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I'm going to go ahead and post my ride report here since I don't expect there to be too many this year. Let me break down my 2019 EB experience by the numbers and then I'll go into a little more detail: 7 - This was my seventh EB. Every year since 2011. My t-shirt drawer is basically EB and Pace Bend shirts mixed with the occasional climbing or race shirt. 104 F- This was the max temperature recorded by my Garmin. WTF October? That heat was killer. 49.2 mph - Maximum speed down City Park road. 11:48 - Total time to finish this year. Not my fastest or my slowest time. 120 minutes - Amount of time we spent in Thumper 4 - Number of times I had to dodge my riding partner's question of "...are we almost there?" while hiking-a-bike thru Thumper. 5 - Total number of leg cramps I fought off during the ride. They started hitting me around Jester and were a constant battle. 3" - Width of my front and rear tire. When you hit 30 mph+ with these big volume tires you really start to feel the imbalance made by the sealant. This was a bit unsettling (see #3) 3 - Number of times we were totally screwed by the lights on 360. Getting all that speed as we go down the hill and then stopping is the worst. Enough of a reason to stop riding the road. 1.6 miles - Distance to the finish when my Garmin battery died. I guess I needed to go faster. First off, thanks to the entire EB crew and the volunteers for putting this thing together. I heard there were 50 something riders registered but I think there were probably twice that many that started at Walnut. Not as many as I'm used to seeing but still a good crowd. The two aid stations were appreciated and I feel for the Thumper crew trying to keep everyone's spirits up as they headed off into oblivion. I rode the EB this year with a good riding buddy who had never done a ride over 50 miles. He wasn't sure he could finish a long ride like the EB but I talked him into it and he got it done. Low pressure events like this really have a place for riders that are interested in challenging themselves but don't want the big emotional investment of a formal 'race'. This was also the first year that I rode the EB on a hardtail instead of my big 140-170 mm full squish. We started out of WC right on time and the ride leader promptly missed the turn up to the dam. No biggie but this confirmed that AB wasn't leading us out this year. I also quickly realized this as the pace of the group accelerated to something I would call "...let's catch that roadie" and really wasn't the leisurely pedal down the lake I had enjoyed in years past. I know that different people have different paces but I think that the ride downtown should be something that EVERYONE riding the EB can enjoy even if they don't finish in 8 hours. Bottom line, hit the greenbelt with a small group and started making our way through BCGB. Ran into a guy named Hugh with a Mojo jersey on and had a good chat. The GPX route on my Garmin was working this year but since I can pretty much do the route in the dark with no light, I didn't need it much. Crashing the hardtail down the good stuff at BCGB and explaining the lack of mulch on mulch hill were highlights of this segment. We hiked up HOL for the most part because I didn't want to burn a match that early in the day and there were no trail angels there with cameras to impress. 360 was no biggie but we got screwed by lights (see item 9) and that really sucked. Didn't see too many cool cars which is generally the highlight of this part of the EB. Hit Courtyard and instructed my riding partner to NOT LOOK UP and just pedal. Also said that when you think it's over, it's not over but DON'T LOOK UP. Made it up Courtyard with little fanfare and was disappointed to not see anyone at the top to heckle, cheer, refill, etc. I guess I'm spoiled by years past. This would be a theme. The City Park climb and jaunt to Emma was not too bad. Only got closely buzzed by one car the entire time and there weren't many boaters out there trying to kill us. We passed the leaders coming out just before we hit the fire station and the realization that they had put an hour on us 3 hours into the ride was sobering. I actually expected it but I'm not sure my riding partner knew that when I said they were 'fast AF', I meant the AF part. Saw Barry shortly after this and was stoked to see him hanging with the leaders. Dude rips on his bigger travel bike. We stopped at the aid station for some ice and water