The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[wd40 1976]

some footage from a couple months ago, but mostly today.  same trail network.  today was one of those super-humid days where some of the rocks were sweating.  made it fun.  enjoy.

 

[Austinvines 309]

First ride on the new bike. After waiting months for the bike shop that demo’d me many different bikes and sizes to come through with a full suspension carbon, I walk into another store on Monday and they have the bike I wanted (Ibis Ripley) in both sizes (M/L) and in two different component levels (Full SRAM GX or a Shimano XT but with carbon hoops and i9 hubs). At the end of the day I couldn’t stomach the $2,200 delta and it gives me an upgrade path for many years since this should be the last bike I ever buy.

I went with a medium since I’m in between sizes and went with fun and snappy as opposed to planted and stable on DH. I’m old and risk averse and will never do enduro.

Had a great first spin after bedding in the brakes on the Slaughter Creek loop. I figured it would’ve been a PR but nope! Apparently age is the great leveler. Hit mine four years ago and have never been close since.

Amazed at the shock. It just sucks up the bumps (120mm) and is so smooth. The fork is a bit longer (130mm) than the one on my hardtail. The geo will take a bit getting used to so I can unweight the front to get the wheel over larger ledges but it almost doesn’t need it as I was able to go through an entire loop without dabbing on stuff that would usually hang me up.

Got to see a Caracara raptor on my ride!

[midtown 3339]

We were driving today and there was a truck in front of us with a bunch of bikes in it. My son asked if they were good bikes. I said. Well they aren't in a garage collecting dust so those are awesome bikes.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

15 minutes ago, Austinvines said:

Apparently age is the great leveler. Hit mine four years ago and have never been close since.

I guess so.  I am at least 10 years older than the dudes I ride with most of the time (different groups with one or two in common).  I am not big on the whole stravahole thing to begin with, but it's nice to see if you are improving at all.  And, today, I was interested in what impact my road riding has had.  And it appeared to be positive.

Also, I had to bed those rear brake pads I installed a couple of months ago (how long I have been off the trails) and I don't think I will ever want to ride my MTB on the street again, at least for much distance.

[wd40 1976]

I'll be 52 next month.  I'm riding faster now than I did 10 years ago, especially downhill, but that has as much to do with the bike as anything.  I do Strava occasionally, just to check mileage on new loops and see where I am on repeat rides.  but you can usually rationalize the differences.  a work call stoppage, or a rock slip here or there can add just enough time to put you behind the pace.  watch for trends is all you can do.

but shit's breaking down.  about every morning, I have to pop my SI joint back into place.  my 'good' knee I had scoped about 12 years ago has loosened up again, so getting up off the floor from said stretches is an adventure.  arthritis in both feet, so switching to hiking is out.

eh, whatever.  gonna enjoy it while I can.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

1 hour ago, wd40 said:

I'll be 52 next month.  I'm riding faster now than I did 10 years ago, especially downhill, but that has as much to do with the bike as anything.  I do Strava occasionally, just to check mileage on new loops and see where I am on repeat rides.  but you can usually rationalize the differences.  a work call stoppage, or a rock slip here or there can add just enough time to put you behind the pace.  watch for trends is all you can do.

but shit's breaking down.  about every morning, I have to pop my SI joint back into place.  my 'good' knee I had scoped about 12 years ago has loosened up again, so getting up off the floor from said stretches is an adventure.  arthritis in both feet, so switching to hiking is out.

eh, whatever.  gonna enjoy it while I can.

Thankfully, I don't have any longstanding ortho problems except my finger and collarbone shoulder, which aren't really issues.  But the aches and pains kind of mount up.  I need to stretch pretty good before rides to keep patellar tendon and hamstring/glute pain at bay.  

And, I'm not quite sure what's going on, but on longer rides, my hips will be a little sore.  First noticed it on the single-speed, where I really don't let myself coast, ever, so I am pedaling, pedaling, more so than on geared bike on trail, and sometimes mashing pretty hard for extended periods.  I may need to tweak my saddle height some.  Thankfully, whatever it is doesn't persist much past the day of the ride.

[Your Mom 4763]

For me it’s mostly lower back issues. I had a herniated a disc a few years ago that I had to repair twice. The disc above it is bulging and if I have to go under the knife again it’ll be for a fusion. I’m trying to avoid that. Or more accurately, I’m trying to push that off into the future as long as possible. But I won’t suffer through the sciatic pain as long as I did before. At the first sign of that sciatic pain I’m going to start the process because that shit was miserable all day every day until they fixed it.  But for now it’s just lower back tightness and achiness that looses up with a little work. 

Sometimes on bigger drops on the mountain bike my elbows take a beating. I’ve broken both of them at separate times over the years and never had either one  properly fixed. They click a little bit when I bend them and big impacts give them a quick jolt of pain but it goes away almost immediately. Not too worried about that. 

