The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

2 weeks from tomorrow I'll be in Eureka Springs.  First ride since the morning of the Big 12 CCG, I think.

And with the exception of a couple days early next week, our entire extended forecast is highs above freezing, which should get us into a spot where I'll be able to ride when I get back from Arkansas.

[Your Mom 4805]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

2 weeks from tomorrow I'll be in Eureka Springs.  First ride since the morning of the Big 12 CCG, I think.

And with the exception of a couple days early next week, our entire extended forecast is highs above freezing, which should get us into a spot where I'll be able to ride when I get back from Arkansas.

Sweet!  Make sure to post up some pics.  I've tried twice recently to plan trips to Bentonville and both times shit keeps happening to prevent it.  Still gonna try to get out there at some point this spring.

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

27 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

Sweet!  Make sure to post up some pics.  I've tried twice recently to plan trips to Bentonville and both times shit keeps happening to prevent it.  Still gonna try to get out there at some point this spring.

Will do.  Been spending a lot of time planning out routes, and having back up plans for wet weather.  Looks like there's a whole network of trails between ES and Fayetteville (Hobbs State Park) that can handle a ton of rain and still be in good shape.  Way too early forecast looks good for Wednesday, but possibly fighting rain on Thursday.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Numerous DFW trails open today.  I actually have a selection.  I think I'm going to do River Legacy because its easy to get 10 mi without getting dizzy.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Good ride.  River Legacy is in great shape and the weather is perfecto.  They've added some new features, one of which is actually kind of cool.  It's a seesaw that instead of being skinny is about 3' wide.  So I rode it because I didn't have to worry too much about falling off it at an awkward angle and could just shift my weight.  Couple more times on that, and I'll be ready to ride the skinny ones.

Somewhat to my surprise, my strength and speed are still pretty close to where I left off in July/August, but my cardio is illin.

Funny thing.  I think I mentioned upthread that I was feeling a little cramped on the new frame, despite it having a longer reach than the old one.  Well, before I ride, I usually bounce around in the parking lot to check my suspension settings.  While doing it, my bars rotated down while I was compressing the fork.  So I reset and re-tightened them, and in the process changed the angle so the grips were higher and slightly further away.  Just that little thing solved the cramped feeling.

Edited February 24, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Ooof, was just checking the Harry Moss facebook and came across this.  They're redoing this creek crossing to smooth it out some.  It's pretty brutal because it's hard to cross it fast, but you need momentum to climb out the other side.  This is a little extra special though.

https://www.facebook.com/719805222/videos/10163840023375223/

Upthread I posted some night riders attempting this crossing unsuccessfully, but not quite that unsuccessfully. Ow.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

My local is completely fubar with downed limbs. I've spent almost 4 hours out there this week with nothing but a hand saw, and I've only cleared about 2 miles. Whole cedars uprooted and blocking the trail, or in some cases they broke off up high so you have to clear 7-8 baseball bat sized limbs instead of the "parent" trunk. The parks guys don't do any work on the singletrack, so it's up to riders to keep it clear. Actually had two guys ride up on me working yesterday and ask "is the whole trail like this?" Well, I assume so, since I've spent hours working on the first mile and a half you just rode through. They turned around and went back the other way without offering to help...fuckers. 

[TwiceHorn 31457]

10 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

My local is completely fubar with downed limbs. I've spent almost 4 hours out there this week with nothing but a hand saw, and I've only cleared about 2 miles. Whole cedars uprooted and blocking the trail, or in some cases they broke off up high so you have to clear 7-8 baseball bat sized limbs instead of the "parent" trunk. The parks guys don't do any work on the singletrack, so it's up to riders to keep it clear. Actually had two guys ride up on me working yesterday and ask "is the whole trail like this?" Well, I assume so, since I've spent hours working on the first mile and a half you just rode through. They turned around and went back the other way without offering to help...fuckers. 

Dallas Off Road Bicycle Assn. (dorba) does a great job with that.  Each of the trails has a steward assigned, and an assistant, and they put together work crews to clear things and repair things and add new features. Most of the dorba budget goes to equipping and supplying them.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

Dallas Off Road Bicycle Assn. (dorba) does a great job with that.  Each of the trails has a steward assigned, and an assistant, and they put together work crews to clear things and repair things and add new features. Most of the dorba budget goes to equipping and supplying them.

yea, most of the "destination" trails here have something similar through Austin Ridge Riders. My local isn't anything special, and our relationship with the park super is contentious at best (none of the singletrack is "sanctioned" trail), so the handful of guys that ride it often do most of the work. 

