The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Missed out on the asthma powder,  I never was bad enough to have to use the powder inhaler things, but I did have a prescription aerosol inhaler, and Primatene mist worked ok in a pinch.  I do remember these particularly foul tasting pills called Marax  that made me feel pretty funky (some type of high).

I too sense that my lungs, at least as a younger dude, were pretty good, mostly based on holding breath underwater.  But being winded still is intensely, and irrationally uncomfortable for me.

Also, I should probably give some context to my comment about exercise as a kid.  Back in the 80s, other than maybe track athletes or mutli-sport, we did some conditioning leading up to our season and during the season, as practice time allowed.  And we generally were lumps the rest of the year, maybe circuit training or jogging/running for the insane.  As opposed to now, where I attempt pretty high effort exercise year round.  That just wasn't much of a thing back then.

Edited May 16, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Loco 3752]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Missed out on the asthma powder,  I never was bad enough to have to use the powder inhaler things, but I did have a prescription aerosol inhaler, and Primatene mist worked ok in a pinch.  I do remember these particularly foul tasting pills called Marax  that made me feel pretty funky (some type of high).

I too sense that my lungs, at least as a younger dude, were pretty good, mostly based on holding breath underwater.  But being winded still is intensely, and irrationally uncomfortable for me.

Also, I should probably give some context to my comment about exercise as a kid.  Back in the 80s, other than maybe track athletes or mutli-sport, we did some conditioning leading up to our season and during the season, as practice time allowed.  And we generally were lumps the rest of the year, maybe circuit training or jogging/running for the insane.  As opposed to now, where I attempt pretty high effort exercise year round.  That just wasn't much of a thing back then.

Oh I didn't have the powder inhaler...  I had the powder from in that picture, you'd make a small pyramid and light it at the top, it would slowly burn and you'd inhale the smoke (sounds great for Asthma no?)  I played sports year round (soccer, lacrosse, wrestling) and rode a bike everywhere  Just had to know 1/3 times I'd have to use an inhaler.

I took Theophylline (pills) and had to carry this sexy thing...

 

Got better in highschool...  Went to UF and was put in the oldest, moldiest, un-airconditioned dorm...  and was pretty much cured in 2-3 months.   Now I only get asthma if I get a cold or the flu...  

/csb

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

I am annoyed at all the trail apps.  I find it quite frustrating that most of them divide a trail system into its "components" or loops, meaning that's the sort/find criteria not the trailhead or system that it belongs to.  And the loops are frequently named generically (orange, red, blue) so there may be five entries for "blue loop" and it can be hard to discern which trailhead/system it belongs to.  Also, entire loops will be missing when sorted by trailhead/system.

Another annoyance.  I am having to go to new trails (not a bad thing) because of the weather (a bad thing) and, because of my injuries, want to know as much as possible about the new trail.  This is what's leading to the annoyance above.  But this particular annoyance is that I am looking at going to what is reputed to be one of the best trails in DFW, Big Cedar.  One of the reasons it's the best is it has a bunch of shit on it that I have no business riding, even in perfect condition, e.g. black diamond stuff that even Colorado and west coast riders respect.

So I am trying to suss out the green and blue loops at Big Cedar so as not to endanger myself.  First off, there look to be 2-3 green trails.  Great.  But they are all off a main loop that is blue/black.  And it looks like there is no way to get to them or get back to the trailhead without doing the whole blue/black loop.  What's the fucking point?  And I can't really figure out how blue or black the main loop is.  There's a long climb, that's fine, and there may be a long descent, which may or may not be fine.  And zero discussion of what other stuff might be on this five-mile loop.

Is this lack of information on trails just because our trails aren't that heavily used, or is it everywhere?

Edited May 17, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

 Does MTB Project have an app? Their database seems to be the most comprehensive and up to date from what I've seen outside of tracking software like Strava, but as you noted, those apps aren't the best for broader perspectives.

Here's an example from the MTB Project website:

https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8008063/pocatello

Just how bad has the weather been for y'all? Is it storming every day?

[CooterBrown 17762]

6 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

 Does MTB Project have an app? Their database seems to be the most comprehensive and up to date from what I've seen outside of tracking software like Strava, but as you noted, those apps aren't the best for broader perspectives.

Here's an example from the MTB Project website:

https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8008063/pocatello

Just how bad has the weather been for y'all? Is it storming every day?

