The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[KuЯdt 248]

I also got a couple pics of the drop mentioned near Escarpment spillway. Kinda hard to tell from the pic, but the trail drops down from the ledge up above down onto a slope.
There is a rollable line but you can't really see it coming from above until you are right up on it. That's the only thing that sketches me out about it.
There is a switchback alternate line to the right.

[Your Mom 4763]

Oh yeah, I've never seen that.  I always approach and depart the spillway on the lower section next to the creek.  Gonna get out this afternoon and look for that.  Doesn't look like something I'd hit though.  Agreed about the new little jump . I always like hitting that hump and launching off it.  I'm just happy they didn't destroy that part of it.  Also agree it seems like they put the bigger lip on the wrong side.  Will scope it out again today.  Probably do my normal routine of talking myself up to hit it and then bail at the last second and roll awkwardly over it instead.  

[Your Mom 4763]

Worked up the nerve to hit it today. Way smoother than it looks. I followed another guy over it the first time and matched his speed. That helped, otherwise I would have probably thought I needed to hit it way faster and landed long.
There’s one the same size right after it but it comes quick and I felt like I needed an extra second to focus on it so I bailed. I hit the wood jump behind ATX bikes a few times to warm up. This is way smoother than the wood ramp and the sloped landing makes it soft.
There's a third one but it’s twice as high and steep. Not for me.







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited April 2, 2020 by Your Mom

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

[wd40 1976]

nice work, Evel!

[TwiceHorn 30851]

So if I am going to attempt to learn to jump, should I start by trying to pop off little humps and the odd little ramp/a-frame kind of thing?

[KuЯdt 248]

Nice!  Guess I have to go hit it now too...the gauntlet has been thrown down.

[KuЯdt 248]

11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

So if I am going to attempt to learn to jump, should I start by trying to pop off little humps and the odd little ramp/a-frame kind of thing?

I think that's a good place to start.  Start small, learn to land properly.  It's been made apparent to me that I'm not a good teacher with these types of things.  my wife made that clear to me when I was introducing her to wakeboarding and mtb. So I'm not going to give too much advice, but watch the below video.  I've seen a few of this guy's vids and they seem to be pretty good.

 

 

[Your Mom 4763]

11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

So if I am going to attempt to learn to jump, should I start by trying to pop off little humps and the odd little ramp/a-frame kind of thing?

Speedbumps and driveway curbs make nice starter ramps.  And maybe youtube some basic bunnyhop practice.  Bunnyhopping and jumping a ramp are not the same action, you don't really bunnyhop off the ramp, but those two skills help you figure out the airborne balance part.  That's always my biggest fear is coming unbalanced in the air and landing too nose down.  Launch off some driveway curbs and speedbumps until you can consistently land on either chosen wheel or both at the same time.  

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

3 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

If this guy posted here, I'd rep him simply for saying "steezy."

[TwiceHorn 30851]

He's a part-time, at least, Texan.  Or maybe it's his brother.

Those videos I posted a few pages back of Klunkytown Klassic at Sansom in Fort Worth have a lot of footage of him.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Well, Oak Cliff Nature Preserve opened today, but I discovered it too late to ride.  20% chance of rain tonight, but if we make it through unscathed, a ride!

[TwiceHorn 30851]

12 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, Oak Cliff Nature Preserve opened today, but I discovered it too late to ride.  20% chance of rain tonight, but if we make it through unscathed, a ride!

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

We're getting a surprise blast of sleet tonight.  Maybe on Sunday I can ride again, but tomorrow is going to be a big nope.

[KuЯdt 248]

Well it looks like rain as far out as I can see.  Might as well mess around with some GoPro videos.  I've been playing with wd's recommendation of VideoPad.  I'm using the free version and while it looks dated and isn't as full featured as some other options, I think it is enough for my needs (which are pretty basic, really).

Here's some random stuff from the south Austin trails, nothing too exciting.

 

 

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

The contrast between your stem and wd's is amusing.

[wd40 1976]

that looks like a fun place to get lost, KuRdt!  good job!

