Ridenfool

Put wheels on the new section yesterday. It is going to be a fun romp to test a rider's skills, but needs a little fine tuning before the debut. So, it's back to work with the Pick Mattock and McLeod. Conditions were excellent on the loop, though still loose in places as it has been dry. There was none of the rain as expected last night, so it will remain dry this weekend with the air conditioning working well outside. Perfect temperatures for riding, as well as for slinging dirt with implements of destruction. If I get back out there to work today the new section could be cut into the loop for the weekend. We'll see how it goes.

Coming soon to a Rabbit Hole near you... A keen eye might make out the yellow handle of a McLeod at the top, for scale. This was a real bench to cut. 😅💦

Rumor has it the surface is loosening up as it drys out. 🤷‍♂️ I wouldn't know as I haven't ridden in a couple of weeks after twisting my knee while heading out to work on a new section. That didn't stop me, as I worked about four hours before heading home that day. This was when I came to the realization that I could no longer walk without a cane. Even then, I couldn't go very far. After giving my mangled knees (prior injuries) a long rest I've now been back out to bring this latest creation to life, A small addition to Rabbit Hole that I expect will be worth the pain and suffering that goes into creating it. There is a long bench cut going in on a hillside that is too steep to walk across. This will add some exposure. Coming into it there is a fast downhill section that will net enough momentum to carry a rider up to that bench cut. The exit is a short, steep downhill that will add velocity to the more gradual climb that brings you back onto the existing trail. With any luck this section will come online in another couple of weeks and add a little more to the overall length of the loop. It looked like everyone had a great time at yesterday's TMBRA race. Special thanks go out to Raymond and the folks at 602 Brewing in Bastrop for donating three kegs of their finely crafted brews. It was liberally applied for medicinal purposes as a muscle relaxant and pain reliever for the riders, supporters, and anyone else who felt it would ease their suffering. 🍻🍺

Recently had that conversation about not pushing limits with some friends. Emphasizing how I'm in it for the long haul, and hope that they buy into that too. I'd rather be riding slow with them in ten or fifteen years than any of us be missing from the picture. It is tough for them to not play "chase the rabbit" when they ride. I'm glad you found out before having a blow-out. Because knowledge is power, there's no reason to be depressed. It is merely an opportunity to review your priorities now that you have new data. I think you will like an e-bike. It fits nicely into the plan to avoid breaking stuff internally that we will need to carry on, while riding at the pace that tickles our fancy.

Got in a lap after Saturday's rain. Conditions were just about perfect today. Now, I'm a little biased, but Rocky Hill has never been such a hoot to ride as it is now. So many technical challenges along the way to spice up all the zipping through the woods. Added together, it is so much fun. And, it is getting better as we add little things like bridges and berms to help add to the flow. Come get some, you know you want to. (Only, not this weekend. My new shock arrives Friday, so naturally, there is another quarter to half an inch in the forecast across Sat and Sun)

You're probably okay Apnea-wise. As long as you are getting a restful sleep and there are no points where you stop breathing for extended periods. The prominent cause of Apnea is when a back-sleeper's muscles relax and the jaw follows gravity. Then, the soft tissues weighted by the jawbone closes the airway. CPAP inflates the airway, opening it so breathing doesn't stop and no O2 starvation occurs. (CPAP= Constant Positive Airway Pressure) Of course, if the snoring is bad enough there could be other health repercussions due to injury by blunt force trauma from the missus.

Kudos to those who dedicate themselves to maintaining a high fitness level and enjoying their Acoustic bikes. These riders are at the top level of mtb riders, and always have been in the minority of the overall number of riders. However, the "different blend of the population" mentioned above is actually the majority of riders when considering who are the mtb-riding public the manufacturers are selling to. Price parity will be the deciding factor for many when it comes time to buy. For a new rider, or, an existing rider that wants to ride more and finds it tough to maintain the fitness required, they are likely to find an electric Class 1 alternative within their budget. This effect of price reduction will only improve over time as economies of scale contribute to lowering the costs to manufacture. An e-mtb offers a wider range of users the joys we all love about riding trails. To most, this would be considered a good thing to have more people enjoying trails, and I hope the trend to acceptance by those who take umbrage toward e-mtb riders can become easier as more of their friends make the shift. The growing trend of e-mtb adoption and new Class 1 model offerings from every manufacturer who wants to stay in business indicates a potential for inevitability of e-mtb sales eventually outpacing standard bike sales. At least among the crowd who purchase bikes by size and fit to their body. This is a transition, which is occurring due to a disruptive technology being introduced. Much like the conversion from flip-phone to smart phone; chemical camera to digital; cathode-ray TV to flat screen; or horse and buggy to automobile. The list of examples for technology disruptions is very, very long, and they all have in common an exponential growth curve. Happy trails