I hate Strava with a passion.  All Trails is the best app I have found.  It's great for exploring new trails and tracking your rides.  You can switch easily between streets, topo, aerials, and hybrid maps.  It tracks stats like splits, elevation cross section, etc.   I like it so much that I paid the $99 for the lifetime access to all features.  I've never paid more that a couple of bucks for any app.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

I like the MTB Project app, but only use it to see where I am on trails

 

[KuЯdt 248]

So many great pics from you guys this spring ... except KuЯdt.
Dude ain't pulling his weight. Somebody make it quit raining wherever he lives so he can hit the trails and show off, damnit.
On a more serious note, I'm having a tough time losing weight this year. Fugging sucks lugging 20-30 pounds of extraneous flab up a 6-mile climb. Maybe I am getting old. Or maybe I should lay off the cheeseburgers.
Either way, I blame Bag o' Dicks Bob Stoops. OU sucks.

LOL. Yes, I am definitely slacking. I looked back through my pics and this made me realize that I don't take many photos while riding. I'll try to do more of that.
Anyway, here are a couple from recent rides.

This is from a trail near my house during bluebonnet season:



And this is from one of my favorite trails at Pedernales Falls State Park:

[KuЯdt 248]

3 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

I am annoyed at all the trail apps.  I find it quite frustrating that most of them divide a trail system into its "components" or loops, meaning that's the sort/find criteria not the trailhead or system that it belongs to.  And the loops are frequently named generically (orange, red, blue) so there may be five entries for "blue loop" and it can be hard to discern which trailhead/system it belongs to.  Also, entire loops will be missing when sorted by trailhead/system.

Another annoyance.  I am having to go to new trails (not a bad thing) because of the weather (a bad thing) and, because of my injuries, want to know as much as possible about the new trail.  This is what's leading to the annoyance above.  But this particular annoyance is that I am looking at going to what is reputed to be one of the best trails in DFW, Big Cedar.  One of the reasons it's the best is it has a bunch of shit on it that I have no business riding, even in perfect condition, e.g. black diamond stuff that even Colorado and west coast riders respect.

So I am trying to suss out the green and blue loops at Big Cedar so as not to endanger myself.  First off, there look to be 2-3 green trails.  Great.  But they are all off a main loop that is blue/black.  And it looks like there is no way to get to them or get back to the trailhead without doing the whole blue/black loop.  What's the fucking point?  And I can't really figure out how blue or black the main loop is.  There's a long climb, that's fine, and there may be a long descent, which may or may not be fine.  And zero discussion of what other stuff might be on this five-mile loop.

Is this lack of information on trails just because our trails aren't that heavily used, or is it everywhere?

 

Have you tried Trail Forks?  If not, give that one a shot.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

2 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

 

Have you tried Trail Forks?  If not, give that one a shot.

I have.  It still sorts by trail or loop and "system" second.  At least around here, all the trails have a common trailhead with a trail "name" and various "loops" or individual trails or segments, and sorting by "loop" is weird and gives erratic results.  See, e.g. www.dorba.org/trails.php  It's probably different in more mtb-centric places.

Past that, they're pretty similar.  I do like Alltrails.  MTB Project and Trailforks seem to have the most actual information about trails, but it's still sketchy and often outdated.

So, in all my mucking around trying to figure out Big Cedar, I decided to go to old standby Oak Cliff Nature Preserve.  Somehow I convinced myself that it was open and apparently rode right by the sign it was closed.  Shit.  Edit: its facebook says open as of yesterday, but sign was flipped and dorba says closed. I dunno, man.

Anyway, my mind is not right.  I stayed off the harder stuff, but OCNP is full of roots and 1-2 foot limestone drops that I usually cruise.  But I flinched on a lot of it today, fearing what the bumps might do to my collarbone (answer:  nothing), and conjuring mental scenarios where I lose my grip on the left side (still a 2.something finger grip).  Also part of my downtime is that I lost my comfort factor with 780mm bars.  I started to get my testes back at the end of the ride, but geez. 

We havent had a full week free of rain in 2019, I don't think.  And even if we have, the rains we've gotten have been torrential, soaking rains.  The low-lying trails may not dry out until July.  A couple maybe not in 2019.  Rain tomorrow!!!

Edited May 17, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[KuЯdt 248]

Around here, a lot of the trail systems are "homegrown" or at least grow organically over the years.
The trails I ride the majority of the time are collectively known as the South Austin Trail Network. There is somewhere around 70 miles altogether, but there's no map nor is all of it necessarily sanctioned.
The "crown jewel" of Austin mtb is the Barton Creek Greenbelt. There are good maps, but they will only show you the main trail, which you will hate because it's full of hikers and dogs and patchuli. All the fun back trails either require a guide, or years of exploring. And there's some seriously gnarly shit on those trails.

