AustinBike

I recommend running bass strings instead. Try those, you won't break them as often.

will do

Yeah, judging from Google Maps, parking at Northern Gateway Park is the optimal starting point. We had started from the Redwood shelter which was on the opposite side of the park.

There is a reason for this.

Shows how little I know about the truck market. Most of the truck people I know aren't work truck folks I guess.

The Venn diagram for "pickup truck buyers" and "Tesla buyers" really does not cross much. The best evidence is the shatterproof windows. Is this REALLY an issue for pickups? Made no sense to me to tout that (or even design it in.) The live demo proved my point.

We did not find issues with slick rocks, but there were a ton of leaves on the trails. Apparently the leafkiller was at work!

Tires are personal, specific to both the rider and the bike. Good luck getting a straight answer on this. It is more likely that you will end up more confused than enlightened. I would argue that it is going to be less about the actual tire (i.e. tread pattern) and more about the width. For the most part people are running 2.3" - 2.4" tires on their bikes. A 2.2" or even a 2.25" tire probably won't give you what you are looking for here. I ride 2.4s and find them to be a significant upgrade from the 2.25's that I used to run. Personally I believe that moving beyond 2.4" to 2.5" (or larger) does give you an even better experience, but the cost is significantly higher. This makes 2.4" the price performer for today's rider. 10 years ago 2.2" was the price performer and 2.4's were too expensive to justify for most. Tires are a moving target and highly specific. But not knowing what bike it is on and the rider (along with the true issues you are facing now), it will be impossible to hone in on the single best tire for your needs.

We were there on a Saturday and saw only a handful of riders. Although it was pretty cold. Might be doing a midweek ride up there in early December if anyone is interested in tagging along.

It was on my list but I ruled it out for a bunch of reasons. After riding an Orbea I fell in love with it. But I am more of a 130mm guy, didn't need the longer travel of the Hightower. On the upside it has a threaded bottom bracket, I am not a fan of the press fit models. Also the SRAM brakes were a no-go with me. Hightower is a good bike. If you are interested in shaving 10mm of the front travel and saving a few hundred, you're welcome to borrow my Orbea Occam. I think Wes might still have some 2019's available at killer prices. He does have a demo of the 2020 as well.

Pearl Izumi toe covers. Have cutouts on the bottom for clips, but I think these are more for roadies, I didn't like clipping and unclipping on MTB rides. L/XL size.

Big turnout, it's amazing what beautiful weather can do for a ride.

We rode Cal 56, but we were following a local who was set on torturing us.

I generally do not race, the only ones I participate in are ones where finishing is more important than time.

I'll have sausage too.

That one is 5x better condition than the one I saw.

Yeah, the write up is old, I need to add some new details. Have a ton of updates but I have been too busy with work and classes so web stuff takes the back burner. Plus, need to go back for some pics, didn’t take any because we were in a group and things were moving along quickly.

Coming home from riding this morning I passed a garage sale and there were several bikes out front. I spied a Schwinn Varsity, something I always lusted after in my youth (they were made in Chicago, everyone had one, but I never had enough money for one...) Circled around and stopped in. Busted up tires, no handlebar take, everything falling apart, plenty of rusted/frozen components. But man, for the right price, it would be a fun restoration project. Looked at the price tag. $400. WTF? If it weren't for that extra zero I'd have it on my rack. Who in the hell ever told them it was even close to worth that????

You need to go. Lots of new stuff, jumps, berms, walls, etc. Yeah, it's not Spider Mountain, but it was fun and free. Great trail system. Every time I leave there I think "I need to go there more often." Hopefully I will not wait too long before the next trip. Had a blast, worth the drive.

Huh, I got 16.5 miles on the bike this morning, left when it was 37F, think it "warmed up" to about 39F by the time I got home. Oh yeah, and I hit sleet on the way home. Always ride.

sold

Was someone talking about being a sock person??? https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/clothing/footwear/socks?sort=price-asc&utm_source=The+Planet+X+and+On-One+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=c5b4bc94ac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_13_11_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_561486488b-c5b4bc94ac-274016313&mc_cid=c5b4bc94ac&mc_eid=7c6b35a5ae Merino wool socks for less than $4 a pair. I have several pair and they are really warm. Shipping the the US is cheap.

What are you looking for in a Garmin? I have an old Garmin 500 that I'd trade for a 6-pack if you don't need bluetooth or other fancy features.

Yeah, I am rocking On One stuff almost exclusively except jersey and shorts. Their merino wool stuff is great and cheap. All of their base layers are cheap. Stay away from the helmets, my forehead is already wearing through the cushion. But clothes are awesome, especially the cold weather stuff.

Basically I did: Windbreaker Jersey Long sleeve base Short sleeve base Shorts pants liner Wool socks Balaclava Gloves