For my back I’ve been doing a 30 minute yoga routine lately almost every morning. It helps me a lot. Took about a week before I noticed less back pain and tightness. It helps that the girl on the video is easy to look at and listen to. 

 

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Gah, I guess the holidays, and some work stuff had me loafing.  I was riding a minimum of four days a week most of the fall.  But I fell off of that.  

Rode street yesterday and was disappointed with distance and speed, although I did a shorter route on purpose and didn't feel tired or anything.

Then rode Katie Jackson today and just felt kind of tired. Felt slightly winded, but didn't huff or puff on the uphill bits.  Weird.  A couple of those days, I guess.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

On 12/2/2021 at 3:10 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Gah, I guess the holidays, and some work stuff had me loafing.  I was riding a minimum of four days a week most of the fall.  But I fell off of that.  

Rode street yesterday and was disappointed with distance and speed, although I did a shorter route on purpose and didn't feel tired or anything.

Then rode Katie Jackson today and just felt kind of tired. Felt slightly winded, but didn't huff or puff on the uphill bits.  Weird.  A couple of those days, I guess.

Arggh.  Another short, slow right at Harry Moss.  Maybe it's the afternoon riding.  And, the ground was kind of sticky on both rides.  Not that made that vaguely sexual noise, but enough to increase pedaling effort, a couple of notches below hero dirt on the wet side.  On the bright side, I rode all the "technical features," including the surprisingly challenging blue loop, clean and with little wailing or gnashing of teeth.

Also, due to single-speed riding, I am staying in higher gears.  Both Moss and Jackson are pretty twisty, so it may be that the lack of acceleration coming out of and recovering from all the turns is actually slowing me down.

[Stinkpalm 675]

I hear ya on recovering from time off the bike. Leading up to October, I was getting multiple rides in per week, and by September was having some of the best rides I’ve had in years. Felt like I was flying down the trails with relatively little effort. Then October hit. Spent nearly all of October trying to get my wife a really good buck I’d seen with her bow, then got the snip-snip on November 1. Put me out of commission way longer than I would’ve expected. Only time I’ve been on the bike since September was a quick trip up to Bentonville at the end of October… until tonight. Finally decided it was time to see if the berries were up for it and charged up my lights. Ended up riding horseshoe since I was short on time and it’s the nearest trail. Had a good time, definitely enjoyed getting in a night ride as I haven’t done that in quite some time, but decided I was done after just one lap. Felt slow and out of shape, lower back was screaming, and lungs were burning due to the cold dry air. Probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much if it weren’t for the fact that I know just how good I was riding before the hiatus. But I’ve been looking to take a page out of the twicehorn book and get a little ss for a while now, just to cruise around the neighborhood when I don’t have time to run to a trail, and this experience was probably the thing to get me to pull the trigger. I need something to drag around the toddler wagon anyway without scratching up my carbon and wearing down my knobbies.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Had a big ride planned for Saturday, but we're supposed to get 4-10" of snow on Friday, so it will probably be a snowshoe day.

Then it's supposed to be 60 by the middle of next week.  So maybe next weekend.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

5 hours ago, Stinkpalm said:

I hear ya on recovering from time off the bike. Leading up to October, I was getting multiple rides in per week, and by September was having some of the best rides I’ve had in years. Felt like I was flying down the trails with relatively little effort. Then October hit. Spent nearly all of October trying to get my wife a really good buck I’d seen with her bow, then got the snip-snip on November 1. Put me out of commission way longer than I would’ve expected. Only time I’ve been on the bike since September was a quick trip up to Bentonville at the end of October… until tonight. Finally decided it was time to see if the berries were up for it and charged up my lights. Ended up riding horseshoe since I was short on time and it’s the nearest trail. Had a good time, definitely enjoyed getting in a night ride as I haven’t done that in quite some time, but decided I was done after just one lap. Felt slow and out of shape, lower back was screaming, and lungs were burning due to the cold dry air. Probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much if it weren’t for the fact that I know just how good I was riding before the hiatus. But I’ve been looking to take a page out of the twicehorn book and get a little ss for a while now, just to cruise around the neighborhood when I don’t have time to run to a trail, and this experience was probably the thing to get me to pull the trigger. I need something to drag around the toddler wagon anyway without scratching up my carbon and wearing down my knobbies.

I got my fixie/ss from State Bicycles.  They've gone up 100 bucks for the base model with a non-butted mild steel frame.  I'm quite happy with it though.  City Grounds has a decent selection of other cheap brands, and I think they're fairly interchangeable.  All no-name components, but surprisingly decent quality.