I think the only places around here with good maps like you're looking for are state and lcra parks, and mtb specific places like Flat Creek or Spider Mountain.

It sounds like maybe the dfw area is similar. I guess I just use the apps to sort of put together a route in my head based on the segments available. But it would be nice to have full maps of an entire trail system.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

38 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

Around here, a lot of the trail systems are "homegrown" or at least grow organically over the years.
The trails I ride the majority of the time are collectively known as the South Austin Trail Network. There is somewhere around 70 miles altogether, but there's no map nor is all of it necessarily sanctioned.
The "crown jewel" of Austin mtb is the Barton Creek Greenbelt. There are good maps, but they will only show you the main trail, which you will hate because it's full of hikers and dogs and patchuli. All the fun back trails either require a guide, or years of exploring. And there's some seriously gnarly shit on those trails.

I think the only places around here with good maps like you're looking for are state and lcra parks, and mtb specific places like Flat Creek or Spider Mountain.

It sounds like maybe the dfw area is similar. I guess I just use the apps to sort of put together a route in my head based on the segments available. But it would be nice to have full maps of an entire trail system.

Well, it is kind of different.  DORBA sponsors/stewards just about all the trails.  There are good trail maps on most of them on the DORBA site, and some more info on the applicable facing book page, if any (the use of facebook grinds my gears bigtime).  The maps are generally accurate and fairly up to date, but any additional information varies with the steward and "friends of the trail."  Some have fairly accurate green/blue/black ratings, but without "whys," some have vague general warnings about certain loops ("not beginner friendly"), and others have nearly nothing.  Trail markings vary wildly from nonexistent, to existent but ineffective, to damn good Including the "mile marker" things to use on 911.

Alltrails is pretty good about grouping things together by trailhead.  The maps are just ok for locating oneself on the trail, which is more a function I think of GPS accuracy than anything, but there may be something about the maps's scale that makes it tougher.  Trailforks seems to be better for that purpose..  MTBproject and Trailforks are bad about just having loops (segments) without necessarily good or consistent correlation between the loops and the larger trail.

Edited May 17, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[KuЯdt 248]

DORBA looks like a pretty nice resource to have.  We don't really have that here, strangely enough.  There is the Austin Ridge Riders, but they don't keep status updates nor maps of the various trails.  But they do all kinds of great work with trail building and maintenance.

Man, most of the trails on the DORBA site have a status of CLOSED, with more rain on the way tomorrow!  bummer...

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Yeah, they do a nice job.  Fund trail maintenance, organize a few races and clinics every year, do a lot of interfacing with the city and other land managers, maintain the website  Sometimes the politics in it are amusing/disturbing.  I guess that's right about Austin.  Fort Worth has FWMBA for their two trails.  Houston has GHORBA, but I have never seen any reference to the main Austin MTB origanization.

[Loco 3752]

 

[CooterBrown 17762]

 

Well, that was bad ass.

[KuЯdt 248]

The rain mostly missed us yesterday, so I was able to get in a decent ride today. Only muddy in a few shaded spots, and the limestone was super greasy. And humid as fuck.

Bonus pic - multiple choice ledge drop:

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Someone tell me later in the week if those South Austin trails are muddy or rideable. 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Are you guys big proponents of bigger tire in front?  All this pavement riding and maybe just Vee OEM tires have them a bit worn and about to lose a side lug or two.

Based on other recs, I'm looking at Maxxis Rekons and Ikons.  As far as I can tell, the Ikon is a little more XC than the Rekon, and so might make a better rear tire.  I could go Rekon/Rekon 2.4.  Or Rekon 2.4/Ikon 2.35, or go nuts and go Ikon 2.6/Rekon 24..  But that last flips the fast roller with the cleats.  Legit 2.5 is as wide as I should go in back.

Rekon 2.4 F/R is the cheapest, but I have Amazon bucks to use.

I suppose I should add that I spend probably 2-3x as much time going up or flat as down, so any downhill benefits are pretty much n/a.

Edited May 21, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

I've been riding mismatched (wider and knobbier up front, lighter and a more pronounced centerline in back) tires for a decade now. Sometimes I match brands, sometimes not.

Wider, knobbier front floats and tracks better. Better roller in back means more efficient pedaling for most of your ride. For me, the choice of rear tire is a compromise between weight, grip, rolling resistance, and puncture protection. My front tire isn't a compromise--I go with what gives me the most confidence and predictability.

Disagree about downhill benefits being inapplicable. Like you, I spend between two and three times as long climbing as I do descending, but I'm going much faster on the descent, so grip--particularly predictable grip--is critical.

