WLemke

1 minute ago, quixoft said:

Anyone go out today? Trails okay? Got about 1/8 of an inch of rain in my gauge at my house in RR.

I’m going to take a guess that the trails are a little too saturated. Especially with no wind, sunlight and high humidity.

4 minutes ago, throet said:

I'm going to expose my complete ineptitude here where it comes to bike maintenance. So a few weeks ago the chain broke on my main ride. Instead of repairing it, I figured I'd just replace it since it's probably been a couple of years on that one. Before just slapping a new chain on though, how can I tell if it's also time to replace my chain ring or cassette? I've actually never replaced my chain ring (Race Face N-W) and have been riding that bike hard for 3.5 years. The cassette was changed once due to damage, but it's probably been a couple of years. In the past I've just let the LBS tell me when to replace parts. 

When the teeth on your cogs start to look like shark teeth.

Example

2 hours ago, circuitbreaker said:

Can i ask what EBD stands for?

For anyone looking for a map:

https://caltopo.com/m/6DN1

 

Woah. I was not aware there were trails east of peddlers. Worth the pedal over there?

1 minute ago, olddbrider said:

I've got one of these on the way and I am hoping it lives up to the hype.  I'm coming from a Salsa Horsethief which is more of a trail bike (130/120mm) and the Ripmo AF is definitely more in the All-mountain/Enduro category.  From what I've read and watched, Ibis has always been known for making frames that are great climbers and the AF seems to be following in that tradition.  Before the lockdown, I was making 2-3 trips to Spider Mtn per month, so I wanted my next bike to be something that was better suited for that style of riding.  It also seems like just about every trail system in the area is starting to integrate more jumps, drops, and flow trails so I think this bike is going to be just the ticket.  It's a bit scary to buy a bike without even sitting on one, but with the wealth of info out there (youtube, mtbr.com, etc.) I feel pretty confident in my decision. 

It's also true that you can often get bikes for less than MSRP.  Wes at Velorangutan gave me a great deal and all it took was a phone call...

Would love to hear your thoughts on the bike once you get it. I've got my eye on the Carbon Ripmo with the GX build. Also considering a Yeti SB130 C1. I've demoed the SB130 twice in Colorado and it was the best bike I've ever ridden. The ripmo seems to be a slightly better value though...

Bike has not been shifting great over the past two weeks. Pulled out the DAG and my hanger was in near perfect alignment. Messed with the cable tension knob. It helped a little but shifting was still a bit on the sloppy side. On Monday I dropped my chain while riding, which has never happened before. Felt like an idiot because I didn’t think to check for chain wear. Sure enough I popped in my chain wear gauge and the chain was just past .5%. 
 

it always amazes me that half a link of extra length can make such a difference in drive train quality. Anyways, new chain is on and looking forward to the trails today. 
 

If you're ok with an aluminum frame, I've heard and read nothing but praise for the Ibis Ripmo AF. A true climb anywhere, jump off anything trail bike. The SRAM NX build is $2,999 and the Shimano SLX build is $3,999.

They also make a carbon version but it starts at $4,399 for the SRAM NX build.

https://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/ripmo-af

I believe Cycle Progression in Central Austin in a Ibis dealer if you were to go check one out.

4 hours ago, quixoft said:

Hi folks, just found these forums! I consider myself a beginner to trail riding although I did ride a lot as a kid with a cheap KMart BMX knock off in OP Schnabel Park in San Antonio back in the 80s. My parent's house backed up to the park and my friends and I blazed a lot of trails through there that are paved now! 

I hadn't been on a bike in about 20 years so I picked up a 2018 Specialized Rockhopper hardtail last year just to get some cardio work in every now and then. I've been riding around the Round Rock area the past year but mostly just on the BC Regional Trail from the end by Great Oaks Drive to the lake and back and sometimes hitting the trail on the other side of I-35 as well. I randomly came across this site last night and found the info on the trails by the sports park off Parmer. I had no idea there were actual MTB specific trails just beyond where I normally turn around.

Went out this morning at 7:30am and ran through Mulligan(that last drop is awesome!), 1/4 Notch, and Picnic. Made it all the way through 1/4 Notch fairly well I think but had to walk it up a few of the tougher climbs. Of course I'm going to blame the bike and not my lack of skill and being out of shape! I did realize I need to do some upgrades on the bike. It's the Expert Rockhopper version and all stock outside of pedals and grips. After running through 1/4 Notch I'm looking to replace the front fork and tires to start. I bottomed out the front end multiple times on some of the 1/4 Notch areas(big time on that double drop from the top area) and felt like I had zero grip in the loose rocks and exposed bedrock even though it was 99% dry. Tires are the stock tires and were at 33R/30F(I'm 6'3", 190lbs).

Anyway, I had a blast this morning and will be out that way a lot more now that I know it's there! I bought the bike at Bicycle Sport Shop off Parmer and will probably be pinging them for tires and forks. Any recommendations on tires/forks for the brushy creek trails?

Also, where is this Snail trail? That looks fun!

First, I want to apologize in advance for being “that guy”. Have you considered upgrading to a more capable bike? Your riding an entry level short travel cross country oriented bike. If you were only riding easier trails like picnic, I wouldn’t even mention getting a new bike but your interest in riding 1/4 notch compels me to at least mention it. With Austin’s rocky terrain, a longer travel trail oriented bike would make a world of a difference. 130mm fork, stronger wheel set with tubeless tires, dropper post and a 1x11 drive train would put you on a path to feeling much more confident at brushy, especially on the more challenging, rocky trails. There are a lot of great hard tails in the $1,200 range. Now don’t get me wrong, there is an argument to be made that the skill of the rider is what matters and not the bike they rolled up on, but having the right equipment can certainly help. 

I'm going to check out trail conditions at Brushy around 4pm today. It looks like the 48 hour rain total in the area was only 0.17" and we got some great sun yesterday. I'm about 3 miles away from Brushy and the super shady spots in my yard are looking only slightly damp. There's a good chance that 1/4 notch and DD are ready to ride. Possibly some other trails too. If anyone gets out there today before I do, please post an update!

I rode 1/4 notch somewhere between 1:45-2:00pm. Was heading E-W and only passed one person heading W-E. Got home around 2:30pm and it start pouring. I had a gut feeling I needed to get my ride in sooner than later.

Edit: And by "gut feeling" I mean diligently watching the radar as a storm moved in from the west.

19 minutes ago, GreenMTBrider said:

Were you the guy I spoke to outside my house on Dodge Cattle? Either way, thanks for the update on the trails! 

Nope. Not me. 
 

No problem!

Left my house this afternoon with a saddle full of optimism. Rode into brushy from the west side at the YMCA trailhead. Headed up the trail to the start of the downhill section with that 8-9 foot drop that only lunatics would huck themselves off. (Not sure what the name of this trail section is) The ride up was nice and tacky. No mud sticking to the tires. Started to head down the downhill section but could tell it was still too wet so i turned around. I'm estimating it should be good to ride on Wednesday assuming no more rain.

I next poked my head into a few spots on picnic. The trail was for the most part nice and tacky but unfortunately there are still to many muddy spots. Maybe Wednesday depending on the amount of sunshine we get.

Lastly, I rode down to the east entrance to quarter notch. Thankfully, quarter notch was just dry enough to ride. Word of warning though, the rocks are still super slick. Should be better tomorrow and maybe even optimal conditions on Wednesday.

Lost of evidence of people ripping up trails that are too wet to ride but it is what it is.