On this day it was manageable. Yeah I don't attempt it on super hot days which its been alot lately.
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Mountain Biking 2017!
Speaking of holes in the ground. I believe it was in this thread that we discussed test pits and their hazards to mountain biking.
Here is one that is purposely part of the trail and can be ridden for full laps around the top.
Other pits can be less hospitable. I'll try to get a picture of one or two of those when I'm out riding (again.)
The Jessie Mill at the north end of Gold Run Gulch.
Here is one that is purposely part of the trail and can be ridden for full laps around the top.
Other pits can be less hospitable. I'll try to get a picture of one or two of those when I'm out riding (again.)
The Jessie Mill at the north end of Gold Run Gulch.
Its been terrible hot lately but we just had some storms run through that cooled if off a lot! Yesterday when Brian was riding it was in the high 80's, but there's usually a breeze up there, so that helps.
I just like it when you do this routine because you come to our house and cook.
It was great having you for dinner.
Thread Starter
TS
Marshall Mesa was dry on Sunday except a few spots. It's pretty exposed so should dry relatively quickly.
Yeah - I've been thinking about that. But driving to Marshall Mesa when I'm not already in Boulder is a pretty long haul. Rabbit is also pretty sun exposed, so I'll likely try that tomorrow morning if it's not already raining cats and dogs ... but I've had some pretty crazy experiences with the mud on the Little Thompson Overlook part of Rabbit in the past. So much sticky mud my wheels would stop turning. I guess I'll find out one way or the other.
Its been showery up here all week so the dirts been better than normal. I'm reduced to after work night rides for the next several days but something about a meteor shower coming up I'm gonna have to get on that.
I dropped down to Reno to take the Carson Valley route back to kwood as I wanted to avoid traffic and needed groceries/home depot. You're right that was some big showers that blew across Reno and man was the air pleasant on the drive back. Really looking forward to September when it cools a bit and the masses slack off a little (assumption?)
I dropped down to Reno to take the Carson Valley route back to kwood as I wanted to avoid traffic and needed groceries/home depot. You're right that was some big showers that blew across Reno and man was the air pleasant on the drive back. Really looking forward to September when it cools a bit and the masses slack off a little (assumption?)
Wild that it stormed in Reno this afternoon, I was hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail off Luther Pass and it was beautiful! Saw lots of mountain bikes between Big Meadow and Round Lake. Went down to Lake Tahoe after the hike and had a nice refreshing swim. Beautiful afternoon.
Tahoe Mountain Loop yesterday,
Armstrong Pass out & back today...
New helmet, new shoes, new feature.
Armstrong Pass out & back today...
New helmet, new shoes, new feature.
I rode the full Rabbit this morning - up the initial climb, left up to Little Thompson Overlook, then right and across the dirt road to the Eagle Wind Loop. About 6 miles total.
I remember this area as having a few tough rocky sections, but overall being a trail where I could ride all but a few very specific spots. And I complained earlier about how they'd sanitized the initial climb, so I guess I'd expected the rest of the ride to have been cleaned up, too. But wow, there's a lot of rock. I had forgotten how "fun" it is to slam my pelvic bone into the headset. I also tipped over a few times, and just plain walked some sections. I even had one of those tips where you end up with the handlebars trapping your body against the bike ... good times. But despite all of this, or maybe because of it, I enjoyed the ride. Had to wash chunks of mud off my legs when I got back home, which I haven't done in a long time and which made me smile.
Views from the Little Thompson Overlook:
Here's a view down part of the segment I rode with the Pivot Firebird a week or two ago. Interesting - I thought the SB5 handled it better, or at least just as well. I suppose slow, small, continuous rocks may not be the ideal test case for the Firebird.
In retrospect - Rabbit's trails were never well designed to mitigate erosion. I suspect a lot of rock was exposed with the floods several years ago. Obviously, it's not possible that I've become a more timid rider since I last visited Rabbit ... (Oh, yes, it's possible. But I don't think that's the whole story.)
I was conscious of not wanting to damage the trail, and I think I did pretty well, aside from some extremely slick puddles that made my bike fishtail. I left a very light tire print on the dirt in a few places, and there's enough rock that in many places there was no chance of a tire print at all. Still, the clay mud stuck to absolutely everything - my bike, me ...
