each way
How would you describe your route? My commute is all on road. Some don't have much traffic at all while others are more heavily travelled. The route has lots of short hills so I can get in a decent workout in a short time.
Biggest logistical challenge you face: I have a locker and shower at work so the clothes and stink issues aren't a problem. My biggest hurdle is dealing with meetings I need to attend outside of the office.
How you've dealt with that logistical challenge: On days that I have outside meetings I simply can't ride to work. I try to minimize the number of those days by consolidating outside meetings to 1-2 days a week.
What you love most about riding your bike to work: The ride itself! I've enjoyed riding bikes for as long as I can remember. It's difficult to find time to ride during the week, and the bike commute lets me do it.
Best bit of wisdom you could share with the beginning cyclist: Get involved in group rides where more experienced riders can offer advice and keep you encouraged. Most cyclists love to talk about anything related to bikes and are eager to get others hooked.
Any other thoughts? If you're on the fence about deciding whether or not to bike commute, just give it a try. Even if you know it won't be an everyday option for you (for whatever reason), give it a shot. Many excuses we tell ourselves can be overcome.

If it's a teacher workday in Wake County that means taking at least half the day off to entertain the troops, make it up at the office over the weekend. Small sacrifice today, with cloudless skies and temperatures flirting with 80. A great day to be in Eno River State Park, specifically on the Cox Mountain Trail.

Do you know me?

Climbing the steep, straight-up-the-hill ascent of 700-foot Cox Mountain we had ample opportunity to stare at the ground. And take note of the tail end of the Piedmont wildflower display. It reminded us that there are only two more opportunities to take advantage of the Eno River Association's annual spring wildflower walks. Held every Sunday on a different stretch of the Eno, the 2.5-hour walks are led by a naturalist who points out how spring is unveiling itself along the river.

There's a hike this Sunday, at 2 p.m., at West Point on the Eno City Park (at the intersection of the river and Roxboro Road) and the final hike of the year is next Sunday, May 11, at Occoneechee Mountain.

The hikes are free. 620-9099 or consult the Eno River Association Web site for more information and directions.

I'll return tomorrow with more on our Cox Mountain adventure.

Our profiles of bike commuters — in recognition of the ongoing SmartCommute Challenge and Bike to Work Week — continues with Rob Loomis and his bike-bus-bike commute in Raleigh. If you're a commuter and wouldn't mind sharing your experience — and thus perhaps giving an inspirational nudge to an aspiring bike commuter — e-mail me and I'll send you a Q&A. It's quick and easy. (Though there are no prizes.)

Name: Rob E. Loomis
Age: 36
Where you live: Raleigh, behind Crabtree Mall
Where you work: N.C. State Campus
Bike you ride: Marin San Rafael
No. of years commuting: All of them, to a degree, but my current commute has been going on for a year.
No. of times a week you commute: Five, unless the weather scares me into taking the bus.
Distance: Roughly 6 miles one way
How would you describe your route? Morning commute is usually a short ride to the bus stop, put the bike on the bus, ride to Cameron Village, and bike to campus on side streets. Home is mostly residential side streets, the biggest roads being Ridge (which has a bike lane, albeit one that always has at least a couple of cars parked in it) and Glen Eden. If the weather is nice and I'm not in a hurry, I go to Meredith and pick up the bike trail which takes me through the Art Museum grounds and is a very pleasant ride.
Biggest logistical challenge you face: Sweat and weather.
How you've dealt with that logistical challenge: I bus in most mornings. And I bring a change of clothes or have one waiting for me at the office. I cool off and drink my morning coffee, and when I'm sure the sweating is done, I go change into my work clothes. It's okay if I'm a sweaty and/or soggy mess when I get home at the end of the day, so I almost always bike home unless the weather is dangerously bad.
What you love most about riding your bike to work: Everything. I love being free from my car. I love knowing that I can get around under my own steam. I love being connected to the outdoors in a way that I wouldn't be if the weather was just something I stepped through on my way to my car. And I love not paying for parking. I have an unreasonable-beyond-cheapskate desire to not pay for parking.
Best bit of wisdom you could share with the beginning cyclist: Give yourself a large margin of error until you know your speed and your route. Practice fixing a flat before you have one on the road. But mostly, do it. Point your bike towards work and go. All the reasons why you can't just fade away when you're actually doing it.
Any other thoughts? For me, my car is a crutch that I can't stand needing. During times that I have relied on my car to get to work, I had never-ending anxiety that it would break down one day and leave me struggling to get it repaired and struggling to get around without it or stranded at home. My current home was chosen specifically because it enabled me to get to work without my car, and it makes all the difference. I still have a car, and I still use it, but knowing that I can easily do without it is what keeps me sane, and all that car anxiety goes away, leaving me free to be anxious about every other aspect of my life.

Our profiles of bike commuters — in recognition of the ongoing SmartCommute Challenge and Bike to Work Week — continues with Sarah Rice Scott and her urban trek to work in Raleigh. If you're a commuter and wouldn't mind sharing your experience — and thus perhaps giving an inspirational nudge to an aspiring bike commuter — e-mail me and I'll send you a Q&A. It's quick and easy. (Though there are no prizes.)

Name: Sarah Rice Scott
Age: 26
Where you live: just shy of Mordecai/Oakwood in Raleigh.
Where you work: N.C. State
Bike you ride: Bianchi Milano
No. of years commuting: nearly a year, on and off before that
No. of times a week you commute: 2-4 times, depending on weather, etc.
Distance: about 3.5 miles
How would you describe your route? The route to work is rather hilly, I'd say about 80 percent uphill, which is a bit of a drag, but the ride home is very pleasant.
I take side streets most of the way in - through Oakwood, downtown (the less busy ones), and Cameron Park. I'd say it's urban scenic. I leave early to go to the gym first so there is very little traffic. The ride home is slightly more busy.
Biggest logistical challenge you face: Mostly the sweat and my tendency to be red in the face for some time after I exert a lot of energy. I have to dress a little more casual when I ride, but I've only caught the stink eye at work a couple of times. Most obvious, though - my hair really struggles when I ride due to my commitment to wear a helmet. I'm getting better at working around this.
How you've dealt with that logistical challenge: Since I started going to the gym first to squeeze in a tiny workout, I shower there so I am virtually as fresh as a daisy when I get to work (less than a mile from gym to work). If I skip the gym,I bring a fresh shirt to change into, show up about 15 minutes early and air out in the bathroom. I'm continually working on developing helmet friendly and (mildly) stylish ways to wear my hair and not look like I've given up on life.
What you love most about riding your bike to work: Being outside and the nice ride home, which is mostly downhill. It's great not being in the car. Plus, since I have to park about a half mile away when I do drive, it only takes about 10 minutes longer to bike in and park right in front of the building.
Best bit of wisdom you could share with the beginning cyclist: Resist making excuses not to ride. Embrace the sweat. Wear a helmet. I know I look ridiculous with it on, but it's worth feeling silly to keep my head in tact.
Any other thoughts? Um, riding my bike to work is a great way to reduce stress, get in a little fitness, feel better about myself, do a little something to lessen my impact on the environment, and feel more urban.