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

I'm lucky that the area I normally ride is in city limits and gets a lot of help from it's municipal parks dept.

[Your Mom 4805]

I did a couple hours of hiking part of the South Austin trails with a chainsaw and getting some of the bigger stuff out of the way.  I was impressed how quickly people out here got to work on them.  I rode my main local loop this afternoon and everything was passable.  

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Woof.  I rode Katie Jackson today.  I did 9 miles yesterday without too much trouble, which was kind of prodigious considering it's my third ride since July.  I didn't feel sore or particularly tired yesterday, or this morning.

But when I got on the saddle today, sans chamois, which I usually don't need, my arse hurt.  And my quads were burning a bit in pretty short order.  I don't think of Katie Jackson as a very hilly trail and it's not, but it's got more than River Legacy outside EKG for sure.  I wasn't lung-busting, but I could feel it.  And KJ is a bunch of sub-2-mile loops, so I kind of struggled to barf out six miles.

I guess that's to be expected with such a long layoff.  

And the rains return this afternoon.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

22 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

yea, most of the "destination" trails here have something similar through Austin Ridge Riders. My local isn't anything special, and our relationship with the park super is contentious at best (none of the singletrack is "sanctioned" trail), so the handful of guys that ride it often do most of the work. 

There aren't many bootleg trails around here, at least that I'm aware of and I think I would be.

Even some of the cooler unpaved hiking trails get no support from the parks people, there are just ad hoc groups and individuals that clear them occasionally.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Well, furk.  The Grapevine trails, Horseshoe and North Shore, are open.  Horseshoe, in particular, is not too strenuous, except that it would be my fourth or fifth ride after a six month layoff.

I'd like to lay down some miles for another couple of weeks before I try any of those.  I may go down to the Trinity levees and just ride some gravel.

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

Exactly a week from now I'll be riding in Eureka Springs.  Probably in the rain, but apparently they can handle it.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

We finally got the local clear enough to ride the whole thing. Ended up just going around some of the bigger falls. Still have to duck in a few places, but good enough to ride without having to get off and pick through trees. One day I'll stop and trim up a  few spots a little better, but yesterday I just needed to ride. Got in 11 miles yesterday, which is my longest ride since just before snowmageddon. 

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Let myself be overtaken by work yesterday, so didn't ride.

Made it to Rowlett Creek today and coughed out 9.  Stayed on the flat parts, but surprised myself with my speed.

@Knoxtnhorn will appreciate this.  The creekside exposure finally gave way.

 

 

 

[Knoxtnhorn 5974]

Whoa.  And I was thinking of heading over there Tue.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

13 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Whoa.  And I was thinking of heading over there Tue.

Trail's fine.  Just that creepy little overhang there on the creek finally gave.  It's already re-routed as it was beginning to be anyway.  I won't vouch for loops 5 & 6, they're probably still muddy, and I didn't do 7, or 8-12, either.  Just 1-4 twice.

[Knoxtnhorn 5974]

I gotta get out there but soccer season just started.  Hard on my knees to do both.

[sasquatch69 603]

21 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Trail's fine.  Just that creepy little overhang there on the creek finally gave.  It's already re-routed as it was beginning to be anyway.  I won't vouch for loops 5 & 6, they're probably still muddy, and I didn't do 7, or 8-12, either.  Just 1-4 twice.

I tried to ride 4-6 on Friday after RCP reopened, and there were still long stretches that were slip-and-slide gumbo, so I bailed out on the easement road to avoid damaging the trails. My bike got pretty trashed, though (this is after cleaning a lot out with a stick). I let it sit out in the sun for a few hours and then cleaned the rest off. 
 

[sasquatch69 603]

Despite the mess at RCP on Friday, I couldn't pass up the gorgeous weather, so I knocked out 8mi at Big Cedar on Saturday, another 5mi at Knob Hills on Sunday morning (it was my first time out there and was really disappointed - it didn't live up to the hype) and then more at Big Cedar yesterday afternoon with our boys. The oldest loved it and wants to go back; our youngest hated it and says he only wants to ride paved trails from now on. Sigh. 
 

