gotdurt

This morning I came face to face with a bare female arse squatting on Picnic, apparently she couldn't hold it long enough to get off the trail (I'm guessing she had been running on the paved trail and thought no one would be on Picnic). Luckily, it wasn't an offensive arse to see, to say the least...

Later I almost had a head-on collision with an older gent in a cowboy hat on an e-bike...

Times are getting weird.

20 minutes ago, Tree Magnet said:

On a serious note, in the grand scheme of things, is that one feature worth the battle? 

I'd say yes; if they're so bold as to remove it, they'll also eventually remove the others, as well as modify other features... and IMO popping off of those logs is one of the highlights of my warm-up or return (depending on whether I start at 183 or the sport park). I'm just tired of people jacking with shit that they shouldn't be jacking with. If we let them keep doing it without making a statement, then they'll think it's okay and continue to change other things to their own liking. If they return to find the log replaced, anchored with a couple of rebar stakes, maybe they'll get the message...

What's missing from this picture? (hint: on west Picnic, facing east)

Yep, some jackass removed the first cedar bump-jump. This is getting ridiculous... Might be able to move it back, but I don't know if it will be as stable as it was before.

Of all the things can could stimulate me to finally get over to check out Ninja, this may be the one that succeeds...
@Yosmithy, you up for a "ride"?

On 4/30/2020 at 4:16 PM, quixoft said:

I do have one question, I'm on a hard tail and going up the higher steps, I have no problem getting the front wheel up and over and I have the power to get the back wheel over them; but after I get the front wheel up, the back wheel hits and knocks me off the pedals or my pedals clip the rock ledge and do the same. Any tips to correct that? It's too high for me to bunny hop up, I can only fully clear objects about 8 inches with both wheels and that's when I'm lucky. Only about 6 inches consistently(<insert joke here>) and that is on flat ground.
 

You will find that different features will require different techniques, based on your speed/momentum at the approach, if there are compound obstacles (ie: multiple ledges in a row), etc. The videos above are a good start, and after you get the hang of different methods, you'll find yourself mixing them up a bit as-needed...

To relate it specifically to Brushy, here are a few features you'll recognize (I didn't do any slow-mo's, but the speed adjustment in YT's settings works well):

This is "Sponge Bob" and "the rock with no name" (seriously, it doesn't have a name, that I'm aware of) on a single speed. This is pretty much "Punching", albeit less exaggerated movement compared to the how-tos...

On "Squeeze Play" I start like a punch, then I let the back tire bump it's way up with a pedal stroke:

This is "EBD" (at the beginning); I pedal all the way through it, and I tend to use a little bigger gear than most would expect:

This "Huck Finn" back in 2013... note that it is a bit smaller and doesn't have the smaller ledge above it yet... it takes more effort now. (it's at 0:45 if the video doesn't jump straight there)

As for bunny hopping, it's really only useful if you have something to clear at speed, like a big log or something.

When I was a kid, my buddies and I noticed that no matter what we were bunny hopping over, whether it was 6" or 24", we always only cleared it by "just enough" (maybe an inch or 2), no matter how hard we tried... it's like our brain and body were tuned only for the obstacle at hand; no more, no less.  It was a strange phenomenon that still holds up for me to this day.

17 minutes ago, quixoft said:

How much more difficult is Double Down vs 1/4 Notch? Nothing on 1/4 scares me or anything and I want to try DD but I also don't want to end up walking 70% of it because I suck.

Honestly, I don't think the difference is nearly what it used to be. 1/4 has seen seen so much more traffic and wear over the years that I'd say the challenges on DD are only "1/8 notch" harder than 1/4, just grouped together a tad tighter, with slightly steeper hills. There are obstacles on 1/4 and the Hollows (that intermediate eastern end of DD) that pretty much weren't even there 5-10 years ago. Western DD hasn't changed nearly as much as 1/4 though, probably due to much less traffic. If you are comfortable with 1/4, DD won't "scare" you, just make you breathe a little harder.

6 minutes ago, WLemke said:

I noticed this on Monday. At the time, there were a bunch of branches piled up on the B line. Have they already been removed?

The old b-line to the right (looking at the photo, facing east) is still blocked, but the newer, more open one to the left is clear.

Back on topic... WTF is this nonsense? We stopped blocking the B-line, yet that's not enough? My irritation has been renewed; every time I have to replace these rocks, I'm going to add more and build it bigger...

In other news. I surprised a runner in a spot where we couldn't see each other until it was too late. I had just come out of a descent and had started a short climb with some momentum, and he was coming down the hill around a bend; when he saw me he jumped, waving his hands with an animated look on his face, like a little girl that had seen a big spider... I laughed so hard I almost lost my balance...

Then I got a flat.

For me, they only break if neglected or I use them well past their intended life and wear... with that said, I can go a couple of years or more on a chain, and replace when they start showing signs of excessive wear, before breakage. I squeeze all I can out of them, but breaks are rare..

15 minutes ago, RidingAgain said:

Not me... But that's a one of those old "...antiquated bikes..." he's riding...

Looks like he's not worried, and just having funny.

Here's what he had to say...

"The Cannondale 4X is the kind of bike we should all be riding. It is the most versatile type of bike you could buy. I’m no XC racer but I never felt it hold me back on the climbs and while my dirt jumping skills are pathetic I had more fun and confidence on this bike then any other I’ve been on. The best thing though is that when you point it down a trail its rips. It’s not a DH bike but it feels very comfortable at speed and it can take a beating as good as any bike out there. If you are looking for a mid-travel bike the 4X should be on your short list especially if you are want something that might turn a few heads on the mountain."

LOL... You gotta wonder about people.
 

...14 years ago.

But seriously, old bikes are cool and I'm certainly not one to poke at riders on old bikes; Gotdurt of 15 years ago, hell, even 10 years ago, would kick my arse all over the place on his 100mm 2001 FSR Comp, on everything but the roughest, fast descents. BUT... he'd kick it even worse on one of my newer bikes... so there's that. And, truth be told, if the frame hadn't cracked back in 2013, I might have ridden the FSR even longer (the frame, everything else on it had changed by then).

But... I also wouldn't be arguing how awesome and relevant it still is; I am a realist after all. I do still have a couple of my oldest bikes, and they had similar reviews back in the late 80's and early 90's, but I certainly wouldn't use that to argue their relevance in 2020.

My point is that it's cool that you're still enjoying that bike, I would too, but I would stop short of arguing that it's still on par with anything new, or even from the past 5 years; things have progressed a LOT over the past 10, more than the previous 20.

14 minutes ago, quixoft said:

The dog was further along the bridge and I agree, it was a dick move on my part. Probably shouldn't have done it.

But honestly, I think it's a dick move for anyone to have an off leash dog in any public park, regardless of how nice the person is or how well trained the dog is. There are leash laws for a reason. 

However, you are correct and I will control my temper a bit better next time. Been a rough week and it's only f'ing Tuesday.

That guy has been roaming the trails for a few years now. He's not a concern anymore, but in the early days he liked to sit on ledges like Sponge Bob and I had a few close calls with him... it seems he's learned from it though. His dog hasn't caused any issues from the beginning, but that's not the norm with off-leash (and sometimes on-leash) dogs; I had ride a few weeks ago (posted about it March 3rd) where I had 2 close calls, one while launching off the Swag drop where a girl and her weimar were standing hidden off the side below, and the dog spooked and ran right under me as I dropped in at speed, then ran in front of my tire until I could come to a stop. Had it jumped out a second sooner it would have been ugly for both of us. The other was 2 dogs on leashes, and I was climbing; both dogs spooked and shot off in different directions, reached the end of their leashes, then ran the other way tangling with each other and the owner, lol. Luckily I was creeping along and stopped immediately. This was on the same ride, mind you...

10 minutes ago, throet said:

I'm really amused RA by how every time you want to make a point about a B line you use your wife as an example. That time I showed you around Brushy you were dismounting your bike on virtually every climb and baby feature, and that was before we even reached Deception. It was for that reason that I steered you promptly over to Picnic and Peddlers, trails more suited for your riding level. Maybe that was just one of those days you weren't motivated to do harder stuff? In any case, there is no need for you to come across like you are only advocating for the masses (or your wife). Or is it a case where you yourself are fine getting off your bike fifty times during a ride, but you're just being sensitive to all of those other folks who prefer to stay on their bike and ride around stuff? Anyway it goes, there are plenty of trails around to suit everybody's skill level. That is the right answer here.  

😲

14 minutes ago, horncpa said:

Or maybe they just want to go around it because they aren’t ready for that feature.    

And here we go...

2 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

What size tires and wheels?  I go under 22 rear and it feels very squirmy at PP.  In fact, the more traction there is the higher I have to go in pressure.

Because this:

1 hour ago, First-Blood said:

...2.3 or larger on 30mm internal rim width with huck norris inserts.

Wider rims and larger volumes can run lower pressures. That's why "plus" bikes run about 10 psi average lower than a 2.3 25-ish internal rims.

...and also this:

1 hour ago, First-Blood said:

But I try to ride like my zen master[mention=133]Morealice[/mention] taught me when learning the ropes. "Light on the bike brah"

A little grace goes a looong way.

1 hour ago, Austin Smithey said:

I've been riding Brushy for the first time lately and I don't know for sure if my tire pressure is set correctly. I don't wanna have it too high an risk bursting it. What do yall run? (got 29" tubeless if that matters at all)

Don't worry, it's not like a balloon, just don't go over the rating stated on the sidewall and there'll be no bursting. Otherwise, that's a really loaded question; it depends on the tire design, construction, volume, rim width, riding style, rider weight, suspension, etc. Best starting point would be the rated pressure for that tire, then go down from there until it performs the way you like... if you start getting rim strikes or feeling squirmy, you've gone too low.

For example, I weigh about 200 with gear; For my hardtail with 2.3 WTB Vigilantes, I like 24 rear, 20 front, but for my full suspension with 2.4 Geax Gomas I like 25 rear, 18-19 front

Don't worry about the fork or the bike, just get the fork set up right and I think you'll be surprised at how well it will work for you. Now, when you find yourself sending it off of features like Spongebob (not just rolling it) and carrying warp-speed through the roller coaster below Swag, then you might find yourself looking at "bigger" bikes... until then, just ride.

A while back BKXC met with Rugger for an interview and I got to tag along... we were sitting atop EBD talking and some guy came rolling up on a upper-entry level XC hardtail like your Rockhopper, and without hesitating, just sent it off EBD. We all looked at each other, and Brian said something like, "well now, I wasn't expecting that!"... we laughed.

It ain't the bike.

1 hour ago, quixoft said:

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?

If you are still bottoming after setting the sag correctly, then air volume reduction is your answer. If your Suntour fork is a 34 or 35mm model, they offer these:
https://www.srsuntour.us/products/air-volume-spacer?variant=38394605262

If not, then some heavy weight oil (70-90 wt) in the air chamber will serve the same purpose. Add 5cc at a time until you stop bottoming on all but the biggest hits. That's the way we used to tune air forks before volume spacers became a thing. This also has a side benefit of keeping the air piston well sealed. But regardless, static sag first, volume tuning second.

2 hours ago, Morealice said:

Ride this morning was huuumid AF but managed to stay at least neutral about it psychologically. I refused to let it bum me out. I told myself, “riding in heat/humidity is just different, not better or worse.” I’m trying to grow up a bit.

Pfft, BS, it sucked. Be glad we didn't line up this AM, because you'd have just been listening to me curse and complain... and walk a lot, lol.

23 minutes ago, throet said:

Not only was it humid AF, there were some serious slick spots on Rim and Deception. I went out around 11am and just rode Snail, Rim, and DD. What was scary was that it didn't seem to be just the usual slick suspects. There were a few areas where everything seemed dry and then out of nowhere you'd hit a slick spot. So glad to be riding flats in those situations.   

Yea, I started on 1/4 before 9 and I felt like a pinball slipping and bouncing between the rocks... I used up more energy just trying to keep the rubber side down than actually riding, ended up cutting it short and bailed at the bridge onto PX... where it also sucked. I'm still sweating.

4 hours ago, GreenMTBrider said:

I rode out there this morning to check things out. The high humidity in the morning made rocks and exposed roots very slick on 1/4 Notch and Double Down. I didn’t ride the whole trail because I was afraid I was going to bust my ass.

Picnic was also slimy still and I was getting a decent amount of dirt caking on the tires so I turned around. 
 

Should be in better shape this afternoon with the sun we’re getting. I don’t think Peddlers will be g2g today, so I’ll check tomorrow. 

So maybe tomorrow morning for 1/4 and DD? It's pushing 90 deg here in Leander right now...

On 3/12/2020 at 11:11 AM, cmc4130 said:

 

A "lot" of junk bikes . . . somehow adds up to be worth $300!!    Yellow Bike Project must be sitting on like $100,000 worth of bikes!!! 

https://austin.craigslist.org/bik/d/round-mountain-bicycle-lot/7092034112.html

 

 

Most of that is trash, yes, but I spy some sought after vintage 80's BMX and freestyle parts and frames that together could actually be worth more than the asking price if they aren't damaged and can be cleaned up... then drop the rest off for scrap metal. Judging from the mix of parts on some of the bikes, whomever built them didn't know much about what they had. I wish the photos were bigger.

57 minutes ago, Albert said:

...broke the frame on my Epic, it's out of warranty of course, and I don't have a new mountain bike yet, really need one, and sucks that another long wave of rain just started).

 ..Al

If you have the receipt, try it anyway. Back in 2013 I noticed a crack on my '01 Stumpjumper FSR that I bought new back in AZ; BSS did the warranty process for me and Specialized sent me a new 2013 Stumpjumper frame. There was a brief period that their frames had 5 year warranty (or was it 10?), but when they returned to lifetime they included frames made during the short warranty period.

19 minutes ago, radiantm3 said:

Seems way bigger to me. I hit the big picnic drop at least 3-4x a week. The new snail drop scares the crap out of me just looking at it.

It's the gap effect... put a piece of plywood between the lip and the transition, and your brain goes, "oh, that ain't so bad"... even though it didn't actually change anything.

21 minutes ago, Shinerider said:

Funny thing, it isn't THAT much bigger than the drop on Picnic-X, that I have hit on my hardtail (accidentally).

Same here, and oddly enough, it wasn't as harsh as I would have expected.

1 minute ago, Shinerider said:

The drop - F-that.  I'm too old and fragile!

I'm beginning to subscribe to this philosophy as well, healing is getting slower and slower these days...

20 hours ago, HoneyBadger said:

I've never had someone not pull over and let me by once they realized i was behind them. 

I have, many times. Some people are either just assholes, or they try to ride a little faster trying to prove something. I have a YT video of the Enchanted Forest trail in CO, where I ran up on a guy that absolutely ignored me behind him.

1 hour ago, Morealice said:

Yeah it would be very very difficult for me  to not at least have words with this guy. And if I passed in an area like the Parmer underpass where there’s lots of room and he hit me... I’m pissed off just thinking about it. 

Same here. I'm tempted to start riding over there in hopes of running into him. I'm under an enormous amount of stress right now (not just virus related), and would probably absolutely pop if provoked. I could really use a punching bag.

55 minutes ago, throet said:

I'm no tree expert, but it doesn't appear to be suffering as a result. I can say with certainty that tree has done more damage to my shoulder than I'll ever do to it.  

I feel the exact same way, but I guess if it gets people to leave it alone, then fine.