If you don't want to muck with actual fixed gear and just have a freewheel ss, bikesdirect has some good cheap options, and I think even their cheapest has a butted 4130 frame.  Whatever you want to say about bikesdirect, they have really nice frames for the money.  I wanted to dick around with fixed gear, so wanted something with a flip/flop hub.

[Your Mom 4763]

10 hours ago, Stinkpalm said:

But I’ve been looking to take a page out of the twicehorn book and get a little ss for a while now, just to cruise around the neighborhood when I don’t have time to run to a trail, and this experience was probably the thing to get me to pull the trigger. I need something to drag around the toddler wagon anyway without scratching up my carbon and wearing down my knobbies.

Well...  about a year ago on this thread I was saying the same thing.  Need a ss for trips to the gym, getting coffee, cruising the 'hood with the kids, etc...  I bought a used 2013 Kona Unit rigid SS, size medium.  Paid $500.  A neighbor had a carbon seatpost and bars so I put those on it (they say it takes some of the sting out of being a rigid bike but I didn't notice a difference... rigid is rigid).  So fast forward a year and that bike has indeed made a few trips to the gym and around the neighborhood, but you'll all be shocked to know it mainly just takes up room in my garage and gets in my way.  It's yours for the same $500 I paid for it if you want it. 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

23 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

Well...  about a year ago on this thread I was saying the same thing.  Need a ss for trips to the gym, getting coffee, cruising the 'hood with the kids, etc...  I bought a used 2013 Kona Unit rigid SS, size medium.  Paid $500.  A neighbor had a carbon seatpost and bars so I put those on it (they say it takes some of the sting out of being a rigid bike but I didn't notice a difference... rigid is rigid).  So fast forward a year and that bike has indeed made a few trips to the gym and around the neighborhood, but you'll all be shocked to know it mainly just takes up room in my garage and gets in my way.  It's yours for the same $500 I paid for it if you want it. 

I've really enjoyed mine.  I guess I had kind of physically plateaued on my MTB, because I finally started losing more weight when I started riding it.  Part of that is that it means I ride when the trails are closed too, and can slip in a ride from the house in just an hour. And I'm glad I didn't change the cog, the 44x16 does indeed work pretty well around Dallas, but it takes some adjustment, including I guess just flat getting stronger.  I haven't ridden it as a fixie much because the "engine braking" that I couldn't seem to resist doing felt like it was taking a toll on my knees, but even riding with the freewheel, I try not to ever coast.  I started calling it Pedal, Fucker, which turned into PF, which with the aid of my wife, turned into PF Flyer.

Like the fixie fehgs say, there's something kind of cool about riding such a simple bike.  My freewheel is very quiet, and I try not to coast, so the whole experience is super quiet, which is interesting in and of itself. And, of course, mine is road/track geo and setup, so it's a more different experience than my MTB than the Unit is.

One kind of fun thing is that sometimes going up hills near real roadies, I wind up blowing past them because of the relatively high gearing, just wearing board shorts, running shoes, and a tshirt.  Gears make you lazy as hell.

Edited December 8, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Small addendum.  For the first time in about 6-7 years of consistent riding, I have a sore ass.  Turns out there's some kind of pimple/boil/blister/ingrown hair.  So, I am off the bike for a couple of days.  It seems to be healing.  Not sure if it's actually bike related or just a coincidence.

On a related note, I have lost enough weight that my bike shorts are loose, loose enough to slide down when riding.  So, I picked up a pair of Santic Chinese shorts off Amazon for $30.  I have seen them reviewed decently on mtbr etc. so I took a flyer, mostly attracted by the drawstring waist. https://www.amazon.com/Santic-Padded-Loose-Fit-Cycling-Shorts/dp/B01C5GLAQY/ref=sr_1_13?ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-def00-other-nomod-us000-gatwy-feature-SEARC&keywords=santic&qid=1639062627&sr=8-13

They're pretty decent, I'd say.  Well made, thoughtfully designed.  They do have a built-in chamois liner, which one pair of my older shorts have, and one doesn't.  I go without chamois most of the time with no ill effects.  Probably mostly due to the fact that I don't go on multi-hour epic rides, typically.

Anyway, I'm a bit curious if the multiple rides with the chamois shorts somehow provoked this thing on my ass.  It's really where ass ends and thigh starts, so not ass per se, but an area involved in saddle contact.  I didn't notice anything while riding, but showering a couple of days later it was sore and I found an actual bump.  Weird.