and ate a bit. Not a long stop but welcome. The cooler was pretty full of beer at this point but that wouldn't last long. Emma was fun and it's much more chill in the CW direction. I kept trying to place the features and run the route backwards in my mind but I inevitably messed up and we hit a feature that I wasn't expecting. Stopped at the pavilion one more time as we left to refill and got the last bit of water. Sorry Antonio! Scored some sunscreen here from another rider (much appreciated) and took off. Bombing down City Park road going back was great fun and this lady in an SUV pulled up to us at a light and asked if we had enjoyed that. My knee was starting a tingle of pain here but it wasn't anything I couldn't pedal through. We stopped at Jester Market because the Jester climb was looming and something really cold sounded good. Downed a drink and took off to Jester. We rode the first third but realized that in the big gear we weren't moving any faster than walking and the sun was baking us. Walked the rest. This was the first time I'd walked a hill in all my EBs but I didn't mind. I wasn't walking alone and I still made it to the top in about the same time. Bombed Beauford without getting pulled into the curb by the road grooves and almost ended up passing some dude in a Porsche making his way down slowly. 360 and Spicewood to St. Eds were uneventful and we saw a few more riders passing us heading to Yaupon. I generally see more riders here but this year it didn't work out that way. We walked a lot of the ledges on St. Eds on the way up and rode the rest down. The exposure parts we more of a risk/reward decision so we did walk a couple of those. The ride back to Yaupon seemed to take for freaking ever but we made it and started the ride/hike up. About halfway there a dude on a road bike going down told us there was an aid station at the top. We knew this but I thought it was great to see someone obviously not engaged in the EB taking part in cheering us on. The Thumper aid station stop was short because I just wanted to make sure we had enough water and get in before my riding partner heard too many horror stories of people who had just finished. This strategy worked and we started the long hike/ride/hike/cuss/hike/ride/cuss/cuss/ride event known as Thumper. That trail is fun on fresh legs and if it were in Houston, it would be the best trail in a 100 mile radius. However, it's just brutal in the EB. My message to my buddy was that "Thumper is what makes the EB hard. This is where the men are separated from the boys. If it was easy, everyone could do it!" We survived Thumper and my buddy said that if he had pre-ridden Thumper, he wouldn't have done the EB. When we exited my wife was there to greet us. This was a great surprise and really helped lift my spirits. I also had a bit of a beer to celebrate. The ride to WC was fine and my buddy got his third wind and took off. Having that trail to ride from Amherst park was great and I didn't miss riding down Parmer. We did a generous loop of Walnut but I was blasted and my knee was starting to get pissed. Finished to a small crowd who took our names, took our pictures with the fake enchilada, and then bolted shortly thereafter. Apparently we were at the back of the pack. Our wives were there too so we had someone to sit down with in the parking lot and drink a beer. The EB had a much different vibe to it this year and I'm interested to see if I'm the only one who noticed. It was more about speed and racers and less about community and seeing old riding buddies. Don't get me wrong here, I know it's not easy to put on this event and the team doing the work does a fantastic job. I suppose I miss the feeling that it's more than just something for the fast guys to show off. I miss the Christmas lights hanging in the WC island and the music going while people sat around and talked bikes. I need to adjust my expectations but I would gladly drop my $20 into a can for a t-shirt and I didn't even see that option present itself. I remember people coming in from out of town just for a chance to ride the EB. I remember explaining the EB to a MTB guide on the Whole Enchilda trail in Moab after he asked about my Enchilada Buffet jersey. Maybe that's the problem...I remember too much and therefore my expectations are not realistic. No matter. I might ride it again next year or I might not. I'm not making the call yet. If I do, I'm going to try it on a single speed to give me a reason to walk the hills.