I don't have much experience on Maxxis rubber outside of Race TT (formerly Larsen TT) and Ardents. Since you're not considering either, I'll limit my feedback to a strong recommendation against running an Ardent up front. Heard the plus-sized versions aren't as bad, but the 2.25-incher that came stock on my squishy was absolutely terrifying on loose over hard.

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

13 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

I've been riding mismatched (wider and knobbier up front, lighter and a more pronounced centerline in back) tires for a decade now. Sometimes I match brands, sometimes not.

Wider, knobbier front floats and tracks better. Better roller in back means more efficient pedaling for most of your ride. For me, the choice of rear tire is a compromise between weight, grip, rolling resistance, and puncture protection. My front tire isn't a compromise--I go with what gives me the most confidence and predictability.

Disagree about downhill benefits being inapplicable. Like you, I spend between two and three times as long climbing as I do descending, but I'm going much faster on the descent, so grip--particularly predictable grip--is critical.

I don't have much experience on Maxxis rubber outside of Race TT (formerly Larsen TT) and Ardents. Since you're not considering either, I'll limit my feedback to a strong recommendation against running an Ardent up front. Heard the plus-sized versions aren't as bad, but the 2.25-incher that came stock on my squishy was absolutely terrifying on loose over hard.

 

Thanks, yeah, loose over hard is one of my main criteria and Ikons and Rekons have been recommended.  I may go with the chonker up front.

And, somehow in DFW, on most trails, we manage to get uphill without corresponding downhill.  You really have to look for trails with more than about 25-50 yards of steepish descent.  Of course our hills are probably middling too, but maybe not.  Check the topo on the Big Cedar Wilderness Ranger trail that I was looking at:  https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/3809201/ranger-trail

That's regarded as the most extended descents in DFW, generally.  It's got the downhill, alright, but manages to have steeper climbs than descents.

Edited May 21, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Pretty much all of my trails have equal amount, mileage wise, of gain and descent.  The trails are all meant to be rode either direction, so it's really up to you how you want to tackle it.  But every climb has to come back down to return to your starting point (and vehicle).

[Your Mom 4763]

On 5/20/2019 at 2:54 PM, dingleberryswitzer said:

Someone tell me later in the week if those South Austin trails are muddy or rideable. 

I'm tentatively planning to gonna go explore a few tomorrow.  I know the Slaughter Creek Loop off 1826 had opened, but then closed again this morning.  I was on the network between Brodie and Escarpment a couple days ago and they were drained and mostly dry.  Of course we had more showers this morning,  

[Your Mom 4763]

On 5/19/2019 at 7:39 PM, KuЯdt said:

The rain mostly missed us yesterday, so I was able to get in a decent ride today. Only muddy in a few shaded spots, and the limestone was super greasy. And humid as fuck.

Bonus pic - multiple choice ledge drop:

Is that that trail off Wm Cannon near SW Parkway?

[KuЯdt 248]

Is that that trail off Wm Cannon near SW Parkway?

No it's near 45/1826. Right behind Bear Lake in Meridian.
There is a bowl area back there with a bunch of downhill runs, pretty fun.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

8 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

No it's near 45/1826. Right behind Bear Lake in Meridian.
There is a bowl area back there with a bunch of downhill runs, pretty fun.

That rat thar in the pitcher is a DFW downhill run.  It's kind of comical.  I read all about attack position and pedals level heels down and then I realized I can only use it in about 5-10% of riding around here.

Edited May 22, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[KuЯdt 248]

I pretty much agree with everything Braff said re: tires.
The ardent is indeed shit as a front tire. I had a 2.25 and didn't like it so moved it to the back and put a 2.4 ardent up front. Better, but has a huge gap between the outer knobs and the next level. So when you lean over in turns it will slide for a while until you lean it all the way over to the outermost knobs. Not fun.

I'm currently running a 2.35 Ikon up front, and 2.3 Aggressor out back (which replaced a Crossmark). The Ikon is pretty good if you run it at low enough pressure. But I feel like it tends to slide out on really dry, dusty hard pack. Better as a rear tire I think.
I'll probably go for something knobbier next time.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

1 hour ago, KuЯdt said:

Better, but has a huge gap between the outer knobs and the next level. So when you lean over in turns it will slide for a while until you lean it all the way over to the outermost knobs. Not fun.

Yes! That gap is why the Ardent is terrifying as a front tire. On better tires, the transition from the outer knobs to the cornering lugs seems far less pronounced.

In other news, I regret wishing away @KuЯdt's wet weather because now it's stuck here.

Cold front blew in last Thursday night. Friday's high was 48. Today's high was 51. And it's been wet and windy every day with forecasts showing no relief in sight. We might finally get back to the 60s by Friday, but still rain, rain errahday.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

8 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Yes! That gap is why the Ardent is terrifying as a front tire. On better tires, the transition from the outer knobs to the cornering lugs seems far less pronounced.

In other news, I regret wishing away @KuЯdt's wet weather because now it's stuck here.

Cold front blew in last Thursday night. Friday's high was 48. Today's high was 51. And it's been wet and windy every day with forecasts showing no relief in sight. We might finally get back to the 60s by Friday, but still rain, rain errahday.

Your forecast sounds a little like ours.  It was cold yesterday (50 something) and wet as hell.  It's supposed to rain again tomorrow night/Friday AM, and then Monday/Tuesday.  Highs in the 70's (for comparison, it was 101 the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend last year).  I should get a chance to ride Saturday and Sunday at Yellow River Forest though, so I can't complain too much.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Funny thing, on mtbr, there's an older thread (pre Rekon, I think) where the Ardent/Ikon F/R combo gets a lot of play. 

Unless someone talks me down, I am going to go 2.4 Rekon up front and 2.35 Ikon rear.  Or someone could talk me up to 2.6 front.

I expect by the time it dries out here, it will be 95+.  So I am really having to force the pavement rides and I have now done enough of them that it's stultifying boring.  The "good news," such as it is, is that I live at the foot of a hill in a "gridded" residential neighborhood.  So that means I can just go out and go up and down that hill and basically interval train for 30 minutes and be done with it.  It's its own kind of suck, but I have to do something or I'll be miserable trying to ride this summer.

[KuЯdt 248]

12 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Yes! That gap is why the Ardent is terrifying as a front tire. On better tires, the transition from the outer knobs to the cornering lugs seems far less pronounced.

In other news, I regret wishing away @KuЯdt's wet weather because now it's stuck here.

Cold front blew in last Thursday night. Friday's high was 48. Today's high was 51. And it's been wet and windy every day with forecasts showing no relief in sight. We might finally get back to the 60s by Friday, but still rain, rain errahday.

Sorry about the rain, but I am envious of the cooler weather.  We just made the abrupt transition to summer.   90+ and soon to be near 100 every day with no rain for the next 5 months.

[KuЯdt 248]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Funny thing, on mtbr, there's an older thread (pre Rekon, I think) where the Ardent/Ikon F/R combo gets a lot of play. 

Unless someone talks me down, I am going to go 2.4 Rekon up front and 2.35 Ikon rear.  Or someone could talk me up to 2.6 front.

I expect by the time it dries out here, it will be 95+.  So I am really having to force the pavement rides and I have now done enough of them that it's stultifying boring.  The "good news," such as it is, is that I live at the foot of a hill in a "gridded" residential neighborhood.  So that means I can just go out and go up and down that hill and basically interval train for 30 minutes and be done with it.  It's its own kind of suck, but I have to do something or I'll be miserable trying to ride this summer.

That looks like a solid combo.  If you go that route I'd love to hear your opinion on the setup, as the Rekon may be my next front tire.

Are you running a 29 or 27.5?

[TwiceHorn 30851]

5 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

That looks like a solid combo.  If you go that route I'd love to hear your opinion on the setup, as the Rekon may be my next front tire.

Are you running a 29 or 27.5?

29.  And reminder a bunch of my riding is basically on black gumbo, tacky, hard and loose-over.  But, I think Oak Cliff Nature Preserve and some of the SW Dallas trails are more limestone and sandstone like Austin.  White rocks with reddish kitty litter stuff, so that might be a valid comparison.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

On 5/21/2019 at 1:46 PM, TwiceHorn said:

And, somehow in DFW, on most trails, we manage to get uphill without corresponding downhill.  You really have to look for trails with more than about 25-50 yards of steepish descent.  Of course our hills are probably middling too, but maybe not.  Check the topo on the Big Cedar Wilderness Ranger trail that I was looking at: 

https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/3809201/ranger-trail

That's regarded as the most extended descents in DFW, generally.  It's got the downhill, alright, but manages to have steeper climbs than descents.

Are you restricted to riding in one direction? The majority of our network is two-way, although there are some segments that are much more enjoyable as a descent or vice-versa.

And are muddy conditions a factor down there? I always assumed y'all frequently had to ride in mud because there are (historically) so many more rainy days in Central and North Texas. I absolutely hate riding in slop as I've no mudding skills, my tires don't shed worth a shit, and it's a 3-hour cleanup for the bike. Plus, our trails aren't "weather proof" for wet conditions like ones in England or the Pacific Northwest.

