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Jumps (or really big humps) at the start of Outer Log Loops at Walnut Creek?


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31 minutes ago, Barry said:

Those couple of hip jumps have been there for a while. They didn't clue you in that the other direction was going to be better?

I haven't been able to ride since December. Been taking care of a sick wife.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I rode Walnut for the first time in about a year. But since I had not ridden since before Thanksgiving - I was slow and weak and stopped a lot.

But I LIKE those new features! People can ride them if they want or go around them. I hope most people ride them since they are all 'rollable'. You don't have to jump them - you can just roll over the tops.

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On 3/26/2020 at 3:31 PM, cxagent said:

I rode Walnut for the first time in about a year. But since I had not ridden since before Thanksgiving - I was slow and weak and stopped a lot.

But I LIKE those new features! People can ride them if they want or go around them. I hope most people ride them since they are all 'rollable'. You don't have to jump them - you can just roll over the tops.

Don't let Bart hear that, he'll be threatening people with his shotgun again.

 

The "improvements" to Walnut have always been strange to me. It used to be anything to make the trails easier. So much so that I stopped going for a long time. Now we get sanctioned jumps and drops.

 

The newish stuff is especially weird, and this may just be down to how I ride, because it all seems to be in slightly the wrong place. Like some of the berms are blocked by trees, or are to late in a corner to use, or are too low or tight, and most of them are starting to fall apart while other stuff is being built. And the jumps are in weird place where I never have the speed to use them.

 

I'd really need to make it to a work day so I can figure out what the thinking is behind this stuff, but I work Saturdays.

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7 hours ago, Big_papa_nuts said:

The newish stuff is especially weird, and this may just be down to how I ride, because it all seems to be in slightly the wrong place. Like some of the berms are blocked by trees, or are to late in a corner to use, or are too low or tight, and most of them are starting to fall apart while other stuff is being built. And the jumps are in weird place where I never have the speed to use them.

I disagree. I find that the walnut additions are fine. You may need to change your lines or your approach to truly take advantage of them. I'm sure in some cases there may be natural limitations to what they can do but I've been happy with the work that they have done.

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On 3/28/2020 at 11:03 PM, Big_papa_nuts said:

The newish stuff is especially weird, and this may just be down to how I ride, because it all seems to be in slightly the wrong place. Like some of the berms are blocked by trees, or are to late in a corner to use, or are too low or tight, and most of them are starting to fall apart while other stuff is being built. And the jumps are in weird place where I never have the speed to use them.

I have a weird background that give me a different perspective on things like berms and jumps. I raced motocross, hare scrambles and motorcycle enduro (the real ones that have been called that since the 1960's - ).

 Berms can be "railed" (follow all or part of the berm) or "bounced" (slide sideways into the berm at any point and bounce off in the new direction). Someone railing a berm can and better carry a LOT of speed or someone like me will take your line by bouncing that berm right in front of you. Or that is what I did in all kinds of races. There are examples of both types of riding a berm at about 2 to 2:15 minutes in that video. Better examples are in the first 15 seconds of this video - 

 

The advantage to railing the berm is the speed you could carry even if you only used part of the berm. The advantage to bouncing the berm is you only need a small section of a "berm" to bounce off. Even a rock or a tree can be used to bounce a berm.

So when you say the 'berm is in the wrong place' I say you need to ride that spot to use what is there. Isn't the idea is we ride the trail conditions that exist? Not change the trail to what ---> I <---- want? Since many riders want different things existing trails quickly get "improved" to where they look like dirt sidewalks as each tries to make the trail match their personal desires.

Edited by cxagent
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1 hour ago, cxagent said:

 

 

 

So when you say the 'berm is in the wrong place' I say you need to ride that spot to use what is there. Isn't the idea is we ride the trail conditions that exist? Not change the trail to what ---> I <---- want? Since many riders want different things existing trails quickly get "improved" to where they look like dirt sidewalks as each tries to make the trail match their personal desires.

This is a pretty strange argument in this context, considering we are talking about man made trail features. I actually much prefer more "natural" trails, like you would find deep in the greenbelt, and preferred walnut the way it was when I started riding it 10 years ago.

 

And don't get me wrong, I appreciate that someone is working on the trails, and I wish I could help, but their style doesn't work the best for me and considering one of the "rules" of trail building is to make them fun for everyone I felt like it was worth noting.

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On 3/29/2020 at 8:44 AM, Big_papa_nuts said:

This is a pretty strange argument in this context, considering we are talking about man made trail features. I actually much prefer more "natural" trails, like you would find deep in the greenbelt, and preferred walnut the way it was when I started riding it 10 years ago.

 

And don't get me wrong, I appreciate that someone is working on the trails, and I wish I could help, but their style doesn't work the best for me and considering one of the "rules" of trail building is to make them fun for everyone I felt like it was worth noting.

My point was that there are different ways to ride ANY feature. I used the motorcycle videos because there are more examples and they show things more clearly / longer. If some trail or feature does not suit your riding style then pick a different trail or adjust your riding to match the trail you are on.

The trail builders and maintainers I know appreciate input from everyone. Because they get input from everyone - they know you can not possibly please everyone. They try but it truly is impossible. Having tried for years I have developed a new saying that I have used when dealing with government folks - " I am now certain that there is NOTHING that can be done or even not done, that will not cause someone to complain." It just is not possible to please everyone.

I also miss the old Walnut Creek trails. I wish the big sidewalk had not changed the whole park in many many ways. But because of the big sidewalk we were allowed to build some new trails to replace some that were closed / blocked / eliminated. I think we were successful at building some fun new trails. And still people complain about those new trails. C'est la vie. 

I hope to see you on the greenbelt trails. I rode those most because they are my favorites too.

Edited by cxagent
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