Morealice

Tricky spot at Muleshoe

I have the Kuat arm (don’t remember the model name) with Thule T2 rack and love the setup. I camp virtually every free weekend. This weekend will make 3 weekends in a row, and I’ve never had an issue. Great for getting to firewood and other shtuff.

Are you guys always wheels down at 5:30pm? Is there a subset that rolls out later out of necessity? I work until 6pm and can be at the park to wrap up work and sign off, thus rolling at 6:05. What’s the situation? Looking to maybe be not so antisocial. 👀 

I found 3 pairs of my favorite, now-out-of-production shoe online last night and bought them all.  Should be good for 5-6yrs! I was so stoked. I was ready to buy the ugly ass colors too, but they all had black. 

On 8/21/2021 at 11:57 AM, 4fun said:

Got stung by something nasty this morning while coming around the 180 degree turn before crossing back over the creek at the end of PP loop. Didn’t get a good look at the aggressor/defender as it happened quick, but had to pull out a pretty large curved stinger! I’m about 2 hours post ride and it still burns as if it just happened. Not sure if there’s a nest around there but I didn’t disturb any vegetation so be careful out there.

Cicada killer maybe?

7 hours ago, rugger said:

Yep... I think you and I both fooling have dropped Cru on our wife's comfort REI bikes, LOL. I rode all of Picnic including Basket, Big Ravine, Beer, and both Upper Picnic drops on my wife's teal comfort bike with 80mm fork. Novara Flirt FTW...look at that "passive dropper post"

I did have to replace her seat and pedals.
 

Haha that’s right! I forgot all about that. I injured my back picking up a pair of socks off the floor. *eye roll* Had to ride her Novara for two months or so. I absolutely thrashed that thing and only broke the pedals and bent the large chainring riding over The Log (when it existed) on Picnic. 
 

It was so comfortable it had me kinda wanting one. 

5 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

I see why you compared it to Sponge Bob.  The top 3 or so feet are very much like SB, but the runout is better at Cru Jones.

BTW, watching kids do stuff does not give me confidence.  I get more confidence watching old XC weenies like me do stuff.  Even better is just following someone I trust.  That's how finally did basket drop (rolled it though).

I’m an old XC weenie and I’ve done basket and Cru Jones on my old cyclocross bike, both when I was around 42. 46 now. Basket was wet when I did it, lol. 

Cru really is nothing on a full suspension rig. You got that!

On 8/9/2021 at 9:21 AM, RedRider3141 said:

I carry these, adds 0 weight since they are also my main trailside tire levers.

https://www.amazon.com/KMC-MISSINGLINK-LEVER-Missing-Lever/dp/B07662N436/

Not to drag out the chain thing, but have you or anyone had the pure joy of using these trail side and did they perform well (enough)?

Genius if so. Will purchase if so. 

7 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Yeah, I have never seen a directional master link. Or they are directional and in 25 years I have installed 100% of them in the right direction without ever knowing it.

Me either! But this one has an arrow on each plate that goes the direction of the chain. Now I know. It’s a Sram XO1. The two I bought last night afterwards along with chain tool are XX1…assuming the same thing. 

1 hour ago, AntonioGG said:

I’ve taken master links off on the trail with rocks.  I use pliers at home.  I don’t get the need for a special tool and I’m the guy that looks for an excuse to buy a specialty tool.

Dude removing those things without a tool is an artform…one at which I am terrible, plus I don’t like the wear on my hands these days. Getting older. When I need that tool, with my negative experiences, it’s gonna feel like the best $16 I ever spent. No slipping pliers, no bullshit strings…just buhduhloop…done. 

35 minutes ago, GreenMTBrider said:

Unless it rains, Deception is good to go. 

I love you both. 
Replaced my cassette, chain, and chainring (went with oval for the F of it) earlier so I’m excited to feel that connectedness again in the tranny.

Funny part was I put my master link on backwards the first try and tried undoing it with the string method (investing in a master link tool tonight) and blew up like 2 links of my chain, lol. Good thing I knew I’d fuck it up and bought 2 chains. I’ll be replacing my chain like 4 times a year now. I was gonna go blingy light cassette but wussed out. 
 

not sure why I’m typing bold but YEAH SON looking fwd to riding in the soupy ass AM! 

Any updates on conditions? Thinking Deception would be doable no?

edit: asking for a friend. If I don’t hear from y’all then I’ll go in the AM and chance a road ride 😬 hoping at least i can get the hard rough stuff. 

27 minutes ago, gotdurt said:

So much this, and I'll add cigarette smoke 🤢

I’m don’t know why in the world but I actually LIKE a little cigarette smoke smell. It makes me chuckle when I smell it out on a trail where there is usually cardio type activity occurring. 
 

I actually saw a dude on a bike stop for a cig on Picnic once. Classic! 

I’ve been wondering why so many men (usually) smell like cologne out on the hike n bike. I pass so many dudes that smell like Drakkar or Old Spice that are riding or running. Are they hoping to get some ass while they’re out sweating and nasty? 
 

Am I doing it wrong?

2 hours ago, TAF said:

Salida, CO - but definitely missed the window to build, have to wait for material and labor costs to drop down.

Only spent a day in Salida but it seemed pretty nice and chill. Great location, too. Headed to Buena Vista this Sept. Love that area of CO but I see it growing fast as hell in large part from us Texans. 
 

I’m ultimately hoping to find something somewhere that looks like a plain jane single story house from the road but has a National Forest view from the deck out back, and I’ll be patient and deliberate about it. Getting that raise is going to be necessary first, however. Divorce be expensive. Roughly 1,825 days. ⏰ 

1 hour ago, TAF said:

I'm with you - both with the shitty riding conditions, and the mountains. Thankfully I already own a slice of land in the mountains -- it's just too expensive to build right now!