Yeah, and it may be my fault. This started after buying a new 2022 Fox shock on sale and then sending it in to be upgraded to a 2024 version as a courtesy replacement they offer. It has been raining pretty much ever since I put it in the mail to Fox. Please forgive me. It seems unproductive to speculate upon what might happen once I receive the replacement. 😲

As expected, RHR received over an inch of rain overnight and will likely not be much fun to ride for a couple of days at least.

Today they were great. Only a couple of damp spots, and the usual dips with drainage (clear water). The section of Karaway that suffers most in the wet is rerouted temporarily. It was a really nice surface to ride on today. Tomorrow should be the same, until the rain arrives mid-late afternoon.

Rumor confirmed. Paul did some excellent work on adding a couple of bridges and Rabbit Hole is rockin' again. So, naturally (in the literal sense) there is over an inch of rain in the forecast for overnight Friday/early Saturday.

There is a rumor circulating that Rabbit Hole has been opened back up. I'm gonna go investigate this afternoon and find out for sure...

Did some work on Rabbit Hole today, fixed one line that needed it on a new section. Also, had planted trail seeds a few weeks ago and went to check on them. I'm happy to say that the organically grown trail has sprouted and is being nurtured into a healthy new trail section. Lastly, before leaving RH, I did some digging that improved drainage of Lake Looking Glass, the very Wonderland like, here-today gone-tomorrow lake that will be with us for a few weeks. There are two new bridges to be built to repair RH before we will reopen it. Also, rerouted one spot onto the original track to bypass the latest fun section as it is submerged in a couple of places. Once it is dry enough to do dirt work we'll get Booker back out with his Kubota and build those up.

Paul did a recon mission on Thursday. As expected there is deep standing water at several low points on Rabbit Hole, and there is damage to the raised sections created to keep the trail above the water level after such a big rain. Last time it took weeks for the accumulated water to subside, as it pools with no place to drain to. Rabbit Hole will be closed for repairs, and some temporary reroutes may allow reopening in another week or so. Fofenique has one spot that regularly floods, and there already exists an alternate line that can be used. This is where the Flamingos hang out. Reports indicate the hillsides are saturated and water is coming out. Until this all drains it will be a slop-fest out there. I'd suggest riders skip planning a trip to RHR this weekend to give the trails time to dry out.

Lake RHR Update The weather station next door to Rocky Hill shows 5 inches has fallen in the past few days. This can be considered fortunate, as six miles away the rain gauge shows a tally of 7.5 inches over the same period here at the house. Another rinse cycle expected through the day on Wednesday. Despite a fair weather forecast over the following days before Saturday, I would not suggest anyone make a long trip to RHR this weekend. It will probably be a slop-fest. The ground is quite saturated and will likely require more time to get back to the "Hero Dirt" stage. Locals might find some of the trails tolerable by Sunday afternoon, and may avail themselves of the bike wash when they are done. There may be standing water in places that have low spots. Rabbit Hole and Fofenique come to mind as likely to have a couple of trouble spots (Lake Looking Glass and Tea Party Pond, where the flamingos roost). Once the tap is turned off, I will diligently monitor the calibrated mole mounds in the yard in order to attain a precise reading of the drying progress. Update Final Score - 8 inches of rain at RHR. Last time this much rain fell this quickly there were sections of trail submerged in two places. Both have had reroutes, or, elevation of the trail bed to keep riders out of the water. A couple more new sections are getting their first test for high water this week. We'll see.

Just to be all ironicalish, thought I'd post up how the rain accumulation at RHR is nearing has exceeded 2.5 inches since yesterday, with more on the way. Paddle tires and snorkel optional... 🙄

As I understand it, the 2017-2020 was a recall (mandatory) because the failure could result in potential injury. The 2021-2023 is voluntary by Fox as it was an internal seal leaking under high pressure, rather than an air can that might actually explode rupture. 😳 Either way, it is easy to deal with and the Fox team should be able to determine what to do based on the serial number.

