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Ridenfool

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Everything posted by Ridenfool

  1. Some forward-thinking purveyors of products and/or services might see this as observations and feedback from their customers. For years people riding at Rocky Hill have come to enjoy the trails with the attitude that because they pay for use that someone else should maintain the trails. It has always been a challenge to get volunteers there to help out. Most of RHR's business comes from Houston riders. When the occasional call for volunteer help goes out most who have shown up are coming from Austin. Moral of the story, the largest user group is also the least likely to pitch in to help with maintenance. This is at a place that offers basic trails through the woods, totally unlike Spider Mountain who targets a specific user group with promise of lift access flow trails. With a facility offering this and asking five times the price to ride there compared to other private riding areas, it doesn't seem all that far-fetched to expect that SpiderMtn have in place a plan to keep the trails at some minimum state of repair. I suspect their experience with other similar MTB resorts should pay off, though the trail surface here may be made of different stuff that requires another approach than what has worked for them elsewhere. From personal experience I can whole-heartedly share how taking on the mantle of responsibility by volunteering to maintain trails that others pay to ride will significantly cut into the volunteers' riding time. Though there is much satisfaction to be had from the creative process, and pride to be taken in the work completed, and for those who can Zen out while doing trail maintenance it can be therapeutic. These "complaints" seem valid and based upon observable facts regarding the perception of value from a paying user's perspective and it would be foolish for any business to dismiss them out of hand.
  2. The trails were in great shape today, except for the over-crowding problem at times as the TMBRA season opener was in progress. I "rode" the trails as a safety and sort of a sweep. Only had to help one rider who managed to break his Maxle axle on his Niner. Got it patched up so he didn't have to walk all the way back. The rest of my many hours out there were occupied, as again, I had made the mistake of bringing the loppers along for some fresh air. Lots of Karaway got a good trim. At least till I was pretty sure the last of the racers were past and I rode the race route back. Great weather, large crowd, and tons of fun to be had. Paul Uhl has done a lot of work out there putting ladders over wet spots, rerouting sections where the bulldozers have encroached, and other improvements. On Friday I shored up the Carpet Bridge as its supports had been patched here and there and those braces were being pushed into the mud, tilting one side of the bridge and making bits stick up in the middle. It was looking pretty sketchy and is back to its former glory now, with pavers under some new vertical supports. There is still plenty of Youpon to keep my loppers happy for a while though. Y'all come get some, you know you want it.
  3. Your fellow riders currently scrounging materials to make an Ark thank you for exercising this sound wisdom while in the throes of what appears to be a textbook case of newbikeitus.
  4. I think that TrailForks gets more development focus, probably because PinkBike has a veteran development team supporting their web presence that they probably lean on for this sort of thing. On the other hand, MTBProject has "MTB" in the name, so it is, of course, better. Plus, they sent me a cool jersey for my contributions and nice swag will always sway me toward the giver of any such boon. In practice, I have both on the phone. In some places one or the other will have better coverage of the trail I want. Bottom line for me, choice is better than no choice. This new way of showing the elevation is pretty nice and tells the story better than reading the topo lines. I always enjoy seeing useful features added to any app I depend upon. Kudos for TrailForks working hard to improve their product.
  5. I see what you mean. The Mcleod I use is heavy, like 3/32 or 1/8 steel plate, not like the one pictured. It can do much of what you describe and I can see how the lighter stamped sheet metal ones would not have the heft to cut tufts nor dig without bending. In the gravel of RHR it is perfect, but the Limestone of the Edwards Plateau will need something with a little more fortitude to leave a lasting impression. It is a sickness. I went out and repaired the Carpet Bridge at RHR after work today. This involved a Hi-Lift jack, a motorcycle tie-down, several Ryobi power tools, metal strapping, deck screws, concrete pavers, and some heavy lumber. Oh, and a hammer, naturally. All on privately owned land. (Grey does me right by my efforts) The bridge isn't wonky any more, but I think there will be something done to replace it, someday. Paul pointed out there is a pile of leftovers from some LCRA high lines where they replaced wood structure with metal. Whoo-hoo!
  6. I've been using a Mcleod for a long time, but have done very little work with a Mattock, Pick, etc. as the trail surface I've worked on mostly needed raking, dragging, and tamping. I used to pack along a small Mattock-like tool, and eventually started leaving it behind due to the weight, unless I had a specific reason to bring it along. It is a stretch for me to see how you do the same work with a Mattock that others use a Mcleod for, but your work may be mostly on a surface better suited to the strengths of the Mattock. Mcleod Mattock
  7. Perhaps my expectations were over-inflated and I was feeling pressured to speak up. At least TheSarge has had a blast contributing to it.
  8. Crap. and I thought the Monsoon was on hold. Now between Nando and you we may be doomed. Congrats
  9. Progressive Drops, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large Tabletop jumps Rollers to practice manuals Alligator pit to help stay focused on good form (plagiarized from mack_turtle)
  10. This thread blows. Somebody had to say it.
  11. If you run air tools, look into putting a water trap inline to protect them from condensation leading to corrosion and other issues.
