Charlie193

Looking for recommendations on saddles with a small distance between rails and seat. My current saddle (old Selle Italia slr xc) seems to be pretty low profile but I’ve been finding it uncomfortable recently. I got the longest dropper I could get away with so will need to replace it with a similarly shallow saddle. I’d prefer not to have to add shims and lose dropper travel so want to avoid saddles that will increase stack height.

In pictures the SQlab 611 looks like it has the rails pretty close to the seat- but I’m open to other suggestions?

I’m not looking at getting shorter cranks right now to decrease my overall leg extension, as it won’t make my saddle any more comfortable.

Hound’s first trip to the mountains (as far as I know). Mule deer and elk were added to the list of creatures to be chased, and skunks might have moved a couple of places up the charts.

In the end the family trip and riding didn’t really work out. I didn’t want to leave my bike unattended on a rack at stops going to and from NM (Carlsbad Caverns and Balmorhea), so it got left at home.

Cloudcroft was still great though, even if I had to make do with hiking. The trails I did  see near town were nice, but probably more suited to hiking than riding.

I liked the town itself- it was smaller than Ruidoso, and both were touristy, but Cloudcroft felt less cheesy touristy.

I’ll be heading back at some point, as my wife’s family have some land south of town, on the same road as Bluff Springs, Willie White Trail, and Benson Canyon Trail. Hopefully I’ll have something useful to say about the riding there soon.

Italy v England then. Given the screenshots above I don’t really feel like admitting to being a Brit right now, but it’s a completely alien feeling seeing England reach a final.

That was also one of the softest penalties I’ve seen awarded, but I won’t complain.

It’s a pretty lopsided bracket now, whether Sweden or Ukraine takes the last spot.

2 hours ago, hurronnicane said:

Yes.  Grindstone Lake is good fun.  Also, the Cedar Creek/Perk Canyon trails are great!

I’ll definitely try to get to both of these- looks like they’re only an hour away. 
Still plan to explore some of Cloudcroft’s trails, without expecting too much.

51 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8013830/cloudcroft

 

https://www.trailforks.com/region/cloudcroft/

Thanks! I tend to forget about mtb project/trail forks- I don’t get out of Central Texas to ride very often and I haven’t ever used them for this area.

I’ve wasted a lot of time watching youtube videos of Cloudcroft trails and I’m now having a decision-making crisis about where to ride with limited time.

Does anyone have any trail recommendations for Cloudcroft?

I’ll be there on a family trip this summer and will try to fit in some rides around town, it looks like quite a few of the local trails are more suited to ATVs/dirt bikes though.

I had been planning to try to get down to Alamogordo via Alamo Peak Trail (T109) and the “A” Trail (T119), but it looks like a private landowner has closed access to T119 near Alamagordo, so that might be a no-go.

I’ll probably check out Rim Trail, and will try to get to Ruidoso for at least one ride.

Can anyone suggest any other more singletrack/less ATV trails in Cloudcroft?

Thanks!

Charlie

If/when you find yourself considering a feature that pushes what you’re comfortable with, decide whether you’re going to go for it, then do it or don’t do it- avoid heading into something feeling hesitant, then trying to back out when it’s too late to turn back your decision. Those crashes tend to hurt.

14 minutes ago, TAF said:

I saw that tire Wed am - it wasn't blocking the trail at that point, but I did wonder where it had appeared from.

Yesterday it was right in the middle of the trail with a little rock in front of it. I suppose it’s possible that someone had placed it there to hop over, but for someone as lazy as me, I was still going too slow after turning in from the sidewalk to think about that.

5 minutes ago, SouthManPlus said:

I ended up clearing about 10 pieces of brush - mostly broken tree limbs - from Bambi yesterday afternoon.  They were small and easy to clear, but enough to make you stop.  Clearly someone placed them there. Very annoying.  

That’s a shame- I thought whoever was doing this had got bored/found some other way to be a wanker and moved on. What time were you there? I was out yesterday at lunch , probably a little after 12:30 and Bambi was clear except for one tire right at the Davis entrance. Might be able to figure out the trail blocker’s preferred hours.

Once I got off the roads it was definitely worth the effort to get out for just a short ride today. Hadn’t ridden in the snow for a long time- it’s still great fun.

Despite the pre-lunch drizzle I thought I’d chance a ride today as I already had my gear on. The Convict Hill/Davis/Bambi area was all dry on the trails, maybe one or two vaguely damp rocks on Rudolph, but nothing was even that slick as of 1pm-ish. If you have the time it’s worth sneaking out before the vortex of despair arrives, assuming it doesn’t start hosing down.

Starting to get the kids out more on the smooth sections of the SATN. The Pay it Forward Epic I snagged from @Shinerider is also helping get the whole family out on the trails, which is great for me. We’re definitely adding excitement for anyone trying to share the same patch of trail as us.

Does anyone in the Circle C area know if it’s still dry? Radar shows rain, but it’s telling lies for my neighborhood (Davis & West Gate) where it’s dry so far.

Here’s a link to an article with some BSS history:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/bicyclesportshop.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/sitting-in-with-hill-and-laura/amp/

What I thought was the worst parking job I’d seen in a while this morning when parking for my ride, turned out to be someone who hadn’t bothered trying to make the sharp left just before where they stopped, and opted to burst both right tires on the curb instead, then abandon the car. They were definitely sober at the time.

10 minutes ago, Bart said:

Can you hike at Forest Ridge Preserve? With the Warblers? 

Think it is open to hikers outside warbler nesting season. Closed to everyone March 1 - July 31.

There might be a course/test you can take to gain access during the closed season- can’t remember the details though.

Rudolph and Bambi were both clear just before 8am this morning.

Looks like someone has been riding a dirt bike on Jane Fonda while the ground was still soft though.

I need to get better riding up bigger ledges and multiple ledges. I would also like to be less of an oaf and use a bit less effort by doing a better job of maintaining my momentum/flow- that won’t be happening though.

1” in the rain gauge in South Austin (Brodie & Davis).

Bambi and Rudolph were all clear at lunch today. Nice weather for a ride too, as long as you like overcast. Worth getting out before the rain tonight/tomorrow.

The Rudolph wank-stain remains undeterred. There were probably four or five blockages today, mainly near the Slaughter end, but one was closer to Davis. All cleared just before 1pm. The sign at the Davis end had gone too.

One branch across Rudolph at lunch today, near the rampaging elephant site. Easy to move, but it’s still attached to its tree, so it would be equally easy to put back across the trail. Didn’t have time to attempt to do anything else with it. 
It was off the trail when I left.