(photo is one of the many climbs that sneak up on you at BC - and it's steeper than it looks here)

Edited March 8, 2021 by sasquatch69

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Yeah, those southern loops are pretty swampy for whatever reason and dry slowly.  You said you started on 4? Did you see that caved in section on 3?

[sasquatch69 603]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah, those southern loops are pretty swampy for whatever reason and dry slowly.  You said you started on 4? Did you see that caved in section on 3?

I went 1-1A-2-3-4-5, so yeah, had to go around the landslide.  I also took a photo, but didn't post because it was similar to yours.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

3 hours ago, sasquatch69 said:

I went 1-1A-2-3-4-5, so yeah, had to go around the landslide.  I also took a photo, but didn't post because it was similar to yours.

I notice they redid the creek crossing between 1 and 1A and it's a little smoother, but looks like the down/up direction change may be even more abrupt than it used to be.  I didn't even bother to go up that way because I would have been tempted to do 8, 9, 10 and 11 and I think that might have been too much for me in my current state.

After I get my wind a little better, I want to try Big Cedar.  Knowing that photos flatten shit out, that climb doesn't look too bad until the end.  I don't like those abrupt climbs on a new trail, cuz they always wind me, slow me down, and I don't feel prepared for what's on the downside.

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

Wednesday in Eureka Springs looking dry and about perfect.  Rain moves in that night, on and off for the next few days.  Apparently the trails at Hobbs State park shed water really well and according to locals on Facebook, will stay good through our stay.  Leatherwood may be off the table as a result.

Pretty pumped.  Rode fat bike on some of our local trails yesterday.  Not my usual single track, but the stuff where I cross country ski.  There isn't enough snow to ski on, but the trails (especially in the woods) still had a hard packed layer.  Felt good to be out there, that's for damn sure.

[sasquatch69 603]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

After I get my wind a little better, I want to try Big Cedar.  Knowing that photos flatten shit out, that climb doesn't look too bad until the end.  I don't like those abrupt climbs on a new trail, cuz they always wind me, slow me down, and I don't feel prepared for what's on the downside.

There are lots of little down/ups at Big Cedar, on all but the easiest trail (Dragonfly).  The photo I posted is on the other green trail (I Can), and there's another blue trail (Crooked Tree) that's mostly easy but has a couple of big swings in elevation.

My favorite spot in the entire trail network at BC is the northeastern part of the Ranger Loop, past Crooked Tree, because it has an incredible downhill section that opens up at the end into a big open-field valley inbetween the Escarpment hills.  However, the climb out of it, even with a couple switchbacks, is brutal.  I ended up walking a good chunk of it - but there's no shame in that.

EDIT: Here's a video of one part of the back stretch of Ranger Loop where there's a crazy off-camber old concrete bridge that you come up on with little warning. 

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by sasquatch69

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Is it as bad as the climb out at Boulder?

Went to mtb project and it now has Ranger all black.  Looks like the big climb out is 100 ft in .3 mile, while Boulder's is 60 feet in a half mile.  Not sure which is worse.  The relentlessness of Boulder is a big part of it.

Edited March 8, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[sasquatch69 603]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Is it as bad as the climb out at Boulder?

Went to mtb project and it now has Ranger all black.  Looks like the big climb out is 100 ft in .3 mile, while Boulder's is 60 feet in a half mile.  Not sure which is worse.  The relentlessness of Boulder is a big part of it.

I've only ridden Boulder twice so I don't feel I can make a clear comparison on those two climbs. I think the difference is that BC is so massive that you can ride for miles on other parts of Ranger (or other loops) and never end up in the valley area that has the massive downhill and climb. Boulder is more compact and, given the creek and drainage areas that run through it, it's hard to avoid the elevation changes. 

[TwiceHorn 31457]

22 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

I've only ridden Boulder twice so I don't feel I can make a clear comparison on those two climbs. I think the difference is that BC is so massive that you can ride for miles on other parts of Ranger (or other loops) and never end up in the valley area that has the massive downhill and climb. Boulder is more compact and, given the creek and drainage areas that run through it, it's hard to avoid the elevation changes. 

Yes, it is impossible to avoid that climb out at Boulder.  It has some real technical climbs on the loops other than A and B.  How do you avoid the big climb at Big Cedar?  Is there signage or do you have to know where you're going?

[sasquatch69 603]

34 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yes, it is impossible to avoid that climb out at Boulder.  It has some real technical climbs on the loops other than A and B.  How do you avoid the big climb at Big Cedar?  Is there signage or do you have to know where you're going?

