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Posting so everybody sees the news - https://www.kxan.com/news/local/williamson-county/mountain-bikers-will-go-full-gas-saturday-at-cedar-park-race/2073603464

Note that I have been advocating for a trail across all of South Austin along Williamson Creek. This morning I received an email about the Williamson Creek area. Here is a redacted version of the email (redacted remove classified info). I also added the underlines to highlight why I think it would be beneficial to MTB'rs. Dear Friends and Neighbors~ I’m passing this on even though you should receive a paper copy in the mail sometime in the next couple of days. Please share with your friends and neighbors, up and downstream of us!! It is a critical time in the planning process and we want to make sure you have multiple avenues to give feedback, get your questions answered and your concerns addressed. We have a “real” opportunity to envision and implement pocket parks, community gardens and orchards, wildlife habitats and wildflower meadows, invasive species removal, employment for our local homeless individuals, bicycle facilities, complete sidewalks, restrooms and water fountains, a rail to trail to the airport, recreation and nature trails along Williamson Creek connecting our community to McKinney Falls State Park, the Violet Crown Trail, Dick Nichols District Park, the Onion Creek Metropolitan Park and beyond. Now is the time to “Dream BIG!”. OFFICIAL: The Watershed Protection Department is conducting a survey to develop a floodplain restoration and management plan for the floodplain buyout areas in your community. Note that these areas may be needed for a flood risk reduction project in the future. Because the buyouts are clustered in four areas, we will have individual surveys for each of these areas. We are starting with the Richmond Tributary area near Glen Oak, Aberdeen and Emerald Wood Drive. Take the Survey online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/williamson-richmond We think the online survey will be the easiest way to take the survey for most of you. But if you would prefer to fill out a paper copy, they are available at the Manchaca Branch Library. We just want to hear from you! Survey Deadline: Sunday, June 30, 2019 Stewardship and Maintenance Watershed Protection manages hundreds of acres of floodplain buyout areas throughout the city, generally as natural open spaces. Maintenance includes periodic vegetation management activities and a variety of community enhancements identified by the local residents. Natural areas help filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff, improve water quality, prevent erosion, provide habitat, and sustain a healthy floodplain. This helps us protect lives, property, and the environment by reducing the impact of flooding, erosion and water pollution. Flooding The buyouts were part of a two-phase project to reduce the risks associated with flooding in the Williamson Creek area. Please visit austintexas.gov/williamsoncreek to learn more about the ongoing project. Stephanie Lott Public Information Specialist Sr. Watershed Protection Department 512-974-2799

Haha, well those grip paddles don’t hinder me in the slightest and I absolutely swear by them. I have them on every single one of my bikes including my DH bike. They virtually made my hand pain/fatigue/arm pump COMPLETELY disappear. The wrist/palm/hand support is just great. It feels like you can ride your bike with relaxed open hands instead of a death grip on a little skinny handlebar rod with some rubber over it. it’s become one of those things where if I ride a bike without them a feel completely weird and hate how the bike feels. The paddles also in my opinion help keeps your elbows out naturally because the Paddles keep your wrists from sinking down like you're twisting the throttle on a motorcycle. Give it a try as you are reading this post - act like you are gripping a handlebar and poke out your elbows like you are in Attack position on a bike, now sink & twist your wrists like you are on a dirt bike and watch how your elbows naturally fold inward. I see riders sometimes riding with sunken wrists, elbows inward, and they seem like they just have noodle arms waiting for a rock or root to Jerk their front wheel and throw them on the ground like a rag doll. Keeping your wrists up high naturally keeps your elbows out in the “bulldog” attack position which helps your leverage/control of the bars/front wheel. The ergon GS1 grips come in two sizes small and large and that is just the thickness of the grips. I have big hands so I am happy with both sizes. If anyone buys a pair to try them and doesn’t like them I will almost always buy them from you. Just FYI! Check out my primer with them for the angle-

In addition to buying new parts, get the most out of your purchase by spending some time getting a feel for what each adjustment does and how you can sense the changes made. Over the long run, if the shock/fork have adjustments the most benefit will come to the rider from learning all you can about setting up things like preload, rebound, and any other knobs. Dedication to the time-consuming task of tuning any suspension to get the most out of it provides a payback that lasts forever. Once any rider is familiar with the process and comfortable with setup, any suspension component can likely be made to work better. I've heard that BSS offers a suspension tuning service that several have said nice things about and which helps the rider understand how to test for small changes.

