Ridenfool

Got just shy of an inch of rain at RHR. Surface conditions are superb, there is no dust, and the AC is on outside for a few days this week! With the arrival of low temps I've been working on the next new trail section. It will start where Rabbit Hole crosses the road the second time. This will cut it in half, and extend it by .8 mile. I'm leaning toward calling it "Tea Party." Isn't that what the White Rabbit was late for when Alice chased him down the rabbit hole? Over the past few days I've managed to get about a quarter mile into it with the corridor cleared and the surface exposed. Hopefully will be completed in another month or so. There will be some long bench cuts in a couple of places that will take some time. Also have tweaked some spots on Rabbit Hole to improve flow. In my experience, no trail is ever really finished.

Cleats? What are cleats? 🙄 Those look like you might get a couple thousand more miles out of them before they are completely toast. Go ahead, push the envelope. Go where no man has gone before!

Didn't get a spin on the trails yesterday, but did today. Other than the dust it was a hoot. I'm thrilled about how all the wheels this weekend have helped polish the new sections and show me where some adjustments could be made. I'll be out with tools over the next couple of days fine-tuning things to be better yet. Maybe trail building is like sculpting. There is singletrack in the landscape and all that is necessary is for the builder to expose it. If anyone who has been out recently has feedback or suggestions to share, please post up.

Several folks tracked me down to say how much they enjoyed Rabbit Hole. Thanks!

Pretty good turnout and a lot of nice feedback on the trails. Thanks to everyone who attended or helped with the festivities.

Info here as well I just finished loading the van with the loot I'm bringing to Frankenbike. Transition Covert 29 Frame, RockShox Fork (1 year old), 4 wheelsets (26, 27.5, 29 2ea.), droppers, seat posts, stems, bars, shifters, pedals, cranks, derailleurs, grips, and lots of other stuff including clipless shoes, Primal jerseys, and several pair of MTB shorts. Frankenbike suggest buyers bring cash. So do I. 🙂

Paul's new section between the Trailhead and Pam's Picnic will be optional for the event. We'd like to see some wheels on it, though current dry conditions have left this new trail surface loose and sandy. With a little rain and some traffic it will pack down nicely, though we're unlikely to have any rain before the event. Once it is established this will the first trail section on the loop. On the next map update this new trail section will be named Kim's Sandy Switch, after the owner's daughter. The traditional path up to Pam's Picnic (formerly known as Milk Jug Hill) will remain available for this weekend's festivities, just ride through the rocks marking the new route to stay on the established trail. I'd suggest for those riders wanting to conserve their energy for the loop to take the old route straight up. Strong riders wanting to help pound the surface into submission are encouraged to ride this new switchback section. Doing so will add ~0.5 mile to the total loop.

This afternoon I've opened up "Rabbit Hole" (part 1, more to come) and have had two friends ride it yesterday and today. Both said something along the lines of "this needs to be a Black Diamond trail" and I responded that everything from Black Trac on are Black trails. To which it was suggested then that I make this a Double Black Diamond trail. I'm so proud. ☺️ It has a few techy elevation changes that may make for dropper application as it falls 75 feet or so over a quarter mile from beginning to mid point. (then you get to pay your way back to the top) In the long run I expect it won't seem all that difficult once it is established with some traffic on it. It will be a hoot to ride and not for everybody. Today I spent several hours with a Pick-Mattock and a McLeod bench cutting on some of the sketchier spots. This trail is found as a Y to the right on Sofa King. After Ventosa rest stop, cross the road and climb up the trail that leads to The Grind and The Wall. Watch on the right for Rabbit Hole. Once ridden, it connects back onto Sofa King shortly after it leaves it. My style is to design a trail so riders won't miss anything else by taking an optional trail. I've called these "Extra Credit" trails in the past. My intention was to make it part of the loop, but Paul suggested it be made an option. We'll see how much traffic it gets. I have avoided making options on the loop, letting anyone who are toast to have ample opportunities to bail at road crossings and head for the car. Once Rabbit Hole part 2 is done it will total at a mile or so long. If you ride it, say hi to Alice if you cross paths with her, and be wary of the Cheshire Cat.

Update, rumors are floating around that there may be 2ea. of Day Passes to Spider Mountain given away on the event weekend. Also, Cycle Progression will be offering free demo rides on their rental fleet, Specialized will have e-MTB demos, Frankenbike on site Saturday, (go to www.Frankenbike.net to register if you will be selling) 2 food vendors, Burgers, and Gourmet Dogs Free beer in keg and cans thanks to Smithville Sudworks and Independence Brewing. Come on out for the day or the weekend, weather is looking good for camping. (Free trail access Saturday and Sunday, please pay for camping at the Sign-in shack)

Two more new trail sections should be finished in time for next weekend's event. Total miles will now be ~14 of singletrack from Trailhead or ~14.5 from the sign-in parking. They are expected to be about 1/2 mile each. [Edit: Put wheels on both now and the total was 13.8 from Trailhead. Conditions are dry, with loose sand in places, and dusty when following.] RHR Reboot Update, rumors are floating around that there may be 2 Day Passes to Spider Mountain given away on the event weekend. Also, Cycle Progression will be offering free demo rides on their rental fleet, Specialized will have e-MTB demos, Frankenbike on site, 2 food vendors, free beer in keg and cans thanks to Smithville Sudworks and Independence Brewing. Come get some!

Here's a link to the Frankenbike event page

Back to dry, dusty, and loose in places. Had a good crowd out there yesterday. This coming week has low temperatures (highs around 90) and, low humidity (~50% max) in the forecast. I'm going to take advantage of it and do some trail work, thankful that I won't have to wring out my clothes when I'm done for the day like usual.

The Frankenbike swap meet is coming to RHR. Come sell your stuff, or, pick up those pieces for that project you've been wanting to finish. Click the link for more information. The Rocky Hill Reboot event also includes free day-access to the trails for the weekend to celebrate the new miles of singletrack added over the past year. There will be food vendors and donated beer. I'll have a Transition Covert 29 Large frame, several wheelsets (29, 27.5, and 26), a Rockshox fork (Torque Axle and matching wheel), tires, and a lot of other components and gear to offer. List below anything being brought for sale at this event.

There is a section of trail we are hoping to get opened up in time for the Rocky Hill Roundup on October 8-9. In anticipation for this there has been a TMBRA PayDirt weekend set for October 1-2, and we are inviting anyone else who would like to volunteer to either work on the new trail or trim existing trail so as to get things prettied up for the debut. Anyone who comes out and can work for at least a couple of hours will have free access that day for play, as well as receive a pass for a future date to play at RHR. Work both days, get two passes for future visits. Please respond here if you can fit this into your schedule, and please repost a link to this call out on other applicable forums (ARR, etc.) if possible. Thanks!

While sitting on the Cub Cadet ZTR mower a day ago, Pepe LePue 🦨 came strolling out from underneath and sashayed away leaving me grateful that he wasn't any more startled. I was quite thankful he decided to take a stroll before I turned the key. 😳

Inserted a new version of the flyer with more info.

Negative, zero, zilch, nada day use fee. That is what the weekend is all about. Free admission (except for RV spots). We want to get folks out to sample the new stuff, spread the word, and help celebrate with us the Herculean effort that has been put into building the new loop. Now, we have confirmed two food vendors. Also, a keg (or kegs?) have been donated by a rider-owned local brewery-in-transition with leftover stock. We felt obliged to help them out with this problem by disposing of it properly. Frankenbike will be there Saturday (8th). Registration should be up on their website in the next few days. I'll be bringing a Transition Covert 29 frame with bottom bracket, crankset and dropper, several wheelsets, a fork or two, handlebars, stems, and other parts, as well as some riding gear to sell.

Spoke with a rider at the bike wash station late yesterday. It is still sloppy in many places with sticky red clay layers in the usual spots on the ascent/descent between the trailhead and the Crossroads Rest Stop.

Cleared the fallen log on Black Trac and cut some large drooping branches that were becoming a problem on Holden's Way and Corkscrew today. Conditions are "soft" on the Squishy/Sticky/Soft scale. I'd say it would be good in a day or two, but there is rain in the forecast the next few days. Might be another week of waiting out the rain before pedaling around out there. Maybe I'll just go build some trail instead.

When you gotta go, you gotta go! 😲

Took a spin this morning to clear a lot of stuff that had fallen onto the trail. There is one log on Black Trac that I'll have to come back with a chainsaw to take care of. The trails are in fine shape, though getting some slappers creeping out with the moisture of late. Overall, an excellent surface, nice and tight for a change. Come get some while the getting is good. And, it is GOOD right now!

There was also Arthur C. Clarke describing geostationary communication satellites in the 40's or 50's. I've always felt that reading SciFi since I was a kid has led me to expect breakthroughs as they came. And often wondering, What took it so long? 😁

Arranged my Heinlein collection chronologically by publish date and have been working my way through the novels. Currently reading To Sail Beyond the Sunset. Will follow up with a dive into several collections of his short stories. Truly amazing how much about the future he envisioned so well, and by decades ahead. It wouldn't surprise me to find that Elon got many of his ideas of how the world could be from reading RAH (and other SciFi) as a young man.

Download/Update the maps for Texas on MTBProject or Trailforks for reference next time. These are mostly up-to-date. Only missing the recent move of the last rest stop. Also, looks like another 1.2 inches of rain fell there today. More to come. Can't wait to get on the trails once it soaks in.