spicewookie

BSS has a Co-Motion Periscope in its rental fleet........$62/day

TM, as in Team Meatweapons? We shred Cat Mountainj/Brushy all the time. Please return my envelope containing a document of specific value!

Zen-like is right. We only rode Flat Creek once, Pace Bend once (race), and the Super D (race) at Rocky Hill once. We were (are) good enough friends and had ridden half bikes together enough to "know" each other, I guess. I can imagine that dedicating some time to practice on a course with your partner could yield some surprising results. Just jumping on blind with someone for the first time..........that's going to be a steep learning curve. Anyone that practices, even a little, will blow away the (possible) competition.

Crashes....I liked to call J my airbag.

minor bunny hop at 0:17

This video really shows the 2 perspectives quite well. I've got the sound off, but I really enjoyed this. If the stoker perspective doesn't make you want to vomit, you might be a great stoker. You can really see the "early/late" thing here.

This is not far after The Wall and heading into the BMXy section. Where's 2nd place????? Timing "pedals level" and "power on" will take some coordination.

At the Rocky Hill Super D, there is a S-curve into a wood bridge after The Wall. Unplanned, J and I unclipped left feet, planted them on the dirt, and pivot/swung the bike around. We clipped back in a motored away. Moves like that really put the distance on the competition. If we would have pre-rode, it would have been even smoother. Video of us shows some smooth work, but some of the more intricate stuff was never captured. Rollers may be in issue, but with pedal timing and enough speed, you can accomplish a lot more than you expect. If you watch any of the videos of us, you'll see and hear a lot of amazement at our own selves. Fully commit, and you might just clear something your mind says in not possible. You know that feeling you get when you clear something new for the first time? That's what it's like on the tandem, but you have someone right there to celebrate with. Damn, I wish J could bring the pig down for this.

The GT on craigslist is a viable steed. A vintage (steerer tube) Fox 36 coil, some DH wheels, and a Thudbuster out back would make that thing workable. I believe stokers will have the most difficulty with this challenge. In tight corners, you are having to lean much earlier than you would riding solo. You really just have to trust your captain's inputs (if they are good, granted) and mirror them. Riding stoker takes an enormous amount of humility (much like marriage). You really have to just give in and completely submit to your captain's inputs. I jokingly said, "I just buried my head into his Jay's sweaty back and pedaled." That's really what got us any real success. Giving up that much control on a bike (when you are so used to controlling it yourself) is really tough, but once you do, things will start to click. On the flipside, riding captain has extra work to think about how the bike will trail through the corner exit. Your corner entry will be affected and your apex point moved farther back (in the wheelbase). A rough summary is: Captain rides "late" and stoker rides "early." Once y'all try this, it will make sense.

As a seasoned stoker, I can admit that I cannot shake the urges/instincts/habits that I've developed over a lifetime of riding "half bikes." The real magic happens when the stoker can put their trust in the captain and just provide power and balance. While pedaling the same cadence is dictated by the chain-joined cranks, just as rewarding/therapeutic is shifting weight at the same time/coordinated. There is nothing that will jack you up more than trying to counteract mis-weighted leans in a corner. You schmucks trying this for the first time will be in for an education. If schedule permits, I will attend these shenanigans just to watch your faces as you finish a lap.

Jay raced in this back in NorCal. This is about as exciting as it's going to get. The Jump Stage is only topped by the Stoker Beer Chug Stage.

dope mod. Shane is awesome.

🌈

I might growl, but no human words.

Come say that to my face, jerkwagon! I won't say anything during the ride, but I'll Chewbacca stomp your stormtrooper ass after.

Hit it soon after this weekend. 300+ racers pulverize the loose limestone gravel into dust. ARR has also blown/raked the oak leaves and trimmed corridor, so the trail is primo. Let the race pass and hit it 1-2 days after a light rain. Trust me.

Hard no.

Crucial point!

Rubber baby buggy bumpers.

Russell moved to Utah, so you're screwed.

50 views on this post. Any takers? I have volunteered for the ARR races since 2008 and I can't this year (family commitments). Please help ARR put on a race for riders from all over the state. -Course Marshaling is the best way to watch the race IMO. You'll get a snazzy radio and hear all the chatter. In the unlikely event that you help someone with a mechanical or medical issue, you will be ensuring safety for lots of people. Hoss is running the CMs this year (and has been doing a fabulous job for the last few years). -Charlie's dutch oven cooking is not to be missed. -Campfire stories, garnished with bourbon, are always a hit. -Marking legs is a fun job if you like drawing on strangers. -Sweep riding is great, as you get to ride the trail in its best condition without the stress of anyone passing you at race pace. Sweeps usually end up shepherding in a racer with incredible fortitude to finish. -Set up is great, as you get to build the village we all live in for 48+ hours. -Registration is a blast because you get to collect all those $$$$$ for ARR. All this fun, plus a Chicken Foot T-shirt, should be enough to get you out there. Bring a rain jacket, more cowbell (or trombone), and a great attitude. Wookie.....owt!

Sofa king wrong.

No Front Brakes has a great story! Lots of folks shredding with their kids is a great story. Anyone, Bueller?????