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Carolina
Crankin'
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I'm
Jeff McNeal.
Thanks
for visiting JeffreyMcNeal.com, my personal web site. The first
version was created in the spring of 1998. It has changed a
great deal from the beginning and it's still changing. Since
I'm never satisfied, there's always gonna be something new. I
hope your visit will be enjoyable. |
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Thanks for visiting my "Carolina Crankin' page.
As a youngster I spent a lot of time riding my spider bike with my brother and friends on trails we built in the woods around our home in Winston-Salem. When I was thirteen years old I received my first road bike- a 10 speed Sears Free Spirit! I then became a road cyclist. My bicycle was a foundation from which a lot of my childhood and early teens was built on. I was inseparable from my bicycle. My brother, friends and I rode our bikes everywhere. We rode all over the whole world it seemed. For us, the "southside" neighborhood of Winston-Salem was our world. In my later 20's I became highly involved with other activities and cycling became a "back-burner" activity. And, unfortunately, I quit cycling completely. About age 33 or so, I rediscovered my love for the bicycle. It was as if a switch came on. I bought a new road bike and started cycling on a very casual level. The following year, after taking my neighbor's mountain bike for a ride, I started cycling in a big way! I traded my road bike for a mountain bike.
kid building trails in the woods. Over the next several years I became totally encapsulated with mountain biking. I read everything I could on the subject, rode different places and met a bunch of folks that were as hooked as me. Then, I decided to hit the streets again. In 1997 I decided to purchase a new road bike. I bought a Mongoose carbon fiber road bike and it did a great job of holding the carpet down! I hardly rode it and even wondered why I bought the thing. Road biking seem to be in a downswing and it was hard to find other roadies. So, I kept mountain biking. In the spring of 1998, I decided to do the Tour To Tanglewood benefit ride for MS. I would be able to ride my road bike and meet other "roadies". Training for this ride gave me a focus. 95 miles over two days was more mileage than I could recall having done- even as a teenager.
I did the Tour as part of a 900+ cyclist group. What a thrill it was. I was fortunate to get in some awesome paceline groups and be a part of something that totally excited me. In a paceline you're not just riding for yourself but for the group as well. Everyone has to do their part or the group suffers. Riding as a team was new to me. I was hooked! That was in 1998. Now, I'm a cyclist. I love to ride because it is fun- on or off the road. I have a great group of cycling friends and my skills have increased an incredible amount by riding with them. Plus, you can't do without the moral support! As for my bicycles, for road cycling I ride a one of my two Seven Cycles Axioms. One is titanium and the other steel. I believe them to be the finest road bikes I have ever sat on. It had always been my dream to own a custom built road bike and that day came in August of 2000 when I received my custom titanium Axiom. In September of 2003 I bought my steel Axiom and set it up for riding in the mountains. I guess my mountain biking days are over- for now at least. The Winston-Salem area of North Carolina has extremely limited amounts of off-road opportunities. So, when you've done the same trails over and over, forward and backwards for 15 or so years, burnout happens. For me, the fun and excitement are no longer there. After several months of kicking it back and forth I decided to get rid of my mountain bikes and buy me another cyclocross bike. I opted for a Jamis Supernova. I think I made a great choice of bike and it looks to be a lot of fun riding it. Who knows? In the future I may get back into mountain biking but at this point I don't really see it. I love my cyclocross bikes and look forward to going in that direction for now. My other off-road bike is a Specialized TriSport cyclocrosser that is a total blast to ride on the rail trails and greenways as well. I have it set up for night riding- lights mounted and ready to roll when the sun goes down
Thanks for reading. Jeff
You Can Bike With Us. Almost every weekend Jill and I do a bicycle ride of some sort and you are welcome to join us. Our road rides usually leave from Wallburg, Midway or Lewisville areas. We know some beautiful routes and are always putting together new ones. Jill and I get a bit bored doing the same routes over and over, so, we're always trying to do something different. We may ride the same roads but we rearrange them to create a "new" route. Looking for variety, we occasionally head to some of our neighboring couties to ride. Different roads and terrain offer new scenery and new challenges. There are several areas of Wilkes County that I enjoy riding especially. Our pace is usually in the 15-18mph range, depending on the terrain, conditions or just what kind of mood we're in. We tend to focus on FUN more than FAST.
Ride your bicycle and enjoy the ride. As part of our off-centered humor, our rides are what we call DRAMA FREE EVENTS (DFE). These rides are fun rides and not races. We don't try to make it a competetive type of event and we're not looking to prove who is the fastest rider. Our main goal is to have a bicycle ride that offers good fitness rewards and great fun. No whining or complaining is allowed- just enjoy your bicycle ride. That is what our DFE's are about. You may get dropped on a hill but you won't get left behind. Sound interesting to you? Well, drop me an email and I will put you on my ride list. I will drop you an email usually Thursday evening with the ride details. See you out there! Jeff
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Cycling
takes up quite a bit of my spare time so I decided to create
my Carolina
Crankin' page.
Riding
my mountain bike totally revived the reason I loved cycling.
Every stroke of the pedal was an adventure. I saw things I
never would have seen, heard sounds I never knew were there
and noticed the the world around me. Mountain biking took me
back to when I was a 
Cycling
has been, and still is, a huge part of my life. I have learned
that it isn't just a physical activity but a mental, emotional
and spiritual one as well. Mentally, cycling allows me to clear
my head of things that cause me pain, grief, stress or other
thoughts that are unhealthy or bog me down. Emotionally, it
is a way for me to vent my feelings and thoughts in a productive
manner and in a way that is ultimately rewarding. Plus, it
hurts nobody around me. And lastly, cycling is a way that I
can grow close to God. As I ride I can meditate on the things
of God and his will for my life. And, to reach the top of a
mountain on my bicycle helps me to know that I can reach, and
conquer, other summits in my life. It only takes determination
and a desire to endure the pain to overcome the obstacle.
Occasionally
we will ride our mountain bikes or cyclocross bikes. These
rides usually happen at Tanglewood Park or Salem Lake Greenway
and trails. We
both like the mountains too, so, every so often we head up
to the New River Trail or the Virginia Creeper Trail in beautiful
Virginia.