Leaderboard

I started to put this under El Paso but maybe this is better. When we travel to El Paso our foremost priority is mountain biking in Juarez on the Chupacabras trails. Those who go to El Paso miss so much by not doing this. It is so easy and I just don't see the risk. The Chupacabras trails are so much better. We ride tandem so this is my bias. So the trails in general are well kept, flowy, so less technical overall. Covid cancelled the Chupacabras for us this year but we went and rode there anyway on the same day and broke the damned frame on our first ride, so wound up road riding in El Paso for the rest of the trip. The routine is easy and no risk: Park at Chamizal Park on the US side. Take your passport. Go early. Most riders on these trails are off by noon. Ride across the border and take the "border highway" as it's called, which is the dirt road that hugs the Rio Grande on the Mexico side. When you hit the last cross street on this road, turn left and then onto the main road to Cristo De Curiel. It's about a 10 mile slog up to the trailhead. The riding here is over the top as far as we are concerned, but only for those who take the leap and get over the programmed fear. Same route back and no waiting in the pedestrian line to cross back. We have never taken the truck into Mexico and parked at the trailhead due to the increased risk, but others do. It does help that my wife is from Juarez and she has done the Chupacabras on her own at least 6 times, so she knows every trail on those mountains, both current and closed trails. The family who lives along the trail provides drinks, beer, and sometimes food for sale which is really nice. The riders are a source of income for them. It is a wonderful stop for all riders. Mountain biking in Mexico is a real treat.

Got a nice 5 hours on the BCGB/SATN yesterday so today was just a nice 1 hour spin on a little piece of singletrack close to the house before the low key festivities.

This is the bike saddle Venn diagram where rabbit holes meet cans of worms meet marital communication. First, the dialog thing. Ask your wife what feels comfy about her current saddle, and what concerns she might have about trying out other less cushy, sleeker options. Could it be that she's concerned that getting a sleeker saddle means she'll be pressured to ride stuff she's not comfortable with? Or riding longer than she wants? Or she just likes the saddle she has? Or she's resisting what she perceives you mansplaining to her what she needs? So, over the years: A lot of women riding road, mountain, whatever, love the Diva saddles from Selle Italia: Diva Super Gel Flo They are pricey, but lots of women swear by them. Selle Italia has this approach to saddle fit: idmatch Smart Caliper for Saddle Sizing Some women also love Terry saddles; I'm "meh" on them, but, again, they work great for a lot of women. WTB was set to phase out their women's Deva models, but so many women liked them, they kept it in the line up: WTB DEVA Chromoly Bicycle Sport Shop (mostly Specialized) has a good exchange/return policy as does REI and they have lots of ergonomic stuff. I'll take mild exception to the idea that the sitbone measurement is pure hype. Saddle makers understand how difficult it is to even begin to find a comfortable fit. Determining sit-bone width using the ass-o-meter is just one metric to use as a starting point. For example, you measure 142 on the ass-o-meter, but find that the 152 or 135 is a more comfy fit? That's a very useful data point for finding future saddles. Ergon and SQ Lab (both German companies) each have their own approach to saddle design to circumvent the most common problems. One brand noted that pelvic tilt (anterior, posterior, neutral) has a great deal to do with the saddle shape feels comfortable. For example, the beloved traditional Brooks saddle or any saddle with a more rounded shape feels like a torture device to me. I mean truly awful. I like a flatter platform aft. So, check out websites, see who has the best return/exchange policies.

any opinions on the Ardent seat?

Van Halen III was the worst incarnation of the band. I bought the CD and quickly realized it was absolutely unlistenable, Gary Cherone was awful. I traded the CD for a Kenny Wayne Shepherd CD no comparison. The last album they did is really good. As much of an asshole as David Lee Roth is he was an integral part of the band for that Van Halen sound.

Yeah this is spot on. For me I like the domed (convex) shape on the back and hate the concave shaped saddles but also as to the cutout area in the front, I prefer a divot and not a cutout, and the profile of the divot or cutout makes a big difference to me. I tried many saddles before I settled on my Selle Italia on my old road bike. For my MTB I like the Ergon saddles. The WTB/Santa Cruz on my gravel bike works great too. The last 2 saddles I bought for myself were Ergon and were based on the online profile tool they have.

