Early start, eh? How did you get to the trailhead/staging area? It doesn't look like the WS offers transport from O'neil to the starting spot for the early starters? :?:
I hear ya on the road rides. I ventured to the dark-side this past year while in tejas. Work and the stress of being away from home meant I HAD to ride for my health and sanity. But with only one local mtb spot that was a swamp for months due to rain, the only alternative was the way of the skinny-tire . I like to think of it as the ying to the MTB yang. Each one makes me appreciate aspects of the other...And in a state where the vast majority of the land is privately-owned and inaccessible, there was something cool about never being more than a 15 min pedal to long, isolated farm roads where you could go and go and go. Not to mention that it helped me stay sane, loose 15 pounds, and improve my mtb skillz! :bang:
And SJC folks did come out of the woodwork for this one...