Not much help for your application, though I had the same preference toward not removing the wheel. I sold my pickup and bought a van. Problem solved. .... the fact that it is rated for over 2 tons carrying capacity, has lockable enclosed storage, and gets about the same mpg as the pickup I sold helped make it an easy Tundra to Transit transition for the Transition (Covert 29).

What if you're into older women with piles of cash? Hello Mrs. Howell.

Why not toss in Lake Georgetown and make it the Complete Chimichanga?

Good thing you had that bottle in your pack to use for scale, Tip! I find that a Tempranillo pairs better with the terrain though. White wine is for anything further west.

Tonight, I attended a public meeting for El Rancho Cima, the former Boy Scout camp on the Devil's Backbone between San Marcos, Wimberley, and Canyon Lake. There is a very promising opportunity for Hays County to purchase a 500+ acre tract of the property for a public park with access to the Blanco River. Other than the riverfront, which would be open to public swimming (by reservation only), the other 500+ acres would be set aside for conservancy habit for Golden Cheeked Warblers with limited trail access on the existing Boy Scout trails during non-mating season. Unfortunately, everyone I spoke with at the meeting, including the woman who presented the master plan for the property, were less than open to the idea of allowing single track to be built in the park. I'm not going to preach to the choir here about the benefits vs. impact of allowing singletrack on public park land. As I was making my case in that crowd, I started to realize that I was sounding like a crazy crackpot spewing rebuttals to arguments that hadn't yet been made yet, and I didn't even have the fact to support my side. What I need is help from the MTB community who have taken up this fight already here in Central Texas. I've never been one to stand or organize a fight for something like this and really don't know how to accomplish it, but it is something I'd like to try. I plan to contact the County Commissioner who is leading the charge for this park. I didn't have a chance to talk to him directly, but the story he told to open the meeting was about driving by the property with his 10 year old daughter on the way to New Mexico for a ski trip. Family, outdoor recreation is obviously dear to his heart, so focus will be on how mountain biking can offer healthy, family-oriented outdoor activities. I need to back it up with facts about 1.) Success stories of communities who have grown stronger due to mountain biking. 2.) Studies supporting the idea that trails can coexist with wildlife, especially the GCW. 3.) Examples of how ARR and other groups have worked with other local parks like Pace Bend or Pedernales Falls. I know there is plenty of fodder on here and MoJo about all this. Can y'all help me remember where the best published articles and studies are? How else can I drum up support? Right now, it seems we are on the outside looking in to a chance at an incredibly beautiful piece of park land with some gnarly terrain.

Dude, you need to get a new neurologist. That is not at all how they check for concussions.

Do opposites attract? Maybe.

The word labia wasn't used Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Rode SN to the new stuff last night and it's going to be awesome. Such a big canvas to work with including some really cool natural features. Should make for some incredible trails but the dirt seems like a challenge with all the rocks. Nothing new for Gringo and crew so I'm sure they have a plan. If you guys need any help out there, don't hesitate to make a work call.

Good write up. This really stuck out to me and it was one of the primary reasons we wanted to originate this event over 10 yrs ago. @sherpaxc and I wanted to give local riders who may not have the chance to travel to far away locales and do big back-country events, the chance to test themselves closer to home in a 'known' and 'controlled' environment. Once of the coolest things I've witnessed over the years, are people who got their 'long distance' start at the EB go on to do pretty spectacular things. I'm thinking of riders like Ian Hackett who went on to ride in 24hr (nationals [or worlds?]), Antonio didn't you do something equally as big? (I know you made an attempt at Leadville), Corey Mosier road the 1st EB with only 4 months ofc lipless pedal experience and later (less than 2 yrs) went on to attempt the Arizona Trail Race (AZT 250) bike packing event, Sean Duckett and Shannon Wyatt (1st and 2nd yr EB'rs) went on to do Dirty Kanza and more, David Campbell went from EB'r to Paris Brest Paris (look that one up!!) after a handful of years. These were just the early ones of the top of my head. I'd love for people to add-in more, but I'm very pleased to hear that your buddy did it. Who knows what may happen to him in the next few years! 😉 Later, CJB

I have the aluminum channels around the top of the bed in my Nissan. I have Rockymounts Driveshaft holders bolted to the front channel. Most of the time, I don't use the rack to elevate the rear of the bikes, but it is nice for camping to free up more space in the bed. With the rear end of the bikes down in the bed, I can drive right into the garage with the bikes in the back.

