Tree Magnet

I run 3" tires on my hardtail and I love them.  Do they slow me down?  Depends on the terrain.  In chunky single track, they definitely don't slow me down.  It's like riding a monster truck and you can just lay the bike over when you turn because there is so much grip.  Awesome.  On the ride to the trail, you definitely know that you're really pushing some big tires.  I actually went down to a 2.8" on the back because it's getting hard to find 3.0's and I could feel a slight wallow in the back during hard turns.

Did you have to get your primary doctor to refer you or do you just set it up?


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6 hours ago, B.J. said:

I'm just a trail runner and come here just for trail info and to ask the occasional "How annoying are we trail runners when you guys are trying to zoom past" type questions. 🙂

I think that you'll find that almost every mountain biker is fine with trail runners.  We pretty much view everyone through the same lens with the following factors impacting our opinion:

1. Does that trail user respect the trail?  
   • Don't modify it to suit your sport or skill level
   • Help maintain it (join workdays, support the builders, etc.)
   • Don't litter and clean up after yourself (trail markings, etc)
2. Does that trail user respect the other people on the trail?
   • Don't play music on both earbuds where you can't hear someone behind you
   • Don't pass people dangerously
3. Does that trail user respect the land owner?
   • Don't do anything to jeopardize the relationship between the trail user community and the land owner.

I think that pretty much sums it up.  I'd love it if a big group of trail runners came out to a workday (when those happen again) and contributed to maintaining trails.  You see it on occasion and it's greatly appreciated!

2 hours ago, crazyt said:

it is not necessarily about badly behaved people, it is about sheer numbers. If 1/100 bikers can make the climb you limit the population of riders. If anyone with an ebike can make the climb you have greatly expanded the population. You will get more assholes just because you have increased the total number of riders but you also are just increasing the number of asshole riders. When I ride certain trails I might see one other rider. As ebikes become more popular, those trails might become much more popular.  

The climbs are often hard because of the fitness. That allows people who havent developed the fitness to get to the top and bomb down. I predict a lot more injuries/accidents as well.

The one saving grace is that e mountain bikes are very expensive for now.

I don't get this argument at all.  So you want to limit the population of riders on the trail to:

1. People that know about them
2. Riders that are skilled enough to get there under their own power and ride down them safely
3. Riders that are wealthy enough to afford an e-bike

.....and you want to do this so you don't see any other riders on the trails??

Should there be an entrance exam that you have to pass before getting to ride City Park?  I'm not trying to be an ass but I really don't understand.  We could have made the same argument about suspension, gears, tubeless tires, dropper posts, etc.  "As more people put dropper posts on their bikes, more people will start riding all the fun trails."  Anyway, it's neither here nor there.  e-bikes are here and they are not going away.  We can learn how to work them into the biking community so those riders become part of the community (trail work, advocacy, etiquette, etc.) or we can treat them like they don't belong.

3 hours ago, crazyt said:

one other thing we will definitely see is that bandit trails are being listed on trailforks. The combination of that + ebikes is going to mean a lot more traffic on the hard bandit trails. The trails themselves used to be a filter for traffic, shortly that wont be the case. ebike traffic will likely get those trails closed. Ill repost this when it starts to happen.

As is all too common lately, this topic is one that divides people that have far more in common than different.  Personally, I think it's stupid to imagine that not putting trails on an app like Trailsforks or MTB project is going to prevent them from being discovered.  If you want to find out if a trail is there, it's really as easy as driving there and walking around.  Anyone that wanted to shut down all those bandit trails that might or might not be out there has the ability to discover them RIGHT NOW so that argument doesn't hold water with me. 

The idea that putting trails on maps and e-bikes will bring more traffic to the trails is also one I struggle with.  We ride those trails....Are WE 'traffic'?  This "us" vs. "them" doesn't fly.  We all all cyclists looking for a place to enjoy our passion.  Why shouldn't 'they' get to ride those trails?  

@crazyt - I really hope that you don't ever have to repost this.  We seem to be able to get trails closed just fine without e-bikes or Trailforks.  Maybe we should also look at reposting it when a new trail opens up somewhere because the cycling community is growing?

24 minutes ago, bear said:

I have so many damned fond memories (bruises, cuts, broken bikes, broken bones) that I can't stay away when i'm close enough. 

I have a sweet scar over my eye from Emma.  She hits hard but I always leave smiling.

4 minutes ago, TAF said:

I think it was discourteous because there wasn't really room on the climb for everyone. They basically buzzed us - it wouldn't have hurt to have waited a couple minutes until the climb was clear.

That's just them being dicks not e-dicks.  Tristan Uhl could have done the same thing with straight human power but I'm sure he would have waited :).

1 minute ago, TAF said:

Ditto at Flat Rock the other day - that tough little climb after you go through the first gate. Our group of a half-dozen or so was working it's way up the climb, and two bros came ripping up behind us, barely pedaling, and passed us on the climb. Admittedly, they left the trail to do so, but it was off-putting and pretty damned discourteous.