  12. Nobody has ever inferred that I might be a smartass before. All seriousness aside, contacting someone using the email address from the Contact page (spidermountain@mcp.ski) might be more effective in getting the message to a person in a position to actually effect the change desired.
  13. I have a small portable compressor, probably three gallon or less, and it has worked well for seating tubeless tires. Also have a larger hand-me-down that was my dad's, maybe ten or more gallon with old school belt and pulley between the motor and the pump. That one is the bomb. I've used it for sand blasting, painting, and most often for blowing grass off the riding mower after each use. So, yes, you'll find plenty of uses. Go for it!
  14. Really amazing perseverance from all to make it a wrap. Brandon especially, riding injured. I remember seeing this when it came out and thought it was pretty amazing, Now, I realize just how close it came to not happening at all, save for the dedication and expertise of everyone involved. Wow!
  15. If they have them sign the same sort of liability waiver that any MTB ranch uses the land owner should be protected.
  16. and, I'm not going to pay to be a member of any club that would have people like me as a member ... (where's the Groucho emoji?)
  17. As an IT worker I deal with lUsers daily and can tend to answer things like this based upon a premise that these terms use is synonymous to many folks. This may not always be the case, and I am at fault for making the presumption. However, because webSites are made up of webPages, it made sense to steer anyone looking for a particular "page" to the site it would reside on if it existed, or will eventually reside on once created. As on most webSites, there will be a contact / comment / admin link or page where inquiry can be made to the person in the best position to add content to the webSite. This would be a most effective way to insure they are made fully aware of the needed webPage(s). As opposed to griping about it in a forum that seems likely to have nobody from Spider Mountain reading, who might actually be able to do something about the omission of such a webPage on their webSite. My guess is that the local crew were pressed to get the facility open, and the website/webpages development has taken a back seat to the opening, Perhaps, the task was delegated to a website crew who is managing a number of sites for all of their properties, and work on this site has a lower priority than work needed on sites supporting active ski resorts during ski season. Follow the money to find the squeakiest wheel that gets the grease. But yes, it is needed, and I expect it will be added soon enough.
  18. Any modern 64-bit low cost computer like you describe should be fine for text work and browsing. Those tasks shouldn't load the system much. Then, with money saved you can spring for a really nice USB or Wireless Keyboard and Mouse with the feel that suits you. Laptop keyboards, as a rule, are a compromise, at best.
  19. https://www.spidermountain.com/ Edit: Thanks for the clarification Bamwa. The above would be the perfect place for them to put such a page, once they get around to figuring out that their customers might want their site to work like, well, a real website for providing useful info to the people with the money burning a hole in their pockets.
  20. A thread to share your faves. Fiskars: The best thing about this brand is a lifetime warranty. Send them a photo and they send a new tool or the parts needed to repair it. 15" PowerGear Titanium Lopper $23 at HomeDepot This tool's power gear makes cutting things a breeze. It's blunt ends make it easy to slide the handle into a waist belt on a pack and carry it on a ride. It is lightweight and very unobtrusive. I've ridden with one like this for over a decade without a mishap. I always carry with the plastic anvil against my body. I'm hard on these tools and have received several replacements over the years without a qualm from Fiskars over any claim. This is my most-used trail maintenance tool. 10" Power Tooth Folding Saw $20 at HomeDepot This one is an improvement over earlier models. The blade is a thicker gauge and doesn't bend as easily as other saws. The teeth are amazing in how fast they can cut. Fits easily into most packs, and has a hole to string accessory cord through for other carrying and storage options. Also, the blade has three locking positions, Stowed, Regular Cut (shown) and Undercut where it flips another 90 degrees to have the teeth up. 54" EZ Reach Stick Tree Pruner $40 at HomeDepot You can quickly cut things like Yaupon near the ground without bending over each time, and you can reach branches high overhead in order to cut them back further. It is lightweight, durable, and guaranteed for life. This tool is magical in making quick work of trimming as it easily slides into thick brush to get to that difficult to reach branching point without getting poked in the eye trying to wrangle loppers in a tight space. Eliminating all the bending and squatting that cutting at ground level usually demands will allow you to get more done without wearing you out. A truly amazing tool, best for those days when you are walking in as it would be challenging to attach to bike or pack due to the length. The lopper and the pruning stick are capable of cutting up to 1.25" diameter. If you want to maximize the reward from your efforts, use tools like these to make it easy to clear the corridor and sight lines back enough to last for years. Oddly enough, these tools can all be used around the yard at home too. Though I can't imagine anyone spending their prime trimming time on yard work when there are trails to maintain. What are your faves and what makes them so?
  21. Advancements in bleeding edge technology have resulted in the ultimate device to offer relief for those riding in the rain blues.
  22. There seem to be a veritable plethora of spokesmen for this activity.
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