The signage at BC isn't great, mainly because there are so many loops off of Ranger, and they cross each other in some cases. It's taken me a half-dozen trips out there to feel like I know where I am most of the time.

Here - try this.  On first trip, focus on a couple green/blue routes and the portions of Ranger inbetween them.  On the map below, after parking at the trailhead off Saddlecreek and Isom streets (the blue-circle P at bottom), hop on the purple fire road right next to the parking lot entrance gate.  Follow the crudely-drawn red arrow and circle to hop on Dragonfly (the green trail off to the right of the fire road).  I usually ride that a couple times to warm up and get my bearings.

Then, when Dragonfly spits you back out on the fire road (purple), hang a right and follow the second red arrow and circle I drew to Ranger, which takes you to Crooked Tree, the blue trail that is a right turn off of the fire road.  At the green dot, turn left and follow the arrows to stay on Crooked Tree.  When it spits you back out on Ranger (red dot), you can either turn right and go back to the fire road, or turn left and take Ranger out to the back stretch along the NE corner of the property.  If you go back to fire road, you can pick up I Can (the green trail right in the middle), or if you go into the deeper part of Ranger, there are a lot of ups and downs in that stretch and it then leads you to the big downhill that takes you into the open meadow down in the valley, which you then have to climb out from.  

If you want to explore further, go here - but honestly, it really takes exploring on the bike or on foot to figure it out as there are probably 22-23 miles of trails out there at this point: https://www.trailforks.com/region/big-cedar-wilderness-trails 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by sasquatch69

[sasquatch69 603]

3 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

The signage at BC isn't great, mainly because there are so many loops off of Ranger, and they cross each other in some cases. It's taken me a half-dozen trips out there to feel like I know where I am most of the time.

Here - try this.  On first trip, focus on a couple green/blue routes and the portions of Ranger inbetween them.  On the map below, after parking at the trailhead off Saddlecreek and Isom streets (the blue-circle P at bottom), hop on the purple fire road right next to the parking lot entrance gate.  Follow the crudely-drawn red arrow and circle to hop on Dragonfly (the green trail off to the right of the fire road).  I usually ride that a couple times to warm up and get my bearings.

Then, when Dragonfly spits you back out on the fire road (purple), hang a right and follow the second red arrow and circle I drew to Ranger, which takes you to Crooked Tree, the blue trail that is a right turn off of the fire road.  At the green dot, turn left and follow the arrows to stay on Crooked Tree.  When it spits you back out on Ranger (red dot), you can either turn right and go back to the fire road, or turn left and take Ranger out to the back stretch along the NE corner of the property.  If you go back to fire road, you can pick up I Can (the green trail right in the middle), or if you go into the deeper part of Ranger, there are a lot of ups and downs in that stretch and it then leads you to the big downhill that takes you into the open meadow down in the valley, which you then have to climb out from.  

If you want to explore further, go here - but honestly, it really takes exploring on the bike or on foot to figure it out as there are probably 22-23 miles of trails out there at this point: https://www.trailforks.com/region/big-cedar-wilderness-trails 

 

Also, the Friends of Big Cedar FB group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/253097255149607) is helpful since it's singularly focused.  The newish trail steward, Bardo, is really active on there and helpful.  They've been working to rebuild and improve a lot of the neglected trails on the far north end of the property (one of which goes through a drainage tunnel under Camp Wisdom Road), and fixing what Oncor tore up while replacing high-voltage lines in the utility easement.

[TwiceHorn 31457]

35 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

The signage at BC isn't great, mainly because there are so many loops off of Ranger, and they cross each other in some cases. It's taken me a half-dozen trips out there to feel like I know where I am most of the time.

Here - try this.  On first trip, focus on a couple green/blue routes and the portions of Ranger inbetween them.  On the map below, after parking at the trailhead off Saddlecreek and Isom streets (the blue-circle P at bottom), hop on the purple fire road right next to the parking lot entrance gate.  Follow the crudely-drawn red arrow and circle to hop on Dragonfly (the green trail off to the right of the fire road).  I usually ride that a couple times to warm up and get my bearings.

