The Tip

Looking at some of the categories that haven't had a post in a long time, some over a year. Not threads, I mean specifically "Road/BMX" and "Austin Ridge Riders" ARR is a worthy organization of course. But the point is maybe the board could be cleaned up and simplified, thus making it easier to navigate, if we jettisoned some flotsam. The very few things posted in those six(?) different places could not only be posted in other places, but they would more readily be found by all when they were.

Do you have an A/C guy working on it?

This is all hypothetical. Suppose there is a trail that has been around for four years. It's been ridden by 400 Strava different riders. But it's not a great trail. It gets you from here to there so it's a good connector. That's why it's used a lot. But it's not a lot of fun. Mostly just mileage out in the country. What is your opinion on reworking that trail to be more fun and in the process maybe making it a little longer? Are you going to be offended that your KOM is no longer relevant? Are you going to try and reopen the closed down boring, straight, and poorly planned down a fall line (erosion problem) trail?

😄 No. Trolling the youngsters here.

Go into any store that sells bikes. I've recently been in an Academy and Dick's. Their bike inventories were very small. Empty shelves. I am hoping all of our local bike stores are doing equally well.

This made me laugh out loud. Then I got sad because I know it's a truth.

Still no word. I have seen some Strava activity on it though. And have not heard of any arrests out there. So there's that.

One of my golfing buddies, who is 67 (OLD guy!), told me he is going to buy a RadWagon ebike. He owned a motorcycle for most of his life but doesn't anymore. He said he misses riding and being outdoors and that this would be a good substitute. He thinks he will go to the store with it too. So that will save a car trip. And it will also make one more citizen that is concerned about bike lanes.

So true. But we both know how unlikely it is for this to happen. Even in our circle of friends it's hard to get anyone to do the most simple "give back." I know I have a trail maintenance "problem." That's why I like group rides because when I am alone I cannot help stopping to fix something. This happens even when I swear to myself at the start of a ride "I'm not stopping today!" But, I have done an experiment more than once, where I purposely did NOT snap a new growth face slapper. A simple stop, snap, and the trail would be clear. But I don't do it. The experiment is, "will anyone do this simple trail improving task?" Almost always the face slapper stays and the trail begins to widen as everyone just avoids the face slapper. Very sad. This is not to say there is no one out there doing work. I talk to people that want to do things and do indeed go out. But it is a discouragingly small group. Even though I do my damnedest to shame all the mudder truckers into doing something! 😄

I'll vent here please. The campaign to educate the public as to trail etiquette is always difficult. But this increase in newbies on the trails is making it just about impossible. Three examples: -We were exiting the paved Veloway. An older couple were trying to start riding the wrong way. The wife said, "It looks like everyone is going one direction." (and there were a LOT of people riding by) The man says, "But there's a white line in the middle. That means we ride this way (wrong way)." I was able to convince them which way to go. So an example of the correct thing to do so much in their face and yet they chose differently. Amazing. -I took a picture of a big rut at the end of Bambi, about 40 feet from Davis Lane. The rutting continued south. Why would anyone continue onward after doing that at the entrance to a trail? But the newbie point is, after taking the picture I heard... -... a family of four coming off the new Bambi finish, and turning uphill. I ran from the rut place to shout, "It's really muddy up there. You won't like it." The father's response? "Thank you" as they all rode on. I shouted at their backs, "You'll harm the trail" but they were gone. SOOO frustrating. Rant over. Thank you

I was just having a discussion about this. I assume everyone is like me. When I see a new trail, I take it. But I see on Strava that a surprising number of people are not nearly as adventurous. What's up with that?

There are not any "no bike" signs anywhere. I never even thought about it. Until now. Thanks a lot! grrrr. 😄

We rode around on the now closed golf course paths. Scenic and interesting. There is also some other single track trail that says "no bikes" that we rode. We saw the sign when we were exiting it.

We went to Inks Lake yesterday. You had to have a reservation to get in which we did. They were turning drive up people away because they had "reached capacity." The strange thing is that we were just about the only people in the entire park. I would guess we saw maybe 15 campsites being used. Just for day use like us. I don't get it.

Inks Lake State Park. Took my first "real" mountain bike that is now regulated to third string use.

I was already pretty sure this is how it worked. So I'm looking for the actual person in ARR. I probably know them, I just don't know who has what duties.

Someone is working hard to add trails and descriptions of the SATN in Trailforks. Unfortunately a lot of it is wrong. Both wrong names as well as wrong stop and start points for the correctly named trails. Does anyone know who the local admin is of it? I'm pretty sure ARR is responsible. It would be great to get in contact with someone that would allow me to more easily edit all those mistakes. Trailforks is a good resource. Might as well make it accurate.

After every ride I just assume that I brushed up against some and do the Dawn wash down.

I had a thought. Why do these new viruses that develop always cause harm? Why can't a virus all of sudden appear that does good? THIS JUST IN; New virus first seen in Bolivia is now sweeping the earth curing dandruff and acne! That story at 10 tonight!

"I'll give you 15 minutes to stop that right now." 😄 The trails I'm seeing hikers and families on is fascinating to me.

I really had my fingers crossed when the TABC came up for Sunset Review. Such a worthless and redundant agency. But they squeaked by and still continue.

A friend posted a picture of himself wearing a mask that his wife sewed for him. I responded, "It definitely improves your looks."

Forgiven! "Ready" and "Open" apparently are two different things. But this whole area is such a win we wouldn't want to aggravate the powers that be by pushing this and jeopardizing it. Thanks for the report.

I guess I'm more altruistic than average. I think it is rather selfish to not share a great resource with the world. What if the National Park service opened a park and just didn't tell anybody about it because they didn't want to have Yellowstone type crowds? The public would eventually be outraged. ("Outraged" because that's the only reaction people have these days when they disagree with something. But I digress!) Not trying to inform the public is even more selfish in this context because that selfishness might cause injury to the uniformed person that has already discovered the trails. Also I think it's worth the chance of increasing trail traffic as a trade off in the attempt to educate the multitudes that already are on the trails. Teach them how to act correctly to not negatively impact my riding experience. Better to have 15 riders that know trail etiquette than 10 riders stopped in the middle of the trail on their phones. And consider the more trail users there are the more allies we have. I envision people at a city council meeting holding up pro trail signs. The more the better. And the more users there are the more likely more trails will be developed. And that guy out on his 20 year old Walmart bike now considers himself a trail user. He is much more likely to vote for a pro-trail bond than he would before he dusted off that bike. Big picture folks. Send an email and save a kid from a lifetime of dealing with a brain injury.

Shy, lil' ol' me? 😄 You bet, send them my way. But I think any of us would know how to convey this important message.