Back to the subject of tires, the length and duration of the climbs here are the biggest reasons I favor a lighter rear tire. For example, I went on a variation of this ride last Saturday:

https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5377996/over-the-top-loop?method=dropdown&query=over the top&search=1&type=trail

From my house, there was actually 1,800 feet of elevation gain over some 12 miles, with almost all of that rise on the initial climb. Basically, from the moment I left my house, I was climbing for about 6 miles and nearly 1,800 feet. A 5.6% grade doesn't sound like much, and it isn't if it's just a few hundred yards, but it can wear you down over several miles. Having to accelerate rubber that weighs 680 grams versus 800 grams and that rolls more easily on hardpan (i.e., has a near continuous centerline) makes a difference**.

I guess what I'm saying is our trails are probably very different from yours so take any input from me with a big dose of salt.

 

** Which is why I scoff at "studies" from GMBN or BikeRadar in which they pit heavy plus tires against conventional sizes on climbs that typically last 2-4 minutes and conclude that the marginal time savings on ascents is outweighed by the greater time savings on descents.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

@Al_4_ISU Have you shared pictures of this Yellow River Forest ride before? Sounds very scenic--look forward to reading/seeing more about it.

The weather has been a beating. Things dried out well enough Tuesday evening that I was able to squeeze in a ride, but I stayed low and near roads so I could bail if the shit hit the fan. Had a window to go yesterday, but used that to mow, instead. And I timed it today perfectly--rain began to fall some 10 minutes after I got home.

 

@KuЯdt Sixty-five degrees and a light breeze in your face is absolutely refreshing. Fifty-something can be, too, but relative temps plummet quickly if the sun is hiding or the wind is howling, so you generally have to layer up, which never feels quite right to me.

There was a light mist for much of today's ride, so it was cold and clammy despite the layers and workrate. But wait two weeks, when the temps will probably be in the mid 80s and I will be complaining about it being too hot.

There's just no pleasing some folks.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Yeah, Braff. My pics a few pages back from my first ride of the year are at Yellow River. Most of my pics from last summer too.

It’s not the best single track, but it’s as pretty as Iowa gets and still pretty damn good. Just that you share a lot with horses.

90% of my rides are at Yellow River or Decorah thus far. YR is 50 minutes away and Decorah as 15-20. YR is, however, 10 minutes from my in laws’ boat on the Mississippi. There is another spot within the same radius that isn’t nearly as pretty or convenient.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

@Al_4_ISU So those heavily wooded shots following a river are from that ride? Awesome. I'm always happy to see more if you find the time.

Don't get me started on horses. Most riders are relatively conscientious, but there are a couple of bad apples here who deliberately wait until the ground is soft from rain so they can posthole the trails. Per the grapevine, one of them got butthurt 10 years ago because some whiny cyclist complained in the paper about horse manure (about which I couldn't care less).

Leaving coffee can-sized depressions that take most of the season to smooth out is apparently their passive-aggressive revenge. In some cases, the damage can be extensive (i.e., lasts for miles). It also accelerates erosion as it causes the trails to V and deepen.

If it were up to me, horses would be considered powered vehicles and therefore banned from city trails. But the society in which we live prefers to enable this sort of bullying by ignoring it. Probably not something I will ever understand.

Anyway, Is the Mississippi there overrun with silver carp? I enjoy fishing as much as I do a trail ride.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

4 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Are you restricted to riding in one direction? The majority of our network is two-way, although there are some segments that are much more enjoyable as a descent or vice-versa.

And are muddy conditions a factor down there? I always assumed y'all frequently had to ride in mud because there are (historically) so many more rainy days in Central and North Texas. I absolutely hate riding in slop as I've no mudding skills, my tires don't shed worth a shit, and it's a 3-hour cleanup for the bike. Plus, our trails aren't "weather proof" for wet conditions like ones in England or the Pacific Northwest.

Back to the subject of tires, the length and duration of the climbs here are the biggest reasons I favor a lighter rear tire. For example, I went on a variation of this ride last Saturday:

https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5377996/over-the-top-loop?method=dropdown&query=over the top&search=1&type=trail

From my house, there was actually 1,800 feet of elevation gain over some 12 miles, with almost all of that rise on the initial climb. Basically, from the moment I left my house, I was climbing for about 6 miles and nearly 1,800 feet. A 5.6% grade doesn't sound like much, and it isn't if it's just a few hundred yards, but it can wear you down over several miles. Having to accelerate rubber that weighs 680 grams versus 800 grams and that rolls more easily on hardpan (i.e., has a near continuous centerline) makes a difference**.

