Morealice

I just checked my normal spots to check as well. I’m gonna ride tomorrow morning. If Picnic too damp I’ll turn around, etc. 
 

When I check, I check East entrance to Deception and an EMS access point (aka Satellite) which is the entrance to the Hollows (less sunny area on “double down”)

 as always, still a judgment call. 

On 5/20/2020 at 8:48 PM, rugger said:

@First Blood @Morealice Chad, Brett, and Jesse - we flagged Gum Drop on Feb 11 (day I re-rupture my Achilles), Mike and Josh punched through the end on March 3rd!!! I know Jesse and Chad did a lot of work in the shitty bits full of vines and swamp...there are some curse words said about that stuff and "Eric's gimp ass", and "Mark Sanchez will only tread and not do real work", LOL. In Sacnhez's (aka @Morealice ) defense he WAS the brains behind Gum Drop, minus the sick wooden bits. 

Only tread and not do real work?!? They deserve to be slapped around retroactively for that comment! If I didn’t realize that pretty much all of y’all could kick my ass I’d do it myself! 

Went and checked trails today at East Deception entrance and entrance to the Hollows. I thought it was too wet for tomorrow morning. 
 

Spotted a guy on an Intense (sup if you’re on here) and his wife/gf/sister/? Coming out of the trail onto Dodge Cattle and he said it was too wet today but should be ok tomorrow some time. 
 

Hoping to get continued drying tomorrow and to ride at least deception at 5pm. 🤞🏼

16 hours ago, GreenMTBrider said:

FYI, trails are good to go, including Peddlers Pass. 

I cannot WAIT to get a couple hours (hopefully) before zee rain. Thanks again for so diligently keeping us posted here and Twitter. 

5 hours ago, throet said:

I cleared Cyrus the first time I tried it, after seeing Gotdurt or somebody else's video. Then I cleared it a couple of other times on both my 29er and 27.5. On my fourth and last try though, I was going too fast and stayed too far right, resulting in Cyrus launching me OTB into the brush pile that was there. Managed to come away with just a few scrapes. Will probably try it again eventually but haven't been in a hurry to.     

I just don’t typically have the gas. It takes all I have to ride from the crib out East, do all the trails (except SN) and then get home. The last few times past that rock I’m just glad to have any kind of flow at all. 
 

I REALLY need to re-route that eroded fall line left turn a couple turns after Cyrus. Next rainy day off I think I’m gonna do it. I don’t want it to be something I keep saying I’ll do but never get around to. Firstblood, you got any McLeods er whut?

On 5/3/2020 at 5:33 PM, Shinerider said:

Well, I TRIED to string together a 50 miler from my house (other end of Little Elm - the road YMCA is on) thru Brushy and points beyond without repeating too much and without too much gravel/pavement.  Failed.  Brushy itself only has ~30 miles if you don't repeat too much.  So, in order:

From my house

YMCA trail at top->Snail->Dave's ditch->Rimjob->Deception backwards->over the damn and down backside->gumdrop->Walshtrail to Suburban->Christchurch section->Boat->Apartments section of Suburban to Redhorn->East side of Suburban (including offshoot loop trail->back thru Walshtrail->gumdrop->white rabbit->up and over the dam->Peddlers->mulligan->Picnic->rimjob->dave's ditch.  That totaled ~30.  I tacked on some rogue trails that have popped up on the other side of 183 around the lake back there beside the apartment complex then back to the house.  Grand total=43.6.  Heat was getting bad at 2pm, so I pulled the plug.

Oh well, on a suggestion, will have to roll in Wilco park trails north of 1431, so that should total 50.  Next time.

 

 

Coulda done Deception E—->W on way home to get you really close to 50. 
 

@gotdurt that rock is called the Cyrus rock named after the first known guy to ride it. I rode it once in my life and likely never will again. At this point I’m just happy to get through the Cradle just before it and to navigate the trees...much less awkwardly hammer to prep for that thing. 

7 hours ago, First-Blood said:

Well I think that's a given. Still better than nothing. Gives me hope.

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Pretty sure you have a better trail report in your history than that.

Does anyone happen to know anything about the current state of Buescher State Park trails? 
 

Years ago, I camped there and they had a nice, fast stacked loop system. I looked it up on Trailforks the other day and it seemed like there is only maybe a few miles of trail now like maybe it’s not ridden and/or maintained? 
 

If that’s the case, I’m thinking maybe it doesn’t get ridden with Rocky Hill being right there? Also, does anyone happen to know if Rocky Hill is open during this pandemic situation? Left a message the other day and got no response. Maybe I missed it, but the website wasn’t helpful. 

5 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

I have a Lezyne Alloy Drive. it's fairly compact and the body is entirely aluminum. it's serviceable (I guess they all are to some degree.

the best feature is the rubber hose. I've seen people break valve stems while trying to pump a rigid pump that is connected, and the flexible hose on the Lezyne makes it a lot gentler. I stripped the threads inside my hose at one point and bought a replacement hose for a few bucks.

