quixoft

10 minutes ago, notyal said:

Congratulations on the new bike. You gonna let us know which you decided on?

Haha! Sorry. Went with the Guerrilla Gravity Smash. 3-4 weeks of waiting now.

2 hours ago, Txduc said:

Not knowing what your upgrade budget is it's tough to pick one.  Is GG giving you the okay to upgrade by selecting one of the items off of the higher builds or would you be buying the upgrade yourself and replacing?

If it's the former then my personal order would be suspension, wheels, drive then brakes.  If it's the latter then olddbrider is right while you can find some deals suspension and wheels are going to be expensive.  I would purchase, ride then upgrade later.  Both of those builds are good.  High end suspension and wheels can make a big difference but they are costly and the rider is still the most important part of the equation.

GG allows for the upgrades. I went ahead and upgraded the suspension as that seems to be the most bang for your buck. Ordering today! 

Thank you everyone for the info!

11 minutes ago, Kobra Kai MTB Guy said:

Is Peddler's considered bi-directional now?  I was riding counter clockwise today, told a guy he was going the wrong way and he told me it's bi-directional.  Didn't notice any of the "wrong way" signs anymore and I hadn't been over there in a couple months.

Haven't seen any wrong way signs but then again I've never gone the other way.  The sign at the start says one direction so I always go counter clockwise. 

1 minute ago, First-Blood said:

Are Irish Coffees considered drinking or classy?

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They are called necessary. 

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

6 hours ago, Austin Smithey said:

That cannondale wouldn't respond so moved on and found this one and we settled on 1100!

Nice! Congrats!

*edit*Went with the Guerrilla Gravity Smash! Now just to wait 3-4 weeks... Thank you everyone for your ideas and help!*edit*

Currently on a beginner hardtail with 100mm travel up front and I bottom out frequently on Deception in Brushy Creek. Going to a full suspension and I've chosen to pick up a Guerrilla Gravity bike to replace the hardtail and I'm trying to choose between the Smash(150mm and more all mountain/enduro) and the Trail Pistol(130mm and more XC/trail oriented).

The Trail Pistol seems perfect for my main riding area(Brushy Creek) but I do want to start going out to Spider Mountain(never been) and get into more jumping and drops which seem to be more all mountain/enduro. 

https://ridegg.com/products/trailpistol?option=Ride
https://ridegg.com/products/thesmash?option=Ride

I'm going with the base model(budget) of whichever one but I do have some room to upgrade one item. If you could only upgrade one, which would you choose? Suspension, brakes, drive, wheels?

13 minutes ago, Morealice said:

Wait. I don’t recognize this part of the trail. 1/4 mile in from East entrance. Is that right by the creek? The rocks kinda look like it. There might be multiple routes and maybe I normally ride a different way. Either way, sorry man, I tried looking out for it. I was looking forward to actually contributing, and it didn’t work out. 😞

No worries.  Yeah it's the path closest to the creek. 

Marked the offending branch. Westbound Lower Picnic right around 1/4 mile down the trail from the eastern entrance. Almost missed it again as I was looking at the roots in the path.

7 minutes ago, Morealice said:

I’ll keep an eye out when I go out to ride-n-trim later. I will admit, though, that I typically don’t trim stuff for taller people. Picnic is on the menu, though. 

I'm going to head out that way around lunch time for an easy day before the rain. Went pretty hard yesterday for the shape I'm in although y'all would have probably called it a warm up!

I'll find something to tie to it. I would cut it off myself but not sure about the rules of pruning so I'll leave it to y'all that do it regularly. But I can take care of it if you want me to. Probably needs about 6"+ taken off.  It's not a branch across the trail low, it's a spike sticking down from a higher branch that looks like it was pruned, just not quite high enough for someone 6'2" on an XL!

Thanks for the work you do.

Oh, just a heads up. Busted my helmet on a low branch heading west on Lower Picnic yesterday. Didn't see it at all and I was seated but sitting fairly upright. It was maybe a quarter to a half mile in coming from east. Got a nice bit of whip lash out of it so watch your head!

