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We were in Concan in March; that area looks like it has potential for gravel biking paradise.

The last time I rode HCSNA...over 15-20 years ago, it was chunky in places with steep climbs and little flow.

The trail map was still “coming soon” when I posted- should have been more patient. My wife’s family has a cabin out near Utopia and I always feel like that area has a lot of potential for trails. Garner and Lost Maples don’t have much going on riding wise, and for whatever reason Bandera Bike Park didn’t take off, but I always feel like there should be something in that area (I’ve never been to the Hill Country State Natural Area).

Not enough miles for me to want to go. Plus, the primary photo of the trail looks like it was surfaced with limestone gravel.

The rest of my hooks came in, it easily takes the family bikes and then some. It does block alot of my storage but the idea is that most of the time only 1-2 bikes are there and then when I need to pull the cars into the garage I can sling all the bikes up and pull them in.

Just stumbled upon this wasting time on social media. Hadn’t heard about if before and can’t see that many details, but it looks like opening day is May 17th: https://bushongmountainpark.org

California phase 1.0: Two bikes mounted (low) and next is building the other two in boxes (a Kona and a Vassago) and mounting them high, as the alternates. At this point I REALLY miss my old garage but the fact that it was 70 today and I worked in the garage all day tells me I made the right choice. Workbench is still stuck in transit for another week, but I can manage. The trails are out of this world.

Pedernales Falls on one of the last cool days for the next five or six months….

More bikes = more (storage) problems...

Greg Stevens (ARR) posted this on facebook today (May 11) about a new trail system that will ultimately connect to Reimers Ranch in the future. Hamilton Pool Preserve is the Travis County Park, but it seems this may be a private development by the same name? Not sure. (I had incorrectly thought it was Mirasol Springs - it's not.) Austin MTB Trail Conditions Greg Stevens I had the chance to preview a new trail system adjacent to Reimer's Ranch today called Hamilton Pool Preserve, and I wanted to share my take on it real quick. We got there for the ride out at 9:30, and I guess about 75 riders were there? We rolled out a little later, but it was a good number of riders. Not knowing what to expect, we did a lap of the 8 miles that are built. To be honest, I was pretty 'meh' on it. Got back to base camp and hung out with the crew for a bit, had a couple of pre-noon beers, and I was encouraged to do another loop. So I said fuck it, let's go. Gotta say, the second loop was MONEY. It felt like a completely different trail. It was running so much better as the trail was improving with all the wheels on it. I was stoked...so glad I did the second lap because had I not, I would have left not feeling disappointed, but...kinda. The second lap was a blast! Turny, but lots of support in the corners with a lot of berms. Being the first time anything big happened there, the track will be fine-tuned after today. But many of the berms were spot on. Now, the pre-noon beers didn't have anything to do with the stoke on the second lap (well, maybe a little...haha), but the trails that are there now are the first part of the project. There will be about 25 miles of trail out there eventually. A lot of permitting bullshit has to happen, but lots of building will be going on in the summer/fall and should happen pretty quickly after that. It's going to be a destination for riding and hiking. Much more technical stuff will be going in, and while there isn't much tech there now (this isn't a complaint), the 8-mile loop is fun with a few technical-ish sections. It's a solid green/blue-ish trail with vibes of the green stuff at Reimers, as the topography is very similar being adjacent to it. Eight miles on the nose and about 350 feet each lap. Punchy climbs, beginner-friendly, but fun for seasoned riders, too. There will be cabins and lots of accommodations to spend the night there. There's a spring-fed pool that you'll have access to and, again, more trail. The plan is to connect to Reimers by trail, so you can spend a weekend there and ride both trail systems. I think it's great. And the views of the hill country on trail are glorious. So, according to the guys running the show, there should be another preview in a month or two. I think this is going to be a GREAT addition to the riding experience in the Austin area. While the 8 miles that are there aren't gnarly at all, it's super fun. I'm anxious to see what the other 18 miles are going to be like. Overall, I'm super stoked for this project and I'm looking forward to hitting it again...! We live in an amazing place for mountain biking...it's an embarrassment of riches. The HPP is going to enrich the experience here a ton! YouTube of the ride:

This would be awesome.

When youre riding back to your friends house and see your Truck and realize your family is on a hike. They didnt answer the text but I ran into them shortly after and got a ride to the brewery... so in the end it all worked out.

Glad I was near a bridge today on SATN. Pinned down for about 45 minutes. 👎

I'm gonna go with you. The offer has been made to take the site over - do it!

45SW Trail The 45SW Trail is a 4.5-mile paved shared use path that provides an alternate transportation route for cyclists, and recreation for the public, with future connections to the Violet Crown Trail. It features two trailheads with parking and bicycle repair stands for public use, beautiful hill country scenery, and interpretive signage with augmented reality experiences. In addition to a beautiful display of springtime wildflowers and an overlook at Bear Creek, you’ll find 14 informative and highly visual interpretive signs along the 4.5-mile trail. Immerse yourself in the rich history and natural wonders of the Hill Country and Edwards Aquifer by stopping to read the signs as you travel. I am very interested in the augmented reality experiences, which I haven't had since college days. Also, interpretive signs are typically, by definition, highly visual.

It looks like no one puts anything on here: https://austinmountainbiking.com/index.php?/calendar/ I'd love to integrate Yellow Bike events onto this calendar. Who can make the decision to make that work?

So I finally got to try a "real" eMTB today at the Pivot demo. Overall the experience was about what I expected. More miles, less tired, easier on my heart but still a good workout. It was alot of fun, but almost got borderline boring by the end? Hard to explain, maybe because after 17 miles at Walnut you've done everything at least once. I'd really like to try one on an A to B adventure ride or as a gravel bike for longer distance. I think I'd really like it. The bike (Shuttle SL) was great, I'm not a well. qualified reviewer but I'd say the bike and it's 3+ power modes were spot on. Perfect amount of assistance with easy controls to use while riding. Never once did I feel like the motor was doing something for nothing and never once did it feel like it was overpowering me. Spec was great, more than enough to handle the nut. I would love to try it on something techy like 1/4 notch. I think he said it was 37ishlbs. It felt great, but I have a dirt bike background so the extra weight didn't bother me at all compared to my 30 ish lbs "acoustic" bike. I can 100% see the alure for someone who wants to extend their riding career due to age, health etc. Or someone who wants to get more miles in. However, I would say, it's a different sport, it's not a dirt bike but it's almost not a MTB. Maybe you could grab a 90s stump jumper and compare it my Timberjack and say the same thing.

I posted some of these pictures on an Austin Mountain Biking Facebook page and wanted to share some of them and others here. The photos are from various trails in various states from when I started the first professional trail building company in Texas, Talon Trails LLC, in 2004, worked for Trek Bicycles designing and building their test trails, and volunteered with local clubs. I designed and/or built trail in 14 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and enjoyed almost every bit of it. While I miss designing and building trails and features, my life & priorities are a lot different now.

Edit: Gone. Cross Posted Three tires available free of charge. Maxxis 27.5x2.8 Rekon, great shape Maxxis 27.5x2.8 DHF, great shape Maxxis 29x 2.4 Dissector, 30-40% used

I have a Suntour XCM fork. Think that is 100mm.

Wonder how it will work if two people are trying to text each other -- one person has cell signal but the other doesn't. I wouldn't think it would be a problem, but who knows. Which aspect is slow? Acquiring a satellite or the time it takes for a text to be received?

I found about 80% of the parts I need. Still needed: 29" suspension fork. 80-100mm travel, straight steerer tube, 100mm qr axle (aka an old fork) 29" rear wheel with 135mm qr disc hub

I think I'll keep my Garmin Explorer subscription active for now. I will say I am happy with my Apple 16 Pro's ability to text in the backcountry. There is a gray area - if you have even a shadow of a cell signal, that Apple sat signal will not activate. I man the Monarch Mountain Aid Station for the Vapor Trail 125 - arguably the hardest single stage mountain bike race in the USA. Comms are vital. We all use InReach right now - I don't see us changing just yet. Next aid station up from me is captained by Hill Abell - what goes around, comes around!

Go out with a bang.