I always upgrade piecemeal when I have money / time. I would not think twice about installing the fork this month and the shock next month. This question is a different version of "upgrade my existing bike or replace my existing bike"? Do what ever works for you!

Oh man, I didn't know they had so many versions! If I can't find some locally or online I'll get a hold of you @throet since you are near me. Thanks everyone!

Went out at 9:30 tonight and only one other pair of riders out! Dirt was tits and temperature perfect! My fellow rider tonight was a friend who has never biked on a real trail and he was on a 1998 entry level Bike he bought for a $100 bucks 6 years ago at a garage sale and he rode like a champ! We stuck to picnic and PP but I was still impressed being night time and all. The best part is I think he might catch the fever!!

Now you tell me. I rode the Nut instead.....I felt like I was cheating on Brushy

pretty sure my 49 self could easily beat my 35 yo self.

https://legacy.usacycling.org/register/2019-141 Registration is now live for the 90 miles of rocky hell.

improve your skillz, not ur bike, full rigid is all u need.

I went from a Rockshox Pike to a Fox 36 and could feel a significant difference. First off it is a lot stiffer, not that the 35mm stanchion Rockshox forks aren't. You will get more range of adjustments and the fork will be better at taking successive hits since it will have a better damper (not sure which Fox one you're getting) than the Rockshox RC (Motion Control or Charger RC). Put the fork on, the 36 is awesome! You will probably notice the fork outperforming the rear shock but that will just make you upgrade faster.

That's exciting, I like Reimer's and don't get out there often enough. I hope it pans out. Thanks for the work you do on behalf of area bikers.

I don't really see a downside to installing the fork now. I mean, sure, you won't get the full picture in terms of how your bike is going to feel and handle until both jobs are done, but installing the fork now will give you time to start getting to know the new fork and (hopefully) dialing it in. Also, if you are paying someone to install it, getting the fork done now would spread out the cost a bit.

Is the "s" for size small in that grip? Can you post a pic of how angled you have yours set up? It is so strange to me that you can do the shit you do with those paddles on your grip. I have some specialized equivalents for the bike I ride on the street but I can't imagine using them for technical off road rides.

I'm running GA3s, and they're pretty much perfect.

there should be room to set up some ezups

Typical. Its just like everything else in this country, the transfer of wealth upward. I'm done with it

Well, I'm sure there was a gang bang going on out at the Nut too, but that's probably different. And...didn't your mother tell you to never trust a trail builder?

Doing some planning in Reimer's Ranch. That is all for now. Probably have more details in about a month. I want to have something solid to report before I report it. Otherwise it starts to sound like Fake News.

Angel Fire is offering a discount to Spider Mountain riders. Angel Fire Bike Park Lift Tickets

I feel like one of those unnamed trails should be called "Ether Way" or some other ether based pun now just to tie it all together.

Haha nice. I try to get shoe or tire pics as evidence for the Twitter feed updates.

My shoes after building on Peddlers yesterday evening. It will be closed today.

So who all is signed up to race this event? Sounds like they're getting some more cash added to the pot. From FB: t just got real! TOYOTA of Cedar Park threw their hat in the ring as a sponsor. We will be splitting up a 500$ cash purse between six overall categories for men and women for fastest SINGLE lap time on the day. That’s an $83 cash payout for making one of your laps a complete do or die and be fastest in your cat and taking potential top step winnings in each overall category to damn near $200. You can be a first time racer in cat-3 division and win $183 in cash. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE! Toyota will have a trio of absolutely bad-ass vehicles on display. Thank you Cash White with Toyota of Cedar Park for your generous sponsorship. If you are buying a Toyota soon, buy it from the guy that supports MTB racing and trails!

Dirt conditions were super primo this morning. Temps warmed up quick though. I got my 2nd best time this morning (21:52). I'm happy considering I nearly endo'd 2x in quick succession in the creek bed, my lack of riding for me in the last 2 months plus I took a quick breather to let someone pass me. According to Strava he's in the top 3 on the segment so I don't feel so bad. I am still getting used to the new trail. A few of the new sections are really great; good timing, good flow, well thought out. A few are really rough but I'm sure will bed in over time.

I signed up for cat 2 although this most definitely isnt my type of race and and kinda big and heavy and slow. I think I have some fast rolling tires I gonna put on the primer for this event.