We should talk. I've been mapping out basically the same thing. Not sure when I'll get to do it, but there's potential for a pretty epic ride.

Rob gives such a negative connotation. I'd like to think of it more like redistributing😉

Depending on your price range and what size you need, you should check out the Norco Sight for sale in the Marketplace section... Sorry, no firsthand knowledge of the Mojo 3.

I used to travel for a living. Whenever an airline changes their policy, print out the policy and bring it with you. Saves plenty of hassles down the road.

Those little guys were wonderful: I crashing into a tree and it was AWESOME! This is beautiful and touching in so many ways. Step daughter just moved to Gig Harbor, WA. It's like the most astoundingly scenic village on coastal Maine, with the biggest mountain you've ever seen looming RIGHT THERE on the skyline. I was thrilled that she's living in a scenic place, but, dayum, if the Big One hits or the Rainier blows, it not the place to be. One the other hand,

The patient was fine, he brought his own latex gloves

Dude your kindness is once again overwhelming. You gonna ask the same guy who helped you with your ED? Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

No. Living life without virtual mtb'in or virtual sex.

Soon

This happened to me once on a no-drop ride around LGT. There was only one group going the full distance, and that was the fast group. I had never ridden LGT before, but had done plenty of 7+ hour Epics in the Cascades, at my own pace. We started at Tejas so the first few miles was flat out sprinting for these guys. By the time we had to start climbing, I was gassed. The sweep asked if I'd be able to keep up and I said not at this pace; so he told me I'd have to go back. I'm like, "hey dude I'm 55 yrs old and I think I'll just continue on at my own pace by myself". I ended up doing a 20mi out-and-back that took everything out of me. Last year at DS and at 60 yrs old, I did a full lap in 3:17, and thought back to that fateful day when I got dropped from a "no drop" ride.

What? My ear candys are in and if they weren't the wind is too loud from my KOM attempt. Hold on while I bunnyhop this black bag......

😁, but I'm disappointed in your porn searching abilities:

I rode some of the north section today and I'm impressed with the routing! I converted the route to GPX to load on my Garmin, so I'm sharing in case anybody else needs it. Just plug in your Garmin over USB and copy the gpx files into the "Garmin/New Files" folder and they will show up in Courses. SATN Social South.gpx SATN Social North.gpx SATN Social East.gpx

In addition to this one: "If you don’t clear a feature or hill, get yourself and your bike off the trail so people behind you won’t have to stop. Reenter the chain as soon as possible." I'd add: "If this happens frequently, consider riding behind the riders that consistently clear the features."

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According to scripture, the best place to be is the place God desires you to be. This being the case... The need then becomes one of knowing where God desires you to be. Which is actually the full gospel of God. Unfortunately, the reality of the full gospel of God is often missing "...in church...". This is one of the main reasons why so many are looking out of windows when meeting with the church... As the church. But praise the Lord... He will accomplish His desire.

That T@G camper is the shite! Nice setup😎

Penalty for failure is way too high for me.

This makes so much sense especially with the new around the tower route. Thanks for the pictures.

There is some traction on Facebook with the Houston and San Antonio peeps, but its been quieter this year for sure. I am at 70 registrations with a cap of 300. I have around $5000 in swag to give away. It's time for people to get to signing up. Yes it is $30, but compared to other marathons, that's cheap. And you can come in dead last and win the top prizes.

Wrong place, wrong time I guess. My wreck was on a Sunday ride to teach new riders how to be safe on the streets. I was doing 5 mph turning left when another rider hit me. He wasn't paying close enough attention. I survived countless trackdays (had a few lowsides, etc of course) and 40 years and almost 800,000 street miles doing stupid shit. I almost got killed at 5mph, freak event.

That's a good start. I can say there is 3 seperate ways to the jump areas. The shortest is from Red Horn to the jumps in 1.5 miles for example. You can make it want you want and tie in the SN trail . The new trails and if you are especially observant you can add the Ol Skool SN trail. It is not impossible to do 10 plus miles and never get that far from Red Horn /Peddlers. It seems like you can get lost but not really. Just give yourself enough daylight to explore. Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Yeah I have found as I empty the bladder I have to tighten the waist belt

And lights...bring lights.

I think I kicked off the heated discussion about how hard deception was compared to walnut when I mentioned that it was so popular because it was just a little harder than walnut http://www.bikemojo.com/speak/14-austin-voodoo/91060-brushy-creek-regional-singletrack-66.html#post1122658 Then notyal said it was a couple of notches harder than walnut http://www.bikemojo.com/speak/14-austin-voodoo/91060-brushy-creek-regional-singletrack-68.html#post1122868 Dburatti said 1/2 notch a little later http://www.bikemojo.com/speak/14-austin-voodoo/91060-brushy-creek-regional-singletrack-130.html#post1137607

Exactly what they were on all the albums prior to him joining. I was a HUGE James Gang fan in the '70s and was unhappy about him joining the Eagles. He was a rock star, and they were a folk band.

Balances the Universe. We'd fly off into the Sun otherwise.

Probably 2017 or 2018. I bought the frame around the beginning of this year.

for what its worth, I recently bought a Garmin Instinct Smart Watch and I really like it. https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Instinct-Features-Monitoring-Graphite/dp/B07HYX9P88/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3AAUHO27A372S&keywords=garmin+instinct&qid=1569939758&sprefix=Garmin+instinct%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-3 Pros The iOS app for it is awesome and shows lots of cool graphs/stats Syncs with Strava of course 5 to 7 day battery life when I averaged 3 to 5 activities during that week Highly configurable Can mute all notifications from your phone when outside of an activity, but allow notifications when you are in an activity. I don't want my wrist buzzing all day, but I do want it to buzz when I'm riding in case an emergency happens. Looks like a cool GShock watch if you're into those big ugly watches like I am Screen is highly visible because it's black and white GPS tracking works better than my phone did, more accurate Cons Need to wear it pretty tight to make sure you get the most accurate heart rates Sometimes slides down when really sweaty during a ride Takes a few attempts to get used to the comprehensive menu/configuration system on it.

TrailForks has it listed too. https://www.trailforks.com/region/possum-kingdom-lake-26556/ Looking forward to a ride report in the MTB Destinations thread if you manage to stir up some dust there. 👍

I had serious thoughts of making a mace from old chainrings. Even took down the MIG from storage.

I cannot unsee that. Ever. Curse you.

It's a little tricky, since there's no adjustment. I had to print a couple before I got the beam in the right spot. If anyone else has a new model Fox Flux helmet, I'd be happy to give it a shot. If you're into CAD/3D printing, I'll send you the file to tweak it and try it out.

Yes, we had city approval for a short new trail added in 2016, others have been there as long as I can recall (moved here in 1994). I will keep you posted!

Good question. Like I said, the way I would do it is to pull up a ride on my computer (on a phone is very difficult) and follow along visualizing the ride. Someone last night said it works better to use the satellite image to identify where turns are. "Oh, next to the carwash." etc.

Hey, That ain't no bike!

I've been 2x's and when I was reading your cautionary comments about climbing, I did not recall it all *THAT* much more than what we do around Austin. So I went back and checked my 3 Strava links at the top of this thread....and you are correct! I ended up having about 122 miles and 14,000ft of climbing in 3 days of riding. MUCH bigger stuff that I'd have guessed. IMHO any time you get upwards of 100' per mile, your doing a legit bit of climbing. Its also worth noting, that since I road to so many trails, I had a good portion of my mileage on nearly flat pavement (thus an even bigger climb/distance ration overall). Now with all that said, its not the same kind of climbing style as big mountains in CO (or even Womble or Oauchita) where you send considerable time in a single climb. The Bentonville climbs are steep and shortish...somewhat like we have here. They just happen, over and over... Later, CJB