 

2 minutes ago, First-Blood said:

Boring? I think you may be missing some. There are several lines over there. Boring is not what I would use to describe Gnargasm and Caddyshack. Take a look at my map I sent. It's a bit more detailed with labels.
https://caltopo.com/m/BR36

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Thanks for the map. I definitely missed them. Playground Pass is the one I've been through. Y'all are awesome!

1 minute ago, schoolie said:

Sounds like you're missing some. Gumdrop, snow white, gnargasm, caddy shack are all across the creek, not just across the BCRT. Go over the footbridge just east of champion, trail goes east and west from there.

Ah, I never went across the bridge. Assumed that was a neighborhood entry/exit with all the people I always see on the bridge. 

1 hour ago, WLemke said:

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

No. I'm a low intermediate rider and I'll run through them if I'm riding through the area but they are pretty boring and very short. Unless I'm missing some. Across BCRT from Champion, right?

4 hours ago, TheSarge said:

Yeah, you came up a little short on Snail.  You hit the doubletrack that marks the western end of Deception.  If you follow the cement a little further west, you'll find the entrance to Rim.  Keep going further and you'll pass under 183A and Snail will be immediately after the culvert on the left.

How are the crowds looking?  I've been avoiding the trail because I heard that crowds both on the cement and on the singletrack were bad and social distancing was difficult.

 

We were out at around 3pm. Passed a few folks going the other way on Picnic but that was about it. BCRT was pretty crowded but mainly walkers/joggers. 

Just got back from doing Peddlers twice, Mulligan, Picnic, up some long gravelly/rocky hill towards a neighborhood looking for Snail(which I didn't find), back down the gravel hill, along Picnic and home. Beautiful day!

Although I need a new helmet now because I didn't see a low branch on Picnic and it ripped through the top foam on the top of my helmet. Oops. Better than a nice gouge in my head!

3 minutes ago, Barry said:

 

@quixoft, whatever you go with, buy new and get that warranty. And as a 190+ lb rider myself, I have broken a ton of aluminum frames. But modern carbon fiber seems to hold up to my abuse much better than aluminum. My Santa Cruz is the only frame I've ever gotten more than 1500 miles on without breaking, and it's currently sitting at 7K miles with no issue. And I second the idea that you may want to look hard at Guerrilla Gravity.  They're a great company to work with, and their pricing is spectacular.  They've somehow managed to make some of the cheapest (and they claim most durable) carbon frames available, all while building their frames in the US. Unfortunately this doesn't support local business at a time that they need it, and it also means you can't demo it. 

I gave Guerrilla a call and they were super awesome so I'm leaning toward that route. I really like the modularity and it being a US company. If I go with them I'm going to see if one of my local shops can do the build so I can give them some business.

I'm not a fan of used machinery(cars, bikes, whatever) as you never know what sort of abuse the previous owner may have put it through. It's easy to put lipstick on a pig and cover up any problems there might be.

42 minutes ago, Bamwa said:

This sounds fun! I want to be you.......except.........I would get a screaming deal on craigslist from some rich guy who gave up this hobby, then pocket the other 2k for a sweet roadtrip to Moab and Fruita.  Maybe even splurge for some Stash IPA while I'm at it.

Hah! Kids and grandkids only allow for a few trips per year and I use those up for snowboarding and pond hockey tournaments in winter!

40 minutes ago, Txduc said:

In the just under 4k range you might want to take a look at the Guerrilla Gravity stuff.  They have a wide range of options from 120 to 160mm travel and you can swap out the rear seat stays and shock to change the rear travel if your needs change in the future.  https://ridegg.com/#featured-products  

That looks pretty solid. So many options. I do like the idea of buying from a US company with in country manufacturing.

6 minutes ago, Ay Chihuahua said:

Check out the Specialized Enduro.  With the rebate, it should put you close to where you want to be price-wise.

Must be a hell of a deal. Out of stock everywhere, even the Specialized site.

Hi folks, I've been riding for a couple years on a Specialized Rockhopper hardtail doing mostly easier stuff. I've started getting into some harder technical stuff(1/4 Notch in Brushy Creek for instance) and I'm starting to look at getting a new full suspension bike. I've been saving up the past year or so and the budget is about $3-4K.