Then, when Dragonfly spits you back out on the fire road (purple), hang a right and follow the second red arrow and circle I drew to Ranger, which takes you to Crooked Tree, the blue trail that is a right turn off of the fire road.  At the green dot, turn left and follow the arrows to stay on Crooked Tree.  When it spits you back out on Ranger (red dot), you can either turn right and go back to the fire road, or turn left and take Ranger out to the back stretch along the NE corner of the property.  If you go back to fire road, you can pick up I Can (the green trail right in the middle), or if you go into the deeper part of Ranger, there are a lot of ups and downs in that stretch and it then leads you to the big downhill that takes you into the open meadow down in the valley, which you then have to climb out from.  

If you want to explore further, go here - but honestly, it really takes exploring on the bike or on foot to figure it out as there are probably 22-23 miles of trails out there at this point: https://www.trailforks.com/region/big-cedar-wilderness-trails 

 

Fantastic.  Exactly what I had been looking for.  Thank you.

[sasquatch69 603]

13 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Fantastic.  Exactly what I had been looking for.  Thank you.

One more:  The same guy who made the video I posted yesterday captured part of the fast downhill section of Ranger that I mentioned (it's a bit rutted right now) and some of the section after that before you hit the open meadow.  This is one of my favorite parts of the whole place.

 

[TwiceHorn 31457]

Had a fairly unremarkable ride at Harry Moss today.  I did do all the little climbs and drops that I was previously afraid would reveal how grossly out of shape I am.  Not too bad.

I had noticed that this new frame is a little easier to get the front up on, which I discovered is because the chainstays are 10mm shorter than the older one (425 vs 435).  I also discovered the flipside of that, that I have to focus more on keeping my weight up front when climbing the steepies.  Holy chit, I almost looped out backward on one of the climbs.

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

Eureka Springs. Holy shit. First ride of the year coming in hot at 11 miles and 1900 feet (according to Trailforks) of climb in about 2 hours. It’s fucking awesome here. Best trails I’ve ever ridden. Only hiked on a couple rock features late in the ride when I was too shot to maneuver.

All riding at Great Passion Play/Marble Flats.

[sasquatch69 603]

20 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Had a fairly unremarkable ride at Harry Moss today.  I did do all the little climbs and drops that I was previously afraid would reveal how grossly out of shape I am.  Not too bad.

I had noticed that this new frame is a little easier to get the front up on, which I discovered is because the chainstays are 10mm shorter than the older one (425 vs 435).  I also discovered the flipside of that, that I have to focus more on keeping my weight up front when climbing the steepies.  Holy chit, I almost looped out backward on one of the climbs.

This post Inspired me to ride HM this morning. I forgot how low-key difficult that first stretch is with all the little ups and downs along the edge of the property. Did all of the trails except red, and had a good 7mi ride overall, but dang, there's a lot of trash on that property from creek flooding. 

[TwiceHorn 31457]

5 hours ago, sasquatch69 said:

This post Inspired me to ride HM this morning. I forgot how low-key difficult that first stretch is with all the little ups and downs along the edge of the property. Did all of the trails except red, and had a good 7mi ride overall, but dang, there's a lot of trash on that property from creek flooding. 

Yeah, I have learned to ignore all the trash.  And that first part of blue is deceptively difficult.  I always get a little nervous when the trail is real leafy that I'm going to lose traction and go off.

I have hated that chunk of concrete sticking up at the beginning for as long as I have been MTB riding and now that sapling hangs over it so you have to duck (or I do) going over it  As many changes as they've made, they leave that.  It's not that it's really that hard to get over, but casing your chain ring or bb on just looks so awful, I'm always cringing going over it.

I have never ridden red.  That first creek crossing/climb deters me.  If you look upthread to that facebook post, there's yet another dufus eating it on there.

Edited March 11, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

The other day I took a spill.  Besides getting scratches to hell bent my brake lever beyond repair.  It’s amazing how difficult it is to purchase just a brake lever, ended up getting an entirely new brake - caliper set.  Weird thing is I’ve had dozens of crashes worse than this. I normally leave my levers a little loose to prevent this.  Not sure wtf happened.  Anyways $70 lesson learned

 

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah, I have learned to ignore all the trash.  And that first part of blue is deceptively difficult.  I always get a little nervous when the trail is real leafy that I'm going to lose traction and go off.

I have hated that chunk of concrete sticking up at the beginning for as long as I have been MTB riding and now that sapling hangs over it so you have to duck (or I do) going over it  As many changes as they've made, they leave that.  It's not that it's really that hard to get over, but casing your chain ring or bb on just looks so awful, I'm always cringing going over it.

