The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[TwiceHorn 30851]

This is the part of the trail that I was grousing about earlier, or the beginning of it.

You can kind of see how loose and sandy the soil is, and the greenery "buffer" to the left is gone at some points and the edge is right at the edge of the tread of the trail.  In current conditions, it's a bit freaky.  Not technical at all, otherwise.

Edited August 6, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

The pics you're showing.  Are they of the area below at the very bottom (right).  

BTW, I think this map is missing out quite a bit at the bottom.  I'm pretty sure the trail that I do extends beyond Miller Rd.  

[TwiceHorn 30851]

1 hour ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

The pics you're showing.  Are they of the area below at the very bottom (right).  

BTW, I think this map is missing out quite a bit at the bottom.  I'm pretty sure the trail that I do extends beyond Miller Rd.  

Post 701 is the beginning of Loop 3 by the creek (although I realize I may have been using a bootleg to short-circuit from 2 to 3), just south of the parking lot.  I come off 1, then hit the dirt road/open field and hook left into the woods by the creek, which is Loop 3.  I think the "regular way" is to stay in the field and go into the woods on the right, which is loop 2.

Post 700 is Loop 9, or maybe Loop 8 (after completing Loop 9) southbound.   Also, I think that map is fairly complete.  http://dorba.org/trail.php?t=22

Loops 5 and 6 down at the south end are old and have been there a while.

Edited August 6, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Snapped my chain almost an hour into a really strong ride. About as far as I could get from my car on the home trails. Naturally.

[KuЯdt 248]

Good on you for getting your rides in despite the heat, Twice.  My schedule hasn't allowed for morning rides lately, and I am finding it super hard to get motivated for a ride when I get home from work and it's 100+.  So I'm barely getting in 1 ride per week...lame.  I rode yesterday afternoon and it's just moon dust out there, dry as a bone.

Hope to get a decent ride or 2 in this weekend.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

39 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Snapped my chain almost an hour into a really strong ride. About as far as I could get from my car on the home trails. Naturally.

That sucks, how many miles on it?  What's your drivetrain, 1x, 2x, or 3x?

[TwiceHorn 30851]

29 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

Good on you for getting your rides in despite the heat, Twice.  My schedule hasn't allowed for morning rides lately, and I am finding it super hard to get motivated for a ride when I get home from work and it's 100+.  So I'm barely getting in 1 ride per week...lame.  I rode yesterday afternoon and it's just moon dust out there, dry as a bone.

Hope to get a decent ride or 2 in this weekend.

I have a lot of freedom to "work from home."  Being able to take calls or answer emails on the trail so it's not precisely known that I'm riding my bike before I roll in at noon helps a ton.  I have had a few fairly epic work calls sitting on the side of a trail.

And, I gotta say, my "new" bike really rejuvenated my interest in riding.  It's just fun as hell.

I couldn't ride at 5 either.  Or much after noon.

Edited August 7, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

That sucks, how many miles on it?  What's your drivetrain, 1x, 2x, or 3x?

It’s been a shit load of miles. Only chain I’ve had, and in addition to my burgeoning MTB obsession has picked up miles on gravel rides and just zipping around town.

Not sure on drive train. How would I tell?

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Post 701 is the beginning of Loop 3 by the creek (although I realize I may have been using a bootleg to short-circuit from 2 to 3), just south of the parking lot.  I come off 1, then hit the dirt road/open field and hook left into the woods by the creek, which is Loop 3.  I think the "regular way" is to stay in the field and go into the woods on the right, which is loop 2.

Post 700 is Loop 9, or maybe Loop 8 (after completing Loop 9) southbound.   Also, I think that map is fairly complete.  http://dorba.org/trail.php?t=22

Loops 5 and 6 down at the south end are old and have been there a while.

That's the map I've been trying to use THEN... I came across this one.  I think you'll like it.

https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8015028/rowlett-creek-preserve

But, yes, I go north out of the parking lot, I pass the spot where one would take a left to hit Loop 7, hit Loop 1 and head south, pass the parking lot which is now on the right, and follow the rest of the trail clockwise all the way to the bottom (near Miller) and back.  So basically parking lot north for 2 miles and then everything you see on the map below it.