Somewhere in my searches I read that earlier versions (maybe 2017-2020?) of the X2 were recalled. So, if someone has a version older than 2021, it might be worth a call to Fox Service as well.

I'm posting this in hope that there might be some here with an early Float X2 shock who would want to take advantage of this. Recently I purchased a 2022 Float X2 Factory shock on sale from Jenson USA for about half price. Then began the study of the finer points of setup and understanding all the knobs by searching the interwebz for first-hand experience. In this search I came across several threads on a variety of MTB forums relating how Fox is addressing known problems with the design of 2021-2023 models by offering a replacement/upgrade to a re-engineered and much improved 2024 model, for the price of shipping. I contacted the Fox Service department by phone and was asked for a serial number. Next, I was offered the opportunity to swap it for a 2024 using the online Service Request Form. Shipping to Fletcher, NC via USPS was $11. (from the phone queue, choose Bike, then press 2 for Service in order to be offered the swap. The Sales folks at press 1 won't offer this. DAMHIK) Further, the tech I was speaking with in Fletcher, NC said they have stock on many of the 2024 models and can turn it around in a few days. They then offered to tune the replacement for my weight, bike, and riding style, so I'm getting the Medium Compression and Rebound tunes, 2 Volume Spacers installed, and stroke length adjusted from 55mm to 52.5mm to match the spec for the OEM shock. If you have an early version of this shock, or, are considering an upgrade like I did, this is an excellent way to get one of the 2024 versions through this offer. Here's a list that includes the improvements made for 2024: SPECS & FAMILY FEATURES NEW base valve piston design and compression tune for increased damping performance and improved sensitivity NEW bearing housing seal package virtually eliminates possibility of aeration NEW scraper seal for improved durability NEW more robust eyelet design on trunnion models NEW 7000 series shock body on all models NEW hard chrome damper shaft finish for increased durability MCU bottom-out bumper for end-stroke progressivity Matching 8-click HSC and HSR adjustment on GRIP2 forks and X2 shocks Unrivaled high-speed rebound tunability via VVC (Variable Valve Control) Independent firm mode circuit (on models with 2-position switch) Finned inner body for improved structural rigidity and reduced hysteresis

Good ride today, with nice weather for a change. Trail conditions were about perfect and there were a few others out there taking advantage of the window Mother Nature provided. Cold again tomorrow and the rain is slated to begin late Sunday. About 3.5" currently being forecast through next Friday. It should be a good test for a couple of places I'm curious about. I might go stomp around in the rain some and check it out next week.

Damn it is cold out. Crossing my frozen fingers that I can get a ride in on Thursday as there is more cold weather expected for the weekend, then a deluge in the forecast for next week. For anyone interested in Supporting RHR's Volunteer Trail Stewards, thanks to a suggestion from a regular rider out here there are now signs with a Venmo QR code at the Sign-in shack and on the tables at the rest stops on the loop. We've been at it at RHR for many, many years and have always operated out-of-pocket for fuel, tools, repairs, and such. If you are enjoying the trails and would like to toss a coin our way, using this QR code will help offset our costs and inspire enthusiasm for further trimming, digging, and general mayhem that leads to fun stuff to ride on. Anything collected will be squandered responsibly.

Did you leave the stir stick in the coffee, so when it froze you could eat it like a popsicle?

I think I still have an unused decal somewhere.

It is looking very good. I rode a lap yesterday and there was very little mud or water on the trails and the surface was primo for traction. Overnight the rain expected never materialized, RHR's neighbor (Berdoll Pecan Orchard Weather Station) shows only 0.05 inches fell. The rest of the week looks clear on Wunderground.com. The Excrutiation Exam is this weekend, and the trails remain open for Day Use for this event. You should have a fantastic time at Buescher and Rocky Hill this week. EDIT: Folks can always click that link above to see the Weather detail for Rocky Hill Update: Another 0.1 inch as the front blew through today. Should be fine as froghair on the trails when you plan to ride.

I've pretty much given up on Trailforks and am using MTBProject exclusively. Used to try to keep both sites updated with RHR data, but will now be focusing only on MTBProject. They have consistently been quicker to respond to issues and questions, and very supportive of their contributors.