I wouldn't say I'm a beginner, maybe low intermediate? I can get through all the downhill parts on 1/4 Notch but I do struggle on a few of the uphill parts but that's mostly my lack of skill and being out of shape! I can get through drops less than 4 feet just fine but I've started consistently bottoming out my front forks even when I make a fairly decent landing and my drive train seems to be falling apart even after a recent service. It has been two years on it so maybe that's normal? I've looked at upgrading my current bike but looking at the cost it seems more prudent to go with something new. Especially since I would like a full suspension bike at this point.

I've found a liking for going both up and down hill on technical stuff and hitting small drops(less than 4' at this point in my skill level) and jumps(very small gaps!). I prefer the downhill stuff a bit more than going up but enjoy both and I really want to get better on drops and jumps. Pretty much all of the trails I ride and will be riding are in the central Texas hill country so lots of limestone ranging from loose rocks, bare rock, rock gardens, boulders, small drops, short but steep up/downhill, hardpack dirt, roots, etc. I'll mostly be on the Brushy Creek trails since I live right next to them and easily ride to them and OP Schnabel in San Antonio. I grew up in French Creek right next to the park in the 80s and 90s and my sister still lives in our old house so I'm there frequently.

From what I've read it seem I should be looking at an all mountain trail or enduro type bike for the stuff I like to ride. I don't plan on ever doing competitions and I have no delusions that I'll be doing crazy downhill stuff or rad drops/jumps, but as I get to be a better rider, I want something I can grow into that will last me a few years.

I've been planning to upgrade for a while so I've been saving up and my budget is $4000 max although I would prefer to keep it around $3500 or less if at all possible. I'm 42 years old, 6'2", 190lbs, with a 34" inseam and always ride with a camelback full of water so say 205lbs total on the bike. Anyone with similar build as me have any recommendations?

I've been poking around and have my eyes on the Trek Remedy 8 and the Canyon Spectral CF 7.0. Both of those seem to have great reviews and are in my price range and seem to be bikes that can do what I want and grow into. Any others I should be looking at?

5 minutes ago, horncpa said:

Sounds like how it happens for the large majority of us.  Switching from my hardtail to full suspension has been amazing.   When it is time to ride, I HIGHLY recommend Peddler's Bike Shop.  They have great bikes, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, and their owner even is a trail steward for the Surburban Ninja trails which are right near Brushy Creek park (and are very fun trails).

Thanks for the heads up. I picked up my current bike at Bicycle Sport Shop off Parmer but I'll check out Peddler's.

On 4/14/2020 at 9:12 PM, WLemke said:

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. 

No worries at all. I've actually been saving for a full suspension bike so a new bike is planned, I just wasn't quite sure I needed it just yet with what I was riding and my skill level. Now that I've found more difficult stuff and have the scrapes and bumps(and sore bum), it seems a better idea at this time. Looking at the cost of upgrading what I have, it seems more prudent to buy a higher quality bike.

Oh, I did look into tuning my front fork and it seems there isn't much I can do with it. It's a 33mm fork so no volume spacers and there is actually a sticker on it that says "USE ONLY FOR LEISURE CROSS COUNTRY: DO NOT USE FOR FREERIDE/DOWNHILL, DIRT JUMPER OR ANY HARD RIDING"  Wen't out again yesterday and while it's fun on picnic(minus the small drops), I struggle on 1/4 notch. I know 99% of that is my skill but after two trips through 1/4 notch this week and going off those small 3 foot drops on picnic I'm thinking I would like a rear suspension bike and a better front end. To say what I currently have is jarring is putting it mildly. Even when I managed a fairly decent landing. 
 

15 minutes ago, olddbrider said:

Welcome, quixoft!

Have you tried tuning your current fork at all?  

 

The nice folks at BSS off Parmer did the initial sag settings. I've done some motorcycle road racing so I'm familiar with preload/compression/rebound tinkering but by no means an expert. I'll look into it further. My moto shocks are oil and springs so I'm not familiar with air but it seems like the same principles apply. Adding air might be the way to go.

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!