VP's pretty straight forward.  you probably figured this out pretty quick, but it's a good idea to lock the music track so you don't accidentally chop it up if you reshuffle video segments.

 

btw, looks like you went through a wet spot.  wtf?!?!?1

Edited April 3, 2020 by wd40

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

The contrast between your stem and wd's is amusing.

I sort of laugh at myself 15 years after the fact at how ahead of the fads i was.   In 2007 I built me up a bike from the frame up.  I was sort of in a budget.  I didn't really know wtf I was doing so the frame was probably a size to big.  To compensate, in an era where 100mm+ stems were standard, I found a cheap 75mm. 

Then I was too cheap to buy a front derailuer so I ran a 1x9.  

Little did I know 10 years later stubby stems are standard and everyone runs a 1x.  

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

10 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

Here's some random stuff from the south Austin trails, nothing too exciting.

Looks super fun. Also more flowy than I expected, but that might have something to do with the rider.

One strange thing I noticed, though, is there seems to be some distortion or fuzz in the middle of the frame. Everything else looks sharp and in focus.

[KuЯdt 248]

11 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

One strange thing I noticed, though, is there seems to be some distortion or fuzz in the middle of the frame. Everything else looks sharp and in focus.

Couldn't tell you why.  I'm pretty much a noob at the video editing still.  but, I've got nothing but time these days, so I'll spend more time trying to learn it.

[KuЯdt 248]

The contrast between your stem and wd's is amusing.

Stem envy?

But that is changing very soon. More later.

[wd40 1976]

ruh-roh.  at least now we know where all this rain came from.

on the video, I'm not seeing what Braf is seeing, and even if I was, I think it has more to do with youtube's general decline in performance video over the years (at least for freeloaders on ipads, like me).  in particular, very leafy trail footage takes a long time for youtube to resolve to the listed resolution.  so twisting through the cedars is just a big green blur.  it certainly has nothing to do with editing technique.  perhaps it has more to do with airplane glue.

I will say that the Linear setting on the camera seems to undo some of the image distortion.  your arms (as are mine in older videos) are freakishly long and curved.  you might play with that.

btw, stem length is inversely proportional.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

4 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

Stem envy?

But that is changing very soon. More later.

New Bike Day coming?

[KuЯdt 248]

5 hours ago, wd40 said:

ruh-roh.  at least now we know where all this rain came from.

on the video, I'm not seeing what Braf is seeing, and even if I was, I think it has more to do with youtube's general decline in performance video over the years (at least for freeloaders on ipads, like me).  in particular, very leafy trail footage takes a long time for youtube to resolve to the listed resolution.  so twisting through the cedars is just a big green blur.  it certainly has nothing to do with editing technique.  perhaps it has more to do with airplane glue.

I will say that the Linear setting on the camera seems to undo some of the image distortion.  your arms (as are mine in older videos) are freakishly long and curved.  you might play with that.

btw, stem length is inversely proportional.

I have noticed that it takes a while on youtube for the HD version to be ready.  SD version is there as soon as the video is processed, but I've found it takes quite a while for the vid to default to 1080 and I have to manually select it while viewing.  

I'll check out the linear setting on the camera, but I might leave the current setting for my sex vids. 

[KuЯdt 248]

I was almost afraid to post this, because holy shit is it a rainmaker.
I ordered it 3 months ago then was informed 2 or 3 weeks ago that it was about to ship. But it was coming from Spain and 2 days after that notification they went on lockdown. So I wasn't expecting it for months, but it showed up 2 days ago.
Have not ridden it except up and down the street in the rain. Not sure when I'll get to ride the thing. For now I just drink a beer and look at it.

[KuЯdt 248]

And if anyone in or around the Austin area needs a bike, service, or parts, go see or email Wes at Velorangutan.  He's a great dude with a great shop and stocks some nice brands.

I think he's struggling a bit now as most small business are, and when I went to pick up the bike the windows were boarded up.  Turns out the shop was broken into a week ago.  Great timing assholes.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Noice.  Congrats.  Did you go full-tilt boogie or midrange?  140/140?

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Ah, bike pr0n. Beautiful new steed, @KuЯdt! Congrats.