I guess what I'm saying is our trails are probably very different from yours so take any input from me with a big dose of salt.

 

** Which is why I scoff at "studies" from GMBN or BikeRadar in which they pit heavy plus tires against conventional sizes on climbs that typically last 2-4 minutes and conclude that the marginal time savings on ascents is outweighed by the greater time savings on descents.

Most trails are one-way only and no we don't ride in mud.  Wherever you are in DFW, there's enough black gumbo (clay + organic matter) that it ruts badly, dries like concrete, and will clod on your bike in 1/4 lb chunks.  Mud riding is a complete no-go.  Funny thing too, when it's tacky, the ground actually sticks to your tires.  You can HEAR it making this moist, nasty, sound when you ride it.  Kinda sucks to pedal on, but pretty good for turning.

Oh yeah, a long 5.6 grade, yuck.  Guess that's a good workout. 

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

[mention=1238]Al_4_ISU[/mention] So those heavily wooded shots following a river are from that ride? Awesome. I'm always happy to see more if you find the time.
Don't get me started on horses. Most riders are relatively conscientious, but there are a couple of bad apples here who deliberately wait until the ground is soft from rain so they can posthole the trails. Per the grapevine, one of them got butthurt 10 years ago because some whiny cyclist complained in the paper about horse manure (about which I couldn't care less).
Leaving coffee can-sized depressions that take most of the season to smooth out is apparently their passive-aggressive revenge. In some cases, the damage can be extensive (i.e., lasts for miles). It also accelerates erosion as it causes the trails to V and deepen.
If it were up to me, horses would be considered powered vehicles and therefore banned from city trails. But the society in which we live prefers to enable this sort of bullying by ignoring it. Probably not something I will ever understand.
Anyway, Is the Mississippi there overrun with silver carp? I enjoy fishing as much as I do a trail ride.

Yup. Those shots are from Yellow River Forest, which oddly enough is not located on the Yellow River, but rather Paint Creek - the watershed to the north.

I haven’t had many direct horse run ins there. It’s a big place. I’ve plowed through a lot of road apples, which like you I don’t mind, but in wet spots they really wreak havoc.

Regarding the Mississippi, they have an Asian carp issue. Not horrific yet, but it’s a thing. I’m not much of a fisher, myself.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Well, I wound up going Rekon/Rekon 2.6/2.4 instead of the Ikon.  I got em off Amazon because I have amazon "bucks" and the Ikons for the rear were more than 10 bucks more than the Rekon and from sketch or slow vendors.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Solid ride today at Yellow River. We had 1-2” of rain over the past 48 hours, so there was plenty of mud. A couple spots where horses tore it to hell. Rode a few new trails that will be great in drier conditions.

Found myself spinning out in some climbs and realized I was putting my weight too far forward. Leaned back just enough to keep traction on the rear wheel and it helped.














Fucking horses

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Fucking horses

My exact words the moment I saw the picture. Had to laugh after reading your caption.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

My exact words the moment I saw the picture. Had to laugh after reading your caption.

That was the first horse rut I came across, but nowhere close to the worst. At one point, there was damn near 1/4 mile all mucked up.

I looked like Pig Pen afterwards

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Well today I returned to the scene of the crime.  Had a nice long leisurely ride focusing on flow and avoided most of the drops on the trail.  Slowly getting my mojo back.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

And here is the scene of the crime.  As seems to be usual, the photo flattens everything out.  I actually went OTB beyond the edge of the woods.  In the foreground, there is a descent taller than a man that you wouldn't want to try to go down or up on foot.  I wanted to go down there and investigate what I might have hit, but climbing down it would have been super sketch and impossible with a bike and it was so overgrown I wanted to GTFO before chiggers devoured my balls.

https://ibb.co/gyZHGWB

Edited May 26, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Yeah, so much overgrowth, it's hard to tell anything from that picture.

One benefit of this shit-ass weather we've been having is the vegetation is a couple of weeks behind, so trail visibility is still excellent. And all the rain has kept things from getting too sketchy.

On that note, risked a ride up higher today and got caught out in an impromptu rain-and-hailstorm. The trail turned into a miniature creek, yet somehow, traction remained good. We were able to finish our climb and then descend without getting muddy. For whatever reason, the dirt up higher doesn't get tacky or shear like the stuff down low.

Glad you are facing your demons there, Twice. How's the collarbone/shoulder feeling?

 

[KuЯdt 248]

On 5/23/2019 at 5:11 PM, Braff Zacklin said:

And are muddy conditions a factor down there? I always assumed y'all frequently had to ride in mud because there are (historically) so many more rainy days in Central and North Texas

Riding muddy trails in Austin is a no-no in most places.  That will result in ruts once the trail dries and ruin it for everyone until it gets flattened out.  Of course there are always a couple of assholes that ride anyway - either due to just being dicks or being ignorant.  So most of us ride road, gravel, or do urban mtb rides when the trails are muddy.

There are actually a few trails that are rideable when wet...even in the pouring rain...but they are about an hour west where the terrain is granite. That is grippy no matter what the condition.  I guess there are even a couple trails I can think of that are mostly exposed limestone so rutting isn't a concern, but got dam that limestone is like ice when wet.  I've done those rides a few times and it is slow going, slip-n-slide, and you will crash a few times.  Can be fun though.

[KuЯdt 248]

On 5/23/2019 at 9:44 PM, TwiceHorn said:

 Funny thing too, when it's tacky, the ground actually sticks to your tires.  You can HEAR it making this moist, nasty, sound when you ride it.

lol, yes i know exactly what you're talking about.  Best when there is enough moisture that it is audibly tacky, but does not stick to your tires.  That's optimum grip conditions around here.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

18 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

lol, yes i know exactly what you're talking about.  Best when there is enough moisture that it is audibly tacky, but does not stick to your tires.  That's optimum grip conditions around here.

Yeah it does provide a nice grip, but here at least, when it's on the damper end of that, the rolling resistance is a bit of a beating.  Maybe it's all psychological because of that moist noise.

Today, unusually, in some low shady spots, that trail had active swampiness going on.  It's the kind of mud and standing water that, if you apply much power and you are anything but straight up and down and fore and aft, you're going sideways.  And those unpredictable dabs in the swamp can get kind of hairy, with your foot going one way and your bike and the other half of you going the other.  A couple of the stretches were hard to get through on just momentum.  I just walked those.

Edited May 26, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 30851]

1 hour ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Yeah, so much overgrowth, it's hard to tell anything from that picture.

One benefit of this shit-ass weather we've been having is the vegetation is a couple of weeks behind, so trail visibility is still excellent. And all the rain has kept things from getting too sketchy.

On that note, risked a ride up higher today and got caught out in an impromptu rain-and-hailstorm. The trail turned into a miniature creek, yet somehow, traction remained good. We were able to finish our climb and then descend without getting muddy. For whatever reason, the dirt up higher doesn't get tacky or shear like the stuff down low.

Glad you are facing your demons there, Twice. How's the collarbone/shoulder feeling?

 

It doesn't hurt at all, riding.  As I have mentioned, the two finger grip on the left is a bigger impediment to riding.  I think, though, that the soft tissue around the now-deviated clavicle generates a catch now and then and I still do some range of motion exercises that provoke odd little sorenesses (under the shoulder blade is a weird one).  The catching sensation is not painful, but it's kind of reminiscent of having the two bone ends floating and grinding past each other, so it gives you pause.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

On 5/23/2019 at 8:44 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Most trails are one-way only and no we don't ride in mud.  Wherever you are in DFW, there's enough black gumbo (clay + organic matter) that it ruts badly, dries like concrete, and will clod on your bike in 1/4 lb chunks.

On 5/26/2019 at 4:34 PM, KuЯdt said:

Riding muddy trails in Austin is a no-no in most places.  That will result in ruts once the trail dries and ruin it for everyone until it gets flattened out.  Of course there are always a couple of assholes that ride anyway - either due to just being dicks or being ignorant.  So most of us ride road, gravel, or do urban mtb rides when the trails are muddy.

"Not until dry" applies here, as well. There are a few bad apples (particularly horses after rains and joggers during the thaw), but most trail users are respectful and considerate. Accidents happen, of course, such as this past Sunday when my buddy and I got caught out. Never had that happen up high like that, so it was shocking to discover that, not only were we not damaging the trails, we still had excellent traction, even in turns or up steep pitches. Had we been lower, it would've been a slopfest followed by three hours of cleanup.

On 5/23/2019 at 8:44 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Funny thing too, when it's tacky, the ground actually sticks to your tires.  You can HEAR it making this moist, nasty, sound when you ride it.  Kinda sucks to pedal on, but pretty good for turning. Oh yeah, a long 5.6 grade, yuck.  Guess that's a good workout. 

Hero dirt will indeed stick to rubber, but with just a little more moisture, it usually begins to shear, and then it's a slip and slide. As for the climb, it would totally kick your ass ... at first. But you'd be surprised how quickly you (or anyone else here) would adapt. Most days, I enjoy ascents and descents equally ... at least, I do when I'm lighter.

Edited May 31, 2019 by Braff Zacklin