cxagent

I strongly recommend everyone walk something that they are not comfortable riding. There is no shame in avoiding injury. When riding that area with a group, I usually jump out ahead so I can get off my bike and spot for people that want to try the A-Line. I can limit the risk for most people so they can try it and practice until they feel comfortable riding it. My offer of spotting for you is still available. I seem to remember a 4th of July ride where you nailed another such spot with me just being ready. You rode it perfectly and I never touched you.

The tree will be back in its proper place on Saturday. The concrete filled steel pipe is ready if that tree moves again.

At the risk of relighting this flame war - I will add some pictures. That tree will be held back in place again this weekend. I will hold off on the steel pipe. for now. Hopefully the tree will survive. On the left is what the tree did and will again look like. Note that I have marked all three lines that existed when the tree was cut. On the right is what the tree looked like with the roots cut and pushed over. It actually blocked the C-Line.

Its just like riding sand - only slicker. Keep your weight back. Until you want to turn - then weight centered. NEVER weight forward like you would do on snow skis / snowboard. Keep the bike vertical and make very small turns with the front wheel. Once a turn starts it will get tighter and tighter unless you stop it. So about the time you get a turn started you need to be counteracting that turn. You can actually see some of this in the video as riders going roughly straight kind of look like they have a speed wobble going. If you have a berm is about the only time you can lean the bike. Braking???? You can try but don't expect much. Think about whipping the back of the bike around like a hockey stop on skis. Then slide the bike sideways to actually slow down. All of this may be wrong if you have a snow bike with the 5 inch wide soft tires. This is what I found riding a normal MTB on snow.

Planning a Pace Bend Work Day for Saturday 3/16/2019. I know that is the same as the Waco Race but I am running out of Saturdays that don't conflict with a race. Watch here for more details soon. Expect to be clearing face slappers and eye pokers so not heavy labor.

Before anybody asks - Pace Bend Race Course will be its usual chunky technical self. There are limits to distance and difficulty for TMBRA race courses. Rock Garden of Greatness, NxNW and both Crotons are not part of the course. I expect to hear plenty of complaints that the course is "too hard" for some riders. I keep reminding them we could make it a lot harder. And some of us want to make it more technical. 2019_Pace_Bend_Race_Map.pdf

Preparations for the Pace Bend Race on April 6 & 7th are well underway. I hope you can participate! We "rough marked" the course yesterday (3/9). At most major intersections there is now white plastic board with a black arrow pointing the proper direction. We also put up some orange survey tape (flagging) to mark the proper direction. Generally speaking - go between the flagging. We tried to use a color of flagging that nobody else would use. Once we were marking the course we find that someone else had used the same color. Except theirs was faded a bit due to sun exposure. Of course they marked a similar course but not the exact course. It could be confusing if you don't pay close attention. We did not take down the "other" flagging until we know whose it is and if it still needs to be there. I suspect we will pull it down soon. We will also be adding more signage and other markings before the race. This "rough marking" is just enough that people can follow it without being obnoxious to other trail users who don't care about the TMBRA race. Trail Work Days will be posted soon. These will help everybody get their PayDirt hours. Keep an eye on here and on Meetup.com. Most of the trails is clear and ready to ride. The portion near Chicken Foot needs the most work. Also for the taller riders (like me) we will adding Caution Tape to the low hanging branches we cannot trim. Watch your head because there are several of those. They have been there for years and most tall riders know about them already. Get your rides in before it starts raining again.

Maybe you can teach me that point of view. Or maybe we can make it happen.

Unfortunately, there are some "public servants" that look at it different. June Bug's quote probably came from one of those types.

Answers - 1. Most of them. Hill of Life, Elephant Butt (crashed hard several times), Triple Bitch 2. Two come to mind. 1)There is down/up near the beginning of Thumper that used to have a small tree in the middle. Hang pedal on that tree and get spit off sideways. While I was in the air. 2) There is about a 4 foot rock slab above the south side of BCGB near HOL. Since I almost bounced off the edge (about 100 foot drop), I quit riding that one. 3. Most of the rest of them. Really, I like to ride anywhere / anything that is a challenge but does not make me feel like my life is in danger. Bangs and bruises are part of riding. Getting killed is not.

