Anita Handle

28 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

The main problem with flats is that people don't take time to adapt. You can't ride anything just once and declare that it sucks. It takes a few rides and a consious effort to unlearn some old habits. The results are worth it IME.

 

I tried it for a few weeks. I think my biggest problem was on technical uphill features followed by pedal strikes. 

What results did you have?

I agree with cxagent, run the pedals that make biking more enjoyable for you. I know there is intrinsic value with flats in some aspects, like, "if you can j-hop with flats, you're probably doing it the right way". But I found that the learning curve wasn't justified by whatever general riding benefit flats were supposed to have. For others, this may not be the case. I definitely don't agree with the way Bike James overhypes flats but I don't doubt that he can do more than I can with him on flats and me on anything.

6 minutes ago, AustinBike said:

Out there right now. Bad news. Outer log loop has mud. Even in places that should be dry. 

Based on the fact that people worked hard after the rain I vote to not muck up their work. 

Oh, and the log loops on a 35cm tire are a bitch. 

The rumor is that you are a day early on your assessment.

Of course people will say meh and decide to ride anyways because "it can't be that bad" and "I just need to ride!!!!!".

34 minutes ago, notyal said:

I alway feel like I'd like to ride flats, but all of the "the only places" people seem to miss being clipped in comprise like 90% of my riding. 

Seriously, in this thread alone, we have listed rocky uphills, rocky downhills, jumps, drops, quick bursts of power, and the road. 

I've tried flats and didn't meld with them very well. I also had a ton more pedal strikes since my bike has a fairly low bottom bracket. 

Along the lines of "the only places" where people miss being clipped in, I'm wondering the opposite. When you ride clipped in, where do you miss having flats? 

The only time that I want flats is when I'm practicing wheelies and manuals. Also when I am practicing proper technique for bunny hopping. So, skills development.

I don't see myself jumping over the bars when endoing since I am either fairly committed to a line when I attempt it and any endo will happen so quickly that I wouldn't be able to spring forward OR I'm thinking that I may need to hit the eject button and therefore I'm already prepared to unclip if I need to. 

I've ridden some nasty narrow bench cut technical singletrack with exposure and always felt like I was able to unclip when I needed to. I know some folks like having flats in those situations but for me it would just increase the likelihood of ever needing to get off the bike since I feel more likely to catch a pedal.

So, for those that have switched to flats, what is the benefit for you?

I don't like overthinking my suspension but at the same time, my fork is worth twice what my entire first mountain bike costed me back in the 90s and has all sorts of technology in it and I doubt I'm using it anywhere near to it's proper potential. 

I pilot a 1/1th scale Unleaded Subaru Outback. Pretty wicked.

pretty sure my fork has air pressure in it.

I have zero problems buying a no-name Magic Shine knock off lamp. I will not buy a no name knock off lithium battery unless it is from a trusted source. Fires and shit, ya know? I cheap out on the head lamp and get a Magic Shine or Glow worm branded battery for a few extra bucks. 

33 minutes ago, larlev said:

How does one go about being able to ride there? 

You attend the Brah Mitzvah that crazyt is having for his son.

Hobb's State Park is a very solid bet within hours of a hard rain. It's also more normal XC feeling and more remote feeling than the other trails. Decent amount of climbing, very undulating. Underrated trail.

4 hours ago, Ridenfool said:

The front finally got to Bentonville late yesterday. The accumulation on the weather.gov site indicates between 2 and 2.5 inches fell overnight in the 72712 area. There must have been a lot of folks getting new bikes here.

In anticipation for this eventuality, I spoke with the people at Phat Tire yesterday about any trails that can be ridden after a rain and they pointed me toward some of the Northernmost trail heads in the Back 40, all the while strongly cautioning about just how slick the embedded rocks will be until they have dried.

Considering it will be overcast with a high of only 61F I think I'll err on the side of caution. There's enough options on things to see and do here other than visiting a local Urgent Care, or taking part in rescue operations, ... as the victim. 😨 Rescue crews are so often less concerned about the bike than the person and I can't take the chance the bike may be left behind. 

My thanks on this trip go out to Hammer Nutrition for Recoverite and to Floyd's of Leadville for the CBD RecoveryProtein powder. Which, when a scoop of each mixed with water was ingested immediately after a ride, left my legs fairly fresh for the next day.

I wonder if they'll have a jump/skills/bike park at the bottom. A launch ramp with an air bag like that TexPlex place had, plus progressive jump lines, a foam pit... I think that would do well. An area where you could work on the skills that you use up on the runs.

I'd certainly give the place a try at $50 for a day. 

As far as 512 is concerned, I'd give that a go but my perception of the Cat Mtn area is that it is all very advanced. If there were room for progression, I'd be more likely to join. I'm an ok technical rider but I have never been much for jumping, tbh.

Another notable thing that I'd read about and that you can see in the video is that those original mountain bikes started off with super wide rims and then we mucked it all up for weight weenie purposes in the 80s, 90s and aughts. The bikes in the video have FAT rims.

It's certainly older than cars!

20 minutes ago, RidingAgain said:

"...It probably started... riding bicycles a hundred years ago when they had nothing but dirt roads to ride on..."

In a sense... Mountain biking may just be older than road riding.

that was an AWESOME video.

Circling back to the original post...

Whoever did this

1. paid to get into Pace Bend 
2. had a tool with them
3. clearly thought they were doing people a favor.