Edited August 7, 2019 by Knoxtnhorn

[KuЯdt 248]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

I have a lot of freedom to "work from home."  Being able to take calls or answer emails on the trail so it's not precisely known that I'm riding my bike before I roll in at noon helps a ton.  I have had a few fairly epic work calls sitting on the side of a trail.

And, I gotta say, my "new" bike really rejuvenated my interest in riding.  It's just fun as hell.

I couldn't ride at 5 either.  Or much after noon.

Ha, that's awesome.  I've taken calls from a few interesting places, but not yet from the trail.  perhaps I need to try it.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

10 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

That's the map I've been trying to use THEN... I came across this one.  I think you'll like it.

https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8015028/rowlett-creek-preserve

But, yes, I go north out of the parking lot, I pass the spot where one would take a left to hit Loop 7, hit Loop 1 and head south, pass the parking lot which is now on the right, and follow the rest of the trail clockwise all the way to the bottom (near Miller) and back.  So basically parking lot north for 2 miles and then everything you see on the map below it.

Yeah that's a good one.  One of a relatively few on the various apps that coherently collects the loops under the trailhead.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

 

It’s been a shit load of miles. Only chain I’ve had, and in addition to my burgeoning MTB obsession has picked up miles on gravel rides and just zipping around town.

Not sure on drive train. How would I tell?

 

I mean how many chainrings up front?  I know you are a fairly big road rider and I don't know what people are running on roadies these days, but with a 3-ring set up  cross-chaining (big ring front, big cog rear or vice versa) can be a real problem and can pop your chain pdq.

Edited August 7, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[wd40 1976]

18 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

Ha, that's awesome.  I've taken calls from a few interesting places, but not yet from the trail.  perhaps I need to try it.

"ok, everybody shut up."

[normalize breathing]

"this's wd, what's up.?"

heat rides?  every week.  carry a platypus of semi-frozen electrolyts, take breaks, all good.  hang your jersey in a tree on breaks, and it actually feels cold when you put it back on.

gravel (for isu dude)

 

heat (for Texas dudes (three bikes ago...this video makes no sense unless you ride there (as usual)))

 

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

My man @wd40 always comin' thru with the gnarly trails and muzak.

@Al_4_ISU Use this as a learning experience. Old chain or not, anytime you break one, it's your fault (unless someone took a pair of pliers to them when you weren't looking and compromised a plate).

Seriously, chains can withstand an inhuman amount of tension. Like, not even Robert Förstemann can break one if inline. But they are surprisingly fragile under torsion, i.e., lateral loads, so late shifts (under heavy load/torque) or cross-chaining can snap them like twigs.

Hang in there, @KuЯdt. Don't let the heat keep ya beat.

We've been in the mid 90s here in Idaho, but I still say it doesn't compare to what you poor chaps are going through. Besides, a ride here might begin at 96 degrees, but everything is cool the moment we're in the shade, or clouds appear, or the sun dips below a ridgeline.

Incidentally, great pics from everyone lately. Keep them coming! I'll try to make time to snap some in the near future, maybe the next time I'm in the National Forest.

 

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

I mean how many chainrings up front?  I know you are a fairly big road rider and I don't know what people are running on roadies these days, but with a 3-ring set up  cross-chaining (big ring front, big cog rear or vice versa) can be a real problem and can pop your chain pdq.

3 ring

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

7 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

My man @wd40 always comin' thru with the gnarly trails and muzak.

@Al_4_ISU Use this as a learning experience. Old chain or not, anytime you break one, it's your fault (unless someone took a pair of pliers to them when you weren't looking and compromised a plate).

Seriously, chains can withstand an inhuman amount of tension. Like, not even Robert Förstemann can break one if inline. But they are surprisingly fragile under torsion, i.e., lateral loads, so late shifts (under heavy load/torque) or cross-chaining can snap them like twigs.

Hang in there, @KuЯdt. Don't let the heat keep ya beat.

We've been in the mid 90s here in Idaho, but I still say it doesn't compare to what you poor chaps are going through. Besides, a ride here might begin at 96 degrees, but everything is cool the moment we're in the shade, or clouds appear, or the sun dips below a ridgeline.

Incidentally, great pics from everyone lately. Keep them coming! I'll try to make time to snap some in the near future, maybe the next time I'm in the National Forest.