There was a controlled burn a couple of days ago, which made some of the sections sort of spooky and gave the whole area a mild, oddly pleasant campfire smell.
My poor bike after all the fun:
I even somehow got dirt chunks stuck to the seat.
Yes, @AmyPJ , I did actually hose it down immediately when I got back!
I remember this area as having a few tough rocky sections, but overall being a trail where I could ride all but a few very specific spots. And I complained earlier about how they'd sanitized the initial climb, so I guess I'd expected the rest of the ride to have been cleaned up, too. But wow, there's a lot of rock. I had forgotten how "fun" it is to slam my pelvic bone into the headset. I also tipped over a few times, and just plain walked some sections. I even had one of those tips where you end up with the handlebars trapping your body against the bike ... good times. But despite all of this, or maybe because of it, I enjoyed the ride. Had to wash chunks of mud off my legs when I got back home, which I haven't done in a long time and which made me smile.
Views from the Little Thompson Overlook:
Here's a view down part of the segment I rode with the Pivot Firebird a week or two ago. Interesting - I thought the SB5 handled it better, or at least just as well. I suppose slow, small, continuous rocks may not be the ideal test case for the Firebird.
In retrospect - Rabbit's trails were never well designed to mitigate erosion. I suspect a lot of rock was exposed with the floods several years ago. Obviously, it's not possible that I've become a more timid rider since I last visited Rabbit ... (Oh, yes, it's possible. But I don't think that's the whole story.)
I was conscious of not wanting to damage the trail, and I think I did pretty well, aside from some extremely slick puddles that made my bike fishtail. I left a very light tire print on the dirt in a few places, and there's enough rock that in many places there was no chance of a tire print at all. Still, the clay mud stuck to absolutely everything - my bike, me ...
There was a controlled burn a couple of days ago, which made some of the sections sort of spooky and gave the whole area a mild, oddly pleasant campfire smell.
My poor bike after all the fun:
I even somehow got dirt chunks stuck to the seat.
Yes, @AmyPJ , I did actually hose it down immediately when I got back!
Just 2 of us today. Patrick made it first try. I hit my pedal right at the top & dabbed on first attempt. Cleaned it second try
.
Tahoe dirt is riding real nice at the moment
Yaay for clean bikes!
I am considering entering a race next weekend at Beaver Mountain. I have NO idea what the course is like, as it was just cut a year ago, with more opened recently. Thinking I'll go scope it out tomorrow. I am enticed by the age divisions for this race. I have no interest in trying to compete with 20- and 30-somethings. But, at least according to Strava, I'm not exactly a slowpoke when I ride, particularly amongst my age peers.
I am considering entering a race next weekend at Beaver Mountain. I have NO idea what the course is like, as it was just cut a year ago, with more opened recently. Thinking I'll go scope it out tomorrow. I am enticed by the age divisions for this race. I have no interest in trying to compete with 20- and 30-somethings. But, at least according to Strava, I'm not exactly a slowpoke when I ride, particularly amongst my age peers.
Oh, good idea! I didn't have anything with me that would squirt effectively. Although this "dirt" was so heavy with clay that even the strongest hose setting took quite a while.
My eyes got super red last night and itchy/dry, and they're still itchy today and a little red. Can you have a delayed reaction to smoke particles, I wonder?
I use a particular bottle with a useless (for drinking) opening. It is super small thus fires off a thin stream under extra pressure. Sometimes you have to manually remove the bulk before the water can help.
There was a race in Maine one summer a long time ago where each lap had a section that went through an unmowed field that was muddy to walk through, much less try to ride. It was like adobe if you didn't get it out before it dried. Some carried, others rode then cleaned. The people that didn't finish rode then didn't clean. It was that bad.
Needless to say, I've found that cleanliness of the drive train is paramount to good shifting performance. I'm a bit obsessive, but my riding benefits significantly from it.
There was a race in Maine one summer a long time ago where each lap had a section that went through an unmowed field that was muddy to walk through, much less try to ride. It was like adobe if you didn't get it out before it dried. Some carried, others rode then cleaned. The people that didn't finish rode then didn't clean. It was that bad.
Needless to say, I've found that cleanliness of the drive train is paramount to good shifting performance. I'm a bit obsessive, but my riding benefits significantly from it.
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