# What I Have Learned This Week



## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

So I am up in Angel Fire New Mexico this week on a family vacation. I have not had one in over 5 years. So I was really looking forward to it.

I brought my Trek Stache 7 which I have made a few changes to to better fit my 6'6" 256# frame. The bike has performed flawlessly, even if I have not. However the big 29+ tires have more than made up for my lack of skill.

I have been mostly riding the Surly Ogre that I built up as more of a bikepacking/touring/gravel bike. I can ride that thing for days.

A combination of the altitude and my fitness level have left me wanting this week. Here is what I have learned;


I am not a downhill'er - I did some greens and blues off the ski lift and ... survived.
I am not a trail rider - I have been riding the trails around here and they have taken their tole.

I am a gravel touring guy. My body is in all forms of pain right now and as big as I am and having taken a spill a few months back, I heal slow.

Just some thoughts.


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## Shocker (Jul 7, 2021)

Good for you bro! I'll be in your shoes next week. I've haven't mountain biked in 19 years, but I just bought an old Gary Fisher off craigslist and am going to try to ease back into it.


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## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

I have had a lot of fun so far this week. I realize now why everyone renting bikes at the lift were getting full suspension. The hard tail Stache just made the 3.0 tires and my legs work overtime. Thus, I am super sore from spending all yesterday standing. 

Today’s trails were more up and down, but the up’s had me walking a lot. Both from some technical sections as well as I am just running out of steam pretty quickly. So today’s 8 miles of trail riding was probably 3 miles of pushing my bike. 

I think about riding in Texas on the Ogre and because where I am it is just so much flatter I can go further before I begin to run out of steam. Well, that and I can breathe.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm still having great days on my modern dual suspension trail bike and advise @Shocker to be aware how an old Gary Fisher could be like comparing the manners and comfort of a 1971 Ford or Chevy sedan to a modern fine car.

If you're by a resort renting a modern trail or downhill bike can make all the difference. For the general sorts of riding discussed here a high stack bike like a Fargo or similar for heavy duty and freighter or Cadillac and Routt 45 or similar for ultimate speedy/light might answer the age and comfort issue. The modern gravel/tour type drop bars with high stack have made a night and day difference with my being able to be on a bike for a good while.

Friends with bikes like @RatBikeRod addressing comfort will use what I call alt type bars to achieve the different positions I appreciate using modern drops. I committed to the modern drops after quite liking a long tough tour in spring time winds.


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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

This week l learned that when I suddenly remember that I don't have my pump with me for a road ride just as I'm pedaling out the driveway, don't ignore that thought. And spent CO2 cartridges are not useful in pumping up a flat.


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## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

For me, riding styles and disciplines, and the appropriate bike are sort of organic, like waves or moods. They vary and change, and I find myself more in sync with one, then the other, then another.

Sometimes my hard tails sit until the tires are flat. Sometimes I don’t remember the last time I tuned the shock and fork on my FS bikes.

Now, my ebike is getting all the love.


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## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

Hope to hit Angel Fire or Trestle this summer at some point. 54 and loving it. Haven't done the lift assist thing in about 10 years. I am definitely a downhill and trailbike guy at this point. I may not be any good at it, but that is what I enjoy. Would eventually like to get into bike touring and bikepacking too. Something my wife could better handle as we ease toward retirement. To each his own. Great thing about the two wheeler. Tons of options.


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## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

Glide the Clyde said:


> For me, riding styles and disciplines, and the appropriate bike are sort of organic, like waves or moods. They vary and change, and I find myself more in sync with one, then the other, then another.
> 
> Sometimes my hard tails sit until the tires are flat. Sometimes I don't remember the last time I tuned the shock and fork on my FS bikes.
> 
> Now, my ebike is getting all the love.


I'm like this too minus the ebike ... Love my FS and it's so much better than my HT in every way possible, but there's just something about riding my HT that I can't give up and sometimes my FS gets neglected. That said, if I'm at Angel Fire I'm definitely going FS all day everyday.


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## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

SoDakSooner said:


> Hope to hit Angel Fire or Trestle this summer at some point. 54 and loving it. Haven't done the lift assist thing in about 10 years. I am definitely a downhill and trailbike guy at this point. I may not be any good at it, but that is what I enjoy. Would eventually like to get into bike touring and bikepacking too. Something my wife could better handle as we ease toward retirement. To each his own. Great thing about the two wheeler. Tons of options.


If you have a choice and can only choose one I'd go Angel Fire ... It's a bit of a drive if you're flying in, and Winter Park is just over an hour from Denver, but I liked Angel Fire and its been the best bike park I've ridden in the US. Trestle is amazing, but it's kinda disjointed IMO. At least the trails I was riding, we'd have to traverse the mountain quite often to get to where we needed to go. AF had a lot more flow and so far its been different from any other park I've ridden. And at least when I was there it was really maintained well. Can't go wrong with either though. Hoping to do a Trestle/Moab/Park City/Sedona/Angel Fire loop in the not-to-distant future.


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## RatBikeRod (Jun 27, 2019)

Angel Fire was a ton of fun to be sure. I have nothing to compare it to but aside from one really horrible fire road that is at the top of the run they call Easy Street (which was basically a rock strewn, teeth jarring break test) most of the other ones I went on were great. 

In face I only did Easy Street once, I moved over from Green to Blue and found the Blue’s better for me. Just a few sections I really had to watch it. 

I just got back to Dallas today and have a lot of mud to clean off the Stache. While the 3.0 29’s really soak up rough trails, when I went over to doing some gravel riding I was missing my 2.5 29 Ogre. The Extraterrestrials roll so much easier. 

I am trying to decide whether to give up the Stache now or convert it to 29x2.6 and see if I like it better.


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