With parks that are free and directly accessible from neighborhoods, my feeling is that you're *always* going to have someone that destroys stuff or changes things to their idea of what makes for a better trail.

But at Pace Bend? They could remind people at the gate that cutting trees and digging around is not allowed. They could hand out a flyer to people entering. They *could* put a sign in. It's controlled access, surely something can be done to educate people.

7 hours ago, Teamsloan said:

 And there’s another trail out at Coler that I can’t remember the name of that reminded me a lot of sections of Washtub/Jedi out at BCGB. It pretty much works it’s way along a steep rocky hillside for what seemed like forever.


Here's Johnny, I bet. We rode it while it was quite damp and it was... a lot of fuckery. We all wondered which Austin trail builder made that thing.

2 minutes ago, cxagent said:

 Oh, wait, were you at Pace Bend recently??!??!

DUDE IS SOFA KING BUSTED.

59 minutes ago, RidingAgain said:

Some of these people may live close to City Park and feel that this entitles them to have the trail built in a way that allows them to ride it how they want to ride it. They might think, "Why should I have to get in my car and drive 30 minutes to another park to ride when I have this park right next to me."

And maybe they have a point.

 

No. They most certainly do not have a point. Your proximity to a park or trail does not entitle you to design the park or trail for your preferences. You are not entitled to go and edit it to your wishes. You are entitled to show up and volunteer. To organize. To offer input during public comment periods.

The fact that there was already an easier option at PB yet someone still made a permanent change to the trail negates the argument that I think you're trying to make. 

But arguing over what someone should be entitled to is already a failed discussion. Use it as it is. Enjoy the trail as it is. Raise your skill level or avoid the trail. Or show up when work is being done and negotiate over how things should look.

2 hours ago, cxagent said:

More info. I have not verified all of this on either side. However, I think Texas needs to stop raiding parks budget and properly fund parks.



Parks Advocates Recruitment Letter-FINAL.PDF

That the state has underfunded TWPD and starved it of funds that were supposed to be allocated to it for many years is an easily verified fact. I'm finding it difficult to understand what has happened, legislatively, over the last 2 or 3 years and what the current status is. The budget *looks* like it has been increased but there is conflicting info on the statutes governing allocation.

I think Mr _nuts doesn't dig on machine cut flow stuff. I don't think the inner trails are radically different than the outer loop. The ledges can be done as part of the outer loop and that is something lots of people like. I imagine @Big_pappa_nuts would like Kessler and Slaughter Pen better.

20 minutes ago, Anita Handle said:

apparently my info is, to my delight, outdated. Between the inception of the tax in 1993 and... recently, the state was allocating from mid-30% to as little as 20% of the estimated sporting goods tax revenue to state parks. As of 2015, the lege fixed this bullshit and as of 2016-2017 biennium (sp?), TPWD is getting over 90% of the estimated revenues, like nearly $300 million bucks. WOW. I hope we see a MASSIVE uptick in park land development but I'm sure they have many priorities after being starved for so long.

I'd be happy with really nice restrooms at the existing parks. They're really a shame compared to Colorado State Parks that I've stayed at.

Then I'd love to see the Kronkowski parcel that was donated a few years ago developed with some sweet bike trails. The tract is ~2 miles from Tapatio Springs and has amazing potential.

Or maybe they didn't fix it? Shit, I'm confused as hell now. It looks like they passed a law to force 94% of the sporting goods tax revenues to go to the parks but then some douchebag from Round Rock passed a law overturning it in 2016. Yet the numbers seem to indicate that TPWD was allocated nearly $300 for 2016-2017.

More digging is needed.

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/05/04/house-panel-revisits-state-park-funding-boost/

Informative article by the outdoor recreation lobby:

https://headwaterseconomics.org/wp-content/uploads/state-rec-TX.pdf

9 minutes ago, Anita Handle said:

We (the state) pay a special use tax for sporting goods that was intended to be directed towards State Parks. Well, it was so successful that they raid the sporting goods tax for use in the general fund and keep the state parks starved. So the money is there. The land is there. It's the Texas lege that prevents it from being funded more generously. Freedom...

apparently my info is, to my delight, outdated. Between the inception of the tax in 1993 and... recently, the state was allocating from mid-30% to as little as 20% of the estimated sporting goods tax revenue to state parks. As of 2015, the lege fixed this bullshit and as of 2016-2017 biennium (sp?), TPWD is getting over 90% of the estimated revenues, like nearly $300 million bucks. WOW. I hope we see a MASSIVE uptick in park land development but I'm sure they have many priorities after being starved for so long.

I'd be happy with really nice restrooms at the existing parks. They're really a shame compared to Colorado State Parks that I've stayed at.

Then I'd love to see the Kronkowski parcel that was donated a few years ago developed with some sweet bike trails. The tract is ~2 miles from Tapatio Springs and has amazing potential.

We (the state) pay a special use tax for sporting goods that was intended to be directed towards State Parks. Well, it was so successful that they raid the sporting goods tax for use in the general fund and keep the state parks starved. So the money is there. The land is there. It's the Texas lege that prevents it from being funded more generously. Freedom...

2 hours ago, Big_papa_nuts said:

If you like steep climbs and wide gravel trails you'll probably love The Back 40, but if I'm making a drive I'm going to El Paso where they have chunk and vistas.

Tell me more about this El Paso Chunk... and I'm not talkin' 'bout the gorditas...