 

I was 100% shifting under torque.  It was a punchy, tree gate filled trail that I've ridden enough to know better, and just thought I could get away with it.

I'm going to get set up for mid ride chain repair.  Looks pretty damn simple.  I'm also going to not get greedy with late shifts and accept that me stupidly having to walk a few feet > stupidly having to walk my bike 3 miles back to the car.

[KuЯdt 248]

9 hours ago, wd40 said:

heat rides?  every week.  carry a platypus of semi-frozen electrolyts, take breaks, all good.  hang your jersey in a tree on breaks, and it actually feels cold when you put it back on

I should take breaks.  I never do when I'm riding solo (which is most of the time).  But I do carry a camelback with ice water in it.

[KuЯdt 248]

re: 1x, 2x, 3x.   I'm on an ancient bike by today's standards - a 2012 (or 2011?   can't remember) Tallboy.  It came with a 3x and I was riding that until the beginning of last year when I upgraded it to 1x11.  That is the best upgrade I've ever done.  It cured new-bike-itis for me and breathed some new life into the bike.

[wd40 1976]

man, it is hard (for me) to stay motivated, riding solo; esp in the heat.  get someone to ride with, not only for safety, but to push each other.

rolled out yesterday around 4:30, a little later than usual, but still a 102+ heat index.  it's not a high-mileage ride, but it's steep and intense.  lots of ducking and weaving.  I'd already been out the lake, snorkeling with the kids, feeding hotdogs to the fish, so I was ready for a nap before we even started.  my buddy still wanted to go, so I went.  after the first dirt section, I knew I was gonna be ok.  but you have to stop occasionally and manage your core temp.

funny story, Braff:

I fired up the smoker last saturday, so figured it'd be a good time to finally breakdown and do some real maintenance on the bikes, while I was already hot and sweaty.  serviced both rear hubs and switched out the chain, cassette, and chainring on the Kona.  I had already pressed in a new BB, a couple weeks ago, which didn't cure the creaking, as I'd hoped.  bike runs silent, now.  anyway, the derailleur mounting bolt was about a half-turn loose, which would atleast explain the funky shifting in the middle of the cassette.  oops.

oh.  +1 on 1x.

[G650 13335]

On 8/7/2019 at 8:53 AM, KuЯdt said:

re: 1x, 2x, 3x.   I'm on an ancient bike by today's standards - a 2012 (or 2011?   can't remember) Tallboy.  It came with a 3x and I was riding that until the beginning of last year when I upgraded it to 1x11.  That is the best upgrade I've ever done.  It cured new-bike-itis for me and breathed some new life into the bike.

3x till I die. I hate my 1x.

[G650 13335]

On 8/7/2019 at 6:11 AM, Al_4_ISU said:

3 ring

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

It wasn't even something I thought much about, TBH.  My buddies who own the local bike shop had a good deal on the Aussie bike and I just figured "fuck it, why not?".  Never been a huge gear guy, just accepted the bike as it was and spent the last couple years figuring it out.

My road bike is a 2x and that works well for that application.  The only time I snapped my road chain was on RAGBRAI a few years back and I was cross chained big time (small front cog, big rear).  A little bit buzzed no doubt, and totally ignorant of the pressure that creates.  I was also attempting to pedal up a 15% grade (an extremely short one, but steep nonetheless).

Edited August 8, 2019 by Al_4_ISU

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Had kind of a meh ride today.  Went to Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, which is very hill-countryish if not as steep as the centex trails.  It's a super twisty, very confusing trail with a lot of bootlegs that can get you going the wrong way on loops and really turned around.  Because of the Judgment Day event (10 trails, 75 or 100 miles in 24 hours), they blocked some of the bootlegs and marked things well, so I have been able to more "thoroughly" ride the trail, but there are big chunks of it that are foreign to me, so I walk a lot of stuff just out of an abundance of caution and my new "more to fear from the unknown/unfamiliar runout than the drop/descent itself" mantra thing.  Also, I'm just not familiar with big slabs of limestone with scree on top of it and some of that shit just sketches me out.