Was it discourteous because they passed you quickly or because they passed you using electrical assistance and didn't have to work as hard?  I'm sure many of the strong riders on this forum (you included TAF) can and have passed riders climbing something.  At what speed does it become courteous and not off-putting?  I get passed all the time and I'm usually impressed by the skill of the rider doing the passing.  If they're riding an e-bike, I'm less impressed but that doesn't impact my experience or theirs.

39 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

My opinon on E-bikes has changed a lot over the last year.

 

Ran into a guy at RHR on a full tilt 160mm commencal ohlins edition META power this weekend. He wasn't bombing anything, or riding our asses. Just a dude out riding his bike and having fun. I think thats the point isn't it? My buddy back in utah who was very anti E ended up with a turbo levo and loves it. He's mid 30s, fit and a capable rider and uses the levo to go to high elevation trails that would have required an overnight stay for a day trip. He sees it serving a purpose the same as his fatbike, trials bike and enduro rigs.

IMHO, whatever gets people out of their houses, on bikes and to a greater extent singletrack, is a good thing. City leaders ETC see lots of people on bikes and that hopefully will drive expansion of hike n bike trails and singletrack.  With that, I'm fine with all of the influx of new pandemic riders and e-bikes. They're no more detrimental to my MTB experience or the preservation of trails than strava or people blasting music from their bluetooth speakers. And we seem to be just fine with strava.

 

 

 

This pretty much sums up exactly where I'm at.  I used to dislike e-bikes out of the fear that they would negatively impact trail access.  However, I've since seen them in many places and I can sum it up by saying "...a motor does not the douche bag make."  You're just as likely to find some asshat on a single speed hardtail as you are on an e-bike.  If it gets people out advocating for more trail without degrading the experience of those already using that trail, I'm for it.  E-bikes don't degrade my experience.  Neither to one-wheels or hikers or dogs.  Horses, might be another matter.

3 hours ago, notyal said:

Perhaps a quarter notch?

 Oh shit....It's' on now!

Haven't been to BLORA in probably 5 years either.  However, I hear great things about Dana Peak and Stillhouse Hollow lake.  Cameron park isn't too far from you either and it's a good time (see other thread).

Walnut dirt is absolutely hero level right now. Even Windy loop was good. Get some!!!


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I think Cameron park is great but don’t recommend trying it in the summer months. You’re down in a valley and it’s crazy hot. The zoo smell sometimes creeps in which makes the air you can breathe smell like buzzard crap. However, riding around in the bamboo forests and crazy g-outs is worth a drive out there in the non-surface-of-the-sun months.

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Of all the chunk and trail on goodwater loop the worst part for me, in more ways than one, is the final road climb to cedar breaks after dam...very anticlimactic and I despise long gradual road climbs
 
Edit: im not a road biker so not sure if that even fits into category of long gradual road climb but it felt like one...
 
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I’ve found that wind direction and speed are the single biggest factor in my lap times at Lake Georgetown. This is all due to that double track after Tejas and the dam. A good tailwind will shave serious time off the double track.

Oh yeah, Happy New Year’s!


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As seen in Eufala, OK last week. Is it weird that I want one of these. Porthole window and all!!


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Tanks are like warbirds.  Rich people collect yachts.   FU money people collect warbirds and military memorabilia.  They'll make more yachts but there are only so many Sherman's and Hellcats out there.

Thanks for sharing.

superfuckingrandom vehicle post for fellow tank dorks 
Got to see the littlefield collection just after he died while the collection was still intact. This is one of the few running panthers in the world, and was on tank overhaul.  Forgive the crap 2000s cellphone pic.
 
 

Cameron Park has long been one of my favorite TX trails. Total blast, but a bit of navigation required (good maps and signage - you just need to figure your way around all the trails). Think Walnut Creek but with 10x the elevation. I was running about 120 ft/mile for a while last time I was there. Dana Peak is also well worth it. I went for the first time a few weeks ago. Don't miss the stuff in the middle and they are building some new stuff on the far East end by Stillhouse Park (I may park over there next time). These 2 make a good overnighter. In November I rode Cameron one day stayed in Waco and then hit Dana Peak on the way home.
Flat Rock is also awesome and also combines well with Kerrville Schreiner Park. I also did this as an overnighter in November. Kerrville Park is super fun (I think) and expanding, the last couple times I have been (only about once a year) there was some new trail. You can also add in a nice scenic pathway along the Guadalupe River for several miles. For this trip I rode Kerrville, stayed there and then rode Comfort the next day. I would have reversed that but it was super windy the first day and you are much more in the open at Flat Rock.

I have the wolf tooth tool system that goes in my bars. It’s slick but a little pricey.


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I guess I had better try it. That was a very strong endorsement.

Is that a Jackalope skull on the hood[emoji23]

Rudolph was clear at 4:30 this afternoon and was still clear at 6:30 pm when we went back through.  Really fun trail.  I saw all the piles of brush next to it but nothing was on the trail proper.

Alternatively, you could go the BMX style and just stick your shoe back there between the seat post and the back wheel.

2 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

I created a "club" on the site called Bambi Watch. If you have updates, share them in there.

This is a great idea.