I wonder how far they will pursue this "without compensation to the public" idea. I hope it never leaves Houston. But it does highlight what might happen.

It REALLY is small - it has 12 inch wheels! Perfect for your kid to learn to ride roads.

I hope #2 wins the vote. It would be hard to *NOT* include Chicken Foot at this point. The ball is already rolling to be ready for race day.

Next step after the U-Haul?

Start planning your wet sidewalk route now. You could leave flowers or maybe your initials in the tracks in the wet concrete. 😉

Unless you dress like Leslie. Some of his clothes were so tight he could hardly move.

True story here. A few years ago the Mrs and I raced the Huntsville TMBRA race. I was in Cat 2 older than dirt class (50+). A guy shows up on the starting line wearing cut-off blue jeans, tennis shoes and a t-shirt. I don't remember what he was riding so it must not have been too bad or too good. But the big thing was he had on a back pack with floor pump sticking out about a foot above his head. Everybody on the starting line kind of snickered but nobody said anything I heard. He lined up next to me. At the start I remember he didn't exactly jump off the start line so I never saw him ride. After the race the Mrs shows me a video of the start. He waited until everybody was 50 to 100 feet ahead before he started. He went about ten feet and pulled the bike up on the rear wheel. For as long as there was video of him (15 to 20 seconds), he rode that wheelie with the floor pump sticking up behind him like a radio antenna. I only saw him once during the race. He went by me like I was standing still. But since most everybody passes me that way I didn't think much of it. Except the image of being passed by a rider wearing cut-offs and a t-shirt with the floor pump sticking up above his head. Yes sir - that spandex and brightly colored kit made me faster. Just not as fast as somebody who didn't seem to care about his kit. He must have finished well because he was in the top five at the next race. The point to this - just ride. If you want to race - race. We are doing this for fun so go have fun. If you like to compete - I say to make sure you compete on the race course, not in the pits, or the bike shop.

Some still do. Better snow. Less traffic. "Unmarked" trails. Yep - some skiers still earn their turns.

He probably jumped into all the trails there at Shoal Creek and Anderson and just disappeared. Nobody could even see where he went until he posted his Strava to claim a KOM. Wait a minute...

Do you mean "gravity assisted with additional lead weights (battery)"?

He does. Not trying to be a jerk but everyone has to prioritize how they spend their time. I never can get to all the trial work I want to do. But since I am down to almost ZERO riding time, I don't think I ever will.

I am with AustinBike. It not the machine. It is the rider. I don't care what they are on - a trouble maker is a trouble maker. A nice respectful person is / would be fine on just about anything. I actually think that e-bikes have their place. An older rider who can still ride because of an occasional assist is fine with me. Someone who is injured or recovering from an injury - let them ride an e-bike. Somebody who wants to make trouble will find a way to make trouble even with rules/restrictions. Deal with the problem rider - not the machine. The trouble is I'm not sure how to identify the trouble makers until they make trouble.

Just sign up and DO IT! No PayDirt (TMBRA spring series only). You don't need to be on a team. You just need to enter and ride. That is the best way to learn. Get in there and try it.

I'm not June Bug but, Yes, even by Austin standards. That area is in the high desert. high temperature and low humidity. Temperatures get higher because humidity does not moderate the temperature. The sun feels hotter. And the biggest problem is I cannot carry enough water. I get dehydrated very quickly. And it is sneaky. I don't feel too bad until the headache starts. Then I start getting weak. And then I know I am in trouble. Since that is the point I turn back - it is usually big trouble.

Send me a PM and I will send you copy of a map that SOS put out a few years ago. Other than that, ride with someone who knows you. Any more that that is like a "dog whistle" to certain people (borrowing a term I hear used a lot lately).