On several occasions had some nice steady climbing going, the kind that makes sweat pop out on your head, you go, and go, lose a little momentum, get a little wobbly, turn a corner and boom a steep rooty climb.  Furk.  I just did not have the mojo to attempt any of that.  Earlier on the ride, I did, but when I got to the less familiar portions of the trail, all my want-to went away. And of course, that leads to walking descents too because I just don't like starting them from a stop (I have realized that the unstable low-speed steering of a slack-ish bike has something to do with this), and that leads to having no momentum for the next rooty climb.  Kind of a fuck.  But I tell myself that walking is exercise, too.

Edited August 8, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 30851]

A sample of OCNP.  As usual, kind of flattened out looking.

[KuЯdt 248]

Got out this morning for a ride, was planning 2 hours or so. Weather was nice and I was feeling good. 40 minutes into the ride I got paged for work.
Had to alter my route and still got 15 miles in but not the more fun and challenging stuff I was headed to.
All for 15 minutes of fucking work. Still an enjoyable ride tho.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

I'm gonna have to do my churchin on the trail tomorrow.  Hoping to grind out 10-12 before it gets too hot.

And wd40's dirtbombs song is completely stuck in my head.  Earworm it is.

[KuЯdt 248]

The trail is my church

[wd40 1976]

off the bike for a couple weeks.  trailwork oopsie, the other day.  

Spoiler

 

never a good thing when you're a passenger in your own vehicle.  protip:  don't undercut your cuts if your trying to set a speed record with a tree saw.

 

 

good thing I don't give a shit about paydirt.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Cripes, dude.  What happened?

[KuЯdt 248]

Uhh damn, that looks to be more than just a scratch. Sorry dude.

[G650 13335]

Oof

[Loco 3752]

Looks like me after trimming the bougainvilleas...  thin ass Scottish skin sucks

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Got dam, wd, there are more efficient ways to kill yourself. Whatever happened to wingsuits?

Buddy and I celebrated today's milder temps with a fun ride in the National Forest. Basically, we slogged up some forested doubletrack with an 8 percent grade for about four miles before coming to a high meadow at the base of Scout Mountain, which tops out at about 8700 feet (the mountain, not the climb).

In June, this same meadow is popping with green and yellow from the mule's ear. I'll have to do a better job and go earlier next year.

 

Safe trails, everyone. Especially you, wd. It's a bow saw, not a bone saw.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

20 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

 8 percent grade for about four miles

Gross!

[wd40 1976]

no shit, 2x.  great job, Braff.

that made me look back at my Strava feed from when we did South Boundary Trail, last year, after 3 days of DH at AF, last year.  we started at the Osha Pass climb:  10.1%, but only 1.4mi.  I was seriously sucking wind.  took me 52 minutes.  KOM is like 18.

anyhoo.  what happened was the saw, like this one https://www.lowes.com/pd/Corona-RazorTOOTH-18-in-Pruning-Saw/1000108027 made too quick work on the cut.  half-fallen tree I was working on gave way suddenly, and the pressure I had on the saw drove it down, the tip going into my shin, just next to the bone.  I'd never seen a fountain of blood like that before, and I didn't take the time to see if it was pulsing before I tied it off with my shirt and started (briskly) hiking out of there.  short drive home from the trailhead, stopped off at my neighbor's house where the kids were and asked him to drive me to the ER.  fuckin mess.  shoes are trash.  only 5 stitches, but I've found I have to keep a tightish dressing on it if I'm on my feet for any length of time or it will start flowing again.  dunno.  probably ok, now.  just feel these needly little tears sometimes when I try walking around with it uncovered.

PA that stitched me up was hot, though.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Damn.  Damn. Sounds like it looks a lot worse than it was.  Glad you're ok.

[Goofyboy 3013]

That’s a lot of blood.

[Drunk Stoner 63]

On 8/6/2019 at 5:42 PM, Al_4_ISU said:

Snapped my chain almost an hour into a really strong ride. About as far as I could get from my car on the home trails. Naturally.

Ha, I bet you won't leave home without a chain-breaker again...

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Welp, 12 miles Sunday on a trail that's really mostly a twisty, bumpy pavement ride, but oh so much better.  Then life and rain intervened and nothing until today.  Only 5 miles, at Boulder Park, but it included a Braff-lite half mile climb that usually kicks my ass at 100+ heat index.  Today I soldiered up it without a whimper, partly because I left a loop off my lap after I realized that it was hot as fucking fuck.  In the woods, in the shade, it was hero dirt and pretty nice, otherwise.  I even started another lap to turn it into a more respectable 7-8 miles, but after the third or fourth open area in the sun, took one of the few chicken-outs back to the trailhead.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

I was going to ride tonight, but learned that the trails got a bunch of rain on Tuesday, which surprised, as we got no rain where I live (18 miles west).