+1 

love mine

Can’t stand the feel of a foldy, slow tire on the trail. I don’t pay attention to pressure any further than squeezing sidewall to a firmness that feels right. I carry a pump and on rare occasions will add or release air. If I get caught up in rim widths and tire casings and pressures, I’ll get bogged down. I will say that the experience of having the pressure “feel right” comes from having paid a little attention to the pump reading in the past. Probably in the high 20s rear and slightly lower front. 
 

play around with pressure and see what hooks up right for you

8 hours ago, quixoft said:

Marked the offending branch. Westbound Lower Picnic right around 1/4 mile down the trail from the eastern entrance. Almost missed it again as I was looking at the roots in the path.

Wait. I don’t recognize this part of the trail. 1/4 mile in from East entrance. Is that right by the creek? The rocks kinda look like it. There might be multiple routes and maybe I normally ride a different way. Either way, sorry man, I tried looking out for it. I was looking forward to actually contributing, and it didn’t work out. 😞

1 hour ago, First-Blood said:

Of course you would do it the less fun way. Such an XC DOUCHE

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I got nothin’.... it’s funny and true. lol

 But how is the trail more fun the other way? I’ve ridden it that way, too, man. 

10 minutes ago, First-Blood said:

Fair enough. I suppose some well placed rocks and logs are in order to help define the path desired.

 

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My typical route is climb up, then right after it levels out go left and up a little more, come down to turn around, right hand downhill trackstand turn, lower line back out. 

6 hours ago, quixoft said:

Marked the offending branch. Westbound Lower Picnic right around 1/4 mile down the trail from the eastern entrance. Almost missed it again as I was looking at the roots in the path.

Sorry broseph, but someone had removed that marker. I eased though there and looked as I cruised. 
 

I did get to Gumdrop, Gnargasm, that abomination of a trail Snow White, trail across creek from Gnargasm, Little trail by skate park andSoccer fields by creek, Mulligan, and Picnic. 
 

lost my pruning shears on Gnargasm just before telling a clown he needed a helmet in a kinda smartass way... he was walking down a little (slick) step up that is next to pretty high penalty (you definitely get a better perspective of the penalty when you walk it. Wow, haha.

 So he says, “how you doin?”

 Me: “good you?”

him: good

me: getting a helmet soon i hope...

 him defensively: nah nah i just walk this stuff

 me: ooookaaayyy...

 then I rode away, noticed shears missing... walked back twice and scanned around...nothing. He wins today. :/

Overall, good little trim n ride with very little traffic. Old school feel. 

2 hours ago, biga9999 said:

6'7" tall, I'll take any help I can get.  

I once had a branch grab the top loop on my Osprey water pack. Pulled me off my bike. 

Damn son. You big!

8 minutes ago, quixoft said:

I'm going to head out that way around lunch time for an easy day before the rain. Went pretty hard yesterday for the shape I'm in although y'all would have probably called it a warm up!

I'll find something to tie to it. I would cut it off myself but not sure about the rules of pruning so I'll leave it to y'all that do it regularly. But I can take care of it if you want me to. Probably needs about 6"+ taken off.  It's not a branch across the trail low, it's a spike sticking down from a higher branch that looks like it was pruned, just not quite high enough for someone 6'2" on an XL!

Thanks for the work you do.

Sure thing. Wanted to clarify...I don’t refuse to cut for taller people, I’m just on the shorter end, so I ride along, and if something threatens my lycra or my head, it’s gotta go, haha. If you mark that spot I’ll trim it for you. 

2 minutes ago, quixoft said:

Oh, just a heads up. Busted my helmet on a low branch heading west on Lower Picnic yesterday. Didn't see it at all and I was seated but sitting fairly upright. It was maybe a quarter to a half mile in coming from east. Got a nice bit of whip lash out of it so watch your head!

 

I’ll keep an eye out when I go out to ride-n-trim later. I will admit, though, that I typically don’t trim stuff for taller people. Picnic is on the menu, though. 

10 minutes ago, Barry said:

Caddyshack or Gnargasm? Either one, yikes. I always make sure I avoid the huge puddle before Gnargasm and head just left to the small stream xing. I really hate going into it with wet tires! 

It was Caddyshack...after the initial climb there is a small exposure, but not that one... the one after that with rough offcamber rock... it was wet, and I tried to ride the tire width line to the right exactly on the edge of the ridge, bobbled it, started to fall to the right... like had enough momentum to envision falling off, but somehow saved it and unclipped to the left. It was a true “whoa” moment... so what did I do? Kept trying to ride up, but had to turn around due to everything being slick. Tried to ride that same spot coming back down but only gave it a half try due to fear. Rode it dry Wednesday... really a non-event when dry. But yeah, that was my first real scare in some time. 
 