Edited December 9, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Stinkpalm 675]

On 12/8/2021 at 12:02 PM, Your Mom said:

Well...  about a year ago on this thread I was saying the same thing.  Need a ss for trips to the gym, getting coffee, cruising the 'hood with the kids, etc...  I bought a used 2013 Kona Unit rigid SS, size medium.  Paid $500.  A neighbor had a carbon seatpost and bars so I put those on it (they say it takes some of the sting out of being a rigid bike but I didn't notice a difference... rigid is rigid).  So fast forward a year and that bike has indeed made a few trips to the gym and around the neighborhood, but you'll all be shocked to know it mainly just takes up room in my garage and gets in my way.  It's yours for the same $500 I paid for it if you want it. 

Damn, if it was a large or XL I’d be game. Haven’t checked Kona but I’m an XL in most brands. Appreciate the offer though!

[Stinkpalm 675]

14 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Small addendum.  For the first time in about 6-7 years of consistent riding, I have a sore ass.  Turns out there's some kind of pimple/boil/blister/ingrown hair.  So, I am off the bike for a couple of days.  It seems to be healing.  Not sure if it's actually bike related or just a coincidence.

On a related note, I have lost enough weight that my bike shorts are loose, loose enough to slide down when riding.  So, I picked up a pair of Santic Chinese shorts off Amazon for $30.  I have seen them reviewed decently on mtbr etc. so I took a flyer, mostly attracted by the drawstring waist. https://www.amazon.com/Santic-Padded-Loose-Fit-Cycling-Shorts/dp/B01C5GLAQY/ref=sr_1_13?ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-def00-other-nomod-us000-gatwy-feature-SEARC&keywords=santic&qid=1639062627&sr=8-13

They're pretty decent, I'd say.  Well made, thoughtfully designed.  They do have a built-in chamois liner, which one pair of my older shorts have, and one doesn't.  I go without chamois most of the time with no ill effects.  Probably mostly due to the fact that I don't go on multi-hour epic rides, typically.

Anyway, I'm a bit curious if the multiple rides with the chamois shorts somehow provoked this thing on my ass.  It's really where ass ends and thigh starts, so not ass per se, but an area involved in saddle contact.  I didn't notice anything while riding, but showering a couple of days later it was sore and I found an actual bump.  Weird.

I’ve always ridden with a chamois under “baggy” shorts. Just don’t have enough natural padding in my skinny ass for today’s saddles.  Never had any issues until about 4-5 years ago, when it just started to feel less comfortable having the chamois rubbing against my skin. So I started wearing my athletic-style boxer briefs (under armor, adidas, etc) under the chamois, and it’s made a world of difference. May or may not be related to what’s causing your issue

[wd40 1976]

'tis indeed the season for night riding.

keep your head up and be careful of fallen trees lurking in the dark, kids.  the shadows can play tricks on you.

Spoiler

9 stitches.  can recommend Care Now by between Target and the ATT Store at 360/183.

 

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Ow ow ow.  Night riding as a concept frightens me.  There's a Monday afternoon/evening night ride at Harry Moss, which I could mostly ride blindfolded.  Still scares the crap out of me.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

14 hours ago, Stinkpalm said:

I’ve always ridden with a chamois under “baggy” shorts. Just don’t have enough natural padding in my skinny ass for today’s saddles.  Never had any issues until about 4-5 years ago, when it just started to feel less comfortable having the chamois rubbing against my skin. So I started wearing my athletic-style boxer briefs (under armor, adidas, etc) under the chamois, and it’s made a world of difference. May or may not be related to what’s causing your issue

Conventional wisdom I think is that underpants under a chamois are bad news.  But that may be before the time of the "coolmax" boxer briefs.

The first pair of shorts I bought with a chamois liner seem like they won't pull up high enough, especially when I am bent over on the bike and if anything happens to kind of pull them down.  So, yeah, I have tried and more often than not do ride with "coolmax" type underpants under my chamois underpants..  With the Santic shorts, I did one ride with and one without just to explore "fit and feel."  I am not sure they had anything to do with it at all.

One thing that may have something to do with it, after MTB rides, I tend to get home, strip off and shower pretty quick, because I'm usually covered with a film of dust, at least, if not mud.  Doing the road bike thing, I'm only sweaty, so I have probably sat around excessively after riding, marinating in my own juices, so that might have caused something.

Whatever this thing on my bum is, it's going away, so I will probably ride tomorrow.

Edited December 10, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Your Mom 4763]

8 hours ago, wd40 said:

'tis indeed the season for night riding.

keep your head up and be careful of fallen trees lurking in the dark, kids.  the shadows can play tricks on you.

  Hide contents

9 stitches.  can recommend Care Now by between Target and the ATT Store at 360/183.

 

 

Damn dude.  I love night riding but haven’t done it in a while.   Glad it wasn’t worse. 

[sasquatch69 576]

Finally back riding somewhat regularly  again after nearly two months off due to some vertigo issues. The last couple of rides my crank has gotten really creaky, especially when really pushing down on climbs. I took off the pedals and greased the threads, and put a little grease in the openings of the crank, but no change. Took it to the LBS and turns out it’s a broken bottom bracket - and it’ll take at least a week to get a replacement. Dammit.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

9 hours ago, sasquatch69 said:

Finally back riding somewhat regularly  again after nearly two months off due to some vertigo issues. The last couple of rides my crank has gotten really creaky, especially when really pushing down on climbs. I took off the pedals and greased the threads, and put a little grease in the openings of the crank, but no change. Took it to the LBS and turns out it’s a broken bottom bracket - and it’ll take at least a week to get a replacement. Dammit.

Creaks are so deceptive sometimes. I had a creak that I attributed to the fork, which needed service. In any event it seemed to come from the front of the bike. 

Of course, it was probably the cracked frame, which was near the seat tube. 

What broke on the bottom bracket? Bearings give out? 

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Went out to River Legacy this afternoon and it was crowded af, might have been a race or something, but there was also some kind of birthday party for a kid nearby.  Said fuck it and kept on going west to Gateway Park in Fort Worth.

I think it was @Stinkpalm that mentioned it, but what a fun little trail.  LOTs of wooden features, up and overs/kickers, jumps, boardwalks, skinnies, and high wooden banked turns.  And it's still pretty fun bypassing them all, which I did.  They aren't particularly well marked as to what's what, so you have to either be foolishly good or take a lap to try to see what's what before you decide which ones you're going to ride.

I did the west loop twice, and it's supposed to be easy, but I'd say many/most of the features are intermediate, at least.  Did not ride the east loop because it's climby and there's no easy way back or bypass and I just wasn't in the mood.  Especially after seeing all the features on the "easy" trail.

Edited December 11, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[sasquatch69 576]

7 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Creaks are so deceptive sometimes. I had a creak that I attributed to the fork, which needed service. In any event it seemed to come from the front of the bike. 

Of course, it was probably the cracked frame, which was near the seat tube. 

What broke on the bottom bracket? Bearings give out? 

 

Not exactly sure. Need to talk to the tech - just got a voice mail.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Weirrrdddd.

Rode Katie Jackson today.  Felt good, had the clothes right for the temperature.  Pedaled pretty hard, kept gears high, felt fast, didn't huff and puff.  Rode the whole thing and was actually slower than 10 days ago when it felt like a bit of a death march and the ground was damp, AND I had been off the bike for a week.

The whole thing is only a bit over 5 miles.  I was so disheartened to see my speed, I didn't redo any loops.  And this is my fourth ride this week, two MTB, two road.

I was actually kind of fast on Gateway, despite it being new, I guess because it has a fair amount of descent and pretty gentle climbs.  If you know the trail and make good use of the banked turns, I bet you can haul ass on that one.

Oh well, I enjoyed getting out, it was nice, and I got the ol' ticker pumping a little.

[destroya 358]

3 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Weirrrdddd.

Rode Katie Jackson today.  Felt good, had the clothes right for the temperature.  Pedaled pretty hard, kept gears high, felt fast, didn't huff and puff.  Rode the whole thing and was actually slower than 10 days ago when it felt like a bit of a death march and the ground was damp, AND I had been off the bike for a week.

The whole thing is only a bit over 5 miles.  I was so disheartened to see my speed, I didn't redo any loops.  And this is my fourth ride this week, two MTB, two road.

I was actually kind of fast on Gateway, despite it being new, I guess because it has a fair amount of descent and pretty gentle climbs.  If you know the trail and make good use of the banked turns, I bet you can haul ass on that one.

Oh well, I enjoyed getting out, it was nice, and I got the ol' ticker pumping a little.

Maybe pointing out the obvious, but it makes sense that the faster ride was the one that had you working harder (death march vs no huffing and puffing)

Cheers on a good week of riding! 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

2 hours ago, destroya said:

Maybe pointing out the obvious, but it makes sense that the faster ride was the one that had you working harder (death march vs no huffing and puffing)

Cheers on a good week of riding! 

Well, I felt pretty steezy today, while I didn't at all the other ride.  I wasn't huffing and puffing (by my possibly peculiar definition) on that ride, either.  I'm never out to set any speed records, even personal ones, so I am rarely going to flog it hard enough to huff and puff through ordinary riding.  A climb may get me.  Some days, though, I just don't feel like I have good wind, or energy, or strength or some combo.  Today was not one of those days, the last ride was.

But, what it may be is that, because it was damp, and pedaling effort was harder, I dropped down a gear or two, whereas today, I did not.

Katie Jackson is a pretty twisty trail.   I felt I handled the turning better today than the last ride and just felt faster in all respects.