I have never ridden red.  That first creek crossing/climb deters me.  If you look upthread to that facebook post, there's yet another dufus eating it on there.

Man, our trails are covered with leaves from the freeze right now. Slicker than goose shit in some areas. 

[wd40 1976]

3 hours ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

The other day I took a spill.  Besides getting scratches to hell bent my brake lever beyond repair.  It’s amazing how difficult it is to purchase just a brake lever, ended up getting an entirely new brake - caliper set.  Weird thing is I’ve had dozens of crashes worse than this. I normally leave my levers a little loose to prevent this.  Not sure wtf happened.  Anyways $70 lesson learned

 

I know, it sucks!  

similar thing happened to me (video on previous page).  found a level on eBay in Taiwan.  put it on last sunday for a South ride.  squirted a fist-sized rock on a steep descent and got sent into a cedar sapling on the left, which promptly squeezed that brake lever for me and sent me OTB.  it was right above the lip of about a 2ft drop, so I had a long time to think about how much it was gonna hurt while I swung through that high arc.  bruised shoulder, bruised ribs.  fortunately, after I got my wind back, the pain didn't get serious until I got to the truck.  we cut it short, but we still got almost 900ft of climbing in 5.5miles.   but sleeping's for shit.  hurts to do anything but blink.  double-fuck sneezing or coughing (never realized how bad I am at swallowing my spit).

[TwiceHorn 31457]

4 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Man, our trails are covered with leaves from the freeze right now. Slicker than goose shit in some areas. 

On a bunch of different trails, I have noticed that the foliage is a lot thinner than normal.  Being kind of a dumbass, I was thinking well, it must just be winter and my long layoff means I don't recognize things quite the same.  But, of course, freezemageddon made everything drop leaves and die back.  It's kind of weird.

Katie Jackson especially looks real different because you can actually see all the apartments and homes nearby.  I think that is really the most urban/suburban trail in DFW as it is surrounded on all sides by residential buildings.

The trails for the most part aren't that leafy for some strange reason.  Harry Moss is always pretty dense with the trees and can be leafy year-round, but it's usually dry leafy.  I learned pretty early on that what appears to be dry, thin leafy can hide wet moldy slime underneath that's like teflon.  Being a general purpose pussy, I am therefore pretty careful on leafy trails.

That section of Moss that sasquatch mentions is up and down and can get kind of speedy with direction change.  It's also a bit exposed on a hillside.  Not dangerous exposed, but it would not be fun to go off of uncontrolled from a leaf skid.

Edited March 12, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[KuЯdt 248]

18 hours ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

The other day I took a spill.  Besides getting scratches to hell bent my brake lever beyond repair.  It’s amazing how difficult it is to purchase just a brake lever, ended up getting an entirely new brake - caliper set.  Weird thing is I’ve had dozens of crashes worse than this. I normally leave my levers a little loose to prevent this.  Not sure wtf happened.  Anyways $70 lesson learned

 

It's pretty difficult to get a lot of things right now.  I've been trying to get a spare derailleur hanger and brake pads for a couple months now.  Can't find shit.

I also saw that a lot of bike manufacturers are raising their prices, some up to 10%.

On an unrelated note, Spider is open all next week.  Tickets are cheaper too at $31, so I think I'll head out there weds or thurs.

[sasquatch69 603]

14 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

On a bunch of different trails, I have noticed that the foliage is a lot thinner than normal.  Being kind of a dumbass, I was thinking well, it must just be winter and my long layoff means I don't recognize things quite the same.  But, of course, freezemageddon made everything drop leaves and die back.  It's kind of weird.

Katie Jackson especially looks real different because you can actually see all the apartments and homes nearby.  I think that is really the most urban/suburban trail in DFW as it is surrounded on all sides by residential buildings.

The trails for the most part aren't that leafy for some strange reason.  Harry Moss is always pretty dense with the trees and can be leafy year-round, but it's usually dry leafy.  I learned pretty early on that what appears to be dry, thin leafy can hide wet moldy slime underneath that's like teflon.  Being a general purpose pussy, I am therefore pretty careful on leafy trails.

That section of Moss that sasquatch mentions is up and down and can get kind of speedy with direction change.  It's also a bit exposed on a hillside.  Not dangerous exposed, but it would not be fun to go off of uncontrolled from a leaf skid.