Love the minimalistic/sleeper look. Super clean. And from what I see at JensonUSA.com, that's a fair amount of bike for the $$$.

Incidentally, you and @wd40 were right--it's just YouTube doing YouTube things. Watched the video again and it was sharp.

All my GoPro gear is here, but haven't tinkered with it much. Might be a while before I video any rides. Starting off better this year than last (already at the same weight in early April that I was at in late June when I met wd) but climbs are taking so much out of me that I don't have much leg for the descents.

[KuЯdt 248]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Noice.  Congrats.  Did you go full-tilt boogie or midrange?  140/140?

Yes 140/140 which is more travel than I was initially considering.  But after taking one on a couple of demo rides, I was sold.  I got the M10 version which is the XT build.

As @Braff Zacklin mentioned, you get a lot of bang for the buck.  You can also do any number of custom paint options for no extra cost.  I'm boring so went with the charcoal/black look.

[wd40 1976]

2 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

And if anyone in or around the Austin area needs a bike, service, or parts, go see or email Wes at Velorangutan.  He's a great dude with a great shop and stocks some nice brands.

I think he's struggling a bit now as most small business are, and when I went to pick up the bike the windows were boarded up.  Turns out the shop was broken into a week ago.  Great timing assholes.

very cool ride, K.  you're gonna love it.  although your stem no longer says "Welcome to the wonderful island of Thomson!  Have a nice day", the ride will be so much better.

pretty sure I met Wes many years ago.  cool dude.  he was a pretty competitive rider back then, but more-or-less had to shut it down due to some degenerative back issues, as I recall.   counting my blessings.

turns out the reason I couldn't get above 720p on my ipad was my iOS was about 4 versions old.  I get 1080HD now.  of course, I'm sure there's a dozen useless 'features' I don't need that I have to now navigate around, but whatever.  one of the few iOS updates that did something meaningful.  videos look good now.  now all I have to do is make good videos.  last one is lame, on repeat viewings.  just doesn't convey how fun that trail is.  lazy editing, tbh.

[MaclovioBrown 100]

14 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

And if anyone in or around the Austin area needs a bike, service, or parts, go see or email Wes at Velorangutan.  He's a great dude with a great shop and stocks some nice brands.

I think he's struggling a bit now as most small business are, and when I went to pick up the bike the windows were boarded up.  Turns out the shop was broken into a week ago.  Great timing assholes.

Anyone who laughs or laments the fact that folks are buying up guns just read this. 

[wd40 1976]

 

high ground is dry-ish.  rocks and roots were snotty, but no mud.   I like days like this.  the yoga pants were out in force.  holy shmokes.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

And I bet you looked great in them!

Edited April 5, 2020 by Braff Zacklin

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Got up early and hit a new spot this AM. Backbone State Park, in the Driftless Area about an hour south of me. I’ve hiked there but never biked, and heard the trails could be kind of in poor shape. Took the fatty, which needed some love anyhow.

Trails were very cool. Some wide double track and some gnarly single track. A couple spots were horribly eroded, but they were short sections. It exceeded expectations.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Last trail ride was March 11.  Based on the forecast, I'm going a whole month without a single ride.

I really look forward to riding on trails.  On the street, not so much.  It's funny how long I have continued to enjoy this as a workout. Going on six years now.  The new bike really reinvigorated things, and it's two years old now.

Edited April 5, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Pescado_Rojo 19266]

Last week I discovered two new sections of singletrack were cut into the "back country" of the park where I mostly ride. (Big park adjacent to my neighborhood). Nothing technical, but some flowy singletrack underneath a canopy of big oaks with some undulation. Pretty fun, and I could see them being a blast at speed once I learn them better...then it rained, and is apparently going to keep raining. Did 9.something miles on the road today. I'm with you Twice, I'm going to keep doing it to get some miles in my legs, but road riding sucks.  

[KuЯdt 248]

20 hours ago, wd40 said:

high ground is dry-ish.  rocks and roots were snotty, but no mud.   I like days like this.  the yoga pants were out in force.  holy shmokes.