As far as entering Gnargasm with wet tires, that’s just part of the fun! That whole section is tech bliss. 

Eric for sure is a big bag of dicks. Every time I make it up EBD cleanly on a full ride without stopping (hasn’t happened for a couple years now, lol) I yell out “F*** you!” Directed at him. Now I only ride 1-2x a week and typically have zero chance of making it up. I wheelie onto it and then walk up, defeated, but remount and continue on. 
 

The stuff East of the dam is definitely not boring. I just about took a 20-30’ tumble off the ridge over there a couple rides ago. I ride it mostly because I live East of all the trails and ride my bike to the trails. And of course FirstBlood likes those trails....a bit of bias there.  I will admit, I couldn’t see the vision on a lot of that stuff but I was proven wrong.  It’s good stuff.  If you start on those trails, it’s a hell of a way to kickstart a ride... not the most mellow beginning, but it gets the blood flowing. 
 

Gonna get out there today with a saw and pruners to do some Spring trimming. Took off half a day and might as well make some use of it. 

16 hours ago, gotdurt said:

 

Yea, I started on 1/4 before 9 and I felt like a pinball slipping and bouncing between the rocks... I used up more energy just trying to keep the rubber side down than actually riding

 

I failed to mention that I juuuuusttt about fell off an exposed ridge on Caddyshack yesterday, haha. It was the first off camber rock chunk after you get past the initial climb up. I tried to ride a minuscule line on the outer edge of it attempting to avoid the slick as snot rock and bobbled it, it threw me to the right (direction off cliff edge) and I somehow saved it and fell to the left and unclipped. I’m not sure how I didn’t go tumbling down that thing, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. Probably wouldn’t be a death type situation or anything (unless impaled through the heart or something) but it suuure would have sucked. I kept trying to ride up, but all the rocks were slick. Tried to ride that same spot going down but the pucker got the better of me and I walked it. First legit scare in a while, and this certainly is probably not the best time in history to be needing a hospital. 

2 hours ago, Tree Magnet said:

Aren't we the 'general public' ?  🙂  In all seriousness, I'm sure this is exactly what the trail builders were thinking as they were building Deception.  

I am the general public, lol. That’s what I was thinking anyway. I didn’t give a crap if anyone ever found the ones I did/helped do. It had that feel this AM compared to last Wednesday for whatever reason. When I stopped to fix my shoe I just hogged up the whole trail with my bike and didn’t see a soul. 
 

Ride this morning was huuumid AF but managed to stay at least neutral about it psychologically. I refused to let it bum me out. I told myself, “riding in heat/humidity is just different, not better or worse.” I’m trying to grow up a bit. 
 

Had a boa mechanism on my shoe pop out and got concerned until I discovered they look like by design they’re supposed to pop out so you don’t end up fuct. Specialized Expert XC shoes are all I’ll ever ride. Honestly should order like 12 pair. I don’t want to be without and they will get used. 
 

Also had a tiny little cedar branch lodge itself between the rotor and brake pad off my front brake. That was a first. 
 

Since I typically ride to the trail and all the water fountains are off I was worried about only having around 70oz but ran out of water as I was removing my waist pack back at the crib. Had to consciously pick my spots to drink and was happy it worked out so well. But come summer that’s gonna be tougher when it’s 178 degrees out. Either gonna have to start driving to trail head to reup water mid ride or buy water at the gas station near peddlers. Really don’t wanna drive to trail if I can help it. 
 

- ramble over -

16 minutes ago, Cafeend said:

Between me  and  you and the fencepost,, Mornings are great. I'd say for the real riders , early  before 10. And then dusk to dark with lights. 

I’m headed out around 10am and beside myself with giddiness. It’s gonna be grade A bewbs....annnd then rain thru Sunday. Waaaaahhh waaah waaaaaaaaaaaahhhh...

but TODAY!!! WE RIIIDE!!!

or Ride, Drink, and be Merry, for tomorrow it rains. You know... something like that

Just went and checked East entrance to Deception, Peddler’s (in the park near where the race started), and Deception at The Hollows... the dirt was money in the spots I checked anyway. I will DEF be riding tomorrow. 

19 hours ago, Albert said:

I'd have a hard time not physically responding if someone tried that shit with me.  Especially if he was already being an asshole by not giving me an opportunity to pass for some time before that.  Guess it would be a good idea to sport a GoPro for situations like this..

 ..Al

Yeah it would be very very difficult for me  to not at least have words with this guy. And if I passed in an area like the Parmer underpass where there’s lots of room and he hit me... I’m pissed off just thinking about it. 

Yeah that isn’t a gigantic loss, but look for more collisions in that humpy, flowy creek crossing at the bottom of the double track by the BCRT bridge. Also, that was one of the better (only) decent climbs out there. Down was fun, too. I bet it’s gonna be touuugghhh to keep runners from using it.