I went back to HM early this am - did the red trail this time, too (but walked the creek crossings).  Lots of leaf cover, particularly on the inner trails, but like you said, mostly dry.  There were a couple little drops where groundcover had been dumped onto the landing spot to avoid mud, but it did make for a couple "oh sh!t" moments at speed. 

[TwiceHorn 31457]

51 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

I went back to HM early this am - did the red trail this time, too (but walked the creek crossings).  Lots of leaf cover, particularly on the inner trails, but like you said, mostly dry.  There were a couple little drops where groundcover had been dumped onto the landing spot to avoid mud, but it did make for a couple "oh sh!t" moments at speed. 

I have never tried it, but that climb out of the first creek crossing looks to be challenging to even walk.  One of these days, I'm going to have to gut up and do it.

The last crossing back onto green doesn't look that bad, but of course, I have only seen it from the "other side."

 

It's kind of interesting to see how trail features evolve.  At Katie Jackson, there's a crossing that at times has been signed "Copperhead."  It's to the left of the second crossing on the yellow trail (nearer to the creek) and is kind of easy to miss.  Years ago, it was narrrow and "chutey," very rooty including a whopper right before you drop in, and had a couple of nasty limestone ledges on the way down.  Still, easier to ride than it looks.  Well, now it's all spread out, not chutey, that big root at the drop in broke and is effectively gone, some of the other roots are gone, and one of the ledges completely eroded and the other kind of dished out so it's not a big bump anymore.

Edited March 12, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[wd40 1976]

2 hours ago, KuЯdt said:

It's pretty difficult to get a lot of things right now.  I've been trying to get a spare derailleur hanger and brake pads for a couple months now.  Can't find shit.

I also saw that a lot of bike manufacturers are raising their prices, some up to 10%.

On an unrelated note, Spider is open all next week.  Tickets are cheaper too at $31, so I think I'll head out there weds or thurs.

you tried these guys, yet?

https://wheelsmfg.com/derailleur-hangers/manufacturers/orbea.html

what kinda pads you looking for?  if you're down to the pins, I have some Shimano 2-piston style with the fins that have some life left.

Thanks for the reminder to stock up on pads for my current brakes, though.

I'm gonna be out of town, all next week.  but I think I need to check out Fr512 in Smithville and learn me some jumping skills.  more reps to be had there a whole lot cheaper than Spider.

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

Hobbs State Park in NWA. Really enjoyed these trails. XC heaven.

[KuЯdt 248]

2 hours ago, wd40 said:

you tried these guys, yet?

https://wheelsmfg.com/derailleur-hangers/manufacturers/orbea.html

what kinda pads you looking for?  if you're down to the pins, I have some Shimano 2-piston style with the fins that have some life left.

Thanks for the reminder to stock up on pads for my current brakes, though.

I'm gonna be out of town, all next week.  but I think I need to check out Fr512 in Smithville and learn me some jumping skills.  more reps to be had there a whole lot cheaper than Spider.

I haven't tried that site, but it doesn't look like they have the hanger I need anyway.  I've got XT 4 piston brakes.  I entered my email addy in at a couple sites like worldwide and jenson to let me know when they are back in stock.  And I have received a couple notifications, but by the time I see it and check they are out of stock again.  I think mine should last a good while longer, but always like to have spares on hand.

Good idea on the FR512 spot which I believe is at RHR?  Haven't been out there in a long time.   Maybe I'll check that out too.

[KuЯdt 248]

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Hobbs State Park in NWA. Really enjoyed these trails. XC heaven.

Looks awesome. I'm itching for another trip up that way.  Seems like you're dodging the rain so far?

[Al_4_ISU 12463]

Looks awesome. I'm itching for another trip up that way.  Seems like you're dodging the rain so far?

Yeah. Got a little bit yesterday, but the Hobbs trails can really hold up to it.

I feel like I kinda pulled one over on the universe. On Monday it looked like rain the whole time, and I didn’t ride in any rain, and the trail conditions weren’t negatively affected at all. I’ve moved on to Tulsa to visit family for the remainder of the weekend, but I have a feeling NWA is going to be an early spring or late fall tradition. It’s a pretty easy drive for us (9 hours), and it has a considerably longer riding season. Wife loved the area too (she doesn’t MTB). We went hiking yesterday in the Buffalo River area and it was stunning.