But it may well be that my ability to handle higher gears through single-speed riding is actually slowing me down.  The probably faster cadence and better acceleration after turns, etc. in a lower gear may actually speed me up.  Maybe I need to pay more attention to cadence after I upshift.  I tend to go more by pedaling feel (mashing or spinning) and I tend to settle in around 70-80, but there may be a Heisenberg effect there.

Edited December 13, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Stinkpalm 675]

On 12/11/2021 at 3:51 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Went out to River Legacy this afternoon and it was crowded af, might have been a race or something, but there was also some kind of birthday party for a kid nearby.  Said fuck it and kept on going west to Gateway Park in Fort Worth.

I think it was @Stinkpalm that mentioned it, but what a fun little trail.  LOTs of wooden features, up and overs/kickers, jumps, boardwalks, skinnies, and high wooden banked turns.  And it's still pretty fun bypassing them all, which I did.  They aren't particularly well marked as to what's what, so you have to either be foolishly good or take a lap to try to see what's what before you decide which ones you're going to ride.

I did the west loop twice, and it's supposed to be easy, but I'd say many/most of the features are intermediate, at least.  Did not ride the east loop because it's climby and there's no easy way back or bypass and I just wasn't in the mood.  Especially after seeing all the features on the "easy" trail.

Yep, that’s a fun little trail and it definitely changed my opinion of it (which was based solely off of what I’d heard from others… and was probably stuff I’d heard from back before they’d put a lot of work into it). Haven’t been able to make it back after that ride in the summer, unfortunately, but definitely planning to add it to the rotation. 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

On 12/12/2021 at 11:18 PM, Stinkpalm said:

Yep, that’s a fun little trail and it definitely changed my opinion of it (which was based solely off of what I’d heard from others… and was probably stuff I’d heard from back before they’d put a lot of work into it). Haven’t been able to make it back after that ride in the summer, unfortunately, but definitely planning to add it to the rotation. 

Did you ride the East Loop?  What's it like?  There aren't as many features marked out on the map, but there is a "jump line."

[sasquatch69 576]

On 12/11/2021 at 4:33 PM, sasquatch69 said:

Not exactly sure. Need to talk to the tech - just got a voice mail.

Got my bike back. Bottom bracket just crapped out, basically - may have gotten dirt in it or something, but the action got super rough and noisy on rotation. Tech basically said “they don’t make them like they used to, so it’s a good thing they’re cheap to replace”. Rode 6mi at KJ this morning and it’s good as new.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

On 12/16/2021 at 10:39 PM, sasquatch69 said:

Got my bike back. Bottom bracket just crapped out, basically - may have gotten dirt in it or something, but the action got super rough and noisy on rotation. Tech basically said “they don’t make them like they used to, so it’s a good thing they’re cheap to replace”. Rode 6mi at KJ this morning and it’s good as new.

Yeah, mine failed, clicking bearing, after a year or so.  That seemed not cool to me, so I wrote FSA and they sent me a new one.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Probably belongs in the roadie thread, but I have found, riding on the street, that I dislike wind.

Our trails are so wooded, that it's rarely, if ever a factor.

It's been windy as hell for some reason, I guess the whipsawing between 70s and 50s.  I look at the forecast and current conditions to try to gauge it, but it's hard to tell how bad it really is, or when it's going to kick up or die down.

And it always seems to be fighting me on the return leg of my road rides, most of which are uphill anyway.  And it can make the difference between comfortable and cold.

I guess it's not that big a deal, but it can take what should be a leisurely, fast, mildly challenging ride and turn it into a bit of a death march.  I'm occasionally up for a death march, or at least deliberately seek out some climbing, but it's kind of no fun when it changes your expectations of a ride, especially on a single-speed.

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 30851]

I guess we should talk about cold weather riding attire.

I had bought some softshell pants, but they're really too warm for all but the coldest rides.  Got some thin, "coolmax" tights, pantyhose, as my wife likes to call them, and they're really just about right for riding down into the high 40s.  And, I guess legs are really kind of the least of your worries.

I have fleece pullovers of varying weights that seem to work pretty well, but it feels like it might be nice to have some wind protection, especially at first before you get warmed up.  But I am pretty sure most "windbreakers" would turn into a sauna before most rides are over.  I don't think even the best GoreTex is really up for that.

Also, I avoid full zip jackets, without actually having tried one, on the theory that unzipped, it would billow and flap around annoyingly.

One problem that is kind of peculiar to me is that I don't really like riding with a backpack.  I avoid my hydration pack in all but the hottest weather.  And that means I never have any place to stick removed layers, so I force myself to get it right or be a little cold, from the get-go.  One of my riding buddies has a fannypack type thing that holds a couple of water bottles and probably has room for a jacket or fleece.  Maybe I should try something like that.

[Your Mom 4763]

Gore Windstopper is a great fabric.  Thinner and lighter than fleece.  Has a small membrane in it that stops the wind while still being breathable.  It's the little brother of Gore-Tex and is windproof but not waterproof.  I've had a couple jackets made from it over the years and like them a lot.  They typically have a good cut for cycling, fairly snug with a longer back.

 

[TwiceHorn 30851]

1 hour ago, Your Mom said:

Gore Windstopper is a great fabric.  Thinner and lighter than fleece.  Has a small membrane in it that stops the wind while still being breathable.  It's the little brother of Gore-Tex and is windproof but not waterproof.  I've had a couple jackets made from it over the years and like them a lot.  They typically have a good cut for cycling, fairly snug with a longer back.

 

I remember some "windproof" fleece being marketed a while back.  Haven't really kept up with it or noticed it since.

Kinda looks like Gore is the nearly only company selling Windstopper?  Spendy af, given that I already have an assload of jackets and fleece.

Any experience with the shirts/baselayer things?

[midtown 3339]

Having done a decent amount of cold weather cycling. We never rode if Temps stayed under 40. Had a lot of hard core friends that rode under freezing . Fuck that. They would duct tape their havds and toes.

Toe covers or booties are your friend. Get a nice base layer. Jersey. Arm warmers, long winter gloves, head bad with ear covers and a vest usually worked all the way into the 30s.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

On 12/19/2021 at 5:09 PM, midtown said:

Having done a decent amount of cold weather cycling. We never rode if Temps stayed under 40. Had a lot of hard core friends that rode under freezing . Fuck that. They would duct tape their havds and toes.

Toe covers or booties are your friend. Get a nice base layer. Jersey. Arm warmers, long winter gloves, head bad with ear covers and a vest usually worked all the way into the 30s.

Yeah, mid forties is about my limit, maybe a little lower if it's not real windy.  I don't want to have to worry about my extremities.

[Stinkpalm 675]

On 12/15/2021 at 12:57 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Did you ride the East Loop?  What's it like?  There aren't as many features marked out on the map, but there is a "jump line."

Nope. Ended up riding the west loop twice, like you did. Forgot my phone that day and didn’t really study the trail map beforehand, as I wasn’t expecting the trail to be so poorly marked, so I missed the turnoff to hit the East side. Definitely going to try again and hit that side next time, just to try my hand at the DH-ish jump line (even though I still suck at jumping). I’ve heard the East side is the better side, though.
 

Hit northshore the other day just before the front moved in. Still have a ways to go to get back into decent riding shape, but felt much better after getting warm (and working off the Cuban sandwich from lunch in the first couple miles). Oncor has clear cut all of their previously untouched powerline easements and it’s just ass ugly. I get it, it’s just what the power companies do, but I’ll still bitch and whine about it every time I ride it from now on. I didn’t even recognize parts of the trail that were cleared, after having ridden it regularly for 12 years. It’s amazing how different the same trail can feel when it’s surrounded by trees versus open land. 

[sasquatch69 576]

10 hours ago, Stinkpalm said:

Nope. Ended up riding the west loop twice, like you did. Forgot my phone that day and didn’t really study the trail map beforehand, as I wasn’t expecting the trail to be so poorly marked, so I missed the turnoff to hit the East side. Definitely going to try again and hit that side next time, just to try my hand at the DH-ish jump line (even though I still suck at jumping). I’ve heard the East side is the better side, though.
 

Hit northshore the other day just before the front moved in. Still have a ways to go to get back into decent riding shape, but felt much better after getting warm (and working off the Cuban sandwich from lunch in the first couple miles). Oncor has clear cut all of their previously untouched powerline easements and it’s just ass ugly. I get it, it’s just what the power companies do, but I’ll still bitch and whine about it every time I ride it from now on. I didn’t even recognize parts of the trail that were cleared, after having ridden it regularly for 12 years. It’s amazing how different the same trail can feel when it’s surrounded by trees versus open land. 

They did the same thing last year at Big Cedar and it was awful - they completely obliterated 2-3 trails that ran through the easement by bulldozing over them.  Trail stewards finally have them mostly back to normal now, but without the brush that was around them previously.

[sasquatch69 576]

On 12/19/2021 at 8:32 AM, TwiceHorn said:

I guess we should talk about cold weather riding attire.

I had bought some softshell pants, but they're really too warm for all but the coldest rides.  Got some thin, "coolmax" tights, pantyhose, as my wife likes to call them, and they're really just about right for riding down into the high 40s.  And, I guess legs are really kind of the least of your worries.

I have fleece pullovers of varying weights that seem to work pretty well, but it feels like it might be nice to have some wind protection, especially at first before you get warmed up.  But I am pretty sure most "windbreakers" would turn into a sauna before most rides are over.  I don't think even the best GoreTex is really up for that.

Also, I avoid full zip jackets, without actually having tried one, on the theory that unzipped, it would billow and flap around annoyingly.

One problem that is kind of peculiar to me is that I don't really like riding with a backpack.  I avoid my hydration pack in all but the hottest weather.  And that means I never have any place to stick removed layers, so I force myself to get it right or be a little cold, from the get-go.  One of my riding buddies has a fannypack type thing that holds a couple of water bottles and probably has room for a jacket or fleece.  Maybe I should try something like that.

No backpack for me either, pretty much ever.  I usually wear a pair of padded MTB shorts (my wife calls them "butt pants") with zipper pockets for keys, phone, ID - and then just use a cage on my bike for my water bottle.  When it's under 50 I wear a pair of padded bike pants under the shorts, a long-sleeve dri-fit and a fleece top.  That's pretty much good for anything 40 and up.  I rode Horseshoe one time last year when it was 35* and wore an additional top layer, full gloves and a skullcap under my helmet, which was sufficient once I got warmed up.

Edited December 21, 2021 by sasquatch69

[TwiceHorn 30851]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:01 AM, Stinkpalm said:

Nope. Ended up riding the west loop twice, like you did. Forgot my phone that day and didn’t really study the trail map beforehand, as I wasn’t expecting the trail to be so poorly marked, so I missed the turnoff to hit the East side. Definitely going to try again and hit that side next time, just to try my hand at the DH-ish jump line (even though I still suck at jumping). I’ve heard the East side is the better side, though.
 

Hit northshore the other day just before the front moved in. Still have a ways to go to get back into decent riding shape, but felt much better after getting warm (and working off the Cuban sandwich from lunch in the first couple miles). Oncor has clear cut all of their previously untouched powerline easements and it’s just ass ugly. I get it, it’s just what the power companies do, but I’ll still bitch and whine about it every time I ride it from now on. I didn’t even recognize parts of the trail that were cleared, after having ridden it regularly for 12 years. It’s amazing how different the same trail can feel when it’s surrounded by trees versus open land. 

Yeah, I figured out what I think is the key to it.  When you ride around that "traffic circle," about 80-90% of the way around, you start seeing trail markers and you can get pretty turned around, depending on which ones you follow.

But if you go ALL THE WAY AROUND to where the circle hits the road, again, you get back on the full trail, and that gives you the East Loop option.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

3rd consecutive Xmas ride. Thanks guess I can make some lemonade out of climate change (no CR).

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Merry Christmas, you surly Luddites, utilizing your own legs and 19th century technology for transportation and exercise!

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Merry Christmas, you surly Luddites, utilizing your own legs and 19th century technology for transportation and exercise!

My wife chastises me for not using our Peloton more (she worships the damn thing, but I’m not going to bitch about my wife staying in shape).

I’m saving that shit for rain days and/or when the daily high is below zero. Fucking technology.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

39 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

My wife chastises me for not using our Peloton more (she worships the damn thing, but I’m not going to bitch about my wife staying in shape).

I’m saving that shit for rain days and/or when the daily high is below zero. Fucking technology.

I hate stationary exercise equipment of any kind. Understand and appreciate its purpose, but if the scenery ain't changing, I ain't using it**.

 

** Which is why I turn into a tub of shit when I'm not on my bike (or skis).

[midtown 3339]

17 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

I hate stationary exercise equipment of any kind. Understand and appreciate its purpose, but if the scenery ain't changing, I ain't using it**.

This times a billion.   I can't imagine why anyone would want to do a spin class vs being out in nature and all the sounds and scenery that go with it.   Not to mention how much more actual all over body workout you get pulling on bars and jumping over obstacles.  

Merry Christmas

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

I only resort to it when utilizing nature is untenable

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Well, I had a few hours to kill today after lunch, so I made the longish haul to Gateway Park.

Hot damn, that is a fun little trail.  Did the West Loop twice as punishing myself with climbs is not very Christmasy.

I again avoided most of the features, but maybe in the next ride or two.  Almost all of the features are easy to carry speed into.

That loop is probably the fastest in the metroplex.  If I could learn to use some of the banked turns, holy shit.  Wish it was closer.

 

Also, @Stinkpalm, just keep going around the circle, follow the trail along the road past the circle, and you go quite a ways through a field and by the soccer fields you pass on the way in, and there's a blue marker showing the trail re-entry.  After a bit there, the East Loop turnoff is well-marked.

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Stinkpalm 675]

Ah, okay. Had a feeling that must have been where I missed the turn-off, but hadn’t studied the trail map since riding it. 
 

And yeah, those features are pretty damn fun. Gave the wooden jump line a couple go’s and made a fool out of my self as always,  but enjoyed the hell out of the other stuff