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sasquatch69

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Everything posted by sasquatch69

  1. sasquatch69
    What a freak thing - glad you weren't seriously hurt. That's one of those "I can laugh about it now" stories that could have easily gone the other way.
  2. sasquatch69
    That's bizarre. On 9/10, did you do the little Glenn's Way extension shortly before you go back under the bridge to 1A? That one nearly caused me to go OTB last time I rode there - there's a sharp right turn right near the end that goes right into a climb up with a bunch of roots. Caught me totally by surprise, and left me humbled after navigating the climbs before that OK.
  3. sasquatch69
    Also want to say this is a really interesting thread - thanks for sharing your experiences. A question about the above: We had to replace our interior unit last year - it was a Carrier that was only 8 years old but the blower died. The HVAC guys we use (who are honest and have been great to work with) told me that I could get a Payne unit for a lower cost, and that it’s essentially the same product (since it’s part of Carrier corporate family) so it would fit our setup with fewer modifications - they just have fewer bells and whistles than the higher-end Carrier units. He mentioned that the Paynes he had were the older non-variable speed types so there was less that could break down. Since you mentioned variable speed above: Is there better profit margin in selling those, and are they indeed more problematic? I’m curious as to the benefits of them. Thanks.
  4. sasquatch69
    Thanks - that's all good info. I'm probably going to hold off on any upgrades for now (other than the RaceFace Chesters that are being delivered today) and just enjoy it as is, but fork is likely the very first thing I'll upgrade. It is indeed a straight steerer, which is weird given that it's a 2021 model, but Marin has always been a little idiosyncratic that way. It looks like Suntour has a couple straight options, and that Manitou looks good too; the RockShox Judy Silver TK Solo Air is compatible as well.
  5. sasquatch69
    Well, you can disregard my request for advice above because today turned into New Bike Day for me. Got a great deal on this Marin 29er, and it meets all my criteria for being incrementally upgradeable. It's got a decent Shimano 2x9, which I'll likely eventually replace with an SRAM 1x12 once budget allows, and already has dropper post routing if I want to add that later. But for now, I'm excited to ride it - and finally be the owner of a more current bike.
  6. sasquatch69
    On a related note, the 29er I've been borrowing the past few weeks has been great, and I'm ready to take the plunge to buy my own - but the above (500-600) is my price range for now. Locally, there's a guy selling a L 29" Specialized Rockhopper Sport, and another guy selling a L 29" Giant Talon 3, both for the same price. I realize they're considered entry-level, but they both meet a minimum standard of quality I expect. The Giant seems to get slightly better reviews, and it's an 8x2 drivetrain (which I prefer over the 3 up front with the Specialized). Some bike forum folks also say the Giant is more upgradeable. Your thoughts?
  7. sasquatch69
    Lockwood Distillery in Richardson just announced they're opening a FW location at Magnolia and Fairmount. We're big fans of the original location - the owners are great people, delicious food, pretty solid gin/whiskey - so I hope their expansion west goes well for them.
  8. sasquatch69
    Did ~30 more miles on the 29er this weekend - at Erwin, Katie Jackson, RCP and Horseshoe - and feeling more and more used to it. I decided to try out Strava to start officially tracking my rides, and for the most part the functionality is exactly what I'm looking for. However, the mileages across the board are lower than both my bike computer and the official distances listed on Trailforks. For example, the total loop at Erwin is just over 9mi, but the Strava app said it was 8; combined loops at Horseshoe total 5mi, but Strava said 3.8. Dug online a bit and it looks like iOS is notorious for GPS shorting distances for tracking apps like this, and they recommend using a Bluetooth cadence tracker and pairing it via the Wahoo Fitness app. Anyone have experience with this? Any advice?
  9. sasquatch69
    Totally understood. I'm not a big fan of Northshore either - crowded and difficult.
  10. sasquatch69
    I rode Frisco once, and while OK, it wasn't worth the loooong drive up northwest when I can drive the same distance to the superior Horseshoe or Erwin (or a tiny bit further to Boulder or Big Cedar). Did nearly 11mi at RCP tonight - rode loop 1 to the temp bypass, then 8-12, then back down to 2-5 on the south side (I'd heard 6 was totally overgrown so I skipped it). After my rough first outing on the 29er at Northshore, this was a totally different experience - it gave me plenty of time to get used to the different feel. The last few miles were glorious. Jury is still out on whether the XL frame is the best fit for me (I need to try an L) but now I get the hype about the bigger wheels and modern geometry.
  11. sasquatch69
    https://tenor.com/view/sasquatch-gif-21839775
  12. sasquatch69
    My Philmont pack was a 70L Gregory Reality, and it performed well. There is a hole in the bottom of the brain that slowly got bigger over the course of our trek, and I'm waiting to see if Gregory will cover repair (it's an older pack and all their models have changed, so we'll see). The folks in our crew with newer Gregory packs were very pleased with them as well. For tent, I used an Alps Lynx 1 for Philmont (and a dozen camping nights before that) and have been very happy with it. Durable, fully enclosed with mosquito net-type material so I've never had any issues with bugs, and light (4lb total, and you can get it down further if you go with ultralight stakes). Felt roomy given its size, and didn't leak at all in a couple heavy downpours (one with small hail). Only issue I had was a broken zipper on the rain fly, and they are shipping a free replacement with no hassle.