Did the same yesterday, rode the hills behind Meridian as that's about the only place on the SATN I could think of that would be rideable.  I was able to get in a quick hour or so ride on the new bike.  Did not see any yoga pants though.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

So tell us about the new ride. How does it compare to what you had?

On that note, what were you riding previously?

[KuЯdt 248]

6 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

So tell us about the new ride. How does it compare to what you had?

On that note, what were you riding previously?

I've only got the one short ride on it, plus the couple of demo rides from 3 months ago.  It definitely takes some getting used to as it is a big change from my other bike, which is a 2012 Santa Cruz Tallboy.  That's the OG version with 100/120 and 71 degree HTA.  That bike is light and nimble and easy to throw around on the trail.  It could be a little sketchy on rough or steep downhills.
This new bike is a lot longer, 2lbs heavier, and the geo is drastically different.  Not to mention the wide ass bars.  So I'm still getting used to it and learning how to ride it.  Seems like I'll need to be a little more aggressive with how I corner, but it does feel like it will rip given the correct inputs.
It climbs well, which was important to me.  And I could tell immediately that it eats up the rough stuff and downhill.  Yesterday I hit a ledge feature a couple of times.  It's about a 2 footer and on a downhill.  Hucking off that, the landing felt really plush compared to the Tallboy.
Overall I think the fun factor on this bike is going to be way above any bike I've owned before.  Hopefully the trails will dry out enough to get in some rides this week.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Well, dried out for a couple of days, but I'm not optimistic about any trails opening.

But, Lawd, Lawd, 86 today 88 tomorrow.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Send the heat north.  We're getting delayed in the field due to unseasonable cold.  At least it's not a fucking blizzard, but Jesus Christ.  We aren't going to plant in April at this rate.

[Your Mom 4763]

I'm gonna venture out today and check the neighborhood trails.  I might just session some of the rockier sections over and over.  

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

We hit 60 degrees for the first time this year today. SIXTY MUTHAFUCKIN' DEGREES! Everyone was so stoked. No sarcasm. ALL the trailhead parking lots were overflowing.

Met up with a couple of friends and pedaled around the lower trails as we've been hammered with rain and snow as recently as last night. On the way down, we made a "train" on the closest thing to a pump/jump trail we have. I've ridden it thousands of times over the years, and hundreds of times each season, but there was something special about today--it's one of those moments you immediately know will stick with you for a very, very long time.

If forecasts are accurate and this warm, sunny weather holds, our upper trails might be ready to ride by the weekend. After a month of riding on the same trails, I'm bursting at the seams to get higher and fall faster.

Hoping our good fortune here in Idaho extends to my fellow riders and friends in Texas, Iowa, and elsewhere.

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Holy crap, 92 tomorrow, then the rain chances go 20-30%.  Saturday up to 80%.

Fuck it.

I barfed out 30 minutes on the road today.  Mostly uphill, so there's that.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Yikes. Had you just eaten? Was it pizza? It was pizza, wasn't it?

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

10 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Yikes. Had you just eaten? Was it pizza? It was pizza, wasn't it?

Probably Jaeger.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Holy crap, 92 tomorrow, then the rain chances go 20-30%.  Saturday up to 80%.

Fuck it.

I barfed out 30 minutes on the road today.  Mostly uphill, so there's that.

JESUS FUCK SEND IT HERE SEND IT NOW.

I would be happier than a pig in his own shit for 92 degrees right now.  Not even for biking reasons.

Remind me of this when I bitch about riding in 92 degrees later this year.

[KuЯdt 248]

yeah yesterday was gross...90 and humid AF when i did a little afternoon ride.  but more confirmation new bike is faaaast downhill.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Oooooh shit.  Boulder Park is open.  I am most assuredly not ready for the long climb out, particularly in this weather (77 now, 77%RH), but I'm gonna go and walk out if I have to.

Edited April 8, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Your Mom 4763]

I had too many chores to beat the heat this morning, but I just went for a walk in the neighborhood to check on some things.  Good god it's miserable out there.  When my kids leave the house I'm headed somewhere cooler.  At least for the summers.