Ridenfool

Yeah, that's more about the people than the bike. Just like some of the racerbois and Stravassholes who think a public trail is their private track. They'll be that way regardless of what they are riding.

Chucks flyer 2022 v4 final.pdf

My feeling is that they are both "the mountain bike world." Bonewipes and all. (To be clear, I know there are non-mtb e-bikes. They are of no concern to me.) I'm not as divisive as some when it comes to my favorite pastime. It seems better to pull together rather than to tear apart. YMMV Edit: There are plenty of others trying to undermine mountain biking without us making it easier for them.

New trail has been added! RHR Loop total mileage (from-to the Pavilion/restrooms) is now 15 miles. 🥳 The newest section (Tea Party) will be knitted into the existing loop in the next few days.

Good feedback on the Salida experiences. As for inconsiderate trail users, I've had that problem with riders that pass, and then I pass when they stop, then they are coming up to pass again, and this has been going on since well before e-bikes were around. ha ha Often enough I try to pleasantly chat with them offering suggestions to keep the trail clear for their stops, and avoid being a nuisance when they find themselves passing the same people again and again. Usually folks are receptive to this. But, people, are a problem. 😏

Policy, education, enforcement, and funding are lacking. In looking for policy for the San Juan National Forest, particularly regarding where e-bikes are and are not allowed, it was very challenging to find that information on the USFS website by following the links to specific bicycle usage info. Eventually, I did find some third party organization who linked to a PDF of a USFS document with the trail numbers for those trails near Dolores, for example, where e-bikes are allowed. Then, I tried to use the online USFS map to find those trails by number and was unsuccessful. The point being that we already know that providing easy to find online policy data, signage, and enforcement is expensive, and doesn't get implemented as quickly as the initial legislation changes. Trail designation decisions are often not funded for signage immediately, if ever. There is rarely budget set aside to present any easy to understand policy in a way that is effective in educating a "typical" recreational trail user. The bike shops may not do their part if it interferes with making a customer happy during a sale. It is pretty much left to word of mouth in many places, and even then the information may not be presented in a useful manner. But, there is a lot of griping to be found amongst the few riders who participate in forums like this one, but those numbers pale in comparison to overall numbers of recreational riders, and the growing number of e-bike riders with no peer group or personal experience to suggest there might be a restriction. If the riders don't know and the only thing that indicates the policy is a hand made sign miles from the trailhead, is it any wonder e-bike riders are on these trails, or, react negatively when confronted by an over-zealous rider who lashes out at them for not knowing? Further confusing the issue is how one federal agency defines pedal-assist, speed limited bikes (Class 1) as not being considered Motor Vehicles, conflicting with other agencies' policy that call them motor vehicles and lump them in with 4x4s, ATVs, dirt bikes, and the like. In the long run (5-10 years) Class 1 e-bikes will become ubiquitous and the vast majority of riders will be on e-bikes. Disruptive technology displaces previous tech in an S-curve. Horses to cars, hand wash to washing machines, land lines to cell phones, CRT to flat screen, 26" mountain bikes, the list is endless and the time for transition was fast. E-bikes will become the accepted standard on trails before any adequate budget is allocated to fund education, signage, and enforcement of policies to clearly define for the user how the sub-groups of MTBs have to use separate trail systems. Anyone expecting otherwise will be as disappointed as users and purveyors of other technologies that have been replaced over the centuries. Search for Tony Seba on YouTube for some great examples of how quickly disruption like this has happened through history and is happening today. Food for thought. Not intended to pee in anyone's porridge.

FWIW this site indicates the Forest Service is working towards more inclusion of e-bikes on trails https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/e-bikes

You know how it is, get near the end of a project and you find motivation to get 'er done. So, rather than stretch this out I went full Masochist and put in four to five hours each day this week behind loppers, McLeod, Pick Mattock, and a Silky folding saw. Had to whup out the Ryobi reciprocating saw after having killed the Ryobi pole saw on this trail project. It is now in for warranty repair and wasn't even a year old. They put a three year warranty on it and I think it could be back for more rebuilds over the coming years if my use continues at this rate. It is a handy tool for clearing Yaupon at ground level, as well as taking out Cedar branches. But, I'm rambling, aren't I? Today I did about five hours of bench cutting on two sketchy sections, taking out the worst of several off-camber bits. For those who enjoy a little challenge I did leave a few short off-camber sections just to keep things interesting. The bottom line here is that Tea Party is finished. At least the first draft, as no trail is ever really done. Of all the trails I have made at Rocky Hill, this one may be my Magnum Opus. The terrain kept revealing fun new lines as I explored over the past several months, modifying the eventual track and using up as much of this space as possible. A test pilot went out this afternoon to give it a whirl and report back, should he survive. We have been riding it as an out and back as work progressed, and he'll get to put first wheels on The Jabberwock TTF and the rest of the trail to where it ties back into the current loop. I hope to take a ride on it in the next few days to make sure there are no needed tweaks before opening it up to the public. Signage will be in the works shortly. I've got this one coming as well... Edit: The test pilot survived and reports the new trail brings the total RHR loop to 14.7 miles. We should be over 15 miles soon. Post Edit, Edit: That mileage total was TH to TH, and adding in the Start/Finish loop to the Pavilion would make it 15 wheel-miles now. (GPS miles will be less)

Got this routed and raked today. Gonna call it "The Jabberwock" to carry on the Wonderland theme. Didn't need no stinkin' bridges after all. (We'll see how it holds up after a good rain, and it may still need stinkin' bridges.) Gotta say, the photo doesn't do it justice, ... bwahahahahaha

Trails are in great shape. The rain has tightened things up. Paul has a few new berms in place and has done some work on others that needed a little love. Work continues on Tea Party, my latest effort. After comparing the track to the satellite photo I found where I could add a little more. Might be as much as 0.2 mi added and will include a Grind/Wall type of thrill. On rides of late I've been putting wheels on what is done so far, taking it as an out and back. The first pass of cutting corridor and raking down to dirt is almost done. After that there are a couple of bridges to build, and quite a bit of bench cutting and other fine tuning before opening it up. Aiming to have it done by year's end. Then will update the maps. Today's rain accumulation was 0.2 in. The trail surface this week and coming weekend should be excellent. Saw a lot of campers out last weekend. Don't miss out on the best season for riding RHR when the Outdoor Air Conditioner is working so well. Come get some!

Here's a shot of that sort of foolishness at Boggy Draw near Dolores, CO, if it helps.

Tyler State Park is a good one. If you are intending to stop in San Angelo on the way somewhere the State Park has an interesting enough trail system to work out the kinks from the drive.

FWIW, Rocky Hill has not had rain over the past few days. Might make for an option if things around ATX are too wet.

Just need to be sure to also lock up the Ryobi Angle Grinder, if stored nearby. 🤔

This link is to the weather station at Berdoll Pecan Farm adjacent to Rocky Hill. It offers current information on precip accumulation, temps, and other useful data. Perhaps AB could add it to his page for Rocky Hill There was about 0.6 in. today. Things were getting dusty on a ride two days ago, so I expect there may be a few puddles on Saturday. Sunday will likely be fine.