Saturday's looking good though.  Should have time for a nice long ride that AM.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

4 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I was going to ride tonight, but learned that the trails got a bunch of rain on Tuesday, which surprised, as we got no rain where I live (18 miles west).

Saturday's looking good though.  Should have time for a nice long ride that AM.

We've been getting some oddball rain like that too.  Light sprinkling in my hood that makes hero dirt after maybe a half day or no closure at some trails.  Others shut down for days, and I know it's not just their lack of drainage, they must have got a lot more rain.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Also, I'm digging the 2.6 Rekon F, 2.4R, 14-15psi and 20psi.  With the front, I think it's mostly the volume that makes it nice, but I can roll some shit that surprises me.  From what I gather, the Rekon is on the "smaller" end of the advertised width and I do have them only on 29mm IW rims, so not the optimal spread, but not lightbulbing either.  It does not seem hugely fat, but the volume is nice, nice and really seems to help with my mediocre RS Recon fork.

The rear is 3C Maxx Terra, which I think is not the softest Maxxis compound, but kind of the middle.  It does seem to slide a bit compared to the Vee Crown Gem.  It may be the drier conditions, but I have been riding the SW Dallas limestone chunk trails a fair amount and it seems to slide down on rock chunks and slabs and roots more than the Crown Gems did.  Not washout territory, but that slightly disconcerting drop as it goes down and laterally an inch or two on something, usually in a straightish line.  If you are a high-speed carver, that might be a bigger issue.  Because the Crown Gems wore pretty fast, I'm thinking it is a softer, stickler compound that stuck to that stuff better.  I also may not have the pressure quite dialed in at 20, but I'm a bit of a hefty chonk (200lb) and sit too much too, so I think I need psi back there.

As far as turning, the Rekon has a very similar tread pattern/side knobs to the Vee Crown Gem that I had before and seems about the same carving on hardpack and loose over hard.  I haven't really tried or had the opportunity to turn hard or fast on limestone, that I can recall.  Maybe a slight downgrade in the rear because of the stickiness issue (but the front is DH compound, which is even less sticky so maybe that's nothing).

Edited August 15, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[Mappable 37]

i demo'd the Ibis Ripley v4 last weekend with 2.5' tires.  i don't think i'm a prospect for tires that big.  takes to long to get up to speed.

the bike was a lot of fun on any slight downhill.

[KuЯdt 248]

I think I'll try the rekon as my next front tire.

Speaking of tires, my rear tire seems to have Stan's seeping through the sidewall. Never had that happen before. Probably doesn't bode well for longevity of the tire. Being Maxxis, it has the EXO reinforced sidewall too. Weird.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

My rear tire does that too.  Not quite that bad, and at one point it made some kind of Xs on the sidewalls in a few places, which seemed to be a product of those little loose-rear deals.  Strange.

I waited a bit late today and might should have taken the day off, but had a fairly miserable 4.4 mile ride.  It was 93/102 when I quit.

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

Ugh, 15 days later and I'm nowhere near getting back on the MB.  It still feels like I have a vice grip around the top of my left lung.  Monsoon season will probably start right about the time I'm ready again.  

Whining aside, keep up the good work and pics guys.  I'm living through y'all.  And @wd40 - hope you're feeling better.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Those rib injuries can be a bitch.  Hang in there, my dude.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Whatever you do, don't make Knox laugh.

(Good thing I'm not very funny.)

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

I can laugh;  it's the sneezing that kills.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

This weather is for the freakin birds, man.  It takes something I normally look forward to and turns it into fear and trepidation.

It's Saturday morning.  I should be riding.  It's only 84.  But by the time I load up my ride and get to the trail, it will be pushing 90 with a heat index of 100.

Plus my crappy little ride yesterday took it out of me.  I napped and went to bed early, woke up at 2 didn't sleep again til 3 or something, up again at 8.  Recipe for some form of bonk.