I’m desperately trying to get my wife into riding- she has no intention of bombing down spider mountain, but slightly more challenging than the typical hike and bike. She has a bike she likes, but finding a comfy saddle is the next quest. I’m trying to help her understand that the wide super gel beach cruiser seat can be more problematic than the more minimal seat. Can y’all offer some ideas so I can fill a Christmas gift? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, MMS is pretty fun on a gravel bike!

We need a Warby Parker kind of thing for saddles, send me 5 and I keep the one that fits the best.

No pictures for me, but many deep thoughts on a perfect day.

Specialized has several saddles designed for women and offers a 30 day trial to help find the right one. Does she have a quality pair of cycling shorts? Shorts can make the world of difference and many brands offer women specific designs.

on the plus side, I have sold my sit bone impressed cardboard on Ebay several times....It's how I met my wife actually

I'm a fan of Club Ride - I wear their shirts pretty much daily now, even when not riding.

I thought Clydesdale was the correct term, relative to cycling.

Nice bike!

Saw them in '78 and '84. I enjoyed the two Van Hagar shows also, but that was a different band.

I've seen them three times and like you said Eddie doesn't disappoint.

I've been exploring Mary Moore Seawright Park a bit more lately and I've noticed that the park has a large network of technical singletrack that would overwhelm most skinny tired bikes, but it also has a large network of relatively tame walking paths. Those surfaces seem to be very old roads of some sort that are so broken down that they would be un-fun on a pavement bike, but could be part of a fun gravel loop. will report back when i have a chance to try it.

You tire d of them? Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

DLR was a mess, but Eddie did NOT disappoint.

Not another tire thread!

admittedly, we like to park at torchys and ride to SCT and back for margaritas.

The only way to enter and exit SCT is at 1826. There's singletrack right next to the road by which you can approach from either north or south. None of those ways are secret or hard to find, although most of the trails in question are unsanctioned but on public land.

their tires aren't much better

So I left the stash at home and just packed a selection of seasonal beers to Huntsville. Was pleasantly surprised to find that my brother-in-law was holding something I had never heard of let alone tried out. Probably not something I'd run out and buy at $55, but always nice to try a new whiskey. Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey

How about 2 random vehicles used together?

Sit bone measurement never worked for me. I've tried just about every saddle you can think of. More important than sit bone width for me is saddle profile/shape. A 142mm wide saddle that has a domed shape does not have 142mm of available real estate. I've found that a saddle with no more than 10mm of padding and a flexible shell works best for me. WTB saddles IMO are the worst out there they run too narrow have too much padding and a ridiculous transition from top to sides very square. When you find the right saddle you'll know it, the right saddle IMO is one that I can get on even after being off the bike for weeks and not have any discomfort. My current saddle is a Fizik Antares R3 large 152mm wide and a flat but not too flat profile 7mm of firm padding and a carbon nylon shell that flexes. I can spend all day on it with no issues. One of the most important aspects of the right saddle is one that you are able to sit squarely on your sit bones. Too much padding has a tendency to restrict blood flow and compress nerve endings leading to discomfort. This is such a subjective topic and trying to find that goldilocks saddle can take a lot of time, keep trying different saddles you'll eventually find the right one. Another saddle that I find comfortable is a Brooks Cambium it's a rubber nylon shell with material bonded to it and zero padding but it has a large amount of flex and is kind of like a hammock for your ass. Only downside is they are heavy AF.

@ Moc and Olddbrider. Thanks very much for the recommendations on trails up here. The boy has had a blast on those trails. Our place is on Ledges off of the Back 40. Little trail from the house to the trail. Saturday when we got into town it rained. I was worried about the trail conditions. Ended up riding from here at the house and about half the Back 40. Trails were nice and no signs of the rain the night before. Shocked after the rain how awesome the trail was. I am riding my SS since the kid has my full squish and it has not been bad at all. Even with the hills and dampness that day. We rode Coler Monday. Again pretty damn cool place. Rolled up on a SS with drop bars and for sure got some looks and comments. But real cool doing Blue trails with the kid. After which we spent the rest of the day at SlaughterPen exploring. Yesterday was a rest day. Today is cold and raining so we went over by Tunnel Vision (Little Sugar) and rode Down Under. Despite the weather it was truly an all weather trail system like they say. We will hit a quick loop around here later on possibly. Anyways have 3 more days left and tons of trails to roll. Thanks much for advice! Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk