Tree Magnet

Let’s do the math real quick and see how this is going to work. Can $50 per person support a trail crew required to build and maintain enough trail?? Is it going to take volunteers to make this work?? To maintain the trails out there they need a full time trail building team of maybe 3 people? Let’s say they pay them $30k per year (no idea). That’s $90k in just trail support. If they get 200 riders per weekend average for roughly half the year, that’s $260k. That’s leaves $170k to pay for all the remaining staff, lift, expenses, taxes, yada, yada. Obviously I have no idea if that’s enough but I can’t ride right now so I’m compelled to type something in about bikes. Damn weather. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Wookie is back. Using 20" and hung in the same post. Seriously, I hope those three ladies enjoyed the trails at Pace Bend as much as the rest of us. We owe them and you quite a bit for the experiences shared out there.

I can see people volunteering to do some trail work out there in exchange for a free lift pass. However, at that point it's not really 'volunteering'. Personally, I'm stoked to see Spider Mountain right at our backdoor. At $50, it's orders of magnitude cheaper than driving to Angel Fire or Trestle. I don't expect those types of trails because I'm a realist but I'm going to give them a shot.

I bet she’d love it even more if only you had a big glass display case for it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Progressive drops Small table top jumps Skinny slightly elevated Check out the Railyard in Bentonville. That’s a progressive skills park that has some sweet features. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With all this rain and lack of riding wearing on us, it might be worth considering an organized work day to address any problems you're seeing out at Brushy. The crappy weather and need to get some dirt under our feet is good motivation to go out and dig. The regular Walnut riders have turned the R&I into an S&I (Shovel and Imbibe) tonight at 5:30

Some local FYI on an Austin area trail. River Place is a hiking only trail up in NW Austin so if you only ride trails, you might not have heard about it. However, it has some good elevation changes and trail runners around town use it to train and it's actually a pretty fun hike. Starting in March, they are going to put private contractors at the entrances and charge non-residents of the neighborhood to use it. I hope they end up paying more to the contractors than they collect but there is plenty of money in that neighborhood so I doubt they care. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/new-10-fee-coming-to-popular-austin-nature-trail

Cullen was having trouble getting logged in to this forum but he asked me to pass along the message: ARR lead trail work planned at Walnut Creek for Tuesday evening at 5:30 (meet at the pool parking lot) Shovels provided but bring a headlight and water. Post trail work food/beverages welcome. We all need time in the dirt so give back to the trail that gives us so much and make a difference. Bigger crew = Bigger features and bigger solutions = Bigger smiles

I was on the West side of the road looking down there a little after dusk. I think there is a light under there or something and I remember seeing the snakes, not believing what I was seeing, and turning around to check it out. They were snakes and there were more than a few. I think what happened is that it had some water in it from the flood and possibly had some fish or critters collected down there. The snakes were having a buffet and could have given two shits about some biker trying not to crap his pants. Even after that, I'd still take that tunnel if the traffic was bad.

Trail work day cancelled for the morning of 2/10. It’s even too nasty to dig out there. Dig session planned for this Tuesday evening. Keep your eyes open for a post from the trail stewards. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just a heads up on this tunnel. I remember riding past it one year and seeing no less than 10 snakes hanging out in some water in that tunnel. It was nightmare fuel straight out of Indiana Jones. I think it had flooded or something recently. I’ll take snakes over cars but don’t scream like a girl if that stick you’re about to bunny hop starts moving. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Were you the first ER visit to originate from Spider Mountain? I assume someone at the enduro did the same thing and hit the ER but you never know. Glad you're okay and props for making opening day. Well done sir.

I miss that stair-step climb as well but I would trade it in a heartbeat for that longer, flowy trail from the top of Church Hill.

It goes without saying that you need to hit Slickrock just to say you did and see what it's all about. I wouldn't spend the whole day there but maybe make it a morning and then go to Bartlet's Wash. I haven't ridden that trail but if it's Moab and Barry likes it, that would be enough for me to give it a shot.

Whole Enchilada is a must. Capt. Ahab is amazing Mag 7 is cool I didn’t ride portal but I’ve heard it’s an experience. You will love it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm a tolerant person. I have three boys and two of them are teenagers so I don't have a choice. However, I'm tired of the constant online bickering between a few people and I was forced to learn how to use the ignore feature. It was that or lose this forum as an outlet to discuss something I enjoy with people who also enjoy it. If we were forced to actually all sit down at a bar and talk about bikes face to face, I think that none of this crap would be happening. That or the two involved would walk outside, punch each other in the face, and then come back in and share a pitcher.

I rented a Stache from BSS for $57 for two days of riding on the Greenbelt. It's a hardtail so I thought I wasn't going to huck it off any drops but it really is damn capable of doing it. It was so much fun, I bought a used one the next week! I've been riding it exclusively since then because the it has been muddy and it's a fun bike to just plow around the hike and bike trails. That being said, I think that I will still prefer to ride my full suspension bike when there are drops and fast downhill stuff. Low pressure, 3" tires take out the small rocks and roots but there is only so much they can do. The 'whooosh' feeling of having 160 mm take a hit is something I can't do without.

Trail work crew (all 5 of us) hit Windy yesterday and worked over one corner that needed help. I will say that the amount of damage being done to the trail due to use/mis-use is not equivalent with the maintenance we are providing. Sunday was a rainy morning before the Super Bowl when nothing was rideable outside of RPR and only FIVE people showed up (including the trail steward). Does anyone have any ideas to get more people to do their part to support these trails? Here are my assumptions that might be totally off: Mountain bikers are putting in the most effort to maintain Walnut This forum represents the most involved and informed Mountain Bikers in Austin This forum has around 500 people that KNOW about work days going on every week and the damage being done to the trails The average size of the work crew is 6 or 7 people every week On average 100-200 unique riders hit Walnut every day?? (Guess) 90% of those riders are NOT on this forum or any forum that discusses trail conditions If the park said "You can't support the trails you have so we're cutting your mileage down." Would people respond?

I think this is always going to be at the core of where these arguments come from. This is 'their' parkland and letting in other users will mean that they lose control. It doesn't matter if mountain bikers came in spreading bars of gold behind them and farting rainbows. IMO, the only way this works is if stakeholders that are all upset about it realize there are options about what happens with that land and trails is the best option they have. They would prefer to to have everyone stay out but is that actually an option? Can they put up a fence ala. Sunset Valley?

I’ve seen the tail out at Brushy creek and I’m not sure I’d want to work that. Oh....wait a minute. That might be a spelling issue. If you meant trail work then the Brushy creek trail stewards are all bouncing around this forum and can chime in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Add this to the long list of questions that Performance Bike staff have been unable to answer. I’m all for supporting your LBS but I have never been a bike shop that felt less like a bike shop than the Anderson Lane Performance Bike. Let’s hope their business goes to a local shop that can earn it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Amazing work Rowan! Well done. Like all the other trail builders around here, you should never buy another round while another mountain biker is at the bar. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Done. Did you notice this little nugget? I also found this question interesting. They distinguish trails for hiking and walking from those used for bikes. They also lump 'running hiking' in with biking instead of hiking/walking.

I think that it helps to take this route: "I want to ride too but all the trails we ride on around here can't handle being ridden when they're wet. I recently found out that these trails were created and maintained by volunteers who are mountain bikers just like us. If we destroy them, the city could decide that they should just stop letting us build them and then we'd be stuck riding on the road which we all know sucks." At this point, you've established that it's not everyone vs. him/her AND you aren't a 'know it all' so they shouldn't want to fight you. If they are still listening, you can then throw down some of our recently obtained soil knowledge or better yet, point them to one of the social media outlets (this one) or groups (ARR, 512) and get them engaged so they educate themselves. I think that stressing the "we" in these conversations is much better than calling the douchebag a 'you'. That is setting up a confrontation from the onset.

Rode point six, log loops, tangle, Chardog, and severe consequences at lunch. No big puddles and nothing sticking to my tires. As mentioned, stay away from Windy, BMX, and Marks art and you’re good. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk