The pews were almost empty at Dirt Church.

The Prodigal Son returneth, and a total of two were in the congregation Sunday morning.

The Sheik posted for the first time in recent memory, again for a two-wheeled activity, and joined YHC for thirteen point something miles of Pocahontas singletrack and gravel.  The later hour of this service agrees more with his constitution, the Sheik told me, as we rolled from Fendley Station to Sunsetter to Bell Return to Gateway One to Blueberry Hill.  That pre-dawn rollout from RAMM Gears is hard to make.  Recent surgery on his knee kept him from getting back out earlier, but thankfully he got back out.

Our pace was conversational and casual,  given the Sheik’s long absence from the flock.  One of the great things about mountain biking, though, is it’s just like… um… riding a bike… in that it comes back to you quickly after you’ve been away.  A few more Sundays, and he’ll be back in form.  By the way, his new bike kicks ass like a cross-eyed Rockette.

Trail conditions were about a seven out of ten: recent rains have left some low spots soft and muddy but nothing we wanted to ride was closed.   The Faithful at FofPSP and MORE (our local trail bosses) do a great job of keeping the trails in great shape.

Slide into the pews of Dirt Church on Sunday and it’ll do your soul some good.  If the trails are closed, it becomes Gravel Church and we stay on the fire roads. If you need your gear tuned before then, find me at @bvay on Twitter.