  13. sasquatch69
    I didn’t really know what to expect. I did notice that it was more difficult to get little bursts of acceleration going up small hills, over big roots, etc. compared to my current 26”-wheel bike. But longer, shallower climbs were definitely easier - and the geometry of the bike (Rockhopper) was much more comfortable than the forward posture of my current older bike. The big question is going to be size. I’m 6’ and have been riding a L frame all these years; the Specialized is an XL. It didn’t feel too big overall, but the larger frame and tires definitely combined to make it more challenging. Northshore was probably not the best first-time-out place to try it, so I’m going to try a few rides at KJ and Rowlett to get a better feel for it.
  14. sasquatch69
    Difficult, grindy 7mi or so at Northshore this am, my first time on a bike in nearly a month after a long hiking trip away from home. Had to stop 3-4 times - I don’t think I drank enough water beforehand (and I’m probably not fully recovered yet). The good news is that it was my first time riding a 29er - a fairly new Specialized hardtail belonging to a friend - and it didn’t kill me. I’m borrowing it for a while to see if I can get used to it, and if so I may end buying it as a bridge until I can save up for a modern full squish (as he recently did). I think my days of riding the trusty 1990s GT are numbered - it’s lasted a long time but starting to break down more and more often.
  15. sasquatch69
    Nice - do you know what itinerary they were on?
  16. sasquatch69
    Just got back from Philmont (posted more on the hiking thread). I was really intrigued by the change in their approach to conservation and fire prevention that occurred after the Ute Park fire in 2018 (which has left a huge chunk of Philmont closed, likely for years to come). This video does a great job talking about the fire and what has changed since.
  17. sasquatch69
    Tents with sunset? That's Dan Beard, but on the Valle Vidal side. We were at Whiteman Vega one night after a long slog across flooded fields, and we didn't get to do the mountain bike program due to mud (and disinterested camp staff).
  18. sasquatch69
    Yes - we hiked up the mesa from Rich to Pueblano, did day program there and then onto Baldy Skyline. We got lucky and got two nights at Copper Park so we summited from there and then returned for a second night. Went from there to Miranda for our final night on the trail and did both rifles and tomahawks.
  19. sasquatch69
    Fantastic 12 days at Philmont. We figured out that we did about 120 miles of hiking with nearly 4,000' of total elevation gain. Besides the usual early-afternoon showers, weather was great. - we only got caught in one big thunderstorm as we were going up and over Windy Gap, which sucked, but otherwise we were really lucky. Scouts got their work done each day with minimal drama, and the advisors had a blast. My left ankle started swelling up about Day 7, but between a wrap, a compression sock and Advil/Tylenol, I kept it mostly under control. Our scouts' favorite moments were the singalong at Rich Cabins, the campsite/views and program at Miranda, and summiting Baldy on a clear day (up at 4, on the trail by 5:30, at the summit just after 9). I'm exhausted, but already hoping our younger son wants to go in a few years.
  20. sasquatch69
    We're planning out our coming year of campouts, etc. We've got some solid plans on paper, but our PLC tends to lean towards fun campouts we've done in the past. Mostly, that's fine, but I'd love for them to consider new ideas. Anyone (particularly those in North Texas area) have any suggestions for really fun campouts you did/campout destinations that were unique or different? Thanks.
  21. sasquatch69
    Thanks, helpful tips. Day 1 of trek is Tuesday; we're driving up Monday and staying in Raton. We did a full weekend campout/hike at Caprock Canyon a few months back to get used to backpack camping/meals/etc, and had some good takeaways from that.
  22. sasquatch69
    I remember you mentioned that happening at KJ earlier in the thread, but I thought it was on a skinny. Happening on a drop makes more sense (although I still skip the uber-skinny at the end of Red). The runout on Ranger is fun and twisty, although right now it's pretty overgrown.
  23. sasquatch69
    Usually just Ranger and Maverick. I'm too chicken-s to try the others.
  24. sasquatch69
    Leaving on Monday for a 12-day trek with a crew from my son's BSA troop at Philmont. We've been doing shakedown hikes for months at the few spots with any elevation gain here in Dallas (Cedar Ridge, etc.), and early-morning stair climbing sessions with full packs the past few weeks at a local parking garage. We also did 5 days in Taos last week for a family event, and got in a couple more hikes there with packs to practice at altitude (Devisadero Loop and Williams Lake). As for pack (a 70L Gregory), I've done several rounds of packing/evaluating/repacking, and have a fitting today at REI just to make sure both our packs are good to go. Been reading Reddit threads for tips as well, so I feel as prepared as I can be without having been before. Having said all that, any last-minute tips from folks who've been?
  25. sasquatch69
    I did KJ Tuesday morning after we got back in town - similar experience. Five days of vacationing and poor (but delicious) meal choices - even with a lot of physical activity, since we were in the mountains - led to a rough ride. Warmed up with blue, then red, then blue again and then yellow with a couple drops. Kicked my butt.

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