Nice! Where do you own land?

My plan is to buy a small RV when I’m out from under child support and rent (yes i know renting is a waste but I’m not buying for only 5 years in this market and no desire to be a landlord pff) and get a huge “raise”. (whole other story) I’m going to stay in National Forests and whatnot for at least a year with my RV, dual sport moto, and mtb and move from Montana to Arizona with the weather and find out where I’d like to buy a house. Then I’ll use the RV to escape winter if desired and never ever live in this kind of uncomfortable heat and exponentially growing congestion ever again. 

Just got back from a moto trip in Cloudcroft, NM. 
 

Rode yesterday and further solidified my plan to move to ANY mountains in 5 years. This morning it’s 74 with 90% humidity. Lol. Contemplating not riding at all this summer. For me, it just zaps the fun right out of it. 
 

edit: eh, I’m sure I’ll still ride and just incessantly bitch about it

6 hours ago, gotdurt said:

Awesome, now if only the air would dry out too.

Headed to Cloudcroft, NM this week for some moto riding. I think that’s the only way to lower the humidity is to gtfo. 

21 hours ago, gotdurt said:

UR ghey.
The timing on this is relevant though... that was back when the original log bump was there, before it was destroyed and replaced by the 2 posts... which recently disappeared because it probably "killed someone's flow"... 🙄

I wish I could muster the energy to single-speed Brushy again, that was the most fun. And that old XTC was fun...

Ahh yeah I was actually wondering where that was. Couldn’t tell you were launching off anything. On a hardtail like a fuckin’ bawss. Respect. 

On 5/12/2021 at 6:34 PM, gotdurt said:

Yep, went ahead and took a gamble, and won. Seems lots of others had the same idea though, lots of riders out.

 

Who’s the BADASS in this Strava profile pic? Damn, he FINE!

In other news, if you didn’t ride tonight you did yourself a complete disservice. 
I was all settled in for a humid ass ride with possible rain and then the clouds cleared and sun poked through with dry North wind and mid 60s. Omg. It was heavenly. 

On 4/26/2021 at 9:29 PM, GreenMTBrider said:

Wow glad you’re okay. I was just talking to @Cafeend today about how the trees continue to come down. I spent a couple hours on DD on Sunday trimming trees and still didn’t have it finished before the chainsaws battery died and 1/4 is the same way with branches that have lowered. Wild. 

Yeah took me three hours today to clear Gnargasm, Blow White, Caddyshack, and the little spur trail across the creek by Champion Park to the point of having good flow. Crazy how the trees are still drooping this long after. My next trail for trimming will be Gumdrop I think. There is a tree that is very dangerously low on Gumdrop where me skyyhorn and gotdurt cleared not long ago. Guess a 3’ or so chunk will just have to be cut out of it. I’m short and it’s tough for even me to get under without a headbanger.
 

Seems like someone may have trimmed up Picnic. Thanks to whomever if that is the case. 

1 hour ago, throet said:

I just started doing that drop using the far left line a month or so ago after @Morris showed me how easy it was. Took me a few tries before I could land it with enough composure to still clear the small ledge on the other side. That is a very rock-solid, off-camber landing area though, and I'm now wondering it hitting that a dozen or so times was a contributor to my fractured carbon rims.  

Yeah I mean I know it’s the least popular thing but smoothing out chunky trail is a skillset in its own right. 
Plus, I will never wear knee pads and stuff... maybe a little later in life. No shade at anyone that does, but it’s just not for me. I’ve accepted my place as an XC rider that hits a small table or drop here and there. I finally hit the drops on Line 1 at Snail Trail after a few years of looking at them, lol... they’re what...like 2’ tall. 

3 hours ago, quixoft said:

Yeah that's the line I used Sunday; it's pretty easy and not nearly the puckering of just blasting off. Taking it easy moving forward after getting a plate put in on my broken clavicle back in October because I thought I was 20 again at the Walnut BMX park. I'm not 20 anymore evidently. 

I realized I like ice hockey better than mountain biking and broken bones from mountain biking keep me from playing hockey and that just isn't cool. So wheels on the ground from now on for me.

 

Yeah I mean... can I hit drops...yes... can I break myself doing it...yes... worth it... no

I get enough nervous excitement from a 2 or 3’ drop... no need to break my face and bike on those big ones. 
 

Respect for those who do it though. 

On 4/23/2021 at 12:34 PM, AntonioGG said:

I'm quite the opposite!  I think the only time I ever rode down Sponge Bob was on a night ride (years ago, it was probably less scary then too?) following someone and not knowing it's there.  Something about it wigs me out.  I have ridden almost everything else in Deception including stuff that my brain knows it's worse but my sphincter doesn't.  I'm mostly about keeping the wheels firmly planted on the ground XC weenie but I do try to do a few drops and jumps here and there like that post and also the little kicker cheesegrater rock on the left side (E-W) not far from the post.

If you just stick to the right side going down it literally can roll like a smooth concrete path if you find the line. Just don’t get too far right and hook your bar on the sapling on the right like I did once because then you get to eject down the hard way without your bike. Thought I broke my hand but didn’t. But that was one time out of the hundreds I’ve ridden it. Just try the right side, you’ll see a line for tire contact the whole way down. 

On 3/24/2021 at 4:16 PM, gotdurt said:

I actually thought about hitting you up, but I didn't want to get up before 8 😛

I couldn’t bring myself to ride yesterday anyway. Laid around on the couch all morning. That second dose of vaccine got me for a day and a half. 💉